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Olympia Titan Tribute - Week of January 12, 2026

Posted Date: 01/12/26 (10:45 AM)


Olympia High School logo featuring a stylized 'O' and lightning bolt.

Olympia Titan Tribute

A NEWSLETTER FOR THE OLYMPIA SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Principal's Message

Titan family,
 
As we reflect on December and begin a new semester, I want to take a moment to recognize the many events and accomplishments that helped us close out the first half of the school year on a positive note. At the center of all this work is what matters most, our students.
 
The start of the second semester provides an important opportunity for students to reset, refocus, and recommit to their goals. It is a fresh start and a chance to continue growing academically, socially, and personally, with the support of the adults and community around them. Our December Connectivity Day was a meaningful opportunity to strengthen relationships and reinforce a sense of belonging for our students. We look forward to continuing this work during our next Connectivity Day on January 29, as connection remains essential to student success.
 
I want to thank our staffulty for their continued dedication and commitment to serving students each day. As we move into the second half of the school year, I appreciate the collective support of our students, staffulty, families, and community partners. Everything we do is about creating opportunities for students to succeed, and that work continues every day. Together, we will build on the momentum from December and remain focused on growth, accountability, and success for all Titans.

With Titan Pride,

Christy Gorberg
Principal, Olympia High
The Olympia High Principal smiles between two university mascot characters in knight costumes.
 
Olympia High School Graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026, scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2026, at 2 PM at the Kia Center.
Visit Our Website
 

Connectivity Day

Students filled out a form to pick some activities they are interested in participating in for connectivity day. Then, students were assigned to fun and engaging rooms for different activities. For example, some students participated in pickleball, bracelet making, movie making, and several other activities that connect students to Olympia and fellow Titans. The next connectivity day will be January 29.
 

Club Picture Day & Senior Panoramic

A large group of students in matching black shirts pose for a photo on bleachers, with championship banners hanging in the background.
A large group of students in matching t-shirts are gathered on bleachers in a gymnasium.
On Thursday, December 18, we held our schoolwide club picture day. All day, each club came down to the gym with their members to get their official photo taken for the yearbook! In the middle of the day, the entire senior class came down to the gym and took the senior panoramic, which will also be placed in the yearbook!
 

Teacher Spirit and Holiday Activity Week

Two smiling individuals in festive pajamas hold plates of cookies and baked goods.
A man wears a yellow rubber duck and greenery on his head, with his arms outstretched.
A young woman smiles while standing between two decorated Christmas trees, wearing festive pajamas.
A person wearing a fuzzy brown hooded onesie and a Santa hat makes a funny face.
A smiling woman holds a blue rubber duck and a "Merriment Ticket" with "Olympia Titans" lanyards.
Before winter break, the teachers had fun activities planned for them all week. Thank you, Mrs. Gorberg and administration, for providing these events for our teachers!
 

Freshman Discipline Office

A bulletin board displays "TRANSFORMATIVE TITANS" in large black letters on a green background.
We are "rolling out" the Transformative Titans Board at the beginning of the new year to ask students what they have learned that has positively influenced them this school year (25-26).
 

Hospitality

A large group of students poses for a photo in front of the Hard Rock Cafe building.
Our hospitality students recently participated in an immersive educational experience at Universal Orlando, where they explored the art of marketing and theme park ride design. Working alongside more than 100 students from multiple hospitality programs, participants gained real-world insight into branding, guest experience, and the creative process that brings world-class attractions to life.
 

Visual Arts Department

Digital art titled "Guardian of Dreams" by Isaac Gomes Christofoletti, featuring a green, textured lion-like statue.
Acrylic painting titled "Mountain Sunset" by Laina Jean-Baptiste, depicting a vibrant landscape.
Sculpture titled 'Drowning in Thought' by Karla Polanco Sanchez, made of clay and wire, depicts a distressed face entwined with red wire.
A blue figure with large eyes and a pink polka dot hat, titled 'Polka Dot Queen' by Lilly Vega.
Two artistic sculptures by Mauricio Pereira, titled 'Clay & Moss', feature textured brown clay intertwined with vibrant green moss.
Check out the amazing Titan artwork being created daily here at Olympia. The following artworks will be on display at the RBELC.
 

Quiz Bowl, 2nd Place

A group of students and a teacher pose for a photo, holding a trophy and wearing medals.
From Mr. Pearl, Head Coach:

“I haven't written about our season since my last email because the week after I gloated, we lost a messy game to Evans. And like any good sports coach, I am very superstitious.”
 
After we ended the regular season 10-3, we were officially headed to the playoffs as a #4 seed, behind #1 Boone, #2 Winter Park, and #3 Trinity.
 
In the first round of the playoffs, we handily beat the lower-ranked West Orange, setting up a big semifinal match against top-seeded Boone. But the Braves were no match, and Olympia dispatched them soundly.
 
Having beaten Winter Park in their semi, Trinity was now set to face Olympia in the finals. Despite our valiant effort, the Trinity team was victorious. But your Titans lost honorably, keeping it close until the very end. This, in spite of a rare Mr. Pearl singing performance of Broadway showtune lyrics for one question (there is, I'm told, a recording of my singing if you ask the right people). We did get that question correct, though, so my singing was worth it!
 
This was a great team that included mostly new players, and they should be very proud of that 2nd place trophy! Please congratulate them on their success, and especially congratulate Oliver for making the County Team for States.
And so concludes another season of Quiz Bowl!

Please congratulate:
Ksenia Ebenhack
Amber Khan
Jay Kim
Oliver Lund
Minh-Quan Nguyen
Aspen Quach
Lucia Sanchez
 
Also, Oliver Lund was selected to play on the Orange County Quiz Bowl Team for states (think of it as Quiz Bowl All-Stars).
 

Speech and Debate

A diverse group of students in formal attire poses for a photo, holding trophies and awards.
A young woman and man stand side-by-side, each holding a trophy.
Varsity Public Forum Debate (2 vs 2) FIRST PLACE WINNER - Ally Williams_Eldin Senatus
A young woman in a maroon dress smiles while holding a trophy.
A young woman in a black suit smiles while holding a golden trophy.
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate (1 vs 1) FIRST PLACE WINNER - Gabby Rousseau (left)
Varsity Original Oratory 3rd place - Josie Dee (right)
A smiling person in glasses and a vest holds a trophy, celebrating an achievement.
A smiling young man in a suit and tie holds a trophy.
Congressional Debate 2nd Place - Samantha Gonzalez Merchan (left)
Congressional Debate Best Novice - Landon Hollowman (right)
This past weekend your Olympia Titan Speech & Debate team competed against 30 schools at our most recent district tournament hosted at Lake Mary High School.
 
Your Titans brought home the 3rd place Team Sweepstakes win!
 

SGA Super Star of The Year: Mr. Hall

A man wearing a black t-shirt with the periodic table element Holmium (Ho) printed on it smiles.
A teacher and two students in matching jerseys stand in a classroom.
Three men stand in a hallway, each wearing a shirt and holding a sign with a name: Dewey, Louie, and Huey.
SGA awarded Mr. Hall the SGA Super Star of the Year Award (the very first one ever)because he always supports SGA activities and never fails to go all out on spirit days! Mr. Hall was awarded an SGA Members Only Jersey. Mr. Hall is now an official SGA member.
 

Winter Spirit Week (12/15-12/19)

Six smiling young women in pajamas pose for a photo in a school cafeteria.
A group of seven young musicians, dressed in festive pajamas, pose together with their instruments.
Two women smile while wearing festive holiday sweaters, one with a candy cane pattern and the other featuring Stitch.
Two young people in festive holiday sweaters stand in a school cafeteria.
Five young people pose together, all wearing festive holiday sweaters.
Two young women smile, dressed in festive holiday sweaters and a Christmas tree headband.
Monday 12/15: PJ Day
Tuesday 12/16: Holiday Character Day
Wednesday 12/17: Wacky Wednesday
Thursday 12/18: Snowboard vs Surfboard
Friday 12/19: Titan Gear & Holiday Cheer
 

Athlete Spotlight - Makenna Rossi (Softball), Senior

Two softball players in uniform interact on a baseball field, one holding a glove.
A softball pitcher in a black and teal uniform throws a pitch on a dirt field.
  1. What sport do you play? Softball
  2. How long have you been playing this sport? Since I was 7 (11 years).
  3. What’s your favorite memory? Beating West Orange for the first time in years.
  4. What is one word you would use to describe this season and why? Exciting, we have a new coach and a really exciting schedule, I can’t wait to see what this season brings!
  5. What impact have others, like teammates or coaches, had on you this year? My coaches and teammates have taught me how to be a leader, they have taught me how to love the game, and how to play better. 
  6. What is the most important thing you have learned from this season that you will carry forward? Nothing is guaranteed; you have to work for what you want and prepare for anything to be the best you can.
  7. What do you like most about playing your sport? I love stepping onto the fields with my best friends behind me, playing the sport I love. It’s such a good feeling when you pitch a good game and your team wins and just being surrounded by some of your best friends is just amazing. 
 

Athlete Spotlight - Michael Tacetta (Lacrosse), Senior

A lacrosse player in a white jersey with 'OLYMPIA' and the number 28 on it holds a stick on a grassy field.
A lacrosse player in a helmet and jersey walks across a sunny field, carrying a stick.
  1. What sport do you play? I play lacrosse.
  2. How long have you been playing this sport? This will be my 3rd year playing
  3. What’s your favorite memory? My favorite memory is when we beat Lake Nona my sophomore year to win the district championship.
  4. What is one word you would use to describe this season and why? One word I would use to describe the upcoming season would be thrilling. Because it's my senior season and we are getting a new coach so I don't know what to expect.
  5. What impact have others like teammates or coaches had on you this year? Not having a coach has made some people really step up and help out the team which I think has an impact on me by making me want to be more of a leader for our team to prosper.
  6. What is the most important thing you have learned from this season that you will carry forward? The most important thing that I learned is to keep pushing. We had a bunch of new people last year, some brand new, some with experience and at first it was difficult to get acclimated to the new team. But eventually it ended up being some of the best times that I had last year.
  7. What do you like most about playing your sport? I love most of all the people that I get to be around. Some of the funniest moments of my life happened in the locker room and at the team dinners that the team and I attended.
 

Proud Titan

A teal graphic with text promoting the 'Proud Titan' initiative, listing requirements.
A silver and black emblem with the word 'OLYMPIA' at the top.

4301 S Apopka Vineland Rd | Orlando, FL 32835-3115

Phone +1 407-905-6400 I olympia_hs@ocps.net

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