Latin Honors
What is the Latin Honor System?
The Latin Honor System is a traditional and ancient honors system used at colleges and universities throughout Europe and the United States. Increasingly, high schools are switching from class rank (valedictorian, salutatorian, top 10) to the Latin Honor System. The Latin Honor System has three distinct ranks, Summa Cum Laude (highest honor), Magna Cum Laude (second highest honor), and Cum Laude (third highest honor). Criteria for achieving recognition through the Latin Honor System based on cumulative gpa, community service, and a minimum 30 hour work internship for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Criteria for the Latin Honors System
Summa Cum Laude: 5.5 or higher cumulative gpa, 100 community service hours in high school, 30 hour internship, 90% attendance*;
Magna Cum Laude: 4.5 to 5.49 cumulative gpa, 100 community service hours in high school, 30 hour internship, 90 % attendance*;
Cum Laude: 3.9 to 4.49 cumulative gpa, 100 community service hours in high school, 30 hour internship, 90% attendance*.
Implementation Schedule
The class of 2020 would be required to complete 25 community service hours but would be required to meet all other benchmarks to qualify for Latin Honors;
The class of 2021 would be required to complete 50 community service hours but would be required to meet all other benchmarks to qualify for Latin Honors;
The class of 2022 would be required to complete 75 community service hours but would be required to meet all other benchmarks to qualify for Latin Honors;
The class of 2023 and all future classes would be required to complete 100 service hours and meet all other benchmarks to qualify for Latin Honors;
Service hours will be recorded and entered on the student’s official FHS transcript. Service hour forms must be returned to Mrs. Scott in the LMC;
The 2020 class will transition from traditional class rank to Latin Honors. The class of 2020 will be the last FHS class to have a valedictorian and salutatorian. However, qualify students will also receive Latin Honors. Latin Honors students will receive the following distinctions: 1) They will be eligible to wear a stole with the name of the honor at the FHS graduation as a sign of distinction; 2) as the student’s name is called on stage, they will be recognized, for example “John Smith, cum laude;” 3) the qualifying student’s FHS diploma will note Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Cum Laude.
Latin Honors Internship Handbook
Latin Honors Internship Fall 2021
Latin Honors Internship Spring 2022