Academy of the Canyons Middle College High School

The 5th annual AOC Spring Math Meet is off to a great start! We’re starting our morning off with a guest speaker, a professor from Stanford University! It’s a great turnout! Thank you Mr. Koegle and Mr. Sparage for facilitating Math and Physics Club! What a great event! All organized by our students in Math Club! Students from around the district for compete in math problems, and have fun challenging themselves for the day! Prices will be awarded, snacks provided, and celebrations will be had for all the participants!

Proud is an understatement!

Today in Anaheim, we celebrated AOC being named a California Distinguished School alongside incredible schools across our district and state. It was an honor to stand with our colleagues, our superintendent, Dr. Vierra and board members, Dr. Moore and Dr. Ahuja and to celebrate this moment with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.

This recognition reflects the heart, talent, and commitment of our students, staff, and families. Every late night, every challenge, every moment of growth led us here—and we couldn’t be more proud of our community🌟

Showcase 2026 = AMAZING ✨🌿

From new students playing games and making connections, to our 10th graders sharing their passion projects… the energy was unreal!

Our ROOTS parents hosted a warm welcome for new families, students brought learning to life (yes—even Shakespeare 🎭), seniors showcased their capstones, and our after-school arts program truly shined 🎨🎶

The best part?
Our students led it ALL—presenting, sharing, and showing pride in their work while teachers cheered them on every step of the way 💙

The vibe was pure AOC—and it was something special. And it was so fun to see our alumni comeback and reminisce with us and share their recent success! We love seeing and connecting with our alumni!

So proud of our students and staff… you absolutely crushed it! 🌟👏

A huge thank you to our amazing ROOTS parents 🌿💙

Thank you for hosting such a warm and welcoming meet & greet for our new families—it was so special to see so many parents connect, sign up, and learn how they can get involved and support AOC!

The thoughtful details did not go unnoticed… from the cookies 🍪 to the adorable custom waters celebrating our 2026 California Distinguished School recognition 💧🏆—everything was just perfect!

This group of parents is truly something special, and we are so grateful for all that you do for our school community. 💫

Thank you, Dr. Toma (and AOC Mom) for coming to visit us at the future health and science professionals club (FHSC) to share your professional journey with us, research and life lessons. Working with Nobel Prize winners at Stanford and following your passion were inspirational messages and stories for all of our students to take away! Thank you for joining us! 💙🔬🥼🧪

So proud of you, Aiden Chung, 12th grade AOC Senior!

Huge congratulations are in order! We're beyond thrilled to announce that seven of our students have been named National Merit Finalists!

Becoming a finalist is no small feat - it places these scholars in the top 1% of high school seniors across the country. This achievement is a testament to years of hard work, curiosity, and academic excellence.

Meet Our finalists:
• Rohit Arangil, West Ranch HS
• Brandon Chang, West Ranch HS
• Aiden Chung, Academy of the Canyons
• Andrew Kim, Valencia HS
• Devin Kozakis, Valencia HS
• Flo Avalos Lujan, West Ranch HS
• Angelina Nguyen, Canyon HS

Please join us in celebrating their dedication and wishing them the best of luck as they move forward in the competition for National Merit Scholarships.

Thank you AOC Associated Student Body (ASB) for an amazing and fun event! Great music, dance performances and games hosted by our Communications/ CTE students. March Madness was a huge success and our Senior Class won! Congrats Seniors and Coach Sparage! 🏆🏀🏀🏀

We are excited to invite you to our AOC March Madness basketball event tonight, 3/20 at 6:00 pm in the COC Gym. This is a fun and spirited opportunity for our students to compete against one another in friendly games that bring our community together.
Come support our student athletes, enjoy the camaraderie, and celebrate the joy of students connecting beyond the classroom. Events like this remind us how special our AOC community truly is.

March 19, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

We are proud to share that the Academy of the Canyons has been named a 2026 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education!
AOC received this recognition in the “Exemplary High Achievers” category. This honor is awarded to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement for all students while continuing to support strong progress for historically underserved student groups.

The California Distinguished School program recognizes some of the highest-performing public schools in the state, based on data from the California School Dashboard, including academic performance, college and career readiness, graduation rates, and a positive school climate.

This recognition reflects the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our incredible students, staff, and families. We are so proud of our AOC community and grateful for the continued support that makes achievements like this possible.

Congratulations to our entire AOC community! ✨

We are proud to share that the Academy of the Canyons has been named a 2026 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education!
AOC received this recognition in the “Exemplary High Achievers” category. This honor is awarded to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement for all students while continuing to support strong progress for historically underserved student groups.

The California Distinguished School program recognizes some of the highest-performing public schools in the state, based on data from the California School Dashboard, including academic performance, college and career readiness, graduation rates, and a positive school climate.

This recognition reflects the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our incredible students, staff, and families. We are so proud of our Falcon community and grateful for the continued support that makes achievements like this possible.

Congratulations to our entire AOC community! ✨

Leadership is often quiet. Sometimes it looks like showing up for others when it matters most.

In military culture, a challenge coin is given by a commander or leader to recognize exceptional effort, character, teamwork, or service to a community. It is a quiet but meaningful honor — a personal recognition of leadership and impact.

In the William S Hart Union High School District and at Academy of the Canyons, we use challenge coins to recognize individuals whose actions reflect care, integrity, and service to others.

The AOC community is proud to recognize AOC parent, Prescott Littlefield, President of the Flyers Hockey Community, for his leadership and care during an incredibly difficult time following the tragic loss affecting the 12UAA girls in Colorado. Mr. Littlefield stepped forward to support his club, the players, their families, and a community navigating heartbreak. During a moment that required compassion and strength, he brought dignity and thoughtfulness to the situation, leading with grace and integrity and reminding us how leadership strengthens community in times of challenge and loss.

We also recognize Zeina Al-Hennawi, ROOTS President, for her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to our students and school community. Known for her response of “It’s no problem,” Mrs. Al-Hennawi consistently steps forward to support whatever our school needs. Her generosity, kindness, and dedication exemplify the spirit of service that makes AOC such a special place.

We are deeply grateful for both of these leaders and the positive impact they continue to have on our community.

ChallengeCoin

We’re so proud of our students, faculty and staff! Congratulations, AOC!

We are excited to announce that SIX Hart District schools have been named 2026 Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education! Congratulations to Academy of the Canyons, Canyon, Castaic, La Mesa, Saugus, and West Ranch on this prestigious honor.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our educators, staff, students, and families,” said Superintendent Michael Vierra. “Having six of our schools recognized in a single year highlights our district-wide commitment to academic excellence and creating an environment where every student can thrive.”