PARSIPPANY — A Message from Dr. Barbara Sargent, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Parsippany-Troy Hills Families,
I hope this letter finds you all well and anticipating a great school year and athletic season. We are fortunate to be in a position to run a Fall Sports Season. This is entirely the result of a healthy Summer Conditioning Program, coaches who maintained strict safety standards, and students who followed our district protocols faithfully. Thank you for your assistance with this.
We are excited to begin practices again on Monday and for our first scrimmages/games to start on Friday, September 25. I would like to direct you to our current game schedule at the “Athletics” page of the district website. Please understand that schedules are fluid, and your daughter/son’s coach will provide specific information as the season progresses.
Our Fall Sports procedures require all parents of student-athletes at the high school level to continue to use the same forms and links used for summer session practices. These are different from the daily screening forms used for Cohort A/B attendance.
It is expected that student-athletes will wear a mask when checking into practice/game and at the end of practice/game, provide their own water/hydration drink, bring hand sanitizer for themselves, and maintain social distancing prior to and after the practice/game.
For Practices and Games (Not Football), tickets will not be required for these events. Spectators must adhere to social distancing and wear masks if they are in close proximity to others.
For Home Football Games/Scrimmages, the district will provide each Senior player with two tickets and other athletes, Band members, and the Cheer team with one ticket each. Your school will provide a link for ticket ordering. This link for ticket purchase is critical so that we may trace contacts should an infection occur. This is the procedure we will follow for the week of September 21 and September 28. We will monitor this and make necessary adjustments for the following weeks’ games. We understand that this means few students may be attending the games for now. It is imperative that we maintain a safe environment and adhere to social distancing. Games will be Live Streamed to a YouTube link for viewing in the comfort of your home.
There will not be Concession Stands at any of the games; no outside food or drink is permitted. Large bags and backpacks are also not allowed.
Spectators must sit in the bleachers in designated sections. There will be no leaning on fences or gathering near the field or other areas. The bleachers will be marked off to appropriately space spectators out; please adhere to the markings and sit in the designated spots.
For Away Football Games, there will be a certain number of tickets available for purchase in advance. For the week of September 21 and September 28, only the athletes will travel to the game. Band and Cheer Team members will not attend away games. We will review this and consider adjustments once we understand how health protocols are followed.
Thank you for all the support you provide our community and programs. Students benefit from athletic and extracurricular activities and this Fall season will be a great opportunity for our school community to cheer our students. We also have students who may be scouted for college scholarships, making it extra important to keep our school district healthy. Please remember the importance of maintaining social distancing – both at school events and in the community – and of restricting your child’s exposure to large groups. As I’ve said before, all our school guidelines will be for nothing if students let down their guard on weekends and after school.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s coach, Athletic Coordinator, principal, or me should you wish to address any aspect of this information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Barbara Sargent
Superintendent of Schools
