December 10, 2021
HELP KEEP OCSA HEALTHY & SAFE
As the weather gets colder and we spend more time inside, we must stay vigilant in keeping ourselves and others healthy and safe. Here are some helpful reminders for the end of the semester and Winter Break:

  • Do not come to school if you are sick or experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Continue to wear masks indoors at school.
  • Any time you are inside, please try to ensure that you remain in areas where there is adequate ventilation.
  • If you have received a positive COVID-19 test, have a possible exposure to COVID-19, or experience COVID-19 symptoms, please report it to the school through the COVID-19 Reporting Form as soon as you can.

Thank you for helping to keep our school environment safe for everyone!
NEXT WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Final exams for the fall semester will be administered next week from Monday, December 13 to Thursday, December 16. Teachers will choose the dates of their individual finals.

Academic classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. each day according to the Modified Bell Schedule (displayed below). As a reminder, there will be no conservatory instruction during finals week.

  • Monday, December 13 – Blue Day Modified Bell Schedule
  • Tuesday, December 14 – Gold Day Modified Bell Schedule
  • Wednesday, December 15 – Blue Day Modified Bell Schedule
  • Thursday, December 16 – Gold Day Modified Bell Schedule
  • Friday, December 17 – Teacher Planning Day (No School)
Best of luck with all of your finals!
SPRING SEMESTER BELL SCHEDULE
Please be reminded that, as previously announced, beginning in the spring semester a revised bell schedule will be in place. Beginning Wednesday, January 5, the academic schedule will alternate daily, Monday through Friday, between Blue Day (Blocks 1, 2, 3) and Gold Day (Blocks 4, 5, 6).

Please click here if you wish to review the Spring 2022 Semester Bell Schedule, and be sure to keep the following dates in mind for the beginning of the semester.

Monday, December 20Monday, January 3: Winter Break (School Closed) 
Tuesday, January 4: Staff Professional Development Day (No School)
Wednesday, January 5: Academic Instruction Resumes – Blue Day (No Conservatory)
Thursday, January 6: Gold Day (No Conservatory)
Friday, January 7: Blue Day (No Conservatory)
Monday, January 10: Conservatory Instruction Resumes – Gold Day

We hope you have a wonderful break, and we look forward to a fresh start in the new year!
AERIES PORTAL/REPORT CARDS
Please be aware that the Grades tab in the Aeries student/parent portal will be closed beginning Monday, December 13 so that teachers can begin to enter semester grades. The portal will reopen on Friday, January 14. Official fall semester grades and transcripts will be available in Aeries for review and printing starting in the afternoon on that date. Please note that access to all other tabs in the portal will still be available during this time.
ENTERTAINMENT WORK PERMIT APPLICATIONS
Entertainment Work Permit (EWP) application processing will be put on pause during OCSA's Winter Break while the Student Services Office is closed. Students who need application approval prior to the holidays must submit their application to Laura Ely in the Student Services Office no later than Tuesday, December 14 in order to pick up their permit on Thursday, December 16. Regular processing will resume when the spring semester begins on Wednesday, January 5.
 
Please see below for the EWP submission process and policy guidelines, which went into effect at the beginning of this school year. As a reminder, the Student Services Office no longer accepts applications via email.
 
Process
  1. Download the EWP application from the Department of Industrial Relations Labor Commissioner’s Office.
  2. Parents complete Section A and provide a signature under Section C. 
  3. Students submit the EWP application to the School Registrar – Student Services Office, Humanities Tower, Room 101, for Section B approval, signature, and official stamp. Please allow a minimum of 24 hours for turnaround time. 
  4. Students can pick up their signed application from the Registrar's Office during Block 7 the following day. Please note: Applications submitted on a Friday will not be ready for pick up until Tuesday of the next week. 
 
During the first two weeks of school and after school holidays, expect a longer turnaround time for EWP application approval. Please plan ahead!
 
Policy
Students applying for an EWP must have satisfactory semester grades of “C” or better in all classes and have maintained regular attendance in each class. Students who do not meet these criteria will have the opportunity to resubmit their EWP application the following semester.

  • Fall 2021 applications – previous spring 2021 semester grades are used for approval
  • Spring 2022 applications – previous fall 2021 semester grades are used for approval

Please email student.services@ocsarts.net with any questions.
GALA 2022 AUDITIONS
Calling high school students from all conservatories: Gala 2022 auditions will be held on Tuesday, January 4 for vocalists, dancers, and greeters! Gala 2022: Night of a Million Dreams will take place on Saturday, April 23 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. Gala is the school's largest fundraising event of the year – don't miss your opportunity to be a part of this spectacular show! Click here to sign up for an audition time, to complete your application, and for more information.

Please contact Quinn Olesiuk at quinn.olesiuk@ocsarts.net if you have any questions.
PASS BACK NIGHT
Please be aware that the date for Pass Back Night has changed. This informative event will now take place on Wednesday, January 12 at 5 p.m. in Symphony Hall. This evening will feature a presenter from Test Prep Gurus who will help interpret the score reports from the PSAT and PreACT exams. Students will be able to log on to the College Board website to view their PSAT results and will be given their PreACT paper score reports after school on Wednesday, January 12, prior to Pass Back Night. Both students and parents are welcome to attend this presentation to learn how to use the results of the PSAT and PreACT to prepare for the ACT and/or SAT, as well as to hear about current college admission trends.
SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL PARENT MEETINGS
Attention parents/guardians: It is almost time for our Annual Parent Meetings. Please mark your calendars for these mandatory meetings, which will be held in person on the OCSA campus on Monday, February 7, Wednesday, February 9, Tuesday, February 15, and Thursday, February 17. We can’t wait to see you!

At this meeting, you will hear from school leadership and your child’s conservatory director about a variety of important topics and goals pertaining to the 2022-2023 school year, including performance opportunities, arts and academic enrichment programming, and much more. They will also share an overview of the variety of ways you can support your child’s experience at OCSA.

Please remember, at least one parent/guardian from each family is required to attend this meeting as a part of the annual enrollment process. Stay tuned for more details and a link to RSVP, coming soon!

If you have any questions, please contact Family Liaison Becky Parsons at becky.parsons@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5535.
YEAR-END DONATIONS
Thank you to all of our families who continue to support OCSA so generously! As you know, donations to OCSA are tax deductible per the school’s IRS nonprofit designation (Tax ID #33-0891574). If you would like your donation to count toward 2021 for tax purposes, please postmark checks or make online donations by Friday, December 31.
 
Online donations can be made on the OCSA website, and checks can be mailed to 1010 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701; Attention: Becky Parsons. If you have questions, please contact Family Liaison Becky Parsons at becky.parsons@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5535.
PRE-ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY
If you have not done so already, be sure to purchase your yearbook by Sunday, January 9! After this deadline, prices will go up and limited copies will be available. We have sold out of yearbooks in the past, and given this is the first full year back on campus, it's very likely we will again. Order through MySchoolBucks today to guarantee your copy!

If your family qualifies for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRLP), a discount is available for yearbooks. If you have any questions, please contact Yearbook Adviser Courtney Harper at courtney.harper@ocsarts.net.
SENIOR YEARBOOK INFORMATION
Attention Class of 2022 parents and students: The deadline for seniors to submit their required yearbook information is fast approaching! Please submit all senior portraits, baby photos, and quotes through the Google Form by Sunday, January 9. This information is being collected for yearbook and graduation slideshow purposes. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline. If you have any questions, please refer to the Senior Yearbook Information flyer.

Additionally, senior ads are a special way to congratulate your child on their final year of high school, or for seniors to celebrate their years at OCSA with friends and peers! Full page, half page, and quarter page ads in the yearbook are available for purchase until Sunday, January 9. Please click here to design and purchase a senior ad on the Yearbook Order Center website (use order number 40412). As these ads are accepted on a space-available basis, plan ahead to make sure your student is celebrated! If you have any questions, please review the Senior Ad Information flyer.
PARENT EDUCATION WORKSHOP
OCSA has partnered with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to offer FREE parent education workshops that are open to all families. There is one remaining virtual workshop that you can attend.

“Why Youth Resort to Substance Use” will be held next Wednesday, December 15 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This course is designed to provide an overview of the explorative/addictive process and basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills in working with youth struggling with substance use disorders. Click here to register now. Please note that registration is required to attend. 

See below for links to additional online resources from the CHOC Psychology Department:

LATE REGISTRATION FOR AP EXAMS
If you have not yet registered for AP exams, late AP exam registration will continue to be available until Monday, February 28. There will be an additional $40 fee for late registration. Click here to register and pay for AP exams. When ordering, we highly encourage both student and parent to be present to ensure that the correct exams are ordered. Please print and save your emailed receipt of payment for your records, as students may need it for future reference. All students currently enrolled in an AP class at OCSA are eligible to take the corresponding AP exam. Students are encouraged to register and pay only for those exams they are committed to taking.
 
2022 AP exams are scheduled to be administered over two weeks in May: Monday, May 2 - Friday, May 6 and Monday, May 9 - Friday, May 13. You may find the full AP testing schedule here. More information about AP exams can be found on our website at www.ocsarts.net/APHonors.
SPRING SEMESTER CLUB APPLICATIONS
Club times are fun times! It's that time of year again; please remind your student that the application to create a club (or renew an old club) is now open for the spring semester. Students can join the Google Classroom with code gxcobnc for more information and to access the application link. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 9. Please note that all existing clubs must reapply!

Mark your calendars! Club Rush will occur during lunch on Tuesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 20. Keep an eye on the Google Classroom for updates and details coming in the spring semester. For those who are unaware, Club Rush is an exciting biannual event where club leaders showcase their clubs and attract interested students to join. Students can still join clubs after Club Rush, and there will be a file posted in the Google Classroom that lists where and when all clubs meet.
PICK YOUR PASSION THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
As the holidays quickly approach, we invite the OCSA community to support one or both of the OCSA Foundation’s annual campaigns, the Artist Scholar Sponsorship Program and Hearts for the Arts, through the Pick Your Passion Holiday Matching Gift Challenge. Both of these crucial campaigns provide direct support to our incredible student artists.

Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous donors, all pledges and donations received before Friday, December 31 will be MATCHED, dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000! Both your donation and the matching gift can be allocated to your conservatory of choice. Visit www.ocsarts.net/PickYourPassion to learn more about these two impactful giving opportunities and to make a contribution today.
OCSA MEMORIES TO BE THANKFUL FOR
Don’t miss your chance to share your OCSA story! Submissions for our 35th anniversary Kudoboard will close next Friday, December 17. Please consider sharing your OCSA experience on our commemorative page. The memories posted as part of our 35th anniversary celebration will be available for others to enjoy for many years to come, so be sure to add your submission prior to Winter Break to be a part of this unique moment in OCSA’s history! To get started, visit our Kudoboard and click “Add to board.”

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has already submitted their favorite OCSA moments, memories, and dreams. We hope you will take a few minutes to check out what has been posted so far, and then share your own!
COVID-19 DASHBOARD & WEEKLY TESTING
All information about OCSA’s COVID-19 policies and procedures, as well as important health and safety resources, is available on our COVID-19 Dashboard. The COVID-19 Dashboard serves as the primary resource for keeping our school community informed on active case totals and is updated regularly to reflect verified positive COVID-19 cases among OCSA students, staff, and visitors. If you have been on the OCSA campus and receive a positive COVID-19 test, have a possible exposure to COVID-19, or experience COVID-19 symptoms, we ask that you please report it to the school through the COVID-19 Reporting Form as soon as you can.

Please remember that free weekly COVID-19 testing is available to all faculty and staff, as well as to students and families as an extra health and safety resource. Testing clinics are available on the OCSA campus every Monday in the Symphony Hall lobby from 12-4:30 p.m. by appointment. Please note that OCSA will continue to offer weekly COVID-19 testing during Winter Break from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. each Monday. Walkups may be possible based on availability. Please visit our COVID-19 Dashboard for registration information and to schedule your appointment.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
1st Semester Final Exams (No Conservatory): Monday, December 13 – Thursday, December 16

Teacher Planning Day (No School): Friday, December 17

Winter Break (School Closed): Monday, December 20 – Monday, January 3

Staff Professional Development Day (No School): Tuesday, January 4

Academic Instruction for 2nd Semester Begins: Wednesday, January 5

Conservatory Instruction for 2nd Semester Begins: Monday, January 10
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS
For more information, please visit www.ocsarts.net/BoxOffice.