Summer in the sierras
“Summer in the Sierras” was the first program launched by the newly formed Black Pine Circle, Inc. This was a tutorial retreat designed for college freshmen and sophomores based on Socratic methods of questioning, discussion, student initiative, etc. Needing a name in order to incorporate as a non-profit organization, we hastily chose a favorite mountain tree with no foreknowledge of future programs in the flatlands. Seed money for our elegant poster and brochure came from Alvin Duskin, entrepreneur and fashion designer of the “no-bra bra”! The art-work was done by Larry Melnik and Arne Wolf
Early years - early education
After running a summer program in Berkeley for college students plus their children, our emphasis turned to early education as our two sons entered school age and the Berkeley public schools continued their sad decline. Riding on the new counter-culture explosion of educational reform, we created The Arts & Sciences Workshops. This was an after-school and Saturday morning program of classes taught by an amazing group of young teachers who, disillusioned with conventional educational methods, discovered newly formed institutions to train them in creative and highly successful methods of teaching math, science, music, language and language arts.
These classes were run at cost and became wildly popular among Berkeley parents and their kids. This was where they claimed their children were receiving the only “real” learning available at that time. There they found out about “conceptual math for young children,” “hands-on science,” “early creative writing,” “Orff/Kodaly methods of music training”, etc.—methods we experimented with, many of which were later incorporated into the curricula of the multitude of private schools that sprang up during this era.
Year one
In 1973, at the urging of parents whose children spent hours in school, then came to the A. & S. Workshops for the excitement of actual learning, we started a full-time K-5 school for 39 students in the basement of a Church of the Latter Day Saints on Parker St. in Berkeley. By the end of the first year we had expanded to 50 students, the maximum allowed, with a waiting list of 50 more.
The second year we rented space at the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship for 6th and 7th grades, and the third year we bought the Nervo Stained Glass factory buildings at 7th and Addison Streets to accommodate a full K-8. For this acquisition we received a grant of $25,000 from David Donnelley, raised another $5,000 in donations, and for the remainder of around $37,000 I mortgaged my house. The mortgage was repaid in full within two years!
Yesteryear and Today
We eventually acquired the church across the street and later the former City Health Dept. building on 6th St., occupied at that time by the fast expanding Tehiya School. Both of these purchases allowed us to house our Upper School and provide the necessary classrooms, yard space and assembly/theater space for our expanding science, math, music, art and drama programs—not to mention our developing sports teams.
As of this date I have been officially retired (for the third time) since 2008. I know that enrollment keeps increasing, new buildings have been built, old ones remodeled and modernized, and new property in the neighborhood has been acquired. There are still a few staff members there whom I knew, and many whom I don’t know. May Black Pine Circle continue to thrive and may its unique qualities survive!