Laurel Point Grange participates in Words for Thirds

 Laurel Point Grange 915 presented the third graders at Laurel Point Elementary School with free copies of Webster`s Thesaurus for Students on Oct. 9. The Grange is proud to support The Dictionary Project through its Words for Thirds program. Through the tireless efforts of the Grange`s network of more than 300,000 volunteers, America`s oldest rural agricultural organization has presented third-grade students across the nation with more than 100,000 dictionaries and thesauruses.

A thesaurus is a reference tool introduced to children during their schooling years. `Its usefulness goes beyond providing correct spelling, definitions, antonyms, and synonyms. It is also a companion for solving problems that arise as children develop their reading, writing, and creative thinking abilities,` according to information from the group.

`It is amazing to see the smiles on children`s faces when we present them with a thesaurus,` said Thomas Kostelansky, Laurel Point Grange master. `It gives them a sense of pride when they can look up words on their own. It promotes learning and helps mold their self-confidence and independence.`

The National Grange, headquartered in Washington, D.C., partnered with The Dictionary Project, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, in 2002. The goal is to encourage children to use dictionaries and thesauruses so that they will be able to use the English language effectively. By providing these tools we assist teachers in helping the third graders to complete the school year with an expanded vocabulary.

Visit the Dictionary Project Web site and the Grange is mentioned as one of the sponsors. This project can be done by Grangers of all ages and is a great way to bring the Grange family together to work for a common cause. For more information: www.dictionaryproject.org.

Laurel Point Grange continues to meet on the second and fourth Friday of each month at the Grange hall, in parks, or during the winter at local restaurants. Members are currently selling coupon tab booklets for $5. These booklets contain buy-one-get-one-free offers in the Leechburg, Apollo, and Vandergrift areas. To purchase the new 2009 booklets, call 724-568-1302. Information about the grange can be found at www.pagrange.org and www.nationalgrange.org.