Wednesday, December 27, 2023 • Vol. 16 No. 16 • FREE
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Community News from Middlefield, Parkman, Huntsburg and Surrounding Areas
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Middlef ield Cardinal Schools May Change to Latin Honor System in 2026 By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com Cardinal High School Principal Paul Geryez proposed Dec. 13 eliminating the traditional valedictorian-salutatorian graduating class structure in favor of the cum laud system used at the post-graduate level. Beginning with the class of 2026, the district curriculum committee recommended ranking graduating seniors as summa cum laude (grade point average of 4.2 or better), magna cum laude (GPA of 3.91 to 4.19) and cum laude (GPA 3.6 to 3.9) to minimize unhealthy competition, Geryez said. “That’s key,” he said. “All honors are based on the students’ GPA as compared to a standard of excellence rather than competition for the highest GPA.” The top 10 graduating seniors with the highest GPAs were the only students recognized in the past, he said. “With the Latin honors system, we can honor more students who have excelled in the classroom,” Geryez said, adding all students with a GPA of 3.6 and higher would be honored. If that occurred in the classes of 2024 or 2025, more than twice as many graduates would be honored. Geryez said starting the Latin honors system in two years will avoid changing it for students in the classes of 2024 and 2025, who may have already chosen their class schedule, working toward that valedictorian position. In the race to become valedictorian, ambitious juniors and seniors often take classes that will give them higher GPAs rather than sign up for those subjects more interesting to them or more beneficial to them in the future, he said. That leads to the conclusion the weighting of classes — i.e. the grade point value of a class that affects a student’s GPA — needs to be adjusted, said Associate Principal Brian George. Cardinal High School students who qualify may take a College Cred-
ANN WISHART/KMG
Cardinal Athletic Boosters donate $49,266 from raffling a vehicle provided by Preston Auto to the Cardinal Schools Board of Education Dec. 13 to help cover pay-to-participate fees. Pictured are, from left, CBOE member Keith Strevens, Pat Preston, CAB members Erin Ruskiewicz and Sheena Davis, board members Linda Smallwood, Barb Rayburn, Kristin Klepper, Katie Thomas, Jennifer Miller and Superintendent Jack Cunningham.
it Plus American history class, which yields a grade point value of 5.0 for a grade of A, he said. The CCP biology class is weighted at 4.5. The curriculum committee plans to adjust the weighting of grades beginning next year if the change to the Latin honors system is approved, Geryez said. Numerous public high schools in the region, including those in the West Geauga, Kirtland and Chagrin Falls districts, have shifted to the Latin honors system, he said, adding CHS department staff said there are elective subjects they want to offer next year and will start scheduling students for classes in January. Superintendent Jack Cunningham said Geryez would reach out to families for feedback on the proposal. In other business, the board accepted a check for $49,266 from the Cardinal Athletic Boosters that was collected from a raffle for a pickup truck Preston Superstore of Burton donated. Cunningham said $43,000 would go toward covering athletic pay-to-participate fees and the board would be covering the remaining fees for the 2024-2025 school year. “After this year, our families
will no longer have pay-to-play fees. A lot of hard work has happened here and there and everywhere,” Cunningham said. “We think kids could be able to do whatever they want in extracurriculars.” He and the board thanked Pat Preston for his generosity and
admired the Kia vehicle Preston brought to the meeting and is donating for a raffle to help with athletic fees for the next school year’s pay-to-participate fees. “That has been the most talked-about thing since I’ve been at Cardinal. Awesome,” Cunningham said.
Domen Scores 1000
SUBMITTED
Troy Domen, left, scored his 1,000th career point against Crestwood Dec. 20. The senior, standing next to his head coach Kyle Deckerd, had 25 points in the 78-53 loss.
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