Rotary luncheon to honor new teachers

Erin Barber, right, joined fellow new Jefferson City High School English teachers, Lynsey Sartain, middle, and Angie Green, as more than 100 new area teachers were introduced at a luncheon Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, hosted by the Jefferson City Rotary Club at Capital Plaza Hotel. After an individual introduction, they were addressed by Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven.
Erin Barber, right, joined fellow new Jefferson City High School English teachers, Lynsey Sartain, middle, and Angie Green, as more than 100 new area teachers were introduced at a luncheon Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, hosted by the Jefferson City Rotary Club at Capital Plaza Hotel. After an individual introduction, they were addressed by Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven.

Rotary Club of Jefferson City will host its annual luncheon Aug. 9 to honor new teachers in the Jefferson City area, and the public is welcome to attend.

Teachers beginning their careers in public and private schools in the Jefferson City area are welcome to attend as guests of the Rotary Club. Others who wish to attend, including spouses, parents, children, friends and co-workers, will pay $15 admission. The price will include a served lunch.

Event contact Patrick Hiatte said "the Jefferson City area" includes all of Jefferson City Public Schools and the Blair Oaks R-2 districts, as well as all schools of the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City in town, Helias High School, and Calvary and Trinity Lutheran schools.

Rhonda Allen will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon. Allen was Jefferson City Public Schools' 2017 Eisinger Teacher of the Year winner and has taught fourth grade at Thorpe Gordon Elementary School for 13 years. She taught at East Elementary School for two years before that.

She told the News Tribune on Wednesday that her speech was still coming together, but what she wants to impart to new teachers is "a toolkit of what you need to be a good teacher," or a "toolkit for survival."

The luncheon will begin at noon in the Missouri Room of the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Reservations are requested by Aug. 4 via email to [email protected]. Hiatte said as of Thursday afternoon the club had received about 120 reservations.

For more information about Rotary Club of Jefferson City, visit jcmorotary.org.