Presidio Hill School Weekly News

February 27, 2004

From the director:

I am writing to give you a brief update on my health, and to offer my heartfelt thanks to the PHS community. The past month has been challenging for me—I am not accustomed to being weak and tired, or even to being at home—but I am recovering well, thanks to overwhelming support from family and friends. Chemotherapy started yesterday and is scheduled to last until mid-June; I am eager to get on with it, and to continue my progress towards good health.

The point of my letter this week is to acknowledge the extraordinary love and support I have received from families and staff at PHS, and to thank you all. From the very first day in the hospital and continuing still, there have been PHS people by my side, both literally and figuratively. So many things have come to cheer me up: food, flowers, valentines, CDs, soap, books, cards and letters from kids and adults. Each offering has touched my heart or brought a smile to my face. The board sent a DVD player to keep me entertained, and the gay & lesbian parent/staff group sent a freezer to accommodate the delicious food provided by various families. PHS folks have provided airport runs for my mother and sisters, as well as regular deliveries of meals and other treats. My family members, who have been flying into San Francisco to take care of me, are dazzled by the quality of care and attention emanating from school. The positive thoughts from all of you truly make a huge difference in my recovery—thank you, thank you.

I also want to thank the administrators and teachers who have risen to this occasion with such aplomb. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to be so confident that school is in utterly competent hands. My absence creates extra work all around, yet knowing that Ann and everyone else is handling things so well contributes mightily to my peace of mind and therefore to my healing. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated, talented crew taking care of the ship.

To all of you, I send my deep appreciation and best wishes. I miss seeing your children! Carey

From The Deans

Today we bade ‘happy travels’ to our eighth graders as they depart for Costa Rica. The students and families have worked tirelessly to fundraise for a trip of this enormity. Congratulations and many thanks to those who planned, baked, cooked, and performed to exceed the initial fund raising goal. Such diligence has culminated in a trip that is service oriented, incorporates experiential learning and allows for cultural exchange. We look forward to learning about the students’ travels through their journal entries, stories, and photographs.

Adam, Andria, and Josefina are chaperoning the 8th grade trip to Costa Rica. We have hired two substitute teachers to cover the math and Spanish classes in their absence. Silvana Pazmino will sub for Andria/Josefina and Rebecca Williams will stand in for Adam. The subs will assume all teaching responsibilities and duties. I am available, however, to answer any questions routinely handled by the advisors.

The 7th grade will begin working on the 2004 Yearbook during the spring semester of Self & Community. Taking the lead on such a huge project is both exciting and demanding; the students are anxious to begin their work. The yearbook staff will consist of various committees (i.e. photography, advertising, layout, production). The 8th grade will remain responsible for creating individual pages and the yearbook theme. Classes will meet next week with Linda and Phil, former technical consultants, to learn yearbook basics.

Study skills will become a large part of the 6th grade Self and Community curriculum in the weeks to come. We utilized some class time to discuss various learning styles last semester, however more time would be useful. It’s obvious that no two people study the same way and developing effective study skills would benefit every student. Students will learn general techniques (scheduling, note taking, outlining, previewing) to further develop their study skills/habits.

On another note, middle school hiring is well underway. We have posted announcements for two full-time teaching positions, math/science and humanities. We have received numerous resumes for the positions and anticipate filling the positions by mid-April.

Have a great weekend!

Karen Amaker
Middle School Dean

From the director:		Curriculum Spotlight - Middle School Math - Jono Schrode
We’ve had a quite a week at PHS. Columnist Joan Ryan met with our seventh graders as part of a unit on editorial writing. Story teller and artist Ane Carla Rovetta captivated the whole school with stories from around the world and led several classes in drawing activities to accompany the stories. First graders hung out with the penguins at the zoo, diligently making note of their observations on clipboards. Patty returned from Egypt with a store house of new information and several photo albums to share with our second and third grade classrooms. Eighth graders put finishing touches on their self-portrait prints for the Spring Fling. Board members spent time observing in classrooms. And these are just a few of our activities from the past week! It’s a busy time of year. This is also the time of year when staffing plans for next year begin to develop and teachers who are moving on let us know their plans. Adam Piandes and Reena Panchal have decided to pursue other interests and will not be returning to PHS next year. Adam and Reena have shared of themselves in important ways and made valuable contributions to the children’s lives and the adults at PHS. We will miss them both! Adam has been an integral part of the middle school during the past three years as the middle school has grown. He will be pursuing his passion in physical fitness training with young people and adults. Reena jumped into our third grade classroom this year full of ideas and enthusiasm for a new school and a new grade level. She is now looking forward to traveling and graduate school in education. Please join me in wishing both of them the best of luck in their new adventures. And I’ve already added them to our substitute list for next year! As we prepare to “leap” into March, I am looking forward to seeing you at the Spring Fling on Saturday, March 13th. This is a wonderful opportunity for PHS adults to come together and have fun while supporting our school. It truly is a community event – as so many of you know who are hard at work making the event come alive. The music, dancing and yummy Caribbean fare are all lined up so all we need now is YOU! Please make sure to get your RSVP cards to the development office. Ann Meissner Acting Director, Lower School Dean, Learning Specialist		Welcome to the antics of my recent world! The third floor of the middle school has become a realm built all around the theme of nearly constant motion, both in the literal specifics of the curriculum and in the actual dynamics of students’ activities. Beginning in mid November and culminating in January, Adam’s and my sixth grade math classes immersed themselves in mazes of all sorts, shapes, and sizes. After looking at some of their historical and cultural roots, (do you know that there is a distinct difference between a “maze” and a “labyrinth”? I didn’t!) we experimented with various approaches to navigating and solving these elaborate puzzles, and then used that experience to begin designing and creating our own. Particularly important in these efforts was a continuing review and application of systems of measurement, graphical representations, and extensive use of ratio and proportion as students scaled their productions into a wide range of enlargements and reductions. The final phase of the unit transformed Adam’s math room floor into a 300 square foot design composed of ten interlocking designs, each of which was independently created by a different small group of sixth grade collaborators, but which as a whole formed one complete maze with a unique solution path that meandered among all of the multicolored regions. The pathways were only an inch or two too narrow for the feet of middle school kids, but we solved that problem by inviting Steve’s and Sharon’s kindergarten class to make the “big trip upstairs” and try it themselves, with sixth grade tour hosts to guide their journeys. At the unit’s conclusion, Adam and I agreed that not only was this project a mathematically substantial and satisfying success for our students, but that it was also one of the most fun special activities in which we’ve ever participated. We intend to make it a regular part of the future middle school curriculum. Perhaps someday sooner than it may now feel, the same pioneer explorers from this year’s first floor will enjoy the chance to create their own challenges for another generation of PHS students. - Jono Schrode
		Special Announcements from the PHS Staff
		Dear PHS Families, I am writing to inform the P.H.S. community that I will not be returning as the middle school math teacher next year. Over the past few days I have spoken to all middle school students to inform them of my decision; it hasn’t been easy. I took the job at PHS three years ago, upon moving to San Francisco, and have had an amazing experience sharing my days with your children and the wonderful community that is PHS. Last summer I ran a conditioning camp for teenagers and adults called Dragon Conditioning. In consultation with my partners in Boston, I have decided to move forward and run another camp this upcoming spring/summer and continue to run conditioning camps, throughout the Bay Area, for the year(s) to follow. That is my goal. As you can see, I will continue to work with kids. (Hopefully this will include kids from within the PHS community.) Along with Dragon Conditioning, I will be doing some private tutoring. I want to thank all the parents for making me feel welcome throughout my tenure at PHS and encourage any and all to seek me out at school if you have questions regarding my decision to leave. As I told the kids, I will be here until we break for summer. I look forward to the remaining months. Lastly, I want to thank all the amazing people that work at PHS. I feel blessed to have you all in my life. Thanks. - Adam Dear Families, I am sad to announce that I will not be returning to PHS next school year. I plan on taking the GREs and applying to graduate school. I am grateful for my year here and look forward to the remainder of the year with my special third grade class. Thank you for supporting me and making me a part of PHS. I feel fortunate to be a part of a loving, caring, and committed community. I have learned a lot from my colleagues, families, and students. PHS is the ideal place to teach, learn, and grow, and I will sorely miss working at a school that promotes compassion, curiosity, diversity, and community. - Reena

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Presidio Hill School | 3839 Washington St | San Francisco CA 94118
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