Schools

Francis Howell North Class of 2011 Celebrates Achievement

Class president Chris Zerr tells graduates to keep writing their stories.

The Francis Howell North class of 2011 is the highest performing class academically in the history of the school district, Superintendent Pam Sloan told the group during the graduation ceremony held Saturday at the St. Charles Family Arena.

As a group, the students raised the school's average ACT score to 22.8 from 22.5 in one year-a difficult feat. Nearly 240 graduates earned above a 3.0 grade point average and 60 of those students earned above a 4.0 GPA. Although they have accomplished much, their education is not complete, she said.

"You and your classmates will be called to continue your education," she said. "That's a good thing. It wards off early dementia and keeps the synapses firing."

Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mike Sommer, president of the board of education, told the class that they have many opportunities for success.

"Education continues daily," he said. "Life is a continuous learning experience."

Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Facts about the Francis Howell North Class of 2011:

  • 160 seniors participated in the A Plus program.
  • 237 students graduated with a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • 60 students graduated with a 4.0 or higher
  • 39 students graduated Cum Laude, which means they earned a 27 or higher on the ACT, had 24 credits, including three years of math and science and four years of history and English.
  • 8 students graduated Magna Cum Laude, which means they met the requirements for Cum Laude and had a 4.0 to 4.19 GPA.
  • 25 students graduated Suma Cum Laude, which means they met the requirenments for Cum Laude and earned a 4.2 GPA or higher.
  • 15 students earned the Bright Flight scholarship, by scoring a 31 out of 36 on the ACT.
  • Three students had perfect attendance in high school. They were awarded a $250 scholarship.
  • 89 percent of graduates said they planned to attend a two or four-year college or university.
  • 2 percent of graduates planned to attend a technical school.
  • 5 percent of graduates planned to seek employment.
  • 3 percent of graduates planned to join the military.
  • The class earned more than $6 million in scholarships.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from St. Charles