Rotary Club distributes more than 450 dictionaries
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

(l to r) School Committee member Robert Seymour, Selectman Maura Navin Webster, Rotarian David Walton, project Chair Christine Seymour, teacher Kelly Hall and (front) third-grader Josh Mateo from Hall's class gather at Jaworek School when the Rotary Club arrived to deliver dictionaries. PHOTO/CAROL HARRIS

Marlborough - With the donation of more than 450 dictionaries to third-grade students in Marlborough, the Rotary Club has once again displayed the group's dedication to education. The books were donated for the third year in a row in response to the need of students for reference materials.

Through continued participation in the international nonprofit "Dictionary Project," local Rotarians were able to purchase affordable pocket dictionaries for students.

Rotary member and chair of the project Christine Seymour said that she believes it is important that students have this essential reference book.

"Scholastic makes reference books readily available at book fairs, … but often children are not looking for reference books … And many students do not have any money to spend," she said. "The Dictionary Project ensures that all students, regardless of whether or not they can aff ord it, have access to their own dictionary."

The reference books, purchased through the project Web site, contain useful information in addition to a dictionary section: resource tools such as a weights and measure table, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a list of U.S. presidents, a map of the world, a list of the 50 states, and facts about countries and planets.

"It is like having a tool kit; this book is one of the essential tools in a student's tool kit," Seymour said.

The Dictionary Project began in 1992 in Georgia, with 50 dictionaries as a grassroots campaign dedicated to providing students with essential tools for a quality education. Fifteen years later the project has distributed 1.25 million dictionaries.

This year, the first group of Marlborough students received dictionaries Dec. 15 at Jaworek Elementary School. Several members of the Rotary Club attended the event, including President Marilyn Perry, Emily Greenwood, Elaine McDonald, Maura Navin Webster and Bob Turner. The service project was first brought to the community by former President Greenwood and is currently managed by President-Elect George Whapham.

According to Perry, dictionaries will go to all thirdgraders in the city.

"We are pleased to make these dictionaries available to our school children …," she said. "We wanted every third-grader to have them, including those attending private school and home schooled. To insure this, the Rotary Club spent over $600 to purchase enough dictionaries for all of the resident third-graders."

For more information about the Dictionary Project, visit the Web site at www.dictionaryproject. org. For information about donating or getting involved with the Marlborough Rotary Club, visit www. marlboroughrotary.org.