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Nueva Stories

Every now and then we post interesting stories about Nueva and its Alums. If you have one, please email it to Matt.

This story comes from Lynne Greene: During the summer after our daughter's freshmen year in high school, she was still best friends with her lifelong Nueva friends. She invited her three best friends from Nueva to visit us on vacation. Each girl got off the plane with something creative and new to share with the others; a silk screening kit, a bag of recycled material from SCRAP in SF, and a sewing machine.

The four girls spent the week learning skills that none had ever tried before. They laid out the fabric, silk screened their own designs to create new fabric, figured out how to make an original pattern for clothing they designed themselves (yes, applied math was fully discussed), and then taught themselves to sew their own clothes. They were, and still are, simply amazing, talented can-do and will-do creative kids. Typically Nuevan!

As icing on the experiential cake, they sang in four part harmony while working together. They called a local restaurant that had an open mic night and asked if they could perform. They were told no, but decided to arrive in their new clothing and ask again. When they came up to the stage, the audience was clearly viewing them as young teens who had no business interrupting their evening entertainment. By the end of the first song, there was a hush over the crowd. They were awestruck at their talent and maturity. They sang several songs and left the stage to wild applause. The owner of the restaurant asked them to return again.

It is in juxtaposition to our next group of visiting friends that the Nueva influence on these girls was so clearly shown. A few weeks later, two new high school friends came to stay with us. As they came down the airport corridor to meet us, they were already plugged in to their iPods and texting on their cell phones. When asked about what to do during their stay, they wanted to go rent a video. They were both smart, nice girls, but the spark and gusto and creative life-force of the Nueva group was nowhere to be found.

Nueva Stories
Monday, 06 September 2010
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High School Welcome Print E-mail

Dear 8th Grade Students and Parents,

During the summer I meet with each family to discuss your hopes and fears regarding the high school admission process. Please complete the Student Response Form and Parent Response Form and email them to; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as an attachment or bring them to our meeting. This meeting provides an opportunity for us to look at the options available and the steps we will take in the admissions process. Each of us has an important role to play in the upcoming months.

During this meeting we will identify a broad list of high school options for your family, outline a timetable for the process and address any special needs. This is a first step in the application process, which involves defining the individuality of the student in relation to the high school s/he wishes to attend. We will provide you with a recommended list of schools to consider at the meeting. We will also decode the SSAT flex-test that your child took in May. We will take a look at these scores and the 7th grade evaluations in light of the high schools' perspective.

We want to present each of our students in the strongest light possible, and at the same time maintain realistic expectations given the competitive nature of the Bay Area secondary independent school placement. Nueva's curriculum presupposes that each student will demonstrate competence and skill in all disciplines and mastery in a number of them. We offer an array of co-curricular offerings, and many of our students are engaged in after school activities, as well. The Student Response Form and Parent Response Form will give you a chance to ponder these issues before we meet. This is your homework; our meeting cannot be successful without these forms.

All eighth graders receive a white binder of High School Information. Be sure to read the opening letter and leaf through the pages. There is a lot of useful information in the binder and it will make our job easier if everyone is familiar with the material. Please bring this binder and your completed response forms to the meeting.

Appointments for class of 2009 students will be scheduled in summer 2008.

Students are required to attend this meeting. Remember: We're all in this together.

Another significant element of the 8th grade year is the Recital Project. We will talk briefly during our meeting about ideas your child may have for the project.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Kosut
High School Placement Counselor

P.S. If you are not an eighth grade parent but are interested in viewing a list of high schools, information about the admissions process, or frequently asked questions, please click on the links to the left for more information.

 
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Nueva School is a nationally recognized independent school serving gifted students and emphasizing integrated studies, creative arts, and social-emotional learning. For more than 40 years, Nueva has remained committed to its original vision: to inspire a passion for lifelong learning, foster social and emotional acuity, and develop a child's imaginative mind. Nueva creates a dynamic educational model to enable gifted children to learn how to make choices that will benefit the world.