The Stoughton High School mission statement, as first stated by SHS principal Matthew Colantonio in his welcoming remarks, and later repeated by English teacher John Denison in his keynote address, is to"foster the development of responsible citizens who value high academic expectations, diversity, and excellence." 

"It is no coincidence," Denison said, "that the Stoughton High School mission statement very much parallels the focus of the National Honor Society," an organization which emphasizes excellence in scholarship, leadership, service and overall character.  

Wednesday night, the Stoughton High School chapter of the National Honor Society recognized 43 students at the annual NHS induction ceremony held in the SHS Auditorium.  These young men and women, as Denison put it, "embody both [the Stoughton High] mission statement and the pillars of the National Honor Society."  

The 43 inductees (see a full list below) achieved success in and out of the classroom, as honor roll students, sports captains and class officers; as section leaders in band, editors of the school paper and volunteers in various religious groups; and as peer mediators, camp counselors and youth sports coaches. 

But in his address, Denison, who offered both praise and admiration for what these students have achieved, also wondered if with all of the "rigorous academic requirements and the countless hours of service and leadership," society was "fostering a generation of young people who have no time to themselves, no time to dream."

So, the longtime educator, who was delivering his third keynote address before the NHS, gave each of the inductees a homework assignment:

"Go home [and] find some thread and a needle," he told them, making reference to a poem written by one of his former students, "and sew up your dreams so you don't lose them." 

Thirty-nine juniors and four seniors were inducted.  Check out the photo gallery for images from the evening (Todd Wilson photos).