January 7, 2011
Happy 2011 to everyone, and welcome back. Inevitably, each new year brings with it a time to reflect on the year before. I considered the progress our school has made over the past year and was pleased to think back on the achievements we’ve made with the support of our community. There is one program in particular that has garnered much support and interest over the past few years, and I wanted to share a report on its progress thus far – our Differentiated Instruction program.
Posted in Head of School
December 3, 2010
For the first time, SFDS observed two non-school days dedicated to faculty professional development, prior to our Thanksgiving break. This was significant because while I often hear teachers ask for thoughtful feedback on their teaching, they are always reluctant to take time away from the students. Carving time out of the school year for professional development requires careful thought and planning.
Posted in Head of School
October 8, 2010
Dr. Jones’ topic is developing culturally competent leadership skills for the 21st century. Consistent with SFDS’ commitment to diversity, Dr. Jones’ theoretical framework and interactive exercises will teach us (and our children) how to respect and value all members of our community, and thereby enable all of us to “bring our whole selves to school,” unleashing the talent and critical thinking within our community.
Posted in Head of School
September 4, 2010
Welcome back to School. The optimistic energy that surged through the school on Wednesday is such a treasure. The opportunity to be working in a community dedicated to providing for children in a deep and meaningful way should continually be acknowledged, appreciated and relished.
Posted in Head of School, Leadership
September 2, 2010
Last week I met with a group of high school sophomores who had graduated from the Day School just two years ago. They had just finished their finals and realized they had managed to navigate successfully the world of high school, which they told me was way harder than Upper School at SF Day. I asked them what they remembered about their time here that was helpful and should be preserved.
Posted in Head of School, Leadership
June 4, 2010
I don’t know how it happened, but the school year is nearly over. And what a wonderful year it has been. A couple of themes stand out for me. First, the level of parent participation in our school and the quality of that participation has been particularly deep, substantive and energizing. Second the faculty’s engagement with our major educational priorities – Differentiated Instruction and Diversity – has been deep, substantive and energizing. (Oops, I am repeating myself!).
Posted in Head of School
April 8, 2010
During this year’s Special Friends and Grandparents Day, we recreated the popular eighth grade panel that plays such a central role during the admission process. Prospective parents have been consistently impressed by the substance of the comments our eighth graders share, as well as their poise and eloquence speaking in front of hundreds of adults. As such, we thought it would be meaningful to share this experience with our grandparents.
Posted in Head of School
March 6, 2010
The Community Listening Forums were completed with vigorous and substantive participation by parents, teachers, alumni, trustees, and former trustees. SDFS will soon be launching an online opportunity for all those who were unable to attend the Community Listening Forums. We strongly encourage you to offer your thoughts and ideas through the online forums. The link will be sent to you this week.
Posted in Head of School
February 8, 2010
It is now both a truism and a cliché that we are immersed in an incessant stream of information provided by rapidly evolving technology. As we begin a strategic thinking process to answer the question, “What should a 21st Century Education be for SFDS?” this change in the availability of information is a key parameter.
Consider the following: When I first addressed the upper school students about the earthquake in Haiti, I posed the question, “What are the causes of poverty in Haiti?”
Posted in Head of School
October 16, 2009
As I walked into an eighth grade math class with the students last week, the teacher was projecting the day’s Challenge Problem on the board. As I took a seat, the students plopped their books on their desks and grabbed personal slates and markers. They sat down and started working on the problem: “If N is the square of an integer, what is the square of the next integer?”
The students began finishing their work within the traditional five-minute time period allotted to answer that day’s iteration of the daily math challenge. I was frozen.
Posted in Head of School, Leadership
