Lively tunes and rhythmic clapping and tapping set the tone as students settled in for a morning of stories from award-winning storyteller Diane Ferlatte on Thursday, Sept 15. As students found seats, Ferlatte used gesture, eye contact and expression to connect — inviting everyone to join in her movements and presence. Accompanied by musician Erik Pearson on banjo and guitar, Ferlatte shared stories in the African and African American traditions.
Last year, in our virtual auction, the Synergy community raised over $45,000 for a lofty Fund-a-Need goal — increasing representation in our classroom libraries and…
We recently sat down (virtually, of course), with Jessica Raygoza, Synergy’s learning specialist. We have known and loved Jessica ever since we joined the Synergy…
Roy Wise is a big reason we chose Synergy. Our daughter Evelyn is African American, and had never had a teacher who looked like her….
One of the challenges of the pandemic is adapting community traditions to together on Zoom. Every February, the students and staff gather in the Big…
On Wednesday, following Synergy’s Lunar New Year celebration, children’s author and illustrator, Grace Lin joined the weekly Community Read Aloud. Lin has written and illustrated…
Early Monday morning, February 1st, a few students and staff started queueing up on the sunny sidewalk outside the school building. “Have you ever picked…
After the chorus closed their performance with the most beautiful and inspiring mash-up of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and Sara Bareilles’ “Brave,” most of the…
Early one recent October morning a group of Synergy middle schoolers and parents made their way through the Tenderloin’s darkened streets to serve breakfast to…
The fourth and fifth grade visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Monday in mid-September. Teachers Sandy, Rea, Roy and myself eagerly led…
Synergy’s 4th and 5th graders reveled in the cold, clear waters of the Navarro River and slept beneath the bright, starry skies for an entire…
Like spring itself, Synergy’s Spring Concert is eagerly anticipated each year—along with daffodils, stone fruit, longer days, and—of course—spring vacation. Tons of work, weeks of…