This letter was mailed to students in September. MS and younger students must bring an adult to football, soccer and basketball games Dear Parents & Guardians: Athletic events and extra curricular activities are a very important aspect of school life. They are part of the fabric of what makes Scotia-Glenville Central Schools the center of the community. Spectators who attend these events come to support our students and to enjoy the community atmosphere. I am writing to share a concern regarding attendance at these events. In the past few years, we have seen more middle and elementary school pupils left unsupervised by their parents at high school athletic games. As a result of this, more incidents of misconduct, rudeness, and other inappropriate behaviors are being reported to supervisors at these contests. This has particularly become a problem at football and basketball games. Safety concerns arise when young students are left unsupervised at these events. At football games, these students are playing on the Sacandaga playground, milling around the Sacandaga field, playing around the perimeters of the football field, or taking off to the soccer area or baseball dugouts. At basketball games, spectators are distracted by the constant movement of youngsters in and out of the stands. While we have staff members who supervise these events, the size of the campus and number of spectators diminish our ability to safely supervise unattended youngsters. Because of our growing concern over student safety, we are changing our athletic attendance practice (see below). Please be advised that
effective beginning Friday, September 14, 2007: 2. This policy will be in effect for all evening varsity football games, evening games for boys' and girls' soccer, and boys' and girls' basketball games. 3. High school students should be prepared to show identification if the staff member at the gate requests it. Many Scotia-Glenville residents have chosen our community because this is such a safe and healthy place to raise children. We believe this is a core value in our community. We need to work together to ensure the safety of our younger students and believe that this is an important step in rectifying the problem. If you have comments or questions about this policy, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your support and your efforts to focus on what is best for our kids. Sincerely, Susan M. Swartz, Superintendent of Schools John Geniti, Director of Physical Education & Athletics John Tobiassen, Principal, Sacandaga Elementary School |