Orange Unified School District Latest News

Follow OUSD on Social Media

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 08:10:00 PST

The OUSD RSS feed is being discontinued as a news outlet. For the latest news and updates from Orange Unified, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+, or subscribe to our ListServ. Links to our social media sites are available on our website: http://www.orangeusd.org/

Any questions or comments may be sent to webmaster@orangeusd.org. Thank you.

Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. Named ACSA 2014 California Central Office Administrator of the Year

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:26:00 PST

Orange Unified School District Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. has been named 2014 California Central Office Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

“Dr. Hansen personifies District leadership to the highest degree. She is the top 1% of all administrative instructional leaders that I have encountered. Her passion to improve instruction for all students has led the District to receive many local and state recognitions, including California Distinguished Schools Awards, National Blue Ribbon recognition, schools exiting Program Improvement, successful Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) audits, significantly increased District API and AYP scores, increased inclusion opportunities for Students with Disabilities, and increased number of English Learner re-designations,” said Michael Christensen, Superintendent of Schools for the Orange Unified School District, who made the announcement.

These accomplishments, along with many others, have promoted student learning and some of the highest levels of academic achievement. Dr. Hansen is an incredible asset to the greater Orange community and her tireless and passionate commitment to excellence and ethics is her hallmark. Additionally, Dr. Hansen is leading the District’s community outreach for the development of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).

In February, Dr. Hansen was selected as Orange County Central Office Administrator of the Year by ACSA, Region 17, which represents the 28 school districts in Orange County. Her nomination was submitted and reviewed at the state level by a committee of school administrators and ACSA staff members. Dr. Hansen was selected as ACSA Central Office Administrator of the Year and will be recognized at the organization’s annual Leadership Summit on November 6-8 in San Diego.

ACSA was established in 1971 and is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the nation, serving more than 16,000 school leaders throughout California. The organization annually honors outstanding administrators for their leadership skills, professionalism, creativity, innovation, and commitment to a quality education.

Congratulations to Dr. Hansen!

OUSD Transportation Team Wins Big at Annual School Bus Safety Event

tue, 18 Mar 2014 02:34:00 PST

Orange Unified’s Transportation Team took home four awards this past Saturday at the 54th Annual DTAC and CASTO Roadeo hosted at El Dorado High School in Placentia.

The Driver Trainers Advisory Committee (DTAC) and California Association of Public Transportation Officials (CASTO) host “roadeos” to promote school bus safety.

Sixty participants drove their school buses through several events including: a Double Backing Crossover, Offset Alley, Parallel Parking, Back Up Stall, Student Loading, Left Turn, Right Turn and a Written Examination.

Thomas Barrera won third place Individual, Jimmy Navarro won second place Novice, Thomas Barrera, Maricruz Garcia and Juan Ortiz won third place Team and the entire Orange USD Transportation Team won the BEST REPRESENTED AWARD. This award is designed to recognize an organization for its hard work, dedication, positive attitude, and professionalism. It is also designed to recognize the many efforts of those involved, including the administration, transportation staff, mechanical staff, school bus drivers and their families.

“At the Roadeo, drivers compete against each other using their skills in precision driving,” according to the CASTO website. “The more training and practice a driver has the safer he or she will be.”

The OUSD Roadeo Team will compete again in April at the Southern Sectional Roadeo, challenging drivers from Kern County to San Diego County.

Orange Unified School District Board Approves Automated External Defibrillators at Schools

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:12:00 PST

– The Orange Unified School District Board of Education voted to authorize the placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at designated District schools during the regular-session meeting held March 13, 2014.

The revision to Board Policy 5141 is the result of reports from legal and medical professionals as well as impassioned pleas from the community received by the Board at the September 2013 meeting. An implementation and phasing plan was later presented by staff at the meeting in February 2014.

Under the policy, AEDs will be placed at designated school sites for access by personnel who volunteer to participate in the program. Guidelines and training will be developed for employees regarding the proper use and handling of the devices, and will also specify placement, security and maintenance protocols.

The program is dedicated to the memory of Canyon High School freshman Mitchell Cook, who died after collapsing during freshman football warm-ups in August of 2013. Jim Cook, Mitchell’s adoptive father, attended the meeting and was presented with a framed certificate in recognition of the family’s involvement and support for the issue.

Board Member Kathryn Moffat observed that “this new policy is a positive and important step toward a new era to better protect our students and teachers.”

“The Board of Education recognizes the importance of taking appropriate action whenever an accident or illness threatens the safety, health or welfare of a student at school or during school-sponsored activities,” said Board President John Ortega. “This program also fits in with our district-wide goals of improving and modernizing our schools with the latest technology.”

For information on the Orange Unified School District, please visit: www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us.

OUSD Celebrates Principal for a Day

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 08:10:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District celebrated Principal for a Day throughout its campuses on Thursday, March 13, 2014. The event partners a business leader or community member with a school principal and allows the participant an opportunity to observe a glimpse of a principal’s daily responsibilities. The purpose of the program is to foster relationships within the community and to share the outstanding work of OUSD teachers, students, and staff.

A brief reception was hosted by the District Office, which included opening remarks by Superintendent Michael Christensen.

The District is pleased to offer this program and wishes to thank the business and community leaders for their participation in the Principal for a Day program. Please visit http://www.orangeusd.org/news/2014/pdf/PrincipalForDay20140314.pdf to view the list of participants.

Olive Elementary School Student Honored by ASCA

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 03:10:00 PST

Carlos Martinez, fourth grade student at Olive Elementary, was selected to receive the 2014 “Every Student Succeeding” Award by ACSA (Association of California School Administrators) Region 17.

The purpose of “Every Student Succeeding” is to honor students who have succeeded, against the odds and beyond expectations, or who have simply won the hearts of the administrators and other educators who helped them achieve their goals.

An Olive student since kindergarten, Carlos was born with a deformity of his hands and feet, and Mobius Syndrome, which is a rare neurological disorder leaving those with the condition unable to move their faces and unable to move their eyes laterally. Despite these conditions, Carlos attends school each day with a positive attitude and wonderful “can-do” spirit. He is just as active and engaged in learning as every other student at Olive. In fact, Carlos participates in track and the 100-mile running club each year – he NEVER allows his disabilities stop him from participating and he always gives his best effort!

This year, Carlos was given the opportunity to undergo a unique surgery that would finally give him the ability to smile and blink. Carlos has undergone numerous surgeries over the years, but this surgery was much more intricate and involved the nerves in his brain and face.

Though Carlos was out of school for weeks, he returned to Olive and stepped right back into his studies, proudly showing the scars on his face and head. Enduring headaches and physical therapy with maturity beyond his years, Carlos always responds thoughtfully and kindly when other children question him about his physical challenges.

Carlos is brave child and a great role model for resilience! Through all the physical challenges and adversity that he has endured, Carlos now not only smiles with his heart, but with also his face!

Olive Elementary Principal Katherine W. Rizzo states, “We are proud to highlight students who have overcome great obstacles to succeed. They face life’s challenges head on. Their stories are remarkable and their futures are bright. Carlos Martinez is a brilliant example of ‘Every Student Succeeding’!“

ASCA honors students from all grade levels and selects one student from each region to receive the “Every Student Succeeding” Award.

VILLA PARK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NAMED AS U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM CANDIDATES

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 03:10:00 PST

ORANGE, CA (February 6, 2014) – Villa Park High School Seniors Bhavesh H. Patel and Holly J. Zhou have been selected as candidates for the 2014 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They are two of approximately 560 semifinalists nationwide to be recognized.

“Scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas – academic art artistic success, leadership, and involvement in school and the community – and represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in America’s youth,” according to the United States Department of Education. They are invited to Washington, DC in June to participate in National Recognition Program, which includes many enrichment activities and events and culminates with the presentation to the students of the Presidential Scholars Medallion during a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Villa Park High School Principal Ed Howard stated, “Bhavesh and Holly are both excellent scholars and incredibly talented young people. We are excited and proud that this opportunity has been provided to them both and wish them the best of luck in reaching the next step as a semi-finalist.”

These Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. Up to 141 students will be honored as Presidential Scholars in June.

For more information on the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, please visit the following website: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html

Student Teams Win Awards at Regional Robotics Competition

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 03:10:00 PST

ORANGE, CA (February 6, 2014) – Student teams from Crescent Elementary and Yorba Middle Schools qualified to move on to the VEX IQ State Robotics Championship after competing in a regional competition. The two teams from Crescent Elementary won the award for Top Alliance in the Teamwork competition. A team from Crescent also won the overall Build Award. Teams from Yorba Middle School won the award for Top Programming and the Overall Excellence Award.

The VEX IQ Regional Competition, which drew 36 student teams from throughout Southern California, was held February 2 at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center.

The VEX IQ Challenge, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, is a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program for elementary and middle school students (ages 8-14). Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build a robot using the VEX IQ robotics platform to solve an engineering challenge that is presented in the form of a game. The “VEX IQ Challenge” teams work together scoring points in Teamwork Matches, and display their robot’s skills individually in driver-controlled and autonomous Skills Challenges. In addition to building robots, the VEX IQ Challenge encourages students to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a STEM themed research project that consists of a written or media presentation.

Student teams from eight other Orange Unified Schools also participated in the event: Anaheim Hills, Cambridge, Cerro Villa, Handy, McPherson, Nohl Canyon, Panorama, and Sycamore. The OUSD teams ranged from third to eighth grade students, with three to 30 students on each team. Led by volunteer OUSD teachers, the teams built and programmed their robots, and completed Engineering Design Notebooks, research projects and STEM projects that were judged at the event. Teams also participated in district scrimmages on November 17 and January 24. The event drew enthusiastic responses from parents, teachers and students.

“It was brilliant to see our Orange Unified students having such a great time creating innovative robots, communicating to problem solve, and collaboratively working as a team, both within their own team as well as working with other teams when competing,” said Jeremy Mortensen, principal at Cambridge Elementary. “It was a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike to come together and support our future engineers and professionals who will represent Orange Unified far beyond their years as students in our district. I was truly proud of all of them!”

“I heard some parents talking about how their kids come home from school still talking about their robots and their teams,” said Kathy Martin, principal at Panorama Elementary. “I also heard a parent say that she and her husband did not mind missing the Super Bowl for such a unique and exciting competition.”

OUSD Teacher Named 2014 State Teacher of the Year

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 01:00:00 PST

ORANGE, CA (January 27, 2014) – Second grade teacher Linda Horist will be honored at the 2014 California Teachers of the Year Gala at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento on February 3. Horist has taught at Nohl Canyon Elementary School for the past 13 years, after beginning her career in education in 1978.

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson announced at the end of October that Horist is one of five teachers named California Teacher of the Year by the California Department of Education. An evening of celebrating “Courage, Inspiration, and Commitment” is the theme of the 2014 California Teachers of the Year Gala. A VIP Reception kicks off the event at 4:30 pm, honoring the 2014 state finalists, semi-finalists, and sponsors. Linda Horist and the 2014 Teachers of the Year will be honored at the dinner and program which follows at 6:00 pm.

Horist was earlier recognized by Assemblyman Don Wagner at a special presentation hosted by Nohl Canyon Elementary on November 14. Superintendent Michael Christensen also presented her with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Board of Education and the Orange Unified School District at the November 14, 2013 Board of Education meeting.

“From the moment a student enters the classroom, my message is: ‘You can do, be, dream and become anything you want to!’ Find the joy in learning and you’ll find the joy in yourself. This is the philosophy I constantly demonstrate to my students,” says Horist.

Nohl Canyon Principal Amy Hitt, along with other teacher colleagues, will be accompanying Horist to Sacramento to attend the Teachers of the Year Gala.

The Teacher of the Year program “affords the opportunity to bring attention to teachers who successfully employ strategies to increase academic success and narrow the achievement gap with a range of diverse students,” according to the Orange County Department of Education website.

KINDERGARTEN, TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN AND MANDARIN DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM REGISTRATION BEGINS IN MARCH

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 02:25:00 PST

Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten, and Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program registration will begin on Wednesday, March 5, 2013 for all Orange Unified School District elementary schools except McPherson Magnet School. To participate in the lottery at McPherson Magnet School (K-8), parents must attend one of the following orientation meetings at McPherson School: February 5th at 8:30 a.m. or February 6th at 3:00 p.m.

Kindergarten Information:
To receive a Kindergarten Registration packet, parents must have all the required documentation:
• Child’s birth certificate
• Child’s current immunization records
• Two address verifications (Even if a sibling currently attends the school, verification is required as the family may have moved.)

Each school site determines the date that packets must be returned to their site. For more information regarding Kindergarten Registration, parents should contact the school site directly or go to the OUSD website at http://www.orangeusd.org/kinder/.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Information:
A parent information meeting will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at the District Office – Board Room 3, Building H, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. The birthdate requirement for Transitional Kindergarten is: Sept 2 – Dec. 2, 2009 (students with these birthdates can only attend Transitional Kindergarten). Students with birthdates between July 1 and Sept 1, 2009 may attend Kindergarten or TK.

Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Information:
A parent information meeting will be held January 15, 2014, at the District Office – Board Room 2, Building H, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. More information is available at http://www.orangeusd.org/mandarin/.

Open Enrollment Information:
K-12 Open Enrollment will be held during the two week period of March 3 – 14, 2014. Open Enrollment lotteries will be conducted by each school site. For specific questions regarding open enrollment, parents are asked to directly contact the site they are interested in their student attending. More information can be found at http://www.orangeusd.org/scs/#enroll.

For general questions, or information on inter-district transfers, please contact the Student and Community Services Office at (714) 628-5424.

OUSD Participates in International Walk to School Day

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 02:23:00 PST

Despite inclement weather, students, families, and teachers from thirteen Orange Unified School District elementary schools joined in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 9.

Participating OUSD Elementary Schools were: California, Cambridge, Crescent, Esplanade, Handy, Imperial, La Veta, Olive, Palmyra, Prospect, Serrano, Taft and Villa Park. Orange Police Department escorted walkers at Handy and Palmyra, and Board of Education Member Kathy Moffat joined Serrano’s event.

International Walk to School Day aims to raise awareness about safe walking behaviors, promote an active lifestyle that includes walking, and advocate for more crosswalks, sidewalks, crossing guards and better driver behavior.

The Board of Education voted at their September 12 meeting to encourage school and community participation during "Walk to School Week," October 7-11, and “Walk to School Day" on October 9, 2013.

For more information about International Walk to School Day, please visit http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/.

OUSD CARES Participates in “Lights on Afterschool!”

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 03:10:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District Centers for Afterschool Recreation, Enrichment and Safety (OUSD CARES) program will join the Afterschool Alliance’s 14th annual Lights on Afterschool! event on October 17, 2013.

Lights on Afterschool is a nationwide celebration that calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs like the one offered by OUSD CARES.

Entering its 29th year, OUSD CARES provides safe, challenging, engaging, and fun learning experiences to elementary students throughout the District, helping develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural, and academic skills. The program also supports working families by ensuring their children are safe and productive before and after the regular school day.

OUSD CARES will commemorate Lights on Afterschool with Bring Your “Child” to Work Day. Over 1500 children throughout the District’s CARES programs will make paper cut-outs of themselves for their parents to take to work for the day. The paper “child” cut-outs will include messages from the children thanking their parents for placing them in a safe and stimulating before and after-school program.

“Launched in October 2000, Lights on Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities,” according to the Afterschool Alliance website. Last year, more than a million people participated in Lights on Afterschool events.

In America today, one in four youths, about 15 million children, are alone and unsupervised after their school day ends.

For more information on the OUSD CARES program, please visit: http://www.orangeusd.org/child_care/ .

More information about Afterschool Alliance is available at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org.

HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN

tue, 17 Sep 2013 02:10:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District is in the process of developing facilities master plans for the educational facilities at the four comprehensive high schools. To ensure that each school’s educational program needs are identified, community participation in the process for each high school is valued and critical. Stakeholders within their focus area will have an opportunity to provide meaningful input about the educational and operational vision of their particular high school and, ultimately, how the facilities can support that vision.

Each high school will host a series of meetings to gather input from all stakeholders including the community, parents and staff. All members of the community are invited to attend.

Additional information regarding the High School Facilities Master Plan can be found on the District’s website at http://www.orangeusd.org/Facilities/

School Site Administrative Assignments 2013-14 School Year

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 08:09:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce the Principal/Assistant Principal assignments for the 2013-14 school year.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
School Principal

Anaheim Hills
Sandra Miller

California
Laurie Dieppa

Cambridge
Jeremy Mortensen

Canyon Rim
David Appling

Chapman Hills
Sandy Schaffer

Crescent
Randi Leach

Esplanade
Open Position

Fairhaven
Kelli Keller

Fletcher
Rebeca Nelson

Handy
Michelle Owen

Imperial
Ginette “Gigi” Kelley

Jordan
Andrea Roman

La Veta
Connie Smith
AP – Ekko DePriest*

Lampson
Maria Chairez
AP – Sean Lindsay*

Linda Vist
a Sally Hughson

McPherson Magnet K-8
Jeanne Bentley
AP – Open Position

Nohl Canyon
Amy Hitt* Olive
Katherine Rizzo

Palmyra
Larry Hausner

Panorama
Kathryn Martin

Prospect
Elena Rodriguez

Running Springs
Lydia Roach

Serrano
Bobbie Lansman

Sycamore
Erika Krohn

Taft
Antoinette Coe

Villa Park
Debra Larson

West Orange
Jennifer Bourgeois

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

School Principal

Cerro Villa
Ken Miller
AP – Michael Lee*

Portola
Debbie Backstrom
AP – Adriana Flores*

Yorba
Tracy Knibb*
AP – Open Position

HIGH SCHOOLS

Canyon
Kimberly Fricker*
AP – Brenna Godsey
AP – Kenneth Lopour
AP - Joe Ervin*

El Modena
Dustin Saxton*
AP – Sandra Preciado-Martin*
AP - Brent McKee*
AP – Eddie Espinosa

Orange
Ernest Gonzalez
AP – J. Craig Abercrombie
AP – Jill Katevas
AP – Heriberto Angel*

Richland Continuation
Dennis McCuistion

Villa Park
Ed Howard
AP – Tamette Rappa
AP – Rebecca Roberts
AP – Justin Stanfield

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Alternative Education/Adult Education/Community Day School
Open Position

Canyon Hills
Karen Hanson

OUSD Pre-K/K, Special Education
Bree Tippets

* New to District/New to Position

El Modena Student Recognized by Virginia Law Enforcement

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 03:10:00 PST

El Modena High School (EMHS) student Alexandria Warren was recognized Wednesday for her contributions as part of the Criminal Justice class to solve an arson investigation conducted by the Virginia State Police and the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office.

Tom Schwartz, Safety Officer for the Melfa Fire Department, flew in from Virginia to personally recognize Warren. The recognition ceremony took place in the Criminal Justice classroom on the El Modena High campus. The Criminal Justice class is part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathway in the Public Service Industry Sector offered in the Orange USD Regional Occupation Program (ROP).

Earlier in the year, Schwartz requested assistance profiling the serial arson crimes in Accomack County, VA. EMHS Criminal Justice/CSI teacher Ray Welch offered to enlist students from his classes to help in the investigation. A total of 123 students played a part in the investigation.

Senior Criminal Justice student Alexandria Warren voluntarily continued the profiling process during spring break. Her sense of commitment to the investigation not only reflected the characteristic of a true leader, but also displayed her overwhelming interest in solving crimes.

The dedication and teamwork of everyone involved contributed to the ultimate arrest of two individuals on April 2, 2013.

Accomack County is located on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Canyon High School Students Participate in National Computer Security Competition

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Canyon High School ranked 11th in picoCTF’s Toaster Wars High School Hacking Competition.

Under the direction of Canyon High School Video Game Pathway teacher Ms. Susan Damon, “Team (void)0 ” included Priyank Patel (Senior), Jonathan Zepnick (Junior), Roy Chang (Sophomore), and Dylan Nguyen (Freshman).

The nationwide computer security competition for high school students involved multiple categories of challenges with increasing difficulty. Teams used the programming and problem solving skills in a race to be the first to solve the most number of problems.

In computer security, a CTF (Capture the Flag) competition is designed to serve as an educational exercise to give participants experience in securing a machine as well as conducting and reacting to the sort of attacks found in the real world. Reverse-engineering, network sniffing, protocol analysis, system administration, programming, and cryptanalysis are all required skills.

“Certain pieces of information (called flags) are placed on servers, encrypted, hidden, or otherwise stored somewhere difficult to access. During the competition, different challenges are released which allow the participants to reverse engineer, break, hack, decrypt, and do whatever it takes to capture that flag,” according to the picoCTF website. “CTFs are a great way to learn a wide array of computer security skills in a safe, legal environment, and are hosted and played by many security groups around the world for fun and practice.”

Event sponsors included the National Security Agency, Symantec, Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC-Global), Intel, and Microsoft. Approximately 2,000 high school teams and thousands of high school students participated in the 11 day event.

For more information, please visit https://picoctf.com.

Dr. Dustin Saxton Appointed Principal at El Modena High School

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Dustin Saxton to the position of El Modena High School Principal.

Saxton started his education career in 1991 as a mathematics teacher at a private school. Five years later, he began teaching Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, and Calculus at San Bernardino High School, where he also coached varsity football, basketball, and baseball.

After serving as principal of a private K-12 school in Redlands, CA, Saxton moved on to Assistant Principal at the high school level in Alvord Unified, Upland Unified, and at Orange High School in Orange Unified School District. His responsibilities as a high school assistant principal included leadership of: Discipline and Attendance, the Math Department, the Summer School Program, the Adult Education program, the Special Education Department, Activities, and Athletics.

“I feel excited, honored, and privileged to be named the new principal at El Modena High School. El Modena has a rich tradition of excellence, and I am looking forward to working with the students, staff, and the El Modena community to build on that tradition,” remarked Saxton upon learning of his appointment.

Born in Illinois, Saxton is a graduate of Drury University, National University, and La Sierra University. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a Masters Degree is Instructional Leadership and a Specialist in Education degree (Ed.S.) in Administration and Leadership. He also received a Master’s of Divinity (M. Div) and a Doctor of Divinity (D. Div.) from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Saxton is the proud father of two sons aged 18 and 20. His wife, Debra, has taught special education for 21 years.

Kimberly Fricker Appointed Principal at Canyon High School

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:05:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Kimberly Fricker as Principal of Canyon High School.

Fricker has previous experience within Orange Unified as a former Biology and Chemistry teacher at Orange High School. She also served as a guidance counselor before moving into administration.

Originally from Michigan, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan Technology University. She taught Biology, Chemistry and Physics before earning her Master’s degree in counseling psychology and moving to California with her husband and three children.

She served as an Assistant Principal in the Huntington Beach Union High School District in a variety of areas including: Master Schedule, Curriculum, Instruction, Guidance, Professional Development, Regional Occupation Program (ROP), Special Education, and Discipline.

Currently, Fricker is nearing completion of her doctoral degree from the University of Southern California in the area of Educational Leadership. Her work with USC involves K-12 College and Career preparation with specific interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Fricker’s philosophical approach to education is based on a phrase by John Dewey which states “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” She firmly believes that education is the key to unlocking doors of opportunity for every student and is excited to contribute to the success of Canyon High School.

Student Team Wins Award at National Robotics Competition

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:35:00 PST

A team of students from Nohl Canyon Elementary School received Best STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Project at the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship in Anaheim last week.

The event was sponsored by The Robotics Education and Competition Foundation and utilized the new VEX IQ robotics system, which allows students to construct custom-designed robots without the use of tools.

Student teams from nine other Orange Unified Schools also participated in the event: Anaheim Hills, California, Cambridge, Crescent, Handy, McPherson, and Panorama Elementary Schools, along with Cerro Villa and Yorba Middle Schools.

The OUSD teams ranged from third to eighth grade students, with three to 40 students on each team. Led by volunteer OUSD teachers, the teams met from January through April. During this time, they built and programmed their robots and completed Engineering Design Notebooks, research projects, and STEM projects that were judged at the event.

The national robotics competition drew 71 student teams from throughout the United States and was held April 18-20 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Teams also participated in a county scrimmage on April 5.

“The kids had a great time and really want to continue to compete next year,” said Chris Tanioka, a teacher at Anaheim Hills Elementary School. “We are excited to start our team preparation over the summer.”

Two OUSD Teachers to be Honored at Celebrating Success For English Learners

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:45:00 PST

Teachers Kelly Devine and Valerie Gotts have been chosen to represent Orange Unified School District at the Orange County Department of Education’s Celebrating Success for English Learners event on May 8, 2013.

Devine and Gotts will each receive a Certificate of Award for significant contributions in promoting academic success for English Language Learners (ELL).

Kelly Devine, teacher at Taft Elementary School, will represent Orange Unified’s elementary schools. She played a pivotal role in Taft’s exit from Program Improvement, helping the school to successfully meet state mandated goals for English Language learners for the last three years. District personnel said, “Kelly works tirelessly, going beyond her required duties to ensure that ALL her ELL students are receiving the support they need to be successful.”

Valerie Gotts, teacher at Cerro Villa Middle School, will represent Orange Unified’s secondary schools. She coordinated English Language Development (ELD) and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) classes for a number of years and has been instrumental in successfully implementing the Academic Vocabulary Toolkit with her students. More importantly, Gotts truly believes that ALL her ELL students can learn and achieve success, and she explicitly imparts this belief to her students on a daily basis.

Each district in Orange County has the opportunity to nominate two exceptional individuals who meet the criteria of excellence in promoting success for English Language Learners to be honored at Celebrating Success for English Learners.

OUSD Student Receives Disneyland Resort Scholarship

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:18:00 PST

Villa Park High School Senior Michael Salmond was awarded a $7,500 scholarship by Disneyland Resort for his leadership, academic excellence, and contributions to the community through volunteerism at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he has contributed 745 hours.

Salmond also co-founded the Greater Orange Service League, now known as the Greater Orange Chapter of National League of Young Men. According to their website, “this structured program for mothers and their sons promotes the development of young men into community leaders through leadership involvement, charitable and community service, cultural experiences and protocol education.” Founded in 2009, the Chapter now includes over 100 members.

A “Prize Patrol” surprised Salmond at his school, presenting a personalized certificate, balloon bouquet, Mickey Mouse themed award piece, and Mickey mortar board hat. Salmond will also receive an opportunity to attend a Disney Youth Education Series leadership development course and an invitation to help build a community garden along with Disney VoluntEARS.

“I believe that by spending my time to help other citizens, I will learn a lot about my community and how to best use by abilities to benefit others in the future. Volunteering is an excellent way to give back to my community and to strengthen that community as a whole,” stated Salmond.

More than 200 applications were received and reviewed in this year’s program. The top 20 applicants were interviewed by a distinguished panel of community leaders who selected the 10 college-bound scholarship recipients.

“The Disneyland Resort is proud to recognize these exemplary students for their commitment to excellence and their passion for serving others,” said Michael Colglazier, president of the Disneyland Resort. “We look forward to their continued success and development as our leaders of tomorrow.”

Chinese Delegates Visit OUSD Schools

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:45:00 PST

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) and the Bureau of Education, Guangzhou China, commemorated their alliance by touring two Orange Unified School District (OUSD) classrooms, followed by a partnership signing ceremony this past Monday.

Fletcher and Taft Elementary Schools were visited by an OCDE delegation team including six delegates from the Guangzhou Bureau of Education, Dr. Lilly Cheng, Director of the San Diego State University Confucius Institute, and Junbo Cheng, the Hanban North American Director.

Fletcher Elementary, one of just two schools in Orange County to offer a Mandarin Language Immersion Program, was the first stop on the tour. There, Carla Deckard’s Mandarin Immersion students impressed the visiting delegates by singing songs and reading stories in Mandarin, the official language of both China and Taiwan.

The OCDE team then went on to tour special education classes at Fletcher and Taft Elementary Schools, giving the Chinese delegates a first-hand look at how OUSD mainstreams special needs students into general education classes with intervention support.

At the end of the day, a partnership signing ceremony took place at the Orange County Department of Education headquarters in Costa Mesa. OCDE and the Bureau of Education, Guangzhou China, agreed to a compact acknowledging their plans to expand resources that will further develop dual language programs in Orange County.

For information on the Fletcher Mandarin Immersion Program, please visit the OUSD website at http://www.orangeusd.org/mandarin/. Fletcher is currently enrolling students for the Mandarin Immersion program in kindergarten and first grade.

Three OUSD Sites Named 2013 California Distinguished Schools

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:18:00 PST

Cerro Villa Middle School, El Rancho Charter Middle School, and Villa Park High School have each been named a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education.

Superintendent Michael L. Christensen offered congratulations to Principals Kenneth Miller, John Besta, Michele Walker, and Ed Howard, as well as all members of their staff for receiving this highest of honors. State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson made the official announcement April 11, 2013.

The 2013 California Distinguished School Award program focuses on the right of California’s students to an equitable and rigorous education and recognizes those schools that have made progress in narrowing the achievement gap. The application process consists of a written application, including a comprehensive description of two of the school's signature practices, and a county-led site validation review process which validates the implementation of those signature practices.

“The California Distinguished School Award is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of all of our teachers, staff, students, parents and the entire school community and we are all very honored to receive this third recognition as a California Distinguished School,” stated Cerro Villa Principal Kenneth Miller. Cerro Villa Middle School first received this honor in 1994 and again in 2005.

El Rancho Charter Middle School was first named a California Distinguished School in 2005. “Congratulations to the El Rancho Team for dedicating themselves to ensure all students are learning! Without the support of the staff, parents, and the hard work from the students, this wouldn’t be possible, and we are so very honored to receive this second recognition as a California Distinguished School,” said Principal Michele Walker.

“At Villa Park we are very proud of the progress of our students and the effort they have put into their future. Our dedicated staff of professionals come to work every day to positively impact the lives of our students and provide this community a quality educational experience. This distinction will serve as a motivator for us to continue to get better at what we do,” stated Principal Ed Howard about Villa Park High School’s first recognition as a California Distinguished School.

Site visitations were completed in March and schools selected for recognition will be honored at award ceremonies in May. Each school will be presented with a 2013 Distinguished School plaque and flag by Torlakson himself.

To be invited to apply for Distinguished School honors, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria including designated federal and state accountability measures based on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Academic Performance Index requirements. Once schools are deemed eligible, the California Department of Education invites them to apply to be recognized as a California Distinguished School.

Cerro Villa is located at 17852 Serrano Ave., Villa Park; El Rancho Charter Middle School is located at 181 S. Del Giorgio Dr., Anaheim Hills; and, Villa Park High School is located at 18042 Taft Ave., Villa Park.

El Modena’s Robotics Team Advances to Finals

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:17:00 PST

El Modena High School's Robotics Team placed second at the Southern California Regional FRC Robotic Competition held in San Diego on March 9.

This is El Modena's second year competing against high-tech high schools from all over Southern California. They missed a first place win by only a handful of points and are only team from Orange County to advance to the finals.

“Clockwork Oranges” is made up of students Madison Anderson, Alice Bowie, Malcolm Bowie, Sam Deshler, Mika Janbahan, Travis McGary, Vivien Ngo, and David Tu. The team is mentored by engineers Mark Bowie, Bill Gaines, and Mark McGary, with additional support from Team Mom Sara Bowie and Club Adviser Danny Loya.

The event showcased brutal robot ramming and blocking, but with Captain Malcolm Bowie leading the crew, David Tu feeding the Frisbees to the robot, and Mika Janbahan doing some incredible driving maneuvers, “Clockwork Oranges” made a name for themselves in San Diego.

The next tournament will be the FRC Robotic Competition held March 27-30 at Cal State San Bernardino.

Check out the Frisbee shooting robot in action at: http://tinyurl.com/bu3r69h

Science is Fun at Community Science Night

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:55:00 PST

Orange Unified School District’s Eighth Annual Community Science Night took place Friday, March 15, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Santiago Community College (SCC).

Community Science Night is a partnership between Santiago Canyon College and Orange Unified School District’s K-6 Science Center.

Up to 3,000 students and parents participated in the hands-on, inquiry-centered science activities designed to showcase the fun and exciting aspects of science.

About 30 different activities were available, including: snail races, making rockets out of straws, and creating a polymer out of glue and borax (“Gobs of Fun!”). Participants could also learn how an infrared camera discovers and displays heat, build with Legos, observe a Vortex Cannon, and get their picture taken with Darth Vader. The hands-on science projects were presented by 55 OUSD teachers and 60 SCC instructors.

Additional activities were provided by Farmers Insurance, Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo, El Dorado Nature Center, Energy Coalition, Inside the Outdoors, Bricks 4 Kidz, municipal water districts, and the 501st Legion Orange County Garrison and their Storm Troopers.

This year’s event was organized by Martin Stringer, Interim Dean of Math and Science at Santiago Canyon College, and Julie Roney, K-6 Science Coordinator for OUSD. Funding for the OUSD Science Center and its program of hands-on inquiry-based classroom activities is provided by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

Select kindergarten through sixth grade OUSD students are invited by their teachers to participate each year.

OUSD Celebrates Principal for a Day

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:23:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District will celebrate Principal for a Day on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 throughout its campuses. The event partners a business leader or community member with a school principal and allows the participant an opportunity to observe a glimpse of a principal’s daily responsibilities. The purpose of the program is to foster relationships within the community and to share the outstanding work of OUSD teachers, students, and staff.

A brief reception will be hosted at the District Office, which will include opening remarks by Superintendent Michael Christensen.

The District is pleased to offer this program and wishes to thank the following business and community leaders for their participation in the Principal for a Day program:

School Participant Name Company Name Title

Elementary

Anaheim Hills Chris Hong Eye Level Learning Center – Anaheim Hills Owner

California Cheryl Corneliussen Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Pastor

Cambridge Melissa Williamson Island’s Restaurant General Manager

Canyon Rim The Honorable Kris Murray City of Anaheim Council Member

Chapman Hills The Honorable Teresa Smith City of Orange Mayor

Crescent Scott Case Microsoft Director of Microsoft Technology Center

Esplanade Rebecca Reger Orange County Sheriff’s Department Deputy (GRIP)

Fairhaven Todd Irving Orange County Department of Education Coordinator, Diversity and Equity

Fletcher Paula Soest Soest Guitar Repair Part Owner

Handy Tamika M. Williams OC District Attorney’s Office Deputy District Attorney

Imperial Megan Taylor Orange County Transportation Authority Transportation Analyst

Jordan Ramona Holladay National Oilwell Varco Electrical Designer

La Veta Irma Morales Orange Public Library Acting Library Director

Lampson Julia Thorne Thorne Immigration Law Attorney at Law

Linda Vista Alisha Winterswyk Best Best & Krieger LLP Attorney at Law

McPherson Craig Kausen Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Chairman of the Board

Nohl Canyon George Gillespie Anaheim Hills Rotary Programs Chairperson Vocational Service Dir.

Olive Gloria Johnson Aegis Rapidtext Vice President

Palmyra Valentina Obafunwa National Oilwell Varco Training & Employee Development Specialist

Panorama Henry DiCarlo KTLA 5 Meteorologist

Prospect Amy Bailey LVM, Inc. Channel & Marketing Manager

Running Springs Kelly Wambaugh Target Human Resources

Serrano Brenda Vargas Brenda Vargas Law Office Attorney

Sycamore Denise Bittel The Perfect Event Owner

Taft Andrew Weiss Kiwanis

Villa Park Scott Kisow Island’s Restaurant Regional Manager

West Orange Cindy Grant Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Facilities Manager

Middle

Cerro Villa Jennifer Salgado Cerro Villa PFSO President

El Rancho Trista Shelton, D.C. Hands on Wellness Center Chiropractor/Owner

Portola Hank Ezhandi Orange Police Dept. Detective

Yorba Nancy Medrano Yorba PTSA President

High

Canyon Roy Jefferson State Farm Insurance Insurance Agent

El Modena Peggy Calvert Community Member El Modena Alumni

Orange The Honorable Mark Murphy City of Orange Councilman

Richland Jonni Toomey National Oilwell Varco Sr. Executive Assistant Wes Parsel Orange County Transportation Authority Assistant Marketing Specialist

Villa Park Ed Carter Villa Park Rotary Rotarian and Investor

Special Programs

Canyon Hills Shawn Ward ProServe Plumbing and Drain

El Modena Civil Rights Hero Celebrated

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:45:00 PST

El Modena High School is proud to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Lorenzo A. Ramirez Library. During the first week of March, Santiago Middle School and Esplanade Elementary School will participate in tours of the library and listen to the history regarding the Lorenzo A. Ramirez legacy.

Lorenzo A. Ramirez, former longtime resident of the El Modena community in Orange, was celebrated for his efforts to desegregate schools in the community. The Orange Unified School District’s Board of Education voted to rename the El Modena High School Library in honor of Ramirez at the May 12, 2011 Board of Education meeting.

On March 2, 1945, Ramirez joined Thomas Estrada, William Guzman, Frank Palomino, and Gonzalo Mendez in a Los Angeles County Superior Court class-action lawsuit suing the El Modena, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Westminster School Districts, respectively, for discrimination against Mexican students.

Their case, Mendez et al. v. Westminster School District et al., led directly to legislation that ended segregation in public schools across the State of California. The court’s decision also had a powerful impact upon the 1954 United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that “separate education facilities are inherently unequal” and the subsequent desegregation of schools across the country.

Panorama Elementary Students Collect Pasta and Sauce for Homeless Children

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:45:00 PST

The Panorama Elementary School Student Leadership Team organized a food drive for Caterina’s Club in Anaheim and collected more than 850 pounds of the charity’s requested items: pasta and sauce.

Caterina’s Club was founded by Chef Bruno Serato, owner of the historic Anaheim White House Restaurant, and currently services 300 low-income children every day at two different Boys and Girls Club sites in Anaheim. Panorama’s donation will provide more than 5,900 meals to homeless children living in Anaheim motels.

Principal Kathryn Martin stated, “The generosity and caring shown by our students and their families is heartwarming. The “Panther Leadership Team” at Panorama makes a concerted effort to choose projects that help others, and that is something to be proud of.”

For more information on Caterina’s Club please visit the following website: http://www.thecaterinasclub.org/

Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten and Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Registration Begins In March

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:08:00 PST

Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten, and Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program registration will begin on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 for all Orange Unified School District elementary schools except McPherson Magnet School, which has already completed the lottery process.

The process is as follows:
• To receive a kindergarten registration packet, parent(s) MUST have all the required documentation: birth certificate, current immunization records, and two address verifications (even if a sibling already attends the school).
• Parents may choose to complete the registration packet at the school site, but are not required to do so.
• Each school site determines the date that packets must be returned to their site.

Open Enrollment Information:

K-12 Open Enrollment will be held during the two week period of March 4-15, 2013.

Open Enrollment lotteries will be conducted by each school site.

For more information regarding kindergarten registration, parents are asked to contact the school site directly or go to the OUSD website at http://www.orangeusd.org/scs/#enroll. For specific questions regarding open enrollment, parents are asked to directly contact the site they are interested in their student attending. For general questions, or information on inter-district transfers, please contact the Student and Community Services Office at (714) 628-5424.

Villa Park High School Student Named 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:08:00 PST

Villa Park High School Senior Jai Dolwani has been selected as a candidate for the 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. He is one of approximately 560 students nationwide to be recognized.

“Scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas – academic art artistic success, leadership, and involvement in school and the community – and represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in America’s youth,” according to the United States Department of Education.

Villa Park High School Principal Ed Howard stated, “Jai is an excellent scholar and an incredibly talented young man. We are excited that this opportunity has been provided to him and wish him the best of luck in reaching the next step as a semi-finalist.”

This year’s candidates were selected out of nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors across the United States. Up to 141 students will be honored as Presidential Scholars in June.

For more information on the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, please visit the following website: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html

CRESCENT ELEMENTARY STUDENT WRITES DIAMOND-WINNING POEM

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:12:00 PST

Crescent Elementary sixth grader Gage Butterfield is Orange County’s grade 6-12 winner of the 21st Annual “Why Mom Deserves a Diamond” contest.

Each year, Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers sponsors a writing contest for elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) and secondary (sixth through twelfth grade) students across Orange County. Students participate by writing a poem regarding “Why My Mom Deserves a Diamond.” More than 20,000 entries were submitted this year.

Poems are evaluated on creativity and originality. Gage Butterfield’s diamond-winning verse:

"Stars and galaxies in her eyes,
More beautiful than the finest butterflies.
Mom is beauty and grace
All put into one face.”

Gage will receive a quarter-carat diamond valued at $600 to give to his mom when he presents his poem to her at this year’s Diamond Day celebration at Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers in May.

Villa Park High School Leader Rebecca Roberts, Ed.D. Named Finalist for Nation's Top Assistant Principal

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:45:00 PST

Villa Park High School Assistant Principal Rebecca Roberts, Ed.D., is one of three nationwide finalists for the 2013 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Assistant Principal of the Year award. All state and national honorees will be recognized at an April black-tie gala in Washington, DC. A national winner will be selected in March.

Dr. Roberts’ philosophy of school leadership draws on Theodore Roosevelt’s adage, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know you care." Her concern for each student as an individual has spurred the development of numerous intervention programs, providing extra time and support to students who need it.

Dr. Roberts implemented Link Crew to help freshmen transition into the high school environment at Villa Park and also created an afterschool credit-recovery program to help students stay on track to graduation. The success of this model led to its adoption District-wide.

To address the growing population of English Learners (EL), Dr. Roberts led the creation of a "boot camp" for the six weeks prior to the March state test administration. The initiative led to stronger bonds with the families of EL students and a significant improvement in their pass rates on state tests.

“Dr. Roberts is an instructional leader who makes all decisions based on what is in the best interest of students and student achievement,” said Villa Park Principal Ed Howard. “Starting with a schoolwide vision and working toward an individual performance goal for all teachers has been perfect for transforming our staff into a focused, collaborative team of educators. Dr. Roberts’ approach and implementation of this vision have been nothing short of spectacular.”

Selection criteria for National Assistant Principal are built around collaborative leadership; curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and school personalization—the core areas of the NASSP Breaking Ranks Framework for school improvement.

“The assistant principal has evolved into a key instructional leadership role,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, NASSP executive director. “As we continue to raise expectations for student achievement, the assistant principal becomes that much more important. We're honored to recognize these three finalists who model excellence in school leadership.”

The national winner will be announced March 1, in National Harbor, MD. Each finalist will receive $1,500 and the national winner will be awarded $5,000, which can be used for personal professional development or for a school improvement project.

Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Offers Orientation and Classroom Tours at Fletcher

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:23:00 PST

Orange Unified School District (OUSD) is excited to announce that the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program will continue to be offered at Fletcher Elementary School for 2013-14 school year. New classes of incoming Kindergarten students are being recruited.

Current kindergarten and first grade students who are enrolled in the Mandarin Dual Language class are taught in equal parts Mandarin Chinese and English. A specially trained Mandarin teacher teaches the class of 30 students to provide an enriching immersion class with high standards for both Mandarin and English.

Families interested in visiting the school for an orientation and tour of the Mandarin Immersion classroom, may contact the school directly at 714-997-6181 to RSVP to attend one of the following dates. The orientation and tours will begin at 8:15 a.m.

January 31
February 7
February 21
March 7
March 21

Parents who would like their child to participate are encouraged to visit Fletcher Elementary School this week to complete a Pre-Registration form for their child. Fletcher Elementary is located at 515 W. Fletcher St., Orange.

Parents of students living outside of OUSD’s boundaries must submit an Inter-District Transfer Form for approval from both their home district and OUSD prior to enrollment. Parents are encouraged to visit the Mandarin Immersion Link on the OUSD District Website at http://www.orangeusd.org/mandarin/.

A Letter from the Superintendent

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:16:00 PST

December 21, 2012

Dear Parents and Community Members,

As educators, parents, and fellow citizens, we are shocked and dismayed by the tragedy that occurred last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. As more information becomes available with respect to this event, we will reevaluate and refine our safety plans as appropriate. On behalf of the Board of Education and all employees of the Orange Unified School District, please know that our primary concern is the safety and well-being of your children.

The Orange Unified School District takes safety and security very seriously. Strong emergency plans are in place at all school and support sites, where our protocols are consistently practiced and refined. The supportive and respectful relationship between OUSD and local law enforcement brings with it tremendous resources, allowing us to anticipate and prepare for a myriad of emergencies we hope will never happen. Representatives from both Police and Fire regularly collaborate with OUSD on emergency procedures, providing valuable knowledge and expert insight. Our goal is continuous improvement of OUSD’s protocols and procedures so that our students and staff remain safe.

When the District reopens on January 7, 2013, staff from the Psychological Services Department as well as school counselors will be available on-site to provide support for those who may need it. Additionally, police officers and sheriff’s deputies will be visiting our campuses to provide reassurance to students, staff, and parents that the safety of our schools is also a priority for law enforcement.

Please contact your school or the Office of Student and Community Services if you have any questions. The Director of Student and Community Services, Mike Pollok, can be reached at (714) 628-5424 or mikep@orangeusd.org.

Sincerely,
Michael L. Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

Sycamore Elementary Named 2013 National Blue Ribbon School Nominee

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:28:00 PST

Sycamore Elementary School has been selected as a nominee for the U.S. Department of Education’s 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. This prestigious recognition is reserved for schools that set a standard of excellence in striving for the highest level of student achievement.

Sycamore was nominated for the national award as an “Exemplary Improving School” based on students’ performance on the 2012 English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments in the State Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. Sycamore Elementary has experienced dramatic gains in the number of proficient and advanced students on the STAR test over the last five years, meeting adequate yearly progress for two years and exiting Program Improvement in 2012. Sycamore Elementary is among the top 10% of California schools showing the greatest improvement with more than 40% of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The total Academic Performance Index (API) gain for Sycamore Elementary from 2008-2012 was 113 points, resulting in a 2012 API of 805, surpassing the California State API goal.

This is the first-ever nomination for Sycamore Elementary School, and the second nomination for Orange Unified School District (OUSD). Fairhaven Elementary School became a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence earlier this year.

Sycamore Principal Erika Krohn credits her staff, students, and community for the National Blue Ribbon School nomination. "It is extremely validating to know that our intense focus on goal setting, quality first instruction, strategic interventions, and family involvement has paid off. I am very proud of our staff, scholars, and parents. What a tremendous honor!" she noted.

Completion of the full U.S. Department of Education application is due mid-February. In addition, nominees must make adequate yearly progress in all subjects and subgroups on the 2012-13 state assessments (STAR) to be eligible for final selection. The U.S. Department of Education is scheduled to announce its 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools in September 2013.

More information about the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools Nomination can be found at the California Department of Education Website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/.

A Day Made Better Program – Office Max Adopt- A-Classroom

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:27:00 PST

Two Orange Unified teachers were selected by Office Max for the Adopt A Classroom "A Day Made Better" program.

Maribelle Donaldson, West Orange Elementary Kindergarten Teacher, and Radha Hablani, Lampson Elementary Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA), were nominated by their respective school sites. Each teacher was selected to receive over $1000 worth of office supplies for their classroom because of the hard work and dedication they provide in helping students reach their academic potential.

In addition, every student at both West Orange and Lampson Elementary Schools will receive a box a crayons containing a raffle ticket. Ten winners from each school will be chosen using these tickets.

For more information, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org

Cambridge Elementary Participated in National Geographic Kids Run for the Planet

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:27:00 PST

Cambridge Elementary school students and staff helped National Geographic Kids Magazine attempt to set two Guinness World Records® titles: 1) Most people to run 100 meters in 24 hours, and 2) the longest chain of shoes.

Approximately 200 Cambridge students participated in the challenge by running 100 meters each. To break the first record, more than 5,000 people worldwide needed to run 100 meters between noon Eastern Time (ET) October 26, 2012, and noon ET October 27, 2012. More than 25,000 shoes needed to be collected and sent to National Geographic Society headquarters by November 9, 2012 to break the second record.

The Cambridge PTA and Orange High School Cross Country Team assisted in the organization and in running the event. Cambridge will be informed after November 9 if the World Records were broken.

The initiative—called Run for the Planet—inspires kids and families to do something good for their health and the environment. Run for the Planet supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, which encourages people to get healthy and active.

More information, including official rules, additional locations, and other information about the event, can be found on the National Geographic website: kids.nationalgeographic.com/run-for-the-planet/.

National Geographic Kids magazine encourages kids and families to get teams, classmates, organizations and communities to join them in setting the magazine’s sixth and seventh Guinness World Records.

OUSD School Age Care Participates in “Lights on Afterschool!”

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:45:00 PST

The Orange Unified School District (OUSD) School Age Care (SAC) program was excited to join the nationwide Lights on Afterschool! Celebration held October 18th. The event called attention to the importance of after-school programs for America’s children, families, and communities.

OUSD SAC is entering its twenty-eighth year of providing quality before and after-school programs for elementary students throughout the District. SAC provides safe, challenging, and fun learning experiences to help children develop their social, emotional, and physical skills. The program supports working families by ensuring their children are safe and productive after the regular school day ends.

Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable after-school programs, launched Lights on Afterschool! in October 2000. The event began in more than 1,200 communities nationwide and continues to grow each year. Last year, over 1 million Americans celebrated Lights on Afterschool!

Orange Unified Student Achievement Surpasses Orange County Average

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:11:00 PST

Superintendent of Schools Michael L. Christensen announced today that a significant number of schools in Orange Unified School District (OUSD) met or exceeded the State Academic Performance Index (API) targets. The District API grew 16 points from 820 to 836, exceeding the Orange County Average District API. In addition, 92 percent of the OUSD elementary and secondary schools met the school-wide API growth target. All nine OUSD middle and high schools surpassed their API targets.

The District significant subgroup API results also continue to do extremely well with the Students with Disabilities growing 31 points, English Learners gaining 22 more points, and the Hispanic/Latino subgroup posting a 25-point growth. All significant subgroups targets must be met in order for a school and the District to make the API target.

“With a 29-point gain in our API scores, we raised our score to 766. I am so very proud of our students, staff and teachers. Way to go Matadors!” exclaimed Portola Principal Debbie Backstrom. Portola Middle School posted the highest API growth for middle schools in OUSD.

Along with increasing API, OUSD has consistently earned achievement gains on the federal indicator, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Both the API and AYP results are drawn from individual student results on the statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program that comprise the 2012 Accountability Progress Report. The AYP targets are based on the percentage of students reaching proficient and advanced levels in specific subgroups. In 2012, OUSD saw increases in proficient and advanced students in all district-wide significant subgroups ranging from 7.7% to 1.2 % more students being proficient.

Additional information in the OUSD release of student results includes the Program Improvement (PI) schools that have met all AYP growth criteria and have exited Program Improvement status. Schools must meet AYP criteria for 2 years in a row to exit program improvement. The following schools met all Federal and State AYP criteria in 2012:

• Esplanade Elementary, Amy Hitt, Principal (Met all AYP criteria in 2012)
• Fairhaven Elementary, Kelli Keller, Principal (Exited PI in 2010, National Blue Ribbon School)
• Prospect Elementary, Elena Rodriguez, Principal (Exited PI in 2012)
• Sycamore Elementary, Erika, Krohn, Principal (Exited PI in 2012)
• Taft Elementary School, Antoinette Coe, Principal (Exited PI in 2012)

Sycamore Principal Erika Krohn stated, “It was exceptionally validating to see the official scores today. The school’s focus on quality instruction, goal setting, and interventions has all paid off. I am extremely proud of our staff, scholars, and families!” Sycamore Elementary met all AYP targets for all significant subgroups and posted an API gain of 56 points.

“I applaud our students, teachers, parents, administrators and school employees who are setting high standards for student learning and meeting them. The incredible efforts of OUSD staff and the Orange community exemplify the very best in education. Thanks to the cooperation and collaboration of our employee associations and leadership of our school Board, we have maintained the focus on student learning and continuous improvement,” remarked Superintendent Christensen.

The California Department of Education (CDE) link to the 2012 Accountability Progress Report for the Orange Unified School District achievement results in API and AYP can be found at www.cde.ca.gov.

FAIRHAVEN ELEMENTARY NAMED NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:02:00 PST

Fairhaven Elementary School has been awarded the National Blue Ribbon Award for producing outstanding student achievement results for six consecutive years as an Exemplary Improving School. This is the first nomination and award for both Fairhaven Elementary School and Orange Unified School District.

The United States Department of Education maintains that The National Blue Ribbon Schools award sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education reports that it has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds just like Fairhaven Elementary. This year, 35 schools in the State of California were nominated for the recognition. Only 17 of those schools were awarded 2012 National Blue Ribbon status. Fairhaven Elementary school is the only public elementary school in Orange County to receive the distinction.

According to the United States Department of Education, the award gives acknowledgment to both public and private schools throughout the country based on one of two criteria: 1) Exemplary High Performing: a school, whose students, regardless of backgrounds, is high performing. This means the school is ranked among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by performance on state assessments; or 2) Exemplary Improving: a school, with at least 40 percent of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds that has reduced the achievement gap by making the most progress in improving student performance as measured by the school’s performance on state assessments. Fairhaven Elementary School was recognized in the Exemplary Improving category.

“Fairhaven Elementary school staff have done an outstanding job meeting the needs of each and every student and encouraging family participation in school. They are a shining example of the fine schools in the Orange Unified School District,” said Executive Director of Elementary Education Anne Truex.

Fairhaven Elementary is a Title I and Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) Class- Size Reduction Funding School with just over 550 students. Classrooms are capped at 20 students in grades Transitional Kindergarten through third and at 25 in grades fourth through sixth. The smaller student ratio has allowed for more attention to each student’s specific needs and has propelled individualized academic success.

Principal Kelli Keller reports that, “Our staff, families, and students have worked diligently to produce six consecutive years of growth, exceeding all state growth requirements. This recognition is a confirmation of the hard work and the attainment of a long-held dream for our learning community. We believe and are proof that ALL students can meet and exceed their achievement goals.”

Fairhaven Elementary is one of 27 elementary schools in the Orange Unified School District. The District serves over 30,000 students from the cities of Garden Grove, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, and areas of unincorporated Orange County.

For more information on the National Blue Ribbon Schools award, please visit:
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2012/index.html

LA Boxing Brings Anti-Bullying Message to Anaheim Hills Elementary

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:02:00 PST

Anaheim Hills Elementary teamed up with LA Boxing on Wednesday to knock out bullying at their school. Wearing shirts with the slogan “100 percent competitor, zero percent bully,” mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jeff Murray and former MMA champion “Razor” Rob McCullough spoke to kindergarten through sixth-grade students as part of LA Boxing’s nationwide campaign against bullying.

Murray and McCullough discussed with students what a bully looks like, role-played different social scenarios, and taught students what they should do if they witness or experience bullying. They also encouraged students to set goals and be active, as exercise is a healthy a way to release stress that may otherwise lead to aggressive and negative behavior.

“We are a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) school and our goal is to be bully free,” said Principal Sandra Miller.

Visit www.bullyfight.com to find out more about LA Boxing’s anti-bullying campaign.

The Orange County Register’s photographs and event coverage may be viewed at:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/mccullough-373509-bully-message.html

OUSD Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:00:00 PST

Orange Unified School District is proud to announce six National Merit semifinalists for 2012-2013. These students scored in the top 1% of students who take the SAT nationwide.

According to the National Merit Scholarship website, approximately 16,000 of the 50,000 high scoring students were notified in early September that they qualified as Semifinalists. Recognized students are the highest scoring from each state.

Semifinalists advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other National Merit Scholarship Competition requirements. These requirements include a record of consistently high academic performance throughout high school and plans to enroll as a full-time college student in the fall of 2013.

OUSD National Merit Scholarship Competition Semifinalists:
Canyon High: Tiana T. Bagdikian, Ellen M. Hong, Jane D. Lu
El Modena High: Vivien H. Ngo, Thaibao Q. Phan
Villa Park High: Scott Chow

In February, approximately 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified by mail if they have advanced to Finalist standing.

More information about the National Merit Scholarship Program is available at http://www.nationalmerit.org/.

Two OUSD Schools Selected for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Angels Baseball Foundation Adopt-A-School Program

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:04:00 PST

Prospect Elementary and Canyon High School have each been selected as part of the Angels and Angels Baseball Foundation Adopt-A-School program for the 2012 season.

Prospect Elementary will receive a check in the amount of $1,000 from the Angels Baseball Foundation, as well as school supplies for each student enrolled. Canyon High School will receive a check in the amount of $2,500, which will be used to support the softball team.

In addition, each school will receive 100 tickets for a May 2013 game. Five representatives from each school will be recognized on the field in a pre-game ceremony.

More OUSD Students Performing at the Proficient and Advanced Level on STAR Test

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:19:00 PST

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released the results of the 2012 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program from Spring 2012. The STAR program measures student learning in grades 2 through 11. The STAR program includes the California Standards Tests (CST), the California Modified Assessment (CMA), the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), and Standards‐based Tests in Spanish (STS).

The Orange Unified School District saw the percentage of advanced and proficient students increase District-wide with the highest gains in secondary subjects. Grade 7 mathematics increased by 7% and grade 10, summative mathematics, had a total proficient/advanced rate of 97%. In grade 10, World History, students who were proficient and advanced increased by 8%. In addition, in the CST Science and End of Course Sciences, the number of students proficient and advanced increased by 5%, with the largest gain in Biology (11%) and Life Science (7%).

Other content area and subgroup increases for OUSD included:
• 3rd grade Mathematics – a 5% increase in proficient/advanced students
• 6th grade English Language Arts – a 5% increase in proficient/advanced students
• CST English Language Arts – the Special Education subgroup increased by 8%, with grades 9 and 6 increasing by 18% and grade 8 increasing by 19%
• CST Mathematics – the Special Education subgroup increased, specifically in grade 6 by 24% and grade 8 by 18%
• 8th grade Science – 6% more students scored proficient/advanced
• District-wide the English Learner subgroup increased in the number proficient/advanced by 16% in Biology, 7% United States History, and 6% in grade 8 History
• English Learners also advanced in percentage of proficient and advanced students in English Language Art grade 4 (7%) and mathematics grade 6 (10%)

Superintendent Christensen stated, “Orange Unified School District has dedicated teachers and support staff that continue to provide an excellent educational program. We appreciate the collaboration of the school staff, the community and parents to ensure student success.”

STAR results can be found at the California Department of Education (CDE) Website, http://www.cde.ca.gov .

NOW ENROLLING: Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program at Fletcher Elementary

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:39:00 PST

Orange Unified School District (OUSD) is excited to announce that the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program will be offered for the 2012-13 school year. Applications are currently being accepted for incoming kindergarten and first grade students at Fletcher Elementary School.

Kindergarten and first grade students who enroll in the Mandarin Dual Language class will be taught in equal parts Mandarin Chinese and English, following the 50/50 Chinese/English Instructional Model. A specially-trained Mandarin teacher has been hired and will instruct a class of 30 students.

Parents who would like their child to participate in the Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program are encouraged to visit Fletcher Elementary School to enroll. Fletcher Elementary is located at 515 W. Fletcher Street, Orange. The first day of school is Thursday, August 23.

Orange Unified School District is considered part of Central Orange County and will accept students from outside the District. Parents of students living outside of OUSD’s boundaries must submit an Inter-District Transfer Form for approval from both their home district and OUSD prior to enrollment.

Rebecca Martinez Appointed Principal of El Modena High School

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:11:00 PST

Orange Unified School District is proud to announce Rebecca Anne Martinez has been appointed principal of El Modena High School.

Mrs. Martinez began her career at El Modena High School in 1987 as a Special Education Instructional Aide. She later spent 16 years as an El Modena High School English teacher and became Coordinator of the Collaborative Technology Program, a California Partnership Academy. She also performed the duties of El Modena High School Pep Advisor for 12 years, Vanguard Club President for 9 years and El Modena High School Interact Advisor for 4 years. In 2008 she became the Assistant Principal at El Modena High School, overseeing discipline, safety, master schedule, curriculum and instruction, Positive Behavior Instructional Support (PBIS), Regional Occupation Program (ROP), special education, staff evaluations, staff development and alignment of the district pacing guidelines.

Upon her appointment as El Modena Principal, Mrs. Martinez said, “Twenty-five years at El Modena High School has provided me with an abundance of experience working with adults, students, parents and the community. My passion and vision represents all stakeholders participating in the building of a successful academic pathway for youth.”

Throughout her career Mrs. Martinez has received many commendations including the PTSA/PTA Continuing and Honoring Service Award, OUSD Sallie Mae New Teacher Award, OUSD El Modena High School Teacher of the Year, Top 10 Teachers in Orange County Award, The Outstanding Service to National Young Leaders Conference Award, The Golden Touch Award, UCA/UDA Outstanding Pep Advisor Award, Rotarian of the Year Award and nominee for Outstanding Administrator of the Year Award.

While working as an aide, she attended Chapman University and earned a BA degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in English, receiving the following college distinctions: Cum Laude, Gray Key, Lifetime membership in the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society and Dean’s List every semester.

Mrs. Martinez later earned a Multiple Subjects Credential with an emphasis in English and a Master’s in Special Education. She also received the Chapman University Top Student Award in the Administration Credential Tier I Program.

Mrs. Martinez has been married for 34 years and has two married adult daughters (both El Modena High School graduates). She has one grandson.

Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program Proposed at Fletcher Elementary

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:15:00 PST

Orange Unified School District (OUSD) is collecting interest surveys from parents who would like to enroll their child in a Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program. If offered, the program would be housed at Fletcher Elementary School during the 2012-2013 school year. The program will serve kindergarten through second grade, with future plans to expand through the secondary level.

The Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program curriculum will be taught in equal parts Mandarin Chinese and English. Each specially-trained teacher will prepare a class of 30 students. A Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) cluster component will be introduced in either 2012 or 2013. GATE eligibility will be based on existing District criteria.

Interested parents are requested to complete an interest survey, available online June 21–July 6 at http://www.orangeusd.org/mandarin

Parents of students living outside of OUSD’s boundaries must submit an Inter-District Transfer Form for approval from both their home district and OUSD prior to enrollment.

Superintendent Announces School Site Administrative Assignments for 2012-2013 School Year

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:45:00 PST

Orange Unified School District Superintendent Michael Christensen today announced the assignment of four new principals and one new assistant principal for the 2012-2013 school year. The complete list of school administrators is below.

(* = newly appointed to OUSD AP = Assistant Principal)

Elementary Schools

School Principal
Anaheim Hills Elementary Sandra Miller
California Elementary Cyndi Paik
Cambridge Elementary Jeremy Mortensen*
Canyon Rim Elementary David Appling
Chapman Hills Elementary Sandy Schaffer
Crescent Elementary Randi Leach
Esplanade Elementary Amy Hitt
Fairhaven Elementary Kelli Keller
Fletcher Elementary Helen Chung Lu
Handy Elementary Michelle Owen*
Imperial Elementary Ginette “Gigi” Kelley*
Jordan Elementary Andrea Roman
La Veta Elementary Connie Smith
AP – Jamie Kinder (shared)
Lampson Elementary Laurie Dieppa
AP – Jamie Kinder (shared)
Linda Vista Elementary Sally Hughson
McPherson Magnet Jeanne Bentley
AP - Joe Erven
Nohl Canyon Elementary Dominique Polchow
Olive Elementary Kathryn Martin
Palmyra Elementary Larry Hausner
Panorama Elementary Open
Prospect Elementary Elena Rodriguez
Running Springs Elementary Lydia Roach
Serrano Elementary Bobbie Lansman
Sycamore Elementary Erika Krohn
Taft Elementary Antoinette Coe
Villa Park Elementary Debra Larson
West Orange Elementary Jennifer Bourgeois*

Middle Schools

School Principal
Cerro Villa Middle Ken Miller
AP - Amy Alvarado
Portola Middle Debbie Backstrom
AP - Heriberto Angel
Yorba Middle Kerrie Torres
AP – Tracy Knibbs

High Schools

School Principal
Canyon High Greg Bowden
AP - Brenna Godsey
AP - Kenneth Lopour*
AP - Mary Ellen Oves
El Modena High Open
AP - Cesar Flores
AP - Glenn Giokaris
AP - Rebecca Martinez
Orange High Ernie Gonzalez
AP - Craig Abercrombie
AP - Jill Katevas
AP - Dustin Saxton
Villa Park High Ed Howard
AP - Tamette Rappa
AP - Rebecca Roberts
AP - Justin Stanfield
Richland Continuation High Ed Madrid

Special Programs
Alternative Education/ROP Dennis McCuistion
Canyon Hills Karen Hanson
OUSD Pre-K Abigail McGuire

OUSD Awarded Two California Technology Assistant Project (CTAP) Grants

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:06:30 PST

California Technology Assistant Project (CTAP) Region 9 has awarded CTAP grants to teachers at Canyon High School and Panorama Elementary School.

Canyon High School teachers Alex Graham, Jose Reyes, and Andrew Gomez received a team CTAP Teacher grant in the amount of $6,922.65 for “Embracing the DSLR Revolution." This grant will provide students with access to camera equipment currently being used in the Entertainment Industry. Students will be able to use this equipment to create projects for their video production, digital arts, and animation classes, capitalizing on the latest developments in video technology and providing them with direct hands-on experience with equipment used in the field today. Grant funding will provide seven cameras, lenses and accessories.

Panorama Elementary School teacher Dana Encheff received an individual CTAP Teacher grant in the amount of $2,975.07 for “iAuthor: Using iPads to Improve Expository Writing and Science Understanding." This grant will meet the needs of approximately 30 fifth grade learners, helping them master Written and Oral Language Conventions and 4th and 5th grade Science standards. Using iPads and the program iBookAuthor, students will directly participate in creating standard-based Science textbooks by writing and selecting digital iBook content. Grant funding will provide five iPads, four keyboards, and a voucher for Apple apps.

CTAP’s mission is to help integrate technology into teaching and learning in schools throughout Imperial, Orange and San Diego Counties.

Transportation Team Selects Peer Award Winners 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:27:30 PST

Two employees were honored with peer recognition awards at the recent celebration of School Bus Driver Day at the District's transportation facility.

Richard Avila, School Bus Driver and Delegated Behind-the-Wheel School Bus Driver Trainer, and Thang Le, Heavy Duty Mechanic, received this year's special recognition.

Mr. Avila has worked for OUSD since 2005 and serves students at Palmyra and La Veta Elementary Schools and Portola Middle School during his daily route assignments. When not transporting students, he uses his expertise as a driver trainer to train and maintain the high driving standards required for each OUSD school bus driver.

The acknowledgment was a surprise to Avila who remarked, "I'm very honored to receive the award from my co-workers and I love my job." Avila's name has been added to the plaque along with past winners of this prestigious award.

Mr. Le was recognized by his co-workers for his contributions to the maintenance of the District's fleet vehicles. He has worked for OUSD since 2004 and is a specialist in the maintenance and repair of more than 275 different vehicles operated by the District. His expertise includes working on gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses as well as the multitude of other equipment required to keep OUSD running smoothly. Le was honored to receive the special recognition and support from his fellow team members as his name was added to the plaque of former honorees.

Director of Transportation and Mechanical Services Pamela McDonald appreciates the outstanding efforts Richard Avila and Thang Le, describing each as "valuable members of our transportation team who truly deserve this special honor."

Fifteen OUSD Schools Named 2011 California Business for Education Excellence Honor Roll Schools

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:40:30 PST

Orange Unified School District (OUSD) announced today that fifteen District schools were selected by California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) to receive the title of 2011 Honor Roll School. Only 1,614 public schools in California received this recognition.

Honor Roll Schools demonstrate consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. For high schools, the Honor Roll recognition also includes measures of college readiness.

OUSD schools named on CBEE’s 2011 Honor Roll include: Anaheim Hills Elementary, Canyon High, Chapman Hills Elementary, Crescent Elementary, El Rancho Charter, Imperial Elementary, Linda Vista Elementary, McPherson Magnet, Nohl Canyon Elementary, Panorama Elementary, Running Springs Elementary, Serrano Elementary, and Villa Park Elementary. In addition, Esplanade Elementary and Jordan Elementary each received the special distinction of Honor Roll “Star School” due to their significant population of socio-economically disadvantaged students.

“Our teachers and administrators work tirelessly to keep the focus on high expectations and student academic achievement. This hard work and dedication is paying off for all of our students, no matter their background,” said OUSD Superintendent Michael Christensen. “We are so proud of each of our Honor Roll schools.”

“These schools are the bright spots of excellence in efforts to raise student academic achievement and close persistent achievement gaps,” said Jim Lanich, president of CBEE. “By highlighting them, recognizing their achievement and giving them a voice, we hope other schools can learn from them and replicate their proven practices throughout the state.”

A full list of the Honor Roll schools can be found at: www.cbeefoundation.org/honor_roll.html.

El Modena Student Named 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalist

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:27:30 PST

El Modena High School senior Bryn Watkins is a semifinalist in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars Competition.

Selected based on her tremendous abilities as a ballet dancer, Watkins is one of 56 students selected nationwide as Semifinalist for Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

Application for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Competition is by invitation-only, based on extraordinary scholastic achievement or exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts.

This is not the first time Watkins has been honored for ballet. She was a Gold Winner of the 2012 Young Arts Competition and a finalist for the LA Music Center Spotlight Awards. She was invited to train with the Houston Ballet last summer and has been offered a full scholarship to join that program. Watkins has also been accepted to The Juilliard School.

El Modena High School Principal John Briquelet stated, “Bryn is an excellent scholar and an incredibly talented young lady. We have been honored with her presence at El Modena for these past four years, and she will be truly missed when she graduates in June.”

Semifinalists chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D. C. in June, and the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

For more information on the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, please visit the following website: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html

ACSA Announces Administrators of Year Award

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:45:30 PST

Dr. Rebecca Roberts, Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Guidance at Villa Park High School, was named Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

Dr. Roberts is being recognized for her dedication to students and her remarkable work ethic. She has a “student-first” mentality and serves as a counselor, tutor, and mentor to many students on campus.

“The time and energy she dedicates to the development and success of Villa Park High School students is commendable,” said Villa Park High School Principal Ed Howard. “A great role model, leader, colleague, and friend, Dr. Roberts brings out the best in us all.”

In addition to the ACSA award, Dr. Rebecca Roberts was named ACSA Region 17 Co- Administrator of the Year for Orange County earlier this year.

Dr. Roberts will receive her awards at the ACSA Region 17 dinner meeting on May 14.

Canyon Rim and Linda Vista Elementary Schools Named California Distinguished Schools

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:43:30 PST

Canyon Rim and Linda Vista Elementary Schools were each named 2012 California Distinguished Schools today by State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson.

The California Distinguished School Award program identifies and honors schools that have demonstrated educational excellence for all students and progress in narrowing the achievement gap. Superintendent Michael Christensen congratulated Principals David Appling and Sally Hughson, respectively, as well as all members of their staff, for receiving this highest of honors.

To receive an invitation to apply for Distinguished School honors, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria including designated federal and state accountability measures based on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Academic Performance Index requirements.

Once deemed eligible, the California Department of Education invites the school to apply to be recognized as a California Distinguished School. The application process consists of a written application, including a comprehensive description of two of the school's signature practices, and a county-led site validation review process affirming implementation of those signature practices.

Site visitations were completed in March and schools selected for recognition will be honored at award ceremonies where Torlakson will present each school with a 2012 Distinguished School plaque and flag.

This is Linda Vista Elementary’s first recognition as a California Distinguished School. Canyon Rim Elementary first received California Distinguished School status in 2004. Linda Vista is located at 1200 N. Cannon St., Orange, CA and Canyon Rim is located at 1090 S. The Highland Dr., Anaheim Hills, CA.

OUSD BTSA Induction Department Receives Accreditation

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:20:30 PST

The California Committee on Accreditation unanimously accepted the recommended of “Accreditation” for all Orange Unified School District (OUSD) Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Induction programs after meeting last Wednesday to review the results of the OUSD Accreditation Site Visit. Four state representatives and a state consultant spent February 13-16 evaluating the District’s Self Study, supporting documentation, and interviews with over 280 program participants, representatives and constituencies.

The review covered programs for beginning teachers, General Education Induction and Education Specialist Clear Induction, as well as programs for veteran teachers, the Autism Spectrum Disorder Added Authorization.

“These credential and authorization programs are not an add-on to the work of the district; they are an integral part of the district. Educators in the district told us in many ways, and often with the same words, that they were focused on student achievement. The dedication to the development of new teachers as well as veteran teachers learning and applying new skills were ‘mission critical’ and it showed in the evidence gathered on the site visit,” said Jo Birdsell, Site Visit Chairman.

Programs offered through OUSD’s BTSA Induction Department are available beyond District boundaries due to Program Agreements established with other local school districts. All programs are delivered in a hybrid format that includes on-line content delivery as well as face-to face support and training.

The California Committee on Accreditation is the state agency responsible for authorizing all Universities, County Offices of Education, and School Districts to deliver higher education coursework, degrees, and credentials.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Committee on Accreditation Team Report can be found at: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/coa-agendas/2012-03/09_Orange_USD_COA_Report_FINAL.pdf.

Orange USD Offers Transitional Kindergarten: A Full-Day Developmentally Appropriate Program

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:59:30 PST

In 2012-2013, Orange USD will offer a full-day Transitional Kindergarten Program for young five year olds. This program is the first year of a two-year kindergarten curriculum designed to meet the developmental needs of young Kindergartens. These students will celebrate their fifth birthday from July 1- November 1. All Transitional Kindergarten students must have been born in 2007.*

The Transitional Kindergarten Program will be offered regionally and will be at the following sites: Cambridge, Canyon Rim, Crescent, Fairhaven, Handy, Imperial, Jordan, Lampson, Palmyra, Prospect, Taft, and West Orange. Parents have their choice of selecting from these sites. The only exception is Fairhaven and Handy will only accept students from their attendance area. All other sites are open to any student regardless of their home school attendance area. The school day will follow the school kindergarten schedule at the selected site. Orange USD daycare available to students at the school is also available to Transitional Kindergartens.

A credentialed K-6 teacher will teach the OUSD Transitional Kindergarten program. The curriculum is developmentally appropriate bridging between the Preschool Foundations and the Kindergarten Standards. Program goals are to improve social, emotional, and academic development.

The curriculum focus for Transitional Kindergarten students is phonemic awareness, letter names and sounds, motor skills, handwriting, writing, oral language, listening skills, early number sense, and social/emotional development. Transitional Kindergarten students will learn through a variety of ways such as small and large groups, kinesthetic activities, music, dramatic play, oral language/story-telling, exploration and centers.

To register your child, please check the OUSD Website or contact Shannon Brown, Early Learning Specialist at (714)628-5656.

*Pending the outcome of the Governor’s proposed budget, we will also offer a program to students that have birthdays between November 2-December 2. These students may miss the new kindergarten cutoff date of November 1; therefore, ineligible for Kindergarten entrance.

OUSD Celebrates Principal for a Day

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:12:30 PST

Campuses throughout Orange Unified School District will today celebrate Principal for a Day. The event partners a school principal with a business leader or community member, allowing the participant a glimpse of the principal’s daily responsibilities and a behind-the-scenes view of the school system.

The purpose of the program is to foster relationships within the community and to share the outstanding work of OUSD teachers, students, and staff.

A brief reception including opening remarks by Superintendent Michael Christensen will be hosted by the District Office.

The District is pleased to offer the Principal for a Day program and wishes to thank the following business and community leaders for their participation:

School Participant Name Company Title

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Anaheim Hills Kathy Winne Innovative Learning Center School Counselor
California Deida Conrad Assistance League of Orange Coordinator - Operation School Bell
Cambridge Arian Ghiacy Friendly Center Marketing/Events Coordinator
Canyon Rim Amanda Dorado Orange County Transit Authority Financial Analyst
Chapman Hills Brent Henderson National Oilwell Varco Production Manager
Crescent Judy Leon Orange County Transit Authority Senior Marketing Specialist
Esplanade Alex Esparza District Attorney's Office Investigator
Fairhaven Sandy Pringle Pringle Associates
Fletcher Christopher Nichols Orange Tax & Bookkeeping Office Manager
Handy Frank Acosta District Attorney's Office Deputy D.A.
Imperial Laura Streiby ChildTime Director
Jordan Jimmy Ozaeta YMCA of Orange CEO
La Veta Ruth Singley Community Member
Lampson Diego Diaz Think Together
Linda Vista Alisha Winterswyk Best Best & Kreiger LLP Attorney
McPherson Kalani Robb Maui Ola Foundation
Nohl Canyon Tita Smith City of Orange Council Member
Olive Hall Davidson Discovery Educator Network
Palmyra Jay Johnstone Angels Baseball
Panorama Jamie Spitzer Orange County Courts Judge
Prospect Cynthia Drury The Friendly Center Program Director
Running Springs Scott Ravenkamp Ralphs Manager
Serrano Mark Filowitz Cal State University, Fullerton Associate Dean
Sycamore Thomas Duarte Ticor Title Company Vice President
Taft Diane Malinick Target Executive Team Leader, HR
Villa Park Mark Kuli Kustom Imprints and Designs
West Orange Brian Phipps St. Joseph Hospital Manager, Pavilion Services

MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Cerro Villa Earl Gotts Doctor
Portola Barbara Joya Cold Water Creek Manager
Santiago Todd Spitzer Attorney
Yorba Lillian Granillo OC Sheriff's Dept. Deputy

HIGH SCHOOLS
Canyon Kristin Crellin Schools First FCU Executive Director, School and Community Relations
El Modena Bob Ruddy Farmers Insurance
Orange Matt Gregg Ruby's Diner Manager
Richland Julie Ann Hernandez St. Joseph Hospital Director
Villa Park Teri Elmendorf Wellness Consultant

SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Canyon Hills Shannon Tucker Kiwanis Club President

Taft and Palmyra Elementary Schools Meet 2011 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:27:30 PST

The California Department of Education (CDE) Academic Accountability Unit released the revised 2010–11 Accountability Progress Reporting (APR) system results and two more Orange Unified schools were identified as meeting all federal accountability targets for student learning.

This week, Taft and Palmyra Elementary Schools were listed by the CDE as meeting all federal criteria for AYP to potentially exit program improvement status. A school must meet all AYP targets for two consecutive years to exit program improvement standing.

In the September 2011 APR release, Handy, Sycamore, Prospect and Jordan Elementary Schools were acknowledged for meeting all the federal accountability targets of the APR system.

Fairhaven Elementary continues to meet all federal AYP targets for the fourth consecutive year and remains out of program improvement. This is a significant accomplishment in student learning for the Title I school and National Blue Ribbon Nominee.

Seven of the eleven elementary program improvement schools in Orange USD are positioned to exit or stay out of program improvement if they meet all criteria in the 2012 APR reports.

The 2011 revised results are now available on the California Department of Education (CDE) APR Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar/. The following reports with accompanying downloadable data files are available on this Web page:

• 2011 Growth Academic Performance Index (API) Reports
• 2011 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Reports
• 2011–12 Program Improvement (PI) Reports

Two OUSD Schools Surprise Students with Motivational Incentive Assembly

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:30 PST

Major League Soccer team Chivas USA, in partnership with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, various law enforcement groups, and the Orange Unified School District hosted a motivational assembly program yesterday, encouraging students at two Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (GRIP) schools in Orange Unified to do well in school and stay out of trouble.

The presentation was given first at Yorba Middle School, then later in the morning at Handy Elementary. Students at each school who follow the rules and complete their classwork, homework and receive a passing grade on their second semester report card will receive tickets to Chivas USA’s season opener home game at the Home Depot Center in Carson. As part of the program, eligible students also must not have any truancies, gang-related clothing, writing, behavior, or criminal activity.

Yorba Middle School Principal Kerrie Torres said, “This is a great way to get every student involved. Normally, the awards are only for students enrolled in the GRIP Program. This is the first time the entire student body has participated.”

Speakers at each assembly included Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Chivas USA co-owner Antonio Cue, and Chivas USA midfielders Ben Zamanski and Marvin Iraheta. Orange Chief of Police Bob Gustafson and other law enforcement officials were also on hand to speak and distribute Chivas USA towels, soccer balls and foam fingers to the excited students.

“The event went over very well. The kids were ecstatic when the team and cheerleaders came out. They are highly motivated to earn tickets for themselves and their families,” continued Torres.

Handy Elementary Principal Sandy Schaffer said, “The kids were impressed with the players. Many of them dream of becoming a soccer player when they get older, and it was great that they could see that it really does happen. Some of our students want to be police officers when they grow up, so seeing all of the law enforcement officers was a treat as well.”

“We’ve been working so hard…the kids really appreciated this as a motivator!” she added.

El Modena Civil Rights Hero Celebrated

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:20:00 PST

El Modena High School will host the Lorenzo A. Ramirez Library Dedication Ceremony at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2012. The public is invited to attend.

Lorenzo A. Ramirez, former longtime resident of the El Modena community in Orange, will be celebrated for his efforts to desegregate schools in the community.

On March 2, 1945, Ramirez joined Thomas Estrada, William Guzman, Frank Palomillo, and Gonzalo Mendez in a Los Angeles County Superior Court class-action lawsuit suing the El Modena, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Westminster School Districts, respectively, for discrimination against Mexican students.

Their case, Mendez et al. v. Westminster School District et al., led directly to legislation that ended segregation in public schools across the State of California. The court’s decision also had a powerful impact upon the 1954 United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that "separate education facilities are inherently unequal” and the subsequent desegregation of schools across the country.

El Modena High School Principal John Briquelet stated, “We are both proud and excited to dedicate our library in Lorenzo Ramirez’s name. He is a hometown hero and a tremendous role model whose courage and conviction helped pave the way for equity in public education here in El Modena and far beyond.”

Orange Unified School District’s Board of Education voted to rename the El Modena High School Library in honor of Ramirez at the May 12, 2011 Board of Education meeting. The Ramirez Family had previously been honored for their “significant and lasting contribution to the quality of education in Orange, California and across the nation” at a Board meeting last March.

McPherson Magnet School Recognized by California Technology Assistance Project

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:51:00 PST

McPherson Magnet School students won a 50” High Definition flat screen television for their classroom in recognition of the “Passion Based Learning (PBL)” project they presented at this year’s California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) Student Technology Showcase.

Glen Warren’s 7th and 8th grade Digital Literacy and Technology students’ PBL project incorporated their use of iPod Touch applications, laptops, and audio video software to learn the process of accessing, evaluating, integrating, originating, and using digital information to create multimedia productions: videos, animation, original music and more.

“When students pursue information they are interested in, students are engaged and learning the process of information and digital literacy!” stated Joe Erven, Assistant Principal of McPherson Magnet School.

CTAP’s annual Student Technology Showcase Program provides students, teachers and administrators the opportunity to highlight their unique and innovative projects before a wide audience. Each year, selected student-led project teams present at the Orange County Student Technology Showcase and four teams go on to represent Orange County at the at the Computer Using Educators (CUE) Conference’s State Student Technology Showcase.

This is McPherson’s third win in three years.

Orange High School Dedicates New Baseball Field

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:40:30 PST

This past Tuesday, Major League Baseball Groundskeepers and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund hosted a ceremony unveiling the newly renovated Orange High School (OHS) baseball field. Held on-site in the city of Orange, the ceremony was emceed by Angels President Dennis Kuhl and featured guest speaker Rod Carew, Angels legend and Hall of Famer.

Orange Unified School District Superintendent of Schools Michael Christensen accepted a plaque from Barney Lopas, Director of Field Operations for the Angels, in honor of the District grounds crews that provided critical labor needed to complete the project on time.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous contributions and tireless work put into this project by countless individuals to make this field of dreams a reality,” said Principal Ernie Gonzalez.

Each year, in conjunction with the annual groundskeeper convention, the Major League Baseball Groundskeepers renovate a baseball field in need of repair. Lopas spearheaded the six-month project at OHS aided by a grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and with donations from three major sponsors (Toro, Turface Athletics, and Covermaster Incorporated).

In an Angels baseball press release, Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, said, “It is a pleasure to support the field renovation at Orange High School and to provide a quality and safe field for the players, who will learn the value of teamwork and community while playing the great game of baseball.”

Fairhaven Elementary Nominated for National Blue Ribbon School

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:30 PST

On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, the students, staff, and families of Fairhaven Elementary were welcomed with the exciting news of a National Blue Ribbon School nomination. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced the selection of only 35 schools in the State of California to be named for this distinction. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes the highest performing and most improved schools in the nation. The Program acknowledges schools within the country that model best practices for both teaching and learning.

Fairhaven Elementary falls within the category of an “Exemplary Improving School” based on five consecutive years of student achievement gains. “Exemplary Improving Schools” are schools among the top 10 percent in the state showing the greatest improvement in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in English Language Arts and Mathematics on the state assessments over the last five years, with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background.

Principal Kelli Keller stated, “Fairhaven Elementary is thrilled to celebrate the hard work of our school’s learning teams and ready to accept the challenge of proving that all students can meet and exceed learning expectations!”

This nomination will begin an intensive application process which will culminate with the State Testing and Reporting System (STAR) results from this spring. Students must continue to make gains in the 2011—2012 school year and meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) to earn this prestigious recognition of excellence.

Superintendent Michael Christensen stated, “This is truly a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the community at Fairhaven Elementary. Teachers and students are putting a great deal of energy into teaching and learning. I am so proud of this nomination for Orange Unified, as I know the parents of Fairhaven are also proud of their school.”

The National BRSP is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. For more information on the federal program, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html

CHAPMAN HILLS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE HOLIDAY HEROES!

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:40:30 GMT

For the third year in a row, Chapman Hills’ students and families have become Holiday Heroes by “adopting” local foster families in need. In a continuous partnership with Orange County Social Services, students donated food, gifts and gift cards to help make the holidays for these families a little brighter. Parents, Jeff Patrick and Cheryl Duzman, facilitated the coordination of this effort and it was an overwhelming success again this year! Each classroom “adopted” a local foster family and collected gifts and food to make a “pawsitive” difference in their lives and holiday season! This year, through the Holiday Heroes program, Chapman Hills was able to reach out to 19 families and 57 children. Through the student’s generous efforts, 40 boxes of food, gifts for 57 children and over $1250 in gift cards were collected for the familes! On December 8th, the school held a gift wrapping and hot chocolate party to wrap all the gifts and celebrate the wonderful giving spirit of our students. Sharon Landis, Roylyn Burton, and a few other representatives from OC Social Services attended the event as well as Villa Park City Council Member, Deborah Pauly. Gary Taylor, Director of OC Children and Family Services, also stopped by to thank the students for their generous efforts and let them know what a great impact this has on the families adopted by Chapman Hills.

School principal Julie Lucas shared, “I am so proud of and thankful for our students and families. We are blessed to live in a community that reaches out to those in need. Through our Holiday Heroes program our students and families are demonstrating the compassionate and generous family-like culture that makes Chapman Hills so special.”

Way to go Bobcats!

FBI Honors Crescent Elementary School Students

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:21:30 PST

Competing in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Online Surfing (FBI-SOS) national online competition last May, five Crescent Elementary 3rd graders won the national award by producing the highest scores in the nation. This free program, developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Nova Southeastern University, teaches cyber citizenship and how to recognize and react to online dangers. The goal of this program is to ensure that students can recognize and avoid potential dangers associated with the Internet. After an introductory lesson, students participated in a scavenger hunt by reviewing and collecting information from specific websites aimed at promoting online safety and cyber citizenship. They also took web-based quizzes to reinforce their knowledge.

Diane Gonzalez, FBI Community Relations, presented the following Crescent top performers, now 4th graders, with a certificate and other prizes at an Awards Assembly.
 Ethan Nguyen (Top Score)
 Mark Grujic
 Sergio Barretto
 Xavier Pineda
 Ryan Kien

In addition, Mrs. Gonzalez presented a mini FBI plaque mounted on marble to Ms. Natalie DePalma, the top performers' 3rd grade teacher from last year. Mrs. Gonzalez also presented the national trophy for Crescent to school principal, Randi Leach.

OUSD Teacher Receives "A Day Made Better" Award

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:00:00 PST

Julia Chen, first grade teacher at Sycamore Elementary School, was recognized today by OfficeMax‟s A Day Made Better Program. Nominated by Principal Erika Krohn, Mrs. Chen was surprised in her classroom by OfficeMax representatives and school principal, where she was honored and presented with an award and $1,000 worth of much-needed classroom supplies.

"I love what I do and to receive recognition like this is just icing on the cake," Mrs. Chen said in front of her class of excited first graders and family who also came to congratulate her.

Winning teachers are nominated for this award by their principals for demonstrating passion for teaching, dedication to the success of their students, and innovation in the classroom.

"When I read the criteria for A Day Made Better, I knew Julia Chen fit it to a "T‟. She is always looking for ways to engage her first graders in learning and prepares them well for second grade," remarked Principal Erika Krohn.

After the classroom presentation, Mrs. Krohn was led back to the office for a surprise of her own: stacks of boxes, full of school supplies, donated to Sycamore by the community through OfficeMax‟s in-store school supply drive. The sight brought tears to her eyes; "I am so grateful for this wonderful program. In these trying budget times, these supplies are more appreciated than ever. It feels great to have a program that honors educators," she said.

Because teachers spend thousands out-of-pocket annually on essential classroom supplies, OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom founded A Day Made Better to lead the fight to end teacher-funded classrooms. Each year on the first Tuesday in October, A Day Made Better honors 1,000 teachers for their extraordinary efforts in the classroom. Each recognized teacher receives a digital camera, swivel chair, and a large box containing essential classroom supplies – a total donation valued at $1,000. Teachers across the nation will receive surprise deliveries of school supplies from OfficeMax worth a total of $1 million dollars.

Since 2007, OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom have funded more than 4,500 classrooms with more than $4.5 million in grants and school supplies and helped secure funding for more than 66,000 classrooms annually through donations to Adopt-A-Classroom.

STRONG TEST SCORES AND A BALANCED BUDGET GO HAND IN HAND AT ORANGE UNIFIED

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:00:00 PST

At the September 15th Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the 2010-11 Unaudited Actuals and the 2011-12 Revised Budget. Additionally, the Board heard a presentation regarding the District's student achievement results. Both items are particularly noteworthy as they reflect how well Orange Unified School District is doing both financially and academically despite the fiscal uncertainty that continues to prevail throughout the state and nation as a whole.

Joe Sorrera, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, reported that the District is solvent and has a balanced budget for 2011-12. Although the funded revenue limit has been reduced from $6,495 to $5,212 per student – a $35 million loss to the District – the District received a "positive" certification from the Orange County Department of Education. As a point of reference, 1 in 7 school districts in the state and 10 in 28 school districts in Orange County received either a "qualified" or "negative" certification. As Mr. Sorrera emphasized, "Our District's certification is "positive," we are fiscally solvent, we have cash, and barring any unforeseen budget cuts from the State, we will be able to meet our current and future obligations."

Good news to follow good news, Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services, presented an insightful Accountability Progress Report covering multiple items within the testing accountability framework including the Academic Performance Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The awe-inspiring data of the District illustrates how well OUSD students are doing academically. Orange Unified saw a 17-point gain in API scores, the highest increase among all unified school districts in Orange County and well above the state average. Furthermore, Prospect Elementary's API grew 69 points, the greatest growth for a single school in Orange County. Ninety-five percent of OUSD schools met the school-wide API growth target. Concurrently, the five-year growth on the API was significant. All schools are above 700 with 83% above 750. A dramatic increase was also evident in the number of schools in the 900 range. Dr. Hansen stated that meeting state standards "is extremely challenging and we continue to do very well." She added, "We are very excited that we have shown tremendous growth in the District in accelerating student achievement."

Following the presentations, Board President, Rick Ledesma, remarked on the decisions that have been made over the past two years and the direction OUSD has taken to get to where it is today – fiscally solvent with improved student achievement. He stated, "Tonight was an example of the perfect equation. When it comes to school district management and student achievement, we have been good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars and have provided educational services and support to the students in such a manner that they have increased their test scores….. through the many challenges, this District has remained strong fiscally and will continue to achieve educationally." Mr. Ledesma concluded by recognizing those who "truly did more with less" – the teachers. He further expressed his gratitude and appreciation to all support staff and administrators who have worked so diligently to improve student achievement under very difficult circumstances.

Orange High School and West Orange Elementary School Selected to Participate in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Angels Baseball Foundation Adopt-A-School Program

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 07:00:00 PST

Orange High School and West Orange Elementary School have been selected as a part of the LA Angels of Anaheim and Angels Baseball Foundation Adopt-A-School program for the 2011 season.

At the high school level, the program focus is to enrich the baseball and softball teams. Orange High School will receive a check in the amount of $2,500, which will be used to support those athletic programs.

West Orange Elementary will receive a check in the amount of $1,000 from the Angels Baseball Foundation, as well as school supplies for each student enrolled.

In addition, each school received 100 tickets to the September 26 game and representatives from each school will be recognized on the field in a pre-game ceremony.

Orange Unified Student Achievement Excels

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:47:30 GMT

Superintendent of Schools, Michael L. Christensen, announced today that a record number of schools in Orange Unified School District (OUSD) met or exceeded the State Academic Performance Index (API) targets. The District API grew 17 points from 806 to 823. This 17-point growth is the greatest gain for a K-12 Unified School District in Orange County. In addition, Prospect Elementary School API grew 69 points to 752, distinguishing the school as the greatest growth on API for a single school in Orange County. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the OUSD elementary and secondary schools met the school-wide API growth target. (See Table 1 on page 3)

Mr. Christensen stated, "I congratulate all our students, teachers, parents, administrators and school employees who are working hard every day to make a difference in the lives of students. In Orange USD, our students continue to excel and meet high standards despite the statewide budget cuts. Thanks to the cooperation and collaboration of our employee associations and leadership of our School Board, we have maintained the focus on student achievement and improving the quality of instruction."

In addition, OUSD had impressive achievement gains on the federal indicator, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Both the API and AYP results are drawn from individual student results on the statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program that comprise the 2011 Accountability Progress Report. The AYP targets are based on the percentage of students reaching proficient and advanced levels in specific subgroups. In 2011, OUSD saw increases in all subgroups with the Special Education subgroup demonstrating the largest gain of 12% more students proficient and advanced in Mathematics and 9.7% more in English Language Arts. The English Learner Subgroup also demonstrated 10% more students proficient and advanced in Mathematics. The District schools recently initiated the process of Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI2), which includes a focus on teacher collaboration and identifying individual student learning needs.

Orange High School Principal, Ernie Gonzalez, stated, "Student test results are the hard work of the entire school community. Students and teachers have focused on the curriculum standards, and most importantly everyone is excited about the collaboration to improve student learning." Orange High School posted the fourth (4th) highest passing gains in Orange County on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in English Language Arts growing from 71% to 78.8% passing percentage. Orange High also demonstrated a 20-point gain on the API.

Additional information presented in the OUSD release of student results includes the Program Improvement (PI) schools that have met all AYP growth criteria that may potentially exit Program Improvement. Schools must meet State AYP criteria for two years in a row to exit program improvement.
The following schools met all Federal AYP criteria in 2011:
 Handy Elementary, Sandy Schaffer, Principal
 Jordan Elementary, Andrea Roman, Principal
 Prospect Elementary, Elena Rodriguez, Principal
 Sycamore Elementary, Erika Krohn, Principal
 Fairhaven Elementary, Kelli Keller, Principal (Exited PI in 2010, Continues to met AYP)

Prospect Principal, Elena Rodriguez, stated, "Staff and students were very involved all year in tracking student learning goals, and there was on-going celebration for student achievement throughout the school year in many indicators. We also targeted our resources and time to support interventions for students who required additional assistance." Prospect Elementary met all AYP targets for all significant subgroups. The California Department of Education (CDE) link to the 2011 Accountability Progress Report for the Orange Unified School District achievement results in API and AYP can be found at www.cde.ca.gov.

OUSD STAR Test Results Show Improvement

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:19:30 GMT

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released the results of the 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program from Spring 2011. The STAR program measures student learning in grades 2 through 11 and includes the California Standards Tests (CST), the California Modified Assessment (CMA), the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) and Standards‐based Tests in Spanish (STS).

The Orange Unified School District saw the percentage of advanced and proficient students increase District Wide with the highest grade level gains in Grade 5 Mathematics (10%) and Grade 2 Mathematics (7%). In addition, all significant subgroups advanced in proficiency with the special education students demonstrating the largest gains (12%).

Other content area and subgroup increases for OUSD included:
 The 5th grade Mathematics Special Education subgroup increased 40%, from 15% to 55% proficient/advanced
 75% of all district 4 th grade students scored proficient/advanced in Mathematics with 49% of them scoring advanced
 In 4 th grade Mathematics, 6% more students scored proficient/advanced
 In 5 th grade Science, 5% more students scored proficient/advanced
 In 7 th grade English Language Arts, 6% more students scored proficient/advanced
 In 8 th grade History, 6% more students scored proficient/advanced
 In 8 th grade Algebra, 13% more students scored proficient/advanced
 In Physics, 11% more students scored proficient/advanced
 District-wide the English Learner subgroup increased in the number proficient/advanced by 9% in Mathematics and 7% English Language Arts *(subgroup information is estimated)
 District-wide the Socioeconomically Disadvantaged subgroup increased in the number of proficient/advanced by 7% in Mathematics *(subgroup information is estimated)

In addition, the percentage of students scoring Far Below Basic and Below Basic decreased in all content areas indicating that students are advancing toward proficiency. The percentage of advanced and proficient students grew in all content areas, except in High School World History.

Superintendent Christensen stated, "The teachers and support staff have kept the focus in the classroom on individual student learning, as evidenced in the improved results! We are proud of the students' efforts and the fine work teachers continue to do."

Updates will continue to be provided as more information is received.

Erratt Named Outstanding Customer Service Award Winner

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:56:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is proud to announce that Dr. John Erratt, Special Education Teacher, Villa Park High School, has been named recipient of the Outstanding Customer Service Employee Award for the month of June.

Dr. Erratt, who has worked at Villa Park High School for the past eight years, said of the award, "Receiving this award really acknowledges all of the work of OUSD special education teachers and, indeed, all the OUSD teachers in providing high quality education for our students with equal access for all."

In addition to his current position, he has served as Education Specialist, moderate-severe teaching an autism-focus class for the past five years, Special Education Department Chair at VPHS for the past four years. Dr. Erratt also developed and taught autism authorization credential courses for OUSD teachers for past year.

Finally, Dr. Erratt said, "I love having the opportunity to support students with significant life challenges and their families while watching them grow into self confident young adults over the four years that I am part of their lives."

He was recognized at the Board of Education's most recent meeting by Board President Mr. Rick Ledesma.

Reta and Galloway Named Outstanding Customer Service Award Winners

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:06:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is proud to announce that Margaret "Peggy" Reta, ASB Bookkeeper at El Modena High School, and Kathleen Galloway, School Office Manager at Cerro Villa Middle School, have been named recipients of the Outstanding Customer Service Employee Award for the months of April and May respectively.

Mrs. Reta, who has also worked at Canyon High School, said of the award, "I was surprised to receive this award and honored as well. I am so blessed to work with the kind of people we have here at Elmo. It's hard not to be in a good mood here."

Mrs. Galloway has worked in OUSD since 1988 and has spent her entire career at Cerro Villa Middle School. She stated, "I feel honored to have been chosen as Customer Service Award winner for May. There are so many wonderful employees at OUSD to choose from."

Both recipients were recognized at the Board of Education's most recent meeting by Board President Mr. Rick Ledesma.

Sycamore Honors Parent Education Graduates

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:12:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Sycamore Elementary School recently hosted the Parent Institute of Quality Education (PIQE), which facilitated a nine-week series of parent education classes in both the mornings and the evenings. In total, 117 parents graduated from the class.

The classes were designed to educate parents on how to foster a positive educational environment for their children both at home and at school. In addition, parents learned how to effectively partner with teachers and the school community. There was an emphasis on how parents can ensure that their children are on a college path. There was also an open forum session with the school principal, Mrs. Krohn. The institute culminated with an inspirational graduation ceremony.

Mrs. Krohn said, "PIQE empowers parents with the knowledge to navigate our school system and support our children's academic success. I'm impressed by the high level of enthusiasm and commitment on the part of our families."

Exposition of the Arts Winners Announced

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:31:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce the 2011 Exposition of the Arts winners from its recent showing. The Exposition of the Arts is a collection of OUSD's best examples of the artistic abilities of its middle school and high school students. The award category, winner's name, grade, school, and teacher are as follows:
Award Name Grade School Teacher

Middle School Principals' Daniel Tran 8 Portola Middle School Rick Blake

High School Principals' Miriam Villegas 12 Villa Park High School Andy Edlund

Founders' Alma Barcenas 12 Orange High School Emmy Wang

President of the Board Elaine Choi 11 Canyon High School Kathy Flanagan

Superintendent's Magdalin Li 12 Villa Park High School Pam Quiros

Best Drawing Elia Osorno 12 Villa Park High School Andy Edlund

Best Painting Elaine Choi 11 Canyon High School Kathy Flanagan

Best Ceramics Spencer Johnson 11 El Modena High School Brian Beaman

Best Jewelry Jazmin Morales 12 Orange High School Debbie Jollineau

Best Graphic Chelsea Thomas 11 El Modena High School Loree Werner

Best Photography Thaolinh Tran 12 Orange High School Lauren Young

Best Three Dimensional Brittanie Flores 8 Santiago Charter Middle School Deborah Wallace

Best of Show Miguel Gonzalez 12 El Modena High School Loree Werner

Canyon High School Students Named National Merit Scholars

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:19:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that two Canyon High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholars in the first phase of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's elite recognition program.

Only 35 Orange County high school students who were proficient on their Preliminary SAT exams were named Merit Scholars. The honorees, who represent just 0.5 percent of test-takers nationwide, will receive college scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 annually. Additional winners will be announced through July 11th. Canyon High School honorees and sponsor are as follows:
• Benjamin H. Kim, Boeing Company
• Ryan N. Rezvani, Emerson Electric Company Scholarship

Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met the criteria of sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide scholarships to finalists who are children of employees, residents of communities the company serves or who plan to pursue majors or careers the grantor wishes to encourage. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

Canyon High Student Wins FBI Internet Safety Award

Thu, 26 May 2011 22:28:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Canyon High School Student, Alec Fortine, is the national high school winner of the FBI Safe Surfing Online Internet Challenge.

Canyon High School DREAM Program teacher, Susan Damon, had her students participate in the Carnegie Mellon University ALICE Software Competition. This year, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, students entered a PSA (public service announcement) about cyber safety. Mrs. Damon has participated in the Carnegie Mellon student challenge events for several years and was very excited to have a winner.

As the national winner, Alec will receive a visit from the FBI awarding him the trophy tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Canyon High's Senior Awards Ceremony.

Orange High Student Awarded AVID Scholarship

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:03:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Aracely Payan, a senior at Orange High School, was recently awarded a $5,000 Kingston Technology four-year renewable scholarship at the annual Orange County AVID Senior Standout Recognition held at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim. Aracely will attend the University of California, San Diego in the fall.

Alice Prothero, Honors English and AVID teacher at Orange High, introduced Aracely with these words: "Aracely Payan is a true role model for our AVID program. She continually looks to improve herself and reach for academic excellence. In class her assignments are always the most prepared and her high level thinking comes across beautifully in both her writing and her leadership in Socratic Seminars. As a result, her peers frequently seek her out for academic advisement. Aracely has always carried a full load of Advanced Placement classes and maintained above a 4.0 grade point average. This is even more amazing when you realize she does all of this while balancing a full work load at her family owned restaurant."

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an elementary through postsecondary college readiness system that is designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance. The AVID system accelerates student learning, uses research based methods of effective instruction, provides meaningful and motivational professional development, and acts as a catalyst for systemic reform and change.

Exposition of the Arts Underway

Fri, 13 May 2011 19:15:30 GMT

is currently underway at the Village on Tustin Street in the City of Orange. The Exposition of the Arts, under the direction of Linda Stoterau, Administer of K-12 Curriculum and GATE, is a collection of OUSD's best examples of the artistic abilities of its middle school and high school students. Middle schools submitted ten entries each, while high schools were permitted up to twenty pieces. Villa Park High School Art Teacher Andy Edlund helped coordinate the event as well.

Thirteen Awards are planned to be distributed:
• Best of Show
• Superintendent's Award
• High School Principals' Award
• Middle School Principals' Award
• Board of Education President's Award
• Founders' Award

Best of following categories:
• Photography
• Graphics
• Drawing
• Painting
• Ceramics
• Jewelry
• 3-Dimensional

The hours for the event are as follows:
Today: until 9 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 pm.

OUSD Bus Drivers Win Again

Fri, 13 May 2011 19:15:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that the Orange Unified School District Transportation Team won two awards at the recent California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) Southern State Roadeo held in Irvine.

Joseph Nguyen won third place individual and Ben De La Torre won honorable mention.

OUSD competed against more than ninety participants from Bakersfield to San Diego as they drove their school buses through the competition guiding their buses through several events including: a Double Backing Crossover, Offset Alley, Parallel Parking, Back up Stall, Student Loading, Left Turn, Right Turn and a Written Examination.

OUSD Announces Science Center Open House

Fri, 13 May 2011 19:15:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce the District's Science Center's Open House on Monday, May 23, 2011, from 1:00 pm-7:00 pm.

Peg Benize, Science Center Coordinator, said, "Come see the OUSD Elementary Science Center and discover what our students are doing that brings science alive in the classroom. Learn how science is making a difference in our district as we prepare students for the real world and careers in STEM education."

The OUSD Science Center is located on the campus of Crescent Elementary School located at 5001 E Gerda Dr, Anaheim, in Rooms 302 & 303.

Cerro Villa to Perform a Midsummer Night's Dream

Fri, 13 May 2011 21:14:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that on Saturday May 21, 2011, Cerro Villa Middle School's 8th grade students will proudly perform the 6th annual production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Savannah Howard, student director for the play, said, "Dedicated students have begun to throw themselves wholly into the preparation, practicing relentlessly after school, during lunch, and on the weekends. For the cast and crew, Saturday will be their fourth and final performance and will mark the conclusion of nearly thirteen weeks of an experience that can only be described as a labor of love."

The first and second performance will be exclusively for Cerro Villa's 7th and 8th grade English classes and 5th and 6th grade GATE classes from Nohl Canyon Elementary, respectively. The next showing will be an after-school performance, for all of Cerro Villa's students.

The Midsummer cast and crew has sold over 400 tickets for Saturday's show. The sold-out audience will quickly find out what the cast and crew of sixty-one actors, directors, stage crew, lighting and sound operators already know: this is no ordinary middle school play.

Cerro Villa Middle School is located at 17852 Serrano Avenue, Villa Park, 92861.

Portola Student Wins $20,000 Grant

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:18:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Portola Middle School student Loc Tran received the high honor of winning the 150th Anniversary for Chapman University Art Contest Award.

Tran was awarded a $20,000 grant from Chapman University for future studies at the university. He designed the cover for the birthday card that was to be mailed to all alumni. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez presented him with the award last Friday night.

In celebration of their 150th anniversary, Chapman University invited Orange County's young artists to create an official Chapman University birthday card. The 150th Birthday Card Contest was open to all students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade in Orange County. The winning entry was announced at Chapman's 150th Birthday Celebration on May 6th.

Tran's artwork was used to create a greeting card for the event.

A panel of judges selected by Chapman University scored all eligible entries based on the following judging criteria:
• Originality
• Design and Creativity
• Use of Theme

California Business for Education Excellence Names OUSD Schools to its '10 Honor Roll

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:40:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District announced today that the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) named nine OUSD schools to their Honor Roll for 2010. The CBEE recognizes public elementary, middle and high schools for demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and making significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students. A total of 1,221 California public elementary, middle and high schools received the honor this year.

"These schools hold the keys to raising student achievement and closing achievement gaps," said Greg Jones, Chairman of the California Business for Education Excellence.

These nine OUSD schools received this prestigious honor:
• Canyon Rim Elementary
• Chapman Hills Elementary
• Imperial Elementary
• Linda Vista Elementary
• McPherson Magnet School
• Nohl Canyon Elementary
• Panorama Elementary
• Running Springs Elementary
• Villa Park Elementary

OUSD Awarded $232,700 Technology Grant

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:40:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that it was awarded an Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Competitive Grant Round 9 for $232,700 for Cerro Villa Middle School. Cerro Villa was the only school in Orange County to receive this grant. Cerro Villa's grant entitled, Project COOL (Creating Opportunities for Orange Learners), is a program for grades 7 and 8 language arts that utilizes technology to enhance teaching and promote learning by providing students with 21st century skills to better meet grade-level reading and writing standards. Monies will be used to provide for professional development and to purchase data scanning centers, portable laptop labs, desktop computers for Read 180, response systems (clickers), and teacher laptops at Cerro Villa Middle School.

Project COOL includes the following key components:
 Improving reading and writing skills for all target students through increasing technology literacy, including integration of the research-based Step Up to Writing process with technology tools, Blackboard, ePortfolios and Safe Assign.
 Developing reading and writing skills in struggling readers with READ 180 lab and tutoring sessions.
 Reducing the student-to-computer ratio from the present 10.5:1 average to 5:1 through the purchase of wireless class sets of laptops. Teachers will use laptops, LCD projectors (available at the school) and SMART Response Systems.
 Students will write research projects filled with rich visual detail and aligned to their language arts program while improving their 21st century skills.
 Featuring the online, digitized resources of the Prentice Hall adopted texts and teacher-created learning units within a password-protected environment to enrich and extend student work and enable teachers to provide assessment and immediate feedback.

Dr. Ken Miller, Cerro Villa Principal said, "This was a true team effort and is pretty special. I am so thankful to our teachers, classified staff and district office support to help with this grant and to bring our school into the 21st Century."

Yorba Announces School Renovation Ceremony

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:13:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce Yorba Academy of the Arts Middle School's renovation ceremony is slated for Thursday, May 19th at 4:00 pm, to celebrate the newly renovated school facilities. The community is invited to attend.

The ceremony will take place from 4:00 pm -4:30 pm and tours of the $12 million renovated school will occur from 4:30 pm-5:00 pm. Events for the celebration include:

• A performance by the Yorba Middle School bands
• Speeches by Yorba teachers
• Ribbon cutting ceremony
• Facility tours
• Refreshments
• 1958 Alumnus presentation

The renovation included a new kitchen facility which allowed for the multipurpose room to be enlarged, new energy efficient windows, lighting and HVAC units, electrical and technology upgrades, new flooring, wall coverings, ceilings, new roofs throughout the campus, redesigned administration and instructional spaces, new teaching walls with Smartboards and integrated storage. The total construction budget was $12 million. The District has received approximately $5.1 million from the State Modernization and Emergency Repair Programs.

Kerrie Torres, Yorba Principal, stated, "The Yorba Middle School staff looks forward to sharing our brand new campus with the community."

Yorba Middle School located at 935 N. Cambridge Street in Orange.

ORANGE H.S. SELECTED FOR ANNUAL BASEBALL RENOVATION PROJECT
MLB Groundskeepers Team With Baseball Tomorrow Fund

Mon, 09 May 2011 20:11:30 GMT

The Major League Baseball Groundskeepers and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund have selected the Orange High School baseball field in Orange, CA for their annual renovation service project.

Renovations are scheduled to begin this month with the unveiling by MLB Groundskeepers slated for January 10, 2012. Barney Lopas, the Angels' head groundskeeper, will lead a group of his counterparts from around Major League Baseball and overseeing the project.

"We are very excited to begin the field renovation at Orange High School," Lopas said. "The previous renovations have set the bar very high, but we are up to the challenge of creating an incredible field and leaving a lasting impact on the school and its baseball program."

Each year, the Major League Groundskeepers convene in January for industry meetings, during which time they choose a community and renovate a baseball field that is in need of repair. This year, aided by the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and with donations of supplies and labor from three major sponsors (Toro, Turf Athletics and Covermaster Incorporated) and other local companies, the groundskeepers will oversee the complete renovation of the playing surface at Orange High School.

"The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is fortunate to collaborate on this project with such outstanding partners," stated Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. "It is a pleasure to support the field renovation at Orange High School and to provide a quality and safe field for the players, who will learn the value of teamwork and community while playing the great game of baseball."

Media members who would like to tour Orange High School's baseball field or receive photos of the progress being made with the renovations can contact Diane Baker at 714-997-6211.

Exciting News from El Modena High School

Wed, 04 May 2011 17:27:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce there are exciting happenings on the campus of El Modena High School.

• Last week the Orange Grove Lodge recognized two El Modena seniors—Alyssa Burns and Samuel Jimenez—for their success in overcoming tremendous obstacles on their road to graduation. In essence, they were being recognized as "most improved" students. Furthermore, science teacher Ashley Pedroza was recognized by the lodge as an "Outstanding Teacher," one who has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the school and improve the lives of students.

• Last Thursday, El Modena teacher Diane Lissner was presented with the Golden Touch Award at the annual breakfast held at the Tustin Ranch Country Club. Diane was selected by the El Modena student body for her caring, commitment, and ability to make a positive difference at El Modena High School.

• State testing is underway and the CST Incentive Program is being offered at El Modena High School for the very first time. Fifty-two out of 53 core subject teachers are voluntarily offering the incentives collaboratively designed by the staff. Naturally, the goal of the program is to motivate students to do their very best by providing the exams with some much needed validity. Already there is heightened student interest in the exams and much discussion is taking place about doing well. We are hopeful that the resulting scores will reflect greater student buy-in and effort.

• At the Sharp International Dance Competition recently, El Modena High School's Dance Team received 4th in jazz and 1st in high-kick pom!! Makenna Snow received 2nd in Best Turns and the Dance Team received a Showmanship Trophy. Congratulations to Mrs. Bauer and the entire Dance Team.

Anaheim Hills Rotary Donates to OUSD Schools

Mon, 02 May 2011 19:18:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that the Anaheim Hills Rotary Club awarded a total of $900 in grants to each of the following schools in the form of a Rotary Book Certificate to be used through Scholastic Books. The schools include: Anaheim Hills Elementary, Canyon Rim Elementary, Crescent Elementary, Imperial Elementary, Nohl Canyon Elementary, and Running Springs Elementary.

Additionally, the Rotary Club recently completed a Courtyard Landscape Project in collaboration with Armstrong Garden Center and their employees at Canyon Hills School.

Dr. William Gee, Canyon Hills Principal, stated, "The landscaping created by the Rotary Club enhances the beauty of the courtyard at Canyon Hills School. The improvements are near the entrance to the school. This would not have happened without the Rotary Club's involvement and their outreach to Armstrong Garden Center which donated the plants and groundcover."

Finally, the Anaheim Hills Rotary Club is also contributing 100 electric toothbrushes to the students at Canyon Hills. These toothbrushes will be kept at the school and used as students learn proper hygiene.

OUSD Gives to Japan Earthquake Victims and Pennies for Patients

Mon, 02 May 2011 15:28:30 GMT

Schools and departments throughout the Orange Unified School District have been collecting monies and goods to support the earthquake victims in Japan and for the annual Pennies for Patients drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Listed below are examples of what teachers, students, staff and parents are doing to help those less fortunate:

Schools
Anaheim Hills Elementary-Sock drive and recycling fundraiser for Japan. Raised money for Pennies for Patients.

Cambridge Elementary- Raised $1,425 for Japan and $2,650 for Pennies for Patients.

Chapman Hills Elementary- Collected 300 pairs of shoes for Japan. They also raised $363.46 for Pennies for Patients.

Crescent Elementary- Set up a competition between primary classrooms and upper grade classrooms and collected coins, bills and checks raised $5,034.63 for Pennies for Patients.

El Modena High School: Partnered with McPherson Soles4Souls shoe drive for Japan and generated disaster relief donations. Held Pennies for Pasta effort and placed donation boxes in classrooms.

Linda Vista Elementary- Linda Vista held a "Jamming in your Jammies" for Japan and raised $1,735.

McPherson Magnet-Led shoe drive for Japan and collected $3,000 for Pennies for Patients.

Nohl Canyon Elementary- Collected Socks for Sendai and raised over $1,600 for Japan.

Olive Elementary- Worked with the non-profit, Friends of Orange County's Homeless Pets (FOCHP). They set up a special disaster relief fund in Olive's name with the money raised to assist animals in Japan. Students are saving their cookie and Hot-Cheeto money to donate.

Palmyra Elementary: Palmyra Student Council raised $4310.35 for Pennies for Patients.

Prospect Elementary- Our ASES program raised $332 dollars for Japan.

Richland High- Raised $7,841.08 for Pennies for Patients.

Running Springs Elementary- Raised $699 and sent it to the American Red Cross for Japan relief.

Santiago Charter Middle- Raised money for Japan.

Serrano Elementary: Raised and donated $3,620.39 for the Japan Relief Fun through the American Red Cross

Taft Elementary- Raised $1,314 for Pennies for Patients.

Villa Park Elementary- VPE supported the Japan Soles for Souls effort.

West Orange Elementary: Participated in the American Red Cross Coin Drive and raised $1,200 for Japan. They also wrote letters and drew pictures to send to the victims.

Yorba Middle-Hosted a Global Giving Day created by the Physical Education Department who sponsored a basketball shoot out and raised over $150 for Japan.

OUSD Celebrates School Bus Drivers' Day

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:41:30 GMT

School bus drivers throughout the State of California are being recognized and celebrated today and the Orange Unified School District's transportation Department took time to celebrate its employees as well. Every year, the fourth Tuesday of April is designated as School Bus Drivers' Day to officially recognize school bus drivers for their service to our school children.

The OUSD Transportation Leadership team hosted a special luncheon and awards ceremony honoring the bus drivers, mechanics and support staff today. School Bus Driver/Instructor, Valerie Arellano, received the Peer School Bus Driver of the Year award and Vehicle Maintenance Foreman, Mike Uszenski, was voted Peer Mechanic of the Year. These awards were voted on by their peers. In addition, milestone pins of five, ten and fifteen years of service will be presented along with a Safe Driver pin.

"This is a special day for our drivers and mechanics. They feel appreciated by our district and the recognition shows this. This is a nice morale booster," said Pam McDonald, Director of Transportation.

OUSD bus drivers transport over 2,500 students daily from their neighborhood bus stops with an additional 900 special needs students transported door‐to‐door. In addition, OUSD school bus drivers provide over 3,500 field trip, sports and activity trips annually. Finally, OUSD bus drivers log more than 1,500,000 miles annually or the equivalent of 60 times around the globe or 500 cross continental trips.

Orange High Students Excelling in Academics and Athletics

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:32:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce there are exciting happenings on the campus of Orange High School.

• Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Holocaust survivor and author of more than fifty books, and Distinguished Presidential Fellow at Chapman University recently spoke to students who submitted winning entries in the 12th Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest sponsored by Chapman. The following students were invited to attend the event:
o Art- Senior Carlos Cardenas (Ms. Jollineau)
o Essay- Freshman Jennifer Paulino (Ms. Weilenga)
o Poetry- Freshman Alexandra Flores (Ms. Petersen)

• Instrumental Music recently participated in a Soundtrack Session at Disneyland during a field trip. They experienced a recording session in a real recording studio and were able to experience what it is like to be a professional musician. At the end of the session, they were able to hear and see their recordings synced with actual clips from Disney movies.

• OHS Girls' basketball players were invited guests to attend a luncheon at Chapman University to honor them at the conclusion of their season.

• J/V and Varsity Cheer teams performed at Nationals last month and Varsity took 5th place in their division. The OHS Stunt Group went to finals and placed 6th out of 28 teams while J/V had their best performance all season.

OUSD High School Students Named National Merit Scholars

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:39:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that three OUSD high school seniors have been named National Merit Scholars in the first phase of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's elite recognition program.

Only twenty-two Orange County high school students who aced their Preliminary SAT exams were named Merit Scholars. The honorees, who represent just 0.5 percent of test-takers nationwide, will receive college scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 annually. Additional winners will be announced May 4, May 25, and July 11. Orange Unified Honorees, their school, study of emphasis and sponsor are as follows:
Andrew D. Le -- Villa Park High School -- Medicine -- Boeing Company
Leah T. Wilensky -- Villa Park High School -- Education (History) -- Boeing Company
Benjamin H. Kim -- Canyon High School -- Undecided -- Boeing Company

Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met the criteria of sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide scholarships to finalists who are children of employees, residents of communities the company serves or who plan to pursue majors or careers the grantor wishes to encourage. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

Santiago Charter Middle School Earns California Distinguished School Award

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:33:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Santiago Charter Middle School has earned the 2011 State of California's Distinguished School Award. Santiago's 46 point increase in its API score in 2010 enabled the school to apply for the honor. Their application focused on two successful signature practices that make Santiago unique, Literacy across the curriculum and STRIVE.

Literacy across the curriculum was implemented in order to meet the needs of an ever changing student population. By making this school-wide commitment to literacy, the staff hoped to achieve the following goals: 1) consistency and confidence among teachers on how to teach important strategies as summary writing and note-taking; and 2) establishment of explicit writing and note-taking frameworks that could be scaffolded and accessible for all students to use confidently in all curricular areas.

Additionally, the Santiago staff developed a recognition program called STRIVE— Success, Teamwork, Responsibility, Integrity, Values, and Effort. With this program, which rewards students for academic success and good behavior, the staff hoped to achieve the goals of increased overall CST scores, maintenance of a high attendance rate, and an overall atmosphere of positive behavior.

The Santiago Community is very proud of this honor and looks forward to continued success.

Saving the Earth One Cell Phone at a Time: Villa Park High School's Tri-Club Ecology Drive!

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:18:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that Villa Park High School held a Tri-Club Ecology Drive last week, in which three Spartan campus organizations came together as one to make a difference in a meaningful way. Interact Club, Peer Assistance Leadership (PAL) and TV Media conducted a huge school-wide recycling event.

Students and teachers were asked to protect the environment by bringing in used cell phones and ink cartridges for recycling. By the end of Recycling Week, VPHS had collected over 27 kilos of cell phones and cartridges. The Interact Club also involved the Villa Park Rotary in the drive.

All VPHS fourth period classes held a competition to see who could bring in the most by weight. The top five classes received pizza and ice cream. The results were as follows:

• First Place: Mr. Cheuvront
• Second Place: Coach Cross
• Third Place: Coach Lee
• Fourth Place: Ms. Corbett
• Fifth Place: Coach Ancich

Dr. Bartrom-Olsen, Faculty Advisor for the event, sees the drive as going far beyond that single week. She said, "Recycling really harmful small items which can otherwise be easily discarded, is more than a one-time effort. What we want to do is build lifelong habits of ecological awareness in young people."

If anyone in the community would like to contribute toward the effort, please feel free to drop off bags or boxes of cell phones at the VPHS front office, attention Dr. Bartrom-Olsen.

OUSD Participates in Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief by Collecting "Gently Worn" Shoes

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:51:30 GMT

The Orange Unified School District is pleased to announce that McPherson Magnet School is hosting a community-wide "Gently Worn" Shoe Drive event this Saturday, April 2nd, from 8:30 am – 1:00 pm to benefit the people of Japan. The public is invited to participate. In the meantime, some OUSD schools are accepting shoe donations this week.

OUSD schools participating and collecting shoes this week include:
McPherson Magnet School: 333 S. Prospect Street, Orange
El Modena High School: 3920 Spring Street, Orange
Santiago Middle School: 515 N. Rancho Santiago, Orange
Panorama Elementary School: 10512 Crawford Canyon, Santa Ana
Serrano Elementary School: 17741 Serrano, Avenue, Villa Park
Villa Park Elementary School: 10551 Center Drive, Villa Park

Currently, Japan has a significant need for shoes, specifically work and tennis shoes. However, all types of shoes will be accepted and everyone is encouraged to participate in this community-wide shoe drive to benefit the people of Japan.

Last year the OUSD community collected over 8,000 pairs of shoes in a similar shoe drive effort for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. For information please contact Charity Balliger, McPherson parent volunteer, through email at: cballiger@gmail.com.

OUSD Teachers Awarded CTAP Grants

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:11:30 GMT

The Orange County Department of Education announced recently the 2011 CTAP Educational Technology Grant winners. The Orange Unified School District was awarded three CTAP grants. The grants awarded ranged from $3,000 to $7,000. CTAP stands for California Technology Assistance Project. The mission of CTAP is to provide assistance in integrating technology into teaching and learning. The following are OUSD grantees and a description of their projects:

Orange High School
Jackie Francoeur
Jeff Ricupito
Laura Herbert
Barbara Sataki

Yorba Middle School
Rosina Talamantes

McPherson Magnet
Glen Warren

Orange High School: "Blogging and Glogging for Earth (BG4E)": By participating in Blogging and Glogging for Earth (BG4E) activities, students will increase scientific literacy and appreciate the need for knowledge and understanding of science in the 21st Century. In this project, students will research and learn earth science content by creating multimedia, digital posters called Glogs, and expressing their informed opinions about societal concepts by writing password-protected blog entries. Grant funding will provide 12 netbooks and 2 digital cameras for students to "blog and glog."

Yorba Middle School: "Stimulus – Responder: Immediate Feedback Motivates Students & Drives Instruction": This project will meet the needs of approximately 70 seventh and eighth grade English Language Learners (ELLs) master Written and Oral Language Conventions. By using SMART response systems, students will interact with the target language, use current, hand-held technology and make individual contributions toward their English Language proficiency and exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills. Each student will directly participate in providing the teacher with an immediate formative assessment, allowing the teacher to make immediate modifications during instructional minutes and the ability to modify long- range pacing guides.

McPherson Magnet: "Passion Based Learning Project": This project inspires students to pursue, create, and share information about non-fiction areas of personal interest using wireless network connected iPod touch units. Building on the English Language Arts standards, students will demonstrate mastery of 21st Century skills information literacy, media literacy, and ICT literacy by accessing and evaluating information efficiently and effectively, building on an ethical and legal information use foundation.