Some of you might be familiar with the Let Them Play movement, a statewide effort of parents with a goal of restarting high school sports. It has come to our attention that a recent communication of Let Them Play listed Serra High School on their flyer and encouraged attendance at an in-person rally this Friday at City Hall.
Junipero Serra High School is not associated with this organization or this event at City Hall. While we are eager for our student athletes to return to athletic competition as soon as it is safe to do so, we do not support an event that might impact the health of the community. It should be noted that San Mateo County remains in a regional Stay at Home Order enacted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during this heightened spread of this virus. Attending a large gathering could jeopardize the progress we have made in reopening for in-person instruction and athletic conditioning.
Serra is one of only a few high schools in the entire San Francisco Bay Area that has returned to on-campus learning and athletic conditioning in preparation for resumption of sports. We have been able to accomplish this through close cooperation with our local health officials, the county education department and the archdiocese in implementing a return to school plan that complies with health guidelines. In accord with this plan, we have rigorously implemented health and safety protocols on campus, and the Serra community has been exemplary in complying with these protocols and daily health assessments.
Attending this rally could put our students, teachers, families and public safety officers at risk, and threaten our ability to remain open for both learning and athletic conditioning. If our students and/or family members choose to attend this in-person rally, to ensure the integrity of our campus, we will request that you quarantine for 14 days, as this event is considered high risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Serra continues to use its official channels with West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL), the Central Coast Section (CCS) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to advocate on behalf of our student athletes. We will continue to work with these organizations to represent the best interests of Serra athletics and to advocate for the physical and mental health and safety of our students on the field and in the classroom.
We thank you for your partnership as we continue to provide your sons with a safe, on-campus environment.
