The National Junior Honor Society
What is the National Junior Honor Society?
Established in 1929, the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school and middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serve to honor those students who demonstrate excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character, and Citizenship. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1929.
Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in activities of the NHS (High School) and NJHS (Middle School). NHS and NJHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. Territories, and Canada. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service.
Who is eligible for NJHS?
At MSP, in accordance with national standards set by NJHS, students will first qualify for an invitation through their demonstration of success in the area of scholarship. In a few weeks all students in 7th or 8th grade with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher will be considered candidates. At this point they will receive an invitation to fill out an information form along with have 2 other recommendation forms which they can get from the NJHS website www.mspnjhs.weebly.com or from Mrs. Dillon. Once interested students have all the necessary sheets filled out, they should turn them into Mrs. Dillon. All information and recommendation forms will then be reviewed for completeness and an invitation to be inducted into the NJHS will be sent out to qualifying students.
Please note, all candidates who want to join are required to pay a yearly fee of $20 for dues. (Cash only please.)
Where can I find my GPA?
Your GPA can be found on Power School
What happens after a student turns in all the necessary forms?
After students turn in the completed information form and the 2 required recommendation forms from 2 non-family adults, the adviser will review them to make sure they are complete. Following that the names of students who turned in completed forms will be shared with the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council is an anonymous group of faculty members who help guide our chapter of NJHS. The Faculty Council also serves as the group who determines if a student should be dismissed because of failure to meet expectations in one of the five areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character, or Citizenship. Once names have been recognized by the Faculty Council, an invitation to an induction ceremony will be sent to each qualifying student. At the induction ceremony students will be officially accepted into the chapter and will be given an official NJHS pin from the national chapter that they will be asked to wear with pride.
What does an exemplary NJHS candidate look like?
Scholarship: Students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher meet the scholarship requirement for membership. These students are then eligible for consideration for NJHS.
Service: This quality is defined through the voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done without compensation and with a positive, courteous, and enthusiastic spirit.
Leadership: Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, promoters of school activities, idea-contributors, dependable, and persons who exemplify positive attitudes about life. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activities while working with or for others.
Character: The student of good character upholds principles of morality and ethics, is cooperative, demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability, shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others, and generally maintains a good and clean lifestyle.
If I'm a 6th grader, what can I do to become a better candidate for NJHS in 7th and 8th grade?
One of the best things you can do as a 6th grader is to have really strong grades. You should work hard every day in school so when you are in 7th grade you will qualify in the area of scholarship based on your grades in 6th grade! Also, becoming involved in school clubs and activities, following all school rules and being a great role model for other students will give you strong teacher recommendations. In addition, outside of school, you can begin to do community service hours (work in which you don't receive some kind of pay) in order to strengthen the information sheet you’ll need to fill out next year and prepare you for similar service work in NJHS.
What do you do in NJHS?
The goal of NJHS is to build leaders and do service. As a part of this all members will need to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, complete 5 hours of service in the community each trimester, submit a service log each trimester, and participate in the group service project to be determined each year. In addition, members may attend monthly meetings to be held monthly. At the monthly meeting, which members of the Executive Council MUST attend, chapter activities will be discussed and planned. The Executive Council will also hear suggestions and may possibly vote on them. (The Executive Council will be made up of 4 students in the highest grade who will be elected by the chapter members each year and the adviser. The Executive Council includes the offices of: the president, the vice president, the secretary, and the treasurer. Executive Council officers are required to fulfill the duties of their office as well as meet the other requirements of the chapter.) Other possible activities of the NJHS may include but are not limited to things such as team building activities and fundraisers as well as other activities.