ACTIVITY/ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY RULES
Owen J. Roberts Middle School recognizes the educational value of athletics and extracurricular activities. Through participation in extracurricular activities, students will be enabled to work with others, be successful, develop sportsmanship, improve their skills and enjoy competition. Students are encouraged to voluntarily participate in athletics and activities throughout the year. Athletic and club activities are conducted outside of the regular school day.
Academic achievement must be the the primary objective of each student's school life. Consequently, students shall meet and maintain minimum levels of academic performance in order to participate in extracurricular and/or interscholastic activities. In general, eligibility for an activity, club, student organization, or sport requires that a student cannot receive a failing grade in more than one subject area. An eligibility report is run through Skyward on a weekly basis. However, the frequency of when this eligibility data is reviewed and the limitations of participation vary between activities and sports. The two are explained separately below. Owen J. Roberts Student Eligibility Policy can be found here: Eligibility policy
Activity, Club, and Student Organization Eligibility
Like athletics, school activities, clubs, and student organizations are deemed extracurricular, that is, not part of the formal curriculum or part of the determination of the grade achieved in a course.
Assessment of student’s academic eligibility to participate in any school activity, club, or student organizations begins at the end of the first marking period. It will be assessed six (6) times a year. These are: the end of the first, second, and third marking periods and at the mid-point of the second, third, and fourth marking periods. Club and Activity Advisors are to check the eligibility report at these times.
Beginning with the end of the first marking period and at the end of the second and third marking periods, if a student is failing two or more subjects the student is ineligible to participate in any extracurricular activity, club or student organization until the mid-point of the next marking period and will not be able to participate until eligibility requirements are met. For example: if a student is failing two or more subjects at the end of the second quarter, they will not be eligible until the mid- point of marking period 3. If they are still failing two or more subjects then, they will remain ineligible until they are not failing two subjects.
The mid-point of the marking period will be determined by the administration and announced to the students and staff. Consideration will be given for inclement weather or interruptions to the instructional schedule.
It is the responsibility of the advisor of the activity, club, or student organization to monitor a student’s academic eligibility. A student’s eligibility to participate can also be removed by the advisor for violation of rules/guidelines governing that activity, club, or organizations, or by the school administration for infractions of the disciplinary code, attendance regulations, or other circumstances if deemed appropriate.
Reminder: All participants must be in school by the start of 3rd period (or by the beginning of first period on a two-hour delay day) in order to participate in practice, meetings, or events sponsored by activities, clubs, and student organizations that day. The only exception will be a doctor’s note or pre-administrative approval.
Athletic Eligibility
Eligibility for participation in extracurricular athletics is determined weekly and at the end of each marking period, and all students must meet the minimum eligibility requirements set by the OJRSD and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (P.I.A.A.). These requirements are as follows:
Weekly eligibility
● Athletic eligibility will be cumulative from the beginning of the marking period and will be reported on a weekly basis.
● Any week during a marking period, that a student is failing two or more subjects, they will be ineligible to participate in athletics the following week.
● During the first week of a student athlete’s ineligibility, they may practice with the team, but may not participate in any interscholastic contests. The student is required to contact the instructors of the classes he/she is failing for remedial work.
● If a student athlete is ineligible a second week during the marking period, they may not practice or participate in any interscholastic contests. The student is required to contact the instructors of the classes he/she is failing for remedial work.
● If a student athlete is ineligible for a third week during a marking period, they will be removed from the team.
End of marking period eligibility
Marking periods 1-3: If a student-athlete has two or more failures at the end of the marking period, they are ineligible for the first 15 school days of the next marking period and will not be able to practice or participate in any athletic activity until eligibility requirements are met.
Marking period 4: If a student-athlete has two or more failures for the school year, the student athlete will not be eligible to participate in athletic activities for the first 15 days at the start of the next school year unless these failures are corrected through summer school attendance.
Notes
PIAA also gives the school principal the authority "to exclude any contestant who, because of bad habits, or improper conduct, would not represent his/her school in a becoming manner."
A student, who is disciplined with outside suspension or internal suspension assignment, is ineligible for extracurricular and/or interscholastic activity participation during the suspension period.
It is the responsibility of the coaches to monitor the eligibility of athletes on their teams.
As with other school activities, a student may be removed from a team by coaches for violation of school rules/guidelines governing that sport, or by the school administration for infractions of the disciplinary code, attendance regulations, or other circumstances if deemed appropriate.
Reminder: All participants must be in school by 9:45 in order to participate in practice or athletic events that day. When practice or competition falls on a non-school day, the student must have been in attendance by 9:45 (or 11:45 on a two hour delay day) on the prior school day. The only exception will be a doctor’s note or pre-administrative approval. Written requests for approval must be submitted to the building administrator or Athletic Director.