Merit System / Spartan Spirit Award

Roger Bacon High School believes that extracurricular activities are important to the education of its students. In order to impress upon the students the value of these activities and to encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities, a Merit System was developed. In addition to the information found here, there is an assembly for all new students at which time the system is explained in detail.

The Objective

Throughout the school year, the student will have many opportunities to accumulate merit points through participation in school activities. The student who achieves 3,000 merit points is considered a merit student.

The Basic Requirements:

• 3,000 merit points must be earned in order to receive the Spartan Spirit Award.
• Students must attend one sporting event per semester in order to be eligible.
• Students must attend one cultural event per semester in order to be eligible.

How Points Can and Cannot be Received

A student earns merit points by achieving academic honors, participating in school organizations and teams, attending school events, participating in fund raising activities, and performing service to the school. The school administration decides what qualifies for merit points. Such activities are specified at the end of this section. Primarily the moderator of the organization or activity makes the decision about how points are awarded. This person could be, for example, a coach, a faculty advisor, or a person organizing an event. The Merit System Coordinator and ultimately the Principal oversee this decision.

Merit points are awarded for participation in groups and activities that are officially sponsored by the school and are optional for the student. One, for example, cannot earn merit points for participating in a service project at one's church (it is not sponsored by the school) or for attending classes (it is a required activity for students).

If a student is required to be at an event as a result of being a member of a team or organization or will earn merit points for working at an event, then the student cannot also receive merit points for participation in the event. However, the points received for being in the organization or working at the event are usually much more than would have been earned through mere attendance.

Merit points can also be earned by a student through the participation of parents, family and friends (referred to after this as guests). Such activities are specified at the end of this section. The contribution to a student's total merit points from the participation of guests cannot exceed one half of the points required to achieve merit-student status. Thus no more than 1,500 points will be accepted from the activities of guests.

Unless otherwise stated, students cannot claim more than two guests per event even if more attend; more than one student cannot claim the same guest; another Roger Bacon student cannot be claimed as a guest at an event; and a student cannot receive merit points for guest attendance at an event without also attending.

There are some important exceptions to the rules stated in the previous two paragraphs. A parent or guardian with multiple children at Roger Bacon High School can be claimed as a guest by each child. A student who cannot receive points for attending an event as a result of being a member of an organization or will earn points for working can still receive points for guests' attendance. This is an especially important point for students involved in athletics, drama, band, and chorus. There are also parent activities and organizations and events that are primarily or exclusively for parents and for which students can receive merit points without them attending.

Students lose merit points for receiving demerits. A student who has lost 200 or more merit points as a result of demerits is disqualified from being a merit student. Students under disciplinary action such as probation may also be disqualified at the discretion of the Principal.

Documenting Points

Upon entering Roger Bacon High School a student is assigned a merit number which will help the school keep track of the student's points.

All points must be documented. Merit points for participation in organizations are handled directly by the moderator of the organization. Activities for which a student can receive merit points will normally have a merit points reporting form available to record points. Such a form will require the student's merit number and name and will provide a place to record the participation of guests. Points will not be awarded if the information is not entered correctly on this form. It is the responsibility of the event moderator to provide these forms or to provide some other means to record merit points.

For such events it is the responsibility of the student to see that the points are correctly recorded on the merit points reporting forms. Both the name and the merit number of the student are required. Incomplete and/or incorrect information may be justification for disqualification by the Merit System Coordinator.

Monitoring Merit Points

It is the responsibility of the Merit System Coordinator to provide a means for students to monitor their progress in Merit points. Students will be regularly informed of their current merit points total, or will be provided a means of easily accessing such information. A full accounting of merit points will be provided to a student upon request to the coordinator.

Students may lodge appeals over the awarding of points to the coordinator. The coordinator may place time limits after which appeals may not be made. These time limits will be announced in advance with sufficient time to consider problems. If there is no urgency and the question is simple, a verbal communication to the coordinator is recommended. However a formal protest must be in writing. A written formal protest is necessary to show the protest was made before any time limit expired or if a decision is appealed to the school administration.

Awarding Merit Students

Every student who qualifies as a Merit Student during the school year receives the Spartan Award. A Merit Student may be excused from final exams at the discretion of the teacher in those subjects in which she or he has maintained an 85.0 average.

Merit List

The following is a list of organizations and activities for which merit points may be received. The number of merit points listed for each activity should be considered the maximum number of merit points available for that activity. Moderators for groups and activities determine the number of merit points actually given based on participation. Unless otherwise stated, merit points for guest participation at an activity or event may not exceed two guests.

Membership in Organizations/Teams

Demerits:

Demerits - 20 per day of detention
-200 in demerits disqualifies a student from becoming a Merit Student.