A Real Snow Job

It wasn't a good week.

First, our beloved New England Patriots sleepwalk through a playoff game against the hated NY Jets. Then we have another three-day school week due to a holiday and another snow day yesterday. That's three snow days in two weeks! With 50" of the white stuff already fallen in Mansfield this winter, I think we're all starting to get a bit snow fatigued.

In the past week I've had both teachers and students comment to me how challenging it can be when the school week starts up and then shuts down due to a snow day. There's a certain disconnect, where the momentum of learning can be lost. That certainly can be frustrating.

Plus, now we are looking at June 27 as our last day of the school year.... yikes! I have received an e-mail or two inquiring about that one. In the likely event we have another snow day before the end of the second semester (which is March 18), we will extend the trimester so there is an equitable amount of instructional days for third trimester.

I say "likely event" seeing that today is only January 22 and there's a full two months of winter joy left. Then in perusing the online edition of the Mansfield News, I see this wonderful article where Accuweather Chief Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi is forecasting that the remainder of our winter will be colder and stormier than usual. This graphic basically sums it up:

Ugggh! That La Nina pattern certainly is not helping us this year. We're in a bit of a rut.... and now they're telling us that there could be yet another big storm this coming Wednesday!

As my late grandmother always told me, there's no sense in worrying about anything we have no control over. So we'll take it one day at a time, keep warm, and pour another cup of coffee...

Think happy thoughts: 22 days until pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers. : )