Welcome to Independent Tribune Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

independenttribune.com - Independent Tribune

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Hickory Ridge celebrates statewide high school honor

Photo by James Nix

Hickory Rdige students and faculty applaud during an academic pep rally in honor of the school being named a Honor School of Excellence by the North Carolina Board of Education Thursday afternoon.

By Jessica Groover | Independent Tribune

Published: October 30, 2009

HARRISBURG — A member of the state board of education encouraged students and staff at Hickory Ridge High School on Thursday to tell it on the mountain and all over Cabarrus County about their latest accomplishment.

In an educational pep rally, the school celebrated earning the state's top distinction, as an Honor of Excellence school, during the 2008-09 year. Four traditional high schools in the state earned that last year.

Schools who earn this are ones that have 80 percent or more students who perform at or above grade level on state end-of-grade and end-of-course tests and exhibit academic growth at an expected or greater level.

Hickory Ridge had 90.6 percent of its students perform at or above grade level.

For that, Chris Greene, member of the state board of education, encouraged the students to tell people about their accomplishments, because she said teenagers were not often recognized for positive news.

"My friends say, 'Teenagers are like airplanes,'" Greene said. "'We never read about them until they crash.' Folks, I'm asking you to tell it on the mountain."

Before Greene presented the school with a banner, the students and staff celebrated their accomplishment with music, cheering and a relay where teachers and their pupils "passed the knowledge," with an inflatable globe.

The pep rally was the first that celebrated academics and not athletic events, students and faculty said.

"It's great to go to a school that recognizes something other than athletics," said Tyler Stevenson, a sophomore. "I look forward to hopefully getting another banner next year."

Principal Dan Meehan said his hope for next year is to increase the percent of students who perform at or above grade level on the state tests even more. For this year's accomplishment, he attributed the high expectations for students and teachers.

"I am extremely excited and proud of our staff and students," Meehan said. "Our staff and parents are really involved, and our staff works extremely well together."

• Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152