SCHOLASTIC HONORS AND AWARDS
Policy 5126
June 2009May 2015
I.
Introduction. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education encourages
excellence in student performance by the recognition of outstanding achievement in
academics, leadership, service, and other areas of endeavor. The following scholastic honors
and awards may be earned by students within the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
II.
The Cash-Ibraham Scholarship
A. The Cash-Ibraham Scholarship Fund was established and is maintained by contributions
from local schools, parent-teacher associations (PTAs) and individuals in honor of
Thomas H. Cash, a former Forsyth County school superintendent, and Prince Ibraham, a
former member of the Forsyth County Board of Education. The fund is administered by
the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education.
B. Interest generated by this fund shall be used to provide scholarship(s) to selected
graduating seniors from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools who desire to
continue their formal education after high school. The awarding of scholarship(s) shall
be based on need, potential, unique aptitudes, leadership, and scholarship. The
scholarship must be applied to defray the cost of tuition or expenses at the institution of
the student’s choice.
C.
The awarding of scholarship(s) shall be made by a selection committee consisting of:
1.
A division director or associate superintendent appointed by the superintendent;
2.
The chairman of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education or a
member of the Board of Education designated by the chairman; and
3.
The president of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County PTA Council or a council
member designated by the president.
D. The Committee shall meet annually in May. It shall determine its own procedures for
interviewing and selecting recipients. The decisions of the Committee shall be final.
III.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Memorial Scholarship
A. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Memorial Fund is established by the
Board of Education to honor educators and school board members who have served the
school system. Contributions to this Memorial Fund may be solicited and accepted for
and in memory of any deceased educators and board members.
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B. A Scholarship Memory Book shall be purchased and maintained from the Memorial
Fund which lists all of the donors and the individuals in whose memory the donation is
made. Each donation should be acknowledged to the donor and to the family of the
person in whose honor the memorial is given.
C. This Memorial Scholarship shall be awarded and administered in the same manner as
the Cash-Ibraham Scholarship.
IV.
The Montague Medal
A. The Montague Medal was first awarded in 1889 by Colonel Montague, an attorney and
resident of Winston-Salem who was very interested in education. He died in 1938 and
in his will he created a trust, now administered by the Winston-Salem Foundation, to
continue the awarding of the Montague medal.
B. A medal is awarded to the student with the highest academic average during the senior
year at each of the high schools within the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
C. In computing the average, only those courses for which credit for graduation is allowed
may be counted.
V.
The Winston-Salem Journal Award for Academic Excellence
The student in each high school identified as having attained the highest quality point
average based on four school years of work shall be recognized at graduation ceremonies.
VI.
Honor Roll
A. High achievement in academic performance in grades 3 through 12 9 through 12 shall
be recognized each grading period by the publication of an Honor Roll.
B. To be eligible for inclusion on the A Honor Roll, a student must:
C.
1.
Receive no grade lower than a “C”;Have achieved only A’s; and
2.
Maintain a “B” average; andHave a GPA greater than or equal to 4.0.
3.
Be enrolled in a minimum of five (5) course periods during the grading period.A
student enrolled in functional courses must only have an A or 3 and no N or
U.
To be eligible for inclusion on the A/B Honor Roll, a student must:
1.
2.
3.
Have achieved only A’s and B’s; and
Have a GPA greater than or equal to 3.0.
A student enrolled in functional courses must only have an A, B, 3 or 2 and
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no N or U.
D.
To be eligible for inclusion on the B Honor Roll, a student must:
1.
2.
3.
VII.
Have achieved a B average with no mark less than a C;
Have a GPA greater than or equal to 3.0.
A student enrolled in functional courses must not have a D, F, FF, WP, WF,
INC, AUD, P, U or 1, and may have no more than one N.
North Carolina Academic Scholar
A. A graduating senior shall be designated as a “North Carolina Scholar” if he/she has a
“B” grade point average and has met the guidelines for the required course of study as
set forth by the State of North Carolina. A seal designating the student as a “North
Carolina Academic Scholar” shall be affixed to the diploma and the student’s final
transcript shall designate this honor.
B. A rising senior shall be designated as “Candidate for North Carolina Academic Scholar”
if he/she has a “B” grade point average at the end of the junior year, has 16 or more
units, and is projected to be able to complete the courses required to become a “North
Carolina Academic Scholar” prior to graduation. The final transcript for the junior year
shall designate “Candidate for North Carolina Academic Scholar.”
VIII.
Honor Graduates
A. Each high school may elect to recognize excellence in academic performance during
high school (grades 9 through 12) by designating “Honor Graduates.”
B. “Honor Graduates” shall be designated by:
1.
Membership in the National Honor Society, and/or
2.
Those students who are in the top 10 percent of their class based on academic
average from grade 9 through the first semester of grade 12.
C. If the latter method is used, the number of honor graduates shall be equal to 10 percent
of the school’s senior class enrollment at the end of the fourth month of school. In
addition, recognition as an honor graduate is contingent upon a student’s continued
excellence in academic performance during the second semester of the senior year.
IX.
Junior Marshals
A. Outstanding academic performance in grades 9, 10, and the first semester of grade 11
shall be recognized by the selection of Junior Marshals to serve as guides for each high
school’s graduation ceremony.
B. Junior Marshals shall be selected on the basis of class rank at the end of the first
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semester of the eleventh grade, beginning with the top student in the class and
proceeding down the class rank until the desired number is achieved.
C. The number of Junior Marshals to be selected shall be based on the size of the senior
class, the location of the ceremony, and the number of ties in computing class rank. The
number selected may vary from three to five percent of the junior class based on the
school’s enrollment at the end of the fourth month of school.
X.
National Honor Society
A. A chapter of the National Honor Society, a student honorary organization founded and
sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, shall be
established and maintained at each high school to honor those students who have
demonstrated superior performance during high school in scholarship, leadership,
character, and service.
B. Membership is available in grades 10, 11, and 12.
C. Selection of members: The selection of members shall be by the vote of the faculty
council. The faculty council shall consist of five faculty members appointed by the
principal. Members are selected by a majority vote of the faculty council. A description
of the selection criteria and procedures shall be published in each high school’s Student
Handbook. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty council and shall
be consistent with the rules and regulations of the National Honor Society as
promulgated by the National Council and the National Association of Secondary School
Principals.1
D. Selection Criteria
1. Scholarship: At the time of induction, candidates must have a cumulative grade
point average of at least 3.2 or higher grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).
2. Leadership: Leadership roles in either the school or community may be considered.
Leadership may be shown in positions in which candidates are directly responsible
for directing or motivating others. For example, elected student body or club officer,
team captain, newspaper editor, work area manager, or community leader. Election
to office does not prove leadership.
3. Character: The positive aspects of character shall be considered, such as honesty,
responsibility, fairness, courtesy, tolerance, and cooperation. Selections should not
be based on hearsay and rumor. Students who have a chronic record of breaking
1
Neither the National Council nor the National Association of Secondary School Principals reviews the judgment of an
individual school’s faculty council regarding the selection of individual members to local chapters of the National Honor
Society.
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school rules shall be given little consideration.
4. Service: Candidates for membership must also demonstrate service to school,
classmates, and community. Four categories of service will be considered:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
School activities;
Leadership positions;
Community activities; and
Work experience, recognition, and awards.
E. Dismissal Criteria and Procedure
1. Criteria. A member is never automatically dismissed for failing to maintain
standards. Members who fall below the standards which were the basis for their
selection shall be warned in writing by the Chapter Advisor and given a reasonable
amount of time to correct the deficiency. A student who is dismissed or who resigns
may never again become an Honor Society member. For this reason, faculty
councils should use dismissal sparingly. Other disciplinary measures are acceptable
for minor offenses.
2. Procedure. The procedure for dismissal shall be determined by the faculty council at
each high school in compliance with the rules and regulations of the National Honor
Society. A written description of the dismissal procedure shall be provided to all
members.
3. Member’s Rights. At a minimum, a member recommended for dismissal shall be
notified by the Chapter Advisor of the reason for the recommendation and the
member shall have a right to appear and be heard before a panel of not less than
three members of the faculty council. A member who has been dismissed may
appeal the decision of the faculty council in accordance with the Board of
Education’s Parent and Student Grievance Procedure, Policy 5145.
4. Notification. If a member is dismissed, written notice of the decision shall be sent to
the member, his/her parents, and the principal. The member shall then surrender the
NHS emblem and membership card to the Chapter Advisor. If the member is
unwilling to comply, the matter should be treated as a school disciplinary matter.
XI.
Other Honor Societies
The Board of Education encourages schools to establish and maintain other national or
regional honor societies.2 Membership in such honor societies should be based on the
national or regional guidelines established by such societies.
XII.
2
Additional Scholastic Honors and Awards
See Board Policy 6145, School-Sponsored Extra-Class Activities.
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The Board of Education encourages the superintendent and the principals of the individual
schools to recognize outstanding students in the various areas of student endeavor by the
granting of appropriate honors and awards in addition to those enumerated in this policy.
Adopted:
Revised:
Latest Revisions Effective:
Last Reviewed:
Next Review Date:
May 1975
June 1980; June 1985; November 1980; November 1983;
September 1982; April 1992; May 1984; January 1993; July 1984;
January 1996; June 2009; May 2015
May 2015
January 2015
January 2018