ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

School Hours
Our school day begins at 8:30 am and ends at 3:30 pm. There are two early release days a month for staff professional development. On these days (Wednesdays) school lets out at 12:30 pm. The after-school program runs until 6:30 pm.

After School Program
Our "Beyond the Bell" after school program is free and onsite. It is available Monday through Friday from 3:30 - 6:30 pm. All students are welcome to sign up, but space is limited so there may be a waiting list. We provide a quiet space to do homework with other students and offer help from trained tutors or staff. Students can participate in physical activities including sports, martial arts and dance as well as art, drama, yearbook, newspaper, etc.

Drop Off
Students gather in the yard at 8 am. The first bell rings at 8:25 am. Students are expected to be at their desks and ready to learn by the time the second bell rings at 8:30 am.

Uniform
All students must wear black pants or a black skirt with a white collared shirt. Blue or red colors are not allowed on clothes, jackets or backpacks.

Students
There are about 620 students in 2009/2010. Approximately half are in the Spanish Immersion program.

Language Arts and Social Studies: 100 minutes daily
Students study with the same teacher in all grades. Students in the Spanish Immersion program receive instruction through Spanish.

Math and Science: 100 minutes daily
Students study with the same teacher in the sixth and seventh grades. In eighth grade the two subjects are taught separately. All students take Algebra in the eighth grade.

Physical Education: 50 minutes daily

Unified Arts: 50 minutes daily
These include music, dance, visual arts, and a peer resource class (see Electives below)

Unified Arts/ English: 50 minutes daily
Students in the Spanish Immersion program take a separate English class. Other students receive a variety of enrichment classes, including (in 2009-2010) Drama and Logic.

Arts Electives
In 6th grade, students rotate through four of the Unified Arts subjects (choral music, rock music, dance, visual arts, drama, and a peer resource class. In 7th grade, they study two of the above (choices not guaranteed). In 8th grade, students stay in the program of their choice for an entire year.

Special Education
We have three Special Education Programs: Inclusion, Resource, and Special Day Class. Students in Inclusion and Resource are mainstreamed in general education classes with the support of grade level Resource/Inclusion teachers and paraprofessionals. Students in the Special Day Class have the opportunity to be in smaller classes for their academic core subjects.

GATE
Teachers meet the needs of GATE and high-achieving students by differentiating instruction. Differentiation may include extensions on projects or alternate assignments. Breakout sessions in math allow students who have mastered a particular concept to work at a higher level.

Physical Education
All students have a daily physical education class for 50 minutes. Students develop a “Sportfolio” to track their progress in the area of health and fitness. Lick students compete in all sports in the SFUSD AAA League (softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball and track).

Lunch
Sixth graders eat lunch separately from the seventh and eighth graders. They can eat in the cafeteria or in the yard. School lunches are served and food is offered for sale at the Beanery.

Library and Computer Lab

Annual Musical Theater Performances

Onsite Writing Lab operated by 826 Valencia

School Garden