San Francisco High School of the Arts Community Newsletter | Oct 6, 2023
FROM THE ADMINISTRATION
Important Dates Oct 9 Columbus Day (no school) Oct 16-20 Spirit Week Oct 20 Basketball game vs Stratford
Remarks from our Head of School HSArts is getting more recognized in the international community after our highly successful Taiwan trip in the spring break of March 2023. We have had visits from 12 Taiwanese school principals and directors from Taipei in the past weeks. We have a scheduled visit from the Incheon Metropolitan city office of education at the end of this month and another group of principals from Taiwan in December. Our high schoolers may go on another cultural exchange trip to Taiwan school again this coming spring. Go Phoenix!
Dr. Sherry Zhang Head of School San Francisco High School of the Arts
Winter (Wonders) is Coming By Mr. Brian, son of Sen, first of his name, Breaker of Legs, The Un-unburnt, etc.
Discover a world of splendor at HSArts' Winter Wonders 2023. All of our students have been working incredibly hard this semester, and despite the truncated preparation time (we’re short 3 weeks compared to other years), we have an exciting slate of programs and collection of artwork that we’re excited to share with everyone!
During our academic meetings, the main topics are always how to help our students improve their academic performance. Identifying the main reason for a student's imperfect academic performance can be complex and may vary from one student to another. However, we found out two very common reasons, one is students sometimes lack motivation in learning, another is they haven’t formed good study habits yet. I want to share some solutions about motivation today.
As teachers, we will try different ways to motivate students’ learning, for example, let them see the relevance or importance of what they are learning by real-world application; incorporate current events and news stories into lessons to illustrate how classroom concepts relate to the world outside; take students on field trips to see the practical applications of what they are learning; assign projects that require students to research and address real issues or create something tangible. Parents can play a significant role in this issue too. Here are some strategies parents can use to motivate your children's academic learning: 1. Show genuine interest in your child's classes by asking about their school day and coursework.
2. Recognize and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small.
3. Share stories of your educational journey and the benefits of education.
4. Help your child explore potential career paths related to the subject matter, encourage them to think about their personal goals and how the subject matter can help them achieve those goals.
When children can see a direct connection between what they are learning in school and their future aspirations, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their studies.
ARTS
Arts News - Music
Composition and ensembles: this year’s new additions to our Music Conservatory program. Ms. Bai, our theory and composition teacher, expands the digital side of music with both the Music Composition and Production classes. Students learn to use computer software to create their own music compositions, producing the tracks in Garageband using MIDI keyboards.
For ensembles, while not entirely new, this year we’re excited at the new combinations of pairings and groups our students can form with each other! This includes new students Luciano and Daniel with a violin and piano duet, violist Cristal partnering with flutist Olivia, and even Diego and Eric with four hands on one piano. Not only that, Mr. Ray is personally leading a beginner brass band with some of our 5th and 6th graders. Can’t wait to see it all come together in our December Music Concert and Winter Gala Benefit! Stay tuned for more information.
ADMISSIONS
Admissions News Open House: Curriculum Preview and Q&A - October 14th, 2023
Join our dedicated staff and learn more about our well rounded and high-achieving HSArts curriculum with 18 honors and 20 AP course selections, pre-professional training in the arts and our commitment to providing a nurturing and enriching educational experience. It is the perfect opportunity to meet school leadership, faculty and ask questions. Please RSVP via this link if you haven’t yet.
If you’re interested in attending this event, or have any questions regarding the admissions process, please contact our Admissions Department.
YOUNG ARTISTS
Young Artists News Our students had so much fun performing at the local Cole Valley Fair last month, performing a variety of classical Chinese dance and ballet pieces to the hundreds of boisterous bystanding audience members! Here’s a few pictures from the event.
A big shoutout to Ms. Anne for organizing the event, Ms. Hanna for managing the performance, Mr. Brandon for hosting, and all the parents and staff who volunteered their weekend time to make the event a success! Great job everyone!
STUDENT LIFE
Coming Soon: Spirit Week Come one, come all! Show your school spirit during Spirit Week, October 16-20. Our Student Councils have exciting plans, including themed dress up days, BBQ in the park, games and activities… all culminating in our annual exhibition basketball game against Stratford!
So get your twin outfits, school colors, and your best cheering ready next next week!
New Club Alert! Coding Club with Mr. Ray Inspired by our resident STEM expert, Mr. Ray, and his amazing computational and computer skills, some middle school boys were moved to action to form a Coding Club! Fridays after school, Dylahn and friends will work out their fingers with Mr. Ray, room TBD, tentatively 208. All are welcome to join! Yearbook Sale! Pre-order yours today for the early bird special 😀
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coming soon!
Oct 9
Columbus Day (no school)
Oct 16-20
Spirit Week
Oct 9
Columbus Day (no school)
Oct 25-27
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Communication is essential and we strive to connect with our students, parents, and families throughout the school year. We will continue reaching out to you with this weekly newsletter. We also encourage you to visit our website and follow our social pages including Facebook and Instagram for announcements, information, and celebrations
Our students had so much fun performing at the local Cole Valley Fair last month, performing a variety of classical Chinese dance and ballet pieces to the hundreds of boisterous bystanding audience members! Here’s a few pictures from the event.
10-6-2023
English 
Chinese (Taiwan) 
Chinese (China) 
Spanish