Charles Phan, chef and owner of Slanted Door, is teaming up with other top chefs of San Francisco to benefit Mission Dolores Academy.

Charles Phan Leads Culinary Effort to Support Inner-City School

San Francisco, CA – Some of San Francisco’s leading chefs are teaming up with Mission Dolores Academy to support this independent, innovative K-8 school’s effort to break the cycle of poverty for many inner-city students. This year, the school’s annual benefit luncheon features a three-course culinary collaboration orchestrated by Slanted Door owner and chef Charles Phan with contributions from six other top chefs. Taking place Thursday, May 9th at 11:30 a.m. at the Merchants Exchange Building in downtown San Francisco, the event melds creative cuisine and inspiring art and entertainment, all while giving inner-city children opportunities they need to learn and succeed.

The chef collaboration is the brainchild of Phan, who grew up in the Mission and is a longtime supporter of Mission Dolores Academy and its predecessor, Megan Furth Academy.

“I feel it is my duty to help our inner-city youth become successful, contributing members of their community,” Phan said. “Mission Dolores Academy is a part of this effort, and I am excited to be involved.”
Phan will be joined by Laurence Jossel of NOPA, Mourad Lahlou of Aziza, Anne Walker and Kris Hoogerhyde of Bi-Rite Creamery, Craig Stoll of Delfina, and Salvatore Cracco of Bar Agricole.

Celebrities joining the effort include actor and comedian Bob Sarlatte, who will be making a special appearance, and Kate Kelly, of CBS Eyewitness News, serving as emcee. Famed designer Stanlee Gatti lends his talents to create a feast for the eyes with the event centerpieces, which, with his guidance, will be constructed by students.

Event co-chair Michele Meany says the entire school community is excited and extremely grateful for the generous support to help raise necessary education funding. With a tuition that covers just half of the cost to educate each student, and over 80 percent of students requiring financial aid, the school relies on donor support to continue its mission to educate deserving students.

“We are honored to have this talented team joining us this year and we’re thankful for their support of Mission Dolores Academy‘s mission to prepare students to succeed in the Bay Area’s best high schools,” Meany said.

Co-chair Sara Duryea explained that the independent Catholic school offers a cutting-edge blended learning environment, which integrates individualized computer-based learning with teacher-led small group instruction.

“The blended learning classroom allows children to learn at their own pace when they’re at the computers while giving teachers real-time feedback they can use to determine concepts for personalized small group instruction,” Duryea said. “With blended learning and other innovative programs, Mission Dolores Academy offers a beacon of hope for students by giving them individualized attention that will guide them on the path to success.”

Luncheon table sponsorships and individual tickets are available for purchase online at mdasf.org/events, or by contacting the Mission Dolores Academy Development Office at (415) 346-0143 or emailing development@mdasf.org.

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Outstanding Student Achievement — Mission Dolores Academy students continue to make significant gains in academic achievement according to 2012 standardized test results. These results are attributed in part to dedicated teachers, engaged parents, innovative programs, and successful implementation of a cutting-edge classroom setting known as “blended learning,” where online learning is completely integrated in the classroom and in the overall core curriculum (learn more at mdasf.org/blendedlearning). Additionally, extended school hours and after-school programs provide more classroom time, promote student engagement and provide opportunities to teach the whole child with programs including art, music, physical education and Spanish.

Catholic Schools Week Activities – In addition to raising the standard for academic achievement and preparing students to succeed in high school and beyond, Mission Dolores Academy programs are designed to help students become responsible citizens who contribute to their community, value friendship and family, and develop greater spiritual awareness. Activities planned for Catholic Schools Week 2013 at Mission Dolores Academy reflect these goals and challenge students to go beyond their daily routines to contribute to an environment of respect, kindness and gratitude.

Director of Religious Education, Sister Ann Providence, O.P., leads the school community in preparations for the week.

“Our celebration of Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of the People of God,” says Sr. Ann. “As families, staff, benefactors, students, teachers, priests, and parishioners, we all work together to raise the standards for the common good, and for the children.”

Mission Dolores Academy celebrates Catholic Schools Week 2013 with these activities:

Sunday (1/27): Family Mass at Mission Dolores Basilica. 10 a.m. Mass in English; 12 noon Spanish Mass. All families are encouraged to attend and worship.
Monday (1/28): Morning Reception for Parents. Student Council and other representatives will serve coffee and pastries to parents in appreciation for our families and their support of the school.
Tuesday (1/29): Field Day. Students will enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with games and activities to encourage physical and mental fitness.
Wednesday (1/30): Random Acts of Kindness Day. Class discussions focus on how students can contribute to an environment of respect, kindness and thoughtfulness. Students share stories of random acts of kindness they observe or perform.
Thursday (1/31): Community Service Day. Each class spends part of the day in a community service project. Students will be seen working at the San Francisco Food Bank, cleaning up Dolores Park, restoring habitats at the Presidio, preparing packages of warm socks for the homeless, and making paper flowers and cards for hospital patients and the elderly.
Friday (2/1): Student Mass and Religious Education Games. Special Liturgy for MDA’s weekly Mass at Mission Dolores Basilica. Throughout the day classes will play games such as Religion Bee and Jeopardy to enhance their knowledge of scripture and biblical events.

Visit the Hot Lunch page for more information about participating in this program.

View Video and Learn more about the Phaedrus Blended Learning model at www.mdasf.org/blendedlearning/

San Francisco, CA – Citing significant academic gains and benefits derived from more personalized instruction, Mission Dolores Academy officials report that the school recently started its second year in a pilot blended learning program, an educational model that combines traditional instruction and computer-based learning. On the forefront of a growing trend toward blended learning, the independent, inner-city elementary school in San Francisco began testing this innovative approach last fall for all students, from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Made possible by a grant of more than $500,000 in hardware, software and training from non-profit Seton Education Partners, each classroom is fitted with 15 computers and software that deliver personalized instruction to each student. The system allows students to rotate throughout the day from traditional teacher instruction, to computer-based learning, to small group activities that reinforce concepts and support students needing more personal attention.

Principal Dan Storz pointed to many benefits of the new blended learning model, noting that the program creates opportunities for smaller group instruction and more time for teachers to focus on improving higher level skills such as critical thinking. Additionally, self-paced computer modules allow students who are behind in a core subject area to catch up, while students with advanced skills can work beyond their grade level. Reports derived from the student work on the computer modules allow teachers to better analyze and address each student’s individual needs.

“We’re impressed by results so far and excited about the opportunities to take academic performance even higher,” Storz said. “We’ve seen students make several years of progress in just one year. The students like the immediate online feedback, and teachers report that students are more engaged and classrooms are easier to manage with the activity rotation and smaller group instruction.”

Mission Dolores Academy blended learning manager Matt Bowman reported that an improvement of more than two grade levels was noted in 8th grade language arts and 7th grade math. In all grade levels, on average, students moved forward in math not only one grade level, but one third into the next grade level.

Seton Managing Partner Scott Hamilton selected Mission Dolores Academy as a pioneer for their blended learning model in an effort called the Phaedrus Initiative. Hamilton initially saw the potential benefits of a blended learning model for inner-city Catholic schools to maintain their mission to provide a high quality and values-based education to students from all socio-economic backgrounds in this challenging economic environment. He noted that the model can be applied to other schools looking for state-of-the-art methods to improve students’ academic performance and overall educational experience.

“This model creates time and space for small group instruction, giving teachers more opportunities to meet the particular needs of each student,” Hamilton said. “Students, especially those without much technology at home, will also be better prepared to succeed in our tech-filled work world with consistent, daily computer-based instruction at an early age. It also creates more opportunities for teachers to teach teamwork and other skills and values that computers can’t teach.”

Principal Storz agreed that the program has great potential.
“The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” Storz said. “Now in our second year we have a better understanding of how to maximize the potential of our Phaedrus blended learning model to achieve even better results.”
To view a video and learn more about blended learning and other programs at Mission Dolores Academy, please visit www.mdasf.org.

Mission Dolores Academy is an independent Catholic school in San Francisco that provides an exceptional education to children of all faiths in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Mission Dolores Academy’s rigorous academic curriculum and individualized instruction prepares students to succeed in the Bay Area’s best high schools and provides them with the early foundations for college readiness, while providing a values-based education focused on building strong moral character. A tuition assistance program made possible by generous donors accommodates families of all income levels, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining a community that reflects the cultural and socio-economic diversity of the Bay Area. The school is located at 3371 16th Street, adjacent to the historic Mission Dolores Basilica.