By Bruce Karnick

[email protected]

With Governor Walz’s press conference on December 16th, school officials finally learned of the next steps they can take in January 2021. ISD 200 Superintendent Bob Mc-Dowell issued a letter to families the following day.

The quick hitting portion of the letter is this. Kindergarten through Second Grade will return January 19th as of right now, with Third and Fourth returning on February 1st. Fifth grade on up will remain in full distance learning mode for the time being. Of course, this could, and probably will change based on how many more times Governor Walz moves the goal posts. Here is the full letter.

— Begin Transcription – Hello Raider Families, Governor Walz addressed the state yesterday afternoon and shared an important update to the Minnesota Safe Learning Plan. After consultation with our Regional Support team, as well as our Incident Command Team, and in accordance with the 2020-:21 Minnesota Safe Learning Plan, we will continue our distance learning model for the first two weeks of January.

Based on the guidance in the announcement by Governor Walz, we plan to bring kindergarten, first, and second grade students back to in-person learning Tuesday, January 19, 2021. We plan to bring third and fourth grade students back to in-person learning Monday, February 1, 2021. All other grades will remain in distance learning based on the guidance outlined in the Safe Learning Plan. As we make plans for this or any shift, we must consider the impact to safety, school bus routing, school meals, instructional planning, staffing and so much more. Our teams are hard at work adjusting the plans for the shift to in-person learning. Of course, it is important to remember that while we are planning for an elementary learning model change on the dates above, much can change over the next few weeks. Therefore, we will continue to monitor data and information, and will communicate the most up-to-date details and/ or changes to this plan no later than January 8, 2021.

We know that changing guidance and shifting learning models is not easy on anyone. We continue to work to minimize the impact these changes can have on learners and families. Thank you for your continued grace and flexibility as we work to serve the needs of our community through these trying times.

Sincerely, Bob McDowell, Ed. D.

— End Transcription – Athletic Director Trent Hanson gave families a winter sports update as well. Hanson’s update included some hyperlinks that obviously do not transfer over to The Journal, so those were removed.

The pieces that folks are looking for are not entirely answered and that is, when? Practices can begin January 4th, 2021, but as of right now, no game schedule is complete. The game schedule is pending further state guidance but is not expected to be allowed until later in February or early March. Game load, opponents, spectator rules, etcetera are expected to be very similar to the fall sports season. Expect indoor spectators to be limited similar to Volleyball if they are allowed at all. Here is the full letter from Director Hanson.

— Begin Transcription – 12/18/20 Raiders Parents/Guardians, This message is to provide you with an update with regard to HHS WINTER sports. We will continue to provide accurate, confirmed information as decisions are made. Things are fluid and guidance is ongoing. As direction shifts in real time, we will provide future updates.

The details enclosed are based on directives from the Minnesota State High School League, decisions made by the Metro East Conference, and local application as determined by ISD 200 leaders. The primary rationale used to make decisions includes mitigating COVID-19 virus transmission risk while providing student opportunity for all sports in the 2020-21 school year.

Decisions continue to be informed by data from the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Education, the Center for Disease Control, and the National Federation of High Schools. While not everyone will agree with or like the decisions that are made, we hope that you will respect that decisions are informed, collaborative, clear and firm. Our shared motivation to initiate education-based athletics is to continue to develop the physical, mental, social, and emotional health of our student-athletes.

AMENDED WINTER SPORTS CALENDAR APPROVED The MSHSL Board of Directors took action on 12/3/20 to adopt an amended winter sports calendar. Based directives from the Governor released on 12/16/20, the following details have been affirmed.

▪ All HHS winter sports will have a season, with a reduction in the number of weeks in the season and a baseline 30% reduction in the number of contests.

▪ In-person training (practices) can begin on January 4, 2021.

▪ The first date that games/competitions are allowed has not yet been determined.

▪ Complete game schedules for all levels are pending further state guidance.

▪ Teams will compete against conference and/or local, metro opponents only.

▪ A maximum of two contests per week will be allowed, until the final two weeks of the season when up to 3 contests per week are allowed.

▪ Competitions originally scheduled in December and early January will be shifted to late February and early March.

▪ Until further notice no captain’s practices, open gyms or scrimmages are allowed.

▪ Spectator limitations and restrictions at indoor venues and outdoor events are in development and not yet finalized.

▪ Protocols to address live streaming of games are in development and will be communicated in early January.

▪ Possible post-season section and state tournaments have not yet been released.

▪ Information regarding additional sport-specific COVID protocols, pod limits, and facility constraints will be communicated from head coaches directly. REGISTRATION Registration for winter sports seasons remains open. The online-only registration process can be found at www.hastingsathletics. org.

In order to be eligible to practice on January 4, registrations must be completed online no later than 12:00PM (Noon) on Tuesday, 12/22/20. Registrations submitted between Tuesday 12/22/20 and Monday 1/4/21 will not be processed until Tuesday 1/5/21 – and those athletes will not be able to practice until Wednesday 1/6/21. Due to the large volume of registrations, significant processing time is needed. Thank you for your understanding. The athletic office is closed from Wednesday, 12/23/20 through Monday 1/4/21, reopening on Tuesday 1/5/21.

For the first time since 2009, participation fees for HHS athletics have changed. Instead of one single fee for all sports, there are now three tiers. Each tier has a different price point that is based on the average length of season and cost-per-participant per sport. Price points are $175-200-265 and are outlined on the registration page of the HHS website. HHS is proud to remain at region average for participation fees. Winter registration fees have been reduced by 20%, in accordance with the decrease in the season length. Any athletes who played a fall sport that still have school district items in their possession (e.g. uniforms) are asked to return those to their winter sport coach on the first day of practice January 4. Bring items in a secure plastic or paper bag, with your name written on it.

COVID NOTICE A COVID-19 specific notice will be provided during registration. This notice is developed by the MSHSL, and is embedded into the registration process itself. This notice is intended to raise your awareness of the risks of participation, the potential for virus transmission, and the requirements for participation. Even with caution and preventative measures, an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public setting where people from different households are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can be transmitted even by people who are asymptomatic and can lead to serious illness and death. By accessing ISD 200 activities and facilities, users voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure of COVID-19. The notice is also posted on our athletics website and you can view it directly HERE. WINTER IN-SEASON TRANSPORATION When transportation is provided for winter sports, COVID-mitigation protocols will be enforced. Capacity will be limited to 24-36 riders depending on the size of the bus and state transportation directives. Students and coaches will follow approved seating charts and must wear masks throughout the duration of the ride. Parents/guardians are provided the option to transport their own child to and from competitions and games so their child does not have to ride the bus. Parents are expected to notify coaches in writing directly, 24 hours in advance. Coaches will be providing further information directly to their teams and parents prior to their first away event.

AFTER-SCHOOL PROTOCOL FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES Athletes will be provided specific pre- and post-practice protocols for their teams. Based on the sport and facility, there are a variety of detailed expectations. For example, athletes cannot arrive earlier than 15 minutes before their schedule training time. Athletes must bring their own water and towels. Specific entrance and exit pathways will be used. Athletes are encouraged to participate in pre-season meetings to learn about protocols and will be required to follow all notices and COVID mitigation procedures.

If we return to any version of in-person learning at school later in the season, note that all students are required to vacate the HHS campus directly after school at 1:50PM. Athletes are not allowed to stay after school or be on school grounds. Practices will not be allowed to start earlier than 3:00PM. This allows for at least 70 minutes for students to leave campus, change into training gear, and arrive back safely for training. Locker-room protocols are in development and will be confirmed as the season gets closer. In most cases, student-athletes will be expected to arrive “ready to play” and will not have regular access to locker-rooms.

We recognize this after-school constraint will be difficult for some students and families. We considered a variety of possibilities and options in our attempts to provide some dedicated supervision after school. However, it was difficult to establish a consistent framework due to the volume of cohorts, teams, and facilities impacted. We are limited in our ability to successfully mitigate COVID risk after school in ways that are consistent with required protocols. Thank you for your understanding.

MIDDLE SCHOOL WINTER SPORTS: An in-house only season for select HMS sports is tentatively set to begin in mid-January. A message specific to these HMS sports is forthcoming after the holiday break.

SPRING SPORTS: Spring sports start dates are likely to be adjusted slightly. In most cases, spring sports will start 1-2 weeks later than usual. Competition schedules are in development and not yet finalized. Spring sports post-season tournaments are tentatively set to end no later than June 19, 2021.

NEXT STEPS Sport coaches are the primary contact for sport-specific information. They will be updating their websites, sending electronic updates, and hosting online meetings to provide more information. Thank you for your partnership with our sport leaders. Please be patient, as information is changing frequently. They will share confirmed information as soon as they have it. Broad athletic department updates will continue to be provided on the athletics website at www.hastingsathletics.org, HHS athletics on Twitter @HHS_RaiderNews. Continued thanks for your enthusiasm, support, and flexibility. Your partnership is noted, valued, and appreciated. Take care and GO RAIDERS!

Sincerely, Trent Hanson, Athletic Director — End Transcription – As stated at the very beginning of the article, this entire situation is very fluid, and it is expected to be changed frequently based on whatever numbers the state looks at. Minnesota is already being told there will be fewer doses of the vaccine sent to us than planned. Thankfully, like our neighboring states, COVID numbers are starting to decline, hopefully that decline improves further and allows our kids to get back toward normal sooner than later.