March 3, 2005

Dear Friends,

It has been a busy month of growing understanding as I work on the issues facing us in the years ahead. Here is a rather breathless summary:

The Gymnasium
We applied individually and as part of a consortium to the Presidio Trust to convert one of the old hangars along West Crissy Field for use as a permanent Bay School gymnasium. It is wonderful space needing a great deal of work. We should hear shortly whether we have been approved to begin exclusive negotiation with the Trust for a long-term lease. If we are so fortunate, we will begin architectural work and fund-raising immediately.

Our students and their coaches have taught us all about devotion and courage. They deserve practice and game space at reasonable hours.

The Sophomore Program
The sophomore academic program has been settled in general for some time. The students will continue with Chemistry and Biology, Humanities, Mathematics and Foreign Languages at their level, and electives in the arts. Again, the students have taught us that we have not been sufficiently pro-active in providing computer science instruction at an advanced level, and we will be adding such a teaching position next year.

Otherwise, the faculty recruiting process goes well, with an outstanding mathematics instructor hired and some wonderful young candidates for the other positions. (Moneeka sat next to a teacher candidate on the plane back from the annual NAIS conference this past weekend who told her that it is "impossible to get a job at the Bay School, everyone wants to work there.")

The Junior/Senior Program
In mid February I spent a week off campus and wrote the first draft of the Junior/Senior academic program. It is currently working its way through the academic committee and then the faculty. I hope to make a presentation at a parents meeting soon.

In essence, we will be trying to live up to our mission of depth over breadth - our hope is that students will develop an academic passion and have an opportunity to pursue it. We will be looking at the options from several directions, those of the students whom we have come to know, those of the faculty whose skills have not been completely tapped, and those of the college admissions officers on whom we depend for the next step.

To whet your appetite, the model allows for many of the crossover courses we have been dreaming about, like California Water, or Nigerian Oil, as well as giving qualified students their fill of super advanced courses.
More on this later.

NAIS
Last week, Ryn, Moneeka and I represented the school at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual conference in San Diego, whose theme this year was Sustainability-How far are you willing to go? While much of our time was spent in interviewing candidates, I did take the opportunity to attend inspiring sessions from Dr. Richard Leakey and Dr. Jared Diamond, whose new book Collapse I heartily recommend. I reported on some of this to the students at our Monday morning meeting.

From the beginning, The Bay School has had the future of the planet firmly on our radar screen as both an academic and an ethical issue. Our students and their children will bear the brunt of the climate change we are creating and experiencing. We will be focusing on these issues both in the Biology curriculum and in the sophomore community service and intersession programs next year.

The great task of our times is to move the rich nations from consuming to sustaining societies and to embrace the poor nations as our partners in serving the human race. The issues are monumentally complicated. They are not going to go away, however, and we will be doing our best to help Bay School graduates become leaders of wisdom and courage.

So, a busy time-but still very happily busy. I am so fortunate to work among such talented and wonderful people. Thank you.

With all best wishes,

Yours very sincerely,
Father Malcolm

Connecting to the World Through Language

Recognizing The Bay School's commitment to the global community, our foreign language program offers students the opportunity to learn a foreign language, or languages, serving not only as a means of communication, but also importantly, as a tool for achieving an in-depth understanding of another people - their history, civilization, and customs.

The decision to offer Spanish and Mandarin Chinese as our two core foreign languages is based upon very clear and compelling evidence. Currently, more than 1.3 billion people (one-fifth of the world's population) speak a form of Chinese dialect making it the language with by far the most native speakers. Mandarin is the official language in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and one of four official languages in Singapore. Many economists project that the 21st century belongs to China as it emerges to become one of the world's fastest growing economies and the world's largest market. Significant Chinese communities exist throughout the world, and close to home, here in San Francisco, Chinese is the second most widely spoken foreign language, after Spanish.

Spanish is not far behind in the numbers. It is currently spoken as a first language by approximately 360 million of the world's people and is the official language in twenty-five countries spread throughout South America, Latin America, and Mexico, as well as Spain. In the United States Spanish is the most widely spoken language after English and surrounds those of us living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given the current growth rate of immigration from Spanish speaking countries into the U.S., Spanish may well become a second official language in this country during the lifetimes of our students.

Mandarin Chinese and Spanish are taught from an introductory level through advanced placement courses. Bay School freshman also have the opportunity to continue with language study in French or Latin taken in middle school. On the beginning level, language study focuses on building vocabulary skills, simple communications strategies, and essential grammar, leading to an intermediate level emphasis on reading skills and the interpretation of simple literary and historical texts that address contemporary issues and global themes. Students engaged in advanced level study will enjoy using their language as a means to research, discuss, and debate authentic texts and periodicals from a variety of countries, viewing films and documentaries that bring valuable cultural and historical insight to the classroom. Students will also use their languages by participating in projects in the surrounding community.

Technology is used throughout all levels of foreign language study at The Bay School as a companion tool to textbooks - serving as an important means of bringing the world into our classrooms. Laptop computers are used to access internet based audio channels so that students are able listen to native speakers, and video files provide online exercises. Much of the language software used in our classes is produced in foreign countries, thus enabling students to learn about the history and culture of other countries without having to do hours of additional research in the library. Teachers and students routinely access television broadcasts, watching foreign language news programs, interviews, and films. This exposure offers our students perspectives on world events that are often very different from what they observe on U.S. national and local channels.

Mandarin Students Celebrate the Chinese New Year

Language study at The Bay School also involves project based, "real life" learning. For example, Mandarin II students recently completed an exercise using Web resources to figure out a cost and time efficient way to travel from Hong Kong international airport to the H.K. International School - learning to explain their directions to their classmates in Chinese. Students in Spanish II have been working on projects involving their adopted countries in Central America, exploring environmental issues in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Class roundtable discussions considered specific problems involving national parks, pollution, preservation, and recycling etc.

A wide variety of world cultures come alive and are shared by the entire school community on a daily basis. Through the celebration of festivals, rituals, and discussions of current events at all-school morning meetings, Bay School students are encouraged to develop a sense of themselves as true citizens of the world.

Bay School Students Shape Their New School

A typical high school student's freshman year is often characterized by a determined attempt to "keep the head down", while trying to figure out the subtle and complicated mores and culture that have been defined by older sophomores, juniors and seniors - hoping that those ever present upperclassmen don't single him out, or pick on her for having made a horrific social faux pas.

Student snapshot: Vicky Holt

"It's so exciting to be in high school. When I first came to BAY, just like everyone else, I was nervous and afraid that I wouldn't find my niche. As the weeks passed and everyone grew closer, the initial uneasiness wore off and everyone slipped comfortably into their own selves. I took a class in digital photography in the first trimester and it introduced me to a whole new interest. Everyone over time is finding their own ways to express themselves, and I found photography."

At The Bay School during the next three years all students will become an important part of one all-school "founding class"- each individual having a special opportunity to shape the environment and culture of our new school. This year, working closely with Bay School faculty and staff, the freshman class of 2008 has taken a great lead in beginning to establish school traditions, launching the athletic program and extracurricular clubs, and organizing social events and community service projects that build school spirit and create a close sense of community.

Student snapshot: Maylin Khuu

"Representing The Bay School on our first ever girls' basketball team has definitely been an exciting part of my high school experience so far. We're ten strong female athletes who have come together in hopes of setting a high reputation for our school that others will admire and envy. After many early morning hours and late night practices, we have come to realize that it is only when we work together as a team we will succeed. One team and an unforgettable experience!"

This year's founding freshman class entered with a great sense of excitement, determination, and a deep commitment to being pioneers. They have taken full advantage of this freedom and responsibility. I was so impressed (and proud), recently when I had the opportunity to witness our twelve student council representatives engaged in interviewing a prospective faculty member who has applied for a teaching position next year. Suddenly it occurred to me that the room was full of thirteen and fourteen year old ninth graders. They were all animated, eagerly chiming-in, and asking very insightful, mature questions. So insightful in fact, that the teaching candidate commented later about how impressed she was by the quality of the students' questions. It is rare indeed to find a group of ninth graders who feel empowered enough to confidently ask a teacher about her teaching style, what her current school is like, and what she appreciates about The Bay School.

I have also been continually impressed this year by the many different community service/fundraising events that have been spontaneously suggested and then organized by our ninth grade students. In early January, in response to the tsunami disaster in Asia, students held a bake sale that raised money for children's relief efforts. More recently, a group of students organized a "Lovely Pops" Valentine's Sale and then made a donation to the American Heart Association. Each of these fundraising projects took place because a group of students had the idea and took the initiative - not because it was an established school expectation or because an adult requested that they undertake it.

Our students have clearly voiced their determination to establish a Bay School culture that is based upon kindness, respect, and acceptance. When I asked the student council recently about how they perceive their role as members of the inaugural student body they stated that they "love that our voices are heard when we share our ideas about our school", and they recognized that they have a unique opportunity to contribute to the school's future. What a wonderful standard for a group of ninth graders to be setting! I am in awe of these students and am grateful for the opportunity to work and grow with them. They have embraced the challenge of founding a new school and are benefiting in ways that they may not even realize until in the future they find themselves in a position to wonder why someone older is telling them to wait and fall in-step. I hope they will answer - "wait for what? I am ready to shape my world now."

Moneeka Settles
Dean of Students

Positive Coaching Alliance Visits The Bay School

The month of February marked the opening of the spring sports season at The Bay School - bringing with it the exciting start of boys' baseball and girls' soccer, as well as the launch of the school's sailing program in conjunction with the St.Francis Yacht Club. In addition to action on the field and bay, Athletic Director Steve Glass organized a series of all-school presentations and workshops given by Positive Coaching Alliance trainers to support the growth of a positive athletic culture at The Bay School.

Positive Coaching Alliance is a non-profit athletic organization that was founded in 1998 at Stanford University, whose partnership network includes more than 300 youth sports organizations in cities and schools across the country. PCA believes that "winning is a goal in youth sports but that there is a second, more important goal of using sports to teach life lessons through positive coaching." In its first 6 years, PCA has conducted more than 1,700 workshops for coaches, parents, and athletes, having helped to create a positive sports environment for more than 680,000 student athletes.

PCA Trainer Steve Henderson, (himself a college athlete, coach and teacher), met with Bay School coaches for a two hour training session on February 2^nd at which he discussed the importance of not only teaching players the skills and strategy behind a sport, but also emphasizing a respect for the tradition of the game and for all who are involved (teammates, opponents, officials, and fans). PCA philosophy underscores that "learning to honor the game contributes to a growing sense of responsibility and maturing moral reasoning that helps athletes prepare to become contribution citizens of the larger community." Coaches are asked to encourage their players/team to focus on effort and personal improvement rather than to define success or failure solely in terms of the numbers on a scoreboard.

Bay School students, faculty, and parents then had their introductions to the Positive Coaching Alliance program at community Gathering time on Thursday, February 10^th and at an evening parent workshop held on February 24^th. PCA President Jim Thompson and PCA trainer/coach Jim Broshar asked students and parents to consider their important roles in the creation of an athletic culture that purposefully celebrates and encourages healthy physical development, fair play, and mutual respect and support. Members of The Bay School community felt that the sessions were very positive and worthwhile - many thanks to Coach Glass!

For information about Positive Coaching Alliance visit their Web site at:
www.positivecoach.org

To request copies of the PCA Parent Workbook, Transforming Youth Sports please contact Bay School Athletic Director, Steve Glass at:
sglass@bayschoolsf.org

Faculty Fog vs. Blooming Bay Bombers

February 4^th, 2005
Letterman YMCA, the Presidio of San Francisco

After a spirited week of crazy hats, yuppie hippies and gender bending, The Bay School of San Francisco was ready to play basketball. Friday afternoon was the time; Letterman YMCA was the place for the faculty vs. boys/girls basketball team showdown. School spirit filled the gym as everyone from students to the chair of the board of trustees was in attendance. The play was tenacious and the applause was relentless, the students cheered as if their grades in Physics and Humanities depended on it.

Although the faculty led during most of the game, the students came back at the end of the 4^th quarter to take the lead at 34-31. With a minute left in the final quarter, the faculty rallied back to tie the game. While both sides had ample opportunities to win the game in the final minute, the contest ended with a tie leaving the crowd wanting more of the 1^st Annual Bay School faculty vs. students basketball game. At the end of the day, leaving them wanting to come back for more was a perfect end to Spirit Week at The Bay School.

Final Score: Bay School Students 34, Bay School Faculty 34

Game coverage contributed by lead sports reporter (and Physics Wiz), Miles Chen

The Dining Room Premiers to a Standing Room Crowd!

It may not have been Broadway, but the stars could not have been shining brighter on Thursday and Friday evenings, February 10^th and 11^th, as Bay School drama students performed A.R. Gurney's The Dining Room on campus in the Great Room. The play was directed and produced by talented, and inspirational, drama teacher Katherine Riley.

Student cast members Annie Obermeyer, Emma Maas, Xander Agosta, and Pearl Morgan each portrayed an array of powerful characters in scenes that all took place on one set, staged as a typical upper middle class dining room. The scenes dovetailed, creating a seamless portrayal of a "vanishing species" - the upper middle class "WASP". From a senile elderly woman who struggled to make sense of a family thanksgiving dinner, to a six year-old's birthday party, from a child's pleadings with his favorite maid not to leave him for another job, to a daughter returning home from boarding school to discover her mother's infidelity - each scene slipped quietly and often hilariously into being.

Faculty and staff members Nancy Wheeler, Matt Hannibal, Ryn Blecke, Robin Workman, and Dave Wang rounded out the ensemble cast that brought this subtle masterpiece to The Bay School stage. Remarkable lighting and technical effects were provided by student David Arslanian in the control booth, with assistance from instructor Gregory Fleischer. Physics teacher, Tom Henning contributed his vast construction and engineering expertise to the building of the set. Bravo to all!

From The Stacks
March Community Book Group

From March 15^th through April 7^th, Bay School students, faculty, and staff will be reading the novel, This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff, and meeting in small groups at Thursday Gathering times for discussion.

Born in 1945, Wolff grew up in Georgia, New York, Florida, Utah, and the Pacific Northwest. He spent four years in the Army (1964-68), including a tour of Vietnam. After graduating from Oxford in 1972, Wolff was awarded a writing fellowship at Stanford University in 1975. His first collections of short stories, In the Garden of North American Martyrs (1981) and Back in the World (1985), were both well received, but it was This Boy's Life, his memoir published in 1989 that made Wolff famous. He currently serves as a Literature Fellow at Stanford University. He is a three-time winner of the O. Henry Award for short stories; winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for The Barracks Thief and the 2001 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature.

Review of This Boy's Life From Reading Group Guides:

"Short-story writer Tobias Wolff amazed readers with his 1989 memoir, as notable for its finely wrought prose as for the events depicted. The story introduces us to the young Toby (aka Jack) Wolff, who in the 1950s moves with his divorced mother from Florida to Utah to Washington to escape her violent boyfriend. Separated from his father and brother, Toby struggles for identity and self-respect.

Though this tale of family trouble is grim, it is also humorous. Wolff's masterful job of reexamining the frustrations and cruelties of adolescence evokes all-embracing emotions. His various schemes-running away to Alaska, forging checks, and stealing cars-lead to an act of self-invention that releases him into a new world of possibility."

Rachel Shaw
Librarian

March Events Calendar