On Wednesday, August 12, the highest achievers in Thomas County Central High School’s Advanced Placement program were rewarded for their hard work.

Scholars who received a score of three or better on any AP exam (taken at the end of the previous school year) were invited to AP Luncheon, held at Ruby Tuesday and courtesy of the school.

“I think it’s really nice the school takes us out for all of our hard work,” junior Tyler Williamson said. “It definitely compensates for all the stress.”

AP classes are rigorous courses offered for college credit while students are still in high school, and participants must take a standardized test at the end of the year.  The tests are scored on a scale of one to five, with a five being the highest.

Approximately 28 students attended; all passed their AP exam(s).

According to senior Ben Barwick, the best part about the luncheon was “that I was recognized for all of my hours of studying in AP Biology, and everyone in our class scoring higher than the national average.”

Assistant Principal Dr. James T. Rehberg and Principal Trista Jones accompanied the group on the outing.

“It's great to take the kids off campus and have lunch after they worked so hard to do well on the exams,” Rehberg said. “Everyone had a great time and I hope it inspires other students to focus their efforts as well. Ruby Tuesday really did an excellent job hosting the luncheon and I appreciate their hospitality. The entire luncheon went very smoothly from start to finish.”

Students returned with full stomachs and a smile on their faces in time for sixth period, ready for more academic learning.