ROME TOWNSHIP — Students at Fairland West Elementary were thankful for a gift they received from the Rotary Club of Ironton.

This month, the group donated boxes of dictionaries and thesauruses to all students in the school’s third and fifth grade class.

The school’s assistant principal, Sandy Joseph, said Jeff Clark, a Rotary member, arrived at the school to deliver the gifts, which the organization does for schools across the county each year.

Altogether, Joseph said there are 130 in the third grade and 110 in the fifth grade at the school.

The Rotary Club has many service projects, but she said Clark told them the dictionary project is one of their favorites.

Joseph said the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the Rotary members from presenting the dictionaries in person to the students this year. However, the teachers made the presentations on their behalf and read a letter from the Rotary Club to the class.

Joseph said the gifts are put to good use and serve as the basis for writing projects for the students.

To show their appreciation to the Rotary Club, the school’s students all made thank you notes to the group, said Joseph.