The Beacon

Spreading awareness: DSA hosts annual fair

Edith Corrigan Conaty, Managing Editor • April 2, 2025

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, the Disability Justice Fair was hosted last Wednesday which swapped the atrium’s cafeteria tables with informational posters at lunch. Students explored and engaged...

Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White expelled

Peyton Shum and Jordana Sloane • March 12, 2025

On February 4, the DC Council unanimously voted to expel Ward 8 Representative Trayon White following a bribery charge. This was the first time in 50 years the DC Council has expelled a council member. White...

Prom tentatively set for hotel in Rockville

Dani Wallace and Riley MacClellan • March 12, 2025

After multiple revised contracts and up to seven considered locations, the class of 2025 prom venue is expected to be confirmed by the end of this week. The front-running location is the Bethesda North...

Councilmember Pinto proposes bill to ban phone use in DCPS

Giacomo Tomaino, Contributor • March 12, 2025

On January 27, DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto proposed legislation to prohibit cell phones and personal devices during the school day. If passed, the “Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act...

Q&A with Senator Chris Murphy

Rohini Kieffer and Isadora Groves • March 12, 2025

Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the administration. Murphy condemned the broad federal...

Academy applications open for 2025-26 school year

Grace Harscheid, Junior Editor • March 12, 2025

Jackson-Reed’s 10 academies opened their applications to new interested students on February 1, which will close at the start of September 2025. Admissions operate on a rolling basis, with acceptances...

Are you smarter than a freshman?

Javier Thompson and Sarah Rose Wiesenfelder • March 12, 2025

Welcome to “Are You Smarter than a Freshman?” Today, our contestants are social studies teacher Matthew Burgoyne and freshman Vivian Collier. In this game, we take one random teacher or senior and...

JR community awaits guidance in face of immigration crackdown

Rohini Kieffer, Isadora Groves, and Noa Gordon • March 12, 2025

On the wall outside of social studies teacher Michele Bollinger’s second-floor classroom, students can find a folder full of small slips of neon green paper. One side is titled “Know Your Rights Card”...

The BOWSER Act threatens DC’s autonomy

Sarah Rose Wiesenfelder and Kalpana Shipler • March 12, 2025

On February 6, Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee proposed the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act, which will overturn DC's Home...

Uneven workload frustrates teachers

Rohini Kieffer, Editor-in-Chief • February 7, 2025

Social studies teachers have expressed frustration over workload disparities as recent data revealed that they teach more and larger classes than their math counterparts. According to data compiled...

Academy of Global Studies to be a part of NAF

Greta Bradley-Meal and Jessica McCallum • February 7, 2025

The Academy of Global Studies (AGS), formerly the Wilson International Studies Program, will soon evolve to become a DC Career Technical Education (CTE) program, the Academy of Global Service and Diplomacy....

Seniors may lose free periods next year under DCPS policy

Isadora Groves, Editor-in-Chief • February 7, 2025

Many Jackson-Reed seniors will be without free periods next year due to a newly enforced DCPS policy, sources told The Beacon. Juniors said they feel upset about their loss of free time, and staff are...