Pinecrest School Celebrates First Kiwanis K-Kids Club Charter

Student officers of the charter of the Kiwanis K-Kids Club were officially installed into office during a celebration at the school last Sunday. K-Kids, a student-led community service organization, is the youngest branch of the Kiwanis family. Pinecrest is an independent preschool through 6th grade school here in Annandale.

According to Nicole McDermott, head of Pinecrest School and the club’s advisor, the club is a first for both the school and its sponsor, the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean. McDermott has been a Kiwanis member since high school through its service leadership programs for young people. “I joined Kiwanis because of the lesson and experiences I had in these organizations,” said McDermott. When she became head of the school; she hoped there would be a K-Kids Club one day.

Kiwanis is an international organization whose members participate in community projects to help others and to improve the environment. The organization’s site lists K-Kids as the youngest and fastest growing service organization for elementary students worldwide. The Pinecrest K-Kids Club joins over 600 K-Kids clubs across the globe.

The Pinecrest club got its start after 5th grader Jesse Pasierb asked McDermott about her Kiwanis water bottle and lunch bag when he was head of the school for a day (his parents were the highest bidders at a fundraising event for the school). Pasierb was later introduced to Gavin Dock, the current president of the Annandale Chamber of Commerce and a Kiwanis member that same day. Dock gave Pasierb a K-Kids brochure and the rest is history.

There are currently 26 K-Kids Club members at Pinecrest. The students were recognized during a ceremony at Pinecrest on Feb. 13 with their parents, family members and members of the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean in attendance.

During the ceremony, club members were inducted and officers received their pins of duty when they were installed into office. The elected charter officers for the school are: Jesse Pasierb, president; Jack Andrew, vice president; Ellie Hohenstein, secretary; and Garrett Patterson, treasurer.

Jeffrey Wolff, Kiwanis governor-elect of the capital district, assisted during the induction. Student representatives were also recognized and all members pledged to serve their neighborhood and school as well as respect to the environment and to make the world a better place. Many of the students said they wanted to join K-Kids in order to help others, help the earth and to make an impact.

Members of the student-led club decide how they want to make an impact on their community. Decisions such as what activities to take on are made by a democratic voting process. “I’ve been in awe of the things they’ve come up with on their own,” said Club Advisor Jayne Cantor.  “They take the meetings seriously and they are enthusiastic,” Cantor said.

Several of the community service projects K-Kids members have already completed include park clean-up at Annandale’s , raising money to donate to Haiti, creating cards to give to sick children in area hospitals and more.

“It’s been really fun,” said Pasierb. “It’s made me more responsible and more of a leader. You think about doing good and helping people who don’t have as much.”

In addition to McDermott, Pinecrest teachers, two of who are advisors, parents and other adults, also support the club. Janice Pasierb, mother of Jesse Pasierb, said Kiwanis is a great organization and a great role model for children to see adults doing good in the world and wanting to help.

Kiwanis members David Lurie and Kristina Dlugozima said seeing kids get inspired has been great. “Kids wanting to change the world means that Kiwanis is having a positive impact by sponsoring clubs,” Lurie said.