Graduation Requirements
Students must earn a minimum of 19 ½ credits between grades 9 and 12. Each full-year academic course is equal to one credit. A half-year course is equal to one-half credit. Typically, students take five academic courses and an elective each year.
| Departmental Requirements | |
|---|---|
| English | 4 credits |
| History | 3 credits |
| Mathematics | 3 credits (through Algebra 2) |
| Science | 3 credits |
| Foreign Language | 2 credits (through Level 2) |
| Fine Arts | 1/2 credit |
There is also a computer literacy requirement for graduation.
Yearly Requirements
The Hun School believes that a complete education involves experiences beyond the classroom. Significant learning occurs when students are involved in community service, summer reading, and athletics.
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 ten 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. History and 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. All Advanced Placement and Honors classes will have additional summer readings beyond those required by the English and History Departments.
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. Students who successfully complete this program will have “Exceeded Summer Reading” noted on their transcript.
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.
