Below we answer the most common questions that we’ve heard over the past few months and provide links to pages where you can get further information.
How does Bay help new students make the transition? We prioritize helping new students find their way and find their people. In addition to community-building activities and “nuts-and-bolts” lessons during the multi-day 9th-grade orientation, we have a lot of formal and informal supports. To name just a few: summer sports and theater workshops, 9th Grade Seminar (yes, a class just to help 9th graders get a great start at Bay), advisory, clubs and affinity groups, and tutorial.
We are all about connections—juniors and seniors here talk to 9th graders, people say hi to each other in the hallways, staffulty are always willing to help a student, and we all get to just sit together in Bay’s common area (a.k.a. the Great Room) three mornings a week. [[LINK]] Explore our Life at Bay webpages to learn more about how we make Bay a home for all of our students.
What is the school’s philosophy on student cell phones? As with all things at Bay, we ask that students and adults be mindful of their device use during the school day. While we are not currently a phone-free school, students are generally not allowed to use their phones in class unless needed for an assignment; most teachers require phones to be in holders during class time. We also ask that parents/guardians avoid messaging their students during the school day. If there is an urgent family situation or a student needs to be picked up, our front desk staff can assist.
What are sports like at Bay? It is our goal for our athletic program to yield competitive teams across all sports because we believe that the growth, learning, connection, and fun comes from putting forth one’s full effort at every practice and competition in pursuit of success. Consistent with the school’s approach to academics, we focus on the process, knowing that the results will take care of themselves. We provide various levels of participation for team sports, including varsity, junior varsity and intramural options where applicable, allowing students the ability to compete at a high level while also promoting participation and skill development. We offer 29 teams across 17 sports with over 60% of student-athletes participating on at least one team.
How does Learning Services support Bay students? Bay’s Learning Services team works individually with students to help them gain a deep understanding of their learning profile, learn tools for self-advocacy, and lean on their strengths to improve in their areas of challenge. In addition to creating learning plans, providing regular check-ins, and assisting students in communicating with their teachers, the Learning Services team is a resource for the Bay community; they offer education and support events for parents/guardians and coordinate closely with the Academic Office and teachers. The Learning Services webpage has comprehensive information about our program and how to access services. If you believe that your student will need support, it will be important to mark your calendar in the spring and get the necessary documentation in order.
How do we use the Presidio? How do we not use this amazing park we get to call home? Bay teachers across disciplines have the advantage of being able to take their students into the environment right out our doors, where they draw and paint, apply math skills, collect data, and to learn from the businesses we share the park with—our digital animation Immersive gets to spend time in the studio at the Walt Disney Family Museum, just across the green space. Bay’s immersive approach thrives in the Presidio, where students don’t just learn about the environment—they learn in it. The Presidio is also an unparalleled place for students to just be. They eat lunch outdoors around campus, walk at Tunnel Tops during flex blocks, and use the surrounding fields, gyms, and trails.
And what about the commute? Students come to Bay from many points throughout Marin, all parts of San Francisco, and even the East Bay. Between Bay’s own bus service, carpools, and public transport options, we find ourselves here in the heart of the Bay Area.
Will I get my first choice in Bay Immersives? The Academic Office makes every effort to ensure that students get the Immersive courses they want. During the course selection process, students rank four choices. For 9th and 10th graders, one course type is required in either the winter or spring term, but they have a menu of options that fulfill these requirements. More than 95% of students are placed into one of their top two choices for each Immersive term over their four years at Bay.
Bay Immersives are the only program of their kind in California—three-week, experience-based academic courses that are UC-approved—and one of just a few in the United States. Download our curriculum guide to see the 39 courses offered in 2024-2025, and visit the pages linked below to get a glimpse of what happens during the term.
| Immersives Overview | The Immersive Experience |
What does the college counseling process look like? Our college counseling process begins formally in spring of junior year, with a kickoff meeting for parents/guardians in the fall. The central question driving this process between our expert counselors and students is not where? but why? As part of the discovery process, students are asked to mindfully consider who they are as people and as learners in order to build a list of potential schools that would be the right fit. This thorough and thoughtful process results in over 90% of our students getting into their top-choice schools.
In keeping with our focus on equity, college counseling is built into the seniors’ weekly schedule, so every student gets the time and support they need. It is rare for Bay families to hire private college counselors, and the list of schools our students attend include some of the most competitive schools in the country.
| College Counseling | Acceptances and Enrollment |
What is Bay’s approach to homework? We define the academic rigor of our program by the depth and sophistication of thinking we ask of students and the ways in which we ask them to express that thinking. Bay teachers are especially careful to assign outside work that is meaningful and purposeful. Each of a 9th-grader’s five courses meets three times per week. For each course, 1.5 hours of homework can be assigned per week, about 30 minutes per course meeting, except Humanities, which can assign up to 2 hours of homework per week (40 minutes per course meeting). While these allotments increase moderately with each grade level, teachers remain vigilant about homework load and ask for feedback from students about their workload.
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