By JoANNE VIVIANO

By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jim Berry strutted around the basketball court, laughing every time someone else missed a shot.
The Poland teen was playing at the Youngstown YMCA on Tuesday morning instead of sitting in class at Cardinal Mooney High School.
With a third snow day in a row being called by most area superintendents, many school-age youngsters were doing the same.
As Jim laughed, Mike Cartwright went for a layup.
"You can't push me, Zus," Mike told Will Zuschlag.
David Zidian of Boardman said the group, all seniors, had started the day on Tuesday at Mike's house before heading out to breakfast at the Isaly's restaurant on South Avenue about 10 a.m.
Jim had a bacon and cheese omelet and home fries.
Mike, of Youngstown, had the same -- plus three cups of coffee.
David ate a bagel with cream cheese and home fries.
"I didn't get a phone call about breakfast," said Will, of Boardman.
The group has started each snow day the same way.
"You went to breakfast every morning?" asked Will, upon hearing the news. "I'm so upset."
The post-breakfast plan Tuesday was also the same as it had been Friday and Monday, basketball with a group of Mooney teens until midafternoon, then back to "Cartwright's" house for Uptown Pizza.
The teens said they'd be home playing video game if they weren't at the YMCA.
Spending time with uncle
Also playing basketball at the YMCA on Tuesday was Campbell Middle School seventh-grader Ramel Hayes. He was in the gymnasium with his uncle.
"I play basketball and work out and play with my friends," he said. "I like to watch too, so I can learn."
Sometimes Ramel sleeps in on snow days, but on Tuesday morning he was up at 8 a.m. to clean, eat breakfast, shower and stretch before hitting the basketball court.
He was hoping his uncle would let him stay all day.
"All the kids come down here and hang out," said Ramel's uncle, Marvin Hayes, referring to snow days. "It's like a a social gathering."
In the pool area of the YMCA, Boardman Center Middle School eighth-grader Jessica Martin played a game of Shark with her little sister Jordyn Markovitch, a second-grader at West Boulevard Elementary School in Boardman.
First, Jessica was the shark, trying to catch her sister before she reached the safety of a diving platform. Then it was Jordyn's turn to attack.
Keeping active
On Friday and Monday, Jessica had spent time at the YMCA in Boardman. On Tuesday, she went to the Youngstown location, where she competes on a swim team, to practice laps.
"I splash her in the cold water," Jordyn said. "I pushed her in today."
Jessica said other snow day pastimes include sled riding, but Tuesday's weather was too cold and wet to make outdoor activities fun.
Workers at other indoor venues said snow days mean more activity. Workers at the Ice Zone skating rink, Camelot Lanes bowling alley and Jillian's arcade, all in Boardman, said youngsters usually visit their businesses on snow days, but not until afternoon hours.
Before noon, the locations were quiet, and some workers guessed pupils had slept in.
But the Cardinal Mooney teens say sleeping in is no way to spend a snow day.
Jim said he'd been up every half-hour anyway, to check if school was canceled.
Mike said he'd gone back to bed but not for long.
"If you sleep in on a snow day, you waste your day," said David.
"Yeah," added Will. "I missed breakfast."