Orchard Park Academy
Weekly update 8/14/26
Mrs. Laura Christy: Level 4 Teacher
Coach Melissa Garcia: Technology Teacher
In addition to my time at OPA, I coach girl's basketball at Holy Family High School. Outside of school and sports, I love traveling, exploring new places, and spending quality time with my family and my dog, Stout. I’m so grateful to be part of this incredible community and look forward to a fantastic year ahead!
📚From the desk of Mrs. Frates🍎
Dear OPA Families,
At Orchard Park Academy, we believe that a strong school community is built on respect, kindness, love, and high expectations for one another. Every student, family member, and staff member deserves to feel valued, heard, and respected. As we continue through the school year, we want to remind our Pumas that how we treat others matters just as much as what we accomplish academically.
❤️ PersonBrain: Respect Starts With Connection
As a PersonBrain school, we focus on helping every child feel safe, significant, respected, and connected. These four elements remind us that everyone has a story, everyone has feelings, and everyone deserves kindness—even when we disagree or make mistakes.
Respect doesn't mean we will always agree, but it does mean we can choose how we respond to one another. We are teaching our students that kindness is a strength, accountability is an act of caring, and our words and actions have the power to build others up.
🐾 How Can Families Help at Home?
We encourage families to have conversations with their children about what respect looks and sounds like every day:
- ❤️ Choose kind words: Speak to others the way you would want someone to speak to you, even when frustrated.
- 🤝 Respect differences: We all have different backgrounds, abilities, opinions, and experiences. Those differences make our community stronger!
- ⭐ Take responsibility: When we make mistakes, we acknowledge them, make things right, and learn from the experience.
- 💛 Show compassion: You never know what someone else may be going through. A small act of kindness can make a BIG difference.
- 📚 Hold high expectations: Come ready to learn, give your best effort, follow expectations, and allow others the opportunity to learn without interruptions.
🌟 A Message to Our Pumas
One of the greatest lessons we can teach our children is that we can be both kind AND firm, compassionate AND accountable, and loving while still holding high expectations.
At OPA, we will continue to celebrate students who demonstrate leadership, lift others up, make responsible choices, and contribute positively to our school community.
Thank you, families, for partnering with us in raising children who are not only successful learners but also compassionate, respectful, and responsible individuals.
At Orchard Park Academy, where belonging meets high expectations, we believe every Puma deserves respect, every voice matters, and every act of kindness makes our community stronger! ❤️🐾
Have a wonderful weekend, OPA families!
With Puma Pride,
Mindy Frates
Principal, Orchard Park Academy
Free & Reduced lunch application
Please fill out 1 form per family.
Pay your fees online
Just login to your parent portal at https://westminsterco.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/westminster.jsp
Orchard Park Academy
Website: http://opa.wps.org
Location: 7395 Zuni Street, Westminster, CO, USA
Phone: 303-428-2300