OCASA Middle School

Welcome to OCASA Middle School

Here at OCASA Middle School, we are a strong small school community that values:

  • personalized learning to maximize student achievement,

  • integrating STEAM education into the entire school experience,

  • delivering a rigorous academic program to support students in reaching their potential,

  • and most of all, ensuring our students have fun while they are learning.

Overview

The educational program at OCASA Middle School utilizes proven instructional practices and addresses the needs of the whole child including academic, personal, social, and emotional development.

OCASA Middle School leverages curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards housed on the Gradient Learning Platform. Gradient Learning allows students to access and submit their work in the same place; and helps teachers provide effective feedback and additional support to students no matter what their level.

Students at OCASA Middle School receive weekly mentoring from a teacher, which gives them a space for academic and socio-emotional coaching as they learn the skills they will need to be successful in High School and beyond. Further, the OCASA Middle School staff provides students multiple opportunities to engage in projects to solidify their learning.

We believe that it is important to help students develop:

  1. Strong Cognitive Skills: Higher-order thinking skills must be explicitly taught by qualified teachers using research-guided best practices and are critical in our ever evolving world.
  2. Thorough Content Knowledge: In addition to supporting the development of cognitive skills, retaining Content Knowledge prepares students for success at each grade level. OCASA Middle Schoolers have access to four core subject areas daily plus the ability to extend their content learning through their STEAM+ experiences, such as fine art classes and field study trips.
  3. Habits of Success: OCASA Middle School will incorporate social-emotional development into all aspects of teaching and programming to attend to the whole child. Our small school environment will allow students to get coaching directly from teachers and staff on their study and life skills.
  4. A Sense of Purpose: As students approach high school, we want them to engage in personal reflection and to have opportunities to learn about multiple fields of studies, community needs, and problems to solve.

Academics

OCASA Middle School provides a strong 6th-8th academic program that meets all State of California standards.

We view mathematics as more than just numbers and calculations – it is about using math and solving problems. We use Illustrative Math as our core curriculum and students regularly engage in real-life problem solving using math. Students have access to honors math in 7th and 8th grades and eligible students will take Algebra 1 prior to High School. 

Illustrative Math

Science using the Next Generation Science Standards is all about studying the phenomena of the universe. Students get opportunities to engage in hands-on science learning using the OpenSciEd Curriculum.

In English/Language Arts, students will dissect the stories that shape human society–both in the past and in modern times. Through the EL Education curriculum, students develop their skills in reading, writing, and literary analysis. 

In our Social Studies courses, students will understand critical prerequisites needed for civilizations to develop, be able to identify the differences that can emerge in societies due to geography, gain an understanding of the various religions and unique traditions that develop within societies, and will be able to make connections between the origins of society and interactions between humans and different societies in the modern day.
Open Social Studies

We are committed to creating experiences in the community for our students to deepen and apply what they have learned. Students leave campus regularly for field study trips.  

 

Students regularly create projects at OCASA Middle School. Projects that deepen content or require students to learn about opportunities in their community are spread throughout the year. Additionally, Project Lead the Way courses are offered. 

STEAM+

At OCASA, we focus on STEAM+ learning which incorporates science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. In addition to core academics, students attend Fine Art class and PE two times a week. They also have after school clubs throughout the year, providing further access to STEAM+ experiences.

Mentoring

1:1 Mentoring is one of the important structures at OCASA Middle School. We know how important it is for children to be truly connected with and cared for by the adults at their school. All students are paired with a mentor who acts as their advocate both inside and outside of the classroom. Mentors meet with their students 1:1 regularly to support their students in their progress towards their short-term and long-term academic and personal goals.

Clubs & Activities

Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of clubs and activities at OCASA Middle School. Clubs and activities are chosen based on student interest, but some examples are:

  • Associated Student Body (ASB)
  • Pickleball
  • Mixed Media
  • Martial Arts
  • Yearbook
  • Robotics