• Academics
• Elementary School
• Middle School
• Arts Program
• Additional Educational
  Components
• Learning Center

"We give students more venues to be creative and allow them different entry points into problem-solving."

Ivy Young, Elementary School teacher

Additional Educational
Components

Responsive Classroom
In 2006 Creative Arts took an extended look at discipline and community building. This self-reflection grew out of a desire to foster diversity and give students purposeful and altruistic experiences at school. In addition, the school's leadership was aware of national trends toward inequitable discipline practices and a growing need for teachers and administration to develop new methods to engage all students. As a result, CACS adopted the Responsive Classroom^® approach.

The Responsive Classroom combines daily morning meetings, designed to foster respect for individuals and for the group, with a strong component of academic choice and democratic classroom management. The approach also emphasizes shared decision making with students and examination of the values staff and students must uphold to create a strong community. Meaningful academic choice allows students to plan, execute, and reflect upon their own assessments and demonstration of knowledge.

Middle School Advisory
Creative Arts developed the middle school advisory program to focus on issues of greatest concern to adolescents. Assigned to lead advisory groups of 8–12 students, middle school teachers and other staff use weekly meetings to deal with student issues, handle minor discipline issues, and communicate regularly with families. The program's purpose is threefold:

• Students focus on life skills such as conflict resolution and listening.
• Students examine self-esteem, goal setting, and peer pressure.
• Each group completes community service projects.

During the fall semester, 8th-grade advisory focuses exclusively on researching high school choices, writing entrance essays, and completing applications. Homework includes attending the SFUSD Enrollment Fair and writing about schools that spark interest. In addition, 8th-grade advisory teachers work closely with families to discuss schools that might be a good fit for their students, set up shadowing appointments, and ensure that deadlines for applications and transcript requests are met.

Middle School Service Learning
Creative Arts requires all middle school students to participate in service learning. This program provides volunteer power for community needs and helps our students become engaged citizens, build adult relationships, and prepare for college and careers. Community service begins at school; all 8th-graders serve as “buddies” working with a lower grade classroom throughout the year, and all 6th - to 8th - grade students are responsible for school site cleaning and maintenance. Service projects in the surrounding community include assisting seniors, cleaning up local parks, and providing peer and cross-grade tutoring.

For the 2008/9 school year, CACS staff chose to focus service learning on environmental justice and began work with Heron's Head Park. Once an abandoned pier in Bayview-Hunters Point, this area has been transformed into a thriving nature preserve and model for similar projects around the Bay Area. CACS students attended lectures and training given by Heron's Head staff and then volunteered time to clean and maintained the park.