In Fairview Elementary Theme School’s first year of existence, students achieved a major system accomplishment. Every Fairview third grader met or exceeded reading standards on the annual Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests.

This is a major accomplishment not only because third grade students must pass the reading portion in order to pass on to the fourth grade, but also — to our knowledge — this is the first time an entire grade at a school has met or exceeded standards on any portion of the test.

The fact that these students did this in the first year of the school is a testament to the importance of parental involvement. Children need to be read to by adults in order for them to grasp language skills. Children also need adults in their life to take an active role in their education in order for them to understand the importance of learning and to have positive figures to emulate when they become adults.

Teachers cannot do this on their own.

Over and over again, we hear the adage "it takes a village to raise a child." The statement could not be more true and Fairview could not be a better example of how it works.

We hope that the third grade class at Fairview will continue to make excellent marks on their standardized tests and that parents across the county and state will follow the tenets set forth in this school’s mission statement and policies.