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In this Message:

• Graduation
• 2021/2022 School Year
• Measure S Update
• Congratulations to the Employees of the Year
• Employee of the Month
• Canyon High School Gym Renovation
• Spring Camp Registration (Elementary)
• Job Opportunities

Upcoming Events

• March 18: Open House – Cerro Villa Middle School
• March 23: Open House – Handy, Jordan, Olive, West Orange
• March 24: Open House – Home School, CDS, EDGE Academy, Independent Study
• March 25: Open House – Portola, Yorba
• March 26: High School Minimum Day
• March 29 – April 2: Spring Break

Dear OUSD Community,

As the spread of COVID-19 in our community decreases, we are excited to be allowed to bring back various sports and spectators. This week, we were excited to hold our first football competitions of the season at Fred Kelly Stadium, and we look forward to being able to continue to slowly move toward more traditional events as public health guidance permits. Our journey in this direction seems very positive as the adjusted daily case rate per 100,000 in Orange County has now fallen to 6 and is projected to keep decreasing. In addition, we have been successfully conducting surveillance testing and have offered vaccinations to a large number of our employees during our Districtwide events held in collaboration with CARE Ambulance.

Due to the data trends, the California Department of Public Health has also updated its guidance regarding social distancing in classrooms. The most recent revision allows for flexibility to maintain less than 6 feet of distance between individuals under certain conditions, such as accommodating a student for in-person instruction due to learning loss. This change will allow for more students to receive in-person instruction, should families so choose. The Educational Services team is working with site administrators to implement the new guidance. If you would like to transition your student back to in-person instruction for this last trimester/quarter, please reach out to your site principal.

Graduation

Our goal is to celebrate the Graduating Class of 2021 during the week of June 7th – 11th at Fred Kelly Stadium. Specific dates/times for each high school will be determined in the next few weeks. In order to maintain safety protocols, current plans allow for each graduate to have two attendees. Depending on updates that occur to public health guidance, the number of attendees permitted may change. Additionally, each graduation ceremony will be live-streamed for public viewing.

2021/2022 School Year

Many families have been inquiring about the instructional models for the 2021/2022 school year. It is our intent to safely transition toward a traditional instructional model while continuing to adhere to and facilitate the specific protocols/procedures outlined in our Safety and Health Driven School Reopening Plan.

Each family will receive an Instructional Model Commitment Survey in early April to determine if your student(s) will be participating in the traditional instructional model or the 100% distance learning model that, as of today, must remain an option for all families. Based on these numbers, the Educational Services team will then be able to provide more specifics concerning 100% distance learning options for next year.

As a result of school site nominations, paper screening, interviews of semi-finalists, and reference checks for the finalists, the following candidates have been selected as Employees of the Year for 2021. The prize patrol team, members of the Executive Cabinet and other staff, including association representatives, visited each staff member’s site last week to notify them of the great news.

Orange Unified, along with the Canyon High School Foundation, teamed up for a major face-lift for the Canyon High School Gymnasium. New bleachers, a new floor, updated bathrooms and a new Bose sound system were highlights of the $1.3 million renovation.

We invite you to take a moment to follow Orange Unified on social media to receive the District’s latest news and announcements. Social media may also be a critical line of communication during emergencies and will be an excellent place for you to get up to date information: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube