Membership in the National English Honors Society is a high honor.
Founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, the National English Honors Society strives to honor scholarship, artistry, and service through literary studies.
SELECTION PROCESS
Membership is based on outstanding scholarship in literary studies, strong leadership, active service in promoting literary arts and studies, and exemplary character – being an honest, trustworthy, dependable person. A committee will examine the applicant’s petition to determine his or her eligibility. Prior violations of the District Academic Integrity policy will be taken into account and evaluated on an individual basis.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
SCHOLARSHIP
Candidates for NEHS must have a minimum 3.65 GPA within their English classes, with a 3.5 overall GPA at the end of their sophomore year. Additionally, they must be enrolled in at least one Honors or AP English class over the course of their academic career. Eligible juniors will be invited to petition for membership at the beginning of the second semester of their junior year. Students who become eligible as seniors will be notified during the fall of their senior year. All eligible students will be given the opportunity to petition for membership; however, eligibility does not guarantee acceptance.
The honor of acceptance into NEHS is bestowed upon candidates who show outstanding scholarship in literary studies, personal character, service to the literary arts in the Council Rock community, and leadership as determined by the NEHS and NHS Faculty Council.
ARTISTRY
One of the goals of the National English Honors Society is to “nurture members to further develop their abilities in the various fields of English.”
As part of this, members must be involved in some way promoting, developing, investigating, and producing literary material for their school and community.
Part of accomplishing this goal is to cultivate strong artistic discipline and leadership – within the organization and within oneself.
Leaders within NEHS are directly responsible for organizing, directing, and motivating others to achieve a specified goal.
As a leader, one should be able to develop a positive, guiding influence in and outside of the classroom.
The student who exercises leadership will demonstrate the following habits:
- Solves problems with humility.
- Takes the initiative in promoting literary studies and literacy in the school and community
- Creates positive influences on peers by upholding school ideals
- Delegates responsibility in a fair and effective manner
- Creates positive attitudes and inspires positive behaviors in others
- Demonstrates academic initiative and intellectual curiosity
- Exercises leadership with integrity and honesty
SERVICE
The third goal of the National English Honors Society is to “encourage members to use their talents in the service of others.”
Members are asked and required to perform at least one of the following services to the community in order to promote literary arts and literacy in the community.
o Participate in producing the Rock Reverb, the Council Rock High School North literary magazine
o Develop a tutoring program for middle school students at Newtown Middle School
o Stage a reader’s theater
o Invite an author to speak in some capacity in the school and organize the event
o Organize, plan, and stage a public poetry reading or literary-themed festivity in the community
o Organize, plan, and execute a book drive to benefit a local organization
o Participate and aid the Reading Olympics team in the library
o Volunteer to help in the Council Rock High School North library
o Propose a well-planned, researched idea to the faculty advisor that will promote literary studies and activities in the community
o An inter-school “Grammar-Off.”
o A Community “Brew-Off.”