Beacon Elementary will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 1. 

The school will be closed April 4-8 for spring break.

In continuation of our Dr. Seuss celebration, everyone may wear any hat they choose for Wacky Hat Day on Thursday, March 31.

Open enrollment for preschool and kindergarten for the 2016 – 2017 school year is scheduled for April 18 – April 22. A legal birth certificate and a copy of the child’s immunization records are required at the time of registration. More information will be coming soon.

Parents are invited to join Beacon Elementary for a Read Across America Assembly on Thursday, March 10 at 9:30 a.m. The assembly will be presented by second grade.

PTO Family Fun Night Presents:

Books! The Magic is Real!

Featuring Xakary

As Seen On America’s Got Talent! •  Parent Magazine’s “Golden Teddy” Award Winner  

Join us for a fantastic FREE family literacy evening event!  Xakary’s assembly contains solid educational material, brought to life with spell-binding tricks, laugh-out-loud humor, music, students involved on stage, and more!  What better way to get students revved up about reading and science!   Families will have a terrific time and all students will receive a FREE book!

Wednesday, March 2   •   6:00 p.m.     

Simpson Elementary 

Ever wondered why kids say they're bored at school, or why they stop trying when the work gets harder? Educationalist Carol Dweck explains how the wrong kind of praise actually *harms* young people. This short video is essential viewing for EVERYONE - from teachers and education workers to relatives and friends - and will totally revolutionize the way you interact with children.

Beacon Elementary has a “Giving Tree” in the office for the holiday season. In lieu of ornaments, staff will be collecting warm items of all sizes such as socks, gloves, scarves, hats, and blankets. All items will be donated to local charities.

You are welcome to join us in giving to those in need by bringing new, unwrapped, warm items of any size to decorate the tree in the Beacon office. 

The weather outside may be turning frightful, but students are keeping their voices warm in preparation for our winter vocal concert series. Beacon Elementary is proud to present:

Monday, December 7

Kindergarten Performance

Tuesday, December 8

1st Grade Performance

Wednesday, December 9

2nd Grade Performance

Thursday, December 10

3rd Grade Performance

Students will be performing a selection of their favorite winter songs under the direction of music teacher Mrs. Susan Lundquist. All concerts will be held in the Beacon multipurpose room and are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. It is sure to be a delight! 

Picture Retake Day is Tuesday, November 10 at Beacon Elementary. If you are unhappy with your child's photo, simply return the original package on retake day and your child will have a new picture taken. If your child missed the original picture day or you would like to order a new package, order forms are available in the Beacon office. Parents can also order online at mylifetouch.com using the Picture Day ID: LS215006Q1.

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/10/22/students-learn-to-read-reading-to-dogs/74427012/

MONTESANO, Wash. -- Every Thursday, a class of eager 3rd graders comes into the library at Beacon Elementary School for the weekly reading lesson.

Daylon picks Maggie, a mutt who doesn't like water but loves adventure stories.

Haley picks Mitsy, a 12-year-old toy poodle who promises she's listening even with her eyes shut.

Patrick walks over to Maggie, a Shetland sheep dog who prefers fiction.

There are 20 students in total who spend 15 precious minutes each week reading to the dog of his or her choice, thanks to a corps of dedicated volunteers and their canine companions.

"Reading is like playing a sport," said Marlene Vahl, a retired teacher at Beacon who started the "reading to dogs" program a couple years ago. "The more you practice the better you get. But practice is easier to do if it's fun."

Students like Daylon, Hayley and Patrick all say the same thing: They love reading to dogs more than reading alone or reading to people because the dogs just sit and listen.

"Dogs don't stop you in the middle of the story," said Haley. "By myself, it's lonely. With a dog, they just keep me comfortable."

Patrick admits he doesn't like reading alone very much; however, after he started reading to dogs at school, he found a new hobby he enjoys at home: reading to dogs.

"I think it made my skills get higher when I read to dogs," said Patrick.

The school picks students who teachers think may benefit from the program, according to teachers.

Vahl, who taught kindergarten and 2nd grade at Beacon Elementary before retiring, says she's changed her appreciation of teaching techniques after observing kids reading to dogs.

"In our eagerness as teachers and parents to make sure they're reading just right, sometimes we interrupt more than we should," said Vahl. "Sometimes it just works better if you can just let it be, and let them read and enjoy what they're reading."

Picture Day is

Tuesday, September 29 & Wednesday, September 30

Parents can order online at mylifetouch.com

Picture Day ID: LS215006Q0

• No need to send cash or flyer back to school when you order online
• See more options available online
• Use credit card or PayPal on our secure site

Picture Day Schedules:

Tuesday, September 29

Teacher Ellen

Teacher Cindy

Mrs. Blancas

Ms. LaDue

Ms. Girts

Mrs. LaLonde

Ms. Cokeley

Mrs. Johansen

Mrs. Ray

Mrs. Pekola

Mrs. Skye

Wednesday, September 30

Teacher Ellen

Teacher Cindy

Mrs. Freeman

Mrs. Cady

Mrs. Craig

Mrs. Parker

Mrs. Plato

Mrs. Sorenson

Mrs. Mann

Mrs. Baldwin

Beacon Elementary is offering the Highly Capable Program for students in grades K-3 for the 2015-16 school year. If you would like to refer a student for this program, please complete the referral form and return it to the school office by September 23, 2015. 

Click Here for the Hi-Cap Referral Form

Following recent changes in state law, the program will identify and serve approximately 1-3% of the students in each grade level at Beacon Elementary. The Hi-Cap program emphasizes problem solving and higher level thinking skills, social interaction with peers, and development of independent work habits.

WAC definition of Highly Capable:
Students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced
academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or
environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students’ general intellectual
aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a
specific domain. These students are present not only in the general populace, but
are present within all protected classes.

Students who are highly capable may possess, but are not limited to, these
learning characteristics:

1. Capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer learning to new situations
2. Capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their chronological peers
3. Creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts
4. Ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength
5. Capacity for intense concentration and/or focus 

Referral forms are available in the school office or by clicking on the link above. Referred students will be evaluated for the Hi-Cap program using a standardized test, teacher recommendation, and a compilation of student achievement data including state and school assessments. The evaluation data is then weighted and a final score is assigned. Parent permission is needed to release students from class to participate in the testing.

If you have any further questions about the program, please contact Julie Aldrich, Highly Capable Program Coordinator, at 249-4331.

Please join us for Open House on Thursday, August 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Bring your family, meet the teachers, and see the classrooms. Students are encouraged to bring their school supplies on this night. We look forward to seeing you!

Beacon Elementary is pleased to announce that full-day kindergarten will be offered at no cost beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.

Staffing arrangements are still pending. Class placement letters for all students will be mailed home in August.