This morning as I was greeting parents and kids as they arrived in the drop off lane at school, there was much talk and anticipation of the Inauguration of Barack Obama happening later that day. One parent says he clearly remembers as a child watching and hearing Kennedy's famous speech when he took the Oath of Office on a January day so long ago. I knew that I wanted to see this today, but I did not think so much about the impact on the children that are so much a part of my life through work. Fortunately a couple of our teachers were on the ball and were trying to make it happen via the internet and projection devices. The web was in full throttle and getting a picture and continuous feed was near impossible. All our students (K-4th) and all the 6th-12th students from Bridge School (we share a building) comfortably crowded into our auditorium to watch as two projectors showed a choppy live video. At the very last minute before things got underway, I quick brought in a boom box and with the radio going, we were able to hear continuous audio. The kids were quiet and rapt with attention. And while the kindergarteners had some clay to keep their hands busy and to themselves, most were clearly paying attention. All these kids from 4 years to 17 years....just what were they thinking? What exactly did they hear? What will they take to heart and remember from this day?
