Hamagrael is one of the closest schools to me, yet it never knew exactly where it was until last Friday. It’s a small, neighborhood school hidden away down a series of side streets. And it has a strange name.

I had always assumed the name was Dutch. (Around Albany, it seems like almost everything has a Dutch name.) But it turns out the story is much stranger: Hamagrael was named to honor the children of the farmer who originally owned the land. It’s Harold plus Mary plus Grace plus Ellen (or Eleanor – there was some debate on this point.)

In any case, Hamagrael really rolled out the red carpet, and even the principal, Mr. K., got into the spirit. My thanks to Ellen Eisenbraun, Joan Martelle, Christine Schade, and the librarian, Mrs. Held, for pulling everything together. It was a really fun day.

I leave you with some terrific pirate drawings from the walls of Hamagrael (click to enlarge).