By MOLLIE BROWN / Community Columnist

The National Junior Honor Society is more than just an honor roll. Members of the club must demonstrate excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship.

Teacher Joanna Watts sponsors Calera Middle School’s 50-member NJHS club. Twice a year Watts takes the students to the Calera Senior Center for a service project. The club is divided into groups. Each group plans an activity for the seniors and furnishes the supplies.

“It’s a great opportunity to bridge the gap between generations,” Watts said. “Today they are making bracelets, providing take home hand treatments, decorating cookies and several other activities. Mr. Mike loves to play chess with Tyler Ferguson and some of the band members in the club will perform a concert with the seniors who play an instrument or sing.”

Nee Nee Swift’s group made BFF friendship bracelets. “I’m glad we get to come and put a smile on their face, just seeing that makes my day,” Swift said. “It makes them feel good and makes me feel good about myself.”

Watts said to become a NJHS member students must maintain an 85 cumulative average in seventh and eighth grade, have exemplary attendance, no disciplinary infractions and pass a review board made up of teachers and the administration.

The club also holds the Miss Relay for Life of West Shelby pageant, a Veterans Day project that involves yard work at the homes of veterans in the Calera community and they adopt a needy family at Christmas. The club is presently holding a canned food drive. Residents can drop off non-perishable food items at the school office located on Shelby County 22.

 

Mollie Brown is a community columnist for the city of Calera and can be reached at dmjhb1@bellsouth.net.