Editor
Lauren Roth
Designer
Kimberly Boulnois
Contributors
Lisa Bourne
Sandra Carr
Frank Weber
Samantha Weiss
The Orange Peal is a publication by OCPS employees and for OCPS employees. It launched in April 1974 as a newsletter for all OCPS employees “from principals to custodians.” With a name encompassing the symbols of the orange and the school bell, the Orange Peal was intended for “the good news of this school system [to be] ‘rung out,’” - in other words, to peal.
By Lauren Roth
With students gathered at desks and on the floor, Windermere High teacher Babita Persaud encouraged her Cambridge Advanced English General Paper class to consider how the essay on the screen could be improved.
The class debated whether Stanley stainless tumblers were a good example to include in an essay about online bullying. “AICE wants you to be a very cosmopolitan person. What are they doing in Finland? Japan?” Persaud said. “You need to think beyond the U.S. These are being read globally,” Persaud said of the essays, which are part of the Cambridge Advanced Program.
Students can earn an AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) diploma through the program. The advanced studies curriculum has greatly expanded within OCPS in the past few years. Enrollment has surpassed International Baccalaureate, joining Advanced Placement in the toolbox of thousands of the district’s college-bound high school graduates.
The courses, which have a heavy writing focus and include international perspectives, are from Cambridge International Education, part of the University of Cambridge in England. By offering Cambridge Advanced courses, the district aims to expand access to internationally-recognized, rigorous classes.
Nearly 16,000 Cambridge Advanced exams were taken districtwide in 2023-24, up from less than 5,000 two years earlier. By comparison, more than 36,000 AP exams were taken last school year, up from more than 31,000 two years before.
“Being named the Cambridge AICE Large School District of the Year shows that we are succeeding in our mission,” Superintendent Maria F. Vazquez said last June at a ceremony marking the award. The district was named a top Cambridge district in 2023-24 for expanding access to the Cambridge
Advanced curriculum while also demonstrating strong student performance on Cambridge exams over the previous three years.
OCPS offers 31 Cambridge Advanced and 14 International General Certificate of Secondary Education courses across the district’s 23 traditional high schools. The related Lower Secondary program includes 17 courses at 19 OCPS middle schools this year.
If the current rate of growth continues, OCPS students could be taking more Cambridge Advanced exams than Advanced Placement exams in a few years.
The most popular Cambridge Advanced class in the district is English General Paper, an entry-level English writing course that can be taken in place of English Honors I. It also carries additional weight for student GPAs, helping draw 8,600 students districtwide this year.
Students taking this class learn about critical thinking, communication, and argumentation skills through the analysis of a wide range of contemporary topics.
Students can earn a Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma if they take at least seven of the courses and pass the exam during their high school career.
Freshman Jack Weiss, 15, reflecting on the first semester, said: “I’ve learned more about writing than I have in any one year before. I can visually see I have grown, and I’m better than I started.”
Persaud is the district lead for the English General Paper course, a trainer and advisor to other OCPS teachers. Her students had a pass rate of about 98% last year, her fourth teaching General Paper and 15th as a teacher. Education is her second career, following one as a print journalist.
“It gives them foundational skills of writing and putting down their thoughts,” Persaud said of the course. “They get that early on.” In the Advanced Placement sequence, for example, AP English Language and Composition is typically taken by juniors.
Rebecca Hunt, the district’s director of advanced studies, said the Cambridge Advanced curriculum expands choice as well, with available courses as varied as Environmental Management, English in Literature, Marine Science, European History, Psychology and Portuguese.
OCPS is also offering the Cambridge Primary program at two elementary schools. The first school in the district to offer Cambridge courses was Colonial High in 2013.
One of Persaud’s students, Antonella Anka, was familiar with the Cambridge program after seeing her brother participate in the elementary school version in South Florida.
“It’s not for everyone,” said Antonella, a freshman. “Mrs. Persaud, she pushes us. I like a teacher that pushes me so I can work my best. That’s what school is for.”
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By Lisa Bourne
Everyone has had that first day on the job filled with excitement and nerves. There is lots to learn and understand, and it is easy to wonder if it is possible to learn it all. Recognizing the learning curve for new school secretaries and secretaries/bookkeepers can be overwhelming, OCPS created a mentoring program to assist with onboarding.
The Secretary Mentoring Program began during the last nine weeks of the 2022-23 school year and helps reduce turnover and stress for new hires.
Mentors are veterans in their position who volunteered to help a new secretary or secretary/bookkeeper learn the policies, procedures and expectations of the job. When a new secretary/bookkeeper is hired, that employee is immediately assigned a mentor that will support and coach them for two years. These mentors provide guidance outside normal training on responsibilities such as budget and payroll. Veterans are paid $35 for 2.5 hours a week to mentor up to two new secretaries/bookkeepers.
Mentees and mentors describe the program as a “lifeline” for those new to the position. “The first two months I think I called Angela daily with questions,” said Amy Pelletier, secretary/bookkeeper at Lovell Elementary, who worked with mentor Angela Naughton.
She was so patient and explained everything with such grace and understanding,” Pelletier said. And Naughton, who is the secretary/ bookkeeper at Clay Springs Elementary, said, “Not only do mentors and mentees support each other, we all become friends.”
Most of the time, mentors are assigned mentees who work nearby. Sometimes they even meet for dinner to chat more about the role, families, and OCPS experiences.
Currently there are 22 mentors and 30 mentees. These individuals understand that ONE OCPS is alive and well and are happy to supply a “lifeline” to those new employees.
Sometimes, the disruption of a new school and a new school year can make students REALLY nervous. That’s what happened to one student at Legacy Middle School back in August.
Abigail Zayas-Vargas teaches Spanish 1 and 2 at Legacy Middle School. She is also the Latinos in Action advisor. Her classroom is very clearly a safe space for Spanish-speaking students.
So even Zayas-Vargas got a laugh when a student – standing in her classroom and knowing she was the teacher – asked her in Spanish if she spoke Spanish.
Wait, what?
Easiest “si” of the year!
Abigail Zayas-Vargas
Spanish Teacher
Legacy Middle School
Submit your A Funny Thing Happened to orangepeal@ocps.net.
If your submission is selected, you will receive an exclusive Orange Peal prize package.
By Leeona Lyons
s students enter Ana Higuita’s kindergarten classroom at Conway Elementary, they are greeted by awarm and inviting space with colorful decorations, including alphabet posters and student artwork displayed on the walls. The space is organized with labeled bins for books, crayons and markers.
For seven years, Higuita has worked with young learners at OCPS, and has made it her mission to create an atmosphere where every child feels valued and supported. She also cultivates a collaborative and respectful classroom where students are empowered to express themselves and work together.
“I have very high expectations for my class and the students know it,” said Higuita. “We have routines and procedures in place to ensure the day runs smoothly.”
During her ELA phonemic lesson, she asked students to identify the middle sound of a word and gave them a sweet treat for the correct response.
Higuita celebrates other milestones, including rewarding students for mastering the skill of shoe tying or writing their name for the first time.
Her kindergartners also are learning penmanship, an ability many older learners are still developing.
They not only obey classroom rules but also respond quickly and accurately to questions, demonstrating attention and retention.
“The best moment is when a child learns to read,” said Higuita, who has a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Florida International University.
Higuita played a key role in developing Kindergarten Phonemic Awareness videos for the Curriculum and Digital Learning department. The videos help young learners build foundational literacy skills in phonics and phonemics, a core component of Higuita’s classroom instruction.
Higuita taught kindergarten for six years in South Florida before relocating to the Orlando area. She taught kindergartners at Tangelo Park Elementary
during the 2017-18 school year before she accepted a teaching position at Conway Elementary.
Her love of teaching stems from her deep passion for both children and learning, and feels teaching kindergarteners is her true calling.
“I get to be a part of building the foundation of young children’s academic journeys,” she said.
Upcoming Virtual Retirement Services Department Workshops via Zoom:
January 2025
Jan. 15, 5-6:30 p.m.: Understanding the FRS Investment Plan
Jan. 22, 5-6:30 p.m.: Using the FRS to Plan Your Retirement
Jan. 29, 5-6:30 p.m.: Income Tax Planning: Smart Planning for Your Taxes
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By Lisa Bourne
Orange County Public Schools’ Leadership Orange program was created in 2010 to bring community and corporate partners on a journey to discover the heart, courage and knowledge required to educate more than 208,000 students daily.
Community leaders outside of OCPS that join in the eight half-day sessions have the opportunity to peek behind the curtain. Participants get to try their hand at building a school district budget, learn how curriculum is created, drive a school bus, step into a classroom and more. Each division of OCPS is highlighted during the course.
“I have been a student, parent and volunteer at OCPS, so I wanted to see it from the inside and get a better feel for operationally how things happen. Because as a parent of exceptional kids, I feel like I am called on to be more involved and I wanted to know how things happen behind the scenes so I can serve, not just my kids, but others,” said Judi Hayes, attorney and Leadership Orange 2022-2023 graduate. “When people come to me, I can be a conduit to know where to direct them for different issues.”
Since its inception, Leadership Orange has been instrumental in developing OCPS ambassadors. Leadership Orange class members gain a new appreciation for how a public school system functions and the amount of talent and dedication OCPS staff need to defy gravity!
“They did a really good job at covering all kinds of topics. Every class was fascinating. If you have kids in school, if you know teachers, if you are in the community and curious how education happens, you should take this class,” Hayes said.
Registration for Leadership Orange will open in spring 2025 to non-OCPS employees that live within Orange County, with limited space available. Watch the Orange Peal for registration information in a future issue to share with your friends, families and corporate partners. OCPS welcomes community members to step behind the curtain and view the magic that is OCPS. You will be changed for good.
Send the answers to these three questions to orangepeal@ocps.net. One winner will be drawn from among the correct responses to win an Orange Peal prize package.
What is the name of the introductory English course that is part of the Cambridge AICE curriculum?
According to Conway Elementary kindergarten teacher Ana Higuita, what is the “best moment?”
Clay Springs Elementary
Get ready to feel all the feels! When fourth grade student Noah Fairley beat cancer, his Black Bear family at Clay Springs Elementary surprised him by lining the hallways and ringing bells to help him celebrate!
Jinkies! Olympia High School’s Titan TV nailed this Halloween-themed Scooby-Doo remake. If you haven’t seen it, put it on your watchlist now!
The Wyndham Lakes Elementary Book Character Parade was a colorful masterpiece! Students and staff dressed up in creative costumes, but the teachers decked out as crayons really stole the show! Check it out!
In each issue, the Orange Peal will recognize one top social media post on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Want us to consider your school or department’s post? Send a link to for consideration.
Have you heard of Lake Nona Middle School’s lyrical lunches? Lunchtime definitely looks like a blast for these Knights!
Need to add a touch of fun to a serious meeting? Ask the crew at Conway Elementary! They added a side of fun to their data discussions by wearing turkey costumes!
Lake Buena Vista High
Paws-itively adorable! Our hearts melted when we saw Lake Buena Vista High’s Latinos in Action students volunteering for the “Book Buddies” reading program at Orange County Animal Services. These kind-hearted students spent time reading to shelter animals, helping them feel calm and loved.
Riverside Elementary staff and students wore pink on Wednesdays during the month of October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Multilingual Services department provided 58 students from Apopka, Cypress Creek, East River, Evans, Freedom, Innovation, Jones, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Nona, Olympia, Wekiva and Winter Park high schools with an opportunity to attend the Close Up Youth Summit at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in November. Students shared their political values, deliberated about critical policy issues in their local community, and developed proposals to bring change to identified problems. They also toured Florida State University, learned about the admissions process and experienced university life.
For the past six years, the Legal Aid Society and OCPS have been partnering to provide foster children throughout the district with bicycles every June and December. Since 2018, 2,000 bicycles have been given to foster children. The photos were taken during the holiday bicycle giveaway at the Audubon Park School on Dec. 7.
Drawn together. UCF Students and Student Athletes donated toys to the Forsyth Woods MVP students. Songs, games, coloring and snacks topped off a perfect day of sharing. Go Knights!!!
Top Dog!
OCPS K9 Coco was a special guest at the ribbon cutting at Portillo’s New Waterford Lakes restaurant. Portillo’s, part of the Partners in Education program, presented the Foundation for OCPS with $5,000 to help fund school pantries and add a sibling - a second OCPS K9 - for Coco. Click here to donate to K9 Coco’s Pawsitive Fund.
Two paws up for the cheese fries!
Building Bridges
Super STEM Saturday at Apopka High engaged more than 1,000 students from more than 60 schools. Drone Maker Challenge, Egg Drop, Mousetrap car, LEGO Spike Challenge and Model Rocket are just a few of the days events.
And 5, 6, 7, 8 2nd graders from around the district, had the pleasure of watching Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Spoiler alert. I found out from a 2nd grader that Clara is on rope when she flies!!!
Let it Snow!
OCPS Parent Academy Winter Literacy Extravaganza. Family fun and leaning which includes teaching tools and tips, games, hot cocoa, student performances and SNOW!
