October 8, 2007

Dear Friends,

It helps to listen.

I continue to be amazed and gratified at the poise and articulate wisdom our students are showing. Part of the September ritual is attendance at high school admission fairs. I do some talking at these, but the responses to questions by our Bay School student representatives blow me away.

"Every student at this school has a chance to succeed."

"This is a school with a conscience."

In response to "Are you beyond the start-up phase now?" "I hope we will never be beyond the start-up phase."

"The teachers will take you as far as you want to go."

"I came to the school expecting to be a journalist. I am graduating as a prospective biochemistry major."

"Intellectual curiosity is at the heart of everything we do."

What all this suggests is that the approaches we have been using are working. The selection of teachers who teach students as well as subjects is working. The commitment to a balance of mind, body, and spirit is working. The constant reminders of kindness, mindfulness, and compassion are working. (We thought/knew that it would work right along. It is most gratifying that it has.)

But while we may rejoice, this is not a time to relax.

I asked the seniors at their retreat to take the college process seriously, but not to become obsessed with it, indeed, to make every day of their senior year one of intellectual and personal growth. We are inordinately proud of the Merit Scholarship honorees—and we recognize that they are a part of the story. As important are the reports of the trustees on their visiting day, of engaged, committed students, deeply proud of their school, the delight I hear from the faculty of the growth of the students over a two- three- or four-year period. I am personally humbled each day as the silence deepens when we meditate together.

None of these things happens by accident. They involve work, creativity, and above all, mindful attention from students and adults working together. I am proud to be a part of this powerful community.

And I also hope that we will never be beyond the start-up phase.

All best wishes,

Father Malcolm

Upper-Level Electives

The Bay School's fourth academic year 2007-2008 offers a full range of junior-senior level electives across all disciplines tailored to the talents and enthusiasms of students in grades 11 and 12. Growing from the skills-based, integrated curriculum of the freshman and sophomore years, students are encouraged to pursue their academic passions in depth and are challenged to apply their knowledge in new ways to understand and address significant issues in their world. The science course Bioethics and the philosophy and world religions course African American Spirituality are two examples of upper-level electives that challenge students to think critically, to carefully interpret information, and to formulate arguments and conclusions that are communicated through variety of mediums.

Bioethics

Is cloning a human being morally acceptable? Are genetically engineered salmon a good idea? Should insurance companies have access to the results of your genetic tests?

The Bioethics course taught during the fall semester by Krissa Lebacqz involves both a scientific and philosophical approach to understanding several of the current ethical issues affecting society in the early 21st century. The course begins by introducing students to a number of ethical frameworks that may be applied to decision-making processes and the frameworks are then used in the consideration of specific cases drawn from ethics textbooks, the Internet, personal experiences, and Randy Cohen's "The Ethicist" column in The New York Times Magazine.

Thereafter, the class delves into four case studies: stem cells and cloning, reproductive technologies, genetically modified organisms, and global warming. In each case study students learn the underlying scientific principles and techniques as well as well as how to apply philosophical concepts and ethical criteria to the bioethical issues. Students are tested on their mastery of the scientific content and they prepare papers and participate in debates exploring the ethical dimensions of each topic. As a final project each student chooses from a list of topics including euthanasia, organ donation, AIDS, human population growth, allocation of health care, gene therapy, and the use of humans and animals as subjects in clinical research. Students are asked to author a position paper and teach a class about their topic. The course aims to educate students about both the scientific basis and ethical concerns surrounding some of today's most important bioethical questions while teaching them how to critically evaluate and analyze bioethical issues.

African American Spirituality

Building upon knowledge gained through studying the history, literature, arts, and religions of the world's major cultures in the integrated Humanities program of the freshman and sophomore years, Bay juniors and seniors in Darrick Broudy's African American Spirituality course examine the African American experience in the U.S. from the arrival of African slaves in 1619 through to the modern day.

The course begins by studying traditional West African spiritual beliefs and then investigates the ways in which African slaves blended their native beliefs with forms of Christianity. Students examine the historical and social forces that shaped African American Christian thought through case studies focusing on historically significant African American individuals. Particular emphasis is placed upon the issue of justice during the period of slavery, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights era. During the final class units, students investigate African American interpretations of Islam and Judaism as well as Rastafarianism.

Music is studied because it represents a powerful medium through which African Americans have expressed their Christian beliefs for centuries. The entire Bay School community focused on African American music as a way of expressing personal, religious, and moral beliefs during the recent visit of international reggae legend Pato Banton to campus where he spoke at morning meeting and in Mr. Broudy's class. Baton, born in London in 1961, grew up amidst extreme poverty, violence, and racism as a child, and turned to music to communicate his thoughts and express his emotions. By the age of 40 he had morphed from a DJ in Birmingham to a full-blown reggae phenomenon known world-wide. Following a family tragedy in 2000, Bato gave up his music career for a new one; he went back to school and became a teacher. He set up music programs at several colleges and founded the Music Technology School in Birmingham–reaching out to troubled kids, helping them to develop their skills. He also committed himself to a journey of spiritual self-discovery through an in-depth study of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism– hoping to clarify his own perspective on the meaning and process of life. The story of his life is a true inspiration to all of us.

"From the age of 8 I was seeing reggae evolve from rock steady to roots reggae, and being a first-generation black youth in England dealing with racism and feeling alienated in my own country, reggae really spoke to me" Bato explains. "It talked about slavery and Africa and injustice and feeling alienated. It spoke to who I was and how I felt, and it helped me understand what I needed to do to be happy." "Now I hear a lot of kids say that their parents used my music as a grounding thing for their children. The music became part of their life, and that's just amazing to me. Because I felt I got so much out of reggae I had to give some back. Now it's having the same impact. There's no way to describe that feeling."

2007-2008 Clubs in Action

High school life at Bay isn't just all about challenging work in the classroom. Each week, each day for that matter, Bay students have time in their schedules to break the academic routine and branch out—relaxing, hanging out with friends, shooting hoops outside at lunch, jamming in the music studio, or unwinding in the library with a book. And then there are club activities–19 of them to be exact, and there may be more tomorrow, or next week; that's determined by student interest and enthusiasm, and reflects the great variety of interests that Bay School students have and share.

More than 60% of Bay students participate in one or more clubs and activities, and most clubs are led by students themselves with support from faculty advisors. For those students who are musically and artistically inclined there are the Jazz Club, A Cappella group, Hip Hop and Salsa dance groups, as well as the Arts and Crafts clubs to choose from. Those interested in the published word are drawn to the school yearbook and literary magazine. Community-minded students find themselves active in the Student Council, the Social Committee, and Community Service Club, three groups that are in charge of planning many all-school activities throughout the year as well as also being actively involved in serving the broader community outside of school. Techies and 'gamers' choose the Engineering Club (which has more than 40 members this year! View their Website at: http://engineering.bayschool.us, and the Fantasy Gaming group.

In the Fantasy Sports Club professional sports enthusiasts follow their favorite athletes and keep track of points in the professional sports fantasy rotisserie league. In the Botany Club students get their hands dirty enjoying their interest in plants—growing them, eating them, identifying them, or simply enjoying their company. Members of the Environmental Club are focused on bringing awareness to the situation in the world’s rain forests and redwood forests, and the importance of recycling. They are in the process of planning a second yearly trip to Costa Rica during the summer of 2008.

The Bay Model United Nations Club debuts this year and its members will attend two Bay Area conferences that simulate the real United Nations. As representatives of a member country, students wrestle with a range of international issues and negotiate real world solutions with other member countries. This is a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience with international relations and diplomacy. Also new this year is the Philosophy Club. Students meet each week to argue philosophical points and they are encouraged to use visual aids such as movies, news reels and comedy routines to support their cases.

The Bay School Outing Club
By Andy Shaw

The Bay School Outing Club has gotten off to a great start in this, its second year. We started our season early this year with a Labor Day expedition to the Sierra Nevada. Twelve Bay School students, accompanied by teachers Craig Miller and Andy Shaw, spent the glorious late-summer weekend backpacking through the Emigrant Wilderness. Highlights included an off-trail traverse between Meadow Lake and Bear Lake, eclectic campfire discussions, and for the brave, a dip in the water at Bear Lake, still chilly even this late in the summer. This trip also provided an excellent opportunity for students to make use of some of the club’s new equipment, purchased with funds generously donated by an anonymous staff member. The adult leaders continue to be impressed with the continually growing skills of our veteran student members, who took the lead in planning the trip, navigating our route, preparing and cooking our food, and telling absolutely horrible jokes.

The Outing Club aspires to expose our students to the tremendous beauty and diversity of the natural world in Northern California, to teach them to responsibly and safely undertake outdoors expeditions, and to help them grow as individuals and as a community through outdoor challenges. We’re off to a great start towards meeting that goal. During the last school year we included almost forty different students in our trips; we traveled to desert, high-alpine, and coastal environments, among others; we taught students a wide variety of skills including paddling a canoe, snowshoeing, lighting campfires, and navigating by map and compass.

In late September, four students and two faculty members (Meg Millhouse, Paul Rothman, Brianna Gill, and Cara Vennari, Spencer Stevens and Moneeka Settles) spent their weekend working hard on a service trip to the Peter Grubb hut near Donner Pass, a Sierra Club hut that the school and the public use as a shelter for winter backcountry trips. The hut is serviced entirely by volunteers and the Bay School group's effort was critical in stocking the hut with a supply of wood for the winter. This required carrying armful after armful of downed trees via wheelbarrows and brute strength to the hut. The hard work was rewarded by gorgeous views, a surprise snowstorm in September, a bright moon, a great hike, and the knowledge that many others will benefit from our time and effort.

Outing club advisors Katherine Riley, Spencer Stevens, and Andy Shaw, are at work organizing some great outings for the remainder of this school year. Upcoming trips will include an overnight canoe trip to Lake Sonoma in October, the annual snowshoe trip in January, and an array of week-long options during Intersession in late March. We’re also hoping to arrange backpacking weekends in February or May, and are investigating rock climbing and rafting trips for later in the year. We hope to see you on the trail!

Growing as an Educator and Academic

The Bay School faculty engages in a range of professional development activities during the school year and in the summer. Our professional development program is designed to give teachers an opportunity for new or continuing training in their specific disciplines, in the general area of pedagogy and curriculum development, or in a new academic area. The school considers it essential that teachers have a chance to nurture and pursue their passions as educators and academics, and for that reason it devotes significant resources to the program. This benefits both our teachers and the Bay School in many ways, not least of which is modeling to students and colleagues the habits and joys of life-long learning. Below is an article by Gregory Fleisher, Digital Arts teacher, describing his summer trip to attend the Telluride Film Festival and what he has brought back to the Bay School to share with the community.

Telluride Film Festival, August 30 – September 2, 2007

Before leaving for Telluride to attend the annual film festival, the students in my Video Production class were given the assignment to devise a film festival of their own (how very post-modern). I asked the students to curate a unique set of films that would comprise this fictional event. Considering what interests them, what types of themes, genres would be represented? Who would be special guests or honorees? Who would be their target audience? Where would it take place?

After researching some of the existing film festivals (Cannes to Sundance to local festivals like Mill Valley), they went to work on crafting their own programs. What they came up with was impressive and it helped me to define the knowledge base that the students had when it came to cinema, history, and popular culture. We communicated online as they refined their festivals over Labor Day weekend. Some of the students were really thinking critically about the line-ups, making choices that helped to define or reinforce a specific idea.

I received from Morgan McQuown a proposal for a three-day James Bond line-up that would showcase only the most unique automobiles. "Aix le Bain", an international film festival that groups obscure foreign cinema and is hosted by Penelope Cruz was proposed by Cameron Sioshansi. A cult LBGT production where the actors would have to be authentic to the lifestyles they portray was introduced by Gabriella Fazio. And a Black comedy/action duet by Paolo Anton that would feature only the top comedic and martial arts action ala Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan duo. "Dragon Dance", an Anime convention that includes a traditional costume party arranged by Joseph Guadarrama. Popular culture is alive and well in this high school.

There is a lot for a teacher to gain from attending a film festival like Telluride. Each Labor Day weekend, this tiny mountain village in Colorado triples in size. I like the fact that there are no awards and no judges, no red carpet for the stars - just passionate film enthusiasts who flood the town for four days of total cinematic immersion, embarking on a viewing odyssey, blissfully spending entire days in flickering dark rooms.

Apple was there promoting its Youtube enabled iPhones, the release of iLife '08 (which includes the most significant iMovie upgrade we’ve seen to date) and other digital tools for the desktop film maker. Schmooze the vendors as you load your bag with free stuff (mini flash lights, breath mints, pens, umbrellas…)

Getting there is half the adventure. Telluride is nestled deep in the Rockies, eight hours from a triangle of equally remote airports, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Denver – I chose Albuquerque as my entry point and four-wheeled it through the high desert and into Rocky Mountain passes, climbing to twelve thousand feet.

Telluride may be the most exclusive film festival of all because it is the most difficult to get to, it does not announce its program in advance, it charges the press for a pass and it has as its guests some of the best filmmakers in the world. It’s one of the friendliest and most democratic, as if the least important attendees were just as consequential as the most distinguished. This year's line- up included tributes to distinguished Hollywood mainstays like Daniel Day Lewis and Michel LeGrand (composer of countless film scores), one of the originators of "Bollywood", Shyam Benegal, and an annual collection of student prints organized by Tom Cruise.

Riding the gondola up the mountain you inevitably find yourself face to face with an actor, producer, writer, or film maker and learn of unannounced previews like "The Savages" (a well-crafted comedy/drama starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman). "Redacted", the latest Brian de Palma movie, is a re-enacted war diary from a soldier’s Handycam in Iraq that came in late on day three to everyone's surprise. Perhaps most anticipated was the pre-release screening of "Into the Wild", Sean Penn's adaptation of the John Krakhauer novel. Afterwards, Krakhauer, Penn, and Werner Herzog led a panel discussion about film-making adventurers. The event was truly a highlight in film and conversation.

My experience at Telluride was one of pure contentment. I left there thinking that everyone should go to more film festivals. It is an exceedingly civilized activity and I plan to produce these types of events at the Bay School with our students in the years to come.

Gregory Fleischer, Digital Media Teacher

For more information visit: http://showroom.telluridefilmfestival.org.

The Bay School Faculty Action Research Group 2007-2008

At the July 2007 Bay School Faculty Institute, four faculty members presented work that had emerged from their recently completed formal evaluations. Lori Cohen introduced a mentoring program designed for teachers who are new to Bay, to teaching, or to a particular curriculum. She presented alongside the school’s newly-arrived and founding Dean of Faculty, Tony Pickering. Shellie Banks presented her extensive work with rubrics, explaining hard-won lessons about how and when to employ variations of this school-wide tool. Dave Wang described his ongoing interest in technology, especially tablet PCs and digital ink. His presentation summarized personal reasons and plans for studying how these tools can optimize student learning. With this study, he will join an Action Research Group of Bay faculty members this year. The group has grown out of Bill Brown’s July presentation, which summarized his Project Zero action research project investigating the factors contributing to a student’s motivation and inclination to view feedback as an opportunity for learning. Bill then invited interested faculty members to pursue their own individual projects during the 2007-2008 academic year.

In addition to Dave Wang, this year’s Action Research Group includes five other faculty members. Also participating from the Math Department are Andy Shaw and Katy Cryer. Andy, a returning faculty member, will investigate the specific influence of journal-writing on student learning of math skills and content. Katy, new to the faculty this year, will begin studying how the Bay School’s distinctive Math program affects student attitudes towards the learning of Mathematics. From the dramatic arts arena, Katherine Riley will investigate how to link assignments and rehearsals more directly to the course outcomes, so that students can better gauge themselves as artists through such work. Craig Miller plans to explore the relative value of chronological and thematic approaches to the teaching of History. Finally, Eugene Mizusawa, Director of Senior Projects and Field-based Learning, will study an educational model based on collaboration between an experienced teacher and outside specialist. Throughout this year, these individuals will work independently, in small partnerships and as a whole group—moving toward a presentation of their findings at the 2008 Bay School Faculty Institute.

The Bayview Mission Reaches Out
By Else Holt, Assistant to Head of School and Bay School Parent
and Victoria Holt, Class of 2008

"We value generosity; we share, giving and receiving help."

For these two members of the Bay School community, precept number eight is particularly meaningful. We are honored to be founding members of Bayview Mission, a community outreach to the residents of Bayview/Hunters Point in San Francisco. Bayview Mission is a ministry of Grace Cathedral and a special mission of the Episcopal Diocese of California. As members of the Bishop's Committee of Bayview Mission, we have been involved since 2004, before its doors opened, and have helped to serve the residents of Bayview in various ways since then.

When the Rev. Nina Pickerrell moved into her grandparent's home on Jerrold Avenue back in 2003 she decided to try to do something to alleviate some of the hardship suffered by her low-income neighbors. The combination of gang activity, unemployment, drug-related crime, and industrial waste has been slowly grinding away at the residents of a once-prosperous neighborhood. One of the ways that came to mind was to transform her property into a "safe-haven" for children and turn her garage into a food pantry to distribute fresh produce and groceries to local residents. I met Rev. Nina nine years earlier whilst I was acting as superintendent of Grace Cathedral's growing Sunday school. When she shared her vision with me I knew right away that I wanted to become involved to support her ministry in any way I could.

On Monday mornings, around 10:30am, with Father Malcolm's blessing, I head over to Jerrold Avenue to join the three or four other dedicated food pantry volunteers. The San Francisco Food Bank delivers fresh produce and groceries to Rev. Nina's garage by 10am. Volunteers receive and break down the pallets of food, filling the brown paper bags and getting ready for the garage door to be flung open at 1pm. By this time there is a line of hungry neighbors all the way up the street waiting to receive their bag of groceries. What started out three years ago with 18 families has now grown to more than 300 families each week receiving a bag of fresh produce. In the beginning Rev. Nina quickly realized that parents were coming to the food pantry with their young pre-school children. In turn, we began creating special lunch bags just for the children, filled with healthy snacks, juice, paper, crayons, a book and toy, and brand new socks. My involvement has grown to assume responsibility for packaging between 60 and 100 children's bags each week. This allows the other volunteers to focus on preparing the grocery bags. In addition to this weekly commitment, I also enjoy helping with the monthly work parties and special seasonal events such as Valentines Day, Easter Baskets, Backpacks for Back to School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Christmas Toy Drive.

I am happy that my daughter Victoria, a senior here at Bay, takes her role as youth member of the Bishop's Committee seriously and is dedicated to serving the young people of Bayview. Victoria's passion for photography was very helpful as she documented the Mission's early transformation from a run-down, four-lot property, into a beautiful urban oasis. Some of her images can be seen on the Mission's webpage.

During the last two summers Victoria has been involved in providing a two-week summer camp for neighborhood children at Bayview Mission. These are children for whom traveling off their own block can mean crossing gang territory. Ponies and farm animals from a ranch in Sonoma have visited the Mission and the children were treated to horseback rides. They had the pleasure of frolicking outside in a wading pool under gloriously sunny skies, an activity not to be taken for granted in Bayview. Victoria also hopes to generate enough interest to continue a monthly event when neighborhood youth can spend time together in a safe environment away from the fear and despair generated by gang violence. When time and homework commitments permit, she also helps out at the monthly work parties when volunteers from surrounding communities come in to prepare the bags for the following day's food pantry distribution. "I remember one day working with the kids last summer," Victoria says. "We had them all choose a book and sit in the garden to read. When they'd been reading to themselves for a few minutes, I sat next to a shy little guy and asked him how his book was, and he looked up at me with these big eyes and said, 'I don't know how to read.' So I sat and read to him, and pretty soon about five or six other kids had gathered around to listen. It reminded me of the time and love that goes into caring for each child who comes to Bayview Mission - no matter where they're from or what challenges they may face."

Since the founding of both Bayview Mission and the Bay School in 2004, students and members of the faculty and staff have been involved in the Mission and its outreach to the residents of Bayview/Hunters Point. One of the Bay School's inaugural Intersession classes spent time working at Bayview Mission. Special thanks go out to Chello, our Bay School Chef, for his support of the Christmas Toy Drive. Huge thanks are also due to faculty member Liz Colleran for her tireless efforts with the community service/outreach club providing awareness and support through bake sales and seasonal costume/toy drives.

For more information, please visit http://www.ministriesofgrace.com/bayview/.

Bay School Parents as a Resource for the Senior Projects Program and More

The Senior Projects and Field-based Learning Program is designed to be the culminating experience of the 12th grade year at the Bay School. It's an opportunity for every senior to pursue their personal and academic interests in and outside of the classroom with the guidance of an experienced mentor. These mentors will help students to develop an understanding and appreciation of a discipline, profession, or area of interest by providing real world learning experiences.

So how can Bay School parents be a resource for the Senior Projects program?

We are seeking a wide variety of field-based learning experiences for our students and need your help with finding appropriate mentors and internships.

At this time, seniors in the first graduating class at the Bay School are settling into their senior projects, with fewer changes being made to the focus of their work. Senior projects for the class of 2008 officially begin on November 26, 2007 and by the first week of January 2008, all students should know what they want to do for their senior projects and ideally be lined up with a mentor. Of the 55 seniors in the class of 2008, six have already completed their field-work and nine have field-work in progress. There are three team projects, which include building an electric powered Model A Ford, developing an electronic music production group, and designing an ultra-light aircraft using CAD including the construction of a working scale model. I have asked the seniors to take a chance with their senior projects, to make the stretch and believe that they can accomplish great things right now if they put in the effort. After reading the list below of senior project topics that the students have generated, I think that you’ll agree with me that they have stepped up to the challenge.

Performing Arts Production including Technical Hardware and Software
Computer Programming
Designing and Engineering Devices for Individuals with Disabilities
Video Production Using Adobe After-Effects
Psychology and Mental Health
Education Internship in a School for Students with Learning Differences
Market Research and Advertising
Biology and Computer Modeling
Developmental Biology
One and Two Person Submarines
Counseling and Mental Health
Art with a Science Theme
Particle Physics
On-line Advertising
Psychology
Marketing and Development
Japanese Language Translation Software
Education, Food, Agriculture, and the Environment
Economics of the Movie Entertainment Industry
Photography and Magazines
Medicine
Fashion and Event Production
Automotive Design Engineering
Electric Car Design and Construction
Religion and Cultural Anthropology
Theater Performing Arts
Sports Reporting Futurist
Race Car Driving
Race Relations in Independent Schools
Anthropology and Community Service
Nursing Internship
Law
Ultra-light Aircraft CAD and Prototyping
Producing an Audio History of the Presidio
Government and Politics
Marine Biology
Architecture Internship

If you have expertise or contacts related to any of these areas, please let me know. In addition to the Senior Projects Program, we would like to tap into the knowledge and experience of Bay School parents to help with club activities, such as the Engineering Club, which has a membership of nearly 40 students this year. In the long term, the school would like to create a database of parent contact information for guest lectures in the classroom and possible internships or work experiences for all of our students.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

Eugene Mizusawa
emizusawa@bayschoolsf.org

Fall Athletic News

Fall sports are in high gear as we head into our second month of competition. The Bay girls' varsity volleyball team is 8-5 overall, and 3-0 in the BCL-Central League. Three cheers go to two of our star players, Jaime Weber and Chrissy Gee who received all-tournament awards at the Division 5 volleyball showcase tourney recently. The Bay boys' varsity soccer team has suffered from numerous injuries and is still looking to win its first league game amidst a challenging start to the season. The players who are still healthy have rallied well to meet the challenge of so many injuries so early in the season. They have continued to play hard while staying open to trying new positions as the injuries have dictated. They are looking forward to the second half of the season and know that they are still in a position to make the playoffs. The cross-country team has just competed in its first league meet of the season, with Angie Matarozzi soaring through the finish line in 12th place out of 50 girls. Neal Fong and Wesley Messino also had a great opening race, both breaking their previous records, and finishing in under 20 minutes. The Bay sailing team is making waves, and has been out on the water since the second week of school.

Our activity program is also well underway, with the yoga, hip hop dance, martial arts, tennis, YMCA fitness, and advanced basketball conditioning classes working hard. At the end of the trimester, our hip hop class will perform in front of the entire school, showcasing all that they have learned from our wonderful dance instructor, Ms. P. The advanced basketball conditioning class (“ABC”) will be in shape, with their basketball skills sharpened and ready to go for the upcoming basketball season. It will be here before we know it!

GO BREAKERS!

Steve Glass, Athletic Director
Stephanie Hamilton, Assistant Athletic Director

October 2007 Events Calendar