Awarding Excellence

By: Caden DePietro

     The Academic Booster Club (ABC) is hosting the 8th Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on May 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Mountain High School Auditorium for students who have gone above and beyond in their academics. All invited students and their guests are welcome.

     Eight years ago, the ABC at Red Mountain set up the first high school awards ceremony in Mesa Public Schools that honors all high school grades, freshmen, sophomores and juniors and seniors. Karen Hoopes, a member of the awards assembly has been with ABC since it started, served as the President for three years and is once again taking on the role of president.

     “We felt that as the Academic Booster Club we needed to organize an assembly, so that our students had something to look forward to each year,” said Hoopes.

     ABC is made up of parents who work closely with the school and Dr. Slemmer to help plan and coordinate events to acknowledge both students and teachers at Red Mountain. Throughout the year, ABC sells Jamba Juice and Kokopelli bagels to help raise money. In addition Red Mountain contributes funding to support the cause.

     “Every year, Dr. Slemmer has used funds to help fund this expensive event,” said Hoopes. “We are so grateful for his support.”

     There are a number of awards given at the ceremony. Last year over 200 awards were handed out.

     The four awards students receive at the Awards Assembly are Department awards, given to two students from all four grades in each subject department, Top 20 GPA awards for sophomores and juniors (freshmen do not have rankings so they cannot receive this award), GPA awards that honor all seniors with a GPA of 4.0 or higher with certificates and letters or pins, and the HOBY award, which is given out from the Counseling Department.  In addition to these awards, the day after the award ceremony each homeroom gives out GPA awards for 3.75 and higher to all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors along with awards for perfect attendance. 

     “All Red Mountain students who work hard are eligible for these awards,” said Hoopes. “This is an assembly to recognize those students who have worked hard and kept their grades up.”

     Students will be contacted in April through letters to their parents at home as well as in their homeroom.

     “If there is a senior that knows he has a 4.0 from his December report card, or if a student in 10th or 11th [grade] knows they are in the Top 20, they would know they are being invited,” said Hoopes.

     Students who are invited are strongly encouraged to come and join the celebration. Thanks to the dedicated parents of ABC, Dr. Slemmer and Red Mountain High School, students in every grade will be commended for their success.