Lex Park Rotary Gives Dictionaries to 3rd Graders

Lexington Park, MD – The Rotary Club of Lexington Park is continuing its annual Dictionary Project for 2015 during the months of January and February.

The Dictionary Project started in 2004 to honor the Centennial of Rotary International in 2005. The goal of The Dictionary Project is to assist all third grade students to complete the school year as good writers, active readers, and creative thinkers by providing the students with their own personal dictionaries.

Each third grader in St. Mary’s County receives a dictionary that is theirs to keep, providing students opportunities to expand their vocabulary. For some students it may be the first book they actually own.

The Rotary Club of Lexington Park annually participates as part of a multi-club regional effort organized by Rotary District 7620.

Earlier in January, St. Mary’s County Schools interim Superintendent, Mr. J. Scott Smith, visited the Lexington Park Club for the “kick-off” event to show support and stress how important he felt this effort was to place dictionaries in the hands of third graders in the area. Club members will visit 13 public, private, and parochial schools to hand out the dictionaries to third grade classes.

Paula Coxon, Project Coordinator for the club said: “The Dictionary Project is part of our club’s objective of helping the community with various goodwill, charity, and volunteer initiatives. The club has been active for over 40 years, and hope to continue this project for many years to come” she said. “Perhaps in another 40 years, some of the students who have received our dictionaries will become our club members and give out dictionaries to other third graders.”