Orange County High School of the Arts
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| Orange County High School of the Arts | |
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| Location | |
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| 1010 N. Main Street Santa Ana, California, 92701 United States of America |
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| Coordinates | |
| Information | |
| School district | Santa Ana Unified School District |
| Principal | Ron Alatorre |
| Enrollment |
1,350 |
| Faculty | 200 |
| Type | Public Charter School |
| Grades | 7-12 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Motto | Educating the Next Generation of World-Class Artists and Scholars |
| Mascot | Star |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Yearbook | Dreamscape |
| Newspaper | Evolution |
| Established | 1987 |
| Homepage | http://www.ocsarts.net |
Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA), colloquially called "OH-sha", is a 7th through 12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County, California established in 1987 by Ralph Opacic. The school targets middle and high school students with talents in the performing and visual arts. The educational program prepares students for higher education institutions and/or employment in the professional arts industry.
The school property itself consists of a 7-story office tower (formerly operated by Bank of America) with bank vaults, a "technology building", a split-level "annex", and "Symphony Hall"; a historic church that was renovated into a performance venue with practice and rehearsal rooms.
Many students contract with the Disney Corporation and/or other networks while they attend the school.
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[edit] History
The Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) reorganized as a public charter school on April 20, 2000, and relocated its primary facility from Los Alamitos High School to the Santa Ana Unified School District. OCHSA is an independent nonprofit organization governed by a Board of Trustees representing parents, the community, educators, and the Santa Ana Unified School District. The school is also supported by The Orange County High School of the Arts Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the financial support of the school's tuition-free artistic programs, as well as its ongoing expansion plans. The Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation governed by a volunteer Board of Directors of prominent business and cultural leaders. With Development staff's input and guidance, the Foundation Board of Directors establishes fund-raising goals, manages long-term strategic planning, implements the school's capital, public relations and marketing campaigns, and oversees funding criteria. Members pay annual dues, serve on fundraising committees, attend the school's activities, and serve as ambassadors to the community-at-large.
[edit] Academics
OCHSA's high school hours are from 8:27 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:42 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Fridays. The middle school schedule is from 8:27 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:42 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Fridays.
The Academic Principal is Ron Alatorre.
Until 2:00 p.m. each day, OCHSA students attend standard academic courses under a block schedule system with three academic classes per day, alternating each day for a total of six classes. Honors classes are offered, as well as many Advanced Placement classes including AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP Physics, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, AP French, AP Literature and Composition, AP Language and Composition, AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Art History, AP Studio Art, and AP Music Theory. OCHSA also has a unique selection of electives including but not limited to Acting, Piano, Ceramics, Make-Up, Graphic Design, Taekwondo, and Photography.
OCHSA's 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) score of 856 ranked the school as one of the top five ranked high schools in Orange County and in the top 10 percent in California.
OCHSA was named a Blue Ribbon School(American education's top prize for an individual school) in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education. OCHSA was one of 250 Blue Ribbon schools recognized nationwide in 2006, among 35 schools in the State of California and five public schools in Orange County. OCHSA also was named a California Distinguished School.
According to the school, 99% of OCHSA alumni continue on to college[citation needed]. Students also must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA to continue participating in their art conservatory.
[edit] Art Attack Live
The "Art Attack Live" is OCHSA's daily live television broadcast of the day's announcements. The show began broadcasting by a group of 3 students from the Film and Television conservatory in September 2003. Today, crew members consist mostly of students from OCHSA's Film and Television conservatory and the school's Leadership (ASB) class. The show is broadcast from one of OCHSA's two live television production studios in the technology building. Students at the school are given the opportunity to audition to become hosts of the show.
[edit] Arts
After 2:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the school focuses on arts education, which is divided into 11 conservatories: Production and Design, Ballet Folklórico, Classical and Contemporary Dance, Commercial Dance, Creative Writing, Film and Television, Integrated Arts, Instrumental Music (divided into Classical Instrumental, Piano, and Jazz), Music and Theater (divided into Musical Theater, Drama, and Voice), Opera, and Visual Arts. Conservatory ends at 4:50 though students can stay later if necessary to rehearse or work.
James P. Blaylock, a fantasy author, is Director of the Creative Writing Department at OCHSA. The department's Writer in Residence is the award-winning fantasy author, Tim Powers. Every month the Creative Writing conservatory holds a reading.
The Instrumental Music Department holds many concerts throughout the year, and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in spring of 2006. Its Symphony Orchestra, directed by Chris Russell, will be performing in the Sydney Opera House in the summer of 2008.
The Production and Design Conservatory at OCHSA designs the costumes, lighting, audio, makeup, and sets for over 125 school performances each year.
OCHSA's largest event is the annual Season Finale, which takes place in early June at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The Finale recognizes notable graduating seniors, information about each conservatory, theatrical presentations, and instrumental performances, often showcasing pieces from the top performances of that year.
OCHSA's Gala fundraiser is the other large event, held in coastal Orange County towards the end of March. Gala is a themed fundraising event in which OCHSA students from various conservatories showcase their talents. It takes place at a hotel ballroom converted into a fully-functioning theater by the Production and Design students. 2008's Gala theme was "A Night at the Copacabana."
[edit] Student life
Because it is a commuter campus of students from 92 cities[citation needed], many students ride Metrolink and Amtrak train services, utilize OCTA bus service, or carpool with other students.
The school has no sports fields or teams. As a result, Physical Education is conducted in dance rooms or the faculty parking lot. These activities include taekwondo, ballet, tap dance, jazz dance, body conditioning, and ballroom dancing. OCHSA's school colors are blue and gold, which are also the nicknames for the individual block-scheduled days (Blue Days and Gold Days).
In contrast to some high schools, OCHSA's dress code permits painted faces, dyed hair, cloaks, masks, costumes, capes, flip flops, and high heels.
OCHSA has at least 3 high school dances every year: Homecoming (despite a lack of sports teams), Winter Formal, and Prom (11th and 12th grades only). All dances are themed, held at off-campus locations, and funded by ticket sales. For the 2006-2007 school year, the school added a "MORP" or "Backwards Prom".
The extended hours of OCHSA present a challenge to some students. Most students have to practice their specific art after school and still find time to finish their homework. Many students find little personal free time during the week between schoolwork, practicing their arts studies, homework, and traveling long distances to reach home. Before and after school and performances, many students and attendees visit local restaurants in the nearby Artists Village, such as the Gypsy Den.
[edit] Campus
OCHSA has a unique campus from most high schools, including a seven-story office tower with basement formerly occupied by a bank. This is evidenced by the former bank's vault, which is still in use as a teacher work area, and occasionally an octagonal theater.
OCHSA has two on-campus venues. Symphony Hall, a theater which holds most of OCHSA's medium to larger performances, was formerly a historic Church of Christian Science before being converted to a theater. The hall contains a theater, a side rehearsal room, separate practice rooms for instrumental musicians, a basement and library for the creative writers, a front of house audio booth, the "O-Shop" student store, and a balcony overlooking the auditorium for Production and Design students. This balcony houses an ETC lighting booth, multiple Source Four followspots, and a Lycian M2 Followspot nicknamed "Spot". There is a plan to expand Symphony Hall into an adjacent parking lot. The other on-campus venue is the Black Box theater, which holds most of OCHSA's smaller performances.
The single-story "technology building" houses the bulk of the Film and Television department, the computer graphics portion of the Visual Arts department, and a few administrative offices. There are two fully-equipped studios[citation needed], one primarily for live television production and the other for film work. There is also a computer lab and a number of individual video editing rooms. The campus's daily student-run news television program, the Art Attack Live, is broadcast from the television studio and adjacent control room.
Situated between the main campus and the technology building is the "totem pole", a five-story ceramic tower covered in tiles. It serves as a gathering place for students during break times as well as a loading and unloading zone.
OCHSA's "Annex" is a combination of two white, windowless buildings connected by a set of ramps referred to as the "cheese maze" by some students. The Annex is home to many dance and vocal rooms and contains the Production and Design workshop, where OCHSA's production sets are constructed and painted. The Annex also houses the "Harry Potter" room, a Creative Writing classroom at the base of the stairs connecting the building's two halves. The room contains a collection of screenplays and books, as well as padded pillows and beanbag chairs.
[edit] Notable students and alumni
- Scott Aukerman - Emmy-nominated Writer for Mr. Show/ Actor/ Comedian
- Francisco Avina - Dancer/Choreographer, Member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
- Dante Basco - "Rufio" in Hook (film), The Debut, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and more
- Darion Basco - Naked Brown Men, and The Debut
- Dion Basco - City Guys, Biker Boyz, The Debut
- Drake Bell - Drake and Josh
- Stephanie J. Block - Elphaba: Wicked on Broadway
- Ashley Benson - The OC, Zoey 101, The West Wing, and various other television programs
- Kara Crane - "Jeanette Pachelewski" in Minutemen (film)
- Chad Doreck ("Grease: You're the One that I Want!")
- Susan Egan - Broadway Actress that played Belle in Disney's first Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast
- Katherine Hedrick - Accomplished film director
- Vanessa Anne Hudgens - High School Musical as Gabriella, Singer
- Robert Prescott Lee - Dancer in the movie "Rent (film)"
- Taryn Manning - Crossroads with Britney Spears
- Mark Meismer - Guest Star on "Scrubs" My Own American Girl
- Lindsay Mendez (Grease on Broadway *Jan)
- Matthew Morrison
- Christi Nicholls (Starlight Express & Hairspray (musical) tours)
- Noah Poletiek - "Twitch" in Holes.
- Krysta Rodriguez - Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line on Broadway
- Matthew Shaffer
- Columbus Short- Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance 2
- Nikki SooHoo - Wei Wei in "Stick It"
- Anneliese van der Pol - Chelsea Daniels on That's So Raven, Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast
- Justin Grant Wade - "Steve Holt" on Arrested Development
- Lauren German - Hostel II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre
[edit] External links
- Orange County High School of the Arts
- California Department of Education
- Charter Schools Development Center's Profiles Project
- OCHSA Conservatory Survey
- GreatSchools.net
