Re: Entering Extra! Curricular Activities: Inter-ludes, Pre-cludes, and Pre-ludes.  

(A pause before the action)

The Pause Clause:  Those that are both written, unwritten, but implied, on behalf of all those who would consider either prior to, or on the tail end of an already long school days, stay "after hours" to participate in something extra! curricular. Whether as a participant, coach, or parent volunteer. It's important, if not critical, instrumental to the success of these various "programs" as well as in preventing "burnout" among participants, to pause before re-entering the school building, stepping back on to the school grounds. Sometimes this can simply take the form of going home and getting a 'power snack' (debatable what constitutes😋), knocking off a few assignments in order to not have this on your mind while participating...or in the context of a planned, written interval requirement on behalf of all (especially athletic) participants, a forced 'lay-off' in between two commitments -- such as the governing body of athletics at the state level which requiring a minimal pause between at least formal participation, while many continue to actively "condition" without their official coach present (with what constitutes "conditioning" versus actual "play" yet another ongoing debate). These categories, types of pauses, opportunities to refresh, take a brief break, are altogether different, at least in quality, than those that are...

Re-Strictly Speaking: Such as when a student has been re-stricted from the classroom, lunchroom, recess, held back, shown the exit door altogether which, in turn precludes them being able to be present for even the requisite "core curriculum", let alone anything of an extra! curricular type. These range from things a student has either done (as in "errors, acts of commission"), violations of the "Code of Conduct" (that few students commit to memory but many experience via 'trial and error')...or even not done (as in "errors of omission"), such as missing work, failure to get to class on time ("loitering" in the hallways or restrooms), not getting to school on time "tardy" and in a few cases, maybe not showing up at all, not being able to call out "present!" which has traditionally been termed "truant". Any combination of which, after the classroom teacher has exhausted their armamentarium of corrective actions, refers them to the school "administrators" for further action (usually, at the middle and high school levels, these students would find themselves face-to-face with the "assistant principal"😟😠, allowing the principal to occupy themselves with less trivial matters😔😉). And, even when a student has been sufficiently conforming, when they have maintained the "quality of conduct which promotes the best interests of the school..." there are yet a few details that have to be taken care of prior to even starting, even if they have done so before, some of which have to be re-done, some ongoing, which collectively make the student, aspiring participant...

"Deemed Eligible" While perhaps not "in shape"😞 (as in athletics), not "ready for prime time" (theatre, thespian types, musicians), at least they have met the minimal eligibility requirements for participation, at least for now, as in the present tense, this, after getting a sport physical and, if the districts' requirements super-cede those at the centralized, state level, maybe even involve a drug screen😟. And, after meeting the minimum academic requirements, at the beginning of a card marking, or at the time the extra! activity is to formally begin, this is not a "one and done" proposition, as weekly "progress reports" continue to govern the students' eligibility and, as coaches, directors, and advisors inform parents if they bothered to attend a "parent orientation", can also be super-ceded by parents' own expectations, some of which may "raise the bar" above the schools' minimum expectations. 

"After all is said and done": In this case, "after considering and doing everything" (to be eligible), after the pause, prior to re-entering the activity at hand, that which is deemed extra! curricular, some of you few who have lingered, hung around, waiting for the action to resume, those who would be party to a debate, consider the matter to be "resolved" -- those who have squared off, some on the side of the affirming statement "Let's play!" and the negators "Why bother going through so much extra! effort?" But what if, instead you are the ones planning the party, those who are trying to conceive of, sustain such an extra! curricular program?

Next: Counter-Intuitive Extra! Curricular Planners: Detention...suspension (?)