On the way into work this morning the outside air temperature was 3 degrees Fahrenheit as measured by my Audi. My wool long underwear helped to take the edge off.

For the first time since his passing, I found myself wishing that my dad could have been here to witness an important moment in his grandson’s life. Since the beginning of the school year, Nicolai has participated in a pilot program of study called Rivers & Revolutions. The interdisciplinary and experiential approach to learning is the brain child of local teacher and education innovator, Michael Goodwin. Students attend a school within a school spending the entire day in one class room or together on one of many field trips. The subjects of English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and the Visual and Performing Arts are integrated into a single curriculum offering a cohesive approach to the material and a continuous conversation where everything ties together. Look for the good! This evening, parents and family were invited to the deCordova Museum for an art exhibition of the student’s work and to celebrate the end of the semester. In his address to the assembled group, Goodwin thanked all who had contributed to the success of the program and the students in particular. Nicolai followed with a testimonial to the program and to the teachers. His heart felt and eloquent words left no doubt in anyone’s mind that something very profound had taken place in this class. Jeanine and I could not have been more proud of him and my dad, a college professor, would have been moved to tears when Nicolai explained how this experience had helped him to realize that he wants to pursue a career in teaching.