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Dear Parents,

Our school year is off to a fantastic start. Our mission as a school is to prepare our students to “enter top universities worldwide and become responsible, contributing citizens in a rapidly changing world.”

We have been fortunate to welcome many new students and teachers into BFS. They are joining a student and faculty body that cares about an environment where everybody succeeds socially and academically. Mrs. Ness, our amazing Counselor, has added to her elementary lessons from last year by starting dedicated lessons for middle and high school students. Her lessons, focusing on inclusiveness and respect for all, lies at the heart of what it means to be a BFS Shark. This complements the thoughtful work of our elementary teachers who, using the Responsive Classroom approach, focus on student responsibility in creating an environment that is safe, supportive, and joyful.

We have added new classes in middle and high school. Ms. Gaynor is now providing academic enrichment classes to ensure that all students succeed. Ms. Pochon and Dr. Grant are taking our music program in an exciting new direction. The addition of Mr. Hanawalt to our math department has allowed us to diversify and focus our instruction. Finally, Mrs. Williams is offering a new Makerspace class in high school, allowing students to design with cutting edge technology.

We are very proud of the academic achievement of all of our students. I want to highlight the success of our High School students in our Advanced Placement classes. 51 BFS students took 124 different Advanced Placement exams, and an unbelievable 94% of them achieved a three or higher. This past summer, we celebrated our first cohort of students who earned the prestigious AP Capstone Diploma.

We can achieve these phenomenal results because we have a first-class teaching faculty. We recruit the best teachers by focusing on attracting teachers who add experience, intelligence, and care to our outstanding learning community. This past year, our teachers dedicated themselves to improving their craft by attending over 60 different conferences, courses, and seminars. At BFS, we hosted our first-ever weekend workshop for administrators in September from Kagan Korea. Every person in our school is a committed learner.

By far, the biggest reason for our students’ success is the collaboration between students, teachers, and parents. To foster the home-school connection, we have moved Parent-Teacher Conferences earlier in the quarter. This connection is crucial. Your participation in your child’s academics and our PTSO makes us a better school.

Parents, I hope you share my pride in knowing that BFS has students who are guided by a dedicated faculty to embody the best qualities of a BFS Shark. Students who are Socially Conscious, Hardworking, Articulate, Respectful, and Knowledgeable. With your continued support and participation in our school, this will be a fantastic year of social growth and academic learning for all of us.

Iain Macfarlane
BFS Principal

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