SHST Weekly Report - March 7th, 2022

       A Successful First Week and Loads of Fun to Come!

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Hello SHST Community - What a great first week of practice! Remember, this Friday 3/11 is our first team event, with more fun events to follow over the next few weeks.  This week we also have T&B swim gear try-on day!

Kick-Off Dinner - this Friday, March 11th from 5:30-7pm!

We are THRILLED to be back in action this year and look forward to our first Family Fun event of the season. It's a great opportunity to meet new families and learn more about the upcoming season. This is a Bring Your Own Dinner (BYOD) event, but the Fun Committee will provide juice boxes, sparkling water, and cookies.  This event will be outside so please bundle up and bring layers!  Please remember that we are a dry team (no alcohol) as we are a proud partner of the Raising the Bar Campaign. This event is also a fundraiser for the team. We sell raffle tickets ($20/arms length) with the chance to win some awesome prizes, so bring some cash! 

HERE is the link to RSVP.  Remember - no Group 3 & 4 practice on Friday 3/11!

Before we gather for our team kick-off, we encourage all families, especially the new families, to watch THIS team video from 2019 (you must be logged in to access). During “normal” years (pre-Covid), one of our talented parent volunteers puts together a video highlighting the entire season. These videos are just a snapshot of the strength and bonds within this team and community…both in and out of the pool. We are so happy to be together again for another fabulous season!!

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Friday, March 18: 9/10 Movie Night

Attention all 9 & 10 year old swimmers: Friday, March 18th is Movie Night from 6:15-8:15! Wear something comfy, bring a sleeping bag and pillow, and come watch HOME with your friends! Click HERE for the trailer. Swimmers will enjoy bean and cheese burritos followed by some yummy treats! Please have your swimmer bring their own water bottles for their beverage. We will continue with caution for now and require that all kids (and volunteers) wear masks indoors watching the movie. Evite will be sent out later today!

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Friday, March 25: 8 & Under Movie Night

Attention all 8 & under swimmers: Friday, March 25 is Movie Night from 5:30-7:30! Calling all 8 and unders to come watch Luca! Click HERE for the trailer. Put on your PJs, pack a pillow and sleeping bag or blanket and join us after practice for pizza and a movie. Hang out with your friends and enjoy the show! We will continue with caution for now and require that all kids (and volunteers) wear masks indoors watching the movie. Invitation to come soon! 

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Swimmers of the Week

 

Each week, Mark selects a male and female "Swimmer of the Week" from each practice group.  A Swimmer of the Week is a swimmer who has demonstrated excellent attitude, effort, and sportsmanship during the prior week.  Swimmers of the Week are honored with their pictures on our board and special patches to put on their team sweatshirts. (Photos will be given to the swimmers at a later time.  Please don't remove the photos from the board).  Congratulations to our first group of swimmers!

• Group 1: Charlie Alberton and Josephine Carroll
• Group 2: Giuliana Sadat and Oliver Cellis
• Group 3: Harlow Huston and Danny Cornwell 
• Group 4: Lane Baker and Zander Mann

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T&B Sports Uniform & Swimsuits TRY-ONS at the pool

In addition to our amazing spirit wear which will be sold at home meets, this Wednesday March 9th, our vendor T&B sports will be at the pool allowing swimmers to try on our team swimsuit, sweatshirts, parkas, sweat pants, and swim caps. You will be able to make all purchases of Team Uniform online starting March 1st until March 13th. All merchandise will hopefully be ready before our Practice Meet on April 23rd. If you have questions or need help with sizing, please contact Winona Lee at T&B Sports or visit their store in San Rafael.

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Volunteer Roles Needed

We are looking for someone to take on the Swimmer of the Week photo role this season and the SHST Board - Treasurer position next season.  Please contact Anne-Marie if you have photo/graphic design experience or accounting background and are interested in helping out the team in this capacity. Thank you!

New Family Buddies

In order to help orient our new families and ensure a smooth transition onto the team, we will kick off our buddy program in the next few weeks.  All new families who joined this year 2022, have been assigned to a returning family and will receive an email from them soon. New families: Please don't hesitate to reach out to your buddy family after you receive an email from them--they are ready for your questions and happy to help! If you were a new family in 2020 or 2021 and would like a buddy family as well, please contact Erin Hill. Also, don't forget to explore our website as well as there is a ton of very helpful information there.  

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Help Feed Our Coaches

For those new to the team, parents sign up to bring dinner(s) (breakfasts for summer practices) to our wonderful coaches. Mark and his team really appreciate it! Sign up for 2022 - THANK YOU!

Group 1             4:00 PM - 4:40 PM

Group 2             4:40 PM - 5:25 PM

Group 3             5:25 PM - 6:15 PM

Group 4             6:15 PM - 7:25 PM (Fridays until 7:10 PM)

Practices will change from the afternoons to the mornings starting Monday, June 13th.

SHST Important updated rules/guidelines about swim practice:

• Recommended swimmers and parents will wear a mask and social distance upon arrival and departure.
• Parents of group 1 and 2 are allowed to watch the practices on the pool deck but are advised to social distance. If younger siblings are tagging along, please be advised that there no longer is a playground and the kiddie pool can not be used.
• Parents of group 3 and 4 are NOT allowed to hang around/watch practice. 
• Due to the nature of the new landscaping, we ask that all swimmers wear shoes when entering the site to keep the pool clean.
• Swimmers should bring a towel, goggles, shoes/sandals, and a labeled water bottle. 
• Swimmers must arrive in their swimsuits, and ready to swim. No deck changing or using the locker rooms. Bathrooms and locker rooms are not available until further notice due to construction.
• Swimmers should not arrive more than 10 minutes before their practice time and are asked to leave promptly after. No hanging around unless supervised by an adult.
• If your swimmer exhibits any flu-like symptoms including, but not limited to, fever, runny nose, dry cough, shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, diarrhea, nausea, or is not feeling well in any way, they are instructed to stay home and they are not permitted to attend practice. If your swimmer exhibits any of  the above symptoms or is sick, please do not send your swimmer to practice, take an antigen or PCR test. If the outcome of the test result is positive, please follow Marin Health and Human Services Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for TK-12 Schools, Child Care, Youth Programs/Activities, and Household/Community Exposures and inform Anne-Marie Kostecki, SHST Board President immediately ([email protected]/ 775-338-6619).
• Because of the nature of this sport, meets, and associated social events, it is highly recommended that participants are fully vaccinated and boosted. Please understand that by participating, you are taking on the risk of exposure to COVID19 and any upcoming variants.  SHST holds the right to ask for proof of vaccination or a negative covid test within 24 hours in order to participate in certain FUN events this season and if an event is being held inside, require participants to wear a mask.
• Be advised that some teams in the Marin Swim League will require swimmers, parents and volunteers to be vaccinated if eligible and/or tested in order to use their facilities.  When this is the case, SHST will give families adequate advanced notice to make appropriate decisions around participation at that meet.​
• Read more about our strict Covid Protocols, 2022 Practices, and Getting Prepared for Practice.

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Parking and Driver Safety

Please SLOW DOWN! Be aware of increased pedestrian traffic around the Clubhouse and drive carefully. Use your common sense while walking on and crossing Butterfield Road. Help teach our Sea Lions to be responsible pedestrians. The Sheriff’s Office will be making extra patrols the coming weeks to watch for speeders, illegal parking and unsafe drivers. When dropping off your swimmer and/or parking for practice:

• Do not park in front of the Clubhouse, this is strictly for drop off.  

• Park perpendicular (not parallel) in the gravel spaces to maximize space for other people.

• Please don’t ever park in the fire lanes/no parking zones across from the Clubhouse or in the handicapped parking spot/no parking zone in front of the Clubhouse - not even to wait for your swimmer after practice/if you remain in the car.

• Please do not let your child "jump quickly out of the car" in the middle of the road.  This is not safe!  Please take the extra minute and use the drop off circle.

• Use the walkway on Butterfield from Katrina Ct. to the clubhouse.  

• Remind your swimmer(s) not to walk behind parked cars. 

• Do not block gates, driveways or mailboxes.  Please be respectful of our neighbors! 

• And again, please slow down, and watch out for Sea Lions and parents crossing Butterfield and riding and walking in the bike lanes. Our swimmers all thank you!

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Bikes

 

Bikes are NOT allowed inside the gated pool area. Please use the bike racks outside of the main black gate and do not block the Fire Zone/No Parking area. Don’t forget to bring bike locks! SHST and SHHA are not responsible for lost or stolen bikes.

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Volunteer Assignments

Except for those of you involved with the "Fun" Committee,  Family Commitment volunteer assignments will not be sent out until later in March. In the meantime, read more about the Family Commitment, or if you have questions about volunteering please contact Nicole Cibellis. 

Note: "Fun" Committee members will be contacted by Melissa Wahlstrom and Leigh Reichley within the next few weeks.

As we are planning a normal season with normal practices, we are also getting prepared for 'normal' Dual Meets. Our first meet will be April 23rd and is our Practice Meet. This meet is just Sleepy Hollow Swim team for our swimmers to record their first times and for our volunteers to get comfortable with their poolside job. April 30st will be our first Dual Meet which will be a home meet. To have a look at our full Meet schedule look here and for more information on meets look here.

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No Dogs

Please remember that the Sleepy Hollow Homes Association forbids dogs at the Clubhouse and pool area.  Swim team families MAY NOT BRING DOGS to practices or meets. Dogs may not be tied up or left outside the gates and fence in front of the Clubhouse, even if you are just running in to drop off your swimmer. Please help us abide by this SHHA rule and leave your dog at home. Thank you!

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Donations

If you didn’t get a chance to donate during the registration process, please help us maintain and build upon our incredible community. Donations to our team help us do this while expenses continue to rise. Please donate to the Sea Lions – thank you!

The SHST board feels strongly that we do not want our registration fee to prohibit or deter families from joining our team. We want to maintain and build upon our incredible community; donations to our team help us do this while expenses continue to rise. Donations to our team also help us fund the many FUN events that we host during the season where kids build camaraderie and get to know each other outside of the pool. As we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation will be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. You can donate any amount to our team HERE and if you would like to sponsor a specific event, you can donate HERE.    

 

A huge thank you to Zamira Solari, Realtor Compass for sponsoring all of our Fun Fridays! 

 

Another massive thank you to Sushi69 for sponsoring one of the 11+ Pizza Nights!

 

Thank you for these very generous donations!

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