August 22, 2005

Dear Friends,

Welcome to all, new and returning, to Bay School year two. I begin to write this on our first day in our new home at 35 Keyes, surrounded by unpacked boxes and bare walls indeed, but very happy and comforted to be settled at last.

Not that I have any excuse to complain. Our offices at Embarcadero Four, Esprit, California Street, the old Customs Building on the Embarcadero, 8 Funston, and the old Cavalry Building on Schofield Road all had charm, and all have shaped us in their way. We are so grateful to our many hosts along the way. But to be settled for the next sixty years allows us a sense of permanence and gives us permission to focus on the growth of our school as a community of learners.

On that topic: the faculty continued to work diligently over the summer to enhance that community. They fine-tuned the freshman program, addressing all the pesky issues which arose last year. They completed the details of the sophomore year. They integrated the new faculty who themselves brought the returnees into their skills and passions. The highlight of the institute, for me, was hearing each department present their philosophy and program, link it to the school's mission, and give us a taste of its delivery. Peter Olrich, our new college counselor, said at the end, "If we had only gotten a hundred college admissions people in here, all of our issues would be over.."

Dessert was a five day retreat at Sugar Bowl attended by nearly every faculty member, for an intensive session of instruction and discussion of the neurobiology of the teen-age brain and its implications for teaching and learning. We were affirmed by the fact that much of what we do is completely congruent with best practices and that our emphasis on the whole person, physical and spiritual as well as intellectual actually promotes optimal learning.

I hope that you have all enjoyed a well deserved respite this summer and have been renewed by opportunities and experiences shared with family and friends. We look forward to coming together on August 29th to begin our second year's journey.

Yours very sincerely,
Father Malcolm

Summer Faculty Institutes: A Newcomer's Perspective
Peter Olrich, College Counselor

Asked to provide a newcomer's perspective on this year's two-week faculty institute and 4 day professional workshop, Teaching to the Teen-Age Brain, I'm reminded of my first phone conversation with Father Manson in January. When Malcolm asked why I'd want to leave an established school (Brooks Academy in North Andover, MA) where I was obviously comfortable, I found words that I hadn't consciously considered before my interview come tumbling out of my mouth: " I want to be inspired."

From the first moments of our two week on-campus faculty institute in mid-July, it became clear that I had come to the right place. I found myself surrounded by a truly talented group of highly experienced educators. The dynamic was instantly one of great mutual respect for each other and for the collaborative decisions that we made. Topics ranged from relatively mundane questions of dress code, to more lofty thoughts on the place of spirituality and quiet in a bustling college-preparatory school. We met from 9am till 4pm each day for two weeks, and the discussions were spirited and purposeful. We had a seventy hour faculty meeting, and I never once lost sight of the fact that each decision was making history and establishing tradition. I have never been so impressed by a group of peers, and was particularly grateful for how welcome the seven of us new arrivals were made to feel in joining the faculty.

New Bay School Faculty & Staff Members 2005-2006 Back Row (L-R): Spencer Stevens-Science, Peter Olrich-College Counselor, Andy Shaw-Mathematics Front Row (L-R): Patricia Holden-Learning Services, Lori Cohen-Humanities, Julie Tausaafau-Spanish Missing: Matt Eddy-Science

We then headed up to Sugar Bowl Ski Area in the Sierras for a four day workshop sponsored by the University of California, The Bay Area Teacher Development Collaborative, and The Bay School, among others. We attended a series of workshops that explored recent medical/scientific findings about the development of the adolescent brain, focusing on the implications and significance to educators. The workshop was a great bonding experience in addition to a huge learning experience. We spent five hours a day in lecture or group discussion settings, learning about how neuroscience and cognitive psychology can inform educational pedagogy. Outside those five hours, we got to know each other and our colleagues from other Bay Area high schools - and we hiked, ate, biked, ate, swam, ate, and generally hung out.

One of the core ideas that I brought back with me is this: in order for students to perform at their best and to be their most engaged, they need to be challenged; they need to know these challenges will take their best effort, and they need to believe that with that best effort they are up to the task. Is there any better way to describe what's ahead for all of us at The Bay School? The challenges are documented and clear - the talent and energy committed to meeting the task are awesome. In case you can't tell, we are indeed inspired.

The Bay School Has Arrived at 35 Keyes Avenue

After fifteen months of planning, designing, applying for approvals, jack hammering, scraping, sanding, painting and more, Building 35, the beautiful, landmark army barracks has emerged transformed and ready to begin a new chapter as home to San Francisco's newest independent high school.

Moving day was August 3rd, in fact a few weeks ahead of schedule, and it was a joyous occasion. With the exception of a bit of trim needing paint here, and floors in the basement requiring finishing there, the building stood ready to welcome its new occupants. As furniture, books, bulletin boards, and administrative staff have all be begun to take their places, Building 35 cries out for the students and faculty that give true life to The Bay School community. That's soon to be remedied as freshmen and returning Bay School students arrive for orientation beginning the 2005-2006 school year on Thursday and Friday August 25th and 26th. Monday, August 29th will see things in full swing as classes begin following convocation ceremonies at the start of the day.

Closing Ceremonies Celebrate The Bay School's Inaugural Year - June 10, 2005

Bay School students, faculty, staff, along with families and trustees, gathered outside the 682 Schofield Road campus to celebrate the end of the school's historic first year on June 10th. Following an invocation given by Head of School, Malcolm Manson and meditation led by Chaplain Teah Strozer, students Kelsey Ross and Fred Concklin shared their thoughts and feelings about the experience of being part of the pioneering first class of Bay School students. Their own words speak volumes:

“We have come a long way together, but I feel that we still have a long way to go. We, as a community, as a school, have a distinct opportunity to be something that no other school can be. Being considered a great school should not only be determined by how great the academics are and how many trophies we take home, but by how accepting to difference and diversity we are. How much we do to help others, not because we want recognition, or to outdo some other school, but because we truly care and want other people to have what we have, support, opportunity, and privilege.”

Kelsey Ross, Class of 2008

“The Bay School has always encouraged students to embrace what they love. For me, this would have to be technology.Along with academic focus there has also been a personal focus on the student. I see my teachers more as friends than teachers, and this is how they treat me. At most schools, if a teacher offered some extracurricular activity for the students, it would have sent most of them running in the opposite direction. In fact, when I told my non-BAY friends that I was going to Berkeley over the weekend with my physics teacher, or running Bay to Breakers with the dean of students and athletic director, they looked at me as if I was crazy. But I don't see The Bay School as crazy; in fact, I see it as the first institution I have been at that makes any sense at all.”

Fred Concklin, Class of 2008

A Perfect Night for "A Perfect Wedding"
By Bay School Drama Critic (a.k.a. science & art teacher), Miles Chen
June 3, 2005

The Bay School of San Francisco's production of "A Perfect Wedding" by British playwright Robin Hawdon was the perfect choice for the opening night packed house in the Great Hall Theater at 682 Schofield Road. Parents, teachers, and friends were treated to a night full of hilarity and high jinks expertly performed by the talented Bay School drama troupe. The play was so funny there was not a dry eye in the house, mostly because eyes never dry out.

The story takes place at a country inn on the day Bill and Rachel (Andrew Haag and Emma Maas) are to be joined in wedded bliss. The fun begins in the opening scene when Bill wakes up in bed next to Judy (Annie Obermeyer). The innuendo-laden, slapstick-prone misadventures of Bill begin when Tom (Kris Doodha), Bill's best man, enters the scene to save the day. Tom must of course elicit the help of the chamber maid (Pearl Morgan) to rescue the situation. If you think you know what's going on, just wait until Daphne (Laura Coughlin), Rachel's mother then arrives on scene with her "groovin" rendition of Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together". Hilarious is the only word for it.

“A Perfect Wedding” was expertly performed by the cast and crew. When things continually seemed to go wrong as both Judy and Rachel could not fit into the wedding dress, things actually went right because they just fit more into uproarious character. David Arslanian created the perfect mood and drama with his superb lighting effects throughout the performance. Director, and Bay School drama teacher, Katherine Riley, brought out best and more in her students again with “A Perfect Wedding”, her second successful play at the Bay School. Stay tuned for more on-stage during '05-'06.

“The View from a Start-Up High School”
Article featured in Independent School Magazine, Summer Issue 2005
By Malcolm Manson, Head of School

Early in the spring, Head of School Malcolm Manson was asked by the editors of Independent School Magazine, the quarterly publication of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), to write an article for inclusion in the summer 2005 issue which has the theme of "Utopian Visions in Education." Malcolm's article discusses the multifaceted vision that led to the founding of The Bay School in 2004 - a new school for a new century - and provides a glimpse of the road ahead.

"The View from a Startup High School" (812k PDF)

Considering Ethics in Education — International Group Visits The Bay School

On Tuesday, August 16th The Bay School served as host to a group of 18 foreign leaders, specialists, and international scholars, who were visiting the U.S. as part of a program organized by The International Diplomacy Council, an agency of the U.S. Department of State. The purpose of their nationwide visit was to explore the principles supporting transparency and accountability in U.S government and throughout American society. During their visit to The Bay School they were eager to discover how a culture of ethics is being defined, established, and incorporated into a high school community engaged in educating and shaping adolescents.

Head of School Malcolm Manson first presented an overview of The Bay School — describing the many ways in which ethics, respect for each individual and differing points of view, formed a central pillar of the school's values. He reviewed the typical stages of ethical development — giving specific examples of many different approaches that can be effective in exposing and encouraging ethical consideration by teenagers. The visitors were particularly interested in The Bay School's guiding precepts; eager to understand how the values contained therein were "lived" in our community on a daily basis. We look forward to participating in future programs in conjunction with The Diplomacy Council in the important area of international cultural exchange.

Calendar of Upcoming Events