All students are encouraged to participate in the wide variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities offered in the Connetquot Schools. However, academic learning is the first priority for every student. Therefore, to participate in any school-sponsored sport or activity a student must maintain a minimum level of academic performance. A student will be deemed as having not met the academic requirements if he/she fails two or more subjects or has an overall average below 70 percent. Note: An incomplete will be treated as a failure.
A student who is not meeting the academic requirements will be first placed on probation. Probation will last for five weeks. While on probation, the student may participate in practices, games, rehearsals, meeting, etc. This probationary period will last until the next 5-week progress report is processed. During the probationary period, the student must make every effort to improve academically. The effort may include attending extra help regularly, making up missing work (if allowed), and extra credit (if offered). In addition, each Principal may, at their discretion, require a more structured and individualized program that they feel will help the student improve academically. Upon conclusion of the 5-week probationary period, the student’s progress report and the teachers’ evaluation reports will be used to determine if the probationary period was successful. That is, the student is no longer failing two or more subjects and does not have an overall average below 70 percent. Building Administration will distribute copies of a probation/ineligibility list to teachers, coaches, and advisors of all activities, co-curricular and extracurricular. Upon receiving the list, the coach or advisor has the responsibility to \inform the students of their status. Parents will receive a copy of the academic eligibility policy (as published in both the district’s Code of Conduct and the student agenda books) along with the notification of their student’s status from the Principal.
If it is determined that the student is still not meeting the academic requirements \at the end of the probationary period, he/she will be deemed ineligible. During the ineligible period, the student may not participate in practices, rehearsals, meetings, games, etc. until the next report card has been reviewed and the academic requirement has been met. A student will also be declared ineligible if he/she is serving an in-school or out-of-school suspension for the period of suspension. If a student arrives at school after 10:30 a.m. he/she will be ineligible for that day. In addition, students who do not meet the academic requirements after two consecutive report cards will automatically be deemed ineligible until the next report card.
Eligibility for all fall activities will be determined by the final report card grades from the previous June. Building Administration will have an updated ineligible list for all teachers, coaches, and advisors by the beginning of school. This list will be updated to reflect all summer school grades. If special circumstances exist, parents will be give an opportunity to informally discuss the ineligibility with the school Principal or his/her designee. Following the discussion, the student may appeal the ineligibility decision to the appeals panel. The appeals panel will consist of at least three building members. The members will be chosen by the Principal from a list of volunteers compiled at the beginning of the school year.