Starr King Elementary … a hidden gem
15 Mar 2006
The Chronicle reports that the San Francisco public schools saw a small decline in the number of students applying for the 2006-07 school year, reflecting the continued slide in enrollment that has plagued the district for years, figures released Friday show.
But there is good news … the numbers show families are choosing a wider variety of schools for this fall, rather than focusing on just the most popular and most highly regarded schools.
In fact for the first year ever, Starr King Elementary school in Potrero Hill received more applicants to its general program than spaces, although the new Mandarin immersion program which has space for 40 kids, only had 33 families requesting it.
Annette Lim, executive director of the district’s placement center, said her staff will work to recruit more families to those [immersion] programs in coming months.
“It’s a start, but we do want it to go higher,” she said. “For something new, it takes time for people to be informed.”
Monika Liston Jo, who lives in the Sunnyside area, listed Starr King’s Mandarin program as her top choice for her 4-year-old son, Cameron. Neither she or her husband speak Mandarin, but they think it’s important for their son to learn the language.
Starr King is near the housing projects in Potrero Hill and hasn’t been a highly requested school, but Jo said that after touring the school, she was pleasantly surprised by its clean, bright classrooms, impressive principal and free after-school program.
“It’s a school that’s not on the tips of everyone’s tongues,” she said. “But we can see our son thriving there, and we can see ourselves as parents being involved there.”
Photo: Chronicle / Chris Stewart
Read More
• Students’ families seek ‘hidden gems’ [SF Chronicle]
Search
New! View historical photos.
The chronicle also reported that there was an increase in pre-school aged children. Something the PHPA group can attest to.
There were 38,498 preschool-age kids in San Francisco in 2004, up 22 percent from 31,633 in 2000. At the same time, the city’s total population fell 7 percent from 776,733 to 724,538, according to the annual American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/15/BAGOIHOC591.DTL
Anyword on bringing another pre-school PH?
Get them started early
- Mandarin learn and play for toddlers. ACE sponsored?
- Sign the petition
A competing Mandarin Immersion Program at Diane Feinstein ES will undermine the revitalization of the East-side Starr King ES via its Mandarin Immersion Program. I will NOT sign the petition and recommend that other PH residents do not either.
I urge people to sign it to get any Mandarin Chinese immersion program going here in the city. How will the support of another similar program undermine the one at Starr King? The demands are strong enough in SF for both, which will serve two neighborhoods in opposite sides of the city.
While visiting Starr King earlier this week, I was extraordinarily impressed with the improvments that Chris has made since being appointed principal (he was formerly the science educator). The interior and the grounds are not only cleaner and decorated with beautiful new murals but school and classroom activities and learning objectives are joyously displayed on the corridor walls and classroom entrances, as well as inside classrooms. Morale is up. The teachers and he (and their students and parents) deserve a lot of thanks and support for the good work that they are doing. Susanne K Shields, secretary of the board, Starr King Openspace and longtime PH resident.