1. We Take A Thoughtful Approach to Delivering Academic Challenge.
- We challenge students intellectually while preserving their joy of learning.
- We assign meaningful work, not work for the sake of work, and hold all students to high standards.
- We believe the arts are an essential component of the curriculum, not an afterthought.
- We believe students need balance in their lives to be healthy and happy.
2. Progressive Teaching Better Prepares Students for the Future.
- Our curriculum develops students’ critical and creative thinking and stresses problem-solving, not mere mastery of facts.
- Our students learn in a culturally-inclusive context and graduate as informed, socially aware global citizens.
- We ask ourselves not simply what we want our students to know but what we want them to be able to do – how to work well in groups, to research and ask questions, to be flexible, and to communicate effectively in written, oral, and visual contexts.
- Students are assessed in a variety of ways in order to determine their strengths and affinities as well as which areas need improvement. We want to know what they can do, not just what they can’t do.
3. The Individual is at the Center of Everything We Do.
- BCDS offers the advantages of a small school—personal attention, a friendly community, opportunities to stand out and lead—with the state-of-the-art facilities and the range of electives of a larger school.
- Students benefit from exceptional mentoring by our dedicated faculty; to foster personal growth and character, our teachers take part in and care about their students’ non-academic lives, too.
- Our teachers are trained in sophisticated techniques that help them create instructional approaches and lesson plans to reach and stretch every child.
- Our college counselors work to match each student with the right school, not to burnish Beaver’s own reputation or statistics.
In the summer of 2006, BCDS hired a market research firm to survey alumni from the classes of 1996-2005 about their academic experience at the school. The survey found that the graduates’ overall level of satisfaction with the school was very high, and time and again alumni cited exceptional teaching, individual attention, and mentoring from faculty as the school’s greatest assets. Here are some quotes from alumni who responded to the survey:
“The faculty are as strong as you’ll find anywhere….They are amazingly dedicated and diverse; they have great breadth of knowledge, and they have personality.”
“I started BCDS as a workaholic who was hyper-focused on grades, but the faculty taught me to relish the process of learning and to develop critical and analytical thinking skills.”
“Two Spanish teachers had the biggest impact on me. They were great with hands-on learning and individual attention, friendly conversations outside of class, and an interest in my life….They made learning Spanish fun instead of memorization only. I went on to major in Spanish in college.”
“Teachers at Beaver are honest and supportive.…They have the ability to get to know and work with each individual student….They push you to achieve to the best of your unique ability.”
“At a public school I wouldn’t have gotten the same attention. At Beaver, everyone knows you, and you feel like an important member of the community.”
“We had lots of group projects so we learned to work in groups and to figure out when you were a leader and not a leader.”
“I was not really an outgoing person, but in the supportive, encouraging environment at Beaver I felt like running for political offices. The faculty would encourage you by saying things, ‘Have you thought about X opportunity?’”
More About Beaver's Progressive Teaching
“Teachers at Beaver are invested in the kids first, subject matter second. There is a sense of joy and fun here – for the students and teachers – in a truly diverse and real place.” Peter Hutton, Head of School
“Drawing on what we know about the nature of intelligence and the nature of learning, BCDS teachers practice 'responsive teaching,' giving students the opportunity to learn in ways that are consonant with individual learning styles, strengths, and affinities.” Peter Gow, Director of College Counseling
“The collaborative approach is more difficult, more strenuous, and ultimately more educational than just going home and knocking off assignments by yourself. It adds a degree of difficulty while fostering much more meaningful preparation for the real world.” Current parent
“At Beaver, getting the right answer is important but not as important as the process. Beaver teachers want us to understand how we got the answers and then to analyze what they mean.” Recent graduate
“Beaver has really helped me learn in the best way for me. More significantly, Beaver has helped me see the right way to resolve complicated situations in life.” Current student
A Balanced Approach
At BCDS we aim to achieve a healthy combination of work, care and play. Balance means understanding the importance of school work without having it completely take over a student’s life.
“Keeping a balance between heart and mind is what makes Beaver the school that it is.” Jorge Valcarcel, Acting Middle School Director
“Beaver students are challenged and happy.” Current parent
"My son has been able to play two varsity sports, be in a jazz band every term, and do community service -- all while taking advanced level and honors courses. I'm glad Beaver has always encouraged and helped him be well-rounded." Current parent
A Diverse and Supportive Community
Beaver attracts a diverse group of families and teachers. Such diversity requires multiple approaches to teaching, curriculum, cultural and religious events, social interactions, and academic expectations. We believe that to work together effectively we must learn about our differences and find our common ground. Our curriculum grows every year in the breadth and depth of commitment to social justice and equity.
“Before I came to Beaver I didn’t know many people from different cultural backgrounds, and it’s nice to be around people who practice different religions and have different customs and traditions. Here you don’t feel excluded. It’s nice to look around and see so many different faces.” Current student
“Compared to most high schools, Beaver has a small student body with an extremely diverse group of students. By ‘diverse’ I mean not only students of different backgrounds and races, but also students with very different attitudes, personalities, and beliefs.” Current student
“On the field, in the classroom and everywhere in between, Beaver has given me the opportunity to be myself and excel in a diverse environment.” Current student
“My 15-page paper [junior year research project] on the Gay Rights Movement was my favorite and my most challenging assignment. Writing 15 pages was hard, but learning about the Gay Rights Movement was really interesting.” Recent graduate
A Commitment to Community Service and Social Action
Beaver’s longstanding commitment to community service and social action has been strengthened through a seven-figure gift to the school in 2006. The gift, which has endowed the new Anne Hiatt Center for Community Service and Social Change, will significantly strengthen and expand Beaver’s commitment to helping others and to helping students become agents of change in their own communities.
“Thanks to the Hiatt gift we can expand programs that will develop students as engaged leaders involved as responsible citizens of their world. Our academic and extracurricular programs will include leadership training, philanthropy, community partnerships, public policy, and direct service.” Kit Beaudouin ‘72, Director of the Hiatt Center
“Being a part of the community here at Beaver has helped me understand how important it is for others to have a community to be a part of and how important it is to help other people. Before coming to Beaver I never thought about it as much, and I didn’t realize how you can really make a difference.” Current student
“I like that I can play baseball and golf and still have time for community service.” Current student
The Arts Matter
The school’s 30,000 square foot Visual and Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2004, provides BCDS students with a facility that is unrivaled by any day school in the region. The three-story building devotes a floor each to drama, music, and the visual arts.
“We know the arts are important to students and their education – research in the field of cognitive psychology tells us this, as do our teachers, students and their families. With our new Visual and Performing Arts Center, the physical space of the school sends the same message: the arts matter.” Visual arts teacher
“Theater has helped me personally by giving me confidence and empathy for others. I feel like I can understand people better because I can imagine being in their shoes because I’ve been in other characters’ shoes.” Current student
Athletics Teaches Life Skills
BCDS teams compete in the Eastern Independent League against other independent schools, such as Bancroft, Berwick, Concord Academy, Dana Hall, Landmark, Lexington Christian, Newton Country Day, Pingree, and Winsor. Consistently competitive within the EIL, BCDS teams have claimed several league titles and produced individual athletes who have been named EIL All-Stars.
“The lessons we learn from working together to accomplish team goals are transferable to the classroom, the stage, the laboratory, and beyond the walls of the school.” Tom Manning, Dean of Students
“Participation is as an important aspect of the BCDS athletic philosophy as winning. Hence a place exists on a team for every student. Participation in athletics may be the greatest way to practice being humble, fair, courageous, supportive, hard-working, self-disciplined, and to learn to live with integrity and be gracious in both victory and defeat.” Eli Goldberger, Athletic Director
Athletics at Beaver is a way for students to challenge themselves in a way that leads them to develop great skills, form relationships with teammates, and to have a sense of pride in their abilities and to have trust in the ability of others. Sharon Mathieu, middle school history teacher and coach
“Middle School athletics at Beaver offers students a wonderful opportunity to form friendships, gain confidence, develop school spirit and have fun. In addition, athletics allows students and teachers to develop genuine relationships outside of the classroom setting.” Christine DeFilippo, Middle School Counselor and Cross Country Coach
For more about Beaver from the point of view of students, see our Student Profiles
