A team of Newport Harbor High School students scored first place in the 18-and-under division at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics competition Tuesday.
The four-day event culminated with a final match for the Sailors against SoCal Water Polo club on July 18. The Daily Pilot reported that after securing back-to-back CIF Southern Section titles over the past two years, the team decided to form its own club in order to qualify for the tournament made up of well-known regional competitors.
Newport Harbor boys water polo coach Ross Sinclair said the squad has formed a tight-knit bond that is key to their success.
“These guys are best friends, and that’s, I think, the most important part of the culture that they embody every day and something that I think every team would love to be a part of,” Sinclair told the Pilot. “I think it’s a coach’s dream to have these guys in the program.”
The tournament MVP title went to Newport Harbor senior Finn LeSieur, who led the team with four assists and scored a goal in the championship game.
“I guess this was the last dance for this really special group,” Finn said in an interview with the Pilot. “To end it with a big win, something we haven’t done before, was really special and a good way to put the cherry on top.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- The Orange County Department of Education and the Butte County Office of Education hosted 3,400 educators at the California MTSS Professional Learning Institute from July 18 to July 20. The conference shared best practices and resources for supporting students under the CA Multi-Tiered System of Support Framework.
- Four philanthropic-minded high school juniors and seniors from Orange County will take part in an eight-week paid summer internship serving their communities and gaining workforce skills through the Bank of America Student Leaders program.
- The 14th annual Safe Schools Conference, organized by former state Secretary of Education Dave Long in collaboration with OCDE and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, brought together community leaders, educators and law enforcement representatives to spotlight their efforts and strategies for improving campus safety and security.
- A pair of high school students from Newport Beach have produced a three-part documentary on children with chronic illnesses and will be screening its premiere at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 21 at the Newport Beach Civic Center.
- Edison High School in the Huntington Beach Union High School District has appointed Daniel Morris as its new principal. Morris previously served in the same role at Huntington Beach High School starting in 2015.
- Since adopting a cultural proficiency plan in 2020, the Capistrano Unified School District shared a report Wednesday noting efforts to make school materials more accessible by translating public messages into Spanish and providing interpreters at board meetings.
- Starting July 24, students age 4 to 11 can spend time in nature, learn about local animals and take part in hands-on activities at a summer educational program at the Ladera Ranch Library.
- A study from the University of Chicago recently found that high school campuses that prioritize social and emotional needs made a more positive impact on students’ test scores and behavior than those that focused on testing.
- After purchasing the K-5 Social Studies Alive! textbook, Governor Newsom announced plans to send copies to the Temecula Valley Unified School District along with a $1.6 million bill for its cost. Meanwhile, proposed legislation would reaffirm and build on an existing process for the public to file a complaint against a school district for insufficient textbooks, EdSource reports.
- In order to help students alleviate their stress and anxiety, two Gen Z entrepreneurs created the SoundMind music therapy app, which utilizes audio and visual beats to aid young people in regulating their emotions.
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