The secretive private school upending America's most liberal city: 'We don't talk about pronouns here' By JAMES REINL, SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:41 GMT, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 22:44 GMT, 8 December 2024 e-mail 16 View comments In ultra-progressive San Francisco, parents increasingly seek something a little more traditional for their kids. That's the message from the growing enrollments at Donum Dei Classical Academy and other religious schools in the liberal California city. These private Christian schools weave tradition, faith, and conservative values into the curriculum. Some were founded by Republican fans of president-elect Donald Trump and want Christianity to play a major role in American life. For the parents who use them — this means no 'woke' books on library shelves and no talk of gender identity in classrooms. The popularity of the schools, though a worry for some, suggests a backlash against Golden State progressivism. California this year passed a first-in-the-nation law to make it harder for parents to find out when their kids ask to use a different name or pronouns in class. Its public schools are dogged by complaints about teachers encouraging students to change gender without telling their moms or dads, in some cases directing them to sex-change clinics. Enrollments have grown by some 25 students since Donum Dei opened its doors in 2019 Donum Dei co-founder Nate Fischer (second from left) is a right-wing venture capitalist who donated to the campaigns of J.D. Vance, vice president-elect, and other Republicans Read More REVEALED: The affluent California school that connects students to a sex-change clinic Public school enrollments are falling. Yonahandi Vaca, a social worker whose child attends Donum Dei, said she chose the 66-student K-8 school 'because it aligned with our Christian belief.' 'I feel like they have a fresh approach on education,' Vaca told The San Francisco Standard . 'I had never heard of classical, and that was really attractive to me: learning things the old way, with cursive and Latin.' The $20,000-a-year school sits in the residential Bernal Heights neighborhood, where Pride flags decorate many windows. It's expanded by some 25 students since opening in 2019. Anonymous contributions jumped from $45,692 that year to $773,319 in 2023. It 'exists to be a gift of God to the families and churches who call San Francisco home,' says its website. 'We seek to impart a rich classical Christian curriculum full of Scriptural truth and life-giving experiences ... in the hands of our godly, experienced teachers and education partners,' it adds. Meanwhile, Nativity High School opened this fall with 20 students in Inner Richmond. The 25-student Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy in the Richmond opened in 1994, and Stella Maris, in Inner Richmond, has doubled its enrollment to 86 students since its 2021 reboot. They're all located in plush neighborhoods beloved of San Francisco's tech executives and other millionaires, where homes change hands for between $1.3 million and $1.8 million. Many were opened in the past five years. Across the US, the number of religious schools grew by 4.8 percent over that time, says Arcadia Education, a consultancy. Marilyn Bridon, an art teacher and assistant to the head at Stella Maris, a fast-growing classical Christian school, says classes are different to some nearby public schools. Elon Musk famously pulled his Space X and X firms out of California after a state law this year helped children change sex in school without telling their parents Read More EXCLUSIVE: The trans school conspiracy exposed: Midwest teachers trade tips on 'subversively and quietly' transitioning kids without telling their parents, and skirting Republican gender laws, in workshop funded by federal government Students attend Mass on Fridays and are encouraged to get involved in their parish. There's also a 'triage' system to ensure 'woke books' don't appear on library shelves, she said. 'We certainly don't talk about pronouns in our school,' Bridon told The Standard. 'Parents don't want kids exposed to outside influences that are prevalent in our city.' The schools are variously affiliated with Orthodox and Catholic teachings. Donum Dei is not linked to any particular sect of Christianity, but requires students to have at least one parent involved with a Christian church. The schools focus on classical subjects, such as grammar, logic, and rhetoric. They avoid gender ideology, critical race theory, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Helen Sinelnikoff-Nowak, an administrator and teacher at Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy, says parents want something more traditional for their kids. 'A lot of people in our community have said it's important to them that we're not too far out there, too far to the left,' said Sinelnikoff-Nowak. 'I'm not preaching to parents, but I hear them, and that's what they're looking for.' Controversially, some of the schools don't teach evolution. This has raised questions about science teaching in the schools — and whether creationism is presented as fact. When asked about this, Donum Dei Principal Trisha Mammen reportedly said: 'God made earth and man. We did not come from slime.' The school did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment. Administrators have also blocked a journalist from attending public information sessions about the academy. Other religious schools in San Francisco avoid creationism. Those guided by the Archdiocese of San Francisco 'teach what science can prove,' says Peter Marlow, a district spokesperson. The growing popularity of classical Christian schools comes as San Francisco edges politically to the right. The percentage of city voters who cast ballots for Trump grew from 12.8 percent in 2020 to 16.7 percent in 2024. The Nativity High School opened this fall with 20 students in Inner Richmond The 25-student Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy in the Richmond opened in 1994 Meanwhile, in ballot measures, California voters opted to get tougher on drug and theft crimes and to allow forced labor in prisons. San Francisco was once America's least religious city. This year, it fell behind Seattle, according to a US Census Bureau survey. Local education consultant Vicky Keston says about one-in-ten of her clients are interested in Christian schools and want teachers to 'focus on academics over politics or social justice.' 'In my experience, there are a solid number of parents looking for a school like this,' she said. 'Some parents prefer questions about gender identity to be taught at an older age and for young children not to be actively suggested that they reconsider what their gender is.' Donum Dei was founded in 2019 by right-wing venture capitalist Nate Fischer and his wife, Meghan. They and other co-founders are linked to Calvinism and Dominionism, which promotes a society governed by biblical rules. Fischer's venture capital firm New Founding pours money into tech startups that promote right-wing values, such as gun ownership rights, vaccine skepticism and the gender binary. According to the Federal Election Commission, he donated some $14,000 to Republican candidates in recent election cycles, including J.D. Vance and Ted Cruz. California Share or comment on this article: The secretive private school upending America's most liberal city: 'We don't talk about pronouns here' e-mail Add commentBut it's not just Aizen's power that shines in the trailer; his complex personality and motivations are also on full display. Viewers catch glimpses of Aizen's enigmatic smile, hinting at the depths of his schemes and the secrets he holds. With his charismatic charm and unwavering confidence, it's easy to see why Aizen is such a compelling and enduring character in the "Bleach" universe.

College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Alabama left out of playoff as committee rewards SMU's wins over Crimson Tide's strong schedule The College Football Playoff committee took wins over strength of schedule, taking SMU over Alabama for the final at-large spot in the field. The field was expanded from four to 12 teams this season, but that didn’t save the committee from controversy. SMU showed it could compete against a traditional power, losing to Clemson 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal in the ACC title game on Saturday. Alabama had some ups and downs in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide had quality wins against Georgia and South Carolina, but lost at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Big Ten wins playoff selection derby, followed by SEC despite notable Alabama omission College football’s conference shakeup left concerns about two super conferences dominating the playoff field. They weren’t totally unfounded, or 100% born out. The Big Ten, not the Southeastern Conference, was the biggest winner. The ACC scored, too. The Big Ten led the initial 12-team playoff field with four making the cut, topped by a No. 1 Oregon team that was part of the Pac-12 exodus. Then came the SEC — and one notable omission. ACC runner-up SMU got the nod over college football blue-blood Alabama, another blemish in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Nick Saban’s championship-or-bust successor. Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings following Cousins' departure in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota. Saquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has broken LeSean McCoy's Eagles franchise record for rushing yards in a season. Barkley has 1,623 yards. He surpassed McCoy's mark of 1,607 yards with a 9-yard run in Sunday's 22-16 win over Carolina. Barkley finished the game with 124 yards, within a yard of his season average. He has four games left and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson set that record in a 16-game season and Barkley has one more game. Eagles fans serenaded Barkley with “MVP!” chants and McCoy congratulated him on social media. Saints QB Derek Carr injures left hand on dive in 4th quarter of win over Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr injured his left hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 14-11 victory over the New York Giants when he went airborne while trying for a first down and crashed to the turf. Carr tried to leap over a Giants tackler and landed at the New Orleans 39-yard line, extending his non-throwing hand to break his fall. He was on the turf for a minute or two before walking to the medical tent. He was examined and slowly walked to an area where X-rays are done. The injury could hurt the already slim playoff hopes of the Saints. Tamar Bates scores 29 points to help Missouri beat No. 1 Kansas 76-67 COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates had 29 points and five steals to help Missouri beat Hunter Dickinson and No. 1 Kansas 76-67. Mark Mitchell scored 17 points in Missouri’s first win over Kansas since a 74-71 victory on Feb. 4, 2012. Anthony Robinson II had 11 points and five steals for the 8-1 Tigers. Dickinson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers. The 7-2 Jayhawks have lost two straight on the road after falling 76-63 against Creighton on Wednesday night. Scottie Scheffler ends his big year in the Bahamas with his 9th victory NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler ended his biggest year with another victory. Scheffler was coming off a two-month break and looked as good as ever. He shot 63 in the Hero World Challenge and set tournament records at Albany with a 72-hole total of 263 and a six-shot victory. Tom Kim was the runner-up and Justin Thomas finished third. Scheffler ends his year with nine victories in 21 tournaments. That includes the holiday tournament in the Bahamas and the Olympic gold medal in Paris. It's the third-highest winning percentage in the last 40 years. Tournament host Tiger Woods had two better years. Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive in ski racing return at age 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive again in her ski racing return at 40 years old. Vonn is still getting her ski equipment dialed in and getting used to going full speed again on her new titanium knee. That’s why all that she's reading into being more than two seconds behind in a pair of lower-level super-G races Sunday is that she’s right there. This after nearly six years away from ski racing and an abbreviated prep period. She was 2.19 seconds behind in the first race and 2.06 in the second. Both were won by her American teammate Lauren Macuga. Plane circles MetLife Stadium with message to co-owner John Mara to fix the Giants' 'dumpster fire' EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A small plane circled MetLife Stadium roughly 90 minutes before New York was to play host to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, asking Giants co-owner John Mara to overhaul the team that has made the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012. “Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” the message read as it was towed behind the rear of a small plane.Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death

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