Across Richmond County and our neighboring communities, families, educators, administrators and children are preparing for the upcoming school year.
The 2026–2027 school year promises good health, academic wealth, and social-emotional prosperity. This is an opportunity for every parent, family member, leader, and community member to pause, reflect, and unite in prayer for everyone who helps shape the future leaders of our communities.
Our children, of all ages and abilities, are entering daycare, prekindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school, and continuing onward to community college, college, university, and the workforce. Our educators, school leaders, and support staff work tirelessly to educate, mentor, and nurture them. Our families and communities stand as partners in education, helping to build warm, inviting, and safe learning environments where children can thrive and succeed.
This school year reminds me of an old song my parents would sing before we prayed at home: "May the Circle Be Unbroken." From my family to yours, may the family circles of our communities be unbroken. Richmond County's community circle of prayer extends beyond its county lines to the neighboring counties of Hoke, Cumberland, Scotland, Montgomery, Moore, and Marlboro communities connected by shared history, shared values, and shared hope for our children.
Let us pray.
Carricia Simpson is a Richmond County native now living at Fort Bragg.
