Kindergarten Dragons Bring Good Luck
Judging by this year's dragon parade, we are all due for some good luck and fortune. The kindergarten dragons weaved and roared their way through the packed hallways of SFDS to the sound of cheering. This is truly collaborative effort. K'ers grown-ups helped with creating the dragon's body, Mr. Stillman carried the head of KLP's dragon and, the k'ers had to work as a team to keep the dragon together as we paraded.

More Vegis Please!
First graders picked the cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower which was planted in the fall. They drew diagrams, labeling the stems, roots, leaves and flowers. After their scientific inquiry, they steamed the vegetables and ate it all, 2 pots full. Then they asked for more.

First Graders Run Post Office
First graders delighted students and faculty alike with letters they wrote and delivered as part of their unit on The Post Office. Students also studied stamp collecting, mailboxes, zipcodes and geography. Check out the first floor bulletin board that has postcards on it from around the world!

Fifth Graders Enjoy Egyptian Feast
As a culminating treat for our social studies unit on Ancient Egypt, the 5th Grade ate lunch at San Francisco's only authentic Egyptian restaurant, Al-Masri. The owner of Al-Masri, Hatem, answered our students' questions about his life in Egypt and his journey to the United States. Then, we enjoyed a delicious meal of falafel, hummus, and other Egyptian dishes. It was a spectacular event enjoyed by all.

Sixth Grade Visits Ano Nuevo
Sixth Grade traveled to Ano Nuevo State Reserve to observe one of the most amazing congregations of marine mammals in the United States. The students enjoyed watching the elephant seal drama as it played out over the beach, from fighting males to lounging females and small pups scooting to get out of the way. The colony was even more amazing to listen to as they snorted and belched their way through their day. Ask any sixth grader for his or her own rendition of an elephant seal call for a truly unique experience.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?
Several Romeos were in residence at SFDS as the eighth grade explored Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. On Valentine's Day (happy coincidence!) they performed their scenes for the whole grade plus many teachers, staff and students. The students then chose scenes to be shared the following day on Grandparents and Special Friends Day. The performances highlighted the work of our talented eighth graders and the captivating power of expressions of young love in the spring.

Do the Math...
Mathcounts team members, Eric Gorlin, Hugo Kitano, Lucas Zeppetello, Emika Lisberger and Natasha Khan, had fun and did placed well in the San Francisco chapter competition. The SFDS team placed third out of 16 San Francisco area schools and qualified for the State finals to be held at UC Davis on March 15.

Eric Gorlin took first place among 102 participating individuals for the second year in a row, and placed third in a special "Countdown" round.

All About Sports
SFDS is abuzz with sports as we enter into the spring. Soccer and baseball have begun weekly practices and the boys volleyball team is pulling together with skill and teamwork. Last, but certainly not least, The boys basketball team are champions! They played an incredible game with double overtime beating CSU. Amazing team work and that is what it came down to.