Dear Marlin families

I am writing to touch base with you regarding the remainder of this season. Things are getting crazy in the Covid world in Houston. There has been a stay at home request by the county. We are two weeks away from the end of the season. It would be incredibly disappointing to have to cancel the season now. But we must make sure that everyone remains safe. The board has discussed how we need to address these developments and we feel good about the measures that we have been following so far. There are a few things that we need to make sure we impove on.

• Masks All swimmers need to have their mask on before they get out of their car. They need to be wearing a mask before they approach the temp taking station. This is for the protection of the people taking temperatures.
• Masks must be worn when not swimming. During the meet, the swimmers should have their masks on when waiting for their next race.   The swimmers will be seated under the shed for their next race.   They should be wearing their mask at that time.   They may not be walking around between races.   When the swimmer leaves the staging area with the line up parent, they will leave their mask behind on their x in their swimmer bag or plastic bin.   Following their race, they should immediately return to the x and put on their mask.   We do not want to see kids wandering around the pool without their masks on.   Parents, please help us.   Please speak to any swimmer you see without a mask.  We have to do this together.                                                                                                                    When the swimmers finish their practice, they should return to where their items are and they should first put on their mask and then proceed to dry off and put on their clothes. We are especially having trouble with the 9 and up swimmers. Parents, please speak to your swimmers and reiterate to them how important this is for the safety of all.
• Masks must be disposed of properly. We are finding a lot of masks in the park and outside the entrance to the pool. Please wear your masks and when finished, throw them away. We don't appreciate having to pick up dirty masks from the ground in the park and around the pool.
• Social Distancing. We have not done a good job of maintaining social distancing. When the kids come into the pool, they will go to various areas around the pool to put their stuff down. Lane parents, please lead your group to areas far away from one another. WE have most of the kids putting all of their stuff down right next to each other over by the bathrooms. When they get out of the pool, they are all congretated their, without masks on. This is an easy thing to mitigate. Please take a few minutes and have the kids put down their stuff social distanced apart. Lanes 2,4,& 6 should put their belongings down on the far side of the pool, where they line up. Each swimmer should be spread out from others at least 6 feet.
• Entering the pool area. Everyone needs to spread out as they are entering the pool. You need to show your stamp as you pass the check station. Please do this as you are walking by. Try not to stop in the enterance because it causes a log jam of people. Everyone in the gate area need to keep the entrance area clear. If you want to socially distance talk to someone, please move into the pool area so the entrance is clear.
• Screening Questions WE have become a little lax in answering the screening questions. We will be asking them each time you enter. Additionally, we will ask if you have a family member or someone you are in close contact with who is awaiting results from a Covid test. We are asking all swimmers who have been in contact with someone who has an outstanding Covid test to check in with us regarding the circumstances. We will determine if it is safe for you to continue swimming while the test is pending. There are a lot of reasons that tests could be pending. If your sister was tested because it is required by her job, we will probably let you continue swimming. But if your brother was tested because his girlfriend has Covid, then we will probably ask you to wait to swim for a negative result for your brother.

We are relying on one another to be honest and to follow the guidelines set forth. The board is working hard to comply with the CDC and local guidelines. We take this seriously. You all have been so supportive and we are so grateful for this. Lets finish strong and safely!

As always, let me kow if you have any questions.

Monique

PS Don't forget to make your donations for the coaches' gifts. You can do it on the website under shop or through venmo @maplewood-marlins