In recent years however, Principal Dierke and a growing number of other educators have found a way to break the predictive power of demographics. But to start, we must go inward. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. Reportar una ausencia. Index of Northern California - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Using Meditation to Help Close the Achievement Gap Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. Join us at this years SFUSD Virtual Enrollment Fair for Middle and High Schools, October 24-27, 2022! (DiAngelo, 2018). My Only Regret Is That I Didnt Find This Practice Twenty Years Ago , Why I Learned Transcendental Meditation Three Years Ago And Why I Still Practice It , 6 Benefits Of Transcendental Meditation (And How You Can Get Started Today) , James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School, urban students, drugs, gangs and violence, Newly published research on the effect of the Quiet Time/Transcendental Meditation program, MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Sign up for a school tour at sfusd.edu/tours. Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. This post originally appeared in KQED's MindShiftblog. White Supremacy Culture. Out of view, city dignitaries and his students waited inside Visitacion Valley Middle School to surprise him with the news: He was the National Middle School Principal of the Year.. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. to meditation? An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! Ale House Alley, Mission Blue, and Lucky's Bakery & Cafe. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. 375. Two other schools in SFUSD have begun their own Quiet Time programs and a district spokesperson said other schools have begun asking questions about Visitacion Valleys success. 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 imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. students who meditated showed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in resilience compared to nonmeditating students. San Francisco principal Jim Dierke knew something was up when he saw more cars than usual parked in front of his school Friday morning. levels of self-confidence and happiness. Entire contents copyright 2023 Maharishi Foundation USA, a non-profit educational organization. Visitacion Valley Middle School | LinkedIn Muni Routes to City Schools | SFMTA In recognition of the honor, Mayor Gavin Newsom declared Friday Jim Dierke Day in San Francisco. For example, pushing students to work independently or write before processing verbally can lead to stress and isolation. James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco: Principal James Dierke "When I arrived at this school thirteen years ago it had the highest absentee rate, the highest suspension rate, the highest teacher turnover rate, the lowest academic achievement rate. . $1,862. Valley Middle School The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color. Dont be confused. Yet that's where real leadership comes in, the organization noted. Visitacion Valley Middle School - Public School Review With after-school programs at both Visitacion Valley Middle School and El Dorado Elementary School, R.O.C.K. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. Quiet Time is just like an umbrella. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. Every day before class, Visitacion Valley Middle School students pass an informal memorial known as the "R.I.P. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Bursts of laughter and errant shouts punctuated the buzz. The UK has already started experimenting with meditation: 400 secondary schools offer programmes like the Dot B mindfulness meditation programme, which tends to take place once a week in personal, social, health education (PSHE) class. [3] Based on Rocket Homes closed client surveys received from 2011-2021. Therefore, it was necessary to create shared understandings and subsequent commitments, which was facilitated by exploring a framework of White Supremacy Culture. WSC shuts down learning. Its very peaceful here now.. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. Contact - Valley Middle School of STEM - District 196 And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. In my spare time, I enjoy camping and traveling. Theres an App for That. Visitacion Valley Middle School. Visitacion Valley Middle School prides itself in its active role in the community by welcoming parents, families, and community partners to participate on all levels of creating a culturally responsive 21st Century Middle School. We will share information about our school and answer your questions. Visitacion Valley Middle School basks in principal-of-year award, campusviolence03_005_cs.jpg I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as "the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color." Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. He attributes that to higher levels of job satisfaction. foot 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse for sale. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. Once the students got over that, they were open to trying to meditate. Given that the students in the study were performing below par at baseline, these results Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. 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). In their schools, the Quiet Time/Transcendental Meditation program is playing a key role in that breakthrough. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. 1500 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA is a single family home that contains 1,068 sq ft and was built in 1944. In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. 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. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu,call 415-340-1716(M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast, Dog Needs a Walk? California Principal Named 2008 MetLife/NASSP National Middle - PRWeb We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. The school has something to offer everyone, from new programs of study and a variety of clubs to join. $93. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. Not a Single State Meets the Bar, How One School's Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains, Revisiting Educator Collaboration: We Should Think Differently About How We Form Teams, Best Practices for Implementing DE&I PD for Teachers. 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. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. Photos, courtesy of Joe Truss, from the top: The opinions expressed in Next Gen Learning in Action are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications. Check out the 2022-23 academic calendar here. Property Taxes. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation A Clipper Card is not required for buses and trains, however it is needed to receive a free fare on cable cars. The School Plan for Student Achievement is the template on which this review and stakeholder engagement process is codified. for publication. Visitacion Valley Middle School. 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. 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. I imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. Even in failure, there is growth, if you are using a critical lens to understand and improve. We work hard to create a positive school climate where students are recognized for their growth. and our Visitacion Valley Middle School Spark Program site. Thats amazing for an urban middle school, he said. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. The entire schoolfaculty, staff, and studentsspend the first and last 15 minutes of every day in silence. Its provided a lot of stability to our school, helping staff and kids get through the stress they have in their lives., The impressive results have led to more schools in the city introducing the programme. $5,220. When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. 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's like our own American Idol," Garcia said. I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. This requires dismantling White Supremacy Culture and building a new foundation for an anti-racist and empowering education. And although this program has focused on schools in low-income areas, adolescents from middle-class and affluent families could benefit from stress reduction as well. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. They are more motivated, more confident, more focused, more successful and more joyful. Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School - R.O.C.K. After graduating from Seneca Valley in 1996, I e arned my bachelor's degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. (Dan Schreiber/The Examiner) In 2004, two students discovered the partially decomposed body of a 19-year-old stabbing victim. Perhaps even more remarkable, last years California Healthy Kids Survey from the states education department found that students at Visitacion Valley middle school were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco. are promising. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. I had never done meditation before, but now I do Quiet Time. Joe Truss $1,150,000 Last Sold Price. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Linksupports students and families innavigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. At times, it appeared that we weren't clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. . Please read our welcome letter! 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 With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. If you would like to learn more about our wonderful school, please join our School Info Session on Tuesday, October 25 at 5 pm or 6pm. Homeowners' Insurance. WSC dehumanizes people of color. Norman E. Rosenthal is a psychiatrist and the author of Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life Through Transcendental Meditation.. We needed to go deeper than our previous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. In Violent Neighborhood, 15 Minutes of Meditation Calms Students Its also important to start small. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. Phones will be closed on school holidays, including the fall, winter and spring breaks. Our school commits to delivering high quality educational program that addresses individual needs. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. near you and learn more, A summary of studies fromHarvard, Stanford, and more, AHA: TM is the only meditationfound to lower blood pressure, Different forms of meditationproduce very different results, Bob Roth, Director Having served the past two years as Assistant Principal, VVMS is a community that I love and care for. MLS # 423724059 They couldnt concentrate on school.. Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. Quiet Time in Los angeles The David Lynch Foundation is partnering with several Los angeles-based institutions which deliver excellence in academics and holistic student development through innovative educational models. San Francisco Schools Transformed by the Power of Meditation - NBC News wall," a reminder of trouble that awaits them when the afternoon bell rings.. . Breaking the "predictive power of demographics": SF principal talks The teacher has also seen dramatic transformations in his students. He partnered with the Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education to develop a Quiet Time Program for his school. Use the arrows to change between different dates on the calendar. The announcement was made today during a surprise ceremony at Visitacion Valley. Specifically, this pushed on us to think about and change how we work together: We worked to create norms that encourage people of color and women to contribute, we shifted the relationship between teachers and administration so that teachers had more input in budget and hiring decisions, and finally, we adjusted the pace of our professional-development plans to emphasize quality over quantity. Middle Schools Elementary Schools Fares The Free Muni for Youth Program provides San Francisco youth ages 5-18 with free Muni service, regardless of household income level. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. PDF The QuieT Time Program - GlobalGiving Consequently, "all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop," (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. Students seemed happy, says ODriscoll. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco CA - SchoolDigger It is invisible and it is toxic. 183 Tucker Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS# 422698295 | Redfin One seventh grader at Visitacion Valley said, I used to be really fidgety, couldnt stay in my seat for very long. We can have equity missions plastered on walls and front that we are about closing the opportunity gap, but we don't go deeper than diversity trainings. Mortgage insurance $0. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. A major factor preventing underserved children from learning is the stress they encounter on a daily basis from factors like poverty, deprivation, lack of steady parental input, physical danger and constant Meditation program mends troubled Visitacion Valley Middle School Dismantling WSC unites staff to work toward being anti-racist. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. This work has gotten co-opted and watered down, leading to many people talking the talk, without much walk. Students meditating at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco. 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." 5/28/2021. Theres an explosion of mental health problems among young people and its going to be incredibly expensive to treat in the future. 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. The middle school years are critical times of development for students and families, and I look forward to working with all of you to ensure our school helps students feel a sense of belonging and joy, as well as prepares them for high school, college, and beyond. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. White Supremacy Culture. This listing's school district is San Francisco Unified School District. Beginning with the 1983-84 school year, Valley Middle School organized into interdisciplinary teams referred to as the Village System. Visitacion Valley Middle School 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134 ( School attendance zone shown in map) Tel: (415) 469-4590 www.sfusd.edu SAVE SCHOOL Visitacion Valley Middle School serves 358 students in grades 6-8. During those times, students could either practice Transcendental Visitacion Valley still struggles with significant challenges. and San Pablo, CA. We provide opportunities and resources for all students to be successful. Although controlled studies are difficult to perform in an academic setting, collectively the results of the Bay Area studies are encouraging. Other schools have taken a few minutes off lunch and tutorials. 609-611 Naples Street is a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,850 sqft multi-family home built in 1947. SOLD JUN 13, 2022. Principals Page / Principal Bio - Seneca Valley School District suggests that meditation might significantly improve childrens school performance and help close that gap. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. Annual math and English scores improved in the students who meditated, while they declined in those who didnt meditate. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. He said the neighborhood around Visitacion Valley can be rife with violence and crime. When I first heard about it I thought it probably wasnt going to work, says ODriscoll. Together, educators are doing the reimagining and reinvention work necessary to make true educational equity possible. Principal Broker: William J Oliver. Can You Safely Lose Weight While Breast-Feeding? White Supremacy Culture. Don't be confused. Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, CA - Niche The letter is also available inChinese/andEspaol. This week's important updates are available! Having served the past two years as Assistant Principal, VVMS is a community that I love and care for. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. Kevin Thaddeus Brown, Jr. - LinkedIn The California School Directory and related public school and district data files (collectively referred to as the "Directory"), contain information about California schools, districts, and school/district administrators that is voluntarily self-reported by local education agencies (LEAs) to the California Department of Education (CDE) as a It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. The school faces declining enrollment, test scores that don't meet federal standards, teacher turnover, truancy and a high neighborhood crime rate. increased attendance and increased academic performance. We saw kids with real post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. She is a frequent guest on KQED's "Newroom" television show and "Forum" radio show. The highlights are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, and Vietnamese. Just as long as they are quiet. 420 Harkness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | Zillow This presentation was made as part of a National Education Summit on Quiet Time in the Classroom Linda Esposito - What One Urban School District Can Teach the Country About Stress Relief Huffington Post, Some bowed their heads. TM in San Francisco Schools Improves Learning and Behavior Speak with a TM teacher: 888-LEARN-TM (888-532-7686), Stanford research: TM is twice as effective, Reduced for adults, Quiet Time Programs in San Francisco Bring Meditation to Urban Schools For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. "Although authorities captured the person, parents could have demanded changes at the school," a statement from the principals' association said. It helps me not be so tired during school, she said. But Quiet Time took years to develop. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, "To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color." Distance: 1.7 mi. Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. 336 Wilde Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #423724059 | Zillow June 4, 2021 Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community, I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. 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. Of even greater interest, the increase in G.P.A. It is the water we are swimming in. Students. 1500 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | Zillow