Message from the Superintendent

Upcoming Events

• March 5: End of 2nd Trimester - Elementary & Middle School Minimum Day
• March 6: Legislative Coalition Meeting
• March 12: West Orange ES Open House
• March 19: Handy ES Open House; Olive ES Open House
• March 21: Yorba MS Showcase/Open House; Portola MS Showcase/Open House; El Rancho MS Showcase/Open House
• March 22: End of 3rd Quarter - High School Minimum Day
• March 25 – 29: Spring Break

The recipients of the “YOU’VE GOT THE EDGE” award for February 2024 are JJ Hall, Palmyra GATE Magnet teacher, and Karina Hernandez, La Veta Elementary School Instructional Assistant. Both JJ and Karina go above and beyond to serve the staff and students of the Orange Unified School District in ways that reflect the core values of OUSD’s EDGE.

Palmyra GATE Magnet Principal Christina Bletterman had this to say about JJ:

“JJ exemplifies Orange Unified’s core value of excellence. She is a positive, influential force on campus and a school site leader. She is also an outstanding special education teacher. Her instructional skill creates positive learning opportunities for her students and meets their academic needs. She goes over and above to meet all students' varied needs academically, socially, and emotionally. The work JJ does with each student and how she interacts with parents is notable. JJ represents ALL the core values in OUSD, but excellence is her standout trait. Palmyra is fortunate to have JJ as part of the team!!”

La Veta Elementary Lana Merha had this to say about Karina:

“Karina is a highly valued staff member at La Veta. Not only does Karina support the instructional program within the TK classroom, but she also provides endless support for the youngest students on our campus. Karina can turn any TK frown upside down with her magical skillset. She consistently goes out of her way to ensure the TK students feel safe, loved, and valued at La Veta. We are proud to have Karina as part of our team, and we thank her for the impact she makes on students and the overall culture of our school!

Congratulations again to JJ Hall and Karina Hernandez, and thank you both for your dedication and devotion to the students of the Orange Unified School District.

Villa Park High School was one of nine campuses honored by the College Board with the 2023 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for their work toward equal gender representation by engaging more female students in computer science. Since 2016, the College Board has honored schools that have reached 50 percent or higher female examinee representation in one or both AP computer science courses.

Congratulations to Canyon High School’s award-winning robotics team for once again qualifying to compete in the highly coveted VEX Robotics State Championships in March with the goal of earning another invitation to the VEX World Championships.

The Canyon High School Teams State and World Rankings are very impressive:

• Team 15442B ~ Ranked 3rd in CA / 26th in the World
• Team 15442C ~ Ranked 22nd in CA / 133rd in the World
• Team 15442A ~ Ranked 33rd in CA / 180th in the World

We wish them the best of luck in March at their State Championships!

Orange High School has successfully retained its status as an AVID National Demonstration Site, reaffirming its commitment to excellence in the AVID College Readiness System. OHS demonstrates college readiness across its campus through rigorous expectations for all students. The impact of AVID is notably observed schoolwide, especially in the integration of AVID methodologies in content-area classrooms.

Since 2005, Orange High School has proudly held the designation as an AVID National Demonstration Site. AVID National Demonstration schools serve as exemplary models of the AVID College Readiness System, undergoing a rigorous validation process and periodic revalidation to ensure high levels of implementation and fidelity to AVID strategies.

Congratulations to Orange High School for once again achieving certification as an AVID National Demonstration Site! Learn more at https://www.orangeusd.org/about-us/news/release-article/~board/2024-ousd-news/post/orange-high-school-reaffirmed-as-an-avid-national-demonstration-site

Villa Park High School’s 18th annual French Wedding took place on Friday, February 9, complete with flowers, a cake, and traditional wedding attire. Conducted completely in French, this time-honored tradition is the brainchild of Madame Fatima Pazargadi, who has been passionately teaching French at VPHS for 24 years.

Top students in Villa Park High School’s French Club spend countless hours planning the mock wedding down to the smallest detail, learning not only about French culture, history, and tradition, but also how to work collaboratively to prepare and budget for, organize, and successfully host an event.

This year’s bride and groom were Claire von Ting and Louis Hermann.

Congratulations to Ella Kim on being honored with the Association of California School Administrators Every Student Succeeding Award by OUSD district and school leaders. This award “honors those students who overcome incredible obstacles to reach their goals of academic excellence.”

Ella Kim, a Canyon High School student grappling with a visual impairment, has transformed her adversities into triumphs, serving as a beacon of inspiration to all who encounter her. Not only does she excel academically, tackling rigorous coursework that includes AP classes, but she also flourishes in her extracurricular pursuits.

Motivated by her personal journey, Ella embarked on a remarkable endeavor to craft and publish a sensory-integrated children's book. The Many Colors of Happiness written and illustrated by Ella, celebrates the capabilities of students with visual impairments. Demonstrating her unwavering determination, Ella not only authored the book but also undertook the task of illustrating it, offering a distinctive perspective on the world through her artistic vision. This endeavor stands as a testament to her ingenuity and commitment to effecting positive change.

Through her remarkable achievements, she not only conquers her own challenges but also lays the groundwork for a more inclusive and compassionate society.

Great job, Ella! Those interested in her book can check it out at https://a.co/d/ayH2VTD

Our district-wide attendance continues to be strong! Please continue to encourage your students to attend school daily. Congratulations to the winners for January:

Highest Attendance

Orange High School

Imperial

Canyon High School

Nohl Canyon

Most Improved (compared to December)

Fletcher

Lampson

Anaheim Hills

Cerro Villa

Keep up the fantastic attendance!

Check out these recent images from inside our school sites!

Canyon High School

• Girls' Basketball: CIF-SS Division 4AA Champions
• Cheer: CIF Division 1 runner-up!
• Girls’ Wrestling: Tessa Fortenbaugh, CIF Masters’ 4th place finish and is moving on to CIF State Finals representing Canyon HS!

El Modena High School

• Girls’ Water Polo: CIF Championship Runner-Up!
• Cheer: (1st place USA Nationals); Pom (2nd place USA Nationals)!!
• Girls’ Wrestling: Lena Nelson, CIF Masters’ Runner-Up and is moving on to CIF State Finals representing El Modena HS!

Orange High School

• Girls’ Wrestling: Estefany Caballero placed 3rd at CIF Masters’ and is moving on to CIF State Finals representing Orange HS!

Villa Park High School

• Girls’ Wrestling: Ximena Romero Dominguez, Senior; first ever Villa Park HS female athlete to qualify for the CIF State Finals!
• Boys’ Wrestling: Santiago Benitez, Senior, CIF State Finals representing Villa Park HS!

OUSD’s Honor Band and Orchestra will be performing at Chapman University in their Memorial Hall on March 19th, with Honors Orchestra at 6:00 p.m. and Honors Band at 7:30 p.m.

There will be an intermission between the orchestra and band performances, so those there for the orchestra can leave and those there for the band can take their seats. This event is open to the public, with free admission and parking. We expect over 700 people to attend this wonderful community event featuring our very talented student musicians and their instructors.

Our thanks to the Orange Unified Public Schools Foundation and Chapman University for their collaboration in putting together this performance.

In addition, our Vocal Music Festival and Honors Choir Performance will take place at 7 pm on April 5th in the Orange United Methodist Church, which is near the Orange Circle.

These performances are a highlight for our elementary, middle, and high school students each year as they gain self-confidence on stage while performing with their feeder school patterns and building skills as musicians with a community of other performers. I highly recommend attending, especially if you haven’t seen our student musicians perform. They are extremely talented, and it’s always wonderful to see them perform and shine.

Orange Unified Public Schools Foundation is accepting applications for Teacher/School Grants until March 1.

The grant project must serve students or staff of OUSD and align with OUPSF’s mission to provide equitable opportunities for all Orange Unified School District students to learn creatively, think innovatively, and collaborate effectively.

During the 2022-23 school year, over $45,000 was awarded across 27 schools, benefiting 57 teachers and staff members. Ultimately, these grants will positively impact over 18,000 students while also benefiting countless others in the long run. The foundation hopes to exceed the grants funded this school year.

To learn more or apply for a grant, please visit the Foundation’s website at OUPSF.org. We appreciate our district foundation and its ongoing support of our students, faculty, and schools!

Orange Unified School District is continuing the senior banner program to promote the class of 2024’s accomplishments as they graduate at the end of this school year. Selected seniors will appear on individual banners displayed on light poles throughout our community. Please complete the form at https://forms.office.com/r/RPb6jBT1Q1 by Wednesday, March 6, to be considered.

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.

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. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do.

• iOS (Apple): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/orange-unified-school-dist/id6446125598
• Android (Google): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.finalsite.orangeusdorg

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orangeusd
Twitter: @orangeunifiedCA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OUSD

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.