PHS Friday Letter

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January 18, 2008

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Save the Date: Art for Kids' Sake

Upcoming Events 1-18-2008

ALL SCHOOL EVENTS:

•    January 21–Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, School Closed (no childcare)
•    January 28–Staff in-service -No Classes, (childcare by reservation)
•    January 31–Dialogue Circle - Childcare by reservation - 6:00-8:00 PM 

Click here for a downloadable calendar of events for January 2008.
Click here for a downloadable 2007-2008 School Year Calendar

Announcements 1-18-2008

Ordering School Pictures
DEADLINE FOR ORDERING SCHOOL PHOTOS IS JANUARY 25, 2008
If you are interested in ordering school photos, please make sure to order them before the deadline of JANUARY 25. 

http://photographicproof.com/projects/presidio-hill-school

Click on the gallery you want to view and then click on the icon of the lock.  Enter the password (it is the same as the password for the community part of the website - email Tania at tania_hurter@presidiohill.org if you are unsure of the password). Average order time for prints and specialty items takes approximately 4 to 6 business days.  Specialty items include, Calendars, Photo Mouse Pad, Photo Puzzle, Key Tag, Refrigerator Magnet, Apron, Tote-bag, Coasters, Luggage tag, Photo Button.

Please contact Michael Angelo (photographer) directly if you have any questions about ordering: http://photographicproof.com/contact
 

Childcare Available on January 28, 2008 ~ Staff In-Service Day
Childcare is available by reservation only on Monday, January 28 from 8-3p for a fee of $65 when reserved by Wednesday, January 23 and $85 for late reservations. Regular after-school rates will apply from 3-6p.  Please provide your child(ren) with a lunch.

RSVP by Wednesday, January 23, 2008 to avoid an additional charge.  Make reservations with Raymi at raymi_orozco@presidiohill.org or at 751-9318 x.130.

 

Interested in joining the PHS board?
The Trustees Committee is beginning its search for potential board candidates for the 2008-09 school year

Find out what makes the school tick!
Enjoy the feeling of working collaboratively with others!
Make new friends!

For more information, access the school’s website and click “from the board.”  Please contact any member of the Trustees Committee for nominations or information. 

Trustees Committee
Jennifer Franklin        jennifer_franklin@presidiohill.org
Manolo Santana        manolosantana@yahoo.com
Noel Kaufman, chair    gabbler@aol.com

 
From the 5th Grade:
THANK YOU, PHS COMMUNITY! Thanks to you, we had a record-setting year for the school, raising nearly 700 pounds of food to feed the hungry (hooray!) in this year’s food drive. For more information on the San Francisco Food Bank, visit www.sffoodbank.org

 
7th grade field trip to Lawrence Hall of Science on Tuesday 22, the day we return. Leaving at 8:45 and returning by 1:25. Drivers should park and come up to the science room. Students should wait on the yard for drivers to get
them.


REMINDER:  Follies Props
    Please don't forget to pick up your props that were brought for Follies use. They are all in the drama room on the ramp in various boxes. Many thanks again for all who contributed to making the production such a
success.
 

 

High School Placement 1-18-2008

Ann Meissner              Jennifer Franklin (Seventh Grade Humanities Teacher)

Happy New Year!  While, for most of you, the high school application process has come to a close or is winding down, there are still a few loose ends to tie up.

Many SOTA auditions have been scheduled for this month, and these students will know soon whether or not they have been accepted. Good luck (or break a leg) to all 8th grade artists applying to SOTA!

Catholic school recommendations have been completed and mailed to schools.

If you are applying to a public school, you will need to complete a form that registers your child into the school district. This is in addition to any application specific to the individual schools. For more information, go to the website at www.sfusd.edu. Ann has copies of the form at PHS.

Transcripts, including grades, will be mailed to all high schools on Thursday, January 24, after the close of the first semester.  The high schools are aware of this schedule.  

If, at this point, your family has a definite first choice of independent high schools (i.e. – your child will go there if accepted), you may want to send the admissions office of this school a letter stating your commitment to the school and why it is your first choice.  

As always, please direct any questions or concerns about the high school application process to Jennifer or Ann.

From the Associate Director and Middle School Dean 1-18-2008

January 18, 2008
Ann Meissner
Associate Director and Middle School Dean 

This time of year in schools is always one of change as faculty members announce plans to move on. This year is no exception for the middle school as we look to fill openings in humanities and math. I will miss Trevor, Mike and Dennis and at the same time I’m excited for them as they each chart the course of their lives. And of course, I will miss Jennifer’s presence on campus in the last month of this year and the first couple of months of next year as she is on maternity leave.

I do understand that this sort of change can bring up an uneasiness or sense of concern. At the same time, it can also be viewed as a time of opportunity. I have already received a number of very good resumes and more pour in daily. Interviews and demonstration lessons are being scheduled and we are moving forward in finding high quality experienced teachers who are good matches for PHS. We are early on in the hiring cycle as most hiring in the independent school world takes place later in the spring so this gives us an advantage. From a curriculum perspective, the middle school is in a good position to be able to continue to provide a solid curriculum even with faculty turn over. All of the faculty members who are leaving PHS will also be leaving behind a carefully designed and thoroughly tested curriculum that the new teachers will be able to implement. The faculty and staff who will continue on into next year are ready to welcome and mentor the new faculty as they transition to a new school.

We will keep you posted as decisions are made about new faculty. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions, ideas or concerns.

Curriculum Spotlight: 6th grade humanities

Mike Orlando Friday Letter
January 18, 2008

The year is moving along at a breakneck clip, as we approach the second semester of 6th grade humanities!

Right now the class is immersed in the reading, criticism, and writing of short stories in our writing workshop.  This week, we focused on the two components that make up any good work of fiction:  a strong main character and a problem or challenge that protagonist faces.

I’m continually amazed at the creativity of these students:  their characters come from all quarters, and many of them are clearly comfortable taking personal risks in their fiction writing.  I’m looking forward to reading their final products, which will undoubtedly include the imagery, metaphor, simile, strong narrative leads, and other tools, which they’ve assimilated through this year’s curriculum.

We’re also reading the historical fiction novel Bound, by Donna Jo Napoli.  This book, full of gorgeous and inspiring prose and imagery, is the re-telling of the classic Cinderella story from the point of view of a Han-dynasty peasant girl.  Xing Xing is on a quest to find a husband for her stepsister, and meets all sorts of adventurous obstacles along the way.  It’s a delightful way in which to introduce the students to the culture and structure of ancient China.

As part of our ancient East Asia unit, we’re also looking forward to a field trip next Thursday to the Asian Art Museum.  The museum staff has created a tour of many of the galleries and a scavenger hunt especially for middle school visitors.  We’re lucky to have such an extraordinary resource just a Muni ride away from school.

And who can forget our pre-Follies activity:  a mock trial based on the last book we read as a class, The Giver.  In pursuit of the essential question “How can we respectfully and successfully persuade others of our views?” students learned the basics of direct and cross-examination, persuasive writing and speaking, and how to sum up arguments at the beginning and end of a trial.  

Even though it’s January already, the year is only half over, and we have a great deal more in store between now and June.  I’m looking forward to accompanying these talented and creative students on that journey.

Mike Orlando

Curriculum Spotlight: Music 1-18-2008

Music notes from Dan  Jan. 18, 2008

    Happy New Year everyone. I hope the holiday season treated you and your family to some relaxation and joy. After the Follies, your kids sure deserved it!  What these children accomplished was truly remarkable, and I’d like to take some time here to key you into how they did it. First, however, I want to thank all of you who helped and supported this effort: whether you made costumes or brought food or helped drive or calmed your child down or just came to the show and applauded like mad; you made Follies possible and wonderful, and your help inspired the kids to do their best. Thank you!

    As I wrote you back in October, the PHS Follies is a unique and powerful tradition that allows children to experience the arts directly and meaningfully.

    Drama, creative writing, music, performance, dance, art, and stage production come alive and take personal meaning for students K through 8. These arts require patience, dedication, focus, physical energy, social skills, creativity, and so much more. Children experience the demands and rewards of rehearsal and practice. As it is with any artist or anyone working on a meaningful task, sometimes the demands seem to overpower the rewards. Still, despite the groans I would hear when I started a new rehearsal, the kids always rose to the task and worked diligently and impressively. As you know, I write all the Follies songs to illustrate and deepen the script that Janna and the 8th Graders come up with. So when the children hear their song for the first time at Halloween, they are starting with something completely new and unknown. From this moment of introduction a tiny idea develops into the major production you witnessed at the Herbst Theater.

    Each class rehearsed several times a week with me, and struggled to find space to learn their choreography simultaneously. Janna, Elizabeth, Emily and Kelly did such a magnificent job of bringing the songs alive with their creative and age-appropriate dances. The excitement and energy in the school as Follies approached was palpable, and the rehearsals required even greater focus. Nervousness and stress could be felt in each room, but also each class found ways to help and support each other to keep on going and get better.

    So basically, I’m letting you know that your children worked incredibly hard, and I imagine that many of them were exhausted as well as exhilarated afterwards. They deserved their vacation indeed. And so did all their teachers, who continued to guide your kids and teach their regular curricula during all the Follies demands on their time.  

    Now that we’re back at school in 2008, I take several lessons to let the students sing the Follies songs of every other class. It’s remarkable to see how clearly they recall the words, feelings and choreography of the other classes. The Follies provides a time of bonding and community that lasts throughout the children’s school years. I hope you enjoyed it and could appreciate the wonderful accomplishments of our children.

    Once more, thank you so much to Janna for her vision and directorial clarity, to all the teachers, to the choreographers, to the students, and to you, the PHS community.

Art for Kids' Sake: What is it?

Art for Kids Sake Auction: March 29st 2008
What is it? FundRaiser? FriendRaiser? FunRaiser?
 Art for Kids Sake Auction is our 4th Annual Fundraiser for PHS showcasing Artworks by local & internationally known artists and featuring our PHS Student’s artwork. We debuted in 2005 to create an event that demonstrated our commitment to the arts, showcased our unique school, and brought together our community. Last year’s event was a rip roaring success and a heck of a lot of fun too! This year we’re steppin’ out to the ArtRageous 1920’s.

What Do I need to Do?
Donate/Solicit: Each family is asked to donate or solicit at least 2 items for the Auction (with $100 minimum total value)
Volunteer: Your help is greatly appreciated & needed.  Find your niche and what you enjoy doing. Volunteering is a great way to meet & work with old and new friends. Sign Up sheets are in the lobby.
Spread the Word: Tell your friends and neighbors about our must see Art Event.