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Academic Philosophy

Academic Philosophy How Beacon Students LiveHOW BEACON ACADEMY STUDENTS LIVE

Beacon Academy students build habits of learning that will serve them far after college and throughout their lives. At our core, we strive to help students develop the aptitude and passion to learn actively throughout their lives so that they can adjust within an ever-changing future, become leaders in their chosen fields and instruments of change in the world, and, most importantly, live with purpose.

 

Our program asks students to embrace the complexity of the world while remaining fully themselves. Beacon provides a social setting that values the community, fostering inclusion, support, conflict resolution, and empathy between students. The education and practice students receive at Beacon Academy will help them navigate the inevitable challenges they face in the pursuit of a meaningful life.

 

Academic Philosophy How Beacon Students Learn
HOW BEACON STUDENTS LEARN
 

Our faculty have the autonomy to design, pace, and deliver individualized curricula to best suit each student’s needs. Students and faculty develop strong and valued interpersonal connections where each student feels seen and connected to the community within their learning environment. Beacon Academy teachers work to create an optimal prepared environment for deep learning by providing time and space for exploration and discovery. We focus on engaging students in the introductory subject matter and developing students’ proficiency in skills necessary to continue pursuing and building subject knowledge. Beacon Academy students are active, not passive, participants in the learning experience: They are expected to independently follow their interests by creating and executing a plan of work and then present what they have learned to their teacher, their classmates, and even the larger community. The many formats of student presentation are another facet of the emphasis on student choice and initiative, as they can most often select their media - oral, written, video, artistic, or some combination - and develop the additional know-how required by the form.

 

Beacon Academy students learn in various cohorts throughout their school day, grouped by developmental level, area of interest, or level of experience. The unique open layout of our facility encourages interaction and collaboration within and across grade levels, offering opportunities for the social development and reorientation that characterize early adolescence as they rehearse and refine essential skills.

 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

  • 4 Credits in English
  • 3 Credits in Social Sciences (including at least 1 year of United States History)
  • 2 Credits in World Languages (additionally, students must achieve a Level III Proficiency in a World Language)
  • 3 Credits in Mathematics (4 Credits in Mathematics are strongly encouraged)
  • 3 Credits in Science (including 2 Credits in Laboratory-Based Sciences)
  • 2 Credits in Fine and/or Performing Arts
 
Academic Philosophy Fac Advisor and Assessment Academic Philosophy The Arts Academic Philosophy Technology
FACULTY ADVISORS & ASSESSMENT THE ARTS TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE COUNSELING
The advisory program is an integral component of Beacon Academy. The student-advisor relationship is the bedrock of our student experience. The arts curriculum is intended not only to facilitate artistic expression but also to allow students the freedom for personal expression. All students participate in the arts. Classroom technology includes interactive digital projectors and a mobile cart with a flat screen TV which can be moved around the building as needed by students and faculty. Every student at Beacon Academy receives personal and thoughtful college counseling that takes into account that student’s unique interests, abilities, and family needs.