Friday Focus, May 24, 2017

PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

Runnels has always been the school for all races, religion, and national origins.

SPECIAL MID-WEEK FOCUS

High School Commencement Edition

Runnels E-Newsletter

from Head of School Marcia Mackay

Dear Runnels Family,

In this special high school commencement edition of the Focus: Congratulations, Graduates!; Valedictorian, Salutatorian and 4.0 Scholar Award Winners; Where Are They Headed Now?; "R" Award Winners Announced; "Lifers" Thank Parents with Roses; We Sincerely Thank; Kudos; Friendly Reminders; Commencement Ceremony Photo Album.

Congratulations, Graduates!

The Runnels Class of 2017 with commencement speaker Donnie Wilkinson, Senior Pastor of Broadmoor United Methodist Church. Rev. Wilkinson and his congregation graciously opened their church campus to us so grades 5-12 could hold classes there while our school rebounded from the August flood.

It seems fitting that this extraordinary year should yield an extraordinary group of seniors, and it has! We honored them and celebrated their many achievements at the 32nd Runnels High School Commencement Exercises held in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre on May 20, our first-ever Saturday afternoon ceremony.

Here are just a few "fun facts" (compiled by Assistant Principal Dana Schlotterer) about this wonderful collection of students:

Their average GPA is 3.51 and their average ACT score is 26 (as compared to the state average of 19.5 and the national average of 20.8). While most of them qualify for TOPS, 72 percent are eligible for one of the higher tiers of TOPS, with 48 percent qualifying for the highest level, the TOPS honors award, which requires a score of 27 on the ACT and a 3.0 core GPA.

Scholarship offers for our graduates, not including TOPS, hit the 3.5 million dollar mark! Eight of our seniors received six-figure scholarship offers.

Forty-one percent of the graduating class is composed of "Lifers," students who started at Runnels in the first grade or before, and 29 percent of the entire senior class graduated with honors.

READ MORE ABOUT SPECIAL AWARDS


"R" Award winners, from left, Micah Danos and Adam Howe.

"R" Award Winners Announced

The "R" Award is the highest honor presented to scholar-athletes in the senior class at Runnels. This year's recipients, Micah Danos and Adam Howe, were recognized at the 2017 Commencement Exercises. Selection is based on several criteria, including participation and achievement in sports during the senior year, high school GPA, participation in school clubs and other extra-curricular activities as a senior, plus overall character.

Micah was recruited to play softball for Millsaps College, where she received a President's Scholarship. Adam, a Cross Country champion, will attend the LSU Honors College on a Flagship Scholars Award, a College of Agriculture Deans's Fund Award, a Louisiana American Society of Sugar Cane Technology Award, and a TOPS Honors Scholarship.


Runnels "Lifer" Jasmine Felton thanks her parents, Mack and Tasha Felton, with a bouquet of roses. Jasmine has been at Runnels since first grade.

"Lifers" Thank Parents with Flowers

It's a tradition at Runnels for students who have been with us continuously since first grade or before to present roses to their parents at graduation. We affectionately call these students our "Lifers," and this year, we have 19 in the senior class. Three of these "Lifers" are National Merit Finalists and a full 89 percent are honor graduates!

We Sincerely Thank ...


From left: Rabbi Natan Trief, the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson and Dr. L.K. Runnels

... We extend our sincere thanks to six special guests who joined us at the commencement ceremony to give our 2017 graduates a fabulous send-off. Many thanks to Rabbi Natan Trief of Beth Shalom Synagogue, for offering the Opening Prayer; the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson of Broadmoor United Methodist Church, for delivering the keynote address; Founding Headmaster, Dr. L.K. Runnels, for being with us that day and introducing our keynote speaker; and musicians Gladys Runnels and Dan and Jennifer Cassin for providing the accompaniment to the "Alma Mater."


National Honor Society members, from left, Catherine Henning, Natalie Justus and Ally Garrity.

... We sincerely thank members of the Runnels Chapter of the National Honor Society for taking on host and hostess duties at the graduation ceremony. We also thank the organization's sponsors, Norma Marsh and Colleen LeBlanc, for their assistance.

... Big thank yous also go to Graduation Committee members Pamela Babcock, John Baird, Kenneth Copsey, Conchetta Foshee, Rita Haik, Leah Jordan, Neena Kelfstrom, Connie Point, Karen Rhinehart, Laura Roark, Rachel Scalf and Dana Schlotterer.

Kudos To...

Eagle Scouts ... Four members of the Class of 2017 have earned the distinction of becoming Eagle Scouts! Only 6 percent of Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle. Congratulations to our Eagles, Henry Forgey , Jarrett LaBonne , Christian Martin and Michael Martinez . In honor of their becoming Eagle Scouts, they wore red and blue cords at the graduation ceremony.

In photo: We have four Eagle Scouts among our graduates this year! They are, from left, Henry Forgey, Michael Martinez, Jarrett LaBonne and Christian Martin.