We write this letter to the teachers, staff and volunteers at Opstad Elementary School to recognize their efforts during the recent earthquake.

As worried parents streamed into the school’s parking lot, they were met by a thoughtful and organized team of personnel who were easily identifiable by their safety vests and hard hats.

Security was in place. Parents had two checkpoints to go through and forms to fill out before they could take their children from the school.

Outside of each classroom stood a container filled with emergency preparedness kits, one for each student. Parents provide these kits, hoping and praying that they will never have to be opened. Fortunately, this time, most remained sealed.

Because the teachers remained calm, the children were calm, as well. Thank you for being so brave. We know that you have families of your own that you were worried about, but you did not have the luxury of leaving the school, or of even making a phone call to find out if they were OK because your first responsibility was to our children.

We wish to commend everyone at Opstad for taking such good care of the most important people in our lives. We hope that we won’t have to experience a day like that again anytime soon, but if we do, we will rest assured that our children are in excellent hands.

Rina Korsmo,

Susan Eddings

and Karen Hahn

North Bend