Dear SkyView Middle School Parents and Students,
Sky View Academy is pleased to announce the second year of the National Junior Honor Society as part of
the SVA community and culture. Miss Hageman, a middle school math teacher, will be coordinating the chapter of
NJHS as the chapter adviser. National Junior Honor Society is designed to promote the following qualities in our
students: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character. This letter is written to all the parents of SVA
middle school students outlining the purpose, criteria and selection process for NJHS. NJHS Membership “is both
an honor and a responsibility. Students selected for membership are expected to continue to demonstrate the
qualities of scholarship, service, leadership, citizenship and character.” (Chapter Organization Section 3.4 of the
NJHS Handbook).
National Junior Honor Society Purpose: NJHS is created and designed to recognize and honor students who
demonstrate excellence in academics, service, leadership, character and citizenship.
National Junior Honor Society Criteria at Sky View Academy: NJHS at SVA is an honor for our students, as we
expect great things from them. To be an eligible member of the SVA NJHS chapter a student must fit the following
criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Be a current 7th or 8th grade student at Sky View Academy.
Have attended Sky View for at least 1 full semester.
Reach and maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA based on SVA’s calculations for GPA on a 4.0 scale.
[SVA’s GPA scale is as follows: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0 and D = 1.0].
Apply for NJHS following the instructions on the application carefully.
Be selected by the faculty council’s selection committee [a 5 person faculty committee that assesses each
application to the NJHS] on the basis of outstanding scholarship, leadership, service, character and
citizenship.
Be inducted into the NJHS chapter at SkyView during a formal ceremony.
National Junior Honor Society Process: The NJHS chapter at SVA is designed to select and honor your students for
their outstanding work and character. In order to ensure a fair and equitable selection process, all parents will be
informed of the purpose and criteria of the NJHS at SkyView, but also the process for selection. Here is what you
as parents can expect:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Each interested 7th and 8th grade students will determine on their own if they meet the 3.5 GPA
requirement.
Students who have a 3.5 cumulative GPA from their past years at SkyView or from the fall semester of this
year – 2013/2014 [if your student has recently transferred to SkyView] can receive an application for
induction.
Students are then given one week to complete the application. Incomplete, inaccurate or late
applications will not be accepted and your student’s application will be deferred till next year. Please
read all the information in the application packet carefully.
All applications will then be reviewed by the faculty committee and considered for nomination.
5.
Students who are nominated will receive a welcome letter from the faculty committee. If by some chance
a student does not pass the final nomination process he/she will also be notified [the only reason why
students would fail to be nominated at this point in the nomination process is due to a history of
behavioral issues where he/she is not acting like a character leader].
6. An induction ceremony for students will then be conducted to honor your student. Parents and family
members are invited to this special celebration event.
7. Meetings for NJHS will be established on a monthly basis during middle school lunch times.
8. NJHS students will nominate officials [President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer] to help run NJHS
and the community service SVA’s NJHS chapter will be a part of.
9. NJHS Officials will be voted in by majority vote from the current NJHS members each year.
10. NJHS Officials will be expected to have extra meetings with the faculty chapter advisor where service
projects are created and planned. NJHS Officials will also be expected to help write the chapter bylaws
this year which will then be voted on and approved [by 50% or higher] by the entire NJHS body. Bylaws
will be maintained throughout the chapter’s existence and reassessed annually. If a bylaw no longer fits
the NJHS community it will be written by that year’s officials.
11. NJHS Officials, this year will also establish membership requirements that may include: maintaining a 3.5
GPA or higher, attending a certain number of meetings per school year, committing to completing 4
community service hours a year and other requirements that are yet to be determined.
12. Caveats to National Junior Honor Society membership:
a. Membership in NJHS does not automatically entitle a student to be a member of National Honor
Society in high school.
b. Membership for students in NJHS may be removed due to discipline and dismissal action. Article X:
Discipline and Dismissal in the Official NJHS Constitution outlines the process of how a student might
be dismissed from NJHS if he/she falls below the standards for his/her NJHS chapter.
c. Students who transfer from another school and brings a letter from their previous chapter’s principal
or chapter adviser shall automatically be accepted as a current member. If the student’s previous
chapter does not meet the same requirements for NJHS membership at SVA, the student will have
one full semester to meet the new standards in order to maintain membership.
Parents of 6th graders are also being notified about the purpose, criteria and procedures for SVA’s
National Junior Honor Society, so that they will know what to expect for next year. This information will
also be posted on SkyView’s website and news concerning NJHS will advertised to the community in the
Monday Newsletter. If you have any questions concerning NJHS, please contact Miss Hageman at
LHageman@skyviewacademy.k12.co.us.
Sincerely,
Lisa Hageman
Middle School Math Teacher