Here we are in April, surrounded by the symbols of spring - so familiar that they border on cliché-flowers and bunnies and eggs and sunshine.

Our love for spring and our celebration of its festivals have ancient traditions. Many of our spring celebrations echo and parallel even older stories told by the Greeks and the Celts and the Egyptians. All these stories are linked by the symbol of the vernal equinox, the rebirth of the world after its cyclical descent in-to the cold and dark of winter.

Organizations, too, experience the same cycles, enduring the cold and dark to emerge into the light and warmth. The Farmingdale school community has, once again, weathered some dark times. Now we start again with a contract fair to all parties and can turn our attention to our true focus, the students. Here, then, are my hopes for the children of Farmingdale.

I hope that the teachers and community will coexist in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation. Many of Farmingdale's teachers live in this community; some have children in our schools. All of us, residents or not, feel our connection well beyond our positions as employees.

I look for the understanding that we are all in this together, that it truly does "take a village." Teachers are only part of the equation; educated kids need the whole community, and they benefit it, too.

I care that teachers are able to provide a well-equipped learning environment that allows all children to learn in the style that best suits them. Books and pencils are still the foundations of learning, but they are no longer enough. Technological advances may make it easier for some to learn; technological knowledge is necessary for all. Farmingdale needs to provide its children with the best tools available so that all can learn and thrive in the 21st century.

I wish for community members who understand that we must try to meet the needs of all. Children who are athletic and children who need physical assistance, children who benefit from gifted and talented programs and children who need special education services, children who need solid day-to-day education and dedicated teachers-all of these children deserve the best. Just as a community provides services it hopes to never use, a school system must willingly provide services for children that most will never know.

Finally, what I most wish for the children of Farmingdale is that we are able to continue to deliver the well-rounded, multi-faceted education that we have historically provided. They deserve nothing less than the best.

(NOTE: Jan Brett's website, www.janbrett.com has thousands of activities, coloring pages and projects suitable for elementary and middle school students and their families. I hope you and your family enjoy it.)