Synapse School
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SYNAPSE SCHOOL MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT START DATE: JULY 1, 2019 SYNAPSESCHOOL.ORG The Synapse Mission Fast Facts Educating Change Makers • 255 students • 56 faculty members • 53% students of color The Synapse Vision • 26% faculty of color • 1:8 student/teacher ratio Build an aspirational and • 91% of faculty hold advanced degrees inspirational model of teaching • 2.5-acre campus • $309,000 in financial aid given to 13% innovation and SEL. of students (2018-19) • 71% admissions yield OVERVIEW An independent, coeducational elementary and middle day school for students in Kindergarten through grade 8 in Menlo Park, California, Synapse School offers a unique, brain and project- based curriculum fully integrated with social-emotional learning. The school is seeking a Director of Enrollment to lead and evolve the School’s process for recruiting, enrolling, and retaining students who are well-suited to its programs and mission. Synapse School is dynamic, experiential, and nurturing, and prepares curious and capable learners to create lifelong success. Synapse equips its students to become change makers by cultivating a thriving learning community by focusing keenly on social-emotional learning (SEL), innovation, and leading-edge academics. Based on the Six Seconds model of emotional intelligence, students, teachers, and parents alike develop a practice to be more aware, more compassionate, and more intentional in life. SEL is at the heart of Synapse, fueling a learning community where people embrace inquiry, value diversity, seek connection, and pursue their passions. Now in its tenth year, Synapse has enjoyed exponential growth and has earned a reputation for being a place where students and families thrive. The Director of Enrollment will be responsible for recruiting, selecting, and enrolling a diverse and dynamic population of students eager to engage and add positively to the community while helping to develop and execute plans that will distinguish the school as a top choice for prospective families. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Fast Facts Students Enrolled: 272 Zip Codes Represented: 26 Students of Color: 36% Student to Faculty Ratio: 7 to 1 Faculty and Staff of Color: 51% Faculty Holding Advanced Degrees: 74% Athletic Teams: 8 competitive varsity and junior varsity teams Endowment: $2.5 million Total Financial Aid Awarded for 17-18: $1.4 million Students Receiving Financial Aid for 17-18: 21% SCHOOL HISTORY Like many Silicon Valley start-ups, Synapse School began as a great idea: a lab school that would integrate an emotional intelligence program and a robust curriculum based on the science and study of learning. In 2009, Synapse originally started with handful of entrepreneurial parents looking for a unique school setting to meet the needs of their young children. In those early years, the school grew steadily, staying focused on its mission and vision, developing its educational model while moving through the initial growth stage. With the hiring of the school’s current head of school in 2013, the school iterated on its initial approach and has experienced explosive growth, with enrollment increasing an average 30% each year and the school’s operating budget increasing by 10X. Synapse’s faculty has also grown from 18 full time to 56 over those years. Nine years later, and after much iteration and perspiration, Synapse has 254 students spanning four buildings on its campus in Menlo Park. Synapse is now considered for families a top choice among Bay Area K-8 schools and is seen as beacon for what transformational education can be regionally, nationally, and abroad. CHANGE MAKERS Synapse’s mission is to educate change makers by combining social-emotional learning, leading- edge academics, and the practice of innovation. Synapse believes that emotional intelligence, innovation, creativity, and design-thinking should be practiced and integrated in all that it does. It maximizes student potential through continuous improvement, a growth mindset, and knowing students as individuals. The school uses a constructivist approach to develop meaningful projects that have real-world relevance. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Synapse defines “change makers” as people who impact the world in positive and authentic ways; are robustly prepared for real-world challenges that require the integration of academic, creative, and social-emotional domains; and are not defined by numbers or scale: to make a positive change in the life of one person brings positive change to the world. Synapse’s schoolwide learner outcomes, also known as the Synapse Learning Outcomes (SLOs), are listed below. SLOs are practices and habits of mind that encompass our three frameworks for teaching and learning: leading-edge academics, social-emotional learning, and innovation. Synapse educates change makers who: • converse with various partners; make room for other voices and participate in reflective listening. (Communication) • recognize multiple perspectives, and independently consider the influence and impact of those perspectives. (Perspective) • accept feedback, listen, react in appropriate ways, and give constructive feedback. (Feedback) • create with vision, push outside the box, and use outside influences appropriately. (Creativity) • follow through on initiatives, commitments, and responsibilities to the best of their ability. (Follow Through) • actively and appropriately ask questions in the pursuit of learning. (Inquiry) • commit to deepen, change, and/or improve a concept by considering goals and feedback. (Iteration) • advocate for themselves and others. (Advocacy) • risk failure in the pursuit of a goal or vision. (Risk) The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com THE SCHOOL Today, Synapse School has transformed from an idea into an aspirational and inspirational model of a learning community. The dedication and passion of the 56 faculty and staff comes from a love and dedication to the school, its mission, and the students and families they serve. Faculty and students feel openness and supportiveness, which makes it comfortable to take risks, acknowledge areas of improvement, and learn to try again. Ninety-one percent of faculty hold advanced degrees, and with a 1:8 student/teacher ratio, teachers know their students at an individualized level. Synapse believes that learning is bolstered by a school environment that promotes a sense of belonging and interconnectedness. The community assumes shared responsibility for the well-being of the individual and the group alike. Together with students, teachers and parents partner closely to support the hopes and developmental goals of each student, socially, emotionally, and academically. A strong parent education program keeps parents and families at the forefront of their child’s education. The goal of parent education at Synapse is to support parents in navigating the challenges (and celebrating the joys) of parenthood. Monthly gatherings around social-emotional learning for parents, parenting discussion forums, renowned guest speakers, a book club, and a library of parenting resources are just some of the ways the program supports parents at the school. Because Synapse draws from many neighborhoods up and down the Silicon Valley peninsula, Synapse families consider their school community their “neighborhood.” There is a strong sense of intentionality in choosing the school. As a result, this is a community of highly engaged, interested, and interesting group of parents who, while casual in demeanor, have high expectations for themselves and others. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com As a transformative school, Synapse is poised to continue its growth through focusing its long- term investments on “people, program, and place.” Launching winter 2019, “Campaign for Synapse” will provide funds for these strategic investments including but not limited to additional financial aid, professional development, recruiting and retention funds, program expansion, and building renovations. Synapse is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). ACADEMICS The Synapse program is designed to integrate the power of emotional intelligence with constructivist learning and innovation. Teachers build classroom communities and relationships based on trust, and cultivate curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking in their students with a project-based approach that deeply engages students and maximizes their academic potential. Each year, the school chooses a theme that is the framework for its curriculum. This program envelopes each student in its creative and world-relevant themes, fully engaging their minds in the learning process. This year’s theme, “Noble Goal,” has already ignited ideas and initiatives throughout the school. Academics support the development of core skills with focused instruction, deliberate practice, and consistent feedback. Synapse’s Lower School is made up of combined grade classrooms: Level I is Kindergarten, Level II is first and second grades, and Level III is third and fourth grades. Similarly, the Middle School is made up of combined grade classrooms for grades 5/6 and grades 7/8. Students explore topics in Humanities, Math, STEAM, and Computer Science