A.H.S. Student Handbook - Extra Curricular Activities

Athletics
Allentown High School is a member of the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic  Association (NJSIAA) and the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) and subscribes to their philosophy and their by-laws.

The Interscholastic Athletic Program at Allentown offers a large variety of sports.  Last year, Allentown High School students participated in football, field hockey, boys and girls cross country, girls and boys tennis, boys basketball, girls basketball, wrestling, winter track, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, golf, boys and girls track and field, and boys and girls lacrosse.  Our teams compete in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) and are aligned in the Patriot Division.  The CVC includes the Colonial Valley and Patriot Divisions.

To be eligible for participation in the Interscholastic Athletic Programs at Allentown High School, a student must be enrolled in the school and meet all the eligibility requirements established by the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).  All student athletes and parents must sign a required contract that establishes guidelines for expected behavior and the promotion of good sportsmanship at all times, as well as a steroid testing form that is mandated by the State of New Jersey*.  All participating student athletes must have a Random Drug Testing Consent form on file.

The eligibility requirement to participate is:  students must pass three subjects per semester.  This is interpreted as 13.75 credits per semester or at least 27.5 credits per year.  All incoming freshmen have no credit requirements for the first semester and, therefore, can participate.  (An athlete becomes ineligible to participate if he/she reaches age 19 before September 1, and/or completes 8 semesters of school.)

Requirements for the achievement of all athletic awards can be found in the Athletic Director’s office.

*NJSIAA’S STEROID TESTING POLICY

In accordance with Executive Order 72, issued by the Governor of the State of New Jersey,
Richard J. Codey, on December 20, 2005, the NJSIAA will test a random selection of student athletes, who have qualified, as individuals or as members of a team, for state championship competition.

• General prohibition against performance enhancing drugs:
  • It shall be considered a violation of the NJSIAA’s sportsmanship rule for any student-athlete to possess, ingest, or otherwise use any substance on the list of banned substances, without written prescription by a fully licensed physician, as recognized by the American Medical Association, to treat a medical condition.
  • Violations found as a result of NJSIAA’s testing shall be penalized in accordance with this policy.
  • Violations found as a result of member school testing shall be penalized in accordance with the school’s policy.

• List of banned substances:  A list of banned substances shall be prepared annually by the Medical Advisory Committee, and approved by the Executive Committee.

• Consent form: before participating in interscholastic sports, the student-athlete and the student-athlete’s parent or guardian shall consent, in writing, to random testing in accordance with this policy.  Failure to sign the consent form renders the student-athlete ineligible.

• Selection of athletes to be tested:
  • Tested athletes will be selected randomly from all of those athletes participating in championship competition.
  • Sixty percent of all tests shall be from football, wrestling, track & field, swimming, lacrosse and baseball.  The remaining forty percent of all tests shall be from all other NJSIAA sports.

• Administration of tests: Tests shall be administered by a certified laboratory, selected by the Executive Director and approved by the Executive Committee.

• Testing methodology: The methodology for taking and handling samples shall be in accordance with current legal standards.

• Sufficiency of results: No test shall be considered a positive result unless the approved laboratory reports a positive result, and the NJSIAA’s medical review officer confirms that there was no medical reason for the positive result.  A “B” sample shall be available in the event of an appeal.

• Appeal process: If the certified laboratory reports that a student-athlete’s sample has tested positive, and the medical review officer confirms that there is no medical reason for a positive result, a penalty shall be imposed unless the student-athlete proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that he or she bears no fault or negligence for the violation.  Appeals shall be heard by a NJSIAA committee consisting of two members of the Executive Committee, the Executive Director/designee, a trainer and a physician.  Appeal of a decision of the committee shall be to the Commissioner of Education, for public school athletes, and to the superior court, for non-public athletes.  Hearings shall be held in accordance with NJSIAA By-Laws, Article XIII, “Hearing Procedure.”

• Penalties: Any person who tests positively in an NJSIAA administered test, or any person who refuses to provide a testing sample, or any person who reports his or her own violation, shall immediately forfeit his or her eligibility to participate in NJSIAA competition for a period of one year from date of the test.  Any such person shall also forfeit any individual honor earned while in violation.  No person who tests positive, refuses to provide a test sample, or who reports his or her own violation shall resume eligibility until he or she has undergone counseling and produced a negative test result.

• Confidentiality: Results of all tests shall be considered confidential and shall only be disclosed to the individual, his or her parents and his or her school.

• Compilation of results: The Executive Committee shall annually compile and report the results of the testing program.

• Yearly renewal of the steroid policy: The Executive Committee shall annually determine whether this policy shall be renewed or discontinued.
  
  Student athletes are the ambassadors of our school and it is important that they represent our school with integrity and sportsmanship at both home and away events.  Athletics is an extension of the classroom and all student handbook and school rules apply.  Coaches will notify the Administration if students break the rules.  Participating in athletics is a privilege.  In some cases, a student athlete's behavior may be addressed by a Coaches Advisory Committee made up of three or more coaches, the Athletic Director, the Principal and/or Vice Principal.

Eligibility for Student Clubs and Organizations

1.    Students failing two or more subjects per marking period will be ineligible to participate in non-athletic extra-curricular clubs or organizations.

2.    Eligibility for clubs and organizations will be determined on a MARKING PERIOD basis.  Once eligibility has been declared, students are eligible for the duration of that marking period.

3.    Due to the leadership and continuity of position required of student officers, students in those positions who become ineligible during the course of the school year WILL NOT be permitted to reassume the officership for the balance of the school year, once eligibility has been reinstated.

4.    According to the discipline policy, a student may temporarily lose these privileges.

5.     Determination of eligibility under any of the above may be appealed to the principal who shall consider any mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

Student Organizations

Our club program is designed to offer many different activities to meet the interests of our student body.  All clubs meet in designated classrooms at times convenient to their members.  The plans, activities, and functions of each club are decided upon and carried out by the members and their elected officers with the help of an advisor.  The success of each activity depends upon the loyalty and work of the members and the capabilities of the officers.  A club is only as good as its members make it.  Help make your club and your time fruitful by participating actively.  Check with your teachers or guidance counselor to see what clubs are available.

Qualifications for Class Officers
1.    Must be available to perform all necessary duties and participate in required activities.
2.    Must have a  2.5 GPA.
3.    Will be allowed no more than six demerits per year.
4.    Must not exceed absentee regulations.
5.    Must present a petition signed by 50 students.
6.    Are expected to give a speech stating desires to be an officer and previous experience.
7.    Are expected to have a speech reviewed in the Writing Clinic, and have a signature on it.
8.    Must give the speech which was reviewed by the Writing Clinic.
9.    Must be a full-time student.

Duties of Class Officers
President
The President will be responsible to:
       a.  Preside over all class meetings and votes
       b.  Call class meetings when appropriate
       c.  Attend all Presidents’ Council meetings
       d.  Serve as a representative on Student Council

Vice President
Assumes the duties of the president when the president is not present.

Secretary
Records all notes on meetings and the results of all votes taken.

Treasurer
Keeps records of all financial transactions and handles all financial matters such as paying bills, cashing checks, etc.

All other class duties will be decided by the class advisors.  Senior class officers will be required to present a speech, gift, etc., at the graduation ceremony.

Elections:

1. Elections for class officers will be held before the elections for Student Council officers in the year preceding the term.
2. A student elected to class office may not hold a concurrent Student Council office.
3. A student may only run for class office after submitting the required petition of 50 signatures.  The signatures may be obtained only from students of the candidates’ classes.  A student may sign only one petition per office.
4. Students running for class office will be given a school week to obtain the necessary signatures.  Petitions must be handed in on or before the last school day of the week to the Student Council advisor.
5. The students that have obtained the necessary signatures may campaign for office.  Acceptable campaigning shall consist of posters, giveaways, etc., with no outside help or support from teachers or administrators.  All campaign materials must be approved by the Student Council advisor and must not exceed $100.00.
6. Students will be required to make a speech of a duration not to exceed three minutes in which they will provide reasons for their own election.  The speeches must receive a Writing Clinic signature at least one day prior to an assembly with all the eligible student voters present.
7. Elections will be held the same week following the last day of speeches.  During homeroom, one ballot will be distributed, by the Student Council, to each eligible student voter.  Students may vote for candidates in their class only.  At the end of the homeroom period, the ballots will be collected and counted by Student Council members not running for office.  The results of the election will be announced before the end of the day.
8. Freshman class elections will be held utilizing the same process in the month of September of the following year.

Note: all campaign posters must be shown to and approved by the Student Council advisors before being posted. Posters should be posted only in designated areas.

Qualifications for Student Council Officers
General:

1. All candidates for Student Council office must follow all of the provisions outlined in the Student Council Constitution Article VII:  Conduct.
2. All candidates for Student Council President must have served at least two years on preceding AHS Students Councils.
3. All candidates for Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Correspondent and School Board Representative must have served at least one year on a preceding AHS Student Council.
4. The president-elect and vice-president-elect must attend the New Jersey Leadership Training Camp.
5. Candidates for all offices must be able to attend all Student Council meetings and activities.
6. Students are prohibited from running for office if demerits are in excess of six (6).

The President: the official in the office of the president shall be responsible to:

1. Preside over all regular meetings
2. Call special meetings
3. Preside over all votes and will only vote in the case of a tie
4. Speak to the incoming freshmen about Student Council and class officers
5. Speak before the student body prior to the scheduled Student Council elections to explain the voting procedure, unless the President is running for re-election, in which case the Student Council advisor or an officer not running will serve in this capacity
6. Attend all Presidents’ Council meetings

The Vice-President: the vice-president shall be responsible to:

1. Preside, with the president, over all meetings
2. Attend Presidents’ Council meetings
3. Assume all duties of the office of the president under circumstances in which capacity the president is unable to serve

The Secretary: t he Secretary shall be responsible to:

1. Record notes at all meetings, and subsequently type those notes, so that the Student Council may review them at a later date
2. Record the results of all votes taken by the Student Council
3. Keep an organized notebook with minutes, etc.
4. Inform the associated members of all Student Council meetings, activities and other happenings

The Public Relations Correspondent: the Public Relations Correspondent shall be responsible to:

1. Assume all duties of the office of secretary when said officer is absent
2. Conduct all correspondence with all outside entities in the name of the Student Council
3. Act as publicity consultant for all Student Council projects and actions
4. Establish relations with local papers as well as other media sources.

The Treasurer: the Treasurer shall be responsible to:

1. Keep records of all financial transactions by the Student Council
2. Handle all financial matters such as paying bills, cashing checks, etc.
3. Submit a typed report at the first meeting of each month

The School Board Representative: the School Board Representative shall be responsible to:

1. Attend the monthly Allentown Board of Education meetings
2. Report on Student Council activities to the School Board
3. Record notes on the School Board meetings to be shared with the Student Council
4. Attend Presidents’ Council meetings

Conduct – Student Council Constitution
There is a certain conduct that all leaders, Student Council officers, Student Council representatives, and class officers must follow:

Regulations:

• Student leaders must follow all of the rules outlined in the current year’s Student Handbook.
• Student leaders may not exceed the number of absences outlined in the attendance requirements of the school.
• Student leaders may not fail more than one class each marking period.
• Student leaders may not be late to class or to the homeroom period (as per the Student Handbook).
• Student leaders may not receive more than ten demerits.
• All Student Council officers and the four classes’ officers must be full-time students at Allentown High School.  Homeroom representatives may not leave school until the conclusion of the last lunch period.
• All Student Council members must follow any rules set in the beginning of the current year by the Executive Council or by the Student Council Advisor.

Disciplinary Boards:

• Any Student Council member who does not comply with any of the regulations listed above will come before a Disciplinary Board, which will decide if any action will be taken against said student.  Such action may include expulsion, probation from Student Council, or any other action deemed appropriate by the Disciplinary Board.
• The Disciplinary Board will consist of five class advisors (at least one from each class) and the two Student Council Advisors.
• A Student Council Advisor can call a disciplinary “hearing” at any time.

Impeachment and  Expulsion: if it is decided upon by the Disciplinary Board that the student in question should be expelled from Student Council, the Board will vote on the impeachment of the student.

Fund Raising Activities
All fund raising activities must first be approved by the faculty advisor who will complete a “Fund Raising Approval” form and submit it to the high school principal for approval.  Until confirmation of approval is received, the fundraiser may not take place.

The New Jersey  State Department of Education has ordered that there will be NO food or candy sales during the school day.  Candy will be confiscated and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Missing Class
Allentown High School recognizes that its curricular and co-curricular programs offer students a variety of important and valuable experiences.  While regularly attending classes is a student’s primary responsibility, it is also recognized that there are times when co-curricular and special activities and events justify a student missing class.  When this occurs, it is the student’s responsibility to secure any materials and/or notes missed and to complete any assignments in a prompt manner.

Students wishing to be excused from class for any reason other than an “officially school sanctioned activity” must secure advance written permission from the teacher(s) of any class(es) missed.  Failure to do so will result in a “cut” with a zero (0) received for any work, tests, or assignments missed and the discipline penalties for a cut will also be imposed.

The following are “officially school sanctioned activities”: *
            Athletic team early dismissals
            Approved field trips
            Band sectionals
            Choir sectionals
            Science labs
            Ag Science activities

*All “officially school sanctioned activities” will require distribution of a specific schedule and advance listing of all students participating.

In addition, the following guidelines and procedures are to be followed:

• No student may miss class for fund raising activities.
• Student groups such at NHS, Student Council, etc., should make every effort to meet during homeroom or after school.  Should a meeting be necessary during school, advance permission from the principal is required as well as advance notification and a listing of students to the faculty.