Weather of March

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.