Downtown High School

Calendar

Downtown High School Important Dates and School-Wide Events

Calendar Aside Title
2023-2024 Instructional Calendar

August 16 Minimum Day: Project Presentations/Start of Quarter 1 August 17 First full day of class August 18 Full day of class & Back to School BBQ September 4 Labor Day Holiday: No School September 7 Back to School Night/Open House October 9 Indigenous People’s Day Holiday: No School October 12-13 Quarter 1 Family/Guardian/Student/Teacher Conferences October 13 End of Quarter 1 October 16 Start of Quarter 2 November 10 Veteran’s Day Holiday: No School November 17 Fall Feast November 20-24 Fall Break: No School December 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 Fall Exhibitions December 19 Wellness Day December 20-21 Quarter 2 Family /Guardian/Student/Teacher Conferences December 21 End of Quarter 2 December 22-January 5 Winter Break: No School January 8 Minimum Day: Project Presentations/Start of Quarter 3 January 9 First full day of class January 15 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday: No School January 25 Back to School Night/Cash for College Workshop February 9 Lunar New Year Holiday: No School February 19 President’s Day Holiday: No School March 14-15 Quarter 3 Family/Guardian/Student/Teacher Conferences March 15 End of Quarter 3 March 18 Start of Quarter 4 April 1 Cesar Chavez Holiday: No School April 8-12 Spring Break: No School May 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 Spring Exhibitions May 24-May 27 Memorial Day Holiday: No School May 30, 31 Parent/Guardian/Student/Teacher Conferences Quarter 4 June 4 Last Day of Instruction/End of Quarter 4 TBD Graduation

More about this school

  • School Type

    High School (9-12)
  • Principal

    • Todd Williams
  • Assistant Principal(s)

    • Lara Schmidt
  • Hours

    Hours
    Mo - Tu: 9:30 am-3:10 pm
    We: 9:30 am-12:30 pm
    Th - Fr: 9:30 am-3:10 pm
  • School Tour

    Arrange with counseling department

    Sign up for a school tour at sfusd.edu/tours.

  • Neighborhood

    Potrero Hill
  • School Meals

    Breakfast, Lunch

    View menus at sfusd.edu/menus.

  • School Code

    742
Overview
  • Downtown High School offers project-based learning that emphasizes critical thinking skills across curricular areas and a strong connection with the School-to-Career Program. We focus on each learner's need for alternative strategies and are rooted in the commitment to student mastery of the core curriculum. With a project-based approach to learning, students have the opportunity to select a project that matches their own interests and learning styles. Each project has integrated curriculum and the flexibility of high interest academic and hands on experiential learning, backed by high expectations and teacher support. Downtown High School currently has five projects:

    • Acting for Critical Transformations (ACT)
    • Get Out and Learn (GOAL)
    • Making, Advocating and Designing for Empowerment (MADE)
    • Music and Academics Resisting the System (MARS)
    • Wilderness Arts and Literacy Collaborative (WALC)

    In addition to a rigorous core curriculum that includes language arts/literacy, mathematics, science, history/social science, world languages, and visual/performing arts, Downtown High programs prepare students for the real world, building essential life skills. Even students who have not been successful at traditional high schools find success and self motivation within rich academic settings. Mandatory parent conferences twice a semester ensure that academic and social information is passed between parents/guardians and teachers, bridging communication with families in a supportive manner. Service learning is also an essential element of the Downtown High School experience. Many students work and volunteer in the community as part of their selected projects. The world is immense and Downtown High is focused on bridging real world wisdom through exposure of multiple academic subjects coupled with experiential learning.

    Watch this video to hear students and staff talk about the Projects at DHS.

Programs
  • After School Programs

    Students can accelerate their credit recovery by taking online classes through our afterschool program. There is also a cooking class once a week after school.
  • School Day Academic Enrichment

    • Credit recovery
    • Interdisciplinary studies
    • Project-based learning
  • Arts Enrichment

    • Cooking or home economics
    • Creative writing
    • Dance
    • Drama
    • Guitar
    • Media arts
    • Performing arts
    • Visual arts
    Digital arts, media and video productions, piano
  • Student Support Programs

    • Counselor
    • Health and wellness center
    • On-site nurse
    • Social worker
  • College Counseling

    • Academic counseling
    • Cash for College or Financial Aid Night
    • College and/or career counseling
    • College application workshops
    • Job readiness programs
School Data
  • School Accountability Report Card (SARC)

    School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) are required by state law and are intended to provide families with important information.

  • School Accountability Highlights

    Published annually by SFUSD to provide access to key data points and three-year trends related to student achievement and school culture-climate. The highlights are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, and Vietnamese.

  • Social-Emotional and Culture Climate Report

    SFUSD annually surveys families and school staff on a range of school climate indicators that have been found to predict positive student academic achievement. The social-emotional learning of students in grades 4-12 is also assessed.

  • School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

    School communities gather twice a year to review data and previous actions in order to intentionally plan for the coming months. The School Plan for Student Achievement is the template on which this review and stakeholder engagement process is codified.

Contact Info
  • Address

    693 Vermont Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107
  • Phone Number

    415-695-5860
  • Fax Number

    415-695-5863
  • Email

    sch742@sfusd.edu
  • Website

Location

Map showing the location of the school.
Downtown High School
Grades
9-12
693 Vermont Street, San Francisco, 94107
Get directions
Hours
Mo - Tu: 9:30 am-3:10 pm
We: 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Th - Fr: 9:30 am-3:10 pm