Innovation and Achievement: ORCA's 2023-2024 Highlights
As Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) students return to their virtual classrooms for another year of learning, we pause to reflect on a few highlights from the 2023-2024 school year. Last year was a testament to ORCA’s commitment to innovation, personal achievement, and academic excellence. The remarkable accomplishments of our students and staff demonstrate how ORCA’s unique approach to education creates a significant impact in Oregon and beyond.
Community Accolades
Everyone at ORCA knows what we're capable of. However, seeing our efforts recognized by people outside our school is always satisfying. Last year, we were thrilled to win four categories in the Statesman Journal's Best of the Mid-Valley awards: Best Charter School, Best Overall Leadership, Best Place to Work, and Best Employer. Category winners were chosen by mid-valley residents, which is evidence of how the community perceives the important work we do.
Fostering In-Person Connections
While ORCA is primarily an online school, our staff prioritizes opportunities for students to connect and learn in person.
We held six hangouts for each grade level (K-5, Middle School, and High School) at the ORCA Wilsonville facility so our students could gather and build community.
ORCA teachers and staff hosted 5 Regional Event Days last school year, filled with fun field trips to local spots in 10 regions across the state!
Highlights include pumpkin patches across the state; OMSI in Portland; the Pottery Co. ornament making in Coos Bay; the Hatfield Science Center in Newport; the GO STEM aerospace lab in Grants Pass; the Crater Rock Museum in Central Point; and the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville.
In May, 100 students attended Prom, which featured a Star Wars theme.
More than 300 seniors attended the graduation ceremony in June at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
New Hospitality & Tourism Pathway
Preparing our students for a productive life after high school is one of our most important missions. During the 2023-2024 school year, ORCA expanded its already robust career and technical education (CTE) program, ASCEND, with a new hospitality and tourism management pathway. Through a combination of classroom and work-based learning, students experience the ins and outs of the hospitality and tourism industry.
Along the way, they can earn valuable professional certifications and college credit to pursue a career after graduation or continue their studies in college. Successful graduates will have an advantage as they seek to join Oregon's tourism economy, which sustains 109,000 jobs and generates $113 billion in annual revenue.
Inspiring Faculty Achievements
ORCA teachers are among the most accomplished educators in Oregon. Last year, a few of our own proved why our staff is so exceptional:
In late 2023, science teacher Michael Rodriguez took advantage of ORCA's unique remote environment by hosting virtual field trips from McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Rodriguez was in Antarctica as a member of an Oregon State University research expedition funded by the National Science Foundation.
On Veterans Day, ORCA's Military Leadership Club honored four of our teachers who served, including administrator John Meyer, who was a U.S. Navy sailor before beginning a career in education.
ASCEND instructor Summer Highfill was named eDynamic's 2023-2024 Knowledge Matters National Educator of the Year. This recognition highlighted her great work with ORCA’s CTE program, ASCEND.
ORCA Students Shine
At Oregon Charter Academy, students find success in and outside of the classroom! Here are just some ORCA students who accomplished a lot during the 2023-2024 school year:
In mid-November, ORCA junior Cody Carter secured the third leading scorer position for individual points per game in the ORCA Rocket League Esports team.
Senior Jaxson Eastwood took third place in the pommel and sixth place in all-around while representing the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics in the 33-team Emerald Team Challenge.
The ORCA League of Legends esports team achieved a sixth-place ranking in the Mountain Region.
Freshman Leesy Lindsay pedaled her way to victory, becoming an Oregon National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) state champion.
Three ORCA students represented Oregon at the HOSA — Future Health Professional's International Leadership Competition, competing against students from the U.S., China, Canada, South Korea, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Grace C. competed in Human Growth & Development and Organic Chemistry; she was also recognized with the American Red Cross Silver Level for volunteering over 50 hours. Genevieve B.M. competed in Dental Terminology and designed the Oregon state pin for the year. Cara S. competed in Human Growth & Development and Family Medicine Career Test, placing in the top 10 in the latter.
Senior Isaac Choi was honored as one of 29 National Merit Scholars in Oregon last year. He is continuing his studies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he plans to major in life sciences.
Senior Hani Mhamdi was chosen from more than 20,000 applicants worldwide as the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipient. The award gives seniors from low-income backgrounds full four-year scholarships to 50 of the nation's top universities.
A Year of Growth and Innovation
The 2023-2024 school year was certainly one to remember. From new learning opportunities to interactive virtual sessions straight from Antarctica to prestigious awards and more, our community proved why ORCA is one of the most dynamic schools in the country. Only time will tell what incredible things we’ll accomplish this year.
Join Us for a Virtual Information Session
If you'd like to learn more about ORCA's curriculum or our approach to virtual learning, join one of our virtual information sessions to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform. We hope to see you there!