Tisa Habas, Advancement Associate for Alumni Relations & Events
Beth Kemp, Director of Admissions
Amanda Perla, Director of Communications and Marketing
David Ramos, I.T. Manager
In This Issue
PAGE 2
Head’s Column
PAGE 4
Report on Philanthropy
PAGE 22
Professional Development
PAGE 24
Class of 2024 Graduation
PAGE 32
GP&SF Day
PAGE 34
Year in Review
THE PERISCOPE
Volume 34, Number3
Editor: Amanda Perla Alan Ball
Designer: David Mellen Design
PS1 Pluralistic School 1225 Broadway Santa Monica CA 90404 (310) 394-1313 (310) 395-1093 fax
Head’s Column
As a Pluralistic school, we help people to find their voice by understanding, respecting, and welcoming the individual differences that come together to make us a vibrant community.
At PS1, we believe that many voices build a better world, and in this edition of the Periscope, you have an opportunity to hear from many voices. Those voices represent both the incredible patchwork of diversity that is an identifying feature of PS1 as well as all the work we do in helping all members of our community find their voice. As a Pluralistic school, we help people to find their voice by understanding, respecting, and welcoming the individual differences that come together to make us a vibrant community. We know that it takes all of us to reach toward our vision, which we will do together with the guiding light of our revised mission and values.
As we reflect on the 2023–24 school year and look ahead to the years to come, I want to thank you for your participation in the Strategic Vision process, a collaborative effort in which many of our community members played an integral role. Together, we embarked on a journey of introspection and planning for the future of our school. Through this process, we delved deep into the qualities that define PS1 strengths, explored areas for growth and development, and identified key strategic opportunities that will guide us in the years to come.
In these pages you will find the story of our continued growth and the first steps on our second half century as a leader in elementary education. As you read, you will see that within all the new, there is so much about PS1 that should never change. We will always believe that we are stronger when we come together in community, that together we can create a better world, and that it is the responsibility of a great elementary school to develop the tools, skills, and strong sense of self needed for students to soar in middle school and beyond.
And, of course, none of this is possible without all of you. We are so incredibly grateful to all of you for the loving care that you give to PS1 and all the ways that you support us to do our essential work, from your philanthropic gifts, to showing up at events, to leaning in to difficult conversations, to sharing the word of the PS1 magic to friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Together with our alumni, their families, and our cherished past board members, you help create a vibrant community that fuels our mission. Thank you for working together to realize our shared vision for PS1 each and every day.
Susannah Wolf, Head of School
Message From Our Board Chairs
Dear PS1 Community,
As we head into the 2024-2025 school year, we have many reasons to celebrate. Last year, we welcomed Head of School Susannah Wolf who worked closely with faculty and staff to enhance our academic program. Under her leadership, we completed a community-wide Strategic Planning effort to identify significant areas of growth and opportunity to help PS1 achieve its full potential for years to come, as well as updated our shared Mission, Vision and Values to guide and inspire us in school and beyond. We improved our facilities, including the opening of an allnew and highly anticipated playground on the Euclid yard, and we even “Glowed Wild” together in support of tuition assistance at the annual Spring Fundraiser. And so much more.
None of the foregoing would be possible of course without you— generously giving your time, talent and financial support—to enable PS1 to offer the best education opportunities for its students, faculty and staff. As tuition dollars do not fully cover the cost of the PS1 experience, the only way we can strengthen our financial foundation and advance our mission to spark curious and critical thinkers who confidently contribute to their communities, is with the participation of every member of our community. Parents, Alumni, Alumni Parents, Former Board, Grandparents and all community members—we thank you.
On behalf of the PS1 Board of Directors, we sincerely appreciate the Annual Fund co-chairs and volunteers who worked to support fundraising efforts by reaching out to their peers and explaining the importance of annual giving. We are also grateful to our fellow Board members and to the leadership, faculty and staff for their passion and dedication to strengthening the future of PS1.
In the coming year, we eagerly anticipate celebrating many more successes alongside all of you. In support of our Strategic Plan, PS1 will roll-out a new math curriculum to make our students “mathematicians at work”, a Spanish language program to ensure our children are global citizens in an increasingly connected world and smaller, and more consistent class sizes across all grade levels. We invite all of you to support the Annual Fund to increase the meaningful impact each of us has on PS1 and our students.
With gratitude,
Anna Reyna, 2023/24 Board Chair
Hailey ’16, James ’22 and Allison ’26
Jenefer Brown, 2024/25 Board Chair Spencer ’25 and Parker ’28
Anna Reyna, 2023/24 Board Chair
Jenefer Brown, 2024/25 Board Chair
2023/24 Board of Directors
Nisreen Al-Bassam
Halina Avery
Josh Berger ’90
Jenefer Brown
Yehudi Gaffen
Rosalia Ibarrola
Jeffrey Inaba
Mychal Johnson
Elizabeth Kendall
Tawny Laskar
Anna Reyna
Jason Schwarz
Kerri Speck
Stacey Staples
Mike Tatum
Heather Turner
Bryan Wolff
Eric Zabinski
2023/24 Committees & Sub-Committee Members
Administration & Finance
Bryan Wolff, Chair
Budget Subcommittee
Bryan Wolff, Chair
Nisreen Al-Bassam
Elizabeth Kendall
Eric Zabinski
Audit Advisory Subcommittee
Jason Schwarz, Chair
Tyler Fenelon
Bryan Wolff
Comp & Benefits
Advisory Subcommittee
Bryan Wolff, Chair
Halina Avery
Mike Egner
Hyosung Kang
Investment Management
Advisory Subcommittee
Alexander Kendall, Chair
Alex DeFeo
Rob Eloff
Adrian Fairbourn
Bryan Wolff
Risk Management
Advisory Subcommittee
Toby Kennedy, Chair
Eric Zabinski
Advancement
Stacey Staples, Chair
Halina Avery
Jenefer Brown
Yehudi Gaffen
Jeffrey Inaba
Kerri Speck
Bryan Wolff
Executive
Anna Reyna, Board Chair & Executive Committee Chair
Jenefer Brown, Vice Chair
Rosalia Ibarrola, Secretary
Bryan Wolff, Treasurer
Strategic Planning Subcommittee
Jenefer Brown, Chair
HOS Evaluation,
Support & Success Subcommittee
Josh Berger, Chair
Mychal Johnson
Tawny Laskar
Anna Reyna
Stacey Staples
Governance
Nisreen Al-Bassam and Elizabeth Kendall, Co-Chairs
Jenefer Brown
Anna Reyna
Eric Zabinski
Buildings & Grounds
Mike Tatum, Chair
Yehudi Gaffen
Jeffrey Inaba
Real Estate
Advisory Subcommittee
Mike Tatum, Chair
Yehudi Gaffen
Jeffrey Inaba
Anna Reyna
Jeremy Rogers
Kerri Speck
BJ Turner
Heather Turner
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Rosalia Ibarrola and Tawny Laskar, Co-Chairs
Josh Berger
Mychal Johnson
Elizabeth Kendall
Anna Reyna
Kerri Speck
Welcome, new Board members!
Michelle An joined the Board in 2024, with one child at PS1. Michelle is President of Interscope Geffen A&M and Head of Visual Creative at the record label, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Michelle has been at IGA for nearly 18 years working with some of the world’s biggest music artists including Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dr. Dre and Eminem. Michelle oversees the A&R, Marketing, Digital and Visual Creative verticals of the label. Michelle has been named one of Billboard’s Women in Music for multiple years in a row, has been recognized as a Variety Hitmaker, and is a 5-time GRAMMY nominated producer. She is also a member of the Producer’s Guild of America. Michelle is a Chicago-native with a B.A. from Northwestern University.
James Hicks joined the Board in 2024 and has one and soon to be two children who attend PS1. James is the Managing Director and Head of Studio at venture studio Science Inc. where he has incubated and operated several startups including Dollar Shave Club, FameBit (sold to Google), Liquid Death, Mindset Care and Final Boss Sour. James has helped these businesses raise over $1B in Venture Capital. James has a B.A. in Economics from Trinity College and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Business.
Tony Lewis joined the Board in 2024, and he and his wife Heidi have two children at PS1. Tony is a partner at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP where he is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group and its Criminal Defense and Investigations Group, and cohead of its National Security Practice and Cybersecurity Practice. He was previously a federal prosecutor in the National Security Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California. Tony received his B.S. from Yale University in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and History of Art, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Elizabeth Redman joined the Board in 2024 and has one child who attends PS1. Liz is a research scientist at the national Center for Research, Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST) in the School of Education at UCLA. Her research interests include STEM education, educational games, assessment design, and program evaluation. As a former teacher, she also has an interest in teachers’ professional development and learning. Liz received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Education from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. She also earned a degree in Classics from Princeton University.
Departing Board Members:
Josh Berger ’90, 4 years
Jason Schwarz, 5 years
Mike Tatum, 12 years
Heather Turner, 6 years
Finding my voice through …
Mission
Zaahir Syed joined the Board in 2024 and has two children who attend PS1. Zaahir is a Senior Managing Director and the U.S. Co-Head of Sera Private Funds Group at CBRE Investment Banking where he is responsible for advising real estate operators and managers on capital sourcing strategies, vehicle structuring and equity placement. Zaahir was previously a co-Founder of Sera Global, which was acquired by CBRE in October 2023. Zaahir holds a B.S. from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Gabe Zaldivar joined the Board in 2024 and has two children who attend PS1. Gabe is a sports editor at USA TODAY, managing the national sports trending team, which elevates the most important stories of the day while reaching new audiences. He has bylines across Bleacher Report, Forbes.com, and Huffington Post, among other publications, and has appeared on CNN as well as KCRW. He previously served as the managing editor of a multicultural vertical within the Sports Illustrated Media Network that highlighted underrepresented communities. Gabriel holds a B.A from the University of California at Berkeley.
When we were looking at elementary schools for our child, PS1 resonated with us because of its mission to nurture its students to become who they are uniquely meant to be by supporting them to find their own voice. Now as parents of an alum, we have seen how the school has delivered on that promise. This summer, our freshly graduated PS1 alum decided to apply for a weeklong entrepreneurship bootcamp for 7-12th graders at his new school. He relished the opportunity to collaborate with a group on creating a pitch that culminated in a shark tank-style competition, complete with rapid fire Q&A from experienced adult investors. Seeing our child’s confidence and comfort on the stage, we could not help but to be grateful to PS1 for its understanding that many voices build a better world.
Elizabeth and Alexander Kendall Henry ’24
“We could not help but to be grateful to PS1 for its understanding that many voices build a better world.”
Annual Fund Co-Chair Letter
Dear PS1 Families, Alumni, and Friends,
As the 2023-24 Annual Fund Co-Chairs, we wanted to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire PS1 community for another incredibly successful Annual Fund campaign. This gratitude is two-fold: We are deeply thankful for the community’s generous donations as well as all the families who supported the effort by volunteering their time.
We are one of the only schools who gets our annual fundraiser done quickly—and with 100% participation. This signals the community’s unyielding commitment to the school and our mission, our teachers and staff, and our kids. As the world continues to become increasingly complex, we are ever grateful to PS1’s commitment to ensure that each one of our children develops the critical academic and emotional skills required to become confident leaders, compassionate citizens, and powerful contributors to the global community.
As you all know, the Annual Fund is a critical part of PS1’s annual budget—our collective philanthropy fills a budget line item that supports the day-to-day operations of PS1. The school counts on our generosity to support the school our kids know and love. The Annual Fund also enables the school to stretch and grow. The 2023-24 Annual Fund enabled many critical investments for PS1’s future, which include:
• The introduction of a world language program, specifically Spanish, for the 2024 school year
• The addition of a 10th classroom, allowing for more individualized instruction for Olders students
• Professional development opportunities for every teacher and staff member on campus
• Enhanced learning spaces of all specialists, including a new shaded outdoor art awning
• Ongoing assistance in attracting and retaining an incredible and dedicated teaching team
In the fall of 2023, we asked you to join us in supporting Our Kids. Our School. Our Future. Each of you answered the call. As you read through this year’s Report on Philanthropy, we hope you’re inspired by the dynamism and dedication of the PS1 community and its devotion to our kids—and by extension, our collective future.
Warmest regards,
Elise Loehnen Fissmer, Max ’25 and Sam ’28
Kelli Mahoney Johnson, Keegan ’25
Kelli Mahoney Johnson
Elise Loehnen Fissmer
PS1 Philanthropy
2023/24
This past year’s Annual Fund volunteer team was led by current parents Elise Loehnen Fissmer (P’28 & ’25) and Kelli Johnson (P’25). We are grateful to Elise and Kelli 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.
PS1 Annual Fund Solicitation Letter
Authors:
Current Parents:
Alan Ball
Susannah Wolf
Grandparents:
Alan Ball
Alumni Parents, Former Board, Alumni & Special Friends:
Tina Andrews
Alan Ball
Tisa Habas
PS1 Annual Fund Committee:
Nisreen Al-Bassam
Jason Barrett
Emma Bing
Jenefer Brown
Ben Buadu
Jonathan Chu
Dominique Dawkins
Brian Doolittle
Zoe and Adrian Fairbourn
Rosita Medina-Farag
Lauren Ferrari
Elise Loehnen Fissmer
Anna Gordon
Jennifer Humphrey
Rosalia Ibarrola
Kelli Johnson
HK Kang
Jamie Keeton
Elizabeth Kendall
Tawny Laskar
Liz Leknickas
John Lima
Brad Meyers
Stephanie Moustakas
Richard Raymond
Ann Rogers
Gabrielle Rose
Hanna Shin
Tia Shung
Kerri Speck
Stacey Staples
Wendy Sugarman
Plummy Tucker
Spencer Tyler
Benjamin Wallfisch
Bryan Wolff
Parents, Alumni, Board and Former Board members, Alumni Parents, Grandparents and more allow for us to be and do our best. We are grateful to all for their kindness and generosity. This year, we had tremendous support of both the Annual Fund as well as the PS1 Tuition Assistance Endowment. Total support of the past fiscal year is reflected below:
Key to Support Levels:
5+ years since first gift to PS1
10+ years since first gift to PS1
25+ years since first gift to PS1
Participation
Family Finding my voice through …
The following lists represent a community committed to philanthropy at PS1. Support of the Annual Fund impacts all aspects of school operation — from opportunities in the classroom, to professional development for teachers and staff, to special moments that occur here on campus, and so much more.
PS1 Board Members
Nisreen Al-Bassam & Sami Rasromani
Halina Avery & Kimberley Stead
Josh Berger ’90 & Lauren Fujiu
Jenefer & Tony Brown
Yehudi & Pam Gaffen
Rosalia Ibarrola & Michael Egner
Jeffrey Inaba
Mychal & Valencia Johnson
Elizabeth & Alexander Kendall
Tawny & Adam Laskar
Anna & Jeff Reyna
Jason & Jessica Schwarz
Kerri Speck & Paul Marks
Stacey & Will Staples
Mike & Jenny Tatum
Heather & Richard Turner
Bryan & Melanie Wolff
Eric Zabinski & Xiaorong Dai
Current Parents
Anonymous (8)
Al-Bassam Rasromani Family
The Atik Family
Matthew & Megan Auron
Seth Baglin & Shayna Gaffen
Shane Barach & Jennifer Daly
Annalisa & Jason Barrett
Shannon & Lee Beale
Matthew J. Behr
Scott Bendar & Justine Kragen
Tracy & Adam Bromwich
The Brown Family
The Buadu Family
Victor Cachoua & Maria Lopez
The Caffrey-Ali Family
Jon Caligiuri & Melissa Cruise
Kim Campbell
Jesse Carlson & Jane Brodsky
Faustin Carter & Lauren Gregory
The Case Family
Marilyn & Chris Cazún
Finding my voice as a PS1 mother is a journey driven by the values my family holds dear to my heart. It’s important for me to encourage open communication and create a safe space where my children feel heard and valued, allowing us all to learn and grow together. The PS1 community plays a vital role in this process; by connecting with other families, I gain diverse perspectives that enhance my own parenting approach. What I find most fulfilling from being a part of the PS1 community is witnessing my children’s growth and development while being part of a supportive network that encourages collective learning and resilience. Ultimately, my hopes for my family revolve around nurturing strong bonds, instilling a sense of curiosity, and embracing the beauty of our shared experiences as we navigate our PS1 journeys together.
Dominique Dawkins Mikel ’29 and Malia ’25
“Finding my voice as a PS1 mother is a journey driven by the values my family holds dear.”
Participation 2023/24 PS1 Philanthropy
(Current Parents continued)
Christopher Chang
The Chibane Family
Chloe Choi & Hyosung Kang
Lynda & Jonathan Chu
Graeme Craven & Vanessa Chow
Sharon Dai & Eric Zabinski
Orissa & Jurgen Davila
Jad & Jessica Dayeh
The DeFeo Family
Kim & Marco DeGeorge
Ortavia Manning-Dixon & Ebson Dixon
Susan & Brian Doolittle
Joanna & Andy Edstrom
Nicole & Robert Eloff
Caroline & Marco Escalante
Kayla & Matt Estrada
Zoe & Adrian Fairbourn
Rosita & Sharif Farag
Emily & James Farrell
Leila & Tyler Fenelon
Lauren & Dominique Ferrari
Elise Loehnen Fissmer & Rob Fissmer
Daijhanae Flonnoy
Oleg Fokov & Nadia Fokova
The Frazier Family
Andrew Fried & Kristin Martin
Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker & Andy Galker
Henry Giddings
Anna & Steven Gordon
Julie Grosman & Megan Fenner
ChangSheng Guo & Yong Qi
Mitsu Hadeishi & Jungmin Nam
Brandon Hall & Jessica Foster
Amer Hamdan & Leen Kawas
The Hicks Family
The Highley Family
Karalyn & Stuart Holden
Laurel Hubert
Jennifer & Mark Humphrey
Vivian & Phillip Hyun
Rosalia Ibarrola & Michael Egner
Jeffrey Inaba
Kelli & Tyler Johnson
The Jordan Family
Bridget Kanashige
Terry Kanashige
Beth & Chris Kemp
Elizabeth & Alexander Kendall
Breana & Tobias Kennedy
Lisa & Hans Kim
The Koo Family
Aly Kourouma
Heidi Krilanovich & Anthony Lewis
Michelle Kroes & Matthew Lennon
The Kukes Riege Family
Amanda ’ 95 & Steve Lane
Jose & Niya Larios
The Laskar Family
Andrew Lavengood & Tania Sew Hoy
The Leknickas Family
Paul Lieberstein & Janine Poreba
Caroline Lindqvist
The Lis Family
David Mackenzie & Hazel Mall
The Malik-Syed Family
The Margaziotis Family
Aashini Master & Spandan Daftary
Keith & Michelle Megna
Golnaz & Kourosh Melamed
Brad & Gina Meyers
The Morikawa Family
Michael & Stephanie Moustakas
Keith Muenze & Jamie Keeton
Chauncey Nichols & Jennifer Kane
Amelia & Jason Ning
Edward Nomoto & Jenica Ryu
Victoria & Lawrence O’Flahavan
Amber Ojuri
Mike & Shannon Parry
Gretchen Patch
Hema Patel & Lawrence Sher
Amanda Perla & Josh Gelfand
Devin & Teresa Pitts
Sharat Raju & Valarie Kaur
Amanda Rawls
Nousha Salimi Raymond & Richard Raymond
The Redman Family
Anna & Jeffrey Reyna
Jeremy Rogers & Ann Singhakowinta
Paul & Hellen Rollens
Gabrielle Rose
Brick & Erica Rucker
Jason & Jessica Schwarz
Chris & Emily Seet
The Sharafi Family
Matt Sherman & Gina Kelly
Hanna Shin & David Shao
Elaine & Alex Shing
Aigerim Shorman & Davide Di Cillo
Tia Shung
The Silver Family
The Skapars Family
Eugenie & Oliver Smith
Stephen & Jennifer Smyth
Kerri Speck & Paul Marks
Sal & Kimberly Stabile
The Staples Family
Aaron & Amanda Stein
Brandon & Shaula Stephenson
Regina & Michael Stevens
Steen Strand & Andrea Robinson
Wendy & Matt Sugarman
Ke & Adam Swaab
Carolina & Norman Thompson
Melva Thompson & Freddie Hollins
Fredy Toco Ayala & Liliana Tello Dardon
Omar Torrez & Masha Tsiklauri
Dominic Tremblay & Ludwig Ciupka
The Trucksess Lima Family
The Truino Family
Jennifer & Jack Tsai
Plummy Tucker & Mario Ontal
Laurel & BJ Turner
Jennifer & Spencer Tyler
Staci & Jonathan Verk
Sabina von Munk & Krishna Moran
Ashley Wade & Ryan Schmidt
Benjamin & Missy Wallfisch
Nancy Wamai
The Wax Family
Donna Weiss & Lorin Vogel
Darien Williams
Deneise Williams & Reuben Smiley
Melanie & Bryan Wolff
Julie Wu & Eugene Chu
Gabriel Zaldivar & Melissa Martinez-Zaldivar
Faculty and Staff
Anonymous (2)
Lucia Alcantara-Chibane
Tina Andrews
Alan Ball
Milica Bison
Meghan Brtnik
Evelyn Cazún
Kayla Estrada
Shabnam Fasa
Holly Frazier
Deirdre Gainor
Christina García
Carlos Gonzalez
Kelly Gresalfi
Tisa Habas
LiAnne Hall
TJ Harney
Billy Huynh
Gina Jang
Nicolina Karlsson
Beth Kemp
Bonnie Koo
Chris Kuzina
Luke Lutz
Bree Miller
Genevieve Mow
Noelle Orsini
Pedro Ortega
Amanda Perla
Rufina Piche
David Ramos
Leslie Rayos
Justin Rodriguez ’ 14
David Salamanca
Eva Salamanca
Brad Shimada
Danielle Simantob
Sunny Sterling
Maren Storvick
Holly Swope
Melva Thompson
Michael Tovar
John Waldman
Susannah Wolf
McKendree Yeager
Madeline Zardoya
Grandparents and Special Friends
Hong Chan An & Im Soon An
Rhodes ’ 26
Patricia Auron
Elliot ’30 & Liana ’ 27
Mirian Ayala & Edgar Toco
Sarai ’ 29
Friederike K. Biggs
Eleanor ’ 25 & Fred ’ 23
Judge & Dolly Brar
Kavi ’ 27
Marc Cruise
Isadora ’ 28
Susan DeFeo
Olive ’28 & Georgica ’ 26
Sherry Ellms
Carolyn Endo-Tenorio
Makoa ’30 and Makenna ’31
Shabnam Fasa
Linda Fenner
Cole ’30
Billie & Steven Fischer
Elio ’ 20 & Ian ’ 19
Marianne & Randy Frankel
Daniel ’ 97
Pam & Yehudi Gaffen
Wiley ’ 28
Carol Ann Heath-Baglin & Gary Heath
Wiley ’ 28
Diane Heller
Rose ’ 27
Mychal & Valencia Johnson
Glenda & Hiro Kanashige
Ruby ’ 26 & Darien ’ 23
Jo Ann & Charlie Kaplan
Eli ’ 16
Diane & Douglas Keep
Everly ’ 26
Richard Kendall & Lisa See
Henry ’ 24
The Founders Fund for Educational Pluralism
In celebration of PS1 Pluralistic School’s 50th Anniversary in the 2021-22 school year, the Board of Directors established The Founders Fund for Educational Pluralism. We are grateful to the following families for their ongoing support of this Fund.
Abbi Hertz and David Krauss
Anna and Jeffrey Reyna
Laurie and Michael Seplow
Eric Zabinski and Xiaorong Dai
2023/24 PS1 Annual Fund
Participation
(Grandparents and Special Friends, continued)
Nancy & David Kinzler
Mick ’30 & Mila ’ 29
Judith Larsen
Lado ’ 27
Judy & Stan Lieberstein
Henry ’ 27 & Clara ’ 22
Susan & Michael Mahoney
Keegan ’ 25
Diane Marder
Hugo ’ 21 & Esme ’ 18
Lindy Masters
Everly ’ 26
Francisco Medina, Salma ’ 29
Heidi & Erik Murkoff
Sebastien ’31 & Lennox ’ 25
Carol & Gene Pantuck
Alex ’ 10 & Morgan ’ 07
Eleanor & Joel Pelcyger
Finn ’ 16 & Isabella ’ 13
Abbie & Howard Perttula
Eero ’ 27, Isla ’ 23, Allie ’ 22, Mia ’ 20
Anna ’ 18, Lukas ’ 18, Jonah ’ 16
Tavi ’ 89, Josh ’ 80 & Karine ’ 78
Ken & Chris Reinhard
Wyatt ’ 29
Evelyn Rivera
Cruz ’30
Gayleen Roit
Etty ’30
Cinzia Romoli
Jesse ’ 26
Regina Maria Rose
Annabelle ’ 26
Abe & Mary Sanchez
Eleanor ’ 25 & Fred ’ 23
Barbara & Kenneth Seplow
Daniel ’ 13 & Rachel ’ 11
Joseph & Marie Serra
Millie ’31, Penelope ’ 28 & Conrad ’ 26
Betty & Andrew Sew Hoy
Evie ’ 28
Danone & Mark Simpson
Keaton ’31 & Kaius ’ 28
Samantha & Mark Sirota
Anthony Skapars
Etty ’30
Delphie & Chris Stockwell
Ernest ’30, Auberon ’ 27 & Inigo ’ 25
James & Lila Thorsen
Damien ’ 27 & Noemi ’ 24
Priscilla Tucker
Diego ’ 24
Esther Watkins
Geoffrey & Linda Williams
Attila ’ 29 & Otto ’ 25
Leland Williams
Teo ’ 26 & Isabella ’ 22
Quay & Timothy Wolfe
Zeppelin ’ 28 & Westley ’ 25
Anita & Anthony Zaldivar
Diego ’31 & Gabriel ’ 29
Alumni Parents
Anonymous (3)
Peter & Kelli Abraham
Sadie ’ 12 & Gavin ’ 10
Tina Andrews
Makai ’ 10
Halina Avery & Kimberley Stead
Halina ’ 23
Raymond Bakaitis
Daniel ’ 97
Susan Baskin & Richard Gerwitz
William ’ 02 & Charlotte ’ 99
Marné & Kurt Boulware
Jason ’ 21
Julie Cantor & Ken Baum
Eze ’ 20
Paul Carpenter & Beth Kahn
Audrey ’ 23
Evelyn Cazún
Justin ’ 14
Ryan & Karen Craig
Henry ’ 22
Laurie & Rudy Ekstein
Jessica ’ 02
Reagan Feeney
Zoe ’ 21
Lauren & Austin Fite
Aidan ’ 09 & Lexi ’ 05
Richard Gabriel & Kay Seymour-Gabriel
Griffin ’ 18, Lily ’ 13 & Emma ’ 07
Deirdre Gainor & Brenda Goodman
Brandon ’ 94
Chris Gerolmo
Julia ’16, Samantha ’ 16 & Frank ’ 14
LiAnne Hall
Keith ’ 10, Avery ’ 06 & Haley ’ 05
Buzz Harris
Griffin ’ 04 & Justin ’ 98
Hugh Harrison & Ann Haskins
Nicole ’ 99
Heidi Hendrix & Ken Wimer
Lily ’ 25 & Jonah ’ 22
Pauline & Bill Henry
Nicholas ’ 97 & Paul ’ 94
Andi & Scott Holtzman
Madelyn ’ 09
Jon & Susan Hyman
Alexander ’ 17 & Isabelle ’ 16
Beryle Jackson
Eve ’ 14
Rob Jacobs & Ann Gentry
Walker ’ 15 & Halle ’ 11
Britt Johansson & Jeremiah Knight
Oliver ’ 22
Jennifer Kalish
Eian ’ 21
Loren Kaplan & Scott Packer
Eli ’ 16
Jalal Kazemitabar & Nastaran Bassamzadeh Ali ’ 22
David Krauss & Abbi Hertz
Judah ’ 23 & Mara ’ 23
Fred & Paula Kuhns
Samuel ’ 11 & Abigail ’ 09
Robert Levine & Gili Meerovitch
Perry ’ 05
Tessa Lydic
Nylah ’ 23
Robin & Greg Maya
Louly ’ 08 & Nick ’ 02
Linda & David Michaelson
Aidan ’ 18 & Delaney ’ 14
Nancy & Steve Mindel
Jake ’ 09 & Sam ’ 05
John & Lizzie Murray
Calvin ’ 17 & Violet ’13
Priya & Sanjay Nambiar
Miya ’ 19 & Uma ’ 19
Pedro Ortega
Izabel ’ 17
Abbie & Howard Perttula
Eero ’ 27, Isla ’ 23, Allie ’ 22, Mia ’ 20
Anna ’ 18, Lukas ’ 18, Jonah ’ 16, Tavi ’ 89
Josh ’ 80 & Karine ’ 78
Kimberly & Joshua ’ 80 Perttula
Allie ’ 22, Anna ’ 18 & Jonah ’ 16
Emily Procter & Paul Bryan
Pippa ’ 23
Steve Reymer & Christy Full
Amanda ’ 11
Jennine Rodriguez & Scott Hevesy
Jacinda ’ 18 & Marcus ’ 16
Maggie & Mort Rosenfeld
Daniel ’ 97 & Andrew ’ 94
Judy Ross
Caitlin & Shelly
Eva Salamanca
Michelle ’ 14 & Matthew ’ 12
Rae Sanchini & Bruce Tobey
Jack ’ 13, William ’ 10 & Dominique ’ 09
Aletta J. Schaap
Adrian ’ 96 & Alexander
Laurie & Michael Seplow
Daniel ’ 13 & Rachel ’ 11
Kate Seton & Gil Seton, Jr.
Bodhi ’ 19
Vicky Shorr & John Perkins
Fofy ’ 95 & Sidney ’ 93
Finding my voice through …
Involvement
Ian & Rochelle Siegel
James ’ 20 & Charlotte ’ 16
Evan & Bria Silbert
Graham ’ 96
Sharon Stanley & Sky Hansen
Haley ’ 18 & Maya ’ 18
Robin & Leslie Stevens
Liam ’ 08
Sam Surloff & Joanne Van Emburgh
Emily ’ 09
Holly Swope
Charlie ’ 17 & Lucy ’ 15
Hana Ogawa Sziraki & Kyle Sziraki
Kyler ’ 23
The Tatum Family
Violet ’ 21, William ’ 18 & Dylan ’ 16
Wendi & Stephen Trilling
Joe ’ 18 & Max ’ 18
Heather & Richard Turner
Montgomery ’ 23
Liz & John Waldman
Melina ’ 13 & Louis ’ 11
Alan Wertheimer
Molly ’ 02 & Harley ’ 99
Sharon Wertheimer
Molly ’ 02 & Harley ’ 99
Susan Williams & Steven Poster
Rachel ’ 00
Matching and Organizational Gifts
Apple Inc.
Lisa & Hans Kim
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Kelli & Tyler Johnson
Boston Scientific Employee Giving
Amelia & Jason Ning
ECOLAB
Francisco Medina
Good Box Organics
Samantha & Mark Sirota
Netflix
Andrea Robinson & Steen Strand
Oklahoma City Community Foundation
Elizabeth Davis
The Refinery Creative
Christy Full & Steve Reymer
RMZ Community Giving Program
Caffrey-Ali Family
The Walt Disney Company
Josh Berger ’ 90, Lauren Fujiu, Reagan Feeney, Anna & Jeffrey Reyna
As for why I’m still involved, I guess you could say that as an alumni parent, a former trustee, and currently still a volunteer health advisor, I think it’s important to give back to the place where my children built a foundation of a love of learning. As Joel always said, the formative learning that takes place in elementary school is what happens at PS1 and will sustain children always, as they move forward in life. While that initially sounded counterintuitive to me, I have found it to be true. So, it is with my heart of gratitude that I continue to show my appreciation to the school. And, as people paid it forward for us when we arrived at PS1 many years ago, I want to continue to pay it forward for today’s families who are drawn to the school and share in the vision of instilling a love of learning.
Lauren Fite Aidan ’09 and Lexi ’05
“ I think it’s important to give back to the place where my children built a foundation of a love of learning.”
PS1 Mission Statement
How
PS1 Values
The guiding principles we hold dear:
Learn with joy
Children learn through unbridled curiosity, abundant questions, and opportunities to learn from failure. We embrace that spirit and understand learning journeys are not a means to an end, but one stage in lifelong exploration.
Discover your full self
Students need safe environments where they can develop self-awareness, responsibility, and connection. We cultivate open minds and hearts so every learner can embrace challenges as opportunities, lead with empathy, and thrive in a complex world.
Honor our lived experiences
Our individual identities unite and enrich us. We respect diverse strengths, talents, and experiences and seek to understand how we each show up in the world, knowing we are stronger because of our interactions.
Be part of something bigger
We encourage everyone to be part of something bigger than themselves, make connections, and see themselves as contributors to the PS1 community and the world beyond.
To learn more about our school, visit our website: www.psone.org
2023/24 Parents Guild
Dear PS1 Families,
As the 2024-2025 school year kicks off, we have some exciting news for you - just by having a child enrolled at PS1, you’re automatically a member of our robust Parents Guild! What is the Parents Guild you might be asking? Parents Guild is the organization through which, you guessed it, parents and guardians get involved in our amazing PS1 community. This happens in so many ways – building community among families, supporting our incredible teachers and faculty, building school spirit and supporting our local community; the sky is the limit.
In looking forward to another great school year, it only feels right to celebrate all the ways parents connected and made an impact last year. Cherished PS1 traditions organized by our parents last year included the beloved Book Fair, a Fall Festival attended by over 500 people, a wide variety of often sold out Party Books parties – including highly anticipated annual parties like Cal’s Game Night and new ones that are sure to become long standing traditions too. Parents truly “glowed wild” at our Annual Spring Fundraiser, made new friends at monthly Happy Hours, engaged with the children at Book Breakfasts, and much, much more. In addition to celebrating our Head of School Susannah Wolf’s first year at PS1, we welcomed “The New” last year with parent-led initiatives such as the return of the Book Share and a memorable Holiday Sing-A-Long (there may or may not have been snow).
As we look to this new school year, we are eager to see where our families lead us on this journey of community. In tandem with our exceptional staff and faculty, each of you plays a big part in making PS1 so special. Let us know what excites you and let’s make it happen together!
We are reachable by email at ps1pgeb@gmail.com and it’s never too late to fill out the volunteer interest form at www.psone.org/GetInvolved. We truly love hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Warmly,
Laurel Turner
Watson ’23, Bowen ’25 and Doanie ’26
Shayna Gaffen
Wiley ’28
PS1 Pluralistic School
Parents Guild Co-Chairs
Laurel Turner and Shayna Gaffen
Committee Chairs 2024
Shayna Gaffen, Co-Chair
Laurel Turner, Co-Chair
Sabina von Munk, Co-Chair
Chloe Choi
Melissa Cruise
Dominique Dawkins
Kim DeGeorge
Lauren Ferrari
Emily Farrell
Vivian Hyun
Jamie Keeton
Carmen Margaziotis
Keith Megna
Mario Ontal
Shannon Parry
Ann Rogers
Hanna Shin
Book Fair
Caroline Escalante, Vivian Hyun
Keith Megna, Stephanie
Moustakas, Janine Poreba
Communitee Coffees
Jamie Keeton & Keith Megna
Community Facebook
Coordinator
Shannon Parry
Day of Volunteer Coordinator
Courtney DeFeo-Gertler
Family Festival
Jamie Keeton & Amanda Rawls
First Day Coffee
Susan & Brian Doolittle
Hospitality
Courtney DeFeo-Gertler
Shayna Gaffen, Emily Farrell & Karalyn Holden
Library Support
Jenna Humphrey & Courtney DeFeo-Gertler
Lunch Delivery
Keith Megna & Ann Rogers
Networking Happy Hours
Chloe Choi, Gina Kelly
Soraya Kelly & Stefanie Truino
New Parent Liaison
Vanessa Chow & Heidi Krilanovich
One From the Heart
Jonathan Chu & Susan Doolittle
Party Book
Jenny Daly, Anna Gordon & Shannon Parry
School Spirit
Kim DeGeorge & Amanda Rawls
Spring Fundraiser
Emily Farrell, Lauren Ferrari
Shayna Gaffen & Wendy Sugarman
Staff Appreciation
Kim DeGeorge, Annie Koo
Emily Seet & Sabina von Munk
Staff Birthdays
Kim Campbell & Amelia Ning
Staff Gift Program
Carmen Magaziotis & Hanna Shin
Yearbook
Vanessa Chow & Melissa Cruise
Jenefer & Tony Brown
Kim Campbell
Christian & Marilyn Cazún
Soufiane Chibane & Lucia Alcantara-Chibane
Vanessa Chow & Graeme Craven
Jonathan & Lynda Chu
Jennifer Daly & Shane Barach
Kim & Marco DeGeorge
Joanna & Andrew Edstrom
Marcos & Caroline Escalante
Elise Loehnen Fissmer & Rob Fissmer
Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker & Andrew Galker
Anna & Steven Gordon
Vivian & Phillip Hyun
Rosalia Ibarrola & Michael Egner
Kelli & Tyler Johnson
Vanessa Kirianoff-Brown & Corey Brown
Annie Lee & Linn Koo
Victoria & Lawrence O’Flahavan
Mario Ontal & Plummy Tucker
Michael & Shannon Parry
Elizabeth & Andrew Redman
Jeremy Rogers & Ann Singhakowinta
Jessica & Jason Schwarz
Emily & Christopher Seet
Hanna Shin & David Shao
Kerri Speck & Paul Marks
Wendy & Matt Sugarman
Stefanie Truino
Jennifer & Jack Tsai
Darien Williams
Bryan & Melanie Wolff
Eric Zabinski & Xiaorong Dai
Head Room Parents
Chris Chang
Vanessa Chow
Melissa Cruise
Dominique Dawkins
Elise Loehnen Fissmer
Elizabeth Kendall
Gina Meyers
Gabrielle Rose
Hanna Shin
Stacey Staples
Emily Thompson
Class Field Trip & Social Coordinators
Michelle An Jenefer Brown
Jonathan Chu
Kim DeGeorge
Dominique Ferrari
Shayna Gaffen
Ally Hicks
Karalyn Holden
Jennifer Humphrey
Rosalia Ibarrola
Justine Kragen
Aashini Master
Rosita Medina-Farag
Keith Megna
Stephanie Moustakas
Keith Muenze
Tannaz Nikravesh-Galker
Shannon Parry
Hema Patel
Janine Poreba
Hellen Rollens
Shaula Stephenson
Masha Tsiklauri
Plummy Tucker
Darien Williams
2023/24 Parents Guild
Spring FUNdraiser
The PS1 community had a blast at the Annual Spring FUNdraiser on April 20th! Thanks to our fantastic parent volunteers and generous donors, we raised funds to support our Tuition Assistance Endowment, benefiting the entire PS1 family. This year’s “Let’s Glow Wild” theme lit up the night with excitement, friendship, and a whole lot of giving back. With over 325 Silent Auction items, an incredible LIVE Auction, and fun activities like the Glow Bar and face painting, the energy was off the charts, and the joy was contagious. But the highlight was seeing our PS1 families, teachers, and staff come together to support one another. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible!
Spring FUNdraiser Co-Chairs (pictured left to right) Emily Farrell, Lauren Ferrari, Shayna Gaffen and Wendy Sugarman.
Finding my voice through…
Volunteerism
Spring FUNdraiser Volunteers:
Tina Andrews
Seth Baglin
Alan Ball
Scott Bendar
Jane Brodsky
Tracy Bromwich
Jenefer Brown
Shannon Broyles
Benjamin Buadu
Joshua Caffrey
Kim Campbell
Evelyn Cazún
Chibane Family
Chloe Choi
Vanessa Chow
Jonathan Chu
Ludwig Ciupka
Trisha Cole
Melissa Cruise
Spandan Daftary
Orissa Davila
Courtney DeFeo
DeGeorge Family
Ortavia Dixon
Eloff Family
Caroline Escalante
Zoe & Adrian Fairbourn
James Farrell
Megan Fenner
Dominique Ferrari
Elise Loehnen Fissmer
Deirdre Gainor
Jen Gaynor
Henry Giddings
Anna & Steve Gordon
Lauren Gregory
Julie Grosman
Tisa Habas
Ally Hicks
Kelsey Hodgkin & Sam Highley
Karalyn Holden
Jennifer Humphrey
Mychal Johnson
Alison Jordan
Gina Kelly
Beth Kemp
Alex & Elizabeth Kendall
Breanna Kennedy
Yejin Kim
Justine Kragen
Heidi Krilanovich
Liz & Po Leknickas
Hazel Mall
Carmen Margaziotis
Michelle & Keith Megna
Gina Meyers
Melissa Navarro
Mario Ontal
Shannon Parry
Gretchen Patch
Hema Patel
Amanda Perla
Janine Poreba
Liz Redman
Anna Reyna
Jessica Schwarz
Virginia Seaman
Tania Sew Hoy
Sharafi Family
Aigerim Shorman
Eugenie Smith
Kerri Speck
Annie Spong
Stacey & Will Staples
Shaula Stephenson
Matt Sugarman
Amanda Tong
Dominic Tremblay
Stefanie Truino
Jennifer Tsai
Masha Tsiklauri
Laurel Turner
Staci & Jonathan Verk
John Waldman
Benjamin Wallfisch
Donna Weiss
Deneise Williams
Susannah Wolf
Volunteering at PS1 has truly been a heartwarming experience for our family, helping us feel deeply connected to the school’s close-knit community. We’ve met some of our closest friends through these moments, and it’s strengthened the bond within our own family as well. What we cherish most is being part of our children’s journeys, witnessing their growth and sharing in those precious memories together. During these moments we get to connect on a personal level with our kids’ inspiring and nurturing teachers and as well as other families in their classes and beyond. Volunteering has also given us a chance to find our voice within the school, empowering us to contribute in meaningful ways, and help PS1’s parent community grow stronger. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know we’re making a difference, and it deepens our connection to this wonderful community.
Lauren and Dominique Ferrari Harrison ’27 and Eleanor ’31
“Volunteering has also given us a chance to find our voice within the school.”
Professional Development
As our educators continue to explore, learn, and grow, we are always thinking about evolving our program. This year, we also recognized the need for a term that reflects the innovative experiences we’re providing for our students. To better capture the essence of our integrated approach, we’ve redefined our traditional subjects of Social Studies, Science, Social Justice, History, and Environmental Studies under a new umbrella: Community and Environment. You will see this term represented in the following overview! Read on to learn about this and additional exciting updates to the PS1 curriculum.
Deirdre
Gainor, Director of Teaching & Learning
Innovative Approaches to Social Studies Education: Insights from the Institute for Imaginative Inquiry
For the past few summers, several PS1 teachers have had the unique opportunity to delve into innovative pedagogical methods at the Institute for Imaginative Inquiry. This year, PS1 is thrilled to be incorporating Imaginative Inquiry into our Community and Environment curriculum in all of our classes and clusters. Our entire faculty gathered together in June to delve deeper into this approach led by facilitators from the Institute.
The core of the training revolved around a creative pedagogical method that integrates drama into the curriculum to help students engage deeply with historical and social concepts. Imaginative Inquiry immerses students in an imaginative context where they assume roles of experts—such as climatologists, city planners, or architectural renovators. This method allows students to explore complex issues and historical narratives through active participation and problem-solving.
A prime example of Imaginative Inquiry’s application is the “Mantle of the Expert” approach. In this method, students take on collective roles and are tasked with solving real-world problems within an imaginary framework. For instance, in a project focused on California’s immigration history, students might assume the role of architectural renovators who discover a historic home slated for demolition. Inside the home, they find artifacts from diverse families who lived there over a century—each representing different waves of immigration and societal challenges. By engaging with these artifacts and the history they represent, students can explore city government, historical narratives, and social issues, all while developing critical skills in geography, writing, reading, and media literacy. The students are active participants in a community-based exploration of social change and historical significance.
The enthusiasm among our teachers to integrate these tools into their classrooms this year is palpable. The collaborative spirit fostered by the Institute encourages teachers to work together across different clusters, sharing their experiences and insights to enhance their students’ learning experiences. As they incorporate these imaginative techniques into their curricula, our teachers will continue to create dynamic, interactive experiences that resonate with students on multiple levels.
The excitement and commitment to applying these methods in our classrooms aligns with PS1’s philosophy, by using the creative process for deep exploration, complex thinking, and interactive challenges.
Finding my voice through…
Teaching
Contexts for Learning Mathematics
After much consideration and analysis, we have decided on Contexts for Learning Mathematics as our school-wide math curriculum. This is a comprehensive curriculum aligned with both the Common Core State Standards and a Cognitively Guided Instruction approach. It was built around author Cathy Fosnot’s developmental learning trajectories, which identify the most important big ideas, strategies, and models in mathematics.
This curriculum provides incredibly rich opportunities for students to see themselves as “mathematicians at work.” Their needs will be met and their learning will be extended no matter where they are on their math journey. Students will develop and demonstrate conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application through the carefully constructed lesson structure. They will investigate open and intriguing contexts from their lived world, and build fluency and automaticity through strings of related problems. Each classroom will split by grade level to engage in this work. Currently this curriculum is available for Kindergarten through 5th grade, with plans to extend to middle school in the near future. This year, our 6th grade students will continue to use Illustrative Mathematics, a curriculum also aligned with Common Core State Standards. Engaging students in rich, problem-based tasks, this curriculum sparks discussion and discovery. Its intentional lesson design promotes mathematical understanding and fluency for all students. Students learn by doing math, solving problems in mathematical and real-world contexts, and constructing arguments using precise language. We are confident that these curricula will be the best tools for teachers to deliver a robust mathematics program.
Faculty began the training process at work-weeks in June and August, and will continue throughout the 2024-2025 school year. This includes parents as well! We are excited to share with you times for families to come to campus this year to learn more about this curriculum and see it in action. We look forward to all the exploration and growth to come.
As a teacher, what matters most to me is creating an environment where students feel supported and inspired. My goal is to guide kids into curiosity and engagement, making learning a collaborative and dynamic fun experience. I strive to encourage them to think critically and creatively. To me, the most rewarding aspect of my work is witnessing their moments of realization. Seeing students grasp a new concept or gain confidence in their abilities reinforces the importance of patience, empathy, and personalized support in teaching. In addition, interacting daily with colleagues, parents, and students helps me understand how my approach resonates with others, and ensures that my own voice remains authentic.
Chris Kuzina, Director of Studio
“What matters most to me is creating an environment where students feel supported and inspired.”
Class of 2024
The Graduation Ceremony is a PS1 rite of passage. Each year, each graduate stands in front of parents, teachers, and fellow students to address the crowd. Olders teachers read individual honorings of each child in the form of Moving Up Day words, and our Head of School introduces each student with personal impressions. We were thrilled to host our ceremony under the oak tree on June 7, 2024. This experience was incredibly moving as the graduates shared their words of wisdom before heading off to middle school. These are brief excerpts from their speeches.
Portrait of a PS1 Pluralistic School Graduate
A PS1 GRADUATE IS:
SELF-AWARE
Demonstrates a strong sense of identity and resilience as an individual and a learner
RESPECTFUL
Exhibits kindness, consideration, and mindfulness of others
EXPRESSIVE
Confidently articulates thoughts, ideas, and emotions
INQUISITIVE
Eagerly satisfies curiosities and acquires new knowledge
COLLABORATIVE
Considers others’ ideas and points of view to deepen understanding
PROBLEM-SOLVING
Investigates problems, sets goals, and develops solutions encompassing multiple perspectives
CONNECTED
Balances needs of self and others; contributes meaningfully in community and society
PROACTIVE
Embraces responsibility to stand up to exclusion, prejudice, and injustice; advocates for change
PREPARED
Intrinsically motivated to meet the challenges of middle school and beyond
Class of 2024
Anaïs Rose Humphrey
I remember the first day back at school and being reunited with my friends. I learned so many new things that year and had so many dance parties. The year flew by so fast and just like that I was moving to Olders. Olders was a blast from working on the Boston Colony to asking Pedro if I could watch Chelsea games in the project room (Go, Chelsea!). But now I’m graduating. Realizing I’ll never be able to relive Youngers, never go back to that time. But now it’s time to start a new adventure.
I’ll always remember PS1 and the amazing memories from my time here. Thank you to my parents and teachers for helping me throughout the years, to my friends whom I’ve met along the way, and to my friends whom have been by my side since day one.
Arthur Mackenzie
I’m standing underneath this amazing oak tree thinking about the good times. The good times are pier jumping, and after getting a delicious hot chocolate in Crail, Scotland. The good times like playing with my Kenyan friends when I was living in Africa. Playing hidy-tig on Guy Fox Night and running for my life while my brother chased me because I ate some of his chocolate. Getting hit in the face with a sandball by random strangers at the beach. The time when I was screaming “Love is an Open Door” from frozen at the top of my lungs. These are good times.
Now I’m standing here not just thinking about the times in Scotland but the good times in America. Here at PS1, I have made so many friends, for life. And with this, it is time to say goodbye. “Thank You” to my friends who are bonkers, to my family who have always been there, and to my teachers who have helped me on my way. And I have one more thing to say, “Slay, the day away.”
Azumi Nomoto
Chapter Three, the final chapter of this story. This year starts off with reuniting with my fourth grade friends and meeting a few new friends. As grads in sixth grade, we all had more responsibilities. A great example was our Bake Sale to raise money for the grad gift of 2024. And, we had opportunities to be Grad Ambassadors by helping out with the tour for the new families. And for me I had the chance to be a part of the PS1 Community Service Group who organized the sock drive and made gifts for the unhoused and the animals at the animal shelter. We ended the year with performing another one of Shakespeare’s plays, Julius Caesar
And now we are on the last page of this book. It has been a fun, chaotic, and lively journey. I will never forget these incredible years at PS1. Although it’s sad to leave, I will keep these memories with me forever. And now that we are at the end of the last page, it means it is time to pick up and start a new book.
Brooke Laskar
Fourth grade was a year of discovery for you, that’s when you fell in love with jellyfish, started ballet, and finished the first draft of your grad speech. I know it seems a bit early but you can never be prepared enough. And arguably the best part of fourth grade was finding your forever friends in the most unexpected places. Summer vacations that year were awesome! Rwanda and Amsterdam, yes! You even got to see your spirit animal, the giraffe!
Which brings me here, today, six years in three minutes, kinda hard to do. But what I know is as I look at this yard as a PS1 student for the last time and remember the 52 thousand hours I spent here, I realize that I’m ready to start over and have another fast crazy year. To look back and go wow I’ve come a long way. So, past Brooke, your life is wild but you’ll be fine after all you are still Brooke.
Devon Jihye Shao
Orange, Green, Indigo, Violet, and Olders 5. These are the 5 classes that I’ve been in throughout my 7 years at PS1. Only a PS1 student would understand the colors of each class. Each different color of the rainbow I was in, I learned something new, every year I fell in love with something that I never thought that I would have an interest in.
Now, all of my learning experiences come to an end at PS1. Every single one of them shapes who I am now. I want to thank my parents for being on my side and supporting all my dreams I’ve had here at PS1. Without them, I could not have gone through it alone. Thank you to my sister for always being there for me, whether that is someone to talk to about my day or to practice my Shakespeare lines with. Thank you to all of my amazing friends, that I shared all of my moments with, from the first day of school to every recess I’ve had here. And finally, I would like to thank my teachers. Every single one of my experiences and memories could not have been possible without my teachers that were by my side since my first day here. From wanting to be a beekeeper to my geologist dream, all of my learning experiences made me who I am today and who I am going to be. No matter what happens, PS1 has taught me to dream big and never stop.
Diego Ontal
When I first walked into this school, I never thought about graduation. In fact, I couldn’t even imagine making it past my first year. And yet here I am, seven years later, about to graduate. Sometimes I feel I didn’t get enough time. Sometimes I feel like I missed two years, because of COVID. But as I think about moving on, I must choose to not think about how I am going to miss this school, but about the memories I have here. Going camping for the first time, for example. I was scared about being away from my parents, even for just a day. But in the end, I loved it and didn’t want to leave. I think that reflects my whole time at PS1. At first, I was scared, but in the end, I was happy. However, I was not alone in this. I had help. I had my teachers, helping me through tight spots and tough times. I had amazing specialists. I had my friends always at my side. And I had my parents, making the long drive to school every day. All of you who have supported me along the way, thank you. So I end this journey standing under this oak tree remembering this about life, “It goes on.” Thank you.
Elias Daniel Wax
Have you ever been watching something that ends you on a very exciting and dramatic plot twist? You want to know what happens but you can’t find out until you watch the next episode. Well that’s how I feel right now, but the next episode isn’t available to me.
Now as I enter a new episode of my life, new plot twists, new characters, and exciting details are about to come, but I am also nervous for the different bumps on the way. As much as I love PS1, I also have to leave it so I can move on with my life. As I look back on my time here, I see all the wonderful memories, like in Youngers, when we made s’mores on the one day camping trip. Or my first Halloween parade. These memories that were created on and off the school campus, are very hard to forget and I hope I can hold on to these memories for as long as possible. So as I spend my last couple of minutes on this campus, I would like to thank PS1 for all the amazing times, memories, and making me who I am.
Grayson Chu
Hi, my name is Grayson and my first memory of PS1 is when I first walked into the yellow class and I got surprised by a kid named Rayan. That kid Rayan would later be my best friend of many other friends. I think it’s good to have friends in your first school and especially kind, thoughtful, respectful, and supportive friends like mine.
Another memory that I have is when I didn’t want to go to school because I was afraid of a field trip but my friends helped me conquer my fear. Later on the field trip I had a lot of fun. Later in my PS1 experience I went on a lot of field trips and had a lot of fun. Through the sad times and good times we persevered. I am so grateful for the lasting friendships I have made over the years.
Henry Theodore Kendall
This year every first and second Thursday of the month, I walk into The Studio for math morning. The hardest problems are always in the back. That is where I always go. One Thursday, there was a Nim problem. Nim is a game in which a group of players take turns removing pieces from a pile. They have to remove at least one, but can go up to a limit unique to the game. The formula is that for a number x, every other group of x +1 allows you to win. A few weeks later, I was in a math competition and there was a Nim problem! I was the only sixth grader in the country to get it right. Who knows how else PS1 might unexpectedly prepare me for life?
PS1 has taught me to be a respectful, prepared problem solver by challenging me in new ways.
Class of 2024
Isaac Bromwich
I remember my journey through PS1, through Youngers, Bridge, Middles, and now Olders. It all seems to have gone by in an instant, and it’s hard to believe that it happened over the course of seven years. Although it has all come to an end, I am extremely grateful to PS1 for allowing me to explore my many interests and to be myself.
PS1 has allowed me to make new friends, pursue my interests, and become a more determined and helpful person. PS1 has helped me to be more expressive, collaborative, and to be a problem solver. It has taught me to embrace change, be honest, and, in essence, become a better person.
My time at PS1 has been educational, memorable, and, most importantly, transformational. I have been at PS1 for seven years, and my time at this school has now come to an end. Although I am sad to leave PS1, I am extremely grateful for the amazing time that I have spent here, and I will always remember PS1 for being there for me and helping me grow.
Jules Samuel Galker
I’ve been at PS1 for seven years, which is most of my life. Within these seven years, I’ve learned countless new things, grown many interests in things that I barely even knew about. And most of all, I’ve met my life-long friends.
PS1 has also helped me with my confidence. Before 5th grade, I was very hard on myself. I would put my mind to one goal and stick with it, however even the tiniest mistake would bring me to a halt. But after being placed in leading roles, my confidence grew, and I was able to overcome challenges that would have otherwise stopped me. During the fifth grade camping trip, our class was assigned to make a play to perform later in the day. I decided to direct the play, and after seeing our finished product, I was really proud. And if I may say so myself, it was the best play. Finally sixth grade. After all I have learned, after all of the challenges I have overcome, I was finally a graduate. For me, the number one thing PS1 has taught me is to never give up. Chase your dreams, and be whatever you want to be.
Kiley Cazún
I have waited seven years to make this speech. A speech that I’ve been thinking about since day one. I guess I waited this long only to share how much I’ve gained from my journey here. Now that I’m leaving, I miss the younger me. The one that played her heart out in the playground with no worries. Sadly, I don’t have a Time Machine to go back to those amazing memories. All the memories I have here, created who I am today. At the end of the day, I have learned that things might seem impossible until it’s done and you realize you have what it takes to get it done. I want to say Thank you to the teachers who helped me figure out confusing subjects throughout the years. To my friends who’ve been by my side since day one, made me laugh, to the point where I cried, and to cringe without judging, and to my abuela who dropped me off at school, and thank you to my parents who have always been my biggest.
Max Chu
My time at PS1 has been a great experience. I have made a lot of friends and great memories here. Every class has been different, like in Youngers I learned more basic things like addition and subtraction. In Bridge, I learned more about sea animals and we went on a field trip to the aquarium at the pier. In Middles, we played Zip Zap Zop. It was a game that encouraged us to interact with friends. Most recently in Olders, we studied all about ancient civilizations. The civilization I focused on was Ancient China. I am going to miss being here but I am planning to visit. My friends are going to different schools than me so I won’t see them every day anymore. The seven years I have spent here have felt really long but they also felt like they passed by so fast. I am sad that I am leaving but I have to. I have learned a lot of things at PS1 and made friends that I will have forever. Thank you to all my teachers and everyone who has helped me and thank you to my parents who have always been there for me and supported me.
Nabil Rasromani
PS1 is a soccer game from the beginning when the referee blows the whistle at kick-off, signaling that my journey has begun, all the way until today, winning the game and being congratulated under this oak tree. The community at PS1 is full of all my teammates who are learning how to collaborate with each other. Learning how to be a good teammate. I have to thank all of my teachers for spending their time coaching me to be a better player.
Life and soccer all require making mistakes, but what PS1 has taught me is that it’s not about the problem; it’s about the solution. So even if the other team scores or if a call doesn’t go your way, keep playing your hardest.
Most importantly, PS1 has taught me that learning is fun, just like playing soccer. It has taught me that something may be hard at first, like doing a fancy skill move, but it’s always possible as long as you put your mind to it and commit to not stopping until you succeed.
Nahla Sun Smiley
I would like to share a quote by Laurel D. Rund. “In my life, I’ve lived, I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve missed, I’ve hurt, I’ve trusted, I’ve made mistakes, but most of all ... I’ve learned.” How this applies to me is I love my teachers, friends, and family. I’ve missed a few shots in basketball, I’ve lost a few pencils and pens, and most of all I’ve learned that friends will come and go, and that’s okay. I really enjoyed class projects with my favorite being the Harlem Renaissance because I learned about the amazing and complicated Billie Holiday. My favorite classes at PS1 were art and library. Art class taught me that I love to sketch , paint, and draw with pastels and charcoal. Library inspired me to write more stories and read more books, well over 100. I’ve learned so much at PS1 and I am looking forward to a bright future.
Nash Pembrook Tyler
On my first day I walked into the orange class, unsure of what was to come, until I saw the community taking me in with open arms. Making my way up to Bridge was a long journey, because there were a lot of stairs. I was excited to see what more could come. But then a global pandemic strikes, and we had to do school at home. When I moved into Middles, I learned a lot, but then I got slowed down due to a car crash. Lots of broken bones, a brain injury, and a year away from school with physical and mental therapy.
Out of nothing but hard work and dedication, I made it back to school better than before. My classmates helped make it more fun, always helping me up the stairs and giving me the best possible outcome.
Olders was a huge milestone in my life because I made so many friends and made lots of memories. I created a man named Johames Wilson that lived in Boston, I made a revolutionary shoe called the Senmenwell Clip, and I made a business video with my good friend. In 6th grade I got to be a graduate announcer which is so much cooler when I found out my sister couldn’t because of COVID, and got to learn about the ancient Mayan civilization.
Noemi Adele Staples
Do you like to read? I love to read. My favorite genre is fantasy. In so many ways, PS1 is like a fantasy novel. When I first entered this magical land, I was nervous, but excited to learn how to use my powers. My teachers, in Youngers, taught me how to read and count. Together, my friends and I battled the ghost in the MPR and stage fright during Circle Times. We used our pencils as wands to create new stories and learned how to take care of our class guinea pigs, Dot, and Fire.
Soon, I was in Olders. I was excited to see how the story finished, but I was also sad that I was reaching the end of the book. There were so many new things I got to do from memorizing lines for our Shakespeare plays to dissecting brains. It felt like it was only days before it was spring again.
Here I am at the end of my speech and at the end of my time as a student at PS1. I want to thank all of you who helped me throughout my seven years at this school. Thank you to my teachers for being super supportive. Thanks to a librarian who always knows what books I want before I do. Thanks to my classmates for being so amazing and kind. I will miss all of you when I go through a new portal to middle school. Also, thanks to my family for always being there for me.
Class of 2024
Orly Stone Carlson
My PS1 experience has overall been really good. Everything has been great and everyone has been so nice. I have made many friends and learned so so so much. I am very happy to have had this opportunity to go to this amazing amazing school. Since the first day I have felt very welcomed to the community. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have gone here. I am glad to be able to stand here today and give my speech.
My experience has been way easier than me in September would’ve thought. It was really easy to make friends. I hope it will be just as easy in middle school. I don’t think I would have made many of the great memories at PS1 without any of my friends. For example, during the grad trip I had a really nice conversation where I laughed and talked a lot. It is something I will probably remember for the rest of my life.
Rayan Ilyas Chibane
I’ve been at PS1 for seven years. Throughout those years I met my friends who are there for me everyday. Sometimes friends who go to the same school and spend a lot of time together grow to like each other even more. My friend is PS1, PS1 is how I got my education. PS1 has room to grow everyday. PS1 has been by my side since day one, PS1 got me through everything.
In Olders I was the most scared. It was the biggest jump I’d ever experienced. It was the scariest because I didn’t know if my friends would be in the same class as me. Turns out I’ve made so many memories during Olders, One of those memories was creating characters from Colonial Boston. My character was Willem Totitoes. I loved learning history this way. I will cherish all of my rich memories of learning and growing with my friends at PS1. And now here I am. I didn’t know if I would make it, but I’ve worked together in a team along the way. As Michel Jordan once said, “There is no I in team, but there’s an I in win.” And this is the biggest win I ever had in my entire life.
Ryan Paxson Lima
As I was writing this speech, I realized my time at PS1 was coming to an end. It seemed like a week ago I was in red, learning days of the week and how to do simple math. Yesterday I was in the blue classroom loft, staring out at the afternoon sun casting a golden glow into the room.
Time is magical, it can speed up or slow down, depending on how you want it to, making years feel like distant memories, drifting afloat on the sea of the past, and the future. It’s so bizarre, it seems to move like an ocean, out of your control, but still incredible, waves of thoughts break upon the hot sand, as you can only watch, and listen.
It feels as if I was here for a heartbeat, and to me, that is what makes it special, you don’t have the power to control everything, you can only control yourself, and your choices.
Scarlett Rose Doolittle
No matter how many scenes I’ve had, no matter how many times I’ve been told “Cut!” I kept trying over and over until it was right. Yet in real life you only get one opportunity to make your scene count, and that’s life—only getting one take.
Everyone gets one take which is usually taken for granted yet I think we should live life like it’s our last scene, our last take and we shouldn’t take “Cut!” for an answer.
There’s a quote that I love and wanted to share with you all today. “Hate has four letters but so does love, cry has three letters but so does joy, enemies has seven letters but so does friends, all you can do is pick the positive side in life”. Which is what I plan to do until the end of my scene, because I have realized I am the director of my own life.
My many laughs, adventures, and memories I’ve had at PS1 have been unlimited. It’s time to make more memories in my new scene.
D. Severin Charles Marks
It seems very surreal that I am standing here today giving this speech. In Youngers, I thought that I would never graduate. Yet here I am, giving my grad speech. Myself, as well as every other grad here, will never see PS1 as a student again, and instead see it as a memory. A memory that would change our perspective of the world, a memory that would shape our lives. I wish I could stay at this school, but everyone needs to move on at some point. Like I said, I have two sisters who both graduated from PS1. This is the reason that this is such a pivotal moment for me. For seventeen years, my family has had somebody involved with this school. For nobody in my family to be at PS1 will be weird, to say the least. I hope that I made my mark at this school, and I passed along a good attitude to younger students who look up to Olders. PS1 has been a part of my life since before I was even born. I’ll always remember the highs and lows that I went through at this school. Every end has a new beginning, and I’m prepared for that new beginning, and wish all my fellow graduates a great new beginning in middle school.
Zee Genovese
I am an artist. For me, art takes time. I like to use my sketches, inspiration, and ideas to make more original drawings. But it takes a lot of time to make the ideas work.
When I first went through PS1’s doors, that was when this paper was set before me. As time went on, I drew a scribble and started to turn it into something greater. As more time passed, my drawing got better. I made mistakes, but instead of quitting and giving up, I came back to it. I gained wisdom from conflict. I gained confidence that even if times were hard, they would get better.
But you can’t work on one artwork forever. Eventually you need a new start, spend all your time on one drawing you can’t move on to the next. Even if you don’t want to, you have no choice. Time doesn’t stop, your ideas don’t stop either.
Thank you, Class of 2024 for the generous Grad Gift of a new portable GaGa Ball Pit!
Class of 2024 Graduates
will continue their educational journey at the following schools:
The Archer School for Girls
Buckley School
Crossroads School
Geffen Academy
Harvard-Westlake School
John Adams Middle School
Lincoln Middle School
Manhattan Country School (NY) Marlborough School
New Roads School
Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse (SMASH) Wildwood School Windward School
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
February 9, 2024
This past years’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a resounding success! The day was chock full of special moments for all in attendance—and we look forward to this year’s gathering on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Guests were greeted by our Studio and PE Specialists and had the opportunity to contribute to the “Lego version” of the PS1 Tree which now hangs in our Administration Building. Math came to life as our Math Specialist Bree collected all of the various names and nicknames that students call their grandparents and graphed them in real time on a TV screen. Grandparents were invited to hear stories in the library with our Librarian, Christina, and work on an interactive painting with Lina, our Art Teacher. They also heard from our Grandparent Speakers, Mark Simpson and longtime PS1 Grandparent Kathy Speck, about their experiences at PS1.
This year, we celebrated some of America’s most iconic Broadway musicals with student performances. Our learning experience spanned across generations as we came together to understand the history and impact of Musical Theater. The beloved photo booth was back for all to enjoy. It was an amazing day! Special thanks to all who helped make all of this possible.
Finding our voice through being…
Grandparents
Parent Volunteers:
Shannon Broyles-Beale
Benjamin Buadu
Josh Caffrey
Faustin Carter
Mel Cordeiro
Vincent DiMauro
Susan Doolittle
Joanna Edstrom
Caroline Escalante
Leila Fenelon
Megan Fenner
Jessica Foster
India Gentile
Anna Gordon
Lauren Gregory
Laurel Hubert
Jennifer Humphrey
Rosalia Ibarrola
Alison Jordan
Elizabeth Kendall
Lisa Kim
Michelle Kroes
Jose Larios
Liz Leknickas
Hazel Mall
Kristin Martin
Chauncey Nichols
Gretchen Patch
Jennie Peters
Janine Poreba
Jessica Sebastian
Lisa Serra
Crystal Skapars
Eugenie Smith
Kimberly Stabile
Stacey Staples
Carolina Thompson
Stefanie Truino
Plummy Tucker
Laurel Turner
Ashley Wade
Grandparent and Special Friends Committee:
Sharon Dai
Sarah ’23 and Hannah ’25
Grace Guo
Jonathan ’26
Vivian Hyun
Dylan ’23 and Joshua ’25
Keith Megna Rhodes ’26
Student Ambassadors Class of 2024
Kiley Cazún
Zee Genovese
Anaïs Humphrey
Brooke Laskar
Ryan Lima
Diego Ontal
Nabil Rasromani
Devon Shao
Nahla Smiley
Noemi Staples
Grandparent Speakers:
Mark Simpson, PS1 Grandparent of Kaius Kennedy ’28 and Keke ’31
Kathy Speck, PS1 Grandparent of Severin ’24, Esme ’21, and Maggie ’14
Grandparents understand what gives life purpose: it’s grandchildren. Time with them is the pot at the end of the rainbow we’ve worked for our whole lives. Seeing our children as responsible, awesome parents is the gift of time. We also know the treasures the right school buries in the hearts of our children and grandchildren. PS1’s unique approach brings the joy of learning during the most important years of their lives. We invest in you because you invest in our family, including us grandparents. Touring their classes, watching their performances, and celebrating Grandparents Day allows us to feel a part of it and fills our cups.
Danone and Mark Simpson Kaius ’28 and Keke ’31
“We invest in you because you invest in our family, including us grandparents.”
What a Year!
We look back with fondness on the 2023-24 school year with an array of alumni events…
It was great to see our 7th and 8th grade students and their parents at Bowlero for our Alumni Bowling Party.
Life After PS1 was once again a huge success and continues to inspire our grads in their application journey.
Alumni School Visits
We continued our outreach with Alumni School Visits, which reunited PS1 alums and beloved PS1 teachers on their campuses! We visited Archer, Brentwood, Geffen, Marlborough, Milken and New Roads. Visitors included Holly, John, LiAnne, Yvonne, Susannah and Tisa. If you would like us to come visit your school, please reach out to Tisa!
Year in Review
Archer visit
New Roads visit
Milken visit
Marlborough visit
Geffen visit
Brentwood visit
Year in Review
The Grad Alumni Party brought together sixth grade students and seventh and eighth grade alums to celebrate Halloween season!
Our Class of 2024 Class Representatives were selected via an application process and installed their Grad Leaf on the wall. Class Reps pictured are Regan S., Isaac B. and Diego O. Their chosen Grad class quote is by Confucius, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Grad students enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball games against faculty and staff on the Field of Dreams as part of the culmination of the school year.
The Grad Bake Sale.
Class of 2024 Grad Gift
Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Their collective energy, enthusiasm, dedication and vision resulted in a fabulous gift to PS1 School. After careful deliberation, much thought was given to this important decision. After several meetings, bake sales, and a class vote, students decided to gift a state of the art GaGa Ball Pit to the school. This will benefit students of today as well as many more for years to come. We are grateful to last year’s Grads—this is a very proud moment each and every one of them!
Isaac Bromwich
Orly Carlson
Kiley Cazún
Rayan Chibane
Grayson Chu
Max Chu
Scarlett Doolittle
Jules Galker
Zee Genovese
Anaïs Humphrey
Henry Kendall
Brooke Laskar
Ryan Lima
Arthur Mackenzie
Severin Marks
Azumi Nomoto
Diego Ontal
Nabil Rasromani
Devon Shao
Nahla Smiley
Noemi Staples
Nash Tyler
Elias Wax
The Grad Bake Sale was an amazing two day event that raised funds for the Class of 2024 grad gift, a portable GaGa
Ball Pit.
Give Your Grad Year Challenge!
We are proud to report we had an overwhelming response to our inaugural Give Your Grad Year Challenge! Many alums accepted our challenge to give back to PS1 in a meaningful way. We are grateful to all of the Alumni who made a gift to PS1.
Year in Review
Josh Berger ’90
Jason Boulware ’21
Pippa Bryan ’23
Olivia Fishman ’14
Olivia Fite ’23 (Class Rep)
Haley Hansen ’18
Maya Hansen ’18
Nicole Haskins ’99
Jacinda Hevesy-Rodriguez ’18
Marcus Hevesy-Rodriguez ’16
Esme Hyatt ’18
Hugo Hyatt ’21
Halle Jacobs ’11
Walker Jacobs ’15
Abigail Kuhns ’09
Samuel Kuhns ’11
Amanda Lane ’95
Miya Nambiar ’19
Uma Nambiar ’19
Joshua Perttula ’80
Justin Rodriguez ’14
Bodhi Seton ’19
Liam Stevens ’08
Eli Stringer ’21
Emily Surloff ’09
Kyler Sziraki ’23 (Class Rep)
Scott Tamaki ’04
Nylah Tehrani ’23
Olivia Tiffany ’03
Rachel Williams-Feuerstein ’00
Ford Wilson ’23
Jonah Wimer ’22
Lily Wimer ’25
The Class of 2018 Reunion offered an opportunity for students to revisit campus and reconnect with faculty, former classmates and Joel!
Finding our voice through …
Community
For the Grand Finale, we welcome our newest alums, the Class of 2024!
PS1’s secret sauce is the community. It is the heartbeat and lifeblood of our school. Our community is a constant source of support, inspiration, and connection. After nearly 10 years at this school, we have made deep and lasting friendships, but are also pleasantly surprised by the new friendships and connections we continue to make, year after year. The volunteer work we do on behalf of the PS1 community is a labor of love and a natural choice - it is not only a way for us to show our gratitude to the caring and outstanding teachers and administration, but also a means to stay connected to the school’s mission and evolution. We are incredibly fortunate to have a graduate who is thriving in her freshman year at Windward, as well as a 5th grader who has flourished from ongoing enhancements to the program. Thank you, PS1!
The Rogers Family Ann and Jeremy Rogers Emme ’22 and Elsen ’26
“Our community is a constant source of support, inspiration, and connection.”
Finding
my voice through being a…
PS1 Grad
Class of 2018 Colleges and Universities
Aidan Michaelson > Grinnell College
Aidan Rahill > Syracuse University
Andy Yu > Santa Clara University
Anna Perttula > Wellesley College
Dylan Reid > University of Southern California
Eloise Jenkins > Colgate University
Esme Hyatt > University of California Berkeley
Griffin Gabriel > Senior Year at Crossroads School
Haley Hansen > Tufts University
Jacinda Hevesy-Rodriguez > Santa Monica College
Jack Mills > Studying Fashion Design and Technology in Melbourne, Australia
Jessica Rosen > San Diego State University
Joe Trilling > Studying Aviation Management at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida
Josephine Gelinas > McGill University
Judah Gardner > University of California Riverside
Leo Vincent > New York University
Lexi McCann > Trinity University
Lukas Perttula > Senior Year at Wildwood School
Max Trilling > Brandeis University
Maya Hansen > University of Denver
Misha Sharif > Information unavailable at this time
Noah Korngute > Marist College
Roscoe Merjos > The New School
Skütr Bruno > Loyola Marymount University
Stella Shane > Smith College
Thea Chamberlin > Occidental College
William Tatum > Southern Methodist University
PS1 is a place I’ll always cherish. The school had students from many different backgrounds, which helped me learn to appreciate other cultures and ideas. Being around so many different people taught me how to talk to others easily and understand their points of view. I think PS1 helped me become good at connecting with people from all kinds of places, a skill that’s been very important to me.
Scott Tamaki,
’04
“PS1 is a place I’ll always cherish.”
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of names and donor listings in this year’s Report on Philanthropy. However, we recognize that errors may occur. If you notice any discrepancies, please email alan@psone.org so we can make the necessary corrections. We appreciate your understanding and support.
