Blue Hill—Academic eligibility rules for extra curricular activities, including sports, at George Stevens Academy look a bit different this year, as the faculty approved a new policy to start the 2018-19 school year.
The old policy, according to Head of School Tim Seeley, stated that a student was prohibited from participating in an extra curricular activity for the next quarter if he/she failed two or more classes the previous quarter. Those students would not have a chance to redeem themselves quickly enough to get back into their respective sport, club, etc. before the quarter ended. That piece of the policy is what faculty looked to rectify when discussing the new one.
“It was an odd situation in that a student could have failed a class during first quarter, and therefore wasn’t able to play basketball in the second quarter, even though the second quarter grades would be fine,” said Seeley. “This new policy allows the student more opportunity for redemption, which is what we’re looking for.”
Under the new policy, student grades will be monitored every two weeks. If a student is failing at the end of a two-week period, Academic Dean of Students David Sterns would have a conversation with that student, letting him/her know they needed to pick the grades up. If at the end of another two week period those students were still failing, they would still be allowed to participate in practices and be part of the team, but would not be allowed to compete in games. If the students were still failing after a third check in, they would then be removed from the team entirely, though Seeley said that situation could be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
“If a teacher comes to us and says ‘this student is working really hard, and doing what we’re asking, but the class is really difficult for him/her,’ then we could address that and say ‘all right, let’s not go ahead with the probation.’ Or, on the other side of that, focusing on the academic piece might be a better option for that student. There could be a case for both situations,” said Seeley.
Those who would be involved in that process include the student, teachers, parents and Sterns. Seeley noted that having the teachers’ input is vital to the process, as they are the ones who ultimately see the work and dedication that student is putting into the course.
Seeley said the policy serves as a way for students to catch back up after being out sick for an extended period of time, or just struggling with the course material. Ultimately, he added, the policy is in place to help the students be successful both academically and in their extra curricular activities.
“This is not a way to punish a student, but to give them more of a chance to do what they want to do,” he said. “It’s about student success, always.”