Subject Areas

Using a wide variety of theater games and performance-based activities, the Drama programme helps students discover and enhance their natural creativity, spontaneity, self confidence, and discipline. Weekly drama classes help the students explore the creative use of gesture and voice, sharpen powers of observation, and learn to work together to produce an end-of-term performance. This allows the fledgling actors to experience the thrills and challenges of actual performance, simultaneously developing the group’s sense of teamwork and trust.

The music program provides the 8th grade students the opportunity to develop their core musical understanding and skills, as well as nurture their creativity and appreciation of music. This will be carried out through a combination of performance-based tasks, a variety of music and movement games, guided instruction, independent practice, as well as regular reflection exercises. The students will start out by building their basic musicianship and performance skills on a chosen instrument, as they choose a new instrument to learn, or identify a new skill on a familiar instrument to develop. They will then further build up on these skills over the course of the second term as they focus on music performance as a tool for communication and change, when they stage an end-of term musical revue. Their last term will provide them with an opportunity to consolidate and apply their musical learnings over the past year, this time in the form of self expression and musical composition.

As a continuation of the Art program in the Primary Years, visual art in the middle school tackles the same media and techniques on a progression to further strengthen the students’ skills and deepen the understanding of the historical and theoretical background of the subject matter at hand.
In 6th grade, students will explore the art of creating portraits. They will learn strategies on how to create their own and those of other people. In term two, they will try a variety of techniques on how art can tell a story, using technology and new forms of art. For example, they will use Google Slides, PowerPoint or Keynote to generate a story. In using conventional form, they will be introduced to handmade journaling, scrapbooking, and illustrating. In term three, they will experiment with materials and techniques in printmaking and mosaic.

The Humanities course outline includes an examination of ancient civilizations and the study of significant periods in world history. Current global and local issues are integrated within the various units of work per grade level. All students of Humanities will learn how to recognize and appreciate geographical, political, cultural similarities and differences that exist among civilizations and societies of different times and places. They will learn to appreciate how geographical, political, economic and cultural factors interact to define a people and how they relate to the rest of the world.

The aim of Language Acquisition courses is to develop competence in a second language. In addition, students learn to respect other cultures and viewpoints as they practice their language skills. Modern Languages offered are Spanish and Mandarin.

The Math Program aims to develop in students an appreciation for Mathematics as a universal language with many applications and as a logical system that builds on itself through creative and critical thinking. It provides students with a strong foundation in key mathematical concepts of Number, Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. It develops and reinforces students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, reasoning, and processes to help them develop strategies for problem solving and the application of mathematics in real-life situations.

The Middle School Science Curriculum offers a balanced introduction to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science and Environmental Science through meaningful and relevant learning experiences. Centered on immersing the students in the scientific process, learning experiences train students to: interpret and apply concepts and principles; build and develop thinking and technical skills; formulate good investigation questions; develop hypotheses; design and perform experiments; gather, organize and analyze results; and make conclusions and recommendations; assess and reflect on personal learnings; and make real-life connections.

Central to Beacon’s vision and mission is that students learn for service to society. Throughout the MYP curriculum, students are therefore given opportunities to extend their learning and apply it through service. These service activities are organized by the school, by teachers, and arise out of individual student’s interests and initiatives. As examples, Beacon School has established relationships with GABES, a public school on our PCPD compound, and Ang Misyon. Both provide service-learning opportunity to our students and alumni. Grade 7 students support a feeding program and storytelling activities at GABES as part of MYPs long-standing relationship with this public school. Some units of inquiry throughout the MYP experience will naturally lead to service opportunity. In Grade 8, all students are involved in a Community Project.

Beacon has incorporated the IB MYP Community Project into the Grade 8 curriculum in support of principled action. The project may be completed individually or in small groups of up to three students. An MYP teacher oversees the entire Community Project process as overall Coordinator of it, and each individual or group has a mentor.