Cathedral School for Boys

Thank you to our amazing Parents Association (PA) and to the more than 100 parents who regularly give of their time and talent throughout the school year. The PA provides a means of communication between the school and our families, contributes to school operations through various fundraising activities, and supplies essential volunteer support for many activities, including our hot lunch program, admissions, the art department, Field Day, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, our spring Celebration, and so much more! Yesterday, our PA had their first monthly meeting of the school year, and the House was filled with wall-to-wall excitement and energy! ❤️

Our Hawks kicked off this year’s soccer season this past weekend with our Grade 2 Silver, Grade 2 Blue, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5/6 Gold, Grade 5 Red, Grade 6 Red, and Grade 7 Gold teams playing all across the city. The boys did their teams, their school, and their community proud against Dnamo FC Girona, St. Finn Barr Catholic School, Blue Dragons, St. Gabriel School, Town School, École Notre Dame des Victoires, and St. Monica School. Next up, we’ve got 13 sure-to-be-exciting games lined up for this coming weekend, with our Kindergartners and First Graders inaugurating their respective seasons! Go Hawks!

This weekend, Cathedral School boys sailed six J/Boats under halcyon and foggy skies. They sailed past the Golden Gate Bridge, surfed down swells to Sausalito (“San Francisco Bay Sled Ride”), visited Treasure Island, and beat back upwind to the San Francisco Marina, where they docked next to “Merlin,” one of the most famous ocean race boats on the West Coast, and “Mayan,” a classic sailboat upon which rock and roll history was made by its then owner David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash.

It was Mid-Autumn Moon Mahjong Night last night at Cathedral School for Boys, and the Lower School Commons was transformed into a mahjong hall buzzing with competition and fun! Don’t forget next Saturday (September 14) we’ve got Karaoke Night, with a girl / boy band or duo theme, and on Thursday, September 26, it’s all about the hottest game in town, Pickleball, with some lively competition, exciting prizes, and appetizers, desserts, and drinks afterwards. Parents: You don’t want to miss out on all the fun!

Yesterday, in our first Upper School assembly of the school year, Mr. Mullen, long-time Cathedral School teacher and coach, and current Director of Inclusion, spoke to the boys about our DEIJB Statement, decision-making, and navigating bias. After Mr. Mullen’s talk, the students broke into their small-group Advisory classes to discuss what it means to hold themselves accountable and accept responsibility for their actions, and how they can show respect for other people’s beliefs and ideas even when they don’t agree with them. From there our Grade 5, 6, and 8 students went to class while our Grade 7 students spent an hour off campus serving the community (which they will do every two weeks throughout the school year) by assisting students and teachers at nearby elementary schools and by — pictured here — cleaning up the neighborhood.

It’s hard to believe our first day of school was one week ago today! Our Kindergartners have been busy building new routines, getting to know their teachers and classmates, and discovering all the nooks and crannies of our many-tiered campus. Can’t wait to see their faces continue to light up this year as their friendships grow and their minds explore uncharted lands.

Let the seasons begin! Our Upper School boys had their final soccer assessments on Friday, and two of our Sailing Club boys got out onto the Bay this weekend to race at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Labor Day Regatta. Beautiful weather for our Hawks to get out, work hard, and have fun!

We did it — another wonderful start to our (67th) academic year! In the words of our Head of School, Burns Jones: “Our educational imperative has never been more essential. The world needs educators who understand and appreciate the unique lives of boys and who commit to their moral development. We need schools that teach young men to recognize their responsibilities to others. We need more institutions committed to public service and leadership. These commitments remain at the core of what this place stands for and what it aspires to achieve.” Here’s to another amazing school year at Cathedral School for Boys!

Our “How to Thrive in Middle School” summer campers also volunteered at the Glide Foundation kitchen, working to fulfill the promise of all Episcopal schools: ”to strive for justice and peace for all people and respect the dignity of every human being.”

As part of our “How to Thrive in Middle School” summer camp, Cathedral School boys and friends worked together with GLIDE, a nationally recognized center for social justice, to create 400 backpacks in two and a half hours! Students were welcomed by and worked with Dr. Gina Fromer, the president and CEO of the Gide Foundation, and they got to meet Mary Glide, the great-great-granddaughter of Lizzie Glide, who began GLIDE in 1929. Great job, guys!

We are a community of readers at Cathedral School for Boys — just take a look at what our faculty and staff have been enjoying this summer. We are so excited to see everyone next week for the start of another amazing school year, and we can’t wait to hear what the boys have been reading (send pics to our librarian, Ms. Decker). Let’s extend the joy of summer reading well into the school year!

Our newest Hawks capped off their orientation week today with lots of activities, plenty of sun, and a delicious potluck with their parents! Every morning this week, they’ve been getting to know each other, their teachers, their classroom, and their campus. They’ve learned each other’s names, begun to build routines, taken “hikes” around campus, explored the cafeteria, rooftop playground, gym, and library, and gotten a peek at Grace Cathedral. Their favorite moments? Eating delicious lunches and having fun at recess! Each day they finished with a closing circle where they shared their “blooms” (what they enjoyed most — recess on the roof and making new friends) and their “buds” (what they were looking forward to — getting back together soon). We are so excited to welcome to our community such an amazing group of students and families!

Don’t forget to stop by today before 2:00pm to shop our Uniform Closet Sale! Come shop gently used uniform separates at a substantial discount, with all proceeds supporting our Parents Association — and it’s a great way to shop sustainably! Our next Uniform Closet Sale will be on Tuesday, August 27, 11:00am–2:00pm. See you there!

Our NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) backpacking adventurers are returning from Washington’s North Cascade National Park today. Judging by the pictures, looks like the weather cooperated and everyone had a great time. Can’t wait to hear all the amazing stories!

Ahoy, mateys! This fall, Cathedral School for Boys is launching its second season of SAILING & LEADERSHIP: THE SEA HAWKS — open to all of our Upper School students, novice and advanced. All of our sailing is hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, and this season’s sailing dates will run from early September through early November. We will be sailing in four or five boats this fall, and we’ll have limited slots available; look for details on how to sign up and more in our August 13 Bulletin. All hands on deck, lads!

An intrepid group of nine rising Grade 8 students set off over the weekend on Cathedral School’s first-ever NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) backpacking expedition through North Cascade National Park in Washington. The expedition is being led by NOLS guides with Cathedral School chaperone — Head of School Burns Jones — in tow. NOLS provides the environment and the training to help participants discover their full potential in remote wilderness areas around the world, which connects nicely with one of our goals at Cathedral: to graduate capable and confident young men prepared to make a positive difference in the world. Stay safe, guys, have fun, and come back with lots of stories and pics! NOLS

A few of our golf team members taking advantage of some July sun in San Francisco to hit the links. Never stop perfecting your game, guys … and have fun out there!

We hope everyone has been having a sun-and-fun-filled summer thus far! Cathedral School staff have been and continue to be hard at work this summer cleaning house, ordering new supplies and equipment, switching offices and setting up new offices, scrubbing student iPads … in other words, doing everything necessary to set ourselves up for another amazing school year. Parents: If you have any fun summer pics you’d like us to include in our first Bulletin on August 5, go ahead and send them to Kyle! Continue having fun and stay safe!

Our Grade 3 boys weren’t the only ones who got to explore the world yesterday. Our Kindergartners and their Grade 8 Big Brothers capped off their year of Big / Little Brother fun with an expedition to the Oakland Zoo. It won’t be long before these little guys get to spend the day at the zoo with their own Little Bro’s.

Our Grade 3 boys had a blast panning for gold at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park yesterday. After studying the 1848–1855 California gold rush in social studies, the boys tied everything they learned together by spending the day at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma. In addition to panning for gold, they got to make leather pokes (i.e., money pouches or round coin purses), load a wagon, and go on a tour along the American River. The end of the school year is filled with so many fun and exciting adventures — makes you want to be a kid again!

As has become a tradition at Cathedral School for Boys, we asked our graduating Grade 8 Class of 2024 students to share some of the wisdom they’ve gleaned over the years to help pave the way for their younger schoolmates. Please enjoy these nuggets of perspicacity!