The end of recess took on a celebratory twist at Union Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles when the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada recently distributed new dictionaries to nearly 200 third grade students. Under the guidance of their teachers, students were able to receive their dictionaries in lightning fast speed!

The dictionary distribution was coordinated by Kiwanis Club of La Cañada Literacy Program Chairman Chuck Terhune, who was assisted by club members Greg and Joyce Brown, Dennis and Linda Fors, and Dr. Michael Leininger. At the direction of Union Avenue Elementary School Principal Veronica Herrera Lynch, the dictionaries are given out on a periodic basis.

Kiwanis members also read with the students every week, or as often as is possible.  Terhune has been coordinating a corps of Kiwanis volunteers since 2008.

“Reading with the children is the most rewarding thing you can aspire to do,” Terhune said.

Modeled after the Kiwanis International’s Children Literacy Program, the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada started the program in 2004, inspired by members Harriet Hammons and Linda Magarian, whose main focus was to read with the children to encourage them to explore the world of reading. Since then, the program has expanded to include the dictionary distribution and the donation of new books to the school library.

Anyone interested in joining the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada is invited to come to a lunch meeting to get acquainted and enjoy the Guest Speaker of the Week program. The goal of the club is to help youth through scholarships and by sponsoring community projects that include the dictionary distribution and the reading-to-kids program. The group meets every Wednesday at 11:50 a.m. at Descanso Gardens in the Van de Kamp Hall. Visit www.lacanadakiwanis.org and click on “Meetings” to reserve a seat.

Submitted by

Alice PEREZ