Beacon Hill Has One of the Longest School Years with 212 Days

Beacon Hill School has more school days than public and private schools in Broward County, Florida. Most Public schools have 180 days for children to attend. Another calendar benefit is that Beacon Hill School does not adhere to the September 1st cutoff date for placement in Kindergarten and in each grade level, rather we use a cutoff with December 31. We have enhanced features that set us apart from Broward County Schools. This gives parents more time and gives your children more quality structured school time. We also have Summer Camp in July. Our School year has events and includes options such as after and before school care.

Find out more about Beacon Hill School’s 212 school day calendar. Contact us here with our web form. Or call us at (954) 963-2600 to get information.

Beacon Hill School’s 212 day school year brings advantages over Broward County School’s 180 days in some of the following ways. Kid’s stay focused on school work and school structure more consistently. Award for hard work and fun is more meaningful. Relationships are stronger and have more time to develop. A decline in academic learning is avoided from long summer breaks. Students can be more prepared for tougher competition in college and the work force ahead. Some of the benefits include following.

Improvement in the quality of education

The stamina students have for new learning and rigorous material increases with frequent breaks built in. This allows teachers to cover more material in greater depth. Topics like music, art and sciences have the opportunity to be included and enhanced in an extended 212 day school year that Beacon Hill School has.

Prevent Summer decline

Many students experience a decrease in math skills during the summer break. During extended vacation over the summer, a decline in academic skills and knowledge affects students.

Eliminate summer boredom

The summer time school year break needs structure and activities to keep children interested and engaged. Introducing shorter breaks, parents aren’t searching for ways to fill the Summer 12 week period.

A U.S. President and a recent Education Secretary supports more days at school

One of the voices for more school time is the recent Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Duncan spoke to the Washington Times and said “it should be no surprise that American students are falling behind their counterparts across the globe that are going to school in countries not bound by a 180-day school year”. Duncan noted in the New York Times  that “the original 180-day school year was based on the agrarian economy, where children were expected to help in the fields during the summer months. That model is no longer accurate for today’s educational environment or the future workforce.”

“If we’re serious about closing achievement gaps – we can’t keep doing business as usual,” Duncan was reported as saying in the Washington Times. “Right now, children in India, children in China and other places, they’re going to school 30, 35 days more than our students. If you’re on a sports team and you’re practicing three days a week and the other team is practicing five days a week, who is going to win more?”

Chris Gabrieli, Chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Education said regarding a longer school year. “On the other hand, the more time you spend practicing or preparing to do something, the better you get at it.”

Former President Barack Obama in a speech on education, where he said  “We can no longer afford an academic calendar designed for when America was a nation of farmers who needed their children at home plowing the land at the end of each day. That calendar may have once made sense, but today it puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Our children — listen to this — our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea every year. That’s no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy. That’s why I’m calling for us …to rethink the school day to incorporate more time – whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it.”

Find out more about Beacon Hill School’s 212 school day calendar. Contact us here with our web form. Or call us at (954) 963-2600 to get information.

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What Parents are Saying

This school is wonderful. My son has been behind in everything due to his previous school, but is catching up tremendously thanks to Beacon Hill Hollywood. THE STAFF IS WONDERFUL...”
- Parent
“I absolutely love this Beacon Hill School!!!
My son has been attending since he was 2yrs turning 3yrs, now he is 4yrs old and in his second year at Beacon Hill School!
My son is thriving...”
- Parent
“My son came from public school where he wasn't doing so well academically and socially. I took him out of public school and enrolled him in BH.
He's doing so much better in his academics he has made the Honor Roll for Q1 and Q2...”

- Parent

“Beacon Hill is an amazing school. The Principal is a consummate professional who has committed herself to the relationship she has with students, parents and faculty. The programs are far advanced...”

- Parent

“My daughter has completed her second year at Beacon Hill School. She
will be starting the 1st grade on Aug. 5th this year. She has completed
the national based exam SAT for kinder-gardeners and scored a perfect
score...”

- Parent

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Beacon Hill School have Pre-Kindergarten?

Yes, the Early Childhood Department consists of programs for children of 1 year , twos, threes, and Junior Kindergarten.

Public schools and many Kindergartens have usually around 180 days or so for attendance. How many days does Beacon Hill School Pre-Kindergarten have?

Our Early Childhood Department and grades are in session for 212 days.

Are classes full with many students?

We believe in keeping our classes small so that the needs of each individual can be met. We cap classes at 14 for Early childhood and 22 for grades.

Does the school teach on or with computers?

We are extremely proud of our state-of-the-art computer lab. We have 20 Pentium processors that are networked together and are connected to the Internet at 1 G speed.  We utilize a filtered platform from a web company. Our computer classes are taught by a computer systems analyst and includes developing keyboarding skills, understanding how to use the word processor, setting up databases, and working with spreadsheets.

Do students at Beacon Hill School do standard testing and do well?

Our student body has traditionally scored better than the local public schools and above the national average on the standardized tests.

How does the school deal with standards?

Students who attend Beacon Hill School are expected to maintain very high standards, both academically and socially. The Parent-Student Handbook outlines in detail policies concerning homework, tests, grading, honor roll, student behavior and disciplinary procedures.

What options are available in the summer time at Beacon Hill School?

Beacon Hill School has Summer Camp in July. This program has been in place for more than 60 years. We have a robust active Summer Camp. Besides all types of learning we also have acres of fun featuring swimming, sports, field trips and special events for an unforgettable experience! We open at 6:30am to 6pm from the start of July to the end of July for our Hollywood area Summer Camp.

How long has Beacon Hill School been established and is it a family owned or a corporate school franchise?

Founded by Irving and Cherie Liss in 1959, Beacon Hill School continues to be run by the Liss family under the leadership of Executive Director Andrew Liss. Beacon Hill School is an independent, traditional, all-faith, coeducational school incorporating preschool through grade eight in Hollywood, Florida.

Private schools can be very good but can lack some standard accreditations and school memberships, how does Beacon Hill School fair with this?

Beacon Hill School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of Florida, and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, Middle States and is a member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation and the Broward County Non Public School Association. We also have many awards and achievements.

Does the school have science classes and any special subjects for children?

We have a fully equipped Science Laboratory. Our academic program consists of English, reading, social studies, science, and mathematics as well as the special subjects of computers, Spanish, art, physical education, and music/dance/drama. Our curriculum meets and exceeds all requirements of both the State of Florida and Broward County.