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What is CSF?

CSF is a prestigious academic organization known throughout the entire state of California. The club represents students who show excellence through service and academic scholarship.

What does CSF do?

This club is in charge of the individual and library tutoring programs at North High. We also volunteer at events all over the community!

What are the benefits of being in CSF?

Gold Seal Bearers are eligible to receive a gold sash and tassel, sit in front of the class during graduation, as well as receive a pin and lifetime membership

 

Besides these, CSF is an organization highly respected, acknowledged, and recognized by colleges throughout the country. CSF can also provide you, the student, the opportunity to impact the lives of those around you, whether it be through service projects or tutoring.

That sounds awesome! How am I able to get ALL of those benefits for graduation?

State requirements for being a Gold Seal Bearer:

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Gold Seal Bearers are eligible to receive a lamp pin and seal on your diploma. These two things are afforded to you by having qualifying grades for 4 semesters - one of those semesters has to be your senior year. You will NOT sit up front during graduation.

 

North High School Bling requirements:
 

There is a difference between qualifying for the state (which provides the pin and the transcript approval) and qualifying for ‘bling.’

If you only have the grades and not the hours of tutoring, volunteering, and meeting points, that semester will NOT qualify as counting towards graduation bling. That will simply qualify as a semester towards receiving your state provided pin and approval of membership on your high school transcript. You must meet all the requirements that the North High Chapter of CSF has put forth in order to receive any of the “bling”  benefits. Again, To qualify for the senior bling: You need a minimum of 5 semesters where you have met the following criteria. One of those semesters must be in your senior year.

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WE WILL NO LONGER BE USING THE PETITIONER PROCESS.

 

Members MUST have the following as a minimum each semester to qualify for senior bling:

12 points for volunteering (12 hours total)

12 points for tutoring (6 hours total)

8 points for meetings

How do I become a member?

At the beginning of every semester (September/February), every returning member or new member must fill out an application online.

 

If you are a Freshman, you may start applying 2nd semester. Those in CJSF at Magruder and Casimir can start applying 1st semester.

 

If you are a Sophomore, you can start applying 1st or 2nd semester. Please note that 2nd semester of Sophomore year is the last chance to have the opportunity to receive Senior Bling!

 

If you are a Junior, you can start applying 1st semester. Applying for your first semester in CSF as a junior will ONLY qualify you for the pin benefits as you are no longer able to complete 5 semesters worth of volunteer and tutoring hours.

 

It is not recommended for Juniors to start applying 2nd semester or for Seniors to start applying during their Senior year.

 

You must meet the grade requirements BEFORE continuing on and completing the volunteer hours, tutoring hours, and meeting point requirements.

 

Grade qualification for the club is based on a point system (Use your grades from the previous semester): Only two classes can be used for the point boost. 

Every A=3 points (4 if it is Honors/AP)

Every B=1 points (2 if it is Honors/AP)

Every C=0 points (Even if it is Honors or AP)

Any Ds or Fs as well as Us in citizenship will automatically disqualify you from the application/membership renewal process.

 

You need a total of 10 points to qualify. The classes you assign those points to must come from these lists:

Important Details

  • Only 5 classes can determine your qualification status

  • The extra point boost earned from Honors/AP classes can only be used twice. All other classes will be counted for their normal amount of points.

  • NO points are assigned to PE classes, sports, teachers’ aid, etc.

 

Please remember that membership in the club is on a semester basis. If you don’t qualify for one semester whether because of missing hours, meeting points, or because you did not meet the grade point requirement, you are always free to reapply for the next semester!

 

To sign up, go to the Home Page and click on the button that says “Apply Today.” Look for your grade level’s application. It should open up to a new tab. Fill out all of the information, and if you ever need any help, the video that was on the Wix application page should help! Copy and paste your semester’s report card from Powerschool to the information box (if it looks weird at all, don’t worry about it. It looks fine on our end, so please don’t try to fix the format!) and make sure everything with your grades and citizenship is in order. Count up all your points (don’t forget to use the Honors/AP boosts if you can!) and finally, when you’re done, click “Submit” when you’ve reached the bottom of the page. Acceptances go out the week after applications are due!

I qualified for this semester! How do I start earning my hours?

For each member to meet the full requirements for each semester, they must tutor, volunteer, and attend meetings.

 

You must have:

 

At least 12 points of tutoring each semester:

  • 30 mins=1 point

 

At least 12 points of volunteering each semester:

  • 1 hour of volunteering=1 point

 

At least 8 points from attending meetings each semester:

  • 1 meeting=1 point

  • There are two meetings every month, 1 general and another for your grade level

  • Earn miscellaneous points by wearing your shirt to a meeting or participating in fundraisers to make up for missing meeting points!

 

Additionally, members must pay their $10 CSF dues every semester. All of that goes to the California Scholarship Federation organization so that we are able to maintain our status as an active and official school chapter of CSF.

 

Members also need a CSF t-shirt ($15). Note that this is extremely important! You only need to purchase this shirt once, so after purchasing it, you’re able to use it all throughout your high school journey! When volunteering or tutoring, members must wear the shirt at all times to get credit for the day. During club photo day, if you do not have your shirt, you are not able to be in the picture, so please, don’t forget it!

How do I get tutoring points?

  1. Sign up for afterschool tutoring! We tutor students from 3-4 PM, Monday through Thursday, in the school library every month. It operates on a first come, first serve basis, so make sure you sign up as soon as possible! If there are any open spots in the month for a subject you’d like to tutor in, talk to Mrs. Wallters in M-2.

  • Monthly calendars will be posted up on both the website and the Facebook group as well as sent through Remind in the beginning of the month.

  • You must tutor the days you have been assigned

  • You must wear your shirt to earn your points for that day

    • If you do not have your shirt, DO NOT LEAVE. Though you will not earn your points for that day, if you leave early, that will count towards your penalty for double points for the semester.

  • Be on time! If you’re early, help set up the tables by putting signs and and binders out. Remember to write your name down in the binder stating that you are the tutor for the day for that subject.

  • If you cannot attend, you need to find a replacement TWO DAYS prior to the day you are scheduled to tutor. You can find the replacement form in the back of M-2.

  • As soon as you arrive, give your green sheet to the CSF board member in the library that afternoon. Make sure the sheet is filled out beforehand!

  • Missing 2 days of tutoring  will result in double tutoring points for that semester (24 points). Missing 3 days will result in triple points for the semester (36 points).

  • If you show up to the library but are not scheduled to tutor that day (unless you are a replacement and have been approved by Mrs. Wallters), you will not earn points for that day.

2. Sign up for individual tutoring! If you have a friend who is NOT a member of CSF, you can tutor them and receive points for it! As the tutor, you must fill out a tutor application which is available on this website, and your friend must fill out a tutee application and insert your name in the specified box so that you two can be matched together. If your friends do not need tutoring, no worries! Fill out the application and we’ll match you with another tutee. Individual tutoring can be done during lunch and afterschool. There will be a list in the Individual Tutoring page of this website that shows the open rooms where you’re able to tutor.

  • You are responsible for actively communicating with your tutee for setting up days, times, and rooms to meet up.

  • Make sure to sign in and out on the sign-in sheet in the red folder available in that teacher’s room.

 

Remember, you need 12 points total (6 hours) of tutoring in order to meet the requirements for that semester to earn senior bling.

How do I earn volunteering points?

Sign up for volunteering events through our Facebook page! Info on events and sign-ups will always be posted up on Facebook. Sometimes events are posted through Remind, but that is extremely rare, so make sure you are connected to the Facebook page as soon as you are accepted into the club. To sign up, POST ON THE EVENT PAGE. Simply pressing the ‘Going’ button will not count as you signing up for an event. Sign ups are on a first come, first serve basis, so if you sign up before the volunteer limit is met, you will be added onto a volunteer list that will be posted on the event page as soon as the volunteer limit is met. Any changes to the volunteer list will be posted up regularly, so even if you aren’t able to sign up fast enough, don’t lose hope! A wait list is implemented after volunteer limits are met, so it’s still possible for you to get your hours if someone is suddenly unable to attend.

 

Once you are at the event you have signed up for, you must meet up with the CSF board member on site (we call them the Contact, and whoever the contact is for that event is posted on the event page on Facebook) and check in with them. Unless indicated otherwise on the event page, the contact is the one to sign your green sheet and approve those points.

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If, for any reason, you are unable to volunteer for an event, you MUST notify either the contact or Communications at least 24 hours prior to the event. If you do so, that will count as excused and will not count as a strike. We understand that emergencies do happen, and so you have 4 CHANCES to miss an event each semester. If you have 4 unexcused absences from volunteer events, that semester will NOT count towards getting your senior bling. 

 

It is possible to volunteer outside of the events that CSF provides. Just make sure that you talk to Mrs. Wallters about the event(s) beforehand to get it approved. She will be the one to sign your green sheet, however, YOU are responsible for providing proof that you have completed those hours.


Remember, you must have 12 points total (12 hours) to meet the requirements for senior bling for that semester.

How do I earn meeting points?

As a CSF member, you are responsible for attending most if not ALL of the meetings throughout the school year. There is one general meeting in the gym each month along with one individual grade meeting in M-2. Meetings are always held on Tuesdays during lunch.  You need 8 points total in one semester to have that semester qualify for the senior bling.

 

Meetings are announced the day before (usually in the afternoon, if not earlier) on both Facebook and Remind.

 

If for any reason you miss a meeting, don’t worry! There are ways to make up for lost meeting points through miscellaneous points. Keep in mind that these miscellaneous points only count towards meeting points. They will NOT count towards missing volunteer or tutoring points.

Ways to earn miscellaneous points:

  • Wearing your CSF shirt to a meeting counts as an extra point

  • Attending/Participating in fundraisers will result in a point

  • Other opportunities to earn miscellaneous points will be announced throughout the year, so stay posted!

What do Gold Seal Bearer and Pin titles mean?

These are the titles that we use to identify you when organizing who is to receive the benefits stated in the beginning of this page.

 

Gold Seal Bearer/with meeting the NHS chapter requirements for BLING:

  • Has completed 5 semesters worth of requirements including either the 1st or 2nd semester of Senior Year

    • This means that you have met the grade requirement, done 12 hours of tutoring, 12 hours of volunteering, and have had 8 meeting points total for 5 semesters. These semesters do not need to be consecutive.

    • One of these semesters MUST be a semester of senior year (1st or 2nd)

  • Gold Seal Bearers get BLING. They are the only ones able to receive the sash, tassel, and special seating for graduation.

  • Gold Seal Bearers also receive the benefits of being a pin holder.

 

Gold Seal Bearer/ with meeting the state requirements for the Pin:

  • Has completed 4 semesters worth of requirements by 2nd semester of Senior year. One semester must be in your senior year.

To qualify for the pin, you DO NOT have to fulfill all of the tutoring, volunteering, or meeting point requirements that our chapter has set forth for you. However, understand that you are only getting the approval on your transcript and the state provided pin should you qualify for this benefit. The sash, tassel, and special seating will NOT be provided to you.

 

We all want you to succeed and look your best, both on your transcript and when walking down the field during graduation, so, if you have any questions on your status or how you are able to get the benefits, do not hesitate to contact any board member or talk to Mrs. Wallters!

What are blue sheets?

Blue sheets are what we use to keep track of points and semester qualifications throughout your time with CSF. It is extremely important for you to keep track of your points on the blue sheet. Every time you tutor or volunteer (Secretary keeps track of the meeting points), you must fill out all of the info on the sheet. You will also need signatures to verify both volunteering and tutoring points.

 

For library and individual tutoring, the teacher present will sign off on the sheet once the session is over.

 

For volunteering, either the board member present, Mrs. Wallters, or other specified adult will sign off on those hours.

 

Don’t forget to sign in and out for both tutoring sessions and volunteering events! If for some reason you don’t have your green sheet, we can always sign off on that day sometime before green sheets are due if we know you were there. Even so, it’s recommended to ALWAYS remember your green sheet so you’re not rushing to get signatures at the end of the semester.

 

Blue sheets are always due the day before finals start, so plan accordingly! NO LATE FORMS ARE ACCEPTED. If you turn your blue sheet in late, even if you have completed all of the requirements, that semester will not count towards the semester requirement for GSB Bling status, so be on time as well!

Why is fundraising important?

In order to continue to reward our GSB members with their bling, keeping a steady flow of funds is key. The dues collected at the beginning of the semester do not go towards the funds for our club, instead they go to the state to indicate that you are a member of an official chapter of CSF. Even though we ask seniors to offset some of the costs for bling, it still isn’t enough. To make sure we have enough money to make ends meet, our club hosts fundraisers all around the community throughout the year to balance the budget. It isn’t possible to do all of this alone, so whenever a fundraiser is set up, we ask that you help by either participating or by inviting anyone you know to attend! Remember that miscellaneous points are given when you, a member, participate in the fundraiser to make up for lost meeting points, so it’s a good opportunity for that as well.

 

By putting in a lot of effort into these fundraisers, we will be able to provide bling to not only your class of seniors but also many classes of seniors following your own.

I’m interested in becoming a board member next year. How do I go about joining board?

We’re glad to hear that! Board applications open around March or April, and they are available to any member that is interested, though invitations are given out to members that have caught our eye by going above and beyond the regular requirements of a member to attend the informational meeting. However, don’t be discouraged if you do not receive an invitation to the meeting! The informational meeting is open to all members, like the application, and during the meeting, board members will go over their position and responsibilities.

 

Candidates will proceed to fill out an application and two teacher recommendation forms. The interview process will occur soon after applications are due. Interviews take place either during lunch or after school and last between 15-20 minutes. Attire is business casual.

 

New board members will be announced at the following general meeting, and training occurs soon afterwards!

 

Positions:

  • President

    • Represents CSF during ICC meetings, communicates with Advisor, maintains agenda, keeps club on track, leads meetings

  • Vice President

    • Manages iCare campaign, iCare festival, hosts End-of-the-Year Banquet, assists President, leads meetings when President is unavailable

  • Communications

    • Maintains CSF website, Facebook group, and Remind account, sends reminders about meetings and deadlines, posts volunteering events and tutoring calendars on Facebook, actively communicates with each board member, answers any questions sent through Remind or Facebook, provide technical support to Advisor

  • Secretary

    • Sign in members at meetings, keeps track of points and qualifications, organizes tutoring calendar and individual tutoring

  • Treasurer

    • Organizes club fundraisers, reaches out to fundraising organizations and organizers, helps Advisor keep track of funds

  • Activities Directors

    • Communicates with event coordinators from around the community, plans volunteering events

    • There are two Activities Directors

  • Representative

    • Recruits new members, holds informational meetings for freshmen and sophomores

 

CSF Board will undoubtedly leave you with unforgettable memories with your fellow board members, and many see it as one of their greatest achievements in their high school career. Being on board is one of the most rewarding and unique experiences you can have as a member of CSF, so we encourage any and all members from all grade levels to apply!

This is a lot of information and I kind of feel overwhelmed...

All of the information on this page is really important, so I encourage you to reread it!

 

Finally, being in CSF is a huge honor. You carry a reputation of being one of the most intelligent and hardworking individuals in your graduating class, and that is something truly incredible to be proud of. But, personally, the greatest privilege of being in CSF is being able to use your intelligence and work ethic to better the lives of those around you. Your time in CSF is what you make of it, so make it count.

 

Angela Macalalag

Communications Officer

2019-2020

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