Message from the Superintendent

Dear Orange Unified Community,

It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year is already here. The past three months have presented unique challenges and changes unlike any we have seen in our lifetime, and I am extremely proud of our staff, students, and community for your resilience, perseverance, and support as we have navigated the changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today is bittersweet. We are saddened to send our seniors off without them being able to experience traditional senior activities, but we are also excited to host our first-ever simultaneous graduation ceremonies for all of our graduates. Please join us as we celebrate the Class of 2020 and their accomplishments. A schedule of events is available by clicking here.

In honor of our graduating seniors, we will also have a community moment of celebration by going outside and clapping at 6 PM sharp, followed by our graduation premieres at 6:30 PM. Saturday morning, seniors are invited to participate in a Victory Lap around the Orange Plaza which can be viewed on the City of Orange’s live stream. It is our plan to additionally host traditional graduation at the end of July, assuming we can enforce health and safety measures that align with public health guidelines.

While we work on plans to reintroduce on-campus instruction in the fall, I would like to take a moment to provide a few updates. We have been ordering supplies, including sneeze guards, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and other items to support increased health and safety measures in our schools when they reopen. The Reimagining Schools Task Force has been working on educational options to support our student groups and families in the new year, and data from the Family Survey is being analyzed to help inform what the new year will look like.

Our facilities remain closed to the general public, but low-risk sports teams will start training and practicing together in June, with some programs resuming in August. These activities will be in accordance with the OUSD Return to Play plan which is based on guidance from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC).

Nutrition Services will continue to serve Grab-N-Go meals through the summer. Meals will be served on Mondays and Wednesdays between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM at Cambridge Elementary, Esplanade Elementary, Fairhaven Elementary, Handy Elementary, Lampson Elementary, Taft Elementary, Portola Middle School, and Yorba Middle School for Orange Unified students and their siblings. Parents may pick up meals without their children present but will need ID cards or student ID numbers. We anticipate distributing another 350,000 meals to students in need between June 15 and August 24. Information about nutrition services and other resources for families are available on our website at orangeusd.org/resources.

Thank you for your partnership as we reimagine what teaching and learning look like to maximize the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We are excited to see the smiling faces of our students in the fall. We miss you all and wish you a healthy, happy summer!

Sincerely,
Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Orange Unified School District

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