Golden Bridges School

My child is going on his second year at Golden Bridges and I can't enough good things about it. It is a rare gem in the city of SF to have a place where children can run around outdoors and experience the wonder of nature outside the classroom. GBS has a farm in the city where the children spend 1 day a week learning about animal care plants and harvesting and the whole process. My child has on several occasions instructed me on what a certain plant is called and what it is good for (the calendula they harvest is used to make hand salve). More than ever these days I feel it is incredibly important to nurture and protect children's emotional and mental health just as much as foster their intellect and it's rare to find a place that values the importance of both equally and with reverence.

Golden Bridges School is among the things in my life I have been most thankful for since our children began attending. We were first attracted to the outdoor curriculum- the farm and the time the children spend in the redwoods of McLaren Park. We knew little about Waldorf education at the time, and have been pleased with how GBS has adapted the Waldorf approach in response to the world we live in today. GBS is always trying to find ways to bring more socioeconomic and racial diversity into the school, which aligns well with our values. The school and its leadership have humility, an openness to listen, and a willingness to evolve - all of this makes families feel tremendously valued.

Our family has been at GBS almost since the school started, but we are just now getting around to writing a review. I can't say enough how lucky we feel that our children are seen for their gifts and are thriving in so many ways. Right now, during the pandemic, we are particularly grateful, as they are having hikes with their friends in McLaren Park, and the school has taken so many precautions to keep everyone safe. My 6th grader has had the same inspirational teacher since 1st grade, so they know each other and have grown together. The model of staying with the teacher is a powerful one. They have Spanish and movement and music and incorporate art into every subject. The parent community is incredible, supporting families in so many ways that are hard to capture in a review: from meal trains to rides, food in difficult times, doing personal work together around social justice, and so much more. I'm proud to be a part of this school, and I honestly believe that my children are more curious learners as a result — able to tackle difficult tasks, able to show empathy for others, and capable in so many ways. I'm that person that continues to research other schools, both public and independent, and I really haven't found any school that compares to Golden Bridges in terms of celebrating the earth, beauty, creativity, and equity.

My children have attended Goldens Bridge School for the past 5 years, and I can say wholeheartedly that this decision has been a good one for my children and my family. The focus on outdoor education and farming has provided the movement and nature that my active, outdoorsy boys need, while nurturing them to become good stewards of the earth. The class sizes are small and the "Main Lesson Teacher" for each grade stays with their class from 1st through 8th grade. This allows the children to form an intimate relationship with their teacher and their classmates and ensures that their teacher knows them well, and can tailor their curriculum each year to meet the specific students in front of them. I have a 6th Grader and 2nd Grader and both are inspired by school and so eager to get back to school after the summer. The small size of the school and intimate relationships also allows for a lot of creativity and flexibility in teaching and curriculum. When the COVID shelter-in-place happened in March 2020, I was happy to see my children's teachers quickly adapt to distance learning over Zoom, setting up scavenger hunts, exercise classes, craft projects, music lessons, and other online and outdoor activities to safely keep my kids occupied, learning, and engaged during Shelter-in-Place. My kids were "in class" (online) from 9 to 12 or so Monday - Friday every week. Compared to my friends' children at other schools, I thought this was the best possible outcome, given the circumstances. Approaching the new school year in Fall 2020, we're confident that Goldens Bridge will be able to lead safe outdoor education that meets the children's academic needs, because they have already been doing this for the past eight years, and have a lot of experience with rigorous, hands-on, outdoor learning through hike days, visits to public parks, etc. For example, the younger grades might work on arithmetic and math skills using found objects outdoors like pine-cones and sticks. I remember my oldest child's class in 2nd grade had a whole market economy going on in Golden Gate Park where kids were selling and bartering sticks, pinecones and other things they had collected on walks. My 6th Grader this year will probably be studying Botany and Geology outdoors, spending time making observations, taking notes and measurements and drawing in a sketchpad that they carry around with them. Golden Bridges is a unique and special school, and I feel so lucky to have this as a resource during these tough times we are all going through right now.