Dog days of summer….

Dog days of summer….

The term “Dog days of summer” dates back to the ancient Romans who applied the label to the hottest, most humid days of the year.  Romans associated the hottest days of summer with Canis Major (Large Dog), the brightest, and therefore hottest, star in the constellation. While in this clime, August is generally hotter than July, the last ten days or so have certainly been ‘dog days’.  Yet despite the hot and humid weather, our summer crew continues to make everything clean and ready for the first day of school.  Many of our fall sports athletes are also working out either on their own or with small groups.  Kudos to these dedicated workers/athletes for persevering despite the weather.

As I write this month’s blog, there are fewer than six weeks before the school year begins and, for better or for worse, the days themselves are limited as, with the passing of the summer solstice, the amount of daylight has been getting shorter by a minute every day.  

The governor has again let a budget pass without his signature but, unsurprisingly, the legislators and governor passed it without defining the means for actually funding the budget. Each year, the state budget debacle puts me in mind of the movie “Groundhog Day:” with no end in sight, the same scenario keeps playing over and over again.  Like a check written on an account with a zero balance, the small increases for basic and special education are valueless. Districts remain in limbo as long as the money to support the paper increases is unavailable.  This is wrong on so many levels.  For one thing, you and I would certainly not enjoy the privilege of writing IOUs while we get our finances in order, nor would we expect our creditors to pay off the things for which we agreed to pay; I question our system of checks and balances when this budget situation has continued for so long. Equally offensive is that, while legislators debate over bills to allow teachers to be armed in schools, or how to manage delinquent lunch accounts, school districts must fund their expenses at increasingly precarious risk to their students and communities. As I write this, I ask that, as I present the following update, you appreciate the ability of CCSD—at least for now—to manage and even improve the facilities used by the children in its care. While the balancing act has moved from the balance beam to the high wire, we remain strong and determined to give our students the tools for success.

The new bleachers for the multi-purpose field, as well as goal posts and soccer nets, are being assembled; a 6-feet-high fence will be installed along the field that borders the road. Barring a long dry spell that slows progress, the goal is to use this field in the fall. The auditorium renovations are coming along nicely as well: the floors have been scrubbed clean of old glue and debris and the new carpet has been installed; curtains/rigging work will be completed this week.  The re-upholstered seats look great and should be installed mid-August. This capital improvement project is possible through the Central Cambria Education Foundation and contributions from community members and local businesses. HintJ: There is still time to donate or purchase a seat. For details see www.cceducationfoundation.org.

  

On the subject of sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been lackluster as they are at the midway point of the season and six games behind the Brewers.  Pitching has been more than a little disappointing. Here’s hoping the second half of the season is kinder to our Buccos.

Since it is July yet, I have yet to fly my Steelers flag.  I always promise my wife not to rush the summer by counting the days until kickoff (49 days left for college and 54 days left for NFL football—that’s not counting, folks, it’s monitoring). I’m excited that the NFL training camps start next week; the defensive players the Steelers have added to their team have a lot of potential. Filling his shoes will be a tall order, I’m sure but, as good as he is, Big Ben will not be around forever; the front office will need to find an understudy in the near future. Until then, it is my hope, and that of all of Steeler Nation, that the Steelers make a Super Bowl run this year. 

Enjoy your families and what is left of July… go Bucs!

Dr. D.

Happy Summer

Happy summer, everyone!!  Hopefully, the season will warm up and allow us all to relax and recharge before the fall.  A little less rain would certainly help our maintenance staff and summer employees as they are already working very hard to clean all buildings and grounds.  The bleachers are here for the new multipurpose field, as well as the soccer nets, player benches and football goalposts.  A six-foot-high  fence will border the part of the field that abuts the road.  Once these upgrades are completed, we anticipate full use of this field for our fall sports practices and games. 

Our auditorium renovation fundraiser, “A Cause for Applause,” is moving along nicely.  Buying a seat (or two or three – no limit!), is a great graduation gift or a special way to remember a loved alumnus of CCSD.  The following link leads to a letter explaining what is being done and how you can donate: https://docs.google.com/a/ccsd.k12.pa.us/document/d/17ucx6THz1KKAyCplSLkZTYdNsYcVd1leXuX_Ea6u40g/edit?usp=drive_web

All seats are being reupholstered, new carpeting is being laid, and some surfaces are being painted. In addition, we are installing new rigging, stage curtains, sound board system and lighting.  The desk seats in the rear of the auditorium, as well as the wood on the walls, is being replaced.  This joint venture capital improvement project is possible through the Central Cambria Education Foundation and contributions from community members and local businesses.  For details see www.cceducationfoundation.org

Congratulations to the 133 seniors who recently graduated and to their families for being a positive part of their educational lives.  My interview with a cadre of these talented seniors was both enlightening and informative.  As usual, a wonderful group of seniors has graduated from Central Cambria.  While their influence and presence here will be greatly missed, I’m confident that we’ll hear great things about them over the years.  The ceremony can be viewed at our web site www.cencam.org.

June 30 will be the last day for Deb Dixon, our payroll clerk and Mrs. McDermott, our HS principal.  Both have been great to work with and have done many wonderful things for Central Cambria.  Their talents and presence will be greatly missed by all who have come to know them.  Good luck with retirement!!

My wife and I recently attended my niece’s wedding in Nashville.  What a great time to be a Pens fan!  I brought enough Pens gear to outfit a small country. Nothing like walking into a honky tonk establishment in Nashville wearing a Pens shirt and getting your picture taken with the local singer (she begged me not to post the photo because “I could lose my job.”)  The Nashville fans were very gracious and were very proud of their Preds. 

 

On the subject of sports, OTAs (Organized Training Activities) are now over for football rookies and training camp starts July 24. Hope springs eternal as I look for the Pens’ win to spark our Steelers to take serious aim at the Super Bowl.  I never wish a season away, but I am so ready for some football. 

Enjoy your families and what is left of June… go Bucs!

Dr. D.

An apology

Before I begin this blog, please let me apologize for missing my April post; the month was supremely busy and flew by before I realized I hadn’t posted. While it is actually the only blog I’ve missed in eight years, I do apologize to those of you who read my (indispensable!) blog. 

It appears for now that the monsoon season at Central Cambria has finally abated.  I am sure Cambria County’s water table level in is at an all-time high.  Of course, such rainy weather led to the need to reschedule—multiple times—many of the outdoor sporting events.  Kudos to Mr. Wilson, our AD, for his never-ending work with our sports programs.

As with all school districts, May is another very busy month at Central Cambria. With state testing, field trips, graduation arrangements, spring sporting events and playoffs, even these rainy days have flown by. As for me, with assistance from Mrs. Dixon, Mr. Cerelli and Mr. Wilson, I recently concluded my senior interviews; as usual, the groups I spoke with held nothing back.  Their suggestions, perceptions, memories and comments were intuitive, pointed, and well-articulated.  Overall, the groups with which I spoke represented about 35% of this year’s graduates.  These discussions gave strong evidence that; this class is very bright and super-competitive.  As usual, I will include many of their comments in my speech at the graduation ceremony. 

Speaking of graduation, here’s a preview of the theme of this year’s message:

This year, second grandson will graduate – from Kindergarten!  That is the good news; the bad news is it will be the same night as our graduation.    It is this event upon which I hope to expound during my talk.

I plan to relate how the cycle continues regardless of age or career.  I will touch on the ways in which education has changed since the early 1900’s. In those days, the non-academic focus was on immunizations and basic hygiene; today’s educators emphasize such things as suicide prevention, the pros and cons of social media, lockdown drills, and STEM learning, to name a few.  In all this time, however, the element that changed only minimally is the calendar; in general, the same 180 days comprise a school year.  As Winston Churchill said “so many things to do, so little time.” In my opinion, much more is being wedged into those 180 days than ever before.

On the subject of time constraints, it appears the people in Harrisburg will not be able to produce a budget before the end of June, no big surprise.  Both houses and the Governor seem split on some critical issues, foremost being the identification of revenue streams to actually funding the budget.  Each official has his or her own ideas on which programs to cut or reduce in order to alleviate the deficit and fund the budget.  This recurring problem in Harrisburg reminds me of the movie “Groundhog Day” in that every budget year seems to be like its predecessor. 

On a lighter note, how about the Pens? How about the Pens?!!  Where are they?! They seem poised to make a deep run toward the Stanley Cup championship but their recent difficulties with Ottawa leaves me wondering.  I respect the coach’s philosophy of “next man up” and “just play”.  Despite the multitude of injuries, they keep finding ways to win. Here’s hoping that the Pens’ pucks will consistently find the back of their opponents’ nets.  Let’s go Pens!!

Of course, the NFL draft is now history. There are always needs on both sides of the ball, after free agency and retirements, but it looks as if the picks the Steelers made could have a big impact.  Time will tell.  If only the season started tomorrow – Sigh…. Despite the fact that I see myself as an armchair expert, I have to trust that the team staff knew far more than I did about the interactive dynamics of various players as they drafted for the coming season.

As we approach the summer break, I encourage all students to make smart choices in the friends they hang out with, the events they attend, and even the ways in which they network on the Internet. Please have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing summer. 

Congratulations to the 2017 graduates and to their parents, relatives, friends, and others who have offered encouragement, patience, and a listening ear.  As you leave our district, remember: Red Devil Pride never graduates!

Good luck, seniors!

Enjoy your summer!  Dr. D.