February a month of holidays

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February is full of holidays. Even though I’m not a gambling woman, I’d be willing to bet that not even the biggest trivia experts out there could name all the observances of the shortest month. What? You really don’t think there’s that many occasions this month? Think again. These are the monthly observances, including but not limited to:

. African American History Month (Black History Month)

. American Heart Month

. American History Month

. Bake For Family Fun Month

. Bird Feeding Month

. Canned Foods Month

. Cat Health Month

. Cherry Month

. Children’s Dental Health Month

. Embroidery Month

. Grapefruit Month

. Library Lovers Month

. Potato Lovers Month

. Sweet Potato Month

And then there are the weekly observances in February:

. National Patient Recognition Week: Feb. 1-7

. Solo Diners Eat Out Weekend: Feb. 1-7

. Women’s Heart Week: Feb. 1-7

. Children’s Authors & Illustrators Week: Feb. 3-9

. Boy Scout Anniversary Week: Feb. 3-9

. International Coaching Week: Feb. 3-9

. National School Counseling Week: Feb. 4-8

. Freelance Writers Appreciation Week: Feb. 10-16

. Jell-O Week: Feb. 10-16

. Just Say No to PowerPoints Week: Feb. 11-15

. World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week: Feb. 13-18

. Great Backyard Bird Count Week: Feb. 15-18

. National Engineers Week: Feb. 17-25

. National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Feb. 24- March 1

. Telecommuter Appreciation Week: Feb. 24- March 1

. Texas Cowboy Poetry Week: Feb. 29 – March 2

Then there are the holidays with just a single day dedicated to them. They include;

. Bubble Gum Day: Feb. 1

. Women’s Heart Health Day: Feb. 1

. Candelmas: Feb. 2

. Groundhog Day: Feb. 2

. Teach Your Daughter to Volunteer Day: Feb. 2

. USO Day: Feb. 4

. Fastnachts Day (Pennsylvania Dutch – Shrove Tuesday) : Feb. 5

. Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday) : Feb. 5

. Mardi Gras: Feb. 5

. National Girls & Women in Sports Day: Feb. 6

. Chinese New Year’s Day: Feb. 7

. Boy Scout Anniversary Day: Feb. 8

. National Shut-in Visitation Day: Feb. 11

. Westminster Dog Show: Feb. 11

. Lincoln’s Birthday: Feb. 12

. 100th Day of School: Feb. 13

. Ferris Wheel Day: Feb. 14

. League of Women Voters Day: Feb. 14

. National Women’s Heart Day: Feb. 14 Link

. Valentine’s Day: Feb. 14

. National PTA Founders Day: Feb. 17

. World Human Spirit Day: Feb. 17

. Presidents Day: Feb. 18

. Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day: Feb. 21

. George Washington’s Birthday: Feb. 22

. Clam Chowder Day: Feb. 23

. Curling is Cool Day: Feb. 23

. Iwo Jima Day: Feb. 23

. National Tooth Fairy Day: Feb. 28

. Leap Year Day: Feb. 29

Some of these remind us of serious issues, some of these remind us of important events in history, and some are just plain fun. This week students and teachers will remember Abraham Lincoln on his birthday, Feb. 12. Many classrooms will also recognize the 100th day of school. This day provides the opportunity to develop mathematical concepts based on 100. And then there is Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in schools as expressions of friendship and kindness. Sometime before the big day, elementary school teachers will help students create valentine boxes or envelopes. These are large containers designed to hold the valuable valentines on Feb. 14. On the big day, the students deliver their creations to all their classmates and many of their teachers. There is also a sweet treat or two. The treats are overshadowed by the sheer delight and joy that is expressed as each valentine is opened. It always amazes me how small bits of construction paper, stickers, paper doilies, and lots of glitter can create a feeling of acceptance within a child. This is true if the valentines are homemade or if they are store bought. Kindness is the message of these missals.

Middle school and high school students are not immune to the wonder of Valentine’s Day. Yes, it can be a time of anxiety, hope and possible disappointment if the student is infatuated with a peer. But mostly it’s a time to celebrate friendships. Some school clubs sell flowers or candy or valentines to be delivered on Feb. 14. These are offered for a token amount and students often purchase several. Observant educators can witness intentional and random acts of kindness during this process. Valentines in some form are often purchased for a classmate with disabilities or one who is particularly isolated. Since these acts of kindness can be anonymous, the teenagers can reach out without risk of embarrassment.

Teachers and other school staff also enjoy Valentine’s Day. After all, any day that offers an excuse to eat chocolate all day has got to be good. And more importantly, any day that allows our students to experience both sides of acts of kindness is an effective learning day.