2014 - 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
ISAAC NEWTON is believed to have been twice-exceptional, or 2E, referring to the fact that he was a mathematical and scientific genius (one exception) and was thought to be challenged with Asperger’s Syndrome (the other exception).
At Bridges, we are completely devoted to the social, emotional, intellectual, academic, and creative growth of our “2E” students. After all, we could be teaching some of this generation’s greatest minds.
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL “Educational philosophy has long grappled with the larger, more complex and sometimes competing purposes of education. If we can inspire intellectual and creative curiosity and foster self-efficacy, just about every possible ‘purpose’ falls into place.”
- Carl Sabatino, Head of School
Bridges Faculty 2014 - 2015 (in alphabetical order) Pictured here: Omid Abrishami, Laura Bahr, Greg Baeza, Barry Blonsky, Shane Brennan, Matt Carroll, Toshimi Chida, Marti Colglazier, Connie Condos, Marcy Dann, Daniel Dean, Michael Dennis, Nadine Eisenkolb, David Gerne, Lisa Herz, Miles Hankins, Greg Kaczynski, Erin Kastelz, Jose Malagon, Stuart Matranga, Caroline Maxwell, Jose Malagon, Kim Miller, Kenneth Moore, Pilar Munoz, Miriam Pasternak, Lesli Preuss, Mitchel Ramos, Lisa Reid, Sally Anne Rosenberg, Carl Sabatino, Laura Sanderford, Carmen Sevilla, Ryan Siebrasse, Brad Sparks, Kirk Stauffer, Kari Umbreit, Kim Vargas, Chris Wiebe, David Wildkress, Sam Young, Anthony Vo Not pictured: Susan Baum, Michael Beer, Jim Berkowitz, Cody Buchanan, Danny Chasman-Beck, Ben James, Carmen Ketola, Heather, Lembcke, Doug Lenzini, Dylan McKenzie, Sherry Minkowski, Don Peake, Tyler Peck, Sarah Rodney, Anna Schaerf, Nick Scheftick, William Sherman, Irwin Shubert, Judy Temes, Ian Tindell, David Wildkress, Kyle Wittlin
& OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES On behalf of the Bridges Academy Board of Trustees, I am pleased to present our school’s 2014 - 2015 Annual Report. Bridges Academy has begun a new phase of growth this past year by improving our campus and furthering our twice-exceptional curriculum. Our student population continues to grow while we maintain the same student-teacher ratio that we have enjoyed in the past. To accommodate this growth, Bridges is moving its administrative offices into the former dormitory building to make additional classroom space. The Board is evaluating further plans to renovate the grounds in order to create a more innovative campus, one that will further develop the strengths and talents of our children. Once again, we have united to support the Annual Fund in remarkable fashion surpassing our goal with a 102 percent completion rate. In addition, our community demonstrated resounding commitment to the Walk-a-thon and Gala. At this time, I would like to introduce Dr. Robin Schader as a member of the Board of Trustees who joined since our last annual report. I also thank, Suzie Wynne, a board member whose term came to an end since our last report. Suzie’s work and leadership have helped sustain and grow Bridges Academy. I want to thank all of our dedicated supporters and to encourage those new to the community to get involved. Your efforts are what make Bridges Academy a place where our children can continue to imagine, persevere, and achieve. Thank you, once again, for a great year. Sincerely,
Ellen R. Rosen Chair, Board of Trustees
ANNUAL REPORT ANNUALFINANCIAL FINANCIAL REPO 10 YEARS OF GROWTH ENROLLMENT
79 students
155 students
196 students
FACULTY
14 teachers
55 teachers
62 teachers
CAMPUS
22,300 sq.ft.
56,443 sq. ft.
78,700 sq. ft.
GALA FUNDRAISING
$14,600
$75,000
$200,000+
& EXPENSES ORT:2015 10 INCOME YEARS OF GROWTH $6,172,792
2014-15 INCOME
2.4%
5.6%
TUITION FUNDRAISING/ CONTRIBUTION 92%
OTHER
$6,172,792 4.3% 2.7% 1%
2014-15 EXPENSES PAYROLL/BENEFITS FINANCIAL AID
9.2%
BUILDING/GROUNDS
9.7% 73.1%
ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS OTHER
THANK YOU: BRIDGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES Head of School Carl Sabatino Board Chair Ellen Rosen Parent Association President Tami Baer – Turner Board Richard Barnett Rob Berry Karen Breslow Vincent DeBenedictis Peter Godwin Brian Haskin James Jones Marylin Kingston Lori Lepler Elizabeth Lindell Margie Power Lary Rappaport Jason Ricks Tom Ropelewski Robin Schader Suzie Wynne Volunteers (100+ Hours) Arlette Avakian Shoshana Anthony Karen Breslow Tracy Carey Elisa Cedeno Rebecca Dauterive Robin Fox Elissa Johnston Violette Huang Julia Lapeze Andrea Left Victoria Marks Kristin Peterson Peter Rader Ellen Rosen Carl Sabatino Tamara Santana Wendei Smith Elizabeth Sprague Charity Stashwick
Rob Thomas Merie Wallace Valerie Weisenfeld Leilani Wilmore Jenya Worrell Colleen Ventimilia Jen Ventimilia ANNUAL FUND Founders Circle ($10,000 - $30,000) John & Susan Boken Stephanie Cohen–Left & Andrew Left Leah Glynn & Zack Stentz Palermo–Ravich Family Foundation Benefactors Circle ($5,000 - $9,999) James Dauterive Violette & David Huang Ellen Isaacs & Lary Rappaport W.M. Keck Foundation *Kimberly & Mark Kuskin John Levenstein Levitt Architecture Group Dr. Lesli Preuss & Mr. Humberto Irigoyen Susan & Don Rice Ellen & Martin Rosen Leila Zafaranchi & Ali Montazeri Patrons Circle ($2,500 - $4,999) Lubov & Max Azria Fely & Robert Berry Betsy Borns & Jonathan Shapiro Karen Breslow & Robert Schwartz Kate Colleary & Rand Ravich Linda & Chris Jackson Leslie Dixon & Tom Ropelewski Kathy Schultz & Paul Frank Michelle & Daniel Greenberg Nir Glycher Lori Lepler Debra & Michael Levin Julia Johnson & Christopher Marcil Luba & Jeff Mironer Margie Power & Ken Jones
Barbara & Don Rice Carl Sabatino Robin Schader Elizabeth Sprague Colleen Ventimilia Jennifer Ventimilia Leaders Circle ($1,700 - $2,499) Stuart Applebaum Arlette & Mesrop Avakian Dena Bloom & Robert Klyman Tracy & Gordon Carey Elisa & David Cedeno Rebecca Dauterive Hilary & Peter Godwin wGillian & Colin Goldman Robin Jacobs & Schlomo Schmuel Catherine & William Josephson Judith Kitano & Michael Yogi Deborah LaBonge Kristin Peterson & Bret Hambrick Justin Puckett & Arlene Spiegelman Ellie & Rick Ross Gilda & Kambiz Sabouhi Holly Whatley & Stephanie Vassallo Leilani & Larry Wilmore Jenya & Daniel Worrell Rianna & Uzi Zimmerman Sponsors Circle ($1,000 - $1,699) Richard Barnett Susan Baum Diane & Michael Burnstine Julie & Vincent DeBenedictis Liliana & Juan Escudero Jean-Claude Gertrude & Efrem Seeger Adrienne Goldstone & Edwin Hausmann Patty Grubman Marylin Kingston & Harry Cynamon Julia & David Lapeze Jennifer & Chris Larrabee Laurence Dumortier & Matthew Greenfield
VOLUNTEERS & DONORS Victoria Marks & Dan Froot Leeanne & David Mallel Steven Novak Hang & Larry Pacey Karen Samuels Lora Silverman & Keith Stolzenbach Madison & Alex Soleimani Charity & Todd Stashwick Tami & Jeff Turner Associates Circle ($500 - $999) Tatiana Armbruster & Ilya Kahn Gina Battista & James Esposito Elliot Brown Nikki & Bruce Carlin Marti Colglazier Fiona Cowie Corine Taylor-Cyngiser & Yoram Cyngiser Lisa Elliott Robin & Steven Fox Sheryl & Timothy Fox Tracie Graham & John Rice Tanisha Holman-Ricks & Jason Ricks Brian & Sandra Haskin Marina & Perry Herman Rebecka & Dan Hosken Elissa Johnston & Grant Gershon Alan Kaplan Leslie Kapner Allyson Kimmel & Richard Sudar Joseph Kraemer Erica Lee Nancy Morris & Gregory Pincus *Dr. & Mrs. Philip K. Moskowitz Nancy Niederman & Mark Batterman Sherine Omar & Hisham Ismail Kate O’Brien & Mick Monahan Lisa Reid Anna Schaerf Wendei & Kris Smith
Jill Sorkin & Douglas Lieblein Lauren Peng & Chris Tang Diane & Jeffrey Ten Kim & Bob Vargas Supporters Circle ($1 - $499) Omid Abrishami Kimberly & Michael Anderson Kristine Annunziata Shoshana & Thomas Anthony Nichole Auden & Gregory Jones Sela Azmon-Fishbein & Evan Fishbein Greg Baeza Laura Bahr Diana Becker Michael Beer Ray & Helen Bennett James Berkowitz Barry Blonsky Jim Bowers Shane Brennan Cody Buchanan Deana & Neil Camberg Matt Carroll Danny Chasman-Beck Toshimi Chida Connie Condos Marcy Dann Milagritos Del Capio & Jose Mujica Michael Dennis Thomas Downey Nadine Eisenkolb Mana Elliott Susan & Thomas Ferrari Robin Fleck & Richard Graves David Folk-Williams Miles Hankins Lori Hardy Lisa & Jim Herz Ben James Greg Kaczynski Carmen Ketola Elise & Mark Lampert Heather Lembcke Doug Lenzini Jose Malagon Caroline Maxwell Deirdre McIlroy
Kim Miller Mary Ellen & Chris Miller Sherry Minkowski Kenneth Moore Stephanie Morrell Pilar Munoz Patricia O’Brien & John Vetter Ruth Oroshnik & Steven Bramson Tedra Osell & Thomas Bluhm Panny Pang & Jeffrey Griffin Miriam Pasternak Lisa Paterson Tyler Peck Nancy Peponis Celia Piazza Magdalena Prado & Fernando Morales Mitchel Ramos Maria & Alfreda Resinski Jane Richardson Rita Rosen Laura & Niccolo Roveda Laura Sanderford Nick Scheftic Katherine Schlesinger Carmen Sevilla Juli & Charles Shamash Irwin Shubert Ryan Siebrasse Brianna Siegel Brad Sparks Laura Streimer Judy Temes Kari Umbret Heidi Van Lier Anthony Vo Laurie Watkins Annie & Dan Wetherbee Judith & Tom Whitaker Chris Wiebe Kyle Wittlin Suzie Wynne Sam Young Shelly Zellman
*
Special gifts for building improvements
w $500 of donation in honor of Peter Godwin
2015 WHERE THEY ARE
Nico Bartoli (Class of 2011) Top Left , below & bottom right on the job.
Doug Vargas (Class or 2011) With his mother, Kim Vargas
NOW... ALUMNI NEWS Nick Bartoli (class of 2011)
Doug Vargas (class of 2011)
I am currently an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working for American Medical Response (AMR). I have been working with AMR for seven months and look forward to staying with the company. I am currently in processing to become a member of the Disaster Response Team. When I’m not working long shifts I continue my education by learning new policies, attending lectures, watching videos, and visiting hospitals.
After graduating from Bridges in 2011, I spent a year working as a receptionist for my dad and grandfather. During that time I was honing my programming skills and in the fall of 2012 I joined my first startup, a social media outfit called SameGrain. For two years I worked at SameGrain until I heard the siren call of Silicon Valley and moved up to the Bay area.
At Bridges, my history teacher Gregory Zlotin taught me always to ask “why?” Asking why and understanding the facts is important in history papers, and it’s essential in diagnosing a patient. I always teach the EMT students underneath me to take a step back and ask why. As an EMT, tunnel vision can be a fatal mistake so the ability to understand symptoms, disabilities, or the habits of a victim allows for better treatment. The other lesson I learned at Bridges is to think outside of the box. Since every circumstance is different there is not necessarily one way to do things. In order to think on your feet you must be prepared, which is why I’ve committed to continuing my education. After I graduated from Bridges in 2011, I took a series of odd jobs as a production assistant. I struggled with tests in high school and did not feel compelled to go the traditional college route. The unreliability of production work was frustrating and I wanted stabitily. I attended Ventura College’s EMT program where I was engaged in the work and finished third in my class. My time at Bridges taught me to make my own path and succeed on my own terms.
I am currently a Senior Software Engineer in Network Operations at Google working on the main campus in Mountain View. I was hired in February and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I write programs that monitor Google’s network and keep track of errors and problems within it, as well as providing support to Google’s network engineers around the world. Prior to working at Google, I was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of a robotics startup call Aquaai. At Aquaai I learned several valuable and hardtaught lessons and I am glad I experienced the journey through SameGrain and Aquaai because I think they were necessary for my arrival at Google. Bridges was a special place and the relationships I formed with the teachers and students will always be important to me. My interest and passion for computers all began with Brad in media technology classes. Irwin introduced me to some of my favorite authors and literature. When I’m not working I focus on creative writing and video game programming – hopefully it will lead somewhere special.
CLASS OF 2015 COLLEGE &
Top Left : Valedictorian, John Wilmore Middle Left: Valedictorian, Wil Marcil Top Right: Anais Azria & HS Division Director, Chris Wiebe Bellow: Carl Sabarino, Head of School addresses graduates
UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE FINDING THE PERFECT FIT This year, Bridges’ senior class gained admittance to 48 colleges in 16 states, including School of Art Institute of Chicago, Rochester Institute of Technology, and UC Berkley, receiving up to $30,000 in grant and scholarship funding at 20 of these schools.
Academy of Art University Art Center College of Design Bennington College Berklee College of Music Bradley University California Institute of the Arts California Polytechnic State University Pomona California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California State University Channel Islands California State University Long Beach California State University Northridge Chapman University ** College of Wooster ** Colorado School of Mines ** Columbia College Earlham College ** Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University ** Hampshire College * Illinois Wesleyan *** Ithaca College Juniata College *** Lewis and Clark College ** Los Angeles Valley College
Loyola Marymount University *** Marist College North Central College *** Occidental College Pasadena City College Pitzer College Quinnipiac University ** Rochester Institute of Technology San Diego State University San Francisco Art Institute ** Santa Fe University of Art & Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago ** Springfield College University of California, Berkeley University of California, San Diego University of Colorado, Boulder University of Hartford University of Kansas University of the Pacific * University of Puget Sound *** University of Redlands *** University of Vermont ** Wells College *** Whitman College Whitworth College **
Asterisks denote merit scholarships in the following amounts: * up to $9,999 per year **10,000 – 19,999 per year ***20,000 – 30,000 per year
PARENT ASSOCIATION : (Top Right) Walk-a-thon Starting Line (Middle Row - left to right) Halloween Carnival: Oscar Stashwick, Master of ceremonies; Jim Esposito, Strong Man; Candy lovers (Bottom Left) Barbara Rice & Gala DJ (Bottom Right -left to right) Block Party: Mark Lampert, Juli Shamash, Rob Berry, Fely Berry, Karen Shoemaker (Next Page) Hilary & Jake Godwin
EVENTS & FUNDRAISING This year, we saw successful strides for the Parent Association (PA), a year of continuous growth was punctuated with a successful Gala. In August, the PA welcomed many new friends to the community during the New Family Social. The event allows new parents to see why Bridges is an exceptional place for their children and extends the offer to get involved in the community. October featured our annual Halloween Carnival on campus. This year we had unprecedented community participation resulting in food, fun, and the famous Bridges Haunted House. For the Holiday season, the PA ran its annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Drive. This tradition provides the faculty and staff with a lovely luncheon and allows our teachers to receive a generous cash gift and appreciation from families through personal cards. In February, we enjoyed our fourth annual Walk-a-thon. This community event raised $11,940 as students and the PA eagerly participated. Students truly “walked their talk” completing laps pledged by family and friends to earn prizes as well as raise money for their school. This year, five students completed over 50 laps. Parent volunteers enjoyed counting off laps, awarding prizes, and cheering on the student walkers. Spring has officially begun when the Bridges Annual Gala rolls around. This year’s Gala was a resounding success and was the most successful in school’s history. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the volunteers, the event raised $70,542, a 24 percent increase
over last year’s proceeds. The event was a great party where attendees enjoyed the casual yet elegant “Block Party” theme, delicious food, and the opportunity to bid on unique auction items. The event was held at the CBS Studio Center on historic Residential Street. Alumnus Daniel Zuker (class of 2011) gave a poignant speech about how his experience at Bridges directly affected his ability to not only learn and be successful, but the impact of being understood and appreciated. In May, our teachers were celebrated during the annual Teacher Appreciation Week. The days of the week were divided by grade level and the parents treated teachers to special experiences. Festivities included a Spa Day, a juice bar, and catered lunches. The gratitude for our dedicated teachers was a great way to end the year. Next year we look forward to communitybuilding events and special opportunities for parents as well as kids. We hope you’ll join us.
PHOENIX 5TH–6TH GRADE: (Top Left) Dodger Stadium: Gavriela Zimmerman (Middle - Left to Right) “Ancient Rome”: Matt Mallel proudly displays his Coliseum model, Lauryn Elliott hides behind a mask of her own design , Functioning Aquaduct system (Bottom Left) Grammy Museum : Kari Umbreit, Assistant to Director; Joshua Gruin; Chase McMaster; Graham Richards; Daniel Chasman-Beck, Phoenix Intern (Bottom Right - front to back) Cooking Experience: Kevin Sabouhi, Sam Kleinberg, Lauryn Elliott
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The Phoenix program had an engaging year providing students with topics of interest and the resources necessary to create hands-on and in-depth projects. Fall Intersession “Baseball” The twenty-six Phoenix students began the study of the math, science, and history of baseball by attending the Dodgers/Nationals game at Dodger Stadium on September 3, 2014. The students kept scorecards at the game and enjoyed a moment on the jumbotron. The following seven school days were spent with students creating projects based on their own personal interests. Students built a model of Dodger Stadium, created student profile baseball cards, documented Dodger history, learned baseball statistics, and wired an electronic scoreboard. Students focused on their personal interests and learned that sports are comprised of aspects across all disciplines. Wintersession “Ancient Rome” The in-depth study of Ancient Rome began with a trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu. The students viewed Roman art, architecture, and mythology and began their projects for the next two weeks. The students were placed in working groups based on their self-reported learning strengths and a diagnostic tool called the Learning Print. Several students built a battery-powered five foot aqueduct, while some created models of the Roman Coliseum and arch bridges with popsicle sticks. One group created a Roman television newscast and another group of students created mosaics and sculptures. A “Bridges Museum” Open House was held to exhibit everything the students had learned where Roman delicacies of shaved ice with cloves and sautéed melon was served to visitors. The students acted as docents to parents, older students, teachers and administrators.
Spring Intersession “Ocean Exploration” The Spring Intersession kicked-off with a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. The students spent the day exploring ocean life in person, petting sharks and stingrays, and learning about marine environments. The rest of the week was spent focusing on science, geography, plant and animal life, the history of sunken ships, and the importance of the ocean habitat. The students presented their projects to their classmates. The projects included live goldfish tricks, marine environment slideshows, an ocean themed board game, ocean mythology movies, and the impact pollution has on marine environments. Enrichment Clusters Each semester students choose, based on interest and talent, a group to spend all day on Fridays deeply engrossed in the subject. The small size of the enrichment clusters enables students to enhance their first hand learning opportunities by focusing their interests in an all-encompassing manner. The enrichment clusters included podcasts, physical science, filmmaking, game theory, newspaper, cooking, music composition and production. The courses allowed opportunities to visit Los Angeles’ hallmarks including the L.A. Times, Griffith Observatory, and the Grammy Museum. Program Development and Clubs In 2014-2015, the Phoenix teachers focused on school policies, rules and expectations, teamwork, keyboard, community building, hygiene, nutrition, public speaking, organization, time management, personal finance and budgeting, civics, technology use, and etiquette. Students created Pokemon, Anime, Nintendo, Movie, and Junior Key Clubs. Forming a club included submitting a plan, soliciting a teacher sponsor, recruiting members, and participating regularly.
MIDDLE SCHOOL: INTEREST,
(Top Left) Museum Day: Liza Esposito performs a musical number for her Drama Class. (Top Right)Museum Day: Ben Connor Neumann explains his art project for parents (Middle Left - left to right) Pi Day: Laura Bahr, MS Math & Pi Day Queen; Milo Marks-Froot, & Jose Malagon, TA (Middle Right - top row left to right) pi day winners: Jose Malagon, Jack Venitmilia, Milo Marks-Froot, Laura Bahr, Jake Godwin, Liza Esposito (Up front) Milo Lieblien (Bottom Left) Middle School Pali Trip participants (Bottom Right) Pali Trip: Nicki Camberg Bow in hand
SKILLS & PRESENTATIONS Middle school students showcased their academic work in a series of presentations to develop organization and public speaking skills. Students illustrated their thinking strategies and domain knowledge through their presentations. Museum Day Students selected a project in their area of interest and developed a demonstration to present to parents and peers on Museum Day. Projects were chosen from their coursework in humanities, life science, media technology, and studio art. Presentations included the 3D model project in science, rotoball animation in media technology, yoga flow demonstration in physical education, self-portraits in art, one-act student written plays in performing arts, and autobiographies in humanities. Bridging Presentations Students showed off their project management skills and passionately discussed their interests as they gathered and organized academic projects to compile individual e-portfolios, most of them using HTML, to demonstrate their readiness for 9th grade during their Bridging Presentations. Pi Day The Math department hosted the 7th annual Pi Day celebration on March 14. Seventh and eighth grade students presented 3.14 centered projects including 3D models, poetry, art, and oral storytelling. Milo Marks-Froot set a new school record reciting 355 digits of Pi. The celebration concluded with the traditional pie feast. Enrichment Clusters Each semester students choose, based on interest, a group to work with on collaborative projects. This year the Middle School expanded their scope of enrichment clusters. Students were given the opportunity to select a group ranging from Spanish to Ghost Hunting. The newspaper produced The Bridgington Post, a student driven newspaper with stories, editorials, reviews, and photography. Board game design covered etiquette, sportsman-
ship, and students produced their own games. The film making group learned what goes into making a documentary, comedy, action, and stop motion film. Ghost hunting taught the history and techniques of ghost hunting using science, math, and photography. The enrichment clusters also included: Anime De Japanese, Spanish, Improvisation, Discovery Corps, Gym Sports, Photography, and Magic the Gathering. Field Trips The middle school went on several field trips continued the themes of community building, active listening, and collaboration. The middle school attended the show Lifeboat at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts. The show was abstractly set, full of harsh and fast light and sound changes, with two actors portraying multiple characters. Our young artists were attentive and digested the story from start to finish. They demonstrated maturity by asking relevant questions to the cast after the show. The 7th and 8th grades culminated the intensive study of the Civil War period with a trip to the Autry Museum of the American West. Among the many exhibitions of the art and artifacts from the diverse cultures that enriched this period, the museum had a special interactive exhibit focusing not only on the causes of the Civil War, but the consequences as well. This exhibit perfectly paralleled the humanities course of study. The students later wrote reflections on this experience and how it reinforced what they learned in class. The Pali Institute Overnight Outdoor Education camp provided our middle school students the opportunity to use the outdoor environment as a classroom where they tested their skills at archery, participated in a high ropes course, and designed the most efficient blades for windmills. They worked on self-advocacy, bonded with classmates, and focused on team building.
HIGH SCHOOL:IMAGINE
(Top Left - left to right) Hawaii Trip - Spelunking: Ian Tindell, MS Humanities; Wyatt Hambrick; Oscar Stashwick; Matthew Rosen; Michael Worrell (Top Right - left to right) France Trip - Eiffle Tower: Jack Larrabee, Wyatt Hambrick, Nicholas Huang, Jack Lampert, Brandon Arenson , Josh Mironer (Middle Left - left to right) Art Exhibition: Jack Lampert, Daniel Hausman, Elinor Shapiro (Middle Right - left to right) German Field Trip - The Wende Museum. Daniel Ten & Ben Schwartz in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall (Bottom Left - left to right) Music Program: Cooper Anderson, Sax; Matteo Rader, Rythem Guitar; Tamar Faggen Graham, Vocals; Josh Mironer, Bass Guitar; Ben Schwartz, Lead Guitar
-PERSEVERE - ACHIEVE High School students had an exciting year of enriching electives and extracurricular activities combining skill development and strength-based learning to create personalized educational experiences. Electives Bridges furthered its enrichment offerings with an array of electives fostering personal involvement and critical thinking. Students in Music Composition played original compositions, offering explanations of some of their thematic, melodic, rhythmic, and stylistic choices. In the Studio Art and Photography session students exhibited portraits and paintings and presented a dynamically-scored slide show that showcased the young artis’ work. Students in the Design Principles elective presented a variety of outsidethe-box projects, ranging from industrial to architectural to repurposed design experiments. The computer programmers learned how to use computer code to create game-based scenarios. The German elective incorporated fundamental skills of the language into exploration of the culinary, musical, and political aspects of German culture. Celebrating Creativity In its inaugural year, the “Celebrating Creativity” event in April showcased student work in several electives classes. More than 30 parents in attendance were treated to Ted Ed speeches from three high schoolers tackling topics about the relationship between music and pleasure, the stigmatization of mental illness, and the operations of popular theme parks. The presentations were filmed and submitted to the TED Ed organization to be considered for placement among their own web content. Afterwards the attendees were treated to the electives presentations. Music Program Bridges’ after-school music program continued
to entertain audiences at coffee houses and school events. The program is heavily performance-based, with each band spending their rehearsals in groups learning to play together as one unit before performing in front of audiences. The bands continued their tradition of playing at JamFest, an event that brings together other private schools in the area for a special evening to showcase talented student musicians. Interest-Based Trips During Wintersession a group of students visited France. While the visit focused on historical sites and the cultural experience, students also developed their social interaction skills and engaged in authentic French culture by staying with host families. The group visited historical sites, including memorials to commemorate and learn about the Battle of Normandy and the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Students also witnessed history in the making as they attended the protest and memorial of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. During spring break, a group of nine students went to the Big Island of Hawaii for an inquiry and project-based learning expedition, where each student set out to answer an interest-based research question. They pursued questions such as: How are organic Macadamia nuts farmed and processed and how does this process differ for non-organic dispensers? How is fish abundance and diversity different between shallow water reefs and deeper water reefs? And what are the most abundant Hawaiian shirt prints on the island and how do they differ between the cities of Hilo and Kona? After the trip, students presented their findings at a Monday evening event, which was a testament to the pedagogical power of student-driven learning.
BRIDGES TEAMS:DEBATE Bridges Cross Country Team (back row - left to right): Oscar Stashwick, Michael Worrell, Issac Vizas, Jamie Wetherbee, Abe Shapiro, Josh Mironer (front row - left to right): Sam Kahn, Nicholas Huang, Milo Piazza, Aiden Spilane, David Josephson
Robotics Team Making last minute repairs at the Robotics First Competition in San Diego (Pictured Here -left to right) Dr. Scott Singer, Mentor; Henry Alberts; Jamie Wetherbee; Jack Lampert, Walker Rice; Mark Lampert, Mentor; Daniel Hausmann (blue hair),
Basketball Team: Team Members: Ryan Andrus Matthew Fox John Haskin Sol Heifets Nicholas Huang Doyle Lebelien Eli Lepler Zack Montazeri Alex Seeger Abe Shapiro Aiden Spillane
Ryan Andrus throws one of his famous three point shots.
- ATHLETICS - ROBOTICS It was an exciting year for the extracurricular teams. The athletic program continued to set personal bests and develop teamwork. The Robotics team - Team 4019 - had another successful year culminating in a great performance at the FIRST Robotics Competition. Bridges welcomed the first ever Debate team while Cross Country & Track contiued to build on their stellar record. Cross Country & Track The cross-country team had another outstanding fall season, placing third in the Omega League and qualifying for the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section preliminary finals for the third year in a row. The team had an even balance of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen allowing the team to be a contender for the next several years. The track team also had an impressive season despite being comprised of young athletes. The athletes showed improvement throughout the season resulting in new personal records and culminating with outstanding performances at the League Championship. Basketball The basketball team represented Bridges with pride throughout their nine game season. The boys improved their fundamental skills and played in a team oriented style showing maturity and cohesiveness as the season came to a close. Players demonstrated responsibility as athletes by playing with determination, selflessness, and sportsmanship.
(Pictured right - from left to right) Debate Team: Casey Corbin, Nicholas Huang, Sam Young (Coach), Shaunt Avakian, Thomas Macartney, Brandon Arenson
Robotics Team 4019 Team 4019 applied their knowledge of physics, engineering, computer programming, and media technology on a national level by competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Team members designed, built, and operated a fully-functional robot and secured fundraising along the way. The designated robotics workshop – “Mechanical Paradise” – allows the team of 14 students to work with highlyqualified mentors from Boeing, Jet Propulison Laboratory (JPL), as well as parents, alumni, and teachers in fields such as engineering, design, finance, and marketing. Debate This year, Bridges formed its first debate team consisting of six students. The novice team joined the Tri-County San Fernando Forensics League: a league for schools in the Valley to compete in the art of speech and debate. In the fall, the team focused on student congress: a mock-congress session where members are asked to debate and vote upon legislation. In the spring, the team participated in individualized events, student congress, and parliamentary debate. The team looks forward to competing in the Junior Varsity League next year.
SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT: DRAMA BY THE NUMBERS 8
Productions
72
Performing Artists
18 Performances
The Cast of Frog & Toad (Top row, left to right): Graham Hosken,Joshua Vassallo, Liza Esposito, Ben Connor Neumann, Will Marcil, Matteo Rader, Sam Kahn, Melody Carey, Grace Lindell (Front Row, Left to Right): Jack Ventimila & Milo Lieblien
15
High School performers in fall tragedy & spring comedy
5
Original one act plays
3
Original plays
5th Annual Musical featuring 1 actors in 7th -12th grades (Pictured below, left to right) From the Cast of Living Quarters: Melody Carey, Daniella Kiewicz, & Ryan Ersoff. (Right) Theatre Tech: Adam Ismail & Omid Abrishami Bottom Right: From the Cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Ryan Ersoff & Matteo Rader
11
Technical Theatre students
7
Jigsaw blades building sets
DRAMA & THEATRE TECH Senior Profiles
Our Performing Arts family released three graduates onto the world’s stage this year: Michael Germain, Brandon Lampert, and William Marcil. Their service and creative contributions to our program are exemplars for the next class to follow. Michael possesses an innate sense of comedic timing which he explored and refined through his work on our stage including in the roles of Jimmy Carmichael in Playing Doctor, when he was a sophomore, and as Peter Quince in this spring’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Brandon was born with a drill in his hands and fortunately enough for our productions he used his analytical mind and technical skills to build sets and operate lights for every show from his initiation in the Technical Theatre Enrichment Cluster in 7th Grade! His enourmous skill and dedication over six years of service earned him the “Super Screwdriver Award” at the Theatre Deparment’s season wrap celebration.
William’s contributions to the department were vast and varied: portraying a depressed Middle School Assistant Principal in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, deftly exhibiting the overwhelming joy and sorrow of Frank Butler in the tragic family drama Living Quarters,dazzling the stage with his ebulliant singing and dancing in A Year with Frog & Toad, and last, but certainly not least, making us laugh until it hurt with his indomnitably obnoxious Bottom in his final production A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
At Bridges we recognize that the cognitive, psychological and physical needs of twice-exceptional students are often profoundly different from those of their neuro-typical peers. We understand that their asynchronous development does not follow the same pattern as their non twice-exceptional peers. We recognize that difficulties in one or more areas do not in any way preclude the existence or the enormity of their gifts and talents in other areas. Communities that value 2e students for who they are and define them not by what they cannot do, but by the extraordinary things they can do, best facilitate social, emotional, and academic development. 2e students thrive when they become aware of their strengths and challenges, self advocate, and become the principal architects of their lives.
Among the considerations we include when developing our individual curriculum • • • • • • • • • • • •
Instruction geared to multiple learning modalities Scaffolding and compensatory strategies Seminar, theatre and/or individual seating Extended time or private room for testing Accelerated program Student/teacher collaboration in choice in projects and modes of assessment Specific executive function skills integration Social skills integration Compacted assignments Quantity of homework determined developmentally Credit for high quality outside learning Narrative assessment
For more information about a Bridges education, contact Doug Lenzini: (818) 506.1091 or doug.lenzini@bridges.edu and explore how exceptional differences make a difference.