Arnold O. Beckman High School
| Arnold O. Beckman High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
3588 Bryan Ave. Irvine, California 92602-1347 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Beckman Patriots |
| Established | August 30, 2004 |
| School district | Tustin Unified School District |
| Principal | Adele Heuer |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Enrollment | 2,443 (2009-2010)[1] |
| Color(s) | Red, White, and Blue |
| Mascot | Patriots |
| Information | (714) 734-2900 |
| Website | tustin.k12.ca.us/beckman/default.htm |
Arnold O. Beckman High School is a mid-sized public school in Irvine, California, serving grades 9 through 12. The $69-million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. It was named after Arnold O. Beckman, a scientist and philanthropist who enjoyed the love of many children. The school is in the Tustin Unified School District. In 2007, the California State Board of Education awarded Beckman High School the status of a California Distinguished School. The school serves the communities of Tustin Ranch, Northpark, Northwood, Sheridan, and West Irvine. The mascot of Beckman is the Patriot.
Arnold O. Beckman High School (Beckman) opened in 2004 with both ninth and tenth grade levels. Beckman became the third comprehensive high school in the Tustin Unified School District. Beckman, located in the city of Irvine, rests in the heart of Orange County. Beckman services the residential communities of Tustin and Irvine. Beckman’s student population has grown to over 2,400 and graduated its first senior class in June 2007. Beckman proudly educates a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic community. This community is an active and supportive one with tremendous involvement in the school’s many support organizations. Beckman is accredited by the Western Association of schools and Colleges (WASC) and is also a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and complies with the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice. The mission of Beckman High School is to produce students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post secondary education by pursuing the most rigorous course of study resulting in achievement inside and outside the classroom.
The arts
Band
The 130-member Beckman High School Patriot Marching Band was formed in 2004 under the direction of Jim Kollias. Since its conception, the group has grown in numbers and stature and has earned a reputation of excellence in musicianship. The group earned a 1st-place finish in its very first parade and has never looked back, earning 1st-place finishes in 10 of the first 11 parades it has competed in. The band has participated in the Tustin Tiller Days Parade, MLK Parade in San Diego, Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, the La Palma Days band review, the Whittier Christmas Parade, and Los Angeles County Fair. Also of note, the band has performed with the UCLA Marching Band in the Rose Bowl (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009) and the USC Marching Band in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2004) and marched in parade at Disneyland (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). In April 2008, the Patriot Marching Band earned an invitation to perform at the 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington D.C. The band is scheduled to appear in the 2010 Hollywood Santa Parade.
During the school year, the marching band rehearses daily for an hour. The group performs for home football games and various student body events, and honors community Veterans with an annual Veterans Day Concert. The Varsity Band, made up of selected members of the Marching Band, performs at various Beckman High School boys' and girls' varsity sporting events (which have included water polo, basketball, and baseball games), therefore giving students an opportunity to earn their varsity letter in band.
There is also one active chamber group that has spawned from the Wind Ensemble. The "Paradox 5" Woodwind Quintet has achieved Superior ratings at the SCSBOA Los Coyotes Solo and Ensemble District Festival during April 2008 and at the SCSBOA Regional Solo and Ensemble Festival during June 2008, the latter with the "Command Performance" honor.
Orchestra
The Beckman Chamber Orchestra was invited three times, in the years 2005, 2007, and 2009, to attend a national music event in New York where they performed at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra has earned Superior ratings at every SCSBOA festival they have attended.
Vocal Arts
The Beckman High School Chorale sings an extensive repertoire of music both classical and contemporary. It was formed in 2004 under the direction of Nancy Stück and has since then grown to consist of over 100 participants. Throughout the years, a number of changes have taken place with the choirs. Currently there are two choir classes offered at Beckman. The Mixed Choir/Bel Canto Choir/Bass Choir is made up of underclassmen & upperclassmen with a wide range of musical experiences while the Vivace Choir is an advanced upper-classmen-only choir. The choirs have performed at Disneyland and many other festivals and have received superior marks. Singers in these choirs have participated in honor choirs and competitions across the country.
Visual Arts
In 2008, Jamie Kao, a visual arts student at Beckman High, won first place in Orange County in the Imagination Celebration Poster Contest. The works of Eunice Lau, Jeffery Kim, Shaun Phillips, and Alan Wong were selected to exhibited at the Orange County Fine Arts Gallery as well, alongside Jamie Kao's poster.[2]
In 2007, Eunice Lau won second place in the photography division of the Music Center Spotlight Awards.[3]
In 2009, Chyi-Dean Shu won grand prize in the Olympus Student Photo Contest as well as the Adobe Youth Voices contest.[4]
Beckman is also famous for having hosted 'A Miley-Sized Surprise' on December 31, 2008. This event, a concert performance by Miley Cyrus and Metro Station, occurred on campus. It was an award for Alison Kaprielian, a student, for raising awareness about breast cancer through her heartfelt work and contributions to the BHS Pink Ribbon Club. She also received a $10,000 check for The Pink Ribbon Club. The show aired on New Year's Eve, with 12.5 million viewers.
Foreign exchange program
Currently, Beckman has a thriving foreign exchange program. Students from countries around the world come to experience Southern California through Beckman's program. The very first exchange student Beckman ever received came from Scotland; others have come from Costa Rica, Poland, Norway, China, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Africa, Japan, France and Denmark.
Early College Program
Along with Tustin High School, Beckman allows high school students to enroll in college level classes through IVC. After four years of this rigorous program they can receive an AA/AS degree along with a high school diploma.
Athletics
Beckman's athletics program include teams in football, water polo, swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, wrestling, cross country, track and field, golf, dance, and cheer . However, because the school was brand new, and only attained freshman and sophomores, many sports were forced to wait until the second year of the school's activity to play at the Varsity level. The boys lacrosse team were league champions for two consecutive years. In 2007 Softball won CIF. In 2007, Tara Thomas broke Olympian Kaitlin Sandeno's Division 1 state record in the 100-yard butterfly at the CIF finals. Beckman varsity football team was undefeated in the pre season and won their first league game against university but failed to make it to CIF.[5]
The 2007-2008 Beckman Varsity Volleyball team made it into CIF for the second year in a row. In 2007/08 Beckman was undefeated in its preseason, got first and third in two tournaments and got second in the PCL. Beckman lost to Oxnard in 2006/07 in 4 games, but in the 2007/08 season Beckman triumphed over Hemet High School in three games.
In 2008 Beckman's Baseball team won first place in the Pacific Coast League and went to the CIF-SS Finals at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Girls Varsity Soccer Team made it into CIF in 2009.
References
- ^ School Detail, NCES.
- ^ Mitchell, Lauren (March 4, 2008). "Orange County Imagination Celebration Festival". The Beckman Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ Jamil, Basha (March 4, 2008). "Picture Perfect". The Beckman Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ Jeon, John (November 11, 2009). "SHOO! It's Time for Chyi-Dean Shu!". The Beckman Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
- ^ Albano, Dan (May 29, 2007). "Tara Thomas nearly perfect". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- "School Detail for Arnold O. Beckman High". National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2008-01-03.