Canyon High School’s Student Board Member for the 2023-2024 school year is Jiya Patel.
Jiya is a senior at Canyon High School. She is interested in serving as her school’s Student Board Member because she sees how the district’s decisions directly impact students. She wants to learn more about education policy and do her part to advocate for beneficial school policies. Jiya sees herself as a messenger between the Orange Unified School Board and the student body at Canyon High School. Jiya is involved in Assisteens, the Spreading Kindness Club, the Indian Club, and is the treasurer of Junior Statesmen of America. Jiya plays tennis for Canyon High, tutors elementary and middle school students, and loves to bake and travel. She plans to major in business or law, preferably at her dream school USC.
Emma Hoffmann is the Student Board Member Representative for El Modena High School for the 2023-2024 school year.
Emma is a senior at El Modena High School. Emma was motivated to become a Student Board Member because she wanted to represent her extremely diverse campus, explain the different types of cultures that exist on campus, and spread more awareness about different lifestyles all throughout the district. Emma is President of the Vanguard Dance Company, a publicist for the National Honor Society, and President of the Halo Dance for Autism Club. In her spare time, Emma participates in food drives and volunteers at the Orange Public Library in the summer, preparing free meals for children. Emma would like to attend a four-year out-of-state university and major in Political Science.
The 2023-2024 Student Board Member for Orange High School is Nancy Albeno.
Nancy is a senior at Orange High School. Nancy is excited to be close to the decision-making process at the board level. She has a passion for her school and would like to help ensure that Orange High and the other schools continue to improve to become the best schools they can be. Nancy is a member of the ASB executive Board and a Song Team/Spirit Squad member. Nancy plans on majoring in business at Cal State Fullerton and opening her own business. But first, she can’t wait to put 100% into everything she will do as a student board member.
Alexander Tran represents Villa Park High School for the 2023-2024 school year.
Alexander is a Junior at Villa Park High School. Alexander is motivated to participate as a Student Board Member because he wants to bridge divisions in the interest of Student’s Rights. Alexander is president of Model United Nations, Secretary of Interact Club, and an Orange County Transportation Authority Teen Council member. Alexander is a three-time congressional intern. He was a campaign intern for Representative Young Kim, a District Office Intern for Representative Michelle Steel, and a legislative intern for Ms. Steel’s D.C. Office. In the future, he would like to study Political Science at any Top 20 University.
Marcos Banda is the Richland High School representative for the first half year of the 2023-2024 school year.
Marcos is a senior at Richland High School. He is interested in serving as his school’s Student Board Member to voice for his school and peers and hopes to help represent Richland in a way that dispels the negative stigma surrounding the school. Marcos is currently in ASB and is a member of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards to help develop his leadership skills and make connections. Marcos has been Student of the Quarter and received the Condor of Character award. After graduation, Marcos is considering attending college and pursuing a career in computer science, technology, or arts & animations.
National Merit Scholar Semifinalists
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to:
CANYON HIGH SCHOOL
Jiya M. Patel
Alexander N. Rosu
EL MODENA HIGH SCHOOL
Michelle Bae
VILLA PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Jason Trinh
“YOU’VE GOT THE EDGE” Employee of the Month Program
Congratulations to September’s EDGE Employees of the Month, Duyen Dao, Teacher at Cerro Villa Middle School, and Yolanda Rodriguez, School/Community Assistant at California Elementary School.
First, we have Duyen Dao, Teacher at Cerro Villa Middle School. Acting Principal Jeff Jones, had this to say about Duyen: “Ms. Dao demonstrated the core values by co-leading Cerro Villa's leadership class during the registration process and first-day activities for all the student body. Ms. Dao led with excitement, organization, and passion for CV, which allowed her students to take ownership in providing a welcoming environment. Ms. Dao has also continued to provide a positive learning environment for all our students with her leadership of lunchtime activities. I appreciate the work and effort Ms. Dao has put into her leadership class and the positive impact she has had on the culture of CV.”
U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools
Rankings for the Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report were released, revealing that Canyon, El Modena, and Villa Park High School have maintained their impressive national and metro-area standings for the fourth consecutive year. The 2023-2024 edition of Best High Schools includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide – almost 18,000 of them – based on multiple sources of objective data.
Canyon, El Modena, and Villa Park High School each have secured positions in the top 23% or higher nationally. This recognition is based on their performance in state assessments and their effectiveness in preparing students for college. U.S. News & World Report collaborates with the global research firm RTI International to compile these rankings. All data is sourced from official third-party entities, including the College Board, International Baccalaureate, California Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Education Common Core of Data.
This prestigious acknowledgment stands as a testament to the ongoing commitment and dedication of our staff, as well as our partnerships with our families and community, to fulfill our mission to provide a safe, equitable, and innovative culture of learning.
It's worth noting that Orange High School previously received recognition in 2020.
Connect with Us
We invite you to take a moment to follow Orange Unified on social media to receive the district’s latest news and announcements. Social media may also be a critical line of communication during emergencies and will be an excellent place for you to get up-to-date information: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
You can also check out videos featuring programs throughout the District, Board Meetings, school highlights, Measure S progress, graduation ceremonies, and more on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/OrangeUnifiedCA
New for this school year is the OUSD App, which is available for download in the Apple App and Google Play stores. Free for our families, the app allows users to see District-level news and events as well as customize their experience by selecting their school(s) of choice to follow to receive news and calendar information directly to their phones.
Orange High School Measure S Phase 2 Topping Out
In building construction, topping out is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. The topping out ceremony is an age-old tradition that marks a major milestone for everyone on the project. It signifies the groundwork being laid and the countless hours already poured into the building. It also commemorates the hard work that each person has contributed to reach this day.
We were excited to celebrate this historic moment for Orange High’s new 26-thousand-square-foot student services and administrative building, which will also house six new 1,200-square-foot classrooms. Although modern touches will highlight the building’s design, the new administration building will pay homage to the first building constructed on the campus in 1952 with the return of the Townsend Room, a principal’s conference room that also serves as a mini museum for Orange High School artifacts. Many of the Townsend room contents are historically significant items that have been preserved since the early 1900s before the original school property on Glassell and Palm and was sold to Chapman University in the 1950s.
Also included in the new construction will be the reinstallation of a cornerstone from the dedication of the first building on the original Orange High campus. This cornerstone features a time capsule from 1905 that was opened by district staff in a ceremony held earlier this year.
Other improvements to the campus include a new “alumni corner” on the corner of Walnut Street and Shaffer Street, an expanded main quad area, updated lighting, new landscaping, and added walkways for better accessibility. The alumni corner, specifically, will feature a new electronic marquee, seat walls with brick veneer, and many other enhancements that welcome students, parents, and community members to the main entrance plaza for the campus.
Many thanks to the Board of Education, CARE (Community Advancement through Renovation for Education) Committee, and the entire OUSD community for making this possible. Thanks to the community’s support of Measure S, Orange Unified is the only district in Orange County with a brand-new STEM Complex on each of our high school campuses.
Villa Park High School Science Center Named ASCE Sustainable Project of the Year
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Los Angeles Section has selected the Villa Park High School Science Center, designed by LPA, as its Sustainable Project of the Year! The LA Section commented that they received numerous excellent projects to consider, and the selection of the Villa Park High School Science Center is in recognition of the project’s unique technical achievements, complexity, scope, and engineering features.
The civil and landscape design for the Villa Park High School Science Center restores the natural environment on the site, which formerly housed a one-story classroom building. The design addresses downstream flooding on the site and adjacent city-owned properties by the City of Villa Park using Low Impact Development (LID) strategies to mimic the site’s predevelopment hydrology, minimizing disturbed areas and impervious cover, and infiltrating, storing, detaining, and treating stormwater runoff on-site. Large bioretention planter areas adjacent to the new building and parking lot treat stormwater and attenuate post-construction flow rates using natural processes.
The design emphasizes ecological stewardship throughout the site. The stormwater system serves as an educational tool, with signage drawing attention to the importance of preserving and restoring waterways. Seating near the bioretention basin creates environments for outdoor learning. Drought-resistant, native Southern California plantings address water security while exposing students to natural processes and contributing to their mental well-being.
Employment Opportunities
Are you interested in a profession that makes a positive impact on the community? If so, please visit our website at www.orangeusd.org/jobs to view a vast array of employment opportunities that span from entry-level to upper management, classified and certificated. Join the Orange Unified family and Inspire our learners of today to be purposeful leaders of tomorrow.
Connect with Us
Email: communications@orangeusd.org
Website: www.orangeusd.org
Location: 1401 North Handy Street, Orange, CA, USA
Phone: 714-628-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrangeUnifiedSchoolDistrictCA
Twitter: @orangeunifiedCA