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Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Valediction - 06/11/08 04:41 PM
The act of bidding farewell. (merriam webster)

Latin, "valedicere" to say goodbye

I recall reading that the romans might sign there letters, s.v.b.e.v., si vales, bene est; valeo. "If you are well, that is good; I am well."

In Brazil, they have "Vale Tudo" fights, mix-martial arts matches that are comparable to the UFC in the US, except with fewer rules.

Valere meant to be well or healthy
valetudinis good health

Anyway, I just found out my oldest daughter made valedictorian at her HS.
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: Valediction - 06/11/08 05:01 PM
 Originally Posted By: TheFallibleFiend
Anyway, I just found out my oldest daughter made valedictorian at her HS.


congratulations!!
Posted By: BranShea Re: Valediction - 06/11/08 06:32 PM
Yes, vale! Congratulations!
Posted By: Faldage Re: Valediction - 06/11/08 10:57 PM
Ave atque vale
Posted By: Zed Re: Valediction - 06/12/08 05:17 AM
Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Re: Valediction - 06/12/08 12:05 PM
Hey, thanks, y'all! Good stuff backatcha!
Posted By: olly Re: Valediction - 06/12/08 09:02 PM
Kia ora Fallible Fiend,
Its always wonderful when your offspring do well academically or otherwise. In good ol Enzed, Dux would be an almost equivalent. This from Dictionary dot com:
[Origin: 1800–10; < L: lit., leader, n. deriv. from base of dūcere to lead]
Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: Valediction - 06/27/08 04:58 PM
I just came across this. Congrats, FF -- you must be so proud!
Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Re: Valediction - 06/27/08 10:11 PM
Yes, thanks, Olly, Anna. No more proud than the moment before I found out, but still proud. Also grateful to the school for acknowledging her hard work and the work of the other students who got it. She's 1 of 14 valedictorians in a class of about 550. The last quarter was pretty easy, but the last years she has studied relentlessly, hitting the books as soon as she gets home and often staying up past 10, and sometimes past midnight to get things done.
Posted By: Myridon Re: Valediction - 06/27/08 10:34 PM
 Originally Posted By: TheFallibleFiend
... 1 of 14 valedictorians ...

A 14-way tie for 1st place?
Posted By: tsuwm Re: Valediction - 06/27/08 10:36 PM
all perfect GPAs, one supposes.
Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Re: Valediction - 06/28/08 04:39 AM
Only one of them was "first place" and it was not my daughter. Anyone who gets at least a 4.0 gets valedictorian. One can get higher than 4.0, since each AP course that one takes gets one an extra .5 credits. They seem to have done away with the salutatorian in this area altogether as the policy commonly results in multiple valedictorians. My daughter ended up with 4.0. She got a B+ in AP chem last year (which was the highest grade in the school), but she also ended up with a B in Freshman English which other APs allowed her to evaporate. The girl with the highest gpa got special recognition during the ceremony for her 4.1, but hers was not the valedictory address. Instead they asked all of them to write speeches and then vote on which one would be delivered. I'm mildly skeptical of the practice, but Newsweek ranks this HS among the top 150 in the country, so I'm not overly concerned. (My other daughter's HS is ranked 1st.) Access to this caliber of school (for my kids and for myself) was one of the main reasons I accepted a job in this area.

I've always been a little more skeptical about the meaning of valedictorian anyway. For example, many kids don't take AP chemistry and so don't have the class where the highest score is a B+, opting instead to take AP psych where there are typically many As (and a slew of 4s & 5s on the AP test). This issue didn't start with the introduction of AP tests and it is more generalizable to the honor societies.

On the other hand, the school system here also offers distinctions on the diploma. You can get a regular diploma or an AP diploma. For the AP diploma you have to take an AP in each of several areas.
Posted By: morphememedley Re: Valediction - 06/28/08 05:19 AM
Running is tight in the fast track, apparently.

The low road, or track, looks attractive in retrospect.
Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Re: Valediction - 06/28/08 09:55 AM
"Running is tight in the fast track, apparently."
True enough. I could write for hours on the subject. However, some people are driven. I brainwashed mine from an early age that education was an adventure, that it was worth achieving all on its own. Oldest had no expectation or desire to become a valedictorian . In fact, she was aware of the cheating that some of them did to achieve it and considered it beneath her, an unworthy accomplishment. Until, of course, she discovered that she made it. (She still thinks the cheaters' honors should be withheld, even if they did it only once. But she's very happy that she made it.)

I'ld like to make this more word related, but can't think of anything to say. Maybe we could do etymologies on brainwashing, integrity, honesty, and so forth.
Posted By: BranShea Re: Valediction - 06/28/08 01:39 PM
Doesn't bother no one seeing someone being happy about something.

Plus to read about those rituals we do not have untill university level.
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Valediction - 07/04/08 11:15 PM
New to this site, and just saw this: Thumbs up, Fallible Fiend, on daughter's feat !
Posted By: TheFallibleFiend Re: Valediction - 07/05/08 12:52 AM
 Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8
New to this site, and just saw this: Thumbs up, Fallible Fiend, on daughter's feat !

Welcome, Luke, and thanks!
tff
Posted By: Bazr Re: Valediction - 01/26/15 07:13 AM
My daughter finished Year 12 last year and they have a traditional valedictory dinner. Great way to finish the year off. smile
Posted By: Bazr Re: Valediction - 01/26/15 07:20 AM
Filia mea esset Valedictory Prandium anno.
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Valediction - 01/26/15 05:15 PM
Congrats to your family. Salut !
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