Student Handbook 2025-26
The guidelines outlined below serve as essential principles and expectations for the Cedarcrest High School learning community. Students are encouraged to actively explore and engage with diverse groups while embracing their own individuality. Please be aware that these guidelines are not all-encompassing. CHS staff retain the right to take additional measures as necessary to ensure a safe and responsive environment dedicated to providing the best possible learning experience for all students.
Academic Letter
The academic letter honors and recognizes students who have attained exceptional academic excellence and offers an additional means beyond honor roll recognition to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding student academic achievement.
Academic Letter Eligibility Requirements:
Student is in 10th grade or higher.
Student is enrolled full-time at Cedarcrest (six classes per term) or full-time split between
WaNIC and CHS.
Student has earned a 3.7 cumulative GPA for all subjects at the end of each academic year.
Please note Running Start students are not eligible for CHS academic letters as their academic honors are awarded through the college they attend.
Awarding the Letter:
Students are awarded academic letters after meeting the eligibility requirements following the posting of first semester grades (usually in February).
Academic letter qualifications are verified by the school registrar and distributed by the counseling office.
Honors Program
CHS offers an honors recognition program for students who complete a minimum of five year-long honors or AP courses offered at CHS during their high school career with a grade of “B” or better in each course. It's important to note that Running Start coursework is not eligible for inclusion in the honors program, and for year-long classes, semester grades will be averaged. Students who meet the standard for the honors program will receive a special recognition on their diploma.
Honor Roll
Honor Roll is published each semester to recognize students earning a 3.5 GPA or above. To be eligible for Honor Roll, a student must be enrolled in at least five classes at CHS.
Valedictorian and Salutatorian Honors
Valedictorian honors are awarded to the graduating Cedarcrest senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. Salutatorian honors are awarded to the graduating Cedarcrest senior with the second highest cumulative grade point average. In the case of a tie, students with equivalent grade point averages will all be recognized. The GPA used to determine the valedictorian and salutatorian will initially be the cumulative GPA that appears on the transcript at the end of the first semester during the senior year (or at the end of the second quarter for Running Start students). Students’ GPAs will be monitored during the second semester and final grades will determine the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Please note that modified grade classes are not counted toward the GPA to qualify for honors, and students who receive grades of P/F in core classes are not eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian honors.
Pack Time meets following first block on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This 30-minute period is for intervention and extension (learning for all) on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for meeting with clubs or connecting in special interest affinity groups on Wednesdays.
Criteria
Schedule change requests will be honored for the following reasons:
A student has an incomplete schedule (e.g. no third period class)
A student is not enrolled in a course needed for graduation requirements
A student is enrolled in a course at the wrong level (e.g. needs to take a pre-requisite or has already taken)
A student is enrolled in a course they did not select in the registration process*
Timeline
Schedule changes will not be made between the closing of registration and the opening of schedule change request process unless extenuating circumstances exist.
Information and links to the schedule change request process form (student must complete) will be sent out prior to the start of school.
The schedule change request process will open the 1st day of school, September 2nd, and run through Monday, September 8th, at noon.
To change a class, students need to make an appointment with their counselor within the first five days of the course.
Level changes (e.g. on level to AP/Honors or AP/Honors to on level) are accepted through September 15.
Please note that changes made for other reasons throughout the year may lead to an “F” on a student’s transcript.
*Counseling and administration reserve the right to make scheduling decisions as needed to balance class sizes, etc.
Official transcripts are available through the counseling office. Please note that the processing of transcripts usually takes two to three school days.
Seniors requesting transcripts will receive the first six at no charge. After this, additional transcripts are available at a cost of $4.00 each.
Click here to request a transcript.
Transcript Evaluation for Transfer Students
Students transferring to Cedarcrest High School who previously attended a school that utilized a different credit system will have the number of credits required for graduation adjusted to ensure equity in credit requirements between the two schools.
Transfer Credit
Only credit earned from nationally accredited institutions will be accepted and posted on Cedarcrest High School transcripts. All official transcripts must be submitted to the CHS counseling center by June 1st for those credits to be posted for that school year. This is extremely important for seniors wishing to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Academic Integrity Policy at Cedarcrest High School
Our Mission
We uphold academic integrity to ensure fairness, responsibility, and trust in the learning process. Honest work allows students to fully develop their knowledge, skills, and character.
Academic Misconduct = Not Allowed
• Cheating (using unauthorized notes, devices, or help)
• Copying another student’s work
• Using AI or collaboration on individual assignments
• Sharing or obtaining test/assignment answers
• Plagiarism (using someone else’s or AI’s work as your own) • Misusing technology (cell phones, translation tools, earbuds, AI, etc.)
• Re-using old work without permission
Collaboration & AI Use
• Individual Assignments: Work must be 100% student created—no AI/outside help.
• Collaborative Assignments: Teacher will share what outside help/AI use is okay.
o AI Scaffolding Scale for Students
• If unsure, always ask your teacher first.
• An assignment is any task (oral, written, or electronic) that a student must complete for a class and includes homework, classwork, projects, formative/summative assessments, quizzes, tests, and any other type of work assigned by a teacher.
Consequences
1st Offense: Redo assignment for full credit; discipline referral and 1 hour of detention/re-teaching about Academic Integrity; teacher-parent contact
2nd Offense: Redo assignment for half credit; discipline referral and 2 hrs of detention; admin/teacher-parent contact; possible class failure
3rd Offense: No credit for assignment; discipline referral and 3 hrs of detention; admin-parent meeting; possible class failure
4th Offense: No credit for assignment; discipline referral and 4 hrs of detention; admin-family meeting; possible class failure; creation of Student Academic Integrity Support Plan
5th Offense or more: Same as 4th offense plus possible in-school suspension