Benicia High School

BHS Vision Statement

Benicia High School will inspire learning with integrity in order to find personal success in an ever-changing world.

Expected Student Learning Results:

Communicator and Collaborator
Critical Thinker and Problem Solver
Creator and Innovator

BHS Annual Open House: An Event for Current & New Families

Mark your calendars for Thursday Feb. 13th at 6:30pm!

Benicia High is hosting our annual Open House event with special features, including:

8th Grade Parent Night - Special presentations geared toward 8th grade parents and students
Returning & New Families - Moving into the area or returning to BHS? Come learn about our classes and programs!
AP Night to learn about the 20+ Advanced Placement classes offered at Benicia High School - Talk with the teachers of these classes and learn about your options
Elective Fair - This event runs throughout the day for students to visit and learn about all of the different elective class options as they consider what classes to take next year. Then, at Open House, this event continues so that parents and incoming students can join the fun. This is a hands-on opportunity to see student work and explore your interests.
Counseling Presentations - Learn about graduation requirements, college entrance requirements, and more!
Open Gym - Want to check out the BHS gym and see what it would be like to be a student-athlete at BHS? Head to the gym during Open House to meet our Physical Education teachers and some of our coaches

We invite every family to attend to see what's happening at BHS and to get ready for course selections for the 2020-2021 school year!

Principal's Welcome:

We are excited to welcome you to Benicia High School and to the Panther Community! At Benicia High School, our core value is community, and we strive to create a school culture where every student feels valued while also recognizing the value of one another. Our school motto is Panthers R.I.S.E. - this stands for Respect, Include, Support, and Engage. R.I.S.E. is the foundation for our work as we guide students through the transition to high school and on to adulthood to pursue their careers and their dreams. We do this as a school community, with the support of parents, staff, peers, and local organizations. As you will see below, our community is diverse, talented, creative, curious, and spirited. We look forward to having you join us!

Established in 1892, Benicia High School is one of the oldest public high schools in California. We value our traditions and the generations of families that have passed through our hallways. We also take pride in being innovative in order to provide the best educational experience to our students. Our staff work to connect their instruction to students' interests in order to spark their learning. There are over 30 student-run clubs and organizations available each year, along with opportunities to get involved in Debate Team, Sources of Strength, Mountain Bike Team, service organizations, performing arts, student-athletics, and so much more.

As an alumni myself, I take special pride in being a Panther and am excited to welcome you to our school community. I encourage you to get involved - parents and students - to join an organization, attend a play or Improv Show, cheer on your team at a sporting event, and meet other families at BHS. If you have any questions or need any assistance, our staff is here to help you.

Go Panthers!

Brianna Kleinschmidt, Principal

New Student Enrollment for 2020-2021 School Year

Benicia Unified School District will be enrolling Transitional K, Kindergarten, and NEW students beginning February 3, 2020, by appointment only for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you have a child who will be age five by September 1st, you may enroll them for 2020-2021 Kindergarten.

Transitional K is for children who will be age five on September 2nd through December 2nd.

Please visit the BUSD New Student Enrollment web page for directions and a list of documents required for enrollment before calling for an appointment.

Once you have completed the applicable enrollment forms and gathered all required documents, please contact the Benicia High School Registrar, Jane Uggla, to schedule an enrollment appointment: (707) 747-8334.

Have You Moved? Please Inform the Office!!

We are in the process of confirming spaces for next year and we must have up-to-date information on all students’ home addresses. If you have had a change of address and have not notified the office, please do so immediately. You must bring in a copy of your valid CA driver’s license/ID, current mortgage coupon or rental agreement, and current utility bill.

Checking Out BHS? Be Sure to Check Out our CTE Pathways!

Over the past 6 years, Benicia High School has focused on growing our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs to meet the high demands of vocational opportunities in our region. In 2020, BHS now offers courses in seven Pathways designed to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities, college course credit, and work experience through internships and job placement.

Patient Care Pathway: Students can earn college credit while also gaining skills to prepare for a job in the medical field.
Residential & Commercial Construction Pathway: Starting with a focus on safety, these courses provide students with hands-on learning about hand and power tool usage, elements of construction from foundation to finish, plumbing, electrical, and framing.
Welding & Materials Joining Pathway: From an introduction to the fundamentals of welding, students receive hands-on training with several types of welding (SMAW/TIG/MIG), plasma cutter, cutting torch, saws, and grinders. This knowledge is applied to automotive vehicle systems and individual creative projects based on student interest.
Engineering Design Pathway: Students can earn college credit while exploring the fields of engineering and architecture, learning computer aided design (CAD), and creating projects based on community needs while being mentored by local professionals.
Performing Arts (Dance) Pathway: Students can earn college credit while progressing through various levels of dance. Advanced Dance is an audition-based course open to students in grades 9-12, with students creating choreography for two performances each year.
Design, Visual & Media Arts Pathway: Students can earn college credit while diving into a cutting edge and quickly growing industry. With digital photography, image editing, design, digital audio engineering, event videography, and more, students push their creativity in new directions.
Games & Simulation Pathway: Students can earn college credit while being hands on with computer programming, electronics, and robotics. Students create their own video games, as well as design, build, and program robots,
Teaching Career Paths has placed thousands of BHS students in classrooms throughout the Benicia Unified School District to help students learn about becoming a teacher and develop their skills. Students grow from early skills to eventually teaching a lesson as they work with their mentor teacher. This course provides the opportunity for college credit.
iQuest is a course for 12th grade students seeking internships to explore their career interests. Our teacher and College & Career Center work with community partners to find internships for our students.

BHS Student Events & Activities

One of the highlights of attending Benicia High School is the opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities and clubs based on the student's own interests. BHS has activities throughout the year that current students, along with future students and community members are welcome to attend. From athletic events to Imrov Shows, Spring Musical, band concerts, and much more, we welcome you to check out our calendar and come see what BHS is all about. We have award winning Performing Arts programs, compete in the Diablo Athletic League in the North Coast Section, and compete throughout the year with our Panther Marching Band.

Performing Arts at BHS:

Improv Team

Panther Marching Band with Colorguard, Drumline, and Jazz Band

Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced Dance

Musical Theater

Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced Drama

Stagecraft

Athletic Teams at BHS:

Cheerleading

Football

Girls & Boys Volleyball

Girls & Boys Cross Country

Girls & Boys Wrestling

Girls & Boys Swimming

Co-ed Badminton

Girls & Boys Soccer

Girls & Boys Tennis

Girls & Boys Waterpolo

Girls & Boys Basketball

Softball

Baseball

Girls & Boys Golf

Girls & Boys Track and Field

Join BHS Leadership!

Interested in being a student representative, planning school events, and creating memories for your class? Student Leadership is a huge part of what makes Benicia High School such a special school to attend, where long-standing traditions and new ideas come together with tons of Panther Pride. Our Student Leadership class plans school dances, the annual Homecoming Carnival and Homecoming Week festivities, Spirit Weeks, Red Ribbon Week, March Madness, Prom, Color Run, and so much more. We are always looking for spirited students looking to learn leadership and bring ideas to life. For more information, contact our Activities Director, Mary Wheat, at mwheat@beniciaunified.org.

Be sure to check out the Benicia Unified School District's Food Services web page for several important items including monthly menus, application for Freed or Reduced meals, and access to set up and maintain a student meal account. We encourage all families to online set up their "My School Bucks" account for convenient access to meal balances, purchases, and to make payments from your computer or phone.

Benicia High School does not allow food deliveries during school hours as we are a closed campus and work to minimize disruptions to class time as well as maximize school safety. Students can purchase breakfast, snack, and lunch at multiple locations on campus with cash or their 'My School Bucks" account.

New at BHS - We now offer a Pasta Bar in the Student Center during lunch, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can choose from several options of protein and sauce, including a vegetarian option.

We also offer a range of Vegetarian, Vegan, and Plant-Based meal options every day in the Student Center!

District programs, activities, and practices shall be free from unlawful discrimination, including discrimination against an individual or group based on race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, pregnancy, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or related recovery, parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information; a perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

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