Welcome back to another school year. While some of our students are entering their senior year year in high school and others are beginning their high school career, it is an exciting time to be a Pioneer! For several weeks now, our teachers have been diligently planning, attending professional development, and collaborating to ensure that your child has the most successful school year yet. I want to applaud our teachers and students who worked tremendously hard last school year and successfully and significantly increased our school grade by 12 points. Job well done! This is proof that through hard work and determination our pioneers are unstoppable. While some things have changed, such as the introduction of the B.E.S.T. Standards in math and English language arts and changes to school grade configuration, we are confident that we are “Bound for Glory.” As a school we have established a centralized focus on academics, opportunities and service with our student pillars being leadership, relationships, and excellence.

Pioneers past, present and future, I ask that you stay connected to Oak Ridge, as we celebrate over 60 years that our great school was founded, and our Pioneers started changing the world. I hope to see you at our school advisory council meetings, extra-curricular activities, sporting events and our first home football game on August 19. Remember that today, and every day, is a great day to be a Pioneer!

Your Proud Principal,

Mr. Benjamin Alvarado

Pictured very top: It’s been a busy week at The Ridge! We welcomed back our amazing teachers, whom have worked hard on getting everything ready for our students! Their dedication is beyond measure, which affirms that we are “Bound For Glory!” Welcome Back Students 💚💛!

Seniors! We are excited to introduce this year's senior class sponsors Ms. Mercedes Gittens & Ms. Kourtney Johnson. Also, If you have not already please follow our Senior class Instagram page: @orhs_seniors23 #SeniorYear #ProudPioneers #ORHS

Sign-up today to volunteer and become a Partner in Education. Click on the link to get started: https://ocps.samaritan.com/custom/503/volunteer_home

If you need further information please contact our Coordinator, Laurene Householder at laurene.householder@ocps.net - she will be more than happy to assist you!

Thank you Kim Lenaway – Chick-fil-A Millenia. We look forward to an exciting partnership!

Keeping your goals a secret from your family and friends can reduce your chance of attaining them. If you're the only one who knows the targets you've set, you might let yourself off the hook for not hitting them, find excuses or blame others.

If you declare your goals, you're more likely to be accountable and more likely to deliver on them. The odds go up that you'll stick with them when you've been public with them. Another side effect is that people will have an element of curiosity to see how you are doing. 

Ideally, you want to hold yourself accountable by sharing quantifiable goals that are easy for you — and your family and friends — to see you succeed with. For example, commit to being at school, on time, every day during these first nine weeks. Another might be signing up for one of our many Pioneer clubs or organizations when they open up. A third might be having your back pack organized and laptop charged up every evening before the next school day. A fourth might be committing to extra reading for pleasure — for a sport you're playing or a topic you find interesting for personal reasons. But if reading is one of your goals, make sure you share that you intend to finish a book on the subject. 

Whatever your goals are for these first nine weeks, you have to make them real. Don't broadcast a goal you were always going to hit anyway to show things are fine. And if you fall short, don't dwell on it. Learn the lesson and move on. Don't get trapped in "would've, could've, should've."

Finally, remember that it builds your integrity when you miss a goal. No one expects perfection. Showing humility and perseverance in the face of failure enhances your credibility.

Copyright Notice

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Oak Ridge High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Oak Ridge High School. Please contact Mrs. Laurene Householder at laurene.householder@ocps.net with any questions related to the program.

Oak Ridge High School | Mr. Alvarado, Principal | 407.852.3200 | ORHS Website