Spartan Weekly Update Feb 26 -Mar 1
Incoming Freshman Parent Night March 5th
VPHS Scholars with Distinction Program
Parents of 11th grade Spartans,
I am excited to announce the Villa Park High School, Scholars with Distinction Program in which we recognize any student that meets or exceeds standards in both English Langrage Arts and in Math on the SBAC test. SBAC or, Smarter Balanced Assessment, is the standardized assessment that all 11th grade students take in the spring. At Villa Park, we use SBAC data to award students that pass both English and Math portions of the test as Scholars with Distinction. Every Scholar with Distinction will be given a cord to wear at graduation and will receive special recognition when they are seniors. In 2022-2023, 124 students earned this recognition.
SBAC testing will start April 9th. Please be sure to let your student know that they have an opportunity to receive special recognition as a Scholar with Distinction and they need to give maximum effort. If you have any questions, please feel free email or contact your administration team.
Principal McCuistion
EARN YOUR AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA AT VPHS
Did you know that Villa Park High School offers the AP Capstone Diploma Program?
At VPHS, students with a passion for academic excellence and a drive for success can delve into the AP Capstone Diploma Program, a rigorous two-year course of study. Designed to hone the critical skills essential for college-bound AP/Honors students, this program offers two distinct AP Capstone awards: AP Seminar and AP Research.
VPHS Chinese Language Students Recognized
We are thrilled to announce that five of our Chinese language students from Mrs. Farley's class have won the People's Choice Award in the Cultural Impressions Event hosted by the Irvine Chinese School of South Coast Chinese Culture Center.
This initiative encouraged students to create posters on Chinese cultural themes. VPHS chose to focus on Traditional Chinese Festivals. The winning posters showcased four festival characteristics and compared customs and food between Chinese and Western cultures. Scores were determined by a combination of student and parent votes (50%) and teacher evaluations (50%).
These exceptional works were displayed at the Center's Lunar New Year Carnival on February 10-11. Let's celebrate these students’ success in promoting cultural awareness and artistic expression within our school community.
People's Choice Award Winners:
From left to right: Jordan Lui (Chinese Culture and Society), Jovana Mortazavian (Chinese IV), Nathan Long (Chinese III), Ginny Khaing (Chinese III), and Jackie He (Chinese III).
Get Free Rides on OC Bus throughout Orange County
The Youth Ride Free program allows Orange County youth ages 6 to 18 to ride all OC Bus fixed-route service for free for travel to school, work or fun.
Passes and required parental request forms are available at participating Orange County schools.
Though many use the pass to travel to school, it can also be used to access jobs, libraries and summer activities such as trips to the beach, Knotts Berry Farm and the OC Fair.
The pass helps youth become familiar with the advantages of public transportation while taking cars off the road, thereby easing congestion and air pollution.
OC Bus offers service on more than 50 routes with over 5,000 bus stops. OC Bus provides clean, reliable, and convenient service throughout Orange County.
Learn more about the pass here.
BSU
Written by: Alexander Tran
In celebration of Black History Month, VPHS’s Black Student Union decorated the breezeway with colorful posters and sayings that speak to the solidarity of Blacks worldwide. Quotes from Martin Luther King and many other prominent Black figures such as athlete Michael Jordan and actress Lupita Nyong’o recognize the strength of Blacks. Pan-Africanist symbols were also apparent, which displayed the history of Black pride throughout the centuries.
SENIOR YEARBOOK ADS
ATTENTION ALL SENIOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS ,
- DEADLINE EXTENDED for PARENT AD SUBMISSIONS and SENIOR PORTRAITS to MARCH 15th!
- PARENT AD INFORMATION: If you’d still like to purchase a SENIOR AD to include fun photos of your student along with a special message, see the order form attached below.
- SENIOR PORTRAIT INFORMATION: If you have not yet had SENIOR PORTRAITS taken, you must schedule an appointment with PSS Imaging by either calling 714-630-7785 or visiting their website (https://www.pssimaging.net/seniors1).
- The 2023-2024 Yearbooks are still available for pre-sale! They are $175 and you may purchase them in the principal’s office.
- Lastly, should you have any questions, please email Mr. Hill at ghill@orangeusd.org.
Thank you for your support,
Mr. Hill and the Odyssey Staff
School Nurse- Dana Lusiani
Written by Mariana Mendoza
Dana Lusiani, the school nurse at VP, has a background rooted in both healthcare and community engagement. Hailing from Henderson, Nevada, Dana's high school years were marked by her active involvement in sports, including playing on the soccer team and dancing with the school's dance team. Pursuing her passion for helping others, she attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned a degree in nursing. Before joining VP this school year, she served at El Modena High School, gaining valuable experience in school healthcare. As the dedicated school nurse, Dana cherishes moments of laughter with her colleagues and fondly recalls attending the memorable French wedding at VP. Beyond her professional life, Dana shares her home with a rescue dog, a mix terrier, reflecting her caring nature both inside and outside the school environment.
Dave Schorr-Math & Science Teacher
Written by: Alexander Tran
Teaching here at Villa Park High School for over 24 years, Mr. Schorr has taught various forms of math ranging from Geometry to Calculus. First attending Morrison Christian Academy in Taichung, Taiwan in 1994; Mr. Schorr would later go on to attend the University of California, Irvine. While attending UCI, he would major in Physics and was especially active in the university’s Christian Club. Mr. Shorr’s love for mathematics would be extended here at Villa Park High School, where he currently teaches: Calculus BC & AB, Physics E&M, Physics C, and Conceptual Physics. When asked about his favorite aspect of his teaching career, Mr. Schorr believes that helping students prosper and learning new material himself has always been something he loved. This is especially true for his second year of teaching here at Villa Park, which he considered transformational for as an educator. Besides being a beloved math teacher, Mr. Schorr is a father of a 16 year old daughter and 12 year old son. In his free time, he enjoys playing the guitar and making new songs with his daughter. Mr. Shorr is also fluent in Mandarin too, having spent his secondary education in Taiwan.
This Week In Athletics
Written by: Trinity Laurenson-Aumua
This week, varsity wrestlers Santiago Benitez and Ximena Romero qualified for CIF state! Santiago is ranked number 15 within the state of California; he placed 5th in masters; and placed 1st in CIF all in the heavyweight category. Ximena placed 2nd at CIF; 2nd at masters; and is overall ranked 7th in the state. She is also the first ever Villa Park girls varsity wrestler to compete at state. Our Villa Park High School’s ASB gave them a spirited send off as they left for state this past Wednesday. Best of luck and on behalf of Villa Park High School, we congratulate you two for your outstanding achievements.
Follow VPHS Teams on Social Media!
Please check out the VP Sports schedule for the latest game schedule, results, and events.
If you are on Instagram, follow our teams to stay updated on game results, schedules, and other team-related events:
- VPHS Boys Basketball
- VPHS Girls Basketball
- VPHS Rugby (NEW)
- VPHS Boys Soccer
- VPHS Girls Soccer
- VPHS Wrestling
- VPHS Aquatics - Water Polo Boys (Fall) Girls (Winter) Swimming (Spring)
- VPHS Cheer & Stunt
- VPHS Cross Country (Fall)
- VPHS esports
- VPHS Football (Fall)
- VPHS Flag Football (Fall)
- VPHS Girls Golf (Fall)
- VPHS Girls Tennis (Fall)
- VPHS Girls Volleyball (Fall)
- VPHS Baseball (Spring)
- VPHS Boys Golf (Spring)
- VPHS Boys Volleyball (Spring)
- VPHS Softball (Spring)
- VPHS Boys Tennis (Spring)
- VPHS Track & Field (Spring)
