Dear Pattonville High School students, families and staff,
This week, Pattonville announced PreK-2 students will soon move to phase 2 of in-person instruction, and the county health department released updated youth activity guidelines. This means some fall sports in Pattonville will start practicing soon. Here’s how this impacts Pattonville students involved in athletics and activities:
- Low-contact sports: Pattonville’s cross country and boys swimming and diving will be allowed to compete this fall, as the county health department guidelines allow low-contact sports to compete. Coaches will communicate with their teams on when practices will commence.
- Moderate-contact sports: County guidelines allow moderate sports to hold practices only. Coaches for the following sports will communicate with their teams on when practices will commence: field hockey, boys soccer, softball and girls volleyball.
- NOTE: There is a possibility moderate sports will be reevaluated in terms of competition by the end of the month. If county schools are allowed to compete, Pattonville will have a schedule in place to do so for the moderate-contact sports listed above. If not, Pattonville will have a floating deadline that will require us to cease attempts at a normal fall season, and move those sports to the MSHSAA-offered alternate fall season later in the school year.
- Other sports and activities: For reasons specific to each of the following sports, football, girls tennis and girls golf are moving to the alternative fall season. Other clubs and activities will be reevaluated to determine when and how they can begin as we work through this process. As we know more, sponsors will be notified and will communicate with their groups.
- Practices: Pattonville is in phase 3 for guidelines from the STL Youth Sports Task Force that has been adopted by the St. Louis County health department. This phase allows practice as normal with some restrictions. The activities department will coordinate these practices in conjunction with the head coaches of each sport.
- Safety and health precautions: Pattonville’s safety protocols are required as the high school transitions back to practicing. This includes pre-practice health screenings and social distancing and masking when possible.
We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through the challenges of this fall season. Our goal is keep our students safe and healthy while supporting the district’s goal of eventually seeing more students return to in-person classes, depending on the health conditions in the community. For more information on the county’s youth activities guidelines, go online at https://bit.ly/SLCOactivitiesupdate9-9-20.
Sincerely,
Jason Sellers
Activities Director
Pattonville High School