Here’s a quick look at some news and observations regarding education — and entertainment — as I’m wondering whether C3PO could translate this column into “more than 6 million forms of communication”…

For its monthly Character Counts assembly Thursday, New York School’s gymnasium became the throne room of the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, complete with the “Star Wars” theme song booming out of a system that — relatively speaking, for a school assembly — may as well have been in full THX sound.

Principal Nancy DeGarmo played the Princess Leia role, without the goofy hair, and handed out certificates to students for their respective citizenship, responsibility, caring and other praiseworthy attributes, all worth celebrating.

This is appropriate because New York’s mascot is the Knights, and apparently students relate better to the Jedi Knights of Star Wars than the “knights in shining armor” of the … well, you get the idea.

As the music filled the gym, and after it had faded and the proverbial credits had rolled, I managed to check in with a few folks involved in the local Character Counts production to see just which “Star Wars” characters would be their favorite.

The cast:

• Nancy DeGarmo, principal: “General Grievous because of all the arms he has. I think if I had that many arms I might be able to get everything done.”

• Chelsey Scanland, parent of Cosmo Clock, a first-grader who won an award: “Ooooh… Han Solo.” Why? “Now, now, now. It’s a childhood thing. Han Solo.”

• District Attorney Charles Branson, whose son, Chance, won an award: “Han Solo.” Why? “C’mon. He’s just Han Solo.”

• Sam Greene, fifth-grader and award winner: “Pretty much all the Jedi Knights.”

I also asked the assembly’s guest speaker — Turner Gill, KU football coach — about his favorite Star Wars character. Turns out he doesn’t have one.

He’s never seen the movie, nor any of the other Star Wars movies.

“I don’t know,” he said.

When pressed, he mentioned Darth Vader or “Jedis” as characters he could think of, but clearly didn’t have a favorite in mind.

So I’ll ask all of you, members of the Rebel Alliance: Which character do you see as a good favorite for coach? Han? Luke? Lando? Yoda?

Let me know. And may the Force be with you…

•••

A colleague passed along this dispatch from the National PTA, regarding the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passing legislation dubbed the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act,” which the organization hails as including “reasonable, common sense measures” that “will allow child nutrition programs and school foods to enter the 21st century.”

According to the national group, the legislation would:

• Increase school lunch reimbursement rates, contingent upon meeting new meal standards, by 6 cents per meal. This would be the first increase in reimbursement rates other than inflationary increases since 1973.

• Establish nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools throughout the school day, including vending machines, school stores and a la carte menus. Periodic school group fundraisers and events conducted before or after the school day would be exempted. This would be the first time nutrition standards for “competitive foods” in schools would be updated since 1979.

• Strengthen local wellness policies by requiring opportunities for public input and transparency in the formulation of the policies, as well as plans for implementation and measuring compliance.

“At a time when one third of our nation’s children are either overweight or obese and one fourth are at risk of hunger, the National PTA applauds Congress for passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and helping us in our ongoing efforts to make every child’s potential a reality,” said Charles J. “Chuck” Saylors, the group’s president.

•••

Word is that Lesa Frantz, principal at Pinckney School, is going to get decked out in some leather and climb aboard a Harley-Davidson and hit the road this afternoon — all to rev up her end of the bargain after students increased their purchases in a Scholastic book drive, one that also benefits the school library.

My only prediction: She’ll be wearing a helmet.

— Are you aware of something special happening in or coming to area schools? Let me know, at mfagan@ljworld.com.