Rocky Run 8th Grade student speakers at the Annual NJHS Pinning Ceremony

By Charlie Fontz
May 30, 2017

On Thursday, May 25, the Rocky Run Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) held its 15th Annual Pinning Ceremony.  This ceremony was to recognize the 263 8th grade NJHS members who had not only upheld the highest traditions of the Chapter, but also maintained a Cumulative GPA of at least 3.75 for all of the courses taken at Rocky Run in both 7th and 8th grades.  These courses include not just the core courses, but all electives and Health & PE.  (A 3.75 GPA is equivalent to about an A- average.)
Additionally, Rocky Run NJHS students had to complete a minimum number of service hours.  30 hours if inducted as 7th graders and 15 hours if inducted as 8th graders.  These hours could be and were completed in many different ways, including working in the public library, helping teachers either at Rocky Run or their former elementary school, helping with Shifting Gears or various Back to School events, and Parent Teen Book Club.  Students went on missions to help rebuild homes in various states and locales as well as overseas.  They also performed service hours in the DC Soup Kitchen, at the local Family Homeless Shelter and in the local food bank.  They also supported food drives for needy families at Thanksgiving as well as toy drives for Children's National Hospital, the Kate Hanley Homeless Children and Fairfax INOVA Hospital.  There were many more besides these.  In fact, Rocky Run's 8th grade NJHS member students completed nearly 10,000 Community Service Hours.
Pictures here are from Thursday's Ceremony.
Our Guest Speaker was the Treasurer of the Centreville HS National Honor Society.