Two Teachers in Bridgewater Raritan School District - Leap into the Birthday Spirit for February 29

Two teachers in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District will not have the opportunity to celebrate their birthdays twice this year.

But they will have the opportunity to celebrate their real birthday this month.

Both Brittany DiBella, who is a Preschool Teacher at the Adamsville Primary School, and Dayna Lombardo, who is a 4th Grade Teacher at the Crim Primary School, will cut the cake just once this year when they celebrate their unique birthday on February 29.

They are members of an exclusive group who are known as “leaplings” since their birthday of February 29 occurred on Leap Day.

Leap Year occurs every four years when an extra day is tacked on to February, such as in the case of the year 2024.

Both Ms. DiBella and Ms. Lombardo are also members of another exclusive club—they are the only Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District staff members who were born on February 29.

So, excluding a Leap Year, when do you celebrate your birthday?

“Both on February 28 and on March 1,’’ Ms. DiBella answered.

“Yes me, too,’’ Ms. Lombardo responded.

“Most of my friends call and text me to say happy birthday both February 28 and March 1,’’ Ms. Lombardo revealed. “But not my dad (Richie Garofalo). He wishes me on March 1 because he said that I would have been born on that date if not for a Leap Year.’’

While Ms. DiBella admitted that she had never met another person born on February 29, Ms. Lombardo reported that she experienced an uncommon situation while in college at Pace University in New York.

“I was in a marketing class and there were two others with February 29 birthdays. So there were three of us in one class,”’ she said. “Plus I had a student Jack Friedlander at Crim ( in 2016) who also was born on February 29.’’

What are their plans to have the chance to celebrate on their real birthdate?

“We have dinner reservations, my husband (Mike DiBella) and friends, including Amy Jeziorski (fellow teacher at Adamsville),’’ Ms. DiBella said. “We are going to La Colina in Warren.’’

Ms. Lombardo plans to just cherish her day–quietly but passionately.

“On that day I will say that today is my actual birthday and that is my special present.”

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