Dear Friends,

First Fruits.

We have been at work and play since late August; some patterns and trends as well as some concrete results have begun to emerge. Here is a sampling.

Item - the students' delight in each others' company is growing rather than becoming diluted by familiarity. Work is impossible in the administrative offices during free times as we are regaled by hoots of laughter from kindly voices.

Item - courage and endurance characterize the sports and activity program. The teams play enthusiastically against older and stronger teams up until the last whistle. Students in yoga and martial arts who never thought of themselves as athletes are finding their bodies can do extra-ordinary things, that they have muscles that they did not know they had.

Item - the walls are beginning to be covered with student artistic efforts, from poems to photographs, which reflect their strong talents as well as their comfort with their diversity.

Item - the half-term rubrics and comments gave me as clear a picture of each student's academic progress as I can remember; and, as promised, they assess their total learning, not only what they retain for a test. They reflect good adjustment to high school demands, some excellent achievement, and lots of opportunity for growth.

Item - many of the issues and problems of community life among strong personalities have begun to emerge, and are being addressed competently and cheerfully under the leadership of Ryn Blecke and Moneeka Settles.

Item - the student advisory committee, precursor to a student government, deemed that "none of the above" was the correct choice among the mascot proposals and re-started the process from the beginning. Even more impressive, they agreed with the Dean on a dress code for a Halloween dance-a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one.

In short, much of what we dreamt, about engaging courses and teachers, about ethics and spirituality, about the stewardship of time, and about the diverse, kindly community is coming into clear focus. I feel great personal gratitude to be able to put aside an outside world which is becoming increasingly shrill, even nasty, and enter into a great enterprise filled with hope and supported by a community of hopers.

We have much to be thankful for this November.

Yours very sincerely,
Father Malcolm

Bay School Philosophy in Practice

There are multiple ways, some subtle and some more direct, that The Bay School's mission and academic philosophy are brought to life by our faculty and experienced by students on a daily basis as part of the academic program.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight two areas of study which are currently focused on exciting, mission-driven projects.

World Conflicts Project — Writing Workshop

Both of Dennis Hartzell's Writing Workshop sections will soon begin the "Conflicts Project." For three weeks, students will work in small groups of three to four, and each group will be assigned to explore a contemporary regional conflict, (Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnya, and Taiwan). The groups will research the historical, economic, geopolitical, and cultural roots of a conflict, use this research to understand and analyze the conflict, and conclude by presenting recommendations for possible solutions. Throughout the process, students will collaborate closely with Rachel Shaw, our librarian, as they identify credible sources, conduct effective searches, and formulate critical thinking questions to guide their research and analysis. Dennis has arranged for a professional writer and columnist, an expert in discussing complex global issues, to assist students in their approach to the challenge of not just identifying sources of information but also qualifying those sources.

The project is a direct expression of the value we place on "fearless and thoughtful approaches to contemporary and future world problems" and "confidence in addressing complex, multifaceted issues" as important components of our school philosophy. Of course, if you have ever attended one of Dennis Hartzell's classes, you know there is always a major emphasis on "rigor and discipline in mastering detail" as well.

History Comes Alive Through Drama

Students in Katherine Riley's Drama I course are currently engaged in a unit studying theater history. They began by investigating medieval drama and participated in student-taught mini lessons, learning how the church during the middle ages used song and theater to teach its new members about their religion. These morality or mystery plays, as they were called, were the surest means of communication at a time when illiteracy was the norm. To make a direct, real world connection between curriculum and The Bay School mission, Katherine then asked students to write and act out their own scenes illustrating our school precept: "We value the richness of difference and diversity." Students developed characters in small groups and then brought that character with them when they switched into scene writing groups. They have spent time reflecting on how they and their character might feel if they were not treated with respect for their differences. These reflections have been incorporated into their script writing and members of the class will critique each other's work before presenting the scenes to the school community beginning this week during morning meetings.

Commitment to our mission and values can be seen across the curriculum and it is something worth celebrating. Faculty members continue to share ideas and aspirations with each other as we develop the school's future curriculum. We are off to an auspicious start.

The beauty of being a small school is rooted in our ability to gather together as a community each morning before the start of the class day to share experiences and to consider subjects and issues involving Bay School values and philosophy. In addition, each Thursday afternoon the student body and faculty come together for an 85 minute Gathering to discuss a topic that is germane to our own internal community or to the broader community surrounding us. Two themes have influenced our recent meetings: we have picked up on the thread of using a school precept as the central topic of each week's morning discussions, considering them further in a large group setting, and, we have created opportunities to connect our Bay School world to the larger outside community.

Morning Meetings

Two weeks ago, Malcolm Manson and our chaplain, Teah Strozer, focused on the precept - "we value respecting ourselves and our friends in relationship." Teah discussed the importance of being aware of the three main emotions that we all experience. She explained that our emotions could be summed up as: wanting things, rejecting things, and being neutral or not caring. This eloquent summation of common human emotions then presented the perfect opportunity to discuss the ways in which adolescents negotiate their friendships and other relationships.

As a school, we discussed two different scenarios involving relationships and asked each other what the boy and the girl in each scenario were wanting and what they were trying to reject. We have been very impressed by the ability of our ninth graders to understand and articulate how the complicated decision making involved in relationships could be healthier if we were all conscious of wants and rejections as we move through our lives making decisions about how to interact with others.

Last week, when the theme of the week considered the precept - "We value difference and diversity", Matt Hannibal, Co-Director of Admissions, shared several personal experiences supporting his belief that each person experiences diversity as part of their own individualism and that true diversity is broader and deeper than the color of one's skin, cultural background, or economic circumstance. On Thursday morning, Humanities teacher, Darrick Broudy, rapped his "I Am From" poem to the wildly enthusiastic applause of the student body.

Campaign 2004 on Campus

The 2004 presidential campaign arrived on The Bay School campus last week in the form of a political town hall meeting during Thursday's afternoon Gathering time. College speakers Eric Rivera, President of the Young Democrats at USF, and Bob Sensenbrenner, President of the Stanford University College Republicans, presented their respective candidates and party platforms and then opened the meeting up for questions and discussion from The Bay School audience.

The subjects discussed were wide-ranging - from the war in Iraq, to the candidates' positions on the economy, abortion rights, the issue of a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage, to the environment. Our students not only were extremely interested and well informed, but also passionate. At one point during the discussion as the energy level and intensity in the room began to rise, Chaplain Teah Strozer spoke - asking everyone to re-direct their attention back into their own bodies and minds, encouraging all of us to listen carefully and remain aware and respectful of the views and feelings of others. A reminder that was every bit as valuable to the adults in attendance as well.

As follow-up to the town hall meeting to promote political involvement, students have each been asked to choose one major election issue to research in detail. Upon forming a personal opinion on their issue they will each draft a letter to be sent to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle articulating their position. When the next presidential election takes place in November 2008, a majority of The Bay School Class of 2008 will be eligible to vote!

Student Advisory Committee

The Bay School's first Student Advisory Committee has been formed and is now meeting regularly. The committee is comprised of one student member representing each of the twelve advisory groups, and it meets with Dean of Students, Moneeka Settles, once each week on Mondays. These meetings are an excellent opportunity for students to build important leadership skills, learn to represent the concerns of their peers, and to gain insight into how decisions are made at The Bay School.

The Advisory Committee has already had two meetings and has begun to tackle very important topics such as how advisory groups will be structured in future years, whether or not there are concerns about school food service, (the group voiced that they were quite pleased with the food at lunch thus far), and what the dress and behavior code should be at the upcoming Halloween dance. Moneeka and others involved in school administration have been very pleased by the energy and ideas that students are bringing to the conversation with a clear commitment to making our school be as healthy and successful as it can be.

Bay School freshmen in this year's Digital Imaging I class are building a comprehensive foundation of knowledge and skills in the broad field of digital imaging. During the first trimester, students are learning how to operate a 6 mega pixel digital camera, the techniques of processing their images in Photoshop CS, printing, and then mounting their photographs for presentation. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of the elements and principals of composition and design that can be applied to all photography, as well as on overall visual literacy - the understanding of how best to communicate a message, meaning, and content visually through one or a series of images.

First Time Out

Photo Works by 12 New Photographers!

Young photographers (Danny, Vicky, Morgan, Katie, Ayinde, Jordan, Max, Meg, Mikhail, Cecily, Jay & Francisco) have demonstrated, in 6 short weeks of field work, a keen sensibility with their cameras.

As you will see, the group has begun to explore the Presidio, (on two field trips), The Bay School community, (naturally), still life, portrait making, and the physical landscape of San Francisco and its environs. We look forward to training our lenses on our blossoming community and sharing more images with each other and our school community in the months to come. We hope that you will enjoy these pictures in the meantime.

Please click on this link to view the Digital Media I photo exhibition.

- Gregory Fleischer, Digital Imaging Teacher

November Book Groups

Students, faculty, and staff have re-grouped following discussions concluding October's book groups, and have chosen the following works of fiction and non-fiction to read during the month of November:

Note: Books identified with an asterisk* were recommended by students.

Book groups will meet for discussion on Thursdays October 21st, November 4th and November 11th. Parents and other friends of The Bay School community are encouraged to join us in reading one or more books from this wonderful selection.

Student Laptop "Imaging" November 19th

Bay School IT staff will be collecting laptop computers from all students at the end of the school day on Friday, November 19th in order to upgrade the laptops during the week of Thanksgiving break. It is important that all students back-up their data onto the main school server before handing in their computers.

Families/Students - please bring in any software, printer drivers, or home network settings that you would like to have installed onto your laptops on November 19th. Computers will be returned to students on Monday, November 29th on the first day of the new trimester.

Please contact Bay School Tech staff at: tech@bayschoolsf.org with any questions.

Mark Your Calendars - Important November Dates

Thursday, November 11^th – Parent (no host) Dinner Meeting, 6-8 p.m. at school.
Monday, November 22^nd – Faculty Work Day, No School.
Tuesday, November 23 - Friday, November 26^th – No School, Thanksgiving Break.
Monday, November 29 - 2^nd Trimester Begins.