Thanks for the new school

As a parent of a third-grader at the Las Virgenes Community Learning Center, I'd like to praise and thank the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board for having the courage to start and support a new and progressive school such as ours.

This experience has been lifealtering for many of the students and their families. Because of the Hararis' vision and philosophy and the support of the board, my son is able to learn fourth- and fifthgrade curriculum in an accepting and emotionally safe environment. His gifts and talents are praised, nurtured and appreciated. He feels important and valued. He is blossoming in this rich environment. He is happy and this spills over into our home life. This result is priceless.

Additionally, the amount of money that has been spent by the district has been matched by the number of hours contributed by our parent volunteers. I personally have contributed hundreds of unpaid volunteer hours to the school. You see, there is a team of parents at this school who believe in it so wholeheartedly that they're willing to contribute 20 to 30 hours per week.

Starting a brand new school is never easy, and certainly not one as unique and progressive as this one. We have come far and had tremendous growth since the doors opened. New schools need more than one year to work out the kinks and we are doing just that. One fact we are proud to share is that we had new families join the school in January. The existing children and families are ready to be positive role models for an influx of new students in the future. Kristin Martin Calabasas