Cupertino High school was born as the 1950’s ended and  the 1960’s began. Orchards still abounded in Cupertino but housing developments already had begun to make them a relic of the past. CHS’s doors swung open wide on September 15, 1958 as girls with long skirts & bobby sox along with boys wearing  Levis, khaki’s and penny loafers arrived to be a part of this historical occasion. George Fernandez, who had been the Director of Student Activities at Fremont High School, assumed the role of Principal. In the preceding year the CHS Class of 1961, to be, had attended Fremont . It was during this year that the school colors, school mascot and names for the school newspaper and yearbook were determined. A special committee of students from the Class of 1961 helped make these and other decisions on what would become CHS institutions and traditions. In the fall of 1958, Class of 1961 member, Joan Nelson began composing and writing the CHS Alma Mater. This was no copy of some college alma mater. With help only on the harmonics, she composed both the completely original music and lyrics by herself.  It was a time of innocence as Cupertino High began. Mother and Daughter Tea & Fashion Shows were held and the entire Cupertino community flocked to the Annual CHS Pioneer Day held each fall, and “Senior Night” found the Seniors and faculty affectionately parodying each other in a show only Seniors and the faculty could attend. It was a show  both sides always enjoyed immensely.  As the Class of 1961 graduated they set the tone for future classes with a dignified ceremony that would emulated by other classes from that point on. The class of 1962 was responsible for the huge wagon wheel that, for 12 years, proudly adorned the center of the Senior Lawn. Another fixture on the Senior Lawn was the flag pole which in the early 1960s proudly flew the victory flag for CHS varsity sport victories. As the 1962-1963 school year commenced CHS-TV made its debut.  We would become the first high school West of the Mississippi to use video tape for instructional purposes. This along with many other cutting edge teaching techniques and our rich extra curricular programs led to National recognition for CHS.  In 1964, at a National High School Convention held in Houston , Cupertino was named the 2^nd most innovative high school in the entire United States . In February of 1964 students were thrilled to have the Beach Boys on their Campus.  In an extended brunch they put on an unforgettable show In the Rally Quad. In that audience were four students who would go on to musical fame by forming Papa Doo Run.  The 1960s also saw CHS students putting on memorable productions of their own such as “Guys & Dolls”, “Annie Get Your Gun” and “ Oklahoma ”. The faculty even put on a play… “The Night of January 16^th” to raised money for scholarships. The 1960s saw three more schools join the FUHSD. Two of them, Lynbrook and Monta Vista took many students that would have otherwise attended CHS.  Despite this Cupertino thrived in the 1960s.  Championships in athletics, award winning music & stage productions, CHSTV and a wonderful school spirit, that permeated both the student body and the faculty, made Cupertino an exciting and fun place to be both a student and a teacher in the 1960s. It would be more of the same in the 1970s.