Omaha North High Magnet School has created a new Academic Program for students who are involved in athletics. As a faculty, we value your child and want to ensure that as a student-athlete, we are not only preparing them for the playing field, but also for their academic achievement.

With this priority in mind, we are developing an Academic Program for student-athletes. For the 2009-2010 school year, student-athletes will be expected to pass 6 classes in order to be eligible to participate in their given sport. With this program, if the student is not passing 6 classes, he or she will be required to complete study table hours after school. The study table advisor will be working with all head coaches to help with this process. The student will not miss practice or a game if he or she is fulfilling these hours. However, if the student continues to pass less than 6 classes for a period of time, and is not utilizing study table hours, then he or she will be suspended from practice or games until further notice of academic improvement. These decisions will be made with the athletic director, Mr. Bartels, the study table advisor, and the head coach of the student’s sport.

One may wonder why we are making this change. Currently, the NSAA requires that a student only passes 4 classes per semester. This is a concern to faculty and staff at Omaha North High Magnet School. With this minimum requirement, students would not be on track to graduate in 4 years from our school. In fact, if a student passes only 4 classes per semester, at the end of 4 years, this student will be 17 credits short of the Omaha North High Magnet School graduation requirements. He or she will be an entire year behind his or her graduating class.  Our expectation is that all students will graduate from Omaha North High Magnet School in 4 years. This includes our student athletes.

In addition, we have high aspirations to also prepare our athletes for post-secondary education. By increasing the eligibility requirement from 4 credits to 6 credits, in turn we are increasing student motivation to perform in their classes. Eventually, students will be raising GPA scores and will be learning more in the classroom, which will most certainly allow them to be better prepared for schooling past high school.

Omaha North High Magnet School feels that this program is a very important element to your student-athlete’s high school experience. We want to ensure that our students not only put time and dedication to their sport, but also to their education.

Grades will be checked at specified times during the school year according to this schedule:

In order to practice and play as a freshman at an NCAA Division I or Division II college, the student-athlete must satisfy the requirements of the NCAA. Studnet-athletes first entering a collegiate institution will have eligibility for practice and competition on the freshman year certified by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.  Please click HERE for the official NSAA Academic Eligibility document.

In order to be certified by the Clearinghouse, the student-athlete must:

1. Graduate from high school
2. Earn a grade-point average of at least 2.00 (based on a maximum 4.00 in a core curriculum of atleast 13 academic courses which are successfully completed during grades 9 throught 12). Only courses that satisfy the NCAA definition of a core course can be used to calculate your NCAA grade-point average. Eighth grade courses may not be used to satisy core curriculum requirements for those student-athletes first entering a Division I or Division II collegiate institution.
   

   	Division I	Division II
   English core	4 years	3 years
   Mathematics core (Algebra I or higher)	3 years	2 years
   Science core	2 years	2 years
   Social Studies	2 years	2 years
   From English, Math or Science core	1 year	2 years
   Addition Core (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Philosphy, Non-doctrinal Religion)	4 years	3 years

3. Check with a school guidance counselor to determine the most current ACT and SAT requirements.

The Nebraska State Activities Association sets rules and regulations for all high schools in Nebraska. The following is a summary of the major rules:

1. Student must be an undergraduate
2. Student must have passed at lease four credits the previous semester. Student must be enrolled in at least four credits per week and regular in attendance, in accordance with the school's attendance policy at the school he/she wishes to represent in interscholastic competition.
3. Student must be enrolled in some high school on or before the eleventh day of the current school year.
4. Student is ineligible if nineteen years of age before August 1 of current school year. (Student may participate on a high school team if he/she was 15 years of age prior to August 1 of the current school year.)
5. After a student's initial enrollment in grade nine, he/she may be ineligible after eight semesters of school membership.
6. Student must not have changed schools without a change of residence. Exception - ninth graders entering tenth and those transferring under court-ordered racial balance transfer. Student must have been enrolled in school the immediate preceding semester.
7. Student must have received four credits the immediate preceding semester.
8. Once the season of sport begins, a student shall compete only in athletic contests/meets in that sport which are scheduled by his/her school. Any other competition will render the student ineligible for a portion of, or all of, the season in that sport. The season of a sport begins with the first date of practice as permitted by NSAA rules. The fall sports season begins *** and ends with the state meets in the fall sports. The winter sports season begins *** and end with the state meets in the winter sports. The spring sports season begins *** and ends with the state meets in the spring sports.
9. Student shall not participate in sports camps or clinics during the season of a sport in which he/she is involved, either as an individual or as a member of a team.
10. Student shall not participate on an all-start team while a high school undergraduate.
11. A student entering grade nine for the first time after being promoted from grade eight of a two year junior high, or three year middle school, or entering a high school for the first time after being promoted to grade ten from a three year junior high school is eligible. After a student makes an initial choice of high school, any subsequent transfer, unless there has been a change of domicile by his/her parents, shall render the student ineligible for ninety school days. If a student has participated on a high school team on any level as a seventh, eighth, or ninth grade student, he/she has established eligibility at the high school where he/she participated. If the student elects to attend another high school upon entering ninth or tenth grade, he/she shall be ineligible for ninety school days.
12. Student eligibility related to domicile can be attained in the following manners: (a) if the parents of a student change their domicile from one school district that has a high school to another school district that has a high school, the student shall be eligible immediately in the school district where the parents established their domicile; (b) If the change in domicile by the parents occurs during the school year, the student may remain at the school he/she is attending and be eligible until the end of the school year or transfer to a high school located in the school district where the parents established their domicile and be eligible; (c) If a student has been attending the same high school since initial enrollment in grade nine,he/she/ may remain in that high school and retain eligibility=, or he/she is eligible at a high school located in the school district where his/her parents established their domicile; (d) If he parents moved during the summer months and the student is in grade twelve, the student may remain at the high school he/she has been attending and retain eligibility.
13. Guardianship does not fulfill the definition of a parent. If a guardian has been appointed for a student,t he student is eligible in the school district where his/her natural parents(s) have their domicile. Individual situations involving guardianship may be submitted to the Executive Director for his review and ruling.
14. Student shall not participate in a contest under an assumed name.
15. Student must maintain his/her amateur status.

All students who participate on any of our athletic teams during the school year, and their parents, must read and sign the Parental Consent Form. If this Form is not signed by both the athlete and his/her legal parent, the student will not be permitted to practice or engage in competition.

It is particularly Important the the warning statement located near the bottom of the form be read and signed.

We realize that such activity involves the potential for injury which is inherent in all sports. It is acknowledged that even with the best coaching, use of the most advanced protective equipment and strict observance of rules, injuries, paralysis, or even death are still a possibility.

Students and parents are responsible for reading the rules of eligibility pertaining to activities participation and acknowledge and understand the purpose and content thereof.

Omaha North High School is a member of the Nebraska School Activities Association.

Student athletes who have been awarded varsity letters are eligible for membership in the "N" Club. Rules for earning a varsity letter have been determined for each sport by the coaching staff.