Co-curricular Code of Conduct

Hanover High School Code of Conduct
Principles of Conduct for Co-curricular Activities and Council at Hanover High School approved by the Council on 12/12/11, by the Dresden Education Committee on 2/10/12, and by the Dresden School Board on 3/27/12.

Co-curricular activities and Council at Hanover High School (HHS) provide rewarding opportunities for all students. Participation should not be taken lightly. Participants represent not only themselves and fellow students but also coaches, advisors, and the entire school community. Participants are expected to display strong character and exemplary behavior and should not at any time discredit or bring harm to the activity or the school.

All HHS students are expected to abide by the HHS Honor Code. As a subset of the Honor Code, this Code of Conduct contains the minimum standards and procedures that apply to all students who participate in co-curricular activities and Council. This code is distinct from the Academic Integrity Policy. Athletic teams are considered a part of the “Athletic Club” and, therefore, are subject to the Athletic Department’s rules and regulations in addition to these guidelines; the Athletic Director in concert with the Dean of Students develops and enforces the standards and penalties applicable to the “Athletic Club.” Advisors and coaches, in collaboration with participants in each co-curricular activity, may submit specific rules and/or regulations they deem appropriate for their activity to the Dean of Students and/or the Athletic Director for approval. The Council is “the governance body at Hanover High School, representative of the students and staff.” Therefore, Council members are subject to the Council Bylaws in addition to these guidelines. The Council Executive, the Council Executive Committee, and the Organizational Engineering Committee (OEC), in concert with the Dean of Students may develop and enforce the standards and penalties applicable to the “The Council.”

In the event of a conflict between the Code of Conduct and the other rules and regulations governing the specific activity, the more stringent provision applies.

Co-curricular Eligibility Standards
To be eligible to participate in co-curricular activities, one must be a full-time student enrolled at Hanover High School or a student living in the SAU 70 school district who is home-schooled or enrolled in an approved alternative program.

A full-time student is one who takes five or more courses. Each of the courses must award at least one-half credit for a semester or one credit for the year. Supervised Study may not count among the five courses required for eligibility.

Students must have passed four full-time courses in the previous marking period to be eligible for a co-curricular activity. Eligibility for fall participation is based on passing four courses in the previous fourth marking period. Summer school work approved and recognized by HHS counts towards eligibility for fall co-curricular activities.

Incoming ninth graders are automatically eligible for fall co-curricular activities. However, ninth graders must pass four full-time classes in the first marking period to be eligible for winter co-curricular activities.

Because some co-curricular activities, such as spring sports, begin in the middle of a marking period, eligibility is based on second marking period grades. Eligibility is reassessed when the third-marking-period grades are final.

Students must be in attendance for all of their required classes in order to participate that afternoon or evening (Friday would result in ineligibility for weekend events) in a co-curricular contest or performance. The Principal or designee may waive this requirement for school-sanctioned absences or under special circumstances.

Applications of the Code of Conduct
Participants in all HHS co-curricular activities and Council are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct. As defined in the HHS Student Handbook, “a co-curricular activity is any activity associated with a school-sponsored team, club, or other organization that meets outside the regular classroom. By choosing to participate in a co-curricular activity or Council; every participant is automatically required to adhere to this Code and any additional rules and regulations governing that activity and may be subject to the consequences detailed in the Student Handbook, Student-Athlete Handbook, and/or this Code.

Violations of the Code of Conduct
The following are considered to be violations of the Code of Conduct:

• Actions that humiliate, degrade, or physically harm others;
• Uncivil behavior directed towards self and/or others;
• Allegations of possible illegal activity, notably but not limited to: theft; vandalism; use, distribution, or possession of any illicit substance; possession of alcohol or driving under the influence of alcohol if deemed to be accurate upon investigation by the Administration.
• Trespassing

Reporting and Determination Procedures
When the advisors, coaches or administrators learn of a Code of Conduct violation, they must inform all of the aforementioned parties of the violation.

Upon the receipt of information regarding a possible violation of this Code, the Dean of Students and/or the Athletic Director will gather and evaluate evidence and determine whether a violation has occurred. Evidence may include, but is not limited to: statements from the participant, the victim (if any), and witnesses; physical evidence; police reports or charges, etc. In the case of alleged illegal activity unrelated to school-supported activities (whether on campus or off), the Dean of Students and/or Athletic Director may rely on the filing of police charges to make a determination that a violation has occurred.

As with all other school imposed consequences, the participant may appeal the imposed penalties, although if the violation is criminal in nature, the decision and any applied consequences will stand until the administration investigates the underlying circumstances and assesses the impact of the matter on the school environment.

When a parent or participant has a concern regarding the consequence imposed or the process used to determine whether an action is a violation of the Code of Conduct, the parent or student should take the following steps:

• Speak with the program advisor or coach.
• If not satisfied, speak with the Dean of Students or Athletic Director.
• If not satisfied, speak with the Principal
• If not satisfied, speak with the Superintendent of Schools.

Violation Consequences
When a student violates the Code of Conduct during the season of the activity (or the academic year for a year-long activity), they will be disciplined by the rules below or by the administration-approved rules and regulations specific to that activity. The advisor, coach or director of the activity will oversee the punishment in conjunction with the Dean of Students and the Athletic Director (where appropriate). If, however, the administration determines that the misconduct is severe, a more significant punishment may be assigned. Severe misconduct includes acts such as, but not limited to, distribution of a controlled substance, breaking and entering, and aggravated assault.

Consequences resulting from a violation of this Code will be applicable to all activities in which the student is participating. Offenses are cumulative across all activities throughout the participant's high school career; however, if a student does not commit a violation for 18 months, the administration may treat a subsequent violation as a first offense. For purposes of this section, a public performance is defined as any situation in which the student publicly represents their activity.

In every case of a violation of the Code of Conduct, the participant will be required to have a meeting with the Student Assistance Counselor to determine if additional supports are required. Decisions regarding participation in activities aside from public performances, such as rehearsals or practices, are at the discretion of the relevant advisor in concert with the Dean of Students.

First Offense:
The student will be excluded from 20% of the total public performances for that activity with a minimum exclusion of at least one performance. In addition, students in leadership positions, including captains of teams, officers of activities, Council officers, and chairs of Council committees will be removed from their leadership positions in all co-curricular activities and Council for 12 months from the date of the first offense, even if the violation occurred outside of the activity’s time frame and during the summer. Student leadership positions may be restored at the discretion of the Dean of Students, and/or Athletic Director and relevant advisor.

Second Offense:
The student will be excluded from the rest of the activity or season.

Third Offense:
The student will be excluded from all co-curricular activities for 12 months from the date of the third offense.

Other Consequences for Violations
Following is a list of other potential consequences for violation of the Code of Conduct

• Suspension from participation in that co-curricular activity;
• Schedule-up (see HHS handbook) of variable duration, as determined by the administration; or
• Suspension or expulsion from school as detailed in the HHS handbook.

Co-Curricular Competition and Practice Responsibilities

Traveling:
1. Dress codes for public performances are determined by the individual advisors; however, the dress should indicate that the participants take pride in Hanover High School and their personal appearance.
2. The participant is responsible for knowing when and where transportation leaves for away performances.
3. All participants must leave and return with the group. Exceptions require a direct written request from a parent or guardian to the advisor of the co-curricular activity, or in the case of athletics, the Athletic Director. Use of private vehicles for any school related function must receive approval from the Principal or designee in advance of the trip. Any participant who accepts transportation other than school-approved transportation to or from a public performance without proper permission may be subject to suspension from further participation in the activity that day or for a specified period of time.NOTE: Students should make necessary plans in advance of events, especially if parent(s)/guardian(s) will be away for an extended period. If any classes are missed, the student must bring a parental permission slip to the main office upon arrival at school. Students are still responsible for all missed work. It is the student’s responsibility to make suitable arrangements with teachers.
4. If a participant is ineligible to participate in a public performance and drives to an away performance on his or her own, they may not be part of the group at that performance.

Early Dismissal:
Students must know what time they are to be excused from classes. It is the responsibility of the program advisor to notify the administration and participants of early dismissal time in advance. It is the responsibility of the students to know what time they are to be excused from classes and to report to their 2 o’clock class for 15 minutes. For example, a 2:15 dismissal means that students must still report to their 2:00 class.

Participants must report directly to the meeting place determined by the advisor.

Participants are individually responsible to arrange with each of their academic teachers make-up work necessary due to early dismissal.

Because co-curricular activities are considered an important part of Hanover High School's comprehensive educational program, students who need to leave school early for a contest or performance will not receive an educational penalty, such as loss of class participation points.

Practice/Rehearsal/Meeting Regulations:

Participants are expected to be at every required practice/rehearsal/meeting unless absent from school or excused by the head coach or advisor. Individual coaches and advisors determine penalties for missing practices unexcused. Participants who must miss practice for an appropriate reason should inform the head coach or advisor ahead of time.

Designated Days Policy:
Hanover High School recognizes that students may have personal obligations on certain days that conflict with co-curricular activities. These obligations may include, but are not limited to, family travel, religious observances, and celebrations of major holidays. The intent of this Designated Days Policy is to allow students and families with strongly held beliefs or obligations the opportunity to be together to honor those beliefs on significant days without jeopardizing the student's place on the team.

Academic Requirements and Eligibility
The student must satisfy the teacher’s long-term academic requirements and attendance requirements for all scheduled credit courses for the day of the co-curricular activity. Friday attendance counts for both Friday and weekend events.

Previously Approved Absence
A student may legitimately miss a class and remain eligible if satisfactory arrangements to miss the class have been made with the teacher prior to the class meeting time by completing a goldenrod form and returning it to the main office.

Non-School Sanctioned Absence from Class
In the case of a non-school sanctioned absence, the student is ineligible to participate in the next scheduled practice or public performance following knowledge of the absence being processed in the school’s main office. An ineligible student may not miss class(es) in order to attend a public performance.

If a student participates in a game when they have been later deemed ineligible, the student will then be required to miss their next scheduled game – game=game, practice=practice.

Co-curricular Eligibility Based on Attendance
Participants in all HHS co-curricular activities and Council are expected to attend all of their classes, in their entirety, except when they have a school-sanctioned, prior notification excuse, i.e. doctors' appointments, college visits. Prior notification excuses are those for which the participant secures a goldenrod form signed by the teachers of those classes that they will miss for that day and returns it to the main office. Absences that may be parent-sanctioned may not be school sanctioned and may not allow athletic participation that day. Only those absences that provide prior notification will allow co-curricular and Council participation.

Students must be in attendance for all of their required classes in order to participate that afternoon or evening (Friday would result in ineligibility for weekend events) in a co-curricular contest or performance. In the case of a non-school sanctioned absence, the student is ineligible to participate in the next scheduled practice or public performance following knowledge of the absence being processed in the school main office. An ineligible student may not miss class(es) in order to attend a public performance. The Principal or designee may waive this requirement for school-sanctioned absences or under special circumstances.

If a participant misses class time because of a class cut or illness, it will result in ineligibility. If an ill participant leaves a class and goes to the Nurse and returns during that same period to class, they may still be eligible. If the participant goes to the Nurse and misses the entire/remainder of that class, they are ineligible to participate in co-curricular activities that day.

If an athlete is reported to the Athletic Department for cutting a class and is therefore ineligible for playing in a contest, the athlete may not ride the team bus to an away contest that day if they would miss any class time for the remainder of that day.

Illness
If the student is absent from a class or scheduled obligation due to illness, the student is ineligible to participate in the co-curricular activity for that day.

Ineligibility Overrule
When a student misses a class or scheduled obligation, the Dean of Students may declare the student eligible if it can be verified that the student’s absence was due to circumstances beyond the student’s reasonable control. Although we prefer prior notification for doctors appointments, the Dean of Students will also declare the student eligible if they present a doctors note excusing their absence on the day missed.

Suspension
No student may participate in any activity during the same day that the student has been on suspension, either in-school or out-of-school suspension.

Eligibility Addendum

Council, Spring 1993

• That on the days of games or contests for any sport, the J-Comm will go into session immediately upon learning that there is an appeal of ineligibility due to class cutting or accrued tardiness that equals a cut.
• That the usual twenty-four hour time line for appeals be reduced to same day or as soon as the information is known.
• That the J-Comm would hear each case immediately if the J-Comm decides to hear the case at all.
• That if there is insufficient time between the submission of an appeal and the scheduled departure of the team for an appeal to be heard, no appeal will be allowed.
• That this change in procedure be communicated to the Athletic Director and all coaches with the request that all athletes be informed.