Decorah students combine athletics and fine arts activities with getting good grades

Decorah School District students continue to show a positive correlation between participating in school activities and having academic achievement.

Decorah High School Associate Principal and Activities Director Adam Riley has released the latest statistics regarding grades and participation in school activities. Riley notes the award criteria from the boys and girls athletic associations, as well as adding into the figures the grades of students in fine arts groups, and students who are involved in both types of activities.

For the third semester in a row, all 13 of the fall and winter activities sponsored by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union as well as Iowa High School Athletic Association at Decorah High School received academic recognition for their team GPA's. For each activity that receives an academic achievement award, Decorah High receives points that go towards the Iowa Challenge Cup Award given to schools in the state of Iowa that achieve in athletic competition as well as in the classroom.

According to Riley, "our overall participation numbers have continued to rise in our activities at Decorah High School. This is extremely exciting for us to see more students continue to be involved in so many of the activities that we offer and we can see true results in their accomplishments in the classroom."

Students in Activities – 458 (605 Students at DHS)

1st Semester 2009-2010 Extra/Co-Curricular GPA's

Athletics = 376 Students
Cumulative GPA--3.315

Fine Arts = 286 Students
Cumulative GPA--3.458

Athletics and Fine Arts = 204 Students
Cumulative GPA--3.538

Fine Arts programs:
Band--3.357 GPA (117 participants)
Orchestra--3.618 GPA (62 participants)
Speech/Drama--3.571 GPA (192 participants)
Vocal Music--3.551 GPA (144 participants)

Girls athletic programs:
Girls Volleyball--3.411 GPA (64 participants)
Girls Cross Country--3.601 GPA (74 participants)
Girls Swimming--3.484 GPA (23 participants)
Girls Basketball--3.575GPA (46 participants)
Cheerleading (Bball)--3.239 GPA (14 participants)
Cheerleading (Fball)--3.176 GPA (17 participants)
Cheerleading (WR)--3.148 GPA (12 participants)

The Iowa Girls Athletic Union has given its "Distinguished Achievement in Academics Award" to the Decorah girls cross country squad, with the other four girls teams winning the "Excellence in Academic Achievement Award."

Boys athletic programs:
Football--3.138 GPA (114 participants)
Boys Cross Country--3.601 GPA (52 participants)
Boys Basketball--3.385 (48 participants)
Wrestling--3.003 GPA (43 participants)
Boys Swimming--3.17 GPA (16 participants)

The Iowa Boys Athletic Association has given its "Distinguished Achievement in Academics Award" to the boys basketball and boys cross country squads and its "Excellence in Academic Achievement Award" to all the other teams.