Middle College High off to an early start

June Casagrande

While Corona del Mar High School students were at the beach, while

Estancia High students were having fun at the movies and the mall,

Orange Coast Middle College High School students were busy enjoying

the first day of the rest of their lives.

The innovative little school starts three weeks before

Newport-Mesa Unified District schools and two weeks before Orange

Coast College to allow students time to enroll in OCC courses that

are mandatory in their high school curriculum.

“We’re a college prep program,” principal Bob Nanney said. “So we

want to feel confident that when they leave us, they truly are

prepared to go on to college.”

The school takes students who have problems realizing their

potential at a conventional high school; some of them are in danger

of dropping out. Middle college remedies this situation by creating a

culture in which social pressures are lessened and learning is a

priority.

“We’re like a small town here where no one’s out of place,” senior

Sean Coates said. “Popularity doesn’t apply.”

Sean and seniors Britta Gerdes and Anthony Dinucci were the

student greeters, whose job it was to show the new kids around on the

first school day.

“Basically, what we did was give a little bit of insider

information about how it is here,” Britta said, adding that the

greeters discussed topics such as campus culture and academic

requirements.

“We talked about things like the fact that because our school’s so

small, everyone knows everyone here,” Anthony said.

So far this year, close to 80 students are enrolled in the school,

Nanney said. About 20 spaces are still available, and applications

are being accepted throughout August.

And even though they start weeks earlier, middle college students

have the same number of school days as other district students: 180.

The school makes up the difference by having a different schedule of

breaks throughout the year and by letting out early each spring -- a

perk a lot of the students appreciate.

“We get out earlier, so it’s the same thing,” Sean said.