NORTH CRAWFORD 2007-2008
CO-CURRICULAR CODE HANDBOOK

Introduction
The co-curricular activities at North Crawford High School are meant to be a normal and enjoyable extension of the total educational experience. Co-curricular activities are those activities outside the regular classroom that do not have an effect on grades or credit received. Participation in these activities is intended to assist in the physical, emotional, and social development of a student beyond what can be achieved in the regular academic programs. These activities allow the students to put into practice many of the qualities important in everyday life; such as dedication, sacrifice, loyalty, integrity, sportsmanship, teamwork, and competition. They allow the participant to strive to be the best that they can be for today and in the future. Co-curricular activities are an important and desirable part of an individual's total educational program, but they are not required. Therefore, additional expectations are made along with such participation. The cooperation of parents, students, and school working together is necessary to make co-curricular activities a meaningful experience.

Application
This handbook applies to all grades, 7 through 12 students who are involved in any of the co-curricular activities sponsored by the North Crawford School District and is enforced twelve months of the year.
Junior high and high school careers are treated separately. Students entering 9th grade start out with no violations. Any violations that they may have incurred at the junior high level do not apply to their high school career. If, however, a student has had a violation during their junior high years that has not yet been fully served, it must be served even if it has to be served once the student enters high school.
The right of a student to be admitted to school and to participate fully in curricular, co-curricular, student services, recreational or other programs or activities shall not be abridged or impaired because of a student's sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or paternal status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability or handicap.

Co-Curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities are those athletic and non-athletic activities that are recognized and organized by the North Crawford School District and are not part of the academic curriculum. Participation in these activities is considered a privilege and not a right and may be cancelled at any time.

Co-Op With Another School
Any school requesting to co-op with North Crawford for any extra-curricular activities, will follow North Crawford's Athletic Code during that period of time of the activity. If North Crawford would co-op with another school in any activity, they will also follow the host schools athletic code.

General Responsibilities
The privilege of participation in co-curricular programs is extended to all young men and women at North Crawford, provided they are willing to assume certain responsibilities. The greatest responsibility is to be a credit to your parents, school and community. Therefore it is required that you:

1. Display high standards of social behavior.
2. Display outstanding sportsmanship.
3. Display proper respect to those in authority, including teachers, advisors, coaches, judges, and officials.
4. Display a real spirit of cooperation.
5. Dress with special care when performing in public at home and/or away.
6. Use language, which is socially acceptable. Profanity will not be tolerated.

The co-curricular code is in effect for all participants in co-curricular activities. Copies of the code are available in the High School Office and from the Athletic Director. At the beginning of each school year, a meeting is held to acquaint students and their families with the co-curricular code. Attendance at this meeting is required of any student and their parent/guardian entering North Crawford Schools at the Junior/Senior high level and who is interested in a co-curricular activity or who will be out for a co-curricular activity for the first time. The meeting is also strongly advised for all participants whenever there are major revisions as announced by the Athletic Director. Contact must be made with the Athletic Director if the meeting can not be attended.
An emergency card, including phone numbers, is also to be on file in the high school office. All transfer and exchange students will be ineligible to compete until their eligibility has been confirmed. Athletic participants must also have a current physical and/or alternate year WIAA card on file with the Athletic Director.

Academic Eligibility
Any student receiving one or more failing grades in any grading period will be ineligible for the next 15 scheduled school days. The ineligibility period will begin with the day grades are due in the office. During this ineligibility period, unless excused by the coach/advisor, the student is expected to attend practices but cannot participate in any performances or competitions in any co-curricular activity.
If the student is still doing failing work in one or more classes at the end of the 15 days of ineligibility, that student becomes totally ineligible for the rest of the grading period. During that time, the student may not participate at all, including practices, in any co-curricular activity.
A student may erase ineligibility status following the last grade reporting period of the school year through summer school courses (including correspondence courses) provided the school gives credit toward graduation requirements for such courses and counts them in rank-in-class standings. No more than 2 credits may be made up in one summer. If a student does not elect to take summer courses to erase ineligibility status, that student will be ineligible for the first 15 days in the fall.
A report card grade, marked as an Incomplete in any class, will be considered as a failing grade. Students have 10 school days to complete the work to receive a passing grade. A student regains immediate eligibility if the incomplete is converted to a passing grade. It is the student's responsibility to obtain a written notice of change from the teacher. Contact the Athletic Director for a change of grade form.

Conduct Rules
At all times, participants shall refrain from conduct, which violates the ideals, principles and standards of the North Crawford School District. Participants violating these expectations may lose eligibility in activities.
Ethical and behavioral ideals, principles, and standards including, but are not limited to: negative and/or illegal acts against persons or property, and involvement in acts which are viewed as contrary to accepted moral and legal standards including severe profanity, abusive language, vandalism (damage with intent), fighting, cheating on tests or school work, and theft. This also includes the use, possession, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and illegal drugs or attendance at an illegal gathering. These rules apply to both on and off school grounds. Any incidents of violations or repeated violations, regardless of when they occur, will be considered as separate violations. (After the initial violation, all subsequent violations will build upon the previous

Honesty Clause
If a student is not honest during an investigation, that in and of itself provides for an additional consequence and may move the student to the next level of discipline because of their untruthfulness. This would even apply to not guilty student's responses during an investigation.

Reporting Violations
Anonymous reports will not be considered as evidence in determining violations. All violation reports must be signed by the reporter. Student reporters must also have their report co-signed by an adult.

Consequences
Consequences for breaking conduct rules are progressive, meaning that they become more severe with each violation and increase with the seriousness of the violation. The Athletic Director will determine step placement. A consequence can not be less strict than is required by an affected governing body (such as the WIAA). The following guidelines are followed:

1. Any violation that involves the possession, use, sale, or distribution of drugs or alcohol will require participation in North Crawford's student assistance program before the student may be readmitted into a co-curricular activity.
2. Consequences for violations that occur at approximately the same time will be served consecutively.
3. Attendance at practices and events during a suspension will be at the discretion of the coach/advisor and parent.
4. Any violation after the first will build on the previous step. (i.e. A student currently on "Step 2" who commits a "Level Three" violation, will be placed on Step 5.)
5. A student that completes one year with no violation after being given their consequence for any previous violation will go back one step.
6. Transfer students with a code violation from another school must serve out the consequence as decreed by the previous school.

Any student/athlete who is suspended for their second offense (1/2 season) due to alcohol or drug violation, must meet with the schools AODA counselor once per week during their suspension. Failure to do so, the student athletes eligibility may not be reinstated and could result in a lengthier suspension.

Any student/athlete who is suspended for their third offense(full calendar year) due to alcohol or drug violation, may regain eligibility if the following steps are fulfilled:

1. Seek treatment from an AODA Center/Counselor outside of school at their own expense.
2. Complete program designed by the AODA Counselor without any absences.
3. No relapse or any other code violations

If the student/athlete completes the programming, the length of their suspension will be, the remaining part of the season in which the violation occurred plus the following season. Equivalent to 6 months.
Example: Violation happens in the fall. Student/athlete is suspended for the remainder of the fall season and all of the winter season. During which the student/athlete completes program. Eligibility is reinstated for the spring season.

No Awards Or Recognition For Any Athletic Code Violations
General Rules

1. Conduct - Coach, Advisor, Principal, Athletic Director Discretion
   Co-curricular participants represent themselves and North Crawford to other students and to the community. Therefore, their conduct must not bring discredit to their school, parents and other participants. Any student may be benched by the coach, advisor, principal, or athletic director for one or more contests/performances. The coach/advisor shall inform the principal of this consequence and the violation may be considered for further disciplinary action.
2. Detention/Suspension
   Students involved in co-curricular activities should not become involved in disciplinary actions. Everyone suffers when this happens. Practices/performances are planned, and one absence can disrupt the entire program.
   If placed on detention, the student is required to fulfill the detention obligation as scheduled. Failure to do so may result in suspension from participation until the detention is served. After serving the detention, the student may then report to the scheduled co-curricular activity. If the activity is away, the detention must be completed before the student is allowed to leave on the transportation provided and participate in the activity.
   If the student is serving any type of suspension the student will not be allowed to attend any school activity, whether it is a practice, contest, performance, etc. until the suspension is completed.
3. Attendance/Missed Class Work
   The student's primary responsibility is academic attendance. Unexcused absences the day of a contest/performance or practice may cause the participant to become ineligible for participation that day. Failure to secure, complete, and return advance makeup slips to the high school office as required may result in ineligibility. See the Student Handbook for excused, unexcused, and advance makeup absence requirements.
   For co-curricular purposes, absence due to illness may not extend into the second 1/2 of the school day. The student must check into the high school office by 11:30 and attend all afternoon classes in order to be eligible to practice or participate in a performance/competition on the date of the absence due to illness.
   Re:Practice. Students who are repeatedly absent for all or part of the day following a contest or performance may be asked to present a medical excuse in order to receive an excused absence from the coach/advisor.
   A committee consisting of the Athletic Director, the principal, and a coach/advisor will decide eligibility questions relating to school attendance.
   Individual coaches may impose additional requirements in order to provide for the welfare of the individual and team.
   Class work missed due to early dismissal or absence must be made up; it is the student's responsibility to get those assignments. Failure to submit make-up work may result in disciplinary action by the coach.
   Co-curricular participants are expected to participate fully in their approved school activities on days of events.
4. Care of Equipment
   In many co-curricular activities it is necessary for the participants to use school property.Each student is responsible for any and all items that are issued to them. It is expected that these items will be returned at the end of the season in approximately the same conditions as when issued. If the items are damaged or not returned, the student may be charged for those item's replacement or repair. No items that are issued to a participant should be used or worn outside of school contest, performances or practices. Theft of North Crawford property or that of another school is considered a serious offense and will result in a code consequence and disciplinary action on the Step System.
5. Travel and Conduct on Trips.
   Each coach/advisor will instruct their participants regarding rules and behavior on out of town trips. The time of departure will be available to all participants through the coach/advisor and/or daily announcement bulletin. All participants should go to and return from all events together. The school for any other mode of transportation will assume no responsibility.
   Extenuating circumstances: Unless prior arrangements have been made through the principal or athletic director, a student is ineligible to participate if school transportation was not used to get to a scheduled event.
   On occasion, a parent may request to take their student home with them. The parent must submit a written request in person to the coach/advisor, and is subject to their approval. A coach/advisor may only release a student to their parent/legal guardian unless permission has been granted in advance by the Principal, Dean of Students, or Athletic Director.
6. Changing Co-Curricular Activities
   A participant may not quit one activity and begin another one during the same season except by mutual agreement of the coaches/advisors involved and the Athletic Director.
7. Grooming, Curfew, and Other Coach/Advisor Expectations
   Good grooming is essential in all co-curricular activities. This includes cleanliness and a neat appearance. Every attempt should be made by participants to follow the coach/advisor recommendations for good grooming practices.
   All participants are expected to follow curfew and other guidelines set up by their coach/advisor.

Violation Appeal Procedure
When information has been gained concerning a possible co-curricular code violation, the school will make a reasonable effort to confirm the information. A meeting with the Athletic Director or Principal and the student will be held for the student to be heard prior to any consequence being enforced. The student and parents will be notified of the violation, including pertinent information regarding the violation, within five (5) school days from when the violation has been confirmed. A copy of this appeal procedure will be included with this notification. Serving of the consequence will begin immediately. The consequence will be served in all co-curricular activities that the student is involved in at the time.
If the student and/or parents are not satisfied with the suspension, they may request a conference within five (5) school days from the date they were notified of the violation and consequence. The conference request must be in writing, must state the grounds or reason for the appeal and shall be addressed or delivered to the high school principal. The consequence will remain in effect during the appeal process.
The principal will hold an appeal conference with the student and/or parents within seven (7) school days of the date of the submission of the appeal. The conference will be tape-recorded and the student and/or parents may submit relevant verbal or written information to the principal for his/her consideration. The principal will determine if the conduct occurred and, if so, whether the consequence imposed is consistent with the consequence provided for the offense under the co-curricular code.
The parents and student will receive written notification of the principal's decision within five (5) school days of the date of the conference. The notification will state when the student will again be eligible to participate and the student's current violation level.
If the parents/student are not satisfied with the principal's determination, they may request that the School Board review the principal's determination. The request, as submitted to the principal stating the grounds or reason for the appeal, shall be addressed or delivered to the district administrator with a copy to the principal. The consequence will remain in effect during the appeal process. New information may not be submitted after the conference with the principal except for extraordinary reasons. If those reasons exist, the principal will consider and act on the information provided as a follow-up appeal with him/her. The suspension will remain in effect while review is pending.
The School Board, at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, will review the tape of the conference and all documentation submitted at the time of the conference and will determine whether or not sufficient reason existed for the principal's determination. The School Board may seek the assistance of the District Administrator in reaching its determination. Neither the principal nor the student/parent will be present nor will they participate in the review process.
The School Board may uphold the principal's determination, determine that there was insufficient evidence to show that the student engaged in the conduct alleged or, in unusual circumstances, send the matter back to the principal for additional conference.
The parents and student will receive written notification of the Board's decision within five (5) school days of the date of the meeting.
The Co-Curricular Code will be reviewed annually.
Students under a code violation may not join a co-curricular activity already in progress to complete their suspension without an expectation contract signed by the student, parent, coach/advisor, and Athletic Director. This contract will include criteria for completing the season.