Sharing experiences is one of the extremely important, completely informal activities at this convention. I had one conversation about a funky untraditional way of connecting with the community, and overheard another on the controversial idea of year-round school.

• Amid all the trade-show exhibits on communications technology, Croton-Harmon Trustees Katherine Brechner and Karen Zevin yesterday talked about a decidedly low-tech approach that is working so well they’re still excited after two years.

They’re bracketing their board meetings with informal gatherings at a local coffee shop, the Black Cow (which is a great place to get together for coffee or chess or chewing the fat. or pastries.)

They take it in turns, two at a time. And people who wouldn’t ever come out to a board meeting show up to get a cappucino and turn around and say, “hey, there was a question I wanted to ask.”

Ever since No Fooling, We’re Here to Talk Schooling was written up nationally, they’ve gotten calls from school board members from all over the country, Brechner said.

“It’s just a no-cost idea,” she said.

• In the elevator, Peekskill Superintendent Judith Johnson caught sight of Trustee Mimi Calhoun of East Ramapo.

“Ah, year-round schooling,” Johnson said.

“Well, hmmmm,” said Calhoun, whose district made national news last week after an article appeared in The Journal News about the district’s plans to “consider extending the school year.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061023/NEWS03/610230332/1017

As the elevator doors opened, another passenger turned to Calhoun, upstater Debra Smith, who went on to describe her family’s experience living in Missouri and attending the “St. Charles schools.”:http://www.stcharles.k12.mo.us/

It had an impact on the summertime academic slide, Smith said. And district officials worked out a plan so families with kids at various levels in the district got the same vacation times off.

“It’s a good idea,” said Smith, as the two headed out to their next events.