Parent Cheerleading Meeting

1. Parent Cheerleading Meeting 2014-2015 Varsity, Junior Varsity, Middle School Teams

2. 2014-2015 PARENT MEETING Welcome Parents and Cheerleaders!!! Once again, Congratulations! We are very excited to start off this intense and rewarding year. We have a lot of wonderful things planned. To begin with, I would like to warn all of the cheerleaders and their parents; this year will be a lot of work. Our practices are intense, we expect our cheerleaders to practice hard, and have a great deal of dedication toward this team. "Nothing worthwhile is ever easy".

3. Meet the Coaches • Head Coach • Mrs. Elise Pisano • Cheered 17 years (All-starand School) • Coached 13 years (All-star, HS Varsity, HS Junior Varsity, Middle School) • Assistant Coach • Ms. Nadia Kuscevic • Danced 9 years • Cheered 5 years • Taught dance (elementary middle schools ) • Assistant Coach • Francesca Garcia • Cheered 6 years (All-star and School) • Coached 3 years (All-star and Middle School)

4. Team Selections • Middle School consists of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders only. • Junior Varsity consists of 9th and 10th graders only. • Varsity consists of 11th and 12th graders only. • Regulations to follow: • G.P.A. is maintained at 3.0 unweighted or better to perform or compete. • Cheerleader upholds all rules and regulations mandated by Cheerleading Constitution.

5. Team selections • In the new season, tumbling is required. • This is to remain competitive in our divisions. • A cheerleader may make the team on a probationary period or as an alternate until tumbling is acquired. • We will be attending gym practices to work on tumbling. This will be explained better in a few minutes.

6. Grades Competition is long, and time consuming; therefore, much time is spent practicing and it is the student-athlete’s responsibility to keep grades up to standard. In accordance to the FHSAA rules, all cheerleaders must maintain G.P.A, attendance, and age requirements to remain eligible to be a member of the team. • Once selected squad members must maintain an overall “B” average each quarter. Failing grades will not be tolerated. Cheerleaders must bring their report cards to their coach when distributed. One “F” will cause a cheerleader to sit out until the coach, parents, and teacher feel improvement has been made. • If the cheerleader’s G.P.A. drops to a “C” average they will be placed on probation until they raise their grade. • Cheerleaders are positive representatives of the Mater Academy Middle/High school community and are expected to exceed expectations academically, not simply meet them.

7. Summer Practices at School Varsity Junior Varsity Wednesday 9am – 12 noon Friday 9am – 12 noon MIDDLE SCHOOL • Tuesday • 9am- 12 noon • Thursday • 9am – 12 noon • Monday • 9am - 12 noon • Friday • 1pm - 4pm • All practices are mandatory! Only school excused absence reasons with proper documentation will be excused. • Gym practice schedule will be released as soon as it becomes available. These practices are also mandatory. • Tardiness to practice will result in a consequence by the cheerleader. • Closed practices- No siblings, parents, boyfriends/girlfriends, etc. are allowed at practice.

8. Practices • All practices are mandatory unless you have cleared an absence with the coach at least one day prior to the practice with a note from a guardian/parent. • Work is not to interfere with practices! • Any and all vacations should be taken before August, and around the summer practice schedule. • If a cheerleader is out due to vacation, he/she is at risk of becoming an alternate due to lack of practice time. • Conditioning is there to help keep the cheerleaders in shape so that when competition season begins, the team can move right into the more athletic side of cheer. Therefore, it is a mandatory part of practice. • Arriving late or leaving practice early will not be tolerated. • All practices are closed to the public, this includes family and friends.

9. Practice Policies A cheerleader must attend the last scheduled practice before an event in order to participate in that event. TARDINESS TO PRACTICE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Extra conditioning will be added as a consequence for the cheerleader’s tardy to practice and/or an event. Extra conditioning will be added in five minute intervals, and rounded up if the arrival time falls in between the intervals. Consistent tardy may result in probation, demotion to alternate, and/or dismissal from the team. Missing half the practice or more is equivalent to a missed practice. • Practice schedules will be announced well in advance so work schedules, appointments, family vacations, and personal obligations may be planned around practices. • After school tutoring and club meetings can be worked around, with prior notice and approval by the coach in advance. • Doctor and dentist appointments should be made around practice time when at all possible. • Absence coverage policy

10. Practice Policies Continued… In order to be eligible for competition the cheerleader must be present to all football and basketball games. The only acceptable absences will be those accepted by the school attendance policy, and with a signed parent and/or doctor’s note to the coach. • Cheerleaders with three unexcused absences will be dismissed from the team. • Two unapproved absences from practice will result in being benched for one game. Cheerleader must be present and in proper uniform while benched.

11. Practice attire • Cheerleaders are to wear the corresponding practice uniform. • A message will be sent out via one of our platforms the night before, as well as printed on our team calendars. • The coaches and/or captains will be responsible for contacting the team to relay the messages. • For practice cheerleaders must have on the correct uniform, practice cheerleading shoes and white no show socks (converse or similar shoes are not acceptable), all jewelry removed (coaches are not responsible for lost or stolen jewelry), • All hair must be picked up in a high pony tail with the correct bow. A braid may be added to the pony tail for long hair at practice only. Hair must be up before practice begins. • Not showing up to practice ready constitutes being out of uniform. • Being out of uniform will result in a consequence for the cheerleader. • Each cheerleader and their parent must sign up for the Remind101 for their corresponding team. • The coaches send out important reminders, updates, and information using this method. • The teams are to look uniform at all practices. The coaches will use Remind101 to remind cheerleaders what practice uniform to wear for each practice. • Cell phones: Cell phones are not part of the practice uniform. Parents please wait until the completion of practice to call or text your child. They will not be able to respond.

12. Choreography • Attendance is mandatory. • Our cheerleaders are expected to represent Mater Academy Middle/High in a respectful and appropriate manner. • Any other behavior will not be tolerated. • Dates will be given out for thison our team calendar.

13. Communication • E-mail • episano@materacademy.com or nkuscevic@materacademy.com • Remind 101 • Varsity Cheerleaders and Parents: • Text @24857 to (772)249-3656 • Junior Varsity Cheerleaders and Parents: • Text @coachpisanto (772)249-3656 • Middle School Cheerleaders and Parents: • Text @coachpisato (772)249-3656

14. Communication Continued… • GroupMe • Please e-mail me with your e-mail (the parent’s) as well as your child’s e-mail. • Download the free app to your phones. • Each cheerleader will be added to their correct group. • Please take time to do this before you leave tonight. • Instagram • Follow us: mater_cheer • Reminders and updates will be posted up on Instagram

15. Expenses at a glance • Uniforms • New uniforms for all teams • Bows • Used for competition and performances • Shoes • Used for everything • Practice Clothes • Every practice the team will match. Practice clothes consist of shorts, shirts, and a bow. • Music • For competition, we need a dj to make a mix for our routine. We split the fee between all the girls on the team. • Competition fees • This fee is the registration to enter the competition. • Warm Ups • Bag • A specific item list will be handed out with the final expenses as soon as all items and item prices are finalized.

16. Fundraising • There will be plenty of opportunities to fundraise for many of the things we will get this year. • There will be many fundraisers throughout the year as well as in the summer. • When all fundraisers are final, there will be a list sent out to all parents and cheerleaders.