March
is always an interesting weather month. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, rain and
sunshine, and temperatures ranging from sub-freezing to summer-warm are all
present in the month of March. This year
the lion that came in at the start of March seems reluctant to make room for
the lamb that signals the end of winter. I am sure Mother Nature’s plan still
includes warmer weather in Cambria County—eventually.
This
has been a typical winter for CCSD students: we’ve had five cancellations, four
delays and one early dismissal.
Currently, our last student day will be June 5. Mrs. McDermott hopes that an end to
cancellations will allow the graduation ceremony to take place on June 2. Graduation
will once again be held at the Stokes Field House at St. Francis. As in years past, my May blog will include
some interesting information about the graduating class of 2017 during the
month of May.
Pennsylvania’s
weather has delayed the administration of the PSSAs and Keystone Exams until
April; between these and the usual spring activities, the remaining school year
is bound to wind down at breakneck speed for students, teachers and
administrators. With the arrival of spring,
we are excited to see how, after improvements were made to these playing
surfaces last fall, our athletes perform on the baseball and softball fields
this year. The multipurpose field appears to have weathered well through the
winter; now we’ll see how strong the grass is when it comes up and how well it
takes hold. The plan is to use this
field in the fall.
2016-17
has been a wonderful year with so many students giving stellar performances in
sports and extracurricular activities. Our
wrestlers, swimmers, and boys and girls basketball teams did a great job in
Districts, Regionals and State finals. Seven
choral students advanced to state PMEA competition and six middle school
students will go to San Diego CA, for the national Lego competition. Our hockey
team went to the LHAC finals and lost to an opportunistic Altoona team. They had a phenomenal season. Max Murin is the first wrestler in CCSD
history to be crowned state gold medalist twice, and our boys basketball team
went further into PIAA play than any other boys basketball team at CCSD.
And
as ever, March is the month for budget debates/battles at the Legislature. Governor Wolf’s budget address in February
has raised concerns about how much and when public schools will receive funding. I urge you to contact your local
representative at the state level to tell them they need to do their job and
pass a fair, fiscally sound budget in a timely manner.
Speaking
of the Governor, Mr. Wolf hosted a round table discussion on the state’s opioid
crisis in our District on Thursday, March 16.
This was the first time a sitting Governor has ever been at CCSD. His determination to address this crisis was
very apparent. It was an honor to have
him at our District. He also made a
point of meeting Max Murin to congratulate him on his wrestling
accomplishments.
Finally,
while most people happily see March as the time that Spring is finally in the
air, we fanatics see this season as a harbinger of legitimate reasons to think
and talk about football. NFL free
agency trades continue, and there are just 36 days until the draft begins. All
of these events are hitting the airwaves and adding to the notion that football
is back. And many colleges, including
PSU, have begun spring practices. As I
wait (patiently?) for football, I’m happy to note that our Pittsburgh Pens are
providing us with excellent hockey performances. They are in a good position to
secure a wild card spot for the playoffs.
As
time marches on at an increasingly rapid pace, it won’t be long before many of
us will be avoiding the heat and complaining about cutting the grass. If you’re
like me, objections will be minimal as we embrace the pleasures—and the
challenges—of every season.
Until
next month,
Dr.
D.
