Welcome to the Good Shepherd NJHS website.  Here you will find a lot of great information that explains the National Junior Honor Society, requirements of candidates and members.

What is National Junior Honor Society?

Established in 1929

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) are the nation’s premier organizations established to recognize outstanding high school and middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serve to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character, and Citizenship. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since their beginnings in 1929.

Who is eligible for NJHS?

At GSLS, 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.  That means, students that attended 7th or 8th grade at GSLS with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better during the three first quarters of the current school year will receive an invitation to fill out an information sheet. Students will then fill out the information sheet to give examples of their accomplishments in the remaining areas of Leadership, Service, Character, and Citizenship.  Therefore, just because a student qualifies based on their cumulative GPA (scholarship), they will not automatically be inducted into the NJHS.

Who chooses inductees into the NJHS?

After students fill out an information sheet and the required recommendation forms from teachers and/or other adults, all of their qualifications will be reviewed by our Faculty Council.  The Faculty Council is an anonymous group of faculty members who make final decisions about who will be invited for induction into the NJHS.  The Faculty Council also serves as the group who determines if a student should be dismissed because of a failure to meet expectations in one of the five areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character, or Citizenship. The teachers also help validate these characteristics. Students whose qualifications teachers express concerns will be reviewed. Seventh graders may be considered again during their eighth grade year.

What does an exemplary NJHS candidate look like?

Scholarship: Students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), as established by the local school’s Faculty   Council, meet the scholarship requirement for membership. These students are then eligible for consideration on the basis of service, leadership, and character (and citizenship 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. The service requirement includes 40 hours (10 hours in house, 30 hours in community) of volunteer service.

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.

Citizenship: The student understands the importance of civic involvement, has a high regard for freedom, justice, and respect for the American form of government.

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.

Membership

Membership in the NJHS is both an honor and responsibility. No student has the right to belong to the NJHS. It is an honor bestowed by the faculty and administration. Meeting a required academic average is only one of the qualifications required for selection. Students are also evaluated on the manner in which they demonstrate the qualities of service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Students selected for membership are expected to continue to demonstrate these qualities after being selected.

AWARDS:

1 NJHS membership Key ring (7th and 8th)
1 NJHS membership certificate (7th and 8th)
1 NJHS membership card (7th and 8th)
1 NJHS set of cords (8th)