Nueva Magazine – Fall 2021/Winter 2022 by The Nueva School

In beautiful ways, what we do at Nueva

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is mirrored in the life of mushrooms, in the invisible-to-us underground mycelial networks

that create mutually symbiotic community

through connection.

— L I Z A R AY N A L ’9 5 upper school division head

ROOTED

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N U E VA Magazine is published by the Communications Department for past and current students, parents, grandparents, and friends of The Nueva School. EDITORIAL TEAM Rachel Freeman Mitzi Mock LiAnn Yim ALUMNI NEWS Diana A. Chamorro S TAY

WANT TO REACH OUR ALUMNI OFFICE? Please email us at alumni@nuevaschool.org

C O N N E C T E D

DESIGN Aldeia www.aldeia.design PRINTER Colorprint www.colorprint.com The Nueva School always pursues sustainable options whenever possible. Unfortunately, due to the global supply chain disruptions, we were unable to print this issue on our usual 100% recycled paper. The paper in this issue has been substituted with Pacesetter 80lb uncoated cover, and 100lb uncoated text—which is 30% recycled post-consumer waste. We hope to use our usual paper as soon as it becomes available again. T H E N U E VA S C H O O L is an independent, coeducational, PreK–Grade 12 school for gifted learners. Our school community inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind. Nueva uses a dynamic educational model to enable gifted learners to make choices that will benefit the world.

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Dear Nueva Community, After a year of hybrid learning, the 2021 fall semester marked our return to full-time, on-campus instruction. For some members of our community, it was the first time learning in our classrooms or walking our halls in more than a year. For others, it was their first time meeting classmates, teachers, or colleagues in person. This period has been a time to reconnect and remind ourselves of the values and ideals we share as a community. With this purpose in mind, this fall/winter issue of Nueva Magazine digs deep into the intellectual and experiential roots that anchor our school culture. In this issue, we explore our most unwavering mission—to serve gifted students—and what giftedness means at Nueva (see page 17). In a playful take on the ABCs of Nueva, we spotlight some of the fundamental elements of the Maverick experience (see page 40). We also showcase a new nature-inspired elective that intertwines many of Nueva’s pillars: hands-on learning, environmental citizenship, and interdisciplinary thinking (see page 30). Grounded in our commitment to nurturing a beloved community, we also highlight some of the ways Nueva is committed to growing and evolving in the future. We share interviews with three of our colleagues, who have undertaken new roles that are furthering our efforts to be a more diverse and inclusive place of belonging for all of our Mavericks (see page 36). There is much to relish on campus these days. From live performances and athletics events to artistic displays and even a Halloween parade (see pages 4–9), our students have revived campus life and made Nueva feel more like the school we know and love. We are grateful to be back together safely and joyfully. Go Mavericks and best wishes, The Nueva Communications Team

DROP US A NOTE: Share your thoughts on this magazine—and anything Nueva related—at communications@nuevaschool.org

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02 R EF L E C T I O N Letter from the Head of School

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News from Nueva

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News from alumni

Making an Impact

54 E XC L A M A T I O N P OI N T

Nueva senior named top 5 finalist for international climate prize.

Students share “How to Care for an Adolescent in the Year 2021”

INSIDE BACK COVER

Digging In

Save the Date!

A new middle school elective steeped in nature

Be A Maverick Benefit

ON THE COVER For the first upper school faculty meeting of 2022— and the first for Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal ’95 upon her return from parental leave—Liza shared the resonance she sees between mycelial networks and connections at Nueva. ¶ “When I think about who we are and who I’d like us to be, I think about the power of the largest organism on earth: the humble fungus, deeply connected, always underground and able to pop above with one short rain,” she said. Photo of high-resolution mycelium network by Loreto Oyarte Galvez.

The Freedom to be Curious

For 55 years, Nueva has been dedicated to serving gifted students and their families.

36 Ready for the Ride

Q+A with Taryn Grogan and interviews with new JEDI members

40 ABCs of Nueva

Going back to our roots, we share the Nueva ABCs—the core parts of the Nueva experience.

R E F L E C T I O N

Dear Community

“ From Nueva’s inception, we have dedicated ourselves to meeting the needs of gifted learners and, repeatedly, this community has reiterated its steadfast commitment to this mission.”

A Nueva eighth grade student recently remarked how excited she is to wake up early every morning, withstand a very long commute to campus, and embrace all that Nueva has to offer because she thinks the school is so incredible. Another student recalled how she felt so at home on her very first day as a lower school student here at Nueva. A recent alumnus remembers how Nueva embraced his genuine love of learning as soon as he enrolled in the upper school, in stark contrast to always being teased about this in previous schools. These are just some of the voices in a recent set of interviews we conducted to capture the student experience at Nueva. Although they stem from different perspectives and focus on a variety of aspects of the ‘Nueva magic,’ there is a common thread that runs through all these comments. They all reflect a sentiment that Nueva is a home away from home for these students, a place where they feel comfortable being themselves, a setting that empowers them to pursue their passions, a community in which they feel they truly belong. I’m not sure there is any better way of describing the ethos of ‘home.’ The pillars of the Nueva experience—giftedness, social-emotional learning, design thinking, environmental citizenship, inclusion, and belonging—are what inspires these student reflections. Our educational approach of learning by doing and learning by caring is exactly what these gifted learners need to have the agency and aspiration to make choices that benefit the world. Staying true to our community’s mission, vision, and learning principles has never been more important for the population we serve, and the articles in this issue of Nueva Magazine highlight exactly this. I invite you to enjoy this special collection of voices as they truly affirm who we are, what we do, and why we do it. I want you to hear the same voices that I do—voices of hope, growth, and joy. Voices from the heart of Nueva. I continue to be humbled and honored to serve as the head of school of such a phenomenal learning community. In partnership, LEE FERTIG

Head of School

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For this year's full return to campus, students, including third grader Macallister B., took the bull by the horns and reinvigorated their favorite Nueva traditions, including the annual Halloween parade. See page 9.

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For Students by Students First Graders Redesign Classroom Library

IT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION: “If we—the first grade class of Clever Cheetah Cubs—were to redesign our classroom library, what would it look like?” To answer this question, students in Emily Mitchell and Alexandra Holterman’s class embarked on a design thinking project, which culminated in a fully redesigned classroom library. A pillar of Nueva’s learning approach, design thinking is a creative problem-solving process that draws on the humanities for empathy, the arts and engineering for idea generation and invention, and the sciences for hypothesis creation, prototyping, testing, and reflection. “This practical, hands-on experiment was the Clever Cheetah Cubs’ first taste of design thinking in first grade, a process they will continue to use throughout the year as we tackle more abstract concepts and complex issues,” Emily said. The class began by brainstorming what they thought design thinking meant. “Creating a prototype, like in engineering,” one student replied. Another said, “Writing down a design or building a model.” Once students understood what the process entailed, they began by observing the problems with the current system in place. In this case, students watched their classmates use the then-current class library, jotting down thoughts on sticky notes. Some observations included: • A lot of books are falling apart • Some books don’t fit in their baskets • Baskets without labels are super unorganized • The librarian job [editor’s note: assigned to one student at a time] is stressful because there are a lot of books to put back and it’s hard to know where they go. “Clearly, we had our work cut out for us!” Emily said. “Undaunted by the sheer amount of issues we’d need to address in our redesign, our budding design thinkers charged ahead to the next step: interviewing.” Students worked as a class to brainstorm the difference between a yes/no question and an open-ended one, and tried to determine which type would best suit their needs. Emily added, “We all agreed that no matter the form of the question, the answer should supply us with information we couldn’t gather through observation alone.”

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← D avid L. looks over the data he collected. → T he newly organized library has bins dedicated to certain authors and series. ↘ L aila v. G. sorts a stack of books into a basket. ↘ C harlotte N. and Maya R. work together to categorize the books in their stack.

Providing students some individual autonomy in this group project, each student was responsible for collecting data for a specific question by interviewing their classmates and teachers. The class then tallied the results. It was only then—after making observations, interviewing classmates, and collecting data that the students could craft a needs statement for the library: The Clever Cheetah Cubs need a user-friendly, amazing library so as to create joy and ease of use. Armed with all of the information needed to begin designing their library, students emphatically shared their “wild, out of this world ideas,” Emily said. “Flying books that go back to where they belong when you’re finished!” one student said. Another shared, “A pulley that picks up the books and puts them in the return bin.” A third said, “A trampoline so kids can jump up and grab books that are high up!” “While we wish we could put each and every one into practice—a robot helper would be particularly useful!—it was time to take our fantastical ideas and chisel them down to their practical applications,” Emily said. The classroom began to look like organized chaos—with stacks and stacks of books everywhere—so students could organize and sift through the lot.

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Emily added, “It’s hard to describe the beautiful messiness of this step: books strewn across the floor, tables, and chairs, children dashing from our library to their table seats with piles of books in hand, book baskets emptied and stacked high. It was a sight to behold!” Students agreed on a categorization system for the books and then organized books into bins based on color. After brainstorming a library system to help keep the books organized, the class considered the project complete. “It felt like a mix of challenging and fun,” said first grader Laila v. G. “I had to face challenges when thinking about a need. In the end the solutions were better because we went through the steps.” Annelise B. added, “It felt good [to finish] and we felt so proud.” Gemma B. echoed Annalise. “I am really happy with the library,” she said. “We made it feel cozy and new again.” “This project exemplifies the power of design thinking for both teachers and students,” Emily reflected. “My classroom library has not worked well for 10 years, and yet it is something we all see daily. Until we really looked at it closely through observations and interviews, we didn’t know the inherent issues. Now it is transformed because of empathy, considering user needs, and a little bit of love. Alexandra and I truly could not be more grateful for both their vision and immense help in finally giving our library the care and attention it deserves.” —Rachel Freeman

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Art Briefs Nueva Steel Drummers Take Stage at SFJAZZ

A Performance of

LOW E R S C H O O L

This fall, the third graders worked with the visual elements of line, negative space, and texture in a monoprinting project for Reenie Charriere’s art class. They learned how to use a gel plate and a brayer to apply just the right amount of ink to produce a clear and sometimes surprising print!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Reenie Charriere’s sixth grade students created monochromatic art this fall. They began by selecting a sculptural form and texture, and then shaped the surface of their artwork with paper. The sixth graders chose a specific hue to explore through their sculptural acrylic paintings. Adding tints and shades, they painted with value and gradation. Their works were accompanied by written artist statements that explained why they chose their specific color.

UPPER SCHOOL

Upper school students in Rachel Dawson’s Intro to Sculpture class explored the concept of transformation and the idea of “the contained” through their own alembic pieces. They invited the conceptual power of a material (clay) and its connections to the project’s concept of transformation. Students were challenged to create a container inspired by alchemical alembics and physically represent, in some way, what it “contains.” Employing coil building techniques, students created a vessel that explored an idea of transformation.

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On Dec. 12, 2021, after two years of preparation and many months of uncertain postponements, more than 50 students in Nueva’s steel drum program, representing grades 1–12, joined acclaimed musicians Andy Narell and David Rudder on the the stage of SFJAZZ. It marked the first time a Nueva student band played in-person for parents since the start of the pandemic.

Junior Calder B. had been rehearsing for this show—originally slated for March 2020—since her freshman year. “I think back to February 2020 when we went to St. Lucia for a week and practiced with Andy for three to five hours a day,” said Calder, who has been playing steel drums with Nueva music teacher Jim Munzenrider since kindergarten. “Almost half of that original band has

since graduated, but those of us who were left kept practicing and learning new songs.” “When I think of what it took to get here, I immediately think of ‘Coffee Street,’ one of Andy’s big show tunes, which we learned in fall of 2019,” said Anoushka K., a junior who has been playing steel drums since sixth grade. “It’s a painful song to learn, but we rehearsed it for

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two years, so it’s all muscle memory now and I can really enjoy playing it.” The concert also served as a space for another long-delayed, in-person celebration: an honoring of former head of school Diane Rosenberg, whose tenure ended in summer 2020 before social distancing protocols were lifted. During the concert, students surprised Diane,

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who had flown in from Massachusetts for the show, with a special performance of the Beatles’ “In My Life” and a slideshow documenting her time at Nueva. “Coming out of the pandemic, it means so much to perform in front of people live,” Anoushka said. “But the most meaningful part of this show was seeing how excited Jim was.”

“He’s been our teacher for so long and this show was his baby,” Calder said. “We did it for him.”

FUN FACT It took a

foot truck (and a handful of faculty volunteers) to move

steel drums from Nueva's campuses to SFJAZZ.

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FACULTY BOOKSHELF

Q U O T E D

RECOMMENDED READING

“ Every day, I’m so grateful that I am part of a community where I can not only be safely out but supported as well.” A B I W., 11 T H G R A D E

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue V.E. Schwab Schwab travels through time, space, and the realm of fantasy while exploring the question: If you could live forever, would you? This was my first read of 2021, and I’m still thinking about it 12 months later! KELLY WARD 7th grade writing teacher

Unbound Ann E. Burg A wonderful work of historical fiction, the book is written in prose and captivates the reader to learn about the creativity and resilience of an enslaved family who finds their way to freedom in the Great Dismal Swamp. A history lesson, captivating imagery, and empowering tale all wrapped into one. ERIN LONGO 3rd grade teacher

Little Women Louisa May Alcott. After I read Cho Nam-Joo’s novel, Kim Ji-young: Born 1982, I was inspired to go back and reread this old but classic book. It makes me think that even after a century, women are still striving to find their place in society. It makes me wonder how women are expected to balance their families and careers, and balance the shifting between different roles in life, such as mother, wife, daughter, and her true self.

TAKING ACTION

In support of National Transgender Awareness Week, middle and upper students in the Nueva Gender and Sexuality Affinity Group (GSA) organized rallies on both campuses, and on the morning of Nov. 18 they were joined by teachers and staff during drop-off.

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QIAO LIU upper school math teacher

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3-D Pythagorean Theorem

Upper school students in Andrew Alexander's multivariable calculus class watch as he explains how to solve for the length between two points in three-dimensional space. During this class period, students also assembled and color-coded their own portable three-dimensional Cartesian axes, which help them work with and visualize two- and three-dimensional functions, vectors, and vector fields. Andrew noted, “We were trying to prove the three-dimensional Pythagorean Theorem, and this demo did so in a much more vivid and real way than drawing on a two-dimensional whiteboard could.”

SMALL WORLD

Lee Fertig runs into a group of students in San Francisco

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M O R E D R E S S I N G UP

On Friday, Oct. 29, our campuses were teeming with wizards, animals, minions, Greek gods, and so many other guests. No, Nueva had not greatly expanded its COVID Campus Visitor Policy; it was Halloween, a time-honored tradition at Nueva, filled with costume parades, spooky classroom deep dives (creepy crawlies, anyone?), and eerie read-alouds.

On a crisp fall day, Head of School Lee Fertig ran into a group of ninth graders at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The group of students was there celebrating Wyatt T.'s birthday by picking up trash along the shore.

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Filling in the Gaps WRC Audit Evaluates Representation in the Collections In the midst of the towering stacks of books in the Nueva Writing and Research Center (WRC), the new collection team was hard at work evaluating the diversity of the collection. The team, comprised of WRC Director Jen Paull and summer interns Grace Holmes ’21 and junior Anya C., spent the months of summer 2021 combing through the few thousand books in the WRC collection to look for patterns in which voices and perspectives are amplified and which are seeking space for more representation. Jen, Grace, and Anya hope to not only build an understanding of the collection, but also to help create a more comprehensive collection through this process. “What we are hoping to do by better understanding our collection is to make sure we have a really strong representation of many kinds of voices, perspectives, and points of view,” Jen said. “The library has been developed hand-in-hand with the curricula, and we want to know where there are gaps [in the collection]. Where are the things where we think, ‘Oh we could use better representation in this area’?” By analyzing the content and the context for each book—using online summaries and other resources—the team has identified a number of gaps in the collection, including representation in Latinx, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and transgender authors, characters, and plot. Once they have completed the entire collection, the team will use the data they gathered to research books that could be valuable additions to the collection to increase the diversity of voices and perspectives represented in the collection. These findings will be shared with the Nueva community through a spreadsheet.

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So far, Jen, Grace, and Anya have worked through the U.S. history, nonfiction, and fiction sections. Though still in the preliminary stages of this project, certain areas lacking in representation in the collection have already been identified. Of the 385 books that have been reviewed as of this story, 76.7 percent were written by white authors, while 59.5 percent of the 145 nonfiction books were written by men, and 55.3 percent of the 240 fiction books were written by women. The books have been sorted into 13 categories based on characters, topics, and settings. These categories help to identify what representation the actual story contains along with the voice telling the story.

a non-straight protagonist or you don’t.’ But we’re making an effort to tailor the categories of books we’re seeing instead of trying to squish books into certain categories they may not exactly fit.” By investigating the nuance and complexity of the texts and voices, this project not only creates a more comprehensive collection, but supports teachers and students through both expanding curricula and improving individual skills. “One of the great things about Nueva is that our classes are always developing and changing, and we are working with teachers to understand assignments and what students need,” Jen said. “One of the key things is making sure that students can really develop their research

By investigating the nuance and complexity of the texts and voices, this project not only creates a more comprehensive collection, but supports teachers and students through both expanding curricula and improving individual skills. In addition to this, certain ambiguities have led there to be “significantly debated” and “questioned in text” subsections for criteria in the spreadsheet, Grace shared. For example, if there had been ambiguity or debate within the fanbase about a character’s identity— like the sexuality of a protagonist—it would would be put as “significantly debated” instead of being forced into another that may not fully encapsulate the nuance of the situation. “Building our own list of terms to use was deceptively difficult,” Grace said. “At first it sounds simple, like ‘you have

skills so that in the future they can have the skills to get what they want, what they need, what excites them, and what keeps expanding their knowledge.” The team hopes that the spreadsheet can soon become a readily available resource for students to self-advocate and find the representation they seek, and Jen anticipates the project will extend through 2022. —Grace F. ’23

BY THE NUMBERS (SO FAR) Of the

385

books that have been reviewed as of this story,

76.7% were written by white authors.

59.5% 145 of the

nonfiction books were written by men.

55.3% 240 of the

fiction books were written by women.

→ G race Holmes ’21 and Anya C. ’23 spent a lot of time in summer 2021 amid the stacks of books in the San Mateo Writing and Research Center. They worked to categorize the collection to better understand which voices and perspectives are featured.

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GO MAVERICKS!

AT H L E T I C S

128

Number of middle school and fourth grade student-athletes who participated in the early winter season (girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball)

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P H O T O S BY DAV I D G O N Z A L E S ( @ G O N Z A L E S P H O T O ) A N D D I A N E M A Z Z O N I

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354

Number of kills the varsity girls’ volleyball team had during the fall 2021 regular season

Number of league championships for fall 2021 Nueva athletics teams (girls’ and boys’ cross country and girls’ tennis)

 To learn more about Nueva athletics, visit nuevaschool. org/athletics.

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ATHLE T I C S …

Queens of the Court Girls' tennis team solidifies itself as formidable competitor

One look this fall at the Nueva girls’ tennis team and it might have been hard to believe that the team only started in fall 2019. Led this year by seniors and founding members Avery C. , Mira D., and Adrienne P., the team went 10-0 in the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) skyline division, and has developed into a program offering both a developmental team and varsity level competition. But the road to this success was not easy. “In the last three years our seniors got a crash course in how to be resilient about something they are passionate about, having had to deal with lack of court space and then the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Athletics Director Chris Wade, who, along with former Upper School Division Head Stephen Dunn, was instrumental in helping to bring this team to fruition. “These girls are a testament to the idea that if you commit to something, you can succeed. The oncourt results are the byproduct of this resilience and commitment.” That sticktoittiveness is what has propelled this team forward. When conversations first began about starting a girls’ tennis team in spring 2019, there were six girls who expressed interest in playing. A tennis team requires a minimum of 10 players for a match—four singles matches and four doubles matches—so getting buy-in was an uphill battle for those interested athletes. “The first season was difficult because we faced a lot of challenges to get people to play,” Mira said. “We were trying to adapt because everyone was at a different skill level and different grade level. And this was before the pandemic. Commitment was tough.”

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But, looking back on it, Mira sees that much of the success the team saw in 2021 can be attributed to that initial group. “By the end of the season, it was really nice to have something that resembled a team,” she said. “Adrienne, Eleanor Monroe ’21, and I took on leadership roles and created a number of bonding opportunities for the girls. I was excited for the next season.” But then COVID-19 came and the fall 2020 season was canceled. Instead, an abbreviated season was moved to spring 2021, and the team competed in the only league available: the WBAL foothill division, a division filled with powerhouse girls’ tennis teams. “It was a shortened season and we weren’t concerned that they were literally out of their league,” said assistant coach Jennifer Perry, who has been with the team since the beginning. “One really obvious sign of success was that the program continued to grow despite this mismatch. The players stayed really positive and encouraging of each other.” “I think it was good for our mentality to play these upper level teams,” Mira said. “It challenges you and highlights your weaknesses. You just try to adjust

↑ The girls' tennis team celebrates after a match this past fall.

your strategy throughout. Our coaches would encourage us and give us specific tips to work on during the match. The end result might have been 6-0 and 6-1, but the fact I got that one game was a great improvement.” This season, even with a new head coach at the helm, everything seemed to coalesce. Head coach Lance Wu instituted a new concept for players that, after an adjustment period, led to off- and oncourt success. Rather than having certain players locked into certain spots (singles or doubles only, same partners every

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time, same match spot), Lance mixed things up. “Suddenly players had to rely on a new partner each time, and build their communication skills, and have the knowledge of and belief in each other,” Jennifer said. “Sometimes on a dime players were put in a new situation, and because of these skills, they were able to succeed. When girls were down a set, they would ask themselves, ‘What can I change to disrupt my opponent?’ They were learning to play smarter, and they had the belief that they could be down a set and still win the match.” Mira added, “Lance stressed volleying and being at the net. He encouraged us to

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be more aggressive and go for shots we might not think would work. He would say, ‘Go for the win, not for the winners,’ and we really bought into that and it pushed us out of our comfort zone.” A moment that sticks out to both Mira and Jennifer, one that they say embodies the spirit and success of this team, took place at senior night against Woodside Priory. “We all stayed until 7:45 p.m., because Adrienne and Avery were playing a doubles match that just kept going,” Mira shared. “It was such an amazing experience, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, tennis has really made my senior year so much better.’ It’s amazing how

far the tennis program has come since my sophomore year when it was barely a program, and now it’s a full team and the junior girls have stepped into that leadership role. I’m excited to see how the team grows.” Chris, too, is excited about the future of Nueva girls’ tennis. “Tennis is such a beautiful sport and has life long connections for many,” he said. “Our older group of students helped to create an environment that is really fun and enjoyable, and one that will allow us to support our students. Results follow consistency and commitment, which this group helped to build. Their legacy is long lasting.”—Rachel Freeman

26 Making an Impact

30 Digging In

36 Ready for the Ride

S T O R I E S

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FEATURES

17 The Freedom to be Curious

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40 ABCs of Nueva

F E AT U R E

Gifted Teaching and Learning at Nueva

The Freedom to be Curious STORY BY RACHEL FREEMAN

A mole died. That’s where the story began. But where it went in Paul Knight and Rashida Blade’s kindergarten class in spring 2021 could only be described as building a mountain out of a molehill—in the best of ways—and exemplifies what gifted learning at Nueva looks like.

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↑ I llustration by T. R. ’22

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Following the unexpected discovery of a crow eating a dead mole near the Ballet Lawn on the Hillsborough campus, kindergarten students covered the mole in periwinkles and forget-me-not flowers (“to help its family remember it,” Paul shared) and began to ask a multitude of questions about the mole, its life, and its habitat. Paul and Rashida channeled that insatiable curiously into a deeper dive study with multiple entry points for learning and growth.

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The class began their deep dive by reading books about moles—“The library had more than 30!” Paul said. Books covered topics including anatomy, homes, food chain, etymology, and senses. A large part of this new study centered around social-emotional learning (SEL), as students wondered why gardeners hate moles when moles don’t even eat plants (the answer: moles usually feed on insect pests, grubs, and soil organisms, including beneficial ones like earthworms). As scientists, kindergarteners looked closely at photos and videos of moles and recorded their findings with scientific drawings. Later, students buried fake worms in their larder (where moles store hundreds of decapitated worms until they are ready to eat them) in the sandbox and then dug holes in the sand “to experience the ways moles ‘swim’ through dirt and find the larder,” Paul added. To work on their fine motor skills, students sewed their own mole stuffies. They did a structured word inquiry to learn more about where the word “mole” comes from (hint: it may come from the Proto-Germanic word “moldwarp,” which literally means “earth-thrower”). When the students reached the end of their inquiry, they had a deeper understanding of this little creature they had found, and they had been given the time and space to process and grieve its death. “This study exemplifies Nueva teaching and learning because our curricula are responsive and emergent,” said Elizabeth Rossini, Nueva’s director of teaching and learning. “It demonstrated the ways our faculty co-create units of study in partnership with their students, while also staying true to the same overarching goals articulated for kindergarten. And, most importantly, it followed the intensities of our students.” Nueva faculty understand our gifted learners, channeling their curiosities,

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GIFTEDNESS INSTITUTE

Upholding our mission, Nueva strives to share its resources, innovations, and evolved best practices with the educational community at large. Over the course of our 55 year history, we have developed many approaches and best practices for supporting gifted learners and helping them thrive. Founded in 2019, the Giftedness Institute is designed to educate teachers, parents, and caregivers about giftedness and its associated excitabilities and intensities. In conjunction, we also host a biennial one-day Gifted Students of Color Conference, focused specifically on the challenges that educators and parents face when identifying and supporting gifted students of color.

“We created the Giftedness Institute to help educators and parents recognize the depth and breadth of giftedness. The institute is a series of workshops that focuses not only on identifying giftedness, but also on the ways that educators and parents can differentiate learning in the classroom and at home. We also explore the social and emotional needs of gifted students and how adults can support the gifted students’ development in all aspects of their lives.” KAREN TIEGEL, middle school division head and Nueva parent (Jason ’20, Kayla ’23, and Kevin ’23)

introducing complexity, and cultivating a sense of empathy along the way.

What is giftedness?

Nueva was founded in 1967 by Karen Stone McCown, who noted that little attention had been given to gifted students. So, she set out to open a school that would serve this population’s needs. Over the course of its existence, Nueva has become a place of belonging where gifted students are seen, valued, and nurtured for who they are. “Giftedness is a term used to define a way of intellectually, emotionally, and experientially understanding and engaging with the world,” said Director of Equity and Social Justice Alegria Barclay. “When I use the term I am describing a lived experience that is beyond what people generally think about when they think about giftedness.” One of the distinct features of a gifted child is asynchronous development.

“For example, a student’s intellectual capacity might be at age 10 while emotional capacity might be at age 5, and the student’s chronological age is 8,” Alegria explained. “This jaggedness in development is actually, researchers think, one of the most pronounced features in terms of identifying gifted children.” For Director of Enrollment and Strategic Engagement Taryn Grogan, who previously served as Nueva’s director of admissions for 15 years, this is why Nueva exists and why Nueva continues to require all prospective lower and middle school students take the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, also know at the IQ test. “The reason this IQ test is an important starting point in the admissions process is we want to make sure our students will do well academically, socially, and emotionally,” Taryn said.

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“If students are not doing well academically, it will be hard for them to thrive socially and emotionally. We are a community with a ‘Can I add to that?’ and ‘Yes, and’ culture, one that is highly verbal. The IQ test does not tell us everything about a child—for example, how resilient they are and how they work with others in a group setting— but it’s the starting off point for us and serves as one of the many data points we use in evaluating students for admission.” “Giftedness means having a qualitatively different experience of the world,” said upper school teacher Lee Holtzman ’01, who attended Nueva in middle school. “The reason identification of gifted kids is important—and broadly the reason why schools for gifted students are important—is because all students deserve to learn in an environment that works for them.”

“ Learning at Nueva was so different from anything I had ever seen before. It was a dynamic, intensely collaborative, intimate, and freeing experience that challenged me in the best possible way. Nueva scratched an itch I had carried with me for so many years.” Z O E Q UA K E ’20

Feeling Seen

↑ M agnifying lens in hand, student Tessa L. investigates a photograph of a mole as part of a scientific exploration.

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Personalized learning starts with pesonal relationships. “Nueva recognizes how I think and the way that I’m gifted, and they alter what they do here to fit my needs,” said eighth grader Livie P.-F. “This is a type of place where you get to be yourself. You don’t even need to think about being yourself; you get to just be yourself.” For alumna Zoe Quake ’20, who transferred to Nueva at the start of her junior year, she immediately felt how special Nueva was. “At my previous high school, I had been caught in a Sisyphean cycle of memorizing and regurgitating information,” she shared during a Leadership Circle celebration in fall 2021. “Learning was defined as rigid, cold, and restrictive. When I stepped foot on the Nueva campus for the first time, something clicked. I felt like I was finally in my element. Learning at Nueva was so different from anything I had ever seen before. It was a dynamic, intensely

collaborative, intimate, and freeing experience that challenged me in the best possible way. Nueva scratched an itch I had carried with me for so many years.” Taryn, who, in addition to her role as director of enrollment and strategic engagement, is the parent of first grader Carson and kindergartener Taylor, sees the ways in which Nueva faculty care for their students and help students to find their strengths and build their confidence. “Nueva teachers see my son,” she said. “They support him in all things. In areas where he shines, they let him be himself without dampening his spirit. With the things that are hard for him, they provide support and confidence that he doesn’t have to be perfect. They see him and support him, and he feels validated.” The feeling of validation is one of a reciprocal nature. “I love gifted students,” Lee H. said. “I thrive in the intellectual challenge they bring. Every class I teach a student

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← Upper school teachers Rob Zomber (left) and Arta Khakpour (right) TE ACHE R P E RS PEC T IVE

Why I Love Working with Gifted Students ARTA KHAKPOUR, upper school history teacher Teaching at Nueva and working with our school’s wonderful population of gifted young people feels particularly urgent for me. People sometimes raise their eyebrows at the claim that gifted children are an “at-risk” population; but I’ve never doubted this, having witnessed the difference even a small gifted program can make. I had a rough time in elementary and middle school. I was socially awkward, bad at sports, and strong at academics but in an obsessive question-asking way that was visibly annoying to some of my teachers. I was more interested in creating elaborate military role-playing simulations and making Choose-YourOwn-Adventure text-based games in QBASIC with my small group of friends than doing normal 90s kid stuff like playing organized soccer and collecting Pogs. My school’s GATE program (Gifted and Talented Education) was an oasis in that world—a place where I didn’t have to hesitate raising my hand because I was worried teachers or other students would be annoyed at my incessant questions (or answers!) and where I could be nerdy, awkward, obsessive little creatures together. Among the many reasons why I love teaching Nueva’s gifted student population is that I feel like I’m paying forward what those GATE teachers gave me three decades ago: a place where no question is annoying, out-of-turn, obnoxious, or “off-topic.” A place where a hand raised “too often” in class doesn’t lead to being shoulder-checked in the hallway by a bully who is working out their own insecurity and pain by preying on kids that seem to be doing “too well” in school. It took until high school before I finally started having a fully positive time in school. I figured out how to navigate cliques, avoid bullies, pick my battles, and how to gravitate towards the teachers who enjoyed—and weren’t irritated by— incessant questions and obsessive curiosity. Not all of my friends were able to do this as successfully, however, and I saw several extremely gifted peers of mine suffer in high school what I’d suffered in elementary and middle school. When I came to teach at Nueva seven years ago, those old friends of mine were my inspiration, and I see a happier version of them every day in the students I teach here. Young people whose intellectual and social development might leapfrog each other in sometimes very challenging ways. Students who might feel incredibly confident doing college level work in one subject but struggle deeply with imposter syndrome in another. Young people who want the mentorship of teachers who understand their gifts as well as their anxieties and insecurities, and who build a structure both firm and flexible to support their intellectual risk taking and skill development. When the pieces fall together right, teaching at Nueva is as fun and challenging as being a student here. Where else could I-Lab engineer Rob Zomber and I find a group of nearly 20 students —both engineering veterans and history-loving I-Lab novices—excited to spend five afternoons with us studying medieval siegecraft and building trebuchets, ballistas, and catapults? It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.

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Rob and Arta dressed as medieval knights for Siege Engineering, a five-part series of Wednesday of Wonder workshops, in which students learned the history of medieval siege engineering and built relevant mechanisms.

changes my mind about things I’ve taught for years. I love being part of why they feel seen. I feel seen by them, too. I love the sense of belonging we all feel.” “I certainly felt seen at Nueva,” said alumnus Eli van der Rijn ’18. “I think Nueva’s strongest asset will always be its faculty. It’s pretty telling that I still text with Lee [Holtzman], and when I’m confused about something in the science world, I reach out to Luke De (upper school science teacher). And I am in an alumni book club with Allen Frost (director of the innovative teacher program) and other students I went to Nueva with.” Teachers are not the only people at Nueva who help students to feel seen; they help one another feel validated as well. Having peers with similar passions, intensities, and areas of interest is core to the Nueva experience and core to ensuring gifted students are supported during their academic years. “At its core, learning is a social endeavor,” Head of School Lee Fertig explained. “The amount of support and encouragement that our students share with each other is one of the key ingredients of the magic in our community. The collective social embrace of learning from like-minded peers is just as important in our school for gifted students as is the individual pursuit of knowledge.” For senior Jonathon T., who transferred to Nueva at the start of his sophomore year, it was immediately clear how great the impact was of having peers with similar interests and passions.

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“ Nueva recognizes how I think and the way that I’m gifted, and they alter what they do here to fit my needs. This is a type of place where you get to be yourself.” L I V I E P. - F. , E I G H T H G R A D E

“I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb at my previous school because of my level of interest in math,” Jonathon said. “When someone would catch me practicing calculus on my computer, they’d say, ‘Why are you doing this? How could you be so smart?’ They meant it as a compliment but it made me feel like an outsider. When I came to Nueva I found a community of people interested in math the way I am. Finding students like me helped me feel like I belong and helped me figure out where I fit in.” “It can be hard for gifted students in more traditional settings to find peers when they make up only one-to-two percent of the population,” Lee H. said. “When you are a small part of the population and your experience of the world is markedly different from others’, it can make you feel alone. When I was a student, having peers who understood me made me feel an immense sense of belonging and made me feel normal in a way that other spaces made me feel like I was missing something. My giftedness was not pathologized at Nueva.”

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Complexity and Connections

It makes sense that Nueva pedagogy is rooted in interdisciplinary studies whenever possible, since “gifted learners are systems learners,” Alegria said. Interdisciplinary studies allow students to make connections across disciplines, topics, and ideas. “We often see a sense of deep curiosity [in our youngest students],” said Lower School Division Head Megan Terra. “When their peers may start to tire of a subject and change directions, our gifted students keep going. And you’ll often see a perceptiveness where students are picking up on connections across subjects, where they may be thinking at a systems level or thinking more abstractly at an earlier age.” Systems thinking permeates the third-grade interdisciplinary study of farmers’ markets. Rooted in the question “How does geography affect how people live?”, students consider local Inset: Fifth grader Jerry H. drew an illustration of a San Francisco garter snake, an endangered snake that is endemic to San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties (meaning it’s found nowhere else in the world!).

farm communities, local agriculture, and the organic food movement. Each student receives a microloan from the Nueva Business Office to create something for their own class farmers’ market. They are challenged to make decisions about affordability, what people would enjoy, and whether or not what they make should be organic. Math is a key part of this study, as students think about profits and costs, and also how to scale recipes for a large number of recipients. Finally—if students see a profit from their farmers’ market—they must determine to what organization they’d like those funds to be donated. “The farmers’ market unit is a wonderful hands-on project for our gifted learners because it truly meets each student where they are,” said third grader teacher Erin Longo. “Whether scaling fractions or designing thoughtful advertisements, the interdisciplinary nature creates a ‘low-floor high-ceiling’ environment where gifted students find familiarity and challenges throughout the project, which is critical for their authentic learning. By planning a farmers’ market from recipe choice to scaling to shopping to selling, the systems thinking required is incredibly powerful in stretching each third grader.” Megan added, “Because there is community engagement and an authentic audience, students speak of so many joyful stories following the farmers’ market. This project is a great example of having multiple entry points: Some students are doing math and adding proportions to their recipes; some are creating deeper, more involved business plans.” Systems thinking continues when students reach middle school. Humanities teacher Cliff Burke and science teacher Cristina Veresan were so inspired by nature writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s presentation at the 2021 Nueva Humanities Fair that they wrote a summer grant proposal for

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support in reimagining a fifth-grade writing and ecology unit. “This unit is inspired by and will incorporate natural history personal essays from the new book World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil,” they wrote in their proposal. “During the unit, students will research and write their own essay featuring their chosen native species. And just like in the book, each essay will have an accompanying illustration that the students have created.” “When I started at Nueva, I was struck right away by the students’ insatiable curiosity,” Cristina said. “So when I design learning experiences, I want to create projects that honor the students’ interests and allow them to explore things deeply. I think this interdisciplinary project between science and writing really does just that. When we were developing this project, Cliff and I were thinking about Nueva’s emphasis on social-emotional learning and how this project really helps strengthen a sense of biophilia.” Once all of the essays and illustrations are complete, the content will be collated into a published book titled Bay Area Wonders. In the upper school, both core and elective courses are crafted around the deep interests and passions of Nueva students. Many of the electives are also designed to highlight the myriad

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ways systems in our world interact with one another, such as Environmental Humanities, in which students investigate the wisdom of the ancients, religion, philosophy, and social sciences to see how ecological humanities have a distinct role; Optics, Imaging, and Astrophysics, where students study, construct, and characterize imaging systems and explore how these devices are used for the study of astronomy and astrophysics; and Patterns, Fractals, and Chaos, in which students find inspiration in everything from textile designs to natural phenomena in order to investigate how algorithms and randomness can work in concert to create something beautiful and complex. “The ability for a gifted student at Nueva to engage in deep learning across disciplines, to understand different ways of knowing about a particular concept, to break down and reconstruct systems that frame how we learn about things… this is at the core of what we mean by developing learners and thinkers who are ‘bridgers’ across perspectives, a prerequisite for fulfilling Nueva’s vision of enabling gifted learners to make choices that benefit the world,” Lee F. said. ↓ Students at Nueva often share how connected they are to one another. This sense of belonging makes Nueva feel like their home. Photo by Willow Taylor Chiang Yang ’21

Parent Kareem Graham has seen firsthand the ways Nueva’s curricula have helped his daughter, ninth grader Lilli, to grow. “She has an opportunity to explore things and go in depth to a level that isn’t always available in other settings,” he said. “She’s really allowed to explore her passions and go as deep and as wide as she wants.” In addition to her courses, Lilli was also able to dive deeply into her passions by developing a Wednesday of Wonder Workshop, “Beautiful Chemistry and Photography.” In this workshop, students create supersaturated solutions and grow crystals before observing the crystals under a microscope and photographing them. Lilli isn’t alone in her pursuit of weaving together her passions. Jonathon was able to bring his passion for physics into a calculus project, and he was also able to incorporate an exploration of his own identity into one of his US History papers. “In my 10th grade multivariable calculus class,” Jonathon shared, “we were assigned a project to demonstrate our understanding of using theorems. I approached it through the construction of a model airplane and I calculated the aerodynamics. In my US history class, I was able to write an essay exploring my own history about why my family emigrated from the Philippines,

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while discussing the history of the US at that time. At Nueva, there’s so much more freedom and choice in everything we do. Nueva gives us the freedom to be curious.”

Finding Their Spark

“Gifted learners want to know how and why,” former head of school Diane Rosenberg once wrote. “They constantly wonder and ask, and seemingly cannot quench their thirst for knowledge. They think big: they want to design, to build, and to test. They fall in love with topics and ideas, and are driven to investigate. They experience the world in complex ways and often have sensitivities that run deep. They are all this and so much more. While they share some characteristics and behaviors, gifted learners defy categorization.” “Our founder, Karen Stone McCown, wanted to create a school for you,”

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“ I realized how magical Nueva is—how questions can be the core of conversations.” G R AC E H O L M E S ’ 21

Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal ’95 said to students on the first day of school in August 2020. “To do so, she asked laureates, psychologists, and content experts including Sir Yehudi Menuhin, ‘What would you have hoped for in an ideal school?’ They answered, ‘To have engaged in the authentic

↑ F or the third grade farmers’ market project, each student receives a microloan from the Nueva Business Office, and they are challenged to make decisions about affordability, what people would enjoy, and whether or not what they make should be organic for their own farmers’ market. Pictured is the 2018 third grade farmers’ market.

questions and to have done so in a community of kindness that taught us how to get along.’ From pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Nueva’s gifted students engage in experiential learning, pursue their intellectual curiosities, and co-create their learning with faculty, and they do so surrounded by peers. In hearing stories from alumni and longtime faculty, it is clear that since 1967, Nueva has stayed true to its roots. “I came to Nueva really excited to finally be in a place where I had friends and my teachers were nice,” recent graduate Grace Holmes ’21 shared

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LEARNING SUPPORT FOR TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS

↑ F reshman Lilli G. looks into a microscope during Beautiful Chemistry and Photography, a workshop she designed with Nueva faculty.

during her senior reflections video. “It was genuinely a place where I could be who I wanted to be and learn what I wanted to learn. After I came back from Andover in ninth grade, I realized how magical Nueva is—how questions can be the core of conversations and to have teachers who value your opinions and friends who will go from talking about Hamlet to screaming about a hamster video.” “When my mom dropped me off for my first day of sixth grade and my first day at Nueva,” Willow Taylor Chiang Yang ’21 said in conversation with Grace, “the last thing she said before I got out of the car was, ‘Good luck at Hogwarts!’ Nueva was my Hogwarts. Nueva was the place I saw with so much magic and mystery.” Nueva may not hold the same magical powers as Harry Potter’s Hogwarts does, but, like the study of the mole in Paul and Rashida class, Nueva helps gifted students find their spark, grow it into an ember, and ignite their fire inside. [N]

There are a number of programs at Nueva designed specifically to help students feel seen, including the learning support program. “Nueva is a neurodivergent community, and I think that can be really hard for kids,” said middle school learning specialist Grace Daniel. “Students are trying to figure out how they fit into the world and what it means to be neurodivergent. We want to help students build a positive self-concept and learn to advocate for themselves and their needs. One of the ways we do this is by promoting an environment where learning differences aren’t stigmatized.” The learning specialists work with faculty to ensure there are tools in the classrooms to support all learners, and in particular twice-exceptional students, who are those with learning differences such as ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. Classrooms are equipped with items including wobble stools, writing boards, noise-canceling headphones, weighted vests, and fidgets, among many other tools. “A really powerful moment for me was when my younger daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia,” said Nueva parent and trustee Jody Sievers. “Nueva helped navigate us through the process [of learning how to support her] in such a seamless manner. The teachers provided her with headsets so that she could listen along while reading. I had been concerned about her confidence, but she was completely empowered knowing what her diagnosis was. She was empowered by the teachers and other students in the classroom that this was just a learning difference, just like everyone else learns differently.” In addition to supporting twice-exceptional students, the learning support program also works with faculty to help create opportunities for upward differentiation. “Upward differentiation is not often provided in traditional school settings,” Grace said. “At Nueva, it is really important. It’s important that our students are being pushed in their areas of strength, just as it is important for us to care for and support them in their areas of growth.”

→ U pper school students in Optics, Imaging, and Astrophysics (OPTIMA) verify that their light source works so they can find the focal length of a concave mirror (not pictured).

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MAKING IMPACT an

How environmental advocate Yash N. ’22 turned an interdisciplinary school project into a climate crisis solution

BY ELLIE K. ’24, SERENA S. ’23, AND ISABELLE S. ’23

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quick snapshot with a cameraphone allows the remnants of lunch to be easily sorted into its various garbage bins, thanks to an artificial intelligence program created by senior Yash N. What started as his ninth-grade Quest project has, three years later, become an internationally recognized, usable app called DeepWaste, which uses artificial intelligence to simplify and clarify the process of classifying waste. In early fall 2021, Yash received news that he had been named one of five finalists for the 2021 Children’s Climate Prize for his work on DeepWaste.

← On Jan. 20, Yash was named a top 40 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022—the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors—for his work on DeepWaste. The 2022 finalists were selected from more than 1,800 entrants based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists and leaders. Each finalist is awarded at least $25,000. (Andrew C. was also selected as a finalist for his work on the synergy and competition between long and short duration storage in renewable power grids.)

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The Children’s Climate Prize is an international prize that annually recognizes young people who take action to bring sustainable solutions for the climate and environment. Previous finalists of the prize include environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Young innovators, entrepreneurs, changemakers, and conservators all pitch their projects, submitting videos and essays as part of the application. For the first time in the history of the prize, the competition received nominations from six different continents. This year’s jury selected Yash and four other finalists from hundreds of nominations of young people that came from over 30 countries. After receiving the news of his nomination, Yash was shocked, primarily due to the international participation in the prize and the small number of finalists. “I think, for DeepWaste, what [the jury] really liked [was that] it was not just an app that could be used, but it was making an environmental justice impact,” Yash said. Finalists are typically honored at an event in Sweden; unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Yash and the other finalists attended the celebration virtually. Months prior, a field trip to Yash’s local recycling facility inspired the idea that became DeepWaste. “The sheer amount of waste was really surprising to me,” he said. “I knew waste was a big environmental problem, and I’d heard about the importance of

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accurately throwing your waste away, but for the first time, I really was able to see and experience it.” The app he built was designed to address confusion many people have around what items should or should not be recycled. The goal is to use the app’s artificial intelligence to classify waste in order to prevent reusable or compostable materials from ending up in landfills. Over the past three years, Yash has worked to make his idea a reality by field testing it with as many users as possible. In late fall, he hosted a demo at Nueva to get real consumer feedback. This pilot program was hosted in partnership with Director of Environmental Citizenship Sarah Koning. Together they invited upper school students and faculty to test the app and participate in a game where users attempted to classify waste in San Mateo County, and learned if they were able to outperform the DeepWaste AI. On average, users of DeepWaste performed 50 percent better in sorting waste than people without the app. “Seeing those results makes it really promising for real world deployment,” Yash said. Yash has two goals he hopes to pursue next. First, he’d love to see his app utilized on Nueva’s campuses—perhaps installed on iPads that are stationed by garbage bins in the café, ready to assist students and staff as they determine how they should clear their plates after lunch. The more people use the app and upload images to the database, the more accurate the DeepWaste AI becomes. Second, Yash hopes to find additional funding. While grants are great, Yash said, they involve laborious application processes, and do not take DeepWaste as far as Yash plans. He hopes to partner with recycling centers, which lose millions of dollars annually due to inaccurate waste disposal by humans. “I want to see if we can create an economic business case to have

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“ Even though [DeepWaste] is only addressing one segment of sustainability, it can make a really big dent. If we collectively do this at scale, we can solve the problem.” DeepWaste implemented across the world,” he said. In his efforts to expand DeepWaste’s reach nationally, Yash may start at Williams College, where former Nueva Director of Environmental Citizenship Tanja Srebotnjak (who served as support for Yash in the app’s early stages) now works. While Yash ultimately was not named the 2021 Children’s Climate Prize winner, being recognized as one of the five international finalists indicates the future is bright for him as he works to take DeepWaste to the next level and broaden its impact.

For students hoping to make an impact, Yash advises teen advocates to “find their niche” and really become passionate about it. “Even though [DeepWaste] is only addressing one segment of sustainability, it can make a really big dent,” he said. “If we collectively do this at scale, we can solve the problem.” [N]

 Find out more and download the app at www.deepwaste.ai

p § Digging W In 4 A Hands-on Elective Steeped in Nature

hen it came time to select his first fall quarterly elective, seventh grader Jacob W. was immediately drawn to a new offering: Four Seasons, a handson, interdisciplinary course rooted in nature. “I didn’t go out much during the pandemic,” Jacob said. “I was so excited for a class where we could go outside.”

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BY MITZI MOCK

→ O n the first day of the Four Seasons elective, seventh graders, including Jacob W., had the chance to sample herbs and edible flowers in the garden.

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ime outside is exactly what Jacob and the other students in the Four Seasons class enjoyed. Nearly every session of the elective—which integrated gardening, science, writing, history, ethnobotany, and indigenous studies—took place in the natural settings around the Hillsborough campus.

↑ S tudents journaled their reflections on October’s “hunter’s moon,” which, historically, some communities marked as a sign that it was time to prepare for winter.

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The class, which is available to seventhand eighth-grade cohorts in alternating quarters this year, is the brainchild of middle school writing teacher Judith Worrall, who counts environmental activism and gardening among her great loves. She began imagining this course a few years ago when she first learned about Nueva’s plans to construct a new science and environmental center. But her plans took on a new sense of urgency last year as she watched students struggle with the isolation of the pandemic and the recent proliferation of California fires. “I saw a lot of sadness with COVID and a sense of hopelessness with climate change,” Judith said. “I wanted to give them the gift of time in nature and show them that there are things they can do to help the environment now.” During the first few weeks of the class, students participated in a series of activities designed to enhance their comfort in nature and instill a sense of agency. They made canapés with edible flowers. They pulled weeds from the garden. They hand-mixed a bucket of compost. They rolled guerilla gardening

seed bombs (balls made of clay, compost, and seeds that students can toss in areas where plants don’t often grow, like the side of a freeway or a vacant lot). “Many students don’t have prolonged and regular access to nature, so they tend to feel very uncomfortable in it,” said Director of Environmental Citizenship Sarah Koning, who collaborated with Judith and Kasey Wooten, lower school science specialist and garden coordinator, to brainstorm elements of the curriculum. “How can we fully protect nature if we don’t feel comfortable in it or understand it?” For seventh grader Havi S., who picked this elective because she longed for her lower school days working in the garden and playing in the forts, digging her hands into a bucket of worm-filled compost was a revelation. “I was so surprised to learn that worms can eat paper,” Havi said. “So long as we don’t use toxic markers like Sharpies, we can actually feed our old papers and reading materials to worms.” To continue building this sense of agency and comfort in nature, Judith and Kasey provided each student with a small plot of their own to nurture. Until recently, only lower school students worked in the Hillsborough garden on a regular basis. Giving middle schoolers an opportunity to use the space has benefited the garden as much as the students.

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↑ S tudents dig a ditch along the Crocker trail to counter soil erosion. When heavy rains came in December, the ditch successfully channeled runoff away from the trail, saving the school from paying for more costly erosion mitigation work.

“Much of the work needed in the garden is energy intensive,” Kasey said. “Bigger kids can lift and shovel and chop in a way that younger students cannot.” To prepare students to be successful gardeners, Judith designed activities for them to learn the science of soil. “We tested the soil next to the environmental center and it is depleted of nitrogen, which is essential for growing plants,” said seventh grader Bryce C. “We think this depletion is the reason why plants such as milkweed aren’t growing as well near the center as they are in the garden.”

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“ One of our goals with the environmental citizenship program is to help tie curricula across divisions. The skills the students are learning in Judith’s class, such as testing soil, will carry over into the environmental science course that many of them will take in the upper school.” SARAH KONING, director of environmental citizenship

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“ Our campus is one of the environments where milkweed can thrive. By planting milkweed that monarch butterflies can eat and plant their eggs in, we are helping the next generation of butterflies.” SIRI P., seventh grade

↑ S eventh grader Havi S. learned that you can mix shredded homework assignments in the compost bin.

↑ S tudents rolled guerrilla seed bombs in an effort to disperse seeds—and support the growth of future plants— around their communities.

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Bryce and his classmates ultimately planted mushrooms in the greenspace surrounding the environmental center to help replenish nutrient-deficient soil. Figuring out how to nurture healthy soil for growing milkweed also tied into another class initiative: turning Nueva into a haven for monarch butterflies migrating south. Earlier in the year, Judith reached out to the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation to explore ways Nueva could support the nonprofit’s efforts to conserve butterflies. With the conservation’s guidance on appropriate planting locations and strategies, students began planting milkweed around campus. “Our campus is one of the environments where milkweed can thrive,” said seventh grader Siri P. “By planting milkweed that monarch butterflies can eat and plant their eggs in, we are helping the next generation of butterflies.” “Every time we explore a new plant or subject in this class, we also look into its history,” said eighth grader Alicia C. For example, students learned some interesting history about milkweed: During World War II it was used to stuff life jackets. In recent decades the federal government has added it to a list of endangered and threatened species, and it has historically been used for medicinal purposes by indigenous communities. Indigenous studies was a recurring theme of the class. Over the summer, all

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← S tudents had the opportunity to cultivate their own garden plots. n the first day of class, the ↙ O seventh grade cohort made canapés using edible flowers.

eighth graders read Braiding Sweetgrass, a book that examines the history and relationship between indigenous wisdom and western science. Judith wanted students to continue exploring that intersection in the Four Seasons elective. “Plants are not just plants—they can teach us things,” Alicia said. “For example, the book has a chapter on aster and goldenrod plants. Purple aster or yellow goldenrod alone doesn’t attract that many bees. But when planted together, they are such a vivid sight that they attract a ton of bees. That’s the sort of indigenous wisdom that we can learn from. The contrast of our differences doesn’t have to be jarring, it can make us more beautiful.” “When we live in diverse communities and work as a team, we do better, too,” said Kasey, who helped students to plant dense garden beds of winter greens and other crops that grow better when they are near each other. Alicia added, “We have journals and we dedicate a page to each topic we explore: moon, pumpkins, soil—everything. Judith said, ‘You can write whatever you want, even if it’s just a question or an observation because that’s the process of learning.’ She encouraged us to include drawings and diagrams with every entry.” Sarah is hoping the success of the Four Season elective will encourage other teachers from different disciplines to pitch environmental citizenship electives that leverage academic expertise and personal interests they already have. “Judith is showing such a good example of how the sciences and humanities can interact,” she said. “We’re trying to make it easy for faculty to teach these courses if they have an interest in them.”

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This class also illustrated how the location of the new science and environmental center, which is surrounded by greenspace and an easy walk to the garden and hiking trails, can help students and teachers take more advantage of the campus grounds. “This class couldn’t exist without having that proximity to nature,” Sarah said. “We can read about soil testing or native plants, but if you are not out there engaging all five senses, you’re missing key components of learning about it.” One hands-on experience was especially profound for Alicia. A few days before Halloween she pitched the idea of carving pumpkins in class. “There’s nothing better than sticking your hands into a pumpkin,” she said. When students returned to class after Halloween weekend they found that their pumpkins were already rotting—a condition which brought their learning full circle. “This was thrilling because it meant the pumpkins could enjoy a second life in the compost bin,” said Alicia, who saved the seeds to grow pumpkins next year. “Our pumpkins never really went away because we turned them into soil to help new plants grow.” [N]

Feature

Q&A

Ready for the Ride I N T E R V I E W B Y G R A C E F. ’ 2 3

Taryn Grogan Takes on a New Role

After 15 years in her position as Nueva’s director of admissions, Taryn Grogan is moving into the newly created director of enrollment and strategic engagement position. Junior Grace F. interviewed Taryn to learn more about her new role that expands on the work she’s done over the past 15 years. How did this transition moving from director of admissions to director of enrollment and strategic engagement come about? As we’ve thought about

who we are as a school now that we’re preK through 12, we’ve been asking ourselves, “What do we think about the growth of the school?” and “What are some of the gaps we are seeing because of this growth?” Because we grew so

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quickly, one of the areas we are particularly focused on is building and maintaining a strong community, and the values we hold, across two campuses and three divisions. The school leadership has seen a need for more community outreach and helping underserved communities of our school. We also want to focus more closely on bringing in a wider range of diverse

families, families who represent all walks of life to make our school racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and religiously (among many other identities) more diverse. I’ve always done more than just admissions at the school and my new role comes out of all of the work I have already been doing in the areas of outreach and community engagement. What do you oversee that you didn’t previously? A lot of

what I do is not new; rather, this new role allows me to focus more of my time on these important outreach and engagement initiatives. When admissions was my main focus, it was sometimes hard to be more strategic, to network and build partnerships with our broader communities. One new area of focus for me is our financial awards program and looking at the culture of the school around socioeconomic identity. While about 20 percent of Nueva families receive financial awards, I think that a lot of people look at Nueva, at Hillsborough campus, giftedness, and other things that appear to be barriers and think, “Well, I don’t belong, or I could never afford to be there.” I want to shift the culture around socioeconomics so people feel like they do belong here. Another area I’m focused on in my new role is working with the trustees to build our new strategic plan for the school. Every four years, we look at where the school is and answer questions such

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My goal is to build on all the great ideas and previous work of the community and just to take it to the next level.” I interview students and parents, participate in the activity sessions, and help with the daily admissions process as needed. What are some of your goals for the future? I really want

as, “Where do we see our growth?” “What are some of the goals that we want to accomplish?”, “How do we get there?” and ”How do we hold ourselves accountable?” What does a typical day in this new position entail, and how does it differ from your previous position? My day

consists of meeting with various internal and external Nueva constituents. In addition to meeting with our parents, students, alumni, trustees, faculty, and staff as we build our strategic plan, I am also part of the volunteer task force for the NPA. I hope to soon meet with different

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community organizations and build partnerships. I’ll continue to spend time focusing on what giftedness means at Nueva and working to peel back the layers on that term so people better understand what giftedness is and to correct misconceptions about giftedness being an elite society. I am very excited that I get to spend more time in classes and to be a co-advisor. In terms of admissions, I still meet with families and am involved in the admission cycle, particularly since we’re still hiring a permanent director of admissions for our team.

to focus on strengthening relationships with our partners. One project I would like to re-engage with is a partnership with the Oakland Unified School District. Prior to the pandemic, Alegria Barclay, director of social justice and equity, and I had been working to launch a partnership with the school district to do a summer camp there for students of color. Our hope is to get that off the ground next summer.

Thanks, Taryn! It’s been great speaking with you. Any final thoughts? My goal is to build

on all the great ideas and previous work of the community and just to take it to the next level. Much of what I hope to do may not be a brand new idea. If we can actually take the seed of an idea and light a new fire and do something different and new, we can make change for the better. What we hoped to accomplish five years ago is going to look different today just because of where we are and the times we are in. It’s going to be an interesting journey, and I am ready for the ride. [N] Taryn (left) poses on Christmas 2021 with her husband Jovan, mom Ernestine Clark, and children Carson first grade) and Taylor (kindergarten).

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BY RACHEL FREEMAN

Joining Forces The newest Nueva JEDI members The social justice and equity program at Nueva is now JEDI ( justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion). In addition to a new name, the program—headed by Director of Equity and Social Justice Alegria Barclay—added two new members to the team for the 2021–2022 school year. In these new roles as JEDI coordinators, B Garcia and Alison Williams are helping to expand the JEDI program, supporting schoolwide JEDI initiatives, and overseeing equity-focused student programming and support services. Additionally, they are working with administration to review and develop policies and programming to foster inclusivity, diversity, equity, and a sense of belonging across campus for all students. Finally, they manage our THRIVE program—a student-centered advocacy program for historically underrepresented groups within independent schools. We sat down with B and Alison to learn more about their backgrounds and priorities in these new roles. PreK–6

B GARCIA

Can you share a little bit about your background? How did come to this new JEDI role? I

come from a blended family of musicians and entrepreneurs. As a Chicana (Mexican/ American), I cherish my big and boisterous family. When my grandparents raised me as a young child, they placed a great deal of emphasis on learning. And my mother cultivated my creativity during my teenage years. With these dual supports, I became the

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first in my family to attend college. As I began to chart my educational path, first in college and later through two graduate degrees, I realized just how transformative learning could be. Initially, I was interested in systems of oppression, so I pursued a graduate degree in criminal justice. Yet, after reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, I felt called to education as it seemed like the best way to bring about positive change for historically oppressed populations. With this realization,

I took what seemed at the time to be a sharp pivot, and I studied education and literacy. I became a classroom teacher at an independent school in Brooklyn, then I moved to San Francisco to teach at an independent all girls’ school. It was here that the intersection of my various passions collided. I designed curricula centered around underrepresented voices and experiences. I led fellow educators through the process of decolonizing curriculum. We focused on the histories of Native people and centered women and queer folks in our understanding of American history. I also led race-based affinity spaces for students in the lower school. As I made connections and built beautiful relationships, I noticed the great need of BIPOC students and families within independent schools, which led me to Nueva. What attracted you to this role? What challenges do you imagine might arise? What possibilities? I believe deeply

in the notions of the Beloved Community and the importance of belonging. I know first-hand how people of color feel in institutions that were not built by them or for them. I was drawn to the prospect of joining a community where so much thoughtful work had already been done to cultivate the tenets of the Beloved Community. I was struck by the strength-based language often used by the Nueva

community when thinking about historically underrepresented students and families. Most importantly, I enjoyed the thoughtful questioning and discussions on how to cultivate a sense of belonging for every community member. In this new role, I hope to dive into those questions of belonging, to find ways to see the strength, resilience, and joy when learning about traditionally oppressed communities. I am eager to be in learning spaces together and to share ideas around how we can create a sense of belonging. What are your hopes and goals for JEDI work in the lower school? My goal is to create

a space for our historically underrepresented community members where they feel seen and cherished at Nueva. My hope is that the JEDI space in the lower school will be a safe and empowering space for students to be their whole selves. It is also my goal to work alongside my colleagues to co-conspire and re-envision curricula from a social justice lens. I am excited about highlighting histories, stories, and perspectives that allow students to see the strength and courage of underrepresented groups. What values inform your JEDI work? Joy: The histories of

oppressed people are full of joy and LOVE! Teaching hard histories must be grounded in

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this first. Belonging: Fostering positive identity development. Leaning in to accept and understand someone else’s experience. Holding various truths: It’s important in this JEDI work to be able to see and understand alternative stories and experiences. Being okay with things feeling a bit sticky is helpful, as we give each other grace to do this important and challenging work. 7–12

ALISON WILLIAMS

What drew you to this role? Why did you want to transition from your middle school SEL role? I wouldn’t say that

this is necessarily a transition; rather it is a continuation of the work I’ve been doing during my time at Nueva. I came to Nueva to help develop and grow the JEDI program, and I’m very excited to have a full time position dedicated to this stage of our growth. I’m also excited to be moving up with our rising ninth graders. I worked with this grade when they were in middle school on a lot of foundational work in SEL, and teaching Science of Mind (SOM) with this grade is the right place to continue to build the Beloved Community. I am continuing to serve as THRIVE coordinator, which I’ve done for three years, because I want to think strategically about systems of support for our underrepresented students so that they can access all that Nueva has to offer. This new role is the

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perfect combination of the things I love about Nueva: SEL and JEDI. What do you see is the importance of this JEDI work at Nueva? What values inform your JEDI work? As a place

for gifted learners, Nueva is this place where they can be their true authentic selves. We also know that for some students, their identities are not always fully seen. I think it’s our mission to lift up all gifted children so that they can come with their lived experiences and intersecting identities and truly feel part of this Beloved Community. We value understanding ourselves as humans with lived experiences. It’s so important for a learning community to see one another authentically and vulnerably. I come to this work with love, community, and empowerment. I apply an intersectional lens to everything I do; I believe the various identities we hold shape our views and perspectives and should be valued and cherished. This is our collective work towards liberation. While liberation can feel hard to attain, through classroom dialogues I hope people can see that it is possible.

What do you hope to do in this role? What challenges do you imagine might arise? What possibilities? My goal is

to get systems and structures in place. For the past six years we have done some amazing

programming, and there is also room for growth in terms of partnerships with different stakeholders. I’ll still be in the classroom [teaching ninthgrade SOM], but I will have more time to create relationships with parents, administrators, and teachers so that there is more clarity around the work we are doing. We want there to be entry points for all community members to get involved in building the Beloved Community. I think there’s a challenge of making sure we have a collective foundational understanding of systemic oppression. Every year we welcome folks into our community and we have folks who have been in our community for decades, so it is important to ensure we are all working from the same baseline. I am hoping to create community conversations so if folks have questions there is space for them to ask those questions. I want to make sure there are spaces for all of us to lean in and learn together. I would also love to have a speaker series. We’ve had some really great panels of community members sharing their experiences, and I’d love to build on that and bring in outside speakers doing JEDI work. I’m really excited to partner with Alegria and B, because now we have a way to scaffold and create cross divisional programming and cohesion around our JEDI goals.

Can you share a little bit about your background? How did you get to where you are in this new JEDI role? My

educational background is in social work, so I’ve always leaned towards advocacy and an interest in ensuring people have the resources they need to thrive, specifically thinking about marginalized voices. Prior to Nueva, I worked with refugee populations, people living with HIV, and those living in transitional housing. I supported LGBT communities and to make sure they have access to medical and housing resources. Through that work I realized that education is really one of the most empowering tools someone can have. I was excited to transition into education, and I first did that through teaching comprehensive sexuality education at Planned Parenthood. In this work, I supported teachers and administrators in ensuring their campuses were inclusive for queer kids and made sure students had access to reproductive health care. I really liked being in the classroom. I am grateful that I stumbled on to Nueva on a whim and saw the JEDI job posting, and I’ve been here ever since. What are you most excited about? I am excited to hold

Nueva accountable. Nueva has made a commitment to this JEDI work, and I am excited to be part of the team that helps hold us accountable. I think the development of this team is a move in the right direction.

THE NUEVA SCHOOL

A-Z

All students who attend Nueva for at least one year become members of the Nueva School Alumni Association (NSAA), a diverse global community of more than 2,000. Whether they are Waves or Mavericks (the two mascots in Nueva’s history), our alumni have helped make Nueva what it is today.

ity

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DESIGN THINKING

Design thinking at Nueva is more than Post-its and I-Lab materials. It is an awareness that everything in our world can be reexamined for improvement if we begin to understand the user experience. It is a mindset and a process rooted in empathy. ¶ For example, middle school students in the Outdoor Classroom elective spent this fall surveying the community and studying the campus grounds to design an ideal outdoor classroom for faculty and students.

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E ELECTIVES

DID YOU KNOW Upper school students have more than

100

electives from which to choose!

Ever wanted to learn how to write and illustrate a graphic novel or conceptualize and design an outdoor classroom space? Do you like acting and singing or dissecting the significance of pop culture on American society? Nueva offers all of these opportunities and so many more to middle and upper school students.

COFFEEHOUSE

Founded in November 2018, Coffeehouse is an intimate twice yearly arts and music event, in which the writing and research center is transformed into a café, replete with couches, string lights, and hot cocoa.

B B O O K FA I R

Book Fair is an annual event which celebrates our community’s deep love of reading and learning. The past two years, Book Fair has been a virtual event, hosted at nuevabookfair.org.

FUN FACT For our fall 2021 Book Fair, we sold

2,449 books, of which

1,030

were unique titles. Talk about a community that loves to read!

FUN FACT Coffeehouse was started by alumni Jason Hwong ’20, Jordan Mak ’21, and Willow Taylor Yang ’21, and Journalism teacher LiAnn Yim to create an opportunity for the Nueva Current staff to have a story to write about in the Culture section of the newspaper.

FORTS

A most beloved of spaces in the lower school for generations of Nueva students, the forts are a wonderland of trees, boards, logs, and sticks, where students design, create, or remodel the forts. The forts area is a real life SEL laboratory, for students to experiment and practice freedom, industry and agency, trust, taking risks, building communities, assuming responsibilities, and conflict resolution.

G GENEROSITY

Generosity and community support are hallmarks of Nueva. Each year, our community’s generosity shines through as we raise essential funds to bridge the difference between tuition revenue and annual expenses through a variety of fundraising opportunities, including the Nueva Fund, the Be a Maverick Benefit, and the Nueva Cup. ¶ This generosity also helps us remain committed to supporting our current families and enrolling gifted students, regardless of socioeconomic background and financial need.

J H I

J U S T I C E , E Q U I T Y, D I V E R S I T Y, & INCLUSION (JEDI)

H I L L S B O R O U G H CA M P U S

Spanning 33.3 wooded acres, Nueva moved to its Hillsborough campus in 1971. This campus is home to the lower and middle schools, the Gymnasium Community Center, and the Science and Environmental.

FUN FACT One of the kindergarten classrooms—currently home to Paul Knight and Paloma Hernandez’s class, the Rainbow Seadragons—sits on top of what was once the indoor pool of the Crocker Mansion.

I N N O VAT I V E LEARNING CONFERENCE

Aligned with Nueva’s Mission II of engaging with the education community in the world, the Innovative Learning Conference— founded in 2007—is a biennial conference, which brings together educators and innovators to discuss and share ideas about many of the most challenging issues facing education.

Our JEDI program inspires us to build a beloved community that is courageous, self-reflective, and intentional in its pursuit of social justice, equity, and inclusion. The program builds upon Nueva’s focus on both social-emotional learning and design thinking by fostering empathy, encouraging innovative solutions, and promoting critical thinking skills.

L K M LIT CLUB

FUN FACT Generosity is so deeply rooted in the Nueva community and dates back to the late 1960s, when the school received the William H. Crocker Mansion (which houses the lower school) as a gift from a community member.

KINDNESS MARCH

Inspired by the 2017 Women’s March, the Community Committee (made up of lower school students) decided to create the Kindness March to share what they stand up for and believe in. In what is now an annual tradition, students create signs and then march around the Hillsborough campus chanting phrases of love and kindness, including, “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Kindness is the way to go!”

What started in 1982 as an opportunity for students and adults to discuss books, Lit Club has blossomed into a program in which all second through eighth graders practice reading strategies and literary analysis, learn to apply critical and creative thinking to literature, and develop (hopefully!) a lifelong love of reading.

M AV E R I C K S

Emphasizing student growth, success, and team building, the Nueva athletics program offers our Mavericks student-athletes an opportunity to create connections and build skills in a supportive environment.

DID YOU KNOW Nueva offers

middle school and

upper school sports. Athletic distinctions include

PSAL championships,

CCS scholastic team awards, and

138

all-league athletes since the upper school was founded in 2013.

N U E VA P A R E N T S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N

The Nueva Parents’ Association, in which all Nueva parents are members, is essential to helping Nueva thrive. Whether it’s through volunteerism and hosting a variety community events—including Tea on the Plaza, Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, and Book Fair, to name a few—or serving on a wide range of panels and committees that support leadership initiatives or expressing appreciation to faculty and staff through words, treats, and gifts, Nueva parents step up in amazing and significant ways.

Q QUEST

Nueva Quest gives upper school students the unique opportunity to pursue their own interests. Students may choose to pursue one field of study over their four years or to complete a series of different Quests (each one taking one or more years). Past student projects have included storytelling and scriptwriting for musicals, building a living wall, furniture making, designing computer games and mobile apps, translating a children’s book into American Sign Language, and creating a podcast about political polarization.

P R O J E C T- BA S E D LEARNING

O OPEN SESSION

A hallmark of the Nueva middle school socialemotional learning (SEL) program, Open Session allows students to address student-generated SEL topics, such as personal decisions, friendship struggles, and the normal stresses of growing up and gaining responsibility. Students learn to apply listening skills to clarify their classmate’s issues, offer support and encouragement, and provide practical advice and solutions. This activity also deepens trust, empathy, and problem-solving skills.

At the heart of Nueva’s ethos of “Learn by Doing, Learn by Caring’’ are the foundational pillars of social-emotional learning (caring) and project-based learning (doing). Our project-based approach to teaching and learning challenges students to imagine and create and make and build. From building model airplanes and 3-D sculptures to redesigning classroom library spaces and creating enrichment toys for zoo animals and so much more, our gifted students engage in projects designed to help them develop their unique strengths and passions.

R REFLECTIONS

We deeply value the reflection process and weave it into all of our learning practices. One of the more profound examples is when fifth through 12th grade students reflect on their learning over the course of the semester and present to parents during conferences about their strengths and areas of growth.

S S TA R P A P

A long-standing tradition in the eighth grade, STARPAP (which stands for science, technology, architecture, religion, politics, art, and philosophy) is an independent research project in which students dive into the cultural identity of a time period in the country they visit (either in person or virtually) in the spring semester—China, Japan, or Spain. The research process gives students the opportunity to refine and deepen their interests and understanding based on intellectual curiosity. For example, instead of writing an essay on the general political situation in Moorish Granada, students might write about an incident in the Hall of Ambassadors at the Alhambra.

T TRIPS

From PreK to 12, we prepare students to understand, communicate, and solve problems in our interconnected world. Our trips program (part of our larger global citizenship pillar) takes students in first through twelfth grades to places near and far, from the Hillsborough campus ballroom and California state parks to the streets of Barcelona and the top of Machu Picchu. Whether inperson or virtual, the places our students visit, the people they meet, and the experiences they have develop and reaffirm their understanding of the world.

U UPPER SCHOOL

Our youngest division, the upper school, was founded in 2013 and began its life in three classrooms on the campus of the College of San Mateo. Since moving to the Bay Meadows campus in 2014, the upper school has grown exponentially, from 73 students in the founding class to 451 students in ninth through 12th grade for the 2021–22 school year.

FUN FACT More than 80 percent of our upper school faculty hold advanced degrees.

Y YES, AND

A key quality of any Nuevan is the willingness to say, “Yes, and.” “Yes, and” means being flexible and ready to pivot, and pushing ourselves to keep thinking about what else is possible. We stay true to our roots, while feeling empowered to adapt and stretch and grow.

V V I S UA L A R T S

An adult-sized fly swatter. A papier-mâché fox. Hand-drawn butterflies. Designs created in agar. Landscapes depicted using graphs and data. Power animals sculpted from clay. Sketched portraits that look like photographs. ¶ Visual arts at Nueva is anything but typical. Both the breadth of electives and the integrated visual arts curriculum allow students to explore their creativity in myriad ways.

W WRITING AND RESEARCH CENTER

The writing and research center at the San Mateo campus is a two-story learning hub with comfortable places for students and faculty to read, study, or collaborate. During the cozy winter months, you’ll often find students cozied up next to the fireplace. The center is also home to curated fiction, nonfiction, and reference collections. Learn more about the WRC collection audit on page 10.

ZOOM

X XRT

The eXperiment and Research Teams (XRTs) are teams of upper school students dedicated to solving real-world problems using the scientific method, namely rigorous experimentation. Students learn the intricacies of experimental design in retrospective, qualitative, and quantitative research so that they can apply it to any problem—be it biological, psychological, or societal.

As with the rest of the world, the word ‘zoom’ took on a whole new meaning with the onset of the pandemic. And while remote learning brought a number of challenges as students Zoomed into their classes, it also provided opportunities for us to bring in speakers we may not have been able to hear from otherwise. Among the many esteemed guests we have welcomed via Zoom over the past two years were poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil; cartoonist Jamar Nicholas; Abby Johnston, deputy editor of The 19th; Lara Crigger, editor-in-chief of technology and research firm ETF Action; Angela Guzman, Apple designer and co-creator of the original set of emojis; and Congresswoman Jackie Speier.

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A belated celebration due to 2020’s sheltering in place, Nueva faculty and staff reunited for a funfilled summer gathering for our Class of 2020.

A L U M N I

Reunited The Class of 2020 enjoyed a special summer get-together In Spring 2020, plans were full steam ahead with preparations for commencement and Grad Night for our senior class. Little did we know then that the COVID-19 pandemic would drastically alter all plans. After 15 months of being apart, members of the Class of 2020 finally reunited at the upper school campus on July 30 for a belated celebration in their honor. It was all laughter, cheers, and smiles as more than half the class attended the afternoon festivities. Classmates caught up on their first year of college or gap years, as they enjoyed a catered barbecue and boba lunch, played lawn games—including giant Jenga and Connect 4—signed yearbooks, and finished their senior tiles. “The event was very meaningful for our Class of 2020 and they loved reconnecting with so many familiar faces,” said Director of Alumni Relations Diana Chamorro. Joining the 2020ers were many of their former Nueva teachers and Head of School Lee Fertig, who was meeting most members of the class for the first time (as he became head of school just after they graduated). During his remarks, Lee emphasized the importance of our alumni community and how vital their lifelong active engagement in our Nueva community is.

01. Sporting their new Class of 2020 t-shirts, (l-r) Zoe Quake, Nico Lit, and Jeremy Dumalig were recognized for serving as 2020’s Class Representatives. 02. Members of the Class of 2020 during their barbecue celebration on July 30. 03. In addition to signing each other’s yearbooks, Nico Lit ’20 helped organize time for

he and his classmates to finish painting their senior tiles. 04. Upper school physics teacher Mark Hurwitz (center) joins former students in a competitive game of foosball. 05. While enjoying boba, (l-r) Grace Lagner ’20, Rachel Dulski ’20, and Meg Cozadd ’20 catch up with Dean of Student Life Hillary Freeman.

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Photos by Paul B. ’22

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ALUMN I L U N C H E O N AND INTERSESSION

Cosmic Fireworks, K-Pop Dance, and Polynomial Equations

Alumni return to campus for beloved Nueva experience Attending classes, serving on panels, leading sessions, volunteering, and catching up with one another and former teachers, members of the Classes of 2017 to 2021 returned to the upper school for our annual young alumni luncheon and intersession over the week of January 4–7. Following the success of our inaugural Alumni Intersession in 2021, recent graduates had more than 20 specifically curated offerings in which they could participate, from exploring polynomial equations to learning skills on how to build confidence and effective mindsets. Alumna Amy Cavet ’20 attended How Unexpectedly Interesting It Can Be to Solve Polynomial Equations with Grant Sanderson, founder of 3Blue1Brown. “I chose Grant’s class because his YouTube videos are fantastic and have helped me prepare for some new college math concepts,” she said. “His talk mixed lecture, conversation, and live simulation using a distinct math coding library.” “I’d forgotten what being in a room full of Nueva kids was like—there’s nothing quite like it, really,” added Ben Lee ’20, who also attended Grant’s session. Isabel Chambers ’20, Madeline Park ’20, Billy Pierce ’20, and Jeremy Trilling ’17 volunteered to sit on an alumni panel, sharing insight and fielding questions from students in ninth through 12th grades on topics ranging from the college application process and navigating college to making connections with professors, living on your own, and networking. Among the wisdom shared, Billy offered poignant advice to remain confident in your values. As students and alumni participated in classes, several alumni spent part or all of the week supporting parent volunteers to ensure attendees, guest lecturers, and session leads had a seamless experience. “Coming back to Nueva after a semester at college reminded me once again of the amazing resources and opportunities we have, especially the magic of the intersession experience,” said Annie Zhang ’21, who spent the week volunteering and attended the luncheon. At the luncheon, young alumni mixed and mingled with classmates and former teachers, sharing updates on college and post-graduate life, while reminiscing about their time at Nueva and enjoying being on campus. In a week full of highlights, the alumni luncheon and intersession were among the first opportunities many alumni have had to physically return to campus since the start of the pandemic. “Intersession was wonderful, and it was great coming back to campus and reconnecting with people at the luncheon,” Ben said.

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01. Helping with the behind the scenes magic, (l–r) Jacob Leeman ’20, Clay Adams ’20, Annie Zhang ’21, and Abby Pasternak ’21 were among the many alumni volunteers at intersession.

02. Members of the Classes of 2017 to 2021 enjoy reconnecting at our annual young alumni luncheon on Jan. 5.

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03. Panelists (l–r) Jeremy Trilling ’17, Isabel Chambers ’20, Madeline Park ’20, and Billy Pierce ’20 participate in an alumni panel moderated by junior Winston L.

04. Amy Cavet ’20 poses with mathematician Grant Sanderson following his intersession activity session.

S TAY C O N N E C T E D ! F O L LOW N U E VA O N L I N E… nuevaschool.org/alumni instagram @nuevaalumni

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facebook @nuevaalumniassociation

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→ Jordan Mak ’21 showcases his dorm room at the University of Southern California

↑ Maya Chawla ’21 is enjoying her first year at UC Berkeley

→ Eugenia Theodosopoulous ’20 is a second-year student at Northeastern University

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↑ Following a gap year, Isabel Chambers ’20 began her first year at Boston University in the fall

DORM ROOM VIEWS

Through the fall, Nueva alumni shared how they made their dorm rooms feel like home with mementos of family, friends, home...and of course, Nueva!

↑ Amanda Wang ’21 poses from her dorm room at Case Western Reserve University

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BRIEFS 1980

In Fall 2021, Ashley Hill was named the director of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at UC Davis after serving as the lab’s epidemiologist for the past 10 years. ¶ She described her role as, “We are similar to CSI for livestock and poultry in California—helping to determine the cause of death of animals. We also provide livestock and poultry disease surveillance for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, identifying new and emerging diseases so that they can be quickly controlled to keep our animals safe and healthy.”

1984

Blake Robin is a musician in Los Angeles with published works on Spotify and YouTube. He has written and produced music for film and TV commercials, and his song, “Be Good 2 Me,” is featured in Xbox’s video game Forza Horizon 4. Blake currently is composing two new songs for Forza Horizon 5, “Feels So Good” and “All I Want,” and music for the television show, “Sherman’s Showcase” on IFC. He also enjoys making TikToks, where he tells short stories about famous songs to his

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more than 210,000 followers. You can follow Blake on TikTok @LUXXURYxx.

2012

After attending different high schools and colleges across the country, Class of 2012 friends Arden Coleman, Kevin Penner, and Alex Sahai are enjoying living back in the Bay Area and getting together as often as they can. ¶ During the pandemic, Katie Goldstein started reading virtually to her 5-year-old cousin, Teddy. Their time together inspired her to write and publish her first children’s book, Ottie the Otter. The book is available on Amazon and all proceeds are donated to Reading Partners, a national literacy non-profit, and are matched by her employer, Microsoft.

2017

Emily Ross kicked off her new adventure working at Google in London with a summertime sendoff with Nueva friends.

2020

With a unique first year of college under their belts, Class of 2020 friends Rachel Dulski, Calista Huang, Anna Kondylis, Sophia Madejski,

and Sanjana Vissapragada enjoyed a late June get-together at local San Mateo eatery, Dough Zone.¶ “Being at schools so far away from each other, it had been a while since this group had gotten together,” Calista said. “We had a great time catching up on our first year of college!”¶ Madeline Park is loving living and studying in New York City. At Columbia, she has immersed herself in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and is a board member of the university’s largest entrepreneurship society, CORE. She is also a leader in the school’s startup accelerator, Almaworks, and a pre-MVP incubator, LionLaunch. ¶ Over the summer, Madeline interned at fintech startup, AtoB, and has continued working there part-time this fall doing risk and data analysis. As she continues to explore Manhattan, she looks forward to more runs in Riverside Park, dinners downtown with classmates from around the world, her difficult but rewarding engineering classes, and visits from fellow Nuevans! ¶ A belated senior year spring break trip, Class of 2020 classmates Clay Adams, Evan Serre, Calista Huang, Sophia Madjeski, Tyler

Poon, and Ben Yun enjoyed a trip to Los Angeles over the summer.

2021

Sebastian Ortiz returned to campus to participate in the upper school’s much-beloved fall Coffeehouse, a fine and performing arts showcase, on Nov. 4. Ortiz performed on keyboard with current upper schoolers. ¶ Annie Zhang is a first-year student at Wellesley, and has enjoyed meeting so many great people and experiencing autumn in the Northeast. Over Thanksgiving Break, she spent time with Nueva classmates getting a sweet treat at Tin Pot Creamery.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Do you have news or personal updates you’d like to share? We invite you to submit a class brief about exciting personal events, including marriages or new arrivals, professional experiences or accomplishments, recent travel, reunions with fellow Nueva alumni, and more. nuevaschool.org/classbriefs

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↑ 2012,(l to r): Arden Coleman ’12, Kevin Penner ’12, and Alex Sahai ’12 are all smiles at a recent meetup.

↑ Katie Goldstein ’12 reads her recently published children’s book, Ottie the Otter, to her cousin, Teddy, and friends.

↑ Blake Robin ’84

↑ Emily Ross ’17 (front row, far right) gathers with Nueva friends before moving to London.

↑ Calista Huang ’20 (far left) enjoys dumplings and noodles at Dough Zone with classmates (l to r): Anna Kondylis ’20, Sanjana Vissapragada ’20, Sophia Madejski ’20, and Rachel Dulski ’20.

↑ Madeline Park ’20 (second from right) and engineering classmates celebrate the holiday season at Columbia’s annual tree lighting ceremony.

↑ 2021 (l–r): Quinn Armentrout ’21, Annie Zhang ’21, Isabelle Ancajas ’21, and Lauren Wong ’21

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← Sebastian Ortiz ’21 (far left) performs at the upper school’s fall Coffeehouse.

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Connection Virtual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day welcomes more than 900 guests For the second consecutive year, Nueva welcomed more than 900 guests from around the globe to our virtual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day celebration on Nov. 19. It was a perfect way to head into Thanksgiving Break, as the enthusiasm and excitement our grandparents and special friends exuded through Zoom made it such a joyful event. “During the event, we saw the expansiveness and interconnectedness of our global Nueva community with grandparents and friends logging in from India, Germany, Mexico, across the United States, and more!” said Head of School Lee Fertig. Guests from more than 20 countries enjoyed an all-community celebration, divisional programming, and classroom visits to first-hand experience the learning that happens at Nueva. “Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to be engaged in our granddaughter’s inspirational learning experiences at Nueva!” shared Herman and Debbie Huie, grandparents of Evelyn H. ’29.

01. With more than 900 guests logging on from 20-plus countries, the joy and fun shown through during the virtual dance party portion of Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day on Nov. 19. Grandparents and friends boogie to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration,” while sporting their Nueva sunglasses. 02. Prior to the event, grandparents and special friends were mailed a custom Nueva tumbler and sunglasses. Adi Nallamshetty, grandfather of fifth grader Karsh N., shared a photo of himself with his 2021 tumbler and sunglasses, and sported his hat from our 2020 GPSF Day.

03. Freshman chemistry students conduct a live experiment and answered questions from grandparents and special friends. 04. In Jahi Johnson and Rashida Blake’s first grade class, students share appreciations for their grandparents and special friends. During her turn, Avigail “Googy” C. expressed her gratitude to her grandparents for taking her on vacation.

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S AV E T H E DAT E !

We look forward to welcoming our alumni, parents of alumni, and former trustees home to Nueva for Alumni Reunion Weekend. At our milestone reunion reception, we will host a special ceremony to recognize our Class of 2017, our founding upper school class, in honor of their first five-year milestone reunion. → The Class of 2017 celebrating at Nueva’s inaugural high school commencement ceremony.

Welcome Home June 2–4, 2022

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND Former Trustee Reception

Milestone Reunion Reception

Alumni Coed Soccer Game & BBQ Celebration

Thursday, June 2

Friday, June 3

Saturday, June 4

During the reception, student docents will lead guided tours of the upper school facilities and visual arts culmination.

For all class years ending in a 2 or 7. Immediately following the reception, attendees are invited to join us for the upper school musical.

All alumni, parents of alumni, and current and former faculty are invited to join us for the game and celebration.

San Mateo Campus

Hillsborough Campus

Learn more & register: nuevaschool.org/reunion Questions: Contact the Alumni Office at (650) 350-4562 or alumni@nuevaschool.org

P O I N T E X C L A M AT I O N

How to Care for an Adolescent in the Year 2021 In Amber Carpenter’s upper school creative writing class, students explored flash storytelling. They read the flash nonfiction essay, “Future Care Instructions for Your Wife with Multiple Sclerosis,” and discussed its form, figurative language, and syntax. They then wrote three vignettes or fragments that mirrored this piece and provided instructions on how to care for an adolescent in the year 2021. Below is a sampling of the vignettes students wrote. Please greet me in the morning when I stumble out of bed, my hair all jumbled and my eyes purblind. I cherish these interactions as if they are an heirloom. Please do me a huge favor and fill up my water bottle as I dash out the door. Your little gestures mean the world to me. Please leave that stack of miscellaneous papers where it is. I’m still working on it. Nope, not that stack––the other one. That one you can put away.

Feed me with the old, piping hot family recipes. Sit down with me to experience a meal while slowing the exponential pace that the world speeds at.

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When I order a chicken sandwich for the seventh day in a row, please don’t get mad. Please knock on my door if it’s closed and quiet. Don’t come in, open the door just a bit, seeing your face reminds me that you care. I know I told you a while ago that it was annoying, and when she does it it is because she always comes in, but when you do it and ask if I’m okay it reminds me that I put you through something and that you still love me. Please leave the dog in a regularly accessible place as I may visit her for emotional support more than any human.

When I wake up late and make my brother late to school, please know that I’m not trying to be inconsiderate. Comfort me when the world’s an unscalable mountain and talk to me when shadows exist without sunlight. Be the anonymous hand behind my back, and break the trail before I hike on my own. Say yes to meeting up with friends on a Sunday night. Encourage me to find my communities of comfort, even if it’s not one you know. Just make sure your home is ready for me to come back. Please give me the space I need. There are times I won’t talk to you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. There are secrets I will never tell you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t trust you. I trust you with my life. I feel the never-ending compassion and care you have for me. Now trust me with the independence I need. To learn my own lessons, make my own decisions. Please don’t ask if we’re okay if we come to you crying. Don’t say anything. Hold us so that you can’t see our face; let us pretend you don’t know. We only want to feel the weight of your embrace, be enveloped by your smell, hear your breathing into our hair. It reminds us of the good old days when we’d cry over anything and everything and you were always the solution. If you feel us pulling away, loosen your grip but never let go completely.

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131 E. 28th Ave. San Mateo, CA 94403

Digging In: A Hands-on Elective Steeped in Nature. See page 30

Nueva Magazine – Fall 2021/Winter 2022

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Nueva Magazine – Fall 2021/Winter 2022