student life
Honor Societies
The National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) empower students, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to become influential leaders within their school and community.
Attaining and preserving a chapter of these honor societies reflects a school’s deep-seated dedication to excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, and character, and stands as a noteworthy achievement, fostering a sense of pride among the school community and its leaders alike.
National Honor Society
National Honor Society (NHS) was established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in 1921 to recognize outstanding high school students. The TKCS chapter of the National Honor Society is open to all eleventh and twelfth grade students who have completed at least one semester at TKCS or who were NHS members at a previous school prior to transferring to TKCS. Only students with a 3.50 weighted GPA or above will be considered for admission. In addition, applicants will need to demonstrate excellence in leadership, character, and service.
The emblem of the National Honor Society is the Keystone and the Flaming Torch.
The flaming torch symbolizes the eternal light of knowledge. The keystone and the letters at its base represent the cardinal principles of its organization.
- Character: Developing strong moral values.
- Service: Giving back to the community.
- Leadership: Taking initiative and inspiring others.
- Scholarship: A love of learning!
NHS members are required to perform additional service above and beyond what is required of all TKCS students. In addition, members will be expected to attend all NHS events, including the fall and spring induction ceremonies, the annual college fair, the annual blood drive, and regular meetings. Failure to meet these requirements could lead to revocation of NHS membership. NHS members may be asked to pay nominal dues upon their induction into the organization.
The officers for the 2023-2024 school year are listed below. Please see any officer with questions about chapter activities and/or service projects.
Alex Cavallo, President
Ally Kuklis, Vice President
Sophia Waltimyer, Secretary
Camden Wyatt, Treasurer
Angelina Vesci, Chaplain
Mrs. Bethany Lukacs
Blukacs@tkcs.org
Junior National Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) has a history linked to its high school counterpart, the National Honor Society (NHS). NHS was established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in 1921 to recognize outstanding high school students. Recognizing the potential for younger students, the NASSP founded the NJHS with a similar mission in 1929. Thus, the NJHS focuses on:
- Scholarship: A love of learning!
- Service: Giving back to the community.
- Leadership: Taking initiative and inspiring others.
- Character: Developing strong moral values.
- Citizenship: Being a responsible and involved individual.
These five ideals, called pillars, have now become the basis for selection. Today, membership in the NJHS is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a middle school student.
The King’s Christian School Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society 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 each October and March.
Students in grades 7 through 9 are eligible for membership. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better on a 4.0 scale. Each fall and spring those students 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 three 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. Third, the faculty council reviews the character reference letter submitted on the candidate’s behalf.
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 nonselection 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 five criteria that led to their selection.
Membership in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a middle school student. Our chapter strives to give practical meaning to the society’s standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.
Membership, however, is more than an honor. It is an ongoing responsibility. Once inducted, each member is expected to attend the monthly chapter meetings unless excused by the adviser. Members are also required to maintain the same level of performance, or better, in all criteria that led to their selection, specifically the required cumulative GPA, involvement in leadership opportunities, and participation in chapter service projects as well as individual service projects selected by the member and approved by the adviser.
Members who fail to meet their chapter obligations may be considered for discipline or dismissal from chapter. Please reference the chapter NJHS bylaws for additional information.
Any member who fails to meet the chapter obligations or who falls below the standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character, or citizenship may be considered for discipline or dismissal from NJHS.
If a member’s cumulative grade point average falls below the standard in effect when he or she was selected, currently a 3.75 on a 4.0 scale, he or she will be given a written warning and a reasonable time period, typically one semester, to show improvement. If the cumulative grade point average remains below standard at the end of the warning period, the student will be subject to further disciplinary action by the faculty council that includes consideration of dismissal from the chapter.
Violations of the law or school regulations can result in immediate consideration of the dismissal of a member. These violations include, but are not limited to stealing; destruction of property; bullying; cheating; truancy; or possession, selling, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at school or school-related activities or in the community.
Offenders of the school conduct code (such as use of profanity, disrespect or defiance towards authority, unexcused absences, excessive tardiness, etc.) will receive a written warning notification. A conference may be requested by either party (faculty council or student/parent). If the member is involved in another violation of the school conduct code, the member may be considered for dismissal.
Chapter officers, as representatives of the chapter, can be removed from their positions because of disciplinary action taken by the faculty council.
In all cases of pending dismissal:
- The member will receive written notification from the adviser/faculty council indicating the reason for consideration of dismissal.
- The member has the right to respond to the charge(s) against him/her at a hearing before the faculty council prior to any vote on dismissal (in accordance with due process identified in Article X of the National Constitution). The member has the opportunity to present his/her defense either in person or via a written statement presented in lieu of the face-to-face hearing. Following the hearing, the faculty council will vote on whether to dismiss. A majority vote of the faculty council is needed to dismiss any member.
- The results of the faculty council vote will be presented to the principal for review and then stated in a letter sent to the student and parents. Dismissed members must surrender any membership emblems to the adviser.
- The faculty council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal and afterwards according to provisions of the school district discipline policies.
- A member who is dismissed or resigns may never again be considered for membership in the National Junior Honor Society.
In lieu of dismissal, the faculty council may impose disciplinary sanctions upon a member as deemed appropriate.
2024-2025 NJHS OFFICERS
Cole Carver, President
Maddyn Patel, Secretary
Hannah Gowans, Treasurer
Jacob Knoll, Chaplain
2024-2025 MEMBERSHIP ROSTER
Atticus Willey
Britta Duff
Cole Carver
Eliana Bonaventura
Elise Kieselowsky
Hannah Gowans
Ian Takamoto
Jacob Knoll
Joel Shonibare
Maddyn Patel
Vivian Galvis
Zach Dunbar
2024-2025 NJHS ADVISER
Mrs. Lorraine Scaffidi
Lscaffidi@tkcs.org
856-489-6720 x 138
PRINCIPAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Mr. Craig Beatty
cbeatty@tkcs.org
856-489-6720 x 112
NATIONAL NJHS ORGANIZATION CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: www.njhs.us
Phone: 800-253-7746
Each chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is governed by the constitution for the National Junior Honor Society. In addition to the constitution, local chapters must adopt bylaws to establish local procedures.
TKCS Chapter Bylaws (Amended June 2024)