Marcellus Grange #464 Dictionary Project

In this fast paced age of technology it is sometimes easy to forget that success in life oftentimes depends on our connection to community and a foundation in the basic skills. Members of the Marcellus Grange #464 visited K. C. Heffernan (KCH) Elementary School on Monday, September 27, 2010 with that important instructional message literally in hand. The Grange members were at KCH to distribute a dictionary to each individual 3rd grade student. The Grange Dictionary Project “is designed to aid third grade teachers in their goal to see all their students leave at the end of the year as good writers, active readers, and creative thinkers.” The purpose of the project is to provide third grade students in the community with their own personal dictionary. The project is based on the belief that “A dictionary is perhaps the first and most powerful reference tool a child should own. Its usefulness goes beyond the spellings and definitions it lists. 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’.” The Marcellus Grange members visited each classroom and presented a mini-lesson on dictionary usage as they distributed “The Best Dictionary for Students” to each child. The Grange will also be implementing the dictionary initiative at Wheeler Elementary School in the Onondaga Central School District. The Marcellus Grange #464 has been active for more than 125 years. The Marcellus Grange meets once a month, the second Friday of each month, at 8:00 PM in the Grange Hall at 15 West Main Street in Marcellus. In addition to the Dictionary Project current Grange projects include:
Ugly Quilts – Grange members meet October to April to make sleeping bags for the homeless
Baby Quilts/Preemie Hats/Demonstration Dolls – all donated to pediatric wards/departments at local hospitals and health centers
Catheter Bags/Wheelchairs/Walker Bags – all donated to St. Camillus Health and Rehab Center
Warm Up America Project – Grange members knit and crochet lap robes and afghans for nursing home residents
Fesko Farm Discovery Center – The Grange sponsors KCH 3rd grade field trips to the Fesko Farm Discovery Center
Teaching and learning is all about connections: the closer the connection between school and community, the more likely that learning success will occur. The Marcellus Grange is an embodiment of that concept, “The Grange is comprised of families and individuals who share a common interest in community involvement, agriculture, and working together in a family environment.”