Dictionary Project defines county children's future

Monday, June 21, 2010
Donor: Nevada County Republican Women

Editor`s note: Judy Payne, of Nevada County Republican Women Federated,
is excited about the group`s work on The Dictionary Project because of
its reach into our future — all at very low cost.

What is your mission?

The Dictionary Project is a nonprofit organization that works with sponsors
throughout the United States to provide personal dictionaries for
third-grade students.This aids third-grade teachers in their
goal to see all their students leave at the end of the year as good
writers, active readers and creative thinkers.Children keep the dictionaries and use them throughout their school years.This
spec...

Escondido Elks' dictionary presentation

By: Marsha Franklin e-mail
Monday, June 14, 2010
Donor: Escondido Elks Lodge # 1687

Soledad Rotary Club celebrates another dictionary giveaway

By: Beverly Willitts e-mail
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Donor: Soledad Rotary Club

Santa Clarita Elks Lodge distributes dictionaries to 34 area elementary schools

By: Karen Henke Elks state newspaper
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Donor: Santa Clarita Elks Lodge # 2379

The Santa Clarita Elks Lodge # 2379 gave more than 3,500 dictionaries to third graders in the Saugus, Newhall, Sulphur Springs and Agua Dulce School Districts.

`This has been our most successful year to date,` said Karen Henke, Dictionary Project Committee Chairman. `We have never been able to distribute this many dictionaries to this many schools before. All of our many volunteers were left with the warmth of giving to grateful students and schools. I want to thank the members within our Lodge for their generous donations of money for dictionaries and time to help distribute them to the children. It truly has been a very gratifying ...

Rotary • n. Service club that promotes literacy

By: Glenn Kahl Manteca Bulletin
Friday, April 02, 2010
Donor: Rotary Club of Ripon & Ripon Grange

Third graders in Ripon will soon get their own personal dictionary. The Ripon Rotary Club once again made it possible to have Ripon Unified School District Superintendent Louise Nan personally pass out the dictionaries to students in their classroom settings accompanied by school principals and other Rotarians.

Cost of this dictionary project is $3,000. Some $300 of that amount came from a grant through the Ripon Grange with another $300 provided by Rotary International. Another $1,000 came from the net proceeds of a recent spelling bee and Ripon Rotarians donated the remainder.

In presenting the dictionaries last year Superi...

Elks clubs offer 'Define Intervention'

By: Jennifer Hagihara The Daily Breeze
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Donor: Torrance Elks Lodge # 1948

When Mica has to look up a word, she finds a dictionary that belongs to somebody else.

`My parents have one and I use them at school,` the 8-year-old said. `But this one`s different.`

At Carson Street Elementary, the third-grader, along with her entire class, each received a dictionary from the Torrance Elks Lodge and the Ladies of the Elks on Thursday.

`We are very excited,` school Principal Martin Leon said. `Third-grade is crucial. There is lots of writing and, in order to write, (students) need a dictionary.`

Flipping through the book, readers will not only find definitions but biographies of U.S. presiden...

Monterey Peninsula Rotary Club returns to schools with dictionaries

By: Joe Mateo e-mail
Friday, February 26, 2010
Donor: Monterey Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Club

The Monterey Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Club recently completed distributing dictionaries to the third graders of both Martin Luther King Elementary and International School of Monterey. A total of 99 dictionaries were distributed with the remaining given to each school for their use at their libraries.

Each child was called up to get his/her dictionary, and we were so fortunate to see the smiling faces and gratitude in each child`s face. Best of all, they get to put their names on the inside cover of their very own dictionary. As one of our Rotarians after one of the ceremonies said appropriately, `If that doesn`t put a smile on yo...

Willits Rotary Club distributes dictionaries to students

By: Maureen Moore The Willits News
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Donor: Willits Rotary Club

Members of the Willits Rotary Club made their annual trek to Blosser Lane Elementary School last Friday morning to distribute 110 new Macmillan visual dictionaries to four classrooms of giddy, gleaming-eyed third-grade students.
Another 70 dictionaries featuring 35,000 up-to-date words and 3,000 detailed illustrations will be taken to Laytonville, Covelo and Sherwood schools to ensure all north county third-grade students get their own special dictionary.
`This is a wonderful gift we can give to these kids,` explained Rotarian Bill Jack, dictionary project chairman. `They get to use these books in class for years to come and can ta...

‘D' is for dictionary, dedication
Jan Morrow wins Woman of the Year award
By: Jessica Cejnar Desert Dispatch
Monday, February 08, 2010
Donor: Barstow Rotary Club

A dictionary may not top many wish lists, and a book might be as glamorous to an 8-year-old as a pair of socks, but many Barstow area third-graders have been able to discover the meaning of words because of Jan Morrow.
Even though her children are grown, Morrow still treasures the words of Maurice Sendak and Shel Silverstein. She remembers reading Dick and Jane and Spot as a kid, and how excited she got when her grandparents placed a new book in her hands.

Now, Morrow doesn`t go anywhere without a book. She has read to neighborhood kids in the past and taught Spanish-speakers to read at the library. It was Morrow who brought The ...

Vacaville Elks Lodge dictionary report

By: John Holsapple Elks newsletter
Friday, November 13, 2009
Donor: Vacaville Elks Lodge #2638

Vacaville Elks Lodge #2638 Dictionary Project for the 2009 Year has been completed. There were 18 schools visited and a total of 78 classes visited.

Through your generous monetary donations from submission of monies with your dues, the `BIG` karaoke fundraising night and dinner with raffle, we raised enough money to buy one thousand eight hundred dictionaries. There were a total of 1,768 dictionaries delivered to the third graders of the Fairfield/Suisun School District and the Holy Spirit Catholic School.

Bob Meador, Pam Pianfetti, and your next year`s Dictionary Project Chairperson Suzanne Pederson h...

The Gift of Knowledge
Carmichael Elks give 900 dictionaries
By: Larry Stitt American River Messenger
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Donor: Carmichael Elks Lodge # 2103

In early September each 3rd grade student in Carmichael elementary schools was given a free copy of `Webster`s Dictionary for Students` by Carmichael Elks Lodge # 2103. Receiving the gift of a dictionary has been called receiving `The Gift of Knowledge.`

Carmichael Elks Exalted Ruler Bob Lowe reports that Lodge members distributed over 900 dictionaries to third graders at Mary Deterding, Garfield, Mission, Thomas Kelly, Charles Peck, Albert Schweitzer, Starr King, Cameron Ranch, Carmichael, and Coyle Avenue elementary schools. The excitement and enthusiasm the students displayed upon receiving their own personal dictionaries indicate...

Manzanita Public Charter School receives dictionaries from DAR

By: Nancy Thompson e-mail communication
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Donor: Lompoc Chapter DAR

Rancho Purisima Lompoc Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) distributed dictionaries to the two third grade classes at the newly established Manzanita Public Charter School at Vandenberg Air Force Base in March.

Mrs. Jean Albrecht, DAR Regent, and Mrs. Nancy C. Thompson, DAR Historian, presented the dictionaries to the classes of Nicole Hersh and Jane Hunter. The teachers and children were thrilled to have the dictionaries. There used to be only four dictionaries in each class room. Each child received their own dictionary and could not believe that they could keep them. Mrs. Thompson discu...

Westchester Elks visit Highland Elementary

By: Ray Walstine e-mail communication
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Donor: Westchester Elks Lodge

The Westchester Elks Lodge recently gave dictionaries to students at Highland Elementary School in Inglewood.

200 Dictionaries given to 3rd grade students by Oakhurst-Sierra Sunrise Rotary

By: Jackie Mallouf press release
Monday, February 16, 2009
Donor: Oakhurst-Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club

On January 25, 2009, members of the Oakhurst-Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club gave out 200 dictionaries to 3rd grade students at Coarsegold, North Fork, Spring Valley, Rivergold, and Raymond-Knowles Elementary Schools. The dictionary project leader, Walt Reimer, said, `Giving students their own books is like giving them ownership in their education. I saw great results of this book program in my former Rotary Club in Ojai. It is a pleasure to be able to continue this program in our mountain area schools.` This is the fourth year that dictionaries have been given to students for their personal use. They are encouraged to keep and use the dictionari...

North county third-grade students receive dictionaries from Willits Rotary Club

By: Maureen Moore The Willits News
Monday, February 16, 2009
Donor: Willits Rotary Club

For over 12 years, the Willits Rotary Club has been distributing dictionaries to third-grade students in Covelo, Laytonville, Branscomb, Spyrock, Willits and Sherwood School to help expand their literacy skills at home and in the classroom.
More than 190 MacMillan Fully-Illustrated Dictionaries for Children were handed out this year. The hardbound edition contains 35,000 up-to-date words and 3,000 detailed illustrations. In 2008, around 200 dictionaries were distributed. Rotary Club President Bill Jack attributed the smaller amount to declining school enrollments.
Students at Blosser Lane Elementary School who received their books ...

Early Christmas for third grade students at Westlake School in Daly City

By: Ted Wright email communication
Monday, January 12, 2009
Donor: South San Francisco Elks Lodge 2091

It was an early Christmas for sixty third grade students at Westlake School in Daly City . With the help of The Dictionary Project and the South San Francisco Elks Lodge 2091, the students, most of them from low income families, were able to receive much needed dictionaries. I, along with Carl Dalessio, have never seen children so happy to receive something so easy to give as a dictionary. In appreciation for the dictionaries each child sent a thank-you letter to me and the Elks Lodge. The thank-you letters are in the Elks Lodge office for anyone to read and understand how easy it is to help young children in their education. Ms...

Students grateful for gifts from Westchester Elks

Saturday, December 06, 2008
Donor: Westchester Elks Lodge #2050

The Westchester Elks Lodge #2050 gives dictionaries to students in Los Angeles.

Rotarians Make Dreams Real

By: - press release
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Donor: Soledad Rotary Club

The Soledad Rotary Club is proud to announce the successful completion of their `Make Dreams Real` project. Soledad Rotarians raised the money to distribute over 400 dictionaries to all of the third grade students in the Soledad Unified School District and at the Soledad Mission School. Rotarians visited six schools, distributed dictionaries to each individual student and conducted heartwarming question and answer sessions with the students regarding the unique benefits of their new dictionary.

The idea was presented to the Rotary by Jim and Beverly Willitts after they had attended the Rotary Conference in Visalia...

Rotary Gives 501 Dictionaries to Third Graders

By: - Dinuba Sentinel
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Donor: Dinuba Rotary Club

Members of the Dinuba Rotary Club visited local schools last week and distributed 501 dictionaries--one to each third-grade student.

Reflecting local demographics, 260 Spanish-English dictionaries and 241 English-only dictionaries were distributed. The distribution of the different dictionaries was based on the primary language spoken in each child`s home.

Students at Immanuel Academy`s elementary school west of Dinuba received 18 English dictionaries from Rotarian Debbie Newton-Johnston.

At Roosevelt School, 90 Spanish-English dictionaries were distributed. Making the presentation were Rotarians Yolanda Vasquez, Ar...

Women's group hands out dictionaries to students

By: Erica Shen The Press-Enterprise
Monday, November 24, 2008
Donor: San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated

Every third-grader in the Beaumont and Banning school districts recently received a dictionary from the San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated.

Club members visited the Beaumont schools on Nov. 6 and 7 and the Banning schools on Nov. 17 and 18, handing out 1,032 dictionaries to students and new teachers.

Money for the books came from members of the Republican women`s group, said Bess Hanson. She and Florence Antrim are the club`s co-chairwomen for the project.

This is the sixth time the club has participated in The Dictionary Project, a national program that promotes children`s literacy by giving away dictionari...

Kiwanis Club brings dictionaries to Riverside Unified School District

By: Bob Nelson email communication
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Donor: Kiwanis Club of Uptown Riverside

Here is a photo showing a happy recipient and a copy of one letter from a student, and a few phrases lifted from other very appreciative letters from 3rd graders who have received dictionaries from the Kiwanis Club of Uptown Riverside, CA. We are distributing some 3200 this year to all 3rd grade students in the Riverside Unified School District.

SO MANY NEAT LETTERS….. here`s one (as written)………. Dear Kiwanis Club, Thank you for the dictionary, its very cool. It got every word in it. Evryone loves it. They always use it for Vocabulary. We always wiat for it to come. It`s so cool we will not forget about it ...

There is such a thing as a free dictionary

By: Steve Rubenstein San Francisco Chronicle
Friday, November 14, 2008
Donor: California Dictionary Project

Dictionary Day may not be a school holiday but it`s not bad either, a roomful of third-graders decided Thursday in San Francisco.

That`s because each of them got a free dictionary. It wasn`t an iPod, but it was something reasonably useful, even if it was both educational and a book.

`Cool,` said 8-year-old Alexis. `My own dictionary. Free.`

Five thousand Bay Area children got dictionaries because of something called the California Dictionary Project, a San Francisco foundation that believes in the power of the word.

At Cleveland Elementary School in the Excelsior neighborhood, longtime school volunteer John We...

Continuing a Tradition

By: Linda Keetch
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Donor: Michael Hamber and Virginia Gamber Hanks Memorial Grant

My husband and I recently distributed over 810 dictionaries to the teachers and third-grade students of the Lucia Mar Unified School District on the Central Coast of California. We visited over 40 classes at 11 elementary schools.

I spent a few minutes telling each class that my father had come to the United States from Italy with only his first language, Italian. He learned English in school, and he always loved both of his languages. He studied English all of his life, and he often read the dictionary to learn something new. Many of the students in the Lucia Mar District are bilingual, and I hope my father`s story will let them...

Grange gives ‘Words for Thirds’

By: Lucette Moramarco Fallbrook Village News
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Donor: Rainbow Valley Grange

Rainbow Valley Grange youth recently brought dictionaries to Vallecitos Elementary School.

Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta donates dictionaries

By: Jack Seigal River Valley Times
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Donor: Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta

Recently all 78 third graders of Cosumnes River Elementary School were presented with their own personal dictionaries. The gift was made possible because of a gift from the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta Foundation.

Each copy of `A Student`s Dictionary` had a personalized label affixed to the inside cover which read: `This dictionary and all the words in it belong to (name of student). Donated by the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta.`

According to Kiwanis Club President Al Dolata, the presentation was part of a national program called The Dictionary Project, which was created to provide dictionaries to students to help with t...

Garden Grove Elks continue dictionary delivery

By: Kenneth Charity press release
Monday, November 03, 2008
Donor: Garden Grove Elks Lodge # 1952

Garden Grove Elks Lodge #1952 is starting the delivery of the second half of their schedule. They have just finished delivering to Garden Park Elementary School, where 44 students and their teachers and principal received dictionaries. So far, the Garden Grove Elks have delivered to 28 schools of the 46 in the GGUSD Schools, for a total of 2,249 books to date.
...

Excited about words

By: - Desert Dispatch
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Donor: Rotary Club of Barstow

Barstow Rotary Club members Lola Kirk and Mark Murphy distributed new dictionaries to third graders at Crestline Elementary School Tuesday. The Rotary gave out more than 1,000 dictionaries, one to every third-grader in the Barstow Unified School District and the Silver Valley School District, Murphy said.

Lompoc Elks give dictionaries to students

By: - The Lompoc Record
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Donor: Lompoc Elks Lodge 2274

The Lompoc Elks Lodge 2274 provided more than 800 dictionaries to third-grade kids throughout Lompoc this week.

The Elks dictionary project is designed to help teachers in their goals of teaching good writing and creative thinking to their classes, according to project chairman Jerry Hogan.

`We feel that children cannot do their best without the correct tools, and a dictionary is one of those tools,` Hogan said.

The dictionaries were given to students in the Lompoc Unified School District, as well as at La Purisima Concepcion School and in home-school programs.

Kiwanis Club Presents Dictionaries to CRES Third Graders

By: Jack Seigal Kiwanis Kronicle newsletter
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Donor: Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta

On Thursday, October 9, 2008, a delegation from the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta presented all 78 third grade students at the Cosumnes River Elementary School with their own personal dictionary.



Each copy of `A Student`s Dictionary` had a personalized label affixed to the inside cover which read, `This dictionary and all the words in it belong to (name of student). Donated by the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta.`



According to Kiwanis Club President Al Dolata, the presentation was part of a national program called `The Dictionary Project`, which was created to provide a dictionary to stu...

Nevada City Elks Bring Dictionaries to School

By: - email
Friday, October 17, 2008
Donor: Nevada City Elks Lodge # 518

Representatives of the Nevada City Elks Lodge #518 brought dictionaries and smiles to students at Deer Creek School.

Elks bring world of words to kids with free dictionaries

By: Amber Siratt Kern Valley Sun
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Donor: Kern River Valley Elks Lodge

As the school bell rings each morning and as homework is done each afternoon, local third grade students across the Kern River Valley will have a new resource to use during their academic careers.

Last week third grade students from Kernville, South Fork, and Wallace Elementary Schools each received a dictionary courtesy of the Kern River Valley Elks Lodge Dictionary Project. The Dictionary Project is a national non-profit organization, sponsored by Elks Lodges and other organizations throughout the United States and is designed to assist all students to complete the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by ...

46 Elementary Schools Benefit From Elks' Generosity

By: Ken Charity press release
Monday, September 22, 2008
Donor: Garden Grove Elks Lodge

Garden Grove Elks Lodge #1952 started their Dictionary Program with delivery to Warren School. Ms. Terry Kroy welcomed the Elks to the school. Ken Charity, PER Committee Chairman was joined by his crew of Don Katz, Larry and Midge Dissmore, Joe Stevens, Bob Underwood, David Coombs and Asst. Chairman Chris Merrill at the school today. There are 46 Elementary schools in the Garden Grove School District. Chairman Ken Charity says that they will be delivering the rest of this month and into October and November to get it all done.

Caring Community

Monday, April 07, 2008
Donor: Rotary Club of Monterey Peninsula Sunrise

The Monterey Sunrise Rotary Club presented dictionaries to International School of Monterey`s 3rd grade class on April 3rd. Thank you to ISM grandad Joe Mateo for organizing the generous donation!

Kayne Eras Center grateful for dictionaries

By: Francziska Steagall
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Donor: Culver City Rotary Club

Dear Ms. Michele Walman,

I`m writing to thank you and the Culver City Rotary Club so sincerely for the dictionaries you brought to the Kayne Eras Center students. You provided a personal dictionary for every Elementary School student, every Middle School student and every HS CBI (community-based instruction) student on campus. It was wonderful of you and the Culver City Rotary Club.

It sounds like a cliche, but it is not. Our students are using these dictionaries daily in their classes. Teachers drop by my office almost every day to let me know the students use them daily, and just used it for this project or that assignm...

Elks project a team effort

By: Betty Drumheller letter
Friday, March 07, 2008
Donor: West Sacramento Elks Lodge #2529

The West Sacramento Elks Lodge gave to the nine public schools in their city this year. This was an increase of three from the past year. This was due to the housing growth. They try to limit enrollment of each class to 20, thus making two to three third-grade classes in each school.

It was interesting to see how many we were able to involve in this fun task. Getting the names of the students, making a nice label with each child`s name and school in each book, getting the teachers` cooperation and help was also an interesting project. The children all delighted in receiving their very own books. Some schoolchildren did not have...

Monterey Rotary Club visits Foothill School

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Donor: Rotary Club of Monterey

The Rotary Club of Monterey distributed dictionaries to the students at Foothill School in November of 2007.

San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women honored for project

Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Donor: San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated

The San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated started their project in the spring and fall of 2004. The 2004 club president, Donna Lester, came back from a convention with information about the Dictionary Project and presented it to the club members. Everyone agreed it would be a very worthwhile project. Each fall they go to Banning Unified School District (Banning, CA) and Beaumont Unified School District (Beaumont, CA) elementary schools to deliver third graders their dictionaries.

Their fifth dictionary deliveries to third graders took place in November of 2007. Banning USD has four elementary schools (Central, Hoffer, Hemm...

Third graders not the only ones to benefit from Gilroy Elks` generosity

By: John Berger letter
Monday, December 24, 2007
Donor: Gilroy Elks Lodge #1567

I have to share a story with you and I think you will enjoy the outcome.

The Gilroy Elks Lodge has started its second year of distribution of the 3rd-grade dictionaries to the students in areas of Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill.

It has become a tradition with us to present a copy of the Student and the Spanish/English Dictionary to the individuals who assist us in bringing about the completion of this program.

This year, as we were delivering the dictionaries to Michael Johnson, Executive Director of Curriculum for Morgan Hill School District and his secretary, unfortunately Mr. Johnson was not in his office, so w...

Students receive early holiday gifts
Partygoers donate 14 laptop computers; other groups donate holiday proceeds.
By: BARBARA GIASONE The Orange County Register
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Donor: Elks Lodge

FULLERTON - Christmas arrived early for several children in the Fullerton School District.

Students whose families couldn`t afford laptop computers were handed donated machines Thursday after a random drawing was held Wednesday, according to FSD Trustee Hilda Sugarman.

The `gifts` were the result of donations from guests at the Fullerton Excellence in Education wine auction held earlier in the year. Fourteen donations were made to buy `worthy, academically engaged and economically needy students` a laptop of their own.

Dennis Ullrich, owner of Hydraflow in Fullerton, gave five laptops specifically to Fisler School.Click to read full story ...

Rotary Club of Visalia

Saturday, November 17, 2007
Donor: Rotary Club of Visalia

Attached is a picture from last year (December 2006) of me at Royal Oaks Elementary School in Visalia, California.

Culver City Rotary makes a difference with Dictionary Project

By: Michele Walman
Monday, November 12, 2007
Donor: Culver City Rotary Club

It truly was an honor to distribute and participate in the Dictionary Project. The project was an amazing success. The response from the children in the classroom was just so rewarding. I will never forget the excitement and the pure gratitude these children expressed. They each had something special they liked about the dictionary. They were so surprised they could take these books home with them at night.

Each child hand-wrote us a thank you note which I have shared with our club.

We scheduled each school and visited each classroom. The teachers all made time for us to present the dictionaries to each student. We had...

Opening the door to words

By: - newspaper
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Donor: Hereford Rotary Club

The Hereford Rotary Club is donating copies of Webster`s Dictionary to all third graders in the Hereford ISD, Walcott, St. Anthony`s and Nazarene schools as part of their Dictionary Project.  The project is to aid third-grade teachers in helping students become good writers, active readers and creative thinkers.  The purpose of the project is to allow the children to take their dictionaries with them to the fourth grade and use it throughout their school careers. 

Kiwanis Club presents dictionaries to third graders

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Donor: Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta

A delegation from the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta presented all 70 third-grade students at the Cosumnes River Elementary School with their own personal dictionaries.

Each copy of `A Student`s Dictionary` had a personalized label affixed to the inside cover which read, `This dictionary and all the words in it belong to (name of student). Donated by the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta.` The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come.

According to Kiwanis Club president Ron Ruff, the presentation was part of a national program called The Dictionary Project. The goal of this progra...

Get Smart

By: Linda G. Keetch letter
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Donor: Michael Gamber and Virginia Gamber Hanks Memorial Grant

My husband and I recently distributed over 850 dictionaries to the teachers and third-grade students of the Lucia Mar Unified School District on the Central Coast of California. We visited over 40 classrooms at 11 elementary schools.

I spent a few minutes telling each class that my father had come to the United States from Italy with only his first language, Italian. He learned English in school, and he always loved both of his languages. He studied English all of his life, and he often read the dictionary to learn something new. Many of the students in the Lucia Mar District are bilingual, and I hope my father`s story will let t...

Elks give the gift of learning
Viejo Elementary among 240 schools in county to get free dictionaries
By: Erika I. Ritchie The Orange County Register
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Donor: Mission Viejo Elks Lodge

When Andrea got her free dictionary, she quickly found a page with sign language.

`It`s cool to know how to do it,` said the bright-eyed 8-year-old, who instantly practiced what she saw. `I`m going to use the dictionary to learn more words and write them in cursive – I love writing cursive.`

Andrea was one of 50 third-graders at Viejo Elementary who last week got free dictionaries from the Mission Viejo Elks Lodge. More dictionaries will be passed out this week to schools in La Habra, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Tustin. In all, more than 27,000 dictionaries will be distributed this year by 10 Orange County Elks ...

Elks members donate dictionaries to third-graders

By: Emanuel Parker, Staff Writer San Gabriel Valley Star News
Monday, October 01, 2007
Donor: Duarte Elks Lodge #1427

Reading, writing and arithmetic are still the basis of education, and the Duarte Elks Lodge gave some Beardslee Elementary School students something that will help with the first two.

For the past few years the Elks have sponsored a national program that provides free dictionaries to third-grade students. Those students are at a critical stage in the process of learning to read and write.

On Friday, hundreds of students attended an outdoor assembly at Beardslee and watched as Elks members Larry Van Den Bossche, Brian Lister, Lou Orovecz and club secretary Sally Emerson handed out copies of `The Best Dictionary for Students` ...

Buena Park Elks Lodge # 2046

Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Donor: Buena Park Elks Lodge

Buena Terra School. Mrs. Arnold and some of her 3rd graders, this photo was in the local papers and will be in the National Magazine, We delivered to 15 schools this year and every school was ready and waiting for the dictionaries, total of 1512 this year.   LOU BELANGER

Sun shines on Buena Park Elks Dictionary Project

By: Lou Belanger
Friday, May 18, 2007
Donor: Buena Park Elks Lodge #2046

Elks present dictionaries

Friday, April 13, 2007
Donor: Temecula Valley Elks

On behalf of the Temecula Valley Elks, Dictionary Project Co-chairmen Bob and Diane Farrens recently visited Temecula Preparatory School to donate dictionaries to third grade classes.

Each student was given his or her own dictionary to use in the classroom. The students will take these dictionaries with them throughout their school careers. The Temecula Valley Elks began this program last year and plan to expand it each year until they can include all the elementary schools in the area.

The Dictionary Project, a national program, began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of Savannah, GA, gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a ...

Our small dictionary project

By: Marc and Joan Trummel
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Donor: Marc and Joan Trummel

When we saw the dictionaries that the Duarte Elks Lodge #1427 was donating to all of Duarte School District`s third grade students, we were encouraged to also donate a set to our daughter, Kara Trummel`s, fourth grade class at Maxwell School in Duarte.

Her class has almost worn them out using them in class and for their homework. Both she and the students are thankful to the Project for the availability of quality and affordable dictionaries. She tells them that these are real grown-up dictionaries--no pretty pictures.

As it turns out, the class had recently been discussing the history of printing and books. One example wa...

Elks Give the Gift of Words to Students

Sunday, April 01, 2007
Donor: Elks Lodges

In 1992, school crossing guard Annie Plummer came to reporters` attention when she petitioned the City of Savannah, Georgia, to install a stoplight at a busy intersection near an elementary school. Reporters wrote about the petition and Plummer`s follow-up with city officials regarding the stoplight, which was never installed.



However, reporters soon had another story about Plummer to share with their readers. Plummer had noticed that the children she helped cross the street didn`t carry any books. When she asked why, she was told that schoolbooks had to stay at the school. Plummer believed children should have access to...

Bakersfield Elks expand project

By: Richard Anderson
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Donor: Bakersfield Elks Lodge #266

The Bakersfield CA Elks Lodge #266 in the years 2005-2006 gave out 2168 dictionaries to third grade students in the Bakersfield area, 21 schools.

In this year 2006-2007 we gave out 3295 dictionaries to 30 different schools. 

Rotarians donate dictionaries

Friday, March 02, 2007
Donor: Greg and Barbara Meis and Rotary Clubs

Some Rotarians are on a mission to supply all our local third graders with a dictionary of their very own...to have and to hold from this day forward.

In January, Greg Meis of Three Rivers, a member of the Visalia Rotary Club, showed up at Three Rivers School with a batch of dictionaries for Linda Warner`s third grade class.

The students were each presented with one, which is theirs to keep for use at school and at home by the entire family.

`Greg plans on doing this for our third graders for the next five years,` said Sue Sherwood, TRUS superintendent/principal.

Earlier this week, Viola Faubel, Woodlake Rotar...

From A to Z, dictionary is window to words for students at Rosemary and Castlemont

By: Lisa Neves Woldt The Campbell Reporter
Friday, February 23, 2007
Donor: California Dictionary Project

Third-grade students at the Rosemary School and Castlemont School in Campbell received more than cards and chocolates on Valentine`s Day. This year the students each received their own dictionary.
The California Dictionary Project, in conjunction with the Campbell Union School District and Campbell Education Foundation, provided the books.
Campbell Mayor Daniel Furtado, along with volunteers from such service organizations as the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and the Assistance League of Los Gatos, presented the dictionaries to classes.
Since 2002, the California Dictionary Project has donated and distributed more than 75,000 dicti...

Salinas third graders receive dictionaries

By: Gonzalo H. Viales, Secretary
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Donor: Salinas Northeast Rotary Club

We have indeed gotten a lot of pleasure out of participating in this program. Our Club sponsors activities at North Salinas High School , Harden Middle School and Monterey Park Elementary School here in Salinas . We assist Monterey Park School by providing books for their library. Speakers at our weekly meetings s ign a book, which is donated to their library. Their librarian has selected the books, so that we fill a need for the students.



Yesterday, February 7 th , we presented 66 third graders with your dictionaries. They were very pleased to receive them. Their teach...

RM Kiwanis Club presents dictionaries to CRES third graders

Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Donor: Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta

A delegation from the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta presented all 80 third grade students at Cosumnes River Elementary School with their own personal dictionary on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

Each copy of `A Student`s Dictionary` had a personalized label affixed to the inside cover which read, `This dictionary and all the words in it belong to (name of student). Donated by the Kiwanis Club of Rancho Murieta.`

According to Kiwanis Club President Ron Ruff, the presentation was part of a national program called The Dictionary Project, which was created to provide a dictionary to students to help with their homework and their schoolwork. ...

Long Beach Public Library Foundation Annual Report

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Donor: Long Beach Public Library Foundation

DICTIONARY DAY--A Dictionary for all Third Grade Students

A dictionary is perhaps the most important reference tool that a child should own.  Its usefulness goes beyond spelling, pronunciation and definititions; it is a companion tool for solving problems that arise as a child develops reading, writing and creative thinking abilities.  More than 32,000 third grade students throughout Long Beach have received a student dictionary from the Library Foundation thanks to the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation and donors like you.

Photos of this year`s Dictionary Day are by Chris Lee.

Dictionary Project a `wonderful experience` for Nevada County Republican Women

By: Susan Tomlin, Literacy Chairman
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Donor: Nevada County Republican Women Federated

I want to thank you on behalf of the Nevada County Republican Women Federated for the opportunity of making the Dictionary Project our special literacy project for Nevada County in 2006. The Student Dictionary is such a special resource tool for third-grade students and it has been a wonderful experience for the NCRWF to give these dictionaries to the students. They are so appreciative of the dictionary and have sent letters saying how much they love their new dictionaries and what they are learning from the dictionaries. The NCRWF has voted to continue the project for the 2007/2008 school year and we are now in the planning stages of the pro...

224 Dictionaries given to Coarsegold students

By: Jackie Mallouf Press Release
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Donor: Rotary Club of Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise

Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club gave out 224 dictionaries to third and fifth grade students at Coarsegold and Rivergold Elementary Schools. The dictionary project leader, Walt Reimer, said, `Giving students their own books is like giving them ownership of their education. I saw the great results of this book program in my former Rotary Club in Ojai. It is a pleasure to see it started in the Coarsegold schools, and we hope to continue it for many years.`

This is the second year that dictionaries have been given to students for their personal use. They are encouraged to keep and use the dictionaries throughout their student year...

Elks donate dictionaries in Yuba county

By: Roy Newman, PSP
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Donor: Marysville Elks Lodge #783

When our members began working on our Dictionary Project about six months ago, we set a goal of raising enough money to purchase dictionaries for all of the third grade students within Yuba and Sutter Counties - located in Northern California, about 40-miles north of Sacramento.

We decided to focus on Yuba County first, and by the end of 2006, we had raised the money, purchased the dictionaries, and distributed approximately 1200 dictionaries to all of the public schools of Yuba County, one Parochial school, and one Christian-based school.

Fund-raising has begun for purchasing and distributing approximately 1600 dictionaries wit...

Dictionary Donations

Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Donor: Coalinga Elks Lodge

The Coalinga Elks Lodge donated dictionaries to Coalinga third-grade students at Dawson Elementary School.

Lodge members have contributed so that every third-grade student in the district receives a dictionary.

More than 1 million dictionaries were given to students in the 2005-2006 school year as a gift from [sponsors, including] Elks Lodge members, who live in their town.

The goal of this program is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary.

The dictionaries are a gift...

`Dig My Dictionary` Final Report

By: Peter Bostic
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Donor: Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation sincerely thanks the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation for their support of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation. It is our pleasure to provide this report regarding the `Dig My Dictionary` collaborative program that provided a personal dictionary for every third and fourth-grader in Long Beach during 2006.



The Dictionary Project

The Foundation`s collaboration with the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation to present dictionaries to third-graders attending both the public and private schools continues to be a resounding succes...

Dictionary Day Pictures

Friday, December 08, 2006
Donor: Long Beach Public Library Foundation

Spreading the Words

By: Linda G. Keetch
Monday, December 04, 2006
Donor: Michael Gamber and Virginia Gamber Hanks Memorial Grant

In November my husband and I distributed over 800 dictionaries to the teachers and 3rd grade students of the Lucia Mar Unified School District on the Central Coast of California. We visited 41 classrooms in 11 elementary schools.

I spent a few minutes telling each class that my father had come to the United States from Italy with only his first language, Italian. He learned English in school, and he always loved both of his languages. He studied English all of his life, and he often read the dictionary to learn something new. Many of the students in the Lucia Mar District are bilingual, and I hope my father`s story will let th...

Canoga Park Elks Lodge 2190 Picture

Monday, November 20, 2006
Donor: Canoga Park Elks Lodge 2190

THE CANOGA PARK ELKS 2190, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE EXALTED RULER, LES LAMOREAUX, DICTIONARY CHAIRMAN FRED SMALL,ESQUIRE DAVE SWOGER, & ELK MEMBER BERT WINTON, DISTRIBUTED, 927 DONATED DICTIONARIES, TO THE 3RD. GRADE STUDENTS OF TEN SCHOOLS IN THE

IN THE CANOGA PARK AREA. THE SCHOOLS RECEIVING THE DICTIONARIES WERE; ELORO WAY, VAN GOGH, WELBY WAY, DARBY AVE, NEVADA, CAPISTRANO, HAMLIN ST. BECKFORD AVE, PINECREST, AND LORNE STREET MAGNET SCHOOL.

THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, & PRINCIPAL ALL APPROACHED THE DONATION. MORE SCHOOLS IN THE FUTURE WILL BE RECEIVING THE DICTIONARIES.
...

Arcadia Lodge `Tests` Project and Succeeds

By: Burt Smith
Friday, November 10, 2006
Donor: Arcadia Lodge No. 2025

Third Grade Dictionary Project

By: Bill Neessen
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Donor: Orange Elks Lodge #1475

The Orange Elks Lodge #1475 gave 2100 dictionaries to all third grade students in the Orange Unified School District.  The dictionary handout is an ongoing Elks project each year.  This year 29 schools and 78 classrooms were covered.

Benoit distributes Rotary-donated dictionaries to third graders

By: Denise Goolsby The Desert Sun
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Donor: Indio Sunrise and Noon Rotary clubs,

Assemblyman John J. Benoit (R-Bermuda Dunes) distributed dictionaries, donated by the Indio Sunrise and Noon Rotary clubs, to third grade students at Lyndon Johnson Elementary in Indio this morning.

The Rotary clubs, in a joint effort, are donating 1,800 dictionaries to be distributed to all third grade students in Indio schools.

The clubs are providing dictionaries to local school children as a part of the SoCal Dictionary Project. Since its founding in 1995, the Project has distributed dictionaries to 4.4 million children, including 1.49 million in the 2005-06 school year.

Before handing out the dictionaries with Indio...

Young scholars get a key tool
Rotary assists Rail Ranch third-graders
By: HOPE PIERSON The Press-Enterprise
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Donor: Rotary Club of Murrieta

Third grade pupils at Rail Ranch Elementary School in Murrieta started a learning lesson Friday.

Vickie Ashmore, with the Rotary Club of Murrieta, surprised each third-grader with his or her own copy of a Webster`s Dictionary. The students tried them out by looking up a few words in their new books.

The dictionaries were supplied by the SoCal Dictionary Project for a nominal fee. In all, 132 dictionaries were distributed.

Rotary Club began the project in 1999, and the program is for third-graders in public and private schools.

`Each child receives their very own dictionary. It is theirs to keep at school or at...

Eisenhower Elementary third graders get new dictionaries

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Donor: Indio Noon Rotary and Indio Sunrise Rotary clubs

The students in Teresa Rodriguez` third grade class at Eisenhower Elementary School in Indio all received brand new Webster`s dictionaries today thanks to the generosity of two local Rotary clubs.
Soon, all third grade students attending Indio schools will have their own new dictionaries.
The Indio Noon Rotary and Indio Sunrise Rotary clubs, in a joint effort, will distribute more than 1,800 dictionaries – one for each third-grade student attending Indio schools.
The Rotary clubs are providing dictionaries to local school children as a part of the SoCal Dictionary Project. The project`s goal is to get a dictionary into the hand...

Elks Care-Elks Share

Thursday, June 01, 2006
Donor: The Elks Lodge od Canoga Park

Canoga Park, CA, Lodge members donated 166 dictionaries to students in seven third-grade classes at two local schools. Among the students receiving dictionaries were several special education students.

Corona-Norco Dictionary Project Update

By: John R. Wiles, Administrative Coordinator
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Donor: The Dictionary Project for Corona-Norco Schools

The Dictionary Project continues to be received warmly and enthusiastically throughout the Corona-Norco community. To date, I have emceed the presentation of dictionaries at 28 of the 35 elementary schools (27 public, 8 private) included in this year`s initiative - and the excitement expressed by the principals, teachers, and students alike has been nothing less than exhilarating.

I`m already engrossed in collecting enrollment and staffing figures for 2006-07 - and am planning to order a new supply of dictionaries in time for distribution during the first months of the new school year. I`m expecting to add at least two new organ...

The Dictionary Project

Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Donor: South San Francisco Elks Lodge #2091

South San Fracisco Elks Lodge #2091 presented sixty five, third-grade students in the Westlake School in Daly City, California. Pictured are Teacher, Sam Dicker, and Principal Jessica Pace and Exalted Ruler Ted Wright. As this was the first endeavor with The Dictionary Project, it will not be the last. Each dictionary had a ame plate with the Elks logo and number of the Elks Lodge and a plce for the student to write their name. The dictionaries also help Westlake School comply with California state law that all third grade students at completion of the third grade must have the ability to use a dictionary.

Nonprofits donate dictionaries
They`re key to 3rd-grade language arts
By: PATRICK O`NEIL The Press-Enterprise
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Donor: Corona-Norco Unified School District

Seventeen service organizations in the Corona and Norco area have teamed up to ensure the third-grade students in the Corona-Norco Unified School District have one of the essential tools to obtain a proper education.

The third-grade curriculum includes an introduction to the dictionary. These service organizations have become involved in The Dictionary Project, a nonprofit organization in Charleston, S.C. to provide each student with a dictionary.

`Some classrooms, a teacher has 20 kids with one dictionary,` said John Wiles, administrative coordinator for The Dictionary Project for Corona-Norco schools. `That really limits wh...

In a word, dictionary project is a success

By: Corona Chamber of Commerce Corona Business Monthly
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Donor: The Dictionary Project for Corona-Norco Schools

Sometimes one man can make a big difference in his community. Consider, for instance, John Wiles, who was inspired by an idea and a need.



In April 2005, John Wiles was a new member of Circle City Kiwanis, and perus­ ing through an issue of Kiwanis Internation­ al (the organization`s monthly publication) when an article seized his attention and fired his imagination. The article featured The Dictionary Project, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization in Charleston , SC , with the purpose of helping furnish low-cost per­ sonal dictionaries to third grade students to help them become good w...

Books from Dictionary Project make third-graders at Trace school happy

By: Mary Gottschalk Rose Garden Resident
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Donor: California Dictionary Project

Mia received her ninth birthday present a day late--a new dictionary.
`It`s cool,` Mia said as she looked through it. `It has sign language in the back of it I can learn.`

Mia`s enthusiasm was shared by the 113 other third-graders at Trace Elementary School who each got their own dictionary on March 10, courtesy of the California Dictionary Project.

`I think it`s good for home and school and to learn new words,` said Eli, 9.

Eli, like Mia, has a dictionary at home, but this one was different.

`This is the first one for myself,` Eli said.

Mia said the one at home belongs to her brother.
Click to read full story ...

The dictionary Project for Corona-Norco Schools

By: John Wiles letter
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Donor: Dictionary Project for Corona-Norco Schools

It was good speaking with you today and sharing some of the excitement I experienced this morning at my first presentation of dictionaries to third graders in the Corona-Norco community (ZIP codes 92860 and 92880-83). It`s been nearly a year since I first read of The Dictionary Project and felt inspired to mount an initiative to bring it to this school district - and the effort has been worth every minute of time and ounce of energy, believe me!

I`m sending along the enclosed information, in case it may help you as you track the great growth of The Dictionary Project. If there are any other facts or statistics I can supply, plea...

Free Dictionaries to Third-Graders

Friday, February 03, 2006
Donor: Gilroy Grange #398, CA

Wilma Ash, with the Gilroy Grange 398, gives a dictionary to Abran Moreno, a third-grader at Eliot Elementary School.

Dictionaries for 3rd graders

By: Steve Mullins The Post and Courier
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Donor: Big Bear Rotary Club and Dawnbusters Rotarians

BIG BEAR LAKE- the Rotary District 5330 initiated a literacy program whereby every third grader in the District would receive a dictionary of which 39 Rotary Clubs in the District have participated. To date, 29,297 dictionaries have been distributed to third graders within Rotary District 5330.
Recently the Big Bear Rotary Club and Dawnbusters Rotarians participated in this dictionary literacy venture. Rotarians went to each of the Bear Valley Unified School District Elementary Schools` 3rd grade classes and handed out 295 dictionaries in English and Spanish. Fallsvale Elementary School is a two room school located in Fore...

Students receive gift of words

By: CHRIS GULLICK
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Donor: Chico Rotary Club

Boxes of books arrived at Neal Dow School Monday, gifts for the third-graders from the Chico Rotary Club through its community literacy project, `A Gift of Words.`

The students and their teachers gathered in the library to receive the books, heavy hardbound volumes of the MacMillan `Dictionary for Children,` published by Simon and Schuster.

About a dozen Rotarians broke open the boxes, affixed labels to the inside covers of the books and distributed them to the students.

Rick Krepelka, who captained the team responsible for the Neal Dow delivery, told the students that these books n...

Fremont Elementary School

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Donor: Armen Kandarian

Spreading the words
Gifts of 888 dictionaries prompted by memory of father
By: Steve Fairchild Times-Press-Records
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Donor: Michael Gamber abd Virginia Gamber Hanks Memorial Grant

In memory of her immi­ grant father, who read the dic­ tionary for fun, one retired South County teacher has do­ nated dictionaries to every third-grader in Lucia Mar Unified School District . Linda G. Keetch said her fa­ ther, Michael Gamber, an Ital­ian emigrant, spent many nights studying his dictionar­ ies and the English language. Her mother, Virginia Gamber Hanks, also enjoyed studying English. `Both my parents were lit­ erate people who loved lan­ guage,` she said. Linda and her husband, Brent Keetch, recently donat­ Click to read full story ...

Vista Golden K Kiwanis Club participates in dictionary project

Friday, December 23, 2005
Donor: Vista Golden K Kiwanis Club

Vista Golden K Kiwanis Club is engaged in a project to distribute dictionaries to all third-grade students in the Vista Unified School District. The Dictionary Project, now active in all 50 states, was started by Mary French at her local school in Charleston, S.C. in the late 1990s. It soon spread along the East Coast and in 2002 it was brought to Southern California when the Vista Golden K Kiwanis introduced it at Bobier Elementary School. The program quickly caught on and spread to other schools in the district and beyond.

This year, the club, joined by the Vista Lions clubs, will distribute nearly 2,000 dictionaries to all th...

Dictionary Day at Bonsall Elementary

Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Donor: Bonsall Rotary Club

BONSALL — On November 9, Bonsall Rotary Club donated over 200 English and Spanish-to-English dictionaries to the Bonsall third-graders. Participating schools were Bonsall Elementary, Bonsall West and the Vivian Banks Charter School.

Tom Ewan, past president of the Bonsall Rotary and executive director of Rawhide Ranch, started the presentation with a brief explanation of Rotary and specifically the Four-Way Test: `Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?` Then the teachers distributed the books. The Rotary Club of Bonsall was one of the first ...

Dictionary`s Donated to Local School

Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Donor: Berry Creek Grange #694

No Title

By: Jeff Frank North County Times
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Donor: Y`s Men from the Palomar Family YMCA and the Southern California Dictionary Project

About 150 third-graders at Rose School in Escondido received new dictionaries of their own last week, thanks to the Y`s Men from the Palomar Family YMCA and the Southern California Dictionary Project.

Based on a national effort that began in South Carolina about four years ago, the program aims to distribute dictionaries to every third-grade student. Project representatives seek out local service clubs to contribute the money for the dictionaries. The Y`s Men covered the costs for the Rose dictionaries.

So far, more than 3,500 dictionaries have been delivered to third-grade students in Vista, Fallbrook, Bo...

Mark Gitelson`s ESL class` Photos

Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Donor: Mark Gitelson

Dictionary project opens a world of words for kids

By: Sally Cappon
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Donor: Judy Hug

More than 500 third-graders can look u p that word and others in their own brand-new dictionaries, thanks to La Patera School third - grade teacher Judy Hug.

Hug got an assist from Ralph Cordova, a Goleta teacher who formerly worked with Hug and is now on leave at UCSB, working with teacher development programs.

`Ralph e-mailed me one day and said, `How would like to get dictionaries for your class and all third-graders in the district?`` Hug recalled.

Cordova had learned of The Dictionary Project, a national program coincidentally headed by Santa Barbara High graduate...

Dictionary Project
Many of the third-graders did not have the book before it was distributed
By: STEVE FETBRANDT The Press-Enterprise
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 23:43
Donor: San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated

BEAUMONT - Call it a defining moment for 368 Beaumont third-graders.

At least that is what volunteers from the San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated organization hoped for as they made a whirlwind morning tour Tuesday of Three Rings Ranch, Sundance, Palm and Chavez elementary schools and passed out free dictionaries to every third-grader in 19 classrooms.

Karen Poppen, assistant superintendent of instructional support services for the Beaumont Unified School District , said many of the students did not have dictionaries or other reference books in their homes before Tuesday.

The donation st...

Dictionary Day

Friday, April 02, 2004
Donor: -

The Ceres Courier
Ceres, California
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Donor: Kiwanis Club

School Bells: Dictionary Give-away

Photos: Jeff Benziger

Gilroy and San Martin, CA get dictionaries.

By: HE Honerlah
Saturday, January 01, 2000
Donor: Keith Lodge in Gilroy/ Pacheco Pass 4H

Over the last 3 years Keith Masonic Lodge in Gilroy, CA and Pacheco Pass 4H in San Martin, CA (5 miles north of Gilroy) have been providing dictionaries to many of the schools in our area.  We have now been joined by the Gilroy Elks and because of this, we will be providing dictionaries to all the third grade students in Gilroy and San Martin.