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May 09, 2008
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From the Parents Association 5-9-2008
On behalf of the Parents Association, we would like to thank:
Nicole Grindle, Audrey Sadler, Jaime Thomas, Iris Krause, Deirdre Kelly, John O'Connell, Julie Lepinard, Martin Gross, Patty Jepson, Mike Orlando and the many parent and faculty volunteers who made Mayfest such a huge success. Despite the early morning lack of sunshine, the sense of community and school spirit was warmly felt by everyone. The poetry and music program, food and games were wonderful and kept everyone entertained and deliciously well fed! This week we continue to enjoy reading the children's poetry in our 2008 Mayfest Book and we’re amazed by the talent of our PHS student body.
We very much appreciate the hours of hard work and preparation that went into putting the Mayfest celebration together. You were all so organized that you made it seem easy and effortless, allowing all of us to really enjoy the day. We hope that the sweep across the field at the end of the event becomes a new PHS tradition, making clean-up, a dreaded job, fun for all who participated.
Thank you for giving the PHS community such a memorable day.
Kimberley Spears & Regina Casciato
Also: Check out the latest edition of the Parents Education Network Newsletter by clicking here.
Upcoming Events 5-9-2008
UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS:
• May 19–23–ERB Testing, Grades 3–5, and 8th Grade
• May 22–Corporation Night, 6:30 PM, childcare by reservation only
• May 24–31–8th Grade Trip to 4 Corners
• May 26–Memorial Day (School Closed), no childcare
• May 27–30–ERB Testing, Grades 6–7
• June 3–2nd to 3rd Step Up Day
• June 11–Step Up Day
• June 12–Last Day of School for LS Students
• June 13–Graduation! Grades 6–8 required to attend.
Please check the announcements below for more information about many of these events.
Click here for a downloadable calendar of events for May 2008
Click here for a downloadable calendar of events for June 2008
Click here for a downloadable 2007-2008 School Year Calendar
Please click below for a copy of the DRAFT 2008-2009 School Year Calendar. Please note, the later start date is due to construction on the second floor (installing new flooring) which predicates a three-day later start to the school year.
Click here for a downloadable DRAFT 2008-2009 School Year Calendar
Spring Corporation Meeting
Spring Corporation Meeting Notice
Thursday, May 22, 2008
at Presidio Hill School
6:30 – 8:30 P.M.
Presidio Hill School bylaws require that members of the Corporation meet twice a year to review the school’s business. You are part of the Corporation, so please plan to attend. Among other things, we will be hearing from the Director, the Board and the Parents Association, presenting the slate of board trustees and giving out the Dan Duven Volunteer of the Year Award.
The second half of the evening is spent with your child’s teachers for next year, learning about important activities for 2008–2009.
Click here to download information about voting for next year’s board slate. You can cast your vote by placing your ballot in the box in the PHS lobby or by voting online anytime before May 22. You can go online to vote at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=lnFsesfjVYda6RP9w3VR5g_3d_3d
Evening Schedule
6:30 BUSINESS MEETING/FULL GROUP MEETING
• Director’s report
• Report from Anne Regenstein, Board President
• Report from Parents Association
• Elect board members (if necessary, see enclosed information and bios)/ Election Results
• Dan Duven Volunteer of the Year Award
• Closing
7:30 CLASS MEETINGS – Visit your classroom for next year
8:30 ADJOURNMENT
Childcare available:
Childcare is available by reservation only and at no cost on Thursday, May 22, 2008 during the Corporation Night Meeting from 6:30-8:30pm. A light meal will be provided. Reservations must be made by Monday, May 19. Drop-ins will not be allowed. Contact Raymi at raymi_orozco@presidiohill.org or at 751-9318 x.130.
Announcements 5-9-2008
Childcare announcements for the month of May 2008
May 16~LS Early Dismissal
Childcare is available by reservation only for the lower school on Friday, May 16, 2008 beginning at 12:00pm. Regular after-school rates will apply. Reservations must be made by Monday, May 12. Drop-ins will not be allowed. Contact Raymi at raymi_orozco@presidiohill.org or at 751-9318 x.130. Also, please remember to provide lunch for your child(ren). **Please note that Tree Frog Treks and Fencing will be in session on 5/16.
May 22~Corporation Night Meeting
Childcare is available by reservation only and at no cost on Thursday, May 22, 2008 during the Corporation Night Meeting from 6:30-8:30pm. A light meal will be provided. Reservations must be made by Monday, May 19. Drop-ins will not be allowed. Contact Raymi at raymi_orozco@presidiohill.org or at 751-9318 x.130.
Library Announcements:
The library blog has been updated! Check it out: http://www.presidiohill.org/books/
~LAST DAY TO CHECK BOOKS OUT FROM THE PHS LIBRARY IS MONDAY MAY 19TH.
~8TH GRADERS AND STUDENTS NOT RETURNING IN FALL MUST RETURN OR REPLACE ALL BOOKS BY FRIDAY, MAY 23RD.
~ALL OTHER STUDENTS AND PARENTS MUST RETURN ALL BOOKS BY FRIDAY, MAY 30TH.
Project Eye to Eye
Next week (May 12th – 14th), a group of students from Project Eye to Eye from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade will have an art show demonstrating their work from the past three months. Project Eye to Eye at PHS is a mentoring activity putting together older students (high school-age) and younger students who have learning differences. Project Eye to Eye was started on the East Coast on the campus of Brown University by Jonathon Mooney and David Flink.
Click here to download a flyer which is an invitation for the entire PHS community to come to the art opening featuring the work of our own students in collaboration with their mentors from many different high schools around San Francisco. The Project Eye to Eye student coordinator is Natalie Tamburello.
In addition to the art show, two filmmakers from HBO will be taping the art show as well as the students in Project Eye to Eye and the 4th Grade class for a documentary about overcoming learning difference. Susan and Allan Raymond have won awards (Emmys and an Academy Award) for their moving portrayals of people overcoming significant odds to achieve great things. Check out their films on their website at Vide Verite at http://www.videoverite.tv/pages/biomain.html. For more info, click here to download the letter to the 4th grade families.
If you have any questions about this project, art show, or documentary, please email me or stop by and see me.
Take care,
Brian
Bike to Work Day!
Gear up! It's Bike to Work Day this Thursday, May 15. Join us, along with thousands of other San Franciscans as we bike, pedal and cruise to work and school. This Thursday, on Bike to Work Day, volunteers will cheer you along
your route at over 25 SFBC Energizer Stations. Stop by to grab a reusable shopping tote filled with goodies, load up on free coffee, snacks, then arrive feeling healthy, upbeat, and energized. See a map of Energizer
Station locations at http://www.sfbike.org/btwd.
Need help to get rolling for Bike to Work Day? Try just biking to (or from) school, or find a friend to ride with! If you want to join a group rolling from Precita Park down Valencia street, Octavia & Webster email Adra (adra_valentine@presidiohill.org) for details. The SFBC has lots of great resources to get you started for Bike to Work Day: Urban cycling classes and workshops, a free Bike Buddy Matching Program, commuting tips, tricks, and more. Check out http://www.sfbike.org.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest Results!
The May Fest Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest was a tasty success, thanks to all our fabulous judges & talented bakers. Every recipe was a winner! Special thanks to Team Captains Isabel Honig Schroedel (Cookie Monster Team) & Lisa Honig (Cookie Maven Team) and to invaluable volunteers Toby Morris, Dale Schroedel, Arnie Davis, and the many others who stepped in to help.
And the winners are:
GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST COOKIE: JANIS RAFFA & SARAH ZAMIR
1ST PRIZE COOKIE MONSTER (KIDS) TEAM: JANIS RAFFA & SARAH ZAMIR
1ST PRIZE COOKIE MAVEN (ADULTS) TEAM: JANE ABAD-COLOSIMO
DELICIOUS MENTION: VIRGIL PRYOR
Curriculum Spotlight: 8th Grade Humanitites 5-9-2008
8th Grade Social Justice Capstone
Trevor McNeil
As I end my latest chapter of involvement with this school whose doors I've been walking through for 43% of my young life, I've been reflecting on legacies: what I have been given by the school and by my students, and what I have tried to gift to my school and students.
For much of last year I spent a great deal of time and energy creating a social justice capstone for the 8th grade experience. This year we're doing it again and it is just as wonderful
We spend the entire spring semester studying social justice.
The semester has four curricular units – the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam protest movement and (in preparation for our service-learning/cultural exchange trip to the Four Corners) American Indians. These correspond to thematic units – identity, social justice case studies, choosing to participate, social responsibility and social action.
As the weather gets better and students begin to mentally transition to high school, this semester is an exciting, mature-topic-offering of subjects and opportunities for students to guide the class and go out into the real world to make a real difference. The entire semester is geared towards action–students choose a social justice problem, write a major (8-10 pages) research paper about it, and then design and execute an action around it.
We spend a great deal of class time on these projects, and all the glory is due to the 8th graders. Here is the class of 2008 social justice problems and planned actions:
- Domestic violence – babysitting to raise money for organizations
- Cyber predators – presentations to 4th and 5th grade classes, sharing information with other schools to do similar presentations
- Steroid use in sports – PHS assembly, letter-writing campaign to SF school board to have more purposeful PE-anitdrug education
- Education inequalities – tutoring lower-income students in San Francisco
- Rainforest deforestation's effects on indigenous peoples – create a website to raise awareness, publicizing the issue/website
- Hate crimes – fundraise for a local organization that works on tolerance education
- Ocean debris pollution – letter-writing campaign to companies known to pollute, awareness campaign about the pacific trash pile
- AIDS – organize and fundraise for a PHS contingent in this summer's AIDS walk in San Francisco
- Childhood obesity – volunteer with youth sports program, work for organizations providing organic food/gardens for public schools
- Illiteracy – book drive
- Death penalty – sidewalk chalking facts around the issue to raise awareness
- Playgrounds in poorer neighborhoods – volunteer to maintain a playground with the Neighborhood Parks Council
- Cultural competence – prepare assembly/worksheet for San Francisco schools and diversity advocates to give to kids
- Mental health and homelessness – organize fieldtrip to Glide's soup kitchen for 8th grade, volunteer on her own at Glide
- Childhood obesity – volunteer with youth sports program, work for organizations providing organic food/gardens for public schools
- Education for kids with disabilities – volunteer in afterschool program for children with learning differences
- Poverty and homelessness – organize fieldtrip to Glide's soup kitchen for 8th grade, bake sale to raise money for Home Away from Homelessness
- Animal fighting – volunteer for SPCA
- Overfishing – hand out Monterey Bay Aquarium's sustainable seafood pamphlet at supermarkets and fish restaurants to raise awareness among consumers
- immigration – attend and share experiences around May Day protests, PHS assembly presentation
- Animal cruelty – pet-sit to raise money for shelters
- Toxic dumping in the ocean – raise awareness and organize boycott of known polluters
- Gay rights – distribute flyers about political action around marriage equality in California
- Media addiction among youth – letter writing campaign to all Bay Area newspaper editors to raise awareness
- Voter registration and underrepresented groups – work with Rock the Vote
- Rise of white supremacy groups – create posters to tell kids how to report hate crimes
- Youth gang violence – work with the Beat Within (literary magazine for incarcerated youth) and All Stars Mural (art project in Tenderloin being coordinated by PHS alum Olivia Park)
These are inspirational to me as a teacher. They all need our support and encouragement as they go out into the big ol' world.
As a PHS-fan who is also wrenchingly going out in the big ol' world, I find a comforting need to reflect on this semester. It reminds me that legacy making is fundamentally what teaching is about. For a school that has had a social-justice emphasis, in one form or another, for 90 years (and as a graduate of that school) I carry that legacy. The legacy will continue in the 8th grade curriculum next year. The legacy will continue with these 8th graders moving on into high school.
It's been an amazing blessing to come back to PHS and get back in touch with the legacies of the past. It's been a much bigger blessing getting to know my students and getting to work towards legacies for the future.