We hope that you had a restful and healthy break, and we are excited to welcome students back to campus on Monday, January 10 for academic and conservatory classes.
Please be reminded that starting Monday, January 10, a revised bell schedule will be in place. Moving forward, the academic schedule will alternate daily, Monday through Friday, between Gold Day (Blocks 4, 5, 6) and Blue Day (Blocks 1, 2, 3).
The Blue Day/Gold Day calendar for next week is as follows:
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Monday, January 10 – Gold Day
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Tuesday, January 11 – Blue Day
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Wednesday, January 12 – Gold Day
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Thursday, January 13 – Blue Day
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Friday, January 14 – Gold Day
As a reminder, all students can access their Spring 2022 schedules in the Aeries student/parent portal by clicking on the classes tab. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s counselor.
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COVID-19 TEST DISTRIBUTION |
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As previously announced, OCSA has received a limited amount of On/Go COVID-19 rapid antigen self-tests to distribute to our students. While we did not receive enough test kits to supply to all OCSA students, we have divided the kits, which include two tests each, into separate packages of individually sealed testing materials in order to have enough tests for approximately 80% of our student body.
We will be distributing ONE free COVID-19 test per OCSA student, available on a first-come, first-served basis. We will immediately notify our community with an urgent communication through the Aeries-ParentSquare notification system if we run out of tests.
Drive-through test distribution will take place in the Dance, Music, and Science Center (DMS) driveway off Sycamore Street as follows:
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Friday, January 7 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
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Saturday, January 8 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Please bring either a student ID or a printout from Aeries with you to the drive-through to verify the identity of the student you are picking up a test for. The tests will only be distributed to an OCSA student, parent/guardian, or immediate family member. We ask that you please remain in your car and wear a mask at all times.
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HELP KEEP OCSA HEALTHY & SAFE |
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We want to thank our entire school community for their flexibility this week when updated public health guidance resulted in a delay to the start of the spring semester. As you know the health and well-being of our OCSA community is always a top priority.
With the recent increase in COVID-19 positivity rates, we must stay vigilant in keeping ourselves and others healthy and safe. Here are some helpful reminders to keep in mind for the first day and throughout the spring semester:
- Do not come to school if you are sick or experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms.
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For those who have access to a COVID-19 rapid antigen test, either from OCSA or an external source, please remember to take your test on the evening of Sunday, January 9 or the morning of Monday, January 10 to ensure the most timely results prior to returning to school. While it is not required to take a documented negative at-home test prior to returning to school, it is recommended that all students complete a test in order to protect our school community.
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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 when 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. by appointment to all students, families, faculty, and staff as an extra health and safety resource. Please visit our COVID-19 Dashboard for registration information and to schedule your appointment.
As always, 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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Due to the delay in the start of the spring semester, fall semester grades will be available in the Aeries student/parent portal under the “Grades” tab beginning Wednesday, January 19 at 5 p.m. Please note that OCSA does not mail home report cards, so it is important that both students and parents review the student’s achievements in Aeries and print a copy for their personal records.
Any questions regarding grades should be directed to the specific teacher. For any technical difficulties with your Aeries account, please email OCSA Tech Support at techsupport@csarts.net.
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ANNUAL PARENT MEETINGS POSTPONED |
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In light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases resulting from the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, the Annual Parent Meetings that were previously scheduled for Monday, February 7, Wednesday, February 9, Tuesday, February 15, and Thursday, February 17 have been postponed.
OCSA is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our entire school community. We appreciate your continued understanding and flexibility as school Administration works to reschedule these important meetings for later in the school year. Please stay tuned for future communications providing new dates and a link to RSVP.
If you have any questions, please contact Family Liaison Becky Parsons at becky.parsons@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5535.
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GET YOUR WINTER FORMAL TICKETS |
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Tickets are on sale now for Winter Formal 2022: Night at the Museum, which will be held on Saturday, January 29 at the Bowers Museum! There will be food, games, dancing, and more. Click here to purchase your tickets today. Guest passes will be available starting on Monday, January 10.
As part of Winter Formal, the OCSA Leadership Class is holding an art exhibit competition open to all high school students. If you would like to participate, please review the guidelines and submit your artwork here. The deadline to submit is today, Friday, January 7, at 11:59 p.m., so don’t miss out! All participants will be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a gift card.
Please note that OCSA will continue to monitor the situation as the event approaches to ensure that students are able to gather safely and we are abiding by the most updated CDC guidelines. If it is not possible for the event to be held safely, tickets will be refunded.
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PRE-ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY |
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If you have not done so already, be sure to purchase your yearbook by this Sunday, January 9! After this deadline, prices will go up and limited copies will be available. We have sold out of yearbooks in the past, and given this is the first full year back on campus, it's very likely we will again. Order through MySchoolBucks today to guarantee your copy!
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LAST CHANCE: SENIOR YEARBOOK INFORMATION |
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Attention Class of 2022 parents and students: The deadline for seniors to submit their required yearbook information is this Sunday, January 9! If you have not yet done so, please submit all senior portraits, baby photos, and quotes through this Google Form. 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, Sunday, January 9 is the final day to purchase senior ads! These special callouts in the yearbook are a great 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 in the yearbook are available for purchase on the Yearbook Order Center website (use order number 40412). Ads are accepted on a space-available basis. If you have any questions, please review the Senior Ad Information flyer.
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Attention all high school students: Due to the postponement of the first day of the spring semester, Gala 2022 auditions have been rescheduled to this coming Tuesday, January 11. Students who already signed up for an audition time will notice that their slot has been adjusted to align with the new schedule.
As a reminder, auditions are open to all high school students in all conservatories. If you haven't already signed up for an audition, there's still time to apply for your chance to perform at Gala 2022! Please visit www.ocsarts.net/GalaAudition for audition information and applications, and contact Quinn Olesiuk at quinn.olesiuk@ocsarts.net if you have any questions.
Gala 2022: Night of a Million Dreams will take place on Saturday, April 23. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
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Please be aware that Pass Back Night will now be held virtually on Wednesday, January 12 at 6 p.m. From the comfort of your home, a presenter from Test Prep Gurus will help you interpret the score reports from the PSAT and PreACT exams. Students can pick up their PreACT paper score reports after school on Wednesday, January 12 in the breezeway. PSAT scores can be viewed on the CollegeBoard Website. Both students and parents are welcome to attend this presentation to learn how to use the results of the practice exams to prepare for the ACT and/or SAT, as well as to hear about current college admission trends. Click here to join the Pass Back Zoom meeting on Wednesday evening.
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High school students: there is less than a week left to apply for the Dragon Kim Fellowship, an exciting program that gives up to $5,000 in grant funding for service projects. Submit an application by this coming Wednesday, January 12 for the chance to gain leadership experience, network with high school students across the Southwest, and launch your own project!
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Mark your calendars! Club Rush will occur during lunch on Tuesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 20. Keep an eye on the Google Classroom (use code gxcobnc) for updates and details coming soon. For those who are unaware, Club Rush is an exciting biannual event where club leaders showcase their clubs and attract interested students to join. Students can still join clubs after Club Rush, and there will be a file posted in the Google Classroom that lists where and when all clubs meet.
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For OCSA students wishing to transfer conservatories beginning in fall 2022, the application is available on our website, please click here to access it. The deadline to apply for a conservatory transfer for the 2022-2023 school year is Friday, January 21.
Students wishing to apply to a new conservatory must complete the 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.
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Academic and Conservatory Instruction for 2nd Semester Begins: Monday, January 10
Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday (School Closed): Monday, January 17
Winter Formal, Grades 9-12: Saturday, January 29
Presidents Day (School Closed): Friday, February 18 - Monday, February 21
Recovered Instructional Day: Monday, March 21
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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS
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