Brian K. Suits, 2015-2016 Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year and principal of Dalton Middle School, penned a letter to President Obama that drew a response from the president in which he wrote: "Your work to put opportunity within reach for each student at Dalton Middle School makes good on the promise of our education system, and of America."
In his letter, Obama references by name a student Suits singled out in his letter, Luis Orozco.
Here is a piece on the letters by Lindsey Derrick, a Dalton resident and recent University of Georgia journalism graduate who does freelance writing for Dalton Public Schools.
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
The sensory room came about from a group of then seventh graders during a project on a topic of their choosing. Gigi Robertson and Windel Ross decided to combine their passions (Robertson likes working with special needs students, and Ross has a love for running) into one big project.
The students put on a fundraising 5K in April to earn money for the sensory room. They earned more than $9,000 and put the room into reality.
Suits said his letter sat around for three to four months until the July shootings in Chattanooga. "There are too many bad things happening in this world, so I decided to mail it and be done," Suits said.
Shortly after Suits received a form letter (a letter written by staffers) from Gov. Deal. He never got a response from the National Association of Secondary School Principals or the Georgia state school superintendent.
On Sept. 11, Suits was going through his mail when he came to a large envelope from the White House. As Suits read the letter, he realized it wasn't just a form letter. Obama himself had actually read his letter.
Suits told the teachers and students who had designed the sensory room that the president had mentioned their work in his letter. "They got very emotional. One teacher teared up," said Suits.
Both Robertson and Ross said they called their parents to tell that their work had been mentioned by the president of the United States. "Out of millions of people, he knows us," said Ross.
Suits said telling Orozco and the group that made the sensory room were great moments. "Those were my favorite moments since the letter," Suits said.
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