Beacon Country Day School

Beacon is what it is first because of the faculty. They are fantastic. They are highly skilled, caring and devoted people. Not just at presenting material to kids, but in focusing on the individual child and what their specific needs are. They respect each other, and they respect the children. I could use all 1200 available characters telling you how wonderful they are. However, I'd like to brag on the kids for a minute. The kids that attend Beacon are also wonderful. Accepting, respectful, they have a desire to learn. Does everyone always behave perfectly...of course not. But the kids take responsibility in helping each other learn social skills. They are being taught effective ways to deal with their peers when stuff comes up and it is not just stuff the teachers preach at them. The kids actually practice, they help each other, they encourage better behavior. The cool kid isn't the one breaking the rules and getting trouble, the cool kid is the one who is striving hard to make themselves and the world they live in a better place. Beacon is one of the most comfortable places I have ever been and is one of my favorite places to be.
--Submitted by a parent

We sent our son to Beacon's preschool program based on the reputation and reviews by parents in prior years. Unfortunately, our experience echoed that of a prior reviewer who mentioned that class size was supposed to be limited to 10 and quickly topped 20. As a result, our child did not receive the level of individualized attention we expected, and frankly, paid a premium for. With that said his preschool teacher, Linda Leslie, was wonderful, and celsrly tried her best given the number of students she was asked to carry. As the earlier reviewer mentioned, one of the junior kindergarten teachers was assigned to the class as well but I found he was quite detached and often did not know the days lesson plan or how the children were progressing. I was most disappointed with the after school program. If the Esther was nice the children played on the playground. In colder weather - the majority of the school year - children of all ages were crowded into a single classroom where the "teacher" assigned to them would turn on a television and then read a book or p,ay on the computer. Hardly a stimulating environment for gifted children.
--Submitted by a parent

We visited several schools in the Denver area by far had the best experience at Beacon. The faculty, staff, parents and students were all very welcoming. This is my son s second year, he loves it! Not only does he always want to go to school, he never wants to leave! And best of all he is truly learning.
--Submitted by a parent

This an absolutely wonderful school. The staff is amazing. The environment is loving and family orientated. The education is top notch. We could not have asked for a better school.
--Submitted by a parent

Once you open the door, you will feel warmth and love from everybody . My daughter has been at Beacon for nearly four years now and we could not be happier. She is learning s0 much not only on the academic level but also on the social and emotional level. Beacon is just the best of the best!
--Submitted by a parent

My kids have been at Beacon for nearly 8 years now, four in total, and I wouldn't change a thing. My kids have learned so much both on the academic level and the social level, I could not be more pleased with it if I tried. The teachers are terrific and the individual attention spent with each child is a god-send. There is not a kid at Beacon who isn't loved, taught, and respected by everyone there. The best part about Beacon is the fact that it just gets better and better from one grade to the next. The teachers just get stronger and stronger as the kids get older and smarter. From before school to after school the school is run professionally and responsibly and I have never been disappointed.
--Submitted by a parent

As a former student, I hope the positive reviews for this school mean that they've improved since I attended in the nineties. Rather than being aimed explicitly at the gifted and talented, the school seemed to admit all the kids who didn't quite fit in at public schools and whose parents could pay the tuition each month. The pace matched that of the slowest student in the class, making it very frustrating for the children who had gotten the concept and were ready to move on. Because classes frequently ran over, there was little time to do work in class, leaving an amount of homework that surpassed anything I had to complete in high school, college, or graduate school. Since the staff took the concept of No Child Left Behind very literally years before the concept came about, students who started in 1st grade could expect to take French 1--the exact same class, with the exact same textbook--for eight years straight. When I finally did attend a public high school, I felt ill-prepared compared to my strictly public-school educated classmates. For parents in the Cherry Creek school district, I recommend keeping your kids there. They'll be more socially and academically adept in life.

My child attended Beacon for preschool, and I must say that his preschool teacher was fabulous and I was impressed with what the kids learned during school hours. However, we were disappointed with the class size (we were told it would be around 10 students but it ended up being over 20 students). This left less opportunity for individualized instruction, and the teacher, while she did have a helper, seemed overwhelmed by the class size. In addition, we were very disappointed in the after-school program, which were run by teachers in other grade levels. During the after-school program, rather than engage the students, these teachers turned on television for the children while they themselves surfed the internet. (And needless to say we were concerned that these particular teachers would be our son's classroom teachers in future years at the school) Furthermore, the school's administration seemed disorganized - for instance, they quite often lost our paperwork or checks. Overall, I would say this is a pretty good school, but not necessarily worth the money compared to a high quality public school.
--Submitted by a parent

Beacon has been a wonderful place for both of my children. The caring and highly quailfied staff make all the difference in the world. This school is truly about giving the kids what they need to be successful! We have been blessed to have our children there.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have always been a few notches about grade level on standard tests. With small class sizes they get plenty of attention. When we first came to Beacon we were impressed with the pre-k class being heavy on good time tested phonic learning. They have a holiday program that reminds me simpler times. Unlike public schools that have to strip the curriculum of any religion; my child learned 1st grade geography through an interest in Santa! They even have Santa come to visit at the holiday party. I just miss that my kids are too old for it now. There are parties for every holiday (like almost one a month!) that parents are asked to volunteer for as well as lots of fields that need drivers so it's easy to be very involved in your child's school life. I can attest to the July comment make about getting ready for medication recommendations; and have talked to some parents that said is was the cause of some of the children not coming back to my children's class because they thought her child was too young to medicate; but I disagree the medications are used often on young kids these days. I have noticed that some of the younger grades this year only have 5 or 6 kids in them
--Submitted by a parent