Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the schools auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. The second controlled study, authored by WestEd, an independent evaluator, found that after seven months of the Quiet Time Program, ninth grade Home has a beautiful view with a nice size backyard for entertainment. and San Pablo, CA. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. This content is provided by our sponsor. One day children came in to find three dead bodies dumped in the schoolyard. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. His school, along with other urban middle schools in low income neighborhoods, is in the midst of a battlea battle against the predictive power of demographics. This work has gotten co-opted and watered down, leading to many people talking the talk, without much walk. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. The letter is also available inChinese/andEspaol. visitacion valley middle School students 14The QuieT Time Program DaviD Lynch FounDaTion 1 5 7. An all-party parliamentary group has also recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, and set up a 1m fund to allow more schools to benefit from support in the practice. 1. It has 358 students in grades 6-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). students who meditated showed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in resilience compared to nonmeditating students. Nov 2020 - Present2 years 4 months. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. It feels good to have that reputation.. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, Week 25 newsletter in different languages, Week 24 newsletter in different languages, Week 21 newsletter in different languages. I am privileged to be able to continue to work with our dedicated staff, AMAZING students, and supportive parents. Out of view, city dignitaries and his students waited inside Visitacion Valley Middle School to surprise him with the news: He was the National Middle School Principal of the Year. Join us at this years SFUSD Virtual Enrollment Fair for Middle and High Schools, October 24-27, 2022! I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. The 1,233 sq. Middle Schools Elementary Schools Fares The Free Muni for Youth Program provides San Francisco youth ages 5-18 with free Muni service, regardless of household income level. Call Us. Teacher Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during an after school mentoring program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., in February. A pioneering programme has reduced stress and improved grades at Visitacion Valley middle school with lessons other schools can learn from. When you have it up, it keeps the rain off, and you can focus on trying to build a culture with kids. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. Now, (Dan Schreiber/The Examiner) In 2004, two students discovered the partially decomposed body of a 19-year-old stabbing victim. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. They simultaneously tell us that we are not good enough and keep us to the bottom rungs of racial hierarchy if we do not assimilate. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; it's an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. At times, it appeared that we werent clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. Consequently, "all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop," (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. 3. The programme, introduced to all ages, sees students sit for 15 minutes of meditation twice a day. Sign up for the Well Family newsletter to get the latest news on parenting, child health and relationships with advice from our experts to help every family Reportar una ausencia. Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. Education in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District research department, had more good news. During the 2017-18 school year, I s erved as an assistant principal in Ryan Gloyer Middle School (Seneca Valley Middle School at the time) before being named principal of the building for the 2018-19 school year. Every day before class, Visitacion Valley Middle School students pass an informal memorial known as the "R.I.P. Visitacion Valley Middle School. Select Week, Month, or Agenda to see different views of the calendar. This is a 4-bed, 3-bath, 1,597 sqft property. The announcement was made today during a surprise ceremony at Visitacion Valley. Its provided a lot of stability to our school, helping staff and kids get through the stress they have in their lives., The impressive results have led to more schools in the city introducing the programme. Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. We saw kids with real post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The school has something to offer everyone, from new programs of study and a variety of clubs to join. Quantum Physicist (16:40), By Mario Orsatti on 02/15/2012 Blog Home. Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color. (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. It is the water we are swimming in. in San Francisco. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. Based on Rocket Mortgage data in comparison to public data records. foot 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse for sale. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Teachers. White Supremacy Culture. Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). It is invisible and it is toxic. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. At that point the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stepped in, calling Visitacion Valley "a neglected urban backwater of 18,000 with rampant crime, awful schools, and a deplorable housing project called Geneva Towers." (Gee, thanks, for the recognition, HUD.) Former principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a former Principal of the Year. He says the lives of students were infected by violence in the community, and several fights would break out every day. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, "Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. . Dont just throw it into 2,000 schools, he says. Just meditate!. When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. WSC shuts down learning. Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. Dismantling WSC unites staff to work toward being anti-racist. Grades: 6-8. Now, I have other principals asking me about Quiet Time. Quiet Time is just like an umbrella. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. This coming year, we are looking at how to build more community in the classroom, how to unify our students across cultural differences, and how to reduce bias in our discipline systems. Principal James Dierke monitors school activities with his handi-talkie at Visitation Valley Middle School, 450 Raymond Ave, San Francisco. Jill Tucker has covered education in California for 22 years, writing stories that range from issues facing Bay Area school districts to broader national policy debates. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Principal 420 Harkness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #422713413 | Zillow By Owner New Construction These properties are currently listed for sale. Other schools have taken a few minutes off lunch and tutorials. Visitacion Valley Middle School provides quality education that prepares students for a fulfilling life in a global society. View more recently sold homes. In recognition of the honor, Mayor Gavin Newsom declared Friday Jim Dierke Day in San Francisco. Nearby Public Schools The nearest high school to Visitacion Valley Middle School is Burton (Phillip And Sala) Academic High School(0.6 miles away) The nearest middle school is Bayshore(0.6 miles away) Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition. White Supremacy Culture. Additionally, kids get to participate in fun activities, including recreation, cooking, dance, technology and leadership. A restless din filled the large room. After the shooting, the usual culprits were blamed: guns, violent movies and video games, says Rice. Joe Truss is a native of San Francisco, previous High School Spanish Teacher, and now a 5th year Principal at Visitacion Valley Middle School (@vvmsfalcons). Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. wall," a reminder of trouble that awaits them when the afternoon bell rings.. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting Wednesday, August 17, 2022. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. Report an absence. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. Just as long as they are quiet. Some of the work I am most proud of as a teacher and leader is building relationships with all community members to create a supportive and positive environment, as well as creating systems and using data to make informed decisions regarding instructional practices that lead to increased achievement for students. 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic Government Administration SAN FRANCISCO, California In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I dont exactly know how. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. Its also important to start small. At first glance, it might not appear the principal of the year would come out of Visitacion Valley. Executive Director Gerald Tirozzi of the association noted that Dierke has given the community around the school a sense of hope. This presentation was made as part of a National Education Summit on Quiet Time in the Classroom Linda Esposito - What One Urban School District Can Teach the Country About Stress Relief Huffington Post, Visitacion Valley Middle School Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. This requires dismantling White Supremacy Culture and building a new foundation for an anti-racist and empowering education. Principal and Interest. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. Awesome school! The middle school years are critical times of development for students and families, and I look forward to working with all of you to ensure our school helps students feel a sense of belonging and joy, as well as prepares them for high school, college, and beyond. Not a Single State Meets the Bar, How One School's Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains, Revisiting Educator Collaboration: We Should Think Differently About How We Form Teams, Best Practices for Implementing DE&I PD for Teachers. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color. The School Plan for Student Achievement is the template on which this review and stakeholder engagement process is codified. These kids hear gunshots on their way to and from school. To our teachers and staff, joyful learning means that each student is able to maximize his/her abilities and be successful in learning through different learning methods. We needed to go deeper than our previous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. 322 Bayview Cir, San Francisco, CA, 94124 is a 1,317 sq. It is imperative that we examine our actions to see if they are further harming students of color, disempowering them, and creating a psychologically hostile learning environment. School: Visitacion Valley Middle: District: San Francisco Unified (District Profile) County: San Francisco: Address: 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco 94134-2700: Phone (415) 469-4590: Web site* CDS Code: 38 68478 6059919: School Type: Intermediate/Middle Schools (Public) Charter School: No: Principal/Administrator: Courtney Harris, Principal . They are owned by a bank or a lender who took ownership through foreclosure proceedings. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu,call 415-340-1716(M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. And thats one of the challenges., However, Swarana Patel, a teacher in a north London secondary school where behaviour is often an obstacle, can see the benefits of a more intensive programme like this. Two other schools in SFUSD have begun their own Quiet Time programs and a district spokesperson said other schools have begun asking questions about Visitacion Valleys success. For years, educators' requests for more. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. The award, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes a $5,000 award for the school. near you and learn more, A summary of studies fromHarvard, Stanford, and more, AHA: TM is the only meditationfound to lower blood pressure, Different forms of meditationproduce very different results, Bob Roth, Director A Bay Area native, Jill earned a master's degree in journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a bachelor's degree from the UC Santa Barbara. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. Many have little or no parental oversight. But Quiet Time took years to develop. The social-emotional learning of students in grades 4-12 is also assessed. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. However, when we name oppression, racism, and more explicitly White Supremacy Culture, folks have to determine where they stand, what they value, and why they work in education. We should be planning for the righteous rage of IBPOC (Indigenous Black People of Color), but 82 percent of our teaching force is white, so we will also plan for white fragility. I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. Its important to note that these responses work to maintain current consciousness and white supremacy. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. Visitacion Valley Middle School prides itself in its active role in the community by welcoming parents, families, and community partners to participate on all levels of creating a culturally responsive 21st Century Middle School.