National Honor Society
Qualifications
The National Honor Society of Williamsport Area High School is a duly-chartered and affiliated chapter of the National Honor Society.
Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in four areas of evaluation: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Students are selected for membership by a majority vote of a five-member Faculty Council, appointed annually by the principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each year. The chapter advisor, Mrs. Reeder, is also appointed by the principal and facilitates all selection procedures and chapter activities during the year.
Students in eleventh and twelfth grades are eligible for membership.
Scholarship Guidelines are as followed:
- A student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale (85%-100%).
- Under 85% GPA for the year = Not eligible
Those students who meet the criterion are invited to complete a candidate rubric to earn a cumulative total of 15 points in leadership and service over the course of their educational career. Ultimately, students are responsible for tracking their candidate rubric by periodically communicating with coaches, advisors, and the NHS advisor, Mrs. Reeder to ensure they have fulfilled all of the guidelines (see below).
Guidelines
Leadership Guidelines
- Sports, Clubs, and Extracurricular Activities points are assigned by coaches and advisors on a scale of 1-4 points based on participation, behavior, and commitment. An instructor or sponsor may award less credit depending upon the amount and nature of work done. Those who serve in a management capacity may earn one additional point for a total of 5 points.
Service Guidelines
- 3 hours of service for an event sponsored by the Williamsport Area School District = 1 point.
- Students may earn up to 3 points to qualify for induction.
- Junior students who have achieved membership status must accumulate a minimum of 20 service hours during their senior year to maintain membership.
To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council obtains additional professional input. First, official school disciplinary records are reviewed. Second, members of the faculty are requested to provide their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character, citizenship, and leadership. These forms and the candidate rubric are carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine whether each candidate meets the criteria for membership. A majority vote of the Council is necessary for election. Following a review of the results of the Faculty Council voting by the principal, candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule.
Once the notification process is completed, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held monthly during the school year, and participation in service.