Extracurricular Activities | Ridgway Area School District

General Guidelines

As a member of an extra-curricular activity in the Ridgway Area Middle-High School, the student will follow the Extra- Curricular Code of Conduct including the policies listed below.

Attendance – The student must be present in school by 8:00am in order to participate in any practice, game, or activity on that particular day. If a student is tardy after 8:00am, he/she will not be allowed to participate in extra- curricular activities that day unless he/she submits a doctor or dentist appointment slip upon arrival to school after the appointment. Those students coming from a doctor or dentist appointment must be in school a minimum of a half day (at least four hours) and submit a doctor’s slip. As in all cases, tardiness will be reviewed by the high school principal. The principal reserves the right to accept or reject tardiness on an individual basis depending on the circumstances.

Dress and Conduct – Whenever representing the school district, students will be expected to dress well and present a neat appearance. As representatives of their school, students involved in extra-curricular activities will conduct themselves as good citizens at all times. They will not show disrespect to any athletic official or personnel of their school or any other school.
Eligibility – Students must be in good academic standing regarding attendance, discipline and required building level documentation, i.e., community service, job shadow, mandatory physicals (CIPPE and grade level), immunizations and dentals.

Weekly – Students involved in extra-curricular activities must maintain a grade point average of 70% or above in all but one (1) subject for the weekly period, and maintain a 75% overall average as well as be enrolled full-time and passing at least four (4) credits or subjects as per PIAA requirements. They must meet attendance and discipline regulations per day and cumulatively. If the student does not meet these guidelines, they are ineligible for a one-week period (Sunday-Saturday). Grades are checked on Fridays after 8:00 am. The weekly ineligibility lists are prepared and distributed each Friday afternoon. Ineligibility notices for parents are given out to students on each Friday. Parents are reminded that they can check grades on the Schoology parent portal.

Marking Period – Students involved in extra-curricular activities must maintain a grade point average of 70% or above in all but one course for the 9-week marking period, and maintain a 75% overall average, as well as be enrolled full time passing at least four (4) credits or subjects as per PIAA requirements. If the student does not meet these guidelines, they are ineligible for a period of 15 school days beginning the 1st day report cards are issued day of new quarter. If their failures were in the last marking period of the previous school year, they are ineligible until the sixteenth (16) school day of the next term.
Campus Center- Homework Club – Students who are ineligible are required to attend Campus Center for HS students or Homework Club for MS students. Students who fail to attend will receive detention which will be served before they will be returned to the eligibility list.
A student may attend practice at the coach’s or advisor’s discretion after they have attended Homework Club or Campus Center or on days which Campus Center is not held. Students may be removed from the roster at the coach’s or advisor’s discretion if eligibility continues to be a problem.
Attendance – In addition to the attendance rules in section 1 above, the PIAA requires that any student missing 20 or more school days will be ineligible until they are in attendance of school for sixty school days following the twenty days of absence.
Discipline – Students are ineligible to participate on days when they have been suspended or expelled from regular attendance or while they are in placement at alternative discipline programs. Any student suspected of serious breaches of the extra- curricular code of conduct will be brought before an Extra-Curricular Eligibility Committee comprised of the principal, athletic director, and a teacher at large. Decisions of the committee may be reviewed by the Superintendent or Board of School Directors. The school will also follow any rule changes that the PIAA may make.
Period – The ineligibility period will run Sunday through Saturday for weekly violations and will begin the day of report card distribution for nine-week violations. Exceptions are noted above.
Any student on the academic ineligibility list will not be permitted to travel with the sports team or associated activity of which they are a member.
Deadline for Participating in Interscholastic Athletics -Students are strongly encouraged to begin participating on a sports team the first day of practice. Students will not be allowed to join a sport already in season if it is beyond the first two weeks of a winter or spring sport or by the end of the first full week of school for a fall sport.Transfer students must immediately declare their intent to participate and commence practicing if they transfer during the season and are eligible to participate. Eligibility determination is made by the PIAA District IX Committee.
Drug Testing of Students / Board Policy 227.1 – All students who participate in competitive extracurricular activities consent to a random urine screen during the period of activity in which he/she participates.

Dance Policy

Attendees. Dances are restricted to Ridgway Area students in grades 6-8 (Middle School) and grades 9-12 (High School) The specific event organizers have the right to limit the grade levels of a particular dance, if granted approval from the administration.

Ridgway Area High School students who are eligible to attend a dance may invite a non-Ridgway Area guest in grades 9-12 or up to and including the age of 20. The administration must approve, in advance, all guests who wish to attend a Ridgway Area dance/prom. Guests are not permitted at Ridgway Area Middle School dances.

Time. In general, dances may be scheduled between 6 and 10. Specific times may be set by faculty advisors in coordination with the administration. Late arrivals (during the last hour) will not be admitted. Once students leave the building, they may not re-enter; students may be required to sign-out if leaving early.

Dress Code. For a semi-formal event, girls should wear dress-slacks, a skirt or dress—no jeans, sweatshirts, or T- shirts; boys should wear dress pants, collared shirts, and/or sport coats—no jeans, sweatshirts, or T-shirts. A formal dance or prom requires formal, not casual wear.

Conduct. The behavior guidelines of the school apply to all school events. Those in attendance who choose to violate those guidelines will be asked to leave and may be subject to disciplinary consequences. Students and guests may be required to participate in a random test for alcohol.

Music/DJs. Faculty advisors should preview music played at all school activities.

Chaperones. Faculty advisors coordinate supervision with the assistance of adult chaperones. All school events require adult chaperones based on the number of student attendees. Events lacking sufficient supervision will be cancelled.

Insurance

School accident insurance is available to students and parents.

Student Organizations

Student organizations at Ridgway Area Middle- High School will be organized in an attempt to encourage students to develop wide and varied interests, to assume individual and group responsibility, and in a measure, to foster opportunities for social relationships which might not otherwise exist. Each organization may have particular requirements for membership and expectations for members as described by the faculty sponsor.

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society was established over 90 years ago to recognize young people for their achievement in the areas of scholarship, character, leadership, and service. The Faculty Council, appointed each year by the principal, reviews the returned information sheets that the academically eligible students fill out. Based upon their accomplishments in these four NHS criteria, students are asked to join NHS.

For the criteria of Scholarship, Ridgway Area High School Juniors must have a cumulative average of 4.0 and Seniors must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or greater for membership consideration. Each academically eligible student is given an informational sheet to fill out and return to the NHS Advisor. This sheet allows the student to provide information on their school and out-of-school activities that demonstrate their achievements in the other qualities. Because the attributes of Character, Leadership and Service are not as concrete as Scholarship, the following list is provided to illustrate examples of the attributes:

The student who exercises leadership:

Exemplifies positive attitudes
Inspires positive behavior in others
Demonstrates academic initiative
Demonstrates reliability and dependability
Is a leader in the classroom, at work, and in the school/community?

The student who serves:

Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance
Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities
Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school
Does committee and staff work without complaint
Participates in some activity outside of school

The student of character:

Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously
Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior
Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability
Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others
Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside of the classroom

Invitations to join the Elk Chapter of NHS at Ridgway Area High School are extended to those students whom the Faculty Council determines meet the criteria. A special Induction Ceremony is held each spring to welcome the new members into the National Honor Society.

Student Council

The purpose of the Student Council is to assist the faculty and the administration in creating a healthy school climate, to stimulate interest in school activities, and to promote self- discipline in students. The Student Council consists of MS representatives from Grades 6, 7, and 8, and HS representatives from Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. A president, vice-president, secretary, and a treasurer are chosen at the start of the school year.