Support for local schools needed

I'd like to take a moment to draw some attention to our amazing school system, programs, teachers, staff, and the people who raise the funds to make it all happen.

I am a mother of two children in Oak Park. My 9-year-old daughter Dahlia has enjoyed attending Red Oak Elementary school for the past four years and will be starting fourth grade.

With the beginning of the school year comes the letters in the mail from the school and from Friends of Oak Park with their annual campaign letters making donation requests. I am not sure if all The Acorn readers are aware of how much money needs to be raised each year to maintain the high level of programs and excellent caliber teaching and staff employed at Red Oak Elementary and the other schools in the Oak Park Unified School District.

The reason I mention this is because of the wonderful benefits my daughter has received from her exposure and attendance at Red Oak Elementary School. Her gifts are being molded and encouraged to develop each day; much in part to the donations that allow the wonderful staff to teach at Red Oak Elementary. Without those needed donations, we would not have a librarian, an art docent, a music teacher, and computer teachers. We would not have a school nursing aide and there would be no physical education teachers.

With all of the back to school business and letters asking for our donations, I just wanted to let readers know that the money the schools need is real and it allows the children in our Oak Park community to have teachers and programs that will help them go for their dream and reach for the stars. Jen Schnaid Oak Park