Basketball, school hockey teams can continue the new school year

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Veteran Sault Ste. The Marie High School coach calls the return of competitive basketball and hockey to high schools a huge step for the school year 2021-2022.

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Dave Zagordo has coached teams at St.Mary’s College for over 20 years. She is currently the skipper of the school’s older girls basketball team.

Encouraging the number of encouraging vaccinations in June sparked optimism in Zagordos that the sport will return after being sidelined since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We were just waiting for the Ontario government to give us some guidance and direction, he told Sault Star on Wednesday.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the two sports will return during the financial announcement on Wednesday, the day after the county government issued a nod to outdoor activities.

Basketball and football trials may begin on August 30th. Zagordo, who also leads Sault Ste. The Marie Mens Athletic Association expects the government to learn more about how high school sports are played. He knows that a shortened season could be possible, just as student athletes have to wear masks.

Going back to some of the hobbies they love is, I think, crucial, especially for their mental well-being and just to be with their teammates and practicing and just to get rid of the COVID norm that everyone is stuck in, he said. Zagordo.

He is particularly disappointed with 12th grade students who graduated in June and couldn’t compete in their final year of high school. Zagordo also regrets the missed opportunity for 9th grade students who began their secondary education in September 2020 and wanted to play on the school team.

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It’s a global pandemic, he said. It’s not just Sault Ste. Marie. It’s something everyone goes through.

An education expert from the Algoma County School Board is encouraged by the provincial decision to bring sports and clubs back.

We are pleased that more sports and extra lessons are being considered for the coming school year as it will help our school communities feel a routine feeling and return to more familiar and normal schedules and activities, Joe Maurice said in an email. .

The UK Public Board is meeting with health units, school institutions and sports federations to define a plan for sporting activities that will help keep students and staff safe and secure, he adds.

Health Manager Dr.Kieran Moore said public health units and sports federations were asked for feedback on the continuation of hockey and basketball.

We think screening, quick access to testing if someone gets symptoms, high vaccination rates in our communities and hand hygiene, etc. It’s reasonable that we can allow basketball and hockey to continue, Moore said. All major mandates are in place to protect children involved in sport.

He acknowledged that there is still a chance for players to get COVID-19.

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It’s a risk reduction strategy, Moore said. Risk is never completely eliminated, but we think it makes sense, we think it makes sense, and we certainly want our children to be able to participate in these sports.

The county government does not require vaccinations for students.

Lecce told reporters during the online event, respecting the choices people made.

At the same time, we can strongly defend vaccines as a safe way to reduce risk and allow for a normal return to class and, quite frankly, normal in September and fall and beyond.

Moore said he did not expect any difference in the participation of vaccinated and non-vaccinated students in the school.

According to him, there should be no barriers or stigmatization for children who have not received the vaccine in any way in normal activities throughout the school year.

High school sports have been on hiatus since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Lecce said there will be a separate HEPA unit in all classrooms in Ontario schools that do not have a mechanical ventilation system when students return this fall.

He said the province’s schools are improving air quality so children can return to personal learning.

Our measures to improve air quality in classrooms give families peace of mind that we work and invest and do everything humanly possible to ensure that our schools open safely as before and keep them open for children now and in the future, he said.

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Ontario had the longest interruptions in personal classes in Canada.

About 70 percent of the schools in the province have mechanical ventilation, and nearly all schools have systems evaluated or re-introduced to optimize airflow. About 92 percent use higher-end filters and change them more often, as well as use their systems for longer, and 87 percent have increased their fresh air intake, Lecce said.

In schools without mechanical ventilation, Lecce said 50,000 separate HEPAs are already in use, and the $ 25 million funding announced Wednesday would buy 20,000 more for each classroom.

Lecce said it will also suffice for all other learning spaces such as gyms, libraries, laptops and school nurseries. Every elementary and high school class has a HEPA unit regardless of the school ventilation system because these children don’t have to wear masks, Lecce said.

Schools are also encouraged, where possible, to keep windows open to improve airflow or to hold lessons outdoors, he said.

Both the NDP and the Liberals have called for smaller class sizes, which is not included in the school’s back plan.

The plan includes the return of extracurricular activities, excursions, gatherings, the use of instruments in the music class, relaxed rules for the use of common areas such as libraries and cafes, and an ongoing requirement for students in grades 1 and older. .

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Ontario reported 139 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Health, seven of these deaths occurred between December and February and are being added to clean up the data. The new cases were based on more than 17,100 tests completed during the past day.

Due to a serious illness associated with COVID, there are 108 people in intensive care and 76 patients in the ventilators.

More than 60,094 doses of vaccine were administered the previous day, for a total of more than 19.6 million.

According to provincial data, 99.5 percent of all hospitalizations for COVID-19 intensive care between mid-June and mid-July were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and nearly 96 percent of related deaths belonged to the same group.

Lecce told reporters that the Conservative government will follow Moores ’instructions if the federal government calls an election during the school year. Schools often hold polls where the public will vote.

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With Canadian Press files