National Junior Honor Society

Since 1929, the National Junior Honor Society has been recognizing the highest achieving students in grades 6-9. Modeled after its well-known companion program, the National Honor Society, NJHS provides a solid foundation for ambitious middle level students as they prepare for their high school and higher education pursuits.

The National Junior Honor Society chapter of Unity 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 five areas of evaluation: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a five-member principal-appointed faculty council, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school. 

Students in grades 6 – 8 are eligible for membership. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or better. Students must also have a minimum of 1.5 times Community Service hours at the time of review (i.e. 6th grade 15 hours, 7th grade 22.5 hours, and 8th grade 37.5) as well as no serious infraction based on Unity School Handbook. This fall, for initial determination of our group, we will start with 8th grade only, and in the spring those students in 6th and 7th grades who meet this criterion are invited to complete a Candidate Form that provides the faculty council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service.  

 To evaluate a candidate’s character, the faculty council uses two forms of input. First, school disciplinary records are reviewed. Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character, and leadership. 

 Any solicited faculty input and all Candidate Forms are carefully reviewed by the faculty council to determine membership. A majority vote of the council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or non selection according to a predetermined schedule. 

Following notification, 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 four criteria that led to their selection.

Unity School ByLaws For NJHS 2024 2025

Unity School Selection Process for NJHS 2024 2025

General Pillars of Membership