Graduation Requirements

Most Hun School students earn a total of 24 credits by taking six courses each semester.  Students must earn a minimum of 20 credits between 9th and 12th grade in order to graduate. Each full-year academic course earns one credit. A semester course earns one-half credit.  Students are expected to take five full-year academic courses each year to earn a total of 20 credits. In some years a student might elect to take six courses in order to take electives. Seniors must pass at least four courses in order to graduate. High School level courses taken in middle school or junior high may not count toward the 20 graduation credits, but may help meet departmental requirements.

As most students graduate with 24 or more credits, students have a minimum of six credits that can be earned through their choice of multiple elective courses offered. 

Yearly Requirements

Each year students must earn a required number of extra-curricular activity points and community service hours in order to be promoted to the next grade or to graduate. Commitment to meeting these two requirements should be given the same priority as earning academic credits.

Community Service

Participation in service activities provides opportunities for students to learn about the needs of individuals and communities, while instilling a sense of one’s responsibility to others. Freshmen and sophomore students must complete a minimum of twelve hours of community service each year. Juniors are required to complete fifteen hours of community service. Seniors are required to complete twenty hours of community service. While the ten-hour requirement does not apply to Hun Middle School students, Middle School faculty members plan and sponsor many community service projects and activities during the school year.

Summer Reading

The Upper School Summer Reading Program is driven by the school curriculum. All students are required to participate in the program.  English teachers recommend a book for each class they will be teaching. Students must read these books before the start of the school year. These reading assignments will be discussed during the first week of class. Participation will be graded and incorporated into the student’s class grade.  Advanced Placement classes in each discipline may also have additional summer readings beyond those required by the English Department.

All students are encouraged to participate in the Exceeded Summer Reading program by reading an additional book chosen from a second list. This diverse faculty-devised reading list encompasses a wide range of literature, both fiction and non-fiction, and ranges from the classics to the contemporary. Students participating in this additional reading program are required to submit an essay and participate in a book discussion during the first week of school.

Middle School summer reading is designed to encourage reading as a lifelong habit. English and History teachers select the required reading titles. These books create a common reading bond among the students in their first English or History classes. Each student also selects a second book from a wide range of literary genres. These books are discussed in a social context and serve to introduce students of mixed grade levels to one another and to the teachers who sponsored the books. The books become the vehicle for great conversation among students and teachers with similar reading interests and sometimes lead to lasting friendships.