My long-held philosophy of education has been “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” I wish I could lay claim to the language myself, but it’s been around a lot longer than I. Since around 300 BC, actually, as those are Aristotle’s words! 

Aristotle believed that education was central to a complete life: a fulfilled person is an educated person. And education, he said, must therefore be infused with a clear philosophy of life and include a deep concern for ethics. We should act to work for that which is good rather than that which is merely correct. He also placed a strong emphasis on all-around balanced development. Play, physical exercise, music, and the study of science should all have their place in the forming of body, mind, and soul.

A little under two thousand years later, in 1981, the founders of San Francisco Day School felt rather the same about what a great school should look like, feel like, and emphasize: not just in what would be taught, but in how teaching and learning should take place, and how important the relationships between and among the teachers and students would be.

That’s the school you are looking at right now. The deeply embedded themes of community, connection, and creativity are reflected in SF Day’s Mission, recently refreshed, which states:

At SF Day, we ignite curiosity. We cultivate a diverse, nurturing community that encourages learners to expand their perspectives and become their true selves. Students develop as compassionate, creative problem-solvers, prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world.

These are exciting times at our school as our brand new facilities come online to host expanded programs in innovation and design, visual and performing arts, robotics, rooftop garden, and affordable faculty housing. We look forward to meeting you and your family and sharing more detailed information as you consider joining our family and our beloved school.

 

Warmly,

Peter McCormack

Interim Head of School 

 

Joining SF Day in 2021, and with a Master’s Degree from Oxford University, Peter McCormack brings 45 years of teaching and leadership experience to the SF Day community. He describes himself as “a teacher disguised as a Head of School.” Throughout Peter’s quarter-century leading schools in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, he has managed to continue teaching, variously, science, theater, robotics, and outdoor education, and coaching soccer. He is married to Seattle native Mary Todd, whom he met while they were both teaching in Paris.