Inside SFS

SFS Joins The Pact!

By Nancy Nagramada, Middle School Head 

Eight years ago, two visionary educators, one at the San Francisco Day School and the other at Lick-Wilmerding High School, saw the need for mentorship and leadership for students of color in their respective schools. They began a partnership called The Pact that, over time, included Live Oak School, and now The San Francisco School and The Urban School as well. We are proud to have joined this great program that seeks to provide opportunities for elementary and middle school students of color to connect with high school students who have faced similar issues regarding racial identity, which is crucial in a world that can be particularly challenging when students find themselves under-represented visually or have few peers with whom they can identify in terms of racial experiences.

We had 18 students from 4th through 8th Grades attend this fun social event at Urban, where over 75 students from the various schools were present. We played basketball on the new Urban courts after arriving, then shifted into full-group ice breakers. Students then shifted into game and talking clusters โ€“ some playing intense games of Monopoly, Apples-to-Apples, or Pictionary, while others sat in groups getting to know one another. We ended our time together with pizza, more sharing, and a group picture.

Toni Russell and I were honored to attend and so proud of how our students engaged with new students โ€“ both older and younger โ€“ and simply enjoyed being in this affinity space where they could connect openly about their identities as students of color. This opportunity has led to important conversations with students and within families around racial identity, mixed-race issues, and why there is value for closed affinity spaces alongside open dialogues across groups.

Our next event will be on February 16th, when we will host an affinity lunch with high school students from Lick-Wilmerding and Urban here at the SFS campus.

Posted February 13, 2018