Alpine Ontario would like to bring the following information to the attention of families with student-athletes entering Grades 9–12. As details of the new attendance policy continue to emerge, early communication with schools may help families better understand how the policy will be applied in their local board and school.
As many of you are aware, the Ontario Ministry of Education has announced a new attendance policy that may allow schools to include attendance as part of a student’s final grade. While details are still emerging, many families have expressed concern about how this policy may affect student-athletes who miss school due to training, racing, travel, and competition.
At this time, we encourage all families to proactively contact their schools, guidance counsellors, principals, and school boards to seek clarification on how the policy will be implemented and whether accommodations will be available for students participating in high-performance sport.
We believe it is important to recognize that athletic training and competition provide significant educational value. Student-athletes develop independence, time-management skills, resilience, goal setting, teamwork, self-advocacy, and responsibility. These experiences help prepare students for future success in post-secondary education, the workplace, and life.
Schools already recognize the educational value of school-based athletics, field trips, leadership opportunities, arts programs, and other experiential learning activities. We believe that organized sport outside of school should be viewed similarly when students are representing their clubs, regions, provinces, or country while continuing to meet their academic responsibilities.
We are not suggesting that attendance should be ignored. Rather, we support a model of accountability in which student-athletes communicate clearly with their teachers, remain up to date with coursework, complete all missed assignments, and write assessments promptly upon their return. Many families would welcome the opportunity to enter into a formal agreement with their school outlining expectations for communication, academic standing, and completion of missed work.
A student’s grade should reflect their mastery of curriculum expectations and demonstrated learning. Students who continue to meet academic expectations while participating in organized sport should not be academically penalized solely because their learning occasionally occurs outside the classroom.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of this policy, we encourage families to begin these conversations with their schools as early as possible. Early communication will help ensure that schools understand the unique circumstances of student-athletes and can develop fair and reasonable approaches that support both academic achievement and athletic development.
Please feel free to adapt this letter and its key points when communicating with your school regarding the implementation of the new attendance policy. We encourage families to approach these conversations as a partnership and to demonstrate their willingness to support accountability measures, including regular communication with teachers, maintaining academic standing, completing missed work, and, if requested, signing a learning agreement outlining these commitments.
This information was compiled with input from members of the Ontario ski community, including Stephanie Reingold (Glacier Ski Club Admin/Parent and owner of Reingold Tutoring).