<p>D2's friend is a junior and was just given the NHS application, but has a question. This doesn't apply to my kid because she's too young, so I have no idea about this and am throwing it out there for comment so I can give her whatever information comes along. The application requires a clean disciplinary record within the school. She received a two-day in school suspension last year when she was a sophomore but was told that she had never done anything before, so if she never stepped out of line again this would be expunged. I'm not good at this stuff, so when they were talking to me, my mouth hung open and I was drooling. There are several schools of thought in their group. One is that expunged means it never happened, another is that she did in fact screw up and must face the consequences. I don't know the details of the suspension other than that it was not criminal and was a prank in connection with several kids. what do you all think? Not the morality because we all have our own opinions, but whether she should apply to NHS because if expunged, might her record be clear? I wonder how school recordkeeping actually happens. Hmmmm. There's a question. Does one have the right to know what's in his/her child's record? Should one? Oh my I'm rambling now. Oy.</p>
<p>Isn’t this like certain traffic tickets under supervision – keep a clean record for the next year and your record is wiped clean? “Expunged” sounds pretty clear – go ahead and apply for NHS!</p>
<p>“so if she never stepped out of line again…” Just how far into the future does “again” actually go? 
Not trying to be sarcastic here, but this is pretty vague.
Expunged does mean “erased” from the record, as if it never existed, but there is the issue I raised…</p>
<p>“Just how far into the future does “again” actually go? Not trying to be sarcastic here, but this is pretty vague.
Expunged does mean “erased” from the record, as if it never existed, but there is the issue I raised…”</p>
<p>Hell if I know . . . God question though.</p>
<p>Last I looked expunged means you never did it.</p>
<p>zoosermom,
I’m speaking as a former prosecutor here, and when someone’s criminal transgression was “expunged” from the record, that followed a very specific period of time. The most typical case involved 6 months of “good behavior,” not getting into any trouble during that time. But that still leaves this original question as an open matter, unless they said something like “during your whole high school career.”</p>
<p>Which school official was it that told the student that her record would be expunged? If I were in this girl’s position, I’d probably try to meet with that person and discuss the issue with him/her…make sure that the person meant “expunged” in a literal sense, make sure it was actually carried out, and hopefully receive the green light for application. Then again, her record might be clean + this person might not give approval, which would put her in kind of an uncomfortable position. It’s not a foolproof plan…just my own preference.</p>
<p>There was a post not too long ago about the importance of applying to NHS. A number of kids said that they never did so b/c it was inactive at their schools, they were too busy to really participate, etc. Obviously, if you’re able to join, it’s a nice honor, but I hope this girl isn’t stressing herself out over the issue. If she’s unable to apply, it won’t be the end of the world.</p>
<p>Best of luck :)</p>
<p>I was once a supervisor in a union production facility. I routinely “wrote up” employees for rules violations & just as routinely agreed to expunge the write-up in “x” number of days if no new violations. When the time was up, I completely removed any record of the violation from the employee’s file. The presence of an old violation can prejudice someone who looks through the file. If the agreement is to expunge, the violation must actually disappear (I tore up the copies; today I suppose I would shred them). The student and/or parent should contact the administrator who told them that he/she would expunge the record to find out if this has happened. If they are told that it has ocurred, they need to physically see the student’s file to make sure there is NO record of the violation. If it has not yet happened, they need to get the agreement in writing & follow up when the time comes.</p>
<p>My two cents about NHS: Big deal. It’s a nice group for some students. For others, it’s not worth the time and/or the politics involved. In the end, it’s one more item for the activities list … but its absence won’t be held against the student by colleges. I would think, though, that if the student was given an application by the school, the incident is probably not being held against her for the purpose of NHS.</p>
<p>I want to caution that there is a real issue here. If the incident stays in her file, the counselor may note it on the college apps. It is important that the student makes sure the incident is actually expunged from her record before it’s time to do apps.</p>
<p>You all have great advice. Does this all apply to detention as well? D1 actually did have a detention and didn’t note it on any of her applications. Was that the wrong thing to do?</p>
<p>I think at some schools, if you do not qualify for applying (meaning, you have something currently in your records), they will not even give out the NHS form. So kids who get one, are at least cleared with the dean’s office for requirements. Same with GPA; if you don’t meet the minimum requirements, you don’t get an application.</p>
<p>No. The issues noted for discipline involve suspension/expulsion. Even then, not all issues are actually noted on the app — I know someone who had a suspension for something relatively serious toward the end of senior year, and the school did not note it on his final report. I would not want to leave it to chance, though.</p>
<p>The idea of reporting detentions made me giggle — I could picture the adcoms at our state U slogging through reports of untucked shirts & wrong-color knee socks forwarded by D’s Catholic school guidance office! :)</p>
<p>My daughter’s NHS application appeared to be from the school’s chapter of NHS, not a national form. I was under the impression the school itself made the decision, so they’d have all disciplinary records anyway.</p>
<p>I was extremely unimpressed with the way NHS was handled at her hs (not sure if this is everywhere). It’s based on unweighted GPA of 3.3, so kids getting Bs in AP/Honors classes could be passed over for kids getting
A-/B+s in “remedial” classes.</p>
<p>“As stated in the 1997 revised constitution, the purposes of the National Honor Society are to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.” NHS website</p>
<pre><code>Has your daughter’s friend done more than just stayed out of trouble?
</code></pre>
<p>At the local high school a GPA over 3.5 qualifies the student for NHS application. However, for successful admission the student must document community service and leadership. Letters of recommendation are required. Each year some students with high GPAs in AP/ honors classes are rejected in favor of kids in the regular curriculum with much stronger community service/leadership. Scholarship alone is not enough.</p>
<p>Momof3 I have been on the defense side and they always give a time limit for an ACOD (adh in contemplation of dismissal) like 6 months. I would check with the school and see what the time limit is. i.e. how long does good behavior have to continue before record is expunged.</p>
<p>Gee all the lawyers are coming out of the closet. Welcome. </p>
<p>Counselors, I think this is more like a “desk drawer probation” than an official “Unadjudicated Probation” or “Non-Adjudicated Probation”. It happens a lot in the smaller towns, “Curmudgeon country”. It goes like this : “Little Johnny. You have been caught tipping cows and your video , while I got to admit it was worth the $10,000 you got from America’s Funniest Videos, is plenty enough evidence for me to prosecute. Farmer Jones is pretty ticked off (not to mention ‘Bessie’) but he was a Fightin’ Goat, too. Class of '65. I was '66. So. I’ll tell what I’ll do - I’ll put this here folder in this here drawer. If you keep your nose clean that’s where it will stay. Comprende? Now get back to practice and y’all whup those thieving $#$%$#@! from Plantersville. And try to stay in bounds this time. And tell that dumbass Coach that the tight end can’t catch a ball if y’all never throw it to him. Sheesh.”</p>
<p>Edit: zm, it’ll be O.K.. Tell them to apply. Their record is “clean”.</p>
<p>OT: I accumulated the highest number of detention days in my high school’s history. Well, at least till 1974. This was during a period where there was no corporal punishment but the school handbook hadn’t caught up. The punishment for missing detention? 3 more days detention. D’uh. I had thousands. A lawyer was born.</p>
<p>curm
you are so funny.thanks for a good morning laugh.
this should be the biggest problem the girl ever has…in the long run, does NHS status even mean anything?</p>
<p>curm,
you are a pistol! But I knew that…Where I used to do my prosecutin,’ they used to call the neighborhood “Fort Apache.” During a suppression hearing, the judge would look at the cop who was testifying and ask if such and such location was north or south of “X” road. If the cop answered that the location was south of the road, the judge would turn to the lawyers and say, “OK, officer, please continue. Everyone knows that there’s no constitution south of X road.” Back in my day, there would be 500+ homicides annually in the county. So, we couldn’t be bothered prosecutin’ car thefts, let alone expungin’ records!</p>
<p>and NHS, eh…from what I have garnered from this site and the decriptions of NHS clubs i various HS- the majority are not worth it and i think colleges know that</p>
<p>If she doesn’t get in because of a suspension back in the day, its the schools loss, not hers</p>
<p>I know some chapters are very active…but seems most are just titles</p>
<p>"I think this is more like a “desk drawer probation” </p>
<p>That’s exactly what she called it and i didn’t know what she meant!</p>
<p>I do know that she does a lot of community service because she’s offered to transition d2 into her spot after she’s done.</p>