This year’s camping trip, back to our origins of taking the whole school to a campground and relying on one another for our tent set up, our meals, and our activities, provided such insight into the deep relationships of care that I have witnessed all year. I was thrilled to be part of it and to deepen my own connections to our children, our faculty, and our staff. We returned home with a different understanding of ourselves and one another, from the confidence we found in ourselves when facing challenging moments to the joy we found in exploring by the creek or up in trees to the moments of quiet reflection and conversation found around the campfire. This year has been a whirlwind of learning, growth, and collaboration, and I am honored to be a part of such a vibrant and dynamic community.
Together, we have embarked on a journey of introspection and planning for the future. One of the highlights of this year has been the Strategic Vision process, a collaborative effort in which many of you played an integral role. Through this process, we delved deep into the qualities that define PS1 strengths, and we explored areas for growth and development.
The insights gleaned from the Strategic Vision process have been invaluable in shaping the future of our school. We have identified key strategic opportunities that will guide us in the years to come, ensuring that PS1 continues to thrive and evolve in a rapidly changing world.
In my upcoming Moving Up Day welcome speech, I will have the privilege of unveiling our school’s updated Vision, Mission, and Values. These foundational elements honor PS1’s rich history and philosophical founding, while charting a course for an exciting future. I am thrilled to invite each of you to join us on this journey and to participate in the strategic opportunities that lie ahead. Your partnership and collaboration will be instrumental as we work together to realize our shared vision for PS1.
As we approach the culmination of the 2023-24 school year, I am filled with anticipation for the celebrations that await us in the coming weeks. It is a time to honor our accomplishments, celebrate our growth, and express gratitude for the unwavering support of our community.
Looking ahead to the summer months, I encourage each of you to take some time for rest and rejuvenation. The new school year promises to be filled with excitement, opportunities, and new beginnings, and I am eager to begin this adventure collectively.
In closing, I want to express my deepest appreciation to each and every member of the PS1 community. Your dedication, passion, and commitment to our school are inspiring. Together, we will continue to build upon the strong foundation that defines PS1 and create a future filled with endless possibilities.
Warmest regards,
Susannah Wolf, Head of School
The PS1 community had an unforgettable night at the Annual Spring Fundraiser on April 20. Thanks to our amazing parent volunteers and generous donors, we raised funds to support the Tuition Assistance Endowment, which benefits the entire PS1 family by fostering an inclusive community. Under the theme “LET’S GLOW WILD,” this year’s event illuminated the night with our vibrant hues, showcasing the essence of our spirited community. Above all, the true highlight was witnessing the unity and support among our PS1 families, dedicated teachers, and staff. Join us again next year—we can’t wait to see you there!
This spring, a group of dedicated PS1 faculty and staff resurrected our after-school running club, known as PS Run. With a vibrant mix of students and some enthusiastic parents joining in, PS Run is back in full swing. Our goal remains clear: to cultivate a love for running among students and foster a healthy, active lifestyle. And as the pinnacle of our efforts, we’re gearing up for an exciting end-of-year 5k run!
Families and friends were invited as PS1 opened its classrooms and specialist programs for viewing and interactive participation. Exhibits and displays included galleries in the Art Room, PE demonstrations, and creative projects in The Studio. Each classroom had its own special activities, led by the students themselves. From highlighting their Social Emotional Learning (SEL) vocabulary words, to sharing math games, to displaying a sheep’s brain, students had important roles in showcasing their classroom projects. The next day we celebrated our successes with the tradition of Pajama Day (part of School Spirit Week) before heading off for Spring Break!
Throughout the United States, people put on their special glasses to witness the remarkable spectacle of our moon gracefully traversing the sun’s path, casting a captivating shadow over the daylight. PS1 was privileged to be part of this historic scientific event, with both students and staff reveling in the experience and watching in delight.
The annual PS1 camping trip is a highlight of the school year and supports our mission and philosophy in many ways. On the trip, students learn how to be responsible group members and to take care of themselves and each other, gaining independence and working as a team. They solidify bonds and make new connections with their peers that go beyond the classroom. Camping allows students to shine in a new environment and creates wonderful new leadership opportunities. Through the camping trip, we work to build an inclusive school community, which is so central to the PS1 mission. This year we returned to Sycamore Canyon, where students worked together to set up tents, and cook and serve meals for one another. They enjoyed hiking and playing by the creek, and celebrated with joyous songs and skits (and s’mores!) around the evening campfire.
At PS1, when a child shares that the Italian opera song he heard at Friday’s Circle Time was so good it made him want to go out and eat spaghetti, we celebrate discovery. When our graduate Community Service Committee falls on the floor laughing at the sock puppet video they made to promote their sock and underwear drive for the unhoused, we celebrate ingenuity. When a child looks up in awe at the book they just read, we celebrate growth and the wonders that await them hidden in the pages of all the books to come.
The first ball to go into the basket, the first backbend, the solving of a math puzzle that seemed impossible only minutes earlier. The faculty and staff at PS1 get to celebrate many times a day as a new bar is set for what is possible to learn, to uncover, to realize in these children’s lives.
At PS1 our students take responsibility for themselves, their class, their cluster, and their community, incrementally, as they develop and grow. Traditions old and new pull us together. Bridge cluster scrambling up a sycamore tree on our camping trip, Middles flipping pancakes, Youngers releasing their butterflies to the world, and Olders practicing their lines and stage fighting skills for Julius Caesar, to name a few. May you enjoy reading more specifics about this year, told from the perspective of our dedicated teachers.
-Deirdre Gainor, Director of Teaching & Learning
In the Red Class, we culminated our study of families in Social Studies and our “All About” unit in Writing by creating books about our families.
In the Red Class, we culminated our study of families in Social Studies and our “All About” unit in Writing by creating books about our families. Students focused on each family member to teach us more about that person. Many students added extra pages to share about their pets and other important family members. With a topic like family so close to our hearts, students were full of ideas. We learned about family members’ favorite foods, what they enjoy doing during their free time, and even some names and details about pets. Students edited their work by fixing up their books. They added more details and checked their work for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Each student included a vibrant family drawing using multi-art media. Students shared the books with their families after our class Circle Time.
Red BILLY | LUCIA
Orange conducted a year-long study of plant and insect communities and how they help us.
We began with plants and trees at PS1 and moved to hunting for insects and arachnids. We used the property across from the 12th St. yard as our insect research kickoff site and recorded WHAT we saw and WHERE we saw it. We explored how insects are “built” and the function of each part, and made an insect zoo in the classroom based on our research. We concluded our year with an in-depth study of honey bees. We had a visit from two honey bee experts, met some bees, and learned how bees work together in communities, just like we do in our classroom. Orange wrote an All About Bees book and is busy working on a bigger-than-life Alive Hive (which will take over part of the classroom) as a culminating project. This immersive undertaking will demonstrate an indepth understanding of bees and their communities.
We explored how insects are “built” and the function of each part, and made an insect zoo in the classroom based on our research.
Orange HOLLY S. | MEGHAN | THERESA
In the Yellow Class, learners engage in a fluency activity known as Reader’s Theater. Reader’s Theater supports readers as they learn to read aloud with expression, increase comprehension, develop fluency through repeated exposure to text, and it provides opportunities for cooperative learning. This method combines fluency development with the oral reading of a script derived from literature while supporting the development of listening skills. In this approach, students are placed in groups with peers of similar reading abilities, and each is assigned a specific role or character to depict. Before starting the Reader’s Theater, Yellow class students participate in a brief unit of study that focuses on literary elements like characters, setting, and plot to help them
As our readers practice their roles, they authentically increase their comprehension and fluency while fostering a culture of collaborative learning opportunities.
better understand characterization and how to portray their roles.
Through drama and dialogue, students discover that reading is a way to express creativity and imagination and gain a deeper understanding of their character roles. This opportunity ignites creativity as students create costumes, props, and sets for their final literary reenactments. Reader’s Theater enables our students to realize that reading is an activity that allows them to be creative and imaginative while understanding their characters with more depth. As our readers practice their roles, they authentically increase their comprehension and fluency while fostering a culture of collaborative learning opportunities.
Reader’s Theater offers an entertaining and engaging means of improving fluency and enhancing comprehension.
Green class supports social-emotional learning in a variety of ways. One way we achieve this is through our daily Morning Meeting. The goal of this meeting is to set the tone for respectful and engaged learning in a climate of trust, and to build a positive community by fulfilling students’ need to belong, feel significant, and have fun.
Every meeting follows the same purposeful and intentional structure, including:
Greeting: We choose from various greetings to recognize one another by name (ex. high five or foot shake)
Share: Every day, there’s a different themed topic that invites students to share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions, including Mindset Monday (i.e. sharing an affirmation and what it means to them),
Talking Tuesdays (aka student shares), Would you Rather Wednesday, and Thankful Thursday (i.e. give a shout-out to a classmate who has done something nice for another person or the community). During shares, listeners practice providing empathetic comments or asking clarifying questions.
Group Activity: Everyone participates in a brief, lively activity that fosters group cohesion and helps students practice social and academic skills, like, ‘The Warm Wind Blows’ and ‘What did I Change?’
Each week, a different student plans and leads the Morning Meeting. This leadership opportunity, which all students look forward to, helps them develop their voice and confidence as members of our class.
Each week, a different student plans and leads the Morning Meeting. This leadership opportunity, which all students look forward to, helps them develop their voice and confidence as members of
our class.
Math is all about creativity, making sense, building connections, problem-solving, and communicating.
In math, Blue class believes mistakes are valuable—they grow your brain—and questions are really important. Math is all about creativity, making sense, building connections, problem-solving, and communicating. To foster these values, students often work collaboratively to explore and understand concepts through real-world situations. To build reasoning, students explore their own ideas for how to approach solving problems and learn from their peers’ ideas, with the goal of finding efficient and accurate strategies. They are asked to explain and justify their thinking.
Second graders were excited to draw on their knowledge of map skills from science and writing fantasy stories and also see how maps connect to math. To practice measuring length and distance, second graders created their own maps, plotting different points and measuring the distance between them. They developed measurement and math questions based on their maps and later worked with a partner to solve the mapping problems. For example, some students asked each
other to figure out the total distance to travel between three points. Others asked to compare distances from one place to another. To further their measuring practice, students practiced measuring objects around the classroom, gathering data from the measurements, and then adding them to a collective line plot.
Presented with the idea of having a rectangular plot in a community garden, third graders worked together in small groups to figure out the plot’s dimensions when given the area in square feet. Students mapped out their garden plots on the floor with tape measuring their length and width to ensure accuracy. The groups quickly gathered that there was often more than one way to create a rectangle of a given area. For example, a garden plot with an area of 12 square feet could be 3 feet long by 4 feet wide or it could be 6 feet long by 2 feet wide. Then students were given other constraints to map out their garden plots, such as a fixed side length and minimum area for the vegetables to grow but they only bought so much soil!
…students have researched the diet, habitat, life cycle, adaptations, and appearance of their animal, as well as the effect this animal has on their ecosystem.
Indigo students have been busy researching animals native to California. Rather than assigning students an animal, Indigo students went to Café Indigo, where they took part in a “book tasting.” Each ‘course’ was one of the six animals: American Pika, Black Bears, California Condors, Cougars, Coyotes, and Desert Bighorn Sheep.
The purpose of a book tasting was to give students the opportunity to ‘sample’ different animals, glancing through nonfiction texts to get a feel for the individual animals. During each course, students jotted down their thoughts on each animal they read about, thinking about what questions they still had unanswered. After six courses, students ranked their top three animals and why
they were intrigued by them. Their responses were then taken into account when creating their book clubs. In these groups, students have researched the diet, habitat, life cycle, adaptations, and appearance of their animal, as well as the effect this animal has on their ecosystem. They diligently took notes and used what they learned to craft their knowledge into paragraphs, leaning on their previous learning about nonfiction writing. Their research will be used to craft a persuasive letter to be sent to our governor, asking him to consider changing the animal on the California flag to an animal still living in our state.
In this study, students researched modern-day changemakers who are breaking barriers and stereotypes in various fields, including biotechnology, climate justice, and skateboarding, to name a few.
This winter, students explored the question, “What makes a changemaker?”
Many students had big initial ideas, “changemakers are people who fight for peace and justice!” Or, “Changemakers are people who lived a long time ago!”
Many students knew the names of famous changemakers like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Greta Thundberg, and Mahatma Gandhi. However, not everyone fighting for change is doing so for the same reason, and not everyone fighting for change has a name that is well known. In fact, many people make change by actively navigating fields that people of other identities typically dominate. In this study, students researched modern-day changemakers who are breaking barriers and stereotypes in various fields, including biotechnology, climate justice, and skateboarding, to name a few. Students paired up for their research, learning to annotate their nonfiction research and connect with people who live very different lives than they do. Partnerships collaborated to create teaching posters of their changemakers, including nonfiction text features such as headings, subtitles, photos with captions, timelines, diagrams, maps, and more. Students then worked independently to synthesize their learning into essays. As a culminating project, students proudly shared what they learned with the community at Circle Time.
This spring, students in Olders 4 furthered their investigation of systems by turning to systems in the human body. We zoomed in on cells as the building blocks and examined different types of cells in plants and animals, looking at their functions, structures, and also their life spans. We then used this knowledge to better understand how cells combine to form tissues, and tissues combine to form organs, which then make up the various systems that help humans survive. We enjoyed very special visits with two guest speakers, a retired surgeon who is the grandfather of one student, and an orthopedic surgeon who is the father of another student, each of whom added greatly to our understanding, curiosity, and exploration of how our bodies work. In addition to guest speakers, handson activities, experiments, readings,
and individual and group research and presentations, students also had the opportunity to participate in several dissections. We created detailed lab reports to record our process, method, hypotheses and discoveries as we looked first at a sheep’s brains (and compared it to the human brains that we saw in our science texts), then at a cow’s eye (where after some initial queasiness, we were enthralled by all the separate components that make up this sensitive organ), and lastly, a pig’s heart (which helped solidify students’ understanding of the heart’s structure and function). Through these layers of study, students demonstrated their excitement, curiosity, collaboration and self-awareness as they learned about their own human bodies.
In addition to guest speakers, hands-on activities, experiments, readings, and individual and group research and presentations, students also had the opportunity to participate in several dissections.
While gaining a larger historical perspective the students also learned the power of civil disobedience and that the tradition of protest extends back before the common era.
On the heels of a two-month-long comprehensive investigation of several illustrious ancient cultures, the students in Olders 5 have been rehearsing their roles to perform Julius Caesar at this year’s Shakespeare Festival. This preparation includes support from the school’s specialists and studying Ancient Rome history in class.
Recently our attention turned to the class system that coincided with the rise
of the republic. Although some of the working-class Plebeians could exercise their vote, they had no representation in the government, clergy, or military. In fact, they paid taxes to support the very military that oppressed them.
Before revealing how this situation was reconciled, our students gathered in groups of four to propose a solution. Ideas ranged from rising up militarily, bonding with the many slaves who also toiled for the upper class, or refusing to work until their grievances were addressed. It was in this area that an actual solution was found; the Plebeians vacated the city, the Patricians finally acquiesced and the Plebeians gained political representation. While gaining a larger historical perspective the students also learned the power of civil disobedience and that the tradition of protest extends back before the common era.
Combining a field trip to the Skirball Cultural Center to participate in a recreated archeological dig with informational and visually compelling projects about Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, Chinese dynasties, the Golden Age of Athens, Egypt, and the Incas of Peru, our students have learned so much about the distant past.
The highlight of the year in Youngers was when the students discovered how paint can be made with flower petals and other plants. They loved when they had the opportunity to make their own paint from different types of plants.
Bridge students had a chance to experiment with primary colors while working on a large-scale flower painting inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. The highlight was when they discovered that many new colors can be created by mixing primary colors.
This clay study triggered excitement and raised new questions about what different types of chemical reactions take place under intense temperature.
The highlight in Middles and Olders was when they worked with clay that we fired and glazed. The students were fascinated by the transformation that takes place in the kiln during a firing. Discovering that brown clay turns into a light orange color after being fired became a hot topic, and after glazing some of their work, the students learned that some glazes change color. This clay study triggered excitement and raised new questions about what different types of chemical reactions take place under intense temperature.
A poem is built of rests. Each line break, each stanza break and each caesura represents a pause, and in that pause there is room to take a breath. To ponder. To sit, for once in our lives, with mystery. If we can’t find a way to slow down on our own, to take a breath, poems can teach us how.
Margaret Renkl in The New York Times, April 1, 2024
Renkl’s words so perfectly express the school year in the Library! We ponder. We slow down. We sit in mystery. We breathe together and create a moment where we are all within the same space and time, in wonder and enchantment and words and possibilities.
To get to these moments, a high, wide, deep and broad range of story and poetry have provided a lens for Library Time this year, as we celebrated our way through Hispanic Heritage, Native American Heritage, Jewish American Heritage, Disability Awareness, Black History, Asian/Pacific American Heritage, Women’s History, Earth Awareness, Poets and Poetry, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBTQ+) Month. These observances and celebrations are designated by the Library of Congress.
A special emphasis has been on writings and illustrations in authentic voices, creators who are creating from their own awareness and sensitivity. As every year, the Library curriculum attempts to explore and encompass as many possible areas of knowledge, styles of poetry, genres of literature, while still honoring some important traditions such as Avocado Bay to begin the year; Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins and Winter in White to observe the many Winter Holidays; stories of Dr. King in January; and the end of the year Bunnypalooza of books by Dav Pilkey.
Monthly Book Breakfast has been faithfully presented by the Parents Guild, with a range of family favorites for the community to share over breakfast.
And we still haven’t read every single book in the Library! There’s always next year…
As we celebrate memorable experiences together in Physical Education, we reflect on how our students have demonstrated outstanding dedication and enthusiasm by growing both physically and personally. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s Physical Education activities.
• Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer, football, tennis, and volleyball, among others. It’s a joy to see the students embrace teamwork, sportsmanship, healthy competition, and demonstrate their leadership skills.
•Students demonstrating their athletic skills through flexibility, strength, endurance, and speed.
•Throughout the school year, we introduced fitness challenges, from running and jumping to balance and agility exercises.
•We are proud of our inclusive approach, ensuring that students of all abilities have the opportunity to participate and enjoy the benefits of physical education. This includes modified games and sports that ensure everyone’s participation, making the program a fun and festive experience.
•From mastering dribbling in basketball to perfecting our serves in volleyball, it’s been amazing to see how each student has enhanced their skills.
It’s a joy to see the students embrace teamwork, sportsmanship, healthy competition, and demonstrate their leadership skills.
This spring we were busy in the music room preparing for class Circle Times. The intention behind Circle Times are for the community to come together and share in cross-curricular activities. In addition, Class Circle Times are designed to showcase aspects of cluster curriculums through a performative lens. When students experience their curriculum in multiple arenas, they have a deeper, richer, more connected understanding of what they are learning. Music, movement and drama can represent all aspects of a curriculum from the study of insects to colonialism. Children learn best when they are engaged, hands-on learners. Circle Time not only creates an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they are learning in a creative venue but also gives students a sense of pride and ownership of their education.
Music, movement and drama can represent all aspects of a curriculum from the study of insects to colonialism.
In The Studio, we introduced an ideal programmable robot for students across all clusters. Beginners can drive and play STEM-inspired games with Mini the Sphero Play App, and more experienced learners can program the Mini with Block-Based Coding. Each class worked on designing their coding mazes with unique challenges for each other to solve. The students picked small groups to explore, plan, design, and create these challenging maze courses with proper thoughtful measurements and mapping techniques. Each project was connected to a theme of their choice and built with cardboard, tape, glue, recycled paper straws, string, and craft sticks. They are excited to share and challenge each other with their final projects.
The Mini Maze Challenge works best for groups of 3-4 students. There are three program designers and one coder.
•The first two program designers are in charge of measuring the length of the maze the mini-robot needs to travel and the angle the robot needs to turn.
• The third program designer has the clipboard and worksheet to record the measurements for the maze. They use the calculator to determine how many seconds the mini needs to travel.
•The coder takes the data from the two program designers and inputs the data into the Sphero EDU app.
The students picked small groups to explore, plan, design, and create these challenging maze courses with proper thoughtful measurements and mapping techniques.
James Werner, Class of 2010
Following graduation from PS1, James matriculated to Crossroads and Vassar. He has been busy making his mark in the creative industry across many platforms. He has been working for Open Mike Eagle for nearly two years and among other things, runs his social media for his podcast. He keeps busy as a multihyphenate professional; a musician playing in bands, an improv actor, photographer and writer.
Kate Berlant, Class of 1999
Along with celebrating her 25th anniversary of graduating from PS1, Kate has been busy with her one woman show, “Kate” which opened at the Pasadena Playhouse and is directed by Bo Burnham. She can also be seen in the Max show “Search Party,” the film “Sorry to Bother You” and “Would It Kill You To Laugh?” on Peacock.
Ian Watts, Class of 2010 and Alec Watts, Class of 2013
Ian and Alec are brothers and entrepreneurs who have embarked on a family business together. They both attended Harvard-Westlake and University of Michigan where they studied Engineering. Their new business, Memory Maker, helps individuals, families, schools and businesses digitize and organize their photos, tapes and media using software and AI to assign the proper dates and locations for photos and videos.
Violet Ramis Stiel, Class of 1985 has been focused on her family. She started weaving with her mom, does pottery and is thinking about writing another book.
Joseph (Joey) Olisaemeka Wilson, Class of 2011 opened his large solo painting exhibition “ Songs About War ” at Veilmetter’s downtown gallery on February 10. In attendance were PS1 alums Louis Waldman, Coltrane Marcus, Justin Rodriguez, Ethan Chasen, Lain Becker, Becket Hamel and Clyde Mulroney.
Hugo Miller, PS1 class of 2017 is the first male member of the USC Trojans Dance Force. We are so proud of you Hugo!
Thea Chamberlin, Class of 2018 is a student at Geffen Academy and is the senior co-lead of Women’s Affinity Group (WAG), co-leader of Creative Collaboration Club as well as a Student Admissions Ambassador.
Anna Perttula, Class of 2018 is a student at Windward and has been working on pottery on a weekly basis for the past three years. Last year and the year prior she volunteered at preschools including Blue Oak and First Presbyterian. She also volunteers in the writing/tutoring center at school, is a peer counselor, and an Admissions Ambassador. She will be attending Wellesley College in the fall.
Pablo Court, Class of 2019 is a student at New Roads and plays guitar in a band, has performed live, writes music and spent time learning at Berklee College of Music in the summer of 2023.
Max Langer, Class of 2019 is a student at Geffen Academy and is a sports writer for the Geffen Academy ball team. He works on a podcast with an LA Times writer and works on coordination for the Homelessness Club.
Ciahna McNairy, Class of 2019 is a student at Geffen Academy and is a volleyball player, co-leader of the Sustainability Environmental Action (SEA) club, coleader of mentorship program in BSU and helped to run the SWAP shop.
Kye Suggs, Class of 2019 has been modeling and recently did his first runway show.
Samantha Gardner, Class of 2020 is a student at Windward and was kind enough to host Tisa for a student-led tour in her role as a Student Ambassador.
Sonia Hsieh-Schumacher, Class of 2020 is a student at Marlborough School and competes on their swim team. She went to D.C. for spring break and plans to travel to Taiwan for two weeks with her sister when the school year ends.
Alumni Parent, Mary McGuiness, mom of Grace Kaplan ‘26 just released her new album. Read more here
Joseph (Joey)
Olisaemeka Wilson, Class of 2011
Hugo Miller, Class of 2017
Photo credit (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
James Werner, Class of 2010
Ian Watts, Class of 2010 and Alec Watts, Class of 2013
PS1 Annual Alumni Bowling Party 2024 7th and 8th Grade Alumni students and some of their parents joined us at Bowlero for this treasured annual event. To view more photos of the evening, please visit SmugMug!
Joel and Eleanor Pelcyger and Abbie and Howard Perttula attended the sold out run of Kate Berlant’s show at the Pasadena Playhouse in February.
Head of School Susannah Wolf and Tisa Habas visited The Milken School in January.
Teacher John Waldman and Tisa Habas visited Brentwood School!
Teacher Holly Frazier and Advancement Associate Tisa Habas visited Geffen Academy
Tisa Habas and teacher LiAnne Hall visited Marlborough School
Tisa Habas and teachers Yvonne Carrillo and Holly Frazier visited the Archer School for Girls
Charlie Hayes, Class of 2017, on campus with her mom, Holly Swope, and Susannah Wolf
