GUILFORD, Maine —Valley Grange members and friends will soon return to school to celebrate Dictionary Days at five local elementary schools.
Grange teams will visit Brownville, Harmony, Piscataquis Community, SeDoMoCha, and Ridgeview elementary schools, giving every third-grade student a personal dictionary. Presentations emphasize the fun of learning and discovery, along with a lesson in how to “look it up.”
Program Director Walter Boomsma recently contacted each school to request third-grade enrollment counts. Since the program began, the Guilford-based Grange has distributed more than 4,000 dictionaries.
“We’re certainly proud of the numbers, but even more proud of the potential impact those dictionaries may have had on each individual child who received one,” Boomsma said.
The program began more than 20 years ago at one school. “We’re now reaching another generation,” Boomsma said. “Parents and school staff occasionally tell us they remember their Dictionary Day. Thanks to the support we receive, we are creating a legacy within and for our communities. This truly is an annual project where everybody wins.”
Once enrollment counts are received, dictionaries will be ordered from The Dictionary Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The order often totals as many as 10 cases.
“That’s when the real fun begins,” said Valley Grange Secretary Mary Annis. “We label each dictionary and schedule school visits. The visits are fun and exciting—sometimes a bit noisy, but always worth it.”
To learn more about the program, support its mission, or become involved, visit the Valley Grange website at valleygrange.com or contact a Valley Grange member.
