Hawk

HSD Update 11.4.2021

Jim Chasse

November 5, 2021

HSD Update:  Soccer, All Stars, COVID, Winter Athletics, VAX Clinic, Flu Clinic, Hawk Talk and more


The Maine Soccer Coaches Association announced their Regional All Star Teams today. The Hawks were well represented. Girls Soccer Seniors, Sydney Gallop and Madison Higgins are joined by Juniors, Lyndsee Reed and Michaela Saulter. On the boys side Junior, Michael Snyer represents the Hawks on the Northern Maine Class B team. Congratulations to each of you. This is a very nice award.Winter Athletic Guidelines 

•Northern Maine Champions 

Your Lady Hawks womanhandled MDI yesterday posting a 6-0 championship score.  They will now be digging for gold in the hills at Massabesic High School in Waterboro vs. Cape Elizabeth this Saturday at 3:00.  Come support our team!  

Undefeated Hermon tops MDI for Class B North girls soccer crown

Full article HERE

https://www.foxbangor.com/bang...   This was pretty!   

Influenza Clinic today Nov. 5th from 2p-4:30p for High school Students and Staff.  Held at the High School.

Influenza Clinic Nov. 12th at the middle school for Middle school students. 12-2p. Staff can attend but it is targeting the middle school students since busing them to the high school today would be chaos.

•120 Sign up for 5-12 Vaccination Clinic

Hermon will host a vaccination clinic next Monday, November 8th and the second dose on November 29th.   A special thank you to PCHC nursing crew, HSD nurses, and Jody White for all the leg work to pull this off for Hermon students.  

Pediatricians Share: What Parents Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children. Here

•Winter Athletic Guidelines  

Penquis Superintendent’s Region Winter Sports 2021-22

COVID-19 Guidelines

The following guidelines have been developed by Penquis Superintendents as a common framework for the upcoming winter sports season’s regular-season play, including all middle school and high school (sub-varsity and varsity level) competitions.  These guidelines will be followed by each school as a minimum baseline to ensure equity and consistency across the region for athletic competitions with the hope for our student-athletes to have the winter sports season they deserve. The document is a fluid set of guidelines that will be revisited regularly by the Penquis Superintendent group.

Masking 

  • Indoor Sports: Universal masking of all athletes, coaches, referees, and spectators are required for all indoor sports while community spread is at a high (red) or substantial (orange) level as identified by the US CDC County View for Penobscot & Piscataquis Counties (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home). This includes all middle, sub-varsity, and varsity levels.  Penquis will meet to revisit guidance as necessary.

    • Failure to comply with universal mask mandates may result in an individual’s removal from the venue and may result in a forfeit of the match for the team represented by the individual. 

    • While universal mask measures are in place for indoor play, food and drink will be prohibited in the same gymnasium where the athletic competition is taking place.  Those schools who wish to set up a separate location for eating and drinking may do so but are encouraged to secure 6-foot distances between individuals.  There is no restriction for food and drink for outdoor events.

  • Outdoor Sports: Universal masking of all athletes, coaches, referees, and spectators is optional for all outdoor sports regardless of the community spread level as identified by the US CDC County View for Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home). This includes all middle, sub-varsity, and varsity levels.    

    • Note: Schools will need to ensure that facilities used by ski teams (ski lodges and other buildings) either comply with the indoor mask mandates or those facilities are not to be used by our athletic teams.

Fan Attendance 

  • Spectators will be required to wear masks during all indoor activities

  • Capacity: This will be a local decision based on the school facility and administrative

determinations.   (Hermon will allow full capacity at its games)

  • Schools should ensure communications with opposing schools regarding local policy

and expectations.

  • Spectators at events occurring in outside (leased) facilities will follow guidelines for these facilities.

Concessions 

  • Concessions will be prohibited inside gyms.

Cheerleaders/Pep Band 

  • Cheerleaders may attend home games only.  (Hermon Cheerleaders practice for their own state competition)

  • Due to space constraints, pep bands will not attend indoor games.

Vaccination

  • COVID-19 vaccination is highly recommended for all athletes and coaches as a measure to reduce serious illness and limit the number of required quarantine individuals on the team due to close contact.

Pool Testing

  • Where schools have pooled testing programs available, participation is highly recommended for all athletes and coaches as a measure to proactively identify individuals who have COVID-19, to reduce spread to teammates, and limit the number of required quarantine individuals on the team due to close contact.

Tournament Play 

  • Tournament/Post-season play will be guided by MPA and hosting facility rules.

Outside Facility Use 

  • Schools will follow guidelines for each outside facility used for regular-season competitions.

Coach Reminders

  • Athletes and coaching staff must remain universally masked at all times, including on the bus, during the competition, and in locker rooms.  

  • Please remind athletes and coaching staff to step away at least 6-feet when lowering the mask to take a drink of water. 

  • Remind athletes and coaching staff to regularly wash and sanitize hands, especially when exiting and entering the competition.

Other considerations

  • Locker rooms will be accessible to both home and away teams.

  • When competing against teams with more stringent guidelines these will be followed.

NURSES TEAM TO GET YOU BACK QUICKER! 

Greetings,

The NAVICA app will allow you/your student to have access to the results of the BinaxNOW rapid antigens tests completed by the staff at Hermon School Department.

This App will also generate a pass stating the name of the tester, date of birth, and test result date. that can be presented to your student's school in order to return to in-person learning after a traditional illness (common cold).

Please reach out to your student’s school nurse if your student has been absent for an illness and is required to have a negative covid 19 test to return to school.  Symptoms must have resolved or are improving for 24 hours.  Referrals for return to school clearance will be sent via the school nurse to Nicole LaRochelle RN, the pool testing nurse. You will be assigned a scheduled time for testing.

Drive-up testing is available Monday-Friday mornings. The school nurse will give you direction and instruction on where to arrive for testing and/or refer you to the pool testing nurse for clarification.

Nicole LaRochelle can be reached at Nicole.larochelle@schools.hermon.net.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate an additional and new process in an effort to keep our students safe and in school when pharmacy and physician appointments cause extended delays to getting back to school.  

Sincerely
Nicole LaRochelle

Current Cases of COVID.  The high school recently went 4 weeks without a positive pool test, most all of the cases are community spread.  The pool test program is working as far as keeping a large number of students away from forced quarantine. 

HHS 8 Active Cases, 5 Quarantines 

HMS 1 Active Case, 1 Quarantine

PADS 3 Active Cases, 7 Quarantines 

https://www.smore.com/zv0qh?fb...

How is your VAGUS?  How is Hermon's VAGUS?

The vagus nerve, historically cited as the pneumogastric nerve, is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It actually comprises two nerves—the left and right vagus nerves—but they are typically referred to collectively in the singular.

Great article: https://www.allied-services.or...

This nerve is cited as the FIGHT OR FLIGHT response nerve.  It is greatly affected by stress.  The good news is that it can be trained.   Below is the link to a great article on how to do so!  

There is a biblical proverb that references laughter to be as good as medicine.  Indeed, so it is with the vagus nerve, laughter stimulates this nerve which touches.

This video of me and my wife fishing has made us laugh so many times, it was a comedy of errors that continues to train our vagus nerve.  I hope you enjoy it.  Mr. Chasse

Have a great weekend! 

I highly recommend these books!