June 1, 2005

Dear Friends,

How to write a closing letter after a founding year?

Clearly, thanks are the first order of business. Whatever role you played in this magnificent theater, and some played more than one, thanks for all you have done. Students and parents, teachers and staff, trustees and donors, you have done a great thing. You have created something from nothing; it is alive and blooming.

Second, we remained faithful. We really have done what we said we were going to do. We emphasized science and technology, ethics and spirituality. We created a diverse community, and took understanding diversity to new levels. We were careful stewards of student time. We built a kind, affectionate, funny and trusting community. We dealt with difficult issues transparently. We danced. We tried to sing.

On the material side, we adapted our program to a charming old building, and with more difficulty adapted our sports and athletic programs to borrowed facilities at weird times of day. We will have completed our academic building in plenty of time for next year. We began negotiations with the Trust for a permanent gymnasium. We received new donations in cash and pledges of $2,139,346 to date.

Some surprises:

• Who would have guessed that the chef, whom we did not even hire, would exemplify all that we hope in our precepts and philosophy, as well as feeding us healthfully and deliciously? Thank you, Chello!
• Who would have guessed that the school would field seven competitive teams, holding their own against older students in more established programs, and have fun doing it?
• Who would have guessed that the overgrown puppies who arrived in September, screeching if they were girls, grunting if they were boys, crawling all over one another in the Great Room, would grow so much in stature and maturity in so short a time?
• Who would have guessed that these same mechanical tyros would be building and navigating a remotely operated submarine?
• Who could even have hoped that faculty, staff, students, and parents would have clicked as a community almost immediately, and maintained their affection through thick and thin?

Next year will present new challenges, human and material, no doubt. For now, I am so grateful for how far we have come.

Have a wonderful summer! We will see you in late August.
Father Malcolm

Commitment to The Community Through Research, Action, And Reflection

For many years high schools have had community service programs that ensured student exposure to the broader community by requiring their participation in a myriad of volunteer programs. Such programs are typically structured by setting hourly requirements that students must complete in order to graduate. This approach is certainly an efficient and convenient model because, in most cases, students are held responsible for completing the work on their own time outside of the classroom and academic day. Unfortunately, the typical outcome of these programs is a conversation frequently overheard during the last two months of a student's senior year: "How many more hours do you need to graduate? I only need 4 more - I wonder who I can find to give me credit for selling candy bars at the student store." These types of interactions clearly illustrate a lack of engagement, reflection, and personal growth - outcomes that we hope our students will achieve through experiencing genuine involvement in community issues, and by giving of their personal time and energy in meaningful ways.

At The Bay School, we are in the midst of designing a service learning program that offers students significant opportunities to learn through research, action, and reflection - enabling students to concretely experience and understand the broader community of which they are a part, while learning important lifelong skills to affect positive change.

Our goals focus on:

• Integrating service learning topics and issues into our daily curriculum as much as possible - thus avoiding the add-on, extraneous nature of a separate program.
• Developing a program that builds on itself in a sequential, developmentally appropriate manner.
• Designing a program that directly expresses the values of The Bay School mission and philosophy: interdisciplinary study, a curriculum emphasizing depth over breadth and the application of the scientific method, student centered inquiry, a fearless and thoughtful approach to contemporary and future world problems, and building confidence while addressing complex and multifaceted issues.

During their freshman year, Bay School students begin to examine the broader community surrounding them. Their study starts by considering immigration issues in Humanities courses through reading and researching African and Central American cultures and political histories. Students explore the theme of "Creeds, Conflict and Creation" in several world cultures, and then volunteer working with local organizations focused on refugee and immigrant communities; posing the question: what happens when an individual's creed comes into conflict with a new culture? Students have opportunities to integrate their own research into historical and political situations gaining real experience through working with refugees and conducting personal interviews, all of which is then combined into a paper or media presentation.

During the sophomore year, Bay School students will take a one trimester course designed specifically to build research skills through the study of a variety of community issues such as housing, hunger, and public health topics. Additionally, students will focus on environmental issues through service projects in their Biology courses. We will take advantage of our location at the center of this magnificent national park through the study of wetlands, native plant rehabilitation projects, trail maintenance, and water quality projects -all nearby us in the Presidio. Week- long intersession programs in the sophomore year will have an environmental theme, encouraging students to pursue their interests in even greater depth.

In their junior year, students will continue to build their research skills and broaden their areas of interest by investigating topics involving political action in their history courses. They may decide to create a letter writing campaign, to join a political campaign supporting the election of a local or national candidate, or to research possible topics involving political advocacy relating to a topic of their choice. Intersession courses for juniors will also be structured to focus on areas of political involvement and action. Additional elective courses outside of the history department will be offered that incorporate experiential work and service opportunities into the curriculum.

By the time our students begin their senior year they will have learned and practiced skills in examining, understanding, and formulating action plans to address political, social, and scientific issues in their communities. As seniors, counseled by faculty advisors, they will be asked to design and implement a service learning project of their own choice; perhaps continuing on as an intern at an organization where they have previously been involved, or by completing a research project on a subject in which they have built interest and expertise. Our goal and hope is that all Bay School students will graduate with a true commitment to being well informed and involved citizens who know how to grapple with tough issues, formulate possible solutions, and provide their own models for positive change in their society.

Building the Curriculum - Arts Electives in 2005-2006

Courses in the arts are an integral part of the core college preparatory curriculum offered at The Bay School. Students in ninth and tenth grades are required to take one arts elective during each trimester of their first two years. Arts electives meet for an equal amount of class time and earn the same number of credits towards graduation requirements as do academic courses. We believe that critical creative thinking and expression in all mediums is as essential as mastery of academic disciplines to the development of the well educated individual.

The process of planning arts class offerings for the 2005-2006 school year, began by drafting a preliminary list including fifteen different electives. Students were then asked to indicate their first and second preferences. Based upon the interests indicated by this year's freshmen, the selection was narrowed to the eleven courses that will be offered during academic year '05-'06 - representing more than twice the number of arts electives that were offered during the current year. '05-'06 arts courses and their descriptions are outlined below.

Studio Art Electives

Studio Art I
Students will begin to build fundamental skills by learning to draw basic shapes and working with still life compositions. From still life, students move into nature to compose life studies drawn from the diverse landscapes of the Presidio. Studio Art I culminates with student mastery of the art of classical renaissance perspective drawing. This introductory course is open to all students and is a prerequisite for all advanced studio art courses.

Studio Art II
This course is a continuation of Studio Art I, introducing painting in different mediums. This is an advanced course, open to students who have completed Studio Art I and have the instructor's permission.

Drawing and Design

Drawing and Design I
Students will learn how to express themselves in visual form, using everything from pen and paper to the camera and the computer. No drawing skills are required. Topics to be covered include perspective, shading, drawing people, and 2-D design. The class will introduce valuable skills for use in science and math classes, and will also prepare students for future engineering, architecture, photography, and art courses. This course is a prerequisite for Design and Drawing II.

Digital Imaging (Photography) and Video Electives

Digital Imaging I

Through a series of demonstrations and projects, students will learn how to operate a 6 mega pixel digital camera, post-process images in Photoshop CS, print, and mount their prints for presentation. Projects will incorporate a series of approaches and themes. Projects will be introduced by presentations covering a variety of photographic genres, such as documentary, portraiture, landscape, still-life, studio and tableaux. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience, and is a prerequisite for Digital Imaging II.

Digital Imaging II
Students in Intermediate Digital Imaging (II) continue to build their creative/aesthetic understanding and technical skills in digital media. A more critical examination of the implications and challenges of artistic self-expression will be addressed through focused critiques that facilitate group interaction. Prerequisites for this course include Digital Imaging I, Digital Media, and instructor permission.

Video Production I
This course introduces students to digital video production, the most dynamic medium of visual expression existing today. Students will learn how video is recorded, encoded and manipulated for viewing through a variety of outlets using hardware and software interfaces common to the Mac G5 production environment. Possible projects include a streaming TV station and a final portfolio DVD. Instructor's permission is required.

Drama Electives

Drama I
This introductory dramatic arts course includes units studying the history of the theater, scene writing and character study. Dramatic performance skills including improvisation, monologue, Spolin techniques, developing character and dramatic tension as well as movement and voice techniques are taught and practiced. The course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience, and is a prerequisite for Drama II.

Drama II
Students will study and perform scenes in Shakespearean and modern dramatic forms. Scene work will be in-depth and on-going throughout the course. The focus will be on developing and deepening character work. Coursework will also include vocal work and movement forms (Grotowski, etc.) from modern theorists. This is an advanced drama course, open to students who have completed the Drama I course and have the instructor's permission.

Music Elective

Jazz Ensemble
This course will instruct students in playing instruments and executing jazz compositions. There will be both instrumental and vocal parts in most arrangements. This course is open to students of all levels.

Dance Electives

Social Dances of North and South America
This course will explore the history and practice of social and ballroom dances from the United States and Latin America, and the relationship of their origins to music and culture. Dances to be studied include Salsa, Cha-Cha, Meringue, Swing, Jitterbug, Waltz, and Country Line Dancing. This course is open to all students.

Hip Hop History, Production, and Performance
This course studies the contemporary style of Hip Hop dance examining its evolution, style of movement, and verbal expression, considering its impact in today's society, political and cultural climate. Dance movement and music will be studied as well as a hands-on experience of creating, producing, directing, and performing a Hip Hop video. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous dance experience.

The Bay School Physical Activities Program - Valuing Clear Minds and Healthy Bodies

At the beginning of each academic day during our all-school morning meeting time, Chaplain Teah Strozer, Father Malcolm, faculty members, and even some brave students, share their thoughts and life experiences while considering The Bay School's guiding precepts, our community guidelines. These meetings are instrumental in building and fostering a school culture that we are all inspired by and proud to be a part of. One of our precepts states "we value a clear mind and healthy, strong body."

It is evident that The Bay School has taken this precept to heart when we take a look back at the broad range of physical activities in which our students have participated during this historic inaugural year - programs that were offered in addition to the traditional schedule of competitive team sports. What could be better to build clarity of mind and physical wholeness than the year-long series of yoga classes led by master yoga instructor Tony Sanchez - whose talent has been acclaimed in several national publications? The mind and body were also totally engaged during martial arts classes taught by our own black belt instructor, basketball coach, and writing workshop teacher Dennis Hartzell offered during the fall trimester.

After school vibrations have been felt throughout our 682 Schofield Road campus as groups of energetic dancers perfected their steps, rhythm, and strong sense of self expression in Paula Plessas' hip hop dance class. Paula had taught hip hop dance in the South Bronx for many years, and has shared her great expertise and energy with our fortunate Bay School students throughout the winter and spring activity periods.

Out on the Presidio golf course and tennis courts this spring, Bay School students have been determinedly working to improve their drives and strokes. Up at Fort Scott Field Erin Lapping, Nancy Wheeler, and Matt Hannibal and their group of students have been playing a variety of Bay School "Xtreme Sports" - a selection of different games ranging from soccer and kickball to ultimate Frisbee. Right around the corner, several students have been spotted playing a friendly game of coed softball with physics teacher and coach Miles Chen.

At the Main Post YMCA since the opening of school in fall 20004, Joseph Sullivan has offered a strength, agility, and fitness work-out program that he designed especially for our Bay School athletes. Early weekday mornings before school at the Letterman pool in the Presidio, Bay School students were found swimming laps during the late fall and winter months in conjunction with the YMCA masters program. And finally, out there on San Francisco Bay, somewhere between the St. Francis Yacht Club and Alcatraz Island, Tom Henning and the hearty members of The Bay School sailing team were tacking, ducking booms, and surviving the elements during the afternoon sailing program. This spring, for students who prefer a more relaxed athletic experience, we offered a hiking and walking program exploring our own back yard, the Presidio.

During this founding year The Bay School has launched eleven different physical activity programs that included cardiovascular training, muscular and mental/spiritual strengthening as well as a selection of competitive team sports for both boys and girls. Thanks to our new facilities and our gorgeous surroundings here in the Presidio, next year's athletic program promises to offer even more - including activities such as roller blading, cycling, and marathon/mini triathlon training. Have an active and safe summer. We look forward to seeing everyone back in late August to begin the new '05-'06 academic year.

A Bay School "3 Cheers" award goes to freshman Liza Boles who recently ended the U.S. Junior 3's competitive skiing season having earned a ranking of 15th in the country in downhill and 35th place in super giant slalom. What an incredible achievement.

May 12th - Bay School Service Day

On May 12th all Bay School students, teachers, and many members of the administrative staff spent their time, resources, and energy working to support four different San Francisco non-profit organizations which all aid in alleviating hunger for the needy. One group volunteered at the San Francisco Food Bank where they packaged approximately 800 palettes of food to be sent out to other charitable food distribution organizations throughout the city. Two Bay School groups supported food distribution operations at the Bay View Mission serving the needy in the Bay View and Hunter's Point neighborhoods, and at Project Open Hand. The fourth group served free lunches to members of the public at Glide Memorial Church dining room in the Tenderloin.

Bay School students were able to experience first hand the importance and meaning of being involved in helping to feed the needy. They gained a greater understanding of both the scale of need that exists in San Francisco and an appreciation of the human face of a significant social issue. They returned feeling good about the contributions they had made and about the time spent together.

The Bay School Production of "Perfect Wedding" Premiering June 2nd and 3rd

Tickets are available at no charge by emailing: tickets@bayschoolsf.org

The action of the play takes place on the morning of a wedding in an English country hotel. The groom and best man join forces to cover up the misdeeds of the prior evening from the others. with hilarious results. Mistaken identities, physical comedy, and verbal sparring combine to create a classic romp through the trials and tribulations of a "perfect" wedding.

Founders Day Celebration 2005

A large group of Bay School friends and community members filled the Palm Room at the San Francisco Film Centre on Thursday evening, May 26th , joining head of school Malcolm Manson, The Bay School Board of Trustees, students, faculty and staff for the 2005 Founders Day celebration honoring the school's inaugural year in 2004-2005.

Fr. Manson spoke gratefully of the warm, close, school community that had formed so rapidly and so well during The Bay School's first exciting year. Malcolm expressed his deep appreciation on behalf of the board to the many donors and supporters who have enabled the founding vision of The Bay School to become a reality. He heralded the significant progress made during the school's first year and expressed great excitement in outlining upcoming milestones including the opening of school's permanent campus at 35 Keyes Avenue in late August at the start of the 2005-2006 academic year. He also announced the beginning of development planning and fundraising for The Bay School gymnasium to be located in Building 926 along Crissy Field at the Presidio.

Bay School Donors 2004-2005

The Bay School of San Francisco has had a terrific inaugural year, and it has been made possible by the generosity of so many wonderful people and organizations. Our parents and trustees, as well as so many friends and business partners and foundations stepped up to the challenge of creating a tradition of giving at The Bay School. The entire school community gratefully acknowledges the following donors during the fiscal year July 2004 - June 2005.

June 2005

Save These Dates - 2005-2006 School Year