1. Understanding Schedules & Calendars

• Academic Calendar: The annual district-wide calendar showing school start/end dates, holidays, seasonal breaks, and staff development days. This calendar is identical for all schools across the district. View the District Academic Calendar
• School Schedule (A Day / B Day): School sites have rotating block schedule. Instead of taking all classes daily, students attend odd-numbered periods on A Days (e.g., 1, 3, 5, 7) and even-numbered periods on B Days (e.g., 2, 4, 6) for longer, focused class periods.
• Bell Schedule: Shows the exact start, end, passing, and lunch times for each period (including regular, collaboration, and minimum day hours).

Note: Please visit your individual campus website for details specific to your school, including site-specific bell schedules and A/B day calendar rotations. 

2. Academic Platforms Overview

• ParentSquare: District and school communication, mass announcements, emergency alerts, direct messaging with teachers, and required forms. Log into ParentSquare 
• Aeries: Official Student Information System (SIS) for official transcripts, term grades, daily attendance, and contact information updates. Log into Aeries 
• Canvas: Daily Learning Management System (LMS) where students submit coursework, view assignments, access syllabi, and check day-to-day grades. Log into Canvas 
• Naviance: College and career readiness platform used for career assessments, college searches, scholarships, and transcript requests. Log into Naviance 

3. Key Staff Roles & How They Help

• School Counselors: Assists with academic planning, course selection, graduation tracking, and general student guidance.
• College & Career Specialist: Guides post-secondary exploration, college applications, financial aid/FAFSA, scholarships, and career pathways.
• Community Liaison: Connects multilingual families with school resources, hosts workshops on navigation school system, supports some translation/interpretation services, and community support.
• School Registrar/Guidance Clerk: Handles student enrollment, official transcript requests, address updates, and permanent academic records.
• Wellness Center Staff: Includes social workers and mental health specialists providing confidential emotional support and well-being resources. Each campus has a wellness center to provide on-campus support spaces for students.

Program Overview Video

What Students Can Access

Key Features & Services:

• 24/7 On-Demand Tutoring: Get instant homework and assignment help anytime.
• Live Enrichment Classes: Join interactive sessions for personal growth and academic learning.
• Test Prep & College Readiness: Access targeted support for SAT, ACT, AP courses, and college application essays.

Learning Opportunities:

• Take live and self-paced classes to prepare for ACT, PSAT, and SAT exams.
• Join college application workshops to strengthen essays and learn admission strategies.
• Explore career pathways through engaging classes that introduce diverse professional fields.

How to Get Started

1. Go to the CUHSD Portal (opens in new tab) or visit cuhsd.org/varsitytutors (opens in new tab) .
2. Click on the Varsity Tutors logo (opens in new tab) .
3. Log in using your official CUHSD student email address.

Interactive Guide