UPDATE TO SCHOOL MASKING REQUIREMENT |
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As you may have seen in yesterday's announcement, OCSA will be adjusting its protocols according to the recent update to state guidance, which makes masking in schools strongly recommended rather than required. Students and staff – regardless of vaccination status – will be allowed a choice when it comes to masking on campus, effective Monday, March 14. Prior to that date, indoor masking will still be required for all OCSA students and staff.
OCSA will continue to follow safety guidance and mitigation protocols from the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency, along with strongly respecting the masking choice of each individual. We ask the OCSA community to please treat others with consideration and respect as everyone navigates their own preferences.
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CONSERVATORY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
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Please be aware that, due to a professional development day for conservatory staff members, there will be no conservatory classes on Thursday, March 17. Students will be dismissed at 2:25 p.m. that day. School bus schedules and Homework Club will be adjusted for the dismissal time.
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Please be reminded that the mandated California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Assessments will be administered during our annual testing period, Tuesday, April 12 - Thursday, April 21. Your student will take these online tests in their Literature and Composition, Social Studies, and/or Science classes. The tests are computer-adaptive to allow a more precise measurement of individual skills.
Please see below for the tests to be administered by grade level.
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7th Grade: Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC) for English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Physical Fitness Test
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8th Grade: Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC) for ELA, Mathematics, and California Science Test (CAST)
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9th Grade: Physical Fitness Test
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10th Grade: California Science Test (CAST)
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11th Grade: Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC) for ELA and Mathematics
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12th Grade: California Science Test (CAST)
Following testing, students will receive individual score reports that will include an overall score and a description of the student’s achievement level for ELA, Mathematics, and Science.
The OCSA Board of Trustees believes that it is important for all OCSA students to take these CAASPP Assessments as they provide us with an important tool to monitor the growth and success of our students and programs. For students in 11th grade, these assessments are required to obtain the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation and may also provide an exemption to the English and Math placement tests in the California State University system. However, parents do have the right to request that their student not participate in the state mandated testing. Requests must be submitted in writing no later than Friday, April 1. Please contact Dean of Instruction Kimberly Barraza Lyons at kim.lyons@ocsarts.net if you wish to opt out or if you have any questions.
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OCTA YOUTH RIDE FREE PASSES EXTENDED |
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Good news – Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has extended their Youth Ride Free Program! Current passes will be accepted until the end of March to allow adequate time to collect a new pass. These new passes can be picked up in the Bookroom during Lunch or Office Hours and will be valid from March to September 2022. Please note that an updated parent release form must be submitted in order to receive this pass. Click here to print the parent release form or pick up a hardcopy in the Bookroom. For more information, please visit the OCTA Youth Ride Free Program webpage.
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2022-2023 SCHOOL CALENDAR APPROVED |
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As a reminder, the 2022-2023 school calendar was recently approved. Please click here to view the year-at-a-glance document for next school year. Be sure to mark your calendars for the first day of school for the fall semester on Tuesday, August 16. Please be aware that the school holiday listed on Friday, March 17, 2023 is subject to change in order to coincide with the date of Gala 2023, which is pending. Stay tuned for the complete list of important dates for the 2022-2023 school year coming soon!
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Course selection presentations for the 2022-2023 school year will continue to be held by grade level in Social Studies or Health classes with school counselors. Students will select courses in Aeries during the presentations; however, hard copies of the forms must also be turned in to the Student Services Office in Room 101 of the Humanities Tower with a parent signature by the grade-specific deadline below. Forms received after the deadline will be dated and receive less priority for classes, especially for electives. Please do not request to meet with school counselors regarding course selection prior to the presentation where questions will most likely be answered.
Parents/guardians of high school students are invited and encouraged to attend Course Selection Parent Meetings via Zoom. For parents who are unable to attend, meetings are also recorded and uploaded to the Google Classroom for each class (Class of 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026). Please have your student help you access the recording.
Please see the following schedule for more information.
Rising Seniors
Parent Meeting: The recorded presentation link can be found in your student’s grade level-specific Google Classroom.
Form Deadline: Past due
Rising Juniors
Parent Meeting: Friday, March 4 (TODAY!) from 2:30-3:30 p.m. (Zoom link)
Form Deadline: Friday, March 11
Rising Sophomores
Presentation: Monday, March 7 - Monday, March 14
Parent Meeting: Friday, March 18 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. (Zoom link)
Form Deadline: Friday, March 25
Rising Freshmen
Presentation: Monday, March 21 - Thursday, March 24
Parent Meeting: Friday, March 25 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. (Zoom link)
Form Deadline: Thursday, March 31
Rising 8th Grade Students
Presentation: Monday, March 28 - Friday, April 1
Form Deadline: Friday, April 29
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Parents/guardians: Don’t forget to reserve your tickets for our annual Elective Showcase, which will be held at the Margaret A. Webb Theatre on Thursday, March 24 during Blocks 4, 5, and 6 and on Friday, March 25 during Blocks 1, 2, and 3. Please note that tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance in order to attend.
To reserve tickets, please follow the steps below:
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Click here to go to the OCSA Box Office.
- Select the date your student is performing.
- Select the time that corresponds to your student’s elective block (see the flyer below for specific performance times).
- Click the “Select seats from map” button.
- Click the green dots and click “Add” to select the seat(s) you would like to reserve.
- Click “Add tickets to cart.”
- Click “Checkout” and complete the checkout process.
We hope to see you there!
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Tickets are going fast for our magical Symphony of Dreams concert to commemorate OCSA’s 35th anniversary! We hope you will join us on Saturday, March 26 in the beautiful Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University. If you haven’t done so already, please click here to purchase tickets and prepare to be wowed as our students, both past and present, transform the stage into one of the greatest opera houses of all time!
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HELP KEEP OCSA HEALTHY & SAFE |
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The following are a few reminders to keep our school community safe and informed:
- Do not come to school if you are sick or experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms.
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If you have received a positive COVID-19 test, have a possible exposure to COVID-19, or experience COVID-19 symptoms, please report it to the school through the COVID-19 Reporting Form as soon as you can.
- Continue to wear masks at school while indoors, as well as outdoors whenever physical distancing is not feasible. With the highly contagious nature of the Omicron variant, the CDC is recommending that everyone wear surgical-grade (3-ply) masks of non-woven material that are well-fitted to the face.
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Please remember that free weekly COVID-19 testing is offered every Monday in the Symphony Hall lobby from 12-4:30 p.m. to all students, families, faculty, and staff as an extra health and safety resource. Please note that we have recently changed vendors for this service. As a result, all members of the OCSA community will need to re-register for testing if they have not done so already. Please visit our COVID-19 Dashboard for information on how to register with our new vendor.
All of OCSA’s most recent COVID-19 information, including policies, procedures, and important health and safety resources, can be found on our COVID-19 Dashboard. Thank you for helping to keep our school environment safe for all students and staff!
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Conservatory Professional Development Day (No Conservatory): Thursday, March 17
Recovered Instructional Day: Monday, March 21
Recovered Instructional Day: Friday, April 1
Spring Break (School Closed): Monday, April 4 - Friday, April 8
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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS
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