Dear Friends,

Chaplain Teah and I have been talking to the students and faculty about judgment: the inner critic which whispers negativity about ourselves and the external critic which judges others, often instantaneously. As with all of our precepts, we have been urging the school to be awake and intentional, recognizing the reality of these judgments, but not allowing them to control us or our relationships.

I have been thinking also about our wider judgments as adults, our reaction to certain buttons: conservative, liberal, evangelical, Islamic, orthodox, homeless, addicted, Darwinian, creationist. We all have such lists, some inherited from our parents, some that we have acquired on our own. We are all called to self-awareness as judgments leap into our minds.

Dealing wisely with these judgments may be at the heart of our efforts to re-unite our divided country. In red states and blue, families are striving for the best for their children, are serving in the military, paying taxes, showing up for the daily-ness of living. Of the billion Muslims in the world, only a small minority wants to impose sharia on all of us. The vast majority of the populations of India and Pakistan live in harmony with their neighbors of different religions. Behind all the isms, there are human faces and human aspirations which we all share.

Since "Silent Spring" schools have done an increasingly good job of educating young people on the dangers facing the environment, and have produced a generation of aware recyclers. (Now, how do we get them out of the gas-guzzlers?) One of the next tasks is to confront young people with the danger of demonizing others for whatever reason. They will share one world which declines in size as it increases in population. Hunger in Harare is as important as AIDS in South Africa as despair in Chechnya as hope in Northern Ireland as poverty in this the richest nation ever known.

These issues are high on our agenda here, as the students grow through their four years of high school. Their task is to learn to look beyond initial judgment, or even received wisdom, to new solutions and new hopes with confidence and compassion. Our task, as parents and teachers, is to keep these issues on the table, to be sure that the urgent does not eclipse the important.

I wish you all a happy and blessed holiday season.

Yours very sincerely,
Father Malcolm

Humanities — Exploring Ancient Mayan Culture

The Bay School Humanities curriculum during the freshman and sophomore years integrates the study of literature, history, art, and religion. Humanities I in the freshman year centers on the themes of creation, creeds, and conflict, in examining the world's major ancient civilizations and cultures.

This year's course began with the reading of The Whale Rider, a contemporary novel written by New Zealand Maori author Witi Ihimaera. The book explores the powerful connections between present-day Maori culture and ancestral tradition. Students then undertook an in-depth study of the Maori people that included their history, culture, economy, and natural environment. Students read the original Maori creation story and considered the ways in which the creation story is expressed in Maori history and culture.

During November, Humanities I classes studied the ancient Quichè Mayan civilization of Central America. They began by reading creation stories, as told in the Popul Vuh, the Quichè Mayan book of creation. Students read the stories aloud to each other in small groups, honoring the powerful oral tradition of these creation myths. They were then asked to speculate about the types of Mayan experiences that produced these stories; reversing the sequence that was followed in studying the Maoris. In both cases, the objective was to encourage students to consider the ways in which individuals and societies attempt to understand and find meaning in the world that surrounds them through the medium of stories.

As a capstone experience, Humanities I students visited the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last week to view the current exhibit, Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya. Through the display of ancient sculpture, artifacts, and architectural elements, this much anticipated exhibit provides unique insights into what life was like inside the Mayan Court, into models of courtly culture, the prominent role of women in Mayan society, and into the politics of war. The unit ended with the study of life in present-day Guatemala, as well as an investigation into the current cultural status of the Mayan people.

Fall Sports - On the Road to Victory!

At our very first admissions open house in September the first question that I received from the audience was: "How does The Bay School's athletic program compare to St. Ignatius'?" As I read the question aloud to the audience laughter broke out, and my spontaneous response was to reply, "Bring them on!" Then I explained that we were not quite ready yet to compete at S. I's level, but asked everyone to "give us just a few more years."

During the fall season, our first three freshman teams competed in boys' soccer, girls' volleyball, and co-ed cross-country. The entire school is extremely proud of our pioneering teams. Bay School spirit is running high!

Training hard four days each week, the cross country team, coached by Paul Lundgren and assisted by Erin Lapping, ran in four large regional meets competing with runners from public and private schools from all over the Bay Area - as far away as Half Moon Bay. Our four motivated and courageous team members, (Zach Fisher, Bill Decker, Kris Doodha, and Alex Heimann), stepped up and really got the cross-country team off and running.

The Bay School boys' soccer team was coached by our own talented Co-Director of Admissions, Matt Hannibal, assisted by Foster Appleby. The soccer team had an impressive roster of fifteen boys who gave the season everything they had - coming very close to bringing in our first ever win despite tough competition from freshman and sophomore teams from UHS, Urban, IHS, Crystal Springs, and other San Francisco independent schools.

The sixteen girls on the volleyball team coached by math teacher, Dave Wang, and I, showed great enthusiasm, commitment, and improvement throughout the season. We had a full game schedule and played against seven girls' teams from schools such as Lick Wilmerding, HIS, Urban, Drew, and Crystal Springs. I can truly say that it was one of the most enjoyable teams that I have ever coached. We had a spirited team of girls that worked hard, supported each other, and in doing so, set a solid foundation for Bay School volleyball programs in future years.

While the competitive teams were on the field, trail, and court during the fall, three groups of student athletes worked hard at mastering the physical and mental skills involved in martial arts, yoga, and weight training. Dennis Hartzell's class of four boys and three girls trained in the Goju-Ryu school of karate, and with great determination and discipline, mastered the first and second Katas, (katas being a formal set of movements and techniques executing blocks, kicks, and punches). Members of the martial arts class were joined by members of the Yoga class, led by instructor Tony Sanchez, in demonstrating their awesome skills for the entire school at Thursday Gathering time on November 4th.

Winter Sports Season

Basketball

Physical activity period II began on November 8th and The Bay School basketball season is now well underway - our first inter-school games will begin during the week following Thanksgiving. The Bay School girls' team is coached by Larry Minnich, who just two seasons ago won a state basketball championship as coach of the Convent of the Sacred Heart girls' team. Our boys' freshman team is coached by Dennis Hartzell who has coached at the Division One level at Columbia University. We are extremely fortunate to have two coaches of this caliber and experience developing our basketball program in its founding years. Both teams have been working extremely hard, and demonstrating true commitment to what we call, "dawn patrol" (6:00am) practices. Coach Hartzell has even said that he doesn't mind the early morning workouts because he believes that they provide a valuable opportunity for the team to come together and bond. What dedication!

Winter Physical Activities Classes

Students not playing basketball during the winter have chosen to participate in one of five different activities and sports offered four afternoons after school each week. Seventeen students are taking part in the weight training program at the Presidio YMCA, while four enthusiastic swimmers swim laps before school at the Letterman pool, coached by physics teacher Tom Henning. On campus in the afternoons new offerings in Hip Hop dance and drama have begun in addition to continuation of the popular yoga class.

The Bay School pool of our Dreams!

All of this year's athletes will be looked back upon in future years as the students who established the foundation and standards of athletics at The Bay School. We all know that as long as we give our best effort, never give up, and have fun, we are achieving our most important goal. Thank you to the many students, parents, faculty and staff members who made it out to see a game, match, or meet, this fall. We look forward to seeing all of you at the upcoming basketball games. Your presence and support is always welcomed and appreciated.

What does it mean to be a mindful user of technology?

Technology plays a major role in everyday life at The Bay School. It represents an important tool facilitating communication and the interchange of information on many levels. Because the use of technology has a significant human/social impact within our school community, and specifically, because the classroom use of lap top computers is new to many of us, the student body met recently at a Thursday Gathering time to consider the ways in which the use of laptops influence our communication with others, the development of friendships, sense of community, and academic growth. We also discussed the ways in which laptop use lines up with two of our school precepts:

We value living with kindness and honesty; we are truth tellers.

We value a clear mind and healthy, strong body; we don't intoxicate ourselves . with the misuse of technology.

The discussion was quite fruitful. Students met in small groups to consider how, when, and why they use their laptops. They were able to identify many ways in which laptop use is incredibly helpful to them: assisting in organizing homework and classroom notes, in communicating with teachers, in conducting better research, and in building relationships. It also helps students to expand their intellectual understanding of the world. The group discussed the many ways in which graphics, games and access to lap top communication can be distracting to students when they are trying to do their homework or to concentrate in class. By taking the time to be more aware of how and why we use technology in our lives we are hopeful that we will all become more mindful and more effective users of these wonderful tools. It's an on-going issue requiring on-going consideration.

2004-2005 Bay School Admissions Update

December has arrived. The Red Sox did the unthinkable. We have a (not-so) new President. Cal football is making a run for the national championship. Through it all, The Bay School Admissions Office has interviewed close to two hundred students so far, welcomed hundreds of families to admissions open house events, and sent out more than a thousand application packets to interested 8th grade students and their families.

The 2004-05 admissions season began with a bang on September 1st when the overwhelming volume of interested callers led to a virtual meltdown of The Bay School phone system! Once the phones were up and running again, we began the enjoyable process of taking open house reservations and scheduling student shadow visits - paring eager visitors with our equally eager student hosts. Each week approximately 40 animated 8th graders can be found meditating with their Bay School hosts at morning meeting, debating Chinese philosophy with Wu Laoshi (Mandarin Chinese teacher, Robin Workman), or playing basketball outside with Bay School freshmen while waiting for their rides.

Our founding freshman Class of 2008 is comprised of 62 truly exceptional students coming from 11 public middle schools and 21 private schools throughout the Bay Area. The class is diverse in every sense of the word - in terms of interests, abilities, backgrounds, and cultures. Next fall we hope to enroll an additional fifteen students to join the founding class as sophomores. We also plan to enroll between 75-85 freshmen in the class of 2009 who will join the student body as we move into our permanent campus at 35 Keyes Avenue in Fall 2005.

Our recruitment efforts have expanded this year, as we continue to focus on relationship building with many different parts of the community. The Admissions staff is reaching out to a broad range of students in numerous ways: visiting public and independent middle schools, community centers, welcoming the directors of after school programs to The Bay School for lunch, and by hosting an admissions workshop for minority students and their families who are new to the independent school application process.

Throughout the busy fall and winter admissions season, the most satisfying aspect of our job is getting to know the many talented, interesting and enthusiastic 8th and 9th applicants, hearing their ideas, and feeling their enthusiasm about becoming part of the growing Bay School community.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the many Bay School parents and students who have generously volunteered their time and support in helping to make this an extremely successful admissions season.

Upcoming Admissions Schedule:

Service Learning at the Presidio

The Bay School is privileged to be the only high school in the country to be situated in a U.S. national park, and our location at the center of the Presidio of San Francisco offers us a myriad of opportunities to contribute to the magnificent environment that surrounds us. The entire student body and faculty began our tradition of involvement in the Presidio community on Thursday, November 18th when the afternoon was spent working on two natural habitat re-forestation projects.

At Gathering time that afternoon, Bay School students and faculty advisors were given a background introduction to the natural and political history of the Presidio by Damien Raffa, a natural resources specialist and member of the Presidio Trust staff. Following the briefing, students and faculty members split into two groups - one heading up to plant tree saplings in the area surrounding Mountain Lake, and the other took the short walk to the Presidio's native plant nursery adjacent to 682 Schofield Road. Students spent a very worthwhile afternoon engaged in the physical work of planting and shoveling compost while also learning about the area that we are so fortunate to call our home.

People of Color in Independent Schools Conference

On October 30th, three Bay School students, Kelsey Ross, Mikhail Alexander and Roxi Porras attended the People of Color in Independent Schools Conference held in Palo Alto. The day was an incredible opportunity for students from independent schools across the Bay Area to come together to discuss issues of equity, justice and diversity as they apply to school life.

The day opened with a presentation by a group of outstanding Capoeira dancers and a film about Chinese immigrants living in Cuba. These two presentations set the stage for students to break into small groups and to pursue further discussion on the many issues related to race, prejudice and activism at their schools. Roxi reported that she "loved the student of color conference, because I got to hear other people's stories about what they have been through." Mikhail mentioned that the conference "taught me more about racism and stereotypes. I liked that everyone in my group shared their experiences. no one was afraid to say anything that was on their mind." For Kelsey, the best part was that "there were so many kids all coming together under a common cause and it was all student run."

Bay School Awarded California Interscholastic Federation Membership

It's official - effective October 22nd, The Bay School of San Francisco was accepted as a new member of the North Coast Section of the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation), the governing body of inter-scholastic sports in the State of California. Membership enables schools to officially participate in scheduled seasonal athletic competition with other CIF schools, sports championship series, and to apply for scholastic recognition programs. The Federation also requires member schools to adhere to a standard set of regulations and rules specifying fair play and conduct of good sportsmanship.

The next step in athletic certification will be to apply for membership in the local independent high school league, The BCL (Bay Counties League) in the fall of 2005 when The Bay School will field a varsity and junior varsity program. We're on our way.

The Latest News about Building 35 Keyes Avenue Campus

Construction work at our permanent campus building, 35 Keyes Avenue, has continued to progress extremely well and is currently even a bit ahead of schedule. During October and early November demolition work was finished, seismic upgrading completed, a new concrete slab was poured in the basement areas, and a new ramp was installed in the Gallery area along the Keyes Avenue side of the building. Carpenters began the time consuming job of restoring the building's beautiful, historic double-hung wood windows and interior doors. In many cases entire window frames and casings have needed to be removed and re-installed in order to replace the weights and ropes that make the windows operable. Quite a painstaking task.

The construction crew is currently engaged in the installation of electrical, plumbing, and fire sprinkler routing as well as the installation of heating and air handling units. Work has begun on framing in the large elevator shafts, and repair of ceilings and concrete slabs throughout. The most striking change when visiting the building from day to day are the many new wall partitions that have begun to provide a real sense of the fabulous interior spaces. We hope to begin tours of the building in January 2005.

December Community Book Group

Our book for December's all-school read is Black Ice by Lorene Cary. The book tells the autobiographical story of Lorene's experience as the first African American female to enroll at St. Paul's, a distinguished boarding school in New Hampshire, in 1972. Books will be distributed to students, faculty and staff this week on Thursday, and all-school discussions are scheduled on Thursday afternoons December 9th and 16th during Gathering time.

During our meetings, Black Ice will be used as a jumping off point for discussing the complicated life experiences of changing schools, fitting in, and issues of race and social class, etc. As always, we encourage Bay School families to read our monthly book selections together and share in the dialogue.

Review of Black Ice from the School Library Journal:

"A streetwise kid from West Philly, Cary was the first African-American female to attend St. Paul's, a prestigious New England prep school. With tremendous drive, she set out to achieve self-imposed academic, athletic, and social goals. Although she believed she owed it to the school that accepted her on scholarship, to her family who encouraged and sacrificed, and to those who will come after, she found that the price was great. The emotional distance from her family widened with the geographic separation, and their deep love and pride could not make up for their blindness to her discomfort. While Cary achieved most of her aims, thus justifying the experience to herself, perceptive readers will be pained at her need to do so. Broader in scope than most coming-of-age memoirs, this candid account is sure to strike a sympathetic chord."

Mark Your Calendars – Important December Dates