Friday, May 8, 2020 THANK A TEACHER In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, please make sure your OCSA teachers know how much they mean to you by sending notes of appreciation and words of kindness. We miss being together, and small notes of thanks can have a huge impact. Our OCSA teachers are amazing! CONSERVATORY END-OF-YEAR SURVEYS At the end of each school year, OCSA administrators survey parents and students regarding their experience in their respective arts conservatory programs. Although students are not currently on campus for their conservatory classes, it is still valuable to collect information to evaluate the 2019- 2020 in-person conservatory experience. As a result, this year’s survey will focus on the conservatory experience prior to the school closure that began on Friday, March 13th. Survey results are carefully reviewed by directors and administrators each year and are vital to the evolution and development of OCSA's conservatory programs. This survey should only take 3-5 minutes to complete. If you have not done so already, please consider taking our 2019-2020 Conservatory Survey. Students completing the survey should click here, and parents completing the survey should click here. Thank you for your time and continued support of OCSA’s arts conservatory programs! AP EXAMS BEGIN NEXT WEEK As previously communicated, this year’s AP exams will be administered between Monday, May 11th and Friday, May 22nd. Please click here to view the AP exam schedule. All students taking an AP exam should review the resources below in order to ensure a positive testing experience. Good luck on your exams! • 2020 AP Testing Guide • 2020 AP Exam Overview Video • 2020 AP Exam Demo Site • What Students Need on Exam Day As a reminder, the College Board has waived the cancellation fee for unused exams this year; therefore, any student who cancels their AP exam can be issued a full refund. Although students are still strongly encouraged to take their AP exams, students wishing to cancel their exam(s) and receive a full refund need to email Sally Lopez, AP Coordinator, [email protected]. HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS & FAMILIES Last week, we shared resources in support of Student Mental Health Week. In an ongoing effort to support our students, teachers, and parents during these challenging times, we want to continue to provide these resources to our OCSA community so that they have the support they may need. Our school counselors also remain committed to helping OCSA students and families navigate this unprecedented time. Please explore the following helpful links or reach out to your child’s counselor directly (contact information is provided later in the newsletter) for additional support. • CDC Guidelines for Stress and Coping Strategies • HelpGuide International Resources on Coronavirus & Mental Health • American Psychological Association (APA) Resource Page for Pandemics • California Resources for Emotional Support and Well-Being • California Surgeon General’s Playbook: Stress Relief for Caregivers and Kids during COVID- 19 • The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) • Online Services for Families During Coronavirus provided by the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco • Child Trends – Resources for Supporting Children’s Emotional Well-being during the COVID- 19 Pandemic • Pearson Intervention Tip Sheets for Dealing with Anxiety, Depression, Attention Problems, and Academic Problems COMING SOON: PLAN TO COLLECT TEXTBOOKS OCSA administrators are currently developing plans to safely and efficiently collect school assets like textbooks and Chromebooks, as well as return contents of school lockers to students. These plans are being created with social distancing guidelines in mind and may include the establishment of drive-thru lanes to return school property and collect student items, including medications and personal belongings from lockers. Any official plan to collect/return student items will not begin until the first week of June so that students have access to their learning materials through the end of the school year. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks. CAMPUS ACCESS, SCHOOL OPERATIONS & SUPPORT School Business Hours At this time, we are still discouraging students from visiting the OCSA campus to retrieve personal items from lockers. However, if you need instructional materials on campus required for a class, please use the days and hours below to quickly access the campus. For the duration of OCSA’s school closure, the campus will have limited availability according to the following schedule: • Monday - Friday, on days school is normally in session • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM When you arrive, please check in with security at the Humanities Tower so they may assist you with access. Meal Assistance Ordering Deadline As a reminder, OCSA is providing meal assistance during the school closure to families who participate in the federal free-and-reduced lunch program. If your family requires meal assistance, please contact OCSA Food Services Director Peter Striffolino [email protected] each week by Thursday at 12:00 PM to reserve meals for the following week. Meals will be prepared and ready for pick-up each Monday at 10:00 AM in the OCSA Breezeway. Tech Support Hours OCSA’s Tech Support is here to assist you. As a reminder, Tech Support is working modified hours during the school closure according to the following schedule: • Monday - Friday, on days school is normally in session • 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Tech Support is available via phone at 714.560.0900 ext. 4900 and email [email protected]. School Counseling Support Please remember that OCSA’s school counselors are available for students via email from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. Please reach out to your child’s counselor with any questions, concerns, etc. that you have at this time. • Vanessa Musso, Middle School: [email protected] • Ashley Talbert, High School (Last Names A-Co): [email protected] • Kara McCann, High School (Last Names Cr-Ho): [email protected] • Alyx Braun, High School (Last Names Hs-Ma): [email protected] • Dan Hulse, High School (Last Names Mc-R): [email protected] • Becky Vance-Freeland, High School (Last Names S-Z): rebecca.vance- [email protected] CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHT: VISUAL ARTS SENIOR EXHIBITION Every year, OCSA’s Visual Arts (VA) Conservatory celebrates its graduating seniors with a Visual Arts Senior Exhibition. This year’s event is a virtual celebration of the Class of 2020, featuring a stunning online gallery that showcases the works of 27 VA seniors. Click here to view the gallery, read the artist bios, and learn about their artistic motivations and future plans. CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHT: INDUSTRY CHAT WITH NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel spent some of his free time over the past month chatting with students from our Film & Television (FTV) Conservatory. Each week, they have gathered via Zoom to talk about one of the films he has worked on, including Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men, and Drive, and discuss the art and business of the movie industry. Our FTV seniors also had the opportunity to share clips from their senior project films to receive feedback from the acclaimed professional. VANS CUSTOM SHOE DESIGN COMPETITION WINNER Congratulations to Jagsher Mann (ACT, ‘25) on winning our Vans custom shoe design competition! Check out Jagsher's winning design below. We received so many amazing design submissions from our students. Thank you to all who participated by submitting designs and voting for your favorites! Don’t forget – you can still customize and order your own pair of OCSA Vans here. For every pair of shoes purchased using the provided OCSA design, Vans will donate the net proceeds back to the school. Get yours before they’re gone! OCSA ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE Kennie Shen (CMD, ‘25) has been keeping up with her dance studies at home and practicing outside! Despite the unique learning environment, she is working hard to continue honing her skills. Check out her incredible skills here or by clicking the image below. WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT Mr. Brett Andrews, one of the many awesome Social Studies faculty members at OCSA, dressed up to let students know he is thinking of them, and to encourage them to check on their teachers during these historic times. Click here or on the image below to watch his video. Sincerely, OCSA Administration [email protected] Michael Ciecek, Dean of Facilities & Supervision Gregory Endelman, Ed.D., Dean of Special Services Becca Freeland, Dean of Student Services Maria Lazarova, D.M.A., Dean of Arts Sally Lopez, Dean of Instruction .