Dear Editor:
My thanks go out to David Starr, principal of Edmonds Community School, and author of From Bombs to Books: The remarkable stories of refugee children and their families at an exceptional Canadian school.
I recently had the pleasure of reading his exceptional new book about the past and present of the Edmonds area and the struggles and triumphs of its students, parents and staff.
Having grown up in this diverse and welcoming neighbourhood, it was like reading about my own East Burnaby backyard on one page and then being whisked away to a war-torn part of the world on another.
The story of Byrne Creek Secondary, Burnaby's first community secondary school, is also an integral part of this engrossing, must-read narrative.
We need more local writers like Mr. Starr to share our stories and shine a spotlight on the successes of our amazing schools and citizens.
Where is there an annual ranking of our schools for things like perseverance, courage, determination, generosity, progress and the strength of the human spirit?
Personally, I encourage organizations like the Fraser Institute to take their eyes off of cold, detached numbers long enough to open Principal Starr's intimate book and get to know some of the flesh-and-blood learners, mothers, fathers and educators that make Edmonds a top-notch community and a top-notch community school by the measures that truly matter.
Harman Pandher, Burnaby school trustee
