About Us

SERVICE PROJECT: Assembling School Kits for the Humanitarian Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

DIVISIONS: 

1. FULL DAY PRIVATE TUTORING -ages 9-17 ONLY; 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, Monday through Thursday. SEE SCHOOL INFO Page
2. INDIVIDUAL TUTORING - Math, Reading, Writing $10.00 per 30 minute session or $20.00 per one hour. Call 656-2187 for time availability.
3. GED/ACT PREP - By request, usually Wednesday night, 6 - 8 P.M., for four to eight weeks, depending upon student progress. $25.00 per night. Call 656-2187 for more info.
4. ONLINE CURRICULUM - Academically excellent, Christ-centered, Pre-K through High School curriculum in ten levels. SEE both the ONLINE CURRICULUM Page and the NEWS page for more information.

PHILOSOPHY:
1. At BEEHIVE we are all about telling it like it is.
2. We are serious about learning and living our religion.
3. We are serious about honoring and obeying Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
4. We are serious about helping our students build Christ-like character.
5. We believe that the most important academic skill is knowing how to read and understand what is read.
6. We believe that freedom has a price and that that price is vigilance - which means
   1. knowing and understanding history and government, especially the U.S. Constitution, and
   2. actively and continually participating in the political process.
7. We believe that success in life is achieved by work and expect our students to work at their studies in order to achieve academic success.
8. We understand that KNOWING HOW TO LEARN is important and therefore teach our students the best learning techniques.
9. We know that students do not care what you can teach them until they know how much you care about them.
10. We SHOW we care through individual help and curriculum and accepting the student where he is.
11. We engineer SUCCESS EXPERIENCES because nothing breeds success like success, thereby building an "I CAN" attitude.
12. We recognize the importance of parents to a student's academic success and frequently hold as needed impromptu Parent Conferences.
13. We believe in personal accountability; that the student will receive the grade he has legitimately earned.
14. And finally, we know that true learning can only take place in a safe and stress-free environment, and therefore provide such.

HISTORY

BEGINNINGS

In St. George, Utah, in 1997, Craig and Mary Kessler, began what was then called Sunrise High Academy. Their main purpose and goal were to provide an alternative education for a son, who wanted a more uplifting environment and better academics.

GROWTH

The school grew from a 320 square feet office to 2,700 square feet facility which included classrooms, an office, a theater, a computer lab, a kitchen - lunchroom, and a gym area. Enrollment grew from the initial one to over 30.

CONTINUING

The Kesslers' son graduated in 2000. But, feeling that there were others who could benefit from a Beehive style education, the couple kept the school open. There have been ups and downs, laughter and tears, accomplishments and disappointments.

For a time, during the recession which followed 9/11, the Kesslers taught students in their home. Then, in Spring, 2008, they re-opened another Beehive campus. This, however, was short-lived and closed in June, 2009, due to the current recession. They are again tutoring a small group of students in their home.

TEST RESULTS VALIDATE the CURRICULUM

Over the 13 years of its existence, Beehive has helped 100's of students to hone their scholarly skills and improve their educational status. In 2009, as students had never taken any nationally rated tests, Mrs. Kessler decided to test the effectiveness of the Beehive Curriculum by having the elementary class take the Iowa Basic Skills Test. The class averaged 98th percentile in reading and 92nd percentile in math!

THE FUTURE of BEEHIVE

Such test results prompted Mrs. Kessler to put the BEEHIVE CURRICULUM online so it would be available to all. This is being uploaded as quickly as time permits, level by level, subject by subject. It is being offered to home and private schoolers for an annual subscription fee of $125.00. SEE ONLINE CURRICULUM page for more information. Other than continuing with the ONLINE CURRICULUM, the Kesslers are continuing their private tutoring of students ages 9-17. SEE SCHOOL INFO page for further information.

PEOPLE

Mr. Craig Kessler began teaching in 1967, in Howell, Michigan, in the high school Industrial Arts department. He has also worked with educable mentally retarded students, and as an insurance salesman, a bridgebuilder, a video store owner, and at Hurst Stores in St. George in the hardware department. His hobbies and interests led him into Scouting and politics. He took the Constitution course from W. Cleon Skousen and twice was a candidate for the US House of Representatives. He enjoys family history, old movies, WWII lore, gardening, and putsying around in his home workshop. He also loves teaching and seeing kids 'get it'.

Mrs. Mary Kessler began teaching as a home school parent in 1982. Her interest in education grew as she saw the decline in the quality of education being offered her own children. She earned an online ED.D. degree in 2003. Mrs. Kessler has also been active in politics, being Young Republican National Committeewoman, running for Congress in 1980, and serving in an advisory capacity on political campaigns, including the presidential level. Her hobbies and interests include health and nutrition, especially raw foods, gardening, family history, and government. Her passion is helping her students learn how to learn, especially from the Scriptures.

Together, in 1984, they founded Sunrise Family Video of American Fork, the then ONLY non-R-Rated video store in the US. In 1995-98, they bought and ran a home school supply, where they learned the good and the bad being offered in curriculums. In 1997, they founded Beehive Schools. They are the parents of four and the grandparents of nine, all of whom bring them much happiness.