How it all began

When I was six years old, my dad set up a school in the unfinished basement of our new house in Rocky Point, New York. The blackboard was fixed to the cement wall. A scratched up, wooden teacher desk was near the board and an old gray couch and rug were set up for the students. Most importantly, my dad brought home a grade book from his work so I could write the names of my students, record their imaginary grades and do averages for their report cards.