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Guidelines for Parent Support

Posted: Jun 17, 2022


PDF - Guidelines for Parents Support

 J-Hawk Apparel

The Urbandale Booster Club will provide three purchasing opportunities throughout the school year for students and families to purchase J-Hawk apparel. 

In the event that teams wish to coordinate additional purchases, the following guidelines must be followed:

  1. Logos and marks may be used only with the permission of the Activities Director.
  2. When using Urbandale logos and marks (including the terms Urbandale [in reference to the HS or MS],Urbandale [followed by the sport], J-Hawks, etc.), the J-Hawk, and/or the Split U, graphics must be printed on apparel that is white, royal, navy, red, black, or gray.  Other variations of these colors may be used with approval.
  3. Logos and marks must be used as outlined in the logo guidelines.  For vendors that are unfamiliar or inexperienced with the logos and marks of the District, additional approval may be required.

Banquets

  • It is the option of each athletic team to provide a banquet following the completion of their sport season to honor participating athletes.  Sport banquets should be near the end or shortly after the completion of the season. 
  • The Urbandale Community School District may provide facilities for the event if needed but will not be responsible for debts incurred in the preparation of the banquet. 
  • Head coaches must inform the Activities Director of their intent to hold a banquet and a date should be selected to avoid conflicts with other activities.
  • The Head Coach should contact parents to involve them in the organization of the banquet. 
  • If a potluck is held, the following disclaimer must be included on the invitation and must be posted during the event:  “Urbandale Public Schools will not be held responsible for any illness due to the potluck meal.”
  • The Urbandale Booster Club will provide each sport $50.00 for the entire program (i.e. not money for 9th, 10th, V; just $50.00 for one banquet) for the purpose of conducting a banquet.  A reimbursement form, which can be found on the Booster Club Page of www.j-hawks.com, must filled out and submitted with an itemized receipt to the Activities Office to be reviewed and then passed onto the booster club treasurer for reimbursement.  Please plan on 2-3 weeks for a reimbursement check to be mailed once the form has been received by the activities office. 
  • No District funds will be used to support banquets.  Parents may collect money to offset the cost of items for the banquet; however, the mandatory collection of money from all students / parents to support the banquet and/or the purchase of gifts for students and/or coaches is prohibited.

Action Photography

 

Matthew Putney Media will provide action photography services to the J-Hawks in 2022-2023.  Matthew Putney may be contacted via his website:  https://matthewputney.photoshelter.com/index or by phone at (515) 480-4310 and e-mail at matthew.putney@me.com. 

To ensure the safety of those on our sidelines and those playing in the contest, we ask that spectators remain in the stands when wishing to take photographs.

 

Fundraising / Collection of Funds

All fundraising activities are coordinated by the Director of Activities and Community Education related to Activities.

It is important to note that coaches are not authorized to collect funds for any activity.  All collections are handled by the Activities Office.

 

Senior Night

Senior night activities will be coordinated through the Activities Office.  In general, the Activities Office will solicit information for the game program and coordinate the production of this item and the script for the announcer. 

Beyond that, any additional activities may be coordinated by parents.  No District funds or Booster Club funds will be used to support these activities.  Parents should coordinate needs related to tables and other items with the Activities Office prior to the event.

The mandatory collection of money from all students / parents to support Senior Night activities is prohibited.

 

Gifts to Coaches

Coaches are employees of the Urbandale Community School District.  Board Policy 231 addresses gifts to District employees.  It is summarized below:

A "gift" for purposes of this policy shall include anything of value in return for which legal consideration of equal or greater value is not given. However, the following gifts will not be prohibited:

(1) plaques or items of negligible resale value given as recognition for public services; or

(2) nonmonetary items with a value of $3.00 or less received from one donor during one calendar day.

This policy shall not prohibit District employees from receiving nonmonetary gifts from or on behalf of students or groups of students for special occasions such as holidays, retirement, end of sessions, or periods of illness, provided the gift is not of excessive value and is not given to influence the employee's judgment in professional or official matters, but rather is given as a token of appreciation. No employee shall accept a monetary gift (cash, gift card, etc.) from or on behalf of a student or group of students.

It shall be the policy of the District to encourage students and their parents to donate an item for the District or for a classroom or activity in lieu of donating gifts personally to an employee.

It is the intent of the Board that District officials and employees be extremely cautious and circumspect about accepting any gratuity, favor, or gift. The acceptance of personal benefits raises suspicions that tend to undermine public trust.

The mandatory collection of money from all students / parents to support the purchase of gifts for students and/or coaches is prohibited.

 

Gifts to Students

The intent behind participation should be that there is some value gained through participation that far exceeds the extrinsic need to provide a gift to students highlight their participation.

The mandatory collection of money from all students / parents to support the purchase of gifts for students and/or coaches is prohibited.  The IHSAA and the IGHSAU are registered organizations with the Iowa Department of Education and are subject to the Department’s rules as published in 281 Iowa Admin. Code, Chapter 36.  The critical rule that we are considering is 281 I.A.C. 36.14(3) dealing with awards for students who participate in interscholastic athletics.

  1. Awards from the student’s school.  A student will be permitted to receive only the customary ribbon or medal for participation in an interscholastic athletic contest.  A student will be allowed to receive from the student’s school, for participation in the interscholastic athletic program, an award whose value cannot exceed $50.00 (this was changed from $25.00 on May 25, 2011).  Nothing in this sub rule shall preclude or prevent the awarding and the acceptance of an inexpensive, unmounted, unframed paper certificate of recognition as an award, or an inexpensive table favor which is given to everyone attending a banquet.
  2. Awards for participation in school programs from other than the student’s school.  No student shall receive any award from an individual or outside organization for high school participation while enrolled in high school (to include parent and student collections for senior gifts), except that nothing in this sub rule shall preclude the giving of a complimentary dinner by local individuals, organizations, or groups, with approval of the superintendent, to members of the local high school athletic squad.  No student shall accept any trip or excursion of any kind by any individual, organization, or group outside the student’s own school or the governing organization, with the exception of bona fide recruiting trips that meet NCAA requirements.  Nothing in this sub rule shall preclude or prevent the awarding and the acceptance of an inexpensive, unmounted, unframed paper certificate of recognition as an award, or an inexpensive table favor which is given to everyone attending a banquet.
  3. Awards for participation in nonschool programs. If a student participates in an outside school activity during the school year, the student may not receive any award the value of which exceeds $50.00.  During the summer months, a student may enter an event in any sport as an individual or as a member of a team not representing the student’s school, subject to sub rule 36.15(6). If the student wins an award, the student may accept the award provided it does not violate the amateur award rule of the amateur sanctioning body for that sport.
  4. Absolute prohibition on cash or cash equivalent. At no time may any student accept an award of cash or cash equivalent.  A Gift Card is considered a cash equivalent.

 

The main points are that the district may give awards, such as plaques, medals or shirts for participation, medals for “most improved athlete,” or “best hustler,” etc., but the total value of all such awards and gifts must not exceed $50.00 for any participant per sport.  (An athlete out for more than one sport, for example volleyball and softball, could receive up to $50 for each sport.)  It is the responsibility of the Head Coach to ensure that the $50.00 limit is not exceeded.

In addition, as the rules state, “customary ribbons and medals” for a specific athletic contest may be given.  For example, an athlete could receive a medal or ribbon for each race they win at a track meet.  This does not count towards the $50.00 limit for awards from the district for participation.  In addition, the district can give an unframed paper certificate for participation and an inexpensive table favor (if all persons attending get the table favor).  Other items, such as T-shirts, may not be given for winning a contest to include internal awards for an outstanding performance. Therefore, if the District gives plaques or medals for participation (we are not talking about the medals for a specific contest)  instead of paper certificates, the total value of all plaques and medals and any other awards (such as a letter or team T-shirt) must not exceed $50.00 total for any student.  Items given by a coach are included as items from the District.

Also, note that outside groups, such as Booster Clubs or parent groups for the specific sport, may not give plaques or medals to athletes for participation or for being “the most improved athlete,” for example.  Outside groups may only give unmounted paper certificates and inexpensive table favors (if all persons attending the banquet receive one). 

Any violation of this policy may result both individual student and team / school penalties to include suspension from competition and post-season play.