Stratford School San Francisco 14th Ave

The IAC Competition was a great success! Students from all over the Bay Area competed in one or more competitions in Science, History and/or Geography. Congratulations to our students: Austin, Oliver, Aiden, Chloe, Ryan. Clara. Aran, Alina, Max and Lance who competed in History and/or Geography. Special shout out to Oliver Lam for receiving the Gold Medal in Geography and Lance Tu for receiving the Silver medal in Geography and History and qualify for Internationals in Thailand.. Both boys with the addition of Max, Aran and Austin qualify to compete at Nationals in Florida. Another shout out to coach Sasha for all of his efforts in preparing our students for these competitions.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, our school was filled with red, pink, and purple as students and staff dressed in festive colors. Students created heartfelt crafts for their families, exchanged small gifts to show kindness and appreciation, wrote Valentine’s Day messages in Spanish, and even made festive trail mix snacks in class. It was a joyful day celebrating friendship, love, and our wonderful school community.

Stratford's enriching curriculum introduces students to historical figures from Africa and notable African Americans who have made significant contributions to society. This week, second-grade students presented their civil rights projects. Kindergarten Mandarin students gave a presentation on Alma Thomas, a black female artist. Kindergarten students Mira, George and Thomas practiced Braille by poking holes in the mirror image of their name, honoring Ray Charles and his musical achievements.

So much hands-on learning happening across our classrooms! 🧈🎶❄️

Based on Little House in the Big Woods, our second graders churned their own butter using just heavy whipping cream, salt, and a whole lot of determination (and arm power!).

Riaan, George, and Aran proudly shared their collages and writing inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., showcasing both creativity and thoughtful reflection.

In third grade, Itan, Michelle, and their classmates put science to the test by exploring how blubber keeps Arctic animals warm, coating their fingers in vegetable shortening and plunging them into ice water for a chilly experiment!

Meanwhile, our third and fourth graders were all ears and focus in music class as they practiced the recorder, filling the room with concentration and melody. What a week of discovery! 🌟

Our students have been exploring art, language, and history in Mandarin class! 🎨📚

Our kindergarteners discussed Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games, and Heidi created her own beautiful replica inspired by the masterpiece. Nika practiced counting by 10s forward and backward and wrote the corresponding Mandarin number characters with great focus.

Our fourth graders wrapped up their unit on the dynasties of China by recreating an ancient-style scroll, complete with calligraphy of a poem about plants by a river. A wonderful celebration of learning through creativity! 🌿🖌️

The other night, Mr. Mayor invited our staff to his piano recital at the Community Music Center. We knew he was a talented musician, but we were truly amazed by how accomplished he is as a pianist. It was one of the most extraordinary live piano performances many of us have ever witnessed. Kudos to you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you for allowing us to be part of such a memorable experience.

The Program:

-Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes Op. 9: Larghetto, Andante and Allegretto

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 13 K33: Allegro, Andante Cantabile, Allegretto Grazioso

-Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique" Op. 13: Grave-Allegro Molto e con Brio, Adagio Cantabile, Allegro

What incredible performances we witnessed! We couldn’t be prouder of our amazing little stars, who dazzled us with their talent, energy, and dedication. Our hearts are bursting with joy, happiness, and most of all pride after seeing the wonderful show they put together!🥰

Congratulations to all of the candidates that ran for Student Council. Each student delivered a wonderful heart-felt speech and made clear how much they cared about our school. It was nice to hear such a variety of great ideas of things we can do to make our school an even better place for learning. It was a very tight race, and the results are as follows:

President - Oliver L.

Vice President - Braden C.

Secretary - Graham D.

Historians - Piper W. and Kaylee T.

Sports Ambassador - Brayden F.

Community Service Coordinator - Audrey J.

Student Ambassadors - Ari C., Clara W., Joyce Y., Angelia L., Jameson O., Lance T. and Alina Y.

To celebrate this beautiful Indian festival, Mrs. Gumashta (Raga’s mom) and Mrs. Mani (Sachin’s mom) visited the second grade classroom to share the joy of Diwali. They brought delicious festive treats, helped students paint tea lights, and wore colorful saris to mark the occasion.

In second-grade Mandarin class, Athena’s grandma helped make the Diwali celebration extra special by bringing delicious cookies for all the students to enjoy. Everyone was excited to taste the sweet treats and celebrate the festival together.