Beginning this 2016-2017 school year, Benicia High School introduced a new class, iQuest, under the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department. The iQuest curriculum provides enrolled high school seniors with an opportunity to explore careers in the community. Students select their career passion and seek out sponsors to provide an internship during the school year, […]
Benicia High School placed on temporary lockdown following online threat
Benicia High School was placed on a temporary precautionary lockdown Monday morning in response to a threat made by a 15-year-old male student. According to Lt. Mike Greene, Benicia Police Department had received reports of a student making active shooter-type threats on social media. The department then notified Benicia Unified School District, and Benicia High […]
Benicia Old Town Theatre Group, Benicia High School bask in Arty Award nominations
When it comes to theater, Benicia has plenty to celebrate. After all, two of the city’s theatrical institutions– Benicia Old Town Theatre Group and Benicia High School’s drama department– have racked up a combined 43 nominations for the 32nd annual Arty Awards. The Artys, which honor theater productions at all age levels in Solano […]
BHS English teacher named as district Teacher of the Year
This past week, I sat down with recently crowned district teacher of the year, Kim Thompson, to hear what it really takes to win the award. To my surprise, there was much more involved in the procedure than just superb teaching methods and a school nomination. The Benicia High School English teacher divulged to me […]
BUSD student surveys indicate mixed results
Carolyn Patton, the special services director for Benicia Unified School District, provided an overview of the results of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) as well as the Relationships, Effort, Aspirations, Cognitions, Heart (REACH) survey— which were both administered to district students— at Thursday’s school board meeting. CHKS is a statewide survey given to all […]
A new Day begins for Benicia High School’s drama department: Former Rodriguez High School drama teacher Nathan Day to run program
As one player exits the stage of Benicia High School’s drama department, a new one emerges. Nathan Day is ready to demonstrate that the show must go on. Day is the new head of Benicia High’s theater department, and he is taking the reins from Christine Mani, who recently left Benicia High to become a […]
Benicia High School hires fourth counselor
Students who return to Benicia High School this year will notice several major changes: the construction of a new stadium, a new vice principal—Dr. James Brown, who was hired to fill Brianna Kleinschmidt’s place after she was promoted to principal- and a new counselor, bringing Benicia High’s total to four. Mynor Maldonado will be joining […]
Groundbreaking held for Benicia High stadium renovation
After a summer of demolishing the old Benicia High School stadium, the first shovels were dug into the soil Wednesday to commemorate the first day of construction for the new stadium— one of the largest projects to be funded by Measure S. Benicia Unified School District officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovated […]
New act begins for longtime Benicia High drama teacher
Christine Mani takes new gig as Solano theater instructor After 17 years, Christine Mani has taken her final bow as Benicia High School’s drama teacher. However, she will have a new role as a full-time theater instructor at Solano Community College. Mani cites the need to help Solano’s theater department— which suffered drastic budget cuts […]
James Garrett: New novel captures spirit of early ’60s high school football
My novel “One Great Season 9-0!” continues to reach people as football season approaches. The fictional city of Homestead, and Homestead High School, is an obvious reference to Benicia and Benicia High School. I wanted to capture the atmosphere of a small town in 1960 as it was in Benicia at that time. Too much has […]