Most students know about lettering in sports, but what many don’t know is that these letters can also be given in academics. Every year, the school honors the students who have achieved a 4.0 weighted GPA in their classes the previous year with an awards ceremony.
The ceremony, which took place on November 14, was attended by 446 students in grades 10-12. All of the counselors and the sub school principals from grade 10-12 were in attendance, as well as Principal Dan Meier, who spoke to the students and parents that attended the ceremony. Director of Student Services, Donna Piscitelli, read off the names of all the students who came up to receive their award.
The ceremony has been going on “for years” according to Counselor Kirsten Wiley, who remembers the ceremony taking place when she went to school here. Meier said he’s attended every academic letter ceremony that’s taken place during his time as principal, however the exact starting year for this event is unknown due to it’s long history. However, there has been a key change to the awards requirements.
The requirements use to be a 3.8 GPA, but when the grade scale changed a few years ago, the requirements for the award changed as well in order to reflect upon the grade scale change.
The standards for the award aren’t for the county or the nation; they’re just for the school. “Other schools in the county might do the same thing-but the decision to give out the letter for academia (and its requirements) was our own” Meier said.
The award, which is a Chenille letter, is given to first year recipients along with the ‘Lamp of Knowledge’. “After they receive the lamp their first year, the students receive a bar to put under the lamp every year they get this award” Wiley said.
This year, the school had 161 sophomores receiving the award for the first time, 66 juniors receiving for their second time, and 94 seniors receiving for their third time, as well as a total of 91 juniors and seniors who were receiving for their first time. There were also 37 seniors receiving for their second time.
“We should be known as a great academic institution that just happens to do other things well. It’s about academics first, and if we’re giving letters to sports, shouldn’t we give it to students who excel in academics as well? Meier said.
