What is at the core of the Beacon Community?

The Arts
Stepping inside the walls of Beacon reveals how thoroughly arts and technology pervade the school. Common spaces and hallways are filled with posters, murals, sounds, music, and multifarious examples of student creativity.

Beacon requires that all 9th grade students get an exposure to different arts through the arts rotation, in which students are introduced to drama, dance and visual arts. In their following years, students may continue in a wide array of arts electives: theater, dance, studio art, photography, graphic design, digital film, instrumental music, music theory, journalism, and creative writing.

Technology
Beacon students are given access to a world of technological knowledge and skills needed to thrive at Beacon and beyond. It is our belief that when used correctly, technology can enhance the educational experience for teacher, student, parent and community. Teachers use the three state-of-the-art computer labs and two mobile labs for scientific research, historical Webquests, and foreign language listening labs.

Beacon requires all 9th grade students to take an introductory teachnology class that covers a range of skills and programs, including graphing with Excel, Powerpoint presentations, Flash animation and web design. More advanced computer classes include Design Studio in which students learn graphic design and image making skills; Digital Film, in which students learn hands-on skills of digital film and digital audio editing in a state-of-the-art, multi-media computer lab; and Advanced Digital Film which allows students to further explore the art of making and editing film and culminates in an annual film festival.

Advisory System
At Beacon, a small-group support system headed by a faculty advisor allows each student to grow with the same “home-room” group for four years, progressing towards the college acceptance process. Here students can discuss topics of teen concern in a non-academic atmosphere, and maintain a sense of continuity in a supportive, supervised environment. The advisor is also the primary contact between the school and the parents/guardian. At Parent-Teacher Conferences, parents/guardians meet with the advisor to discuss the student’s progress.

Community Service
Every 10th grader at Beacon takes the Community Service class in either the Fall or Spring semester. We provide internships that are educational for the students and at the same time meaningful for the community. Beacon students reflect on their experience in written journals and in a weekly classroom seminar. They work five hours per week over a semester at a site that they select.

The Beacon School has secured internships at organizations like Councilperson Gail Brewer, Assemblyperson Daniel O’Donnell, Congressperson Jerold Nadler’s offices, or the Public Advocate’s Office; Amnesty International and New York Civil Liberties Union; Planned Parenthood; Foundling and Mt. Sinai Hospitals; Global Kids; Harlem Live; the Museum of Natural History; the Central Park Conservancy and Brooklyn Zoo; the 92nd Street YMCA and many local schools and community centers.

Athletics
Beacon athletics continue to grow stronger every year. Beacon offers an array of sports that include boys and girls teams in varsity and junior varsity basketball, soccer, bowling, cross-country, winter indoor track, spring outdoor track, and Ultimate Frisbee. Beacon offers co-ed team in fencing and tennis. We also offer boys baseball and girls softball. A wonderful testament to Beacon’s spirit and talent is that most of the Beacon teams made the playoffs in 2004. Our boys' baseball team won the NYC Baseball Championship at Shea Stadium in 2003. The boys' Ultimate Frisbee team won the New York State Championship in 2004.

For more information on Beacon sports, click HERE

Extra-Curricular Activities
The Beacon School offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities as part of its mission to broaden the horizons of its students outside the classroom. Beacon strongly encourages all students to participate in some area of extracurricular life. Beacon clubs include: a Book Club, Beacon Otherground, Dance Club, Debate Team, End of the Tunnel Press, Gay/Straight Alliance, Live Poets Society, Mural Project, Music/Band, Photo Club, Smackdown Chess Club, Students Organizing Students, Student Council, Beacon Fellowship, The Catalyst, Theater, and Yearbook.

For more information on Beacon clubs, click HERE.