Leap Day

How often does one get to write a blog on Leap Day? Well, technically once every four years, but I assumed this would be my first time. And then checked back four years ago and—yep, I wrote one! Isn’t this interesting?

Well, about as interesting as anything else I have to say. I have some thoughts cooking from a remarkable talk I heard at an education conference (NAIS) by someone named Bryan Stevenson. But I want them to settle a bit first. So this is all I have to offer:

• Next time NAIS invites our school to play a “walk-in concert,” I will refuse. I didn’t know until the morning off that our kids would be performing as people walked in the hall. The people I complained to (that morning) replied, “Well, they’re teachers. They’ll get quiet when they see kids up there.” My eyebrows raised skeptically.

And though I wish I wasn’t, I was 100% correct—they were loud as hell. After the 4^th piece, I went to the mike and told them to tell their neighbor to quiet down and listen. Give the kids some respect for all their hard work! By the end, most of the 5,000 teachers had entered the hall and most of the front half seemed to be listening. And judging from the comments, they loved it. But come on, NAIS, what kind of respect is that for music as something worthy of attention? Just asking.

• Then came this extraordinary speaker. But you’ll have to read future blogs for that report.

From there to school for the Middle School Black History presentation, with kids reciting “spoken word” (ie, poetry) so passionately and skillfully. Next a square dance with 4^th graders outside on the “green-top” and from there, the usual marvelous sing at the Jewish Home.

• On the weekend, celebrated my wife’s birthday with a dinner out that included witnessing Steph Curry’s extraordinary 45 foot shot! Then the next day (in his honor) took a 45-mile bike ride to Marin County and back. Impressed we both could do it. And capped off her special day with the Oscars. 

• And today, this gift of an extra day, I mostly spent avoiding getting my taxes ready for an appointment on Wednesday. Which is mostly what I’m still doing now.

Would you like to know what I had for dinner……?

P.S. Well, I finally sat down and went through my crumpled receipts from the year and lo and behold, amidst the Amoeba Records and Green Apple slips of paper was a $100 bill! I think it was a gift from a class at school that I had lost and forgotten about. A good end to Leap Day!!