Raising Boys
Student Support
Student support at Cathedral School for Boys includes a team of learning specialists, a school counselor, and a high school counseling expert. This team works with families and faculty to monitor the development of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills that lead to effective learning for all students while at Cathedral and beyond.
High School Counseling
The high school counseling process can feel daunting, and 8th-grade families are anxious to find the high school that will be the next step in their son’s educational journey. Our small size allows Cathedral to offer personalized guidance for each boy and his family, beginning in the spring of 7th grade. Cathedral aims to find a “just right” match for each graduate, while simultaneously developing important life skills, such as interviewing and time management. High schools know that a Cathedral education offers rigorous academic preparation as well as a focus on character.
Graduates from Cathedral School for Boys matriculate to excellent independent day and boarding schools, private Catholic schools, and public high schools in the Bay Area and beyond.
School Counseling
Cathedral recognizes that mental health and social emotional tools are essential parts of learning. We offer family and child support to our community. We also make referrals to outside services.
Mental Health Support
Mental Health Support has always been an essential part of the culture at Cathedral. A primary goal is to reduce the stigma about asking for help and make sure boys graduate knowing they should seek support when they need it. Mental Health Counseling is available for all of the boys K-8 as well as for parents. Our School Counselor does one-on-one counseling for both urgent and ongoing situations as well as small and large themed groups. One example of a group is the “It’s Not My Fault” group offered once a week for boys with separated or divorced parents or for boys who would like support talking about general family stressors. The School Counselor is also available to refer to outside providers when families are looking for ongoing services for their son.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a style of learning that is used in all of our classrooms here at Cathedral. Boys learn SEL tools through Friendship Groups starting in kindergarten, which help them learn to express their emotions, understand conflict resolution, and strengthen communication techniques. Boys continue to use these tools throughout their time at Cathedral in classroom lessons, small advisory meetings, as well as larger community meetings.
Learning Specialists
The Cathedral Learning Specialists work with teachers, parents, administration, and students to help address the specific challenges faced by students who are either under-performing in class or are accelerating past their grade level. The Learning Specialists also helps craft and/or teach curriculum across grade levels. For boys who either have a diagnosed learning difference or boys who we suspect might have a learning difference, the Learning Specialists will help guide parents and students to appropriate support services both in and outside of the school, as well as monitor these students in the classroom on a regular basis.
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Lower School Learning Support Coordinator
The Lower School Learning Support Coordinator ensures that kindergarten through fourth-grade students develop the skills and strategies necessary to meet grade-level expectations. She provides academic support to students during the school day through small group or individual work, and she acts as a liaison between parents, outside support providers, and classroom teachers to support and monitor student progress. -
Upper School Specialist
Upper School Learning Specialist supports students as they develop and grow as learners. The area empowers boys to develop the skills and strategies necessary to acquire information, develop an understanding of the material presented in their classes, and develop a repertoire of study approaches that work for them. Additionally, boys are taught to self-advocate, manage their time, and apply teacher feedback. Ideally, boys graduate from Cathedral with a tool kit that can be used and applied in high school and beyond and that they feel quite capable of achieving their academic goals despite any challenges they may face.
Cathedral School for Boys
Located in San Francisco, CA, Cathedral School for Boys is an independent elementary school for boys in grades K-8. Our Mission is to provide an excellent education through intellectual inquiry and rigor that is centered in the Episcopal tradition and is respectful of and welcoming to people of all religious traditions and beliefs.
1275 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 • Phone: 415.771.6600 • Fax: 415.771.2547