Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 2006-07 school year!

At the outset, I want you to know that the opening of school this year was spectacularly positive. New students and new faculty seem to have been here for months. New parents were thoroughly briefed on opening day, and are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. New (varsity and JV) sports teams are off to a great start, their skills unrecognizably improved from last year. We have new leadership in the admissions and development offices, which have hit the ground running. The juniors are taking their increased academic responsibilities in stride magnificently, if not entirely without comment.

Little of this happens by accident. My gratitude to all who worked solidly over the summer to make everything run so well.

As to this year: I used to use this analogy in the days when we drove gear shift cars with three forward gears. In the first year, the engine makes a great deal of noise, but the car does not go very fast. Second year, second gear is also a little bumpy, but gets us to the freeway. In third, we settle down to cruising speed and the engine is hardly noticeable. Such cars are now history, but the reality remains the same, namely, that our progress over the next three to five years will be much quieter and much faster.

During that period, we should see at least the following:

• A four-year school program, fully implemented and carefully revised and refined
• Strong relationships with colleges, based on Bay School students’ performance at them. (They will be terrific!)
• A vastly improved financial infrastructure, based on growing enrollments, debt reduction and restructuring, and continued heroic fund-raising
• Medium-term solution to athletic and performance facilities, and a blueprint for a permanent solution
• Groundwork towards the culture of re-invention which will keep us leading and hungry.

Driving in top gear requires fewer revs, but still takes up a lot of energy. The huge devotion that the founding Board (now ten years old), the founding parents and students, the founding faculty and staff have shown has brought us to this exciting time. We should not deceive ourselves that the next steps will be any easier—bumps do happen—just quieter and more subtle.

As ever, I look forward to sharing the freeway with you, especially if we carpool in a hybrid vehicle.

All best wishes,
Fr. Malcolm

The 2006 Bay School Summer Faculty Institute

In mid-July 8 new members of the Bay School faculty joined their 19 seasoned colleagues as we convened for our third Bay School Summer Faculty Institute. Most career educators find the idea of coming to school during the summer to be oppressive. Of course, most career educators have never experienced the difference that working within a truly collaborative community can make. While there are certainly some required procedural and logistical aspects to our Institute (laptop distribution, CPR training, etc.), the majority of our time is spent in deep reflection, exploration, and collaboration. For example, one topic we focused on was our commitment to academic rigor. This kind of intensive work with our policies, our mission, and our curriculum results in a faculty that is fully committed to each other, to our students, and to the Bay School itself.

At the conclusion of the two-week Institute, the entire faculty traveled off campus together for a three day retreat. The theme of this year’s retreat was ‘Technology in the Classroom’. Our opening session explored the question, “What does it mean to be a school having technology as a part of our mission?” We spent time in small groups discussing the ways that the many issues surrounding technology (historical development, ethics, precedent, intended use v. abuse, etc.) both inform and are addressed by our curriculum. The next two days were spent in intensive workshops, led by experienced members of our own faculty, teaching practical applications of computer technology (hardware and software) used in the classroom. These workshops included the creation of digital narratives, the use of Web logs as a collaborative tool, Texas Instruments (TI) applications in science labs, and the use of voice recording software. We closed the retreat with subject teams reflecting on the habits of mind that we and our students are building with regard to the use and impact of technology in our lives.

The importance of spending time together, both working and playing, has been invaluable to the faculty culture that we are developing. Our time together during the summer allows the faculty to begin the new school year working closely as a team, united by the mission and academic philosophy of the Bay School.

Ryn Blecke-Fleischer
Academic Dean

Student Orientation Programs

Very often, growing can be associated with ‘growing pains’ but for the Bay School, growing has been nothing but a blessing. We opened the 2006-2007 academic year in late August with three fantastic orientations. The freshmen class of 2010 spent two days getting to know each other, the school schedule, school campus, and quirky Bay School terminology like eChalk, T.O.A.D, and Free Flex. (No, these are not new yoga moves – ask your student and they can tell you what they really are.) The freshmen also spent half a day giving of their time, physical strength, and effort, to this magnificent National Park we live in – planting, weeding, sorting, and cleaning.

Sophomore members of the Class of 2009 spent their one-day orientation getting to know each other again following the summer break, and exploring several different neighborhoods throughout the city in order to investigate which factors give each San Francisco neighborhood its particular cultural traits and personality. The neighborhood visits were entertaining for all concerned. They included fun challenges such as seeing how many strangers students could persuade to cheerfully put on a Bay School t-shirt to be photographed - and had the added plus of introducing students to some of the skills and challenges that their Research and the Community course will require.

Juniors spent their orientation day tackling the charge of being the oldest class and the first class of upperclassmen by working with an organization that tested their decision making skills in a group when faced with game-like challenges. It is surprisingly difficult for 10 students to lower a hoola-hoop with only one finger each down to the ground without clear leadership and careful listeners. There were many other such prompts that asked the students to think about their role as community members, leaders and listeners.

It is clear to me that our time spent in orientation was useful as we have returned to the rhythm of classes benefiting from the leadership and role modeling of the junior class and the enthusiasm and energy of the freshmen and sophomore classes. Everyone is adjusting wonderfully to a full plate of classes, split lunches, and club sign ups - ranging from the Engineering Club to Student Council to break dancing, and Fantasy Football. The positive spirit in the hallways and the academic buzz in the classrooms are quite palpable – we are off to a great beginning of our third academic year.

Launching 2006-2007 Bay School Athletics

Several exciting changes are taking place in the Bay School Athletic Office in the fall of 2006-07. First of all, it is my pleasure to introduce our newest addition to the Athletic Department staff, Stephanie Hamilton. Stephanie’s official title is Assistant Athletic Director. She will be coordinating the after-school activity program in addition to being the assistant cross-country and track & field coach. I also need to brag about Stephanie’s athletic accomplishments because I know that she would never divulge this information. As a high school athlete at Los Gatos High School she placed third in the entire State of California in the 800 meters. She then went on to Tulane University on a track scholarship, later graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. We are very fortunate to have Stephanie on our athletic staff, and already she has been instrumental in making a positive impact in the Bay School Athletic Department. When you have a chance, please stop by our office to meet her and say ‘Hello.’

Speaking of introductions, the 2006 - 2007 school year brings the much anticipated first-ever varsity team program to the Bay School. Effective this fall, we have become a new member of the Bay Counties League Central Division (BCL Central). On August 31st, our boys’ varsity soccer team made history playing a hard fought 3-I loss to Drew. Freshman Anani Mohamed scored our first-ever varsity goal. Two days later, on October 1st, our girls’ varsity volleyball team also made history by achieving a Bay School victory in a grueling five game match against Wallenberg.

Thanks to Spanish/French teacher and experienced head cross-country coach, Shellie Banks, and assistant coach Stephanie Hamilton, we have one more huge change to mention in the Athletic Department program this year. After extensive in-house recruiting last fall, our cross-country team has grown from five members last year to thirty three! Both coaches have been working extremely hard at building this important program. Shellie Banks’ biggest ‘sell’ to the Bay student body was that in the sport of cross-country there is no bench. Everybody participates - at their own individual level, and as members of a spirited school team. Shellie also continually emphasized the fact that we are located in the midst of the most beautiful running courses in the country – right here in the Presidio. Our biggest challenge right now is to confirm that all of our 33 new uniforms will arrive in time for our first meet on October 19th. That is a good problem to have. Way to go coaches!

As we look forward to an exciting year as a new member of the BCL-Central, we hope to see many of you at our games and meets, cheering with gusto for the Bay School ‘Breakers’. Information about team game and meet schedules as well as directions to away events is available on our school intranet site.

GO BREAKERS!!!!

Steve Glass
Bay School Athletic Director

Hellos and Goodbyes – Bay School Faculty and Staff

The beginning of each academic year brings the excitement and energy of new members joining our community as well as fond farewells to valued colleagues and friends.

During the summer we said goodbye to founding director of development, Winnie Appleby, as she left Bay to join the staff of the San Francisco Ballet (a real passion of hers), working in the special events department. Winnie’s dedication and success at fundraising made a vital contribution to the founding of the Bay School during her 3 year tenure. Adam Blum has recently picked up the fundraising reins as director of development. Adam has spent the past ten years at Mills College, where he directed a $130 million Capital Campaign, and prior to Mills he served for 5 years as director of development at the Urban School of San Francisco. “I’m excited about returning to work in a high school setting. I’m drawn to the mission as well as the entrepreneurial spirit of The Bay School. Working with trustees and parent volunteers I plan to help the Bay School raise funds through the Annual Fund, the annual event, and through an upcoming campaign. The Bay School has achieved a lot in a short period of time and I delighted to be part of this ongoing success story.” Adam says. He will be assisted in the development office by Cary Hueser, and invites all parents and friends of the school to drop by their offices on the first floor to say hello. And, as the grapevine has it, if you’d like to see Adam smile just ask him about his dog, Emma.

Change has also taken place in the Office of Admission as well. After three years as Director of Admission, Nancy Wheeler is transitioning into a new role - that of a faculty member. Nancy will continue to help out in the Admission Office; however her new primary responsibility will be to teach the Research and the Community class– a requirement for all sophomores at the Bay School. Although teaching represents a significant shift out of the administrative world, it is a natural one for Nancy. “Although I intend to keep one foot in administration, teaching can only help to make me a more effective and far more informed representative of the school. I have loved being a gatekeeper of sorts, helping to thoughtfully and intentionally grow our student body; however I’m eager to finally see our students in the classroom, and to play a role in their lives at Bay.”

Annie Tsang joins the Bay School as its new Director of Admission working closely with Co-Director Matt Hannibal. Annie served for three years as Assistant Dean of Admissions at Bowdoin College, her alma mater, after receiving her B.A. in English Literature in 2001. Prior to arriving at Bay, Annie was Associate Director of College Counseling, Twelfth Grade Dean, and English teacher at a private boarding school outside of Washington, D.C. She is currently a master's candidate through Middlebury's Breadloaf School of English, a unique program through which she studies on campuses in Alaska, Oxford, Guadalajara, and Santa Fe each summer. She joins Bay with great enthusiasm, citing the community’s overwhelming sense of energy, pioneering spirit, and self-improvement as unique forces that inspire her work every day. She hopes to continue to bring curious, thoughtful, and textured students to the Bay community.

Summer brought the addition of 8 dynamic teachers to the Bay School faculty as our program has expanded to the junior year level. We welcome science teachers Nicolas Fiszman and Meisa Khoshbin, foreign language teachers Ana Bayat and Ting-Chi Li, Humanities teacher Sarah Campbell, Computer Science teacher Terry Gomes, U.S. History teacher Craig Miller, and Mathematics teacher Liz Springer. They represent an outstanding group of highly knowledgeable and experienced educators – all committed to inspiring their students to achieve academic excellence while serving as role models for the school’s values and mission. Bay School faculty resumes may be reviewed online.

Fall Trimester Drama Production in Rehearsals

The play this fall is called The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It. Written by Don Nigro, this unusual piece is subtitled "The record of one company's attempt to perform the play by William Shakespeare". When the prolific Mr. Nigro was asked by a professional theatre company to adapt As You Like It so that it could be performed by a company of seven, he devised a completely original play about a rag tag group of players led by a dotty old curate who must present Shakespeare's play. The dramatic interest and comedy derive from their hilarious attempts to impersonate all of Shakespeare's characters. The play has had numerous productions nationwide and has become an underground comic classic.
The play is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Performances will take place on November 9th, 10th, and 11th at 7:30 P.M. in the Great Room Theater on campus.

October Events Calendar