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National Honor Society

The Saint Vincent DePaul Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) at Peninsula Catholic High School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Standards for selection are established by the national office of NHS and have been revised to meet our local chapter's needs. Students are selected to be members by a 5-member Faculty Council appointed by the Principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each spring.
 
Scholarship: Students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades may be eligible for membership. A student must have a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students who meet this criterion of scholarship are invited to complete the application process to be considered for the NHS. 
 
Leadership: Students must provide evidence of leadership since 9th grade. This includes formal leadership in school (class officer, team captain, chairperson, peer mentor, etc.) as well as informal leadership roles (spirit week, retreats, athletics, classroom, clubs). Leadership roles outside of school may also be included. As a national high school organization, it is expected that a majority of the student’s leadership roles are recognized at Peninsula Catholic High School by both their teachers and peers. 
 
Service: Students must complete a minimum number of service hours performed through their own initiatives or as part of their student service requirements, club service, etc. The accumulated service hour minimum totals are 10th grade (50 hours-earned in grades 9-10); 11th grade (75 hours-earned in grades 9-11); 12th grade (95 hours-earned in grades 9-12). Confirmation of service hours with a supervisor's signature is required. Letters of reference are strongly recommended.
 
Character: A student’s character is evaluated by the Faculty Council utilizing information in the student’s school disciplinary record and input from other faculty members.  First, the school disciplinary records are reviewed. Students who have accumulated a total of 15 or more demerits (1st and 2nd terms combined) when the applicant is being reviewed, may not be invited to join the NHS. Second, faculty members are invited to provide their input about the character of the candidates seeking consideration for the NHS. 

NHS Application Process

Students seeking membership in the NHS need to submit an essay along with at least three letters of recommendation before being considered for membership.
 
Application
 
Essays: A maximum of 500 words is required and essays should be typed. Student essays should follow all the expectations they would for any formal essay: grammar, mechanics, spelling, etc.

Letters of Recommendation: Include a minimum of three letters of recommendation; two from school employees and one from someone outside of school. Your outside letters should come from a coach, priest, Youth Minister, employer, service coordinator, Troop Leader, etc. Letters from family and friends are not recommended. Letters should focus on your leadership and service.

Only the candidate can explicate and inform the Council as to his or her leadership, service, and character through a professionally prepared and thorough candidate packet submitted on or before the established due date. Information provided after the due date will not be considered. Packets submitted after the deadline WILL NOT be accepted.
 
Special Note:
Candidates are urged to submit accurate and complete packets. This is the time to “Toot your own horn!” Neatness and completeness count.

NHS Selection Process

The Faculty Council will gather the candidate packets, essays, letters of recommendation, and input from the other faculty members when they carefully consider each student for membership in the NHS. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule.
 
Following notification of selection, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize and welcome all the new members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all four criteria that lead to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings during the school year and participation in chapter service project(s) and peer tutoring. 
 
Students or parents who have questions regarding the NHS selection process, contact NHS Faculty Council Chairperson Mr. Batkin. If you have questions about membership obligations, contact the NHS Moderator, Ms. Whitchurch