OCSA Weekly Wrap - November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

VETERANS DAY

As a reminder, school will be closed on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. While there is no adequate way to thank our veterans for everything they sacrifice for our freedom, Veterans Day offers us the opportunity to express our appreciation for their service. OCSA sends our sincerest gratitude to all our service personnel, both past and present! We especially recognize our staff and parents/guardians who have served or are actively serving our nation.

Please enjoy your long weekend, and we look forward to seeing you back in class on Tuesday, November 12!

PROGRESS REPORTS

The second progress report of the fall semester is available today, Friday, November 8, on Aeries. To view your student’s progress report, click on the "Grades" tab from the left-hand menu and select "Grades" again from the drop-down menu. Progress reports can be printed under the “Report Card History” tab as well. Simply click on the blue highlighted word "English" to display the progress report for printing.

Points to remember about progress reports:

Progress reports are a snapshot of your student’s achievement at a specific point in the semester and are not included on high school transcripts. Your student’s prospective college will not see these marks unless you provide them a copy of the progress report.
Plus and minus marks are used on progress reports to encourage students to continue a strong effort, they are not included with semester grades.
As a policy, grade changes are not made on progress reports unless there has been a clerical error on the part of the teacher.
OCSA does not mail home paper copies of progress reports, so please be sure to download and print a copy for your personal use and records.
The Aeries portal provides 24/7 parent/student access to progress reports, unofficial transcripts, immunization records, test scores, and other important information and documentation.

If you or your student have questions or concerns regarding your student’s grades, please do not hesitate to contact the teacher directly using their school email. The fall semester report card will be available on Friday, January 17.

Please note that if you have never accessed the Aeries portal you may need to check with our Tech Support Team for your verification code information. They can be reached at techsupport@ocsarts.net.

FRESHMAN RETREAT

OCSA’s Class of 2028: We are pleased to announce our upcoming Freshman Retreat! Save the date for Friday, November 22, and come ready to connect with your peers, explore the value of equity and inclusion, and shape the foundation of our school culture! Activities will be facilitated by student leaders from OCSA’s Keeping the Culture Club. Freshmen who meaningfully participate in the day’s activities will be entered in a prize drawing at the end of the day. School attendance requirements are the same during Freshman Retreat as any other school day.

SCHOOL COUNSELOR PRESENTATIONS

Throughout the fall semester, OCSA’s school counselors have been conducting presentations that focus on grade-appropriate discussions for graduation requirements, as well as post-high school preparation. We would like to inform parents/guardians that freshman presentations began this week and will run until Thursday, November 14. At these presentations, students began mapping out the next three years of high school classes by completing their Four-Year Plan, which can be found in the Class of 2028 Google Classroom. Students were also given the opportunity to complete the AchieveWorks Personality Assessment and review possible career pathways on Naviance, OCSA’s online college and career readiness tool.

PAL RED RIBBON WEEK

Middle school students: Join PAL next week on Tuesday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 13 for Red Ribbon Week during Lunch in The Callero Family Foundation Plaza (DMS Quad). There will be games and prizes in celebration of Red Ribbon Week, which promotes drug awareness and prevention.

INTERNATIONAL DAYS

Students: Be sure to come out to 10th Street during Lunch on Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15 for OCSA’s International Days! Help us celebrate OCSA’s multicultural community with music, performances, food, and more. International Days are an opportunity for students to honor and celebrate their diverse backgrounds, as well as learn more about other cultures. We hope to see you there!

PSO COFFEE CONVERSATION

Parents/guardians: Join People Supporting OCSA (PSO) at the Albert & Miaad Bushala Event Center on Friday, November 15 from 9-10:30 a.m. for Coffee Conversation: Campus Safety and Emergency Procedures with Assistant Principal of Student Supervision Abbe Levine. Click here to RSVP in person or virtually. This will be a very informative discussion, and we hope to see you there.

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONIES

Tree Lighting Ceremonies featuring OCSA’s incredible student artists start this weekend! These exciting performances are open to the public at no cost, with seating or standing room available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ring in the season with OCSA’s singers, dancers, and musicians as they whisk you away on a magical musical tour to the North Pole! Check out the flyer below for show options.

CONSERVATORY TRANSFER APPLICATIONS

For current OCSA students wishing to transfer conservatories for fall 2025, please click here to start the process. Students wishing to apply to a new conservatory must complete a conservatory transfer application and participate in a Conservatory Placement Activity for their desired conservatory (with the exception of the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory). The deadline to apply for a conservatory transfer next school year is Wednesday, January 15; however, we highly encourage transfer students to apply before this deadline as transfer results are sent out early. 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.

FALL STATE OF THE ART

The deadline to submit your off-campus successes to be featured on State of the Art is coming up on Friday, November 22! State of the Art is OCSA’s special webpage where we celebrate your off-campus accomplishments, including publications, castings, certifications, awards, scholarships, jobs, special performances, and more! You can submit your accomplishments and successes at www.ocsarts.net/StateoftheArt. We can’t wait to see all the exciting things you have been up to!

All accomplishments that have been received so far this school year will be posted at the conclusion of the semester. Once the Fall 2024 State of the Art is available for viewing, we will send out an email with the direct link. Past State of the Art accomplishments are always available to view at www.ocsarts.net/Accomplishments.

SENIOR INFORMATION

Transcript Deadline

Please be reminded that the deadline to request transcripts and letters of recommendation for January 1 college deadlines is Monday, November 18.

Senior Ad Deadline

A senior ad in OCSA’s yearbook is a great way to congratulate your graduating student on their final year of high school. The deadline to purchase your ad is Monday, December 2. Submissions will be accepted after the deadline; however, they will be subject to a late fee of $10-25 depending on the size of the ad. Click here for more information, and go to www.yearbookordercenter.com to purchase (use OCSA’s order number 40412 when prompted). Please note that ads must be fully completed, including all photos and design elements, in order to finalize your purchase.

Senior Yearbook Info

Please remind your graduating senior to submit their required senior yearbook information sooner rather than later! While the deadline is Friday, January 10, we highly encourage students to submit as soon as possible to ensure they are fully celebrated at graduation AND in the yearbook! Click here for all the information and instructions on submitting senior yearbook information.

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.