Activities

National Junior Honor Society

What is the National Junior Honor Society?

The NJHS is a student group that was established in 1929 in order to help recognize and promote student achievement in the areas of scholarship, character, service, citizenship and leadership.  (It is actually part of the National Honor Society - or NHS - but with a specific emphasis on the middle level grades.)

More than 80 years later, the NJHS has maintained its reputation for excellence, and continues to do so through its members, as well as through the schools and communities that support it.  This reputation could not have been established without the commitment of everyone involved.

Therefore, membership in the NJHS is both an honor and a commitment.  And, through various NJHS chapter service activities, members continue to both maintain and broaden the qualities and capabilities they display in order to be selected for the association.

Thousands of schools are chartered through the NJHS, and college admissions officers consider participation in an organization such as the NJHS to be a good indicator of success at the college level, and later in life as well.

As long as the members and supporters of the NJHS continue to learn and grow in a positive direction, so will the NJHS continue to flourish.

Source:  The National Junior Honor Society Handbook

Requirements for Becoming a Member of the National Junior Honor Society

Students interested in becoming NJHS (National Junior Honor Society) members need to have the following qualifications:
      ~ Hold a high A/B GPA (generally 3.75 or higher)
      ~ Demonstrate good leadership skills (or potential)
      ~ Have a record of excellent behavior (responsible, respectful, punctual, & prepared, etc.)
      ~ Have an exemplary attendance record
      ~ Show involvement and teamwork through cooperation/participation/discussion           

These students will also be expected to participate in a selection process, which involves being recommended by two or more teachers (based on the above indicators), filling out a questionnaire (pertaining to volunteer, leadership, character, and citizenship qualities), and being screened by a committee made up of the NJHS Faculty Council.  If they make it through the screening process, they will then be invited to attend an induction ceremony to become “fledgling” members. (Final selections will depend heavily on how highly they are recommended, and how thoroughly and thoughtfully students have filled out their questionnaires – in their own words.)  Not everyone will be invited, and not everyone who is invited is required to accept. 

7th and 8th graders who were NJHS members the previous year are still considered current members, as long as they come to the school meetings, participate in the volunteer activities, and maintain good standing in the areas noted above.  This includes new SMS students who were members of the NJHS at their previous schools, and can provide proof of membership in good standing.  6th grade students are not eligible to become members until the 2nd semester of the school year.  (7th and 8th grade students who are not yet members, but are interested, may be eligible 2nd semester as well.) 

In order to retain membership status, students must maintain their grades and standard of behavior, as well as accumulate a specified number of service hours or projects.  Attendance of meetings is important as well, but there is some flexibility for those students involved in other activities. 

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY OVERVIEW The National Junior Honor Society is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle-level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1929.

NHS RESOURCES

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, the NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1921.
https://www.nhs.us

National Junior Honor Society

The National Junior Honor Society is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle-level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1929. http://www.njhs.us

Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the Mind has been the world’s greatest creative problem-solving program since its beginning in 1978. What started as a project for students in a single industrial design class has grown into a world-wide program that has reached multiple generations, allowing students to learn, develop, and employ skills related to teamwork, resource management, designing and making, divergent thinking, and so much more. Odyssey of the Mind provides students with a place to learn today’s creative problem-solving skills while having fun!
Odyssey of the Mind

South Carolina Odyssey of the Mind (SCOotM) is a completely volunteer-run non-profit organization that offers the world's premiere creative problem-solving program for students K-College. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems for a lifetime. Odyssey of the Mind teaches students how to think Beyond the Box divergently by providing open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests.

Technology and science meet art and drama in Odyssey of the Mind - a creative problem-solving competition in which the students learn how to write skits, make props, act, build mechanical devices, and work as a team in the process.
South Carolina Odyssey of the Mind