THIRD GRADERS AT Neshobe School in Forest Dale pose with the science books that were donated by the Brandon Forest Dale Lions Club. The Lions Club stepped up to bridge the fundraising gap to make sure every student was able to get a copy. Thank you, Lions!
It has been a tradition for the local Brandon Forest Dale Lions Club to buy new dictionaries every year for every child in the third grade at Neshobe Elementary School. This year, however, at the request of the third-grade teachers, the Lions changed things up a bit. The third graders recently started using a new textbook for science that is specifically geared towards New England. In order to purchase these books, the school had to rely on donations from the public, and the fundraising stopped with quite a few books still not paid for. The goal was for each student to have their own book and so the Lions decided that this year they would step up and purchase the final 35 books that students needed.
What makes this bookshelf, special? That question was answered by third-grade teacher Heather Best: “It has been exciting to watch kids learn about nature, wildlife, and the environment in their own backyard (New England). This book supports our work in a way that allows students to see firsthand the intricate changes in nature from month to month. Using the book has enhanced our hands-on field studies, as children bring more enthusiasm and are able to make more sophisticated, firsthand observations and more detailed descriptions of those observations.”
While observing a lesson from one of these books, Dr. Vicky Wells, principal at Neshobe, remarked on “how engaged the students were, and how eager they were to learn and show the book off.” A former third-grade student stated that “Naturally Curious” was their favorite part of third grade.
“We are so happy that the Brandon Forest Dale Lions were able to help out on such a worthy project,” noted Club President Connie St. George. “We also look forward to working further with students in our district on future projects and hope to teach them about the value of service to their community.”
