Co-curricular Information

Cocurricular eligibility

The principal, in cooperation with the guidance staff and teachers, will determine student eligibility using the following criteria:

• Regular Season
  • Students must display satisfactory conduct and are expected to represent CAJ well.
  • Students who are on academic probation due to failing one or more semester classes are not permitted to participate in co-curricular activities. Any exceptions must be approved by the principal.
  • Students must attend at least four class periods in a day in order to participate in co-curricular activities on that day. Any exceptions must be approved by the principal.
• Athletic Tournaments: CAJ participates in Far East and small school tournaments under the following guideline: In the event that there are reservations about a team or individual’s participation in a tournament, the principal will confer with the athletic director and the coach and then bring a recommendation to the head of school, who will make the final decision.

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Cocurricular student guidelines

Students must:

• Maintain their commitment to an activity until it is completed. Students who choose not to attend all practices and events, choose the following consequences:
  • Sports:
    • Students who quit tennis, VB, BB, FH, or soccer after teams have been announced will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
    • Students who quit CC, wrestling, or track during or after the first meet will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
  • Fine arts:
    • Students who quit drama after the cast has been announced will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
    • Students who are in speech, solo & ensemble (instrumental, vocal), debate, and Artscape who do not participate in the culminating event will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
  • Student Council:
    • Students elected to student council who do not complete their term in office will be ineligible for further participation in student council or for senior council for the following year.
  • All exceptions must be made on appeal to the coach, the AD/FAC, and the principal.

• Be responsible for their academic assignments and for their co-curricular attendance and may not miss a practice or an event in order to do homework.
• Be responsible to follow the behavior guidelines in the Student Handbook. Students who get into serious trouble may receive serious consequences which affect their co-curricular involvement. For example, students who receive an in-house suspension are ineligible for co-curricular participation on the day the principal deals with the situation, and this ineligibility will be equated with truancy.
• Attend all gatherings related to the co-curricular activities to which they have committed themselves. Students who choose not to attend all practices and events choose the following consequences:
  • Sports:
    • Students who are truant from practice are ineligible to participate in the next contest. The coach will contact the student, parent, and AD when this happens.
    • Students who are truant from 3 practices are ineligible for further participation. The coach and AD will confer with the principal when this happens. The principal will consider the circumstances, make the final decision and inform the parents. Students who are removed from a team for truancy will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
  • Fine arts:
    • For the first instance of truancy, the coach will talk to the student, parents, and FAC.
    • For the second instance of truancy, the coach will inform the FAC and principal, who will determine if the student may continue in an activity. The principal will contact the parents.
    • Students who are truant from 3 practices are ineligible for further participation. The coach and FAC will confer with the principal when this happens. The principal will consider the circumstances, make the final decision and inform the parents. Students who are removed from a team for truancy will be ineligible for athletic and fine arts activities for the current season and the next season.
  • Student Council:
    • For the first instance of truancy, the student council advisor will talk to the student, parents, and FAC.
    • For the second instance of truancy, the student council advisor will inform the principal, who will determine if the student may continue in an activity. The principal will contact the parents.
    • Students who are truant from 3 student council meetings and/or events are ineligible for further participation. The student council advisor will confer with the principal when this happens. The principal will consider the circumstances, make the final decision and inform the parents. Students who are removed from student council for truancy will be ineligible for student council for the following year.

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Athletics

Specific answers about the CAJ athletic program can be found in the Student Athletic Handbook which can be accessed on the athletics webpage.

• An annual physical examination (form) is required for participation in the athletic program at all levels. 

• CAJ’s high school teams participate in an athletic league with other Kanto Plains international high schools.

• Boys may participate in tennis, cross-country, basketball, wrestling, soccer, and track.

• Girls participate in tennis, volleyball, wrestling, cross-country, field hockey, soccer, basketball, and track.

• When there is enough student interest and available coaches, CAJ fields both varsity and junior varsity teams.

• Coaches are always CAJ staff or community members who work under the direct supervision of the athletic coordinator and principal.

• Consult the fee schedule for the cost of participating in sports and attending overnight tournaments. 

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Music lessons

CAJ offers many music opportunities, both within the curriculum and as cocurricular activities.

• CAJ offers private music lessons. These lessons are coordinated by staff members, and fees are paid through the school or on a private basis, depending on the contract status of the teacher.
  • Students may also arrange to rent an instrument for an additional cost.
  • Lessons are given for most band instruments, stringed instruments, piano, and voice.
  • Practice rooms are available by arrangement with the music coordinator.
• Students who wish to use any of the facilities in the auditorium need a staff sponsor who is in the building. Arrangements must be made ahead of time.
• Families may apply for music lessons by logging in to the Knights Portal and filling out a Music Lesson Application on the School Forms page.

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Multiple Overnight Tour and Tournament Schoolwork Policy

Multiple overnight (more than two consecutive nights) tour and tournament schoolwork policy (where not all students from a grade or class are attending).

Policy

• 30% of the work due or assigned while they are gone completed before the student leaves plus any assignments completed that have due dates before they leave. Teachers are responsible to have this work ready for them two weeks before the event. Students are responsible for collecting this work from the academic office at the designated time and getting it turned in. Late penalties for this work will accrue while the student is gone.
• 30% while at the tournament/event. This will be due the day they return to school. Teachers are responsible to have this work ready for students one week before they leave so students have the option of working ahead of the required schedule. Students must collect this work from the teacher and are responsible for getting it turned in on time.
• 40% completed within either (A) five days or (B) a time equal to the number of days of school they missed (whichever is less) of their return (in addition to keeping up with work assigned after they return). Students are responsible for collecting this work from the teacher (web page/ical/responsible peer/or in person) as soon as they return and turning it in by the appropriate date.

Exceptions:

1. PE, music, and participation classes (some electives) where the expectation of what to make up and how is clearly indicated do not need to provide the form.
2. Some math and science classes where knowledge is built directly on top of what they are learning now may require the student to do the work while at the event and immediately after. This will be indicated on the form. Students are responsible for planning for this in their schedule and may want to work ahead in other classes to make more time at the event for these classes.

Student responsibilities:

1. To be proactive in gathering assignments and making sure they understand the expectations for each.
2. To turn all work in by the deadlines without being asked or accept the late penalty consequences.
3. To come to study sessions on time and prepared to work, and to not be a distraction to others.
4. To bring enough work for the time allowed. When homework is completed, students may do independent reading, Bible study, sketching, journaling, etc.

Teacher responsibilities:

1. To plan coursework in such a way that assignments with clear directions and expectations can be given out in advance according to the schedule. Teachers may elect to give all or most of the assignments at the first teacher deadline (two weeks before the student leaves). If they do so, they should make very clear which work needs to be turned in by each student deadline.
2. To work with the students to develop a procedure (handouts, assigned note-taker, access to multimedia materials, etc.) whereby they can compensate for missed lectures, presentations, in class work, etc.
3. To make sure that the homework assignments the students are to complete while at the event are practical (i.e., not research or project based that require resources that may not be available).
4. To consistently hold all students accountable to the deadlines.
5. To make sure the work load is fair and equitable in relation to those students who do not attend the event.
6. To make sure assignments are turned into the office on time.

Athletic Director or Fine Arts Coordinator responsibilities:

1. To make sure that adequate facilities and scheduling are provided to ensure students have adequate time and resources to complete assigned homework.
2. To make sure that coaches/tour leaders are fully informed of their responsibilities and expectations.
3. At the conclusion of each event, to evaluate the success of leaders and students in meeting this policy. Report to the high school principal and plan for future events based on this evaluation.

Coach, director (or...) and chaperone responsibilities:

1. To communicate with students about expectations and the facilities available.
2. To monitor study times in such a way as to make them productive. To adjust study times as necessary when schedules change and to ensure that, at a minimum, the total homework time allotted for the event is available to students (some days more or less time may be available depending on game schedules).
3. To report to the athletic director about the facilities and quality of the study experience.
4. To report to the high school principal students who were consistently off task or who were an ongoing distraction to others.

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Tournaments, Varsity Sport

• High school athletic teams generally participate in a tournament.
  • Far East tournaments are held for volleyball, basketball, and soccer.
  • Some teams are not invited to Far East tournaments, which are U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) tournaments held on military bases in the Pacific region. As a result, CAJ works to participate in alternative competitions.
  • Such competitions, for teams which used to attend Far East tournaments, are held for tennis, cross-country, wrestling, and track.
• Tournaments often mean that student athletes and coaches will be absent from school for several days at the end of a particular sport season.
  • Team members with poor academic records or disciplinary issues may be denied the privilege of going with the team to the tournament.

Financing

Please refer to the Annual General Tuition Fee Schedule
General Fee Schedule is available as a PDF download.

Activity Attendance

Activity Attendance

Lettering

Lettering in a sport or fine arts activity is both an award and an honor. It is an award because the student must meet certain requirements in order to receive it. It is an honor because it is bestowed upon the student by an advisor or coach. Neither awards nor honors are given upon demand. Students need to understand that no system is perfect and that bestowing letters is ultimately a subjective act. The goal in giving letters is to recognize diligence and excellence.

Athletics

General Requirements: To receive a JV pin or Varsity letter or pin in any sport, athletes must: Maintain eligibility for the entire season Maintain 100% attendance at all practices and games unless excused by the coach Demonstrate the motivation, positive attitude, effort and coachability appropriate with being a member of a team Meet requirements of the individual sport or be recommended by the coach to receive a letter. Specific requirements for individual sports can be found in the athletic handbook.

Fine Arts Lettering

Music, drama (including light & sound/speech/debate/liturgical dance, visual arts, literary arts. To receive a letter in any fine art, students must Maintain eligibility Maintain 100% attendance at all practices and events unless excused by the supervisor Exhibit effort, motivation, and a positive attitude Meet the requirements of the individual category or be recommended by the supervisor Specific requirements for individual fine arts activities are listed on the application form which is available on the CAJ website (see caj.or.jp/....) The application process begins in May of each year.

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Sunday Activities

In order to preserve our witness as a Christian institution, to support families involved in their churches and ministry, and to support the concept of sabbath keeping (a time set aside), CAJ does not generally allow or schedule student events on Sundays nor are staff required to work on Sundays (other than security and emergencies).

• Exceptions are made for:
  • Ministry opportunities including performances by music ensembles
  • Unavoidable travel conflicts (most commonly with sports tournaments - see athletic handbook)
  • The senior international service trip which includes a weekend (includes a worship component on Sunday)
  • Some retreats approved individually by the divisional principal (retreats must include a worship component)

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