On Thursday, May 25th The Bay School of San Francisco observed it’s 3rd Founders Day Celebration. Nearly 200 students and their families, faculty, staff, and board members, along with supporters and friends of the school, gathered in the student center for an official dedication the 35 Keyes Avenue campus.

To commemorate the joyous milestone, a Bay School time capsule containing records, photographs, and mementos of the school’s founding has been sealed – scheduled to be opened on Founders Day 2040 by members of our founding class of 2008.

Following is a copy of the letter written by Malcolm H. Manson, Founding Head of School that was sealed in the capsule to be opened in May 2040.

May 25, 2006

Dear Head of School,

I am writing to you thirty-four years ago, to send the greetings of the founders of The Bay School and our very best wishes for its present and future. The school was founded with much love and hope. I am sure that love and hope are part of its present and future now.

As you look back on 2006 from the history books, I fear it may seem to you a somewhat unhappy time. We are engaged in a questionably justifiable war in Iraq. Our national finances are outwardly strong but have weak underpinnings. We have allowed our population to include eleven million illegal immigrants, without whom we cannot operate and about whom we do not really know what to do. We are slowly and belatedly beginning to address environmental issues. World poverty and the world-wide AIDS epidemic are a running sore. Religion is often a source of conflict rather than solace.

I want you to know that there is another completely different side to 2006. Young people are still falling in love, getting married and raising families. (We have three faculty babies already and are expecting a fourth. We will celebrate three faculty weddings this summer.) Students come to school fresh-faced and happy to see each other. They stretch their brains around difficult concepts of physics and biology; they tackle Shakespeare and Camus with élan. They crowd around whiteboards puzzling out problems in mathematics. Their athletic enthusiasm—for team sports or for a disorganized game of ultimate Frisbee—is palpable.

Further, the Bay Area community is increasingly characterized by adventure, innovation, and generosity. The Bay School Board, and its wider acquaintanceship, not only arranged the financing of the school’s founding and the remodeling of the barracks which are now the school building, but also committed to a large proportion of the student body who cannot afford the fees. I hope that the school’s finances in 2040 are secure, and that there is a substantial endowment. But I cannot tell you the gratification the current Head feels every day that with limited resources the school is flourishing and that the board is completely committed to its success.

It would be disingenuous to suggest that all is well in a rosy world. What I can say with confidence is that at this school and within its families we are lighting candles for a brighter world; and that our confidence in the alumni who will turn fifty this year is unbounded.

With all good wishes from wherever school heads go when they die,

Yours very sincerely,

The Ven. Malcolm H. Manson
Head of School

Slideshow of Founders Day Photos

Freshman Humanities - Africa Project

The freshman Humanities I course recently culminated with a final unit focused on the history, culture, and economies of the African continent. The interdisciplinary Humanities curriculum studied by both freshmen and sophomores integrates the study of literature, history, belief systems, and the arts. In examining the vast African continent students worked in groups assigned to research 36 countries comprising the geographic areas of north, south, east, and west Africa.

As preparation for writing extensive research papers, students began by investigating their country’s pre-colonial history and traditions - considering the nature of tribal societies, cultural institutions, economic structures, and areas of conflict. Next, the colonial era was studied with the goal of understanding the circumstances and impact of the European colonial experience on traditional African institutions. Students then examined the struggles for freedom that lead Africans toward achieving independence and self governance. The final area of study covered the post-colonial era investigating the political, economic, and social challenges that African countries have faced following independence and extending to the current challenges that they face in today’s world.

“The world’s biggest drama is not found in Europe or the Middle East or North America – the world’s biggest challenges and dramas are found in Africa…. The way it is now in Africa cannot continue because at the moment we are getting more new crises faster than we are solving old ones.”

— Jan England, United Nations emergency relief coordinator, New York Times

The Africa Project concluded last week with a mock African Union conference in which all freshmen participated that convened during Thursday afternoon gathering time. In preparation for the conference students first presented their research papers to their teachers and peers at “regional conferences”, the end product being synthesized reports that described the overlapping challenges from each region. At the final general congress session each region made a brief presentation to the entire body that included an overview of regional problems, roots of the problems, and concluded with proposed solutions. Students and faculty members alike felt deep engagement in the Africa project and emerged with a much greater awareness of the great challenges, enormous suffering, and pivotal role of the African continent in the 21st century world.

The Bases Were Loaded!

This year’s BAY baseball team wrapped up the season back on May 3rd -- determinedly finishing what began as a rain-soaked season with five wins and two losses. The Breakers’ baseball team boasted a team batting average of .307 and a team ERA of 4.08. Girl’s soccer had a successful season too. They improved immensely, had lots of fun, and proudly finished their season with a 3-3 record. However, numbers only tell a small part of the story!

We are proud of the baseball program as well as the incredible progress made by all of our athletic teams during the past two inaugural seasons. All of the student athletes, coaches, and our entire community here at The Bay School look forward to the ’06-’07 academic year when we will launch our first official varsity and junior varsity teams and will become a member of The Bay Counties League, Central Division. It will be our school’s first opportunity to compete for interscholastic league championships in soccer, basketball, volleyball, cross-country, baseball, track & field and golf, and we aspire to earning a berth in the North Coast Section championships. We’re eagerly looking forward to the day when we hang not only team photos on our walls here at BAY, but also championship banners!

Roll BREAKERS Roll! Have a great summer – and stay in shape!

Steve Glass, Athletic Director

Welcome to the Class of 2010!

We extend a warm welcome to our newly enrolled students and to their families, many of whom met each other for the first time in April at our welcome picnic and at Founders Day on May 25th. The sixty-five students in the Class of 2010 were selected from our most competitive applicant pool yet, and consist of a highly qualified and enthusiastic group of students with a broad range of academic, athletic, and artistic interests and aspirations. We look forward to the many ways in which they will contribute to The Bay School as our third founding class.

As we move forward with rolling admissions for each class during the course of the summer, interested students for academic year 2006-2007 are encouraged to contact the Admission Office with questions regarding the application process.

We are thrilled with our growing Bay School community, and already look forward to seeing you back on campus in late August. Enjoy your well deserved summer break.

Nancy & Matt
Directors of Admission

Missing Persons on Stage at The Bay School

Life’s complex relationships and choices, of the past as well as the present, took center stage as The Bay School’s drama troupe presented Missing Persons, a two-act play by Craig Lucas performed on May 4, 5, and 6 on campus. Sophomore Emma Maas played the complex central character Addie Pencke, college professor and published author who, while hosting a Thanksgiving holiday for real-life and imaginary family and friends, found herself forced to confront the many loose threads running throughout her life.

Supporting characters Hat Pencke played by Fred Concklin and his ex-wife Joan (Milli Harris), ex-husband Tucker (Alex Riaboff), neighbor Gemma Calabrese (Annie Obermeyer), and two local characters (Spencer Stamats and Danny Rice), as well as understudy Pearl Morgan rounded out the cast. Applause also went to stage manager, Jessica Peck who was assisted by lighting technician Bar Smith and soundman Daniel Baker. The production was directed by Bay School drama teacher Katherine Riley.

From the Stacks — Summer Reading Program 2006

This year, The Bay School book group program has been expanded to include summer reading. During the academic year students choose 2 books per trimester to read recreationally and then meet weekly in small discussion groups with their peers. The summer reading program has been added in order to further enrich the classroom curriculum and to provide students with the opportunity to continue the culture of extracurricular reading that is fostered at The Bay School.

Summer reading book lists have been compiled by Bay School librarian Rachel Shaw, incorporating suggestions from all members of the faculty. Selections include a broad range of texts that are informative and accessible to adolescent readers. In addition, the reading lists incorporate the curricular goals of next year’s academic courses. Because researchers in adolescent literacy have concluded that choice is a crucial motivator in order for teens to enjoy reading, students have had the opportunity to make their own individual selections from a wide variety of literary genres and styles. The works include novels, plays, memoirs, biographies, and assorted non-fiction - many of which are Booker Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and New York Times bestsellers.

When students return to begin the ’06-’07 academic year in the fall, they will have discussion group meetings to discuss what they have learned as well as to share their individual critiques. We hope that reading will be a relaxing and enjoyable part of everyone’s summer.

Bay School Summer Reading Lists

June and August Events Calendar