Opening 2015
School Room
School Room
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will feature a classroom on-site so that our patients can continue their education while we care for their health. The school room, a fully-accredited part of the San Francisco Unified School District, will provide K-12 education for patients for the duration of their stay. The school room will combine personal care with education, following the example set by UCSF’s first Marie Wattis School, established in 1991.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital's Marie Wattis School at Mission Bay will be operated by Child Life, an organization committed to empowering children and families to master challenging life events.
Room Map
Classroom
Though the classroom will be designed with the needs of patients in mind, it will also be made to establish a level of normalcy and provide children with respite from the unfamiliar environment of the hospital. The school room will feature a reading nook, library, drama performance space and interactive PCs as well as conference space for family meetings.
Teachers
The school room will be staffed by credentialed teachers devoted to combining care and education. Teachers will work closely with patients’ schools to ensure class requirements are met and school credit is received for time spent in the hospital.
Exams
As the school room will be an integrated part of the San Francisco Unified School District, both the SATs and High School Exit Exams will be offered to high school students. Patients will be able to complete high school and graduate during their hospitalization.
Special Needs
Staff will work to ensure that special needs of student patients are met. Those unable to attend classes will receive personal instruction at their bedsides or in the pediatric dialysis center. Patients returning to their regular schools will be coached on the transition back to their normal lives.
Programs
The school room at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will feature a number of special programs for its students. Music and filmmaking courses will be offered, along with guest speakers from the Exploratorium, the De Young Museum and the Asian Art Museum.