We want to start off by saying how grateful and appreciative we are about the school and admin allowing us to have a 2021 homecoming and for their time along with the students' time they spent planning this event! We are also very thankful for the schools concern on our staffs’ and students’ health with the ongoing covid virus. However, we as students and parents are confused about these new rules and restrictions for homecoming. 

These new rules state that NO guests outside of Spring Grove Area High School are allowed into the dance, along with the new mask mandate for events held indoors. This seems to make not a lot of sense to us and we want to speak out to voice our concerns. 

Concerning the no outside guests rule, many things our school currently allows throughout this school year contradicts this rule a lot, which is why we are of much confusion and concern. Our school allows the following:

•The holding of sports events that bring different school athletes onto our school property, along with our Spring Grove high school athletes being exposed to other students and staff outside of our school property with these traveling sporting events

•Outside vendors coming onto our school property with no regulations or concerns of the risk of covid-19. 

•Students and staff who travel and go places outside of school and return to the school property with no regulations at all.

With all of those “risk of covid” events currently happening on our school property and exposure with our staff and students, it doesn’t make sense why we can’t bring other outside guests to the dance when all of this is freely allowed. 

Many high school students have relationships outside of SG high school. Students have already asked their dates about attending this dance along with the fact that many students have already spent a lot of money on dresses, suits, and other accessories for this dance. It also doesn’t make sense that these partners spend a lot of time with each other outside school, therefore if there was a risk of covid it could be brought back to the school any day. These high school students really want to bring their partners to this dance, and if this rule doesn’t change, a lot of them are not going to attend this high school event. 

Going onto the mask mandation: It is one's freedom to not be forced to wear a mask if they feel they are safe without one. As you know, a school dance with a mask would not be nearly the same. What’s the difference if we started the school year with no masks but now all of a sudden we are at high risk with covid and we need them? There is just a lot of space of confusion for this mandate. Ideas we have that would make covid a less risk at the dance (meaning we wouldn’t be required wear a mask and we would be allowed to bring outside guests) would be the following:

•Having an outside dance somewhere on school property with a tent and heaters (allowing the mask mandate to be dropped due to an outdoor event!)— we can have the outdoor dance on the grass field hockey fields, the school parking lot, etc. since the stadium is an absolute no 

•Allowing students 9-12th with boyfriends and girlfriends outside of SG to bring one guest to the dance (maybe can show proof of a negative covid test if the district is that concerned of covid?)

•Or allowing ONLY seniors and juniors to bring an outside guest to restrict the number of people attending the event 

•Making the dance ONLY juniors and seniors along with outside guests (if it comes to that last resort) 

•If the dance can be inside with no masks: open up the dance to both the gym, main hallway, and the cafeteria instead of shoving everyone into the cafeteria (this would allow for more distancing with absence to mandated masks) 

With all of those ideas being present I feel that we can easily have a less risk of covid homecoming if we work out a new plan that makes more sense and would please many students and their families! 

Again, we are very thankful to have the opportunity to have this event and for everyone’s time planning it! We thank you for your concern on our health as well! 

If you agree that we can change these rules and restrictions for our 2021 homecoming please sign and share this petition so we can get our voices heard! Thank you so much!