National Elementary Honor Society At Westchase School

This year Mary Bryant Elementary joined a select group of schools in Hillsborough County by welcoming 22 of its fourth and fifth graders into the National Elementary Honor Society.

The National Elementary Honor Society was founded in 2008 and is designed to recognize outstanding elementary students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and responsibility.

At Bryant, to be considered students had to be rising fourth or fifth graders, have at least a 3.5 grade point average, a teacher recommendation and write an essay about responsiblity, leadership and community service.

Bryant third grade teacher Alison Watson is the faculty advisor of the honor society.

"We had so many students who were outstanding academically but they also had character and wanted to do so much," Watson said about starting the society to the school.

Sixty students applied to the program at Bryant this year. Of those 60, 22 were chosen in the first year of the program by an advisory board.

"I think it's a great feeling," said Davis Watson, 9. "It's cool to know you are one of the 22 chosen."

The honor society members meet regularly and plan various single and group service-projects throughout the year while promoting academic and character excellence.

This year the society assisted the PTA with the Week of Caring by organizing a toy drive for Metropolitan Ministries.

They promoted the toy drive through the school's morning show, fliers and posters all organized by the students in the honor society.

Next up for the students is a visit to the Hillsborough School Board and county offices.

"We want to introduce them to leadership in the community," Watson said. :So they can go from being school leaders to community leaders."

To learn more about the National Elementary Honor Society go to: http://www.nehs.org/