Disclaimer: The interviews for this story were conducted the week of Leap Day, yet prior to the actual day.
Every four years, February gets an extra day, courtesy of the Gregorian calendar phenomenon known as Leap Year. In light of the quirky occasion, four Silver Strand Elementary School students share their initial thoughts on Leap Day. Surprisingly enough, some possess knowledge exceeding that of the typical adult.
Fourth-grader Lucca Loforti said that he knew that there’s an extra day at the end of February every four years; however, he had some more insight to add.
“After a hundred years sometime, the Leap Year gets removed, and after four hundred years, Leap Year gets added back,” Loforti said.
While Loforti hasn’t had a lesson about Leap Day in his class, he said that his classmates knew that it was coming up.
“I think we talked about it in some of my other classes, probably when I was in second or first grade … they talk about holidays a lot more,” Loforti said.
That rang true for first-grader Lillyahnna Van Horn, who said that her classes have talked about Leap Year. She initially didn’t recall what made the day special; however, after Van Horn was reminded of the additional day, she said it was “cool.”
“I don’t know if we’re doing anything special [in class], but we could,” Van Horn said.
Fourth-grader Ara Smith provided a fun fact about the day, saving her peers time from a Google search.
“I know it happens every four years,” Smith said, “and I think in Ireland it’s lucky to propose on that day … the woman to man.”
Third-grader Evergreen Tillman said that he is happy that the shortest month of the year gets an extra day.
“Instead of 28, there is 29 [days], so there are 366 instead of 365 days,” Tillman said. “It is a celebration because it only comes every four years. I’m eight, so this is going to be my second year and I am happy that there is going to be another day in February because it only gets 28 [days].”
