PONAGANSET CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
The Ponaganset Chapter is a duly chartered chapter of the prestigious National Honor Society. At the end of the first semester, student information packets will be sent out to members of the junior and senior classes with a 4.0 weighted GPA or higher (for the class of 2026 and before) or a 4.1 weighted GPA or higher (for the class of 2027 and after). To be considered for membership in the Ponaganset Chapter, a candidate must return a fully completed student information packet that includes documentation of at least 30 hours of community service during their time in high school and at least 3 faculty endorsements or letters of recommendation. Service activities are those that are done for or on behalf of others, not including immediate family members, for which no compensation, monetary or otherwise, has been given. The due date and time of the student information packet is included on the packet and the letter sent to students. Additional correspondence from the adviser, updates, and additional information will be sent by email to the student’s official PHS email address. Candidates should check their school email regularly.
Candidates will be reviewed by the Faculty Council (comprised of 5 voting faculty members, non-voting alternate faculty members, and chaired by the non-voting faculty adviser). The council will review the completed student information packets, student disciplinary records, faculty inputs, and any other information deemed appropriate to determine which of the candidates best exemplify the virtues of SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, and CHARACTER. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is required for a candidate to be offered membership. The GPA cut-offs will be reviewed annually by the Faculty Council and updated as deemed appropriate to maintain the high academic standards for membership in the National Honor Society.
Once the Faculty Council has made their decisions, letters will be sent out to all candidates regarding the membership decision. Any candidate who is offered membership must then contact the faculty adviser by the date and time indicated on their letter to accept membership. If the student does not contact the adviser by the date and time indicated, it will be assumed that they are declining membership. During their senior year, members of the Ponaganset Chapter must participate in a group community service project, determined by the adviser and members of the chapter, that benefits the school community.
Once inducted, members are required to maintain the same standards (or higher) to maintain membership in the Ponaganset Chapter. If the student’s weighted GPA drops below the required threshold, if the student commits a serious disciplinary infraction (as determined by the school administration), if they have excessive unexcused absences or tardies, or if they fail to complete the required community service as part of the chapter, their membership may be revoked by a majority vote of the Faculty Council.
APPEALS PROCESS:
If a non-selected student or their parents are dissatisfied with the decision of the Faculty Council, they should contact the adviser for additional information on why the student was not offered membership.
If they wish to appeal the decision, the STUDENT must talk with the adviser directly to inform them that they wish to formally appeal. This must occur within 10 school days of the initial notification of the Faculty Council’s decision (the date the decision letter was mailed out). Any additional information the student would like to submit for the council’s reconsideration must also be submitted to the adviser in this 10-day window. If no appeal has been registered within this defined period of time, all records pertaining to this round of selection will be destroyed and no appeal will be allowed.
All previous information submitted by and on behalf of the student, plus any additional updated information, will be presented to the Faculty Council. The council will reconsider the candidate based on the totality of this material using the same criteria as before. The candidate will be notified of the decision of the Faculty Council by email (to their official PHS school email address) within one school day of the vote.
Should students or parents still not be satisfied, they may continue the appeal to the principal. The STUDENT must contact the faculty adviser within 5 school days of the previous email to announce they would like to continue the appeal to the principal. The adviser will inform the principal of this appeal and the principal will arrange to listen to the concerns of students not selected, or from the parents of such students. Following such discussions, if the principal believes that some kind of technical or procedural mistake has been made, the principal may ask the faculty council to reconvene to review the situation or may overturn the decision. The candidate will be notified of the decision of the principal by email (to their official PHS school email address) within one school day.
If non-selected students or their parents wish to challenge or appeal the principal’s decision, they should follow the Foster-Glocester Regional School District complaint procedures.
For more details please consult the Program of Studies. (Coming Soon)