AT-A-GLANCE
MESSAGE from the Headmaster
We at Cathedral School for Boys devote each day to the spirited dialogue, dynamic lessons, and intentional character building that guide each young boy to engage in the way that best fits him, while he simultaneously develops empathy and respect for the world around him. Because Cathedral is raising the bar on raising boys.
DEAR CATHEDRAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY: These times are so unprecedented that I have struggled to construct an analogy that appropriately depicts the complex- ities of what it means to run a school during the pandemic. The closest I can configure is that of playing in a soccer match under unanticipated, radically altered, and ever-changing rules. (As a lifelong soccer player, I just had to pick this sport.) Not only have the field’s boundaries changed, but they are asymmetrical and shift constantly. A single referee has been replaced by a cohort of arbiters, whose approach lacks cohesion and consistency. (Some have never even played the game.) What were once standard, rectangular goals have been replaced by amorphous shapes that both mutate and reposition constantly during the match. In short, the game looks profoundly different from the one we have played for decades. We wonder, at times, whether we can even call this sport “soccer” anymore. Also at work is, perhaps, an even more nefarious influence— the infection of structural and systemic racism. (Unlike the coronavirus, alas, this illness is not novel to us.) I have long felt that all schools carry the responsibility of developing young women and men who stand ready to make a positive difference in the world. For Cathedral School, this has and will continue to include—both in our educational approach and in our insti- tutional practices—the affirmative obligation to confront and dismantle systems of racism and oppression. We all—students, staff, alumni, and parents—share this obligation. Never has this work been more important. Amid these uncertainties, however, stands the consistency of Cathedral School’s Mission. While its expectations remain inviable, we need to reconsider their application in a changed and changing world. What does “an excellent education for boys” look like if students are learning at home? How do we perpetuate our commitment to “attracting a diverse student body” within a city as racially and socio-economically stratified as San Francisco? How does the death of George Floyd (and so many others) change the way we “develop social responsibility” in our students?
34 Zip Codes Represented 17 Preschools 12 Different Religions
268 STUDENTS
44% OF STUDENTS
98% OF 2020 GRADUATES
Self-identified as students of color
got into their first choice High School
3% STUDENT-BODY ATTRITION OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS
95% OF FAMILIES
24% OF STUDENTS
contributed to the Cathedral School fund
Adjustable Tuition
27 SPORTS TEAMS (Grades 5-8)
Headmaster Jones delivers diplomas to the boys from the Class of 2020 upon their graduation.
95.7% OF STUDENTS
participate in sports
It may be easy to grow increasingly sullen and frustrated in the face of such unprecedented and unpredictable times. There is great comfort, however, in knowing that institutions like ours— readily embracing a broader public purpose—exist. Although our approach may change, our commitment to developing communities “bonded by open-heartedness, hope, compassion, and concern” remains essential to our approach. Very truly yours,
7 DIFFERENT SPORTS
60 STUDENTS PLAY IN SCHOOL BAND
20 CHOIR BOYS
10 YEARS AVERAGE TENURE FOR TEACHERS
TEACHERS THAT ATTEND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 100%
100% OF STUDENTS Grades K-8
participate in Service Learning and the 1:1 iPad progrm
Burns Jones Headmaster
TEACHERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES:
80%
FALL 2020 • RED & GOLD | 1
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