What a difference a week or two can make. Seems like only yesterday I was down in Austin, TX, and the weather was in the 80’s. Today I found myself in Alexandria Bay, NY, just a few short minutes from the Canadian border, and there was snow on the ground.

Even the schools themselves couldn’t have been more different. The district in Texas had thirty elementary schools, some of which had over a thousand kids. The Alexandria Central School district, by contrast, is entirely in one building, K-12, and has about 800 kids total.

Ever year Alexandria Bay is home to a huge week-long pirate festival, and I’m told that everyone in town has a complete pirate costume in their closet. (As one teacher so aptly put it: “I have enough pirate clothes to sink a ship.”) I believe it, because pretty much every single person in the school looked like they belonged in Backbeards crew. It was fantastic.

The vibe in the school was great, in large part, I think, because the kids were so well prepped for the visit. There was artwork everywhere, and these students were ready to talk pirates and books. What a fun day.

An absolute pleasure, Alexandria. Thanks so much!