The Hempfield School District is proud to provide a wide breadth of athletic opportunities. We sponsor 44 interscholastic athletic teams with the goal of enhancing the student experience while supporting community engagement and spirit. Athletic involvement promotes personal growth, encourages physical activity, builds discipline and teamwork, and imparts critical life lessons about sportsmanship, integrity, and overcoming adversity. The Board reaffirms these principles and supports student participation in district athletic programs.

Recently, members of the Hempfield community have raised important questions about district athletics, with thoughtful concerns about athletic integrity, student participation and eligibility, gender equity, and safety. The Board notes these concerns and is always thankful for the robust and insightful community engagement that is a hallmark of our District.

In the coming weeks, a committee of board members, students, coaches, and administrators will convene to review and update Hempfield's policy on interscholastic athletic participation. The committee will provide regular updates on its work during public board meetings in May and June. It is anticipated that the Board will formally adopt any policy changes at the July or August meeting, in time for the fall 2021 athletic season. 

Community members who wish to provide comments for committee consideration are welcome to speak at public Board meetings or communicate directly with district administrators and/or board members.

Thank you –

The Hempfield Board of School Directors 

Yesterday, the PA Departments of Education and Health provided important updates to their health and safety recommendations. We are reviewing this information and will give a presentation with these updates at the Tuesday, April 6 School Board meeting. In the meantime, we are sharing the following two changes, both of which are effective today, Wednesday, March 31, 2021. 

Alternative Options to a 14-day Quarantine

A quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring. However, it is recommended that symptom monitoring continue until day 14. 

If diagnostic testing resources are available, the quarantine can end after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring.

• Either RT-PCR or antigen tests are acceptable testing methods for discontinuation of quarantine.
• The specimen must be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation (e.g., in anticipation of testing delays), but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after Day 7. 
• In order to discontinue quarantine after Day 7, specimens must be collected on or after Day 5. Specimens collected prior to this date will not be sufficient to allow quarantine to end early.  

Individuals can discontinue quarantine at these time points only if the following criteria are alsomet: 

• No clinical evidence of COVID-19 has been elicited by daily symptom monitoring during the entirety of quarantine up to the time at which quarantine is discontinued; and, 
• Daily symptom monitoring continues through quarantine Day 14; and, 
• Persons are counseled regarding the need to adhere strictly through Day 14 after exposure to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., masking, physical distancing)

If a student is quarantining because there is a COVID positive case in the home, there is still a 14-day requirement for quarantine. Students may return after 14 days if the COVID-19 positive individual is able to isolate in the home, away from others (separate bedroom, bathroom, and eating location).

Student-Athlete Return to Play

Starting today – Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - when a student-athlete returns to school from quarantine, he or she will be permitted to return to full activity for athletics. This also applies to any student who has already returned early and has been on modified practice. They can resume full activity today.

If the student chooses to leave quarantine early based on a negative COVID test, the test results must be submitted to the school nurse and uploaded into the student’s ATS portal before the student can return-to-play. This means the student can return-to-school and return-to-play on Day 8 of his or her quarantine. 

If the student chooses to leave quarantine early and not to take a COVID test, the student must notify the school nurse to return-to-school and notify the athletic trainer to return-to-play. This means the student can return-to-school and return-to-play on Day 11 of his or her quarantine. 

If a student tests positive for COVID, the student is required to submit a clearance note from his or her physician to the athletic trainer.

The Hempfield School District has a long history of success preparing students for matriculation at institutions of higher learning for academics and athletics.

The Hempfield Athletic Department will formally recognize the senior student-athletes who have committed to colleges and universities to attend and play a sport their freshman year. The recognition ceremony will be held on the National Day of Signing, Wednesday, February 3, at 3:00 p.m. in the Hempfield High School Performing Arts Center (PAC)

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, each student-athlete will be given 3 tickets for family/friends to attend the ceremony in the PAC. Spectators should park at the Buchanan Gym, enter the high school at the back entrance of the PAC and enter the PAC from main entrance. There will be signs guiding spectators into the PAC. Due to the limited seating the ceremony will be live streamed on the Hempfield Athletic Live Sports YouTube channel directly linked here and listed on www.hempfieldsd.org/livesports.

If school is canceled due to inclement weather on Wednesday, February 3, the recognition ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 4 at 3:00 p.m. in the PAC. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Polonus in the Hempfield athletic office at 717-898-5515.

Go Black Knights!

The Hempfield School District has a long history of success preparing students for matriculation at institutions of higher learning for academics and athletics.

The Hempfield Athletic Department will formally recognize the senior student-athletes who have committed to colleges and universities to attend and play a sport their freshman year. The recognition ceremony will be held on the National Day of Signing, Wednesday, February 3, at 3:00 p.m. in the Hempfield High School Performing Arts Center (PAC)

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, each student-athlete will be given 3 tickets for family/friends to attend the ceremony in the PAC. Spectators should park at the Buchanan Gym, enter the high school at the back entrance of the PAC and enter the PAC from main entrance. There will be signs guiding spectators into the PAC. Due to the limited seating the ceremony will be live streamed on the Hempfield Athletic Live Sports YouTube channel directly linked here and listed on www.hempfieldsd.org/livesports.

If school is canceled due to inclement weather on Wednesday, February 3, the recognition ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 4 at 3:00 p.m. in the PAC. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Polonus in the Hempfield athletic office at 717-898-5515.

Go Black Knights!

Hempfield winter sports can be watched live online using our Buchanan Gym YouTube page directly linked here or you can navigate there from www.hempfieldsd.org/lievsports. Games you can watch this winter are:

- Boys and girls freshman, junior varsity and varsity basketball
- Junior high and senior high wrestling

View the full district Athletic calendar here. Please note that due to the frequency of changed and postponed games, the Athletics google calendars are updated one week at a time. Arbiter Live has the most up to date schedules, but those, too are subject to last minute changes.

Go Black Knights!