CLICK HERE to learn how to customize this newsletter's appearance by accessing contrast, font size, and language customization options.

In this Message:

• COVID-19 Vaccine
• Facilities Master Plan Town Hall Meetings
• LCAP Survey
• CARES Interest Survey

Upcoming Events

• January 18: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 20: Facilities Master Plan Virtual Town Hall, Villa Park HS Feeder Schools
• January 21: Board of Education Meeting
• January 27: El Modena High School Showcase

Dear OUSD Community,

It has been an exciting week in Orange Unified as we welcomed students and staff back from winter break and COVID-19 vaccination distribution has begun in Orange County. We are pleased to share that our nurses have received their first doses, and that vaccines are now being made available for those age 65 or older. We look forward to the upcoming weeks when distribution moves to Phase 1B, allowing our teachers and staff the opportunity to be vaccinated as well. The County of Orange, together with the Orange County Fire Authority, has launched an effort named ‘Operation Independence’ to complete all county vaccinations by July 4, 2021.

Orange County residents are encouraged to register to be notified when the County of Orange’s vaccine and testing management app, Othena, has appointments available and is ready for their use by visiting https://othena.com/individuals.php and filling out the online form.

To learn more about the County’s Phased Distribution plan, please visit www.COVIDVaccineFacts.com.

Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is only approved for ages 16 and above – trials are still being conducted for younger children. At this time, the State does not have plans to require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend school in person.

This week we also held our first three Facilities Master Plan (FMP) Town Hall Meetings, with the Town Hall for the Villa Park High family of schools scheduled for Wednesday, January 20.

The facilities master planning process began last year with a committee comprised of over 90 stakeholders, including community members, teachers, parents, and local officials.

Facilities Master Plans are the culmination of thousands of hours of commitment and collaboration with stakeholders. Their purpose is to set updated visions and goals for our sites and visualize these hopes through conceptual drawings and site maps.

The current FMP process identifies facility and educational priorities at the elementary and middle schools since the high school master plans were addressed as part of the Measure S bond process. These plans show the feasibility of various options intended to maximize student learning and provide innovative educational opportunities. Future implementation will be based on demographic studies and decisions made by the Board of Education.

The District is collecting anonymous parent responses from parents, teachers, and students to allow them to provide input on our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Your feedback is crucial to help guide the LCAP for the 2021-2022 school year. The survey is open through February 5. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

We are already in the planning stages for the upcoming school year and are currently unsure if we will have enough interest to offer fee-based childcare (CARES for TK-Grade 6) for 2021-2022 at the sites that currently offer the EDGE Club. If you are interested in childcare next year, please fill out the CARES Interest Form. This is only an interest form and not a registration form. As of today, we are unsure if we will be able to offer the parent paid program and this information will be of great help to our planning. Our aim is to let families know of the plans for childcare next year sometime after spring break.

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