Last Day of First Year of School

Themes that are emerging in the last week or so have included sudden storms and the end of school. I am trapped at the moment, in fact, in my car as another storm passes, reading an interview in the New York Times with a member of the American Association of Pediatricians, who have urged municipalities to provide in-person schooling in the fall. As much as Laurea and I are trying to figure out how best to care for and educate Kina in isolation from other children, we also recognize how privileged we are to be able to work from and near our home, to take parts of our day to work with Kina on lesson plans, to be able to afford safe and professional home care. Knowing how many people in New York City don’t have those privileges, it’s clear we have not fully reckoned with the enormous financial and educational impact on families (and particularly Black and brown families) of a decision not to provide in-person schooling this fall. The interview’s well worth reading—and gets into some of the tricky and scary issues of transmission and illness that make teachers and some families understandably nervous. (Including me!)

As a more specific comment on high-quality education, I’d like to thank the incomparable teachers at Small World—Ms. Mita, Ms. Ines, and Ms. Jamika (pictured above at top right)—who’ve helped Kina become a clever, radiant, and punchy 3.5-year-old kid. They taught her how to read her own name, how to share with others, how to be independent, and how to hold a pencil. Somehow, they also managed to adapt to a remote model of leading a group of three-year-olds better than we ever could have imagined. They’ve been amazing partners in care with us and Hannah (Kina’s amazing babysitter), and it’s super hard to say goodbye to them. Today’s teetering Lego tower goes out to them.

As always, love to each of you, who now number twenty-five. If you know fellow Kina fans or other individual potential subscribers, do feel free to invite them. Stay dry!

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