By ANGELA MANGUM | Selma City Schools Superintendent

Dear partners in education, I extend greeting and appreciation for your support of the Selma City School System.

The past 19 months of my tenure as superintendent has been an arduous labor of love for the success and wellbeing of the children in Selma.

Though the school system has been faced with many challenges, great strides have been made toward creating a highly-effective school system that will make the entire Selma community proud and cause the city to flourish.

While I am pleased with the strides our school leaders, faculty and support staff are making toward the goal of preparing students who are college and career ready, I feel compelled to expend my outreach to a broader scope of community stakeholders.

To this end, the Selma City School System will sponsor a community challenge event: “Our Children. Our Schools. Our Community” on Jan. 12, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Selma High School.

During this event, partners in education will be entertained by Selma High School’s band and choir.

Refreshments will also be served. Moreover, they will learn about the many positive improvements that have been realized in our school system as well as challenges that we face in educating students.

In addition, you will have an opportunity to sign-up to serve students and schools within the district by mentoring, tutoring, adopting a school, working on beautification projects or monitoring students during arrival and dismissal times.

Your partnership in educating and supporting the boys and girls of Selma will make a profound difference in their overall well-being and academic success.

I strongly believe that a broad-base of community activism and support of our youth can transform not only their lives, but can transform the entire community for the better.

I am soliciting your support to this end.

In closing, I look forward to seeing you at the community challenge event.

Together we can transform the lives of our children, our schools, and our community.