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Date: 3/4/2021
EAST LONGMEADOW – On the evening of Feb. 22, Principal Frank Paige and Athletic Director Kevin McGee joined the East Longmeadow School Committee meeting to discuss the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Floating Season for football, track and cheerleading. McGee and Paige are looking for the committee’s approval for this next season.
“This is the first time ever that there’s a fourth season during the academic year,” McGee revealed. “In the past there’s only been three seasons, so this is the first time that there’ll be a fourth season. The timeline for this season is going to be March 1 to April 25. We are wrapping up our winter sports this week. It’s been a really smooth winter and the athletes, parents and coaches get all the credit for that.”
MIAA Modifications
The MIAA’s general modifications for football, indoor track and cheerleading state facial covering will be worn at all times excluding masks breaks while socially distanced. All personal items will remain in the athlete’s bag and athletes will bring their own water and hand sanitizers. There will be limited shared equipment and sanitizing breaks will occur based on each sport’s guidelines and competitions will be limited and within geographical bubbles.
The Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) designated football and competitive cheerleading as a higher risk sport. In football, team rosters for game day competition cannot exceed 45 players and a maximum of six coaches. There must be a spacing between players during huddles and they should be facing the same direction. In cheerleading, cheer teams will only perform for home games. Stunt groups must be created of athletes of no more than 10 to compete and perform and teams are limited to a maximum of 20 cheerleaders in attendance at any outdoor event.
While indoor track is designated as a lower risk sport where competitions may be held outdoors using the indoor track distances and recommended to only conduct dual meets.
Right now, for football McGee said they’re hoping to play six games – three home and three away. It might be as small as four games depending on how the weather cooperates. He clarified that there will be four to six games and track and field will most likely be four or five dual meets – possibly as many as six.
The committee collectively approved the MIAA Floating Season for football, track and cheerleading as presented.
Update on ELPS Learning Models
In terms of the hybrid model, Chair Gregory Thompson said, “We continue as a school committee to believe that we should follow CDC guidelines. Currently, CDC guidelines are 6 feet social distancing so we’re going to continue with that until they say otherwise which leads us to the hybrid model at least for now.”
Since their meeting, Thompson said Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley has approved a request for districts to use 3 feet as the measurement for social distancing. The School Committee is researching and will discuss further at their next meeting on March 8.
Superintendent Gordon Smith announced they are expanding students who are riding and coming to school during their cohort week or in-person week on the buses. He said before the February vacation, the East Longmeadow Public Schools reached out to the families of students in grades 7-12 who are living two miles or more from their school and who were coming into school in the hybrid instructional model and they offered transportation services on the bus.
“We had room on the ELHS/BPMS bus runs and we knew that we could add these students safely following all of the required safety protocols. This expansion of students utilizing bus transportation began on Monday Feb. 22,” Smith responded. “Many families have taken us up on this opportunity, which began on Monday of this week. During a Cohort A week, which includes Cohort D students as well, we have approximately 322 students riding the buses. In a cohort B week, which again also includes cohort D with 303 students riding the buses.”
Starting on March 1, the East Longmeadow Public Schools increased their students in the hybrid model by 149 students which means 34 students at Meadow Brook Elementary School, 10 students at Mapleshade Elementary School, 19 students at Mountain View Elementary School, 39 students at Birchland Park Middle School and 47 students at East Longmeadow High School. Not only they will be expanding students into in-person learning, but they will also be looking at how many might take up the opportunity to use bus transportation.
Accepting Donations & Funds
The committee went on to accept a $500 gift donation from Grynn & Barrett Enterprises Inc. for Birchland Park Middle School, a donation of $187.63 from Ohiopyle Prints for the East Longmeadow High School gift fund and the fiscal year 2021 State Coronavirus Prevention Fund Distribution of $110,050.