News & Announcements

I want to keep this week’s message short and sweet. As the first trimester officially comes to an end on Friday, on behalf of our entire OPA-SOC staff we would just like to say how incredibly thankful we are for the continued support we have received throughout this school year. We would not have been able to accomplish everything we have so far without our amazing parent community.
Report cards will be available for parents to view on Aeries on Friday, December 2nd. The month of December will be jam packed with events so make sure you read all correspondence so you don’t miss anything! We look forward to finishing the last week of this trimester strong. Don’t forget that there is no school for Thanksgiving Break and the front office will be closed from Monday, November 21st through November 25th. Have a wonderful week.

As many of you may have seen in the news, the 2022 California Assessment of Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results were just released. I am extremely excited to announce that both OPA-South Orange County and OPA-Saddleback Valley scored higher overall in ELA, Math, and Science than any other Orange County district!!!

It is hard to believe that October is nearly over. Our Champions have been hard at work in their classrooms, Honour Society has gone above and beyond to plan some amazing events for our students, and staff are beginning to prepare for the end of the first trimester quickly approaching.
On behalf of our entire staff we would like to thank all of our parent volunteers who put on an amazing Jog-a-thon last Wednesday. Our Champions were overheard saying, “this is the best day ever!” While it was messy and some of our hands were stained in color, it made it all worth it to see our students so happy. As if the Jog-a-thon wasn’t enough, we also had our first ever Trunk or Treat at SOC and it was a HIT! I was blown away with the creativity of our families and staff who came out and decorated their cars. From Stranger Things to Harry Potter, Star Wars and spooky sights, it was beyond what we were expecting. It was so fun to see all of our Champions dressed up and enjoying time with their family and friends.

The Book Fair was a HUGE success. Thank you to our amazing volunteers for creating a magical space for our students to visit throughout the week. October continues to be filled with fun and exciting events on campus. In 8th grade, Champions completed a STEAM extension project that encourages students to take risks when engineering. Mrs. Merlette and I continue to be amazed by the commitment and creativity of our professors.

Dear Champion Families, It’s Book Fair time! Our Scholastic Book Fair returns to our OPA SOC campus LIVE and IN-PERSON this week with a space themed fair where Champions can LAUNCH THEMSELVES INTO A BOOK! Our OPA SOC’s Scholastic Book Fair will be open in Honour Hall starting on Monday, October 10th, through Friday, October 14th. Champions will be visiting the Book Fair twice with their class. The first time as a preview day to create their wishlist and then the second time to make any purchases. Champions are welcome to also shop after school but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who has signed in at the front office. The Book Fair will also be open from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday, October 13th, during a Family Fun Night so that families can shop together!

Last night at the Orange County Board of Education meeting, the OPA - Middle School petition was unanimously approved with no conditions for a term of five years. I am so grateful for all of the support from our OPA community. This is an extremely exciting step forward for OPA, and it will provide many new opportunities for our middle school and elementary champions.

Dear OPA Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful time at your parent/professor conference. Professors enjoyed getting to know each family and sharing what has been going on in the classroom over the first six weeks of school. Although last week was short it was filled with excitement for our Champions. Students were able to experience Blackwell’s for the first time this school year. Mrs. Merlette did an amazing job setting up our student store. It is filled with hundreds of prizes that students are able to purchase with their Scholarships. Professors utilize PBIS Rewards, a digital reward system where students earn Scholarships for showing compassion, honesty, accountability, mindfulness, and preparedness.

Dear OPA Families, On Friday, SOC’s Honour Society hosted our first Fall Festival- OPA Space Night on campus since the pandemic started and WOW did we have a HUGE turnout! Over 300 people were in attendance to play games, socialize and
just enjoy being back on campus. I want to send a huge thank you to Honour Society and specifically Betsy Freiler for organizing this event. I would also like to thank our amazing volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to help run the different booths and set up. Additionally, I would like to thank the Masoomi Sharif family, for their DELICIOUS Italian Food Truck.

The Orange County Department of Education is recommending that the Orange County Board of Education unconditionally approve the OPA-Middle School charter petition for a term of five years. The official vote on the charter petition will be held on October 5, 2022, at the Orange County Department of Education. I encourage all OPA families to come out to support the approval!! The meeting starts at 5:00 PM.