LETTER: A heartfelt thanks to great teacher

By: | Stafford County Sun
Published: June 23, 2009

I have had four children in the Prince William County school system for more than 20 years and we have been blessed to have come in contact with many
wonderful teachers through the years (you know who you are). While I know I can’t take up room in this paper writing about each one, I feel I MUST write and
publicly thank one of the most amazing teachers we have come in contact with over the years.

Mr. Carbo has been the Latin teacher at Hylton High School for so long, it seemed he was a permanent fixture, always there to educate and excite young minds.
He has helped educate three of my children and has been part of our lives since fall 2001.

This teacher has that spark, that ability to excite teenagers while teaching them the most difficult of languages. He has helped my children learn much more than
Latin; he has helped them learn responsibility, leadership and citizenship. He taught them how even a so- called “dead language” can help them through their
extended education and beyond. He even taught them how the ancient civilizations lived and died and how to apply their lessons to today.

This morning, I learned that this amazing teacher will be leaving Hylton High School and moving on to another county school. I must say that their gain is certainly
Hylton’s loss, as well as a great loss to those who are still in the Latin program at Hylton. My daughter will miss him dearly next year as she finishes her
education at Hylton as will our whole family, and I say to the Hylton administration, “What a huge mistake to let him go.”

My personal message to you Mr. Carbo: I wish you well, I wish you luck, but most of all, I wish you smooth sailing on calm seas.

JOAN HOWELL

Woodbridge