Achievement and Leadership Opportunities

This award is given to the graduating 8th grade student who best represents the spirit of the Middle School. The student strives for personal best in all areas of school life: academics, sports, fine arts, and extracurricular activities. He or she represents our school with a positive attitude, good sportsmanship, neat appearance, self-discipline, and responsible behavior on campus as well as off campus at school events. This young adult affects the staff’s teaching in positive ways and has enriched the life of our school with a strong spirit of volunteerism and active participation in school events and activities.

Selected by the Admission Office, this award goes to the 8th grade student who exemplifies outstanding character and demonstrates what it means to be Respectful, Responsible, and Kind. This student consistently displays ethical leadership and social responsibility in and out of the classroom.

In 2018, we lost a dear friend to the St. Mark’s community, Dorinda Howard. Dorinda personified the Characteristics of Professional Excellence, the standards that guide our work as teachers, lifelong learners, and community members. She engaged children and inspired learning; she was passionate and selfless in her dedication to St. Mark’s; and she was always respectful in her interactions with parents, colleagues and students.  For over 30 years, she was the master teacher at St. Mark’s. In honor of Dorinda’s service to our school, commitment to her students, leadership in the growth of our middle school, and the support of her colleagues, The Dorinda Howard Faculty Award is presented to the 8th Grade Student who consistently strives for and attains high academic achievement through their resilience, ownership of learning, initiative, and a fearless pursuit of knowledge.

The National Junior Honor Society chapter of St. Mark’s Episcopal School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Standards for selection are established by the national office of NJHS and have been revised to meet our local chapter needs. Students are selected to be members by a six member Faculty Council, appointed by the Head of Middle School, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each March. 

Students in the second semester of 6th Grade or students in 7th and 8th Grade are eligible for membership. For scholarship consideration, a student must have a cumulative grade average of 93 in core classes at the time of consideration. Those students who meet this criterion are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required.

To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council uses two forms of input. First, school disciplinary records are reviewed. Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character citizenship, and leadership. These forms and the Student Activity Information Forms are carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine membership. A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule.

Following notification, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all five criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held monthly during the school year, and participation in chapter service projects. Students or parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations can contact the chapter adviser.

Presented at the Middle School Sports Banquet to one 8th grade male athlete and one 8th grade female athlete whose actions and attitude most exemplify the ideals of sportsmanship; including fairness, civility, honesty, selflessness, respect, and responsibility toward their teammates, coaches, officials, opponents, and fans.