Academics
Upper School

HEART

    • banner

      heart

H.E.A.R.T. Overview


H.E.A.R.T. (Health, Emotional Awareness, Responsibility, and Time Management) class is led by an Upper School counselor, a librarian, a resource specialist, and a Makery teacher. The course covers a wide array of topics including:

  • Digital citizenship, study skills, library and research skills, and social-emotional health.

  • Growth mindset, strategies for improvement, and plans to overcome challenges and disappointments.

  • Habits and routines for academic and personal success (ask questions, create and maintain organizing systems, access resources, ask for help).

  • Design thinking and creative maker projects and programming classes.

  • Learning how to communicate honestly and resolve conflict gracefully and effectively.

  • Engaging in literary appreciation in order to better understand themselves and the world around them.

  • Learning how to navigate digital media safely and use technology as a tool to communicate effectively.

Bay Area Changemakers

Bay Area Changemakers Is a six-week class led by Burke’s Director and Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Students in 6-8 grade explore what constitutes a Changemaker. The class features Women of Color from the Bay Area who have made significant contributions to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and thus change that has helped and supported people in the Bay Area.

In 5th grade, students do a deep dive into concepts such as Identity, Diversity, Inclusion, and how Burke’s as a school upholds these values for all students. 

Students learn about these concepts through guest speaker presentations, in-class discussions, and written reflections and final projects. The Pollyanna Racial Literacy, Teaching Tolerance Curriculum, and Start Here Start Now, A guide to anti bias and antiracist work in your school community, by Liz Kleinrock is used to support the work in the class. 

Guest speakers have included:
 
  • Eighth Grade: Lyslynn Lacoste, Chief of Staff for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office spoke about the importance of public service and the impact she has had on the lives of people in underserved communities in San Francisco.

  • Sixth Grade: Pam Tau Lee, a cofounder of the Chinese Progressive Association and featured in the documentary film, Chinatown Rising, came and spoke about the social justice issues in San Francisco’s Chinatown she was involved in during the 1970s and her current work as an elder in climate justice action. 

H.E.A.R.T. Faculty

List of 6 members.

  • Photo of Alkmini Hormovas

    Alkmini Hormovas 

    Upper School Counselor
    415.751.0187, ext. 248
  • Photo of Renita LiVolsi

    Renita LiVolsi 

    Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
    415.751.0187, ext. 329
  • Photo of Michelle Loomis

    Michelle Loomis 

    Upper School Library and Digital Media Specialist
    415.751.0187, ext. 337
  • Photo of Ron Malek

    Ron Malek 

    Upper School Learning Specialist
    415.751.0187, ext. 281
  • Photo of Vanessa Miller

    Vanessa Miller 

    US Maker Facilitator & Technology Integration Specialist
    415.751.0187, ext. 316
  • Photo of Anna Yatroussis

    Anna Yatroussis 

    Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
    415.751.0187, ext. 213
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.