XI GRAM
DKG Xi Chapter | Winter 2021 | Vol. II
Xi Business Meeting
Save the Date:
✦ General Meeting: Monday
January 25, 2021 4:30 pm
via Zoom (Details
forthcoming). 

New Officers for the
2020-2022 Biennium:
• Co-Presidents:Pam DeLucia
and Paula Miller
• Co-First VPs (Program and
Meetings): Risa Katz and
Lourdes Meyer
• Second VP (Membership):
Jane Claud
• Co-Secretaries: Sharon Quinn
and Jane Spence
• Treasurer: Carol Lansdale
• Parliamentarian: Barb Sabin
• Nominating Committee Chair
2022-2024: Pat Houchens
• Communications Liaison--
Jane Spence
• Communications (newsletter)
—Neena Grosvenor
• World Fellowship-Risa Katz
Presidents’ Message
Dear Xi Members,
During this year, we will continue our business meetings via
Zoom. This platform will provide many opportunities for
members to connect, engage and support each other. Thank
you to Renée Schwartz for her expertise using Zoom for our
group meetings and future breakout sessions.
Several Xi members participated in the statewide Win the
Heart by Mark Miller book club. During the sessions, the
importance of member engagement in an organization was
emphasized. It was enlightening to share ideas with other
members throughout the state.
To increase our chapter engagement and DKG goal of
developing leaders, each member will be participating in a
committee. These committees will have an opportunity to
meet in a breakout session during our meeting on Monday,
January 25, 2021 at 4:30 pm.
Thank you for your generous donation to fund the purchase
of classroom supplies for five deserving Broward teachers.
Your support will help meet the educational excellence
program/project goals set for this biennium and beyond.
Thank you to Risa Katz and Lourdes Boza-Meyer for planning
our December program.
The DKG News Jan/Feb 2021, p5 (forwarded by Pam)
contains an uplifting article about positivity. This article
includes a monthly Action for Happiness calendar/app and
other resources. This resource was shared on DKG
International Facebook page. www.actionforhappiness.org
Thank you for your participation and support of XI chapter.
We welcome suggestions for improving our chapter.
Sincerely,
Paula and Pam

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Holiday Projects Funded by DKG Xi Chapter Grant—

If These Words and Pictures Don’t Make You Smile, I Don’t Know What Will. . .

Lucy Davis (very enthusiastic owner of Bombas Socks on her Facebook page)—Lucy
planned a unit to get reluctant writers to concentrate on themselves and hopefully feel more
motivated to write. The projects aren’t done yet, but the supplies and the assignment are
pictured below. Maybe we’ll see a bit of the projects in the future.

Elaine Aaron—Elaine was our first applicant. As a media specialist she wanted to buy e-
books for her students. These are Elaine’s words:

Teaching in a global pandemic requires some significant modification when trying to

accomplish traditional lessons and programs. The Sunshine State Young Readers Award
Junior program (SSYRA-Jr.) is sponsored by the Florida Association of Media in Education.
It is a reading motivation program whereby fifteen books (ten picture books and five
beginning chapter books) are nominated annually. Kindergarten, first and second graders
who have read or listened to at least three are eligible to vote for a favorite book in the
spring. In my school, library lessons are accomplished weekly through a learning
management system and I do not read to the students live. Instead, books are read aloud,
uploaded to youtube and inserted into lessons. For example, The Panda Problem by
Deborah Underwood is a funny tale where the main character hijacks the story from the
narrator. Following the read aloud, the lesson module includes a non-fiction clip about
pandas, a lesson regarding story elements, silly video clips of pandas and a video lesson
about how to draw a panda. Certainly a different strategy than the traditional lesson of
students seated on the carpet listening to a story read aloud by the teacher! I am ever so
grateful for the kindness and generosity of my DKG sisters who donated the funds enabling
me to purchase the ebooks for my students to read.

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Holiday Projects Funded by DKG Xi Chapter Grant Continued—

Kristin Marchese—Kristin is working on her PhD and has moved from Middle School
to Elementary School PE in southwest Ft. Lauderdale. She has not received all the
materials she ordered, but these are pictures of her students using the various
materials she has received.

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Holiday Projects Funded by DKG Xi Chapter Grant Continued—

Elisabeth Quinn—Elisabeth is the daughter of our Secretary and former V-P, Sharon Quinn.
She teaches Head Start at an Elementary School in western Broward. Elisabeth has made these
goodie bags before by finding sales and reasonably priced items from her own pocket throughout
the year. This year she feels blessed to be a recipient of one of our Holiday Project Grants. These
are some of the books, stuffed animals, snacks and school supplies she accumulated for their
presents from Santa. The kids loved them!

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Holiday Projects Funded by DKG Xi Chapter Grant Continued—

Heidi Martin

Heidi (daughter of Risa Katz) teaches second grade in north Broward. She is
teaching remotely but has managed to develop a very close relationship with
her students. She says to us, “Thank you so much! We are so excited to use
our new Reading A-Z program, granted to us by Delta Kappa Gamma, Xi
Chapter.

Thanks to this wonderful group we now have access to a giant resource of

online leveled readers AND their print versions that allow us to print and
assemble beautiful full colored leveled reading books or even leveled reading
coloring books. Now all of our students will once again be able to turn the
pages of a good book in the comfort and more importantly, in the safety of
their own home.”

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Birthday Blues

Our Past President Pat Houchens is recovering from her fall (on her birthday,
no less)! After a great start and a celebratory brownie in Atlanta airport with
her fellow travelers, she had an unfortunate run-in with her rolling carry-on as
she boarded the plane. After surgery, rehab and her return home, she is doing
PT here at Holy Cross. A slow, but steady recovery.

Also in PT

Our Co-President Paula Miller is recovering from her knee replacement

surgery. She is moving very well, but finishing her PT at Cleveland Clinic.

Back to School

Elaine Aaron, after a bout with Covid-19, is back to school! She waited to
make sure all the markers of her Covid test were negative and came back in
2021. No lingering effects. New Grandma!

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Congratulations to first time grandmother,
Elaine Aaron, on the birth of her
grandson, Grayson.
Congratulations to Neena Grosvenor on
the birth of her second grandchild,
Morrison.

Visit us on the web at http://dkgxichapter.org/

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