Meadows-Livingstone School

I vividly recall my 1st tour of Synergy. There was laughter and smiles from children in the halls and play spaces. It felt airy and vibrant at the same time. Children’s art lined the walls, there were posters of banned books hung upstairs, and there was a presentation of a recent trip to Nicaragua. And, I thought, YES, this is the school for my son! However, the most prominent sensation I felt while I toured Synergy was the sense of safety. This stands out because I never experienced feeling safe in school. I was born and raised in SF’s southeast and I attended SF’s public schools at the height of the crack epidemic. My community witnessed the devastating effect of addiction, violence, grief, and constant loss. Research shows that it’s hard to learn when you feel scared… My son and I still live in the southeast. The same schools that I attended surround us. In my heart, I knew he needed to experience a different way of learning. I was thrilled beyond words when Synergy accepted us.My son started Synergy as a shy and sensitive child. But I could tell, he felt safe here too. He felt safe to explore, to mess up, to speak up, to get dirty, to laugh, and to be sad and scared, as we all felt in the last few years. All this, he was able to experience in community with you all. Today, I have witnessed the beauty of him blossoming and transforming into a confident young brown man. Tremendously held by a solid foundation that Synergy provides, from its agreements, to teachers and staff, to mixed grade learning, and of course, by his posse of friends, who he considers family.What a blessing it is to be part of the Synergy family. It is our hope that other families also experience the beauty of watching their child thrive in their own unique way, in the amazing urban sanctuary that Synergy is for us.