The Beacon

Freshman advisory class is a hit

Grace Harscheid and Natalia Weinstein • December 20, 2024

Last year, Jackson-Reed introduced a mandatory freshman advisory class with the goal of providing freshmen additional time and guidance to adjust to high school. According to Principal Sah Brown, the advisory...

Farewell, Mr. Bargeman

Isadora Groves and Devan Mehta • December 20, 2024

The current Jackson-Reed student body has only heard the legend of DJ Barge. Every Friday during lunch, Assistant Principal Gregory Bargeman, equipped with a record player and some old vinyls, filled...

DCPS enrollment at an all-time high for 2024-25

Gil Leifman, News Editor • December 20, 2024

Total enrollment in DCPS for 2024-25 is the highest ever recorded. The recently released data from DCPS showed 99,770 students enrolled in district public and charter schools, an increase of 1,121 from...

Some students lose service hours amind administrative mixup

Rohini Kieffer and Edith Corrigan Conaty • December 20, 2024

DCPS Central Office removed community service hours on many high school students’ Aspen accounts earlier this month due to what Jackson-Reed counselors described as a documentation error. During a...

JR expects to remove portable trailers next year

Grace Harscheid, Contributor • November 25, 2024

Jackson-Reed’s portable trailers are expected to leave next year, three years after their installation in September 2022. The portables were originally introduced to reduce overcrowding, an issue that...

New security policy causes delays

Edith Corrigan Conaty, Managing Editor • November 25, 2024

On the morning of November 12, as school started, a long line of students formed at Jackson-Reed’s main entrance due to a new security policy. For the time being, students must take their laptops out...

Ranked-choice voting passes in the District

Cole Zich, Written Content Editor • November 25, 2024

In the 2024 election, DC passed Initiative 83, a ballot measure establishing ranked choice voting and open primaries, both of which will take effect in June 2026. With over 70% of the vote, the initiative...

Pandas return to National Zoo

Brookelyn Lee, Contributor • November 25, 2024

On October 15, after an 8,000-mile journey from China, two giant pandas arrived at Dulles International Airport on a FedEx cargo plane. The pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, will make their public debut at...

SGA holds drives and fundraisers for charity

Devan Mehta, News Editor • November 25, 2024

At Jackson-Reed, the holiday season is all about giving back! Throughout November and December, there will be numerous opportunities for JR students to give back to their community through school-affiliated...

Dispensary to open in Tenleytown

Gil Leifman and Arden Luckett • November 25, 2024

A medical cannabis dispensary is set to open on Wisconsin Avenue by December 1. The shop will take the place of the National Diving Center Scuba store at 4932 Wisconsin Avenue. This will be the first licensed...

Federal aid application delayed for second year

Sofija Petronyte, Contributor • November 25, 2024

The release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form used by seniors and college students across the nation is delayed from October 1 until December 1 for the second year in a row....

Portables breached on Halloween

Isadora Groves and Gil Leifman • November 25, 2024

On Halloween night, two unidentified costumed individuals broke into Jackson-Reed’s portable trailers. They left after a few minutes of tampering with school property, and nothing of significant value...