1. REQUIREMENTS:
a. Minimum Requirements: Students in grade 5 MUST earn a minimum of 12 hours and students in grades 6-8 MUST earn a minimum of 20 hours of community service per school year.
b. National Honor Society: To qualify for or maintain membership in NHS, students in grade 5 MUST complete 20 hours and students in grades 6-8 MUST complete 30 hours of community service by the first day of Semester 2 (upon return from Christmas Break).
c. To Be Promoted with Honors: Students with at least a 3.5 GPA in grade 5 MUST earn 20 hours and students with at least a 3.5 GPA in grades 6-8 MUST earn 30 hours of community service before the last day of school.

2. DEADLINES:
a. HALF of the minimum required community service hours (6 hours for grade 5, 10 hours for grades 6-8) must be completed and submitted to the School Office by the first day of school (upon return from Summer Break).
b. The REMAINING HALF (6 additional hours for grade 5, 10 additional hours for grades 6-8) must be turned into the office by the first day of Semester 2 (upon return from Christmas Break).
c. Additional hours to qualify for HONORS or NHS (8 additional hours for grade 5, 10 additional hours for grades 6-8) must be turned into the office by the first day of Semester 2 (upon return from Christmas Break).

3. REWARDS
a. If a student completes and submits HALF of the required minimum community service hours by the first day of school (6 hours for grade 5, 10 hours for grades 6-8), they will receive a FREE DRESS PASS.
b. If a student completes ALL of the required minimum hours by the first day of school (12 hours for grade 5, 20 hours for grades 6-8) they will earn a FREE DRESS PASS AND NO HOMEWORK PASS.

4. DOCUMENTATION:
a. ALL community service hours must be recorded on the Veritas Community Service Report Form and submitted to the School Office.
b. ALL community service hours must be approved by Mr. Legare before they are recorded in the student’s records.  Please contact the School Office at 713-773-9605 or schooloffice@veritasca.org if you have any questions.

5. LIMITATIONS & EXCLUSIONS:
a. No more than HALF (50%) of the total community service hours can be earned at Veritas. Hours earned at Veritas are only eligible if completed during the summer, after school, weekends, and/or holidays.
b.  ALL service hours MUST have a verifier’s signature to receive credit. Parent signatures are not acceptable. Only non-profit organizations or adults NOT related to the student qualify as verifiers.
c. No compensation can be accepted for community service.
d. No more than 6 hours of community service per day may be earned.
e. It is at the administration’s discretion to deny credit for community service hours not deemed as credible or excessive community service hours of like-kind.

6. SPECIAL NOTES:
a. Report cards will be withheld at the end of the year until ALL minimum community service requirements are fulfilled.
b. Students in grade 8 that have not met their minimum community service requirements will NOT be allowed to exempt any final exams.
c. Students are allowed to earn community service hours in advance to be applied to the following school year AFTER the Spring Break holiday.
d. Students who do not meet National Honor Society eligibility ARE STILL ELIGIBLE to graduate the academic year with Honors if they achieve and maintain a 3.5 GPA and fulfill the requirements for additional community service hours.
 
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9