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Many elements in the Middle School program unite the Middle School students and provide common settings for individual and collective growth. Advisory 
The Middle School Advisory Program guides and informs the academic,
social and emotional learning of adolescents as they navigate through
this unique period in their lives. Groups meet twice each
week-sometimes by Advisory, sometimes by gender. Each grade
level focuses on relevant areas of social and emotional learning.
Advisory also features direct guidance and support in study,
organization and time-management skills. Each grade level is
divided into three advisory groups with ten students and one
advisor. The advisor monitors each advisee's overall well-being,
as well as academic and social progress throughout the school year.
As the point person for student and parent communication, the advisor
connects regularly with families and meets with them for conferences
and the spring Portfolio Exhibition.
Student Council and Town Meeting
The Student Council offers students leadership opportunities and a
mechanism for identifying, discussing, and solving Middle School issues.
Each year, an election committee reviews and revises the election
procedures and then conducts an election. The procedures include
nominations, two weeks of campaigning, a democratic election, and an
inaugural ball.
Once elected, the Student Council meets weekly to examine the needs of
the Middle School and prepare for Town Meetings. The Student Council
sets this formal meeting's agenda and the President runs the meeting.
Middle School Town Meeting provides a forum for disseminating
information and solving problems; it is a place where student voices are
heard. Community building events include dances and special events.
Student Council also manages the Middle School snack bar, a small
business whose profits benefit specific projects. In the past,
students have raised funds for local nonprofits and international
disaster relief.
Action & ServiceAt each grade level and across the Middle School, students participate in community service throughout the school year. Sixth grade focuses on campus projects, seventh grade moves outward into the neighborhood, and eighth graders do individual community service projects in the city. The Middle School Student Council frequently organizes donation drives and service opportunities. In addition to these projects, every student is assigned a space at school to care for during the year. Time is set aside for students to check on their specific place (such as the office recycling bin, computer lab, library or classroom shelves). Discussions of our impact on the Gaven Street neighborhood and on our planet thread through the Middle School program.  Yosemite InstituteEvery November, the sixth and seventh graders spend one week at Yosemite Institute in Yosemite National Park. The Institute offers a rich program that builds self-esteem and group dynamics while teaching about the environment in Yosemite and responsible care of our planet. Students finish the week with a strong sense of personal and group accomplishment. Mexico In the spring, our Spanish program offers the eighth grade a total immersion experience. Students enjoy a weeklong stay at a Mexican arts camp in Michoacan, where they live, work and play with native-speaking students and staff and participate in workshops taught by local artisans in their fields of expertise. Point Reyes Backpacking In June, Middle School students participate in a three-day backpacking trip to the Point Reyes National Seashore. This trip is physically challenging. Students learn about the food and equipment needed for backpacking, how to pack a backpack and about the environmental impact of backpacking. In groups, the students cook for each other, set up tents, perform skits, build sandcastles, and learn about the coastal environment and the unique natural history of the Point Reyes area. Over the three years, each student is able to see his or her growth and accomplishment on this challenging trip. Tutorial Students have regular periods at the end of several school days in which they can get individual help or do make-up work with a teacher (Spanish, Science, Math, History, and Language Arts help are available on a regular basis), work in the computer lab, do research in the library, or complete homework. Tutorial time also gives teachers a chance to observe student work habits, conference with students, and monitor students' time-management, prioritization, and organization skills. Electives The Electives program provides an opportunity for all Middle School students to choose from an array of minicourses, such as painting, video production, book discussions and ultimate frisbee. Elective teachers include Middle School faculty, other regular SFS staff, parent volunteers and outside experts. Field Experience The Field Experience Program offers seventh grade students the opportunity to explore individual interests in the workplace. Students, parents and seventh grade advisors work together to assess interests and opportunities and then to find a placement appropriate for each student. Students can spend up to three days on location. Students learn to take responsibility. They learn about the world of work and about their own interests, strengths and weaknesses. Students are required to state goals for themselves, keep a log of their visits, and make a formal presentation to the 6th and 7th graders. School Families The first through eighth graders and all their teachers are organized into "School Families," with one or two students from each grade level and a teacher comprising a "School Family." School Families meet about once every six weeks to do a mixed age activity. Generally, the eighth grade Family member leads the activity. School Family activities vary each year and have included a safety tour of the campus, biographies of important Americans, singing, and the sharing of individual family stories. School Families reinforce the sense of caring and community throughout The San Francisco School. |
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