Hi, I'm Diana Ohman. Welcome back to school, everyone! We've all had a well-deserved break and now it's time to get focused on another school year.

There's a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. We're all anxious to get back to work. Facilities are ready and materials and equipment are coming in everyday. And now our students and teachers are back, and that's when school really happens.

Reading is the theme for this year and reading is very important to every aspect of our lives. Let's all take Dr. Tafoya's challenge to make reading meaningful to every student and parent. Reading to young people or listening to them read for only ten minutes a day could revolutionize education in DoDDS-Europe. Make a resolution to fit it into every day.

We had a great year last year and I expect that this year will be even better. To you, students: study hard. Don't waste a minute. Look for difficult challenges and be successful. To you, parents: support your children by taking an interest in their educations. Come to school to visit, volunteer to help out, and participate in your PTSA, SAC, and school board meetings. To you, educators: give maximum effort to your students. Teach them and challenge them to their maximum. Take time out to learn something new about our profession and apply it in your classrooms.

Have a great year! Happy reading!