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Dear Gateway Community,
Though there were days it felt like it would never arrive, summer is finally here! And with it, there is so much to celebrate for our Gateway Public Schools community. Top of mind, of course, is our extraordinary Class of 2021, a truly remarkable and resilient group of young people who have embodied our motto “Step Up. Do Right. Dream Big.” by rising to meet the
challenge of finishing high school strong in the midst of a historic public health crisis. And they didn’t just finish – they finished strong; next year you’ll find our graduates across the CSU system, each of the nine UC campuses, at Stanford, and further afield at excellent institutions like Colorado State, Tulane, Louisiana State, and Howard University. And being able to come together as a community to celebrate our seniors in person? I think I speak for most of us at Gateway when I say that day was by far the highlight of the 2020-21 school year.
And there is so much more to celebrate! As I write this, students are back on campus learning together and making new friendships at Gateway’s first-ever summer program, held in partnership with our friends at the University of San Francisco School of Education. This program allows the next generation of educators to get valuable experience and helps our students put their best foot forward as they prepare to return to school. You can read about this and more of the innovative ways we’re thinking about the year ahead in this issue.
Fall is coming soon, and with it, our much-anticipated return to campus, but for now I think it’s important to appreciate all that we have accomplished together and all that we have to be joyful for. Wherever you find yourself this summer, I wish you a season of reconnection, laughter and a bit of adventure – I think we’ve all earned it!
Warm regards,
Sharon Olken
Executive Director, Gateway Public Schools
Celebrating the Class of 2021
After 16 months apart – more than their entire final academic year as high school students – Gateway High’s seniors reunited, along with family and friends, to bid farewell and celebrate their extraordinary accomplishments at the Class of 2021 Graduation Ceremony held on June 5. It was an emotional morning as students, faculty and families reflected on challenges of the past year. READ MORE >
GHS Senior Named California Youth of the Year
GHS Senior Deejay Thompson was named Youth of the Year for California through Boys and Girls Clubs of America this spring, in recognition of his status as a young leader, role model and outstanding citizen. Originally nominated by staff at the Gateway High Boys and Girls Club San Francisco site, Deejay said that, for him, even accepting the challenge was a sign of just how far he had come since his freshmen year at GHS. READ MORE >
GMS 8th Graders Take on Local Injustices
Though they may have been stuck inside for much of the past year, GMS 8th graders are far from powerless. This is more than apparent when viewing the “Local Injustice Projects” they completed this spring as capstones to their Learning Seminar experience, tackling a wide range of topics from the impact of drought on low income families to gentrification in the Mission to the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot.
“It’s important to talk about this today, and every day,” said student Sophia B. of her project on women’s suffrage. “Because women still face injustice all over the world.”
Eighth graders would normally present a capstone research project for family and friends at a year-end exhibition night (similar to a science fair), but this year took the event virtual, with all projects collected online for community viewing. After a year of studying colonization, slavery, constitutional rights and the Reconstruction Era, students were asked to study an injustice affecting a local community, with a call to action about how the issue can be addressed or to facilitate healing and growth in its aftermath.
But don’t take our word for it! Check out all the impressive projects in this online gallery:
Finding Affinity in a Pandemic
Student groups come and go on any high school campus, growing and shrinking as student interest dictates, and are generally fairly casual enterprises. In the midst of a global pandemic, however, these groups suddenly became one of the few ways students could socialize with peers outside of class, and at GHS in particular, online affinity groups became an important source of support and camaraderie for students and faculty alike. READ MORE >
Meet Gateway's Next Generation
Students and teachers alike may be in the full swing of summer, but August is just around the corner, and with it a whole new cohort of sixth and ninth graders who will be joining us at Gateway for the first time. Rosters for both schools are now finalized, with an anticipated student body of 510 at Gateway High and 310 at Gateway Middle School, respectively.
READ MORE >
Gateway and USF Team Up for New Summer Program
Classes are officially in session at Gateway, where thanks to a new partnership with the University of San Francisco, our first first summer program is getting underway.
“We’ve wanted to offer summer programming for some time, but staffing and funding have been consistent barriers,” said Gateway’s Director of Schools and Partnerships Aaron Watson. “But partnering with USF means a lot of new things are possible.” READ MORE >
Save the Date for the 2022 Powerful Learners Conference!
Educators, mark your calendars: The 2022 Powerful Learners Conference. will return Saturday, February 12, 2022. Each year, this growing conference attracts more than 100 educators from throughout the region for a day of collaboration and sharing around how educators can help students thrive and be confident in any learning context. With outstanding speakers, useful tools for your practice, and fun surprises, this event is not to be missed! Interested in presenting? We'll begin accepting session proposals this fall!
Alumni: Last Chance for a $50 Amazon Card!
Calling all alumni! Whether you’re just a year or two out of high school or haven’t thought about your Gator days in a while, we want to hear from you! Take our brief alumni survey -- in just a few short minutes your feedback will help inform how we can best support our current and future students, as well as strengthen our alumni network. In addition, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards -- a pretty sweet reward for ten minutes or less of your time.
Are you the parent of a GHS alum? Please forward this survey link to your child! Our goal is to hear from 1,000 alumni by June 30! With your help, Gateway students and teachers will continue to grow and thrive for many years to come! Thank you!
Lessons from Distance Learning
It scarcely bears mentioning that the last sixteen months of virtual school have been challenging, and often quite frustrating, for students, staff and families alike across San Francisco and much of the rest of the world. At the same time, there’s no denying that the situation presented a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to discover new things about how people learn, how people teach, and what alternatives to the conventional school experience might look like. READ MORE >
Opportunities at Gateway in 2021
Gateway needs a team of fantastic people both in our classrooms and behind the scenes in order to keep our schools running smoothly and ensure that they remain incredible places for teachers to teach and students to learn, grow and discover for many years to come.
Gateway is currently accepting applications for a Development Associate and Special Events Manager, as well as additional roles at our middle school. Our ideal candidates are deeply committed to educational equity, passionate about their students and subject area, and eager to become a part of our tight-knit school community.
If you know someone who may be a good fit for Gateway, please send them our way! Women, queer, and POC candidates are especially encouraged to apply – as are alumni!
