Fall 2020 Periscope

PLURALISTIC SCHOOL ONE

Fall 2020

Report on Philanthropy 2019–2020

LOOK INSIDE FOR:

Teacher Summer Professional Development Celebrate the PS1 Class of 2020 Why I Give—Community Perspectives Report on Philanthropy

50 Years Young! Decade Spotlight: The 1990s

In This Issue: PAGE 1

Head’s Column PAGE 2–5

Professional Development Highlights PAGES 6–12

Class of 2020 Graduation Highlights PAGES 13

Report on Philanthropy BACK COVER

Elizabeth Baer Seiffer & Todd Seiffer 50th Anniversary Call for Volunteers Connect With Us! THE PERISCOPE Volume 30, Number 3 Editors: Amanda Perla Alan Ball Designer: Mary Cay Walp PS1 Pluralistic School 1225 Broadway Santa Monica CA 90404 (310) 394-1313 (310) 395-1093 fax To learn more about our school, visit our website www.psone.org

The Resilience of Pluralism My fiftieth year of running PS1 is like no other unless, with any luck, it will imitate our 49th… in reverse order. The 2020–21 school year has started off with us fully immersed in our Distance Learning Community Program (DLCP), and will hopefully come to evolve into increasing opportunities to have on campus learning for all students, teachers, staff, and parents.

No one rolled over and gave up on the year just past when the pandemic struck. No one had ever experienced the likes of what we confronted every single day. So we dug deep—working to turn lemons into lemonade at every opportunity.

Ellie and I have not gotten COVID-19 but, because we are in a group most susceptible to the virus, we have stayed home as much as possible for what only seems like forever. My attempts to distinguish one day from the rest could be seen in my efforts to change my venue as often as possible—this meant moving my laptop from one room of my house and yard to the next so I could face each day (largely on ZOOM) with a different outlook while remaining confined to our home. Meanwhile, family and friends worked to help Ellie and me with shopping, etc. as the work of the school was tackled. My every day has begun with the question: “What are the most important things we could all do to maximize student learning, to hold our community together, to support teachers and staff, and to be available to others in ways that come much more easily in ‘normal’ times?”

As long as we were stuck at home, we like countless others turned to Netflix for guidance and support. We watched The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings. I knew of another long-running TV show where the contestants competed with one another for the chance to publicize the host’s companies, people were pitted against one another, someone was summarily dismissed through embarrassment or scorn, and the theme song For the Love of Money was played lest you forget the goal they sought to promote.

Ultimately, there was one winner; the rest were declared losers.

There had to be a better way.

Luckily for me, my wife loves cooking shows. How was The Great British Baking Show different? The four hosts interacted personally with the amateur contestants, offering suggestions and learning about them as people. You came to learn the character and background of each contestant and their family circumstances and life outside of baking in their home kitchens, and the human foibles and self-doubt with which they approached every nearly impossible task. The responses to what was baked were courteous and helpful. Yes, someone left the show each week, but no one was FIRED! The baker leaving was embraced by everyone else. You (I) could feel them rooting for each other.

Head's Column

And what was the reward for winning the ten week baking competition? Every single contestant was invited back to bring their families to enjoy together a gathering hosted by the show’s producers on the sumptuous grounds of an English estate. Everyone was equal—no one was singled out for praise at the expense of others. The reward of a job well done was to have done it—and all of them, each in their own way, had done it. The show ended in one big embrace; no one was excluded. All smiles, except for the joyful tears of some being together again at their reunion.

The Great British Baking Show, though competitive, represents pluralism. Pluralism is about community spirit, about taking the time to know one another, about appreciating the differences that exist among us, about finding and expressing the good within each of us, and about coming together in the end to CELEBRATE THE MANY. And, to complete the PS1 Vision Statement, we don’t just celebrate the many; we also BUILD ONE. As you will see as you get absorbed in this comprehensive issue of PeriScope and come to realize the resilience of pluralism, the forms of unprecedented collaboration, the hard work and desires of so many to make the experience as rich and meaningful as possible, the generosity of people currently enrolled and those whose daily experience ended some years ago, the creative minds of the young and younger at work—once again we all come to appreciate that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

PS1 has so many tools in our toolbox. In our DLCP, our teachers are creating community across states, across time zones, and across countries. You can read about many of the professional development opportunities our teachers took advantage of this summer and of the books our teachers and staff read to better prepare us for the work that awaits us in becoming an anti-racist school. (Our faculty, staff, and Board of Directors have had a total of four workshops on issues of social justice in the past three months.) Volunteer efforts are second to none at our school, even when the campus is closed to on site events. The Board of Directors has extended itself in many different directions to keep us together as one.

You can read excerpts from speeches each of our 27 graduates gave in what turned out, even during COVID, to be the most intimate celebration honoring them we have ever had. Many students and staff of the 1990s have shared their experiences and memories. It’s no wonder that so many give and continue to give back to our school, even years after completing their daily experience.

What we do, and how we do it, keeps changing with the times and circumstances we face. The heart and soul of PS1 Pluralistic School remains.

—Joel Pelcyger, Head of School 1

Summer Professi Every school year, PS1 Pluralistic School teachers actively engage in professional development and participate in more intensive professional development over the summer. This summer, teachers took part in even more professional development opportunities. As you will read in this edition of Periscope, the variety of subjects is broad, from building an anti-racist curriculum, to how we continue to develop readers and writers, to teaching in and through a COVID-19 environment. We all also participated in lots of PD and webinars about how to use technology in a progressive school environment. It is important to point out that ALL of the PD in which we participated addressed distance learning, and the learning and tools provided were specifically adapted to distance learning. I cannot think of any other profession that has changed out of necessity so dramatically and so rapidly! There is a truism in education about teachers being life-long learners. If ever this was true, it is now. PS1 teachers have jumped into this new world of education with the same passion and dedication they always have. We cannot wait to all be on-site together again!

Nancy Harding, PhD Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning

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Billy Huynh Bridge Teacher

I attended a three-day workshop with UCLA Center X titled “Reciprocal Learning Partnerships for Equity.� The objective was to support and empower educators to identify inequitable practices in classrooms and schools and take action to improve student outcomes. There were teachers and administrators from various parts of the state, and we were able to hold equityfocused conversations to construct action plans to identify and eliminate inequity intentionally.

Reciprocal Learning Partnerships for Equity is a framework that creates space for equity to be the lens for educators to think about teaching, learning, and leading.

Participants were able to understand how identity and positionality play a huge role in our biases.

A big takeaway for me was to be intentional in having equity as a critical component in curriculum design as it affects individuals and the whole classroom community.

ional Development Lina Karlsson

Kayla Estrada

Gina Jang

Art Specialist

Middles Teacher

Youngers Teacher

I attended two conferences this summer.

The conferences covered how to best connect and teach art on Zoom and the history of racism in America.

At the Now Conference by the Art of Education University, I had a chance to meet Peter Reynolds, author and illustrator of the art book The Dot. I had an opportunity to share one of the lessons that I created in Google Classroom for my students at PS1, inspired by The Dot book.

I also met virtually with other art teachers.

We exchanged ideas on how to best connect with our students online.

The second conference stressed the importance of raising awareness of anti-racism. We discussed everyday racism and how important it is to teach our students the skills to be proactive in discussing race, confronting racism, building interracial friendships, and acknowledging racism. The conference did a great job explaining the history of race and racism and how both play out in today’s society.

Along with Kelly, McKendree, and Maren, I virtually participated in the Climate Generation Conference. This PD allowed us to hear and consult with climate scientists and activists about topics related to climate change and social justice issues. With a renewed sense of purpose, amplifying student voices and using their ideas to make a change will be at the forefront of our curriculum.

The second virtual PD I was able to attend was the Institute for Imaginative Inquiry. This was an engaging and immersive experience that brought social studies to life in the form of a drama. Enlisting students to be part of an expert team and entering a narrative as different characters who are asked to solve a problem, allows students to imagine themselves not merely as passive observers of these events but are given glimpses of a coherent, community-based struggle for social change.

Bonnie, Esther, and I had the opportunity to attend a webinar on Korean history and culture presented by National Korean Studies and the Korean Cultural Center of LA. We were drawn to this subject matter since we all share Korean heritage.

The three-day webinar integrated a variety of history lessons about Korea’s path to democratization and economic development as well as cultural experiences of traditional music (Samulnori), Hangul writing, traditional Hanbok clothing, martial arts, and dance.

We were excited to learn about the Korean Bell of Friendship in San Pedro that represents Korea and the United States’ friendship. We look forward to visiting it together soon.

An important part of our discussions focused on the relationship between Korean Americans and Black Americans with special attention to the history of the LA riots. This seemed especially relevant considering the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. The webinar was an enriching way to learn about our heritage and find ways to share our culture with students.

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Summer Professional Development, continued

Kitaka Mixon

Julie Neustadter

Bonnie Koo

Middles Teacher

Youngers Teacher

Youngers Teacher

This summer, I was thrilled to attend the Nueva Structured Word Inquiry Institute.

SWI builds an understanding of word structure as a tool for investigating the interrelation of spelling and meaning.

I learned how English spelling is wellordered and reliable so that spelling can be analyzed and understood through scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is necessary to guide spelling instruction and understanding.

I learned to start with a word and look for word families (morphology and/or etymology) and use these questions to help guide me. Do I notice interesting morphological relatives and/or etymological relatives? What orthographic conventions can be investigated based on the word family I find? Are there any suffixing changes? Are there any interesting graphemephoneme correspondences, digraphs or trigraphs?

Did I discover a new morpheme to investigate? Is the change in the pronunciation of a grapheme explained by morphological or etymological connection?

The common assumption of English spelling as an unreliable, exception-riddled system is a hypothesis that can be tested! I walked away with so much new knowledge to get started with students and a robust support system of fellow educators.

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Professional development through Zoom webinars gave me a taste of how students feel learning remotely. I attended a training entitled “Teaching Elementary School Students to Participate in Mathematics Discourse: Techniques that Work” through the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

This program’s focus was to provide teachers with more engaging tools to guide students in “math talk.”

Math instruction, like literacy instruction, should exist in a culture that promotes asking questions. Teachers support students in taking responsibility for explaining, listening, and using different modes of communication to present their thinking. This allows for teachers to gauge conceptual understanding while students learn from each other.

For example, when presented with a problem, students predict what information and questions a math problem might be asking as a teacher offers one sentence at a time. By saying, “I bet…,” students tap into their prior knowledge. They then consider each part of the problem, analyze the unknown factors, and engage in respectful discourse as each part of the problem gets revealed.

This type of engagement encourages students with varying mathematical abilities to be active participants in lessons.

This August, I collaborated with teachers from across the globe during the week-long Writing Institute held by Teachers College at Columbia University. I studied various writing methods and planned curricula to support my students to lead rich literary lives.

I collaborated daily with a small group of teachers from across the country to share ideas, tips, and best practices. I could also use my previous experience with virtual teaching to inform and educate as I developed new ideas about online instruction. One important recurring theme throughout my week was building intimacy and connection with students through writing instruction on a virtual platform.

This professional development helped me revitalize my thinking and renew my passion for teaching young children to live writerly lives. I also left feeling more equipped to lead and flourish as a teacher of writing in both virtual and in-person contexts, and I am looking forward to utilizing this new toolbox of teaching strategies with my class.

LiAnne Hall & Holly Frazier Olders Teachers

Each Summer the PS1 Community Reads Together When we come together in August we participate in book groups and share our thoughts and ideas. This summer our reading books were chosen to deepen our thinking and conversation about anti-racism.

Reading and talking together is just one way of learning how to make conscious frequent, equitable choices daily. The conversations that arose within the book groups this year were rich and challenging. Anti-racism work will be an important part of our ongoing community dialogue.

As a partnership, we were excited to expand our knowledge of the teaching profession through several professional development opportunities this summer, including workshops hosted by Harvard’s Project Zero, an organization whose mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking and creativity for individuals and groups in the arts and other disciplines.

The first of the two sessions, “Quality Higher Education in the COVID era— and Beyond” was led by renowned educator Howard Gardner. In this conversation, we heard how many students are feeling isolated and disconnected from their communities. Now more than ever, he argued, we need to remember our goals in schools and focus on creating an environment that focuses on the “we” instead of the “I.” At PS1, where our vision is to “celebrate the many and build one,” this is a reaffirming message.

The second session, “Reimagining Education for Uncertain Times” was presented by Dave Perkins and discussed the most recent education challenges.

The power of this talk was the opportunity to meet in breakout rooms with teachers around the world. Here we were able to gain perspective into what matters in education in countries from Ecuador to Taiwan. We talked about how learning that matters is learning that lives on beyond the lesson of the moment, learning that inspires individuals to wonder, and learning that has room to follow passions and one’s individual muse. We are excited that this kind of learning lives and breathes at PS1!

Between the World and Me

By Ta-Nehisi Coates “Written as a series of letters to his teenaged son, Ta-Nehisi Coates walks the reader through the course of his life, from the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore in his youth, to Howard University, to the broader Meccas of New York and Paris. Coates describes his observations and the evolution of his thinking on race.” — Amazon

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How to be an Anti-Racist

By Ibram X. Kendi “A New York Times best-seller. From the National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning comes a “groundbreaking” (Time) approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves.” — Amazon

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

By Robin DiAngelo “The New York Times best-selling book explores the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.” — Amazon

So You Want to Talk About Race

By Ijeoma Oluo “In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.” — Amazon

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Class of 2020 Graduation Highlights

The Grad speeches are a PS1 rite of passage. Each year, each Grad stands in front of parents, teachers, and fellow students to address the crowd. Since we couldn’t gather together as a community this June, we developed a creative way to continue our long-standing tradition. Each child was honored in an individual “event” where Joel presented his speech and the graduates presented theirs, all via Zoom. And then Joel got to spend individual time with each family as they celebrated the completion of their child’s PS1 experience. This intimate experience was incredibly moving as the graduates shared their words of wisdom before heading off to middle school. The following pages are excerpts from their speeches.

And in celebratory fashion, Grads were also

honored with a drive-by parade, complete with a photo wall, splashes of color everywhere, and a stilt walker!

To re-live the PS1 Grad auto parade celebration, visit www.psone.org/2020Grads Congratulations to the PS1 Class of 2020!

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After each child’s name, you will see the name of the middle school that they are currently attending.

Sierra Abronson > John Adams Middle School Google defines home as a place where one lives permanently; I define home as PS1.

This school is not only a community, but more like a close knit family. Graduation is like a family reunion when we, “celebrate the many and build one.” Just like all celebrations, food brings us together. Some of us bring sweets and others bring savory dishes that complement one another. Some people are the same, some people have changed, some people are nervous, some are happy. However, when everyone comes together it’s harmonious and memorable like a family feast.

Gavin Asten > Windward It’s crazy how time flies. It felt like I went all the way from kindergarten to 6th grade just like that. PS1 has provided me with so many things that I will never forget. It has taught me how to be a good friend, a good student, and has provided me with countless memories.

There will always be a little part of me that will forever be at PS1.

Now I stand here giving this speech and know that next year I will no longer be attending PS1, but those concerns I had when I was a preschooler have vanished.

I am not frightened. I am confident. I am ready.

Quinntyn Barach > Crossroads In my first week of Olders, I’m sitting at my desk and my teacher explains the expectations for science class. These were no ordinary assignments; these requirements were terrifying and something I was definitely not used to. But I had a choice. I could either A. quit or B. persevere. I chose to persevere. The high expectations my teachers had for me at the beginning of my time in Olders is what I am most grateful for as I spend my last week in Olders. Because I now know I am capable of doing anything and everything I put my mind to as long as I work hard and stay focused. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The future depends on what you do today.”

Eze Baum > Harvard Westlake R.J. Palacio put it best when she wrote, “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.” And being kind to others when they’re not always kind to you, is one of the hardest things to do. Throughout my life, I’ve

struggled socially, but in my last year at PS1 I’ve truly understood who I am. I learned that being myself is the most important thing I could possibly do.

I am finishing my time at PS1 as an advocate: confident, kind, and grateful. So again, thank you to my devoted parents, teachers, and my peers. I have endless gratitude for all of you. As R.J. Palacio said, “Everyone deserves a standing ovation.”

Max Bratman > Wildwood When I first came to PS1 I didn’t really know how to act. I always had a lot of energy and could never sit still in class. I would always sneak out of class to go explore the campus at times I wasn’t supposed to. Instead of getting in trouble, PS1 always gave me space to learn and find my own way.

I feel like I’ve grown a lot at PS1. And my favorite part about PS1 is that they let all students be their own person and teach us to love and respect each other no matter how different we are. PS1 is a great school for any student because PS1 makes anyone fit in.

Meyer Witenstein Bruno > John Adams Middle School We all make mistakes in our lives. Though many people have this image that mistakes are bad, I think they are beautiful or gorgeous. I used those words because of how many times I have spelled them incorrectly throughout the years.

I would like to explain to you why I think mistakes are so important. Mistakes not only help us learn from our past, but they help us with many things such as thinking outside the box. When what I am attempting is not working, I look for a new solution, which enables me to think outside the box.

Without mistakes, we lose the chance to unlock that creative mindset. Mistakes are one of the most effective ways to gain new ideas. Our mistakes force us to push limits and find new things that inspire us.

Allegra Carney > Archer Malala Yousafzai once said, “Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”

This quote speaks to me because in the last seven years I have come to realize the power of my voice and the ways that I want to change the world.

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Class of 2020, continued

As a Younger, I realized the power of kindness and friendship. When I first arrived I made friends with an Older.

Instead of being big and intimidating like most older kids seemed, she made me feel special. Every lunch recess I would go to the library and she would be there waiting for me. Those lunch recesses where we would meet up have stuck with me throughout my time at PS1. She set the bar high; and, when I thought about how I wanted to be as Older, I was determined to share my friendship and be as loving, thoughtful and passionate a person as Isobel inspired me to be. Her friendship encouraged me as an Older to become friends with Youngers myself.

Jack Fishman > Windward Life is like a basketball game, you win and you lose, there are good games and bad games, but if you stay in the moment, then you can know that not every performance in the past defines who you are now.

Sometimes you’ll give it your all, and still not be as good as you want, but you have to push through that, because if you do, there are no limits. So why are some people so hard on themselves? It’s because they feel like they should be perfect, and that’s just not true. I’ve always been hard on myself. I feel like I should be able to play basketball like Michael Jordan and solve math problems instantaneously. When I’ve beaten myself up in class because I didn’t do something as well as I wanted to, my teachers always said the exact opposite of what was in my head. They’ve always been patient and kind, which has helped me to be kinder to myself.

Finn Freedman > Crossroads As I reflect today on all the good times I’ve had at PS1, all I can think of are all of the good times awaiting me at my next school.

But don’t think my speech is over yet—I still have some thank yous. My first thank you is to my teachers who have taught me pretty much everything that I know.

Second, my family, for supporting me all of my years at PS1. The third is my amazing tutor for helping me conquer dyslexia—to be honest, I don’t know what I would do without you. My fourth thank you is to all of my friends throughout the years. Thank you for motivating me, supporting me, and pushing me to do things I never thought I could do. Last but not least, I thank everyone who has ever helped me, in any 8

way, shape, or form. Thank you for helping me throughout my journey at PS1, and with everything else that I have done.

Samantha Gardner > Windward Walter Winchell once said, “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Knowing who you are is priceless. I wouldn’t be standing here today without the help of my amazing parents, new loving friends, and special PS1 teachers who I will never forget, for these people have turned me into the smart, hardworking, charismatic person I am and will continue to be. I will always cherish the special friendships I have made at PS1.

Since now that I’m finally an alumna, I have some crucial advice: “Never lose hope.

Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” Roy T. Bennet. The Light in the Heart.

Jessie Greene > Crossroads As I move on to middle school I look back at my PS1 experience and know that I will remember it for the rest of my life. My PS1 journey has taught me to always help others and be a leader. Audrey Hepburn once said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

Unfortunately, I can’t stay here forever, but my PS1 journey has shaped the person I am today and who I want to become in the future. I know that PS1 will always have a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see what new adventures are in store for me as I enter the next chapter in my life.

Jet Gross > Windward Think of PS1 as a ladder; you take the journey step by step. All leading up to graduation. My first step of the ladder was Youngers. Youngers was full of many adventures. I was just beginning to feel comfortable at PS1. From the very first teacher visit at my home to playing blocks with my friends in the Red class, I was making new friends that have helped me through the journey up the ladder.

But within the past year, I have realized that this ladder is an extension ladder and I am extending into middle school and will continue my journey into high school and beyond. I am ready for the next steps of my journey and I’m excited to see what comes next! I say to all of you, “Keep climbing the ladder and reach for the stars.”

Brook Haines > Malibu Middle School I have always been afraid of new things, and coming to PS1 was no different. Even though the staff tried their best to calm me, I wouldn’t stop crying. But one day one of the staff asked me if I wanted to help her take books up to the office, and my crying stopped. That is the day I knew where I belonged, I knew that my fears would go away, and I would start to grow. I started to get more involved and I started to get excited to go to school, and I could not have done it without my mom, my dad and the teachers and staff who were patient with me and supported me.

PS1 has taught me everything, from resilience to being the friend I am today.

PS1 has taught me to share and be myself.

Today as I finish my speech and officially graduate from PS1, I walk through the biggest door yet, and I thank my friends, my mom and dad, and PS1 for this amazing education I got. You all are the reason for who I am today.

Sonia Hsieh-Schumacher > Marlborough This class of 2020 will have an experience like no other. No other graduating class will have fought the same fight that brought us here today. We have persisted through hard times, and that’s what makes this class so special.

I have no problem answering the question, “Who am I?” now. I have gained confidence in knowing who I truly am in these seven wonderful years.

Every year at this school has built a part of me, into what you are seeing today.

I am Sonia, and I am also much more. I am a friend, a writer, a curious learner, a world citizen, a team player, a confident presenter, a sister, a daughter, a distance learner, a classmate, and a soon-to-be graduate from PS1.

Elio LaPorta > New Roads It’s now time to say the goodbyes. I would love to say goodbye to all of my friends who were super supportive and nice to me all these years at PS1. I would also love to say thanks for having the best PE classes ever… even though I never had a different PE coach, these will still be the best classes, no matter what. I want to say thanks to the teachers for making me go from not knowing anything to knowing really hard things. Right before Emily Webb from

Our Partnership With The People Concern Since 2014, PS1 has partnered with The People Concern (formerly OPCC) in Santa Monica through our PS SERVES program to enhance and strengthen our long-standing commitment to community service.

Initiated by volunteer parents in collaboration with our teachers and staff, PS SERVES is our afterschool club now embarking on its sixth year of building respectful and productive relationships in our community. Participants gather to cook for the homeless and hungry, provide supplies they may request, beautify their environment, and take part in hands-on activities that benefit The People Concern’s transitional home and their residents.

PS Serves honored its commitment even during COVID restrictions. Students and parents created beautiful artwork that was turned into a slideshow to brighten their day. In addition, since the students were unable to cook meals on campus, PS Serves had a meal delivered from a local restaurant. Residents loved it!

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Class of 2020, continued

Our Town left to go to another place she thought about all the memories she had and did not cherish. During this quarantine, I feel that I did not remember and cherish all of the little things like talking to friends, seeing teachers, and going to school. Now I am taking the time to cherish them all.

Chase Peers > Windward I love how PS1 has always been environmentally aware and connected to nature because that is a strong part of who I am too. Some of my favorite experiences

at PS1 are the yearly camping trips. They were always thrilling and helped me get to know my classmates a little better. Going to Leo Carrillo and connecting with nature was always one of the many highlights of the school year. In Bridge we learned about global warming and the environment. One of my favorite things about PS1 is how we learn by going on field trips and finding things out for ourselves. We took part in the beach clean-up and visited the Channel Islands. These field trips helped me better understand nature and the world I live in.

Mia Perttula > Wildwood I am from climbing the persimmon tree in my backyard I am from feeding our turtle one piece of lettuce at a time I am from eating fresh kumquats and loquats on hot summer days I am from family Passover and the smell of gefilte fish wafting through the air I am from camping and swimming in the ocean I am from road trips while playing card games together I am from laughter and sorrow, from good times and bad I am from memories I am from playing on the old truck in the yard when helping drop off my big brother I am from stepping into a wall of bubbles on the first day of school I am from circle-times and singing together I am from sitting with my friends at snack-time I am from playing bench-ball on sunny afternoons I am from learning how to spell Wed-nes-day and to-get-her I am from playing in the creek on all-school camping trips And I am from singing songs on the way home I am from PS1 Miranda Santana > Chadwick

The PS1 Book Fair The 2019 beloved book fair took place in November and a fun time was had by all! Students, parents, teachers and staff had the opportunity to preview a wide selection of books from classics to new releases and more. Many stocked up on holiday and classroom gifts while at the same time helping to raise funds for PS1. We were able to complete the wish lists from all of the classroom teachers, the library, as well as the specialists. From special attention to the setting, to the beautiful “Teacher’s Tea,” we are grateful to all!

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In a blink of an eye, seven years have gone by and within a few months, I will begin a new journey to Middle school. I can only compare it to the game I love. It’s like when you score in a game of soccer. You are excited, filled with joy and accomplishment and soon after, you have to go back to the centerline and get ready for the kick-off.

The whistle blows and you start your journey to score again. Christen Press, a player on the US Women’s National soccer team described milestones in life as, “Just another halfway point on the line to greatness.”

Dylan Schwarz > Archer Michelle Obama’s tip, “You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage.

Instead, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.” One of the best things about PS1 is there are a lot of role models and people to turn to which helped

me find myself again and decide who I want to be in the future. I am fortunate to have a lot of inspirational people in my life, I have been convinced that being myself is extremely important and it is what defines you as a person. I also realized that whether people like me or not I’m always going to be Dylan. And that’s just fine with me.

Nate Sherman > Wildwood PS1 has taught me so much about academics and life. I love the way we learn.

I will always be happy to come back no matter what. I am so grateful I was able to come here. My life would not be the same if I did not go here. I love this school with all my heart and all the people in it. What I’m trying to say is this school helped me grow and I think it makes all of us grow. We learn in a fun and successful way. The way this school has welcomed me and made me feel good about who I am—I will never be able to repay you.

Daniel Simpson > Wildwood Walking into Indigo the first time, seeing everybody have fun I was shown around by nice people and decided I’d like to come I visited PS1, curious although cautious.

Everybody was enjoying themselves and were very pleasant, so it really stood out as a great school. The other kids talked to me and showed a real interest. We ate lunch inside and it was different in a good way.

From applying for ambassador one year before Now I’m welcoming kids through the PS1 door It feels important, and quite an honor to do a job making sure other people feel good about PS1. Playing and talking with kids and adults, it’s nice to have the chance to talk to these people before school begins, making them feel special like others did for me when I first visited PS1.

Charlie Sobie > St. Matthews In Youngers, the most important thing I learned was to believe in myself. This was important because you should always believe in yourself so you can take on any challenge or achieve any goal. Bridge, was even better. On the first day, I was taught responsibility. I felt like I had so much more

responsibility which turned out to be an important skill. They also taught us how to make friends and be a friend. Middles was where I learned to have a growth mindset.

Having a growth mindset is critical because there is value in trying new things, especially if they appear to be hard. And in Olders I was taught how to work hard, pushed to do my best, and if I combine those two things I will always succeed in life. I learned how to prepare for a debate and how to argue effectively, write poetry, and write essays.

Elia Song > Lincoln Middle School As told in The Little Prince, “All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. You — you alone will have stars as no one else has them.”

Some may think I’ve reached the stars but PS1 is just my beginning. PS1 has taught me how to jump. You can’t jump for the stars without knowing how to jump. I want to thank my friends for pushing me when I couldn’t push myself. You are part of the reason I am who I am. I want to thank my teachers for not only teaching me but for shaping me, supporting me, and caring for me. To my parents, Mommy and Daddy, thank you doesn’t seem like enough. You’ve always cheered me on and loved me lots.

And to the best big sister ever, Nene, thank you. PS1 has taught me to be myself, given me a community, and will always be with me, like a star in the sky, a bright, beautiful, guiding star.

Asamino Spong > New Roads A famous African proverb states, “If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together.” This is an essential part of who I am because I have had to travel far to become the person I am today.

My adventure began when I traveled from Ethiopia to Santa Monica, California. If it weren’t for my mother adopting me I would not be the person I am today or go to a magical school like PS1. And although I don’t live in Ethiopia, my mother makes sure I know my roots.

When my mother adopted me, she changed my life. I was the first person in my biological family to have access to health care and a quality education. Also, my adoption has given me access to clean water, opportunities, and the ability to have real dreams and aspirations.

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Class of 2020, continued

Class of 2014 Colleges & Universities Lily Belle Estes > Paul Revere Charter Middle School > Palisades Charter High School > University of Colorado, Boulder Olivia Fishman > Windward School > Occidental College Sidney Fitzgerald > Windward School > Vistamar School > University of California, Santa Cruz Jade Freed > Brentwood School > The New School Jackson Garland > New Roads School > Palisades Charter High School Frank Gerolmo > New Roads School > Cornell University Lily Ghodsi > Crossroads School > University of Southern California Nicole Gurzeler > Marlborough School > University of California, Los Angeles

Alex Vigil-Wilk > Lincoln Middle School

Adin Handler > Chadwick School > Vistamar School > Harvard University Julian Handler > Chadwick School > Harvard University

Eve Jackson > Brentwood School > Utah State University Claudia Johnson-Stone > Wildwood School > Milken Community High School > Skidmore College Ben Knepper > Windward School > Cornell University Noah Lahman* > Windward School > Venice High School Maggie Marks > Marlborough School > Hamilton College Alonzo Meallet > Windward School > Gap Year Delaney Michaelson > Marlborough School > Barnard College Isobel Mosley-Brown > Wildwood School > Bennington College Justin Rodriguez > New Roads School > Paul Revere Charter Middle School > Palisades Charter High School > Santa Monica College Charlotte Smith > Archer School for Girls > Lewis and Clark University Zander Solomon > Windward School > University of Colorado, Boulder Michelle Tovar > Lincoln Middle School > California State University, Northridge Sofia Ziman > New Roads School > New York University

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Athens Teitelbaum > Brentwood I could not have come all this way without PS1. PS1 has taught me the most important lessons I needed to know, that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I see different perspectives and I try to think outside the box, because I know there’s always more to learn. Each year PS1 has lifted me up and made me feel good about myself. My parents and teachers have shown me that everyone’s opinion matters, and to always make sure every voice gets heard. But the most important lesson that PS1 has taught me is to not give up when times are hard.

Every time I fell down and wanted to give up, my teachers and classmates picked me up and pushed me to keep trying. Thank you PS1 because everyone that has been here for me has made an impact on my life.

Ella Brown > Archer School for Girls > Gap Year > University of California Santa, Cruz

Lily Isaacs > Marlborough > England > Cambridge University

As I move on I will always cherish my friends and each moment I have had here.

So I want to leave everyone with this quote, “I would rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” —V.E. Schwad.

Noah Lahman (2001–2020) Forever in our hearts.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” These words speak to me because I am not sure what I want to be when I grow up but I do know that I am my own person and I want to make my own path.

Something that I appreciate about being a student at PS1 is that we are all encouraged to be ourselves.

Ally Yu > Windward My PS1 experience has taught me to be more independent, resourceful, and creative.

I will remember these years at PS1 as when I was finding myself and which shaped who I am today. All of my years at PS1 have prepared me for what was to come. Now I get to be a graduate, reading my speech after seven years of anticipation.

I’ve taken away many things from this seven-year experience. I learned how to express myself through art, read to others, and work with others. I learned to be independent, write essays, and to be who I am. I want to end this journey on a good note and thank everyone who helped me develop to be who I am today.

Report on Philanthropy at PS1

2019–2020

Message From Our Board Chair Dear PS1 Pluralistic School Family and Friends, We enter PS1 Pluralistic School’s 50th year with a strong and caring community, creative and dedicated faculty and staff, and generous financial support. These constant pillars of strength are deeply appreciated and will always sustain us— whether the times are precedented or unprecedented.

Lately, the term “unprecedented” has been associated with unexpected and unwelcome events. Yet, “unprecedented” also means opportunity for positive change.

PS1 is rich in examples of, and possibilities for, positive change.

In March 2020, PS1 was successfully completing a comprehensive CAIS accreditation review in which we spent over a year evaluating all aspects of our school and education program. We had no time to rest on our laurels; we quickly pivoted from a full on-campus program to a Distance Learning Community Program. The demands on our staff and faculty, parents, and students were unprecedented, and so was everyone’s ability, patience and support in adjusting to a new program.

Our community philanthropy was amazingly unprecedented. Our Annual Fund reached a record high of more than $900,000, thanks to your generous donations and the tireless efforts of our Annual Fund committee and Co-Chairs, Kerri Speck and Steve Trilling. While we look forward to a time when we can once again gather together at our annual Spring Gala, we deeply appreciated how community members still continued to honor the Spring Gala’s commitment to philanthropy by contributing to our Financial Aid fund.

PS1 Pluralistic School was founded on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, before these were the words commonly used to describe the means to educate—and arrive at a better world for—our children. The Board’s role to uphold the mission of pluralism is synonymous with these principles. My hope is that we will be leaders in the areas of social justice and anti-bias/anti-racism, in an unprecedented way.

In addition, I write to you, not only on behalf of the Board of Directors, but with my deepest gratitude for the hard work, generosity and support that my fellow Board Members and our entire community provided this year.

Sincerely,

Anna

Anna Reyna Allison ’26, James ’22 and Hailey ’16

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2019–20 Board of Directors Anna Reyna, Chair Jessica Reid, Vice Chair Glenn Rosen, Secretary Billie Fischer Andrew Gross Jeff Haines Matthew Hayutin Carrie Southworth Johnson Elizabeth Kendall Nadine Levitt Joel Pelcyger Jason Schwarz Kerri Speck DeAnn Spell Mike Tatum Steve Trilling Heather Turner Maggie Rosenfeld, Board Member Emeritus

PS1 is grateful to our departing Board members for their dedicated service.

Billie Fischer (6 years of service) Matthew Hayutin (5 years of service) Nadine Levitt (1 year of service)

Board Committees Advancement Elizabeth Kendall, Chair Alan Ball Billie Fischer Abbi Hertz Christine Jenkins Ann Rogers Kerri Speck Richard Turner Administration and Finance Heather Turner, Chair Gareth Asten Adam Bromwich TJ Harney Carrie Southworth Johnson Alex Kendall Melinda Mehringer Naomi Nakagama Joel Pelcyger Eric Reid Glenn Rosen Maggie Rosenfeld David Schumacher Jason Schwarz Palak Shah Heather Turner Eric Zabinsky Buildings and Grounds Mike Tatum, Chair Andrew Gross TJ Harney Joel Pelcyger Glenn Rosen Maggie Rosenfeld Brad Shimada Executive Committee Matthew Hayutin Elizabeth Kendall Joel Pelcyger Jessica Reid Anna Reyna Jason Schwarz Kerri Speck Mike Tatum Heather Turner Governance Matthew Hayutin, Chair Joel Pelcyger Jessica Reid Anna Reyna Glenn Rosen DeAnn Spell Strategic Planning Jason Schwarz, Chair Jeff Haines Joel Pelcyger Jessica Reid Anna Reyna

Mission Statement PS1 is a diverse community committed to an ever-evolving model of pluralistic elementary education. On a path to self-knowledge, students engage and become the best versions of themselves. They develop critical academic and interpersonal skills to be confident and passionate contributors to an increasingly connected world.

Vision Statement Celebrate the Many; Build One

Philosophy At PS1, we recognize that every child is unique, so we built a school that nurtures individual talents and learning styles. That’s how children become the best versions of themselves, in a school where fitting in is about being yourself.

Diversity Mission Statement As a community committed to inclusivity, PS1 emphasizes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to fostering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to be a global citizen working towards a more equitable world. PS1 embraces inclusivity in all aspects of our institution including curriculum, professional development, admissions, recruitment of faculty and staff, community outreach, board and administrative decisions, and student and family life. Inclusion of all groups provides a fuller, richer learning community for all.

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New Board Members Nisreen Al-Bassam A hospitality veteran with over 15 years of experience, Nisreen Al-Bassam is partner and asset manager at Manhattan Hospitality Advisors, a global hospitality advisory firm. Manhattan Hospitality Advisors has provided asset management, project management and general consulting services on over $18 billion of hotels, resorts and mixed-use projects. Prior to joining Manhattan Hospitality Advisors, Nisreen worked for Palladium Hotel Group where her responsibilities included overseeing a portfolio of luxury hotels, asset valuation, market research, feasibility studies, and client reporting. She also worked directly for the President of Bear, Stearns Securities Corp. on strategic initiatives, and internationally for the Saudi Aramco Oil Company as a member of their Treasury Department investing oil revenues, developing foreign currency hedge strategies, and helping manage the employee retirement fund portfolio. Nisreen earned an MBA in Finance with Honors from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Stanford University. She is fluent in Arabic and proficient in Spanish.

She has two sons who attend PS1.

Josh Berger, PS1 1985–1990 Dr. Josh Berger is the Director of the K–12 Belldegrun Center for Innovative Leadership at Brentwood School, a center that prepares students to engage with real world challenges and explore solutions within and beyond the classroom. After receiving his Master’s Degree in English, Josh completed his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UCLA and wrote an award-winning dissertation on the “The Implementation of School-Based Peer Programs.” Josh has his California teaching and administrative credentials, and has led a variety of leadership and professional development workshops. He has also taught courses in Civic Leadership, Educational Leadership, Applied Psychology, and English. Josh serves on the Board for the National Association of Peer Program Professionals, is a published author for the National Mentoring Resource Center, and has consulted for the City of San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office designing programs focused on transitional aged youth living in affordable housing communities.

An avid sports fan, Josh graduated from Duke University where he served as a four-year student manager under former U.S. Olympic Basketball Coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Josh lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lauren, and their two children.

New This Year: Grandparents Live!

This past year, PS1’s Memoir Club went digital!

“Grandparents Live!” was rolled out to the PS1 grandparent community as an alternative to in-person meetings. This new format allows grandparents from all over the world to connect and participate. Submissions came in from both coasts and many places in between, and from as far away as the UK, Italy, and Hong Kong. Almost 20 grandparents participated in the final virtual event of the year. We are grateful to Billie Fischer for her leadership of this group over the past four years, and are pleased to welcome Carleen Glasser as this year’s grandparent spokesperson.

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Stacey Staples Stacey Rossley Staples is a versatile nonprofit professional who has experienced the sector from multiple perspectives: staff, volunteer, board member, consultant and grant maker. Stacey is dedicated to helping organizations fulfill their missions through strategic thinking, operational efficiency, and effective fundraising. Stacey currently works as a nonprofit consultant specializing in strategic planning. She serves on the Board of Directors for Citizens of the World Los Angeles, a public charter school organization with a $25+ million operating budget. Previously, Stacey was the Director of Development for KIPP LA Schools, where she managed a team that more than tripled philanthropic revenue. She has worked for several other nonprofit organizations, including the Joseph Drown Foundation and College Match. Stacey also served as a Senior teaching Associate for Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Executive Programs, where she led Head Start and health care professionals through an intensive strategic planning process. Stacey holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management and a BA from Amherst College.

Stacey has two children who attend PS1.

Eric Zabinski Eric Zabinski is a partner at the international law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he serves as chair of its mergers & acquisitions practice group. Eric represents private and public companies in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, minority investments, and equity and debt financings, and he works with a wide range of investors—principally middle-market private equity groups, venture capital funds, and other institutional sponsors—on investments, leveraged acquisitions, and general corporate support for their portfolio companies. Eric also represents a number of non-profits in pro bono matters. He holds a B.S.E. in computer engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and he earned his J.D. from Stanford University. Eric and his wife Sharon have two daughters currently enrolled at PS1.

WHY I GIVE CHILD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST (STAFF)

To learn more about PS1’s grandparent program, visit www.psone.org/grandparents.

Genevieve Mow M.A. LMFT The moment I arrived at PS1, it was beautifully clear that this is a school that embraces and celebrates the whole child, their unique attributes as well as community.

Students are encouraged to engage, collaborate and learn academically while cultivating vital emotional and social skills to help guide them on life’s journey. I am proud to be a part of this community comprised of dedicated thoughtful parents and a faculty and staff that is kind and committed to providing an enriching memorable experience for each student. PS1 is where a child’s love of learning begins and where every moment—in and out of the classroom—helps shape their mind, their sense of self and how they can make a difference in the world.

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Feeling Embraced

Collaborative Spirit

Sleepovers in the MPR

Creative Learning Environment

Camping Trips

Survival in the Wilderness

Carpool Lane

Bay Cities Sandwiches

My Voice was Heard

Leo Carrillo

Poetry Time with Barbara and Ellie

Building a Rainforest

Life-Long

The Tyger by William Blake

Papier-Mâchéd Masks

Multiplication with Abbie

Panning for Gold in Sacramento

Adventurous Spirit

Excitement and Joy

PE at Memorial Park Longtime Friends

Morning Circle Time

Magic Mountain with Chris

Year-End Building Projects

Closest Friendships

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

School Camping Trips

PS1 My First

Midsummer Night’s Dream PS1 Ethos

Northridge Earthquake

Inclusive Environment

Harry Potter Book

1 /9/99: Thank You, Joel!

The Old Switchboard Moving-Up Day

Learning the Recorder

The Periodic Table

Embroidery with Abbie

Sign Language with

Boycotting Wood Chips

Book Fair in the MPR

The After-School Crew The Continent Song

Winter

Solstice Libby

Finding my

Hello Birds and Squirrels!

McGrath State Beach Campfires

Solar Systems

Eagerness to Learn

Reimagining Musicals

The Annex

The Chicken Coop

I Have a Dream Speech ASL and Shaving Cream

Sycamore Canyon

Freedom to Experiment

Astronomy with Susan Building a Mission

Santa Monica Seafood Field Trip

Lobbying Santa Monica City Council

Churning Butter

Friends Invention Showcases Classical Music

Excitement & Joy Building Cities

The Giver Dishversity Day

The Nineties: A Decade of Community & Growth LiAnne Hall, PS1 Teacher, 1991–Present

I came to PS1 for the first time back in 1991, as the school was preparing for its twentieth anniversary party! I remember visiting the school, learning about the wonderful poetry and camping programs, talking with students and teachers, and feeling the sense of engagement and authenticity that emanated from its pores. A few months later, I packed up my car and moved to LA so I could become a teacher at this magical place.

LiAnne’s story continues in blue…

PERSPECTIVES:

The 90s by LiAnne and John

Team Teaching

Snack Time Earthquake Drills

Passion

Twenty-Five Years: My Personal Journey John Waldman, PS1 Teacher 1996–Present

When my wife Elizabeth and I first met, I was in my eighth year of teaching at the Krouzin-Zekarian Armenian School in San Francisco. Liz told me about the school her aunt Ellie and Ellie’s husband Joel had started in Santa Monica, PS1. Although I never imagined living in Southern California, I was still fascinated by the school.

John’s story continues in yellow…

Campfire Bananas

Visiting Alcatraz in San Francisco

Flock of Chickens

La Cucaracha

Memorable Moments Memorable moments shared by former teachers and alumni

LiAnne’s story, continued…

My first classroom was in the recently remodeled Chowder Call restaurant, which later became the first iteration of our MPR. Once a week, we would move all the desks and tables against a wall so the rest of the school could join us for Circle Time! That year we camped at Joshua Tree while studying the desert, had a Read-A-Thon where we kept track of the books we read, performed a full-length play that the students wrote, and engaged in mathematical games and logic puzzles. I remember writing to my previous mentor teachers and professors, sharing my joy at finding a school where students were engaged and joyful and teachers were empowered to meaningfully involve students in the decision-making process.

For most of the mid-nineties, I was across the street at 1447 Euclid, teaching six- and seven-year olds downstairs or slightly older students upstairs.

Those were years full of block building, exploring the city, and growing up. One year we studied the history, geography, and economics of the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade.

John’s story, continued…

Roll ahead to 1995, and Liz and I were in our third year in Champaign, Illinois where I was teaching in public school and Liz was finishing a master’s program at the University of Illinois. As fate would have it, we met up with Ellie and Joel for Thanksgiving in Michigan where Liz’s cousin Laurel was in school. When Joel asked about our future plans, I told him the Los Angeles area was now a possibility for us to land.

On my last day of teaching in Illinois in May, 1996 (the students and staff spent it hunkered down in the school’s basement on tornado watch), I flew to California. The following Monday I taught a sample lesson at PS1. The classroom was called The Annex and had been converted from an old California bungalow. I had the students pick apart and interpret one of my poems (they didn’t know it was mine until the lesson ended) and then was interviewed

by Joel and a panel of teachers.

One of those teachers was my esteemed colleague—who will always keep me from being the senior member of our teachers—LiAnne Hall. By early evening I was offered a job and in September I began what has been a twenty-five-year tenure at our amazing school. The Annex was my classroom and Amy Mora was my teaching partner. We had what was at the time the only Olders class.

Killian Clarke, 1992–1996

Charlotte Baskin-Gerwitz, 1992–1999

Chuva Featherstone, 1994–1997

I remember the field trip to Sacramento and San Francisco, visiting Alcatraz Island and panning for gold in Sacramento. The little schoolhouse on the east side of the street is where my PS1 journey began, playing basketball and tag in the school yard, standing in line on the sidewalk on the first day of classes waiting to go inside, and writing my first book in Abbie and Amy’s class complete with hand-drawn pictures of dinosaurs. I remember the Presidential election of 1992 as well as the PS1 all-school camping trips ... always the highlight of the year. I would look forward to those trips for months.

I have so many great memories of PS1 in the 90s! I remember how exciting it was when the MPR was built and we had the first book fair there. It was huge! I distinctly remember Chris and LiAnne giving me a Baby Sitters Club book in 2nd grade, which started my obsession with the series. I felt special because I got a chapter book! Also, Jason let me take Type to Learn home to install on my computer. I still credit it for my ability to speed type and it made my Intro. to Computer class in 7th grade super easy.

My most memorable moments were playing during recess with Nora and Mitchell and Beryl, and poetry with Barbara. Reading The Giver really had a strong impact on me.

I remember the camping trips which I loved.

We had to make a picture book around the time Jason was expecting his daughter. I still have the book I made at my mom’s house!

I definitely believe my time at PS1 laid the foundation for my eagerness to learn and explore, and my ability to take charge of my own learning and inquisitiveness. It was a place where I was allowed freedom to run wild and ask questions, have intelligent discussions with adults who did not just treat me as a child, and try things out at a pivotal time in my development. I made lifelong friends and have very fond memories of my time at PS1.

Killian recently completed a PhD in Politics at Princeton, and will be starting as Assistant Professor at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in the Fall of 2021.

One of my favorite parts of PS1 was exploring beyond the classroom. I loved Dishversity Day when everyone brought in food that reflected their family. Our walks to the park (and field day) and library trips were always special, and those camping trips were amazing. I’ve only recently started being “outdoorsy” again and even made campfire bananas stuffed with marshmallows and chocolate, which I distinctly remember making on a trip to Catalina. We saw buffalo and a huge black widow in a bathroom, which was terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Chuva currently lives in Sweden, and works as an artist and branding consultant for clients all over the world.

Charlotte currently works at the Department of Treasury on sanctions compliance.

Anne Sweet, PS1 Former Teacher I absolutely loved teaching at PS1 and have many fond memories. I was such a young teacher when I started, and remember learning so much about children’s agency and the power of supporting individual interests in order to develop curious and self-directed learners. When teaching with LiAnne, we would always do a year-end building project that would reflect major themes from the curriculum. The project was structured so the children completely drove and created it. Half the room would become a construction zone, as the students built cities, mountains, and such—using boxes, egg cartons, paints, and construction paper.

Not only did they get to apply their learning about the area they were building, they also used their writing skills to tell about the work, and negotiation and group skills while constructing. And, of course, the project was FUN! Anne is the Founding Director at the Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Shantou, China.

LiAnne’s story, continued…

We researched information, interviewed all kinds of workers (clerks, managers, owners, etc.), took careful measurements of buildings, and then came back to the classroom and recreated it all through block building and writing.

Another year, we studied the ocean. After lots of research, field trips, and interviews, we turned our classroom into an ocean, with blue fabric draped across the room to show the water level and papier-mâché sea animals hanging at the proper depths in their representative ecosystems.

One year, we took advantage of having restaurateur parents to learn more about that business—and again, after lots of research, interviews, planning meetings, proposals, and other preparations, the students created their own restaurant, Taco Planet. Every student had a role in the restaurant; we had cooks, servers, bartenders (Shirley Temples were on the menu!), hosts, entertainers who played the piano, cashiers, and even someone who went around to check on tables just to make sure everything was okay with the guests (the students called this the “Are you okay?” person).

John’s story, continued…

LiAnne was a bridge for me between the early part of the decade and the changes that were in the air for the latter part of the decade. Along with Joel and Abbie Perttula, LiAnne helped me understand that the core values of the school were intact and what we were witnessing was an extraordinary transformation of the physical space. By my second year, The Annex only existed in photographs. Using the architectural vision of two PS1 parents at the time, Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg, the next two years would see the completion of the first phase of what we now recognize as PS1 Pluralistic School. Our Olders students were given the opportunity to help conceptualize how the inside of our classrooms would look. We used the construction site for measurement in math and used “change” as a reoccurring theme in our literature and our writing.

Edan Gross, 1986–1990

Nancy Nason, PS1 Former Teacher

I have very fond memories of such a wonderful place to have gone to elementary school. Lately, as we are more confined locally and restricted in our options of travel, I have been reminiscing about our school camping trips. I was grateful for the many trips to the local grocery store to prepare for our adventure. We would be given assignments and work in teams to shop for our survival in the wilderness! And the campfires and food prep and cleanup, sneaking off into the woods to have our first kiss! Nobody I know had those experiences in their schooling. What a privilege!

When Abbie Perttula and I were partners, we worked with the Olders who were incubating chicken eggs for their science project—the end result would be a small flock of chickens.

We decided to build them a coop for their home right outside of the classroom. The chickens hatched, everyone was suitably impressed, and we watched with delight as they grew and grew and finally were adults and laid their own eggs. Also, if that wasn’t enough, Abbie and I decided during a study of California Missions to build our very own mission to scale using the same methods of the original builders. This meant a very messy and delightfully engaging project including creating adobe bricks, slapping them together, measuring, calculating, and discussing just how to do it. We held an open house one evening, and by that time all the details we could think of had been added, including a bubbling fountain made by Heston.

Edan lives in Los Angeles, and works as a commercial real estate broker

Nicole Haskins 1991–1999

Alexa Schwarzman, 1994–1999

Adriane Quinlin, 1990–1996

Harley Wertheimer, 1993–1999

I think about running to be first in line to play handball. I can still envision us waiting in line outside to get our faces papier-mâchéd into a mask (which is still hanging in my parent’s house and looking the same as it did the day I painted it half green and half blue). I can hear us all debating what meals to make on the annual camping trip when we all got rained on and I got so sun burned I had to come home early. One time, Joel came in to point out it was January 9th, 1999 the last time in a long time the date would be the year: 1-9-99. I came to school with a poster of a day’s worth of gun victims in the US and school responded: “What should we do?” This led to students lobbying the Santa Monica City Council for stricter gun laws in California. I can vividly see the classroom with its long table on short legs where we practiced earthquake drills and learned sign language.

The first things that come to mind when I think about PS1 are the camping trips that we took. I remember camping on Catalina when the buffalo walked through our campsite, and how it rained during the all-school camping trip when we didn’t have tents. In 6th grade my class asked if we could take a test since we had never had one before and wanted to experience it before starting middle school. Some of my closest friendships are from PS1 and I am so grateful for the time there.

In the backyard of lower school during recess, some of my classmates and I would stage re-imaginings of musicals (mostly Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera).

We’d rewrite the lyrics and swirl oversized t-shirts around, imagining them as gowns.

I’m now a writer on a TV news show and while the subject matter might be a lot more stoic, on the best days I still feel like I’m playing around with my friends in the sunny backyard of the little house of PS1 again, a faux diva in the faux limelight, inventing lines I hope someone will be entertained by.

My memories are absolutely endless. Walks to the park for PE; handball with Geo Pagani; the tree falling on Joel’s car while camping; late evenings playing ball tag at after care; Dishversity Day; bus rides to the library; poetry class with Barbara; sleepovers in the MPR; boycotting wood chips in the playground. I have more memories of PS1 than I do of high school!

I remember learning to write my letters in shaving cream and being given the knowledge that while you are learning something new, it’s okay to make mistakes.

In fact, you probably will make mistakes, but they do not and should not define you.

You can wipe over it with a fresh layer of shaving cream so it’s gone, and you can try again. Your patience with the lesson and yourself while you discover something new is more important than being perfect. Even perfection will be gone soon enough when they clean the tables. Now as a ballet teacher, I try every day to find ways to help my students understand this important lesson.

That if we worry about failure, or what we perceive as failure, we very often will never begin. That we have to at least try and allow ourselves space to try again. Also, that sometimes learning can also just be fun.

After a 15 year career as a professional ballet dancer, Nicole is now a freelance ballet choreographer, educator, coach, and mentor.

Alexa is an emergency room physician assistant in Los Angeles.

Adriane is currently a Supervising Writer for VICE News Tonight, a nightly news program based in Brooklyn.

Daniel Bakaitis, 1993-97

Hala Innab, PS1 Former Teacher

One of my favorite memories of PS1 is walking to Memorial Park for PE. It seemed there was unlimited space to explore and play all kinds of sports and games. One time, an Olders student who had moved on to middle school came back to run an experiment to see if our thinking and concentration improved while listening to classical music. I continued the practice of listening to classical music while studying in high school and college, and to this day, I still listen to classical music while I work.

Although I was thousands of miles away from my home in Jordan, I always felt at home at PS1. PS1 embraced me as an Arab, a Palestinian, and a Muslim. I had a voice and I was heard. I felt what it was like to work in a truly inclusive environment.

One of the most frightening memories of the 1990s was the Northridge Earthquake. My classroom was in the Annex, which had an old brick chimney on one side. The chimney toppled down in the earthquake and we were out of school all week while the rubble was cleared. My favorite projects were those that allowed students the freedom to find their own solutions. I remember invention showcases, and racing model cars built from scratch. As a manager, I try to communicate what our team objectives are so goals are clear but allow people the freedom to find their own solutions.

I learned to be a problem solver at PS1.

Daniel is a finance manager for a semiconductor company in Silicon Valley called Synaptics.

I have so many wonderful memories from the 90s: walking with the children to the park for recess every week was lovely. Camping and sleeping in the open air with no tents with the Youngers was tough, but made me so proud afterwards. My first teaching partner, the wonderful Louise, took me under her arm, mentored me, and showed me what great teaching looks like. And, of course, Joel who told me on the day he first interviewed me: “I want the school to be as much fun as summer camp.” I thought he was exaggerating at the time, but quickly learned that it was!

Hala is currently the curriculum coordinator at the Amman National School in Jordan, as well as a teacher of humanities and English to middle schoolers.

I’ll never forget Marla Barriera taking me and my best friend Danny to get Bay Cities sandwiches before our first day of school. I was maybe in the 2nd grade. During lunch we took our sandwiches to the top of that wooden maze of a structure in the old building, sat at that funny switchboard with all the buttons, and split the sandwiches with all our friends. A small moment of course, but it fills me with so much joy.

I will NEVER forget when we visited Santa Monica Seafood on a field trip. We were so young, I think the whole idea of food and food production was still a wild concept. Geo and I could not understand that some fish were alive, but a lot weren’t, and we had no idea what they were all doing in this room together. There was a pretty foul stench in the classroom later that day as everyone discovered that Geo and I had taken two very, very tiny dead octopus and kept them in our pockets! Maybe as pets?

Maybe to show the kids who didn’t get to go on the field trip? I have no idea. But it was gross! I thank PS1 for its love and support and cherish our memories.

Harley owns a record label called Zelig that is in partnership with Sony, and also does A&R for Columbia Records.

Colin Lenington, 1991–1998

Kim Pagani, PS1 Former Teacher

James Weinberger, 1994-2001

Pascale Marill, 1992–1999

Celine Paganini (Marill), 1992-99

Hayley Loyd, 1995–2002

I have many great memories of my time at PS1. Leo Carrillo camping trips were always a highlight. I was so fortunate to have teachers invested in finding creative and engaging ways for us to learn, whether that was crafting with papier-mâché, clay or other mediums to build cities with LiAnne and Chris, or solar systems inside our classroom with Abbie and Maggie, making fun science experiments, or engaging in thoughtful and empowering discussions.

Another standout was the dedication, joy and effort put in by Jo and Cyril, and everyone in the before and after school crew! I have so many fond memories of playing never ending games of basketball and handball, doing crafts, and playing/listening to music in those special hours.

All of these memories make me smile! Loving Poetry time with Barbara and Ellie, learning sign language with Libby and then watching her skydive after a teacher retreat on our way home (who does that?), as well as taking the Writing Workshop class at a conference we attended and then applying it in my classroom and feeling like a boss of a teacher. I remember suggesting Dishversity Day and it becoming a true whole school event. And watching my boys learn in the same space I worked in—which was across the street from where we lived—I would call that a different kind of privileged.

I have such fond memories of PS1. I remember building a rain forest as we learned about environmental issues and bringing my grandparents in to present to the class about me. I remember writing poetry in John’s class and learning multiplication tables in Abbie’s.

Chris took three of us to Magic Mountain for completing the division tables under a certain time limit! I remember reading the first Harry Potter during Read Aloud and many recesses playing basketball with friends I still have today.

Some of my favorite memories are the events PS1 would put on. I remember watching our mom help sew all the ribbons on the skirts for the girls one year. It was so much fun watching the progression of the costumes.

These are memories I will always cherish. As for now, I’ve been working in architecture for the last ten years and I’m now transitioning into the tech world. I’m about to push designmanagement software for symbiotic smart spaces that will be used by professionals and DIY individuals. This transition has been totally worth it since I have had the support of the close friends I made while at PS1.

I especially remember a time practicing Stand by Me for what I believe was Winter Solstice. Also, I remember fondly wearing Mexican outfits and performing La Cucaracha. Oh my, and the international food potlucks and building the chicken coop where we raised chickens from eggs. These were amazing memories that I still hold very close to my heart.

One of my favorite things I remember about Joel is how he would greet the students in the carpool lane every single morning. I recall getting so excited as we would get towards the front of the line and would be shouting Joel’s name as we got closer.

He had such a great bond with each of the students and it meant so much that he took the time to do that. I also remember Grandparents & Special Friends Day being one of my favorites each year. We got to show off all our projects in the classroom and introduce our special friends to the rest of the class and tell the class what they meant to us and why we brought them.

Kim is currently the Assistant to the Reston Community Center’s Youth/Teen Department.

James currently is in his residency training at UCLA for Urologic Surgery.

Colin is an occupational therapy clinical specialist at the VA Long Beach Hospital in the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Center.

As for now, I just finished my hours for licensure to become a Marriage & Family Therapist. I’ve also completed Sensorimotor Psychotherapy training (Level 1 & 2) for individuals, couples and groups. I specializing in working with the mind and body relationship as it pertains to trauma and attachment. I have worked with victims of violent crimes through California Victim Compensation Board and conducted Parent and Me groups with 1-3 year-olds, all while having a thriving private practice in West Hollywood.

PS1 was such a special place and taught us to dive into things fearlessly. I remember when we did our creative writing that we were told to just be creative and write and that we could worry about our punctuation and grammar later. I’ve taken so many things that I learned at PS1 into my career.

Hayley recently got engaged and has spent the last 3+ years working as a manager at Netflix in the Nonfiction department.

Gina Rockenwagner, 1993-2000

Elana Besserman (Schwarzman), 1989-96

Tanja Lux, PS1 Former Teacher

I remember doing hands-on learning with Abbie especially, including learning to embroider, churning butter, doing little sewing projects, and learning traditional dances. These activities inspired me at the time, and sparked my love of textiles and the arts. Learning never felt like a chore at PS1. The creative learning environment gave me the courage to try new things, without fear of failure. I thank PS1 for filling my young mind with an adventurous spirit. I still love learning and trying new things, and like Abbie said, I miss traveling quite a bit right now. I was supposed to be on a textile focused artist residency in Oaxaca all of June, but luckily it was postponed. I look forward to traveling there sometime soon!

I have so many fond memories of PS1. I remember all of the camping trips, poetry with Barbara, learning The Tyger by William Blake, and learning the continent song with Debbie.

I loved when I became one of the Older kids and I would play with all the Youngers and give them hair wraps at lunch time. I remember Moving Up Day ceremonies and the chicken coop. PS1 was a special part of my life.

I am ever so fortunate to have taught at PS1. It was the kind of place that supported freedom to experiment with teaching methods for a new teacher like me. I could create a free-form musical lesson or organize a leveled library for burgeoning readers.

And it was such a pleasure to teach in pairs.

Every once in a while, I find myself greeting my children at home with a “Hello Birds and Squirrels!” just as Abbie did to our students at school. My current job requires lots of teaching and I still think back to the lessons I learned during the days of PS1. I’m ever so fortunate.

I feel so fortunate that my work allows me to travel to Peru several times a year. Just like in the 90s, I love learning new things and meeting new people. Since the pandemic began and put a damper on my travel plans, I’ve started working more with local manufacturers in Los Angeles. I really enjoy making things locally because I love having an impact on the community of this great city!

Gina owns a clothing company called Soft Haus and does consulting for other textile based businesses here in Los Angeles.

Elana is busy quarantining at home with her husband Adam, and their 3 children: Easton, Ivy and Julian.

Tanja lives in Portland working as the CFO at Human Solutions, a nonprofit community development corporation.

LiAnne’s story, continued…

Taco Planet opened to families, PS1 staff, and friends for two seatings (one day with both lunch and dinner).

It was a roaring success, and after counting everything in the register drawer the next day, and after paying back the business loan they took from the school to cover the up-front costs of ingredients and other supplies as well as another fee to cover school costs for additional cleaning and electricity, the students were thrilled to discover they had made a profit of about $700!

The students were exhausted, happy, and infinitely more knowledgeable about business as well as the hard work that happens behind the scenes.

As the school got ready to grow again in the late nineties, this time building out the campus on the west side of Euclid, the whole school took part in the planning and preparation. Groups of faculty, staff, and parents had meetings and discussions about how we wanted students to live in and move through the spaces. They were asked where they saw as “the heart” of the campus, how indoor and outdoor spaces could be most conducive to learning, and how we wanted to both foster interaction and also to allow for a variety of smaller spaces to meet different needs.

Jody Donnelly, PS1 Former Teacher

Frances “Fofy” Perkins, 1991-1995

Will Baskin-Gerwitz, 1994–2001

I loved working with Joel, the parents and my teaching partners at PS1. I enjoyed all the special projects I collaborated on with parents. I especially enjoyed creating class projects for the auction. Parents came into the classroom to share their expertise.

I remember the excitement and joy the students expressed when working together on these. One year, my partner Wynne wrote a children’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The students performed it at a morning circle time. That was awesome! I miss the creative and collaborative atmosphere of PS1.

I loved everyone in our 6th grade class. I remember Nick memorizing the periodic table; our teacher Susan teaching us astronomy; raising chickens and cutting a little window in one of the shells so we could see the embryo develop. I remember that Brian and Graham both had their birthdays around Christmas as well as sharing a desk with Brian Kim and how smart he was. I remember how sweet Andi was and that she loved Prince’s Purple Rain. Abe was really funny, and I remember goofing around on the playground with my best buddy Kai and his little brother Geo. PS1 is such a special community—I only have wonderful memories of my time there!

What stands out the most is the underlying ethos of the school. My mom always said the reason she wanted Charlotte and me to go to PS1 was because it allowed kids to simply be kids and learn in their own way. Going to schools with very different environments, and with students who came from very different elementary schools, I realized how valuable that was.

Jody is currently a teacher at the Fountain Valley School District as an Education Specialist for children with disabilities.

Fofy just completed her first year of law school, and is working on her law review note in Nashville. For the past 15 years, she was an art dealer and an independent art book publisher in New York.

In third grade I had a poem published in the Periscope in response to Pablo Neruda’s line, “where is the center of the sea”. As a first grader I read a lengthy excerpt of the I Have a Dream speech to a large chunk of the school – something that could only happen at PS1. I learned Hot Cross Buns on the recorder inspiring my decision to pick up the oboe. PS1 let students stumble into finding their passions, and taught them to enjoy learning for the sake of learning—qualities that are unfortunately rare.

Will works in communications for Democratic politics and campaigns, and most recently was a spokesman for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign.

LiAnne’s story, continued…

John’s story, continued…

As the decade drew to a close, we were teaching in an extraordinary physical space that simply meant the school’s core values could be realized in a state-of-the-art facility.

In 1998, my son Louis was essentially born onto the campus. In 2001, his sister Melina would follow suit. The 1990s were a springboard for the school and for my family.

And of course, we got our students involved, too. In our class, we decided to focus on playground spaces and to research and make recommendations for equipment and structures. Of course, this meant lots of in-person research. We traveled to several parks and playgrounds in the area to test and evaluate the play equipment, all while studying the science of simple machines, surfaces, and other aspects of playground spaces.

We then analyzed their pros and cons before presenting the school administration with “expert” (i.e. student) recommendations to help inform the planning.

Now as we move toward the fiftieth anniversary of the school, I occasionally run into former students, colleagues, or parents, who often ask if the school has changed. It has changed. It is larger, more polished in some ways, and like all good things, it has continued to grow and develop. But in other ways, it has stayed the same. The learning is still authentic, and the heart of the school is still focused on nurturing engaged and joyful learning, with individuals being honored as unique and wonderful as they grow into being part of a larger community.

Joseph Abrahams Rosie Achorn-Rubenstein Kate Adams Noboru Akimoto Nick Albert Jonathan Alder Jonathan Allen Jordan Alper Sam Alper Emma Andersson Courtney Applebaum Sari Arlen Pastore Ayinde Armour Nnamdi Armour Joey Arnstein Zach Arnstein Victoria Aronson Tyler Ash Daniel Bakaitis Sadler Bakst Danny Barreira Mathew Barreira Griffin Barstis Charlotte Baskin-Gerwitz William Baskin-Gerwitz Dustin Bath Jennifer Battistello Matthew Beaver Josh Berger Kate Berlant Gabriella Bertrand Ashley Beteta Buster Blakeney Maggie Blattel Spencer Blattel Brandon Bogajewicz Sarah Brandon Seth Braslow Max Braverman Chanai Brewster Zach Brock Ben Broesamle Molly Brolin Caitlin Bronston-Flynn Walker Bronston-Flynn Elle Brosh Danny Brown Gavin Brown Steven Brown* Tani Brown Ryan Browne Suzannah Broyles Nicole Brule Alex Burchuk Kayla Burchuk Katie Burton Rachel Bystritsky Noah Caddis Emily Cahill Caitlin Cameron Sara Carnochan

Adrian Chandler Fred Chandler AnnaBella Chapman Lexi Cheshier Richard Chin Christie Chun Katie Chun Kylie Clark Caitlin Clarke Killian Clarke Wade Clement Kara Clerkin Peter Clerkin Jake Coleman* Drew Cortrite Michelle Cortrite Aaryn Costello Nathan Couturier Sarah Couturier Sean Cowley Venise Crawford Ally Cron-DeVico Nick Cron-DeVico Berry Dahlin Eric Danziger Cody Dashiell-Earp Cecily David John David Max Davidson Peter Defenderfer Lili Delisle-Cohen Samantha Demer Bartholemew DiModica* Andrea Dinkin Brianna Dollinger Jason Doyle Sarah DuPont Adam Edwards Zachary Ehrlich Jonah Eisenstock Kiva Eisenstock Jessica Ekstein Dylan Ellis Stephanie Elzas Adrian Engel Weylin Etra Erica Everage Eva Everage Jacob Faulkner Chuva Featherstone Evan Feinberg Lyle Feinberg Michael Feldman Erica Fine Lexi Fite Colette Fletcher-Hoppe Jo Fonda-Bonardi Daryn Foster Louis Fox Marlow Fox Milo Frank Rebecca Frank Nick Frankel

Nora Frankel Andi Frieder Russell Frieder Dexter Friedman Marc Gabor-Fourcade Brittany Gabriel Ben Gales Lara Garrison David Gasster Ben Gaynor Natania Gazek Nicole Gebriel Peter Gebriel Jack Gerstein Max Girteit Riley Gitlin Alexi Glickman Cleo Gold Jason Gold Sophie Goldstein Maribella Gonzalez-Yanez Marilu Gonzalez-Yanez Daniel Goodman Melody Grabel Elyse Green Maizy Greenberg Will Greene Emily Greenfield Joanna Greenfield Cole Greenman Ross Greenman Chassity Griffin Edan Gross Yo Gross Jake Hagelberg Jamie Hall Cooper Halpern Evelyn Hammid Lauren Hansson Julia Harreschou Griffin Harris Justin Harris Hayley Harrison Matthew Hart Nicole Hart Alex Hartung Emma Hartung Nicole Haskins Scott Heineman Tyler Heineman Emily Hembacher Evan Hembacher Casey Hendler Nicholas Henry Paul Henry Douglas Herman Avery Hill Breuer Haley Hill Alex Hirsch Jeremy Hirsch Koji Honda Aaron Hyman

David Hyman Vida Isaacs David Jacob Hakeem Jawanza Brandi Johnson Gwyneth Jones Michael Joseph Mark Juncosa Gigi Kalika Courtney Kanner Fishman Benji Kaufman Brian Kavin Lucas Kavner Ariel Kaye Devora Kaye Ananya Kepper Matylda Kerry Helen Keyes Chloe Kiester Annie Killefer Joe Killefer Brian Kim Kalani Kiyohara Kiana Kiyohara Andy Klein Jessica Klein Emily Knecht Brittany Ko Jak Koning Rem Koning Alexandra Kraemer Evan Krenzien Andy Kurstin James Larson Michael Larson Nick Lasater Lilly Lawrence-Metzler Isabella Lebovitz Max Lebovitz Carolyn Lee Kristen Lee Isabella Legovitz Colin Lenington Lance “Moe” Lenz Danny Levene Perry Levine Ben Liebeskind Beryl Liebowitz Britton Conrad Liebowitz Heston Liebowitz Griffin Littell Aiden Lloyd Hayley Lloyd Gabriel Lopez Alanna Lynn* Jeremy Manning Chelsea Marble Keanan Marble Céline Marill Paganini Pascale Marill Daniel Mark Hanna Mark

Sam Marks Alex Marshi Amelia Martin-Resnick Nora Martin-Resnick Brandi Matheson Nick Maya Nick McAndrew Robbie McCall Camille McClendon Alexandra McCown Lily McGarr Jazmine McGilbert Connor McHugh Kevin McHugh John McKinny Asha McNab Ayan McNab Reeve McNall Zachary Meredith Zoe Meredith Annabelle Miller Avery Miller Rachel Miller Sam Mindel Juri Miyajima Hana Mogulescu Amanda Molina Lane Jasmine Molina Colin Morentin Zoe Morgenstern Jenny Morris Casey Mortensen Kyla Moss Brett Nagy Emily Nagy Naomi Nevitt Zach Nicita Alex Nwokekoro Dillon O’Doherty Zenji Oguri Joe Overbeck Laurel Ozersky Elliot Pachulski Marc Pachulski Geo Pagani Kai Pagani Jasper Pakshong Matthew Palevsky Diana Panish Kathryn Panish Lucas Paul Amanda Payton Charlotte Perebinossoff Fofy Perkins Sidney Perkins Aaron Perlman David Perlman Lia Pernell Liza Preminger Sammy Pressman Arlen Printz Jesse Printz Katie Purtill

Tom Purtill Adriane Quinlan Alexander Quinlan Anna Rabinovitch Nick Rabinovitch Sean Raleigh Julian Ramis Kyle Ramsey Spencer Ramsey Mitchell Ratinoff Nicholas Reid Lindsay Reno Ben Robbins Jack Robbins Gina Rockenwagner Hansi Rockenwagner Roxy Rockenwagner Bridget Rodman Stuart Rodriguez William Rodriguez Megan Romano Jason Rosen Jackie Rosenberg Andrew Rosenfeld Daniel Rosenfeld David Rosenthal Elijah Rosenthal Abigail Rossmoore Halverson Brian Roth Benjamin Rotman Kate Rutkin Keeley Juliana Sabinson Sheena Sada Ghiani Spencer Sahim Gannon Salinger Alexis Saloutos Emily Schneider Todd Schreiber Ian Schultz Gabe Schuman Emily Schwartz Alexa Schwarzman Elana Schwarzman Besserman Gina Segall Witney Seibold Julia Shapiro Sami Shapiro Sonia Shipley Leyva David Shlachter Lenka Shockley Ian Shultz Sigurborg Sigurjonsdottir Graham Silbert Anna Silver Luke Silver Delaney Simon Laura Simon Carli Singer Stephanie Smith Jordan Sofro Hilary Soloff Jamie Solomon

Isabel Spiegel Taylor Stacey Max Staley James Starr Nick Starr Aria Starus Zach Statler Simon Steiner Elliot Storey Natalie Storey Christopher Strand Lily Strauss Morgan Strauss Reece Sutton Natalie Swain Taizo Tachibana Colin Takahashi Scott Tamaki Celene Temkin Zoe Thomas Ariadne Thompson Paul Thompson Bradley Thompson-Moreland Lindsey Thompson-Moreland Olivia Tiffany Elijah-Linda Tilghman-Eddings Miles Tokunow Charlotte Toumanoff Frances Tracy-Black Amy Tressan Richard Ueno Yu Ueno Jeremy Ungar Betty Villalobos Rachel Wagner Whitney Wagner-Trugman Serena Wales-Reubin Nick Wallace Xan Wallace Elijah Wallechinsky Alexander Walters Phillip Wax Jonathan Weinberg James Weinberger Mathew Welch Harley Wertheimer Molly Wertheimer Patrick Wijngaard Grayson Wilder Ashley Williams Rachel Williams-Feuerstein Graham Wills Sara Wilson Hallie Winant Emma Wolfe Abe Wortman Marisa Wu Alex Yellin Haley Yellin Jake Zambas Nico Zimmerman

1990 1990ssAlumni Alumni

*Denotes deceased.

Please let us know if you or someone you know were inadvertently omitted. We are always working to update our alumni rosters.

A Message of Gratitude from A Message of Gratitude from PS1’s PS1’s Annual Fund Co-Chairs Annual Fund Co-Chairs

Dear PS1 Families, Alumni and Friends, In a year that will be defined by unexpected challenges, we want to heartily thank you for your participation in the 2019–2020 Annual Fund. As the Annual Fund CoChairs, we are truly grateful to you for your generosity.

The 2019–2020 Annual Fund was the most successful annual fundraising effort PS1 has ever achieved, and the timing could not have been better. As always, the money raised from the Annual Fund went towards meeting the needs of our current students in a thoughtful, intentional and pluralistic manner. As our world quickly changed last March, the school had to pivot to a distance-learning plan and it incurred many unexpected costs. The Annual Fund was not only able to provide for the important budgeted needs of the school, it allowed for our community to address “the unexpected” in a swift manner.

Important schoolwide improvements were made so that children and teachers could transition to distance learning as well as be prepared for future hybrid/ in-person instruction. This past summer, teachers participated in a wide range of professional development topics in all areas of the curriculum. Each professional development experience emphasized how to implement content in a distance learning environment. Because of your generosity, the school was able to prepare for a very different learning landscape in 2020–21.

In the fall of 2019 we asked you to help support our community and each of you did so without hesitation. Again, we thank you for that. It is because of your support that the heart of PS1 can beat so strongly both on campus and in the homes of all of our students. It is our hope that the contents of this year’s Report on Philanthropy will provide you inspiration from the tremendous generosity of our entire community.

Annual Fund Volunteers This past year’s Annual Fund volunteers were led by Board member and current parent Kerri Speck and Board member and alumni parent Steve Trilling. We are grateful to Kerri and Steve for their creative spirit, dedication to helping our Annual Fund reach new heights, and for their incredible attention to detail.

Each member of the Annual Fund team served our community well, and raised awareness of the importance and impact of philanthropy in our school.

2019–20 Annual Fund Committee Kerri Speck, Co-Chair Steve Trilling, Co-Chair Nisreen Al-Bassam Tina Andrews Emily Ann Halina Avery Alan Ball Jason Barrett Jonathan Chu Matthew Hayutin DJ Jacobs Carrie Southworth Johnson Elizabeth Kendall David Krauss Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker Joel Pelcyger Jeanette Rahill Jessica Reid Jason Schwarz Palak Shah Maggie Sherman Richard Turner Deirdre Wallace Eric Zabinski Solicitation Authors Current Parents and Board of Trustees Kerri Speck & Steve Trilling Grandparents Billie Fischer & Alan Ball Alumni Avery Breuer (Hill) ’06, Evelyn Cazún & Beth Kemp

Kerri Speck Severin ’24, Esme ’21 and Maggie ’14

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Steve Trilling Joe ’18 and Max ’18

Alumni Parents Tina Andrews & Evelyn Cazún Alumni Parents, Former Board of Trustees & Special Friends Maggie and Mort Rosenfeld

WHY I GIVE

2019–2020 Alumni Committee The PS1 Alumni Committee continues to focus on keeping connections active and reconnecting with alumni. This past year’s work implemented even more meaningful alumni events, as well as continued to grow relationships through enhanced outreach and purposeful engagement.

Alumni involvement has expanded in digital and print communications as well as within the PS1 alumni committee. PS1 is proud of its monthly newsletter sent to both alumni and alumni parents, and shares updates on both Facebook and Instagram. Just a few months ago, the committee adjusted for the pandemic and continued its work with virtual reunions and meetings. As PS1 enters its 50th year since founding, alumni relations and the resources available throughout the network are more important than ever. Our hearts beat stronger with you and for you—together we are PS1 proud.

Thank you to the 2019–20 Alumni Committee Tina Andrews Alan Ball Avery Breuer (Hill) ‘06 Evelyn Cazún Christine Jenkins Beth Kemp Ellie Pelcyger Amanda Perla Kay Seymour-Gabriel Jayjay Venegas ’15

BOARD MEMBER AND CURRENT PARENTS

Nadene & Jeff Haines Brooke, ’20 and William, ’24 When we visited PS1 eight years ago on a tour, we could feel that the vision and culture at PS1 was real. Joel’s view on Pluralism was entirely in sync with ours. His thinking and commitment to the importance of the individual student were potent and compelling. The community vibe at the school, and the true, developmental approach to each child excited us. We quickly realized that our hopes for an enriched learning environment were validated. The model of the community was dynamic and so thoughtful—we knew we had found a very special place.

Eight years later, we feel very fortunate. In this current and very challenging environment, the vision of Pluralism has proven to be way ahead of its time. We welcome the opportunity to support PS1—particularly now. The school’s vision and commitment to Pluralism is now more important than ever. We are grateful for what the school has meant, and will always mean to our children. PS1 is a model!

The model of the community was dynamic and so thoughtful—we knew we had found a very special place.

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Finance & Development 2019–2020 Contributions Annual Fund $935,466 Parents Guild Events

Fund A Need $26,500 Party Book $29,258 Book Fair, Scrip $2,977 Parents Guild Total $58,835

Grad Gift $2,416 Abbie STEAM Fund & Capital Donations

TOTAL

$17,520

$1,014,237

Operating Budget 7.3%

INCOME

81.1% Tuition & Fees

Endowment & Interest

10.6%

Fundraising

1.0% Other

7.5%

EXPENSES

63.3% Salary & Benefits

Facilities

15.7%

13.5%

The numbers and chart above have not yet been audited.

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Financial Aid

Program

WHY I GIVE ALUMNI PARENT

Beryle Jackson Eve Jackson, ’14 PS1 was a wonderful place for Eve to learn, play, explore and grow, but…

I give, because “I grew up” as a mom at PS1!

We all chose PS1 for the obvious benefits of our children, but I must admit, it was just as beneficial to me as a divorced single parent.

Growing up with separated parents most of my childhood, I was your typical “latch-key” kid while my mother worked 16-hour days as a nurse at DC General Hospital. I remember wanting my mother to attend PTA meetings, volunteer in the classroom, and fund raise for special events.

Her job, and the primary use of public transportation didn’t leave much free time. It was hard on me as a child, and although, not her fault, I made a promise to myself then—that no matter what—I was going to have the life that would allow me to participate with my child’s school.

PS1 supported my goal.

PS1 cared for me as a parent, exposed me to learning opportunities, cultivated my creativity, encouraged my participation on the Parent Board, and even gave me a chance to try a new profession as a “live auctioneer” for the annual benefit auction. These experiences created some of my best friendships that exist today—six years later. I give so PS1 can continue to provide a wonderfully warm and safe learning environment for parents too!

PS1 cared for me as a parent… I give so PS1 can continue to provide a wonderfully warm and safe learning environment for parents too!

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2019–20 PS1 Annual Fund

by Constituency PS1 Board Members Billie & Steven Fischer Andrew & Tamara Gross Jeff & Nadene Haines Matthew Hayutin & Lizette Sanchez-Hayutin Carrie Southworth Johnson & Coddy Johnson Elizabeth & Alexander Kendall Nadine & Michael Levitt Joel & Eleanor Pelcyger Jessica & Eric Reid Anna & Jeffrey Reyna Maggie & Mort Rosenfeld Jason & Jessica Schwarz Kerri Speck & Paul Marks DeAnn & Rhazes Spell Mike & Jenny Tatum Stephen & Wendi Trilling Heather & Richard Turner

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Current Parents Anonymous (4) Beth & Stephen Abronson Carol & Robin Acutt Christina Aguilera Nisreen Al-Bassam & Sami Rasromani Jesse Aldana Shayne & Tiffany Anderson Emily Ann Barbi S. Appelquist Angela Arnold & DJ Jacobs Farhad Ashofteh & Gazelle Javadi Gareth & Michelle Asten Simon & Emma Atik Halina Avery & Kimberley Stead Shane Barach & Jennifer Daly Annalisa & Jason Barrett Ken Baum & Julie Cantor Eric Beale & Jennifer Kalish Kelly & Stephen Bickle

Meredith Blake Marné & Kurt Boulware Jordan Bratman Ian & Jessica Bricke Tracy & Adam Bromwich Jen & Tony Brown Maria Brucciani Philip Bruno Anne Marie Burke & Anthony Byrnes Kim Campbell Jared Carney & Deirdre Wallace Carney The Carreira Priester Family Marilyn & Chris Cazún Tracy Chandler & Andre Stringer Lucia Alcantara-Chibane & Soufiane Chibane Anna Cho Chloe Choi & Hyosung "HK" Kang Vanessa Chow & Graeme Craven Lynda & Jonathan Chu

WHY I GIVE Ryan & Karen Craig Sharon Dai & Eric Zabinski Carrie & Matt Dalton Dominique Dawkins Kim & Marco DeGeorge Vincent DiMauro & Lisa Serra Susan & Brian Doolittle Jade Duell Valorie Caskey Ebeling & Mick Ebeling Michael & Rosalia Egner Caroline & Marcos Escalante Kayla & Matt Estrada Zoe & Adrian Fairbourn Reagan Feeney & Richard Levine The Fischer-LaPorta Family Elise & Rob Fissmer Taura Mizrahi-Fite & Scott Fite The Frazier Family Zack & Heather Freedman Andy Galker & Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker

ALUMNI PARENTS

Sam Gasster & Diane Waingrow David, ’04 and Emily, ’09 The most compelling reason we give is because we see the impact of the PS1 education every day in the lives of our children who are now in their 20s. They approach life with curiosity and treat everyone with respect.

Our 13 years as part of the PS1 community supported our goals as a family.

We believe deeply in the school’s mission and we want to support the dedicated staff members who treat each student as an individual learner.

We have simply wonderful memories of our years at PS1.

Our 13 years as part of the PS1 community supported our goals as a family.

Mark Gainor & Justina Anzulovich Jonathan Gardner Lee Gardner & Lily Ng Ona Gauthier Anna & Steven Gordon Jeff & Marcie Greene Andrew & Tamara Gross The Gyde Family Nadene & Jeff Haines David Hanley & Kristy Hunston Rachel Harris Matthew Hayutin & Lizette Sanchez-Hayutin Jennifer Howard & Robert Schwentke Jennifer & Mark Humphrey Mark Hyatt & Malerie Marder Margaret Hyde & Christopher Gough Vivian & Phillip Hyun Leilani Ishikawa Rebecca & Lucas Jansen Bobby & Eleni Jenks Carrie Southword Johnson & Coddy Johnson

Angelia Johnson Kelli & Tyler Johnson Beth Kahn & Paul Carpenter The Kanashige Family Mary McGuinness & Douglas Kaplan Jenni Kayne & Richard Ehrlich Soraya Kelly & Jon Wax The Kemp Family Elizabeth & Alexander Kendall Dan Kern & Dixie Sellers Jeremiah Knight & Britt Johansson Annie & Linn Koo Stephanie & Gustav Koven David Krauss & Abbi Hertz

Paul & CL Kumpata Fred & Naomi Kurata Amanda & Steve Lane Jeremy Langer Adam & Tawny Laskar Mark & Sonia Lazar Sunny Lee Elizabeth & Po Leknickas Nadine & Michael Levitt Matt & Maya Lieberman Paul Lieberstein & Janine Poreba Caroline Lindqvist Alessandra & Walter Lopes The Lufkin Gadhia Family Tessa Lydic & Farshad Tehrani Philip & Carmen Margaziotis Natalie McAdams Christa & Jonathan McCaffrey Lindsay & Colin McLean

We believe deeply in the school’s mission and we want to support the dedicated staff members who treat each student as an individual learner.

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WHY I GIVE GRANDPARENTS

Nancy and Gary Freedman Proud Papa & Nana of Finn, ’20 & Zadie, ’22 PS1 is a special and safe place that provides a comfortable environment for children to develop individually, both intellectually and socially, to better enjoy the schooling experience and to extend those feelings and skills into their family and community life. We constantly are amazed at our grandchildren’s sense of self, curiosity, and true respect for their classmates and the world at large. That is part of the school’s mission, and our grandchildren have joyfully responded to it.

We are often on the campus to pick them up, enjoy Grandparents’ Day, and attend the Memoir Club—all of which allows us a peek at the daily activity. Faculty, staff and others implement the PS1 philosophy of thoughtfulness, creativity and caring for others in the world that will be awaiting the children. At present their world is at PS1, and they are very fortunate to be a part of this exceptional educational experience.

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Dana McPhall Keith & Michelle Megna Melinda & Steve Mehringer Golnaz & Kourosh Melamed Stavros Merjos & Honor Fraser Keith Muenze & Jamie Keeton Chauncey Nichols & Jennifer Kane Amelia & Jason Ning The Nordling Family Emily O'Brien & David Sobie Amber & Olubusayo Ojuri Mario Ontal & Plummy Tucker Mike & Shannon Parry Kelly & Darren Peers Jennifer Penton & Igor Jukanovic Kimberly & Joshua Perttula Lisa & Tavi Perttula Emily Procter & Paul Bryan Jeanette & Bernard Rahill Amanda Rawls Jessica & Eric Reid Anna & Jeff Reyna Bill Robins & Mia Rue Robins Jeremy Rogers & Ann Singhakowinta Kim & Lis Rozenfeld Shawn Sanford & Poppy Montgomery Maricela & Victor Santana David Schumacher & Yvonne Hsieh The Schwarz Family Virginia & Robert Seaman Christopher & Emily Seet The Serra-Toynton Family Maggie & Jon Sherman Hanna Shin & David Shao Mike & Saho Simpson Ronald & Linda Sittler Kerri Speck & Paul Marks Rhazes & DeAnn Spell Annie Spong The Stabile Family

The Staples Family Hana Ogawa Sziraki & Kyle Sziraki Mike & Jenny Tatum Raeleen Taylor Brandy The Teitelbaum Family Carolina & Norman Thompson Courtney Thorne-Smith & Roger Fishman Jeffrey Tinsley Agatha & Stuart Townsend Teegen Trucksess & John Lima The Truino Family BJ & Laurel Turner Heather & Richard Turner Jennifer & Spencer Tyler Selene Vigil-Wilk The Vogel Family Sabina von Munk & Krishna Moran Joanne & AJ Weidhaas Darien Williams & Jeffrey Inaba Deneise Williams & Reuben Smiley Thomas & Elizabeth Williams Owen Wilson Rachel Witenstein Melanie & Bryan Wolff Nava Yeganeh & Palak Shah Emily & Peter Yu Karim Zaman & Danielle Cooper Alumni and Alumni Families Peter & Kelli Abraham Sadie '12 & Gavin '10 Jafar Adibi & Leila Kaghazian Farid '13 Mies & Marwan Al-Sayed Anisa '19 Tina Andrews Makai '10 Jamie & Michael Angus Julian '15 Raymond Bakaitis Daniel '97

We constantly are amazed at our grandchildren’s sense of self, curiosity, and true respect for their classmates and the world at large.

Susan Baskin & Richard Gerwitz William '90 & Charlotte '87 Brandon Bogajewicz '94 Andrew & Deborah Bogen Kamden '21 & Michael '90 Avery Breuer (Hill) '06 Evelyn Cazún Justin '14 Jeanne Cheng & Bruce Suggs Kye '19 Kylie Clark '01 Michelle & Jamie Court Pablo '19 & Joey '16 Jeff & Marci Dinkin Aaron '12, Robin '07, Leslie '07 & Andy '04 Ellen & Alan Ehrlich Zach '93 & Jacob '89 Laurie & Rudy Ekstein Jessica '02 Jeff & Tammy Ellis Dylan '05 Albert Elzas Stephanie '93 & Sarah '89 Mark Emtiaz & Elizabeth Freitas Amanda '16 Marybeth Fama Hansi '04, Roxy '02 & Gina '00 Lauren & Austin Fite Aidan '09 & Lexi '05 Carol Frayre & Juan Venegas Jay Jay '15 & Rudy '10 Kay Seymour-Gabriel & Richard Gabriel Griffin '18, Lily '13 & Emma '07 Deirdre Gainor & Brenda Goodman Brandon '94 LiAnne Hall & Keeth Hill Keith '10, Avery '06 & Haley '05 Buzz Harris Griffin '04 & Justin '98 Ann Haskins & Hugh Harrison Nicole '99 Pauline & Bill Henry Nicholas '97 & Paul '94 Andrea & Scott Holtzman Madelyn '09 Jon Hyman & Susan Hoffman-Hyman Alex '17 & Izzy '16 Beryle Jackson Eve '14 Rob Jacobs & Ann Gentry Walker '15 & Hallie '11 Christine and Larry Jenkins Eloise ’18 & Amelia ’15 Jak Koning ’02

Paula & Fred Kuhns Samuel '11 & Abigail '09 Laura Siegel Larson James '03 & Michael '00 James Larson '03 Michael Larson '00 Robert S. Levine Perry '05 Kathleen Lewis, D.C. Alanna '04 Ellen & Stephen Mark Daniel '94 & Hanna Louly Maya '08 Nicholas Maya '02 Robin & Gregory Maya Louly '08 & Nick '02 Devon & Daphne McNairy Ciahna '19 & Cheval '15 Linda & David Michaelson Aidan '18 & Delaney '14 Nancy & Steve Mindel Jake '09 & Sam '05 Tania Mooser Zoe '06 Sharon Morrill Reece '11 Lizzie & John Murray Calvin '17 & Violet '13 Priya & Sanjay Nambiar Uma '19 & Miya '19 Pedro Ortega Izobel '17 Jodi & Allan Pantuck Alex '10 & Morgan '07 Denise & Martin Rabinovitch Nick '00 & Anna '97 The Reed-Goldstein Family Tanner '19 Dan Roberts & Nicole Cavazos Esme '19 Esme Roberts '19 Maggie & Mort Rosenfeld Daniel '97 & Andrew '94 Eva Salamanca Michelle '14 & Matthew '12 Roger & Gail Samuel Frankie '13 & Scott '78 Aletta Schaap Adrian '96 & Alexander Ronald Schur Jackson '17 Phil & Madeline Schwarzman Alexa '99 & Elana '96 Laurie & Michael Seplow Danny '13 & Rachel '11

Bodhi Seton ’19 Kate & Gil Seton Bodhi '19 Rochelle & Ian Siegel James '20 & Charlotte '16 Bria & Evan Silbert Graham '96 Tracy & Pandro Sokolow Davio '22 & Mattea '17 Diane Rose-Solomon & Andy Solomon Zander '14 & Jamie '12 Maria & Phil Starr James '92 & Nick '91 Kye Suggs '19 Holly Swope & Phil Hayes Charlie '17 & Lucy '15 Kimberly Tinsley Ryan '19 & Erika '17 Bruce Tobey & Rae Sanchini Jack '13, William '10 & Dominique '09 Omar Torrez & Masha Tsiklauri Alejandra '19

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WHY I GIVE

CLASS OF 2019, ALUMNA

Esme Roberts One of my favorite memories of PS1 was our Grad Trip. I remember getting on the bright yellow school bus, feeling a little nervous, but mostly excited. My grade that year only had 11 girls, so we all shared one big, happy, loud, fun cabin. I’ll never forget the feeling I had the second night of the trip—that happy feeling floating around in the air that I think we all felt that night while we shared stories and secrets. We practiced scenes from Romeo and Juliet; we did “ropes” courses; and we had important conversations while eating our food (which was amazing by the way.) I learned so much about myself and my classmates on that trip.

I am thankful for my experience on the grad trip, and I am grateful for my entire experience at PS1 because I learned so much.

“Why do I give?” I give because I want other people to have the chance to have the same experiences that I had.

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Wendi & Stephen Trilling Max '18 & Joe '18 Amber Valletta Auden '13 Joanne Van Emburgh & Sam Surloff Emily '09 Andrea & Maurizio Vecchione Dylan '11 Diane Waingrow & Sam Gasster Emily '09 & David '04 Liz & John Waldman Melina '13 & Louis '11 Sean Weber-Small & Cara Kleinhaut Ella '20 & Caitlin '17 Susan & George Weinberger James '01 Manuel Weiskopf & Evelyn Lanner Lauren '19 James Werner ’10 Kedren & Peter Werner James '10 Sharon & Alan Wertheimer Molly '02 & Harley '99 Susan Williams & Steven Poster Rachel '00 Nat Wilson & Laura Beck Sara '05 Faculty & Staff Tina Andrews Alan Ball Jim Bowers Avery Breuer Evelyn Cazún Lucia Alcantara-Chibane & Soufiane Chibane Abraham Dukes Kayla & Matt Estrada Lauren & Austin Fite The Frazier Family Christina & David García José Luis García Keondria Gibson Nancy Goglia Carlos Gonzalez Kelly Gresalfi LiAnne Hall Nancy Harding TJ Harney Billy Huynh Gina Jang Nicolina Karlsson-Horelick The Kemp Family Bonnie Koo Chris Kuzina

Najah Lowe Kitaka Mixon Genevieve Mow Julie Neustadter Pedro Ortega Joel & Eleanor Pelcyger Amanda Perla Jayme Pohl Preethi Raghu David Ramos Aarika Rhodes Maggie & Mort Rosenfeld David Salamanca Eva Salamanca Virginia & Robert Seaman Brad Shimada Sunny Sterling Maren Storvick Holly Swope Danielle Valadez John & Liz Waldman Esther Watkins Samuel Woodward McKendree Yeager Ani Antoinette Zeneian Grandparents & Special Friends Laurel Beale Eian '21 Friederike K. Biggs Eleanor '25 & Fred '23 Margaret Bishop Quincy '25 & Rory '23 Phyllis & Robert Blaunstein Julian '22 & Dylan '18 Sandi Cantor Eze '20 John Y. Chu, Esq. Grayson '24 & Maxwell '24 Diana & Roy Conovitz Ellen Horn Demsky Kate '22 Shabnam Fasa Billie & Steven Fischer Elio '20 & Ian '19 Gary & Nancy Freedman Zadie '22 & Finn '20 Julian M. Goldstein Max ’18 & Joe ’18 Marjorie & Robert Gross, MD Dashiell '22 & Jet '20 Jan & Vern Hall Keith '10, Avery '06 & Haley '05 Stephanie Hayutin Luca '22 & Bianca '19

Jo Ann & Charlie Kaplan Eli '16 Suzanne Kayne Ripley '23 & Tanner '21 Richard Kendall & Lisa See Henry '24 Myriam-Rose Kohn Henry '21 & Max '19 Margaret Kuhns Samuel '09 & Abigail '11 Stan & Judy Lieberstein Clara Lieberstein '22 Alison Lufkin Quincy '25 & Rory '23 Elise B. Lufkin Quincy '25 & Rory '23 Elise G. Lufkin Quincy '25 & Rory '23 Lettie Lupis Henry '22 Biganeh Madjlessi Henry '24 Mike & Susan Mahoney Keegan '25 Diane Marder Hugo '21 & Esme '18 Brian & Dotti McLean Pearson '24 Heidi & Erik Murkoff Lennox '25 Cathleen Nevin Allan & Lynn Newman Greta '25 & Elijah '23 Carol & Eugene Pantuck Alex '10 & Morgan '07 Joel & Eleanor Pelcyger Finn '16 & Isabella '13 Alan & Lili Penkower Julian '22 & Dylan '18 Richard & Lou Perez Pilar '21 Abbie & Howard Perttula Eero '27, Isla '23, Allie '22, Mia '20, Lukas '18, Jonah '16, Tavi '89, Josh '80 & Karine '78 William & Happy Procter Pippa '23 Diane Quartano & Bob Dauterive Savannah '22 & Maya '19

Cinzia Romoli Jesse '26 Connie & Paul Schorr Henry '22 Kenneth & Barbara Seplow Danny '13 & Rachel '11 Marie & Joseph Serra Conrad '26 Kathy Speck Severin '24, Esme '21 & Maggie '14 Carol Spong Asamino '20 Thomas Tatum Violet '21, Will '18 & Dylan '16 Priscilla Tucker Diego '24 Barbara Vyden Kathryn Weil & Francis Sieber Mara '23 & Judah '23 Bonnie Weiss Carol & Rob Williams Henry '24 Tim Wolfe Westley '25 Esther & Irving Zabin Matching & Organizational Gifts Angeleno Group, LLC Apple Inc. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP Boston Scientific Employee Giving Good Life Organics Intel Corporation Lufkin Family Foundation Netflix Santa Monica Youth Orchestra

PS1 is more than a school; it is a symbol of our children’s joy and adds warmth to our hearts.

CURRENT PARENTS

WHY I GIVE

Norman & Carolina Thompson Norman, ’25 and Roman, ’27 Our family represents a diverse cultural background. As parents, we agreed that we’d like to pass on some of the values we were raised with; to show up and be present, and to be generous with both financial support and time. PS1 is more than a school; it is a symbol of our children’s joy and adds warmth to our hearts. It is a beautifully designed “happy place” for our children and community. It’s a privilege to contribute and be recipients of the school’s mission to help children discover themselves from within and at their own pace.

We trust with our whole heart that PS1 is as magical to our son as it is to us. Morning drop off is always a positive start for our days—then you sprinkle some Coffee on the Green and DEAR time to the mornings and we have a hard time leaving campus. We love being part of the community.

We know the right questions are asked and the hugs are warmly given. When kids are taught to listen to their feelings they become comfortable with vulnerability and expressing themselves. Our world needs more of that.

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Parents Guild The PS1 Parents Guild is an all-inclusive group of dedicated volunteers who help to build and sustain community through parent involvement. The Parents Guild Executive Board helps to support the school and organize our Parent Community through various events, activities and initiatives. Every PS1 parent is automatically a member of the Parents Guild giving each an opportunity to get to know other families and to experience what makes the PS1 community so unique.

PS1 is grateful for the support and welcomes all participation!

Executive Board 2019–20 Ann Singhakowinta Rogers, Chair Carol Acutt Paul Carpenter Jade Duell Britt Johansson Vivian Hyun Tessa Lydic Lily Ng Hana Ogawa Sziraki Mario Ontal Shannon Parry Lizette Sanchez-Hayutin Parents Guild Committee Chairs

Greetings, PS1 families! As parents and guardians of PS1 students, you are automatically part of the PS1 Parents Guild. The Parents Guild offers many opportunities to get involved with the school, students and staff in support of PS1’s mission. Under the leadership of the PS1 Parents Guild Executive Board (PGEB), we organize and plan opportunities for parent involvement that help build community.

While the 2019–2020 school year kicked off with an exciting rebirth of the Family Festival and the return of PS1’s beloved Book Fair, things took a dramatic turn with the arrival of Covid-19. Not to be deterred, PGEB quickly transitioned the Parent Networking Happy Hour series to online Zoom chats and ensured parents stayed connected to one another by classroom. Additionally, PGEB and several parent volunteers were able to (literally) deliver a memorable Staff Appreciation Day meal despite the quarantine and further show our appreciation via a robust end-of-year Staff Gift drive.

Despite the uncertainty of the year that lies ahead, rest assured that PGEB will be working harder than ever to keep our vibrant community connected and welcome your ideas, participation and feedback. Please visit www.psone.org/community/parents to learn more about how to get involved!

Warmly,

Ann

Ann Singhakowinta Rogers PS1 Parents Guild Executive Board Chair Emme ‘22 and Elsen ‘26

Book Fair Lizette Sanchez-Hayutin Yvonne Hsieh Vivan Hyun Janine Poreba Community Service Jade Duell Taura Mizrahi-Fite Family Festival Philip Bruno Jamie Keeton Tawny Laskar Lis Rozenfeld Mike Tatum Farm to School Jessica Bricke Jessica Schwarz First Day Coffee Susan & Brian Doolittle Fundraising Gala Abbi Hertz Natalie McAdams Jesse Aldana Angela Arnold Halloween Fruit Raeleen Brandy Jen Penton Lunch Delivery Jessica Schwarz Library Support Jenna Humphrey Heather Singleton Networking Happy Hours Mark Hyatt Lily Ng

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WHY I GIVE

New Parent, PG Coffees on the Green Tracy Bromwich Jamie Keeton New Parent Liaison Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker Laurel Turner

CURRENT PARENTS

One from the Heart Jonathan Chu Susan Doolittle

Angela Arnold & DJ Jacobs

Parent Pop Chauncey Nichols Lily Ng Keith Muenze

Our family does not have a particularly comprehensive strategy to giving.

Party Book Tessa Lydic Shannon Parry Room Parent Coordinator Mario Ontal School Spirit Lis Rozenfeld Sabina von Munk

Lila, ’23 & Buck, ’26

Like most things we do, it’s well-meaning but a little haphazard. However looking across our giving commitments, there is a pattern of sorts. We give to organizations that are important to us and reflect our values. We believe that thriving communities benefit us all. Sometimes we give to broader communities, like all of us on earth hoping to breathe cleaner air, and sometimes to intimate communities, like the families and staff at PS1.

The other pattern in our giving is that we give consistently. Most of our giving comprises monthly or annual commitments that we try to build into our budget.

Scrip Britt Johansson

We do this partly because it’s easy (and we are fans of easy) and partly because

Staff & Event Assistance Jade Duell Stacey Staples

ready for what’s next. In the words of someone wise, “Strong organizations

Staff Appreciation Tessa Lydic Sabina von Munk

we know that the organizations we value depend on regular giving to stay stay ready, so they don’t have to get ready!” The world changed dramatically this spring, and PS1 was ready. We don’t mean “ready” in the sense that there were distance learning plans sitting on a shelf waiting for a pandemic scenario.

We mean “ready” in the sense that PS1 is built to be a nimble and innovative

Staff Birthdays Carolina Thompson

organization and it is funded in a way that allows for investment in innovation

Staff Gift Program Carol Acutt Lizette Sanchez-Hayutin

training every summer and buy hand sanitizing stations (this summer!).

Yearbook Mark Hyatt Hana Ogawa Sziraki

when needed. Our regular giving helps PS1 stay ready to invest in teacher

Lest you think us sanctimonious, please know that every year at annual fund time we turn to each other and say “Again? That felt fast! How much is it this year?” Giving is not easy, and some years it feels harder than others, but we just keep at it. This year in October, we will turn to each

“Strong organizations stay ready, so they don’t have to get ready!”

other and say “Again?” Then we will pull out this issue of Periscope, write our check, and feel better knowing that we help PS1 stay ready for whatever comes next.

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Party Book The PS1 Party Book is an opportunity to connect, socialize and have fun while raising money for the school. We thank this year’s enthusiastic hosts who continued the PS1 tradition of coming up with unique part themes which provided many opportunities to support our community in creative and inspiring ways.

Party Book Chairs Tessa Lydic & Shannon Parry Party Book Hosts Lucia Alcantara-Chibane & Soufiane Chibane Michelle An & Keith Megna Angela Arnold & DJ Jacobs Kelly & Stephen Bickle Anne Marie Burke & Anthony Byrnes Tiffany Charles & Shayne Anderson Lynda & Jonathan Chu Karen & Ryan Craig Sharon Dai & Eric Zabinsky Jenny Daly & Shane Barach Susan & Brian Doolittle Jade Duell Caroline & Marcos Escalante Ona Gauthier Tamara & Andrew Gross Abbi Hertz & David Krauss Jen Howard & Robert Schwentke Yvonne Hsieh & David Schumacher Margaret Hyde Vivian & Phillip Hyun Rosalia Ibarrola & Michael Egner Britt Johansson & Jeremiah Knight Jennifer Kalish & Eric Beale Bridget & Terry Kanashige Jamie Keeton & Keith Muenze Elizabeth & Alex Kendall Annie & Linn Koo CL & Paul Kumpata Sonia & Mark Lazar Maya & Matt Lieberman Tessa Lydic Natalie McAdams

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Taura Mizrahi-Fite & Scott Fite Lily & Lee Ng Chauncey Nichols & Jennifer Kane Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker & Andy Galker Amelia & Jason Ning Jessica & Chris Nordling Hana Ogawa Sziraki & Kyle Sziraki Mario Ontal & Plummy Tucker Shannon & Mike Parry Jennifer Penton & Igor Jukanovic Kimberly & Josh Perttula Emily Procter & Paul Bryan Jeanette Rahill Anna & Jeff Reyna Ann & Jeremy Rogers Jessica & Jason Schwarz Emily & Chris Seet Wonder Serra & Adrian Toynton Heather Singleton & Zack Freedman David Sobie & Emily O’Brien Carrie Southworth Johnson & Coddy Johnson Kerri Speck & Paul Marks Annie Spong Jenny & Mike Tatum Stefanie Truino Heather & Richard Turner Laurel & BJ Turner Jennifer & Spencer Tyler Deirdre Wallace & Jared Carney Joanne & AJ Weidhaas Melanie & Bryan Wolff

Fundraising Gala What was intended to be the bee’s knees and the hottest ticket in town, the 2020 PS1 annual fundraising gala—A PS1 Speakeasy—was set to be memorable for all! The gala committee of Abbi Hertz, Natalie McAdams, Jesse Aldana, Angela Arnold, and Tiffany Charles worked tirelessly preparing for a night of festivity and celebration, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thank you to all those who brought creative spirit to last year’s planning.

The gala will continue to be an important part of PS1 community events in the future—this special evening primarily benefits PS1’s financial aid endowment, supporting our commitment to pluralism, a dedication to diversity and inter-connectedness in both our community and our curriculum.

Fund a Need While there was no Raise the Paddle for financial aid this year, a few families rallied to raise over $30,000 for this important cause. Our heartfelt thanks to them for going above and beyond—we are grateful to you!

Eric Beale and Jennifer Kalish Reagan Feeneay and Richard Levine Billie and Steven Fischer Jeff and Nadene Haines Jason and Jessica Schwarz David Shao and Hanna Shin

Evening Basketball Group A proud group of PS1 parents and friends gather weekly to play basketball in the school’s Multi Purpose Room (MPR). This year, this group rallied a group gift to help with the semi-annual maintenance of the MPR floor.

We are grateful to this group for their shared spirit of sportsmanship and enthusiasm for PS1. Below is this list of donors who collectively came together to support our community.

PS1 Wednesday Hoops is a venerable weekly basketball game in the school’s Multi-Purpose Room (MPR)—which the group has lovingly dubbed The PS1 Pavilion. Parents, alumni parents and special friends from the community are grateful for the school’s vision of an inclusive, constructive, and always pluralistic night of competition on our mercifully short full court. Out of gratitude to PS1, the Wednesday players came together to support our community and cover the semi-annual maintenance of the MPR floor. We are grateful to this group for their shared spirit of sportsmanship and their enthusiasm for PS1.

Robin Acutt Shayne Anderson Shannon Booher Philip Bruno Scott Chamberlin Alex Cohn Bernard Eshel Russell Hainline DeMille Halliburton Lloyd Handler

David Hanley Steven Heller Gus Koven Dan Leib Assaf Lotan Mark Rizzo Palek Shah David Shao Nicholas Toren Justin Wei

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mercury Mailing Systems Inc.

1225 Broadway Santa Monica CA 90404 www.psone.org

Thank You to a Former PS1 Teacher ELIZABETH BAER SEIFFER & TODD SEIFFER

Elizabeth, Todd, Dylan and Mason

Connect With Us! CMYK / .eps

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram: #PS1inspired Network with us on Linkedin Contains post-consumer recycled material

Thanks to a generous grant from a former PS1 teacher and dear friends of the school, PS1 was able to fund the purchase and supplies of a WeDo 2.0 Robotics Cart for use in the Studio space.

This program was inspired by the Seiffer family’s desire to recognize the special role PS1 played early on in Elizabeth’s teaching career and its focus on progressive education. The generous grant made last year will be supported over a three-year period. In addition to igniting students’ natural desire to explore and discover computer programming, this program will also teach Bridge, Middles and Olders students to code built on Next Generation Science Standards. Just this past year, guests at Cocktails and Creativity were able to engage and learn with this new system—it was a wonderful learning experience for all! We are very grateful to Elizabeth and Todd for this generous Major Gift.

What I remember the most about my time at PS1, aside from the amazing relationships formed, was the incredible freedom we had as teachers to make learning fun and engaging and create curriculum that fostered that. It allowed me to use my creativity and passion for teaching/curriculum to create lessons that felt meaningful, engaging, exciting, and worthwhile.

—Elizabeth Baer Seiffer

2019–20 Advancement Team

50TH ANNIVERSARY

Alan Ball, Director of Advancement Tina Andrews, Development Manager Jim Bowers, Director of I.T. Avery Breuer, Business and Development Assistant Evelyn Cazún, Associate Director of Admissions Beth Kemp, Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations Amanda Perla, Director of Communications and Marketing

As PS1 readies for its 50th Anniversary Celebration in the 2021–22 school year, plans are currently underway for this landmark time in our history. Community, Connection and Commemoration are the three pillars of this celebratory year.

If you would like to be of assistance or learn more about how to get involved, email Celebrate50@psone.org. Reunion events, social media, archives, campus celebration and more—assistance is welcome from all!