College Preparatory School in San Francisco

Drew School, San Francisco:
Welcome to Drew, a school community of experienced, dedicated and passionate faculty and engaged, committed students and parents. Drew is a co-educational college preparatory school that serves grades 9 through to 12. Located at California and Broderick, between Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights in San Fransisco, CA, Drew recognizes that it is not enough to prepare a student for college – they must also be prepared for life, through citizenship, self-knowledge and independent decision-making. Drew gives students from Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Cow Hollow, Marina District, Polk Gulch and throughout the Richmond District an education for life.

Curriculum:
The Drew curriculum for High school students in Grades 9-12 reflects the depth and breadth of curiosity and talent in Drew’s students and faculty. Designed to exceed entrance requirements for the University of California, Drew’s challenging college preparatory curriculum is enhanced by a variety of electives, honors and Advanced Placement courses. Friday elective course offerings allow students to take an active part in shaping their own curriculum.

Drew’s solid college preparatory curriculum is designed to exceed the entrance requirements for the University of California. It is strengthened by a variety of electives, honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses are offered in calculus, chemistry, French and physics. Honors courses are offered in science, foreign language and U.S. history.

Experiential learning is a vital part of the Drew curriculum. Through the unique DEALL (Drew Education for Active Lifelong Learning) program, students spend a week pursuing academic interests in the real world, through trips, community service, career exploration and more. Seniors have the opportunity to embark on three weeks of independent pursuit of a particular area of interest when they take on The Senior Project. This program culminates in a presentation by each senior to the Drew community.

English:
The English curriculum at Drew is designed to encourage students to become active readers, critical thinkers, and confident writers. In addition to assigned works from a variety of genres, freshmen and sophomores also engage in a free reading program to further develop their literacy skills while instilling a passion for reading. At Drew, we view writing as a collaborative process and students write daily in response to course readings and class discussions. Through multiple drafts, regular conferences with their instructors, and review with peers, the department works to provide students with the skills to craft critical and coherent pieces of writing as well as respond thoughtfully to the work of others.

Freshmen and sophomores take required full year English courses at Drew. We enhance our curriculum with joint reading assignments and projects with our history department, when appropriate. All juniors are required to take Writing for College in their fall semester but can place out of this course by passing a writing exam in their sophomore year. We offer a wide array of one semester seminars for combined classes of juniors and seniors.

Students take one seminar per semester, but may take a second with department approval. All Drew graduates are required to have completed one American literature seminar (Writing for College is considered an American literature course). The Drew English department offers different seminars each semester that change annually based on faculty expertise and student interest.

Math:
The first year of Integrated Math introduces the basics of algebra that are useful for geometry and probability. Much of the course is devoted to the basics: simplifying expressions, factoring, and geometric terminology. The emphasis in the course is on learning how to view math problems algebraically, graphically, and verbally. That is, students need to learn how to translate between English and math, to interpret data and graphs, and to use math to solve problems.

Science:
The science curriculum at Drew offers opportunities for students to develop a true understanding of the world around them. The department offers both honors and AP courses in Chemistry and Physics, as well as Advanced Biology, Marine Sciences and more. Science coursework at Drew stresses the relevance of discussing important global issues such as global warming, and environmental studies of water and atmospheric pollution. Faculty in the science department consistently seek hands-on professional development opportunities to better create an environment of experiential learning for Drew science students.

Social Science:
The social science curriculum is designed to graduate students with a core of historical knowledge that will allow them to link the past to the present, and facilitate the understanding of the link between the personal and the general. Classes in philosophy, economics and psychology complement classes that cover US, World, European and Asian histories. Students are introduced to different philosophical concepts, the intricacies of research work, and the basic structures and process of our political and economic systems. Through unique interdisciplinary programs like IDC for Freshmen and Humanitas for Seniors, the social science department encourages students to gain a holistic approach to the cultural aspects of history.

World Languages:
Drew’s language curriculum strives to give students the grounding they need in four basic skill areas—reading, writing, listening and speaking—to communicate in a language other than English. By going outside the textbook and exploring texts such as news articles, historical texts, and travel literature, students are encouraged to make a connection between the language being studied and the world outside the classroom. Classes also study and explore the culture connected with the language, to learn new ways of thinking and concepts of history to make them more aware of the diversity of the world in which they live, and provide them the ability to think outside the context of what they know. Currently Drew offers instruction, honors and AP courses in French, Spanish, and Mandarin, and instruction in American Sign Language (ASL).

Arts:
The arts program at Drew allows students the fullest range of options and resources for artistic expression, be it aural, visual or theatrical. Students are exposed to both academic criticism of the arts as well as hands-on artistic experience. Arts faculty and school facilities come together to offer a broad and ever-growing stage for student artistic growth and accomplishment.

Athletics:
The Athletics Program offers the opportunity to participate in competitive, interscholastic athletics, physical education classes and less formal intramural and instructional programs. Wherever possible, a "no cut" policy is employed for JV athletics, and all students who are willing to make a serious commitment to the team are encouraged to get involved, regardless of their age or skill level