Happy Winter Break! OCSA will be closed starting this coming Monday, December 23, through Friday, January 3. As a reminder, the Administrative and Student Services Offices will be closed during this time period. Additionally, no Weekly Wrap newsletters will be sent out over the break. Be sure to review the message below for reminders regarding the first few weeks of the spring semester.

We hope you enjoy your much-deserved time away. Congratulations on completing the first semester and happy holidays!

Please keep the following dates in mind for the beginning of the spring semester:

Monday, January 6

Staff Professional Development Day (No School)

Tuesday, January 7

Academic Instruction Resumes – Blue Day (No Conservatory)

Wednesday, January 8

Gold Day (No Conservatory)

Thursday, January 9

Blue Day (No Conservatory)

Friday, January 10

Gold Day (No Conservatory)

Monday, January 13

Conservatory Instruction Resumes – Blue Day 

We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year!

Please be reminded that OCSA teachers will not finalize grades until after Winter Break. Keep in mind that the time off for Winter Break also serves as a break for our teachers. We kindly ask that you hold off on communication with them until they return to campus on Monday, January 6. Fall semester report cards will be available in Aeries on Friday, January 17.

We hope that Winter Break provides our OCSA community with the opportunity to spend valuable time with family and friends. We also recognize that this time of year can be particularly challenging for some and may add additional stress and mental health crises.

If your family is in need of support over break, please see below for a list of mental health and wellness services available to our OCSA community:

• If you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

• If you or someone you know needs support during a mental health crisis and needs to talk to someone, please call/text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat through www.988lifeline.org.

• If you or someone you know needs help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can help quickly and confidentially find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers to match your needs. Care Solace services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round, and can be accessed by phone at 888.515.0595. You can also visit www.caresolace.com/OCSA for an anonymous search – simply answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers.

Additional Resources: Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

• 211 (Information & Referral Line) – Call 211 or visit www.211.org
• Crisis Assessment Team – Call 866.830.6011 or 714.517.6353
• Crisis Text Line – Text CTL to 741741
• Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800.799.7233
• Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 714.957.2737
• Suicide Prevention Hotline – Call 877.7CRISIS (877.724.4747)
• USA National Suicide Hotlines – Call 888.SUICIDE (888.784.2433) or 800.273.TALK (800.273.8255)

Available from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday through Friday

• The OC Warm Line – Call or text 877.910.WARM (877.910.9276) or contact online at www.namioc.org/oc-warmline

High school students: Winter Formal will be held on Saturday, January 25 from 7-11 p.m. at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Tickets will be on sale from Tuesday, January 7 through Tuesday, January 21.

Guest passes are now available and must be physically turned in to T110 (at the door) by no later than 2:05 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15. Click here to print a guest pass or you can pick one up at the Student Information Rack outside of The Dhanidina Family Student Services Office (T101) once we return from break. Signatures are needed from the student’s and the guest’s parents/guardians and the guest’s school administrator (with a business card), so start the process early. Please note that no electronic submissions for guest passes will be allowed.

For OCSA students wishing to transfer conservatories for fall 2025, the deadline to apply is fast approaching on Wednesday, January 15. Interested students must complete the conservatory transfer application and participate in a Conservatory Placement Activity for their desired conservatory (with the exception of Arts & Enterprise). If the conservatory you are applying to has an in-person placement activity, it will take place in late January or February. If you have questions, please contact our Admissions Office at admissions@ocsarts.net.

The Dragon Kim Foundation is looking for high school students passionate about making a positive impact in the world through meaningful service projects. The application for the Dragon Kim Fellowship Program is now available. Click here for more information and the chance to be a part of their Social Entrepreneurship Incubator, which facilitates leadership training and business mentorship and provides up to $5,000 to launch a project. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 10.

Attention OCSA fans: Need a last-minute holiday gift? Consider celebrating a loved one and leaving their legacy on the OCSA campus for years to come with a personalized brick paver. But be sure to hurry! Today is the last day to purchase a special commemorative brick through the OCSA Foundation’s Leave Your Legacy Gifting Opportunity! Click here to learn more and purchase your paver before the end of the day today, Friday, December 20! Please contact Development Manager Katie Perry Page at katie.page@ocsarts.net with any questions.

There is just a little over a week left until the OCSA Foundation’s Pick Your Passion Holiday Campaign comes to a close at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31. If you have not done so already, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Your contribution will allow your conservatory director to continue to offer the excellent arts instructional opportunities they have planned for this school year. 

PLUS, every family that contributes $1000 or more to this special campaign will receive a complimentary embroidered OCSA blanket! If you have already made such a contribution, your blanket will be on its way soon. Click here to Pick Your Passion today!

As you know, OCSA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which makes your donations tax deductible. If you wish to have your donations counted toward 2024 for tax purposes, please be sure to submit your contribution via your Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA) email invoice link by no later than Tuesday, December 31. If you choose to send a check by mail, the envelope must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, December 31. 2024 donation receipts will be emailed by Friday, January 31. Thank you for your generous support!

Help spread the word about the FREE OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival, presented by the OCSA Foundation, in partnership with the Max H. Gluck Foundation. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to register now for this day of play, held on Saturday, January 11 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the OCSA campus. The OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival is intended for EVERY child ages 5-11, celebrating all cultures and accessible to those with disabilities. Families will have the chance to engage in arts activities, interactive play areas, and games, while enjoying live performances by OCSA’s talented students.

These important senior deadlines are only a few short weeks away. If you have not done so already, please take the time over Winter Break to complete the following:

Yearbook Information Deadline – Friday, January 10

Click here to submit your senior portraits, baby photos, and quotes 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.

Senior Ad Deadline – Friday, January 10

Click here and use order number 40412 to design and purchase a full, half, or quarter-page yearbook ad to honor your senior’s OCSA journey. This is your last chance to ensure your student is included in yearbook celebrations! If you have any questions, please review the Senior Ad Information flyer.

Please refer to the Class of 2025 Senior Bulletin for more details on important information and links regarding senior year. To review other informational documents relevant to the senior class, please visit www.ocsarts.net/12thGrade. If you have questions after reading the above information, please email student.services@ocsarts.net.

Winter Break (No School): Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3

Staff Professional Development Day (No School): Monday, January 6

Academic Instruction Resumes: Tuesday, January 7

No Conservatory: Tuesday, January 7 – Thursday, January 9

Conservatory Instruction Resumes: Monday, January 13

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday (School Closed): Monday, January 20

For more information, please visit www.ocsarts.net/BoxOffice.