Academics

	Preschool and Junior Kindergarten   Kindergarten   Grades 1 – 5   Grades 6 – 8

The early years of a child's educational experience greatly affect future learning and achievement. This is a crucial time in the establishment of academic foundations combined with an intrinsic delight in learning. Beacon provides the direction and environment for growth of the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical education of the total child.

To enhance learning and insure each child develops optimally, a flexible, dynamic process is practiced. A complex, completely enriched and accelerated curriculum creates the structure for learning. Students learn at a faster pace and higher level. Enrichment extends the learning both horizontally and vertically. This combination enables every child to develop optimally, yet work at instructional levels in content areas.

There are many components in our well- rounded program. Our curriculum is designed to provide every child with a variety of instructional techniques that address different learning styles. Children have many different kinds of intelligence, interests, and abilities that are addressed and utilized when structuring for success. The middle school curriculum includes preparation for International Baccalaureate high school programs.

Individual Education Plan

Teachers and administrators prepare an Individual Education Plan, (IEP), annually, for each child, Preschool through eighth grade. This is an essential component in our accountability process, and creates a path we follow to individualize for every child. Parent collaboration is extremely important. We work as a team to plan the best educational experience for each child. Specific interests, strengths, and learning styles are incorporated to ensure success, and areas that need to be strengthened are enhanced are identified.

A wide variety of instructional techniques are incorporated. Children are structured for success: instruction is presented in a multi-sensory, eclectic manner. Multiple approaches enable faculty to use strengths to facilitate learning while strengthening weakness. Learning is wonderful, so lively discussions, hands on experiences, field trips, and activities that engage a child's interests are recommended. Whole group, small group, and cooperative group learning are utilized. Individual research and small group projects provide variety, encourage collaborative projects, and peer interactions. Flexible movement between groupings is useful in providing appropriate instructional levels.

Differentiation in content, activities, and levels of work is offered according to student need and ability. This enables teachers to adapt instruction so it will result in success for an individual child.

Reading

Excellent reading is essential for success in school. In order to create strong foundations and address different learning styles, we utilize an eclectic approach and several different reading programs. Reading readiness begins in Preschool with the development of language, literacy, auditory and phonemic awareness activities. As students are exposed to a multi-sensory program and use several different programs, they begin to decode simple words in Junior Kindergarten. Emergent readers enter Kindergarten and complete the majority of the first grade level work. Reading skills are vital to success in school, and require careful development from a readiness level through high level analysis, decoding, integration of spelling, punctuation, grammar, comprehension, analysis, drawing inferences, gathering information, research, analysis of literature and critical reading.

Math

Students learn through a comprehensive program that combines experiential work, traditional curricula, and real life problem solving. This comprehensive math program is supplemented with enrichment lessons, problem-solving strategies, practical application, and use of manipulatives, which fosters real understanding. Math skills are presented at each grade level, and accelerated math is offered in middle school.

Science

Science is thrilling! General, physical, earth, and life science, have a place at Beacon Country Day School. Experiential learning in the lab makes science come alive. As students use both inquiry and knowledge based approaches, foundations for science grow, and children begin to think about science in real life problem solving. Our natural ecology provides an outdoor lab right on campus. The bi-annual science fair is a wonderful way students can demonstrate their knowledge of a particular scientific concept or try out one of their own hypotheses.

Language Arts

The language arts program focuses on the development of grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, expository and narrative writing, and communication. A solid spelling program compliments this strong curriculum. Systematic development of expository and creative writing begins in Kindergarten, and becomes more sophisticated year by year.

Social Studies

Presented daily throughout the school year, social science integrates global studies, history, geography, ancient cultures, and current events. The curriculum provides a solid understanding and an awareness of our world and how mankind functions. Another focus is how man relates in all societies and his responsibility to our environment and world. Students are exposed to a strong liberal arts format in social sciences, and study the community, U.S. History, Ancient Western Civilization, and European and Western History. Special projects make history come alive as students present historical characters, or study historical events. Student Council facilitates real life experiences.

Fine and Performing Arts: Music, Art, and Drama

Children express themselves through the arts beginning in Preschool, as they experience painting, sculpting, music, drama, or take music lessons. The arts stimulate creativity, enjoyment of the arts and enhance the “whole child's” development. The art program offers children an opportunity to learn about design elements and experiment with sketching, pastels and watercolor. Art supports academics while facilitating creativity. The creative arts projects students produce for the bi-annual Art Fair are amazing!

Music promotes an appreciation of music, rhythm, musical notation, and musical concepts. Our children participate in many fun lessons while learning about tempo, beat, and rhythm. Our students perform a musical or play once a year for parents and the school community. The Middle School presents a Broadway Junior Musical annually.

Physical Education

The development of strength, flexibility, endurance, fine and gross motor skills, fitness, and team spirit are promoted and enhanced in Physical Education. A beautiful, well-equipped gym and soccer field offer opportunities for soccer, lacrosse, running, basketball, field hockey, and volleyball. Beacon Country Day School, located in Greenwood Village serving the Denver Metro area, has been the state champion for the President's Physical Fitness Award for several years.

French

French instruction begins in Preschool so children may establish a basic vocabulary and appreciation for different languages and cultures. French and English are the two languages spoken globally: these prepare our students to compete in a global economy. French and English are the most widely used world languages for science, commerce, and diplomacy. Initially, puppets, music, games and stories are used to introduce French, and followed later by reading, writing and grammar.

Computer Technology

From keyboarding skills to formulating spreadsheets, our computer lab and state of the art technology classes prepare children for today's world. Our children learn to use Power Point, databases, graphics, animation, initial programming, Internet research, and a wide variety of computer skills. Our software library is extensive and varied, allowing for extensive exposures and real life application.

Middle School Annual Trip

The middle school takes a weeklong trip each year to study history, science or social studies . Trips include: Washington D.C., Boston, Space Camp, the Keystone Science Camp, Crow Canyon to study ancient Native American archeology and culture, or Estes Park to learn about habitats. These great experiences are combined with education, team building, and fun.

Study Hall and Individual Help

Teachers staff an after school study hall for students in fourth through eighth grades. Students may use the time to complete homework and to get some assistance with work. Many of our students and parents find this a valuable resource.