February is the time when schools across the country get ready for end-of-year activities and start planning for the next school year. At Beckman, February means Winter sports teams are in the postseason, Spring sports teams are getting ready for their seasons, seniors are preparing for graduation, and returning students are planning their courses for next year. In the midst of all this, questions may come up that need clarification. This edition of the Patriot Post will cover the usual campus updates and include information to help you understand any changes. Thanks for being part of the Beckman Community—Go Patriots!

There has been a lot of chatter on campus regarding a major shift in our Bell Schedule for next year. At this point, our bells will remain very similar to how they are currently arranged. Yes, we have been exploring other options (including a block), but we are not quite ready to commit to a major shift. More information is needed before any changes are made.

Last week all seniors attended a grade level meeting where important information was shared regarding second semester, senior events, and graduation. Click the link here to see what was shared.

Students are currently able to make changes to courses for next year in their Academic Plan which can be found in Aeries. Beginning in February, students will meet individually with their counselor starting to confirm course selection. During the one-on-one meetings, students are encouraged to ask specific questions directly to their counselor to help plan their academic futures.

In October 2019, California enacted Senate Bill 328, which mandated that high schools in the state start classes after 8:30 am. Initially, there were uncertainties regarding how schools would implement this new requirement. Over the years, more information has been provided, and clarifications have been made. To comply with the state mandate, Beckman will need to make adjustments, specifically by reducing the number of zero period courses offered. While some zero period classes will still be scheduled, they will only be reserved for students who are unable to accommodate their chosen classes within the regular 1-6 period day.

Our new building is close to being finished! At this point, it looks like the building will be ready to use in early March. Below are just a few recent images taken of the inside where progress can often be "hidden."

Every two years, athletic directors and principals from over 70 high schools in the Orange County area meet to discuss placement in athletic leagues. The goal of the group is to adjust leagues to maintain competitive equity across the various leagues in the county. During the process, schools and leagues are permitted to submit proposals for new leagues that are eventually whittled down and voted on by member schools. During the most recent re-leaguing process, it was determined that Beckman would be moved to the Coastview Athletic Conference for the 2024 through 2026 sport seasons. The Coastview Athletic Conference comprises the public schools in South Orange County.

We are in the final week of the Winter Sports regular season and our programs have done very well. Quite a few of them are still in the hunt for a League Championship with all having an excellent chance of making the CIF Playoffs, which begin next week. Just as we begin to feel the excitement of playoffs for the Winter teams, our Spring sports are getting started with their seasons. The Spring season runs February 10 through April 26th with CIF Playoff games being played through mid-May. Beckman Athletics will be observing our mandated Dead Period from June 1-14, so please try to plan your vacations during that time, if possible. We’re beginning to collect info from our programs on Summer Camp dates and we should have information to share in March. Summer Camps will vary from one week to six weeks in length, depending on the program, but all camps will be held during the window of time between June 17-July 26.