Dear Parents,

Welcome to Beacon! I will be your child’s advisor for his or her high-school career. I hope you will come to love Beacon for the same reasons I do: its vision, the teachers and administrators who make it work, and most of all the students who create such a vibrant and stimulating place in which to learn. Although I constantly discover more about Beacon, I know a lot about how to get things running smoothly, and am confident that I can help your child succeed in this exciting first year of high school.

As advisor, my job is to keep track of your child’s academic progress, help address any concerns that arise, and act as your child’s advocate here at Beacon. Together, we can help your student ease through this transitional period as smoothly as possible, and I both welcome and encourage your involvement throughout this important year. Ideally, as a result of our Advisory experience, your ninth grader will gain insight and confidence.

More specifically, Advisory at Beacon provides your child with academic support and fosters a sense of community within the school while personalizing each student’s experience at The Beacon School. It provides a place for students to express themselves and to learn about important issues, such as transitioning from middle school, managing conflicts with teachers or peers, and improving both time management and study skills. It is a safe-haven for each student, founded on confidentiality and mutual respect. It is also the place where important school information is communicated. Please note that Advisory is a graded, half-credit course, totaling four credits that count toward the state requirement of 44 credits to graduate from high school. Students must attend Advisory classes every Friday in room #332.

The primary goal of advisory during the freshman year is to ensure that your child is able to establish a solid foundation upon which he can build the rest of his high school career. As an advisory group of 20 students and an advisor, the following themes will be explored in daily advisory periods:

1. CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING – Transitioning from middle school to high school; changing roles and expectations; orientation to The Beacon School; and creating community and team building.
2. DEVELOPING SELF – Skill assessment and learning style recognition; study, time management and decision-making skills; health and wellness; setting, monitoring and evaluating goals: personal and academic; and self-reflection and self-evaluation.       During freshman year exploration of this theme is of vital importance.
3. MAKING A LIVING, A LIFE, A DIFFERENCE – Roles, responsibilities and relationships; service-learning; and career exploration.

While I will play a significant guiding role in each weekly agenda, I plan to give the students opportunities to define the agenda as they will come across numerous issues that will need to be addressed during advisory session. They will quickly learn that they need one another just as much as they need their advisor.

To assist in the transition to Beacon, we will be joined by three magnificent Big Sibs:

1. Sofia Mirtz, Senior
2. Robert Sobelsohn, Senior
3. Grace Keir, Junior

Please take time to familiarize yourself with the Beacon portal as it will allow you to contact teachers directly, to check your child’s nightly homework for each class, and to receive direct communication from your child’s teachers as well as emails from me. The website is www.beaconschool.org.

I am thrilled to be a part of you and your child’s Beacon experience. My commitment to my students and education in general is unwavering and rock solid. So rest easy, take a deep breath, and let’s work together to ensure that your child has a wonderful four years at The Beacon School.

My contact information:

School Phone—(212) 245-2807

Email—sleon@beaconschool.org

Feel free to call me or email me anytime if you have any questions about your child.

Sincerely,

Sean Leon
English Teacher
Freshman Advisor
Senior Class Advisor