Regulation Superintendent s Office Student Activities and Athletic Programs Effective

Transcription

1 Superintendent s Office Student Activities and Athletic Programs Effective SUPERINTENDENT Student Activities and Honors Extracurricular Activities and Cocurricular Programs High School and Middle School Clubs and Non-VHSL Activities This regulation supersedes Regulation I. PURPOSE A. To provide a procedure for the eligibility, scheduling, registering, and financing of the extracurricular activity program at the high and the middle school levels for clubs and non Virginia High School League (non-vhsl) activities. B. To provide a definition and membership criteria for cocurricular programs that include requirements outside the school day. (Refer to Section X. below). II. SUMMARY OF CHANGES SINCE LAST PUBLICATION A. Title of directive has been changed to add cocurricular programs. B. Section I.B. has been added to provide membership definition. C. Sections III.A.4., III.B.3., and IV.B. clarify the role of the extracurricular and cocurricular participation policy in determining continuing eligibility. D. Section X. has been created to provide definitions and membership criteria for cocurricular programs that include requirements outside the school day. III. SCHEDULING OF ACTIVITIES AND ELIGIBILITY A. Eligibility 1. Students who want to participate in an extracurricular club activity must be in good standing and under no type of suspension. 2. Eighth grade students may not participate in high school activities. 3. Parents have the right to decline permission for their son or daughter to participate in any extracurricular club activity. 4. Students in all activities must comply with the extracurricular and cocurricular participation policy. Violations of this policy may result in temporary or permanent suspension from clubs, performance ensembles, and other activities, even if the

2 Page 2 student has not been suspended from school. In the event that a student has been suspended from participating in the cocurricular requirement that occurs outside the regular school day for a particular class, the student will be given an alternate assignment to satisfy the cocurricular requirement. B. Scheduling 1. Extracurricular club activities are organized so that interruptions of the instructional program are avoided. 2. Student activities should not be permitted to interfere with the individual required instructional activities of students and staff members. 3. Any group wanting to represent an FCPS high school in an event may do so only when the group is currently registered as an activity at the school (or is currently endorsed by the principal) and is accompanied at the competition by an official sponsor (FCPS employee). IV. REGISTRATION OF ACTIVITIES A. Registration Any new extracurricular club activity at a school shall be registered each year with the principal or his or her designee on the registration of student activity form (Attachment A), which shall be submitted by the principal to the director of student activities and athletic programs for review before such activities may be conducted in a school. B. Annual Report By November 15 each year, the director of student activities in each high school and the after-school program specialist at each middle school shall forward to the Superintendent the list of extracurricular club activities being conducted in each high school and middle school. The entire list of activities for all high schools and middle schools shall be distributed to the School Board for information. C. Notice to Parents Each middle school and each high school shall provide parents with annual notice of all active student clubs and activities at the school and of the right of parents to decline permission for their child to participate in one or more such clubs and activities. Principals shall maintain throughout the school year an updated, accessible list of all student clubs at the school and periodically shall remind parents of the existence of the list. V. PROCEDURE FOR ADDING A NEW CLUB OR ACTIVITY A. Assessment Extracurricular clubs and activities should be student initiated and led. With staff member input, the principal (or his or her designee) of each school will be responsible for monitoring and assessing student interest in a new club or activity opportunity.

3 Page 3 B. Recommendation When sufficient student interest is indicated in a new club or activity and an FCPS employee has agreed to sponsor the activity and upon the recommendation of the high school DSA or the middle school after-school program specialist, the school will complete Attachment A and submit it to the Superintendent s office, Office of Student Activities and Athletic Programs, for review and approval. C. Approval Final approval for a club or activity will lie with the Superintendent. VI. PROCEDURE FOR DELETING A CLUB OR ACTIVITY A. Assessment Extracurricular clubs and activities should be student initiated and led. With staff member input, the principal or his or her designee of each school will be responsible for monitoring and assessing student interest in a new club or activity opportunity. B. Recommendation If there is not sufficient student interest or if there is not an FCPS employee, the principal has the authority to close a club or activity. C. Approval The final decision to terminate a club or activity will lie with the principal. VII. FINANCING OF CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES The financing of all approved extracurricular clubs and activities is the responsibility of the participants. VIII. AWARDS SCHOOL GUIDELINES Each high and middle school shall establish a committee made up of the principal or his or her designee, the appropriate sponsor, and selected students to review the school guidelines for awards. Following this review, written guidelines shall be developed and adopted for each activity that sponsors awards. IX. RULES, POLICIES, AND REQUIREMENTS NOTIFICATION OF ATHLETES All club or activity sponsors shall be required annually to complete and submit to the director or assistant director of student activities (high school) or the after-school program specialist (middle school) a budget, a reviewed and/or revised club constitution, and a club or activity roster.

4 Page 4 X. COCURRICULAR PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS In addition to extracurricular activities and club-sponsored activities, many courses include participation requirements outside the regular school day in order for students to receive credit for the course. Many courses also provide participation enrichment opportunities outside the regular school day that are optional. In order to participate, students cannot be under any type of suspension, either from school or from the course. The following section defines cocurricular courses that include participation requirements outside the regular school day. A. Courses with cocurricular participation requirements. Many courses include participation requirements outside the regular school day. In order to receive credit for the course, students must be enrolled in the course and meet both the school-day and after-school requirements. Additional details for these courses can be found in the course descriptions of the FCPS Standard and Optional Course Offerings catalogs. B. Courses with cocurricular enrichment opportunities. Many courses provide optional opportunities for students enrolled in program courses that occur outside the regular school day. 1. Students enrolled in the program courses. Students participate in these optional enrichment opportunities on the basis of interest and commitment, as determined by audition or other selection processes. 2. Students not enrolled in the program courses. Participation exceptions in cocurricular opportunities for students not enrolled in the program course may be made for specific membership, audition, instrumentation, voicing, and/or casting requirements. These students will be considered on a caseby-case basis not to exceed 10 percent of the ensemble s membership. [Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) policies may limit participation in sponsored events for students not enrolled in the curricular program. For example, students participating in All-District, All-State, and other VMEA-sponsored events must be enrolled in their school music programs at the time of the event.] Attachment FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

5 Registration Application for an Extracurricular Student Activity High and Middle School Attachment A Regulation Effective Please print all information. Check one as appropriate: request to register club or activity Name of Club or Activity: request to register a VHSL activity activity-forensics, debate, scholastic bowl, one-act play sport club sport-crew, rifle Name of School Name of faculty sponsor or coach 1. Brief description of club, activity, or sport 2. Purpose of club, activity, or sport 3. Estimated membership size 4. Grade levels 5. Estimated number of meetings per year 6. Meeting place 7. Activities the club, activity, or sport anticipates for the coming year 8. Modes of transportation if travel is involved in club, activity, or sport Application reviewed and supported by (signature as appropriate): Director of student activities (signature) or After-school program specialists (signature) Approval of principal Date of submission NOTE: For a club or activity to be considered for approval, the following criteria must be met: Provide to school administration a written list of potential members Provide to school administration draft club constitution and by-laws For an interscholastic sport activity, the sport must be recognized by the VHSL and listed on the membership form. PLEASE RETURN THIS COMPLETED FORM BY PONY TO: DIRECTOR, STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, SUITE 5100, 8115 GATEHOUSE ROAD For central office only: Approved Not approved Reason(s): Director of student activities and athletic programs Date Please note the following regulations: 5790 Field Trips Planning, Conducting, Financing 5810 School Activity Funds Management