Mission & History

Kids putting on a show
Kids eating lunch at desks
Beechwood School Staff 2001-2002 school year
Happy woman giving slide presentation
Man alum standing in front of Beechwood bulletin board
Two boys sitting in a rocking chair
Kids singing in a winter show
Two gals at the pulpit on graduation day
Five middle schoolers choosing a Christmas tree
Three girls on a nature outing
Four middle schoolers relaxing
Beechwood basketball team
Boy at the beach looking at the water
Middle school boy rock climbing
Seven middle schoolers posing
Group of lower graders on nature outing
Two middle school girls on golf course
Group of adults and children
Seven middle schoolers holding flowers in vases
Young man in white sweat shirt
Scrapbook photo of students and adult
Lower graders dressed up on a special day
Four boys with Kathy Connolly
Girls in red costumes putting on a show
Lower graders at the beach, boy is in the sand.
Two women having a good laugh
Smiling Konstance Kirkendoll
Dick and Sue Jacobsen (founders) talking happily with a woman
Man in colorful shirt playing electric guitar
Three boys playing saxophones in the band
10 smiling kids in yellow t-shirts posing with two adults
Man in red sweatshirt with his little daughter
Smiling man in yellow sweater
Three scrapbook pictures of small groups of smiling people
Three scrapbook pics of different activities: swimming pool, indoor food event, outdoor picnic
Scrapbook page with photos and newspaper clipping, "Beechwood kids help homeless"
Beechwood School staff 1999-2000 school year
Stanford University Hospital nurse, Latricia Simon, member of first graduating class of Beechwood.
Photo of 8th grade graduates with list of where they are going to high school
Beechwood is a non-profit school community of 170 students, 30 staff members, and over 100 families. The school includes one class per grade from Kinder Prep through Eighth Grade. Beechwood offers its young learners a safe, nurturing environment that addresses the academic and social needs of each child.

Our Belief

All students have within them the power to succeed
Students and families thrive in a connected and engaged community

Our Mission

To teach students to recognize their own power and take responsibility to:

  • Find their strengths and build upon them
  • Prepare to establish strong families
  • Serve in their communities
  • Make healthy choices for body and mind
To foster a positively engaged, interdependent community of life-long learners that include:
  • Students
  • Families
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Friends
  • Neighbors

Our Focus

Beechwood was founded to serve the needs of students living in East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park, providing educational opportunities otherwise unavailable. We continue to prioritize our local communities and an inclusive student body reflective of the diversity found here.

Our Core Educational Values

  • Peaceful learning environment
  • Inclusion — listening and being heard
  • Safety and security
  • Kindness and respect
  • Readiness to learn and grow

Beechwood History

As a Scoutmaster of some boys from East Palo Alto, Dick Jacobsen discovered that some of the middle school boys in his troop could barely read at a first grade level. This experience planted a seed in his mind that someday he would do something about the educational need that he saw.

In 1984 the partners of WSJ Properties and their wives formed the California Family Foundation to assist families with education, housing, and jobs. The founders were Jack and Mary Lois Wheatley, Boyd and Jill Smith, and Richard and Sue Jacobsen. Marilyn Anderson was hired as director of the California Family Foundation.

Beechwood School opened its doors in 1986 to 15 kindergarteners and 15 first graders. The two classes met in a portable building on a site next to the railroad tracks near the Onetta Harris Community Center.