Honors and awards

An image of the 2015 Orange County Spelling Bee winners

OC’s champion speller headed to Washington D.C. to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Staff reports
“Foreordained” – meaning to dispose or appoint in advance – was the final word that officially clinched the title of Orange County Spelling Bee champion for 12-year-old Sarika Rau, a seventh-grade student from Sierra Vista Middle School in the Irvine Unified School District. After four hours and 18 rounds of intense competition on Saturday, Rau walked away with a large trophy and a copy of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. She also earned a bid to compete in the 88th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will take place in Washington, D.C. in May. [...]
Orange County Classified Employee of the Year logo

Outstanding OC school workers honored as 2015 Classified Employees of the Year

Staff reports
The Orange County Department of Education has announced the top classified school employees for 2015. Established in 2008 by the California Department of Education, the Classified School Employees of the Year program annually highlights the contributions of employees who have performed exceptionally in support of public school students, from preschool through grade 12. Classified workers with a minimum of five years of service are eligible for the recognition, whether they serve at traditional schools, charter schools, district offices or county offices of education. […]
An image of Westminster High School's Academic Decathlon team

Westminster High leads a pack of five OC schools headed to the California Academic Decathlon

Ian Hanigan
Marking a first in the 47-year history of the Orange County Academic Decathlon, five O.C. schools have been selected to advance to next month’s state decathlon in Sacramento. Cheers rang out in a packed Orange Coast College auditorium on Feb. 17 night as perennial powerhouse Westminster High was named the overall team winner with 50,981.8 points. Along with a special plaque, individual medals and local bragging rights, the school will receive a $4,000 travel stipend from the Orange County Academic Decathlon Association, which joined OCDE in announcing this year’s winners. [...]
An image of students at the Orange County Academic Decathlon

Academic Decathlon is all about teamwork, building 21st-century skills — and having fun

Ian Hanigan
They enter the gym dressed in matching outfits, some carrying pom-poms, others with painted faces. They look nervous and excited. Students spend months preparing for this day. In fact, the average Orange County Academic Decathlon participant reports spending about 20 to 25 hours a week practicing. Staged over two weekends in January and February, this year's Decathlon drew 41 high schools and more than 500 students who competed as individuals and teams for top honors -- and a chance to represent the OC at the state-level contest. […]