The Beacon

A peek into a hidden gem of the AU Museum

Esme Nooruddin, Junior Editor • March 12, 2025

Living in DC offers access to a plethora of museums for free! DC’s mall is famous for its collection of Smithsonian museums. One of the more unknown museum is the American University (AU) Museum,...

From behind the desk: Alumni return to teach at JR

Natalia Weinstein and Cecelia Grant • March 12, 2025

When it comes to the Jackson-Reed community, we are lucky to have both new and old teachers from a variety of backgrounds who sat in the very same seats as students and decided to return as staff. Fatima...

The life of Eleanor Holmes Norton

Avani Patel, Junior Editor • March 12, 2025

Eleanor Holmes Norton has been DC's congresswomen for 34 years. She was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement and is known for breaking gender barriers throughout her long career; she has long defended...

Meet biology teacher Mr. Flack

Tessa Frantz and Avani Patel • March 12, 2025

Every student has a reason for having a favorite teacher and, for us, we value one’s ability to create a warm, welcoming environment. We’d like to introduce you to our favorite biology teacher: Robert...

Thank a social worker. It’s their month!

Edie Young, Contributor • March 12, 2025

We all have hard days, but luckily at Jackson-Reed, we have a team to help us manage our emotional stress. March is National Social Work Month and the celebration began in 1963 as a time to celebrate...

How to have the perfect snow day

Nati Pinilla, Contributor • February 7, 2025

In early January, two snow days were added, making for an extra long winter break. There are tons of different ways in which Jackson-Reed students spent their extended weekend. Personally, I spent the...

Are you smarter than a brainrotted online freshman?

Javier Thompson and Sarah Rose Wiesenfelder • February 7, 2025

Welcome back to “Are You Smarter than a Freshman?” In honor of Valentine's Day, this edition, we’re taking one random teacher and putting them head-to-head with a brain-rotted freshman in love! Today,...

Advice for students hoping to be educators

Edie Young and Tatyana Parks • February 7, 2025

From classroom management to teaching, there’s a lot you might need help with when becoming an educator. This field may be fun because it enables you to meet and create bonds with new students, but it...

How to stay locked in as school heats up

Clara Doyle, Web Technical Editor • February 7, 2025

It’s officially term three, which means that it’s arguably the worst part of the school year. As the content in classes gets harder, AP tests get a little closer, and stress levels increase, I’m...

Teachers from different cultures share their perspectives

Natalia Weinstein and Grace Harscheid • February 7, 2025

Jackson-Reed has many students and staff from a variety of countries that bring new perspectives on life and learning. To further encourage and benefit from this cultural diversity, it’s important to...

UAV Drone Club holds showcase

Daniel Kaye, Junior Editor • February 7, 2025

On December 19, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Drone Club hosted a showcase in the gym, featuring two unique drones: a high-performance competition drone built from scratch and a modified test drone....

Jackson-Reed welcomes Ms. Ross to the library

Alex Oh, Contributor • February 7, 2025

If you’ve gone to the library this year to check out a book or simply get some peace and quiet, you’ve probably seen a new face sitting at the front desk. Camille Ross is a new addition to Jackson-Reed’s...