The Willows Voice Summer 2024

Page 1


3 Decades of Discovery and Innovation Highlights from Curriculum, Events & Programs

Building a Strong Foundation for the Future Caring+Cooperating+Belonging+ Creating+Problem Solving

The Strength of Simply Listening Design Thinking, Engineering & Making Stronger Together The Water Cycle & Water Conservation Project 3rd Grade Designs a Stronger Environment

The Willows prepares students to value empathy, accept responsibility, and practice ethical behavior. We foster character by emphasizing the development of social and emotional skills hand-in-hand with academic skills. Our program emphasizes the development of sound decision making skills, an appreciation of each individual’s impact on the community, a desire to contribute, and a commitment to engaging with the outside world. We guide our students out of the classroom and into the community to understand the issues faced in today’s world and to discover productive solutions.

CHARACTER // THE WILLOWS CORE VALUES

Dear Parents,

The history of The Willows is an inspiring example of this truth–that there is great strength in community and working together with perseverance and hope. In 1994, a band of fiercely committed parents and educators worked tirelessly to open the doors of The Willows and offer a new brand of education to Los Angeles. I had the incredible honor to be the Founding Head of this school, and to this day I am grateful for the support of this group who gave new meaning to dedication, resilience, and grit.

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”
–Helen Keller, American Author

This band of individuals worked fast and efficiently and came together gathering strength and momentum from each other. In a matter of months, a campus was found, teachers hired, and a school was conceived and built. Driven by passion, they founded The Willows. As Founder and current Board member Gary Yale has stated, “Never underestimate the passion of parents for their children.”

The Willows was built by a group of parents and educators passionate about their children and all children. CHILDREN. For 30 years, The Willows has been all about the children. Everything we have done and continue to do is centered on children and growing their great minds and hearts.

Our community members and campus have grown. From 93 to 479 children. At the heart, we are the same community as this band of dedicated families who gathered the collective strength to achieve the impossible and open the doors of our school in 6 months!

We still persevere. We grow. We engage and connect as a community.

We are 30 years and growing strong. We did, and we will continue to do so much, together.

With gratitude and grit,

Lisa Rosenstein Head of School
The Willows Community School

Building Excellence in Education

warehouse into The Willows Community School, and so The Willows School Credo: all things are was born.

s determined group of parents and educators envisioned a new kind of school with an innovative, educational approach with both strong academic roots and emphasis on character, compassion, and community. Led by Lisa Rosenstein, the Founding Head, an innovative educational philosophy that inspired a zest for learning became a living legacy for Los Angeles children and families.

eptember 1994, The Willows opened its doors in a single building in Culver City’s Hayden Tract. Now, 30 years later, The Willows campus extends across 4 acres with 5 buildings, and is lauded as one of Los Angeles’ most desirable schools, and recognized internationally.

oday, we honor the bold “can-do” culture and the vibrant, visionary spirit that still define the creation of The Willows.

We are 30 and going strong!
So many individuals have

been

instrumental in the progress of our program and development of our school.

We thank all our Board of Trustees, Willows Parent Association, faculty, staff, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, and friends throughout the years for their unwavering support, steadfast guidance, and service to our community. We salute each of them.

THE WILLOWS FOUNDING FAMILIES

Barbara Bartman

Leah Bishop and Gary Yale

Mari and Kenneth Blaustein

Ellen and Mich Cohen

Carol and Jim DeNardo

Susie Evans

Kelly and Lou Gonda

Estelle and Bob Grush

Marsha and Scott Jacks

Jeanne Kahn

Wendy and Steven Klappholz

Risa and Michael Lester

Sandra and Gary Mathern

Judy Ranan and George Perkins

Lisa and Larry Rosenstein

Carmela and Robert Rotstein

Linday and Charles Schwarz

Joanne and Lawrence Silver

Debra and Mark Solomon

THE WILLOWS 2024-2025 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Zack Faigen, Co-Chair

Eric Silverman, Co-Chair

Rachel Adler

Dan Beckerman

Bridgette Blue

Lori Christopher

Sharon De Mayo

David DeRosa

Zack Faigen

Wendy Felson

Denise Gutches

Royce Hall

Ilan Kedan

Igor Kleyman

3 Generations of a Founding Family at The Willows

Leah Bishop and Gary Yale were Founders of The Willows Community School along with their children, Alum Elizabeth Yale Marsh ‘00, and their grandchild and Kindergartener Miles Marsh. (Not shown Rhys Marsh, Miles’ father, and alum Rebecca Yale ’02)

It was about passion. Never underestimate the passion of parents when it comes to their children."
—Gary Yale, founder and and current Willows Trustee

Alex Kwit

Charity Manley

Serena Minikes

Meighan Offield

Jenny Owens

Jordan Reisenweber

Lisa Rosenstein

Shari Rosenthal

Eric Silverman

Ari Swiller

Natalie Weiner

Gary Yale

Many thanks to all those who have sustained The Willows along the way and to those who today support our community.

The Founding Jacks Family

The Founding Jacks Family Founders Marsha and Scott Jacks (deceased) grandchildren and their daughter
Lauren Jacks Seeff ‘00 ’s three children shown in a Willows onesie over the years. Julian Seeff will start in Kindergarten this Fall 2024.

Highlights from Curriculum, Events, and Programs that reflect the vision, values, and connections of our school

Technology, including a 1:1 laptop program in grades two through eight, is integrated seamlessly in our curriculum as an essential tool for learning.

Book Fair celebrates reading, literacy, and a love for learning

In 2006, Looping of 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th grade was implemented and still receives national acclaim.

The Middle School opens its doors in 1998 offering a new style of learning that keeps children younger, offers leadership, and listens to the voices of the students. The building was purchased in 2009.

The O was placed on our campus in honor of our first Willows Parent Association Co-Chair and member of The Willows Board of Trustees Lisa Olshansky. It represents the collaboration of The Willows and our families.

Imagine More Capital Campaign began in 2013 adding new learning spaces, redo of the Lower School building and entrance, and the transformation of campus exterior and playground.

1st Civil Rights Trip to the U.S. Southern States
The Multipurpose Athletic Field 2020

We treasure the past and embrace the future!

January 2014 The Library/Media Center after numerous locations was moved to the heart of our campus and redesigned as a fluid, dynamic space conducive to interdisciplinary learning, the sharing of knowledge, intellectual discourse, and individual growth.

The first poetry presentation in 1995 grew to Poetry

to Arizona to explore Sustainability in the Community during Spring Break.

Original Willows Theater construction was done in 2003 as part of the capital campaign to build Willows 4 including the world-class gymnasium and choral and electronic music studios. The Theater renovation began summer 2024 with an inauguration in Fall 2024.

The 1st International Student Service-Learning Trip – Nicaragua 2019 A Transformative Experience

2015 RULER , the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence evidence-based approach to social emotional learning, was integrated into the curriculum and daily life of the school. Today The Willows is a RULER Spotlight School.

Taste of The Willows, a multicultural, family, and friends event celebrating the unique heritages, traditions, and customs of our community, as well as the sharing of scrumptious foods from around the globe!

1st Student Boston Overnight Trip
1st Faculty/Staff Musical 2003 Guys and Dolls
Maker Labs, DesignLab, and Steam Room open their doors.
Night, Poetry Week, and a Poet-in-Residence.

Members of our community–faculty, administration, trustees, current parents, alumni, alumni parents, and students share their memories and reflect on how The Willows is going strong!

“A lot of things change, but one thing is still the same: the children’s love of learning which has been continual and constant. The students at The Willows love to come to school; that has not changed since day one. That’s The Willows: we instill love, creativity, independence, and outside-the-box thinking.”

Phil Lee // Founding Faculty, Kindergarten Teacher, and Alumni Parent

“The Willows was and always will be my parachute – The strength in its community allowed me to push myself and take risks, while knowing I would land safely on the ground.”

Lily Solomon // '06, Dean of Curriculum and Integrated Programming

“STILL LIVING UP TO OUR NAME

It was early on that Lisa R chose the name The Willows Community School. This was not a discussion. Why so insistent, Lisa? The only Willow I knew was a weeping willow, and that didn’t make sense. As with so many other things, Lisa schooled us. Willows bend but they don’t break. Willows provide shelter and comfort from the sun. Their roots are strong and hold so many branches. As Paul McCartney sang “they turn their backs on inclement weather.”

AND THE COMMUNITY THING?

A little awkward? Well, 30 years later, the Willows Community is amazing. So many wonderful people coming together to educate their kids, kids coming together to educate us, families, friends, grandparents, people to admire and respect. Diverse, accomplished people devoted to molding and shaping our world. It brings me such joy to be part of this community and the humans I’ve met. Long after the kids move on with their education, the community is…going strong ! What’s in a name? Everything.”

“From our very first days, a collaborative culture has been the foundation of The Willows. Our strength comes from the fact that everyone has ideas and is valued. This environment supports students, faculty, and staff and allows everyone to feel comfortable originating ideas and expressing their voice and vision. This culture is going strong today!”

“The campus and people inhabiting it have multiplied over the years, but the soul and spirit of The Willows are the same. As you walk through the hallways, the classrooms, and the arts and athletics spaces, you feel it –the buzz of joyful learning. Great minds and good people grow here.”

“The Willows is a joyful place for our kids AND for us as parents too. Through the school’s beautiful emphasis on community, our whole family has built strong bonds and lasting friendships. Whenever there is a school event we are genuinely EXCITED to go. The Willows has become such an integral part of our family. The Willows is a place we are so proud and grateful to be a part of.”

"The Willows is the kind of place that if you are open to it and willing, you, as a parent, can grow as a human being as well."

Kristen Cloke Morgan // Willows Alumni Parent, Co-Chair Board of Governors, former WPA Co-Chair and Trustee

"The joy I found at The Willows stems from the strength of the community."
Skye Belker//AlumClassof2019

The Strength of a Culture of Care

30 Years at The Willows & 10 Years of RULER

The well-being and emotional intelligence of our children and our community members has always been recognized at The Willows. A culture of care has been at the center of our core values and mission since our doors first opened 30 years ago. We believe that each child brings our community an extraordinary gift–a great mind that includes an emphasis on heart and character. Our mission is to nurture our students and help them flourish emotionally as well as intellectually. To do this we strategically foster an atmosphere of joy, connection, and belonging as expressed in our Inclusivity Statement:

We are firmly committed to nurturing and sustaining a safe and open environment that empowers individuals and groups to discover and celebrate their identity. We embrace the many facets of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, culture, national origin, gender identity,

sexual orientation, ability, family structure, and socioeconomic status. We strive to build and cultivate our multicultural community by celebrating what makes each of us unique while continuing to foster the universal values that we share. We do this to equip our students with the perspectives and skills necessary to thrive in a complex, multifaceted, and increasingly interconnected world.

One of the ways we have prioritized social emotional learning for our students and community is by integrating the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER systemic approach to social emotional learning in the curriculum and daily life of our school. “Emotions matter, and they matter a great deal in school,” states Marc Brackett, Ph.D., Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Emotions do matter significantly and influence attention, memory, learning, and decision making. To focus on learning, students must feel safe and supported.

After a decade of implementing RULER, The Willows now serves as a RULER Spotlight School for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, sharing our success stories with the international RULER community. The effectiveness of our integration of RULER principles and skills into the life of our school is recognized, and we are so honored to share our best practices with other schools on a similar journey.

“At the heart of our integration of RULER in our school is sharing,” Lily Solomon, Dean of Curriculum and Integrated Programming, states. “Our teachers, staff, and administration share successful and creative ways to approach social emotional learning with each other; the students share with each other and their teachers; the faculty, administration, and parents share with each other. RULER gives our community a common language and unified approach to building social emotional intelligence. We all share!”

RULER is one of the many tools we use to sustain and build the emotional intelligence and well-being of our students. Surrounding our

students with care and developing each child, listening to them, helping them discover their interests and passions, and instilling empathy builds well-being. We very intentionally cultivate a culture of care where everyone feels valued. Here are some of the ways:

Counseling Office

Madison Besser and Ben Salk daily assist in any way they can to support the needs of our students and faculty.

Bonding Events and Class Trips

Events for the grade or class offer support in the development of healthy relationships and kind group dynamics.

Middle School Affinity Groups

Safe spaces bolster confidence and celebrate identity.

DEI Committee Hosted Dinners Prior to Events

Prior to on-campus events The Willows DEI Committee hosts a family bringyour-own dinner for parents, children, faculty, and staff to enjoy conversation and community.

Noon Time Zooms with Psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour & RULER Workshops

These annual events support our parents giving them tools for parenting and self-help. We are dedicated to preparing families to manage their emotions, to express empathy and understanding, and to deal with pressures of our highly connected world.

Everyone Plays Athletics & Arts

Inclusivity is the bottom line to build teamwork and character.

Media Literacy and Social Institute Programs

These offer help to students in navigating the world of tech, social media, and online information that permeates our society.

Middle School Students are the Top Dogs!

On our campus, Middle School students are leaders. Not influenced by older high school students, they remain younger longer and serve as role models, which builds esteem.

Community Service Learning

We guide our students out of the classroom into the world around them to see the issues and challenges communities face and develop an awareness of the needs of others and teach civic responsibility.

Annual Ideas @The Willows Speaker Series

These events bring highly qualified social emotional professionals to inspire and educate our community.

These are some of the ways that we support caring on our campus, expand empathy, and prioritize wellbeing and emotional health. Every community member is highly valued and belongs on our campus. We are dedicated to preparing our students to manage their emotions and deal with the pressures of our interconnected society. We want each child to feel valued and know that they are an important member of our school. We want them to know that we as a community care for them.

To encourage reflection, our DK read the book, The Best Part of Me by photographer Wendy Ewald, and the children reflected on the question, "What is the best part of me?" They then wrote the words for how their "best parts" make them feel and plotted the words on the RULER mood meter.

MIDDLE SCHOOL AFFINITY GROUPS STRENGTH IN BELONGING

This year in the spring we offered a greater range of affinity groups for our Middle School students. In past years, we have offered Black and Asian affinity groups, which will now return adding to the existing Queer-straight Alliance group in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.

After surveying grades 6th to 8th, we determined the types of affinity or alliance groups students were seeking. Based on survey results, we will be resuming Black and Asian affinity groups and now offer a new affinity group for Jewish students. Affinity and alliance groups differ in that affinity groups are for students who have an identifier in common (race, gender, religion…etc.), while alliance groups bring together students who have a common commitment to supporting an identified group.

At the heart of offering affinity groups is a desire to create space for students to explore identity while increasing their sense of connection and belonging. We feel that affinity groups are aligned with our values and celebrate the diversity that makes our community stronger.

Our Black Affinity Group is led by Kellie Clark, Kindergarten teacher, and Sarah Gueno, The Willows Fund Manager in the Development Office and Willows alum. Meetings are held during the Middle School lunch period. Our Asian Affinity group will once again be led by John Lee, Middle School Math/ Maker teacher, and our Jewish Affinity Group will be led by Nicole Lipshutz, 6th grade Core teacher. Our LGBTQIA+ Group will be led by Middle School Teacher Erin Carter.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS – DO THE MATH!

Family EducationNight

Parents + Students = A Fabulous Family Event focusing on Math. Students along with their family members engaged together in exciting hands-on math related activities featuring geometry and shapes, data and analysis, and games and number theory. Forces & Motions asked questions such as what forces impact objects as they fall, fly, flutter, and roll? Robotics & Programming asked, “How do we program a robot to complete a desired task?” Building & Design asked, “How do drawings, models, and prototypes convey ideas?” Families explored marble runs, ramps and pathways, BeeBots, and parachutes.

“It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”
Claude Monet, French Artist

Observational Suitcase Painting & Art Installation

Our 7th and 8th grade students observed and recorded a still life of old suitcases arranged by Middle School Art Teacher Jean Magers. The still life was created as an art installation during Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day. Everyone attending was invited to write a poem or remark about a place that brings them strength on tags, which were than attached to the suitcases.

In art classes, students focused on rendering 3D shapes from various angles using contour lines. Then, after reviewing color theory, they used liquid watercolor to paint their drawings with complementary colors of orange and blue. To practice toning down saturated colors, they diluted the paint to achieve lighter tints, and used multiple watercolor techniques and blank space. During poetry class in art, 7th graders wrote Ekphrastic poems in response to the illustration.

STRONG GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Our curriculum, classrooms, teachers, and students’ lives are enriched and empowered by cultural exchange and global exploration. The more we reach out to others around the world and build bridges of understanding, the more we learn more about ourselves. We extend the world of The Willows and increase our understanding of others and the challenges communities face around the world.

THE WILLOWS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING TRIP, held over Spring Break, is one way that we give our students and faculty chaperones a transformative opportunity. “The purpose of these trips is to discover first-hand the culture, people,

and ecosystems in the countries and areas we travel to, but also make a difference through service,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. Past trips include Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru.

In March 2024, Middle School students along with faculty leaders Liz Stocksdale, J.R. Lebert, and Brevin Archer traveled to Puerto Rico on the 2024 International Service Learning Trip! They toured Old San Juan, explored the Spanish fort El Morro, went on an eco-boat tour of La Parguera Mangrove Cay, visited the barrier island, Cayo Icacos, and had a nighttime swim in a bioluminescent bay. At the heart of the trip was participation in several service projects including Casa Ana Medina, a non-profit organization, where students helped provide snack bags and toiletry kits to those in need in and around the city of Ponce, La Parguera beach clean-up, and Hogar San Miguel, a foster home for boys with special needs where students engaged in Bomba dance and discovered common connections.

“What I love about our service trips is that I witness our students have eye-opening experiences and accomplish substantial personal growth,”

states Liz Stocksdale, Middle School teacher and trip chaperone. “They move out of their comfort zone

when traveling to foreign places, develop deep bonds with peers they don’t usually pair with at home, and increase their empathy with humankind and nature. What we, as chaperones and parents, see on the surface is active participation in various activities and teens having a tremendous amount of fun, but what’s happening below the surface is the making of core memories; unique, life-changing experiences and valuable character-building that lays the foundation for their future selves and how they approach the world.”

“The Service Learning Trip was a transformational experience for my son. It was led by the most fantastic teachers and the itinerary was perfectly balanced between service activities, exploration, and fun. My son came home full of life, with increased confidence and stories of adventure. He seems deeply connected to the other kids on the trip, and has a greater appreciation for his home, school, and community. I’m so grateful that The Willows provided this opportunity and can’t wait for the next one!”

Sam Tripp, 8th grade student, who went on the trip writes:

“The trip to Puerto Rico was an amazing experience. It is my favorite memory from my time at The Willows. My favorite part was the boat trip where we saw beautiful places and had so much fun.”

Next year, the International Service Learning Trip will head to Costa Rica where students will be participating in data collection with sea turtles on the Oso Peninsula.

–continued on next page–

Parent Rebecca Mizrahi whose 7th grade son, Rylo Eisner, went on the trip writes:

FACULTY EXCHANGE WITH CELSIUSSKOLAN SCHOOL IN EDSBYN, SWEDEN

The Willows and Celsiusskolan embarked on a yearlong joint venture to offer an opportunity for faculty and administrative professional development so both schools could learn from two distinct international education systems and approaches. The exchange focused largely on our integration of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER program.

A team of 4 teachers and 1 administrator from each school visited the other school for a week twice during the school year with different personnel each visit.

“Our goal was to ultimately enhance our curriculum, programs, and classroom performances at both schools,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “We wanted to expand beyond our borders of Los Angeles and the United States to embrace new methods appropriate to our mission.”

The teachers returned with knowledge to share in workshops and individually with their colleagues. The exchange has been followed by virtual meetings to continue the dialogue and observations and to offer a school-wide approach at each school.

Keenet Fröjd, Head of Celssiuskolan, remarked, “Your school shows the highest collective efficacy we have ever experienced in a global perspective. But your efficacy is not limited to your staff, also your students have a strong student efficacy when it comes to the RULER approach.”

Two 8th grade students Baer B. and Birdie R. participated in a podcast Fröjd's Toolbox originating in Sweden by Kennet Fröjd of Celsiusskolan on the integration of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s RULER program into our classrooms and life of the school.

We were grateful for the opportunity to share ideas and teaching methods with a Swedish team of teachers,” states Terri Baird, Assistant Head of School for Student Support.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE COPENHAGEN, DENMARK VISIT

Janne Hedegaard Hansen, Head of Research, Department of Social Education, University College Copenhagen, Denmark (KP), who visited The Willows last year, will be returning this month with two colleagues to observe our teaching practices focusing on SEL and RULER. She states, “When I visited The Willows last year, I found your work with SEL and RULER very inspiring . . . and [would like] to gain better insight in your work with student’s social and emotional learning.”

These visits speak highly of the quality and dedication of our faculty and the success of our educational program as we work to embrace our colleagues around our highly connected global society.

“There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools,” states renowned educator Ken Robinson. We deeply believe that our outstanding teachers are at the heart of The Willows program. We renew our dedication to attracting and retaining the very best faculty and identifying strengths that can be shared to innovate and support our educational program.

“Youth comes but once in a lifetime.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

young child runs across the yard to high five a Middle School student on the way to the next class. Two 7th graders turn the jump rope for a group of Kindergarteners. An 8th grade student bends down to tie a Developmental Kindergartener’s shoelace. Anything special? Not really, just another day at The Willows, but yes . . . very special!

Our Middle School students are not in the “middle,” but are our leaders. Our Lower School students have role models to interact with and emulate. Our students of all ages discover that friendships come in many forms!

The Willows DK-8 educational program is one of our greatest strengths. We believe, and extensive academic research supports this structure as optimum academically, developmentally, and social emotionally. Willows students grow through the years on a single DK-8 campus, in an environment that recognizes the needs of each developmental stage while fostering connection, continuity, and wellbeing. Leadership and mentoring opportunities, skill development, multi-age learning, emphasis on math and reading instruction, and the safe, encouraging community at The Willows lead to academic and personal success and to a smooth transition to upper school.

Scientific studies indicate significant benefits to the K-8 (or in our case,

The Willows nurturing, child-centered program offers students distinct, compelling advantages in comparison to other models:

CONNECTION Our students develop school-wide friendships and interact naturally with each other. Together, they develop respect, empathy, responsibility, and understanding. The caring community connection at The Willows leads to self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT Students express themselves and take appropriate risks at each stage of development knowing that their teachers are there to guide and support them. Childhood is preserved a bit longer. The social and academic pressures of high school are lessened during the vulnerable adolescent stage. Students are given time to discover their passions and who they are.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES One of the greatest benefits we offer our students at The Willows is the opportunity to lead during their middle school years. Our Middle School Ambassador program offers leadership experience. As the oldest students on campus, our middle schoolers are role models, providing mentoring and leadership to the younger students. They develop a more mature understanding of their role in the community and discover the impact that their words and actions have on the younger students. The DK-8 culture promotes empathy and understanding across all grade levels.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING Scientific studies indicate that students who remain in a DK-8 structure remain younger longer, free from the influence of older high school students. Our younger students look up to the older students as role models; they gain confidence through their interactions and start their own journey to leadership and responsibility. Middle School students feel safer, have higher levels of self-esteem, and perform better academically in a safe environment where they don't feel compelled to grow up "faster." Their confidence and self-esteem are boosted as the older students on-campus.

BUDDY PROGRAMS Our Buddy program promotes empathy and understanding between all ages. Teachers collaborate closely across the divisions to create opportunities for multi-age learning throughout the year—from our “Book Buddies” program that pairs upper elementary students with primary students, to our “Science Buddies” program, where middle schoolers design and implement hands-on science lessons for students in the younger grades. In addition, multi-age groupings occur throughout the year to offer cross-disciplinary,

If I could design psychologically safe schools, every elementary school in the United States would go from kindergarten through grade eight.”

states Michael Thompson, renowned child psychologist and New York Times Bestselling Author

DK-8) structure. At The Willows, each division—Primary (DK through Grade 2), Upper Elementary (Grades 3-5), and Middle School (Grades 6-8)—is housed in its own building, with an academic program tailored specifically to the needs of each age group.

In an article on NPR, 6th Grade is Tough; It Helps to Be ‘Top Dog,’ Anya Kamentz writes, “In the K-8 schools, those tweens and young teens were the "top dogs" — the oldest, the most comfortable and familiar with the school. But, in traditional middle schools and 6-12 schools, sixth graders were the "bottom dogs. . . The researchers found that when students were not the "bottom dogs," they reported feeling safer, less bullying, less fighting and a greater sense of belonging.”1

in-depth learning and sharing. Our younger students benefit from engaging in hands-on activities with mentors and role models and discover that the older students are not so intimidating after all.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT The parent/school/student connection remains appropriately strong and together they encourage the path that leads to a student’s unique strengths and ultimate success.

FOCUS ON SKILL DEVELOPMENT Combining the English and history disciplines in the Middle School Core classes, our teachers focus on reading and writing skills within multiple contexts. We believe that in middle school, students are still “learning how to learn,” which is why we focus on skills as well as content.

8TH GRADE TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL By 8th grade a student is known as a learner, individual strengths and passions are identified, and the student is ready for a transition to high school. At this age, a student contributes more to the search for a school offering personal opinions and preferences. The choice of a high school becomes a family choice. After middle school, a student is prepared for new social and academic challenges. Our 8th grade graduates receive healthy emotional support for their high school transition and leave prepared to excel and succeed in new environments.

“Proponents of K-8 schools, or “elemiddles” as they’re sometimes called, say they promote strong relationships between not only teachers and students but also teachers and parents and offer stability to young teens during a tumultuous time in their lives,” writes Kelly Field in a Mind/Shift article titled, K-8 or Middle School: What Works for Early Adolescents Depends on Many Factors. “They argue that early adolescence — a period marked by more rapid physical and cognitive development than any stage other than the first two years of life — is a terrible time to transition to a new school.”

As students grow through the years with us, they develop a sense of connection—to each other, to the school, and to the greater community. It’s one of the factors that enables our students to transition successfully to high school and the world beyond, having begun their education in a place where they felt safe, cared for, and connected to the people around them. They know they are treasured members of The Willows Community who will always belong here.

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

Caring + Cooperating + Belonging + Creating + Problem Solving

Several creative projects during this school year showcase the advantages of working together to build a strong foundation for the future. Kindness, cooperation, belonging, creativity, and more were hallmarks of these projects which together define The Willows culture of care and community.

Curricula and creative projects often showcase the advantages of working together to build a strong foundation for the future. Kindness, sharing, and empathy were hallmarks of these which together define The Willows culture of care and community. There are many qualities we look for in a buddy–a good listener, trustworthy, empathetic, loyal. Simply spending time together offers so much. Our Buddy Program pairs our youngest with our oldest students to nurture connections and confidence across grade levels.

The Book Buddies program pairs students (DK with 8th grade and kindergarten with 5th grade) in a yearlong mentoring relationship, reading books and working together on community service projects. Our faculty collaborate closely across divisions to create these multi-age learning opportunities. Younger students benefit from activities with mentors and role models discovering that older students are not that intimidating. Our older students become leaders and develop a greater understanding of the importance of their role within our community.

Strength in Structures – The Buddy Bench

During Intersession 2024, the week during the year when students explore one theme in-depth, in multiage classes, students in our 1st and 2nd grades Strength in Structures class created a Buddy Bench! This year’s school-wide and Intersession theme was STRENGTH.

Inspired by The Buddy Bench by Patty Brozo and a Time for Kids article, Being a Buddy, the class created their own buddy bench celebrating kindness, empathy, and inclusion. The Buddy Bench offers a place

where students can go if they are feeling lonely, uncertain about what to play, or having difficulty integrating into play. Sitting on the bench is a signal that someone needs a friend and encourages small acts of kindness.

Students from Strength in Structures visited classrooms to share the buddy bench’s purpose and answer any questions. The Buddy Bench strongly showcases that “community” is an intentional and integral part of our name.

THE YEAR OF

What could better symbolize The Willows 30 years than a dragon? Representing power and confidence, our Lower School students led by Elementary Art teachers Kristy Acero and Christian Isbell created a dynamic, powerful work of art. Each grade worked on a section of the dragon from the simplest parts in the Lower Elementary to the more intricate created by the Upper Elementary students. The project illustrates the strength of collaboration and the idea of being stronger together. The dragon proudly hangs in the Willows 1 entrance hall. To view a video of the creation of the dragon installation view: https://www.thewillows.org/wisdom-ofthe-willows/~board/blog-articles/post/ strength-in-collaboration-the-dk-4thlunar-new-year-dragon

THE DRAGON

A Symbol of Strength, Power and Good Fortune!

Dragon Building Process Design Thinking in Action!

In January 2024, Lower school students studied Lunar New Year with the help of Willows parents and staff who celebrated this holiday and shared their family’s experience. Cultures represented included Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean. Willows parents Serena Minikes and Junggyu Kim consulted with Kristy and Chistian to develop lessons, design, and color the dragon.

Then, all developmental kindergarten through 4th grade students worked collaboratively to build a 50’ cardboard dragon in art classes with each student playing a part in the construction.

1st & 2nd Grade

Students created the azure back scales of the dragon using rulers, pencils, oil paste, and watercolor.

3rd Grade

Each student scored and manipulated 6” x 36” cardboard rectangles into the shape of a cylinder gluing the paper “skin” that DK-2 created to cover the outside of the cylinder. Then, they added a red, triangular spine scale.

4th Grade

After viewing a PowerPoint about Eastern dragons specifically the wooden/azure dragon, used design thinking skills to brainstorm what the head, legs, tail, and pearl could be. Then as a class, students created a list of needed materials and repurposed supplies and worked in teams to build and assemble the dragon. Then they drew the suspended dragon using pencil and colored pencils to record their observations

Together, the students brought the dragon to glorious life!

The Water Cycle & Water Conservation Project

3rd Grade Designs a Stronger Environment

The STRENGTH of TEAMWORK

“Individual commitment to a group effort–that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” -Vince Lombardi

Collaborating and working as a team is a vital part of a Willows education. When you think “team,” one of the first thing that comes to mind is athletes and sports teams, but we have a wide variety of teams including the Debate Team, Robotics Team, Dance Team, Choirs, and Rock Band to name a few.

Our students gather strength in a team, learning to cooperate with others and to develop respect and commitment. When to follow and when to lead is vital to collaboration. In each one of these group settings, students learn individual responsibility and accountability, discipline, and commitment to a common goal and to each other. Teams prepare them for absolute success as they continue through life.

Sports!

Our sports teams led by Athletic Director Marc Weiss start in the 4th grade and go through Middle School. Many banners line the walls of our gymnasium, but perhaps the highest testament to our athletic program is the outstanding number of students who participate in sports throughout the year. “This past winter, we hit a record number of 4th and 5th grade students participating in sports with 84 students playing either boys’ basketball or girls’ volleyball,” Marc points out. “I had to make 8 teams for everything to work.”

Robotics!

The Willows Wolf Bytes, our robotics team, compete regularly in First Lego League tournaments. This year

while competing, the team won the First Lego League Core Values Award given to a team displaying extraordinary spirit and knows they accomplish more together than as individuals. This award highlights the true meaning of a team and showcases what our teachers strive to instill in our classrooms.

Dance!

Starting in 4th grade, our students are given the opportunity to develop individual skills, imagination, and confidence while working as a team. “Our dance program allows student to express themselves creatively through movement and to build confidence by performing for others,” says Marissa Weiss, Willows Dance Teacher. During classes and performances, students discover that teamwork and mutual support are essentials.

Choir!

Choir is a team sport–it is simultaneously a commitment to yourself and to the group. Each ensemble discovers the harmony and success of working together as one while developing individual skills. Our choirs, which span from kindergarten through 8th grade, gives students the joy of producing one beautiful, blended sound as individuals and performing with a large group for an audience.

Rock Band!

Rock Band is a collaborative musical art format where students listen to each other to build something greater than their individual performance. This popular elective is the natural evolution of our student’s musical journey as students rehearse and perform with other musicians. Each musician brings their unique sound to the band and stage showcasing the beauty of working together.

Besides being fun, these activities build foundational teamwork among students teaching them adaptability flexibility, responsibility, and communication. Supporting each other in a commitment to a goal is fundamental to these teams. All these groups work together towards a common goal accentuating the individual contribution and the accomplishments of the group.

Teacher Teamwork in the Classroom!

Our faculty also model teamwork for our students. In our Lower School there are 2 to 3 teachers in a classroom, so our students observe their teacher’s division of duties, as well as the conferring and listening to each other. In addition, the more seasoned teachers mentor and share knowledge with less experienced teachers illustrating the beauty of the learning process and the continuing of education. Our teachers operate daily as individuals and colleagues, so students see this teamwork firsthand.

THE STRENGTH OF SIMPLY LISTENING

Listen. It’s very simple. Just listen. It is a skill. Don’t judge, don’t interrupt, give 100% attention–that is really listening. What we practice in the classroom and out is active listening, which The Harvard Business Review article, What is Active Listening? defines as “when you not only hear what someone is saying, but also attune to their thoughts and feelings. . . Active listening involves mastering a whole host of other skills–from learning how to read subtle cues to controlling your own emotional response. It requires both empathy and self-awareness.”

(Amy Gallo “What is Active Listening?” in the Harvard Business Review, January 2,2024)

There is infinite value in actively listening to each other and to our children. Actively listening builds trust, leads to academic success, helps comprehension and retention of information, fosters collaboration, and builds a team. We strive to actively listen to our students, teachers, and parents. We encourage our students to find their own voices and one of the best ways to do this is to focus wholeheartedly on what they are saying.

Dr. Lisa Damour, renowned psychologist, award-winning author, and frequent speaker at The Willows, accentuates in The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, that “Listening, really listening, matters . . . it’s easy to think we’re listening when we’re really not. Instead of listening, we are often waiting for our teenager to finish talking so that we can share a thought that came to mind shortly after our teen got started. That’s not listening, that’s turn taking.”

Our goal is to listen. . . in our classrooms. . .

Active listening is a classroom strategy that leads to increased understanding, greater retention of information, and interaction that promotes deep learning. Listening to stories, read aloud books, and songs builds imagination. Really listening with full attention and not interrupting leads to respect. To resolve a conflict, listening to each other and seeing both sides of an argument is essential. Our Middle School Debate Team teaches the value of listening.

to our students . . .

Each student has a voice that we seek to listen to–actively considering what they need at a certain moment. Our teachers build connections with their students, listening carefully and encouraging them to feel comfortable speaking up.

Marc Brackett, Ph.D.Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence often relates how he had an adult who really listened–his Uncle Marvin who truly listened without interruption and the difference this made in his childhood. On Dr. Brackett’s Dealing with Feelings podcast, What Makes a Good Listener? with guest Dr. Alfiee M Breland-Noble (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kcttkFfNa54) he explored the role of active listening and how it influences emotional regulation and helps us support others: “The act of witnessing someone listen to you, in and of itself is healing.”

Teachers and administrators listen carefully in class discussions to learn what students are thinking as well as evaluate the mastery of their work.

“Students often request certain electives, and we try to accommodate as many requests as possible.” says Doug Klier, Middle School Dean. “At times, we even ask a student to assist with teaching an elective. We listen because their ideas and accomplishments are often valid and show us what truly interests them. It helps so our electives resonate and inspire.”

to our families . .

.

Just as listening is vital to student learning and performance, it is also important in our relationships with parents, teachers, and administrators to build the home-school relationship which ultimately benefits all our children.

to our faculty and staff . .

.

We encourage our teachers to express themselves and offer new ideas or approaches to learning. A certain amount of autonomy is given in the classroom management since the teachers’ daily interactions with students are so informative–the teachers are our front line. In addition, professional development opportunities are often in response to faculty requests to help them grow professionally and personally.

Community is built and made stronger by listening to each other. Our community is an inclusive, diverse group from all walks of life. We are unified and inspired by listening to each other–actively–to build a strong, enduring foundation fortified for 30 years by love for our children and our school.

DESIGN THINKING, ENGINEERING & MAKING STRONGER TOGETHER

5th Grade Nomads Project

In Maker classes, our 5th grade students conducted a creative exploration of paper focusing on manipulating two-dimensional sheets into 3-D forms. EXPLO Elevate, a strategy, leadership, and design consultancy for schools, designed this maker project as an investigation of engineering action to help a team of nomads travel. Nomads had beasts of burden to haul their cargo systems filled with supplies.

Working in small teams, 5th graders created the cargo containers attached to the creatures that would carry all the goods the humans needed to travel.

The objectives/demands for the project were:

· Create a customized solution for the beast and cargo object

· Assume travel across a variety of terrains

· Consider the constraints place on the goods like communications systems must remain dry, everyday tools must be readily available, and storage containers must travel with the top facing up

Students provided feedback to each other and were required to incorporate one new idea from the feedback they received into their project. This project facilitated deep thinking and consideration of ideas while prompting teammates to create many ideations and build on each other’s ideas and input.

The Willows Clubhouse — A DK-2nd Grade Interdisciplinary Project.

In maker class, Lower School students mixed design and engineering skills with empathy and utilized the RULER approach to determine how to build and use the clubhouse. The students explored questions such as “How did it feel to build the clubhouse? How do we want people to feel when they are in the clubhouse? The planning, ideas, and construction were generated by the children.

Sample Student Documentation

We used Rigamajig wooden planks, nuts, and bolts to create the structure. We had to make it strong so it can stand and hold all the walls up. This helped us feel safe that the house won’t fall down in an earthquake.” Kindergarten Students-Framers.

We designed all the doors and windows. We made the different shapes and put them all around the house. This helped kids feel relaxed because you can look outside.”

1st Grade Students–Windows and Doors.

We put pipes inside the house. We also made a jacuzzi outside. This helped people feel relaxed and calm.”

1st & 2nd Grade Students–Plumbing

We ran all the wires around the house so our clubhouse has electricity. This helped kids feel energized and excited to use all the power!”

2nd Grade Students–Electrician Team Student teams also worked on Audio & Video, Interior Design, and Repair People Teams!

In our Kindergarten Home Unit, students discover how skyscrapers are built by reading books and watching videos and discussing how architects design buildings. Students created blueprints, conducted experiments on how to secure a foundation, and painted their own large skyscrapers.

7th Grade Creates Miniature Cardboard Haunted Houses & Shares with Lower School Students

It was a Techno Halloween this past year when 7th grade students in maker classes created miniature haunted houses incorporating Hummingbird Robotics’ (www.birdbraintechnologies.com) programmable sensors, motors, and led lights that allows students to design a unique robot or other creation out of any materials using programming knowledge. Students used the design thinking process to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test their haunted houses. They used empathy to imagine what the younger students on campus would like to see and ended the project by sharing their creations with our Lower School students for a very special Halloween treat.

IDEAS@ THE WILLOWS

30 years of faculty professional development, parent education, and classroom enrichment

A network of shared ideas that leads back to the classroom, into the home, and out into the world.

Ideas@TheWillows is a collaborative community generating and exchanging ideas to enhance the knowledge of parents, expand the vision of educators, engage life-long learners, enlighten our community, and enrich the classroom experience.

Our speaker events, workshops, film screenings, panels, partnerships, professional development, mentoring, research, and inquiry are intentionally designed to continue the education and empower the growth of great minds.

OUR ACCLAIMED SPEAKER SERIES, WORKSHOPS, FILM SCREENINGS, STUDENT, FACULTY & PARENT EDUCATION EVENTS:

Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely, Civil Rights Activist, Poet, Former Freedom Rider, and Descendant of Ellen and William Craft (the subjects of Ilyon Woo’s Master Slave Husband Wife) spoke to our 5th through 8th grade students and Willows parents about her multi-faceted historic Craft family and how Craft descendants have lived and thrived since enslavement and freedom. Willows Parent and Director Hanelle Culpepper, who is currently working on a feature film regarding the Crafts and their historic journey and accomplishments, interviewed Ms. Preacely who also answered questions from our students.

how AWE can transform life and learning with our parents and extended community, and with our Middle School students. Through extensive research and personal experience, he showed that awe can lead us to appreciate what is most humane in our nature and in other people’s courage, kindness, and strength.

Dr Cara Natterson, MD, Pediatrician, Podcast Host, and New York Times Bestselling Author, and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, Puberty Expert, Podcaster, and Author presented on puberty, the subject of their book This is So Awkward, to our parents and extended community. Covering the science of puberty, they offered data-driven guidance for parents of tweens and teens showing the shift in the physical, social, and emotional transformations of puberty over the past several decades.

Ilyon Woo, award winning author of Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom presented a talk on the Crafts, an enslaved couple in Georgia, the subjects of her book. Master Slave has been awarded as one of The New York Times and the New Yorker’s Best Books of 2023. Ilyon Woo celebrated the Crafts and their story and the power of their activism and that of their descendants, as well as her personal journey in writing the book. Ms. Woo was both enlightening and inspiring.
Dacher Keltner, Psychologist, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Greater Good Science Center, University of California at Berkeley, and author of AWE, The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your life and The Power Paradox, shared

Dr Lisa Damour, Psychologist, The New York Times bestselling author, monthly New York Times columnist, and contributor to CBS News, held a year-long series of 3 Lunchtime Zooms for our parents and staff that we opened to our Los Angeles community. She also conducted workshops with our 5th grade and Middle School students. Dr. Damour shared strategies on how to help parents manage their emotions and face fears head-on. www.drlisadamour.com.

Jennifer Doyle, M.S Ed, from Bank Street College of Education, Educational Consultant, and former Willows teacher, conducted the first part of a specialized professional development program at The Willows to further develop members of our faculty to be coaches for other teachers. This ongoing program offers structured sessions for faculty to learn from experienced peers in a teaching community of trust, unity, and innovation. Jen is shown here with faculty member Marissa Weiss, her former teaching partner.

Michael Thompson, Ph D., internationally acclaimed psychologist, speaker, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author, returned to The Willows to present his talk on The Pressured Child, which also helped “pressured parents.” Mixing anecdote and answering questions, Dr. Thompson pointed out that students always search for 3 things: connection, recognition, and a sense of power, and explored strategies for parents and children to cope with the pressures they face.

Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and creator of RULER, recently visited The Willows, posting on Instagram about The Willows, [I am] “always blown away by our superstar @ruler-approach school - @ willowscommschool. Thank you for your creativity, dedication, and perseverance. You are the ultimate role models for how to integrate SEL into everything.” Marc also reminds all of us that, “Given what’s happening in our world, now is the time for us to come together to think about social and emotional learning at a global level.”

John Spencer, Outer Space Architect, who worked on the design of the International Space Station and grandfather of 4th grade student Sonatine McCreary, talked with our 4th grade students about space exploration, business, and creativity. He expressed the need for designers, artist, writers, and filmmakers, in addition to scientists and engineers, to work in space, inspiring our 4th grade students to venture into that field.

8th Grade students had the

an especially wonderful

and

and

and

Doug Klier, Middle School Dean, and Wendy Amster, Dean of Educational Technology, attended the Design for Exploration Course, a collaboration of Stanford University and the Exploratorium Learning Lab, focusing on science, art, and human perception.
Our
opportunity to hear Civil Rights pioneer JoAnne Bland speak at Temple Israel of Hollywood. Ms. Bland, who was born
raised in segregated Selma, Alabama, marched in Selma,
co-founded the Voting Rights Museum shared her inspiring story fighting racism
inequality. This was
integration with the 8th grade curriculum study of the Civil Rights Movement and reading of March by John Lewis.
Kary Antholis, Former Willows Board Member, Alumni Parent, and Creator/ Director of One Survivor Remembers, returned to The Willows to screen the Academy Award winning documentary focusing on Gerda Weissmann Klein and her six-year ordeal surviving the Holocaust. Kary spoke to the Middle School students and answered their questions after the screening.

Alumni Parent News

Children’s Book Author & Willows Alumni Parent Cicek Bricault Spoke to Our 3rd-5th Grade Students

Cicek Bricault, children’s book author and Willows alumni parent, spoke to The Willows Upper Elementary students and signed her middle grade children’s book, Ky Rose Takes a Leap- Saving the World with STEAM and Magic, which is the story of a 7th grade girl's battle to fit in during the near future of 2030 at The MakerX20 STEAM-based middle school. The book, which is part of a planned magical realism trilogy, tackles STEAM themes, a love and respect for animals, coding, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, healthy ecosystems and more. Through her own daughter, Cicek found that both boys and girls would benefit from a female role model, who is brave, vulnerable, connected to her own power, and in touch with her own voice, emotional intelligence, and purpose in the world.

Rosenstein and Zoe Birnbaum ’07 at a City Year (a nonprofit dedicated to the success of students and schools, www.cityyear.org) event honoring alumni parents Ellen and Andrew

Rosenstein and Lily Solomon, Dean of Curriculum and Integrated Programming visit with Willows alumni at Yale University. Lisa and Lily were presenting at the Yale School of Emotional Intelligence Implementation Conference. L to R – Lila Hauptman ’15, Lisa Rosenstein, Lily Solomon ’06, Asher Barondes ’18, Zack Hauptman ’17 and Jack Antholis ’15.

Class of 2019 Alumni Goodie Boxes Alumni Parents from the Class of 2019 gathered at The Willows to assemble goodie boxes for the College Freshman of the Class of 2019. Photo on left – Front Row L to R: Lisa Lee and Nicole Kwak. Back Row L to R: Michelle Robson, Carrie Williams, Beth Osisek, Alexandra de Laurens, Derek Messana, Linden Messana, Rosanne Cunningham, Chantal Randolph, Lisa Rosenstein, Jamie Chasalow-Neiman, and Matt Ginyard
Lisa
Hauptman.
Lisa

Alumni Happenings

Alumni from the Class of 2020 and their parents gathered on The Willows campus in May to reminisce and reconnect. This annual dinner with faculty and administration is a celebration of the accomplishments of our alumni and a chance to reunite before they head to college and beyond.

The Willows Class of 2020 Alumni Reunion Dinner
Alumni performed at the 2024 Family Arts Night including Front Row L to R – Layla Neibart ’26, Sydney Azar ’20, Ellie Berlin ’20, Ariel Aziz ’20. Back Row L to R – Lauren Pomerantz ’21, Abby Wanger ’20, Olivia Miro ’20, Scarlett Gatta ’20 and Claire Fink ’20

Skye Belker Alumni Spotlight

Skye Belker, Class of 2019 who graduated from the Windward School, is currently attending Princeton University where she plays guard for the Princeton Tigers basketball team. Last November, Skye was named the Ivy Rookie of the Week.

“The joy I found at Willows stems from the strength of the community.”

How has The Willows shaped your personal and professional lives?

The Willows gave me the confidence to advocate for myself. My teachers consistently reiterated the importance of asking for help when you need it. Even the student-led parent-teacher conferences offered a space where we were each forced to articulate our learnings and reflections. The faculty was always open to helping us with our questions, while also incentivizing us to seek advice from our peers before asking the teacher right away. As I progressed through grades, my schedule became more flexible allowing me to feel more in charge of a lot of my studies. I got to choose my electives and was in control of how I allocated my time outside of school in order to complete homework assignments and extracurricular activities. I notice that even in college, some of my friends lack this executive functioning skill and have a harder time balancing our even busier schedules. One of the best realizations is that The Willows taught me this without me recognizing it. Through practice and consistent growth, I am constantly refining my executive functioning ability in my daily life.

What is your fondest memory of The Willows?

As someone whose love for sports has driven me throughout The Willows, high school and college years, I find it ironic that my fondest memory of The Willows is from Arts Night. I spent my 8th grade year exploring a variety of activities because “why not?”. Dance was a huge part of my Willows experience from 3rd grade on; I was lucky to be part of multiple featured dances throughout. In addition, I had joined the Rock Band elective which sparked an unknown passion of mine. I fondly remember my

final Arts Night and the adrenaline rush of performing – different from any sports games I’d participated in. The excitement of dancing, singing, and playing bass alongside my classmates as we showcased pieces, we spent the whole year perfecting was a rare experience that I treasure. I smile every time I go through my camera roll and see the footage of our last performance!

What was it like attending The Willows?

Attending The Willows was like learning without knowing that I was learning. Each subject was introduced in ways that sparked a passion of mine and made me want to delve further into it. I still remember each Willows unit and its projects which forced me to exercise my creativity and artistic side as well. I didn’t realize how much of the “textbook” material I was able to retain. Some of my favorites were the 5th grade Pilgrim unit where we ultimately created Willowsburg, the Kindergarten Body unit where we created our own vests out of brown bags with body parts connected to it, and the 8th grade passion project where we created a movie about a deep dive topic that we had to present. Each unit incorporated multiple methods of learning – kinesthetic, visual, and auditory – which allowed the material to be absorbed by us students regardless of how we learn best. We were all learning together, in the most fun way possible.

Do you have any advice for Willows alumni or students?

For Willows students, go outside your comfort zone and try new things. I reminisce about the variety of arts like dance, rock band, choir, theater, drawing and painting, and every type of sport like basketball, tennis, football, and volleyball. The Willows offered so many choices across electives, enrichment classes, and Intersession. So many of these activities brought me so much joy and friendships that I otherwise would never have explored. Now that I am a Division 1 college athlete, my time is spent primarily balancing basketball and school. If I hadn’t sampled so many areas, I might never have known that basketball was where I wanted to focus. Try new things while you can, you never know what will stick.

What do you remember of the school’s early days?

At the risk of dating myself, a core memory of mine from the school’s early days are wood chips! The school's playground was a wooden structure surrounded by wood chips on all sides. Yes, the wood chips were meant to act as a cushion for whenever we fell off the monkey bars, but they ended up always giving us cuts. I would come home with wood chips all over myself and inside of my clothes and my mom would have to manually pick each one out. My friends and I always had splinters in our hands that required a teacher’s help to remove. The crazy thing about this was that none of us cared! We were too busy having fun with each other playing “fairies: or “family” out on the playground, that it never mattered.

How did you find joy at The Willows?

The joy I found at Willows stems from the strength of the community. To this day, I view the kids that I grew up with at The Willows as family. We’ve been through so many culminations and phases of our lives together, there is a special bond that forever ties us together. Throughout high school and especially in college, I don’t know the families of my friends as well because we make our own plans and are far more independent. However, Willows friends always turned into Willows family friends which is incredibly special. Another huge part of the community is the faculty. When people ask me who my favorite teacher is, I instantly think of several notable teachers from The Willows. Another special aspect at The Willows is calling our teachers by their first names creating a more comforting environment where my teacher is less of an authoritarian, and more of someone who is helping me learn. The Willows Community School truly elicits joy through its collaborative and nurturing community.

Alumni Spotlight

Taylor Tabb

Taylor Tabb, Class of 2010 who graduated from Windward School and holds an MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, is currently working as a Creative Technologist, Designer, and Integration Engineer in San Francisco.

His portfolio showcases never-before-seen objects and experiences and unique designs such as Taylor Tabb’s Footprints–a pair of trainers that also functions as a hand-held inkjet printer. Prior to establishing Tabb Studio, Taylor worked for Accenture in the Bay Area. He was also a cast member on the Netflix show Baking Impossible Season 1 building robotic cakes.

“I found strength in curiosity! The Willows is an environment where asking questions and exploring new ideas is celebrated rather than discouraged. This nurturing atmosphere, whether in art, science, sports, Latin, or even just during lunch on the yard, gave me the confidence to follow my curiosity and gain strength in my ideas.”

How has The Willows shaped your personal and professional lives?

The Willows was the first place that rewarded my curiosity! I was so used to feeling that asking questions, being a little disruptive, and leading with curiosity was a burden — but The Willows showed me that wasn’t how it had to be. Curiosity was met with opportunities to explore and learn. This mindset has stuck with me and played a significant role in my personal and professional life.

What is your fondest memory of The Willows?

Picking a fondest Willows memory is pretty much impossible, my time at The Willows is full of so many amazing experiences. Lip sync battles, Renaissance Intersession, and Canyon Creek trips were all great; but

what really stands out is the 8th grade river trip. Being on the Colorado River and feeling so lost in nature was spectacular. I got so close to my friends and had so many great moments on that trip. It was the biggest adventure of my life at that point.

Do you have any advice for Willows alumni or students? Does The Willows still have a veggie tray every day? My advice is take advantage of that — there are no free veggies trays when you graduate, and a crunchy piece of jicama between classes is one of life’s great joys! And on a more serious note, The Willows showed me how curiosity can lead to new opportunities and growth, so lean into that and don't be afraid to explore new interests and ideas.

What do you remember of the school’s early days?

Of course, I remember “the French lady,” the mysterious woman who would appear in the multipurpose room to sell pastries at nutrition/recess. What was her name? Where did she come from? Her chocolate pastries were such a hot commodity — if you got one before she sold out, it was your lucky day. The French Lady was my first exposure to the world of baking, which has become increasingly important to me today!

The Willows Class of 2020 College Acceptances

Congratulations to the alumni from the Class of 2020 on their acceptances to the following colleges and universities:

American University

Carleton College

Columbia University

Denison University

Dickinson College

Loyola Marymount University

New York University

North Carolina

Central University

Northeastern University

Northwestern University

Princeton University

Spelman College

Stanford University

Syracuse University

Tulane University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Chicago

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Michigan

University of Oregon

University of Wisconsin

Washington University in St. Louis

Wesleyan University

Yale University

Alumni News

The Strength of Our Program–The Accomplishments of Our Stellar Alums!

NOLAN MARSHALL ’14 is in his second year as a corps member of AmericCorps/Teach for America teaching 4th grade. Simultaneously, he is earning a Master’s in Elementary Education at the Mary Lou Fulton School of Education while teaching at a Phoenix area charter school. He has also been coaching basketball and cross-country track.

NIA MARSHALL ’15 is studying at USC in both Iovine and Young Academy the Thornton School Music. She is planning on a career in the music industry.

JACOB GOODMAN ’11 wrote and directed a play, I’m Happy for You, which premiered at the New York Theatre Festival in October 2023.

QUINCY TICHENOR ’11 is attending Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2020 with a degree in Classics and English and from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2016 with a classic focus. “He graduated from The Willows with a love for learning, especially his Latin classes,” writes Dee Ryan, his mother.

JONAH FEINGOLD ’12 has a band, Angelsaur, with an album titled Children Disguised as Adults. They had the release show for their debut album at El Cid in December 2023. He is focusing on audio engineering, writing, and producing with other arts and producers as well as performing. To hear his band go to https://linktr.ee/angelsaur4ever.

EDEN MARTIN ’23 exhibited a guidebook, Notes from the Camp Bunk, that she published for kids attending sleepaway camp (which she wrote while attending The Willows) at the 2023 American Camp Association Tri-Date Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Many sleepaway camps purchased her book in bulk to send to new campers. She donates a portion of all proceeds to Project Morry (https://projectmorry.org/) to help children experience the magic of camp. Her book is on sale on Amazon and in bookstores including Village Well in Culver City.

Alumni News

FILIZ FISH ’22 is the Founder and Creative Director of the Kalem Project, (https://kalemproject.org/) a nonprofit organization providing refugee youth with a creative writing platform to share their creative writing and voices. Filiz has been volunteering as a tutor and youth ambassador since she was 10 to help settle refugee families in Los Angeles and Istanbul. She returned to The Willows this year to present the work she has been doing the Kalem Project to Willows Middle School students.

JOSEPHINE GLASS '15 is pursuing a music career. View an article for Section 36: https://s36music.blogspot.com/2023/03/ josephine-glass-visits-section-36-music.html or visit her website: https://www.josephineglass.com/gallery

ELIZABETH YALE MARSH ’00, alum and current Willows parent, was nominated for an 84th Annual Peabody Award in the Best Arts and Culture Documentary for Little Richard: I am Everything about the life of rock ‘n roll entertainer Little Richard.

ENGAGEMENTS/MARRIAGES/BIRTHS

Max Olshansky ’07 married Claire

Andrew Goodman ’10 married Courtney Ann

Ethan Weinman ’06 married Leticia Xavier.

Quinn Brodey ’10 is engaged to Charlotte Ward

Jenna Bergman ’13 married Noah Lang

Allison Pearl ’08 married David Reid

Amanda Fleg ’06 recently married

Michael Bernstein '08 married Isabel Lin

Nicole Benun ’10 is engaged

Grace Fetterman ’08 is engaged to Zach Levine

Lily Solomon ’06 is engaged to Benjamin Davis

Alyssa Price ’12 is engaged to Scotty Silver

Evan More ’07 married Elena Brush.

Georgia Funnell, '09 married Nic Port

Sophie Berenson ’08 had a little boy, Miller Moore

Brandon’05 and Lisette Bank welcomed a baby, Margot Lilly Bank

Carson Stern Karlin ’08 and her husband Dr. Justin Karlin welcomed baby Tav Eloise Karlin

Ashlee Cline Ginsburg ’00 had a baby, Harry

Gabby Hackman ’06 had a daughter, Eloise

The Willows Class of 2024 Secondary School

Acceptances

We are proud to share the success of our eighth graders during the secondary school admissions process. Congratulations to the Class of 2024 for their acceptances to the finest, most competitive schools in Los Angeles area and beyond.

The Willows Class of 2024

Archer School for Girls

Brentwood School

Buckley School

Campbell Hall

Crossroads School

Culver City High School

de Toledo high School

Flintridge Preparatory School

Geffen Academy at UCLA

Harvard-Westlake School

Loyola High School

Marlborough School

Marymount High School

Milken Community High School

New Roads School

New West Charter School

Notre Dame High School

Oakwood School

Pacifica Christian High School

Palisades High School

San Diego Jewish Academy

Sequoyah School

Vistamar School

Wildwood School

Windward School

FPO

In the spirit of the willow tree itself, our “great minds” are flexible, resilient, and beautiful at every stage of development.”

from The Willows Philosophy

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.