The Arizona HOMESCHOOL HeartBeat

Monthly E-letter
May 2008
Volume 9, Issue 5

Even though Arizona is in our name, 
we also cover news items of interest across the nation.

HONORS AND AWARDS
   
   What wonderful things have your students accomplished?  
Let us know so we can spread the word!

Three Valley teens qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program
National Society of High School Scholars Accepting Nominations

Homeschool Honor Societies
  

THREE VALLEY HOMESCHOOL TEENS QUALIFY FOR THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

Each October, 1.5 million high school students take the Preliminary SAT test (PSAT) to compete for top scores which will open further doors for recognition and scholarships.  The top 50,000 participants will be invited to join the National Merit Scholarship Program, and will be referred to two US colleges or universities of their choosing.  Approximately 16,000 of these students will be named National Merit Semifinalists, representing top scorers in each state, and will be able to compete for the 8200 Merit Scholarship awards which will be offered in 2009.

Katherine Beeson, Julia Tylor, and Andrew Harter took the PSAT in 2007 through Covenant Home School Resource Center, and now join the ranks of the 50,000 National Merit students.  They will be notified in September if they qualify for the next level of the program.

The PSAT test is an excellent starting place for highly capable students to get a quick foot in the door for many academic scholarships and honors.  It is official when taken in October of the Junior year, and for those going on to the highest level, monetary awards of $2500  or more toward any school desired are awarded.  National Merit Finalists will be solicited by schools nationwide with scholarship offers.

Congratulations to Katherine, Julia, and Andrew!  Let us know if you go on to additional awards!

For more information on the PSAT and National Merit programs, visit ht tp://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php 

Covenant Home School Resource Center offers the PSAT on October 18, 2008.  Registration is open.

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARS IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS
NSHSS is a national honor society started by Claes Nobel of the Nobel Peace Prize family which has a goal of honoring all top high school juniors and seniors.

Students in 11th and 12th grades with a cumulative 3.5 GPA throughout high school may be nominated by an approved agency which has verified the student's transcript and GPA.  The agency may be the public or private school where the student attends, or for homeschoolers, another honor society such as Eta Sigma Alpha if the student is a member of that group.  Additionally, Holly Craw of Covenant Home School Resource Center is a qualified nominator.

Students must present a transcript to the agency for verification, and their names will be submitted to NSHSS.  A formal invitation to join will be sent in the mail, and the students may join online.

There are no formal requirements of this group, other than paying a one-time $45 fee.  However, there are many opportunities to get added value from your membership.  The National Society of High School Scholars offers a number of academic scholarships and academic competitions annually to members only.

Nomination deadline for the spring is March 31, 2008.