A student may also be invited to join CvHS NHS chapter upon transfer from another school in which he/she was in good standing with the NHS chapter there. This is subject to review by the Faculty Council.
In order to be eligible for NHS selection at Cleveland High, a student must:
be in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade (9th graders are not eligible)
have been in attendance at Cleveland High School for a minimum of one full semester
have a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average (GPA) of 3.800.
Students who meet these requirements receive an invitation in the spring via email to participate in the selection process.
You must excel in ALL four areas
1. SCHOLARSHIP: A minimum of 3.8 cumulative weighted GPA is required to apply
2. SERVICE: Completed 30 Hours of community service on a volunteer basis for a non-profit organization - If you have questions about service hours please email Amber Searfoss or Sarah Barnhart at ambersearfoss@johnston.k12.nc.us or sarahbarnhart@johnston.k12.nc.us
3. LEADERSHIP - Held at least one leadership role since 9th grade
4. CHARACTER - Submit 2 teacher recommendations and your essay
** In addition, it is recommended to:
Have been involved in extra-curricular activities
Have job experience
Please note: Students are NOT automatically selected for NHS membership based on scholarship (grades) alone! Students are selected to join our chapter based on outstanding performance in four criteria set forth by the National Honor Society:
Scholarship
Character
Leadership
Service
A Faculty Council consisting of five (5) classroom teachers is responsible for evaluating students who wish to become members. The Faculty Council is appointed by the Principal each year. The NHS Advisor is a sixth, non-voting member of the Faculty Council.
Students who choose to participate are asked to complete and submit an application This information will allow the Faculty Council to make objective, professional decisions regarding selection of candidates based on the four criteria of NHS.
Once the Faculty Council has selected students for membership, students are notified via email of their selection status. Students will receive an email regardless of whether they are selected for membership or not.
For those students who are selected for membership, an induction ceremony is held in which selected students officially become members of our chapter. Participation in the induction ceremony is mandatory for all new members and will be held on April 7th, 2025 @ 6:30pm in the Auditorium.
Cleveland High School has two (2) selection periods each year:
During the fall semester (September/October), SENIORS (and only seniors) may be selected.
During the spring semester, sophomores and juniors may be selected.
Selection Criteria:
SCHOLARSHIP:
In order to be eligible for NHS selection at Cleveland High, a student must have a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.800. Students who meet this requirement are invited to complete a student information form which allows the Faculty Council to evaluate their performance in the other three areas.
Please note:
Receiving an invitation does not guarantee selection.
Students must demonstrate excellence in all four (4) criteria in order to be selected.
CHARACTER:
The NHS Handbook defines a student of character as one who
Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously
Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (e.g., cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability)
Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.
Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability
Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others
Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom
Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing an unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others
Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.
In order to evaluate a student's character, the Faculty Council reviews school discipline records, student essays, and two (2) teacher recommendations submitted.
School discipline records are reviewed for all infractions of school rules. Minor discipline issues will not automatically prevent a student from being selected, but they will be factored into the Faculty Council's decision.
The student essay is a required part of the application.
Teachers are requested to complete recommendations for students interested in joining NHS. No member of the Faculty Council is allowed to complete a recommendation (Anita Locklear, Tiffany Hill, Brenda LaBahn, Caitlin Eppolito or Jennifer Price). Students are allowed to request that specific teachers complete their recommendations.
LEADERSHIP:
The NHS Faculty Council understands that not all students are able to hold leadership positions (such as being an officer in a club), due to the limited number of available positions, so we have a very broad definition of leadership. In order to meet leadership requirements, students must show evidence that they REGULARLY and CONSISTENLY demonstrate leadership skills. Your leadership description should not be for a one time event. Leadership is demonstrated through:
Resourcefulness
Organization
Positive Attitude
Reliability
Dependability
Efficiency
Ability to contribute constructive ideas
Ability to delegate responsibilities to others
Ability to inspire positive behavior in others
Ability to successfully hold school offices or other positions of responsibility
A leader in the classroom, at work, or in other school or community activities
Students do not have to show evidence of ALL of these skills - they just have to show leadership potential by demonstrating that they have SOME of these.
On the application, students are asked to describe specific situations in which they regularly and consistently demonstrate these specific skills. These could include activities from church, other school groups, scouts, or even work. Students can include offices they hold in other organizations (such as being a club officer or a representative on a church youth council), but it isn't necessary for a student to hold an office in order to demonstrate some leadership skills. The most important thing is that they REGULARLY and CONSISTENTLY demonstrate these skills - it can't be just an isolated incident, but something they have done many times. The faculty council may choose not to count a position as leadership if the members feel that the position you list does not require leadership skills. Make sure to provide an adequate description.
Please note that all leadership activities must be verified with the signature of the supervising adult. Parents may only verify those activities for which they were the ONLY adult present.
Examples of Leadership:
Student is a captain on a sports team
Student is a committee chair
Student is a section leader
Student held an office position
Nonexamples of Leadership:
Student is a member of a sports team
Student babysits for younger kids
Student encourages others on their team
Student works a part-time job
Student is a member of a fine-arts group
SERVICE:
NHS is primarily a service organization, so service is one of the most important criteria for selection. Students who wish to be selected for membership must already be involved in service activities through other non-profit organizations either at school or elsewhere in the community. According to the NHS Handbook, a student who serves:
Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance
Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities
Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school
Does committee and staff work without complaint
Participates in some activity outside of school (i.e., Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, religious groups, volunteer services for the poor, elderly, or disadvantaged)
Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools
Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and other students
On the application, students are asked to list all service activities in which they have participated since beginning 9th grade AND the number of hours they spent doing each activity. Students may include activities completed individually or through other non-profit organizations such as those listed below. Students may NOT include activities that were required for a class or club or activities for which they were compensated (paid) in any way. Service hours must occur outside of scheduled class time.
Please note that all service activities must be verified with the signature of the supervising adult. The supervising adult cannot be your parent/guardian or another student. The faculty council reserves the right to disregard service activities if it feels that the activity you describe is not truly a service to others. Be sure to provide an adequate description of the activity.
Here is a list of example non-profit organizations that can be used (this is not an exhaustive list, if you have questions, please email the advisors): Religious organizations, Athletic organizations (such as GCAA, YMCA), Public Libraries, Schools, Food Banks, Animal Rescues/shelters, Habitat for humanity, Red Cross, Museums, etc.)
If you feel an organization represents a good cause and is not considered a non-profit organization (example: Senior centers, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, etc.), you must reach out to the advisors for pre-approval.
Please document hours of community service on the following form: Potential Candidate Service Hours Form