LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: PUT CONTROVERSY AT CHS TO REST

To the Editor,

I am a teacher at Central High School and have always been very proud to be a part of this fine faculty. I have just returned from graduation and again I am very proud of our students for making it a special time -- it has been a week of high emotion and it was a very dignified ceremony. As I was listening to our commencement speaker, looking out over the audience and the graduates, I realized that all of this controversy needed to serve as a lesson, but also needed to be put to rest and to help us gain a perspective that would better our lives, not destroy it.

We now have some time to heal, restore and to analyze the events of the past week. Some have been scarred, some have gained a valuable lesson about life and how it constantly hands us "character building experiences," and I pray that many have learned that we are educators and parents because we want the very best for our kids. I am always a little sad at graduation because I have to say goodbye to many special students that have enriched my life. Yes, there are always a few stinkers that I look forward to saying goodbye to, but truthfully they are the ones that need our guidance and caring the most.

Our students do teach us many important things in life and we are rewarded many times over in helping them succeed and learn from their failures. Life is not easy, but the many experiences can either make us bitter or better. As I hugged many graduates and gave my congratulations, I was reminded that this is what teaching is all about -- watching them on their next journey in life and knowing that somehow I was a small part of this journey. The circle of friendship, caring and giving to one another is where the true discovery of life begins from within -- I witness this in my classroom every day. Together we learn from our mistakes and together we progress.

This community needs to take pride in the overall picture of our educational system -- we have many dedicated teachers and students that make this society a better place to live. I hope that we can turn this battlefield of "scars" into "stars towards fulfilling dreams" and accomplish some positive goals for our children. We must work together and continually remind ourselves of how many children are impacted by our decisions and reactions. I hope that the 1994-95 school year can begin with renewed faith, enthusiasm and pride -- we must make positive changes and work together. My thought to my students the last week of school was: "If it's going to be, it must begin with me." Let's come out stronger people from the adversities of controversy and prove to our young people that they are important and that we want the best education and experiences life has to offer. We, as adults, must serve as the role models and now is the time to move forward and make that difference -- let's be a part of the solution. We must be here for our kids today, so they'll be there for us tomorrow.

DONNA M. ELLIS

Cape Girardeau