Orange County Department of Education Contact: Aracely Chastain 714-966-4377 [email protected] NEWS RELEASE

Orange County Students Awarded for Performance at Academic Competition – 45th Annual Academic Decathlon Awards Ceremony Tonight COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 – The Orange County Academic Decathlon Association and the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) are proud to announce the winners of the 2013 Orange County Academic Decathlon (OCAD) competition. The OCAD Awards Ceremony will be this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Robert B. Moore Theater at Orange Coast College.

The Orange County Academic Decathlon is a ten-event scholastic competition. Teams from Orange County public and private high schools compete in math, economics, language and literature, science, music, art, social science, speech, interview, and essay. Each nine-member team includes three “A” students, three “B” students, and three “C” students. The theme for the 2012-2013 competition is Russia, as outlined by the United States Academic Decathlon Association.

The Academic Decathlon program, now the premiere scholastic competition in the country, began in Orange County 45 years ago and was pioneered by former Orange County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Robert Peterson. The OCAD program is sponsored by the non-profit Orange County Academic Decathlon Association and is administered by OCDE.

Westminster High School in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, won the Overall Team Award and will represent Orange County at the California Academic Decathlon competition in March in Sacramento. The OCAD Association will donate $5,000 to the team to assist with the cost of the trip to the state competition.

With overall team scores among the highest in California, Valencia High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District; Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District; and Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District, also received invitations to the state competition.

2013 Winning OCAD Teams Division 1

1st Place: Westminster High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District 2nd Place: Valencia High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District 3rd Place: Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District 4th Place: Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District 5th Place: Trabuco Hills High School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District

Division 2

1st Place: John F. Kennedy High School, Anaheim Union High School District 2nd Place: Fountain Valley High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District 3rd Place: Tustin High School, Tustin Unified School District 4th Place: Cypress High School, Anaheim Union High School District 5th Place: Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Private School, Anaheim

Division 3

1st Place: Corona Del Mar High School, Newport-Mesa Unified School District 2nd Place: San Juan Hills High School, Capistrano Unified School District 3rd Place: Brea Olinda High School, Brea Olinda Unified School District 4th Place: Servite High School, Private School, Anaheim 5th Place: Loara High School, Anaheim Union High School District

For additional information, contact Kristin Rigby, Project Manager, Academic Events, Orange County Department of Education, at 714-966-4435 or [email protected].

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