May 4, 2007

Dear Friends,

The Intangible Nature of an Excellent Education

You will read in this newsletter about the many events that have taken place at Bay this past month which are indicative of the more intangible nature of our educational programs. The great breadth of our Intersession courses and the R.O.V. competition are just a few of the alternative programs that take place at Bay -- encouraging fantastic learning to take place in and around the seams of congruent programs.

Our teachers and students embrace the active learning that happens at the seams of this educational quilt we are creating. We recognize the value of those moments where defined, designated programs, classes, and structures come together, sometimes smoothly, sometimes with a rougher edge. At school these moments may occur during a conversation on the way to class, or because a friend decided to explain a confounding math problem, or during a lunch time conversation about the value of cleaning up a table. Intersession and extra-curricular programs allow for these seams to become rich veins of learning. Perhaps since the design of Intersession and extra-curricular work is of a nature in which students leave the standard classroom and depart from the regular hours of school, we recognize even more powerfully the learning that occurs when students truly experience what they are studying, and do so as members of a team learning through their collective effort, joy in laughter, and acceptance of mutual support. Additionally, we find that we may learn even more when these programs make us struggle, either by cursing the underwater robot that won’t reverse on command, or by climbing a hill only to learn that it led to the wrong trail.

I was lucky enough to be able to participate in one of this year’s Intersession courses: the backpacking exploration and literary analysis of water and open space in two canyons of Death Valley. I was reminded first-hand about the fantastic nature of experiencing and embracing education that happens in unexpected moments. As educators, we may not have written down these moments as our expected outcomes or learning goals, but they are powerful moments and are often hard to capture. How do you articulate the value of witnessing, through the window of the 10 hour van ride, the change in landscape from the Bay Area, across the agricultural lands of central California, and then to the open-wide desert lands of Death Valley? Would we have thought to make it a learning goal that students would understand water management and drought differently when they needed to carry 8 pounds of water with them for a day because the spring that sustained them in camp evaporated within 10 yards of its oasis? What about the value of singing Beatles’ songs loudly in order to boost energy through the afternoon or offering to carry a peer’s heavy pack because you can see that they are struggling? These moments are the mark of a truly wonderful, and somewhat intangible, education--an education that is celebrated in so many unexpected ways at Bay.

Moneeka Settles
Acting Co-Head of School

Note: During Malcolm Manson’s well-earned sabbatical from March through early June 2007 his responsibilities rest with able and enthusiastic Acting Co-Heads of School Moneeka Settles and Dennis Hartzell.

Letter from Board President, Gigi Coe

Spring 2007 has been a time of change and renewal at Bay. In my weekly school meetings, I am greeted with the great spirits and enthusiasm of Dennis and Moneeka in their role as Acting Co-Heads. The entire board is grateful for their depth of experience and extraordinary range of skills. While we miss Father Malcolm, they have seamlessly stepped into their new roles while continuing all their usual duties at Bay.

Healthy and intentional transitions are a priority for the Bay School Board of Trustees. Now, in the school’s third full year of operation, we find ourselves saying good-bye to two very special founding board members, Simon Snellgrove and Janet McGarvey. Simon brought what is now Bay’s building to the Board’s attention many years ago. His courage, commitment, and lateral thinking were vital to getting Bay off the ground. Janet has chaired the Bay School’s academic committee whose work now shapes our student’s learning. Janet, who runs the Bay Area Teachers Collaborative, will be moving her office to our campus this fall, so she will continue to be a vial part of our academic development. Thus, the old guard is rotating off, making way for new and enthusiastic board members whose leadership will give further depth and character to Bay’s mission.

It is also time for me to resign as President of the Board of Trustees. As I looked out over the next few years recently, it became clear that I needed to pass the gavel in June so that a new board president could be well settled in as the nationwide search for a head of school begins to replace Malcolm Manson who will be retiring in June of 2009. This will allow the incoming board president to better bridge the tenures of the outgoing and incoming heads of school, providing stable and supportive leadership throughout the transition. I will continue to serve Bay as Chair of the Trustee Committee next year at which point our by-laws say I have to go out and do something else with my life.

Steve Mattoon, father of Chelsea – Class of 2010, will be assuming the responsibilities of board president upon his election at the June board meeting. The Board couldn’t be more pleased to find itself with such a willing and talented candidate. Many board members have had a chance to work with Steve and appreciate his thoughtful insights and leadership. He brings a significant set of skills that will serve Bay well over the next three years. I am particularly pleased that the incoming board president is a Bay parent whose family is an integral and enthusiastic part of the Bay community.

Go Breakers!

Gigi Coe
Board President

Launch of the Bay School Engineering Technology Program

At the April meeting of the Bay School Board of Trustees, Development Committee Chairman Bill Mellin made the exciting announcement that the Decker Family (Richard and Suzy, parents of Bill, Class of 2008) has pledged a generous donation in the amount of $110,000 designated to fund the launch of a new Engineering Technology Program at Bay. “Ever since we heard about the founding of the Bay School, and its focus on science and technology, we were interested not only in the opportunity for our son to attend this type of unique, forward-thinking school, but also in how the technology program would be delivered in an advanced, pre-college approach. After spending three years at Bay, we are eager to support this opportunity to focus attention in this area and offer students the resources to receive meaningful, in-depth ‘real world’ experience complementing what they learn in the classroom” said Richard Decker. The new program will be led by Eugene Mizusawa, Ph.D., who is presently developing and directing the Bay School Senior Projects and Field-Based Learning Program.

The Engineering Technology Program represents a significant expansion of the Bay School Engineering Club, now in its third year. The club has engaged a dedicated group of Bay students interested in science and engineering who have worked closely as a team on the design and construction of underwater robots (ROVs) that competed in the Monterey Bay Regional Underwater Robotics Contests in April of 2005, 2006, and 2007.

The major goal of the Engineering Technology Program is to build upon this foundation in making the study of math, science, and engineering more meaningful -- using knowledge and hands-on experience of “real world” scientific and engineering practices to provide context and support the information that students learn in class. The new program will involve an instructional model that utilizes a new mentor/teacher team, providing students with the benefits of integrating the specialized knowledge and experience of mentors with the classroom skills of teachers. The program will serve as a continuing platform for proof-of-concept evaluations of new, carefully designed, experiential learning methods.

The first step in launching the program, already underway, is the establishment of a well-equipped engineering technology shop on campus where students can use a variety of manual and power tools for prototyping and working on major projects. During the first year, students and their mentors/teachers will complete four educational modules involving computer-aided design (CAD), mechanical design and engineering, sensors and actuators, and computer programming with respect to robotics. The culminating project will be the construction of a large-scale test-bed electric car that will continue to serve as a testing vehicle for future study. There may also be other special projects as appropriate for students to focus on. While this instruction will be an integral part of the science and mathematics courses taught at Bay during the academic day, much work and learning will take place in the evenings and on weekends outside the weekly school schedule.

Dr. Eugene Mizusawa brings more than 25 years of teaching and professional scientific/engineering experience to the new Bay School Engineering Technology Program. Having earned his Ph.D in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA in 1984, Eugene has extensive experience in the fields of scientific research and product development through his work at universities, in industry, and at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While working at the NASA-Ames Research Center in 2001 he co-authored a WestEd and NASA Learning Technologies Project white paper on project-based learning titled "Every Child a Knowledge Explorer - Launching the NASA 21st Century Learning Mission" in 2002. He is also the registered holder of several scientific patents. As an educator, Dr. Mizusawa has most recently taught upper school science courses at Athenian School in Danville for thirteen years, serving as science department head for four years, and was the founding director of the Center for Innovation and Applied Technology. Additionally, he founded and mentored the F.I.R.S.T. robotics team at Athenian and introduced robotics programs into three high schools in the San Ramon Unified School District. The Bay School is fortunate to have his inspiring leadership.

An Interview with Richard Decker – Engineering Technology Program Benefactor

Bay: What piqued your interest in the idea of establishing an Engineering Technology Program at the Bay School?

RD: The Engineering Club, three years ago, formed the very early beginning of a hands-on, build it, create it, deliver it, execute, see-the-results-program through its participation in the annual Monterey ROV competitions. Our students were able to show their ability and expertise, operating as a team, in building a robot from scratch that could maneuver under water, completing a series of tasks in competition while being operated by remote control. In order to advance to the next levels we really need the larger “toolbox” that an engineering shop would provide and the leadership of skilled professionals to teach and inspire our students.

Bay: What are some of the reasons that you have chosen to make a generous donation to launch the Engineering Technology Program?

RD: Our meeting with Dr. Eugene Mizusawa in early March 2007 was a turning point. His vision inspired us and his breadth of experience and enthusiasm convinced us that our financial support would enable the school to implement a very well-thought out, step-by-step program on an accelerated 6-month timeline. Every great idea has a “champion” who can set the vision and the timetable, the goals and the objectives, and then execute against the plan with very tangible deliverables. Dr. Mizusawa will be an impressive leader.

Bay: What is your vision and hope for the program as it grows and develops?

RD: That it becomes recognized as one of the cornerstones of the Bay School’s curriculum – differentiating Bay from a number of the other best high schools in Northern California. In addition to providing students with important ‘hands-on’ learning opportunities, the program will also take full advantage of our Bay Area location and close proximity to Silicon Valley--a world headquarters for innovation, creativity, and imagination, through collaboration with corporations such as Hewlett Packard, Intel, and Cisco Systems, as well as innovative technology companies like IDEO, Hawkes Ocean Technologies, and universities such as Stanford and U.C. Berkeley. Our students will begin to build relationships and connections that will help to pave the way toward their future careers and fields of interest.

Bay: What specific elements of the structure of the Engineering Technology Program have special resonance for you?

RD: Innovation and invention are very collaborative exercises. The program is another special arrow in the quiver of “life is a team sport” and these kinds of efforts are by nature collaborative –teams working together, nights, weekends, before school and after, in demanding environments, which will help our students prepare to enter the real world in college and part-time jobs, and later in life in careers.

Bay: What benefits to you envision the Engineering Technology Program having for both current and future Bay School students?

RD: The program will provide students at Bay with a unique opportunity in high school to experience the process of inventing and creating that is typically reserved for learning on the university level at upper tier institutions such as Caltech, MIT, Olin, RPI and Carnegie Melon. In addition, it will expand upon their classroom experience and dovetail well with the Bay School Senior Projects and Field-Based Learning Program.

Bay: Why did you decide to publicly discuss your financial support of the new program?

RD: As a family, we originally wanted to be anonymous about the funding of the Engineering Technology Program. We knew that spending the money and funding the program was the right thing to do. We felt enthused after meeting Eugene Mizusawa. We decided to go public regarding our donation in the hope that it would be a motivating factor for other Bay School families … that they might think of a project or area of development that they are personally passionate about and decide to help with the funding of this area, too. We saw an article that described our donation as an opportunity to demonstrate to other families that they could also have an opportunity to fund an area special to them (such as theater, arts, music, gymnasium, sports facilities, etc.) and that they could immediately impact the Bay School by following our lead with such a donation. What a chance to get involved and help at the very beginning!

Intersession 2007

For students and faculty members alike, Intersession week is a highlight of each year’s spring trimester. This year’s program in late March offered fifteen different courses that took Bay students out into the field and deep into the world of real-life learning. Topics for Intersession courses are proposed and designed by faculty members and students working together. In order to be approved, course content must support the school’s mission and be connected to the core curriculum. Course goals are clearly articulated and require outcomes that are substantive and meaningful. Full participation in an Intersession course each year is a requirement for graduation.

2007 Intersession course offerings included a wide variety of topics and activities. Three courses took students into the great outdoors on wilderness trips to Death Valley and the high Sierra, and into single scull rowing shells exploring San Francisco Bay. For the artistically inclined, live music and dance workshops explored creative styles from around the world as well as those closer to home such as Hip Hop and live jazz performances throughout the Bay Area. Students learned about many different aspects of what “culture” truly means and involves in courses that explored the historic and contemporary experiences of the Irish, Chinese, and Latin American through visiting local communities in San Francisco, and gained a different perspective on a number of world cultures through the study of a wonderfully simple food, cheese. Other courses provided students with the opportunity to think about and experience an in-depth connection to their community – through hands-on work in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity building houses, and in learning about the life experiences of migrant farm workers through investigating the agricultural supply chain in recognition of Cesar Chavez Week. On campus technology programs offered students the chance to focus on building digital film making and V.B. Net skills. Harry Potter enthusiasts investigated the “open loops” that remained in the series of novels at the end of book #6 while they anxiously await the release of the final novel scheduled for this summer. Last but not least, Chaplain Teah Strozer and a group of students spent their week practicing meditation and skills to focus their attention- both inwardly and on being with each other, while on campus and on retreat at the Green Gulch Farm in the Marin Headlands.

View the Intersession Photo Album

Athletics at Bay -- Spring Spirit and Success!

With the end of the school year just around the corner, Bay ‘Breaker’ athletics is wrapping up a ground-breaking spring sports season. The Athletic Department could not be more proud of our teams and coaches, and would like to thank the entire Bay School community for the support we’ve received during the 2006-2007 school year.

Varsity Baseball

The season started with 10 young men, each at a different skill level, on the Bay School baseball team, in its inaugural year in the BCL Central League. With just one bench player, we knew this season would be challenging, and that it would require hard work, determination, and focus to succeed in a competitive league. The team strove during each practice and game to achieve a single goal: to improve.

The Breakers’ first league game against Waldorf was very well-played, despite a few glitches, with a strong pitching performance and solid slugging from the lineup producing a 9-3 victory! The team never looked back from there, winning its next two league contests against Pescadero and International. Bay pitching was excellent, our offense was in full swing, and the defense, both infield and outfield, was improving.

The high-point of the season thus far came just two days following a loss to Leadership. Facing Gateway in a revenge match, the Breakers brought their best game to the field. The improvements made by each of the players were epitomized on a windy Thursday afternoon, when Bay improved to a 4-2 league record with a near-flawless, shut-out victory over Gateway. Behind phenomenal pitching, error-free defense, and a pair of thrilling two-out rallies, the Breakers defeated the Gators 8-0, to return to their winning ways.

Varsity Softball

In its first season, the Breakers softball team has shown immense growth in both knowledge and skill of the game. Lead by Captains Cara Vennari and Cailin Connolly, and pitcher Amelia Mostovoy, the team has demonstrated great strength and tremendous team effort. As confidence rose as a result of amazing wins against Marin Academy and San Domenico, the team is bound to end its season on a high note.

Boys’ Golf

Our First year of varsity golf was also very successful. Our golfers learned about the game of golf and competed against students from other BCL leagues. Although the team did not win any matches, they collectively lowered the team stroke total by 40 strokes from the beginning to the end of the season. Quite an accomplishment! Juniors Morgan McQuown and Henry Wettersten ended their seasons by competing at the North Coast Sectional Golf Tournament on April 24th.

Girls’ Soccer

The Bay girls’ varsity soccer team is going strong and continues to progress in individual skill and team play. They are currently 7-2-1, in second place in their league, with two games remaining in the season. Six different players have scored on the offensive front (for a total of 32 goals) and the defense has been steady, holding our opponents to only 9 goals and 5 shut-outs. The girls continue to have fun and hope to get the job done over the next two games in order to ensure a playoff birth.

Our girls’ JV soccer team has shown strength and fortitude amidst a tough season thus far. With Captains Alyssa Muck, Magaly Coronado, and Camille Lendormy leading the way, the JV girls have showed a great deal of improvement both technically and in terms of spacing on the field. The dedication of many athletes such as Magaly, Ariana Breall, Randa Atkins, Emma Kaufman (who was injured early in the season), and Lizzy Compean has proved to be essential to team spirit and morale.

Boys’ Track and Field

The first ever Bay School track and field team has not only surpassed our expectations, but it has given the other schools in our league a run for their money! The team of 19 boys is led by a core group of long jumpers, triple jumpers and hurdlers, (Lawrence Khuu, Drew Morgan, Daniel Idzkowski, and Blake Lawrence), all of whom have been consistent scorers since our very first meet. Lawrence Khuu placed first in our league with an impressive 35’2” in the triple jump, while freshman Drew Morgan placed first in the long and third in the triple. Blake Lawrence and Drew Morgan have both scored twice in the 300 meter hurdles, an event that they’ve just recently learned; they are ranked third and fourth in our league. Two outstanding freshmen, Neal Fong and Wesley Messino have established themselves as two of the leading middle distance runners in our league. After leading the pack in both the 1600 meters, these 2 fearless young freshmen crossed the finish line at our last meet boasting personal bests of 5:21.25 seconds for Fong and 5:35.97 for Messino with a first place BCL-Central league finish by Fong and a 3rd place league finish by Messino.

Our team throwers are, by far, the most improved members of the team, with Joseph Guadarrama leading the pack. Guadarrama placed first in our league at our April 24th meet and third at City College, catapulting his shot put to a mark of 27’4.75”. Jesse Barlow, Isaac Schwartz, Ignacio Martinez, and Craig Yamamoto have all made significant progress in the shot and will throw the discus at our final meet.

This so-called fledgling team will compete in its final meet at the league finals on May 12th at Diablo Valley College. We look forward to watching them set new Bay School records in the jumps and throws as well as setting personal records in their races.

GO BREAKERS!

Steve Glass, Athletic Director
Stephanie Hamilton, Assistant Athletic Director

The Bay Engineering Club in Action – ROV Competition 2007

After nine months of hard work, the Bay School Engineering Club embarked on its final mission of the year on Friday the 13th of May. As it turned out, Friday the 13th was not so lucky for the Bay Breeze, but more on that later. Our group of twelve students met at school, loaded up cars with their prized creation, and headed down to Monterey to get ready for the MATE competition to take place the next morning at Monterey Peninsula College.

In recognition of the International Polar Year (IPY), the 2007 International ROV Competition challenged students to design and build ROVs for operation in the polar environments. The competition also challenged students to increase their understanding of Polar Regions and how these regions impact – and are being impacted by – our global climate. Our group of Bay students had done the research, worked on the challenges and the presentation, and was ready to go after one last night of cramming and “pool” testing in the local motel’s bath tub.

Saturday morning found us packing up our gear again and heading over to the Monterey Peninsula College pool for the competition. About an hour into the setup time, the weather turned nasty and rain started to pour. The groups all persevered and competed anyway. The Bay group threw our ROV into the pool for testing and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day fixing propellers and trying to adjust for lack of ability to actually move in the water. While the team was not able to complete the range of tasks, members were able to meet and speak with industry leaders, and learn much more about the underwater working world. The best (and driest) part of the day was the formal project presentation. At the end of the afternoon, the students were asked to speak about their project in front of a panel of judges. The judges were so impressed by the Bay School presentation that they awarded the team the ‘Judges’ Pick’ award for overall excellence. Each member of our team made a real contribution to the overall effort and did a very good job.

Thank you to the many parents and friends who came to support us! -- the Clearys, the Deckers, the Wetterstens, the Alexanders (Brier), the Fishers, the Pochebyts, the Meiers, and the Stamats, as well as our biggest fan and supporter--Eugene Mizusawa and his wife. While we did not accomplish our goal, the kids had a good time, showed incredible spirit, and creativity, in the face of adversity, and set a tremendous example for future Bay students. Three years, two advisors, various tools and injuries later, members of the Bay Engineering Club still want to continue on this adventure and have already started planning next year’s ROV!

Cristine Mack, Engineering Club Advisor

For more information about the MATE ROV Competition visit: http://www.marinetech.org/rov_competition/index.php.

Grandparents and Friends Day - April 11, 2007

Sixty-five grandparents and special friends of Bay School students recently attended Bay’s First Annual Grandparents and Friends Day. They enthusiastically participated in the animated routine of a high school day by attending classes, touring the campus, and joining the school community for a home-cooked organic lunch. Acting heads of school Dennis Hartzell and Moneeka Settles welcomed our special visitors and provided an introduction to Bay School academic and extra curricular programs while Athletic Director Steve Glass and Academic Dean Ryn Blecke Fleischer described specifics of the athletic program and curriculum. The day’s activities culminated in an all-school performing arts review that included amazing student jazz, salsa, and hip-hop dance performances. We now look forward to next year’s special day.

Spring Admissions Update

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming, and with the peak of the 2006-2007 admissions cycle over, the Admission Office is proud to announce that the Class of 2011 is our largest yet -- bringing a high level of academic achievement, texture, and range of interests to our community. This fall's freshman class includes cartoonists, powerhouse basketball players, creative writers, jazz musicians, professional clowns in training, and our incoming students hail from more than forty public, private, and parochial middle schools across the Bay Area (including both Marin County and the East Bay). We are greatly anticipating their arrival on campus in September and look forward to their contributions. Please join me in offering a warm welcome to our final founding class.

We will be hosting a welcome event and picnic for admitted students on Saturday, May 19th, during which faculty and many of our current students will have the opportunity to meet their new classmates and play ice-breaking games. During this event, our freshmen will assemble together as a class for the first time, and we're expecting it to be a day of fun introductions. If you are a newly admitted freshman and will be joining us, please remember to return your language placement forms as soon as possible.

As of today, we do have room to welcome transfer applications. Please call the Admission Office at (415) 513-4000 for more information. Opportunities to join this fall's freshman class will be considered on a case by case basis.

Many thanks to all of the faculty, staff, parents, and volunteers who helped to make this year's admissions process such a success. We couldn't have done it without you!

Annie Tsang
Director of Admission

From the Stacks – Library News

For the final Book Group session of the year that began on April 23rd and continues through May 21st, the entire school community is participating in an all-school read.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to simultaneously share in a common literary experience. We are reading the contemporary novel My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult that explores the intimate complexities of family obligation, and adds yet another perspective to current bioethical debate. We encourage you to pick-up a copy and read along with us!

For information about My Sister’s Keeper, please visit: http://www.jodipicoult.com/my-sisters-keeper.html.

May & June 2007 Events Calendar