New Beacon Hill Community School a light in Wayne-Holmes communityNov. 11 haystack dinner and auction opportunity for community to learn more about Mt. Eaton school

A beacon is a light or other visible object serving as a signal or guide. A pier is something which provides a safe haven, or support.So it seems incredibly appropriate that Beacon Hill Community School, a new school for grades seven through 12 located near Mt. Eaton, would be found at The Pier Lighthouse of Hope.Together, the two entities have created a safe learning opportunity for young adults who are seeking to gear their learning experience toward the working world.“We were so excited to be able to work hand-in-hand with The Pier staff,” said Brad Herman, lead teacher for Beacon Hill. “Paul Mullet (Pier director) and I have already grown quite close, and we have developed a wonderful working relationship while creating something that we believe is very special for our students.”The school was created within the Southeast Local School District, in order to help meet the needs of some of the school’s communities which are home to a number of Amish families. The idea was hatched because Southeast superintendent Mike Shreffler saw a need within the Amish community which the current general high school curriculum was not meeting.A chartered member of the Tri-County Educational Service Center, which is responsible for the daily operations of the school, officially made Beacon Hill a part of the Southeast School District, although it operates under its own funding, meaning that it is not a monetary burden on the school district.Because of budget cuts, Southeast Local had to trim some of the hands-on type of classes from its curriculum, many of which the Amish students were taking. Herman said that bringing those kinds of classes, such as home economics and industrial arts, are a big part of why Beacon Hill was born.“The curriculum allows us to individualize courses and really meet the students’ needs,” said Herman, who serves as the school’s administer of day-to-day operations. “What we try to do is sit down with the student and their family and try to work out a plan on how they would like to approach education, one that is geared toward the subjects and experiences that they want to pursue. Beacon Hill is basically providing a niche learning opportunity that focuses on what they feel their job may be in the future.”While Beacon Hill may be unique in its approach, it still maintains a great deal of the traditional school experience to which students are accustomed. Grades seven and eight at Beacon Hill are more traditional, face-to-face type of classes. It is in the high school years where the classes begin branching out to become more specific to each individual’s needs and wants. E-Learning courses, PLATO courses and Florida Virtual classes provide online experiences which can be very specific in their intent and can be taken online, and many classes focus on trade-related education.While the Amish community has embraced the school, with 49 students already enrolled and more on the waiting list for next year, Herman said that the school was really designed not just for the Amish community, but for any student seeking a more trade-specific education.“Yes, we have mainly Amish students, but we really wanted to create a curriculum which would blend the learning experience to where it is beneficial to both the Amish and non-Amish students,” said Herman. “We do have a number of conservative Amish students. The main goal was to simply create a school where the programs are more trade-related, and one which allows students to kind of create their own pace, since some of our students do have jobs. We really wanted to make this a place that would prepare students for the work world in the trades.”Herman said that the school board, consisting of president Sam Troyer, vice-president Patti Arnold, Mark Weaver, Andrew Yoder and Marvin Yoder, has been a board which has worked well with the school, providing excellent guidance. With the school beginning August 22, it is still very new to the community, which is why the Nov. 11 haystack meal and auction will be so critical, not just to raise funds for Beacon Hill, but as a way of introducing itself to people throughout the community who may have no idea a school even exists in The Pier.“While it is a way of raising money for the school, it is basically a way for us to create some awareness as to the opportunity that is being made available to our students, particularly Amish families,” said Herman. “We have already had such tremendous support from our families and the board, and we have begun to hear some very positive feedback. Creating a positive relationship with families in the area is so vital for us, because we want Beacon Hill to be the community’s school and not just ours.”The Nov. 11 haystack meal will begin at 4 p.m. at The Pier, with the auction taking place at 6 p.m. The evening will be designed for families to come in and take a tour through the school, and see how it operates. The staff and board will be on hand to answer questions, and Herman said they are looking forward to a fun evening of food and fellowship.“We know there are a lot of people around here who don’t even know we are here, so this is a chance for them to stop by and get an idea as to what we do here,” said Herman. “It should be a relaxing fun evening.”