National Junior Honor Society new to middle schools

By JEN COWART
Posted 5/17/17

Two middle schools in Cranston have introduced the National Junior Honor Society into their school communities at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels. Both Park View Middle School and Western Hills Middle School accepted student

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National Junior Honor Society new to middle schools

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Two middle schools in Cranston have introduced the National Junior Honor Society into their school communities at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels. Both Park View Middle School and Western Hills Middle School accepted student applications for the program during the third quarter of the school year.

Students who were eligible to apply to the program had to not only meet academic requirements, but also as show strength in characteristics based on the four other pillars of NJHS, which included Character, Leadership, Service and Citizenship.

Applications were reviewed by a faculty council at the school and students received their letters of acceptance in April and the schools held their first meeting shortly after the April vacation week.

At the Park View Middle School introductory meeting, the students were welcomed by faculty advisors Ann Marie Torres and Cara Fitzgerald.

“Welcome and congratulations,” said Torres. “This is a very selective society and your spot in it has been well earned. It’s an honor and you should celebrate it. Being a part of the National Junior Honor Society is not just academic. It’s also about leadership and community service.”

“You’ve gotten over the hardest part already, now you will be working together as a group at the school to do beautiful things around the school,” said Fitzgerald. “Your grades, your service, your leadership, your awards, all prove that you do the right thing and you get the job done. Those of you who are eighth-graders worked hard for this in the seventh-grade and you didn’t even know that you were working for it. Some of you worked even harder this year to keep your grades up in your classes and that 85 average in every class must be maintained.”

Torres reminded the students that as a part of NJHS, they will be looked upon as role models and leaders for the school, and that the NJHS is about recognizing all of the positive things that students have done, and the positive things they will continue to do.

“This is a very community-minded, very civic group,” she said.

Each school has planned out activities for the remainder of the school year, including service projects and activities, some of which will be completed by the two schools together in the coming months. The students are also required to maintain community service hours on their own as well.

According to Torres, next year’s group will have elected officers and this year’s seventh-grade students will be taking the lead as the new eighth-graders.

Park View Principal Mike Crudale also congratulated the PVMS students during their first meeting.

“I’m very proud of you,” he said. “This is a lot of hard work. You are the best of the best, the best and the brightest. Keep this up and continue the hard work. This is a tremendous opportunity for you as you go into high school and we hope that this will follow you and continue into the future. This is like the minor leagues in baseball. Next up is the major leagues. Right now you are the leaders in our school, but some day you will be leaders in society and leaders in your jobs.”

At the end of the school year there will be a formal induction ceremony at each of the two schools and those students who have been accepted will be honored at their respective schools at those events.

PHOTOS AND CUTLINES

From one leader to another: Park View Middle School Principal Michael Crudale spoke to the PVMS students during their first National Junior Honor Society meeting. The students were congratulated for their success in the areas of Scholarship, Character, Leadership, Service and Citizenship, which earned them a spot in the newly formed NJHS. (Herald photo by Jen Cowart)

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