Arnold O. Beckman High School is a public school in Irvine, California, United States, serving 2,443 students from grades 9 through 12. The $69 million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. The school is commonly known as Beckman and was named after Arnold O. Beckman, a scientist, chemist, and philanthropist. The school is in the Tustin Unified School District. In 2007 and again in 2011, the California State Board of Education awarded Beckman High School the status of a California Distinguished School. The school serves the communities of Tustin, Santa Ana, Tustin Ranch, Northpark, Northwood, Sheridan, and West Irvine. The mascot of Beckman is the Patriot.
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 arts
Band
The 150-member Beckman High School Patriot Marching Band was formed in 2004 under the direction of Jim Kollias. Since its inception, the band has grown in numbers and stature and has earned a reputation of excellence in musicianship. The group earned a first-place finish in its first parade, and since then has earned first-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, Arcadia 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, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). 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 appeared in the 2010 Hollywood Santa Parade. Six sousaphone players of the marching band took part in the Rose Parade in 2011. The band performed in Sacramento and San Francisco in March 2012, and then Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Parade again in 2015. It has placed first and won sweepstakes four years in a row at the annual Tustin Tiller Days Parade. 1 clarinetist became the first student from Beckman to be in the Rose Parade Honor Marching Band in 2014. Several students also have gone on to perform in international performance groups, in places like Carnegie Hall in New York, and Paris.
During the school year, the marching band rehearses daily for an hour, with the only after-school rehearsals on the days of football games. 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 select 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
Beckman Orchestra has three levels: Chamber, Symphonic, and Concert.
The Beckman Chamber Orchestra is under the direction of Jim Kollias. Beckman Chamber Orchestra has been invited five times, in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, to attend a national music event in New York, where it has performed at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra has also attended many SCSBOA festivals, earning Superior ratings in all of them. The orchestra had been invited to perform at Disney Hall in 2011, but due to their recent trip to Carnegie Hall, the orchestra declined. The orchestra has been invited to Disneyland every year. In June 2012, the Orchestra attended and competed at the World's Festival at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
The Beckman Symphonic Orchestra is the middle level. This is where the sophomores, juniors, and seniors go if they do not make Chamber Orchestra. The group has earned Excellent and Superior ratings at the SCSBOA festivals.
The Beckman Concert Orchestra is composed of freshman and sophomore players only. They have received Superior ratings and has provided the skills important to Chamber Orchestra.
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 grown to consist of over 100 participants. Throughout the years, a number of changes have taken place with the choirs. Currently there are three choir classes offered at Beckman. The Mixed Choir is a non-auditioned choir made up of underclassmen and upperclassmen. The Bel Canto Choir is an advanced auditioned group of underclassmen and upperclassmen women with a wide range of musical experiences, while the Madrigals Choir is an advanced, auditioned upperclassmen-only choir. The choirs have performed at Disneyland and many other festivals. Singers in these choirs have participated in honor choirs and competitions across the country and have received music scholarships to college.
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 be exhibited at the Orange County Fine Arts Gallery as well.
In 2007, Eunice Lau won second place in the photography division of the Music Center Spotlight Awards.
In 2009, Chyi-Dean Shu won grand prize in the Olympus Student Photo Contest as well as the Adobe Youth Voices contest.
In 2012, Beckman High School was represented by two students at the California State Science Fair.
Beckman hosted "A Miley-Sized Surprise" on December 31, 2008, featuring Miley Cyrus visiting Beckman. This was an award for Alison Kaprielian, a student, for raising awareness about breast cancer through her hard work and contributions to the BHS Pink Ribbon Club. The show aired on New Year's Eve, and had 12.5 million viewers.
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 had 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.
The 2007-2008 Beckman varsity volleyball team made it into the CIF championships for the second year in a row. In 2007-08 Beckman was undefeated in its preseason, got first and second in two tournaments, and got second in the PCL. Beckman lost to Oxnard in 2006-07 in four games, but in the 2007-08 season Beckman triumphed over Hemet High School in three games.
Beckman's baseball team has won six Pacific Coast League Championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015). In 2009, the baseball team won first place in the Pacific Coast League and went to the CIFâ€"SS Finals at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In 2011, the baseball team won the CIFâ€"SS Championship, defeating Woodbridge High School 4-1 at Dodger Stadium.
Baseball Coach Kevin Lavalle was named the Orange County Coach of the Year in 2010, and CIF Coach of the Year in 2011. Beckman baseball has had six players named Pacific Coast League Player or Pitcher of the Year (Kyle Boudreau, Brandon Trinkwon, James Kaprielian, Garret Brown, Chase Bartholomew, and Matt McLain). In 2011, James Kaprielian was CIF Player of the Year. In 2015, Kaprielian was drafted in the 1st round of the MLB Draft (16th overall - New York Yankees)
Beckman plays its home games at Patriot Park .
In 2009, Beckman's girls' varsity soccer team made it into the CIF Championship game.
In 2011, Beckman's boys' varsity soccer had their first-ever First Team All Pacific League Player and earned First Team All Orange County. Francisco Nunez was called up to represent the United States' under-17 national team and he participated in the world cup held in Mexico in 2011.
Beckman's 2010 varsity football team earned their way into the CIF-SS Championships, but lost 30-31 due to a last-minute comeback by the Garden Grove Argonauts. In the 2011 football season, Beckman's varsity team made it to the CIF-Southern Section Finals, and lost to Corona del Mar 13-14.
Beckman's 2014 men's golf team won the CIF- Southern Section at Talega Golf Club. This was the first CIF Championships in Beckman golf history.
Notable Alumni
Baseball Player James Kaprellian
Actor Niko Guardado
Fashion Model Kaila Karns
References
External links
- Official website
- Tustin Unified School District
