Q&A with Principal Slater re: the 2015-2016 School Year

Welcome back to school! The PTA is excited for another great year.  We asked Principal Slater to give us his perspective on the new school year.
  

What are you most proud of last year (your first year at Rooftop) that you accomplished?

Last year, we worked very hard to focus on social, emotional, and behavioral supports for our students. We worked to leverage district resources, we provided staff members with professional development focused on trauma-informed practices and Positive Discipline. We also opened our Wellness Center on the Burnett campus and staffed it with our social worker, Amber Wolfe, and extended the support for students beyond the regular school day by partnering with CASA Mental Health & Wellness Counselor, Lily Cardasis. We are excited to be adding an additional .5 social worker to support the students at the Mayeda campus and plan to open a Wellness Center there this year as well.

Can you tell us a little about the Stanford d.school workshop you attended over the summer? And who did you go with?

This summer I attended “Introduction to Design Thinking” at the Stanford D.School along with our art coordinator, Cheryl Ball, and our new 6-8 art teacher, Megan McMahon. The workshop gave us an opportunity to build our design thinking skills, connect with like-minded educators, and become part of the K12 Lab Network. Participation in this workshop also helped us to meet our goal of extending and building our collaborative partnerships.

How will what you and the rest of the team learned there be incorporated into Rooftop?Many forward-thinking organizations are using the design thinking process as a way to innovate. The process involves these steps: Understand, observe, define, ideate, prototype and test. Over the course of this year, we’ll be educating the community about the process and applying it to work. One of the areas that its application will be evident will be in our STEAM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics). Additionally, we’ll be engaging with the SFUSD Innovation Lab (iLab). The goal of the iLab is to harness the awesome innovative ideas of SFUSD staff to propel the district forward and shape the future of education in SFUSD.

We have a few new teachers this year, can you tell us a little about them and what grades they will be teaching?We are excited to welcome several new members of the Rooftop Team (a few of which may be familiar faces!):

Brittany Immesoete, Pre-K. Brittany will be filling in for Carolyn Taylor who is on maternity leave until December. Brittany comes to us from Hayward where she worked as a special education teacher in an autism classroom.

Elizabeth Sylva, 2nd Grade.  Elizabeth will be filling in this year for Kelly Louis who is on sabbatical. Elizabeth comes to us with previous 2nd grade experience from Our Lady of the Visitacion School.

Lucy Hamilburg, 5th Grade. Lucy is filling in this year for Jenny Kennedy who is on sabbatical. Lucy did her student teacher here at Rooftop in 5th grade with Sue Mocklin, and was one of our RSP teachers last year.

William Scheflo, 6-8 PE. William joins us from Lodi Unified School District. In addition to being a personal trainer, William developed and led the Restorative Justice work at his previous middle school.

Megan McMahon, 6-8 Art. Megan joins us from Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 School where she created and established an art program for a culturally diverse middle school. Megan integrated art into school culture at BVHM by collaborating in cross-curricular projects with math, social studies, Science and Language Arts.

David Brody, 7-8 Science. David has 20 years of experience teaching middle Science. He’s led a cohort of 20 teachers as Science Department Chair and serves on the SFUSD Next Generation Science Standards implementation team.

Carlo Delgadillo, 7 LA/SS. Carlo worked with Patty Ryan and Angie Kastner this past year in the USF reading specialist program. Carlo also has experience implementing diversity/social justice training. In addition to his Master of Arts in Teaching Reading, Carlo also holds a Master of Arts in Education, Equity and Social Justice.

Anca Cunningham, K-3 RSP. In addition to her Master Degrees in Education and Special Education, Anca is also a Registered Dietitian. She is a lecturer at SFSU and has been published in SuperKids Nutrition magazine.

Lauren Holden, K-3 RSP. Lauren has been an RSP teacher in SFUSD for the past two years and brings experience as both a general education and special day class teacher.

Christian McMurray, Athletic Director. Christian is a Rooftop parent and coach who will be leading us to a winning season in every sport! He was instrumental in bringing girls’ volleyball to Rooftop this year!

How are you and the rest of the staff preparing for the upcoming school year?In addition to getting some well-deserved rest and relaxation, many of our staff members have engaged in professional development this summer. Some of their learning includes math and literacy professional development, mindfulness/yoga training, and project based learning (PBL). At our Administrative Institute, Tiffany and I attended workshops focused on providing interventions for students, innovation, closing the achievement gap, and meaningful collaboration.

We’ll be coming together as a whole team for a staff retreat at the beginning of August. Our agenda for that week includes Positive Discipline training, math and literacy training, yoga/mindfulness workshop and collaborative planning.

What are your top three goals for this upcoming school year?There is a lot of important work to be done this year. We’ll be continuing with Common Core implementation, going deeper with our STEAM programming, cultivating external partnerships, and exploring project based learning (PBL).

All of that work requires a lot time. With the demands we currently place on teachers, it’s hard to ask for more. So, what we plan do this year is leverage our resources so that teachers have more time to learn and plan together during the school day. Meaningful collaboration through inquiry and the development of teacher-leaders is critical to our success.

We’ll also go deeper this year in exploring the ways in which we support our students’ social, emotional, and behavioral development. We’re continuing our work with Positive Discipline and we welcome Playworks to team to enhance our recess experience for students. We’ll be adding an additional part-time social worker to the Mayeda campus and opening a Wellness Center there.

And, most importantly, we’ll continue to focus on issues of equity. At our Administrative Institute, we were challenged to “Dare to interrupt systemic oppression...See it. Say it. Do it.” As we continue our equity work here at Rooftop, we challenge our whole school community to do the same.

Q&A with Patty Ryan

Our first blog post of the year is with Patty Ryan. She is the Resource Specialist on the Burnett Campus. Say "hello" next time you see her and introduce yourself.

Tell us a little about your professional background.
I started my training in the Philadelphia Public Schools and completed my special education student teaching in high school math.  For 17 years, I taught in restrictive settings such as special day class, day treatment, and even a segregated school for students with physical disabilities.  I'm relieved to say those schools no longer exist.  Although I initially enjoyed working with infants and preschoolers, I quickly found my niche in public elementary schools, primarily in grades 3 to 5.

 What is your role at Rooftop? How long have you been involved at Rooftop?
I was hired by my great mentor, Nancy Mayeda, in 1994 to teach in the special day class program.  In 2003, I switched roles and became the elementary Resource Specialist.

 What do you love about the Rooftop Community? I am a true believer in Rooftop Spirit which includes our shared understanding that every child is gifted.  I love the diversity of our students and families as well as the spirit of volunteerism which brings so many gifted folks into our community.

 Why do you love working with children at Rooftop and how has your job impacted their lives?
 Building relationships with students and families is my greatest joy at Rooftop.  In looking at access and equity as it relates to closing  the achievement gap, I realize that the more I learn, the less I know. One thing has become abundantly clear; reading is the great equalizer.  I love spending time with my fabulous students, and I love teaching reading.

PTA - FALL UPDATE

The 2014-2015 year has had an amazing start. Your PTA dollars have been busy at work. In the beginning of the year we hosted our annual welcome picnic and purchased all new printers for every classroom. Thank you to the tech committee who helped with installation.

We continue to support the administration with paying for extra staff to support the needs of our children including Ms. Sheila, Ms. Sanford and a new Rooftop Works coordinator, DeBari Martinez to support Burnett students during recess and beyond.

We funded the middle school trip to see The Tempest at the African American Shakespeare Company in November, the middle school buses for the field trip to attend the Cal Academy of Sciences Skulls Exhibit, and the Family Art Night in October. We also organized a successful greening/work day at both campuses.

Of course, all of these wonderful programs need to be funded. Our PTA helps cover all of these and more programs. One of our major fundraisers, the Rooftop Run, was a fantastic day of of community, exercise and Rooftop Spirit. About 150 people attended and preliminary numbers are still being calculated. If you still have pledges to collect, please turn them in.  It was great to see our new principal, Mr. Slater, running with our kids.

Our annual fund will be in high gear soon. We are going to dedicate the month of December to giving. Everyone that donates to the annual fund in December will be entered to win a iPad! We are aiming for 100% participation! Our final big fundraiser will be the auction. Please plan to join us on March 14 for a night of fun and raising money for our children!

Our PTA membership is currently at 180 members and continues to grow, as more families join every week. If you haven't please join or renew your membership today! We want to extend a HUGE thank you to all the families who support our school,whether it's through volunteering or donating.

We hope you can join us this Thursday for our PTA community building Thanksgiving dinner. Please feel free to send an email to the PTA if you have any questions or ideas. We would love to hear them!

Q&A with 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Wickstrom.

Ms. Wickstorm (or otherwise known as Ms. W) is the new 2nd grade teacher at Rooftop. Ms. W was a student teacher and substitute for a few years before becoming a full time teacher at Rooftop. You can find Ms. W in B18 on the Burnett Campus. Say "hello" next time you see her!


Tell us a little about your professional background.
For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a teacher. I always volunteered to spend time during my recess and lunch to help teachers in elementary school and enjoyed working in after school programs in high school. After attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo for a year, I realized that I needed to be in a program that was actively preparing me to be a teacher. I transferred to the University of San Francisco, where I enrolled in the Dual Degree Program. As a part of this program, I spent my undergraduate years taking classes for my BA and MA. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Child and Youth Psychology. I spent one year in graduate school where I earned my Masters of Education in Teaching and my multiple subject teaching credential.

Despite being a second year teacher, I've been active in San Francisco schools for the past six years. When I enrolled in the Dual Degree Program at the University of San Francisco, I knew that my number one goal was to start working in schools as soon as possible. The Dual Degree program encourages participants to become active in classrooms as soon as possible, so I began volunteering in a fourth grade class at Rosa Parks Elementary. In this classroom, I worked one-on-one with students that needed extra support in reading, many of whom were reading multiple levels below grade. This work made me realize the high need for excellent teachers in San Francisco Public Schools and further ignited my passion for this beautiful work. 

After volunteering at Rosa Parks for a year, I took an internship at the San Francisco Friends School (SFFS) in a third grade classroom. The difference between these schools is extraordinary, as the SFFS is a private Quaker school. I stayed in this position for three years. Working at the SFFS gave me the opportunity to learn new strategies, observe different teaching styles, experience community builders, make professional connections, participate in workshops, and develop relationships with students and teachers. 

After this experience, I knew I wanted to go back to the diversity of the public school system. I volunteered in a kindergarten classroom at Miraloma, worked in a second grade classroom at Dianne Feinstein, and had the wonderful opportunity to work at Rooftop a student teacher in Dieter Roger's fourth grade classroom. While student teaching, I also worked as a substitute in various classrooms throughout the Burnett and Mayeda campuses. After my various volunteering experiences, I feel so appreciative to work at Rooftop, a school filled with diversity, exploration and discovery, artistic creations, professional development opportunities, strong relationships between teachers, families, and students, and the chance to learn something new each day.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?I chose to become a teacher because I feel extremely passionate about working with children to make a positive change in our world. I believe that my students teach me something new everyday and I love being involved in a profession where I see young people transforming positively. When I was growing up, school felt very traditional. I remember sitting in rows facing the chalkboard and copying down notes that the teacher was writing on the board. Despite loving to learn, I did not always enjoy being in the classroom because I often felt like I had to teach myself the concepts I was supposed to be learning. When I began working in classrooms, I realized that teaching is about innovation, creativity, hands-on exploration, curiosity, and being fully engaged in every aspect of the school day. Furthermore, I am passionate about teaching because it is a profession where I am constantly learning, reflecting, and changing my perspective. Although teaching is a challenging profession, I love interacting with different students every year. Although this is only my second year as a teacher, I've realized that teaching is an ever-evolving profession where I need to build relationships with my students in order to create a teaching style for that year that will allow them to be engaged in and learning about things that are most interesting and exciting.

What's your favorite thing about working with kids?My favorite thing about working with kids is the excitement, curiosity, and personality that they bring to the classroom. Working with kids reminds me to be optimistic about everyday opportunities, challenges me to look at things from different perspectives, allows me to share my creativity and knowledge, and helps me fill each day with a little bit of laughter and a lot of learning. I also love watching my students grow throughout the year. At the beginning of the school year, I get to meet a new group of students. Throughout the year, I build relationships with these students, find out their likes and dislikes, discover their learning styles, understand their favorite subjects,  experience their tremendous abilities to thrive as people, and ultimately grow myself as a result of being a part of this wonderful process.


What excites you about working at Rooftop?There are numerous things that excite me about working at Rooftop. In particular,  the spectacular teaching staff,  supportive families, extra activities, and diverse student population that make Rooftop an extraordinary place. Rooftop is filled with exciting opportunities that makes teaching here a unique, fulfilling experience. The sense of community, camaraderie, and welcoming I feel at Rooftop is astounding. From the first time I stepped onto the Burnett campus as a student teacher, I knew Rooftop was the school for me. We have an experienced, knowledgeable, friendly staff and I've found that every single teacher has something special and genuine to offer. Rooftop is also filled with families that are dedicated to constantly making Rooftop a better place. Rooftop is more than just a school, it is a community. Every day I find new parent volunteers helping out around campus. The level of support and participation from the Rooftop families helps to make Rooftop an exceptional place. Finally, one reason I love most about living in San Francisco is the beautiful assortment of diversity found within this city. Rooftop reflects this diversity in its student population. Being part of a school that celebrates the many different backgrounds, races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions, and brings them together into one Rooftop community is a rare, magnificent place and I feel blessed to be a member Rooftop.


What do you like to do when you are not teaching?When I'm not teaching, I love hanging out with my family. I grew up in Redwood City and most of my extended family still lives there. I have a very large family of cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmas, and grandpas. We love getting together to celebrate, relax, and catch up. About a year ago, I started practicing yoga and since then yoga is my favorite thing to do outside of teaching. There are many fabulous studios and teachers in the city, but I also like finding yoga retreats that take me outside the city. Over spring break, I'm going to the Bali Spirit Festival, which is a five day festival filled with yoga, music, and dancing! I also love traveling, hiking, and camping. Being outdoors and exploring in nature helps me to relax and unwind after a week of teaching. I'm also a big reader. I grew up sneaking a book and flashlight into my bed so that I could stay up late reading and I've kept that habit as an adult. I can't wait for the rainy season so that I can snuggle up next to the fire place with a good book, it seems like I always have a never-ending reading list!


If you could change one thing about education, what would it be?  It would be implementing discovery based learning in a consistent way throughout grade-levels. Discovery learning is inquiry-based and focuses on the learner to discover concepts, relationships, and ideas by exploring, manipulating, and performing. When implemented in a classroom with set routines and procedures, strong relationships between teacher and students, and a safe community with high expectations, discovery learning encourages active engagement, promotes motivation, and develops creativity, independence, and problem solving.

Meet Ms Looser - the new 7th/8th grade Science Teacher

Continuing with our series of interviews, today's interview is with Lindsey Looser. She is the new 7th and 8th grade Science Teacher at Mayeda. Welcome Ms. Looser to the Rooftop family. 

Tell us a little about your professional background.
I attended college in Ohio at Bowling Green State University.  I majored in Middle Childhood Education, focusing on Science and English Language Arts.  After college graduation I spent a year teaching 5th grade students science and language arts.

What subject do you teach at Rooftop and what grade?
I teach 7th and 8th grade Science.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?
Teaching is not only my career, but it is my passion. I discovered this my senior year of high school when I had the opportunity to help teach middle school students.  The excitement and enthusiasm I felt for teaching the students led me to the decision of becoming a teacher. As a teacher I get to create, innovate, explore, guide, and lead.   I couldn’t ask for a better career.

What's your favorite thing about working with middle schoolers?
Middle school is full of funny, imaginative, and caring students who always put a smile on my face.  They are fast-paced and full of energy.  I love seeing these qualities in the classroom!

What excites you about working at Rooftop?
Rooftop is such a welcoming school full of awesome students and families.  The community and traditions here are both remarkable!

What do you like to do when you are not teaching?
When I am not teaching, I like to go to coffee shops, eat ice cream, go for long runs, spend time outside, spend time with my family, and listen to music.

Who is Ms. Sheila Hall?

The blog has been on a hiatus lately, but we have some great posts coming up! This recent post is about Ms. Sheila. If you haven't met her before, you should.  Introduce yourself next time you see her.  You can usually find her on the Burnett campus. She is incredibly warm, and our kids are so lucky to have her be part of our community.  Recently,  Principal Slater mentioned that Ms. Sheila has been riding the bus with our kids.  We are fortunate that Rooftop has an active PTA that is able to fund her extra hours to support our children!  So without further ado please meet Ms. Sheila....

I heard your kids went to Rooftop. Is that true? When?
Yes my daughter, Iyahna,went to Rooftop and graduated in 2009. Iyahna attends Howard University College in Washington D.C. My  nephews and nieces graduated from Rooftop as well.

How are you involved at Rooftop?
I'm a Para Professional Employee at Rooftop, and very much involved with the safety of all the students.I have always been involved with Rooftop before being an employee, through volunteer work and PTA when my nieces, nephews and daughter attended.

What excites you about working at Rooftop?
Everything at Rooftop excites me. Even though there are challenging situations, I always enjoy working with the students and faculty. Working with kids is one of my greatest passion. It is an honor for me to be given the opportunity to be part of the Rooftop family.

What is your favorite thing about working with kids?
Kids always brighten my day because they bring positive energy into my life. The most important thing I enjoy about working with kids of all ages, is to be able to build a safe environment and relationship. I love supporting my Rooftop kids in school activities or extracurricular activities, for example soccer, music, drama, dancing and football.

What do you want the community to know about you?
I'm a single parent with two children, one boy and one girl. I'm a native of San Francisco and live in the twin peaks/diamond heights area. I'm kid friendly and most of my past jobs have been working with kids. I have been part of the Rooftop family since 1995. I studiedBusiness Administration with a concentration in Economics at Sacramento State University. My hobbies are dancing, crochet, walking, watching sports, playing pool and helping others. I'm a team player and I believe in working together will make a difference.

Do you think riding the bus has made a difference? Why?
Yes. most definitely.  Parents main concern is safety and to make sure their children can arrive to school on time. Having an adult chaperon on the bus at all times will help minimize the behavior issues during travel time.  Also to help the driver to stay focused on the road.

Thanks Ms. Sheila for everything you do, and thank you to the Rooftop community.  We would not be able to fund great programs like the "extra hours" for Ms. Sheila without your generosity. To learn more about how and why we fundraise go here 

Curious to learn more about our new principal? Read this Q&A.

What is your professional background?
My educational background includes a Master of Education in educational administration, a Master of Arts in education, and a Bachelor of Science in education. I was selected as a Fellow in the Boston Principal Fellowship program and as a Fellow in the Lynch Leadership Academy at
Boston College.

My prior work experience includes teaching middle school for 10 years (Social Studies/Technology) in Pennsylvania, and serving as an assistant principal and literacy coach in the Boston Public Schools. I received my literacy training from A.U.S.S.I.E. (Australian United States Services in Education). I've served as a principal for six years at both K-5 and K-8 schools. My former K-8 school in Boston is very similar to Rooftop in many ways, including the demographics.

What do you want the community to know about you?
I've recently married my partner of 11 years, Jim. You'll have a chance to meet him, as he loves to support school events and attend school functions. We have four boys: Ryan is 27, Kyle is 22, Ethan is 17, and Sammy is 14. Ryan is the manager of a credit union and sings in a band in
New Hampshire. Kyle graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California and is currently on hiatus as a white water rafting guide and ski instructor in Salt Lake City. Ethan is a senior in high school and is currently applying to colleges to study forensic anthropology. Sammy is in high
school, and is an avid musician and aspiring actor. They all make us very proud!

I have a brother, Brian, who is 4 years younger than me and lives in the Baltimore/D.C. area. My brother and his fiancé are having a baby that is scheduled to arrive this November…my first nephew! I'm very excited!