Newsletters

  ETA News & Notes 

UPSILON STATE Ames/Story County 

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International 

Donna Niday, ETA Chapter President 

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International promotes the professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. 

Volume 50                                       March 2026                                                   Number 5

President’s Newsletter

President’s Message

“May the luck of the Irish be with you!” Our next Eta meeting will be on Tuesday, March 17, which is St. Patrick’s Day. My mother’s side of the family had a mixture of Irish, English, and Scottish, so I can claim a little bit of Irish blood. This is my favorite Irish saying: "May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light; may good luck pursue you each morning and night.” 

Next Meeting. Our chapter meeting will be on Tuesday (March 17) at 6:30 p.m. at the Ames Public Library, Danfoss Room. 

Program: Mary Buck will be talking about “Getting Started with Genealogy.” (Maybe I can learn how to trace my Irish roots!)

Refreshments: Our March refreshment committee (Charli and Ann) will have a St. Patrick’s Day refreshment table, complete with shamrocks. At our last meeting, we discussed bringing our own water bottles or beverages for two reasons: (1) it’s more environmentally friendly for us to use water bottles than paper cups, and (2) it saves the hostesses from having to lug juice bottles and paper cups to the meeting. Please remember to bring your own beverage. 

Roll Call: In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the roll call question is to describe “What has been your luckiest experience?” (See the agenda for some suggestions.)

Described below are several important items on the agenda. 

Northwood Preschool Sensory Room: Mary Morton, the Northwood principal, submitted the following list of needs for their preschool sensory room. According to the New York School Board Association, sensory rooms help students regulate and calm their emotions, increase their learning focus, improve their behavior, and improve their social and communication skills.

1. 10 pkg. of liquid floor tiles 199.99

2. 2 sets of fabric squares 104.98 (52.49 each)

3. 10 pkg. of wall touch light up 155.00

4. 2 sets of sensory floor tiles 127.98 (63.99 each)

TOTAL $587.95

At Tuesday’s meeting, we will vote on whether to give the total amount, a portion of the amount, or no funding.

The first photo shows Charli holding up the fabric squares. The second photo shows the sensory floor tiles. In the third photo principal Mary Morton demonstrates the wall touch light up.

World Fellowship. At Tuesday’s meeting, we will be taking a monetary collection for World Fellowship. This fund assists international students with their tuition payment. Below is a list of our three state World Fellowship recipients. Please consider sending a note to one or more students, wishing them well in finishing the school year.

1. I-Chun (Vera) Hsiao, 910 W. Benton Street, Apt. 112D, Iowa City, IA 52246

Cell: 319-400-6712                              Email: ihsiao@uiowa.edu  

Attending The University of Iowa        Home Country: Taiwan

2. Catherine Birungi Wanyana, 850 Porter Dr., Apt. 6, Waterloo, IA. 50701

Cell: 319-610-9816 Email: wanyanac@uni.edu

Attending Hawkeye School of Nursing  Home Country: Uganda

3. Aimen Hameed, 116 Hawkeye Ct., Apt. 312, Iowa City, IA. 52246

Cell: 605-277-5355 Email: aimen-hameed@uiowa.edu

Attending The University of Iowa Home Country: Pakistan

Note: We usually have four recipients of the World Fellowship who are studying in Iowa.
The fourth recipient was a young woman (Wonkyung Kim) from South Korea whose mother was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. Therefore, Ms. Kim decided to finish her last year in one semester and graduate in December 2025, allowing her to go home to be with her mother. The state committee elected last fall to give her the scholarship for both semesters in one lump sum so she could pay for additional classes, along with her thesis and commencement expenses. (Since Ms. Kim is already home in South Korea, her Iowa address is not included.)

March Honorees

At Tuesday night’s meeting, we will honor the following individuals for their DKG anniversaries with a certificate and red rose:

30 Years: Jean Krusi, Peggi Laursen, and Mary Martens

35 Years: Di Claus

45 Years:  Lynn Terrill

Congratulations, ladies! We appreciate your long-term dedication!

April Honorees

In April, we will honor the nine members who are paid employees in a teaching position by bringing items to Tuesday’s meeting or the social on March 28:

• Sally Beisser—Drake University Teacher Education professor

• Lisa Green—Ames Middle School sixth-grade science teacher

• Agata Guskaroska—Iowa State University linguistics instructor

• Sebnem Kurt—Purdue University linguistics instructor

• Donna Niday—Iowa State University practicum supervisor

• Jaci Peeler—Raising Readers in Story County leader

• Shaeley Santiago—Ames Community Schools ESL coordinator

• Miriam Sta Maria—Northwood Preschool educational assistant

• Vickie Unferth—Marshalltown Community College—coordinator of International Students and Programs

Nominations: The Nomination Committee will be contacting Eta members to find individuals who are willing to be nominated for one of our officer positions for the next two years. We would love for you to step forward and say, “Yes!”

March 2027 Meeting Date: I received a request that we alter our March 2027 meeting date so that it doesn’t coincide with spring break. We will vote on whether we wish to go one week earlier or one week later next year.

March Social: We will be gathering for a coffee/brunch time on Saturday, March 28, at 10:00-11:30 at Panera’s. Come join the fun conversations!

Eta Agenda for Tuesday, March 17

Ames Public Library, Danfoss Room 

Program: Mary Buck describing “Getting Started with Genealogy”

Refreshments: Charli Hanway (ch) and Ann Lee

Roll Call:  What has been your luckiest experience? This could be a serious event, such as meeting your soulmate, a whimsical day in which everything went right, a time you were a lucky winner, or anything else you deem “lucky”!

Reminder: Please bring these items to Tuesday’s meeting: (1) World Fellowship donation, (2) items for the active teacher members (or bring them to the social), and (3) your own beverage.

Business Meeting:

1. Call to order

2. Approval of agenda

3. Secretary’s report: Vickie Unferth

1. Minutes for approval (Vickie)

2. Correspondence (Vickie, Ann, or Donna)

4. Treasurer’s report: Rhonda 

5. Standing committee reports 

1. Program Committee (upcoming April speaker on scams) 

2. World Fellowship: Mary and Janice

3. Social Committee: Ann

4. Scholarship Committee: Rhonda

5. Nomination Committee: Rhonda and Mary H.

6. Unfinished business 

1. Honorees with DKG anniversaries

2. DKG Second Century and Beyond: Sprinkle Story 

7. New business

1. Reminder of April honorees for members who are paid employees in a teaching position

2. Discuss date of March 2027 meeting (before or after spring break)

8. Announcements and Good News!

Upcoming Events

• Next social: Saturday, March 28, 10:00-11:30 a.m., Panera

• Next meeting: Tuesday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. at Ames Public Library, Danfoss Room

Refreshment Committee: Peggi Laursen (ch), Janice Reutter, Miriam StaMarie

Thanks

• Thanks to Rhonda and her Scholarship Committee members (Vickie, Jaci, and Donna) for setting up the future educator scholarship with Ames High School.