Letter to the editor (as published 3/11)

From the age of 11, the same as that of letter writer Simone Hammett-Lynch (3/4), through high school, my mother and I wrote many "themes." Those creative writings comprised various essays, reports and reminiscences, and my mother, as was her parental duty, taught me all I know about writing except the intricacies of proper grammar which I learned from my seventh grade teacher, Miss Schneider. We never thought of submitting any of those compositions to the newspaper, but I cannot criticize the practice, because the young lady's letter was properly unlike those from those children who, earlier, had been propagandized by inappropriate teachers at another school.

I am unfamiliar with the precise program at Blue Oak Charter School, but Hammett-Lynch makes it sound quite exciting. She cites almost thirty specialty subjects and makes no mention of religion, politics and faux science, which, of course, have no place in school. I would, however, offer one suggestion. When Hammett-Lynch credits her teachers with making learning fun, she misunderstands. The fun is the learning itself, and the feeling of accomplishment experienced by her and all those other children who have been imbued with the desire to learn by their parents, and nurtured by their teachers.

Imagine how pleased Hammett-Lynch will be when she discovers that, contrary to her expressed present belief that she has mastered all those subjects, she still has so much more to learn and enjoy. It's the lifelong journey that makes it all worthwhile, and I welcome her to it.