Joe Nathan column -- High school letters mean more than they once did. That’s good. A quick survey of about twenty-five Minnesota high schools found that they are recognizing a broad range of students’ accomplishments.
There was a time when many high schools gave letters only for participation in sports. About 15 years ago, I wrote a column about an intense controversy in a southern suburban community when a student recommended that her school award letters to students who excelled in academics. Several athletic coaches strongly disagreed.
Fortunately the school administration decided that the young woman was right. Giving a school’s letter means that a school is honoring a student’s accomplishments, whether in athletics, academics or arts.
It’s fine to awarding letters for athletic participation. But that should not be the only accomplishment that is recognized.
Vanessta Spark, director Elk River Spectrum (Charter) wrote, “The activities that students can letter at Spectrum High School are academic, community service, drama, music, and National Honor Society.”
Roman Pierskalla and Mr. Gustafson, the Rogers activity director responded that their students could earn a letter at Rogers High School in sports, DECA, Knowledge Bowl, National Honor Society, Math Team, Band, Choir, Student Council, Academic Letter, Weight Training, Speech, One Act Play, and Cheerleading.
Marco Voce, Principal at Zimmerman High School told me that “ ZHS students can get a letter for academics, NHS, Choir, Band, Strength and speed, media, Drum line, knowledge bowl, speech and all the sports we offer by ourselves or with Elk River High School. I believe that we have a procedure in place for making activities be for a letter.”
Pete Olsen, Princeton Principal wrote that students can earn letters in athletics, Band, Knowledge Bowl, Math League, Mock Trial and Speech. It is up to the activity advisor to create the criteria that results in a letter being awarded.”
Stephen Degenaar, principal at Apple Valley High School wrote, “There are many different letter opportunities for kids at AVHS, outside of the usual “athletic” track, for example: Academics, Club groups such as, Bowling, FCA, AVRM (Apple Valley Role Models), DECA, NHS, Student Council, and Soaring Eagles; Activity groups such as Theatre, Choir, Dance, Band, Chess, Mock Trial, Knowledge Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Robotics, Newspaper, Yearbook, etc.
Dave Helke, Burnsville High School principal says, “At Burnsville High School students can earn letters for more than just athletics. For example, they can earn an academic letter. They can also earn a letter for band, choir, theatre, chess, and other activities. You are correct in that there are many more opportunities for students to receive letter than in the past.”
Paulette Rikowski, Eagan High School principal explained, “In our district we have lettering policies at the high school level in nearly all activities – not just sports. I would believe that is true for most high schools. (Students can earn letters on) every academic team (Quiz Bowl, Knowledge Bowl, Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, Math League Team, Debate, Speech, Theatre, Vocal and Instrumental Music, Drumline, Newspaper, Yearbook, Literary Magazine). We also have club type activities which have lettering policies – they are very community service oriented groups and sometimes it takes more than one year to accumulate the hours of service to letter: SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Student Government, Unity Club, German Club, Spanish Club, French Club, Video Production Team, and others. All of those groups do community and school service projects and fundraising.”
John Wollerscheim, Rosemount principal told me that in addition to athletics, students at the school can earn a letter in “Band, Choice, Dance, Debate, Knowledge Bowl, Math Team, Speech and Theater.”
Neil Fletcher, activities director at Blaine High School wrote, “A vast array of extra-curricular activities have adopted lettering criteria for their programs. From various foreign language clubs, to robotics, to fine arts programs, to athletics, lettering criteria have been established. Any BHS extra-curricular activity may establish lettering criteria that is then approved by me. Students may also earn an academic letter based on academic achievements.
Dan DeBruyn, PACT Charter School director reports that the school “gives students the opportunity to earn a letter in: Academics, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Volleyball, Football, Dance Line, Basketball, Battlebots, Cross Country, Key Club (which is a service organization), Band, Choir, Theater, and Student Council.
Coon Rapids principal Jeff McGonigal explained that in addition to athletics, students can earn a letter through participation in Act Play, American Knowledge Bowl, Art Club, Band, BPA, Choir, Debate, DECA, Destination Imagination, Future Educators, French Club, German Club, HERO, HOSA, Native American Knowledge Bowl, National Honor Society, One Act Play, Orchestra, Spanish Club, Speech, Student Council, SMAC (much like Students against Drunk Drivers), and Theater.”
Steve Massey, Forest Lake principal, told me, “Students can letter athletics, fine arts, performing arts, and club participation such as student council and NHS. “ Massey also described an interesting requirement for students who want a letter in athletics: “Many of our athletic teams and clubs require service as part of their membership or participation. The students’ service hours are often factored in the calculation for letter. For example, to earn a letter in football, athletes must complete 30 hours of service during the season or the summer prior to the season."
Troy Anderson, Milaca principal wrote that Milaca High School students can earn a letter in athletics, "and Choir, Marching Band, Speech, One Act Play, Academics, Fall Play, Jazz Band, National Honor Society, Pep Band, FCCLA, FFA and Student Council."
Rush City High School administrator Kim Erdman explained that “Besides sports, our students can letter in ‘A Honor Roll,’ One-Act Play, All School Play, Choir, Jazz Band, Band, Speech and Yearbook.“
Pierz Superintendent George Weber wrote that “each organization, including sports are to present a process to grant a letter to our Activities Director so we have some degree of consistency across all activities. …There was a time where you did not receive the exact same style of letter or even could order the same style of letter jacket. …Now they are all identical.”
Responses from these about 10 other Minnesota high schools reflect wise decisions. Honoring students for a variety of accomplishments sends a clear, important message about what the school values.
There was a time when many high schools gave letters only for participation in sports. About 15 years ago, I wrote a column about an intense controversy in a southern suburban community when a student recommended that her school award letters to students who excelled in academics. Several athletic coaches strongly disagreed.
Fortunately the school administration decided that the young woman was right. Giving a school’s letter means that a school is honoring a student’s accomplishments, whether in athletics, academics or arts.
It’s fine to awarding letters for athletic participation. But that should not be the only accomplishment that is recognized.
Vanessta Spark, director Elk River Spectrum (Charter) wrote, “The activities that students can letter at Spectrum High School are academic, community service, drama, music, and National Honor Society.”
Roman Pierskalla and Mr. Gustafson, the Rogers activity director responded that their students could earn a letter at Rogers High School in sports, DECA, Knowledge Bowl, National Honor Society, Math Team, Band, Choir, Student Council, Academic Letter, Weight Training, Speech, One Act Play, and Cheerleading.
Marco Voce, Principal at Zimmerman High School told me that “ ZHS students can get a letter for academics, NHS, Choir, Band, Strength and speed, media, Drum line, knowledge bowl, speech and all the sports we offer by ourselves or with Elk River High School. I believe that we have a procedure in place for making activities be for a letter.”
Pete Olsen, Princeton Principal wrote that students can earn letters in athletics, Band, Knowledge Bowl, Math League, Mock Trial and Speech. It is up to the activity advisor to create the criteria that results in a letter being awarded.”
Stephen Degenaar, principal at Apple Valley High School wrote, “There are many different letter opportunities for kids at AVHS, outside of the usual “athletic” track, for example: Academics, Club groups such as, Bowling, FCA, AVRM (Apple Valley Role Models), DECA, NHS, Student Council, and Soaring Eagles; Activity groups such as Theatre, Choir, Dance, Band, Chess, Mock Trial, Knowledge Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Robotics, Newspaper, Yearbook, etc.
Dave Helke, Burnsville High School principal says, “At Burnsville High School students can earn letters for more than just athletics. For example, they can earn an academic letter. They can also earn a letter for band, choir, theatre, chess, and other activities. You are correct in that there are many more opportunities for students to receive letter than in the past.”
Paulette Rikowski, Eagan High School principal explained, “In our district we have lettering policies at the high school level in nearly all activities – not just sports. I would believe that is true for most high schools. (Students can earn letters on) every academic team (Quiz Bowl, Knowledge Bowl, Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, Math League Team, Debate, Speech, Theatre, Vocal and Instrumental Music, Drumline, Newspaper, Yearbook, Literary Magazine). We also have club type activities which have lettering policies – they are very community service oriented groups and sometimes it takes more than one year to accumulate the hours of service to letter: SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Student Government, Unity Club, German Club, Spanish Club, French Club, Video Production Team, and others. All of those groups do community and school service projects and fundraising.”
John Wollerscheim, Rosemount principal told me that in addition to athletics, students at the school can earn a letter in “Band, Choice, Dance, Debate, Knowledge Bowl, Math Team, Speech and Theater.”
Neil Fletcher, activities director at Blaine High School wrote, “A vast array of extra-curricular activities have adopted lettering criteria for their programs. From various foreign language clubs, to robotics, to fine arts programs, to athletics, lettering criteria have been established. Any BHS extra-curricular activity may establish lettering criteria that is then approved by me. Students may also earn an academic letter based on academic achievements.
Dan DeBruyn, PACT Charter School director reports that the school “gives students the opportunity to earn a letter in: Academics, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Volleyball, Football, Dance Line, Basketball, Battlebots, Cross Country, Key Club (which is a service organization), Band, Choir, Theater, and Student Council.
Coon Rapids principal Jeff McGonigal explained that in addition to athletics, students can earn a letter through participation in Act Play, American Knowledge Bowl, Art Club, Band, BPA, Choir, Debate, DECA, Destination Imagination, Future Educators, French Club, German Club, HERO, HOSA, Native American Knowledge Bowl, National Honor Society, One Act Play, Orchestra, Spanish Club, Speech, Student Council, SMAC (much like Students against Drunk Drivers), and Theater.”
Steve Massey, Forest Lake principal, told me, “Students can letter athletics, fine arts, performing arts, and club participation such as student council and NHS. “ Massey also described an interesting requirement for students who want a letter in athletics: “Many of our athletic teams and clubs require service as part of their membership or participation. The students’ service hours are often factored in the calculation for letter. For example, to earn a letter in football, athletes must complete 30 hours of service during the season or the summer prior to the season."
Troy Anderson, Milaca principal wrote that Milaca High School students can earn a letter in athletics, "and Choir, Marching Band, Speech, One Act Play, Academics, Fall Play, Jazz Band, National Honor Society, Pep Band, FCCLA, FFA and Student Council."
Rush City High School administrator Kim Erdman explained that “Besides sports, our students can letter in ‘A Honor Roll,’ One-Act Play, All School Play, Choir, Jazz Band, Band, Speech and Yearbook.“
Pierz Superintendent George Weber wrote that “each organization, including sports are to present a process to grant a letter to our Activities Director so we have some degree of consistency across all activities. …There was a time where you did not receive the exact same style of letter or even could order the same style of letter jacket. …Now they are all identical.”
Responses from these about 10 other Minnesota high schools reflect wise decisions. Honoring students for a variety of accomplishments sends a clear, important message about what the school values.
Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change at Macalester College. Reactions welcome, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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