EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS:
CURRICULUM DESIGN
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATE TEACHER PROGRAM
CAMPUS PLANNING
ANNUAL REPORT
About the Artist: Ellie Cross
The Little School is proud to partner with local artist, Ellie Cross, on the campus-specific art seen in the mission statement above as well as throughout this magazine. Ellie came to visit campus to gather inspiration for the elements that make TLS special (you may notice TLS trees and plants included in her work). We hope you enjoy seeing her art this year in Expanding Possibilities.
Ellie Cross is interested in using art as a problem-solving tool to create a more just world. Originally from Seattle, she has painted murals designed to raise environmental consciousness in Malaysia, Thailand, Guatemala and the U.S., and has also worked on several short film projects with inspiring social messages. You can follow her work through her website.
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
By Julie Kalmus, Head of School (2019-Present)
Dear TLS Community,
As the Board, faculty and I marked the 5-year anniversary of our partnership, it offered an opportunity to reflect on all that we have accomplished together since 2019. Over just five years, we lived through construction and a pandemic, wrote a new vision and mission for the school, opened the Rivers Building, designed and launched a Strategic Plan, oversaw a Campus Plan and thoughtfully grew enrollment. There is a lot to celebrate and appreciate.
The most powerful and marked evolution for the school is not captured in the list above. The most powerful evolution for the school is the growth and care of our program, culture and community.
The data that reflects this growth is mesmerizing to me and fills me with pride. Here are some highlights to note:
The pages that follow show this data in stories. The generosity of our community’s time, philanthropy, care and engagement radiates and leaves us all with a deep sense of gratitude for each of you.
Thank you for being a part of TLS and for ensuring that we continue to “cultivate authentic learning in community and the natural world.”
Gratefully,
Julie
FROM THE BOARD
By Tina Knutson, Board Chair (2023-Present)
The Little School Board of Trustees serves the school’s mission and vision, setting policy and focusing on longrange, strategic issues. Our work is focused on ensuring school health for generations of learners to come by stewarding the long-term strategic direction of the school with the active engagement of the entire community. Our strategic priorities, as outlined in our living Strategic Plan, are mapped to four pillars: Program, People, Place and Foundation. The articles in this report show amazing progress in each of these pillars as we continue to evolve and grow.
In the 2023-2024 school year, we updated our Strategic Plan, approved the construction of a new modular library building to address our immediate space needs, launched our campus planning process to outline the next 20 years, and expanded and diversified our Board. Our focus on inclusion and community was reflected in record-breaking event attendance.
As reflected throughout this report, the faculty and staff have continued to push our program forward through professional development, investments in curriculum and tools, community partnerships and ongoing improvements to communication across our community.
Going forward, we are continuing to expand on last year’s great work while also planning into our future. In 2024-2025, we will build additional detail into our long-term Campus Plan, complete a feasibility study to gather data about funding the Campus Plan and endowment, enhance our environmental stewardship roadmap, and support the continued advancement of program innovation, communication and differentiation.
We are honored to have the privilege of working alongside the faculty and staff to ensure our beautiful and unique campus and commitment to authentic, experiential learning are available and accessible for tomorrow’s students.
Gratefully, Tina
TLS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
DESIGNING CURRICULUM
By Katie Warden
A five-year-old peers through a telescope, closely examining the changing colors of the darkening sky. A seven-year-old examines a map of Harlem, using subtraction to navigate the map and solve a riddle to uncover Langston Hughes’s final residence. A ten-year-old designs scientific inquiry methods based on the question, “Where are chickadees most active,” creating a sound map and using bird call identification app to collect and present their data. To educators, each of these moments is a chance to understand more about how a child thinks, what they understand and what they are ready to uncover as a learner.
Over the 2023-2024 school year, three important factors added to the quality of program and learning at the TLS: faculty professional development, collaboration and assessment, and partnerships in program.
Faculty Professional Development
For the past two years, our faculty has engaged in countless hours of professional development to more deeply understand how children learn, what they need to be successful learners and then how to communicate this learning with families and the children themselves. We have developed a math continuum and are developing literacy continua to more clearly show the paths of understanding children take in reading, writing and math. We have embarked in team building, peer coaching and professional learning as a whole faculty to ensure our curricular planning is creative, responsive, and supports every student to reach their full potential as learners and thinkers. Finally, we have partnered with local experts to not only share their expertise with our community but also review and evaluate what we are doing well and where we can improve.
Collaboration & Assessment
In the 2023-2024 school year, our grade level teams continued to deepen their collaborative practices and commitments. It is now common for teachers to meet multiple times per week to analyze student work, develop strategies for differentiation and generate new curricular ideas to nurture the creativity and intellect of our student body. Many teachers have participated in professional development from Harvard and Columbia Universities to support their approaches to partnership and thematic planning. We have expanded the professional voices at the table in these conversations by hiring Associate Teachers who are on the path to becoming educators themselves. Many of these new educators are in graduate school and bring new and compelling ideas, founded in research, to these conversations. Furthermore, our Faculty Support Specialist and Assistant Head of School attend many of the planning sessions, supporting school-wide consistency and rigor.
of TLS Math Continuum
Our teachers embraced the development of a math continuum, synthesizing the learning goals at each stage of development into a document that brings new clarity and alignment to our planning and assessment. The continuum is a powerful tool for planning, assessment and parent communication. It is a list of skills that builds gradually throughout a child’s life at TLS, giving families insight into the foundation that their child’s learning is building from and the goals they are working towards. Teachers use the continuum to guide their planning, referencing the tool often as they develop curriculum and track their assessments. By 2026, the school plans to have completed two more continua, one for written and oral communication and one for reading development. These tools will continue to deepen our planning and clarify our communication and partnership with families.
Excerpt
PARTNERSHIPS IN PROGRAM
The school nurtured three meaningful professional partnerships in the 2023-2024 school year.
Heather Clark, Ph.D.
Ms. Heather Clark, Ph.D. joined us monthly to help us foster our community of belonging and build our fluency with instructional practices of diversity, equity and inclusion. Ms. Heather led a mix of whole group sessions helping the school align in its values, as well as small group meetings with teaching teams about issues specific to their programs and classrooms. Additionally, Ms. Heather led sessions with families, helping our community align school-wide in its mission to celebrate belonging.
Dr. Elham Kazemi
We partnered with Dr. Elham Kazemi, an expert in teaching mathematics. Elham joined us for two full-staff sessions and visit days to observe in the classrooms and for two parent sessions to help us orient our work towards research-based mathematics instruction. Elham’s emphasis on inclusive approaches to teaching math that offer challenging problems while supporting a researched, developmental approach to mathematics resonated with our teachers and resulted in new approaches school wide.
Wired for Reading and Word Wires
TLS started a partnership with Wired for Reading and Word Wires, an innovative multi-sensory approach to teaching reading, spelling and vocabulary skills. These research-based curricula are based in a skills rich and intellectually challenging literacy program that helps students become powerful readers and writers. Adaptable across all levels, teachers were trained to address the needs of readers and writers including students with dyslexia and dysgraphia by teaching linguistics in a kid-friendly manner. This approach supports students’ comprehension of language structure and phonics. We sent many staff members to their trainings over the summer and hosted a 2-day workshop on campus for all faculty, so that the school can implement these approaches.
THE ASSOCIATE TEACHER PROGRAM
Over the past three years, The Little School has developed and implemented a purposeful program for early career educators to explore teaching and curriculum design alongside experienced TLS teachers. The Associate Teacher Program has evolved into a 2-3 year experience for professionals seeking a collaborative community to refine their teaching practice. This program is designed to support a wide range of career aspirations, both within and beyond classroom settings.
The Associate Teacher Program reconnects The Little School with its roots as a nurturing ground for progressive educators in the early stages of their careers. Associate Teachers benefit from an apprenticeship model, receiving training and support from their teaching teams, Faculty Support Specialist Katie Warden and the school at large. Their unique perspectives, shaped by their professional and intellectual experiences, enrich discussions within their cohort and teaching teams, fostering growth and innovation.
ASSOCIATE TEACHER PROGRAM GOALS
For Children For Associate Teachers For Classroom Teachers
To have many trusting adults who know them well
To practice learning from a variety of adults
To launch a new career in education
To work as an integral part of a collaborative team
To access differentiated instruction through small groups
To learn about best practices and understand progressive education through authentic experience
To mentor, nurture and coach a new educator
To deepen and expand their understanding of individual students through meaningful partnership and collaboration
To continue to refine and define their teaching practice through mutual discussion, support and observation
2024-2025 Associate Teacher Cohort
TLS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Learning through doing is a core tenet of progressive education and has always been central to learning at The Little School. There is one story from the early days of TLS often retold of a boy that came running from the woods yelling, “I need a bucket!” His teacher gave him a bucket and followed him out to the woods, only to be met by the boy running back, holding up that same bucket, now full of snakes! Needless to say, the teacher’s curriculum for the week was now set on learning deeply about the amazing creatures the student had collected (and how to return them to the forest where they belonged!).
Campus continues to provide dynamic and compelling learning experiences – from observing squirrels’ nests to discovering salamanders and hypothesizing about the death of a bird, new opportunities are always arising.
Field trips have returned to TLS, postCOVID, as a way to deepen instruction, authenticate student discovery and create meaningful experiential learning opportunities away from campus. Learn about three of last year’s amazing trips in the photos that follow.
Learning by doing, especially on our wooded campus, will always be central to growing up at TLS.
While studying how our food system works, our first and second grade students explored local farms and visited Pike Place Market, interviewing vendors to learn more about the market process.
They then tried on the roles they learned about, building their own market at school where they sold goods to each other.
After a lot of hard work, children donned their paperbag aprons, and enacted a lively marketplace, buying and selling everything from honey sticks to “pickled stuff.” Student vendors used pattern blocks as their currency and created all the local goods for their market out of blocks, construction paper, paint and fabric.
Third grade students journeyed to Camp Coleman on the Key Peninsula to investigate marine life and to link the power of environmental stewardship to the health of oceans, waterways and the animals that live in them.
Our fourth and fifth grade students spent the year learning about local flora and fauna and studying the impacts of dams on the Pacific Northwest ecosystem. They then headed to Olympic National Park to see how removing a dam can change the landscape or how plants and animals are the same and different around our state.
THINKING TOWARDS THE
CAMPUS STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS
By Kendra Petkau and Davin Chin (Campus Planning Committee Co-Chairs) and Julie Kalmus (Head of School)
“If you get down on your tummy, you can probably find worms and some cool beetles,” offers an Early Childhood student as adults tour
campus, “but if you don’t want to get your clothes dirty, you could just close your eyes and listen for birds or sniff the air and find lemon cucumbers! We’re supposed to use all of our senses in nature!” For decades, The Little School’s campus has invited this kind of reverence and connection to nature for thousands of children. Encircled by our beautiful forest, campus is a true oasis for childhood.
Donated to the school in 1968, TLS has always taken seriously the care and development of campus. Understanding this responsibility, the Board of Trustees launched a Campus Planning process over the 2023-2024 school year as part of its Strategic Plan to ensure campus would be stewarded with care well into the future.
The first step of the process was to select an architecture firm that could act as a thought partner to the school. Bassetti Architects stood out in the selection process, clearly outlining their commitments to collaborative work, environmental solutions and design, and aligning ideas with a school’s mission and values.
With Bassetti by our side, the Board formed a Campus Planning Task Force comprised of trustees, current parents, administrators and faculty. Over the course of the school year, this task force identified needs, analyzed solutions, sought feedback and iterated designs to land on a campus plan framework that would carry the school forward for the next 20 years.
HERE ARE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CAMPUS PLANNING:
Let form follow function: In feedback sessions with faculty, trustees and parents, the age and functionality of the Meadows and Cedars Buildings were regularly referenced as both threats and needs. Despite recent renovation, the 51- and 35 -year-old buildings show their age. People wondered about what it could look like to have purpose-designed spaces for our oldest students that would promote inquiry, collaboration and community. Similarly, the value of larger play, interactive and creative spaces for our youngest students captured interviewees’ imaginations. Across conversations, there was agreement that having spaces that align with the purposeful program happening inside of them was an opportunity to explore.
Preserve the forest: Unanimously, there was a call to preserve the majesty of the forest and to protect the currently wild acreage that is used for Environmental Education. This priority aligns with the school’s commitments to environmental justice and is reflected in the Climate Action and Environmental Stewardship Plan that is also being designed by the Board and faculty. These plans outline ways to move campus towards carbon neutrality over time and highlight a commitment to responsible campus use.
NEW BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS WILL PRIORITIZE THESE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES:
Windows sized and placed for optimal daylighting and views
Decarbonization and energy efficiency via solar panels
Water conservation through rainwater collection and drought tolerant landscaping
Choose materials with reduced embodied carbon compared to industry typicals
Prioritize materials complying with Living Building Challenge Red List
Habitat restoration and plantand soil-based filtration and treatment for stormwater runoff
Use existing footprints: The design and placement of the new library building (opening in early 2025!) was also a part of the Campus Planning process. As we considered the impact of new spaces on the “feel” of campus, leveraging existing footprints to create updated spaces made sense. The library will fill the area on the Big Field where our expired climber had lived. The underused Old Admin building is another footprint that could be reimagined in the future.
So, what’s next? The completed Campus Plan preserves the forest, suggests a phased approach to campus renewal and offers flexibility and guidance as future boards make decisions. This winter, we’ll open the new library building and in the next 3-5 years, we’ll explore designing a new space for our oldest students at the location of the Old Admin building. This building could house a maker workshop space for our Tech, Engineering and Design (TED) program and would offer our 4th and 5th grade students modern purpose-designed classrooms and gathering spaces to match their growing independence and powerful learning. By moving 4th and 5th grade, we create the opportunity to reimagine the use of Cedars and the design of Meadows. Following this project, Cedars could become two large kindergarten spaces with a shared studio space for building and art projects. As a result, Meadows could be renovated to have four beautiful, carefully designed Early Childhood classrooms where the magic of the indoor spaces would complement the magic of the outdoor learning and explorations that occur every day at TLS. The possibilities are endless and exciting!
Campus Planning Task Force Guiding Principles:
Understanding how values-driven TLS is, Bassetti challenged the task force to design guiding principles to inform the planning process. These seven priorities quickly rose to the top. The Campus Plan must be:
1. Child-centered
2. Mission and vision aligned
3. Consistent with our commitment to sustainability and integrated with our existing campus
4. Adaptable
5. Conducive to campus security
6. Consistent with the school’s needs and timeline
7. Cost-effective
Campus Planning Task Force Milestones:
Spring 2023
Summer 2023
Campus Planning
Task Force formed
Library Building development
Campus plan guiding principles drafted
Campus dreaming sessions with board of trustees, faculty and PGAC
Bassetti Architects presents initial schemes
Campus Planning Task Force Members:
Refine schemes with feedback from community Campus Plan complete (looking 20 years into the future)
These volunteers collaborated to shepherd the campus plan design. We are so grateful for their amazing work!
Davin Chin and Kendra Petkau (Campus Planning Co-Chairs)
Abhishek Dubey
Amanda Haecker
Barbara Sullivan
Ginger Goble Van-Diest
Julie Kalmus
Kelly Chang
Kingston Govati
Kristin Condit
Leslie Harris-Johnston
Libby Singer
Liz Garden
Mike Kelly
Pamela Kessler
Shweta Banker
Stephen Harrison
Tina Knutson
includes gifts received for the library project in addition to Annual Fund and
59+59+ ENDOWMENT
CULTURE OF GIVING AND GENEROSITY AT THE LITTLE SCHOOL
By Libby Singer
At TLS, the unwavering support of our entire community exemplifies how the culture of giving forms a foundational pillar of the school.
During the 2023-2024 school year, an impressive 92% of TLS families participated in the Annual Fund, raising over $400,000 in support of the school. This high level of engagement not only reflects the community’s commitment but also nurtures a deeper sense of belonging, emphasizing that every contribution—big or small—makes a difference.
In the spring, proceeds from the annual Auction supported 20% of the school’s annual financial aid budget. This collective commitment ensures that every student, regardless of socio-economic background, has access to the full spectrum of opportunities offered at TLS. In the pages that follow you can take a look at some photos from the event night, a joyful occasion celebrating TLS and making a difference for our school!
As the school year progressed, a handful of families joined in our vision to bring the New Library Building to life. We held conversations about the importance of having a designated library space for kids learning and clearly our community is invested in this cause as well. A group of 31 families contributed $700,000 in support of this project that will be complete in early 2025. Additionally, at the Auction this past spring, this project was further supported by 48 families who raised their paddles to help fund “The TLS Author Corner”, a bookshelf highlighting TLS original works written by students.
Beyond financial contributions, we also saw an outpouring of volunteer support. 130 individuals volunteered for the school, donating their time and talents, contributing to essential initiatives like the Auction, PGA, Room Reps, Board of Trustees and hands-on projects in the garden and library. These acts of service reflect the deeply rooted culture of generosity that extends beyond monetary gifts.
To all who supported The Little School last year—whether through financial contributions or the gift of time—thank you! It is through the collective efforts of families, alumni, grandparents, teachers and friends that TLS continues to thrive. Your dedication ensures a bright future for our students and the broader community.
In the pages to follow you will see a list of individuals and organizations who contributed to the Annual Fund, Auction, Endowment, Campaign for a Big Future, New Library Building and volunteer efforts. We deeply appreciate your generosity and support throughout the 2023-2024 school year.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report, we apologize for any errors or omissions. For corrections or updates to your name, please contact Libby at libbys@thelittleschool.org
Thank you for being an integral part of the TLS culture of giving!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023-2024 DONORS
Individuals and Families
Anonymous
Puthuvalil Abhishek and Archana Ampili
Tony Aguilar and Kristy Tian
David Aisenberg
Andy and Megan Albertson
Brita and Richard Altig
Ali Alvi and Fatima Kardar
Flavia Amaral and Carlos Figueira
Kala Anantharaman and Suchindra
Katageri
Keiko and Jonathan Andrews
Rahel Asseged and Baheru Muluneh
Julia and Michael Atalla
Hakan and Cigdem Aygun
Shweta Banker and Utsav Dalal
Lan Bao and Libo Su
Ketemash Behulu and Daniel Tessema
Brett Beyerlin and Orien Kuang
Parul Bhandari and Manny Kohli
Amit Bidaye and Nupur Bihani
Nihar and Ojasa Bihani
Eric and Jojo Bisset
Emily Black
Matthew and Kristin Booty
Alison Bower
Monique Bradshaw and Ada Duan
Phil and Jen Brandt
Rachel Brodsky and Andrew Finch
Rebekah Brown and Gordon Lyon
Joe Burcar and Rebecca Sears
Henry and Cindy Burgess
Christopher and Adrienne Cadotte
Casey Carlos
Christopher Carlson and Carolyn Weger
Ray Castillo Jr. and Katie Warden
Meltem Celikel and Umut Utkan
Mei Chan and Wayakorn Vadhanasin
Joohan Chang and Emily Kim
Michael and Kelly Chang
Bowen Chen and Qianqian Sun
Lichuan Chen and Zhengmin Li
David Chen and AnChi Hsieh
Yao Chen
Yara Chen and Abdul Ismail
Yisheng Chen and Jiajun Yu
John and Samna Chheng-Mikula
Fidela Chiang and Mu-Hsin Wei
Jenny Chiang and Jenny Yin
Odoemenem Chidinma and Ugochukwu
Enyioha
Davin Chin and Shirley Yeung
Yun Seo Cho and Marvin So
Jimmy Chu and Kim Daane
Jiun-Haw Chu and Jui-Ting Huang
Jeremy and Kristin Condit
Louise and Nick Conway
Lisa Coté and Warn Willis
Paul and Elizabeth Crawford
Xiaohui Cui and Jingchen Zhang
Amy Curran
Lisa Decker and Dave Stewart
Mallory Dehbod
Guofeng Deng and Wenlan Jing
Zhiyao Deng and Chunhui You
Sean Dolgin
Chengcheng Dong and Fangda Xu
Abhishek Dubey and Neha Goswami
Richard and Cynthia Edwards
Sophia Egler
Alejandro Estrada and Kari Perez
Jeffrey Fan and Jaishun Lu
Yeganeh Farigam and Seyed Ali Niknejad
Frank Feng and Scarlett Zhang
Elise and Samuel Finlayson
Jeffery and Mary Finn
Angela and Christopher Fitts
Grace and Jason Fowlds
Jeff Fowler and Noel Murphy
Daniel and Kerryn Frampton
Mark Freid and Julie Glendenning
Christina Freidt
Sarah ‘94 and William Gallien
Elizabeth Garden
Guy Gilbert and Keri Moran
Ginger and Laurie Goble-Van Diest
Kingston Govati and Christina Kadzamira
Deborah Gray
Blair Griffin
Amanda Haecker
Benjamin and Margaret Hall Foundation
Hamaker Family Fund
Janna and Jonathan Hamaker
Drew Hamlin Charitable Fund
John and Nicolette Hancock
Stephen and Joelle Harrison
Silvia Hartmann and Rasa
Izadnegahdar
Alice Hauschka and Sean Walsh
Vicki Hayes and Chuck Weger
Aaron and Nicole Haynes
Joydeep Hazra and Marguerite Ye
Tonya Henry and Robert Little
Jules Hetland
Hammeil Heywood
Asher Hicks
Robyn and Ryan Hites
Gordon and Sara Hodge
Max Honch and Sarah Birkebak
Scott and Mindy Hopper
Kristin Hornell and Prasad Bopardikar
Chih-Chieh Huang and Fan-Chen Pai
Wei Huang and Jie Yu
Crystal Humphries and Alexandru
Prodan
Hung Burrell Family Fund
Claudia Hung and Tim Burrell
Imbach and Nowka Family Fund
Sarah Imbach and Andy Nowka
The Ishizuka and Murakami Family Fund
Ryo Ishizuka and Yuki Murakami
Debra and Mark Jacobson
Sankalp Jain and Saakshi Gangwal
Hassan Javed and Sara Tahir
Minjie Ji and Jiqun Qi
Jingyu Ji and Haifeng Xu
Han Jia and Dan Wu
Xiangmei Jiang and Chengzhu Yu
Claire Jin and Peter Selby
Shawn and Larrissa Johnson
Tiana Johnson and Kyle Dickson
Matthew Johnston and Jessica Kehoe
Alicia and Chase Jones
Alani Kalfayan and Dan Laughlin
Ajay Kalhan and Susham Verma
Julie and Ted Kalmus
Jonathan Kang and Dasha Kobenko-Kang
Amanda and Daniel Keller
Lilli Ann Kelly
Michael and Meaghan Kelly
Pamela Kessler and Peter Zetterberg
Soo Ra Kim and Jung Lee
Christina and Jeremy Kinder
Nathan and Rachel Klee
Daniel Klusman and Kathleen Gibson
Christina Knutson
Can and Dilanur Komar
Maxim and Olivia Kudryavtsev
Ajith Kumar and Su-Ann Tan
Anubhav Kushwaha and Nazneen Shafiq
Arie Kusnadi and Lily Xu
Kam Lai and Wen Xu
Stanley Lam and Vivian Lu
Emma Lee and George Yuan
Michael LeFevre and Selena Shelley
Haoyuan Li and Fan Xu
Meiying Li and Cong Wu
Shangzhan and Ze Li
Amy Liao and Hongrui Zhang
Yi Liao and Xuele Qi
Curtis and Jeanie Light
Ling Lin and Ying Jiang
Quanhui Lin and Yufei Liu
Mengfei Liu and Weifeng Tao
Qi Liu and Bowen Zhang
Ying Liu and Li Yan
Liang Lu and Elsa Shi
Wendy MacDonald
Laura Machado de Wright and Matthew
Wright
Sana Mahmood
Nicole Makila and Scott Sims
Nir Mardiks and Noa Rappaport
Juan Margain and Sharon Perez
Johnny Marsh and Brittany Tinker
McCaskey Family Fund
John and Kristan McCaskey
Aurora McCone and Jamie Evans
Taira McKinney
Gregory ‘90 and Julia McLawsen
Manju Meghwani and Girishkumar
Sabhnani
Beth Meidinger
Michele Mendrick and Bradley Herman
Mem Merrin and Adam Harrison
Michaelsen Charitable Giving Fund
Katherine Michaelsen and Luke Adams
Brady Montz and Jessie Zhou
Shay and Sur Moon
Hannah Moore and Alex Wilford
Mike and Debora Murphy
Sarah and Toshi Niwa
Megan and Grant Norcross
Randy Nuñez and Andrea Salazar
Jude and Ngozi Nwoko
Hillary Omdal
Kaan Ozel and Andrea Estes
Marc and Tammy Paine
Linnea Peterson
Petkau Family Charitable Fund
Jeff and Kendra Petkau
Bernhard and Jinny Poess
Zhilin Qiu
John and Marilyn Rafn
Madison Ragland
Jaideep Ravela and Pranati Desiraju
Sarah Rehemtulla
Ren Che Foundation
Marlie S. Reny and Miguel Moreno
Sally Revere
Colin and Samantha Robertson
Leah Roess
Viacheslav Rostovtsev and Marina
Rostovtseva
Saks Xu Family Fund
Jevan Saks and Ling Xu
Bassam and Laila Saliba
George and Sinem Saliba
Leah and Phillip Saltzman
Cassandra and Roy Seney
Wei Shao and Yi Fang
Judy Shedd and Terry Coonan
Libby Singer
Virtaj Singh and Sarah Sullivan-Singh
Salim and Tuba Sirtkaya
Spencer and Yasmin Smith
Hannah Sternberg
Stevens Family Foundation
Delphine S. Stevens
Lindsey Stibbard
Barbara and Woodruff T. Sullivan
Xiaohui Tao and Jianwen Zhou
Zarry Tavakkol and Habib Rahbar
Jaime Teevan and Alex Hehmeyer
Frida and Tobias Ternstrom
Deborah and Justin Thenutai
Karthik Thirumalai and Gowri
Venkatesh
Claire Tu and Shuan Wang
Sean R. Vacca
Amanda and Sonal Vaish
Tinghao and Zheshen Wang
Xiaoxian Wang and Yiqi Zhao
Elaine and Yun Wang
Deborah and Patrick Watje
Cindy Weber
Hongren Wei and Yanhong Zhao
Bryan Weights
Regan Wensnahan
Daniel and Shannon Westfahl
Braden Wild and Emily O’Leary-Wild
Tyler and Ann Williams
Andrew and Colette Willingham
Andrea Wong
Ken and Susan Wong
Stacy and Tim Woo
John and Marie Wood
Diego Wright ‘17
Edward and Simone Wu
Xiao Wu and Wei Wang
Yanchen Wu and Huanhuan Pan
Yuelei Xie and Chan Wang
Yates Stevenson Charitable Fund
Yijing Yin
Yanxue and Qi Zhang
Chengjuan Zhu and Ning Zhuang
Nick Zosel-Johnson and Susan Sparrow
Ada Wu
Albert Feng
Anderson and Reid Fowlds
Charlotte Burcar
Charlotte Wu’s family
Chikanma Enyioha
Cindy and Hannah
Daniel
Derrick Jia
Eddy, Evan, Ryan Qi and Yi Liao
Eldah and Tsenat Behulu
Eleanor and Geneva
Elliott Herman
Gordon and Max and for all those that have an impact on their education. We thank you :)
Hongxi Tao and his family
Jadon Lee
Jae So
Jianwen Zhou
Joaquin Nuñez Salazar
Josie Vaish
Kaleb and Kaylee Kang
Kimaya
Linnea’s class
Louise Conway
Maternal and paternal grandparents of Dia Katageri
Max and Sophia Jacobson
Nikki and Isabella Margain-Perez
Owen and Aiden Wilford
Ozan Ozel
Pat Sterne
Sheila Zhang
Steve and Sarah Eraker
The incredible teachers at TLS!
Gifts In Memory Of
Anjun Zheng
Chu Seng Lo
Robert Fowlds and Anhuai Liu
Organizations and Corporate Matching
Apple
Bank of America
Bassetti Architects
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Bytedance
CAPTRUST
Expedia
Heritage Bank
LiveOak Audio Visual
Meysen Academy
Microsoft
Moderna Therapeutics
New Home Company
Nvidia
Pepperland Marketing
Pivotal Ventures
Salesforce Foundation
SAP Software
Stryker Corp.
T-Mobile
UBS
UnitedHealth Group
WarnerMedia
Wayfair
Weyerhaeuser
Windermere
TLS AUCTION 2024 EVERY PIECE
MATTERS
The 2024 TLS Auction: Every Piece Matters was a huge success thanks to the TLS community who supported the school in a big way. Through volunteering of time, donating items, attending the event, bidding on the online auction and raising paddles in support of financial aid or the new library, every piece came together beautifully and had a huge community impact. Together, we raised over $330,000 in support of TLS!
Event Highlights:
• Community Puzzle
• Guest Speaker Drew Fowler ’12
• Live auction and TLS all school original puzzle bidding war
• Raise the paddle for financial aid
• Alum volunteers showcasing class projects and raffles
• Auction favorites: dessert dash, raffles, silent auction and send your teacher packing
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATE
By Sarah Gallien ’94 and Jenny Chiang
The Alumni Association Board (AAB), in partnership with The Little School, continues to strengthen alum engagement, foster a sense of belonging, preserve institutional knowledge and build systems for long-term sustainability and retention. In 20232024, the school expanded its alumni team by introducing the role of Community Events and Alumni Coordinator, held by Jenny Chiang. This addition complements the arrival of Libby Singer, Director of Development and Communications, as they work together alongside the AAB to support alumni initiatives.
Inspiring Moments
The 2024 auction epitomized our community’s spirit. We were humbled by increased alum support for and at the auction, with recent alums volunteering as docents for class projects, in raffle sales and all-around guest hospitality. Alum Drew Fowler ’12 delivered an inspiring speech about TLS’s lasting impact, highlighting the school’s transformative influence. His personal donation of Husky gear and heartfelt gratitude for everyone who invested in him at TLS and why it mattered then, now and into his future embodied the deep connections we continue to nurture.
Looking Forward
In 2024-2025, the Alumni Association Board strengthened its leadership by welcoming Diego Wright ‘17 as Vice Chair and Fiona Ayers ‘19 as Secretary. They are both brilliant, creative and analytical thinkers who bring an optimistic sense of urgency to drive our mission forward. Our Alumni Association will focus on extending our reach, building on our already growing community involvement and sustaining engagement. If you are interested in learning more about the Alumni Association Board, please get in touch!
Learn more here: TLS Alumni Portal
I love hanging out with our alums! Just as they were as TLS students, they are fascinating, curious and inspiring people who get things done. I couldn’t ask to be part of a greater community.”
-Sarah Gallien
’94
Alum Engagement and Community Building
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, we:
Enhanced school programs through dynamic alum involvement
• Continued to expand alum opportunities and elevate program offerings by recruiting alum as instructors, coaches and assistants.
• Organized volunteer experiences and engaging alums in campus improvements encompassing forest maintenance, woodland preservation and construction projects.
• Strengthened institutional operations by mobilizing alum support in Admissions, Development and Summer Program initiatives, including outreach and data collection.
Hosted new and recurring events to strengthen alumni community in support of The Little School’s mission
• Welcomed TLS alums graduating from high school back to campus for reunion events where they shared their memories and future aspirations with their peers.
• Organized luncheons to maintain meaningful connections with former faculty.
• Partnered with the AAB to create, staff and run an interactive TLS history exhibit featuring an interview-style memory booth that captured and preserved alum stories.
Celebrated new Outgrowers into the TLS alum community
• Hosted a special induction event to welcome Outgrowers into our alum family and sent them off with excitement and TLS swag.
• Facilitated connections between new Outgrowers and established alums, fostering their relationships to the school and each other.
• Introduced graduates to exclusive TLS alum benefits and engagement opportunities, setting the foundation for continued involvement.
Enhanced alum connections through redesigned newsletter publication
• Continued to deliver reliable quarterly publications showcasing alum achievements, milestones and community impact.
• Featured alum-driven content that celebrates and honors our alum community and their work.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD
Sarah Gallien ‘94 Chair
Matt Weiner Member at Large
Fiona Ayres ‘19 Secretary
Diego Wright ‘17 Vice Chair
Jules Hetland Member at Large
OUTGROWING 2024
Fifteen students became TLS alums after their years together full of friendship, learning and growing up.
The class joined middle schools around the Puget Sound and we’ve been glad to see many of them back at campus already to help give advice to the class of 2025 and say “hi” to us.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024!
Alex Amor
Andy Annalee Charlee
Charlotte
Felix
Honomi
Eddy
Jessup
Meher
River
Sanay
Tore
Victor
The Class of 2024 is sharing their gifts and some TLS culture with the following middle schools:
Acton Academy
Big Picture School
The Bush School
Forest Ridge School
Lake Washington Girls Middle School
Lakeside School
Northwest School
The Overlake School
Rose Hill Middle School
UPrep
FOND FAREWELLS
IT IS WITH THE UTMOST APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE THAT WE HONOR THESE TRUSTEES FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE LITTLE SCHOOL.
Our Board of Trustees embraces opportunities to further the mission of the school and ensures the school is foundationally sound and prepared for the vibrant future that lies ahead. The Board enthusiastically and wholeheartedly stands with the school in forwarding justice, equity, inclusion and sustainability and brings these values into its learning, work and strategic planning. Each of these trustees has played a pivotal role in helping TLS grow and thrive. We are so grateful for their service.
DAN WESTFAHL
Dan Westfahl came to The Little School in 2012 when his eldest daughter was a first grader. Over the next decade, all three of Dan’s children would Outgrow TLS but the Board was fortunate to have Dan wait a little longer for his Outgrowing ceremony. In 2018, he joined the Board, quickly becoming the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Dan led the Director of Finance searches that ultimately brought Kingston Govati to the school. He also spearheaded important compensation research that helped the school adjust salaries and benefits to better attract and retain talent. When COVID knocked at TLS’ doors in 2020, Dan stepped up as Board Chair, helping the school weather COVID’s challenges and cheering it on as it embraced opportunity.
As the Board reflected on Dan’s service, there was tremendous appreciation for the ways that his leadership supported shared understanding of the school’s finances and position. His ability to synthesize complex ideas and challenges into relatable stories and examples shone during his tenure. Julie Kalmus strove to capture his impact through this “simple” formula and the following comment:
“Dan divides inertia with kinetic energy divided by 450 days of chaos times 6 years of fiscal responsibility times synergy cubed equals....TLS’ transformation over the past 6 years. Dan, you have been a steady force of care for the school and a powerful leader. Thank you for all you’ve done for all of us.”
LISA DECKER
Lisa Decker’s journey at TLS began in 2010 when her daughter, Stella, enrolled. Over the next 8 years, Lisa would become a beloved member of the parent and broader community, bringing a commitment to care, justice and access in every interaction. This got the Board’s attention in 2018 and Lisa began her tenure as a trustee then. By 2020, she was cochairing the DEIJ Committee and actively supporting trustee conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. A fierce champion for the power and impact of financial aid, Lisa has spoken to the importance of this commitment at auctions, board meetings and community meetings, inspiring everyone who got to listen.
Here are some reflections about Lisa: There is a quote in a 4th grader’s report where another student said, “I think she’s got glitter in her blood.” One couldn’t help but think about Lisa reading it. Lisa has glitter in her blood. And sometimes it seeps out and fills the spaces when she enters a room or shares an idea. It could be because Lisa is TLS’s Forest Fairy, tending the soil behind the scenes and caring for the creatures and trees so they radiate with lushness. We are all so lucky to be in her care.”
ZARRY TAVVAKOL
Zarry Tavvakol’s eldset son arrived at TLS in 2016. The Board benefited from her service as a trustee from 2019-2024. Zarry served on the Finance, Advancement and Governance Committees always lifting the conversation to ensure we considered student and family impact in our decisions. A champion for teachers and program, Zarry helped the school hone messaging and strategy as it actively grew over the past four years. Zarry modeled purpose and engagement as a trustee and as a community member. The school awaits the 5K Big Foot race each fall where Zarry, her mom and at least one of her sons join the school’s runners on the trails of the Redmond Watershed. We wish her the same connection, ease and joy she brought to the racecourse as she engages new adventures. Thank you for your service, Zarry!
WELCOME TO OUR NEW TRUSTEES
We are thrilled to welcome six new trustees to The Little School Board this year. The new trustees have already been active members on committees including Campus Planning, DEIJ, Strategic Thinking and Advancement. Please join us in welcoming Julia, Ojasa, Liz, Silvia, Mike, and Jessie!
JESSIE ZHOU is the proud parent of a current TLS student and a TLS alum. She’s a firm believer in progressive education and is excited about the opportunity to serve on the board. She has nearly 20 years of experience leading product and marketing teams in large tech companies as well as startups. An entrepreneur at heart, she’s currently dedicated to growing the local angel investors community and startup ecosystem. She’s also passionate about health and wellness, currently pursuing a nutritionist certification.
JULIA ATALLA is the parent of two Little School alums. She is active in local and national non-profit organizations that focus on equity in and empowerment through education. She is passionate about progressive education and believes that engaging students as active participants in their learning creates compassionate and curious global citizens. A former Microsoft executive, Julia is currently an Executive/Leadership Coach on a mission to help leaders embrace their strengths and play bigger in the world. Outside of work, Julia enjoys running around with the kids, taking long walks in the sunshine and listening to podcasts and audio books.
LIZ GARDEN, the proud parent of a current TLS student, is a strong advocate for progressive education, student advocacy and trauma-informed teaching. With almost 30 years of experience in data analytics consulting and management across both for-profit and non-profit sectors, she brings extensive expertise to her work. Liz is currently pursuing a certification in nonprofit management. When she’s not working, she loves traveling, cooking, hiking in nature and exploring new interests.
MIKE KELLY is the parent of one current Little School student. Originally from New York, he has degrees from Boston University and Boston College Law School. He moved to the Pacific Northwest to take a role with Amazon where he manages a legal team focused on intellectual property and branding. He believes that nature and outdoor activities play an important role in child development, and has a strong appreciation for the Little School’s commitment to sharing natural spaces with students. When not working he enjoys cooking, reading and fitness-related activities.
OJASA BIHANI is a parent of a Little School alum and a current Little School student. She is an advocate of The Little School’s approach to learning through curiosity and creativity. Originally from Mumbai, Ojasa spent her early childhood in Tokyo at an international elementary school where she experienced the joy of learning in a diverse community. Ojasa is passionate about DEI and belonging, and the importance of this work in creating a better world for our children and our communities. Ojasa has an MBA and 20 years of experience in Human Resources, with the last 16 years in the Pacific Northwest across Airbnb (current) and Microsoft. Outside of work, Ojasa enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading, and being outdoors.
SILVIA HARTMANN is the parent of three current TLS students at the beginning of their educational journeys. She is immensely appreciative of the experience they have had at The Little School over the past years. She is looking forward to contributing to TLS through the Board of Trustees. When not parenting, Silvia is a pediatric intensivist at Seattle Children’s Hospital where she works in the Pediatric ICU caring for critically ill children. She enjoys nothing more than a good book and espresso.
UPCOMING EVENTS
As we continue to emphasize building community with our families, faculty, alums and friends, we hope you will join us for these upcoming events in 2025!
TLS AUCTION
Saturday, April 5
Liljebeck Farms, Woodinville, WA
ALUM DIP AND SIP
Thursday, January 16
The Little School Campus (Rivers Building)
GLOBAL CULTURES CELEBRATION
Sunday, January 26
The Little School Campus (Rivers Building)
ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 17
The Little School Campus (Rivers Building)