High school to change grading scale

Bill San Antonio

Five Manhasset seniors with perfect 4.0 grade point averages were named the valedictorians of this year’s graduating class, though school officials say the trend of multiple honorees isn’t expected to continue after this year.

That’s because Manhasset High School will be switching to a weighted numerical grading scale starting in the 2013-14 school year, Manhasset High School principal Dean Schlanger said, with each course given a level of difficulty.

“The likelihood of having kids with the same GPA would be far less than it is now,” Schlanger said.

Schlanger said the school re-examined its grading policy earlier this year and instead of determining the valedictorian and salutatorian at the end of junior year, the grading period will extend through the first semester of senior year, the seventh in a high schooler’s curriculum.

“We feel it would raise the stakes a bit and increase the merit of senior year,” Schlanger said. 

Nicholas Fiacco, Jennifer Juliano, Eva Lewandowski, Alexandra Lynn and Emily Markham each finished with 4.0 grade point averages, and will say a few words to their classmates at graduation under what Schlanger called “one umbrella of an overarching theme, a speech that is inter-connected to some degree.”  

The class’s salutatorians, Christopher DiPreta and Matthew Tan, will also speak. 

“It’s worked in the past and is part of our culture at Manhasset, but we’ve thought to make a change to tighten up a little bit,” Schlanger said. “The change is really just us re-examining our own practices.”

Fiacco, who will study biochemistry at Dartmouth College, is a member of the school’s National Honor Society, English, math and Spanish honor societies and serves as the Science Honor Society’s secretary and debate team captain.

He was also an Intel semifinalist, Siemens semifinalist, National Merit Scholarship finalist, AP scholar with distinction, was a NYSSMA Level 6 piano player, earned scholar athlete honors with the school’s varsity soccer program and played varsity baseball as well.

Juliano, who will attend Cornell University, is a member of the school’s National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and Italian Honor Society, as well as an AP scholar with honors.

She is also the co-founder of the school’s LOV3ARTH initiative to raise awareness about global warming and participated on the crew team, key club, green club and nutrition club. 

Lewandowski, who will study public policy and economics at Princeton University, is a member of the school’s National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, AP scholar with honors and was a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship. 

Lewandowski was the captain of the cross country team, a scholar athlete while a member of the varsity track team, participated in student government and volunteered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in addition to earning bronze and silver awards as a member of the Girl Scouts.

Lynn, who plans to study astrophysics and Norwegian at the University of Chicago, is a member of the National Honor Society, Art Honor Society, English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

She was also a student senate representative and participated in the school’s Model United Nations program, in addition to her work as a peer responder with Best Buddies, a non-profit which works with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Markham, who plans to study biology at Yale University, is a member of the school’s English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and is the National Honor Society’s historian. 

She was an Academic All-American lacrosse player, was the varsity soccer captain, for which she was commended with All-Conference honors and competed on the school’s varsity track and basketball teams. 

Markham was also a member of the school’s green club and won the Girl Scouts Silver award.

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