NWKL Activities Guidelines
Dear Parents,
First, let me thank you for your support and understanding as we, as a nation, state, and our respective communities responded to the unexpected invasion of COVID-19 in March. I am very proud of the way our NWKL administrators, students, parents, employees, and community leaders handled the demands we were faced with to protect everyone as we continued to educate and feed our students during the most unusual of circumstances. As you know, there continue to be concerns and questions related to how our different schools plan to reopen in August 2020. While we are in the business of educating, our first priority is the safety of our students and our employees. Be assured, each of our league schools in the NWKL has been working diligently on plans to best deliver a great education to all of our students while also protecting them as well as possible. Our desire is to return to school as normal (traditional) with enhanced safety and cleaning procedures. However, we must be proactive and be prepared during these ever-changing times to continue educating our students if and when circumstances change, as predicted, throughout the year related to the health and safety of our students, employees, and community members.
We agree that for many, sports and other activities are an outlet to escape daily stress; for others, sports and activities might be the motivation to get them to school and turn in assignments. No matter the student-athlete, we, as the NWKL, are working diligently to allow all of our student-athletes to continue their seasons as long as they can safely, so they can remember the positive memories, traditions, goals, and achievements they as well as their teams accomplished.
On behalf of the NWKL, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Please allow me to be among the many to encourage you to practice social distancing and adhere to all CDC health and safety guidelines. It is my hope that we can be a leader in setting the standard for surrounding leagues and communities in how we have chosen to handle our NWKL events. All of us in the NWKL Family are counting on each other to do our part in defeating our newest opponent, COVID-19.
I'd like to share the steps we've taken to ensure that the critical needs of our student-athletes are met, and our activities departments continue to operate efficiently and effectively for each of our fellow league schools.
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Point 1: All NWKL schools will follow KSHSAA guidelines for all sports and activities through the fall, subject to change by NWKL administrators as circumstances dictate.
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Point 2: Everyone attending an indoor sporting event or other indoor KSHSAA-sanctioned activity at an NWKL school will be required to wear a mask or face covering as defined in EO 20-59. This is to reduce exposure to the Covid-19 virus, prolong the respective seasons for our student-athletes, and to show solidarity with them in having to wear face coverings. These policies will be a minimum and can be stricter based on local ordinances.
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Point 3: Masks are permissible and recommended for all spectators at outdoor events.
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Note: These expectations will be communicated to all visiting schools.
I've been so inspired by the strength and courage of each of our NWKL administrators and their collective ability to conform to a single plan with a uniform response to this crisis. There are countless examples of your school’s administration team working on what is best for the league and selflessly committing themselves to the success and well-being of our NWKL programs and student-athletes.
As with everything, there are many rumors being disseminated, which leads to unnecessary confusion. Everyone must understand there is no way for us to please everyone as we make these decisions. Our priority is to keep everyone safe while not making life more difficult for each of our NWKL communities. Each family situation is uniquely different. We fully understand your varied concerns about health and safety, social distancing, as well as face-to-face concerns.
One lesson we all learned this past spring is you never know what tomorrow may bring, so embrace today with joy and appreciation.
Thank you for your continued support and positivity as we strive to do what is best for ALL of our students, employees, and community members during these challenging times. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact your school’s administrator.
Sincerely,
Matt Smith
Matt Smith
NWKL President
Rawlins County High School
Atwood, KS
Attached: KSHSAA Guidelines, KSHSAA Return to Activities Guidelines