The CAIS Conference & Our Teacher Work Day

Julie Galles, Assistant Head of School, Middle School

Next Monday, March 7th, SFS students will enjoy a day off, but our staff will be hard at work on their own learning. During this Teacher Workshop Day, most of our teachers will be attending the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) annual conference hosted in Oakland. This is a day full of professionally stimulating workshops and speakers, and we are proud that a number of our staff will be teaching other educators as well. Look at the breadth of offerings just from our own SFS team!

• Music teacher Sofia Lopez-Ibor and preschool teacher Nova Ray are leading a workshop on integrating visual arts, music, and movement into the preschool classroom.
• Laura Burges, 3rd grade teacher, and Melissa Holman, 4th grade teacher, are leading a workshop called “Humor: Where Would We Be Without It?” which examines the use of humor woven through curricula, fostering bonding experiences and building language skills.
• Francisco Hernandez, 5th grade teacher, is presenting a workshop introducing inquiry-based approaches to math and science learning.
• Art teacher Karen Goodkin’s workshop “Sew What?” allows participants to explore the complex student thought processes prompted by designing and executing sewing projects in the art curriculum.
• Middle School Science teacher Brian Donovan is presenting two workshops; one about how lessons on historical “bad science” can inform and further students’ ethical reasoning and understanding of the nature of science, and another which presents an interdisciplinary unit examining issues of science, bias and institutional racism, and environmental justice.
• Julie Galles, Middle School Head, along with Spanish teachers, Josefina Bolton and Annalise Porras, will be explaining our unique proficiency-based mixed-age Spanish instruction model, currently in place in our middle school.
• Music teacher Doug Goodkin will lead a workshop based on John Medina’s book Brain Rules, which explores the connections between math, language arts, and music.
• In addition, the preschool head teachers (Dolores Elkin, Vahlee Peters, Elana Romero, and Lynne Woodford), along with Learning Specialist Elyse Wolland, 1st grade teacher Molly Treadway and Lower School/Preschool Head Maggie Weis will be working on a CAIS initiative based on last year’s accreditation work.

All this professional development serves to enrich the SFS experience for teachers and students alike. So, we hope students enjoy their day off and return on Tuesday, March 8th ready to reap the benefits of newly inspired classroom leaders!

Come Together 2011

Online – Friday, March 18th, 2011
Silent & Live Auction Event – Saturday, April 9th, 2011
The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
www.sfschool.org/auction

Auction Submission Deadline EXTENDED!
You now have until this Friday, March 4th to submit all of your advertisements and wonderful contributions to add to the success of this year’s auction for tuition assistance. As you likely know, 100% of the proceeds will benefit tuition assistance. We are about halfway to our goal of $150,000 - it is not too late for you to help us reach it!

Save Time and Hassle - Submit Your Donation Directly Online!
The main advantage to submitting your donation online is that the item won’t need to be re-keyed into the database. There are some additional things you can do with your online submission to help enhance its desirability. Effective merchandising of your item can improve the amount of money that is brought in as well as give the potential buyer useful information to help make a decision.

• Add a photo. If your item is a trip to Tahoe or a Community Dinner, add a photo that helps someone visualize the fun that is in store for the winning bidder.
• Link to another website. If you have tickets to a sporting event, performance or to a specific business, provide a direct link for bidders to be able to get more information.
• Add a graphic or jpg. Your item can have more visual eye-catching appeal with the addition of a jpg or graphic representing the auction item.

Your donations are needed, so please submit in the format that is most convenient to you! Online or written forms are requested by Friday, March 4th in order to be included in the Auction Catalog!

Auction Invitations Coming Soon to a Mailbox Near You…
Watch for your auction invitation to arrive by mail soon and think about booking your Auction Night babysitter now!

Auction Materials and Resources:

• Calendar of Auction Items
• Auction Business Database
• Auction Donation Form
• Auction Advertising Form

Middle School Parent Education Night
On Wednesday, March 2, from 7 – 8:30 PM, SFS school counselor, Sue Porter, and Julie Galles will be hosting an evening for middle school parents on “Best Parenting Practices in the Digital Age.” Bring your questions about cell phones, video games, email, Facebook…come join the discussion! We’ll meet in the Activity Room.

Sports Basement & SFS Fundraiser
Need some new snow gear? Bike helmets for the kids? Running shoes for Mom? Come to Sports Basement (1590 Bryant Street) on Sunday, March 6th, between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM, and receive 10% off your purchase. In addition, Sports Basement will donate 10% of your purchase to The San Francisco School. Sign in at the front registers for The San Francisco School Fundraiser and shop 'til you drop! Friends and family welcome. Contact Kara (k-takeuchi@sbcglobal.net) for any questions.

Walking School Bus Returns
The Walking School Bus is revving up its engine and will be making its route starting Thursday, March 3rd! Please join in the walk - it's community building, exercise, environmentally-conscious, and a great way to start your morning. Check here for Glen Park route and here for Noe Valley route and times. Walkers and organizers from new neighborhoods welcomed! Please contact Maggie Weis (mweis@sfschool.org) or Amy Alamar (amyalamar@gmail.com) if you would like assistance in forming your route.

Dessert of the Month Auction Item!
If you’re interested in volunteering to bake for this easy and fun auction item, please contact Corrine, colague@sfschool.org.

Meeting for Parents/Guardians of Asian-American SFS Students
Please join us for a special meeting taking place on Thursday, March 3. In response to a survey about affinity groups taken by the school's Diversity Committee in April 2009, many parents/guardians of Asian-American children expressed an interest in meeting as a group to discuss our experiences at SFS. This is our first gathering for this school year, and I hope that you will join us. The goal of this meeting is to bring together parents/guardians of Asian-American students in a facilitated discussion to share and discuss our families' experiences and how we can best support our children in their education at SFS, in a proactive way.

Thursday, March 3, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Hosted by preschool/1st grade parents Irene and Lance Lee (235 Edgewood Avenue, SF 94117, 415-681-7562). Light refreshments will be served.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Chris Yin (Sophia, 6th, Isabella, 3rd, and Emma, 1st), directly via email (cyin@lwhs.org) or at 415.452.9100. Please RSVP to me if you are able to join us.

Reminder: Public Purpose Baseball Glove and Ball Drive
In the school’s ongoing support of our neighbors at Palega Park, especially the invaluable afterschool program held there, the Public Purpose Committee will be holding a baseball glove and ball collection starting Wednesday, February 23 through Friday, March 4. There will be a drop off bin at the Front Desk area. The gloves and balls can be gently used, so please think about giving to Palega if buying new equipment for this season. Thank you!

People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS) Adult Conference
Friday, March 18, 8:15 AM – 3:45 PM at St. Ignatius College Prep School (2001 37th Avenue, SF). Keynote speaker: Who Needs Allies? A panel discussion with Ishmael Reed & Adam Mansbach. Workshops for Heads of School, Trustees, Educators & Parents (How to Talk About Race with your Children with Dana Dacus-Hare & David H. Clifford). Free admission for SFS parents/guardians. See flyer across from Front Desk for more info. RSVP to Lizette Dolan (events@nocapocis.org).

EdRev 2011
Saturday, April 16th, 9 AM – 5 PM at AT&T Park. A day of inspiration and resources for students with learning and attention differences, and their parents and educators. http://parentseducationnetwork.org/EdRev.

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