Photography Exhibit Opening Dec 1st, SF

I am pleased to announce our latest exhibition, which will be at Corden/Potts Photography Gallery, 49 Geary Street, in San Francisco.  

First Thursday openings at 49 Geary are exciting cultural events.  In addition to Night and the City, most of the galleries in the building are open.  You can bring the kids, (I plan to).  It will be from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, December 1.  

Night and the City was done in the Tenderloin National Forest and Luggage Store Gallery Annex over the course of 2011.  It involves the community in a concept of artistic portraiture and is a homage, in a way, or at least a nod, to Jules Dassin.

Thanks,

Tom Ferentz (Roxanne, 4th & Lillian, 7th)

Artistic Director

Sixth Street Photography Workshop

www.sixthstreetphoto.net

Windrush Update

Nov 10th update: According to someone attesting to inside knowledge, today's hearing did not result in a settlement.


"My understanding is that the bondholders and Wells Fargo have not been able to agree on a budget, and that they will now have a hearing in front of the court on 11/25."  


Also, a Windrush family reported that the 2nd grade was down to 6 students (from 15) and that they had recently received a call from two staff members asking how that family would feel if classrooms (different grades) were combined into one class.  (Nov 14th update: down to 3)



Nov 7th update: Financially threatened peer school Windrush has been operating under the expectation that it will remain open for the remainder of the year under the financial oversight of Wells Fargo.  But despite expectations, a final settlement agreement between Windrush School and its creditors represented by Wells Fargo was NOT completed last week. The school had announced the signing would occur Nov. 2. There was another court hearing scheduled for Nov 10th... <more>


Nov 1st: From Windrush:

"On Oct. 28, a global settlement agreement between Wells Fargo Bank and Windrush School was reached at the bankruptcy court hearing. Windrush expects to sign an agreement with Wells Fargo in New York on Nov. 2. For the remainder of this year, Wells Fargo will hold the school's funds and will turn them over as needed to finance an agreed-upon, revised budget. The Chapter 11 case will be dismissed."


Oct 25th: More difficulties, as reported in the El Cerrito Patch news site:
A bankruptcy hearing Monday revealed that the head of financially threatened Windrush School recently received $69,593 in cashed-out vacation pay, that the school's finance director is leaving and that 11 students have quit the school in the past month (a number of them coming to BPC, maybe 5). <more from the original article>

7th grade field trip to SF for Día de Muertos

On October 26, the 7th graders took a field trip with their Spanish teachers, Ms. Lacy and Ms. Jacquin, to the Mission district in SF.  We went to the Mission Cultural Center exhibit about Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), and even got to talk with one of the artists about how he created his altar. We walked with Ms. Jacquin to view an alley full of murals (see pics).  We also enjoyed snacking on Mexican-style baked goods, and eating lunch at various taquerias.

Karen Pasternack Straus (Michael, 7th)

 

Feel the Earth move lately?

1st in a series about Earthquake preparedness, with support from Science Specialist Anne Monk

Let's take an honest look at how prepared we each are.

How many of these are true for your family?

• My family has an evacuation plan.
• I know exactly what to do if there is an earthquake while I am home alone.
• My family practices emergency drills regularly.
• My bedroom is earthquake safe.
• The inside of my house is earthquake safe.
• My house has structural earthquake proofing such as shear walls or being bolted to the foundation.
• My family keeps a 3 day supply of emergency food supplies to be used in the event of an earthquake.
• My family keeps a 3 day supply of emergency water supplies to be used in the event of an earthquake.
• My family keeps a 3 day supply of emergency medical supplies to be used in the event of an earthquake.
• My family keeps a 3 day supply of emergency hygiene supplies (handi-wipes, TP, tampons, etc.) to be used in the event of an earthquake.
• My family keeps emergency supplies such as flashlights, gloves, and shovels to be used in the event of an earthquake.
• My family keeps a 10 day supply of emergency pet supplies to be used in the event of an earthquake.

If you're feeling queasy right, now, convert that into action.

1. Add this to your mobile phone: (303) 756-9481. It's the out-of-area phone number that BPC will use to keep us informed, if the school phone lines aren't working (St. Anne’s Episcopal School, in Denver)

2. Refresh or start assembling your earthquake supplies by picking up an extra flashlight when at the hardware store, or a few gallons of water at the supermarket.  Or assemble a full kit with a list like this one.

A good website for accurate earthquake information is the U.S. Geological Survey

• a section specifically for kids
• "Did you feel it?" - up-to-the minute descriptions of earth movements.

A great App for Smartphones: QuakeWatch