Patricia A. Sowle

Patricia A. Sowle , Principal

Pat Sowle , Principal

So it's no wonder that St. Charles Community Schools educator Patricia Sowle right now is on guard against an outbreak of the fever - spring fever.

Dictionaries define spring fever as the laziness or listlessness many people feel during the early days of spring.It's also blamed for the antsiness of children after winter.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures in the high 60s today , with Saturday and Sunday reaching near 70 degrees with a mix of sunshine and showers both days.

Sowle , principal of Patterson Elementary School , and her staff and students annually usher in the new season by setting up environmental scenes in the building's hallway as they relate to curriculum studies.She says the activity does much to help students overcome the winter blahs..

It gives them something to do and something different to look at , says Sowle , adding that this spring's hallway display is sort of a coral reef montage.

In previous years the school has featured rain forest , desert and Antarctic scenes.

Such an effort is a good idea , says Larissa Niec , assistant professor of psychology at Central Michigan University.

Doing common sense things such as exercising will go a long way in averting a bad case of spring fever , Niec says.

Principal Patricia A. Sowle admitted to initial misgivings about the contest.

"My first thought was, underwear -- middle school students -- let's rethink this, because kids don't need any more comical stimulus," Sowle told The Saginaw News.

Principal: Pat SowleDistrict: St CharlesGrades: 6, 7, 8,

891 W. Walnut St St. Charles , MI 48655989-865-6185