Nueva students settle in at Bay Meadows: Private high school opens to first classes of students

Prior to opening its doors at 131 E. 28th Ave. to 163 students Sept. 3, Nueva held its first high school class out of an old science facility at College of San Mateo.

“It’s a dream come true, it’s vision to reality. And it’s a collective vision of so many people for so long,” said Head of School Diane Rosenberg. “The first time I walked in, just before it opened, I burst into tears. I just can’t believe it, the kids are so lucky and I’m so grateful to so many people for making this happen.”

Nueva students can be found playing chess, taking math tests in hallways, experimenting with 3-D printers, on their computers near a fireplace, studying Japanese, learning how to fence or just throwing a football around.

Desks are rare; instead, students sit at tables facing one another as classes are taught.

“Given a lot of classes are based on discussions and group activities, it allows for a much more community-based environment,” said 15-year-old sophomore Rachel Share-Sapolski, of San Francisco.

Share-Sapolski, whose outgoing persona is as bright as the colorful chairs strewn throughout the school, said students were blown away when they saw their new campus.

The school focuses on fostering character, interdisciplinary studies, exploration and caring, Rosenberg said.

“We really believe that we teach empathy and understanding. Not only does it liberate the classroom because you can have open conversations, you’re not afraid to make a mistake. There’s that intellectual risk taking but it’s also linked with design thinking,” Rosenberg said.

Outside of their core curriculum, which includes learning how to code starting in the fourth-grade, kids have yearly “Quest” assignments. Each year, students are required to explore a passion by independently creating a one- to four-year assignment while seeking out a mentor.

“It’s really flexible. It’s basically to find a time in the school day to explore your interests,” said 14-year-old sophomore Jake Mengarelli, of Hillsborough.

Mengarelli said he has a strong interest in politics and emailed a young politician he envisions as a mentor, but has yet to hear back. Instead of being discouraged, Mengarelli spoke of it as a positive lesson in reaching out.

‘Let’s go out and make it happen’

His favorite thing about Nueva is the flexibility to mold his education and experience. Coming out of middle school, Mengarelli said he became interested in political debate, but the school lacked a club. Within the last year, Mengarelli started an award-winning debate club that’s expanded to 35 students and even sparked a course now offered at Nueva.

“It just goes to show how open the school is to whatever you want to do. So if we want to have a debate team, let’s go out and make it happen,” Mengarelli said.

Students like Mengarelli are encouraged to consider their surroundings then apply inspiration to address needs within the community and marketplace, said Innovation Lab Director Kim Saxe.

“What we do is design thinking, which is really helping people identify what people need in the world and having that kind of resourcefulness, creativity, persistence, skills to be able to create them and market them or provide them through social entrepreneurialship,” Saxe said.

Building design

Although the school was founded nearly 50 years ago, Nueva continues to progress.

Currently, the campus is one continuous building made up of two three-story wings connected by a single-story student center with a rooftop social space. Nueva plans to construct eight more classrooms, labs and a freestanding performing arts center.

The architectural design achieves LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Gold certification and currently contains four innovation labs, a rock climbing wall, research and writing center, dining and kitchen area and immense open space.

Threshold for entry

But Nueva’s offerings come with a substantial price tag as tuition runs up to $42,000 a year and many students must pass IQ tests before being admitted.

Rosenberg said Nueva offers partial to full scholarships depending on a family’s need and about one third of the sophomores and a quarter of the freshmen classes receiving financial aid.

As part of Bay Meadows, Nueva is embracing the concept of sustainability through transit-oriented development by prohibiting students from parking on campus and providing them with free Caltrain passes and shuttle services instead.

Wide-scale vision

In total, the development of the old race track between the Hillsdale Caltrain Station and 25th Avenue is slated for 1,170 housing units, retail and office space and 18 acres of park. The development was part of a wide-scale vision of the city to capitalize on its key location next to public transit and Highway 101 and State Route 92.

Nueva, now in its second year of offering Upper School, will continue to grow into a four-year private high school at its Bay Meadows campus where Rosenberg said they will continue to cultivate strong students.

“It’s [teaching] a belief in risk taking and trying new possibilities. Believing there are no glass ceilings to any academic subject,” Rosenberg said. “Students can literally go as far as they can go and it’s our role as teachers to support them in that.”

Nueva School will be hosting a community grand opening ceremony for it’s new Bay Meadow’s campus on Saturday, Oct. 11. For more information visit www.nuevaschool.org.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106