Temecula Middle School is affiliated with the California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF).  The purpose of CJSF is to recognize high standards of scholarship, service and citizenship on the part of middle school students.  Membership in CJSF is neither automatic nor required.  Students have the responsibility of applying by the given deadlines in order to be considered for membership.   At the end of each semester, after they have received their report cards (January for first semester) students are given the opportunity to apply for membership by completing an application in their advisement class.  The timeframe to apply is announced on the morning announcement several times in order to give all students access to the information and an opportunity to apply.  Membership is only open to 7th and 8th graders.

In order to qualify for membership in any given semester students must earn twice as many points as they have academic classes.  An A earns them 3 points and a B earns them 1. Any D or F disqualifies a student from membership for that semester.  The total number of points earned must be twice then number of qualifying classes, but no fewer than 8 points in 4 qualifying classes.  However, most students have 5 qualifying classes and need 10 points.  Marks earned for P.E., teacher/office aide, remedial courses, or courses for which a student has work and or/and modifications resulting in an alternative standard are not considered towards membership.  Therefore, Grade Point Average (GPA) alone does not determine membership.  In addition to excellent grades students are also expected to have outstanding or satisfactory work habits and citizenship- anything less disqualifies them from membership for that semester.

The motto of CJSF is “Scholarship for Service”. CJSF students are encouraged to participate in community service as well as service projects on campus when the opportunities arise.  Students who apply for membership and qualify a minimum of 3 semesters in the 7th and 8th grade are eligible for recognition in 8th grade.  However, only those 8th grade students who qualified both semesters of 7th grade, qualify both semesters in 8th grade, and do service hours in 8th grade will be recognized with a medal at the end of 8th grade.

Additionally, CJSF is “training” for CSF that exists at the high school level as a club: students need to get used to the idea of applying each semester—as we do in middle school.  CSF is entirely separate from CJSF: students who didn’t qualify in middle school are still eligible to participate in any program that exists at their high school, for which they qualify.