Sister Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society

The NJHS at Trinity Catholic School is an organization that promotes appropriate recognition for its students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and citizenship. Students are eligible for an invitation to the National Junior Honor Society at the end of their 6th or 7th grade academic year.

G.P.A.s will be calculated based on every completed quarter of middle school and invitations will be sent in June to those who have above a 3.75 cumulative G.P.A. without exams. Applications are to be filled out over the summer and returned by September 5th at 3:30 p.m. Applications must include a guardian signature and documented community service hours to be considered for membership into NJHS. Any incomplete applications will automatically be disqualified from membership.

In addition to academic excellence, selection for membership is based on exhibited leadership, honorable and admirable character, and service to the school and community. Selection for membership is decided by an anonymous faculty committee. Acceptance will be based solely on a completed application for assessment of each candidate’s scholarship, leadership, character, service, and citizenship. New members will be inducted during an annual ceremony that will take place at the beginning of each academic year.

The Bylaws of Trinity Catholic School’s Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society

Article I: The name of this organization shall be the Trinity Catholic School Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society in the Diocese of Pensacola/Tallahassee.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of this organization is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service to promote leadership, and to develop character in students of Trinity Catholic School.

Article III: Membership

The Faculty Committee will determine the selection for membership. Selection criterion will be outlined at a meeting for all interested applications to take place in the 1st quarter of the school year.

To be eligible for membership consideration, candidates must have completed 6th or 7th grade. Candidates must also have been in attendance at Trinity Catholic School for at least four quarters (1 full year) with a final grade recorded. Additionally, potential members must meet high standards of leadership, character, service, and citizenship. The Faculty Committee (not to include the advisor) will assess applications from all candidates for membership. The Faculty Committee will score each applicant on a scale of 1 to 16 based on their application. All applications will be anonymous. Only the advisor will have knowledge of which application belongs to which student for the areas of service, leadership, and character. The Faculty Committee will have knowledge of student names for the area of citizenship. The advisor will find the average score for each student. For acceptance into the National Junior Honor Society, applicants must receive an average score of a 13 or higher. No scores may be rounded.

The five criteria are defined as follows:

1. Scholarship –

Students must have a cumulative G.P.A. of a 3.75 or higher without exams to be invited to apply to NJHS. The G.P.A. will be determined based on a cumulative average of every completed quarter prior to the application being submitted (i.e. If the application is submitted before final grades are submitted for the 3rd quarter of the school year, only grades from the 2nd quarter and prior will be included).

Once students have gained membership, students must maintain a 3.75 without exams cumulative average every quarter after initial membership is gained. Students will be placed on academic probation until the next quarter’s grades are recorded. If a student still fails to meet the 3.75 G.P.A. requirement after the probationary period ends, he/she will be dismissed from the Trinity Catholic School Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.

2. Leadership –

Leadership is recognized as being elected to positions in clubs, team captains, or selected by a supervising adult to lead an activity for a group consisting of more than two other members.

Leadership is also recognized in 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.

3. Character –

A student of character demonstrates the following qualities: honesty and integrity, respect for self and others, responsibility, fairness, compassion, caring, and does the right thing even when not being observed.

4. Service –

Service is considered to be those actions that are done with or on behalf of others without direct financial or material compensation. Service may include contributions to classmates or community. A student who demonstrates excellent service exhibits the following: participates in some outside community activity, works well with others and is willing to take on difficult tasks without regard for recognition, cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service for the school.

Students must have 10 hours of documented community service hours turned in with their application. Forms must have a signature from an adult who will verify the service performed.

Community service must be done in the benefit of another person with no compensation. No payment, gifts, or privileges may be granted to the student in exchange for their service. Parents MAY NOT be the verifying adult. Some examples may include, but are not limited to, the following: helping an elderly neighbor go grocery shopping, providing free yard service to a neighbor who is not able, cleaning up the community as part of an organized group, helping with Sunday school classes, working in the church nursery, etc. Activities such as babysitting younger siblings will not count as community service.

5. Citizenship –

Both actions and attitudes are important for good citizenship. Good citizenship shows care and concern for vulnerable members of the wider community. Citizenship is demonstrated by the following characteristics: peacefully settles disputes; responsible for family, school, and community; treating others as one would like to be treated; respect for the U.S. flag and Constitution; respect for one’s parents and home; respect for others’ views and beliefs; protects the environment; and challenges injustice to make a positive influence.

A student who is in good standing of the National Junior Honor Society in a previous school will be automatically accepted as a member of the Trinity Catholic School Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society with proper documentation.

The student must submit a letter from the previous advisor with the date of acceptance and a signature to verify good standing in the society.

Article IV: Discipline Policy – Probation and Dismissal

Any member who falls below the standards that were the basis for the selection (scholarship, leadership, character, service, and citizenship) shall be promptly warned in writing and placed on probation by the Rose-Aileen Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society advisor. The student will have one month to correct the deficiency. In the event of a flagrant violation of school rules, a member does not necessarily have to be warned and may be brought up for immediate dismissal of the National Junior Honor Society.

A student is allowed only one probationary period in his/her membership period and may not be reconsidered for membership of the National Junior Honor Society after being dismissed. A member is entitled to due process to appeal any dismissal by means of a hearing before the Faculty Committee.

An NJHS member whose G.P.A. at the end of the quarter falls below the 3.75 G.P.A. requirement shall be warned in writing by the chapter advisor. Any member on probation who has not brought his/her G.P.A. above the required 3.75 by the end of the following quarter will be dismissed from the society.

Members not fulfilling their service hours will be placed on probation. Members will be given one month to complete the required hours after being placed on probation. Any member who fails to complete the hours within the probationary period will be dismissed. 

•  NJHS Application Rubric