AUGS Students Join NJHS

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By Katelyn Swansen and Kaylee Hibbeln

The National Junior Honors Society (NJHS) at Antioch Upper Grade School is a club for seventh and eighth graders who show excellent scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Being in the NJHS is a huge honor to everyone who is accepted; as students must go through an application process, be community minded, and have high academic grades. NJHS has meetings bi-weekly where we discuss plans for donations, holidays, fundraisers, future events, meetings, and the NJHS Induction Ceremony. 

This year has been unlike any other, and the club has had to find ways to adjust to a virtual environment. This has meant online meetings and remote activities for the NJHS. This was an obstacle for the annual induction ceremony’s planning. Luckily, with the help of our advisor, Ms. Guanci, the eighth graders of the club, along with Antioch Upper Grade School’s principal, Mr. Joe Koeune, District 34’s Superintendent, Dr. Bradford Hubbard, and the president of the club, Sydney Vega, the NJHS has been able to plan a fully online induction ceremony for the new members of the club.

Each member of the NJHS has accomplished a great deal this year despite all the challenges of being virtual. These accomplishments include planning the induction ceremony, participating in donations, volunteering, and so much more. Each student in our club needs to earn a certain amount of volunteer points per trimester. This is difficult, especially considering that most things currently need to be done virtually. Volunteering requires lots of work and time, and every member of the NJHS is willing to put in lots of it. We have participated in food and clothing drives, raked and shoveled yards, written cards to students, teachers, seniors and special needs kids, as well as made blankets and videos, and read stories to younger students. NJHS strives to help our school and community through the many skills all of the amazing people in the club have, despite being virtual. Each person in this club works very hard and is very caring of their community. We are hoping to have a fundraiser soon and also are planning activities for World Cancer day, History Months, Read across America, 5th Grade Night, Autism and Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day, Teacher Appreciation, and Earth Day. NJHS is looking for ways to support the Antioch Community. Please reach out with creative ideas to Ms. Guanci at Antioch Upper Grade School. Finding ways to help teachers and students is one of the amazing things that NJHS gets to do, but being be a part of this amazing club is full of kindness, compassion, leadership, helping people, but most importantly, team work.