National Junior Honor Society, or NJHS, is a middle school club for eighth grade students who are known for their excellence in scholarship, leadership, character, and service.
Carrie Green teaches English at Fair Grove Middle School, and is also the teacher sponsor for the NJHS program. Green stated, “[NJHS] is a great organization that teaches young students to be leaders, work hard in the classroom, prepare for the future, and build a strong, supportive school community.” She explained that it recognizes eight graders who make an effort to do the right thing even when no one is watching.
Unlike most clubs in middle school, NJHS is not something you can just sign up for, you have to be invited. Green extends invitations to members of the eight grade student body who exhibit the necessary traits and habits of future leaders. This includes having at least a 3.0 GPA, not having had any disciplinary issues, and having been noticed for their moral character.
As a part of being in NJHS, members help out by doing service projects for their local community. Green shared that most of the service is done outside of school hours, including their participation in a “Clean the Campus” activity in April. They also hope to be able to host a middle school talent show in the spring. However, Green noted, “Our biggest service project together is the Thanksgiving Senior Citizen Luncheon.”
The Thanksgiving Senior Citizen Luncheon took place on Friday, November 21. According to NJHS member, David Arnold (8), NJHS was in charge of greeting the seniors as they arrived, guiding them to their table, and serving them drinks. They then worked as waiters and waitresses by passing out the thanksgiving meals to the seniors. After the meal, members engaged in conversation and listened to any stories the seniors had to share. Once the event concluded, they helped them to the exits, then proceeded to clean up the thanksgiving meal.
Arnold shared that his favorite part of the day was greeting the senior citizens as they came in, and getting to listen to them share stories and talk about their life.
Campbell Evans (8) is another member of NJHS. Evans stated that his favorite part of the day was getting to see the seniors enjoy the entertainment and the good food, and was happy to be able to assist them with their meal. Evans shared, “I like all the leadership and getting to host all the things, and am definitely looking forward to the rest of the year!”
