With the end of high school careers approaching soon for the class of 2013 students and the 2012-2013 school year coming to a close, administrators and teachers came together to hand out year-end awards.

    To begin the celebration of student achievements was Ritenour‘s annual Golden “R” Awards on April 10. The Golden “R” is an award given to any senior who has held a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher for consecutive seven semesters.

    Students also had the privilege of honoring a teacher or mentor of their choosing at the ceremony. These teachers or mentors received the Star Teacher Certificate presented to them by the student.

    “I believe that the Star Teacher award is the most important award you can receive as a teacher or administrator. Sure, all the others are important too, but the Star Teacher Award shows that all the effort you’ve put into students and teaching hasn’t gone as unnoticed as we teachers often begin to believe it has. It shows you made a difference in the very place you wanted it to,” Activities Director Jerry Nolen said.

    Along with the Golden “R” and Star Teacher awards, Academic Awards were also presented. The Academic Award was given to any student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    All award winners were given a big “R,” but receivers of the Golden “R” award were also given a sliver pin to put on their “R”s. Both were celebrated in the Ritenour auditorium with friends and family, and with refreshments after the event.

    The second celebration of students was the Presidents Education Award. This ceremony and banquet took place on April 15 in the Ritenour auditorium.

    To be eligible for the Presidential Award, students must have been a senior with a 3.5 or higher GPA throughout high school, and have scored in at least the eighty-fifth percentile in either reading or overall on the ACT.

    The seventeen students acknowledged were given a plaque signed by the president of education, plus a pin and formal letter from President Barack Obama.

    “The President’s Education Award to me is another special element that adds to the value of what can be given to one when they work hard and strive for excellence,” Principal Anthony Robinson said.

    Lastly in the celebration of students was the Choice Awards. The Choice Awards took place on May 7 at the RHS auditorium from 6 to 7 PM.

    Each teacher honored a student they felt had made a great improvement or had made positive choices in their academic or personal life.

    The Choice Awards were sponsored by the Renaissance Program with head teacher Tavonda Palmer and Denise Schindler, and were coordinated by junior Leadership students Chanel Cooper and Jasmine Robles.

    Winners of the Choice Award received a medal to wear to school the next day.

    “Choice Awards acknowledge those who may have been overlooked from time to time for doing what they’re supposed to do. Students need to know that someone is watching and someone does appreciate their hard work,” Schindler said.