alTa viSTa SchOOl

San FranciScO, Middle SchOOl head STarT daTe: July 2019 www.alTaviSTa.SchOOl Mission Alta Vista School prepares students to thrive as creative thinkers, innovators, and catalysts of positive change in the world. Fast Facts Founded: 2010 Location: , CA Type: Co-educational day Grades Served: JK-8 LS Campus: 25,000 sq. ft. MS Campus: 15,000 sq. ft. Total Enrolled: 277 Total Faculty: 61 Teacher-Student Ratio: 8:1

Overview

Founded in San Francisco in 2010 as an inquiry-based STEAM program, Alta Vista is in an exciting period of transition—from tenacious start-up to stable educational institution serving approximately 300 students across two campuses.

The Middle School program, founded four years ago, graduated its first eighth-grade class in 2018. As the newest division of a young school, the Middle School curriculum and culture are a work in progress, and the faculty and staff are eager to join forces with a new leader who will help them deliver an inquiry-based program tailored to the particular academic and developmental needs of middle schoolers and aligned with the mission: preparing its students to thrive as creative thinkers, innovators, and catalysts for positive change in the world.

Alta Vista seeks a middle school leader who will partner with the new Head of School to further develop and enhance this wonderful school and guide an innovative faculty and a parent body who have selected this School because of its compelling vision.

The School

Alta Vista School delivers on its promise of a dynamic STEAM+ curriculum, educating students at every grade level in science, technology, engineering, art, and math, as well as in literacy, social studies, and enrichment classes that include Spanish, P.E., drama, music, and garden. Alta Vista’s unique curriculum draws upon a range of sources including California State Standards, Common Core, Next Generation Science, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Social and

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com emotional development is interwoven into the daily curriculum, with the aim of fostering a schoolwide community where all members treat one another with respect and approach conflict resolution through restorative practices.

Educational Philosophy

With an emphasis on science, math, engineering, and the arts, Alta Vista School encourages students to go beyond a strong academic foundation to pursue their passions as well as engage their community and environment.

Faculty, administrators, and families alike share the belief that experiential, hands-on activities provide optimal opportunities to engage students in meaningful learning. With a student-teacher ratio of 8:1, Alta Vista educators benefit from small class sizes and are intentional in their instruction. Teachers serve as guides for students as they explore, observe, predict, measure, and analyze for themselves in an inquiry-based journey of discovery and knowledge-making.

Likewise, AVS teachers are serious about play. Modelling learning as a joyful experience, faculty design educational experiences that are play-based, believing that children develop intellectually when they experience learning as fun and authentic.

Perhaps most important to the AVS approach to education, however, is a foundation rooted in the scientific method and a belief that science and technology can be leveraged to benefit all. At AVS, students learn to embrace technology and to apply principles of design-thinking as powerful tools for innovation. Technology is thoughtfully integrated into the classroom with Google Chromebooks, SMART Boards, Elmos, video cameras, digital cameras, and more.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Whole Child Focus

Alta Vista School understands that its obligations to students extend beyond the intellectual. At AVS, students are encouraged to explore and develop their talents and interests as well as develop an independent sense of self. The educational program integrates social emotional learning across all grades, emphasizing self-advocacy, responsibility, accountability, and individual choice. The goal is for students to build resilience and self-reliance in their academic pursuits and beyond, as well as to become inclusive and responsible individuals who demonstrate respect toward themselves and others.

Alta Vista asks students to be kind and respectful, to act responsibly in their communities, and to take pride in all their actions. This includes individual responsibility, cooperation with peers, and tools for effective and peaceful conflict resolution. Teachers integrate a social-emotional curriculum that is rooted in cognitive neuroscience to teach students how their brains work (anatomy and function) and how they can positively influence their own cognitive development. An important part of this curriculum is learning to be a contributing community member at Alta Vista and beyond.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com lOwer SchOOl PrOgraM

The Lower School at Alta Vista serves students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5. Small class sizes are a hallmark of the AVS program. The school currently has one JK class and two classes per grade in K-5, each of which is capped at 16 students and led by two lead teachers with additional support from specialists.

The STEAM focus begins at the earliest ages at Alta Vista. All Lower School students learn science, math, literacy, and social studies as well as art, drama, music, garden, physical education, and Spanish. Students receive Chromebooks in Grade 2, when they also begin their digital citizenship curriculum through which they learn safe and appropriate technology usage.

Alta Vista’s inquiry-based model of teaching means that the curriculum is ever-evolving and adapting to students’ needs and interests. Each week, to keep parents informed of what their child is learning, Lower School teachers post their lesson plans, programs, and homework assignments online, offering a dynamic and real-time look into what is happening in their classrooms. Three progress reports per year offer detailed narratives about how each child is learning.

Students in Alta Vista’s Lower School also have the opportunity to further the discovery and exploration of their interests through BookEnds—an afterschool program offering dynamic, interdisciplinary enrichment classes each afternoon from 3:30 until 6pm. Class offerings run in three 12-week sessions throughout the year and are led by AVS faculty or outside facilitators. BookEnds offerings have included Ceramics, Nature Crafts, Robotics Club, TLC Club, Crazy for Canines, Yoga and Mindfulness, Sports Mash, News Crew, Fort Making, Running Club, Drama Club, Set Design, and STEAM Challenge Island, among others.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 5 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com High School Acceptances Alta Vista School is proud to announce the following list of high schools who offered acceptance to its recent graduates:

Abraham Lincoln High School Analy High School The Bay School of San Francisco City Arts & Tech High School Drew School Galileo Academy of Science and Technology Jefferson High School Jewish Community High School of the Bay Lick-Wilmerding High School Middle School Program Lowell High School Mt. Eden High School Alta Vista’s Middle School program places students in the driver’s seat of their studies, empowering them to navigate Sacred Heart Cathedral their own pathway to graduation. Each grade level enrolls Preparatory up to 40 students, and class sizes range between 10-18 San Domenico School students. The academic year is broken into two semesters. SOTA (School of the Arts) Course length varies between semester-long (history, St Ignatius College Preparatory science, computer science, and electives) and year-long Stuart Hall High School courses (math, English, Spanish, and PE). Students receive new, individualized schedules each semester. Terra Nova High School The Middle School’s complete academic program with full San Francisco University High course descriptions is available online. Progress reports School are given four times a year and include both academic Urban School of San Francisco grades and detailed narratives. Western Reserve Academy Alta Vista Middle School’s core values are responsibility, character development, integrity, and freedom. The social emotional curriculum students begin in younger grades builds into a middle school curriculum that promotes confidence and independence, with an emphasis on analytical and problem-solving skills across a variety of contexts. The aim is to create a foundation that serves students well in their academic pursuits beyond AVS and throughout their lives.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 6 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Student Life & Extracurricular Offerings

Alta Vista’s community is an incredibly vibrant one. The School hosts bi-weekly campus-wide community meetings that parents also attend. The commitment to STEAM learning extends into the School’s extracurricular programming as well, with several school-wide engineering challenges and over a dozen drama and musical performances throughout the year. Students in all grades are encouraged to participate in science fairs and expos, as well as current event presentations to develop their public speaking skills. Music lessons and Mandarin Club are also offered in the Lower School.

Sports programs in the Middle School are led by a professional coach/athletic director and include basketball, futsal, and volleyball. Alta Vista is a member of SFIAL (San Francisco Independent Athletic League). Lower School sports are parent-organized and typically include basketball and soccer. Four times per year, AVS also hosts overnight camping trips that typically draw between 50 and 150 participants per trip.

Alta Vista’s unique year-round academic calendar includes breaks in fall, winter, and spring, during which the School offers full-day Adventures Camps run by staff from the Reikes Center, a nearby community-based arts, fitness, and nature program. Families have the opportunity to enroll their children in the Reikes Center’s fantastic athletic, fitness, creativity, and nature awareness program, or alternatively, in the Renegade Girls Tinkering Club’s co-ed S.T.E.A.M. Camp. Mini-Adventures Camp is also offered on Parent-Teacher Conference days in October and March. Run by AVS’ own specialists, these days are exciting opportunities for fun-filled days in the Area.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 7 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Physical Campus & Facilities

The Alta Vista School occupies two campuses in San Francisco, located approximately three miles apart. The Lower School campus, located on Somerset Street in the Portola District, features spacious sunlit classrooms, a library, art and tinker studio, gym, and performance stage. There is ample room for vibrant and varied BookEnds programming as well. Children in the Lower School enjoy extensive outdoor space for running around with a playground, rock climbing wall, and organic garden. The campus is also in close proximity to McLaren Park—San Francisco’s third largest park—and Palega Park, as well as a neighborhood library that opened in 2009.

Just north in the Mission District is the new Middle School campus, which has enough classroom space to accommodate up to 200 students at capacity. Sixth through eighth graders at the Mission campus can gather, study, and socialize in a student-designed commons area. In line with the School’s strong STEAM focus, the Middle School campus also features a sunlit, 1,200-square-foot art and engineering lab, black box theater, theater-tech room, and music and practice room, as well as an indoor gym with a mini basketball/volleyball court.

San Francisco, California

Many characteristics define San Francisco in the American consciousness: the elegant and bustling Fisherman’s Wharf, seasonal fog and basking seals, Victorian row houses and cable cars, in the bay and redwood forests to the north. While small in physical area—a tight seven-by-seven-mile grid of narrow streets at the tip of a peninsula—San Francisco’s impact on the country’s economic, technological, social, and political landscapes is immense.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 8 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Though devastated by an earthquake and fire in 1906, San Francisco fully rebounded in the 20th century, becoming a hub for progressive social movements, high tech, and global commerce. Today, San Francisco ranks high on lists of the nation’s most livable cities. Officially comprised of 36 colorful neighborhoods, the city is in fact made up of many more colorful boroughs including the famous Chinatown and Haight Ashbury districts. The unique metropolis offers a little bit of everything. A thriving economy, vibrant and open-minded cultural scene, and exceptionally mild climate attract a diverse mix of people to the city—entrepreneurs and environmentalists; artists and engineers; foodies and families; and anyone drawn to an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. While traffic and parking in the city can be daunting, San Francisco boasts one of the nation’s most sophisticated public transit systems. The city’s compact layout and pleasant weather make it pedestrian-friendly in most months as well.

Attractions for visitors and residents alike include the , the , Mission Dolores Park, and of course, the Embarcadero, an extensive waterfront area that includes Fisherman’s Wharf. The music and arts scene is diverse, with classical offerings at the San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet, as well as jazz, rock, and folk concerts at the Civic Center and new SFJAZZ venue. The city celebrates its diversity in cultural celebrations including Chinese New Year, Fleet Week, and Gay Pride Week; the city is also a popular site for arts and music festivals such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, Fringe Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Union Street Art Festival, and Haight Ashbury Street Fair. Residents of San Francisco also tend to be avid fans of the Giants (MLB), (NBA), and the 49ers (NFL).

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 9 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Opportunities & Challenges

The next Middle School Head at Alta Vista has the rare opportunity to help the Middle School team clarify and build community, culture, and program. The next Middle School Head will:

Champion STEAM and Inquiry-based Learning Founded as a STEAM school, AVS has developed a program that some describe as “the AVS way.” The Middle School Head will guide the faculty in delivering an innovative curriculum that aligns with the founding mission and vision, and will help answer the question: “What does the AVS Way look like in grades 6 through 8?”

Create and Sustain Community Norms The Middle School Head will delight in leading faculty, staff, and students in creating cultural norms that will define the division as it matures. The Middle School Head will also build bridges to the Lower School and align cultural norms between the two divisions to support the overall AVS program.

Support a Faculty Culture of Creativity and Collaboration while Putting Essential Policies and Procedures in Place The passionate AVS faculty has worked to capacity as the School has grown, taking on many administrative tasks and pitching in whenever help is needed. They now need structures and procedures in place that will allow them to focus more fully on their work with the students and the curriculum. The Middle School Head will work closely with the new HOS to honor the autonomy that fosters creativity while clarifying systems and procedures.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 10 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Foster Transparency and Build Trust The Middle School Head will build more transparent decision-making processes and support distributed leadership so that all constituents understand and support the mission and priorities of the division.

Prioritize Faculty Retention and Professional Development The Middle School Head will evaluate faculty work load, clarify the scope of responsibilities, and support collaboration. He or she will elevate professional development as an institutional priority to ensure faculty rejuvenation and professional growth.

Build Community Relationships The Middle School campus is located in the heart of the vibrant Mission neighborhood. The Middle School Head has an exciting opportunity to build relationships with community organizations and strengthen outreach programs that enrich student learning.The Middle School Head will also build relationships with local high schools that will enroll AVS graduates.

Qualities & Characteristics of the Next Middle School Head

• Expertise in middle school education; • Personal warmth and genuine affection for middle school students; • Balance of nurturing personality with ability to make and communicate clear decisions; • Collaborative, authentic leader compatible with the culture of the school; • Excellent communication skills, oral and written; • Cultural competence and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 11 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; • A current résumé; • A statement of educational philosophy and practice; • A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Karen Whitaker Search Consultant [email protected]

John Faubert Managing Associate, Director of Placement [email protected]

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 12 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com