Klein Collins High School

National Honor Society

Please contact Elissa Woods or Lauren Canon with questions.

Updated 5/3/2022 EW

Updates


Requirements to Join NHS

In order to be invited to apply, you must be in your junior year or senior year, you must have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or greater and you must also be enrolled for a period equivalent to one semester at Klein Collins High School. Grade point average will not be rounded to meet the minimum requirement.

In early February, Central Office sends a list of students who meet these requirements to Woods and Canon. Students and parents will be notified in writing that students are eligible to apply. This email will include the application and the form to submit the application. The application includes:

  1. A student information form (basic info, school activities, previous volunteer service, discipline disclosure)

  2. An essay

  3. A letter of recommendation from someone in the community that is not a faculty member at Klein Collins High School

  4. Faculty voting

After applications have been submitted, the Faculty Council goes through applications to approve student candidacy. Our Faculty Council looks at the applications, previous service hours, school activities, and discipline as well as comments from our faculty. During the selection process, if a candidate's application is found to be incomplete or includes false information, that candidate's application will be disqualified.

** A very important note! Sophomores and Juniors can be inducted into NHS according to the national rules BUT each individual chapter defines the parameters for the selection of their members according to their bylaws. Klein ISD has set the parameter across the district to second-semester juniors with a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.0 or higher.

Requirements to Retain Membership

To be considered in good standing, a member must

  1. Maintain a GPA of 4.0 or higher.

  2. Complete and submit 15 service hours each semester and 15 hours over the summer

  3. Attend 50% of monthly meetings

  4. Be an active member of the organization (attending committee meetings, participating in NHS events, etc)

  5. Maintain the standards which were the basis for their selection, particularly in the area of character.

What happens if I don't meet the minimum requirements?

Depending on the infraction, a student will be placed on probation. When a student is placed on probation, they will be notified by the chapter sponsor in writing with instructions for how to meet the requirements to come off probation. If a student does not meet the requirements within the time frame, the student will be notified in writing that they may be considered for dismissal by the Faculty Council. Certain violations can result in immediate consideration for the dismissal of a member. More information about Discipline and Dismissal of Members can be found in Article X of our Chapter Bylaws.

What happens if I wish to appeal a decision of the Faculty Council? If a student or parent wishes to appeal a decision of the Faculty Council, they should contact the principal within 30 calendar days of notification of the decision. Ms. Woods and Ms. Canon are not a part of the appeals process. Appeals should be directed to Mr. Ebner.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How much are dues and what do they include? Dues are $20. These dues include your t-shirt.

  2. How much are stoles and when will I get mine? Stoles are generally around $25 (this price changes at the national level). Students receive stoles in the last two weeks of school. To receive a stole, a member must be in good standing with the organization (no discipline, GPA criteria is met, all service hours are submitted and approved, etc). Students will pay for their stoles through Schoolcash.

  3. My family can't afford _____. What do I do? Let Ms. Woods, Ms. Canon, or Mr. Ebner know. We can waive dues and the cost of the stole. Our Faculty Council believes strongly that financial concerns should not keep a student from fully participating.

  4. Am I required to attend the Induction ceremony? Yes, members are expected to attend the Induction ceremony. If you have a scheduling conflict, please get with Woods or Canon so that we can plan for our event.

  5. I have a scheduling conflict and will not be able to attend the Induction ceremony. How do I get my certificate? You will receive your certificate when you are sworn in and sign the membership register. This happens at the start of the new school year.

  6. I transferred from another school (or I am transferring to another school). Do I retain my membership? Yes. Ms. Woods will just need to verify that you were a member in good standing. You can have your previous sponsor email confirming that you were in good standing or show your certificate. If you are transferring from KCHS to another school, let Ms. Woods know and she can give you a letter confirming membership. This rule comes from the national level. If your new school does not want to accept your membership, let Woods know and she will advocate for you.

  7. What do I need to bring with me for my senior pictures? Nothing! Mrs. Nunn sends a list to the photographer every summer. You just need to show up with an ID of some kind. They can verify your name on the list.

  8. How many service hours do I need? 15 hours for each semester in your senior year, and 15 hours from the summer between your induction and senior year (for a total of 45 hours). This number is set by the bylaws for each individual chapter.

  9. Do I have to participate in NHS Service projects? YES! Every student in NHS is expected to contribute to NHS service projects. This is outlined in our chapter bylaws. If you have scheduling conflicts, you need to communicate with Woods or Canon to come up with a solution.

  10. Where can I find the hours sheet and do I have to have signatures? Hours sheets can be found in the Schoology course. And yes, you have to provide verification that you participated. This can be via a sponsor signature, an attached letter from your sponsor, or an attached email from your sponsor that shows the date and time stamp along with their name and contact information. You do NOT have to use our Hours sheet. We just need documentation.

  11. What counts as service hours? Generally speaking, service hours must be unpaid volunteer work that benefits the community in some way. If you are doing paid work (even if it is unpaid as in an unpaid internship or working in your parents' restaurant), receive academic credit for your work (as in internships), or work for your family members, it will not count toward your NHS service requirements. Hours must be verifiable and parents cannot sign for their children. This is not an exhaustive list, just some examples. If in doubt, you should always contact Woods or Canon to verify. Start tracking hours early and set up a system to help you stay organized. Hours must be verified to count.

    1. Coordination of fundraising activities will count as volunteer service hours if the fundraising activities benefit non-profit organizations. Just donating or collecting money does not count. Drama does an annual garage sale to benefit their non-profit program. Donating items (unless approved by Woods or Canon) or money to the garage sale does not count, but coming to volunteer at the event itself would count.

    2. Participation in performances (dance, theatre, music, etc) will count as service hours if the production was created specifically to address identified community service needs. You cannot receive a financial or academic benefit.

    3. Hours spent coaching sports (or theatre, etc), will count as service hours.

    4. Teaching youth worship classes counts for hours.

    5. Tutoring and mentoring count as long as the hours are verifiable. For example, mentoring through NHS or your church's program would count, but tutoring your neighbor would not count because it is not verifiable. You would need to tutor in school and have a staff member of KCHS sign off.

    6. Providing childcare (babysitting) counts through verifiable programs (as in your church's nursery). Babysitting your neighbor's kids would not count because it is not verifiable.

    7. Contributions of physical items (food drives, prom gowns, books, clothing, toiletries) are determined on a case by case basis. Woods and Canon will specifically approve these circumstances Donating items can never count for more than one service hour regardless of the number of items a student provides. Donations of items cannot make up more than 3 hours per semester. It is important to our chapter that service hours be based on actual hours of volunteer work.

    8. Participating in your normal extracurricular activities (band, choir, football, etc) does not meet the definition of "service to the community." Extracurriculars directly benefit you! Students will not receive hours for required obligations to other clubs, sports, or organizations.