Frequently Asked Questions

The best way to reach a counselor for current students is to visit the Counseling Office to speak with any available counselor. Depending on the topic, it may then be suggested for the student to meet with their alpha guidance counselor and/or schedule an appointment for a longer discussion.

Parents are encouraged to contact their student's alpha counselor via email or phone, rather than visiting the Counseling Office without an appointment. It is also helpful to provide information regarding the specific question or concern in the message so that the counselor can provide the best possible information in response.

There will be times, such as the start of the school year and during the course registration period, when counselors will not be available to meet. We thank you in advance for your understanding and hope students and parents attend and actively participate in the course selection presentations to have questions and concerns addressed at that time.

The counselors will be happy to meet with you or your student after he or she begins the first day of high school. In the meantime, we have addressed some commonly asked questions on this page. Also, we hold 8th Grade Registration Nights led by CHS Counselors and Administrators. During these presentations, information will be provided that will likely answer many of the questions that you may have.

We understand that coming to high school can be a bit anxiety-provoking and you may have a number of questions. We will help you build your (students) 9th grade schedule in a step-by-step method during the 8th Grade Registration Night in February. English, math, science and PE are all required courses for 9th graders. Most 9th grade students also take a world language. These represent five out of a possible six guaranteed classes. This leaves one other elective class to select. While course selection may seem like a complicated process with lots of choices, it actually is not.

All other guidance related questions (course planning for remaining high school years, college planning, etc.) will be addressed once your student has arrived at CHS. There will be an opportunity following the 8th Grade Registration Night to address special circumstances and unique situations.

Students cannot earn CHS high school credit prior to the August start date of freshman year. Although a student may not earn high school credit for work completed in the summer between 8th and 9th grade year, coursework completed at an accredited institution may be used for high school placement purposes.

PE 9 is a state requirement for all freshmen students, therefore no 9th grader is exempt from taking PE 9. We do encourage 9th grade students try out for an athletic team, and depending on your schedule and the number of credits you are taking (6 classes), you may be able to earn 5 elective credits for your sport.

Students many earn PE credit through sports in their later high school years. In 10th grade and beyond, if you make a CHS athletic team, remain eligible and successfully complete the entire season (a season is considered to be "complete" at the discretion of the coach or athletic director), you can earn five credits of PE, provided you do not exceed earning 70 credits per year.

You must have 20 credits of PE in order to graduate from Cupertino High School. You will have earned 10 of these credits by successfully completing a year of 9th grade PE. You can earn the remainder by simply taking another full year of PE sometime in 10th through 12th grade (it is strongly recommended to fulfill this requirement during 10th grade, as 11th grade is academically intensive and most seniors don't want to take PE), or through participation in a CHS athletic team.

Students can play one sport and earn 5 credits each year or play multiple sports and earn up to 10 credits each year.

When choosing your classes, you would select 'PE Athletics'. Since you cannot earn more than 70 credits in one school year, if you are enrolled in 7 classes, your team sport would not earn any credit.

Once your PE requirement is met, athletic team participation can earn elective credit so long as you are in 6 classes or less.

Students cannot take two classes in the same subject in the same year. Our school policy is that students cannot "double-up" in any one subject area. The reality is, due to limited section allocation (directly related to limited school funding), we do not have space available for students to take two of any subject area in any one year.

Cupertino High School has an open enrollment policy, however, a process is in place to ensure a student receives specific information about their academic skills and future success. This process involves a student meeting with their current teacher to discuss concerns about placement and focus on areas for growth and improvement. Once this conversation has taken place, the parent/guardian and student can indicate their choice on their registration paperwork, which will be reviewed by a guidance counselor.

There are several things to keep in mind when considering a summer class:

• The outside educational institution must be accredited.
• If you are a current student seeking credit for a summer class, you must obtain, fill out and supply all required documentation for the Request for Credit from Outside Institution form. This form, with required documentation, must be obtained from and submitted to your Cupertino High School assistant principal in the main office. You will then be notified whether you are approved or not. Approval is not automatic. We strongly suggest that you not pay summer school registration fees until you hear back from school staff. The maximum amount of credits that can be approved from an outside educational institution is 40 credits. Please note, the course(s) will only be considered toward graduation or college eligibility.
• FUHSD allows students to earn a maximum of 70 credits per year. If a student had successfully completed 70 credits in the academic year, credits cannot be approved to be transferred from an outside educational institution.
• We have an excellent working relationship with our surrounding private schools. If you received approval to take a class for credit, you must submit your student's official transcript before it will be recorded onto their FUHSD transcript. Subiit your transcript to the CHS Registrar as early in August as possible.
• Many students attend summer programs in math, science etc. These can be dynamic, enriching learning experiences. However, unless they are accredited high school academic programs, with pre-approval from us, via the 'Request for Credit from Outside Educational Institution,' they cannot be used in the place of required classes or to skip levels of classes.
• You cannot earn credit for a class that you have already taken and are trying to replace a grade; all grades that have been earned will remain on the transcript.

The California Seal of Biliteracy is a state awards program to recognize high school students for their accomplishments in language studies and proficiency. Click here for more information.