GPA guidelines. Your Application input & school record 1 - PDF document

9/17/2019 Overview of presentation National Honor Society • What do NHS members do? Overview of selection process • Selection to NHS: Suggestions for Info Form – What does it mean to be selected? • Selection process – Who is involved? – What are the steps? Mrs. Valliere • Completing the Student Activity Form (SAF) Dr. Burgmayer (Dr. B) • Appeals of non-selection decisions Selection to NHS: What do NHS members do? What does it mean? • High academic honor? • NHS National Constitution – Article 1 • Yes but also… – “The purpose of this organization shall be to – …recognizing service , leadership , and character create enthusiasm for scholarship , to stimulate a – NHS “Four Pillars” desire to render service , to promote leadership , • Privilege, not right and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.” – Selection, not an application or election Past – almost exclusively service – Like applying to college or a job Present – moving towards projects for all four pillars Selection process: who? Four Pillars of NHS • Student applicant • Faculty Council – Five voting faculty members • Serve two-year terms – Responsibilities • Select new NHS members • Dismisses out-of-compliance members • Approves changes to bylaws • Ensure chapter compliance with national Teacher GPA guidelines. Your Application input & school record 1

9/17/2019 Selection process: who? Selection process: what? • Faculty Advisors (Mrs. Valliere & Dr. B) – Responsibilities 1. Student completes Student Activity Form by • Facilitate selection process deadline • Advocate for students and faculty council 2. Advisors solicit faculty input on character and – Non-voting members of Faculty Council leadership • Administrators? 3. Council reviews anonymous Student Activity Forms and faculty input – Votes on each student 4. Advisors send selection and non-selection letters to students and parents. Importance of Student SAF review Activity Form • Exhaustive process – Individual faculty council members rank using rubric for service and leadership VERY important!!!! – Advisors tabulate results, check references, calculate statistics – Only way Faculty – General faculty comments used to assess character • Exclude if negative comments from three faculty Committee knows • Positive comments influence decision when leadership and service in “gray” area you • All input considered at final review Finality of Student Due date for form… Activity Form • From FAQ • Sunday, Sept 29 th @ midnight – Once submitted, you may not amend your Student Activity Form even if you are appealing a non-selection decision. – Because the process is anonymous, what you write on the form • Late? is the only information the Faculty Council has about you . – Not considered – This cannot be stressed enough: what you write on the form is the only information the Council has – NO extension to deadline about you . – You may have an excellent record of service and leadership. If it is not well-documented on your form, there is no way the Faculty Council can know of it.” 2

9/17/2019 Parts of Student Activity Form SAF- Invited teacher (SAF) • Name a teacher w/ significant impact • Teacher to invite to induction • GPA on your life – Academically or personally • Discipline referrals – Elementary, middle or high school • Service examples • Teacher invited to NHS induction • Leadership examples ceremony • Recognition and awards • Special circumstances – comments – Transfer, medical conditions, etc. GPA Discipline Office Referrals • Find in Naviance • List any office referrals • Use weighted average • May exclude you from further consideration • List teacher who submitted referral and brief explanation in Comments section Service Examples What is service? • Describe up to five examples of service to The student who serves community and/or school. – Not paid, helping others who need help – List from most significant to least. • Not business, not benefiting you – Volunteer services for the aged, poor, younger – Be descriptive but succinct ( 100 word limit ) children, or disadvantaged, hospitals, libraries, church • Only chance to describe activity and importance to you. groups (worship service, mission trips), fund- raisers,… – You do not need to list five. • Need examples of both service in and outside • Very active involvement in one, two or three activities is school much better than minimal activity in five. • Question if an activity is service? – Must be verifiable by another person who you name – Ask Dr. B with contact info 3

9/17/2019 Model Response for Service For each service example : • Name: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Canine Program • Short name • Years: 10 th and 11 th grades • School or community? • Hours/week: <10 • Time commitment (hours/week) • Description: Over the past two summers, I have • Verification contact name worked each week at ----- in --- with puppies and • Contact e-mail or phone number young dogs. The purpose of the TSA Canine Program is to prepare young working dogs(mostly • Description of activity (what did you do?) labs) for airport safety and security. I have helped – Not “I was expected to …” What did you do? raise and care for puppies, fed/bathed dogs, kept each canine's physical activity sufficient, and have helped prepare dogs to be sent across the country. What is leadership? Leadership Examples The student who exercises leadership • Up to 5 examples exemplifying one or more • Successfully holds school offices or positions of of the leadership traits cited responsibility, conducts business efficiently and effectively, and is reliable and dependable without prodding. – initiative, responsibility, setting an example, high • Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school. standards for others • Exercises influence on peers in upholding school ideals. • Be descriptive but succinct ( 100 word limit ) • Encourages positive behavior in their peers. – Give enough details to verify each example • Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying • You do not need to complete all five entries. principles, and making suggestions. – well-documented examples in one, two or three • Promotes school activities. ways is better than poorly-documented qualities • Demonstrates academic initiative. in five. • Demonstrates leadership in the classroom, at work, and in school activities. 1 st Model Response for Leadership For each leadership example: Though I was not a captain for the cross-country team these past two seasons, I have been a • A short name mentor for incoming freshman and new runners • School or community to the team. Each girl tends to feel nervous and • Name of person to verify example overwhelmed by the dedication to the team and • E-mail or phone number verifying leadership the overall rigor of the workouts. I introduced new runners to upperclassmen and monitored some of the new runners' progress both socially and physically. My job also included teaching runners how to effectively use the weightroom, run workouts, run distance runs, and gave tips on how to run a 5K race. 4

9/17/2019 2 nd Model Response for Leadership Leadership and service in on activity? My tenth grade year was my first year being a part of the Desmond Class. To prepare for the Student Achievers' Banquet, the students needed to apply for a job. I applied to be in the • You may use an activity for both service and Sales Department, to which I was accepted. Even though it was leadership my first year, I actually helped lead the other sales members – Service - I volunteer as an instructor at a martial (who were seniors) into contacting various businesses and planning to meet or talk with companies about sponsoring the arts studio to help children. I… banquet. I gave other members tips on what and what not to say – Leadership – In my volunteering at the dance on the phone, helped them write effective e-mails, and was studio, I am guiding children, teaching them how usually given the job of talking to the "bigger companies". Now they can become better martial artists by that I am a junior, this is my second year of the Desmond Class. There are many sophomores in my class who are clueless to the introducing them to new ideas. program. As an older member, it is my job to explain upcoming major events (Patriots' Day, the Senior Holiday Luncheon, the Turkey Trot, and the Student Achievers' Banquet). Unsure about your leadership Recognition and awards examples? • Ask your parents, teachers, or other adults • List any recognitions or awards you have how they see you leading received – Do not include honor roll Suggestions for completing SAF More suggestions… • Read FAQ at GV NHS website • Quality more important than quantity – Any questions? E-mail Dr. B – Five entries not needed – Unsure if you’ve said enough? • For each activity, say more rather than less – E-mail Dr. B with just that section – Leadership examples important • Look over online-form without submitting • Don’t be modest but don’t exaggerate – Use handout to help assemble information in a – Any false statements will disqualify you Word document • Don’t be late • Save for college applications – No late applications accepted • When you have all info, enter into form – None! – Cannot save partially completed form!! • Don’t misspel or use wrong gramar 5