Letter: Many hands, great work

Editor, Daily News:

On behalf of the Village Oaks Elementary School staff, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all staff members and families of our school community for a most successful school year. I feel great pride that Village Oaks has been designated an outstanding school by the state of Florida.

This school is located on Highway 29 — tucked into the corner of a hard-working farm community — and has a climate of safety and determination. It is this determination that has allowed the amazing students at Village Oaks to work steadily and unceasingly to achieve a B score from the state. While some may notice that the scoring scale is topped by the letter A, the staff and students refuse to be discouraged. Our steady climb has been like that of a determined turtle and I believe that we will reach that A in the near future.

In the meantime, I wish to celebrate the success of our hard-working students and thank their equally hard-working families, along with our business partners, Jim Siesky and the members of his law firm of Siesky, Pilon & Wood, and the reading partners at the Education Foundation of Collier County. Their faith and support helped our students realize that accomplishment isn't instant, but requires hard work and bears great rewards.

We will remain proud of this out-of-the-way gem and feel secure knowing that it has so much about which to be proud.

Dorcas Howard , Principal, Village Oaks Elementary