OCSA Weekly Wrap - December 23, 2022

December 23, 2022

WINTER BREAK

Happy Winter Break! OCSA will be closed starting today, Friday, December 23, through Friday, January 6. As a reminder, the Administrative and Student Services Offices will be closed during this time period. Additionally, no Weekly Wrap newsletters will be sent out over the break. Be sure to review the message below for reminders regarding the first week of the spring semester.

We hope you enjoy your much-deserved time away. Congratulations on completing the first semester and happy holidays!

FIRST WEEK OF SECOND SEMESTER

Please keep the following dates in mind for the beginning of the spring semester:

Monday, January 9:

Staff Professional Development Day (No School)

Tuesday, January 10:

Academic Instruction Resumes – Blue Day (No Conservatory)

Wednesday, January 11:

Gold Day (No Conservatory)

Thursday, January 12:

Blue Day (No Conservatory)

Friday, January 13:

Gold Day (No Conservatory)

We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year!

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

We hope that Winter Break provides our OCSA community the opportunity to spend valuable time with family and friends. We also recognize that this time of year can be particularly challenging for some and may add additional stress and mental health crises.

If your family is in need of support over break, please see below for a list of mental health and wellness services available to our OCSA community:

If you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
If you or someone you know needs support during a mental health crisis and needs to talk to someone, please call/text 988 or chat through www.988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can help quickly and confidentially find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers to match your needs. Care Solace services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round, and can be accessed the following ways:

Call 888.515.0595 at any time.
Visit www.caresolace.com/OCSA for an anonymous search. Answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers.

Additional Resources:

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

211 (Information & Referral Line) – Call 211 or visit www.211.org
Crisis Assessment Team – Call 866.830.6011 or 714.517.6353
Crisis Text Line – Text CTL to 741741
Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800.799.7233
Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 714.957.2737
Suicide Prevention Hotline – Call 877.7CRISIS (877.724.4747)
USA National Suicide Hotlines – Call 888.SUICIDE (888.784.2433) or 800.273.TALK (800.273.8255)

Available from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday through Friday

The OC Warm Line – Call or text 877.910.WARM (877.910.9276) or contact online at www.namioc.org/oc-warmline

HOLIDAY CONSERVATORY CHALLENGE

Hurry, there’s only one week left to participate in the Holiday Conservatory Challenge! Our 17 incredible arts conservatories need your help to reach their funding goals for the 2022-2023 school year. All pledges and donations to the Holiday Conservatory Challenge received by Saturday, December 31 will be MATCHED, up to $500,000! Both your donation and the matching gift will be allocated to the conservatory of your choice, or to the area of greatest need.

As a bonus, the top THREE conservatories with the highest percentage of current family participation will be awarded an additional prize by the OCSA Foundation: $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third place! Every gift, large or small, will make a difference, so we encourage you to give now to help your conservatory make it to the podium!

Please note that contributions made to this campaign and the allocated matching dollars cannot be applied to pre-existing Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA) pledges. For any questions, please contact Family Liaison Becky Parsons at becky.parsons@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5535.

YEAR-END DONATION REMINDER

Thank you to all of our families who continue to support OCSA so generously! We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that donations to OCSA, including those made through your Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA) and to the Holiday Conservatory Challenge, are tax deductible per the school’s IRS nonprofit designation (Tax ID #33-0891574). If you would like your donation to count toward 2022 for tax purposes, please be sure to make online donations or postmark checks by Saturday, December 31. Checks can be mailed to the OCSA Business Office at 1010 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701; Attention: Becky Parsons.

Tax receipts for 2022 donations will be sent via email by Tuesday, January 31. If you have questions, please contact Family Liaison Becky Parsons at becky.parsons@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5535.

ENVIRONMENTAL EXPEDITION

Calling all eco-explorers and science fans! The science department is hosting a two-week environmental expedition to the Caribbean island of Dominica from Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, July 2. While exploring jungles and coral reefs, students will learn research techniques and collect data used to protect the island. The expedition will include camping, hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving, along with a stay in an 18th century fort! While earning college credit, students will get the opportunity to study birds, butterflies, bats, lizards, volcanoes, frogs, fish, and whales. The deadline to join the trip is today, Friday, December 23.

For more information, please visit this link or email Biology Teacher Chris Chong at chris.chong@ocsarts.net with any questions.

Calling high school student poets from all conservatories! Are you interested in participating in OC RYSE, the largest youth poetry slam in the county? Then come to Symphony Hall on Friday, January 13 during Office Hours for an informational meeting with Creative Writing Conservatory Director Josh Wood.

You will hear about this opportunity for OCSA’s poets to compete against teams from other area high schools and be judged by local performers and writers. For more details, please visit the OC RYSE registration page. The deadline to register for OC RYSE is Wednesday, February 1. The competition will take place on Saturday, March 18.

Know someone outside of OCSA who might want to participate as well? Share this link with them!

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOMERS TRIP

Attention all middle school students: You are invited to an exciting adventure at Boomers Irvine! This group excursion will be held on Friday, January 27 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets will be on sale for $30 starting Friday, January 13 and will include one-way transportation to Boomers Irvine, located at 3405 Michelson Drive in Irvine. Get ready to enjoy fun games and rides, such as go-karts, golf, bumper boats, laser tag, FlameThrower, Rock N Tug, teacups, and much more.

Please note: This event is only open to OCSA students in grades 7 and 8. Buses will load on 10th Street as close to 2:30 p.m. as possible and will depart as soon as all guests are accounted for. All students must be picked up by their parents/guardians at the Boomers entrance when the event ends at 5:30 p.m.

GALA 2023 AUDITIONS FOR SPECIALTY ACTS

Calling students from all grades and conservatories: Gala auditions for specialty acts will be held on Thursday, January 12! This year’s Gala will include roller skaters and a DJ/host. If you are interested in auditioning for one of these special roles, please be sure to sign up for an audition time by Wednesday, January 11 at 11:59 p.m. Click here to complete your application. For more information, please visit www.ocsarts.net/GalaAudition.

Gala 2023 will take place on Saturday, April 29 at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. Gala is the school's largest fundraising event of the year – don't miss your opportunity to be a part of this spectacular show!

For any questions, please contact MONTAGE! Dance Captains/Facilitators Jacob Piattoni at jacob.piattoni@ocsarts.net and Julia Rudge at julia.rudge@ocsarts.net.

PRE-ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY

If you have not done so already, be sure to purchase your yearbook by Friday, January 13! After this deadline, prices will go up and limited copies will be available. We have sold out of yearbooks in the past, and it's very likely we will again. Order through MySchoolBucks today to guarantee your copy! If your family qualifies for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRLP), a discount is available.

SENIOR YEARBOOK INFORMATION

The deadline for seniors to submit their required yearbook information is fast approaching! Please submit all senior portraits, baby photos, and quotes through the Google Form by Friday, January 13. This information is being collected for yearbook and graduation slideshow purposes. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline. If you have any questions, please refer to the Senior Yearbook Information flyer.

Additionally, senior ads in the yearbook are a special way to congratulate your child on their final year of high school or for seniors to celebrate their years at OCSA with friends and peers! Full page, half page, and quarter page ads are available for purchase until Friday, January 13. Please click here to design and purchase a senior ad on the Yearbook Order Center website (use order number 40412). As these ads are accepted on a space-available basis, plan ahead to make sure your student is included! If you have any questions, please review the Senior Ad Information flyer.

ADMISSIONS DEADLINE APPROACHING

If you have friends or family with students entering grades 7-12 next fall who are interested in joining our welcoming, creative, and unique school community, please remind them that the deadline for prospective students to apply is Tuesday, January 17. They can visit www.ocsarts.net/ApplyNow to learn more and to start the application process today.

The deadline for current students to apply for a conservatory transfer for fall 2023 is also Tuesday, January 17. Students wishing to apply to a new conservatory for the 2023-2024 school year must complete a conservatory transfer application and participate in a Conservatory Placement Activity for their desired conservatory (with the exception of the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory). If you have any questions, please contact our Admissions Office at admissions@ocsarts.net.

HEALTH & SAFETY REMINDERS

The health and safety of our students, staff, and community remain at the forefront of our efforts. OCSA will continue to follow all guidance set by the California Department of Public Health. At this time, mask wearing on the OCSA campus is optional. Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and/or are exhibiting symptoms should remain at home and fill out the COVID-19 Reporting Form. For more information on OCSA’s COVID-19 policies and procedures, please click here.