Fundraiser to maintain and expand the club’s Magic Pencil program supporting kids in need
Local Rotarians are raising funds to expand their program that funds school supplies for in-need kids to also cover basic winter clothing.
Launched last year in partnership with the Delta School District, the Rotary Club of North Delta’s Magic Pencil program helps local families who struggle to pay for their children’s back-to-school expenses by creating an annual fund for each elementary and secondary school so that teachers can purchase supplies on behalf of children who need them.
“It was so rewarding to hear so much gratitude from the school staff for this program. It takes so much pressure off [them],” Rotarian Shawn Gold, program organizer, said of last year’s pilot.
District staff estimate that the annual cost of school supplies averages $100 for elementary students and $150 for youth in secondary school, noting each school and class has unique needs.
“The Rotary Club of North Delta is proud and honoured to have the opportunity to champion the Magic Pencil program. Having the appropriate school supplies helps set students up for success,” club president Jon Marks said in a press release this spring.
A press release last week announcing the program’s return this fall noted nearly 600 kids enrolled in North Delta’s 14 public elementary schools are food insecure, meaning their families likely also struggle to pay for the children’s school supplies and winter clothing.
According to the latest Early Development Instrument data — a survey used to gather information about five core “scales” of early childhood development (physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge) in kindergarten students across B.C. — 28.4 per cent or 238 of children in Delta schools were found to be vulnerable in one or more area.
Broken down, the EDI data shows all three North Delta “neighbourhoods” (Sunshine Hills, comprised of most of the area south of 72nd Avenue; North Delta West, comprised roughly of everything north of 72nd, west of Highway 91 and east of 112th Street; and North Delta East, roughly everything east of 112th to Scott Road, plus a chunk extending south of 72nd to the Cougar Creek ravine, from 114A Street to Scott Road) had a higher incidence of vulnerability than the city average.
North Delta East in particular had a high level of vulnerability, with 95 (34.7 per cent) of children in the area at risk on at least one scale. The neighbourhood not only had the highest rate of vulnerability overall, it led all five Delta neighbourhoods in each of the five scales.
North Delta Rotary’s release notes that studies in Canada, Australia and California have all concluded that children’s EDI scores strongly predicted their subsequent performance in language and mathematics classes in Grade 3.
With the Magic Pencil program, the club’s goal is to make sure that no child enrolled in a North Delta elementary schools struggles in school due to hunger, insufficient school supplies or lack of winter clothing.
Magic Pencil was launched using a grant from the Delta Community Foundation’s Community Prosperity Fund, with additional grants, donations and fundraisers to cover the program’s $35,000 annual cost ensure it returns this September.
To extend the program and help parents cover the costs of winter basics like jackets and gloves during the upcoming school year, North Delta Rotarians are applying for grants from local funding sources and business foundations, while also volunteering dozens of hours to sell 50/50 draw tickets at grocery stores and community events.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 (four for $20, or 20 for $50), and also available to purchase online at rafflebox.ca/raffle/rcnd. The draw date is Thursday, Oct. 16, and as of Thursday afternoon (Aug. 14) the jackpot was $9,260 — meaning the winner will take home at least $4,630.
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