Oh Summertime....

“Summertime, but is the living easy…?

Yea! it’s summertime; the official start of summer is almost here with the summer solstice occurring June 21. It is what many of us have been waiting for, but from June 21 on, until winter solstice in December, the sun will leave us a few minutes earlier each day. Heavy sigh… As she does every year, my wonderful wife Judy, who is by nature an early-to-bed/early-to-rise person, will make it a point to stay up as late as possible (for her) on June 21.

In my opinion, summertime is not necessarily easy for CCSD’s 12-month employees. A surprising number of activities take place during the summer months to prepare for the new school year. For one thing, prior to the arrival of staff and students, all buildings are organized, repaired, patched, painted and cleaned from top to bottom. Greg Shaffer and his staff work very hard, both inside and out, in the heat of the summer, to get buildings and grounds in top shape for the beginning of the school year. And, while there are no construction projects this summer, we are currently managing the process of replacing old terra cotta sewer lines.

On the administrative level, records are maintained/updated and distributed across grade levels and schools, and between districts. Then, based on population shifts, materials for the coming school year are ordered.
Bus routes are reviewed and adjusted according to the same information.
From my own perspective, one thing that remains constant at all times of the year is the number of meetings I attend.

With all that goes on while students are enjoying some well-deserved summer fun, it’s nice to know that there remains a more casual air among those of us working to ready our facilities for the coming school year. The tempo, while still brisk, is a change of routine that refreshes our spirits.

On the home front, my wife and I are now blessed with three wonderful grandchildren. Our eldest son and his wife, are the proud parents of our first granddaughter. She is (if I do say so myself!) a doll with a beautiful smile and lots of hair. We have many trips and activities planned with our kids and grandkids this summer. Among these is a weeklong stay at the beach. I enjoy the beach about as much as I like needles BUT I love being with my family. They all assure me that I’ll have fun – I’ll let you know in September whether or not they were right.

Strange things can happen during the summer. Who would guess the Pirates were tied for first in their division, briefly, but still sporting a winning record for the middle of June. Or that speedy receiver Mike (60 minutes) Wallace of the Steelers would still be unsigned. OTAs are done for most NFL teams and that means training camp is not that far away. Life is good.

Enjoy what is left of June, and have a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday!

Dr. D.