Dear Senior Families,

We hope this email finds you well and that your first month of the spring semester has gone smoothly! We truly miss seeing you on campus. Please rest assured that we are continuing to focus on any opportunities we can create to bring all our seniors together safely. We recognize that this has been a challenging year, and we are committed to doing all we can to recognize, celebrate, and engage the OCSA Class of 2021. With that in mind, we would like to take this opportunity to provide you with an update from our Student Services Office on topics specific to our senior class.
COLLEGE INFORMATION
  • Mid-year transcripts/reports were sent to Common App schools at the end of January (if initial transcripts were ordered). Please reach out to your OCSA counselor if a mid-year transcript is needed for a non-Common App school.

  • Students, if your college list has changed at all, please make sure that your Naviance account is up-to-date and that you have informed your OCSA counselor so that all materials can be sent out in a timely fashion.


GRADUATION UPDATE
  • Graduation for the Class of 2021 is scheduled for Thursday, June 10.

  • Pending compliance with all event gathering guidelines, we are committed to identifying a large outdoor venue to safely host an in-person graduation ceremony. To make this possible in a socially distanced manner, we may have to limit the number of guests per graduating senior. We are also exploring a livestream broadcast component so that all additional guests can participate in the festivities from the comfort of their homes. We look forward to celebrating our seniors and will continue to keep you updated as plans are finalized.
CALIFORNIA STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY
  • The California State Seal of Biliteracy provides recognition to high school graduates who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages (in addition to English). Seniors who have attained this designation have the opportunity to receive a special seal affixed to their diploma.

  • To be considered for this recognition, seniors must log in to Google using their OCSA accounts, complete the application, and meet the state-designated requirements. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 12.
GRAD NIGHT 2021
  • We regret to inform you that the Disneyland Resort has canceled all of their Grad Night 2021 events due to their ongoing closure. We will continue to monitor guidelines for large group gatherings and do everything possible to plan a replacement Grad Night event in June 2021 for our senior students. We are currently researching possible alternatives for the seniors to gather together in a safe manner and will provide updates on Grad Night as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued patience and support.

  • In the meantime, if you would prefer to request a refund of your Grad Night ticket purchase, please contact Phyllis Weretka at phyllis.weretka@ocsarts.net.
SENIOR EVENTS
  • The Senior Wall Handprint drive-through event is scheduled for this Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6. Seniors, if you have not done so already, please make sure to sign up by the end of the day today. Don’t miss this chance to add your handprint to the wall!

  • The senior panoramic photo, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, February 17, was canceled due to the extended school closure. However, any student that ordered the panoramic photo will receive a composite poster of all senior photos that were submitted to the yearbook! The panoramic photo is included for those that ordered senior packages and can also be purchased separately at www.MySchoolBucks.com.

  • We are continuing to plan a variety of celebratory opportunities for seniors. Events and activities that are currently in the works include: 
  • Senior Decision Instagram and OCSA College Decisions on 10th Street (similar to what has previously been done in the Humanities Tower Lobby)
  • Senior T-Shirts/Sweatshirts
  • OCSA Pen Pals
  • Game Night
  • Yoga Night
  • Senior Slideshow (compiling memories of OCSA by students and staff from the last six years)
  • Senior Movie Night & Concert (tentative based on health guidance for the time)
For any remaining questions, please contact the OCSA Administrative Team at ocsa.administration@ocsarts.net.  

Thank you for your attention, and we sincerely hope we can see you all again in person before too long.

Sincerely,

OCSA Administration

Michael Ciecek, Principal
Gregory Endelman, Ed.D., Executive Director of Special Services
Becca Freeland, Dean of Student Services
Maria Lazarova, D.M.A., Dean of Arts
Sally Lopez, Dean of Instruction
Leon Metoyer, Special Services Learning Specialist

Cc: All OCSA faculty and staff