ABOUT ARISTA
Wagner Middle School is proud to recognize students performing above standards and welcome them into ARISTA - The National Junior Honors Society. Students meeting the criteria listed below will be invited to apply for the Wagner Middle School chapter of ARISTA. Please know that induction into ARISTA is completed annually, thus all students (even those inducted in previous years) must meet the standards to be accepted into ARISTA.
ACADEMIC
Students must have a cumulative report card average of 90.0% or above for the first semester. The cumulative average consists of all core subjects, not the overall average, and does not specifically show up on student report cards, however it can be calculated from the grades earned in each of the core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies). Students must also pass all elective classes, including PE, Spanish, and Arts electives
SERVICE
Students must complete a combination of in-school service hours and community service hours. For this year, service completed virtually or remotely is acceptable. All service hours for the 2021-2022 school year must be completed by FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2022. School service is any service done in the school building that does not occur during instructional time. Students can help a staff member before school, during lunch, or after school. Students should ask teachers or staff members if they need assistance with any tasks. Community service is service done outside of the school building. It must be unpaid, and should be completed through a non-profit organization. If it is not completed through a non-profit organization, the service completed must clearly provide assistance or benefits to underserved members of the community. Possible volunteer opportunities can be found in the ARISTA Google Classroom and some ideas are found in the FAQ section of this document. If you are unsure whether your community service counts, please post a question on the ARISTA Google Classroom.
In the chart above, the “Total Hours” indicates the number of total hours of service that a student must complete to meet the requirements. The “Minimum #” indicates the minimum number of hours of each kind of service (school or community) that must be completed. For example: In 7th grade, students must complete 5 hours of in school service, 5 hours of community service, and then the remaining 5 hours can be of their choosing. Students must have their service forms signed by the person supervising their service.
CHARACTER
Students must exhibit proper school behavior. Any student who receives a student removal to the SAVE room at any time or who has not consistently followed school and classroom rules and whose parents have been contacted about these concerns is ineligible for ARISTA.
APPLICATION
When students are ready to apply for ARISTA in the spring, they will submit a Google Form, and this will serve as their application. The application will include an essay component which will be released later to the application deadline. They must also submit:
- In-school service form form filled out accurately, neatly and signed
- Outside community service form filled out accurately and neatly
FAQ
Does my child need to sign up anywhere for ARISTA?
No. Your child is responsible for holding onto all of their logs and including them in their ARISTA
application in the spring. Announcements will be made as the due date approaches. Students are
encouraged to join the ARISTA Google Classroom (join code: t65yyfz) to keep up to date with
announcements and service opportunities.
How are the averages assessed for ARISTA requirements?
As ARISTA advisors, we look at the first semester. We calculate the student’s average of their grades
in ELA, Social Studies, Science and Math. They need to average out to a 90.0% or above to qualify
for ARISTA academically.
What can my child do for in school service?
Students can also offer to do service hours for a staff member in the building. For example, they can
help their teachers after school to organize their shelves, put up or take down work from the bulletin
boards,sort, file, etc. Sometimes the main office or the parent coordinator, the AP’s or the Dean, can
use helpers at recess or after school. Encourage your children to ask and offer as an efficient way to
accrue hours.
What are some ideas for my child to receive outside community service?
1. Check the ARISTA Google Classroom for service opportunities.
2. Ronald McDonald Fun Run – Students can earn 5 hours of community service with the Fun
Run. The Ronald McDonald House helps families who come to NYC for pediatric cancer
treatment, to stay together in an affordable setting.
3. Soup-kitchens – parents and children can do this together. Contact your local soup-kitchen
to find out how you can help.
4. Food pantries, like Yorkville Common Pantry
5. Shelters – parents and their children can do this together by helping to prepare the meals,
serving them, etc. Call your local shelters or do a search, to find out how you can help.
6. Helping a school, church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or community house, etc., with their
7. Thanksgiving drive or delivery of items to families or people in need.
8. Your former elementary school may have a fall or winter event where they would love to
have middle schoolers help out. Middle Schoolers make amazing helpers and have tons of
energy to help your local school, religious institution, community organization, etc., to help
clean up after an event or set up, serve, etc.
9. Some of the local community parks have clean up days or events. For example, Carl Schurz
Park has many events during the year, where our students are welcome to sign up to
volunteer.
10. Volunteer for the New York Marathon – do some research, find out how you can help
11. Volunteer for your former or current school outside of Wagner, after-school club – contact
them to find out how you can help
12. Volunteer with a group that puts care packages, letters, or candy together, for military
personnel who are stationed in foreign countries during the holidays, or for home-bound
persons who could use a lift. There are organizations out there for everything.
13. Like animals? Ask your local pet shelter how your child can help.
NOTE: Many nonprofit organizations have virtual opportunities for volunteerism. These are
excellent options.