Whippany Park High School

The National Honor Society Chapters of both Hanover Park and Whippany Park High Schools shall operate under charters granted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The Chapters shall function in accordance with the constitution of the National Honor Society and Board policy.

National Honor Society membership is based on the four qualities required by the National Constitution: Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service.

Pupils do not apply for membership.

Pupils are selected by a faculty selection committee which shall consist of:

1. An administrator in charge of the National Honor Society for the school; and

2. Five teachers selected by the Principal.

The selection committee shall consider each pupil who is at least a junior and who is academically eligible on the basis of demonstrated leadership, character, and service. The names of the committee members are confidential. In all communications to or from the committee, the chairperson will act as its spokesperson.

A simple majority vote of the committee is required for membership.

Selection Process Notification
Pupils will be informed of the criteria and selection process during their sophomore year. Complete sets of national and local regulations concerning the National Honor Society shall be maintained in the Principal's office of each school and shall be made available upon request.

Academic Eligibility
The administrator in charge of the National Honor Society at each school shall, in cooperation with the Guidance Department, prepare a list of all pupils who are at least juniors and who have met the minimum academic (GPA) requirement: 3.5 for pupils in the Class of 1994 and beyond (Cumulative grade point average shall be calculated in accordance with district procedures).

A list of academically eligible candidates for National Honor Society admission shall be posted outside of the school office at least one week prior to the commencement of the membership selection process. Any pupil who believes his/her name should be included has the right to seek out the National Honor Society administrator who will sit with the pupil and recalculate the pupil's GPA.

Leadership Eligibility
A leadership endorsement form shall be distributed to all teachers and activity advisors/coaches that a pupil has been involved with during the current and previous school years. Teachers/advisors/coaches shall be asked to submit one form for their observation of the candidate in academic classes and one form for their observation in activities/athletics.

A pupil must be endorsed by at least two thirds of the teachers/advisors/coaches submitting endorsement forms to meet the leadership requirement.

Character Eligibility
A character endorsement form shall also be distributed to all teachers and activity advisors/coaches that a pupil has been involved with during the current and previous school years. Teachers/advisors/coaches shall be asked to submit one form for their observation of the candidate in academic classes and one form for their observation in activities/athletics. The list of all eligible pupils shall also be given to all administrators soliciting information regarding the pupil's character.

A pupil's demonstrated character must be endorsed by all teachers/advisors/coaches/ administrators submitting endorsement forms in order to satisfy the character requirement. In any case where a candidate has received acceptable character endorsements from ninety percent of his/her teachers/advisors/coaches, the faculty selection committee shall determine if the situations in the non-endorsements have merit.

Service Eligibility
Service information will be submitted to the faculty selection committee on the Student Activities Form. It shall be the responsibility of the pupil's guidance counselor to see that a Current Activity Form is submitted for each eligible pupil.

Service eligibility shall be established in conjunction with guidelines set forth below. Faculty advisors and coaches will provide information regarding the extent of pupil commitment.

*A maximum of one point may be earned for community service during a given school year.

While activities outside of school will be considered for service eligibility, the majority of eligibility must be earned in activities officially sponsored or recognized by the Regional High School District.

Pupils must have accumulated a minimum of six points as a junior and nine points as a senior to meet the minimum service requirement. The points must be accumulated in the following manner:

• Junior Service

  • Freshman Year

  • Sophomore Year    3 points combined (Freshman and Sophomore yrs)

  • Junior Year        3 points

  •            6 points minimum

• Senior Service

  • Freshman Year

  • Sophomore Year    6 points combined total (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior yrs)

  • Junior Year

  • Senior Year          3 points

  •              9 points minimum

Review of Final Candidates
If the National Honor Society administrator, any member of the selection committee, or the Principal discovers that pupil information is available that was not considered by the selection committee, he/she may reconvene the committee.

It shall be the responsibility of the school Principal to review the membership selection process upon its completion and ensure that all procedures have been equitably carried out.

Names of successful candidates shall be released only after the Principal has completed his/her review of the selection process.

Appeal Process
Appeals can be made first to the National Honor Society administrator and then to the Principal. Reason(s) for a pupil's rejection will be provided, if so requested by the pupil or parent(s) or legal guardian(s). A parent(s) or legal guardian(s) who is dissatisfied with the disposition of an appeal by the Principal, may appeal further to the Superintendent.

In reviewing an appeal, any administrator may not add or delete an individual from membership in the National Honor Society. If an administrator finds an appeal to have merit, he/she shall reconvene the faculty selection committee to reconsider the pupil. The decision reached by the faculty selection committee upon reconsideration shall be final.