It’s a Pine Bush tradition. In October, the Wallkill East Rotary visits each of the Pine Bush elementary schools and gives every third-grade student a dictionary of their very own.

Last week, representatives from the Rotary did just that, stopping by Circleville Elementary, Pakanasink, EJR and PBE.

Dr. William Bassett, a member of the Rotary and a former superintendent of Pine Bush Schools, presented the dictionaries to the students. He has said that one of the group’s service areas is the community’s youth. With the dictionary program, the group is contributing to the development of education and literacy for our young people. He encouraged the students to use their dictionaries often.

The students were very happy to receive their shiny new Webster’s Dictionary.

Superintendent Tim Mains is grateful to the Rotary for its contribution.

“This is a wonderful program,” said Superintendent Mains. “We thank the Wallkill East Rotary for their generous gift. Year after year, they make this valuable contribution to our students. The gift of a dictionary is priceless.”

Students enthusiastically thanked the Rotary members who handed out the dictionaries and shook each student’s hand.

Wallkill East Rotary has been participating in this dictionary program since the spring of 2008. That year, they distributed dictionaries in spring and fall and have stuck with fall ever since. They’ve distributed more than 4,500 dictionaries to 13 third-grade classes thus far.