Well, yes and no. We all enjoy the warmer days, more hours of daylight, and the trees and flowers coming to life again after the dark days of winter. Classroom windows are open, boys and girls are in shorts and flip-flops, and we know we are in the final months of the school year. These are good things. And bad.

As much as we enjoy the spring, it comes with many built in distractions. (As I write this, a lawn mower is circling the grassy area outside my window and the resulting sounds and smells are vying for my attention.)  It's easy to lose focus this time of the year.

But we have a lot of learning left to do this school year. If we let our minds wander too far we lose out on what is happening in the here and now. For years I have told my 8th graders that the best way to insure a good start to 9th grade is to end 8th grade strong. I have seen this over and over again.

So keep your focus. Stay in the moment, ready to learn and grow and take advantage of the opportunities offered to you. Don't slow down - you are in the home stretch.