I would like to thank the Board of Education for their confidence and support. I also would like to thank OUEA, CSEA, and Orange Unified’s administrators and staff for their hard work and commitment to our students and their academic success.
Sincerely,
Edward Velasquez
Interim Superintendent
Orange Unified School District
National School Counselor Week
National School Counseling Week highlights the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and the tremendous impact they have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. In Orange Unified, we have 58 school counselors to support our students.
Crescent Elementary Robotics Teams… Off to an Amazing Start!
Crescent Elementary School's robotics teams have been showing much success, with a month left in competitions. Our student-led teams, ranging from 4th-grade to 6th-grade students, are showcasing their game strategy, design, and teamwork skills in local competitions.
This year crescent has three teams consisting of eight members each. In May 2022, students at Crescent had an opportunity to join the robotics team. Twenty-four students were selected to represent the school in the VEX robotics competitions. Crescent’s teams have been competing in local tournaments since November and are qualified to compete in the State Championships in March. The team has won several awards this year:
- One Teamwork Champion award
- One Robot Skills award
- Two team robots won design awards
- All three teams received the overall Excellence award (the highest award given at the event)
We are very proud of our students and wish them the best at the State Championship!
Schools to Watch
Of only 36 new schools named “Schools to Watch” in California for 2023, Portola Middle School, Yorba Middle School, and El Rancho Charter Middle School were identified to join Cerro Villa Middle School and Santiago Charter Middle School on this prestigious list, making all middle schools in Orange Unified California Department of Education “Schools to Watch.”
The California Schools to Watch program is sponsored by the California Department of Education, the California League of Educators, and the California Middle Grades Alliance in association with The National Forum. To earn this designation, schools must complete an extensive application and host a site visit by middle grades experts. In order to retain the designation, each school is reevaluated every three years. Altogether, there is now a total of 186 Schools to Watch in California.
The 2023 schools will be recognized at the California Schools to Watch Celebration in Monterey on March 9. For more information about the program, please visit the California League of Educators California Schools to Watch web page.
Change In Matriculation Patterns (California and Yorba)
The Orange Unified School District announces an update to the California iInspire Academy/Yorba Middle School matriculation pattern.
Last year, parents from California iInspire Academy formally requested to allow 6th-grade students to stay at California iInspire Academy instead of matriculating to Yorba Middle School. Currently, only California iInspire Academy 6th graders attend Yorba Middle School. We engaged the California iInspire Academy’s community through surveys and meetings and determined that 92.3% of families want their 6th grades to stay at California. A summary of the survey data can be viewed at the following link: https://dochub.com/jerven/dPB1mkMKO5LYDk2wEOjyzD/california-survey-pdf?dt=Xeq4ddHHs8yVZ2VeWNSh (this was also shared at California iInspire Academy PTA meetings)
Families gave the following information for why they prefer staying at California iInspire Academy will benefit the 6th-grade students:
- Extra year of dual immersion Spanish
- Equity/alignment with other elementary schools in the Yorba boundary
- Gives students an extra year of maturity (before being in middle school)
California iInspire Academy and District Leadership have met with the parent community and are approving the change of California iInspire Academy to include grades PK-6th starting in the 23/24 school year.
Yorba will continue to admit all 7th and 8th-grade students from their current boundary, including the following feeder schools: Handy, Palmyra, Cambridge, and California iInspire Academy (including the Spanish Dual Immersion program). Yorba Middle School will continue to create innovative programs and has recently been named a Schools to Watch school by the State of California and a Verizon Innovative Learning School (one of only two in the county). During the 23/24 school year, Yorba Middle School will also be opening a Verizon Innovation Lab, which will be the first in Orange County with this partnership between Verizon and Arizona State University.
Now Enrolling for 2023-2024
Give your child the Orange Unified EDGE! orangeusd.org/enroll
- Preschool - Child Care - TK-12 Learning
- Full-Day TK & Kindergarten at Each Elementary Site
- EDGE Academy K-12 Online Learning Option
- Elementary & Diploma IB Programmes
- Dual Immersion Programs: Mandarin Chinese & Spanish
- 1:1 Take Home Devices
- 100% WASC-Accredited Middle & High Schools
- Extensive Advanced Placement Course Offerings
- Early College Enrollment
- CIF Championship Athletics Teams
- 25 Career Technical Education Pathways
To learn more or book a school tour, please visit orangeusd.org/learnmore or call 714-628-4350.
Connect with Us
Email: communications@orangeusd.org
Website: www.orangeusd.org
Location: 1401 North Handy Street, Orange, CA, USA
Phone: 714-628-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrangeUnifiedSchoolDistrictCA
Twitter: @orangeunifiedCA