index

DISCLAIMER :: Due to privacy issues this site contains little personal information about the Rooftop community. Any images or personal information on this site has been provided with permission. If you need to contact a fellow Rooftop family, please see your Rooftop Directory.

Welcome to Rooftop School

Welcome to Rooftop! In your nine year stay with us, we will be calling on you for your help as an active partner in the educational process to enable each and every child to thrive in all aspects of their personhood. We are a family and together, parents, teachers and administration, we will create a successful experience for all students. Please know our doors are always open. We are excited to welcome you, and look forward to meeting you and your child. Below are some of the basics that you need to know to become oriented to what can be a pretty overwhelming experience.

Rooftop Alternative School is a K-8 School in the SF Unified School District

To download our PDF Kindergarten Handbook with current year information [CLICK HERE].

TOP TEN... things you should know as you begin your experience at Rooftop

HOW DO WE ADJUST? - The first few weeks for the students (especially Kindergartners) as well as teachers are a time for settling in and developing new routines. This adjustment period can effect patterns of eating, sleeping, energy, etc. Please be sure to communicate with your child's teachers if you are concerned, but also give some time for everyone, parents, teachers and students to adjust to the new school year.

WHAT TIME? - School starts at 7:50 am and ends at 1:50. Please be sure to have your child to school on time.

WHERE DO I DROP OFF AND PICK UP? - Please drop off your children on Corbett and Dixie streets. Please be cautious as there is a great deal of traffic. Also, please do not use Burnett as a drop-off location as this is the Teachers Parking Lot and there is no supervision. Pick up at the same location. Also, please do not block our neighbor's driveways.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON? - Please read EVERYTHING that comes home. This is the primary way that your teacher and the school will provide communication. Be sure to ask your child each Wednesday for their WEDNESDAY BULLETIN.

HOW DO WE GET INVOLVED? - Please do not wait to get appropriately INVOLVED in the educational life of your child. The "Parental Involvement Machine" at Rooftop only runs as smoothly as parents actually get involved. Please be sure to ask your roomparent or child's teacher how you can best support him/her, come to the PTA meetings, or just watch out for the myriad of sign-up sheets that pop up throughout the year. There is always something for folks to do on or off campus so please do not hesitate.

WHAT'S THIS AUCTION, RUN AND OTHER PROGRAMS? - Each year, we have two main fundraising events: The Rooftop Run in October (a walk-a-thon type event) and an Silent and Live Auction in March/April. These events raise in excess of $160, 000 per year toward PTA Sponsored Programs. They are also fun social events.

HOW DO WE SHARE CONCERNS AND AFFIRMATIONS? - Please be sure to keep all lines of communication open with teachers and administration. Rooftop wants to be responsive to your affirmations, concerns, thoughts, etc. but can not if there is no communication. Each teacher prefers differing modes of communication, but all are focused on creating a positive partnership so your child can thrive. Talk, talk, talk . . .

WHAT IS MORNING CIRCLE? - Each and every day, Rooftop lives out its commitment to community by gathering as one community to share a project and/or learning from a particular class. The upper and lower campuses gather in their respective communities M-Th and the entire K-8 Community gathers together on Fridays.

CAN I PICK MY TEACHER? - Nope, and with good reason. Rooftop teachers work together to create powerful, balanced, diverse learning communities that support the individual student. We use the classification process (cross grade level teacher conferences, input from our learning specialists and support staff to build Class A, B or C at each grade level. The classes are then randomly assigned to individual teachers who teach that grade. For the past fifteen years, Rooftop has focused on building the capacity of individual classes rather than accepting parent requests.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

10.