National Honor Society Discipuli cum Laude chapter Bettendorf High School Member Handbook 2017-2018 School year 1
National Honor Society Discipuli cum Laude chapter Bettendorf High School Table of Contents Please note this handbook accompanies all the policies set forth in the Chapter By-Laws. 2017-2018 General Information o Club Sponsor o National Honor Society general information o Bettendorf NHS web page General Membership Requirements o Academic Requirements o Service Requirements o Attendance Requirements o Character Requirements Service Hours Information o 2017-2018 NHS Committees o Committee versus non-committee hours o Non-qualifying activities for service hours o Procedures for service hours documentation o Due dates for service hours How Information is Communicated o Student responsibilities o School email o Google Classroom site o Remind o School Announcements o NHS Bulletin Board o BettNHS Twitter Graduation Information o NHS Graduation Honors o Cord rental versus purchase o Early Graduates Warnings, Hearings, and Dismissals o General discipline versus immediate dismissal situations o Warning process o Hearing process o Dismissal process o Immediate dismissal process 2
2017-2018 General Information Club Sponsor Teacher.Mrs. Farmer Department...Mathematics Classroom.D301 Email address afarmer@bettendorf.k12.ia.us Voicemail Extension.563-332-7001 x 6911 Google Voice Number (text messages) 563-265-1309 Please stop by my classroom, email me, or text me whenever you have an NHS question or need some help! General National Honor Society Information Website..https://www.nhs.us Shop NHS..https://www.nhs.us/store/store NHS Senior Scholarship https://www.nhs.us/parents/the-nhs-scholarship What is the National Honor Society? The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1921. Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in NHS activities. NHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. territories, and Canada. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but also challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. More information can be found regarding the history and relative organizations of NHS by going to this page of their website: https://www.nhs.us/utility/about-us The National Honor Society chapter at Bettendorf High School Chapter Name...Discipuli cum Laude Chapter web page http://bhs.bettendorf.k12.ia.us/extracurricular/activities/national-honor-society **Note The chapter web page from the BHS site only contains general information about the chapter. You can download a few pertinent forms and read the By-Laws from that page, but it will NOT be updated with information on current events, service opportunities, or the like. Please read under the How Information is Communicated section for more about where to find that information. 3
General Membership Requirements Academic Requirements All NHS members are required to maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA. The GPA of all members is checked every quarter once grades have been finalized. Students whose grades fall below a GPA of 3.5 will be subject to the general discipline process. GPA values will not be rounded and extend to two decimal places. All NHS members must take at least one AP, Honors, dual credit, academy, or Post-Secondary Option class each year they are in NHS, including their senior year. Service Requirements All NHS members are required to complete 15 hours of service each year they are in NHS, including their senior year. Of the 15 total hours, at least 3 hours must be done through specific NHS Committees. Only work done for the specific NHS Committees will count toward the 3-hour minimum. Attendance Requirements All NHS members are required to attend all general membership meetings. If you need to miss a meeting, you must complete the following excuse form PRIOR to the meeting: http://tinyurl.com/nhsexcuseform. It may be done electronically this year using this Google Form. You MUST complete this Google Form prior to missing a meeting. Otherwise, your absence will be unexcused. If you are sick on the day of a meeting, please complete the Google Excuse Form AND email me within 24 hours of your returning to school. Otherwise, your absence will be unexcused. NHS members with two or more unexcused absences from required meetings or events will be subject to the general discipline process. Character Requirements All NHS members are required to adhere to the all aspects of the BCSD Code of Conduct as outlined in the Parent-Student-Athletic/Activities Handbook. As stated on p. 48, To retain eligibility for participation in Bettendorf Athletics and Co-Curricular activities, students must conduct themselves as good citizens both in an out of school at all times. Students who represent the school in any activity are expected to serve as good role models to other students and to the members of the community. There are added responsibilities as role models because you are representing Bettendorf Schools. Character is one of the four pillars of NHS, and it is expected that NHS members conduct themselves at a higher level toward other students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. Members who violate the BCSD Code of Conduct will be subject to immediate dismissal from NHS. 4
Service Hours Information 2017-2018 NHS Committees Year-Long Committees o Elementary School Tutoring o Middle School Tutoring o Athletic Ambassadors o Babysitting during Conferences HS Conferences Paul Norton Elementary School Ceremony Helpers o Academic Letter Ceremony o Graduation (must be a junior) Fall Semester o September Blood Drive o Hunger Drive (For this to count as committee work NHS people will need to organize NHSspecific things for the Hunger Drive.) o Gifts for Needy Families Spring Semester o Pennies for Patients o Chapter Service Project - TBA o Induction Ceremony Committee versus Non-Committee Hours Three of your 15 hours of service are required to come from work done on an NHS committee. Only service done for the committees listed above may count toward the three-hour requirement. Throughout the year, you may receive information from me regarding other service opportunities. Participation in those opportunities may be applied to your overall total of hours, but unless the work is done for one of the committees listed above, it may not be applied to the 3-hour total. Non-Qualifying Activities for Service Hours Any activity done for payment or a school-based activity that is required participation for your club or sport may not be applied to your service hour total. Examples of non-eligible activities would include: Tutoring when you are paid for your work. Working at a summer camp where you are paid for your work. The Golduster s Little Dusters clinic The cheerleader s Little Cheer clinic Student Council s Little Leaders clinic Any student council committee work if you are a member of student council and on that committee 5
Any help for setting up or running various aspects of different musical events if you are a member of that group and are required to volunteer in some way. Fundraising work done for a club or sport you of which you belong. This list is not exhaustive. If you are a member of a club, musical group, or sport, and those groups have expectations of volunteering and fundraising within the group, those activities may not be applied to your total hours of service for National Honor Society. If you are unsure of the eligibility of something you have participated in, please ask me about it and I will let you know if it would count. I am aware some of these activities have been allowed in the past. From this point on, however, I will not accept these types of activities for NHS service hours. Procedures for Service Hour Documentation Committee Service Hours Self report these hours on the NHS Committee Service Hours Form. https://docs.google.com/a/bettendorf.k12.ia.us/forms/d/e/1faipqlsf8zhuty1zzbx8chmdcj42vkf1f AUSr9Wnow-np90O6m95Gew/viewform o You can find the link to this form in the Important Links section of the NHS Google Classroom page. o The Adviser may verify your self-reported hours with the chair of that committee. Non-Committee Service Hours Complete the Non-Committee Service Hours Verification Form that can be downloaded from three different places: o The Important Links section of the NHS Google Classroom o The NHS webpage on the Bettendorf High School website o The QR code on the NHS Bulletin Board in the Math/Science hallway (D300 wing) This form MUST include contact information and a signature from the adult in charge of your volunteer experience, and all questions on the form must be filled out. Turn your completed form into the Adviser (Mrs. Farmer) as soon as possible after you have volunteered. Due Dates for Service Hours Juniors and Seniors NOT graduating early o You must have your 15 hours of service turned into me by May 1 st, 2018. o If you signed up for the Induction Ceremony Committee in the Fall, you may submit 2 of your 3 committee hours by May 1 st and reserve your last hour for your service during the Induction Ceremony. Any senior on the Induction Ceremony Committee who reserves his last committee service hour for that event, and then fails to serve at the event as indicated, will be short hours and will not be eligible to have NHS honors at graduation. Seniors graduating early o If you are planning on graduating early, you MUST let Mrs. Farmer know by September 30, 2017. 6
o In order to be eligible for NHS honors during graduation in May, all of your 15 hours of service, including the required three hours of NHS committee service, must be turned in to me by the end of the quarter you are graduating. These due dates and requirements have been more clearly defined to better align with the policies defined in the Chapter By-Laws. Student Responsibilities How Information is Communicated Every NHS member is responsible for: o Knowing when and where required meetings and events are taking place o Keeping track of how many service hours he or she has completed and if the required documentation has been turned in. o Knowing which committee he or she has signed up to participate on and fulfilling his obligation to that committee. o Reaching out to an officer or Mrs. Farmer if he or she has a question or is unsure about something o Submitting the required excuse forms on time if a meeting or event is missed. How information will be communicated o Infinite Campus and your school email make sure you have your preferences in Infinite Campus set so you receive emails from your teachers. You will need to log into the web-version of IC to check these preferences. o NHS Google Classroom site- If you are not already a part of this classroom, the code to join is: h4agwvh o Remind- If you are not already receiving my Remind texts, do the following to join: text @9cgae to the number 81010. o School Announcements- I will send reminders about meetings and other major NHS events to be read over the school announcements. It is your responsibility to pay attention to those when they are read and emailed. o NHS Bulletin Board- NHS has a bulletin board in the Math/Science wing. Information about upcoming meetings and events, as well as QR codes for service hour forms will be posted here. o Bett NHS Twitter Follow @bett_nhs on Twitter to stay up to date on NHS info. Graduation Information Graduation Honors NHS members who remain in good standing at the time of graduation will be eligible to have NHS Honors at graduation. These honors include: The honor to wear blue and gold NHS cords during the graduation ceremony A gold seal embossed on your diploma Your name included in the list of NHS members in the graduation program 7
Cord Rental versus Cord Purchase NHS members in good standing at the time of graduation may wear the NHS blue and gold cords during the graduation ceremony. The cords will need to be returned when you pick up your diploma unless you pay $10 for the cord. If you wish to purchase your cords, bring $10 to Mrs. Farmer s classroom by the week before senior finals and check your name of the roster so there is a record of your payment. Early Graduates NHS members who graduate early must be a member in good standing and have all required committee and non-committee service hours completed and documented to me before the end of the quarter they are graduating. If you are planning on graduating early, you MUST let Mrs. Farmer know by September 30, 2017. Warnings, Hearings, and Dismissals NHS members who fail to maintain any of the requirements of active membership will fall out of good standing and be subject to warnings, hearings, and possible dismissals. General Discipline versus Immediate Dismissal NHS members will be subject to general discipline procedures in the following situations: o GPA falls below 3.5 after any quarter o Member has two or more unexcused absences from required meetings o Member did not submit the required number of service hours by the deadline. Warning Process Members will be notified via letter if they have been placed under warning and be given a deadline by which to rectify the issue that caused them to lose their good standing status. If they correct the situation by the given deadline, they will return to membership in good standing. Hearing Process Members who do not correct their situation by the given deadline may then be subject to dismissal from NHS. They would be notified via letter of their potential dismissal and be given a chance to present their case at a hearing in front of the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council will then vote on a decision of potential dismissal. Dismissal Process Members whom the Faculty Council votes to dismiss may appeal the decision to Ms. Kelly, the Principal. The appeal must be in writing and can be submitted to her directly within two weeks of the decision. The principal s decision on the appeal will be the final say. Immediate Dismissal Process NHS members who violate the BCSD Code of Conduct (the Good Conduct Policy) as outlined in the Parent- Student-Athletic/Activities Handbook will be immediately dismissed from NHS. They will be notified of the immediate dismissal by letter. Any member immediately dismissed may appeal the decision directly to Ms. Kelly, the Principal, within two weeks of the dismissal. The principal s decision on the appeal will be the final say. 8