Orange County High School of the Arts

Orange County High School of the Arts
Location
1010 N. Main Street Santa Ana, California, 92701 United States
Coordinates	33°45′14″N 117°52′05″W / 33.753864°N 117.86798°W / 33.753864; -117.86798
Information
Type	Public charter school
Motto	Educating the Next Generation of World-Class Artists and Scholars
Established	1988
School district	Santa Ana Unified School District
Principal	Sue Vaughn
Faculty	200
Grades	7–12
Enrollment	1,560
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Blue and Gold
Newspaper	'Evolution'
Yearbook	'Dreamscape'
Website	http://www.ocsarts.net

Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA), colloquially called "OH-sha", is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual and literary arts. The educational program prepares students for higher education institutions or employment in the professional arts industry. Both the academic and arts program have prompted recognition in the US News' "Best High Schools" program.^[1]OCHSA is currently considering to change their school name to "The Orange County School of the Arts" in order to include the middle grade students in the title.

History

The Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) was founded in 1988 and reorganized as a public charter school on April 20, 2000. During that time the school was relocated from its primary facility at Los Alamitos High School to the Santa Ana Unified School District. OCHSA is a tuition-free, donation-dependent public charter school 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 for 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 the input and guidance of the development staff 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.

Academics

The Orange County High School of the Arts provides an academic program that aims to produce high achieving and motivated scholars. OCHSA's 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. OCHSA also has a selection of electives including Acting, Ceramics, Improv, Graphic Design, Zoology, Vocal Ensemble, Art and Soul, Journalism, and Photography.

OCHSA's 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) score of 871 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 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 was also named a California Distinguished School.

In 2009, 99% of OCHSA alumni continued on to college,^[2] with 79% going on to a 4-year university, 18% going to a 2-year university with plans to transfer to a 4-year university and 2% studying abroad. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to continue participating in their artistic studies.

Art Attack Live

Art Attack Live set 2004–2005

The "Art Attack Live" is OCHSA's daily live television broadcast of the day's announcements. The show began broadcasting by a group of 4 students from the Film and Television conservatory in September 2003. Broadcasted to every television in the school, the short broadcast keeps students up to date on school events, and promotes activities.

Crew members consist mostly of students from the school's Leadership (ASB) class and various students from other conservatories. 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.

Arts

After 2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, the school focuses on arts education which is divided into 11 conservatories: Production and Design, International Dance (was 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), Classical Voice (was Opera), Commercial Music, and Visual Arts. A Culinary Arts conservatory will be added in the 2012-2013 school year.

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. The Instrumental Music Department holds many concerts throughout the year and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in spring of 2006. The school's Symphony Orchestra, directed by Chris Russell, performed 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 Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The Finale recognizes notable graduating seniors, presents information about each conservatory, and includes theatrical presentations and instrumental performances, often showcasing pieces from the top performances of that year. OCHSA's Gala fundraiser is the other large event and is held in coastal Orange County towards the end of March. The Gala is a themed fundraising event in which OCHSA students from various conservatories perform. The event takes place at a hotel ballroom converted into a fully functioning theater by students of the Production and Design program.

Art Attack Live set redecorated to fit the campus' western-themed spirit week.

Campus

OCHSA's campus consists of a seven-story office tower, which was formerly a bank and four surrounding buildings, the Annex, the Tech Building, Symphony Hall and the Bole building. The main tower's bank vault is still in use as a teacher work area and occasionally as an octagonal theater.

Symphony Hall's main stage set up for Awards Night 2005

OCHSA has two on-campus venues. Symphony Hall is a theater, which holds most of the school's medium to larger performances and was originally a historic Church of Christian Science, (built in 1922) 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, and a balcony overlooking the auditorium for the Production and Design students. This balcony houses an ETC lighting booth, multiple Source Four followspots, and a Lycian M2 Followspot nicknamed "The Spartan Laser". There is a plan to expand the Symphony Hall into an adjacent parking lot.^{[citation needed]} 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' daily student-run news television program Art Attack Live is broadcast from the television studio and adjacent control room.

Situated between the main campus and the technology building is a five-story ceramic tower covered in tiles called the "totem pole". It serves as a gathering place for students during break times, as well as a loading and unloading zone.

The "Annex" is a combination of two white windowless buildings. 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. Since the 2010- 2011 school year, it has been the home to the majority of the 7th and 8th graders' academic classes.

OCHSA has also purchased new areas near the main buildings. This is the start of a new 5 year plan in which a outdoor amphitheater, parking garage, and other improvements are all being considered.

Notable students and alumni

• Scott Aukerman – Emmy-nominated Writer for Mr. Show/ Actor/ Comedian^{[citation needed]}
• Dante Basco – "Rufio" in Hook (film), Prince Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Debut, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Naked Brown Men, "Ramos" in Take the Lead, more ^[3][4]
• Dion Basco – City Guys, Biker Boyz, The Debut
• Drake Bell – Drake and Josh, Yours, Mine and Ours (attended only for one semester in 10th grade, did not graduate)^[5][6]
• Eunice Cho – Little Bill, Re-Animated, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Dibs Commercial in Aug 08^{[citation needed]}
• Stephanie J. Block – Elphaba: Wicked on Broadway,^[6] 9 to 5 on Broadway ^[7]
• Ashley Benson – The OC, Zoey 101, The West Wing, Scrubs, Pretty Little Liars^{[citation needed]}
• Chad Doreck – Grease: You're the One that I Want! ^[8]
• Susan Egan – Broadway Actress that earned Tony nomination for role as Belle in Disney's first Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast,^[9] voice of Meg in Disney's Hercules, served as OCHSA's interim artistic director ^[10]
• Lauren German – Hostel II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre^{[citation needed]}
• Vanessa Hudgens – High School Musical franchise, Beastly (film), (home-schooled after 7th grade, did not graduate) ^[11]
• Taryn Manning – Crossroads ^[12]
• Ilona McHugh - Dancer American Ballet Theatre and Artistic Director of Berkeley Ballet Theater
• Matthew Morrison – Starring role on Glee,^[13] Hairspray,^[14] and Tony-nominated role in The Light in the Piazza^[14]
• Monique Powell – lead singer of 1990s ska band Save Ferris^{[citation needed]}
• Krysta Rodriguez – In the Heights, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, The Addams Family on Broadway, Colby's Clubhouse, Jordan Steele on Gossip Girl ^[15]
• Matthew Shaffer- actor, member of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago^{[citation needed]}
• Columbus Short – Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance 2^{[citation needed]}
• Nikki SooHoo – Wei Wei in "Stick It" ^[16]
• Anneliese van der Pol – Chelsea Daniels on That's So Raven, final Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast,^[17] Kathy in Off-Broadway's Vanities
• China Soul - singer/songwriter, now based in London^{[citation needed]}
• Nicholas Urie - composer/arranger, now based in Brooklyn, New York. Records include Excerpts From an Online Dating Service (2009) and My Garden (2011)

References

1. ^ "Orange County High School of the Arts: Best High Schools - USNews.com". http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/california/orange_county_high_school_of_the_arts. 
2. ^ "Matriculation Data". http://www.ocsarts.net/Page.aspx?pid=380. Retrieved June 26, 2010. 
3. ^ Catherine Gewertz (December 26, 1992). "The Fine Art of Fame". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-26/local/me-2318_1_junior-high-school?pg=2. 
4. ^ "Dante Basco IMDb Biography". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002364/bio. 
5. ^ "Drake Bell IMDb Biography". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068166/bio. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Lori Basheda (December 2, 2008). "Fancy Nancy goes to high school". OC Register. http://strangeoc.freedomblogging.com/2008/12/02/fancy-nancy-goes-to-high-school/1292/. 
7. ^ http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=109701
8. ^ Sherri Cruz (March 19, 2007). "Piano Man". Orange County Business Journal. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5293/is_200703/ai_n21235816/. 
9. ^ "Laugh It Up!". http://www.liucomedy.com/ourcharity.html. 
10. ^ Laura Weinert (August 29, 2002). "OCHSA's New Direction". Back Stage West. http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4378826-1.html. 
11. ^ Jocelyn Vena (October 22, 2008). "High School Musical' Was Vanessa Hudgens' Only High School Experience". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1597627/20081021/story.jhtml. 
12. ^ "Taryn Manning Biography". Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1804500979/bio. 
13. ^ "OCHSA Alumni". August 26, 2009. http://ocsarts.net/Page.aspx?pid=195. 
14. ^ ^{a b} "Official Matthew Morrison website". August 26, 2009. http://matthewmorrison.net/resume.html. 
15. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3106253/
16. ^ Theresa Walker (May 9, 2006). "People making a difference: Acting out her message". OC Register. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/people-making-a-1134738-difference-acting-out-her-message. 
17. ^ "Celebutopa". http://www.celebutopia.net/anneliese-van-der-pol/. 

External links

• Orange County High School of the Arts
• California Department of Education
• Charter Schools Development Center's Profiles Project
• GreatSchools.net