Dear editor,

I could not help but be touched by your story on Feb. 19 ("A celebration at the little school that could, and did, fight for its own life") regarding the celebration of the school board's decision not to close Carneros Elementary School. It truly goes to show not only the power of the voice of the student, but the importance of smaller schools in society.

Having personally attended a small school for the past nine years, I can testify that the smaller environment allows a perfect balance between a group small enough to form a social safety net and informal system of justice and large enough to provide important societal lessons.

As I have written before ("A vote on the dress code?"), schools need to be about kids, and it's heartening to see that they are.

Jeffrey Gerlomes

St. John the Baptist Catholic School

Grade 8