By Barry Villamil, President-Elect, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) would like to share with our fellow Rotarians, the success of the club’s annual Rotary Dictionary 5000 Project that purchased and provided 793 free dictionaries to third grade students and their teachers representing 15 elementary schools in both Aiea and Pearl City for the 2023/2024 school year.
Our goal for the 2023/2024 RCOP Dictionary 5000 Project was to reach out to more elementary schools in Aiea and Pearl City to benefit third graders and their teachers while introducing them to Rotary while also providing them with educational resources to enhance literacy through the “Gift of Words”. We are extremely happy and blessed to report that we welcomed Aiea Elementary, Waimalu Elementary and Our Lady of Good Counsel School third graders and their teachers to our RCOP Dictionary 5000 Project this school year.
The RCOP will return to each school at the end of the school year to present one boy and one girl with a RCOP Dictionary 5000 Good Citizen Award. The Good Citizen Award winners each will receive a congratulatory letter and a 50.00 check sponsored by the RCOP. The winners will be chosen by their teachers for best exemplifying the Principles of Rotary International’s Four Way Test which was included in the inside cover of each student’s dictionary.
Four Way Test
1. Is it the truth,
2. Is it fair to all concerned,
3. Will it bring good will and better friendships,
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned.
2023/2024 RCOP Dictionary 5000 Participating Schools:
Aiea Elementary (Aiea)
Alvah Scott Elementary (Aiea)
Kanoelani Elementary (Pearl City)
Lehua Elementary (Pearl City)
Manana Elementary (Pearl City)
Momilani Elementary (Pearl City)
Our Lady of Good Counsel School (Pearl City)
Palisades Elementary (Pearl City)
Pearl City Elementary (Pearl City)
Pearl City Highlands Elementary (Pearl City)
Pearlridge Elementary (Aiea)
St. Elizabeth School (Aiea)
Waimalu Elementary (Aiea)
Waiau Elementary (Pearl City)
Dick Mosko, PDG/President, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
“With the addition of 3 more elementary schools this Rotary year in the Aiea and Pearl City areas, we now have 15 elementary schools that we give dictionaries to in the 3rd grade of each school. For this school year, we have given out 793 dictionaries to the 3rd graders and their teachers verses the 646 we gave out last year. Our goal is to enlist the last 3 elementary schools in Aiea and Pearl City so that we have all the elementary schools in both areas. Our club is very excited that we will be able to do projects with all the 3rd graders and teachers for their community. The 3rd grade teachers want their students to be involved in projects we will present to them.”
Melody Anzai, third grade teacher, Our Lady of Good Counsel School
“We were very blessed to welcome you and RCOP President Dick Mosko from the Rotary Club of Pearlridge on Friday, October 20th to OLGC School. Our third graders appreciate the special gift of words that was presented to them and are eager to use their personal dictionary during ELA classes. Last year, we borrowed dictionaries from the 6th grade class or used the iPads. We like how this dictionary is filled with more than just terms and definitions. But it also includes an encyclopedia filled with maps, facts about U.S. presidents, math conversion tables, etc. It is a wonderful resource for third grade and beyond.
The students have been practicing the American Sign Language of their first name using their personal dictionary. We hope to see you again during our fourth quarter award assembly to award two students who best exemplify the Principles of Rotary Four Way Test during the 2023-24 school year. Thank you for RCOP and for all you do.”
The annual RCOP Dictionary 5000 Project serves as an introduction to Rotary each school year for hundreds of third grade students and their teachers. Each dictionary introduces them to words and definitions while also providing an encyclopedia of learning. The RCOP also engages the students and teachers in community service projects throughout the year. We are committed to supporting the students as they grow and mature and hopefully become RCOP Interact Youth Leadership Program club members when they reach middle school through high school.
Mahalo to RCOP Dictionary 5000 Project Chair Emily Kuroaka and RCOP President Dick Mosko for their leadership, as well as RCOP Board and club members for their commitment and heart and soul efforts while serving as dictionary presenters at each school.
Have a great day!
Service Above Self
Video by Mr. Masaru Uchino, Momilani Elementary School
