Dear HMS Families:

I hope this message finds you all doing well. We have enjoyed a wonderful start to the school year with your students. I reached out to families last year on this topic, and wanted to share some of the same thoughts again with you this year, as the high school gets ready to host its first home football game on Friday, 9/20.

While the high school does have staff present to monitor the game and fan conduct, there are several areas that middle students access that are not supervised. Some middle school students who are dropped off never actually enter the stands to watch the game. Rather, they walk on the trails in the woods, hang out in the bus lot parking area, and congregate on the turf field beyond the game field; none of these areas are supervised by HPS staff or police. The length of unsupervised time is leading to negative social interactions.

I'm sharing this information with you so your family may make an informed decision on whether or not your student is socially ready to attend these events. If your student plans on attending the football game, it would be ideal if you were to remain on campus. I don't mean to suggest that you need to sit with them for the entire game, but being in a place where you can keep an eye on them at all times is both appropriate and necessary.

These football games may be a high school event, and at the same time, they present an opportunity for the entire community to come together and demonstrate school spirit. All are welcome, and all should feel safe and included. Let’s work together to make this a positive experience for our students.

Thank you for considering this information prior to our first home football game.

 Go Hillers!

 Matt Lefebvre