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On Friday, May 2nd, the entire San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) third grade class received dictionaries from The California Dictionary Project, a non-profit organization focused on donating a dictionary to every third grader in California’s public school system. The California Dictionary Project kicked-off its donation to the SFUSD of over 6,000 English and English/Spanish dictionaries at Alvarado Elementary School, 625 Douglass Street (@ 22nd St.) in San Francisco, during a presentation from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Over 50 San Francisco School Volunteers (SFSV) helped to distribute the dictionaries to every SFUSD third grader during visits to 190 classrooms at 78 elementary schools across San Francisco.
Dictionary Presentation Kick-Off: Alvarado Elementary School Principal, David Weiner, hosted the media kick-off event for the California Dictionary Project distribution. Third grade students participated in an interactive learning session with award winning children’s book author, Michael Perry, and SFUSD Assistant Superintendent Deborah Sims.
Alvarado Elementary School features a popular dual English/Spanish Immersion Program. Third grade students performed traditional Aztec dances in honor of Cinco de Mayo preceding the presentation.
Advocates of the California Dictionary Project attending the event included: Mark Robinson, President California Dictionary Project, Emilio Cruz President of the Board of Education and Board Commissioner Jill Wynns, Assistant Superintendents Chris Hiroshima and Deborah Sims, Children’s Book Author Michael Perry and Steven Aronowitz on behalf of City Supervisor Bevan Dufty’s Office.
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman sincerely thanks the California Dictionary Project and its supporters for this important donation to the SFUSD. "The promotion of literacy is one of the cornerstones of our District's goals in our academic plan. "Excellence For All." “Higher Academic Achievement” for each student in San Francisco is based on the foundation of literacy. In these tough budget times, generous gifts which promote learning are greatly valued and appreciated," said Dr. Ackerman.
Financial backers for the project include The San Francisco Youth Fund and six prominent San Francisco law firms: Cooley Godward, Gray Cary, Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, Morrison & Foerster, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
The California Dictionary Project (CDP) is an Oakland based non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy in California’s public schools. Touting the motto, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader,” CDP views dictionaries as the first and most powerful reference and educational tool that a child should own. Across California, 53 percent of third graders currently read below national grade level.
“Putting dictionaries into the hands of children at the third grade level instills positive learning ethics,” said Mark Robinson, President of the California Dictionary Project. “Growing into a dictionary from a young age builds vocabulary while facilitating sentence structure, which is crucial for every other facet of learning, and paramount to a child’s academic career.”
For more information about the California Dictionary Project, go to www.dictionariesforkids.org, or contact President, Mark Robinson at (510) 923-9678.
CONTACT: Gina Snow or Lorna Ho, SFUSD Public Engagement Office at (415) 241-6565, or visit www.sfusd.edu.
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