Bulldogs!
It has been a great first half of our winter season. Hard to believe that some of us will be wrapping up in just weeks. Let's hope there are plenty of us playing well-into February and even March!
We are so proud of all the work you are putting in.
We do need to raise the bar for some of us around a couple of issues. We need your help in making this happen.
Being excellent in the two items below MUST be a priority for the rest of the season. There is no excellence in the sports arena without excellence in these areas.
Attendance and Tardiness-
We need to be better. Yes, there are many of us who are here everyday and on time. But there are too many of us who are not meeting the bar when it comes to being in school.
Remember, being in school is our top priority. No school=No sports.
Here is the deal- we suspect that some folks have been sneaking through some loopholes in our attendance expectations and this needs to stop.
The expectation/rule-
a. You must be in school in order to participate in athletics (game, practice, meeting, etc.) on that day.
b. Being in school means being here for AT LEAST 5 full periods. That means if you come in late, you must be here by 8:57am. That means that you must be checked in at the office by that time. 8:58am is TOO LATE to be eligible to play.
c. That does not mean that our Bulldogs can just take a period off everyday. Our main office tracks tardies (coming in any time after 8:00am) and once you have accumulated 8 in a term, you become ineligible to participate on the 9th.
d. There are legitimate reasons that would excuse you from the attendance/tardy rule on any given day. These include doctor visits, dentist, RMV, funerals, etc. For the cases of doctor visits, or other appointments, a note must be provided by the provider proving your visit. This note needs to be submitted to the main office upon your return. Clearance for things for college visits or funerals must be approved by the athletic office IN ADVANCE.
e. SUPER IMPORTANT- If you are not in school for 5 full periods on any given day because you had a headache, bellyache, or other medical condition, we very much sympathize with you, but that does not excuse you from the tardy expectations. A note from a parent stating that you didn't feel well does not clear you to play that day.
f. IF you end up playing in a game/contest on a day you were not in for 5 periods, you are putting your team in danger of having to forfeit the contest. If you participate in a practice on a day you were not in for 5 periods, you will be forced to miss the next contest.
g. You also need to be IN YOUR CLASS. Too many student athletes are roaming the building when they have a substitute teacher. A substitute teacher is a teacher and you are expected to be in their class for the duration and to show them the same level of respect you would show your teacher.
OK- That's a lot but I know there is a lot of confusion over this rule/expectation.
Keeping our spaces Tidy...particularly our buses
Bulldogs- we must be better at this. It doesn't take much and it means so much. Our bus drivers are key to our successes. Without them, we would go nowhere! Literally!!!
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| A picture of just some of the trash left by us on a recent trip. |
Some thoughts-
a. Make it part of our post-game routine. Captains and other leaders on your team should lead their team in cleaning up the bus as they arrive back at CHS. Check your seats and under your seats. It takes 10 seconds if we all do it. This also applies to your team area at the guest's venue (benches, locker rooms, etc.) Come on!
b. It really doesn't matter if you say "thank you" to the bus driver as you are departing the bus if you leave them with your mess. Sweep the Shed!
c. SNACKS- Our parents are so generous. Many teams have parents who organize snacks for the teams for bus trips. It is a great intention, but in reality, in many cases it is not necessary. Yes, if we are heading to the Cape or western Mass, snacks make sense. But if we are heading to Foxboro, I don't quite see the need to load boxes of snacks onto the bus. Maybe parents can provide a snack for their own child for the day and parents who want to help further can send an extra snack or two with their child. Then they can share with their teammate. Just a thought.
So, Bulldogs- Let's step up as we head into the 2nd half of the season.
Go Dogs!
