Patrick was late to class. "Where's Patrick?" I asked. "Probably shovelling snow," a classmate suggested. At these words Richard turned around and demanded, emphatically, "Dude, do you think for one minute that Patrick would let shovelling snow get in the way of his education?" I had to smile. Partly because Richard teases Patrick to his face, so it was nice to hear him stand up for Patrick in Patrick's absence (not that the imputation was so scandalous). And partly because ever since I've known these children, which is to say ever since they were 10, they've shown — nearly all of them — an extraordinary commitment to learning, a kind of patient/eager organized curiosity.