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The full-day program (9:00 to 3:00) prepares children for the transition from Early Childhood to the more structured environment of first grade. Beacon's child-driven curriculum has many facets. In addition to focusing on what each child is developmentally ready to learn, we nurture each child's sense of self-esteem. We teach each child to feel empowered to achieve the highest personal level of learning and to appropriately influence his or her classmates. Beacon's core curriculum exceeds all State of California standards. Teachers use techniques of mastery learning to help students acquire reading and math skills. Health, physical education and arts instruction is provided at all levels. In addition, conflict resolution and teamwork skills are taught and practiced throughout the Beacon community. The maximum number of students in a class is 18. Each classroom has one principal teacher, who is assisted by various Flex teachers. During a school day, a student may spend individual time with the teacher, work cooperatively in a group of three or four students on a specific skill or project, and participate in a lesson with the entire class. Beacon, with 250 students, believes that diversity is essential and that it includes more than race and ethnic background. The Beacon student population represents a wide distribution of income, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, family composition and academic and personal skills.
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Beacon's
Kindergarten program balances academics and the arts with motor
skill development.