September 15, 2011
Homa Hanjani
Director of Admissions
We have just welcomed an amazing group of new students and families to our community, which makes it hard to believe that it is, once again, time to begin admission season.
Can you remember the time when you first learned about SFDS? For most of us it was not right at the [...]
Posted in Administrative Team
September 13, 2011
In the 21st century, essential habits of mind such as capacity for sustained effort, perseverance, resilience in the face of difficulty, and the skill to engage and organize complex learning tasks will enable our children to have courage in the face of confusing challenges and to think outside of the box.
Posted in Featured Excerpts, Head of School, Leadership
September 13, 2011
This year, Nancy Clark, Head of Upper School, is collaborating with Joel Young to co-teach sixth grade history. Sue Collentine, Head of Lower School, recently sat down with Ms. Clark to talk about her return to the classroom.
Posted in Administrative Team, Featured Excerpts, Leadership
September 13, 2011
Vanessa Alexander
Director of Development
The Development Office wishes you a warm welcome back after a busy summer. I am delighted to begin the 2011-12 school year in my new role as Director of Development. This is San Francisco Day School’s 30th Anniversary and we will continue to celebrate this milestone throughout the year ahead.
The Development Office [...]
Posted in Administrative Team
June 10, 2011
Welcome honored guests, parents, family members, relatives, friends, faculty and graduates. It’s been an amazing run; nine years. You have lived through one of the most amazing decades in our nation’s and world’s history. And not only have you survived – you have thrived, stayed grounded and shaped your own lives through it all.
Posted in Head of School
June 6, 2011
Standardized achievement tests such as ERB tests provide useful information to both the school and families, but it is important to understand the implications of this type of testing. At SFDS, we believe that a comprehensive assessment must include a variety of techniques not limited to standardized testing alone*, but also including an analysis of a student’s portfolio of his/her actual school work, direct observation of teaching and curriculum reviews benchmarked against state and national standards.
Posted in Administrative Team
April 4, 2011
At SFDS, as in every independent school, teachers and administrators have the freedom to shape the program, practice, and methods of the school, but every 6 years we have the responsibility to explain and justify those choices in order to remain members of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).
Posted in Administrative Team, Featured Excerpts
April 4, 2011
As the admission season comes to an end, I would like to sincerely thank all of you for helping us share our school with the larger San Francisco community. Interview after interview, I have heard how comforting it is to walk through this school and interact with compassionate and warm parents and staff. Our strong sense of community is deeply felt by all who visit.
Posted in Administrative Team
March 12, 2011
During a parent education seminar last week, parents and I explored 1) the behavioral contexts in which perseverance emerges and 2) the mindsets necessary to actually persevere when the task is difficult. The following recaps the first half of our discussion, and next month’s blog will focus on creating and defining the mindset needed in order to persevere in the face of an especially daunting or challenging task.
Posted in Head of School, Leadership
