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Why Presidio Hill?
There is no better way to learn about what makes Presidio Hill School special than to hear directly from our students, teachers, staff, parents, guardians, and alumni. These are the stories of
their successes, challenges, friendships, experiences, learning, and growth. Who they are when they come to school, and who they become after they leave. Welcome, to PHS.
Amari Transitional Kindergarten
TK
I have a buddy in second grade named Milahni, I like making things with her like pictures of the farmer’s market. I sold cucumbers.
Lola Sixth Grade
6
I want to be a civil rights activist, spy, secret assassin, scientist, historian and president of Multiverse. I’m working on it but I think my friend might beat me to it. But she’s promised I can be her vice command.
Aydin Fifth Grade
5
Today, well yesterday actually, I got my progress report. My dad said it was the best one I’ve gotten in the history of progress reports. I’ve learned ways that can help me learn better and made my work better and made me understand it more.
Tony Third Grade
3
Third grade is going well. Well, we are learning our lines, we’re putting on a play. I’m in Hamlet and I’m Horatio, the only person that survives. I feel bad that my other friends die.
Mia Fifth Grade
5
I feel I belong and fit in here. At the other school, I had to act like other people, I couldn’t be myself. Here it’s the opposite. Everyone is more kind and understanding and accepts who you are.
Lamar First Grade
1
We talked to the mayor, it was a special day. We gave out flyers and we had a rally and made signs that said “We should ban straws� because they are bad for sea animals.
Niko Seventh Grade
7
You never want to be on cruise control, you always want to be walking up the hill, not riding down. At PHS I feel like I’m always learning but it’s not to the point that once you’ve mastered this, you’ve mastered it, there’s always something new to try, you’re never really finished.
Adam First Grade
1
I really like writing, I just really have a connection with it. It just feels so fun. I write about everything that is on my mind. Fiction and non-fiction.
David Hockney, The Splash inspired 3D model by Niall, Eighth Grade Student
Graduation self-portrait by Thomas, Eighth Grade Student
Ryan Sixth Grade
6
Well straight off the bat I saw that everyone was really fun and playful and inclusive, and I could definitely see a difference in the curriculum from my old school. It’s definitely more challenging than at my other school. It’s rewarding when you’re finished. Satisfaction!
George Seventh Grade
7
They teach me to push further and get out of my comfort zone–my teachers encourage me to go beyond.
Maisey First Grade
1
What’s special is that the teachers, when you do something wrong, they don’t say “oh you should know how to do that,” they just say “ok let’s try that again.” If you need help they give you strategies–like for adding 53 and 40 together. If there are no ones in one of the numbers you can add the tens together and then add the ones.
Camryn Seventh Grade
7
I like how small PHS is, you can really get to know people. On our trip to Redwood Glen last year we would be in our cabins at night, new and returning students, and you’d just be talking and it was really nice. It’s just a really good community to learn in, you get to know the teachers and I feel like I’m closer with my classmates.
Lorcan Fourth Grade
4
I really like genius hour. I’m building a special air filter for your muffler that purifies the exhaust. I was thinking of things I could do and that was my first idea to help the world. We’re pitching next Tuesday.
Our Mission
Dedicated to progressive education since 1918, Presidio Hill School challenges young people to imagine, inquire, and create. Our students engage
San Francisco and The Presidio as an extended classroom and become empowered learners who are responsible, committed to justice, and optimistic about the future.
1918 Artists, activists, and sistersin-law Flora Arnstein and Helen Salz founded Presidio Hill School in 1918. Inspired by the teachings of John Dewey and other leaders of the progressive movement, Presidio Hill School was founded as a place to teach students in a new way–to inspire a lifelong love of learning by treating students as individuals who can shape their own learning, by focusing on the arts and the outdoors, and by fostering empathy and caring connections throughout the fabric of the school. Thus began a tradition that Presidio Hill has carried on for 100 years, and will continue to carry on throughout the next 100.
1930’s Leading up to World War II, and demonstrating values of social justice and global connection, Presidio Hill School helped German Jewish refugees transition to the U.S. and find jobs, some at Presidio Hill.
1940’s During the 1940s, Presidio Hill School further emphasized values of racial and social justice. This time period saw famous singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson perform for our students, the enrollment of our first African American students, and community assistance to Japanese residents being sent to internment camps.
1960’s During the 1960s Presidio Hill School actively engaged with the Civil Rights movement. Blacklisted American folk singers and social activists Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds performed at Presidio Hill Saturday concerts for the community. Members of the school also participated in the Moratorium Against the War, 1969.
1970’s Presidio Hill School introduced new celebrations of the arts during the 1970s; the school had its first Follies, a student-created musical showcase, and renowned dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin choreograped the first Presidio Hill “Dragon Dance”, both traditions which continue today.
1990’s In the 1990s, Presidio Hill School deepened its ties to San Francisco and The Presidio. We are one of the first independent schools to march in the San Francisco Pride Parade, and continue to participate annually. Middle School students began a partnership with Presidio Park biologists serving as “citizen-scientists” studying Mountain Lake and today our students continue to serve as environmental stewards in ecologies throughout The Presidio.
2010’s During the 2010s, Presidio Hill School eliminated letter grades and standardized testing. Utilizing more comprehensive and descriptive benchmarks, (rather than singular letter grades), allows teachers to authentically assess many different kinds of skills and abilities in contexts that closely resemble actual situations in which these skills and abilities are utilized. Students become independent learners who are guided by their curiosity and creativity, rather than by the desire to achieve a “good grade” or their worry about receiving a “bad” one.
2018 Presidio Hill School celebrated our centennial! We were joined by San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell, as well as current and alumni students, staff, and parents/guardians. The Center for Progressive Education, devoted to bringing together progressive educators to share and develop the practices of progressive education, celebrated its third year at Presidio Hill School.
Presidio Hill School, where children permanently fall in love with learning.
Katy High School Senior
One of the biggest things that I learned from PHS that I didn’t appreciate until I left, was the ability to talk to adults. I was able to go to my high school teachers and have conversations with them and feel totally comfortable in oneon-one situations because of the way the teachers interact with students at PHS, which is with very kind and open communication.
Teachers don’t talk down to students at PHS, or expect a lower level of discourse because they’re a student, it’s like talking to a peer. That was super important going into high school because it made everything easier.
Erandi High School Freshman
I liked not having grades–like personally, I prefer the benchmarks at PHS, it’s not as stressful, and they give you a more specific understanding of where you are and what you may need to fix specifically rather than just having a letter.
I had pretty solid benchmarks at PHS so I wasn’t surprised to get all A’s at Convent.
Jennifer Learning Specialist, Parent
For me, the emphasis on identity exploration stands apart at PHS. Across the school, kids and adults alike are encouraged to identify what it is that makes them unique and what it is that binds them to others. As a result, those who travel through PHS
transition to the next phase of their journey knowing their own worth and feeling empowered with a clear voice to stand up for what they believe to be true and right in this world. This is the indelible mark that individuals carry with them beyond their years at PHS.
Dayana Parent
When you come from a different country, an immigrant, you’re longing for home, and when I walked into this school, I felt like I was home. This is where I want my kids to be, my family to be, this is home.
Martin Alumni, Trustee
I joined PHS in 6th grade through the SMART program. PHS was a turning point for my life, my community, my family, because that was my first introduction to progressive education.
At my old school, the good students were the ones that were quiet and raised their hand when they were spoken to and here the students are encouraged to speak up and advocate for themselves. It sounds clichĂŠ but I learned empowerment, focus, the value of hard work, resilience and learning from my mistakes, all at PHS.
Craig Parent
The knock on progressive schools is that they lack academic rigor. Olivia went to Yale and then got her PhD at Stanford, I went to Duke, and we both had very regimented piles of facts and all that. But what both of us lacked, and what students from PHS get, which is all important, is a sense of agency and an ability
to contextualize information. They come out with a broader framework of knowledge about how the world works and why you should want to know certain kinds of things. And when you have the bigger picture, if you don’t know something, you go find it. You know what you’re missing and you know to go look for it.
Frank Stella Chair interpreted by Maddie, Eighth Grade Student
Julia (and Mosi) Second Generation Alumna, Past Trustee
My connection to the school really begins with my grandma who sent two of her sons to PHS, my dad and my uncle. I remember my first years at PHS very well. I was bright but it took me a while for my social intelligence to really catch up
with my academic intelligence. What was beautiful about Presidio Hill School is that I felt very much like my teachers were an extension of my family, they were an extension of my care group, and I felt always safe, psychologically and emotionally.
Christopher Parent
I think that the school’s values align with our family values. I think that the progressive education model aligns with ours. But that’s sort of the talking point stuff. I went to some other schools and the parent community felt colder and more distant and I wasn’t up for that. Here we’ve met some really nice folks.
I think what people want to find in a school, they want to find the whole package, they want to find a place that aligns with their values, they want to find a place that is educating their children in a way that they are actually learning something and so on. And they also want to find a community where they feel great about dropping off their kid.
Taylor Fifth Grade Teacher
Kids should love to learn. I grew up loving learning and I still love it. I’m hungry for knowledge and that’s what I hope to instill in them. That’s something that our school allows us to focus on rather than test scores.
I mean, we still do great teaching and hold our students accountable, but having the ability to explore their interests and the ability to take those deep dives into what they really want to learn allows for so much more.
Kenta Director of Development
The spirit of giving is not transactional here. Parents give because they understand that whatever they give will benefit the community. Whether its time, talent, or money–there are many ways of giving,
parents find a really good way to align their strengths and share their passions in any gap or need they see that will make a difference. That is just part of what makes PHS such a unique community.
Joshi Music Teacher, Parent
Why do I teach music? For the feeling that I get when a student plays music and feels whole, like they’ve accomplished something, and they are part of a bigger picture, and they walk away feeling
good. That is the same feeling that I get when I am playing a solo with Carlos Santana. It’s unparalleled, to see young people grow in music. That is why you teach, I think. At least that is why I teach.
We hope you have enjoyed hearing the stories of our community; there are many more people who would like to share their stories with you.
Find us in the hallways, the classrooms and offices, and throughout San Francisco and beyond.
Presidio Hill School 3839 Washington Street San Francisco, CA 94118 415.751.9318 presidiohill.org
PHS would like to thank all the students, parents, alumni, and staff who participated in this brochure. A special thank you to PHS parent Bill Cahan for his time, effort, and expertise in leading this project. Design: Todd Richards, TAR Studio Principal Photography: Alyse Panitz Photography
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