BY BETH PINYERD
OPINION —
Before we stroll into March, “Leap Day” is celebrated on Thursday, Feb. 29. The year 2024 is a leap year, when we add an additional day to the calendar. The regular year has 365 days, but a leap year has 366 days. A leap year balances out the calendar year with the astronomical year. The earth’s orbit around the sun takes a few more hours longer than 365 days. In a leap year, an extra day recognizes the extra time in the earth’s orbit around the sun. “Leap Day” is celebrated every four years, when we add Feb. 29. Happy birthday to leap year folks!
As I look at my teacher’s calendar, we celebrate a lot of special days in March. In fact, on March 1 we celebrate “Share A Smile Day,” so parents and grandparents, get those phone cameras ready to take pictures of your little ones smiling their biggest. Have you ever noticed that we can be in a blue mood, then someone smiles at us, and it truly improves our moods. Sharing a smile may help other folks more than you know, so share that smile today. I love playing making a game of sharing the biggest smile in the early childhood classroom. This really brings sunshine in the classroom on a rainy day. This can be tried with families, too. It will bring in laughter as you look at your children with big smiles and sometimes snaggle teeth.
Peace Corps commemorates its anniversary on March 1. On this day in 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the agency. The goal of Peace Corps is bringing together skilled, committed volunteers to serve families and citizens in host communities.
Before we met and married, my late husband, Carl Pinyerd, served in Peace Corps in the 1970s after he graduated from Auburn. He served in Swaziland, Africa. He lived and worked side-by-side with community members to build a medical center. He taught chemistry and math in local high schools. Carl built relationships in the community by exchanging knowledge to help many generations. I was so blessed as a young wife to literally have the world come to my front door by meeting Carl’s Swaziland students and friends as they attended Au-burn, Tuskegee and other American universities to study agriculture.
March 1 is also “Peanut Butter Lover’s Day.” This day is set aside to celebrate the simple spread. Some may like it on bananas, with jelly on sandwiches, straight from the jar, etc. So, we peanut butter enthusiasts can come together on March 1 and celebrate this simple staple.
On March 2, we celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday with “Read Across America Day.” As teachers and parents of children, this day calls on us to celebrate reading. I love to see children listen to books being read to them. In our classrooms, we have books spread out on shelves, in learning centers, on desks, etc. In our homes, we can put books everywhere, too. Children love to read and look at books in cars when running errands or taking trips. Our local libraries are outstanding in offering a variety of books on different subjects. Joining the local libraries and getting a library card — what a wonderful gift to your families.
As we leap into March, I would like to review some special days about this month. First of all, even though “April Showers Bring May Flowers,” March is recognized as “National Umbrella Day.”
The goundhog’s Feb. 2 prediction of an early spring may be right on target. Springtime in Lee County is always so pleasant with mild temperature, beautiful foliage, flowers and gentle winds. I love kite flying on windy days. Making and flying kites is such a wonderful fun family activity. Our community has beautiful places and parks to go fly kites. I love the lakes and streams in our area, where families can catch winds off the water.
As a community we love our newspaper, “The Observer.” It does such a wonderful job of covering local news. March 4 through 8 is “Newspaper in Education Week.” Our newspapers are such valuable tools in teaching children about our community and world. Show your children the pictures in the newspapers and what is happening all around them. With your older children have them look and share current events from the newspaper. This is such a good way to teach some reading and comprehension skills.
“National Nutrition Month” is also recognized in March. Take time with your child to explain what healthy foods are versus those foods that are not good nutrition. Children understand this early. This is the month that, as a teacher, I bring out fruit and vegetable trays to guide them on what is good nutrition. This also can be done as families at mealtime.
Since 1943, March has been proclaimed as “National Red Cross Month.” What a valuable and wonderful agency that takes care of us after a crisis hits an area. This is a good time to explain to your young child what the Red Cross does to provide needed items and take care of us after bad weather or other times when we need help.
Let’s enjoy the blue skies, the bright sunshine, gentle winds and wonderful temperatures as we leap into March and Spring.
Beth Pinyerd has taught many years in the early childhood classroom. She has a master’s degree in early childhood education.