Student Life

Student Life is a crucial part of the HSArts experience. The Department of Student Life is dedicated to creating a relaxing and engaging environment with enrichment opportunities outside the classroom, balancing their academics and arts training inside the classroom.

Activities range from Student Leadership opportunities such as student council, NHS, and student ambassadors, to student clubs like photography/yearbook club and games club. Student athletics are ever popular, with badminton club and basketball club continuing their popularity. Students are also encouraged to volunteer in our local communities, needing 80 accumulative hours to graduate.

A Typical School Day

The school day begins at 8:05 a.m. with academics. Most students have three to four classes in the morning, depending on the day’s schedule.

At 11:30 a.m., a hearty hot lunch is served. This home-cooked, buffet-style meal typically includes soup, rice, a vegetable dish, a meat dish, and fresh fruit from our commercial-grade kitchen. Our kitchen staff is focused on taste, nutrition, and variety, with pizza, spaghetti, Korean BBQ, hamburgers, and tacos as welcomed additions to the menu.

After lunch, the bell rings for a final academic class at 12:05 p.m. Arts classes follow from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Many students choose to stay after school for study hall, student clubs, and/or extra practice time in the our state-of-the art studios.

Sample Class Schedules

8:05 am – 9:20 am: English

9:25 am – 10:40 am: Integrated Science

10:45 am – 11:30 am: Geometry

11:30 am – 12:05 pm: Lunch

12:05 pm – 12:50 pm: High School Chinese Language I

12:50 pm – 1:00 pm: Break

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Chiaroscuro (sketching)

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Interior Design (arts elective)

8:05 am – 9:20 am: Life Science

9:25 am – 10:40 am: English

10:45 am – 11:30 am: Middle School Chinese Language II

11:30 am – 12:05 pm: Lunch

12:05 pm – 12:50 pm: Pre-Algebra

12:50 pm – 1:00 pm: Break

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Dance Fundamentals – Barre and Centre

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance Rehearsal

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Technique practice

Student Life

Student Clubs

On weekdays, the optional club programs and supervised study halls run from 4:15 to 6:00 pm. During this time, students are encouraged to participate in the clubs available or create their own club, or attend classes with the Young Artists Program for some extra arts enrichment. Alternatively, students may study in study hall under supervision and use the computers provided by the school.

Students in all arts tracks are welcome to join the Drawing Club. It’s a great chance to explore this fundamental skill of visual arts in an enjoyable and relaxed environment.

For 1.5 hours every week, students come together to bond, thrive, and exercise their coordination in a healthy competitive environment. Students warm up with dribbling, passing, and shooting drills. Then we have 3-on-3, 4-on-4, and sometimes full-court scrimmages. Individual skill-development, trust, and teamwork are at the core of our club’s foundation. Each semester culminates in 1 or 2 full-court scrimmages with other middle or high schools in the city.

The fastest growing club, the badminton club welcomes students of all ages and experience to play badminton in a healthy competitive environment. The badminton club will host competitions throughout the year, with enough sign ups. The club also hopes to form a team to potentially compete with other schools in the near future.

The Video Editing Club introduces students to the basics of editing software and how to use the software to tell a story. They learn the software (the tools), and how to use them (techniques), and then strive to use the tools and techniques to create meaning (the art). Particular emphasis is also put on the use of sound. The course will supply a good selection of video and audio material for the students to use, but students are also encouraged to bring in material that they want to edit.

The photography club consists of students with an interest in photography, learning about cameras and photo editing software, and potentially contributing to the school yearbook.

Focusing on games away from the computer, the games club challenges students in physical skills and logical thinking through traditional board games, card games, dice games, and more.

Study Hall

Study hall is held in designated classrooms between 4:15 – 6:00 pm.

Quiet Study

During the Quiet Study Hall, students are supervised by teachers as they do their homework. Students may ask the supervising teacher questions on their schoolwork.

Casual Study

Students participating in the Casual Study Hall may do homework on their own or with other students. They may do quiet logic puzzles or solitaire games, work on artwork, and tutor or be tutored by fellow students.

The Kitchen

The goal of our lunch program is to provide students with a variety of nutritionally balanced, healthy, home-cooked meals. Each day, our commercial-grade kitchen serves a hearty buffet-style hot meal. All meals include soup or porridge, steamed rice, fried rice, a meat-based dish, a vegetable dish, as well as fresh fruit.

Lunch Menu


Our kitchen staff proudly serves a menu consists of meticulously crafted entrees and complementing dishes. A balance on Eastern and Western cuisine, the lunch menu is healthy, delicious, and very well-received by students and staff alike. Enjoy homemade pizzas, chicken and tofu katsu, spaghetti, fried rice, and more. Bon appétit!

kitchen pizza

HSArts Hot Lunch Menu (2025-2026)

Monday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit/ Milk

Tuesday: Barbecue Pork(Char Siu)/ Buns/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit/ Milk

Wednesday: Camping Trip –Samuel Taylor State Park at the Madrone Group Campsite

Thursday: Camping Trip –Samuel Taylor State Park at the Madrone Group Campsite

Friday: Camping Trip –Samuel Taylor State Park at the Madrone Group Campsite

Monday: Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Bread/ Fruit/ Dessert

Tuesday: Sukiyaki Beef/ Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Wednesday: Homemade Pizza/ Scallion Pancake/Fruit/ Veggies

Thursday:Beef Noodle Soup/ French Fries/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Friday:Fried Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Bread/ Fruit

Monday: Potstickers/ Onion Pancake/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/Fruit

Wednesday: Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit/ Dessert

Thursday: Japanese Pork Chop/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit/Dessert

Friday: Curry Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Monday: Holiday

Tuesday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Wednesday: Surprise Menu

Thursday: Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Steamed Bun/ Fruit

Friday: Stewed Chicken/ Japanese Steamed Egg/ Veggies/ Biscuits/ Fruit

Monday:Taiwanese Minced Pork with Rice/ Bread/ Veggies/ Fruit

Tuesday:Fried Chicken/ Stir-fried Tofu with Veggies/ Dessert/ Fruit

Wednesday: Homemade Pizzas /Fried Rice/ Sauteed Tofu with Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Thursday: Stewed Beef/ Sauteed Tofu with Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Friday: Tossed Noodles with Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Sweet Soup/ Fruit

Monday: Noodle and Chicken Stir-Fry/ Steamed Bun/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/  Fruit

Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken/ Fresh Greens/ Fruit/ Milk

Wednesday: Barbecue Pork(Char Siu)/ Fried Rice/ Fresh Greens/ Fruit/ Milk

Thursday: Sukiyaki Beef/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Friday: Fried Chicken/ Sushi/ Stir-fried Tofu with Veggies/ Dessert/ Fruit

Monday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Steamed Buns/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Tuesday: Japanese Beef Sukiyaki/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Wednesday:Stewed Beef/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit/ Dessert

Thursday: Noodles with Chicken / Veggies/ Bread/ Fruit

Friday: Fried Chicken/ Sushi/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Monday: Beef Stroganoff/ Biscuits/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/Fruit

Tuesday: Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken/ Fried Rice/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Wednesday: Surprise Menu

Thursday: Japanese Pork Chop/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Bread/ Fruit

Friday: Curry Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Monday:Potstickers/ Steamed Bun/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Tuesday:Sweet and Sour Chicken/ Fresh Greens/  Fruit

Wednesday:Homemade Pizzas (meat or vegetarian)/ Fried Rice/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Thursday: Stewed Chicken/ Japanese Steamed Egg/ Veggies/ Fruit

Friday: Fried Chicken/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Monday: Taiwanese Minced Pork with Rice/ Onion Pancakes/ Veggies/ Fruit

Tuesday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Wednesday: Stewed Beef/ Sauteed Tofu with Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Thursday: Stewed Chicken and Noodle Soup/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Friday: Fried Chicken/ Sushi/ Dessert/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Monday: Potstickers/ Fried Rice/ Sauteed Tofu with Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Tuesday: Beef Sukiyaki/  Sauteed Tofu with Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Wednesday: Barbecue Pork(Char Siu)/ Steamed Buns/ Sauteed Veggies/ Fruit

Thursday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Friday: Surprise Menu

Monday: Stir Fried Vermicelli/ Steamed Buns/ Sauteed Veggies/ Fruit

Tuesday: Stewed Beef/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Wednesday: Homemade Pizza/ Fried Rice/ Sweet Soup/Fruit

Thursday: Spaghetti in Marinara Sauce/ Dessert/ Sauteed Fresh Greens/ Fruit

Friday: Chicken Karagee/ Sauteed Fresh Veggies/ Fruit

Facilities

Our campus houses a spectacular training facility next to Golden Gate Park. Large dance studios and classrooms nestle in a clean and classical interior-designed facility. Classes also utilize the beautiful outdoors on a regular basis, for PE class to outdoor drawing to outdoor dancing.

OLD VIDEO !

Outdoor Education Program

Our 6 acres of land in the San Cruz mountains sets our Outdoor Education program apart and supports our mission to education the whole student. Easy access to the Californian coastline and mountainous terrain creates opportunities for students to develop a deeper connection to the environment and their peers. Here, our students find inspiration for their art, and real-world application for their STEM and Humanities courses.

Our new Outdoor Classroom gives HSArts students a rare opportunity to develop deeper connections with nature and their peers, furthering our mission to education the whole student. Immersed in the outdoors, HSArts students develop interpersonal, social, creative, and academic skills through our new Outdoor Education curriculum, fashioned to build key leadership and teamwork skills. Away from the city, our students can find inspiration for their art and gain valuable skills in the practical application of their STEM and Humanities courses.

Through inspiring wilderness adventures, HSArts students build confidence, character, and community. Regular grade-level field trips to our diverse landscapes create opportunities for student growth beyond the classroom. Already, HSArts students have been vocal and proactive about how they wish to see the land developed. We have since arranged contests, guest speakers, and other opportunities for our students to share their innovative suggestions, put their ideas onto paper and help them put their plans into action.

 

Find out how you can show your support on our Giving page.

 

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