The Gate | Spring 2015 Edition

 
Advancing Equity through Access and Opportunity  
 
                        
 
Dear Gateway Community,

 

Happy Spring! With summer right around the corner, this is one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year at Gateway Public Schools. Our seniors have been busy navigating the college process; our high school underclassmen have been presenting their projects on genocide awareness and social movements; our middle school students have all visited a local college campus; and, of course, our wonderful and talented teachers are leading the way.

 

At Gateway, we prepare students for their futures through innovative programs that provide them with opportunities to learn new skills, gain critical exposure, and encourage them to be creative, inventive, adaptive, and resilient.

 

Gateway serves a diverse student population, including a large percentage of students with diagnosed learning disabilities and students who are first-generation college bound, and yet more than 96% of our graduates have gone on to college, double the statewide rate.

 

A large part of this success is due to how we build connections between what happens in the classroom and in the real world for our students. In this issue of The Gate, you will read about our efforts to foster real world connections through our recent partnership with Teach With Africa, our career readiness and internship programs, and Gateway's urban garden.

 

This spring, Gateway's leaders have been in the midst of our middle school's first charter renewal process and have welcomed members of the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education into our school to see our work first-hand. On Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm the Board of Education will vote on our charter. Please join us during this exciting event held in the Irving G. Breyer Board Meeting Room, 555 Franklin St.,1st floor.

 

I also hope you can join us for some inspiring upcoming events, like Gateway High School's American Journeys night which highlights the rich diversity of our school and how we incorporate it into the educational experience.

 

We are extremely proud of the many ways we support student success here at Gateway, and we hope you enjoy learning about them.

 

On behalf of Gateway Public Schools, I thank you. Your support enables us to help all of our students realize their unique potential. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of our students and setting them on the road to college.

 

Sharon Olken
Executive Director, Gateway Public Schools 

In This Issue 
Transformation Through Education: Teach With Africa Transformation

Raeesa Mohamed, an educator with LEAP Science and Math School in South Africa, traveled over 10,000 miles from the vibrant city of Cape Town to San Francisco in March to participate in a teaching and learning exchange with Gateway Public Schools. 
Read more. 
Career Exploration: Creating Equitable Opportunity Career

"Hard work always pays off," said Carmen Castro, Executive Managing Director of First Republic Bank in San Francisco, as she spoke with Gateway students during a recent Pizza & Possibilities series. Pizza & Possibilities is one of the many career awareness activities that Gateway offers to its students.

Read more.

Spotlight
Nathan Apolonio, Class of 2014 Spotlight 

Since Gateway High School was founded in 1998, more than 96% of our graduates have gone on to college. As our current seniors navigate the nerve-racking college admission process, Director of College Counseling, Joel Rangel, has noticed an interesting trend.

Read more.

Inside Gateway Inside

Genocide Awareness
10th grade students shared their research on modern genocide and led discussions with students and families. 
    Outdoor Education 
6th grade students learned about the great outdoors during their annual outdoor education trip to the Marin Headlands. 

Social Justice
9th grade students shared their research on social movements and led discussions with students and families.

Health and Wellness
Fourteen young women from Gateway High School attended UCSF's Young Women's Health & Leadership Summit.
Community In Action
8th grade students participated in a day of activism with their advisory groups throughout San Francisco.

College Ready
College planning begins early. All Middle School students participated in Gateway's College Visit Week to local campuses.
Upcoming Events Events

  • Gateway High School Evening of Action: Thursday, April 16 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm
    Seniors will culminate weeks of research, writing, and volunteerism with 10 minute long team presentations about social justice issues.
  • SFUSD Board of Education Vote on Gateway Middle School's First Charter Renewal: Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00 pm
    Please support the Middle School's charter renewal process with SFUSD by joining us in your Gateway Gear during the Board of Education's final vote. The meeting will be held in the Irving G. Breyer Board Meeting Room, 555 Franklin St.,1st floor.  
  • American Journeys Night: Thursday, May 7 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm  
    Gateway High School students present culminating projects they have been researching on the history surrounding their family's migration story. Students share these moving and personal stories in small groups.
  • Gateway Middle School Spring Exhibition Night: Thursday, May 21 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm
    Students have been conducting research on different topics in Math, Science, Art, and Humanities, and will present their projects throughout the school.
  • Gateway Middle School 8th Grade Promotion: Thursday, May 28 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm 
    Celebrate the hard work of our 8th graders as they move on from Middle School and into High School. 
  • Gateway High School Graduation: Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
    Our seniors are college bound! Come and celebrate all of their achievements and wish them well. Location: Lisille B. Matheson Theater

 

Gateway Public Schools: Measuring success one student at a time.