IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURES
Harbor Day School: A Visual Journey Through Time
PAGE 0 4
HDS Kind
PAGE 10
Sparking Fun and Creativity: The Eighth Grade Elective Program
PAGE 12
Always Home: The Campaign for Harbor Day
P AGE 14
IN THIS ISSUE
A Message from the Head of School | PAGE 03
Turkey Bowl | PAGE 09
Alumni Events | PAGE 23
Class Notes | PAGE 24
Fall Benefit | PAGE 28
Seahawks Athletics | PAGE 30
Middle School Holiday Program | PAGE 32
Lower School Holiday Program | PAGE 33
Thanksgiving Program | PAGE 34
Snapshot Stumper | PAGE 35
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Angi Knapp'75 Evans
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Noelle Becker
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Olivia Baumgartner
WRITERS
Olivia Baumgartner
Noelle Becker
Angi Knapp 75 Evans
Susan Johnson 88
EDITORS
Noelle Becker
Forrest Valdiviez
DESIGN
Eric Neuner | neuNERDesign
PHOTOGRAPHY
Noelle Becker
Sargeant Creative
PRINTING
Orange County Printing Company
©2023 HARBOR DAY SCHOOL
(ALL RIGHTS RESERVED )
No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from Harbor Day School.
Harbor Day School’s Mission Statement
Harbor Day School provides an academically challenging, well-balanced education in a nurturing and inclusive family-centered environment Our faculty inspires curiosity and a desire to learn, and cultivates in students the confidence, strong moral character, and perseverance to thrive. We celebrate diversity and traditions, value collaboration and innovation, and cherish our community and the lifelong relationships developed.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED!
FOLLOW HARBOR DAY SCHOOL ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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Non-Discrimination
Harbor Day School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, or other programs administered by the School.
A Message from the Head of School
Giving and receiving kindness are easy ways to feel good and to help others feel good too. People, organizations, and societies thrive when they are grounded in a culture of kindness.
— VIVEK MURTHYWith attributes such as precious, enduring, and strong, one can see how platinum was selected as the metal to represent a 70th anniversary. This year, Harbor Day School celebrates its 70th year, and precious, enduring, and strong aptly describe the state of HDS – the first independent school in Orange County.
We chose “kindness” as the theme for Harbor Day’s 70th year. Hopefully, kindness has prevailed throughout our school’s history, and we wanted to spotlight kindness this year. Our students and faculty have embraced this theme and demonstrated kindness in many ways on campus. I particularly like that an eighth grader and a seventh grader lead the Kindness Club and serve as examples for younger students as they plan activities to spread kindness at school. You will learn some specific activities that the Kindness Club has created in this issue of The Beacon.
Always Home: The Campaign for Harbor Day is nearing completion, and we have enjoyed reconnecting with many of our alumni. It’s always heartwarming to learn of the many ways that our alumni stay connected. You can catch up with many of them in our Class Notes section. Also, be on the lookout for a Grammy nominee and two people currently working for Google!
On the cusp of becoming alumni, our eighth graders enjoy a busy year, both making final HDS memories and strengthening their skills to prepare for high school. A feature of the
eighth grade curriculum is the opportunity to take an elective course. In “Sparking Fun and Creativity: The Eighth Grade Elective Program,” Middle School Director Susan Johnson shares the range of electives, from handbell choir to mountain biking, available to our eighth grade students. Right now, the eighth graders are busy preparing for the Eighth Grade Musical, We Will Rock You: The Music of Queen. I can’t wait to enjoy this lively show, which will be the last one we hold outdoors. Next year, we will enjoy shows in our new 500-seat theater.
Finally, we all can’t wait to complete the new HDS campus! We already reap the rewards of the Phase 1 classroom, STEAM, library, and administrative building. Completion of the new gym, theater, field, playground, and outdoor courts will give us a school that will be precious, enduring, and strong for at least another 70 years.
Gradatim ad Summum,
Angi Evans'7 5 Head of SchoolStudents are excited to see the renderings as they arrive at their new campus in 1972 to literally break ground with shovels.
A one-to-one iPad program begins in Eighth Grade.
The St. James Day School was founded in 1952 by the Reverend Paul Wheeler. The original site of Harbor Day School is still in operation today as an Episcopal parish.
Harbor Day joins the Newport-Mesa Junior High Athletic League, which paves the way for seventh and eighth graders to compete against other schools.
The 1964-65 school year was the first year of the newly renamed Harbor Episcopal School with Headmaster Eric Pepper. From the outset, they were looking at plans to expand the school. This photo was taken at their location on 5th Avenue and Marguerite Avenue (now Oasis Senior Center). Dr. Daniel Greenwood is chosen as new Head of School. The first Grandparents’ Day was held in 1974. Today, nearly 500 grandparents and special friends attend this beloved annual event. Dr. Sidney I. DuPont is chosen as the school's Headmaster when John F. Marder retires after his 26-year tenure. The Class of 1972 takes their graduation photo at the new campus construction site. A view of the front of the “new” Harbor Day School campus in 1973.1
Dedicated is the recurring word used to describe the parents, students, and teachers at Harbor Day School in a fall 1973 article in The Beacon about the “new” school’s dedication ceremony. It’s no surprise that the dedication to this special place has persisted for seven decades, starting with the Reverend Paul Wheeler and a deeply committed group of parents who, in 1952, started St. James Day School out of a small parish on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach1. The school grew gradually and has undergone several transformations, but the dedication to providing quality education remains unchanged. As Harbor Day School enters a new phase, it is poised to continue its journey of excellence and growth.
An article in the Los Angeles Times (LEFT) announces the arrival of Headmaster John F. Marder. In 1968, Harbor Episcopal School officially becomes Harbor Day School.
Mrs. Angi Knapp Evans'75 is named Head of School. Mrs. Evans has held many roles at Harbor Day including student, faculty, parent, and trustee.
Construction begins on the new campus project June 25, 2020.
The cover of the 1968 yearbook (LEFT), The Marlin, shows Harbor Day School’s name prominently on the cover. In 1975, the yearbook was renamed Spirit.
The Moiso Family Activities Center-completed in 1979-held countless events & performances for decades.
The Harbor Day Families program is created.
Dr. DuPont retires after a 13-year tenure as Headmaster. Douglas E. Phelps is chosen as the new Head of School.
The HDS Community awaits the completion of the last phase of the new campus project.
The Linden Arts and Science This photo (RIGHT) from 1968 shows Harbor Day School’s first graduating class. An April 10, 1958, article in the Newport Harbor Ensign newspaper says that St. James Parish school was started in 1952 by the Reverend Paul Wheeler.CREST
THEN: This crest was a handmade gift given to Harbor Day by an HDS parent. It hung at the front entrance of the school but was lost—possibly in the 80’s—during a remodel.
NOW: The current design of the crest was revised in 2020.
HARBOR DAY SCHOOL: A VISUAL JOURNEY THROUGH TIME BEACON
THEN: The Beacon—started by John F. Marder— was originally in newspaper format.
NOW: The Beacon is a biannual publication that is shared with our HDS community and beyond.
PARENT COUNCIL
THEN: A photo from The Times in 1956 shows the St. James Day School Parent Council making arrangements for a fashion show
NOW: Our Parent Council today meets monthly, and parents chair various committees benefiting the school.
TURKEY BOWL
THEN: One of the beloved traditions at Harbor Day is the Turkey Bowl. This photo is from the 1975 Turkey Bowl. The Blue team won 45-2 that year!
NOW: Families gather together to watch the Turkey Bowl festivities in 2022.
BLUE-GOLD TRACK MEET
THEN: The Blue-Gold Track Meet began in 1967.
NOW: The tradition continues today and is one of the students’ favorite days of the year.
THEN: The Harbor Lights literary and art magazine started in 1981.
NOW: Harbor Lights celebrates and features the written and visual art of Harbor Day students.
HARBOR LIGHTS
This famous quote attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop puts into the words the idea that kindness in any form creates a sense of empathy and understanding for one another. In the 2022-2023 school year, kindness is an overarching theme at Harbor Day School. We believe that demonstrating kindness can help create a positive and inclusive environment. And when students are inclusive, supportive, and respectful, they can foster a sense of community and belonging on campus. Middle school students at Harbor Day have been a driving force in promoting and encouraging kindness across all grade levels.
For example, members of the Kindness Club have made it their goal to model kindness. The club— made up of seventh and eighth graders—meets every Friday during lunch recess. Student leaders on each grade-level team determine how they should spread kindness in the community. Teacher and Kindness Club Advisor Ms. Khanhvy Phan explains the club’s goal. “The students are trying to bring people together and think about others. They work to get out of their routine and be kind to themselves and others.” Colton Mossman'23, president of the Kindness Club, explains why he got involved.
“I joined Kindness Club because when I was in sixth grade, I saw the impact that it had on the community. My favorite Kindness Club activity this year has been decorating pumpkins during Halloween. The pumpkins went to faculty members, and it was a great way to show the school’s appreciation for them.” For seventh grader and vice president of the Kindness Club Luke Bellman, “paying it forward” was something he really wanted to focus on. “There were so many times that someone was kind to me last year, and now I am in a position where I can give that kindness back to Harbor Day. In doing so, I have learned a lot about the impact of small acts of kindness.”
In the fall, the club crafted and put into motion the Kindness Challenge, which challenged middle school students to spread compassion across grade levels. A “chain” of kindness spread throughout the entire middle school as students carried out various kind deeds. For example, one group of eighth graders came together and caroled from class to class (with teacher permission, of course). Another group aimed to get their teacher Mr. Kerr to smile. The best part of the challenge was seeing the positive reactions from those who received the kind deeds. Eighth grade student Campbell Kelly feels that events like the Kindness Challenge have helped spread compassion in the HDS community. “I think middle school has become a kinder place since we started the kindness activities because people have been using the skills we learned in Kindness Club and implementing them into their everyday lives.” Seventh grader Adeleine Chen also feels that the Kindness Club brought people together. “Kindness Club gave me the opportunity to talk with members that I rarely talk with, and now I know them better.”
The impact of kindness is evident in the Harbor Day School community. Luke Bellman sensibly notes that even though we are only human, we all have the potential to do better. “I think it would be foolish to say that Harbor Day is a perfect school with no flaws, but the Kindness Club always tries its best to spread kindness, and from what I've seen, we have been, in many cases, successful. However, we cannot drown out hate with hate, so we must continue to glow brighter and spread kindness.” The club’s positive message to spread compassion at Harbor Day School and in our greater community is just one small step. But it is a step toward making the world better for all. n
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
“ There were so many times that someone was kind to me last year, and now I am in a position where I can give that kindness back to Harbor Day. .... “
— LUKE BELLMAN SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT
KINDNESS ON CAMPUS
1. Eighth grade Kindness Club members decorate mini pumpkins for faculty and staff on campus. 2. The seventh grade Kindness Club. 3. The eighth grade Kindness Club.SPARKING FUN AND CREATIVITY: THE EIGHTH GRADE ELECTIVE PROGRAM
By Susan Johnson'88Students can explore diverse class offerings that meet three days a week for sessions that last five to six weeks during the academic year. Some examples of elective classes include: Ceramics with Ms. Courtney Zarrilli, Video Production with Mr. Derick Pikula, Yearbook with Mr. Jon Grogan, Handbells with Ms. Robyn Manion, Acting with Mr. Joel Maki, Glass Fusing or Painting with Ms. Dayna Sable, Health Education with Nurse Melissa Perez, Programming with Mr. James Gapp, or Mountain Biking with Mr. Chatom Arkin.
Students rank their options before being placed in a particular elective class. Careful consideration is given to each grouping, and most students enjoy their placement, even if it is not their first choice. While sometimes students may be disappointed they don’t get their first choice, this can also be an opportunity for students to deal with disappointment in a low-stakes situation and learn to make the most of their elective session.
Each elective class has its own objectives and skills taught. Sometimes, an elective teacher offers a class to further their own subject matter. For example, Ms. Zarrilli says, “I enjoy teaching the Ceramics Elective because it allows the students to dive deeper into throwing or hand building and explore what is possible with clay. Having classes three times a week, the students can try new techniques, build bigger projects, and gain confidence in their ceramic abilities.”
Other times, teachers offer something they are passionate about to expose students to something entirely outside the traditional curriculum. One of the most popular electives offered at the end of the school year is Mr. Arkin’s Mountain Biking Elective. An avid biker, Mr. Arkin feels that mountain biking is an excellent way for students to learn fundamental bike safety skills while exploring the area’s surrounding beauty (no E-Bikes are allowed, and helmets are an absolute must to participate!) As a culminating activity, the Mountain Bike Elective rides through Crystal Cove and ends up at the Shake Shack for a celebratory treat. “Elective classes allow some of our students to showcase talents or skill sets that might not have been on
display in other areas. It’s great to see a kid do something well when maybe he or she hasn’t had the same success in his or her academic classes. This helps boost their sense of self and allows their peers to value them in ways they probably weren’t before. Also...they’re super fun!” says Mr. Arkin.
Some elective classes produce work that benefits the entire Harbor Day School community. The Yearbook Elective with Mr. Grogan is a perfect example of this. He says, “The Yearbook Elective is offered for two sessions. During those sessions, students create the cover, generate superlatives, and photograph school life. The ultimate goal of this elective is to allow our graduating class time to personalize their yearbook, which becomes HDS history.”
The Video Production Elective with Mr. Pikula shares their videos at the Middle School Morning Meetings to help build community. Students create the ideas, film the content, and edit the final product, and the entire middle school division looks forward to these creative productions. Also, the Handbell Elective—which requires no prior musical experience—with Ms. Manion is something that the whole community enjoys during the Lower School and Middle School Holiday Shows.
The third elective session after Winter Break is known as “Musical Season.” Eighth grade students audition for the musical, and after roles are cast, students are placed in elective classes that support the Eighth Grade Musical. For example, the lead roles in this year’s musical, We Will Rock You, are in the Core Musical Elective, and they meet with Mr. Maki and Ms. Manion to work on the music and specific scenes during Elective Class. Students who aren’t on stage help “behind the scenes” by working on the stage crew or being involved with the Prop Making Elective.
One of the best things about the Elective program is that it allows students to discover new interests they may not have known and bond with classmates outside of their regular core classes. In addition, the Elective program offers students a chance to step outside of their comfort zones and try new things, all in a supportive and encouraging environment. n
If you ask most eighth graders what their favorite class is, many will say, “Elective.” A hallmark of the eighth grade experience, the Elective program allows students to foster an existing interest or spark a new passion. So, what exactly is it?
The fully complete campus will open September 2023. Together we have built a campus with gifts of $49.3M to the campaign.
The campaign concludes June 2023. Your gift today secures Harbor Day’s future.
OUR GOAL IS OUR GOAL IS $55M $55M
Campaign Cabinet 2018-2023
ALEX AND ALAN AIRTH | Co-Chairs
KERRI AND DANNY '87 SONENSHINE | Co-Chairs
NICKI AND MIKE CUDZIL
JENNY GROSS
KATY '96 AND DOUG HANKE
CHRIS SHEPHERDSON'96 | Board President
AARON BARTZ | Past President
WHITNEY GOMEZ | Past President
ANGI EVANS'75 | Head of School
OLIVIA BAUMGARTNER | Director of Development
CHRISTI VEAL | Campaign Manager
Building and Grounds Team
PAUL CASEY
STEVE THORP
BOB SEARLES
ERIC OLSEN'90
THE HDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2017-2023
Architect General Contractor
LPA, INC.
Additional Financing
DPR CONSTRUCTION, INC.
FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK
EXTERIOR
Competition grade synthetic turf athletic field with a 200m track
Full-size basketball court
Two half-courts striped for pickleball and four square
Completed student commons for lunch and gathering
INTERIOR
500 seat theater with a fixed mezzanine and retractable floor seating
Lower School and Middle School music classrooms
Full-size gymnasium
Sport locker rooms
Kitchen
Board conference room
Our Completed Campus
99,000 total square feet of interior educational space (from 56,000 square feet in our 1972 campus)
Nearly 66,000 square feet of space in the new classroom and administration building
39 dedicated teaching spaces from lower school homerooms and middle school subject classrooms to STEAM program spaces
9 dedicated breakout spaces or co-labs
3 outdoor classroom spaces for Lower School
2 full playgrounds— Kindergarten and Lower School (Phase II)
Kerri and Danny
Having the right people in the right place at the right time sets the stage for success. Kerri and Danny'87 Sonenshine alongside co-chairs Alex and Alan Airth, have been the right people to bring success to Harbor Day ’s Always Home campaign since 2016-2017 and have cemented their place in history with the completion of the building project in 2023. Those who know Kerri and Danny recognize they are deeply reflective and thoughtful, intentional with their expression of need with great personal conviction, tenacious, and generous. At the campaign’s outset, no one was more committed to the building project than the then-president of the Board of Trustees Danny Sonenshine'87. He recalls, “in terms of the campus itself, I saw firsthand as a board member: phone calls over the summer with pipes bursting and parts of the building falling apart—the old campus was not sustainable.”
After several years of effectively co-chairing the Always Home campaign, Kerri joined the
Sonenshine
Sonenshine Kerri and Danny
HDS Board of Trustees. In her second year on the Board, she chairs the Board's Development Committee and serves as an at-large member on the Executive Committee. As a couple, Kerri and Danny embody the values of service toward an organization on behalf of Harbor Day and share their experiences with fellow parents. Kerri adds that they consider themselves fortunate “because we’ve come full circle: we’ve seen the impact that everybody talks about and how well-prepared our girls were for those next challenges. With our son, we’ve also seen the school evolve, and we get to do it all again and see that it’s only gotten better with technology and ways of learning— I love that it is not the same curriculum that Maggie had 13 years ago and at many schools, it would be.”
It wasn’t always a straightforward path. For Kerri, she recalls that initially, as a product of Cincinnati public schools, she was skeptical. “There are good local schools. From the moment our oldest daughter started, I was increasingly sold on Harbor Day: the class sizes,
'87 '87 Donor Spotlight: Donor Spotlight:the teachers, and how much they cared. We appreciated the extra attention the students received and the communication with teachers. I felt really lucky that our girls were being challenged and getting what they needed and more.” Some of Danny’s first memories of Harbor Day included hearing his brother, Coby'84 talking about his first years at Harbor Day, and about the infamous blue chairs, which Danny visited early and often. When they returned to test their eldest child, Danny remembers thinking, “Oh my gosh, it hasn’t changed a bit. It was an old building when I was here, and it hadn’t changed.”
One aspect of the early work was recognizing the need for the building project. Another was messaging and motivating a whole community. Those who have served on the Harbor Day board proudly recount the “working board” aspect of assembled volunteers—deeply committed and willing to share their expertise to better the school. It has been this way since the founding days, and trustees have held the longevity of the school and mission fulfillment
as their top priorities. The first significant event of the campaign in 2018 invited past trustees to hear the earliest plans and developed a strong foundation for its success.
Since then, the cabinet has been fundraising steadily to reach its goal of $55 million. The current total is more than $49 million. “What has been the most amazing thing of the whole process is to see the outpouring of support. We have raised so much and the goal is in sight.”
Harbor Day has a new future because of Kerri and Danny'87 Sonenshine’s leadership, vision, and personal dedication. As Head of School, Angi Evans, has said repeatedly, “without them, it’s hard to imagine us being where we are today and teaching in this new building. Their hearts are in this project.” Looking back on the 1972 campus, it was filled with memories beloved by families and graduated nearly 2,200 alumni. The core of our school has always been to educate our students, and Danny captures it best in closing: “The campus is amazing, but I go back to the mission of the school, and the work that the teachers do whether you are in an old building or a new building. They are Harbor Day—now we just have the building that is equal to what is happening inside of the classroom.” n
Kerri an
Always Home: The Campaign for Harbor Day is underway through June 30, 2023. Our goal is $55 million, and we are counting on Harbor Day’s entire community to come together with gifts to support Harbor Day’s future. On behalf of Kerri and Danny and the entire campaign cabinet, thank you to everyone who recognizes the value of Harbor Day to their children and grandchildren.
We’ve seen the impact that everybody talks about and how well-prepared our girls were for those next challenges.
$5 million+
Alexandra and Alan Airth
Jacqueline Badger Mars
Anonymous
The William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation
$2,500,000+
Cari and Chad Peets
Ginger and Don Ressler
Laura and Tim Vanderhook
$1,000,000+
Teresa Young and Paul Boschetto
Fry Family Foundation
Cynthia and Steven Fry
Lindsay and Lance Jordan
Stephanie Workman
Mary and Richard Godber
The Lewis Family Foundation
Margery and Jeffrey Lewis
Katy’96 and Doug Hanke
Jaime and Andy Peykoff II
Veronica and Evan Slavik
Kerri and Danny'87 Sonenshine
Jessica and Ryan'88 Steelberg
The Stacy and Jeffery Stone Family
$500,000+
Anonymous
Shelley'75 and Philip Belling
Suzi'75 and Brian Burke
The Trane and Chapman Families
Marty and David Chapman
Allan and Frank H. Trane
Jennifer'98 and Matthew'97 Chapman
Brittany and John'03 Chapman
Nicole and Michael Cudzil
Jessica and Matthew McCormick
Glenys and Jim Slavik
Polly and Joseph Ueberroth
Vanna Yi and CK Wong
Yue Wang and Yang Yue
$250,000+
Anonymous
Jody and Scott Burnham
Emily and Paul Casey
Debbie and Tom Foster
Maggie and Jonathan Horne
David L. Horowitz Family
Marianne and Tom Larkin
Jeri and Danny McKenna III
The Ani and Reed Stoecker Family
Audrey and James Sun
Robin and Donald Tippett, Jr.
Christine and Tony Wang
$100,000+
The Albrecht Pieter Family
The Allen Friedmann Family Trust
Ginger and Tony Allen
Janis and Scott Allen
Tracy and Steve Friedmann
Suzan and Todd Anderson
Anonymous (2)
Karla Kraft and Anderee Berengian
Cameran and Josh Davis
Tamara and Jeffrey Deckey
Stacy and Dana Dowers
Gina and Luke Feltham
Mei-Chi and Greg Flesher
Joanne and Denny Geiler
Ying Zhou and Jiansheng Jin
Trish and Guy Johnson
Iram and Zafar Khan
Sally and James Knapp
The Robert & Helga Pralle Family Foundation
Susan and Rob Case
Kim and Jason Krotts
Amy Laurendeau and Christopher Lal
Alison and Brett Ledger
The MacDonald Family Foundation
Joyce-Ann Mahoney'91
Kimberly and Farzad Massoudi
Cindy and Michael McKee
Jennifer and Brian Niccol
Robert O Hill
Kay and James Olsen
Sherry and Doug Pak
Jennifer and Jesse Rodriquez
Peter and Mary Russo Family Foundation
Marianne and Jim Nahin
Suzanne and Robert Searles
Sheila and Ygal Sonenshine
Terri and William Stampley
The Stemler Family
Ayesha and Afnan Tariq
Shannon and Byron Tarnutzer
Stacey and Marc Thomas
Jill Johnson-Tucker and Larry Tucker
Mary Lynn and Rusty Turner
Deena and James Warmington, Jr.
Jennie and Scott Watson
Candice Stack Whitten and Travis Whitten
Grace Yum Zimmermann and Kent Zimmermann
Annie Zhu and Davis Zhou
$25,000+
Alia and Rami Batniji
Julia and Robert Beaton
Aline and Santino Blumetti
Nicole and Dean Camaras
Michelle and Tim Danaher
Laurie and Jeffrey DeSantis
Reesa and Hirad Emadi
Angi'75 and Peter Evans
Diana and Gareth Evans
Dottie and Bill Feeney
Staci and Ben Francois
Whitney and Michael Gomez
Jenine Esmail and Samer Habbas
Terry Hackett in memory of Jana
Yvonne Li and Ming Hu
Elizabeth and Keith Katkin
Sophie and Philip Lu
Erin and Todd Meyer
Nancy and Rick Muth
Diane and Richard Nelson
Adriana and Eric'90 Olsen
Diane and Jeffrey Osborn
Jamie and Jamie Shepherdson
Brooke'93 and Chris'96 Shepherdson
Elena'93 and Jeff Singletary
Allyson and Coby'84 Sonenshine
Bonnie Lee and James Sung
Ellen and David Lee
Alexandra and Rick'86 Taketa
The Thorp Family
Townes Family Foundation
Sheila Swaroop and Ashok Tripathi
Tina and Shep Wainwright
Sandra and Ray Wirta
Mandy'92 and James Wynn
$10,000+
Kathleen and Fred Allen
Anonymous
Apoorva Jha-Bansal and Sharad Bansal
Sally'87 and Aaron Bartz
Keqi Tang and Patrick Chen
Anna-Marie and Brian Claassen
Molly and Thomas Davin
Fanny and Jan Eckermann
Vicki and James Furey
Amy and Chet'84 Harrison
Vivien Liu and Joe Li
Esther and Christopher Lopez
Chelsea and Casey Lynch
Laurel and John Nelligan
Lisa and Terry O’Neil
Helga Pralle
The Sabaugh and Ukropina Families
Amber and Tim Smith
Debbi and Brian Stern
Danielle and Phillip Talleur
Yoko and Gene Tsai
Stephanie and Todd Watts
Liz and Spencer Williams
Peggy and Mohsen Zahedi
Danni Wang and Jason Zhao
$5,000+
Olivia and Ludwig Baumgartner
Jessica and Jason Brigulio
Barbara and Tad Danz
Mahsa Mahmoudi and Seth Dinan
DPR Construction
Cait and Ross Holland
Sarah Hussain
Emily and Jeffrey Irwin
Nicole and Steve Joseph
Mina and Mustafa Kazem
Ari Moshayedi and Matthew Krasinski
Kimberly and Robert Lewis
Kristin and Rob Pelinka
Ledford Powell
Tina and Ehsan Sadri
Leanne Huang and Anthony Tsai
Christi and Tom Veal
$1,000+
Kenneth Alston
Anne-Marie Angeloff
The Arkin-Horowitz Family
Emily'00 and Derreck Barker
Christine'90 and Glen Cawthon
Katie Curci
Margarita and Mark Donnelly
Charlie Evans'11
Sally Evans'09
Danielle and Matthew'93 Foster
Kristi and Paul Fraley
Frank S. Smith Masonry, Inc.
Kristen and Brian Gooding
Caroline and Kevin Gray
Lisa Hogan and Griffin Hoover
Cindy Huang and Ted Hsu
Min Cho and Brian Huang
Mira and Michael Jafar
Nithin Jilla
Susan'88 and Sean Johnson
Jennifer and Trent'99 Junkin
Linda Lai
LPA, Inc.
Lauren and Brian Manfred
Angela and Jon Margolis
Andrea and Mark McCardle
Nina Prasad and Ryan Murphy
Miranda and Ricky'02 Nelson
Trish Olson and Tim Downs
Rupali and Vijay Pai
Barbara and Thomas Peckenpaugh
Catherine Clementine Peets'20
Emma Peets'17
Rowdie Peets'16
Sharona and Ramin Pirnazar
Project Development Group
Cate and Dan Robinson
Beth'94 and Alex Root
The Sabaugh Family
Antonella Castro and Bradley Schumacher
Dani Gold Sellers and Edward Sellers
Whitney and Grant Shifflett in memory of Lorelei Schendel
Cathy Jia and Qianhui Shu
Alex Stamires'86
Laurel and Scott'96 Tippett
Caitlin'90 Pickart and Anil Tiwari
Cara and Bradley Todd
Shea Ward
Jordan and Wes Webb
Hanci Song and Kuan Yang
Sophia and Eugene Yim
Jenny and Marshall Young
UP TO $1,000
Leila Iravani and Adel Aali
Melody and Frank Antilla
Katie'05 and Sam Ashbrook
Grace Barton
Noelle and Jon Becker
Meghna and Shri Bhatia
Lauren Buth
Violeta Cambra
Megan and Chris Carter
Kristen Nassif and Michael Cavner
Linda and Michael Chiao
Pam and Mike Coleman
Rosa and Craig Crichton
Vivian Dang
Eric Elias
Austin and Steven Ellis
Jessica Escobar-Vu and Chris Vu
Katy and Ted Fike
Caroline and James'81 Gapp
Graham Gauthier
Amy and Jeff Grace
Jackie and Clint Graham
Jon Grogan
Steve Guerrero
Julie and David Hahn
Freida Hall
Jordan Hanna
Keri Hehn
Sue and Doug Hirsh
Meghan and Andrew Hoffman II
Casey Hogan
Kristi and Bryan Hogsett
Jennifer and Brandon'96 Johnson
Caren'88 and Brian Kelly
Justin Kerr
Lauren and Marc Kleiman
Tracy and Chaz Konkle
Casey Lange
Taylor'98 and Brinson Lingenfelter
Joel Maki
Robyn Manion
Sierra Matheson
Dina and James Mead in memory of Janis Allen
Amy and Shawn Meyer
Melissa and Mike Mullane
Jamie'96 and Martin Mumford
Bridget Nolan
Sarah Oliphant
Lindsey Ensign Olson'01 and Kyle Olson
Kelley Otis
Sylvanda and Cesar Padilla
Heather Paff and Chris Gstrein
Lorenzo Panuco
Angela and Alan Parkin
Ady and Joshua Parks
Melissa Perez
Karin and Jeff Peters
Khanhvy Phan and Rick Thompson
Josephine Pickard
Sonali and Rogelio Pier
Amy and Derick Pikula
Ethnea and Briggs'85 Porter
Alexa and Cole Reddin
Jean-Paul Rimlinger
Katherine Syroboyarsky and Sean Rowe
Lurie and David Royal
Dayna Sable
Stephanie Samudro
Heather Schmid
Barbara Sharkey
Kristen Statton and Jatin Sharma
Sarah Sonenshine'20
Leslie and Jason Stern
Morgan and Lance Stern
Meggen and Ray Stockstill
Janell Stojkovich
Moujan Walkow
Sherry Wang
Jessica and Eric'94 Werner
Susan Wood
Leslie and Robert Yagar
Christine Choe and Art Yoon
Natalia Sans and Daniel Zahoul Lopez
Courtney Zarrilli'92
Allan Zhang
Jaime and Michael Zwerling
Italicized names are deceased.
ALUMNI EVENTS
This January we kicked off a host of alumni activities, all aimed at bringing our community together as we prepare to unveil our completed campus this fall. We were thrilled to visit with current alumni parents, past parents, past faculty, and local alumni in the library for our annual fireside reception on January 19. Guests were invited to walk the hallways and enjoy the incredible artwork on display before hearing more about Harbor Day School today and for the future.
Just 10 days later, we closed out the month with a terrific New York City Alumni Reunion, hosted by Graysen Airth'14 and Maggie Sonenshine'16. Past parents and alumni spanning four decades joined us for brunch and a special presentation on our campus project. n
Pat Burns'
By Olivia BaumgartnerReconnecting with Pat Burns'68, we dug a little deeper into some of the eighth grade ambitions and memorable classmates.
Pat assures us that the sports they followed were soccer and volleyball and that “rugby” must have been a good joke among friends in eighth grade. He recalls a core group of Joseph Banning, Gilbert Barnes, and Laura Jones. The group attended Harbor Day in its earlier incarnations as St. James Parish School on Lido Island and Harbor Episcopal School under Father Edward Allen and Eric Pepper before graduating in 1968 from Harbor Day School under John F. Marder. Pat recalls 1967-68 as the first year of the Blue-Gold Track Meet. (Pat captained Team Gold to victory in the inaugural event.)
The decades that followed included work, careers, and stories that weave through old Newport with the feeling of a sun-bleached patina. Pat (an avid cyclist since high school) dabbled with an early career in precision machining in an aerospace machine building on Von Karman, run by a family well known to Harbor Day: the Berteas. Jack Whitmer, a friend of such longstanding that he is more of a brother than a friend to Pat, joined him in this work before the two started an export business, bringing wine down to Central America, allowing them to drive and surf their way down the coast. Passing through in 1979, they viewed El Salvador first hand at the outset of its civil war, and Nicaragua just 10 days after the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) overthrew Anastasio Somoza. The two landed in San Jose, Costa Rica for a time before returning home. Later business ventures for Pat included strawberry and vegetable growing on 350 hectares in Guadalupe, Mexico before returning stateside. He pursued coursework at Sonoma College and continued in agriculture, this time with vineyard work in Sonoma County. His next venture took him up to Oregon, where he spent the next 25 years of his career with a family vineyard before retiring.
Reflecting on these years, Pat shared that he had a lot of fun, took a long time to grow up, and thinks fondly of Southern California now and then. “It was such an amazing place, and I wrestle a little bit with the privilege we all had, but that doesn’t diminish the amazing accomplishments of so many people in this geographic area. There was the freedom to try something out and an unencumbered attitude that if it should be done, then it could be done, and we were the ones to do it.”
Pat’s father, Ben, was a physician who served in the Navy, and Pat was born at Camp Pendleton. Dr. Burns set up a private practice in Corona del Mar and served on the board at a critical juncture in our past. Pat remembers the move from St. James Parish Day School on Lido Island to the schoolhouse on 5th and Marguerite and recalls worrying that there might not be a school to attend. From 1963-64, “vestry members of St. James Church had voted in October to close the school at the end of January. According to the Rev. John Parke, rector of the church, the school was putting too much financial strain on the parish.” 1 Pat recalls his father returning home one night and remarking “Well, that’s done.” For Pat, that meant continuing at the school he’d known for years. On January 9, 1964, board members of the St. James Episcopal Day School announced that the school would not close at the end of the semester but reform as a private corporation. It would operate under the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles as Harbor Episcopal School and “open” on February 1, 1964. The Reverend Edward Allen intended to remain as vicar at the school. On Thursday, January 16, the Laguna Beach Post noted newly elected officers of the Parent’s Council for the school as Mmes. Hancock Banning III, president; Robert Gurley, vice president; Benjamin Burns, corresponding secretary; D.S. Gurney, recording secretary; and C.L. Monson, treasurer. In speaking with Pat, it is thrilling to corroborate his memories with the news archives detailing his family’s involvement when Harbor Day School’s fate was as yet unwritten.
After graduating from Harbor Day, Pat went to Corona del Mar High School and then California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, where his mother, Charlotte Burns Wood, was a professor. His sister, Heather Burns, also attended Harbor Day School. Pat is the proud father of Claire, an avid horsewoman and Army reservist now working with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. n
“ There was the freedom to try something out and an unencumbered attitude that if it should be done, then it could be done, and we were the ones to do it. .... “
80’s
Brad'01 and Clayton'99 Stone, and Eric Neff '99 Andrew is currently senior counsel with Allen Matkins. After Harbor Day School, he attended St. Margaret’s, followed by Stanford University for his B.A. and then the UCLA School of Law for his J.D.
James Strong'86 has been with CAL FIRE for over three years and now serves as their Forest Practice Administration Coordinator. James attended UC Berkeley, graduating in 1994, before serving with the U.S. Army in counterintelligence. Concurrently, for more than 20 years, he worked as a forester in the timber industry before moving into state agency work with CAL FIRE. His three daughters are all attending various universities. He has been on some exciting wildfires, actively surfs, and still keeps in touch with Steve Olson from the HDS days. He is based out of Humboldt county with his wife, Amy.
She and her husband, Brian, will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year! Megan switched gears from her professional fundraising career to focus on her health and wellness business (but actually spends most of her time as a chauffeur for her three children). Megan lives in Laguna Niguel. She recently enjoyed getting together with Shelley Rich Manning, Nadia Dorsey Samuel, Elena Goodman Singletary, Brooke Smith Shepherdson, and Ansley Pierce, all from the class of 1993! Go Blue!
Matthew Danzig'01 is now a Managing Director at Lazard in the technology group, investment banking division. He is a graduate of Emory University and holds a J.D. from New York University, which was followed by a judicial clerkship at the Delaware Court of Chancery. He began his career at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City and turned his attention to finance, starting at Lazard in 2016. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Allison, and two children, Reece and Penn.
Megan Strader Meihaus'93 is currently serving as President of Avenue to the Arts (A2A), a support group at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Fellow alum Ashley Johnson Good'90 and current parent Veronica Slavik are on the board of directors with Megan. She is excited to continue the tradition of enjoying the arts with their children. Megan’s oldest daughter is currently a freshman at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, where she is part of the Talon Academy of Performing Arts (TAPA). Her two sons are in the sixth and second grades at Mission Basilica School and enjoy playing sports.
Jefferson Cowart'99 and his wife, Heather, welcomed Jacob Moshe Cowart on January 19th Jefferson is a systems engineer at Sidepath consulting and Heather is a Global Portfolio Manager of Oral Care at 3M, based in St. Paul, MN.
Andrew Wood'99 married Michelle Bagge on March 4, 2023. In attendance were his brother Bill 90 and sister Katie 94, along with
Jenny Danzi Elias'01 recently stopped by to see Harbor Day’s new campus while visiting family in Newport. She is PepsiCo’s Senior Director of the Pepsi brand and Board Director for WIN: Women in Innovation, dedicated to closing the gender gap in innovation leadership. Jenny graduated from Williams College with a degree in economics and studied at the London School of Economics and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She resides in New York, NY, with her husband, Alex, and two sons.
CLASS NOTES
Mitch Folks'01 has been with Adobe for over four years and is currently a Group Manager, Product Marketing. After Harbor Day, he went on to Corona del Mar High School and received his B.A. in Business Administration from USD while continuing to play baseball. He worked in Chicago and Denver and married his wife, Allison, in 2019. In 2021, the growing family returned to Orange County and they welcomed their first child, Liam James Folks, in January 2022. So there’s a good chance you’ll see Mitch and his family around town either mountain biking, surfing, or riding e-bikes to the beach year-round!
Erin Grody Kingsley'01 is the Head of Global Demand Strategy & Operations for Google Cloud. In February, she connected with Harbor Day’s Director of Technology, James Gapp, to discuss Google and how some things she learned at Harbor Day helped her be successful in her various roles at the company.
Nick Gross'02 and his company, Find Your Grind, presented a panel discussion at the SXSW EDU conference on March 6. Alongside former Chancellor of New York City Public Schools and Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Dr. Rudy Crew and Lead Business Planner for General Motors, Tamara Gilbert (also a Find Your Grind Mentor as well as a fierce advocate for women in manufacturing), the panel discussed their own opinions and experiences on the importance of self-discovery for students and the transformative impact it can bring. For more information, visit [findyourgrind.com].
Laurielle Hofer Russell'04 is a Product Manager at Google, and has recently relocated back to Orange County with her family. After Harbor Day, she went on to Laguna Beach High School, then Brown University, where she earned a degree in Economics and played NCAA Division I Volleyball. After Brown, she started as an analyst with Morgan Stanley in New York and then moved to San Francisco working in investor relations in private equity. She joined Google in 2016 and worked in sales and go-to-market strategy before product management.
studio Innovation Department in New York City. He is an investor with venture capital firm M13, including Ring and ClassPass, among its portfolio. A Brown University graduate with a BA in Economics and Varsity soccer player, Jack is now based in Los Angeles.
Ellery Sever 09 has taken on a new role in Private Wealth with Katten Muchen Rosenman LLP, based out of their London office. Ellery is an international private client attorney focusing on international tax matters. 10’s
Arden Bronstein'06 works for a stealth startup, Scaled Success, as their Customer Success Team Lead and is based in Los Angeles. Arden graduated from Boston University with a degree in journalism and completed her Master’s in Communication Management, Lambda Pi Eta (with honors) from USC in 2019. She recently got engaged and plans on many HDS attendees for the festivities.
Nicole Carter 08 is working in New York as a Management Associate, Global Brand Strategy & Innovation at Mastercard, following her MBA completion in 2022 from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Jack Gorab'08 has returned to the west coast after working first in investment banking with Jefferies, then as a fellow with Waterman Ventures, and on to Strategy & Operations with tech-startup
Daphne Janes'10, a UCLA graduate (class of 2018) and former UCLA Dance Team Captain and member, was asked to judge the audition for the 2022-2023 UCLA Dance Team last May and had the pleasure of meeting two other HDS alumni there who were auditioning, Lily Mohtashami'16 and Karina Grover'16. Janes tells us, “this past September, I had the opportunity to work with the girls again, as I was asked to choreograph a dance to be performed on the field at the Rose Bowl during a UCLA football game. It was such a full-circle moment to come back to UCLA, work with the current team, and connect with HDS alumni!” After finishing her third season as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, she moved to Europe last fall to pursue a joint international master’s degree in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs. She is also applying to law schools in the hopes of studying sports law, combining her experiences in the collegiate
and professional sports worlds with her passion for social justice. Ultimately, she hopes to pursue a career as a sports agent and advocate for women and girls in sports at all levels.
SIGNING DAY AND CLASS OF 2019 NEWS
Jaden Kessler'19 heads to Harvard University in the fall after attending her first Harvard Club meeting, which introduced California Early Action & Early Decision students to each other. Jaden committed that night.
Ella Anvaripour will go to Southern Methodist University after graduating from Corona del Mar High School
Emily Cloherty will go to the University of California, San Diego, to play water polo after graduating from Corona del Mar High School.
Halland McKenna 11 married James “JD” Root on October 15, 2022, at the beautiful Stanly Ranch in Northern California. Halland has shared how special it was to be loved and celebrated by family and friends, including HDS families–two of her bridesmaids she met through HDS.
Madeline VanOtten'12 is now a Global Risk Management and Audit Analyst with Capital Group based in Orange County. She began as a summer associate in 2019 and was the first person Capital Group hired straight out of college into the Global Risk Management group. From an Associate in 2020 to Analyst in 2022, she led the summer speaker series, interviewing the CFO and joining several panel discussions about careers at Capital. She also mentors summer associates.
Aiden Rodriguez'15 was nominated for two Grammys this year as a songwriter and producer of the R&B album Candydrip by Lucky Daye. Aiden is a student at USC and paused coursework during the pandemic to focus more rigorously on his passion for music.
Nicholas “Nick” Walkow'15 will graduate from Ohio State University this spring and has accepted a position with J.P. Morgan on their financial advisor track based in Chicago.
Sarah Porter'19 will attend Fordham in the fall and compete on the rowing team. She has been rowing competitively at the Newport Aquatic Center since freshman year. She placed eighth in the women’s U17 8+ category at the US Rowing Youth National Regatta in May 2021 and a twelfth place finish out of 90 boats in the women’s varsity 8+ category at the Head of the Charles in October 2022. Her father Briggs'85 rowed in college (Georgetown), and HDS faculty member and Sarah’s mother Ethnea is a Fordham alumna.
Classmates will recall Annelise Rodriguez as a former student in the class of 2019, and she, too, has made her college selection. She is headed to New York University Steinhardt School for Fine Arts after graduating from Corona del Mar High School.
Ava “A” Walkow'19 has really enjoyed OCSA in the last four years. While Covid-19 had its challenges, affecting everyone socially, emotionally, and academically, A persevered and has many options for art school through early admission responses. They plan to pursue a major in illustration and dream of one day being a graphic novelist.
Reade Decker heads to Stanford University for sailing after graduating from Mater Dei High School.
Arya Emadi will go to Santa Clara University Business School after graduating from Choate Rosemary Hall.
Finn Genc heads to the University of California, Santa Barbara, to play water polo after graduating from Newport Harbor High School
Jaden Kessler will go to Harvard University after graduating from Mater Dei High School
Olivia Krotts will attend Princeton University to play water polo after graduating from Mater Dei High School
Sarah Porter will attend Fordham University in the fall and will be on the rowing team after graduating from Newport Harbor High School.
Darian Mahdi will go to Chapman University Dodge College of Film after graduating from Newport Harbor High School
Ryan Katkin will go to Cornell University after graduating from Sage Hill High School
2023.
Harbor Day Fall Benefit 2022
It seemed fitting that our new campus would host our Fall Benefit as we turned 70, went public with our capital campaign, and reflected on nearly a year of education since moving into Phase I. The reality was breathtaking, in harmony with many of our reactions to the results of this transformational phase for Harbor Day. The evening focused on our community and brought together current parents, alumni, faculty, and even grandparents for this special night.
We have so many people to thank who made the Benefit an incredible success. Our Board President, Chris Shepherdson '96, and Campaign Co-Chairs Alex and Alan Airth and Kerri and Danny '87 Sonenshine led our remarks, and Head of School Angi Evans '75 previewed the newest campaign video along with Phase II renderings and plans. The Cari and Chad Peets Family offered a challenge grant of $150,000 to galvanize campaign participation, and we easily cruised past 50% with this accelerator. In addition, a new family to Harbor Day School, Grace Yum Zimmermann and Kent Zimmermann, announced a multiyear pledge on behalf of the campaign. Attendees gifted and pledged generously to support our campaign and building project. In total, we recognized nearly $650,000 in gifts to the Fall Benefit on behalf of the campaign.
Sponsors and underwriters helped to make the evening sparkle. We are extremely grateful to the Lu Family, the Steelberg Family, the Cudzil Family, the Sadri Family, the Davis Family , the Dinan Family , the Slavik Family, the Massoudi Family , the McCormick Family, the Werner Family, the Taketa Family, and the Ledger Family.
ATHLETICS NEWS
FALL ATHLETICS 2022
RUNNER-UP TEAMS
5TH GRADE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS
The 5th Grade Girls’ Basketball Team beat Covenant 30-16 in the championship game. Congratulations to Coach Jon Grogan and the 5th Grade Girls! Go Seahawks!
Lilliana Aali
Caroline Alston
Cece Cudzil
Dylan Davis
Anya Khan
Sophia O'Neil
Chloe Olson
Reese Paolone
Abigail Robinson
Quinn Root
Paige W. Lily Zwerling
WINTER ATHLETICS 2023
CROSS COUNTRY 2023 SEASON
Callie Arkin-Horowitz
Cece Arkin-Horowitz
Lily Badii
Jacques Bergougnan
Marcus Blumetti
Beckham Burke
Beckham Butcher
Logan Doane
Clint Graham
Kendall Gray
Emma Harrison
Oliver Harrison
Aaron Hsu
Jameson Huey
Luke Huey
Gabrielle Landy
Ami Louis
Maria Landy
McCall Morgan
Collins Nelligan
Pax O Hill
Roge Pier
Abby Robinson
Nicholas Ronaghi
Anton Rowe
William Shu
Sierra Taketa
Brooklyn Tennant
Savannah Turner
Hendrick Van Akkeren
Hudson Willliams
Dylan Young
Luca Zahoul Sans
Joey Zhou
Jonathan Zhou
COACHES:
Meggen Stockstill
Leslie Yagar
WINTER ATHLETICS 2023
HDS C H A M P I O N S
6TH GRADE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS
The 6th Grade Girls’ Volleyball team beat Huntington Christian in three sets (25-20, 20-25, 15-6) in the championship game. The team went undefeated this season.
Congratulations to Coach Jo Pickard and the 6th Grade Girls for their incredible effort and success!
Chloe Dufty
Josie Geiler Allen
Leah Jindal
Macie Lewis
Makenzie Lewis
Shea Natland
Chloe Neal
Emily Niccol
Lila Peykoff
Sarah Rosing
Leela Tripathi
Dylan Young
6TH GRADE BOYS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS
Congratulations to our 6th Grade Boys’ Basketball team along with Coach Coleman for winning the championship game against Mariners Christian 43-32 Way to go, Seahawks!
Hudson Butcher
Townsend Butcher
Preston Decker
Connor Feltham
James Joseph
Aidan Paolone
Keagan Peters Noah Pierce
rogram
THANKSGIVING PROGRAM
SNAPSHOT STUMPER
Looks like the early 1980s. Can you tell us who the people are in this photo (aside from Mr. Marder), and what is going on? If you have an answer, send your best guess or confirmation by scanning the QR code and filling out the form or emailing communications@harborday.org.
Remember this Snapshot Stumper from our Summer 2022 Beacon? Well, we only partially solved the names in this photo! The girl on the left is Keri Armstrong Bartlett‘89, but we are still wondering about the boy in the back and the girl on the right. If you have an answer, send your best guess or confirmation by scanning the QR code above and filling out the form or emailing communications@harborday.org.