Spring Into Action
This season is full of anticipation and events, from prom and graduation planning to outdoor chapter service projects. You and your school community are likely very busy. We appreciate the many hats you’re wearing as teachers and activity advisers during this time of year.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Registration Set to Open for First NHS Virtual College Fair
In an effort to help NHS members begin or refine their college wish list, NHS will host its first-ever Virtual College Fair on Tuesday, May 17. Members can log in online anytime between 2:00 and 10:00 p.m. (ET) to chat live with college and university representatives staffing virtual booths. The fair is free and open to NHS members and their parents. Registration for the NHS Virtual College Fair will open the week of April 18 at www.nhs.us/virtualcollegefair. Advisers can also register for the fair in order to visit a virtual booth with details about the 2016–17 NHS Scholarship program.

We Can’t Wait to See the Creativity
National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) is next week: April 17–23! What is your chapter doing “Right Here, Right Now” to show leadership and make a difference? Here’s a quick recap of ways you and your chapter can participate:

  • Visit www.nhs.us/nslw or www.njhs.us/nslw for activities and resources.
  • Ask your students to participate in the NSLW Instagram challenge. Watch the 30-second video on the NHS and NJHS NSLW web pages for details.
  • Encourage your members to demonstrate their support of NSLW by adding a filter to their social media profile picture as part of NSLW’s Twibbon campaign.
  • Inspire others to spring into action by sharing both your members’ small gestures and bigger community projects on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #NSLW2016.

Student Leaders Discuss Education Technology in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ (NASSP) Student Leadership Advisory Committee gathered in Washington, D.C., for a briefing on Capitol Hill. The event provided a unique opportunity for legislators to hear firsthand from students, teachers, and principals about the impact of education technology in their schools.

The 13-member committee is a mix of NHS, NJHS, and National Association of Student Councils students, advisers, and principals. Four members of the council sat on a panel and answered questions during the Capitol Hill briefing, sharing their perspective on topics ranging from cyberbullying to providing equal access to technology.

Prior to the briefing, all committee members participated in a three–day leadership and advocacy training session with various NASSP staff. To see social media posts and photos from the Capitol Hill briefing, search #NASSPStudentVoice on Twitter.

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Award Winners TBA—Stay Tuned!
Later this month, the first NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award winners will be announced. Also, chapters that submitted nominations for the Outstanding Service Project Award program will be notified if they’ve won. In May, NHS Scholarship winners will be contacted as well. Good luck to all!

State Service Award Program Deadline Approaching
Ardis Kyker served as a loyal and hard-working supporter of the purposes of NHS, NJHS, and the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) for more than 20 years. To honor her work, an award is available to any state NHS, NJHS, or student council association that is an official state affiliate of NHS, NJHS, and/or NASC and has performed a state service project. For consideration, submit your state association’s Kyker Award application by this Thursday, April 15.

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Kids4Kids Community Center
The NJHS chapter at Imagine Chancellor Middle School in Boynton Beach, FL, partnered with the nonprofit organization Kids4Kids to establish a community center in downtown Lake Worth, FL. The members completed all of the landscaping and exterior painting of the community center. They also assisted in the center’s soup kitchen by donating items and time, as well as handing out supplies to families receiving assistance from the center.

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Help fellow chapters get project ideas by adding your projects to the National Student Project Database on the NHS and NJHS websites. Summarize the project in a paragraph or two, add dates, and include photos and links to partner organizations, if possible.

CHAPTERS DOING GREAT THINGS

The Kitsap Sun recently reported on the work of the NHS chapter at Central Kitsap High School, in Silverdale, WA, to benefit Project Linus, a national organization that distributes handmade security blankets to children in need. Recipients may be terminally ill, in foster care, or homeless. For the past two months, chapter members have collected fabric donations to create blankets for Project Linus. The members cut and tied more than two dozen blankets in an hour. Read the story here.

Has your chapter been featured in the news recently? Tell us about it by emailing [email protected], subject line: CDGT.

HONOR SOCIETY TIPS AND TOOLS

Member Selection and Induction
As the academic year begins to wind down, you are reminded that members do not have to be selected and inducted each year; there is no yearly “reapplication” for membership or induction. Students remain members unless they submit a written resignation or are dismissed per the due process procedures outlined in Article X of the NHS and NJHS Constitutions. You should monitor members’ compliance with chapter requirements throughout the year. For more information, also refer to the Adviser Resource Center on the NHS and NJHS websites.

Changing Advisers?
If you are transitioning out of the adviser role, please notify the national office so that your chapter’s information is up to date in our database. This will help to ensure a smooth transition for the next adviser, as well as timely receipt of 2016–17 academic year communication. The new adviser’s information can be submitted via the Adviser Change Form on the NHS or NJHS website or included on the annual chapter renewal invoice sent to your principal. If a new adviser hasn’t been selected yet, please share this information with your principal.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

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John Wooden’s words are a perfect way to think about this year’s National Student Leadership Week. Find and share more quotes like this in our NSLW social media toolkit.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more inspiring quotes to share with your members.


Is there something you’d like us to include in next month’s Honor Society News? Email your ideas or suggestions to [email protected].

IMPORTANT DATES

April
Annual adviser surveys sent via email

April 15
Ardis Kyker State Service Awards deadline

April 28
NHS and NJHS State Summit for New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award winners announced

May
NHS Scholarship winners notified

May 17
NHS Virtual College Fair

June
NHS Scholarship winners announced

June 30
Deadline for chapter affiliation renewal; renew online on the NHS or NJHS website

ANNOUNCEMENTS

In the latest Advise:

The April/May issue of Advise examines the impact of international travel on students’ personal growth and worldview. Explore the research from experts and personal stories from NHS members and share this informative resource with your chapter members. The issue also includes “Participation Station,” a center pullout section for students—be sure to pass it on!

Looking for a unique gift?
Encourage your members, especially your graduating seniors and their relatives, to visit the NHS Family Store online for distinctive, one-of-a-kind National Honor Society keepsakes and gifts that can’t be found anywhere else. Direct them to https://co-store.com/honorsocietyfamily.