Testimonials & Community Life
I joined The Beacon School in May 2017 as the administrative assistant to the dean of school.
I couldn’t forget my first day of work. When I told Miss Mary, the former dean of school, that I was about to head out, she said “Thank you for your hard work.” I was shocked – no one from my previous job had ever done that. I got emotional because I felt that I mattered. Pwede ka palang makatanggap ng appreciation sa simpleng trabaho, when words like “thank you” or “sorry” are not so common anymore.
What stood out to me most when I was a student at The Beacon School were the identity and values cultured throughout the Beacon School family, including both staff and students alike. Even at a young age, it was apparent that Beacon was envisioned as haven for keeping the youth connected to traditional Filipino values while encouraging innovation and open mindedness to learn and accomplish feats beneficial for the growth of both individual and the community.
Looking back to 2001, I immediately wanted to be part of such an ambitious journey after attending a meeting with the original incorporators. It was heartbreaking to let go of my lecturer job at UP Diliman. At the same time, I was excited to be part of The Beacon School project that was firmly rooted in Filipino culture and traditions, a truly international curriculum, as well as a catechism program to prepare students for the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.
I have been teaching Filipino for 22 years. Before I joined Beacon, I was a college instructor. I learned about the school from a former colleague at St. Scholastica.
I came here to Beacon because I wanted to explore professional opportunities that would impact the lives of younger learners and benefit me as an educator. As a Filipino teacher, I welcomed the challenge of teaching our country’s language to cultivate exposure, increase appreciation, and strengthen the use of the Filipino language among non-native Filipino speakers.
Hello, everyone! I am Emee Dy an alumnus who graduated from Beacon School in 2014. I studied Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Marketing with minors in Sociology and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN.
I was in Beacon for over 10 years and made the greatest friends that I know I will treasure for a lifetime. In this picture, I am with Nikki Huang, my best friend since PYP.
I couldn’t forget an alumnus, because that brought me to tears. When the alumni visited the campus, they would shake our hands and take photos with us. There was one who had asked me what time my shift ended so he could buy me drinks. I was surprised and said, “Wow, you can drink now?!” And he said “Of course. I’m all grown up now.”
Community Life
Beacon’s house system helps engender a sense of community and belonging as K – 8 students are organized vertically into three different houses represented by three native trees: Acacia, Molave, and Narra. Beacon parents are also greatly engaged in a range of school programmes, and keep closely connected to the life of the school.
Beacon Parent Association (BPA)
The BPA is an active association of Beacon parents who serve the school by initiating and assisting with school-wide events including Field Day, International Food Fair, Filipino Week, bake sales, Christmas holiday festivities, and charity drives. BPA also provides an essential communication link between the parent community and the Beacon School Leadership Team, offering constructive input on a wide range of school-wide issues: school uniforms, canteen service, student behavior, school traditions, premises, and school climate. Finally, BPA hosts fund-raising activities in support of school-improvement initiatives.
Beacon wasn’t just great for my kids. It was great for me. Working with the BPA and other parents, I have met so many wonderful people. I always look forward to the meetings, the bake sales, the lunches. I have made many new friends..like an extended family.
Room Parents
Parent volunteers represent each class from Pre K – Grade 5 and each homeroom section for Grades 6 – 8. The role of the Room Parent is to serve as liaison between the teacher and the parents in their section for communication about and support for special events, field trips, and special class celebrations. Like officers of the BPA, room parents also serve as an essential communication link between parents and the Leadership Team on school-wide issues.
Parent Volunteers
Beacon parents have opportunities to be engaged in the Beacon School learning community in numerous ways throughout the academic year; they serve as resource speakers, join field trips, facilitate hands-on learning experiences, and provide technical assistance to teachers and the Leadership Team members in their areas of expertise such as film or languages.