National Honor Society

The National Honor Society provides both recognition for outstanding academic achievement, character, leadership, and an opportunity for service to the school and community for sophomores, juniors and seniors.  Members are selected in the fall (except Spring 2009).  Members must maintain a 3.4 GPA and meet high standards of character, leadership, and service as established by the Faculty Council.  The selection process is as follows:

• All sophomores, juniors and seniors with a 3.4 GPA are considered.
• The high school Faculty Council rates each candidate on character, leadership and service.
• The Faculty Council meets during the fall in closed session and considers each candidate and grants membership to those who meet the established standards of character, leadership, and service.

Leadership

The student who exercises leadership:

• Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and makes suggestions;
• Demonstrates initiative in promoting school activates;
• Exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideas;
• Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school;
• Is able to delegate responsibilities;
• Exemplifies positive attitude;
• Inspires positive behavior in others;
• Demonstrates academic initiative;
• Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility; conducts business effectively and efficiently; demonstrates reliability and dependability;
• Is a leader in the classroom, at work, and in other school or community activities;
• Is thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted;
• Is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude.

Service

The student who serves:

• Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance;
• Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities;
• Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school;
• Is willing to represent the class or school in inter-class and inter-scholastic competition;
• Fulfills committee and staff work without complaint;
• Participates in some activity outside of school, for example, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, volunteer services for the elderly, poor, or disadvantaged;
• Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools;
• Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students.

Character

A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.  He/She is a person who:

• Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously;
• Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability);
• Upholds principles of morality and ethics;
• Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.;
• Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability;
• Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others;
• Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom;
• Has power of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies;
• Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others;
• Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.

Non-Selection Appeal – If a student feels he or she was eligible and was not selected for membership, he or she may file an appeal.  The following steps shall be followed:

• Step 1: The student will notify the Principal in writing of his or her desire to appeal the decision of the Facility Council within five school days of notification of the Faculty Council’s decision.  The request shall include the reason(s) why the decision of the Faculty Council should be overruled.  The Principal shall notify the student in writing within five school days of his or her decision.

• Step 2: The decision of the Principal may be appealed to the Superintendent within five school days.  The appeal shall be in writing, giving the reason(s) why the decision of the Principal should be overruled.  The Superintendent shall render a decision in writing within five school days.

• Step 3: The decision by the Superintendent can be appealed to the School Board within five school days.  The appeal shall be in writing, giving the reason(s) why the decision of the Superintendent should be overruled. The School Board shall render a decision in writing following its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Maintaining GPA/Service Hours/Character Probation

GPA

All members of NHS are expected to maintain their 3.4 GPA standing.  In the event of a student falling below a 3.4, he/she has a semester of probationary time to raise the GPA.  Should this occur back-to-back semesters, membership may be terminated. 

When on probation for GPA, the student must make a plan with the advisor to maintain higher grades.  The plan may include spending study time with the advisor or with the teacher in whose class the grades are poor.  This would occur during the semester the student is on probation.  It is the semester following probation that the GPA must be back up to 3.4 or the student’s membership may be terminated.

Service

All members of NHS are expected to serve the community/school for a minimum of 5 hours per semester.  While conflicts may arise with our service projects, students are encouraged by national to come up with their own projects as well as those arranged by the group.  If a student fails to log 5 hours of service for a semester, he/she may lose membership status.  Again, probation could occur the following semester of lack of service where the student must create a project or do more than his/her share in order to make up the time.  If a student has back-to-back semesters where he/she fails to complete community service hours, he/she may be terminated.

Character

All members of NHS must maintain honorable character.  Should legal or school citations, punishments occur, a student may be placed on probation for an appropriate amount of time.  The student would need to create his/her own project of service and carry it through.  This probationary period serves as the student’s warning.  If another incident occurs, the student may require a disciplinary hearing where he/she could face dismissal from NHS.  In extreme situations, such as expulsions, probation may not be applicable and a disciplinary hearing would occur immediately.

Disciplinary Hearing After Probationary Period

All members of NHS are expected to maintain the high academic standards and standards of character, leadership, and service that were required at the time of their induction.  In the event that a member’s good standing is questioned, the following steps shall be taken:

• Step 1: The person questioning the member’s good standing will submit in writing to the Advisor all pertinent facts of the situation.

• Step 2: The advisor shall: Investigate the complaint, notify the member(s) concerned, and call a meeting of the Faculty Council.

• Step 3: The Faculty Council shall meet no later than five school days after the filing of the complaint.  The Advisor will present all information obtained during the investigation.  The person submitting the complaint and the member shall be given the opportunity to appear before the council if not requested to do so by the council.  The deliberations of the council shall be held in closed session.  The council, by majority vote, shall determine if in fact the standards of NHS were violated.  If the council finds that the standards were violated, they will determine what disciplinary action will be taken.  Disciplinary action may be a reprimand, probation, dismissal, or any other action deemed appropriate by the council.  The member and the person filing the complaints shall be notified of the council’s decision in writing within two school days.

• Step 4: The decision by the Faculty Council can be appealed to the Principal within five school days.  The appeal shall be in writing, giving the reasons why the decision by the Faculty Council should be overturned.  The Principal shall render a decision in writing within five school days.

• Step 5: The decision by the Principal can be appealed to the Superintendent within five school days.  The appeal shall be in writing, giving the reasons why the decision of the Principal should be overruled.  The Superintendent shall render a decision in writing within five school days.

• Step 6: The decision of the Superintendent can be appealed to the School Board within five school days.  The appeal shall be in writing, giving the reasons why the decision of the Superintendent should be overruled.  The School Board shall render a decision in writing following its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Flow Chart Process of Joining the Lovell Chapter of National Honor Society

then... 

Student demonstrates interest by filling out the student activity sheet by the assigned deadline.

then...

The Faculty Council (five (5) members appointed by the principal) nominates new members who meet the criteria in all areas. 

Students must receive a majority number of votes (three (3)). 

then either...

Student is nominated.  He/She will need to attend the induction ceremony to become an official member of NHS.  See member duties for more information on membership. 

Once a student is an official member, he/she must maintain the requirements he/she held at the time of his/her nomination.  Should someone question a person’s good standing, he/she must follow the disciplinary hearing process.

or...

Student is not nominated.  He/She may seek nomination the following year and may appeal the decision through the non-selection appeals process.