In early July, seventeen remarkable Middle School students will travel to Salzburg, Austria along with SFS music teachers Doug Goodkin, Sofia Lopez-Ibor and James Harding, to perform at the 50th Anniversary of the Orff Institute. They will be performing among music groups from around the globe and have the honor of being the only student group and the only performers from the United States.

 

 

 

This year, during our annual Grandparent and Special Friends Day, the school was honored to welcome Michael and Kitty Dukakis.  Michael is the former three-term Governor of Massachusetts and the Democratic nominee for the Presidency in 1988.  Michael and Kitty are also grandparents of two SFS students.  They spoke to a packed room on the topic of Growing Leaders in a Democratic Society.

 

On the day prior to our Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Governor Dukakis participated in an 8th grade class discussion in a ‘Socratic Seminar’ format.  The class took on the very present and meaningful topic of Osama Bin Laden’s death.  It was an intense, dynamic and rich conversation that found a balance between the students experience spending a majority of their lives in the ‘Bin Laden’ age and his depth of understanding around the complexities and history of the Middle East.

 

Near the conclusion of the conversation, Governor Dukakis made a strong plea to the students to think about what they could do to make a significant difference in this world.  He stressed that they could make a real impact.  His words were heart-felt  about his own story as a child of immigrants, and his deep held belief that nothing should stop our youth in the pursuit of their dreams

  

Founded in 1966, The San Francisco School is a pre k – 8th independent, coeducational day school. The School is an established, vibrant educational community with a multicultural enrollment of 270 students, an experienced and dedicated faculty, and supportive and involved parents. The preschool program centers on the ideas of Maria Montessori. The elementary and middle school program reflects the ideals of a progressive, student-centered approach. The School also includes an extended care program, parent education opportunities, and summer recreational activities. Suitably characterized by a parent as “an urban school with a village atmosphere,” The School embraces San Francisco’s ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity. Our progressive approach to education encourages children to develop self-reliance, solid academic skills, integrity, and a sense of social values. The School is respected for our strong academics, our vibrant community, our personal attention to students, and our dynamic arts program. Our students graduate academically prepared, inquisitive, compassionate, and eager for the challenges ahead.