Letter to the Editor

June 5, 2008
Dear Editor:
On behalf of the administration, faculty, staff and students of Marianna High School, I would like to thank the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, area businesses, and the citizens of Marianna for their generous financial gifts.
Your readers have read in recent weeks about the drive initiated by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce to raise funds to send five Marianna High School teachers to an intensive reading conference this summer. This conference will give our teachers the specialized skills needed to help our underachieving students improve their reading skills. We know that if a student has good reading skills, they will be more successful in their other courses of study.
The success of this drive is the result of many months of communication and planning with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Open communication between a school and its community can only strengthen our students’ education experience and subsequently our community’s future. Marian Wright Edelman once wrote, "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it."
We hope this is only the beginning of a new partnership between Marianna High School, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Marianna community. We are excited about the possible opportunities before us, and look forward to reaping the benefits of this project. We hope the community will continue to take an active role in the education of our students.
Sincerely,
Randy Ward
Principal, Marianna High School