January 12, 2012

Dear Friends,

The midpoint of the academic year is upon us. Bay basketball and sailing teams are deep into their winter schedules; dozens of students are immersed in rehearsals for the winter musical Footloose coming up on February 9th-12th; the Bay School Model UN delegation is preparing to compete in San Francisco in mid-January and will then travel to participate at the Harvard University MUN conference in February; and the Project Center is the locus of ambitious senior projects and heavily subscribed classes in engineering design and sculpture during this second trimester. Athletics, club activities and multiple service opportunities on campus and off, challenge our students to juggle multiple interests outside the classroom while carrying a demanding course load and striving to reserve a few hours per week to relax and socialize with friends and family.

During this developmental stage in which teenagers are growing and maturing rapidly both mentally and physically, it is beneficial for parents and guardians to constructively support their children as they navigate the opportunities and hazards of adolescence. Extensive research reminds us that sleep and exercise have a dramatic effect on the quality of life for all of us, but especially for adolescents. Evidence suggests that exercise and sleep habits have a significant impact on cognitive efficiency, emotional outlook and energy.

Although it’s unlikely that many teenagers will be able to achieve the nine hours of sleep per night that is recommended as ideal at this developmental stage, adequate sleep is vital and is likely to play a greater dividend in success at school than studying into the wee hours of the morning. Research also suggests that students who experience ongoing sleep deficits—this varies by individual—cannot compensate for lack of sleep during the school week simply by snoozing until noon on weekends.

Similarly, contemporary research emphasizes the extraordinary multiple benefits of aerobic exercise. Harvard Medical School professor John Ratey claims, in his popular book SPARK: the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, that regular aerobic exercise has a dramatic positive effect on the learning efficiency of adolescents—improving their capacity to pay attention, focus, and manage stress.

So, as the school year progresses and presents multiple worthy opportunities for our Bay School students to allocate their time amongst a plethora of activities, an investment in sleep and exercise as a part of a weekly routine may pay vast dividends in well-being and school success.

Sincerely,

Timothy W. Johnson

When speaking about the Bay School’s academic program, one of the comments I hear most often from members of the Bay community as well as from visitors, prospective students and parents, centers around the school's distinctive mission and academic philosophy. "There aren't many schools that have a vision as bold as Bay’s," a prospective parent said to me at a recent admissions event, "and my sense is that there are even fewer that live up to their words the way Bay seems to." Our vision is indeed bold. We are dedicated to the task of preparing our students for lives of engagement and leadership in the complex, unpredictable, rapidly changing world of the 21st century. Our curriculum and methods of teaching expose our students to the areas of knowledge and skills they will be employing decades from now, preparing them to meet future challenges with competence and courage.

Kari Doyle's Genetics and Biotechnology course is a prime example of the Bay School’s approach to learning—demonstrating four key components of a Bay education: new literacies, learning by solving real-world problems, focus on community, and mastery through depth and passion. In a world increasingly shaped by previously unimaginable biological technologies, this upper-level elective course provides our students with literacy and fluency in a discipline which will affect their lives as 21st century citizens and leaders in myriad ways.

Kari is uniquely qualified to design and lead the Genetics and Biotechnology course having earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine. Her hands-on, lab-based approach has the students experiencing biotechnology in authentic contexts, amplifying genetic material the way they would in a forensic or biotech lab, thinking strategically about drug design, and using the recombinant techniques that are at the foundation of genetic engineering. Through working together in groups in class and through engagement with the Bay Area's unparalleled biosciences firms, students in the course deepen their appreciation of the importance of collaboration. Science is a community-based field, both in terms of global collaborations between scientists and their goals to address local and global human needs; Kari's modeling of this interconnectedness helps our students to understand what real science is all about. Genetics and Biotechnology is a course which encourages students to "go deep" for a term into a subject that fascinates and excites them; the experience is often life-shaping for our students, as it was for many in Kari's fall trimester class.

At the Cutting Edge of Science - Experiencing Biotechnology in Action
By Kari Doyle, Ph.D., Science Teacher

Genetics and Biotechnology is an upper-level science elective, offered this year during the fall trimester. The course gives students the opportunity to learn about molecular biology techniques employed in the drug discovery process at modern pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The skills learned in the course build upon those learned in Biology 1 during the sophomore year and in the advanced Biology 2 course offered as an elective to juniors and seniors. Both of these courses introduce key molecular biology techniques, including gel electrophoresis, micro pipetting, and restriction fragment analysis. In Genetics and Biotechnology students deepen their understanding of the field through learning how biological processes can be employed to improve human lives and the health of our planet.

One of the first techniques students learned in Genetics and Biotechnology was how to extract DNA from their own cheek cells, and they found it intriguing that only a few common household items are needed to accomplish this task. Students also advanced their understanding of molecular biology techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacterial transformation. In one lab students isolated their own DNA, amplified it using PCR, and finally, separated the DNA bands with gel electrophoresis. These are the same techniques used to identify individuals from a small biological sample, like that found at a crime scene. In the bacterial transformation—lab students created bacteria that glowed due to the expression of green fluorescent protein! This tied in nicely with the popular science book, Glowing Genes, that they read during the course.

Bay School Mandarin Chinese Classes Awarded “Super Star” Status

Learning Mandarin Chinese certainly isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun, as Bay’s Mandarin 2, 3, and 4 classes discovered during the fall trimester. Encouraged by their teacher, (laoshi), Dennis Yang, the 3 classes immersed themselves in the production of karaoke videos which each class submitted to enter the 2011 Cheng & Tsui Superstar Chinese Karaoke Contest. More than two-hundred and fifty videos were submitted online from middle schools, high schools and universities throughout the U.S. by the November 22nd deadline. A panel of judges selected finalists in the solo and group categories based upon the contestants’ musical abilities, the quality and creativity of the videos, and the contestants’ Chinese pronunciation. The public was then asked to vote online for their favorite video in each category. Bay students emerged victorious, placing 3rd and 4th in the group category. Quite an achievement!

The Voice of Students at Bay – The School Life Committee

The School Life Committee (SLC) was officially launched in February 2011. It was the creation of a very committed and thoughtful task force comprised of students and members of the faculty who volunteered their time to create an organization that would capture the student voice at Bay to ensure that a student perspective is integrated into all aspects of school life—the academic program, clubs and activities, social events, athletics, mission, and the students’ overall experience as part of the Bay School community. The group met several times throughout the spring and fall of 2010 to consider the many different aspects of the student experience at Bay and to identify areas that they wanted to address. The task force also researched and evaluated student government organizations and councils at our fellow independent high schools in the Bay Area.
The result was the birth of the Bay School Life Committee—a group of twelve students comprised of three student representatives from each grade, two teachers selected by the student body, and the dean of students. The SLC works to enhance the quality of life for the school overall and also works closely with the individual class deans to create programs and events for each grade. SLC members serve on three primary committees: the academic committee, the community building committee and the communications committee, ensuring that the student perspective plays a central role in all aspects of life at the Bay School.

Students at Bay play a big role in all aspects of our school. As members of the SLC it’s our job to be in close touch with students so that their opinions and suggestions are considered and valued. Communication is key, so we have set up multiple mechanisms for feedback from the student body. Students connect with the School Life Committee through mediums including email, suggestion boxes and surveys. Thanks to help from Keith Kuwatani and Alan Siu in the IT Office, the SLC has its own mailing list through which students and faculty can send an email with any suggestions or feedback on how to improve school life. The SLC has recently posted a suggestion box in the cafeteria close to the busing station to help students submit their thoughts anonymously. In addition to these two forms of communication, the SLC also sends surveys to the student body to obtain quantitative data on what students wish to see happen. Last year, SLC members composed a lunch menu survey asking students which lunches they prefer. We then sent this feedback to our on-site caterer Acre Gourmet, who took this data into consideration while constructing their lunch menus for this year.

There are wonderful new faces in the Bay School Development Office this year. Many of you have met Mary Bourke, who arrived at the Bay School to assume her position as director of development in September. Mary brings an extensive background in both fundraising and communications; most recently she served for five years as the director of communications and alumni relations at the Branson School in Marin. Prior to that Mary operated her own communications consulting business for many years. She earned her BA in English and Spanish from UC Berkeley and a Master's in International Marketing from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Mary and her husband Anthony live in Marin and have three children, two of whom are in college and one in high school.

Arkady Litvak joined Bay in October as development database manager. Arkady brings an extensive database background to the Bay Development Office. He has most recently worked at The Christensen Fund and UC Hastings College of Law, and has also worked in development for the French American School and the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

Our newest member of the development team is Amy Cohen, who officially started in early December as the new fundraising and special events manager. She will be coordinating the annual Bay Splash community fundraising event along with many other events and projects. Amy has worked most recently at the Discovery Museum in Sausalito as the membership assistant. A native of Illinois and graduate of the College of Wooster in Ohio with a BA in History, Amy brings a solid background in non-profit events, fundraising, and database knowledge.

The whole team is delighted to be at Bay. They have very much enjoyed meeting many members of the community so far, and look forward to getting to know more of you in the coming months.

The 2011-2012 Bay School Annual Fund – An Insider’s Perspective:
Why We’re All in This Together

Fellow Bay Parents,

Four years ago we were on the cusp of sending in high school applications for our son Will. At that time the Bay School was the new school on the block and other schools had more established academic, arts, and sports reputations. Now, as our son is sending in the last of his college applications we look back with the conviction that the Bay School was unequivocally the best decision. Why?

Bay, in contrast to the school our daughter attended, is not an academic boot camp with all the attendant pressures that are associated with an overly competitive environment. However, Bay’s environment is challenging, engaging, provocative and relevant, which we believe will serve our son in the long run.

Loving to learn is a gift.

Arts, sports, and extracurricular activities are accessible to all students. It is not all about recruiting the best club players or the virtuoso artists. If a student wishes to participate, he or she is welcomed with open arms. I will always remember a JV soccer game when Will’s team was being trounced by one of the Marin schools. Toward the end of the game I looked over to the Bay sidelines and it was light-hearted and supportive. And, despite leading by 7 goals, the mood of the other team was still serious, with no smiles.

The social environment has a fundamentally different feel than other schools. It is hard to put my finger on this one…the magnificent setting; daily all-school morning meetings; the lunch program where students and faculty eat together; the school-provided laptops; the Intersession and Outing Club programs that are by design accessible to all (e.g., some independent schools offer weeklong trips to places like Spain or Costa Rica for those who can afford it); all appear to contribute to a social environment that is less stratified and more inclusive…at the end of the day, more supportive of being a kid.

All of this of course takes leadership, a great faculty, support staff, resources, and ultimately parents who embrace the mission of the school. We hope you will join our family in PARTICIPATING and making a gift to Bay’s 2011-2012 Annual Fund in an amount that works for you. My fellow parent volunteers and I are aiming for 100% parent participation, as this sends a clear message to the entire Bay community that we’re all in this together.

Best wishes to you and your family.
Jim and Susan Sano
(Will ’12)

This year the Bay School Sailing Team wrapped up its fall season with a two-day regatta in Newport Beach. After 3 months of practice and regattas, the Bay Sailing Team raced against nearly sixty other schools in southern California. Our scores improved over last year’s, and the team’s progress over this past season became clear. The sailing program underwent significant changes this year: new coaches Adam Corpuz-Lahne and Brent Harrill lead the team at practices, the sailors were divided into varsity and JV squads based on experience, and the sheer number of sailors grew dramatically over previous years. With many freshmen, along with several returning sailors joining the team, we competed in more regattas. The Bay School was represented at regattas all over the Bay Area, confirming the school’s position as an active contender in our league.

Bay Model United Nations Club Participates in Stanford Conference

A group of ten members of the Bay School Model United Nations Club, accompanied by teachers Robin Workman and Craig Miller, participated in a three-day Model U.N. Conference hosted by Stanford University on November 4th-6th. More than seven hundred high school students from forty schools throughout the country attended the conference which was organized by the Society for International Affairs at Stanford. The purpose of SMUNC is to enable its delegates to gain a better understanding of international issues and politics, and the systems behind them. The small committee format challenges delegates to research, negotiate, collaborate, and think creatively in order to solve a wide variety of environmental, scientific, political, health, and judicial issues that face citizens of the world today.

Enjoy the sample reflections of Bay School delegates below and visit the Bay Blog to read reports from additional delegates.

Julia Nierenberg – Class of 2013
At the Stanford MUN I represented Mexico and served on the committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The two topics we discussed were secondary education in developing countries and maintaining clean, sustainable water in developing countries. For the first time, I wrote and sponsored a resolution which was passed by the committee. We discussed current and future policies within countries involving issues of human rights and female education. Our committee also created new organizations, one called Water without Borders (modeled after Doctors without Borders). I was pleased to receive the Best Delegate award, the highest committee honor, and took home an awesome gavel. It was an exciting experience and I cannot wait for the upcoming Harvard Model UN!

Danielle Rosenthal – Class of 2015
The Stanford Model United Nations was an excellent overall experience for my first MUN conference. As a member of the U.N. Environmental Program committee, I had the opportunity to discuss and learn about water conservation and urban environmental planning throughout the world; two topics that I am passionate about. Our committee discussed the water needs of developed and under-developed countries and how to meet water needs in sustainable ways. We debated the use of water purification methods such as desalinization and other filtration systems. At the end, we passed a resolution creating a new fund to pay for water filtration projects, along with encouraging research and educating people about the severity of the water crisis.

Rintaro Moriyasu – Class of 2013
I served on U.S. SOCOM, which is the U.S. Special Operations Command, as the secretary of Homeland Security. It was a small committee of thirteen members and crisis-focused. We dealt with two crises. The first entailed finding a bomb in San Francisco and facing a group of terrorists on the Bay Bridge, and the second involved stopping terrorist activities in Baltimore. Both of these crises directly involved me because Homeland Security is responsible for handling domestic security situations. Members of the committee debated over jurisdiction; domestic agencies fought each other for jurisdiction over domestic crises, and international agencies competed against each other for jurisdiction. I was awarded honorable mention for my work on the committee and learned a lot.

Gemma Baumer – Class of 2013
I represented Mexico on the UN Development Program committee. Our two issues were enabling free and fair elections in developing countries and security at international sporting events. I worked with delegates representing France and Ireland on a resolution to promote education. Our resolution recognized the long-term importance of education as a means to achieve an educated populace that will exercise its right to vote. I pointed out that in my neighboring country, the United States, though citizens have the right to vote, many ignore this right and don’t go to the polls. Additionally, we were presented with two crises. The first was a 9.9 earthquake in San Francisco, on which I worked with the United States and China to address the danger of nuclear power leaks, and the second crisis was that our delegate from Egypt was kidnapped. At the end, I won a verbal commendation. It was an altogether very positive experience!  

Amanda Crego-Emley – Class of 2013
I represented Mexico on the World Health Organization (WHO) and we discussed promoting health and sanitation during war and among minority tribes. Working with several countries, the delegate from Pakistan and I drafted a resolution that advocated the creation of a WHO task force of doctors to partner with NGOs in an effort to bring aid and promote education about basic health practices in refugee camps. We drew our inspiration from a similar system that is currently operating successfully in Pakistan. I had a very positive experience and I really appreciated that so many delegates endeavored to accurately represent their countries’ views.

Read more about the Stanford Model UN Conference on the Bay Blog

Winter Musical Footloose Coming in February to the Bay Stage

Get ready to dance in the aisles as the Emmy-nominated musical Footloose explodes onto the Bay School stage for a four-night run from February 9th-12th at the Southside Theater at Ft. Mason. Directed by drama teacher Katherine Riley and featuring classic 80’s anthems including Holding Out For a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For the Boy, and Footloose, a large Bay cast and orchestra will transport the audience to life in small-town Beaumont which is peaceful until city boy Ren arrives. Breaking every taboo, Ren brings dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy and falls in love in the process. Based on the hit 80’s movie, Footloose has become a stage musical phenomenon that Variety calls “a celebration of youthful independence...genuine artistry and innovation and terrific tunes.”

Tickets will be available online beginning on January 18th. Make your reservations early because we anticipate a sell-out!

The Bay School – First Graduate Tutoring Program

The First Graduate academic enrichment program helps kids from underserved San Francisco schools become the first in their families to complete high school and attend college. Headquartered in the Presidio, this non-profit organization makes a ten-year commitment to students and their families through providing year-round academic tutoring and enrichment programs beginning when students enter 7th grade, as well as ongoing mentoring and college admission counseling. With assistance from Program Director Anthony Mickens and Academic Associate Megan Stallworth, students from The Bay School of San Francisco volunteer as academic coaches to provide after-school tutoring. The after-school program for high school and middle school students takes place on the Bay campus on Monday through Thursday afternoons each week with the participation of Bay School student volunteers.

The Bay School Olympic Games have become a cherished tradition that plays a big role in boosting school spirit and the closeness of the entire Bay community. In fall 2010 Freshman Class Dean Matt Hannibal, Dean of Students Julie Taufa’asau, Madeline Spolin ’11 and I came together with the idea of creating a series of school activities that would be both fun and involve all students. After considering a number of different ideas, we all agreed upon the idea of organizing an annual series of Olympic game activities.

We began by planning a winter holiday theme event in December 2010 and decided to have the entire school decorate gingerbread villages. We made the competition a (friendly) battle of the grades, and within each grade students were organized by advisory groups. The results were fantastic! The day of the event the whole school really got into the spirit. The kitchen served a special holiday lunch, decorations were all around the campus, and students were excited to participate in some healthy holiday competition. Everyone had a blast, and for us as a committee our work felt very rewarding and gave us the enthusiasm to continue. The gingerbread village event was another big hit during the recent 2011 holiday season!

Congratulations to the following members of the Bay School community
for their recent achievements and accolades:

Bay Senior Jose Godinez has been nominated for the 2011 Heart of Marin Award for Youth Volunteer of the Year for his work on creating the Six Pots Program. As Jose explains: “When the financial crisis hit my community in the Canal District of San Rafael I looked for ways to make food affordable. The idea for my Six Pots Program—giving free pots, fertilizer and seeds so families can grow their own organic produce—came from my father who turned our 6’ x 8’ apartment balcony into a garden where tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro thrive. I was awarded a grant from the Youth Leadership Institution and met with community organizations to create a supply chain. Today, I am proud to say there are six families who put their faith in this program and my community now has several balcony gardens providing families with their own free, sustainable, fresh organic produce.” Congratulations Jose!

Bay School alumnus Kento Mizuno ’11 was featured in the November 2011 issue of Digital Photographer magazine as a noted “Up and Coming” photographer. This recognition highlights Kento’s many photographic achievements which include internships with a National Geographic photographer and several nature photography awards including a high school scholarship sponsored by the North American Nature Photography Association. His photographs are featured in private collections in Paris New York and San Francisco. Kento currently attends Middlebury College.

Visit Kento’s website to see more of his incredible photographic work. Bravo!

Bay School alumnus Daniel Rathman ’08 is writing in the major leagues! He was recently appointed as Editor in Chief of the Tufts Daily, the independent student newspaper at Tufts University where Daniel is currently in his senior year. He began his career at the Daily in his freshman year as a sportswriter. Daniel has been a life-long sports fan and began sports writing while in high school at Bay. He is also on the writing staff at Baseball Prospectus, one of the most trusted and admired online sports sites.

Read Daniel’s recent BP First Take articles. Congratulations Daniel!

Bay School alumna Victoria Holt ‘08 has recently published a book titled: Study Away in New Orleans: Local Realities, Global Issues that chronicles her experiences living, learning and laboring in the Big Easy on a study away course sponsored by Seattle University where Vicky is a senior. “The sociology class taught students about the social and cultural history of New Orleans, and immersed us in the local realities of the region. We volunteered with different organizations and spoke to many artists and hurricane survivors about their experiences. This book reflects upon the experiences I had while in New Orleans, and I encourage other students to go on the trip as well.” says Vicky.

Preview and purchase Vicky’s book online.

January-February 2012 Events Calendar