By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
Morinville – Parents, grandparents and friends of current and past Morinville Community High School (MCHS) students packed the schools gymnasium Thursday night to watch Principal Vic Pederson, teachers and members of Morinville’s business community recognize the school’s academic achievers.
The 90-minute ceremony was a nonstop parade of students crossing the stage, shaking hands and accepting recognition for their high achievements in specific subjects or for their overall academic excellence.
MCHS acknowledged 22 recipients of Alexander Rutherford Scholarships, each personally congratulated by Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools trustees Cathy Proulx and Noreen Radford.
More than 12,000 Alberta students shared $26 million in Rutherford Scholarships in 2009-2010, a record year for the annual program named after Alberta’s first premier.
Students who maintain an average of 80 per cent or more in Grades 10, 11 and 12 are eligible for the maximum scholarship amount of $2,500. More than 60 per cent of Rutherford Scholarship recipients receive the maximum.
More than 200,000 Alberta students have benefited from the program since 1981, earning a total of more than $320 million in scholarships. In the past five years, funding for the Rutherford Scholarship has grown by 44 per cent and the number of students has increased by close to one-third.
Students who maintain an average between 75 and 80 per cent are also eligible for financial awards under the program.
In addition to the Rutherford Scholarships, dozens of awards and scholarships were handed out for English, math, sciences, photography, graphic design, trades and myriad other school programs.
