Visitacion Valley Middle (San Francisco) is a 06 to 08 grade school in San Francisco, and has made tremendous strides in improving the acceptance rate and education its students receive. I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. The first day of school will be Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Principal Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. 3D & VIDEO TOUR. This year, the school has had to integrate more than 100 new students onto campus after another nearby middle school was closed by the district. Our kids are coming to school. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. Programs School Data Contact Info Visitacion Valley Middle School Grades 6-8 Less than a year after starting Quiet Time, which is in part funded by . San Francisco Superintendent Carlos Garcia told Dierke's students Friday that their principal was chosen from among the thousands of middle school principals across the country. Mr. Dierke wondered whether meditation might reduce students stress levels and help them learn. The program, which had initial funding from the So the privately funded non-profit Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE) was set up. Leading a 501 (c)3 nonprofit working with a consortium of collaborative partners including university researchers . It feels good to have that reputation.. visitacion valley middle School students 14The QuieT Time Program DaviD Lynch FounDaTion 1 5 7. were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco, to more schools in the city introducing the programme, Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, international lessons in education series. Now we can get to the work of promoting anti-racism, liberation, and achievement at our school, by looking through the lens of White Supremacy Culture. View SFUSD's most recent athletics participation dataor past years' reports. It really is quiet time.. Principal & interest $1,163. Report an absence. Before becoming the Assistant Principal at VVMS, I served as an Assistant Principal at two different elementary schools in Richmond, CA. Check out the 2022-23 academic calendar here. 1. to meditation? This school used to be known as the fight school, he said. that teachers and students enjoy and which preliminary data suggest is effective. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. Visitacion Valley Middle School Unclaimed 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 Contact info Website 3 /10 GreatSchools Rating 5 reviews Public school 375 Students Grades 6-8 Updates Compare 3 /10 GreatSchools Summary Rating 2/10 Test Scores below average 4/10 Academic Progress below average 1/10 Equity below average Public, 6-8 Serves this home. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. White Supremacy Culture. Visitacion Valley also got attention from actor Russell Brand, who visited the school just before Christmas on a trip sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation. Only two teachers have left in the past five years, outside of retirements and district layoffs. My partner and I recently moved from San Francisco to the East Bay, and we are preparing to welcome our first child this summer! In addition, meditating students reported sleeping better as well as higher We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. Stacey Buchwald promoted to principal at Valley Middle School of STEM District 196 Superintendent Mary Kreger today announced the promotion of Dr. Stacey Buchwald from interim principal to principal of Valley Middle School of STEM in. Use the arrows to change between different dates on the calendar. We are continually navigating the phases of a call out to call in culture with each other.. This week's important updates are available! 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134. Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. Quantum Physicist (16:40), By Mario Orsatti on 02/15/2012 Blog Home. I am privileged to be able to continue to work with our dedicated staff, AMAZING students, and supportive parents. Its also important to start small. campaign: %%CAMP%% -- %%CAMP_UID%%, creative: %%ADID%% -- %%AD_UID%%, page: %%PAGE%%, targetedPage: %%TARGETEDPAGE%%, position: %%POS%%, evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level, Under Stress, Students in New York Schools Find Calm in Meditation. Nearby schools include Cleveland Elementary School, Visitacion Valley Middle School and Jordan (June) School For Equity. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. I think its helped my golf game, too.. Of even greater interest, the increase in G.P.A. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decision making processes, and adult structures. Sometimes the whole school meets to meditate in assemblies. Reportar una ausencia. 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. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation A pioneering programme has reduced stress and improved grades at Visitacion Valley middle school - with lessons other schools can learn from. Visitacion Valley Middle School - find test scores, ratings, reviews, and 36 nearby homes for sale at realtor.com. Other schools have taken a few minutes off lunch and tutorials. Our teachers use Community Building and Restorative Practices. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. As a leader, I hold three core values close to me: connection, growth, and appreciation. In recent years however, Principal Dierke and a growing number of other educators have found a way to break the predictive power of demographics. Please read our Welcome Back letter. Since beginning Quiet Time, Dierke said things have improved: Daily attendance last year was more than 98 percent, and there have been fewer suspensions and higher test scores. 379 Winding Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 is a single family home listed for sale at $1,280,000. Select Week, Month, or Agenda to see different views of the calendar. School communities gather twice a year to review data and previous actions in order to intentionally plan for the coming months. This leads to resistance or failure to follow through, maintaining a status quo of disproportionate outcomes for students based on race. Anecdotally, favorable feedback poured in from both students and staff members. expanded to serve middle school children and grow with the kids it was already serving. 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). Parks near 132 Britton St include Crocker Amazon Playground, Visitacion Valley Greenway, and Bayview Park. We can have equity missions plastered on walls and front that we are about closing the opportunity gap, but we dont go deeper than diversity trainings. Located in a quite cul-de-sac setting with easy access to freeway, banking and various amenities. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. students, and couples, Contact a certified TM teacher The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. 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). 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) The school is working on improving parent involvement through our Parent Liaison. Personal Commitment graphic organizer used in professional development (Courtesy of Joe Truss). This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Dont just throw it into 2,000 schools, he says. Also, we might hear phrases like, "That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression," "I think we can do better for our Latinx students," or "This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism." White Supremacy Culture. [3] Connection is first and foremost because this work is all about relationships - connecting with stakeholders, earning trust, and sharing in the decision making. The 1,233 sq. 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. Our school commits to delivering high quality educational program that addresses individual needs. And a 2015 review of the program, issued by the Center for Wellness and Achievement in Phones will be closed on school holidays, including the fall, winter and spring breaks. A restless din filled the large room. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (. The entire schoolfaculty, staff, and studentsspend the first and last 15 minutes of every day in silence. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. Once the students got over that, they were open to trying to meditate. We focus on equitable teaching practices and encourage student participation. James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, like so many thousands of principals and teachers who are working in inner-city schools throughout the US, knows how frustrating it can be trying to provide an education in America's low income, high stress localities. 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 . In the outside world, TM has been criticised for the price-tag it comes with; the programme at Visitacion Valley costs $280,000 (185,128) a year - paid for mainly through private donations to CWAE. Executive Director Gerald Tirozzi of the association noted that Dierke has given the community around the school a sense of hope. "Although authorities captured the person, parents could have demanded changes at the school," a statement from the principals' association said. years of my tenure, the school was dominated by stress and fighting. But in the last few years, he said, we have had very few fights.. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. Just meditate!. 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.) 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. WSC dehumanizes people of color. "I am feeling elated," he said after the announcement and celebration in the school's auditorium. Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. The teacher has also seen dramatic transformations in his students. Visitacion Valley Elementary School Unclaimed 55 Schwerin Street, San Francisco, CA 94134 Contact info Website 5 /10 GreatSchools Rating 3 reviews Public school 338 Students Grades K-5 Updates Compare 5 /10 GreatSchools Summary Rating 5/10 Test Scores average 6/10 Academic Progress average 4/10 Equity below average Last updated: Nov 18, 2022 NOTE: Due to late submission for 2021-22 school year data collection, schools in Texas and Washington were not included in this locator tool.To search for public . He attributes that to higher levels of job satisfaction. Grades: 9-12. . We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. ODriscoll was sceptical at first about mediating himself, but since giving it a try he can concentrate better and feels less stressed. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. Student-centered learning advances equity when it values social and emotional growth alongside academic achievement, takes a cultural lens on strengths and competencies, and equips students with the power and skills to address injustice in their schools and communities.