It’s funny. This weekend while I was out with Helaine and Steffie, two separate people approached me to tell me they met me when I was at their school (and another met me when I emceed a school function). I sometimes feel I’ve been to every school in the state.
Going to schools is a good news, bad news kind of thing. They are often difficult to conveniently arrange around my schedule and I have to turn down ones that are far away. On the other hand, the kids are normally attentive and get something out of it (if they’re old enough).
Because I do so many charity events with and for adults, I have to turn most school requests down. It’s a shame.
Today I had a request I couldn’t turn down. Tom Sgro, who’s been at the station nearly as long as me, asked me to speak to his daughter’s third grade class. That’s a little younger than I usually favor, but it turned out great.
This class was unusual because there were two kids who struck me as being quite bright, especially for their age. When I asked about some characteristics of the atmosphere, one offered up the frictional force that burns meteors. That’s pretty heady stuff for the third grade!
The one sure fire thing that I enjoy doing in schools is sucking eggs into Snapple bottles. I used to use flasks from a chemistry lab. This is much simpler and easier to obtain.
I’m sure the folks I met at the mall this weekend remember me doing it in their school.