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7.22 - 9th Hour Class/Club Policy

7.22 - 9th Hour Class/Club Policy

SERIES 7 - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

  1. Liberty’s 9th-hour (2:45 – 3:15PM) is designed to provide all students in-school academic enrichment opportunities in ways that support and reinforce the mission of the school.
  2. Liberty’s 9th-hour class offerings occur during the official school day (7:45AM – 3:15PM), and are not considered “extracurricular” activities.
  3. It is officially recommended that all students attend a 9th-hour class each school day.
  4. Students in good academic standing are eligible to depart the school after 8th period (at 2:45PM). Those who opt out of 9th-period offerings may not:
  • Remain in the hallways during 9th period;
  • Linger on the school grounds during 9th period;
  • Linger in the neighborhood of the school during 9th period;
  • Leave the school grounds and return to be picked up later in the day;
  • Leave the school grounds and return to the school that same day for any reason;
  • Complain about having the freedom to leave the school after 8th period.
  1. All 9th -hour classes offered at Liberty Common High School must fall into one of two categories:
  1. Extra-help sessions wherein LCHS instructors are present to assist students in a specific subject matter. This may also include “study hall” or “office hours” scenarios which allow students to do school work either directly or independently under instructor supervision.
  2. “Club” sessions at which specific student activities are conducted under the leadership and supervision of an LCHS instructor. Club sessions must accommodate activities relating to the school’s curriculum and mission which provide enrichment opportunities relating to academic subjects taught in the school. This may include Club sessions which support competitive academically oriented teams (Knowledge Bowl, Ocean Bowl, robotics, forensics, etc.) character-education goals, and general physical fitness. Club sessions may feature board games and similar activities which enhance logic, computing, cyphering, and cognitive dexterity which support learning skills (chess, etc.). Clubs may also exist to organize student activities which constitute useful community services which are consistent with the school’s overall community mission and which reflect favorably upon the school and its students.
  1. All Clubs must be approved by the LCHS administration prior to organizing and convening. Students, faculty, or parents interested in starting a new Club must complete a Club Proposal Form and provide any supporting information to the Assistant Principal. The Assistant Principal may consult the Principal and/or Liberty’s Board of Directors to ensure all 9th-hour and Club activities are feasible considering the school’s resources to support additional 9th-hour classes, and that new proposals comport with the school’s mission and academic objectives.
  2. Though most LCHS Clubs meet during 9th hour, meeting outside of school hours, or meeting independently of the school, are also options.
  3. The administration shall approve only proposals for 9th-hour Clubs which relate plainly to the academic mission of the school, which comport with the school’s character-education goals, which reflect favorably upon the corporate objectives of the institution as established by the Liberty Common School Board of Directors, and which can be sustained within limited school resources. All Clubs must be accessible for all students. In all cases, Clubs must be inclusive and have a direct nexus with the school’s mission.
  4. Proposed 9th-hour Clubs may only be approved or sustained which meet substantially two or more of the following criteria:
  • Are organized to advance and enrich the academic mission of the school including its curriculum;
  • Conduct useful community service activities which are consistent with the school’s overall community mission and which reflect favorably upon the school and its students.
  • Support competitive academically oriented teams (Knowledge Bowl, Ocean Bowl, robotics, forensics, etc.)
  • Advance character-education goals including House or Order leadership, or other school-sanctioned activities (Yearbook, etc.)
  • Enhance the school’s general physical-fitness objectives.
  1. . Proposals for 9th-hour Clubs must be denied or terminated upon any of the following criteria:
  • Exclusivity, or inaccessible to all LCHS students.
  • Accentuates religious bigotry or identifies with religious denominations.
  • Promotes ethnic or racial groupings, social subgroupings, political parties, campaign awareness, or non-academic extracurricular causes.
  • Glorifies violence, self-harm, death, alcoholism, drug abuse, abusiveness, moral turpitude, or any other harmful or destructive behavior.
  • Discusses or promotes sexual themes, sexual behavior, sexual situations including but not limited to preferences, identities, orientations, humor, or other similar mature topics unsuitable for students of junior-high age.
  • Endorses or promotes specific private businesses or other private corporate entities.
  • Emphasizes subjects or activities which fall outside of or which undermine the school’s academic objectives.
  • Demeans or impugns Liberty Common School, its Board of Directors, or any of its employees, or any individual.
  1. . Upon forms furnished by the school, petitioners for a new 9th-hour Class or Club must supply the following information:
  • Name of proposed Class/Club
  • Indicate whether the Class/Club is oriented toward junior-high students, highschool students, or both.
  • Days of the month/week, meeting time, and start date.
  • Name(s) of faculty or other adult sponsors and supervisors. Number of Class/Club sponsors needed.
  • Goals of the Class/Club.
  • Indication of whether the Class/Club will be engaged in competitions or activities outside of the school day, including a roster of main competitors.
  • Minimum number of students needed to participate in the Class/Club.
  • Facility needs.
  • Equipment and/or supply needs.
  • Financial needs and fundraising plans, if any.
  • Transportation needs.
  • Applicants shall supply a well-written, detail-laden description of the Class/Club for publication in the Monday Newsletter, morning announcements, internal TV news advertisements.
  1. Contingencies: Any questions regarding the approval or continuation of an LCHS 9thhour Club or class which is unaddressed or un-contemplated by this policy will be judged and resolved by the administration. Please obtain prior administrative approval before engaging in any Class or Club activity which is not made clear by this policy. “I didn’t know” is not an excusable justification for Class/Club-policy noncompliance.

    Adopted: 05-26-2022