2022–2023
School Profile DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
Gina Meneni gmeneni@bayschoolsf.org 415.561.5800, ext. 107 ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
Maria Furtado mfurtado@bayschoolsf.org 415.561.5800, ext. 144 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
Ashley Terry ’11 aterry@bayschoolsf.org 415.561.5800, ext. 179 35 Keyes Avenue San Francisco, CA 94129 Phone 415.561.5800 Fax 415.561.5808 www.bayschoolsf.org CEEB number: 053985 Accreditation: WASC, CAIS Member school: NAIS, NACAC, WACAC, ACCIS
CLASS OF 2023 82 SENIORS Highest GPA: 4.0 Lowest GPA: 2.63
The Bay School uses an unweighted GPA, does not calculate class rank, and does not award any academic honors or distinctions.
COVID-19 CURRICULUM CHANGES The Bay School was open for inperson learning for the 2021–2022 school year. The descriptions at right note the impact of the 2020 school closure on graduation requirements.
The Bay School of San Francisco, founded in 2004, is a co-educational, independent, college preparatory day school located in the scenic Presidio National Park. Bay enrolls 441 students in grades 9–12 and offers a challenging curriculum that emphasizes depth over breadth, rigor, and discipline in mastering detail; cultivates depth of synthesis and analysis; demands authentic inquiry; and emphasizes examination of pressing global issues.
MISSION At The Bay School, we balance challenging academics and innovative thinking with a mindful approach to learning and life. Our goal is to see students unlock their individual and collective potential so they begin to realize their roles in a dynamic world. CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS In 2018-2019 Bay moved from a block trimester calendar to a semester schedule punctuated by two 3-week immersive terms. In each semester, students take five courses. In each Immersive term, students take one course all day, every day. The Bay School of San Francisco does not prescribe to/offer an AP or IB curriculum. In the 12th grade, students have the opportunity to enroll in honors coursework. On occasion, students may be placed in an honors course in 11th grade. IMMERSIVE TERM Immersive courses are affiliated with academic departments—often in interdisciplinary ways—and fulfill graduation requirements in those departments just as a semester-long course does. An Immersive meets for the equivalent number of hours as a semester course. In 2020, the Humanities 1 spring Immersive was not held due to COVID; the class of 2023 had to make up this world history credit elsewhere, so had fewer elective choices. There is enough flexibility in Bay’s curriculum and schedule to allow for a loss of one semester of credit without losing the ability to fulfill all graduation requirements. The class of 2023 will also be allowed to opt into an Immersive term at the end of their 12th grade year to make up for the Immersive term lost due to COVID.
INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES Bay pushes the boundaries of the traditional classroom setting in order to ensure our students are given the tools needed to thrive in the 21st century. Bay offers a host of interdisciplinary courses—in both the semester and Immersive terms—cotaught by two instructors of different disciplines. These courses combine curriculum from each discipline to create an innovative, in-depth, and well-rounded approach to learning. SENIOR SIGNATURE PROJECTS A highlight of each student’s Bay experience, the Senior Signature Project (SSP) program is designed to be the culminating experience of a Bay education. In this program, students embark on a journey of personal investigation and discovery. SSP is required for graduation and involves extensive field work for which students earn full academic credit for a twoterm course. The program offers a meaningful opportunity for each senior to explore a passion in depth through the lens of a young professional working in a field rather than a high school student studying a topic. Each student works with an adult mentor who provides expertise and guidance. Projects in recent years have included redesigning the waiting area of a health clinic for low-income families to reduce patient anxiety; creating a course reader about LGBTQ+ history and identity as a supplementary resource for high school teachers; teaching week-long astronomy courses for middle school students to expose them to a branch of science typically not covered in depth at that level; and designing a prototype running shoe with replaceable, interchangeable soles. The diversity of projects reflects the diversity of Bay students and their interests.