LETTER from the HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Friends,

Over the summer, I had the profound privilege of meeting with a range of community members, many of whom were instrumental in envisioning and building San Francisco Friends School. I had the opportunity to hear our origin story in many forms, through a range of lenses. It gave me such a sense of awe for our story here at SFFS, for our sense of fellowship and collective effort in building this wonderful school; I knew I was in a community fortified by its mission and commitment to one another.

As I write this message to you today, the tenacity of San Francisco Friends School comes into focus yet again. The 2021–2022 school year was one in which this community faced an enormous amount of change: ongoing pandemic challenges, impending leadership shifts, and continued societal stresses and anxieties. Nevertheless, I’m so happy to say that this community showed up with strength and dedication, giving just above $1,129,779 to the 2021–2022 Annual Fund and enabling our school to invest in our students and faculty as we continue to build up our integrated curriculum; bring back our beloved overnight trips; and spearhead the formation of a new office for Institutional Equity and Belonging, which will buoy our efforts to further build and connect structures and practices that support deeper community engagement, equitable representation, and robust participation in our community.

Thank you for believing in the vision of SFFS and supporting our unique educational program, where we work with conviction to live our School’s mission of teaching students to listen to all voices, while also trusting their own, in the pursuit of creating a more caring and just society. We look forward to celebrating SFFS’s 20th anniversary by coming together in celebration in May to revisit our beautiful history, marvel at how far we’ve come, and rededicate ourselves to the program and community that continue to make us uniquely SFFS.

With gratitude,

Pankti Sevak

LETTER from the CO-CLERKS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dear Friends,

What a joy it has been to be together in person again this year. Seeing the faces of children and adults, kindergarteners and 8th-graders, families, teachers, coaches, administrators, and all of the members of our community on campus brings warmth to the soul. From Back-to-School Night, to Community Meeting for Worship, to afternoon games in the gym, the events and activities that allow us to gather in this place we all share bring energy that is both palpable and nourishing.

As we reflect on the 2021–2022 academic year, we are grateful for so much. Our students were able to learn and play together again—not just in their classrooms, but also at the school play, the kindergarten bake sale, sports games and matches, and the Year End Celebration at Hellman Hollow. The adults who make the school hum (teachers, parents, administrators, and staff) were able to gather in celebration at an unforgettable outdoor Blue Party after a long hiatus. And we saw another record-breaking year for our Annual Fund, raising nearly $1,130,000, and our 48 Hours for Friends giving days raised over $250,000 for our Adjustable Tuition program. We saw a healthy return on our Friends Forward Endowment—our unrestricted endowment dedicated to strengthening our school’s efforts to recruit and retain the best faculty possible—and this year is the first year that we were able to draw from it. We also celebrated the deep contributions of our beloved departing administrators, including former Head of School Mike Hanas, Jennifer Arnest, and Clarke Weatherspoon. And thanks to the work of our fantastic Head of School Search Committee, clerked by Shabnam Koirala-Azad and Edward Chung, we officially welcomed our dynamic new Head of School, Pankti Sevak, to our community. As we have all seen, Pankti has hit the ground sprinting at 250 Valencia—we feel lucky to have her vision, commitment, and spark at the helm of this institution.

We also celebrated the contributions of so many volunteers, the stewards who, through their dedication, keep us tracking towards our school’s north star: the intersection of our Quaker values and ongoing commitment to deeply engaged student learning. People like our 2021–2022 Board of Trustees coclerks Maureen McAvoy and Kelly McKane, PA co-clerks Mina Muraki and Shawn Wrobel, K-8th grade room parents, Circle of Friends volunteers, and so many more held the fabric of this community together during some of the toughest years we have had to manage through. You all have strengthened our foundation. Thank you.

We are ending our 20th year having grown from an inspired start-up Quaker school in the Castro into an established learning community with a rich history. We are strong, connected, and buzzing with the potential for how our lights can shine into the next chapter of San Francisco Friends School. There is much on the horizon for our school, and we are so grateful for all we have built together. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to San Francisco Friends School and for the many ways you continue to support the school and its mission.

Rebecca Foster & Ernie Hsin Co-Clerks of the Board of Trustees