High School News
Our school system values excellence from our students. It only makes sense to
celebrate excellence achieved by our graduates. Excellence and achievement
are not cookie-cutter concepts. Students, parents, and staff have improved our
graduation system to recognize the many different forms of excellence. This
graduation system will recognize our graduates who achieve top levels during their
high school careers.
In an effort to encourage success for all students who choose rigorous, well-rounded
courses, West Platte High School will adopt the laude graduation system. Simply
put, students are able to earn achievement and honors distinctions based on their
success in their chosen high school courses.
We hold a strong belief that students should select courses based on educational
value and broad interest. Our graduates have a long tradition of extremely high
achievement in the classroom. The laude system celebrates the diverse range of
excellence amongst West Platte graduates.
Implementation: Class of 2017
Dr. Logan Lightfoot,
Principal
Laude Levels:
• Summa Cum Laude “With Highest Distinction”
o GPA: 4.0 and above
• Magna Cum Laude “With Great Distinction”
o GPA: 3.99-3.87
• Cum Laude “With Distinction”
o GPA: 3.86-3.75
“With Honors”
Graduates can earn with honors designation. Graduates earning this designation have demonstrated success
in West Platte’s most challenging courses. To earn with honors designation, a student must earn a minimum
GPA of 3.75 in no less than 7 semesters of weighted courses.
Valedictorian and Salutatorian
West Platte High School will continue to recognize the valedictorian and salutatorian in each graduating class.
Beyond these top two honors, no students will be assigned a class rank. The valedictorian will deliver the
student speech during commencement exercises.
HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK
West Platte hosted a Health Awareness Week for the high school
students April 11-16. There were facts about alcohol, marijuana,
and hookah around school and a Question of the Day competition.
Sgt. Taulbee from the Platte County Sheriff’s Department gave a
presentation to the high school students on April 13 about those
substances and the risks to the brain/body and legal ramifications
for use. Students were able to sign a pledge poster to be drug and
alcohol free, and all students who pledged were invited to participate
in a Sober Saturday Event, on April 16. The evening started with a
Scavenger Hunt in the outdoor classroom, where participants will
have to locate facts about the substances. The evening closed with
an outdoor movie on the new turf football field and door prizes.
High school students signing pledge
cards to stay drug and alcohol-free.
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