| Bakersfield Christian High School | |
| President | Mr. Stephen Dinger |
| Principal | Mr. Gregory Root |
| Motto | "Challenging our Students Today to Make a Difference Tomorrow" |
| Established | 1979 |
| School Type | Private |
| Grades | 9th through 12th |
| Street Address | 12775 Stockdale Highway |
| Location | Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Campus Type | Suburban |
| Campus Size | 50 acres (200,000 m2) |
| Student Body | Approximately 500 |
| Faculty/Staff | Approximately 65 |
| Mascot | Eagles |
| School Colors | Blue, Gold, White |
| Website | http://www.bakersfieldchristian.com |
Bakersfield Christian High School (abbr. BCHS) is a private, non-denominational Christian senior high school located in Bakersfield, California. In the past several years, the school has grown. It has its own campus.
Every year, BCHS selects a "theme verse," which acts as a focus for the school's ministry.
On June 1, 2008, Gregory Root replaced David Meek as principal at BCHS.[1]
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In 1979, BCHS was founded as Omega High School. Run by a local church, the school taught students from kindergarten to 12th grade. After the 1985–1986 school year, the church that ran Omega High split from the school. Therefore, during the summer of 1986, the school began to operate independently, changing its name to Community Christian High School to reflect the school's philosophy: the crafting of students into strong, productive members of their community, teaching them in a Christian environment. Ten years later, the school renamed itself Bakersfield Christian High School, reflecting its status as the only non-denominational Christian high school in Bakersfield.
Before the 2002–2003 school year, BCHS purchased 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land on the corner of Stockdale Highway and Allen Road. The land acted as the school's new campus, which opened to students and faculty the next year. The campus now holds over twenty classrooms, a gymnasium, a large administrative office, a drop-off area and parking lot, and a number of athletic fields. In 2007, the school's expansive new library was completed, replacing the former edifice (a relocatable).
All students enrolled at BCHS must at least meet the following criteria before graduation:
Every year, in which a student gets a C or better for the course, s/he receives 10 credits. If s/he enrolls in a class for one semester and gets a C or better, s/he receives 5 credits. All students are originally enrolled in the college prep (CP) program, which prepares students going into a University of California system, California State University system or a private Christian college (albeit the program is effective for admission into most public colleges in America). The CP program requires 241 credits (see above) from students in order to graduate. BCHS also provides a Scholar’s Program, which prepares students for the rigor of a four-year college at the high school level. It is recommended for those who are academically-gifted and/or truly willing to put in time and dedication, in order to enhance their education. The Scholar's Program requires 261 credits from students, and has a few slight differences than that of the CP Program:
BCHS also provides the following "advanced" courses for those who want a challenge and/or want to get college credit:
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The athletic director for BCHS is Doug Barnett, an ex-football player for the Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons. BCHS sports teams are called the Eagles, and have their home games on campus, where the venue is named after the moniker (e.g., Eagle's Nest, Eagle Field, Eagle Stadium, etc.). The Eagles participate in the South Sequoia League (Div. V, CIF Central Section) and have varsity, JV, and frosh/soph teams. Out of all the sports, the Eagles are most successful in men's & women's tennis, winning numerous Central Section titles.
In February 2008, Barnett confirmed that Derek Carr, the younger brother of current NFL QB David Carr, would transfer to BCHS, amid rumors that he would've gone to nearby Stockdale High School or Bakersfield High School, two schools with historically good football programs.[2] Ironically, Derek Carr passed on Stockdale High School, the same school where his older brother not only went to for four years,[3] but was even voted "Most Likely to Become Famous".[3] Derek Carr previously played for the Clements High School (TX) Rangers and led his team to an undefeated 13–0 season (playoffs included) in his junior year, before losing in the fourth round of the 2007 Class 5A Division 2 State playoffs in Region 3 to the (also undefeated) Katy High School Tigers, the eventual champions.[4] He committed to Fresno State University during this time,[5] and has been ranked No. 70 on Rivals.com's Preseason Top 100 High School Football Prospects list for the state of California.[6]
The following is a list of all the sports BCHS participates in, and their respective seasons and levels:
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Fall
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Winter
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Spring
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To summarize the athletic program's focus on Christ and teamwork, Barnett uses the following acronym:[7]
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On December 2, 2006, the BCHS women's varsity volleyball team won the Division V state championship against the Castilleja High School Gators.[8] It was the first state championship of any kind for BCHS. It was also the first state volleyball championship for a team from Bakersfield since the 2002 Liberty High School Patriots in Division II. Four-year starter Charlene DeHoog won the MVP award,[8] and later signed an athletic scholarship with the University of California, Santa Barbara.
On November 23, 2007, the BCHS varsity football team won the CIF Central Section Division V title against the previously undefeated Fowler High School Redcats in Fowler, CA. They won in overtime, 35–34. At one point, the Eagles were down by 22 points. But, they staged the comeback of the ages by preventing the Redcats from scoring in the second half, as the Eagles made up the deficit, and sent the game into overtime. BCHS junior Kody Carr batted down the two-point conversion pass attempt, sealing the win for the Eagles.
For the second consecutive year in a row, on December 12, 2008, BCHS won the CIF Central Section Division V football championship as a number two seed, this time beating the previously undefeated Corcoran High School Panthers 49–27 in Corcoran, CA. Senior running back Christian Taylor ran for over 200 yards (180 m) and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Derek Carr threw two touchdowns and ran for another, en route to the Eagle’s championship victory.[9]
On April 29, 2008, the BCHS Eagles' varsity baseball team played an "infamous" baseball game against South Sequoia League rival Tehachapi Warriors. The Eagles lost the game, 30–29,[10] and earned themselves a place in high school baseball infamy. First, the Eagles now hold the California state record of most runs scored by a losing team. This broke the quarter century mark held by the Manual Arts Toilers when they lost to the Los Angeles Romans, 27–25, in 1983.[11] Also, the Eagles’ 29 runs puts them third in the nation for most runs scored by a losing high school varsity baseball team. According to the 2008 edition of the National High School Sports Record Book, only Prairie Farm High School (WI) and Williamsburg Whitley County High School (KY) have scored more runs in a losing effort (they both scored 33). In addition, the 59 runs scored by BCHS and THS is the second-most runs scored in a California high school game, according to Cal Hi Sports' records books. That record is held by Shandon High School and New Cuyama-Cuyama Valley High School when they tied, 30–30, in a 2004 game.
Throughout the school year, BCHS offers numerous clubs for students to join. Every club meets about once a week, and either takes place during lunch or after school. The following is a list of all clubs:
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Once a year in September, the entire school takes three days off by taking a retreat to Hume Lake, an isolated location in the Sierra Nevada mountains. While up at Lake Hume, students and staff spend their days with leisure time, worship, and getting acquainted with one another.
Twice a year (once during Homecoming week, another during Powder Puff football week), the school has a spirit week. During that time, students and teachers alike are allowed to go outside normal dress code and dress up according to the event planned (e.g., Western day, Movie Star day, Pajama day, etc.).
Both spirit weeks are catalysts for a big football game: the first spirit week is used to pump up the school for the upcoming home football game against a league rival, while the second spirit week is used to pump up the school for the upcoming juniors vs. seniors powder puff football game.
Every year in May, BCHS holds elections for a position on ASB. Students interested in running for a position must prepare a speech, explaining to their peers why they would make a perfect fit for that position. Candidates can also promote their cause through posters around school or other forms of campaigning (for example, passing out suckers with the student's name, encouraging others to vote for them). Before the end of the school year, the winners are announced via intercom, and the officers who previously held the position will be resigned. Generally though, the President is an upcoming senior who has spent at least one year on ASB, and the Vice President is an upcoming junior. Other roles, such as Treasurer and Secretary, can be pursued by any student of the upcoming senior, junior, or sophomore classes.
Alternatively, BCHS allows two representatives from each class to represent the wants and needs of all students. The main difference between this & ASB, however, is that class representatives merely suggest ideas for consideration (such as more leniency on students who were late to class because of locker troubles), whereas ASB members promote special events (home sports games, dances, Spirit Week [^see above^], etc.) that are approved by the faculty & staff of BCHS.
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