That's right. "Way to

go!" Both teachers and students at all levels of education! You've

made another year! And we salute you for your good work!

As many of you know, I write

and pray frequently about teachers, students, and education at the beginning

of each school year. And I'll do that again when school starts in August.

But let's not forget to give thanks and praise now that another successful

school year has been accomplished.

Let's start in the right place,

where we always must start. "Thank You, O God" for Your blessings

upon our students, teachers, administrators, school board, resource officers,

bus drivers, and all staff as another nine months of teaching and learning

comes to a close. Yes, it's You, O God, who make all things possible!

We praise You! We give You the glory! Amen!

Students, you made it! You

did it! Congratulations! We're proud of your efforts and accomplishments!

We saw you do great things this year! You studied and learned. You worked

hard and played hard. You excelled in academics, athletics, and all your

extracurricular activities. You took the gifts and talents God gave you

and used them to glorify Him! That's what life is all about!

Graduates, we give you distinctive

congratulations! What a great accomplishment! What a marvelous milestone

in your life! We pray for your further success and achievements. We need

you in this world as ones who will contribute to the peace and betterment

of our society. I know you will commit your lives to this endeavor.

Teachers, Administrators, and

Staff, you should get to "pass GO AND collect $200"! As I have

said many times before, you are fulfilling a calling, not just doing a

job. Thank you for your tireless hours, days, and months of caring and

coordinating. Bless you for the special efforts you made not only to present

the material, but also to make sure the slowest among the class actually

received it and mastered it. Have a good summer! Get some rest! We'll

need you again in a big way in August!

And a grand pat on the back

here for you our bus drivers. You are truly our unsung heroes of education!

What a job you do! You not only transport students safely and punctually,

but you must be parent, principal, and police all at the same time! We

hope you have a good summer. Give "The Cheese" (as some affectionately

call your beloved vehicle) a much deserved rest, and we'll see you at

the corner at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 12.

Finally, parents, "you

deserve a break today" ­ maybe even all summer! Every professional

educator says over and over again that it's parents who determine whether

education will be successful or not. You have given faithful efforts to

math and mobiles. Remember how special you are to your children. Please,

as parents of your children, love each other and love your kids. Keep

the Lord and the worship of Him at the center of your family and you'll

be as strong as you need to be! Also remember, surveys of children and

youth indicate that it's not the trips to Disney World that mean the most

to your kids. Instead, it's picnics and card games, fishing and ball games,

and whatever brings families together for laughs and life.

We have a marvelous community

in which to enjoy the cycles of life. Let's have a super summer and stay

close to God and close to one another.

Last one in the pool is a rotten

egg!

[Kollmeyer is Pastor of

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on Hwy. 314 in Fayetteville. He invites

anyone without a church home to worship all summer on Sundays at 8:15

(Outdoors on 1 st & 3 rd Sundays of each month),

or at 9:30 in a Contemporary Service, or at 11:00 in a Traditional Pipe

Organ Service. For more information please log-on at HtmlResAnchor

www.popdove.com or call 770-461-3403.]

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