National Honor Society

Lawrence High School National Honor Society

Membership in the Lawrence High School chapter of the National Honor Society recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character.

Students must have a minimum cumulative, non-weighted GPA of 3.5 at the end of their sophomore or junior year to be considered for membership. Meeting the GPA requirement makes a student eligible to apply but does not guarantee acceptance into NHS. Students must also demonstrate a commitment to service, leadership, and strong character.

Students who meet the minimum GPA requirement and successfully complete an administrative review will be notified by mail in June that they are eligible to seek NHS candidacy during the following school year.

Requirements for NHS Membership

To be considered for membership in the Lawrence High School chapter of NHS, students must:

1. Academic Eligibility: Have a minimum cumulative, non-weighted GPA of 3.5 at the end of their sophomore or junior year.
2. Administrative Review: Successfully complete a review of their school discipline record from the years prior to potential membership. Students who meet the GPA requirement but disciplinary referrals may not be invited to apply.
3. Service Hours for Induction: Complete a minimum of 15 qualifying volunteer service hours prior to induction into NHS.
4. Ongoing Service: Complete an additional 25 qualifying volunteer service hours by the end of their senior year, for a total of 40 service hours during the NHS membership process.
5. Student Involvement Reference Letter: Submit a recommendation from an teacher, coach, sponsor who can speak to the student's involvement, leadership, service, and/or character. The letter should be submitted in a sealed envelope or emailed directly to the NHS sponsor.
6. Personal Letter of Character: Submit a personal letter reflecting on their character and how they demonstrate the values and expectations of National Honor Society.

Meeting the academic requirements alone does not guarantee membership. Selection for NHS is based on a student's demonstration of all four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character.

Volunteer Opportunities 

Questions:  Contact NHS sponsor - Marci Leuschen - mleusche@usd497.org

*Service Projects You Can Do From Home or in a Small Group*

I will continue to add to this sheet, so check it frequently as you need ideas.

Donate Blood - Call the Red Cross to make an appointment 1-800-RED-CROSS

Linus Project - Make a blanket for a child in need. Details can be found here: https://www.projectlinus.org Bring your completed blanket to the NHS sponsor for donation

Thank you notes to essential workers. I have some Thank You cards in Student Services. You can come get some from me or use your own. Write a message of gratitude to essential workers and deliver it to them. Always keep in mind LHS cafeteria workers. IT, custodians, and main office workers. Deliver them with a smile and let your NHS sponsor know where you went. If you want to work in partners or groups of 3-4, you can use Student Services as a workspace. 

Organize a Campus Clean Up for any evening after school. Let your NHS sponsor know what evening works for you to organize a group (you can create a sign-up genius). I will get bags and gloves for you. We will begin this project after Spring Break. Clean Up day will be Thursdays after school until 4:00PM.

Gather books and donate them to one of the “little libraries” in Lawrence. Make sure that you take a photo of the books you are donating and a photo of the Little Library you are donating your books to. Show your NHS sponsor to get your hours.

Gather supplies for the Lawrence Humane Society. They appreciate towels, sheets, or linens used for bedding or cleaning. Any paper towels or wipes. Current drop-off procedure is to take items inside and leave them on the donation table.  If some of you want to take this on as a project at school, we could add collection boxes at LHS.  DM me if you want to get a group together to organize.

You might also be able to volunteer as a dog walker, or in the cat room to help socialize the animals.

Tutor. We often get requests for tutors. If you feel like you can assist students, and you are willing to tutor for free, this is a great way to earn in-district hours. Add your information to the Google Document for us to share with students/parents in need. We get a lot of calls for the core subjects, but we also get calls for help with electives like drafting.

Organize a food drive for Just Foods Pantry or donate to one of the little pantries in the community.

Write cards for people in care homes. You can make cards or use cards you have. Write a note to brighten the day of someone who hasn’t been able to have friends or family visit it for almost a year.  Bring me your envelopes, and I will mail them for you.

Knit or crochet a scarf, hat, or gloves to donate to someone in need. If you have access to a sewing machine, I’ve seen some great scarfs made from old t-shirts. (Pinterest is your friend here)

Repurpose your old clothes and do good things for the environment in the process. Create shopping totes from your old t-shirts. Bring them to your NHS sponsor to distribute in the community. Instructions are here: https://www.instructables.com/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/

Or here:  https://mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial/