Often this year I have quoted Fred Rogers from the book, “The World According to Mr. Rogers.” It is a small book full of the warmth and intelligence that were such a part of Mr. Rogers’ life. This past weekend, the man who played Mr. McFeely was in Rochester at the Strong Museum. His name is David Newell and he states easily how much he misses his friend. A report in Thursday’s Democrat and Chronicle quotes Newell as saying it isn’t the youngest fans that miss Mr. Rogers the most, it’s the adults. He says, “I think what they realize is that we won’t get another like him. The tears are really a tribute to Fred. And I miss him dreadfully.” We are sending our ninth graders off to a new building, but there are two who are not going to make the trip, and we miss them dreadfully. Brian Scipioni and Matt Gnage lost their lives while they were in our junior high family. Truly there will never be anyone like either of those two young men. We will remember them. There are no television shows that live on with Brian or Matt. There are no books of helpful wisdom. They didn’t get to that point in their lives. But, they lived long enough to touch our lives. Let’s remember how precious each of us is to our friends, our families and to our school. Today, value each other.