News from the OPA Central Office

Contributions to future newsletters are always welcome, please send stories you feel are worth sharing with the OPA community, to communications@opaschools.org.

Congratulations to our Middle School Girl's Basketball team on their championship win! Way to go!

Our middle school offers a variety of sports throughout the school year with teams competing in the Orange County Charter School League with 10 other charter schools. The program offers soccer, flag football, volleyball, basketball, cross country, and cheer! Shout out to the Girl's Volleyball team who also won the championships this year!

For more information on the MS Athletics program, visit our website: https://opams.opaschools.org/apps/pages/athletics

We cannot begin to thank our Honour Societies enough for their many contributions to the success of our champions and schools. Their commitment and dedication to creating an exceptional school experience to help each child reach their full potential are immeasurable. To put it simply - we couldn't do it without them.

Each school's Honour Society Board of Directors was honored in a special ceremony during our March and April OPA Board of Directors meetings. On behalf of all of us at OPA - THANK YOU!

Recognition for Academic Achievement is deeply embedded in our culture here at OPA. So it was with great excitement that Cum Laude returned this year to recognize the achievement of so many champions.

This special recognition is based on the previous year's California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASSPP) results. Champions are recognized for their outstanding achievement in grade-level standards.

88% of our eligible students (students in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade) will receive a Civic Learning Pathway certificate from the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) for demonstrating the required performance outcomes for their designated grade.

Civic learning develops informed and engaged citizens and facilitates the formation of skills and mindsets such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication, and character.

Mrs. Velez (Chancellor, SOC) and Ms. White (SOC, 5th grade) accepted the awards on the student's behalf during an awards ceremony at the OCDE on April 25, 2024.

Congratulations to all of our new OPA families who were selected as part of our annual lottery!

This year OPA saw another record-breaking year for applications, a testament to the hard-working professors, staff, students, and entire OPA community.

We are proud that OPA continues to be the school of choice for so many families - we can't wait to meet our new Champions!

Our 8th-grade students had the opportunity to display and showcase their capstone projects during the Middle School's Open House and VAPA/STEAM night.

Capstone projects are an accumulation of students' work documenting their skills and competencies that align with our Champion Profile: Critical Thinking, Communication, Character, Creativity, Civic Engagement, and Collaboration.

OPA's curriculum and programs focus on unique learning opportunities and experiences to allow students to master each of these skills and competencies during their time at OPA. The capstone projects provide documentation, and an opportunity for students to share, how they have implemented or mastered each of these.

OPA's Annual Day of Service took place on April 20, 2024, with volunteers giving back to our community by planting trees and shrubs along a section of the Oso Creek Trail.

Over 75 OPA families participated, totaling over 200 OPA volunteers! This was our largest Day of Service ever and we are so proud of the impact and contribution everyone made to our community.

For additional photos visit our website news page: https://www.opaschools.org/apps/news/article/1915856

The Middle School hosted their First Annual Career Day! Students learned about career paths and education options, and had an opportunity to ask as many questions as they could!

Career days introduce students to ideas and pathways they may not know existed or thought were beyond their reach. It can also help students understand how the concepts and ideas they are learning now in their curriculum relate to specific jobs they might pursue in the future, helping to create engagement in the classroom.

Thank you to all our speakers for taking the time to speak and engage with our students!

Congratulations to both OPA-SOC and OPA-SV for receiving a performance level category rating of "High" from the California Department of Education (CA DOE).

The CA DOE places charter schools into one of three performance categories as part of determining whether to approve a charter renewal. With the rating of "High", OPA-SOC and OPA-SV are eligible for five-, six-, or seven-year terms during their next renewal petition. (OPA-MS is a new school and therefore has not received a rating.)

Congratulations to our teachers, students, and the OPA community on this exceptional rating! For more information, please visit our website: https://www.opaschools.org/apps/news/article/1903520