“Red light! Green light!”
Those were the words echoing across Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim last week as 1,423 students from the Anaheim Elementary School District gathered to break a Guinness World Record.
Students participating in the Anaheim Succeeds! enrichment program joined forces for what is now the world’s largest game of Red Light, Green Light — surpassing the previous record of 1,415 participants.
The event was hosted by Anaheim district staff in partnership with CF Fitness and verified on site by an official from Guinness World Records, as reported by the Orange County Register. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade took part, with cheers erupting as the final count confirmed a new record had been set.
“Our officials are here from Guinness World Records and rooting for our team, so let’s hope we get this done,” said Cecilia Roman, AESD director of family and community engagement, just before the game kicked off.
The event was part of the district’s Anaheim Succeeds! program, which provides before- and after-school enrichment opportunities at all 23 campuses. The program gives students the chance to engage in structured play, dance and STEAM-focused activities as well as academic support like homework help and tutoring.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- On Friday, about 130 students from OCDE’s ACCESS program reflected on their journeys and celebrated their successes at a graduation ceremony featuring a keynote address by County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean.
- El Rancho Charter School student Sydney Tran graced the Scripps National Spelling Bee stage this week and advanced through the first two rounds, thanks to long hours of study preparation. The OC Register recently featured Sydney’s journey to the competition in National Harbor, Maryland.
- Six Orange County school campuses have been honored for their efforts to promote civics education by the 2025 Civic Learning Awards presented by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero.
- Putting its own spin on a familiar tradition, the Los Alamitos Unified School District hosted a Valedictorians Signing Ceremony to honor the college and career plans of its top 10 seniors graduating from Los Alamitos High School.
- Five OC middle school teams — from McGarvin Intermediate School, Fairmont Private Schools and Beatty Middle School — displayed their academic strength at the 2025 U.S. Academic Pentathlon National Finals, held May 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas.
- Eight high school seniors from Orange County and Long Beach were recently awarded $5,000 in scholarships from Amigos de Bolsa Chica, a nonprofit environmental organization based in Huntington Beach.
- About 18 students from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District earned their certificates for completing the Seamless Transition Enrichment Program — an initiative helping adults with disabilities gain independence by developing work and life skills.
- The Laguna Beach Unified School District has found its new superintendent in Dr. Jason Glass, a former university vice president with more than 25 years of experience in education. Dr. Glass will be appointed pending board approval at its June 9 meeting.
- Residents in Area 5 of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District will soon vote to fill an empty seat on the school board, with in-person voting taking place on Saturday, May 31 and mail-in ballots being accepted no later than June 10.
- Recent studies have shown that rates of students experiencing homelessness have increased by 9 percent in the 2024-25 school year, as reported by EdSource.
- Nearly 25 years ago, the Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center opened its doors to nurture the artistic expression of students with disabilities and youth who are economically disadvantaged. The center was recently featured in a Spectrum News segment.
- This summer, students ages 14 through 19 can access a free gym membership by signing up for the High School Summer Pass program offered by Planet Fitness.
- The OC Register reported that the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday it has launched an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation and state school administrators for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
- The Cypress School District recently announced its nominees for teacher of the year and classified employee of the year, recognizing their professionalism and commitment to making a positive impact on students and staff.
- More than 60 young students recently competed in the annual Fullerton City Scholastic Chess Championship, supported by the Fullerton School District and sponsored by the Fullerton Host Lions Club.
- Earlier this week, Los Amigos High School in the Garden Grove Unified School District kicked off the high school graduation season with 350 seniors receiving their diplomas on Tuesday, May 27.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.