About Us
Hello, and welcome to The Brandeis School of San Francisco!
When you walk into our bright and colorful lobby on any given morning, you will see a few things straight away:
First, you will see parents standing together and drinking coffee, sharing stories, and supporting each other in the delightfully hard work of raising children. Ours is a warm, welcoming community, and we celebrate moments big and small together.
Second, you will see a quote by our school’s namesake, United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis: “Most of the things worth doing in the world were declared impossible before they were done.” We like to keep that quote prominent, to remind our students to think big and imagine new possibilities for themselves and the world around them.
Third, you will see the words we like to say to each other daily: “Make it matter.” We are always working to make the learning happening in classrooms and at school more relevant in the lives of our students, so that they in turn can go out and have a positive impact on their communities. At Brandeis, we know that education is about more than striving for academic success (though our students go on to amazing things—you can click here to read more about the next steps our graduates take). We challenge ourselves and our students to make meaningful contributions toward improving our classrooms, our neighborhoods, and ultimately the world.
First, you will see parents standing together and drinking coffee, sharing stories, and supporting each other in the delightfully hard work of raising children. Ours is a warm, welcoming community, and we celebrate moments big and small together.
Second, you will see a quote by our school’s namesake, United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis: “Most of the things worth doing in the world were declared impossible before they were done.” We like to keep that quote prominent, to remind our students to think big and imagine new possibilities for themselves and the world around them.
Third, you will see the words we like to say to each other daily: “Make it matter.” We are always working to make the learning happening in classrooms and at school more relevant in the lives of our students, so that they in turn can go out and have a positive impact on their communities. At Brandeis, we know that education is about more than striving for academic success (though our students go on to amazing things—you can click here to read more about the next steps our graduates take). We challenge ourselves and our students to make meaningful contributions toward improving our classrooms, our neighborhoods, and ultimately the world.
At The Brandeis School of San Francisco, you will see these intentions living in the ways that our students treat each other in the halls and on the playground; in kindergarten design thinking projects about addressing a community need; in our 7th grade tzedek project, where students learn about the many nonprofit organizations doing good work in the Bay Area and around the world; and in so many other places. You will see them in our celebrations of the many ways of being Jewish here in San Francisco, from pride parades to challah bakes. You will see them in the deep-rooted inclusivity of this community, which welcomes children and families of all faiths and backgrounds. You will see them in our innovative approach to learning, where mindfulness, spirituality, and social and emotional learning go hand in hand; where digital fabrication, power tools, and tinkering are taught for the ways they expand our capacity to effect change. You will see them, most importantly, in the joyful faces of our students as they explore their world.
I feel profoundly grateful to be part of this community, as an educator and as a parent. I hope that you will come visit us and learn more.
Warmly,
Dr. Dan Glass
