Third Graders Given Books of Their Own by San Mateo Rotary

From the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau: More than 470 dictionaries were recently distributed to 3rd grade students in San Mateo, thanks to an effort spearheaded by Rotary Club of San Mateo.

Working closely with San Mateo Foster City School District Superintendent Joan Rosas and her team, in cooperation with the Sunrise Rotary Club of San Mateo, the club brought dictionaries to the students at seven schools: Beresford, Bayside Academy, Fiesta Gardens International School, LEAD School, Laurel Elementary, San Mateo Park and Sunnybrae.

“Some of these students had never owned a book of their own before”, said Mike Peterson, who chaired the project. “It was great to see their faces light up as they took the books and started looking up various words.”

“”Our club does this to get kids reading and exploring at a young age,” said San Mateo Rotary Club President Chris Eckert. “Our hope is that they’ll start a habit that will continue for a lifetime.” The total cost to provide the dictionaries was approximately $4700, raised by Rotarians.

Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of San Mateo and Fiesta Gardens International School