Club Letterhead
Letter to Parents
 
To: Parents of Third Grade Students
From: The Rotary Club of __________
 
Today we had the pleasure of presenting your child with a dictionary. It is a gift from our Rotary Dictionary Project and we call it a Gift of Knowledge because it is designed to aid third grade teachers in their goal to create confident writers, active readers, and creative thinkers. Our purpose is to provide the third grade students in the community with their own PERSONAL dictionaries to help accomplish this goal. Each child owns their dictionary to use at home and school for years to come.

A dictionary is perhaps the first and most powerful reference tool that a child should own. It’s usefulness goes beyond the spellings and definitions. It is a companion for solving problems that arise as a child develops his or her reading, writing, and creative thinking abilities. Students benefit from an increased self-reliance and resourcefulness inspired by the maxim: “Look it up!. Teachers benefit by knowing their students have consistent access to a tool for homework and in-class explorations.

As important as this project is to our children, there is an even greater need by children less fortunate in schools and orphanages in countries around the world. We have seen these children, often barefoot, carrying chairs to school to have a place to sit. In order to help, our Rotary Clubs  have expanded the contribution of dictionaries to teachers and students in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Peru,  Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda through various church and mission groups aware of specific needs in these areas.  We could not make these contributions without the generous support of our community in our fund raising efforts. We are very grateful .
We in Rotary and in education, feel that all children should have the opportunity to express themselves through their speaking and writing skills. Each child deserves the best teachers and resources available. Let us all set our sights on achieving the VERY BEST.

For additional information about THE DICTIONARY PROJECT check the web site at www.dictionaryproject.org  or contact a Rotarian.
 
Yours in Service to others,
 
Club President