Terra Nova

The program is located on the Cupertino High School campus.

Absolutely. Students and parents are encouraged to visit and observe Terra Nova classes and ask questions to both teachers and administrators. Please contact the Terra Nova assistant principal at Cupertino High School to schedule a visit by calling 408-366-7380.

You must:

• Be in 10th or 11th grade
• Have struggled in school academically this year
• Have a strong desire to make a change.

You may:

• Have struggled with social, emotional, or family issues

Yes. Terra Nova students receive the SAME college preparatory credit for their classes as any other student at Cupertino High School.

No. Many people who you know are in Terra Nova.

Dedicated Cupertino High School teachers teach all of the Terra Nova classes.

Students in the program will receive priority scheduling to accommodate for Terra Nova academic classes.

This depends on your motivation to learn. But you will be glad to know that Terra Nova classes meet the same standards as “regular” classes by working “smarter” not “harder.”

1. Discuss the program with your family
2. Contact your school’s assistant principal
3. Call 408-366-7380 to make an appointment for an interview
4. Attend the interview (both parent and student) at Cupertino High School

The student to teacher ratio is typically 20 to 1, compared to 32 to 1 in the World Core classes. This means more teacher-to-student interaction.

Students take this elective course to help them succeed academically. The class is built into the students’ schedules so that they have time to learn study skills and complete homework for all of their academic classes. If the students use their time wisely, they often leave this class with much less homework than they had at the start of the school day. Students can ask for help from peer tutors during this class to help them in their math and science courses, which is another bonus. Additionally, there is some curriculum built in to help the students organizationally, socially and emotionally.

Counseling support is led by the Terra Nova student advocate, Denise Salin, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT). Students choose to meet with Denise for counseling support as little or as often as they want and/or need. During this counseling, students learn effective ways to listen, problem solve and support their peers. They discuss common topics and challenges that teenagers face such as stress management, conflict management, time management and more.

Since the students in the program have a smaller class size and two or three classes with this small cohort of students, they build a strong familial-like bond with their peers. This is one of the most unique and impactful components of the program; the students learn to rely on, support and empower each other.