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Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.

 

- Helen Keller

SCHOOL OVERVIEW

We recognize that when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all.

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The Beacon Day Programs work together to build an integrated educational care program for all students ages 5 through 22.

BDS Building Blocks of School Program
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BDS High School Student Cartoon
BDS Transition Student Cartoon

Academy

High School

Transition

Maximizing opportunities to build academic, social, behavioral and emotional skills that set the foundation for a high quality of life and independence as the student progresses through Beacon's other programs.

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Providing the academic skills and support needed to build the knowledge and skills for daily living, while also developing the social and emotional skills that enhance students' abilities to function in the world.

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Focusing on independent living and employment  skills through community based instruction and work experience programs that enable students to successfully leave BDS and lead meaningful, happy lives.

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Mary Jo Lang

CEO & Founder
Beacon Day School

"At Beacon Day School, we not only open doors for our students, we help them walk through them towards a brighter future."

Classrooms are filled with students who:

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Have different attention spans and interests.

Have different language abilities.

Have different cultural backgrounds.

Come from different educational backgrounds.

Have different needs.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Beacon Day School academic programs are grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) UDL is a set of design principles meant to guide teachers in reducing learning barriers for each individual student. This is done through improving motivation, presenting information in a variety of ways, and expanding how a student expresses their understanding. Beacon Day School programs use UDL to set instructional goals, inform teaching methods and develop materials that help students to meet and exceed their IEP goals.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

BDS Integrated Care
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Utilizing all types of art forms e.g. music, painting, sculpting, cooking etc., to teach and learn academic, behavioral and social skills.

Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Decision Making, Relationship Skills and Social Skills

Arts Integration

Social Skills Training

Sharing, listening, cooperating, following instructions, personal space and manners are just some of the social skills we teach our students.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Used across the curriculum with a focus on making students more independent by teaching learning skills, fine motor skills, hygiene, grooming and other life skills needed for independent living.

Community Based Instruction (CBI)

Real life experiences out in the community that provide students hands-on learning opportunities to practice essential skills.

UDL
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Arts Integration

  • Picture posing is an activity that teaches body awareness, self awareness, following directions

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  • Using real objects to measure the distance objects travel and compare them to other objects

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

  • Appropriately advocating for needs and wants

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  • Discriminating between good and bad choices and why

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  • Developing coping skills

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  • Increasing flexibility and decreasing rigidity

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  • Peer interaction and play skills; developing and sustaining friendship​

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Community Based Instruction (CBI)

  • Exchanging money to purchase items

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  • Standing and waiting in line

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  • Identifying products on  store shelves

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  • How to navigate the community using public transportation 

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  • Following safety signs in the community

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