Our main priorities throughout this school year have been to keep our students and staff safe, to keep our school open and to give our students the opportunity to participate in school-sponsored activities.
With these goals in mind, the District moved to limit the attendance at winter home events in order to decrease the likelihood that school staff or students would contract the virus at a school event. The data for the month of January indicates a downward trend in the number of cases in the state and county compared to the spike in November and December.
Our next varsity home event is the Boys and Girls basketball doubleheader against Vermillion on January 22. If local data continues to indicate flat or decreasing infection rate, our plan is to lift the restriction on the number of fans in attendance at this, and subsequent events.
The District will continue to monitor data sets from the SD Dept of Health, the SD Dept of Education, Minnehaha County and local information, and will adjust the plan as necessary throughout the winter seasons. District patrons should check the school’s website for further adjustments and/or updates related to the pandemic.
While we will not limit the number of fans in attendance, the District does have the following expectations for fans while in attendance at school events:
- Attendance at extracurricular events is voluntary, and as such, fans who attend assume the risk for taking precautions that will keep them safe.
- Fans are expected to keep appropriate distance between themselves and others at all times when attending Garretson School District events. Fans are responsible for their own proximity to other fans.
- The use of a face covering is highly recommended for people attending the event.
- Fans are expected to be in the stands and seated. Fans will not be allowed to loiter in the hallway, lobby, stand in doorways or generally be outside the normal seating areas.
- All Children in grades 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Children in grades k-5 are expected to be seated with their parents. Children must be accompanied to the restroom & concessions area by a responsible adult.
- Students in grades 6-12 are expected to be seated in the student section, or if they prefer, with a parent. Students seated in the student section are expected to wear a face covering at all times. Students may only be out of their section for bathroom and concessions and will not be allowed to run free in the facilities.
- There will be no fan / player mingling after the event. At the conclusion of the event, all spectators are expected to remain in the stands until the teams have left the floor or field. Fans are then expected to leave the facility immediately after teams make their exit.
- All team personnel will exit the gym at the conclusion of the event, and will not return to the gymnasium.
-Superintendent Guy Johnson
