By Monica Witzman and Lillie Zablocki
On Monday, Nov 19, qualifying students from Atlantic High School were invited to attend academic night. Academic night is held every November for junior and senior students receiving a letter based on their academic achievements. The event was held in the commons and hosted by counselors Mrs. McCue and Mr. Fredin. There were 37 students total that were invited to academic night and received a letter. When a students name was announced, the student was given a certificate and a letter or insert. Students lined up in alphabetical order as they were congratulated for their accomplishments.
Juniors Leah Tjepkes and Brooke Fletcher both attended and received letters. Students both agreed that the meeting was short and sweet, lasting under 20 minutes. Brooke Fletcher said that she felt earning her letter was a good accomplishment. “I’m glad that our school is able to recognize my academic work,” said Tjepkes. Both students have received other letters for sports, but they feel the academic letter is still important. “It shows my individual strength in academics and it proves that our school cares about academics,” said Tjepkes. Both students gave advice for students wanting to earn a letter. They said that by working hard in all of their classes and taking each class seriously, it should be possible for a student to earn a letter.
The purpose of the letter is not only to motivate students to be successful in school, but it also gives students a chance to earn a letter in other extracurricular activities, such as sports. Mrs. McCue said it is a chance for students to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work. To earn a letter, a student must earn a number of points. Each student earns points for each final grade they receive. If a student earns an ‘A’, they score two points. A ‘B’ earns two points, and a ‘C’ earns zero points. If a student scores lower than a ‘C’, they lose points. A ‘D’ subtracts one point and an ‘F’ takes away two points. To earn a letter, a student must accumulate 47 points in their first two years of high school according to the writings of Principal Heather McKay.
The list of students who were invited include: (juniors), Nick Barry, Justin Elem, Brooke Fletcher, Lisa Gearheart, Preston Hoye, Kristin Johnk, Tanner Lovell, Garrett McConnell, Maren McNees, Tye Nielsen, Meghan Plambeck, Wyatt Saeugling, Evan Schuler, Sierra Smith, Michael Thomsen, Leah Tjepkes, Valerie Watson, Savannah Whetstone, Adam Wieser, Monica Witzman, Lillie Zablocki; (seniors), Jake Auerbach, Sam Bateman, Dalton Franken, Libby Gifford, Harrison Hough, Stuart Hoegh, Emily Jacobsen, Frankie Jones, Cody Juelsgaard, Sam Markham, Jordan Mauk, Kaley Miller, Ben Nelson, Josh Schorle, Caroline Trewet, and Bryce Wernimont.