CALUMET CITY | Fourth- and fifth-grade students at Hoover Elementary School now have another reason to work hard and be responsible.

The Calumet City elementary school is a charter member of the National Elementary Honor Society, giving students in fourth and fifth grade the chance to earn recognition for their accomplishments.

Students will be chosen for membership in the honor society at the elementary level based on their academic achievement, personal responsibility, strong leadership skills and service to the school community, said Kathy Bearden-Colbert, principal at Hoover School.

"It introduces them to the appreciation for excellence at an early age," said Natalie Barnes, Hoover-Schrum Elementary District 157 School Board president. "I think it will motivate the kids to stay on track in elementary school and into high school and on to college. It puts them on the right path."

The National Association of Secondary School Principals, in cooperation with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, established the National Elementary Honor Society this year.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals, which administers the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society, created the program to recognize elementary students for their outstanding achievements, according to the National Elementary Honor Society's Web site.