Winter blues....

As I looked out my office window Tuesday, I saw the snow had once again picked up in intensity.  December has been a cold wintry month—and the official start of winter is still four days away.  Such is the weather in Pennsylvania!  Fortunately from an administrative standpoint, the high school students were able to complete all Keystone exams (even make-ups), without any weather-related delays. 

As you are now aware, this Friday will be our last day of school before the holiday break.  It will be a full day with the usual start and ending times.  Originally, we had intended to do a half day on Dec. 23 but, since no other district  that sends students to Admiral Peary is in session that day, the vo-tech will not be open.  We were able to work out with our staff the logistics of beginning the holidays after Dec. 20 without adding a day to our calendar. 

 Congratulations to staff, students and administration for their performance on the State’s newly launched School Performance Profile website.  CCHS has earned one of the top scores in all of IU08’s four-county region. I strongly encourage you to go to the site, http://paschoolperformance.org, to see our school scores, what goes into the scores, and how to compare schools and districts.

The musical production, Beauty and the Beast, was very well done and equally well-received.  Mrs. Wolfe, Mr. Nagy and Mr. Seymour, the cast and those who also made this possible, deserve tremendous praise for a marvelous play.  To go from “student group” to “theatrical troupe” in such a short time is amazing. With such dedication, commitment and hard work by all, our district continues the proud Red Devil tradition of an outstanding fine arts program. 

As I mentioned, this is the last day before the holiday break. With January comes continued bleak weather and short days. However, the winter blues really have no place in education as we continue to be held accountable by PDE for many mandates. Upon our return, we will dig into our preparation for the PSSA, Keystone Exams and SATs. 

If you follow college football like I do,* be sure to freshen up those remote control batteries: college bowl games start tomorrow, Dec 21 (Happy Birthday to my twin children Morgan and Tyler).  Then, on Jan 8, the Sugar Bowl will host the National Championship game. As much as I look forward to these games, I’m also sadly anticipating the inevitable void I will feel until September.  We know that the Steelers have laid a big goose egg this season.  For me, the eternal optimist and Steelers fan through thick and thin, I look forward to the draft and a better season next year.  On a brighter note, the Pens continue to have a great season.  Hopefully, it will mean post-season play for them. And don’t forget those Pirates….

Enjoy the holidays – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please hug your family and tell them you love them….  Dr. D.

* Are you at all surprised? Really?