Beacon Hill celebrates two years of growing like a weed
By Dave Mast
March 4, 2013
545
For a two year old school, Beacon Hill Community School at The Pier Lighthouse of Hope in Mt. Eaton seems like it has been around for quite some time.
Maybe because it has grown so rapidly from year one to year two.
The school celebrated its second year with an informational banquet recently, and the celebration showcased the schools mighty accomplishments in a very short period of time, as well as the focus on what lies ahead.
We were able to reflect a bit on the current school year and look into the coming year to see what is on the horizon, said Brad Herman, lead teacher for Beacon Hill. It was a really nice celebration of community.
Herman said that the topics of discussion ranged from the many various unique trade programs within the school, to some of the exciting options which may become available as early as next year.
The topics discussed included new grant funding for the school, an after-school program for math and arts and creating a GED program.
We had parents express an interest in these things, and it all allows us to become more flexible with our learning curriculum, said Herman.
Last year the school opened up the school year with 34 students. This year that number grew to 70. In addition, the first banquet saw 90 people in attendance, and this years drew close to 200, so the school has doubled solidly its numbers in year two.
In addition to the meeting with parents, which included a presentation on funding and special programs, the patrons also enjoyed a fine banquet meal consisting of barbecued meat balls, noodles, baked beans, salad and cupcakes, all prepared by the home economics class members.
Led by home economics teacher Janna Mast, the girls worked relentlessly to prepare the meal.
The seventh and eighth grade students also participated in the evenings festivities, creating a living wax museum in which they chose a historical figure, studied that person and designed a short speech about their figure.
The students lined up around the gymnasium at The Pier, and patrons could press their shoulders, which set in motion a 10 second speech as to who they were and what they accomplished in history.
Herman said that teachers Dave Weaver, Joy Zuercher and Lindsay Rettig all worked at length to help the students perfect their historical figure outfits and speeches.
We wanted them to have some ownership in the evenings events, and they did a fantastic job, said Herman. It also gave them some practice in public speaking in a less threatening forum.
The students actually got a chance to do a kind of dress rehearsal when they performed during The Piers Something for Seniors.
According to Herman, the schools growth this past year has spurred them on to thinking bigger next year, although he admits the school does have limitations when it comes to numbers.
As a trade-based school for youth from grades 7-12, Beacon Hill focuses on some things that traditional schools would not.
Herman said that word of mouth from parents has been one of the biggest reasons the school has blossomed so quickly.
With 20 seventh-grade students already having turned in applications for next year (there are currently 23 students in this years seventh-grade class), it seems as though growth is going to happen.
That is why Herman said it is vital for parents to enroll as quickly as possible, so the school can adjust should there be a larger number of students next year.
We could be limited in numbers, but if we know ahead of time that we need to expand somewhere, we can start that process a lot quicker if people are registering early, said Herman. We dont want to let anyone out, so we will do our best to accommodate everyone and expand if possible.
As a way of providing information to interested families, Beacon Hill has set up three informational meetings throughout the local community.
The first meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5 at The Pier. The second meeting will be Tuesday, March 12 at Homestead Furniture in Mt. Hope, with the final meeting taking place Thursday, March 14 at Mennonite Christian Assembly just south of Fredericksburg. All three meetings will begin at 7 p.m.
Enrollment applications will be available at each meeting.
Anyone with questions may call 330-359-5600.
