I ncoming freshmen will be aiming for categories of distinction rather than official class rank.

There will be three levels of distinction for graduation: Suma, Magna, and Cum Laude. Suma will include students with GPAs of a 4.0 or higher. Magna requires GPAs of 3.75-3.99, and Cuma Laude will require GPAs of 3.5-3.74. The idea is that students will work harder to climb into a higher level of distinction rather than slack off because they do not think they could ever reach a Top 10 or Top 20.

“This all actually started with our former principal, Mr. Garrison, who wanted to see this change happen because he wanted to see more students awarded for hard work in a sense,” Mrs. Alison Bonham, Quality Council chairperson, said.

Honoring students is what matters the most to Principal Michael Gasaway.

“This system would allow more students to be recognized at the end of the year banquets as well as graduation ceremonies,” Mr. Gasaway said.
Current GHS students will not be affected.

“The incoming 8th graders are the first students to move through the levels of distinction. So it will be four years before their graduation ceremony,” Mr. Gasaway said.
Mrs. Bonham compared the current ranking system to the new one.

“If we were to use the new system it allow us to recognize 13 more students than our usual 20. It basically means that there would be 33 students who made it to the Suma level of the system,” Mrs. Bonham said.

More opportunities are arising for GHS students.

“With our current status of rankings, we will still be having a valedictorian and salutatorian who will be our speakers at graduation. Our speaker, while academically successful, might not always represent our most rounded individual of being a Woodman. So, we will be having applications for other speaking positions, and there would be minimum qualifications for applying to speak,” Mr. Gasaway said.