Viewpoint Magazine Summer 2017 and Annual Report 2016-17 by Viewpoint School

VOLUME 18 / NUMBER 2 / SUMMER 2017

THE

AN N UAL R E PORT ISSUE page 48

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP ON LOCATION. IN THE CLASSROOM.

VIEWPOINT SCHOOL is a welcoming, vibrant, and collaborative community that offers a challenging and enriched college preparatory education in a nurturing environment for students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. The School embraces students and families from diverse cultures of the world and teaches the history and wisdom of these traditions. VIEWPOINT INSPIRES a love of learning and develops those qualities which provide strength and direction for a lifetime. The School promotes among its students respect, integrity, responsibility, and optimism. THE SCHOOL CELEBRATES its love of country by commemorating our nation’s holidays and honoring its finest traditions. Viewpoint affirms in its assemblies and programs the ethical principles inherent in all religions. VIEWPOINT’S STUDENTS learn the importance of service to others and to the greater community with the expectation that this introduction becomes a lifelong commitment. VIEWPOINT RECOGNIZES the uniqueness of each child and is committed to the preservation and development of that individuality.

inside

COME INTO THE CLASSROOM The Conversations Continue

& ME DIA

ANNUAL REPORT FINANCIAL REPORT CELEBRATING OUR DONORS

V IE W P O IN T O N T H E W EB

Cover:

The cast and crew of Boy, I’m Stuffed, a Film IV short ﬁlm about two men stranded on an island inhabited by stuffed animals. – Malibu, February 25, 2017 Opposite page: Class of 2021 signing yearbooks

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inside

VIEWPOINT Editor of the Magazine: Monica Case ’90 Editor of the Annual Report: Candace R. Wallace

SUMMER 2017

Editorial Consultant: Anne Leonetti Data Compilation: Mary Rodriquez Creative Director and Photography: Bill Youngblood Art Direction and Design: Dog Ear Design

CONTRIBUTORS A special thank you to those listed below for contributing articles and photographs, and for assisting in the production of Viewpoint magazine. Jennifer Kirchmann Nick Lawson David Martin Patrick Moyal Jasmine Novick Dan O’Reilly-Rowe Verity Paton Catalina Rivera Charlie Sitzer Patrick Skahan

Nancy Argano-Rush Jennifer Berger Julie Clark Alison Corneau ’97 Rhody Davis Catherine Dunn Anneke Emerson Francisco Espinoza Dana Gonzalez Monica Hoenig Lisa Kessler

6 Dear Viewpoint Families,

Additional Photography: Jennifer Berger, Gregg Kessler, and Verity Paton

“Take a step forward … No, wait!” And with a CRASH, my outstretched hand swatted the large TV screen, shattering my illusion.

Head of School: Mark McKee

On a Calabasas summer day, I took my first trip into a virtual world created by one of our students, and inside the VR (Virtual Reality) goggles I could not see the obstacles in the room in front of me. I was mesmerized, and I could have spent much longer in his combination of art gallery, game arcade, and surrealist fantasy landscape. The student, Weston Bell-Geddes ’18 (profiled on pages 20-21), was leading me, offering yet another example of Viewpoint students as creative leaders.

Director of Strategic Communications: Jill Shaw

Viewpoint is published by the Viewpoint Educational Foundation. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us. Thank you.

When we first started talking about the next chapter of Viewpoint’s future, focusing our strategy on developing students’ leadership, I heard a great deal of enthusiasm – and no small amount of what we call “pushback.” The themes were consistent: what about the introverts? Not all students are natural leaders, some said, while others said that realistically, most would go on to be employees and followers, for a long time in their careers. Some even said that more than leaders, we need followers.

Viewpoint School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, its admission policies, scholarships, and athletic or other School-administered programs. Viewpoint School 23620 Mulholland Highway Calabasas, CA 91302-2060 www.viewpoint.org

20 LOVE OF LEARNING 4 Come Into the Classroom – The Conversations Continue

12 Meet Anneke Emerson – Viewpoint’s New Chief Innovation Officer

ARTS 16 Focus on Film and Media 20 Enter Weston Bell-Geddes’

2017 CASE AWARD

Virtual Reality Viewpoint magazine received the 2017 CASE District VII Gold Award of Excellence from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

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22 Filmmakers Maddie White ’19 and Sophia Stills ’17 24 Viewpoint Traffic School: Acclaimed Sculptor Kiel Johnson Engages Students K-12 to Create a Cardboard Traffic Jam and Stop-Motion Film 26 Viewpoint Students Honored in 2017– Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

37 ATHLETICS 28 Winter 2016-17 and Spring 2017 Highlights

COLLEGE COUNSELING 30 Opportunities Abound for the Class of 2017

32 Beyond Viewpoint

CELEBRATE! 34 Class of 2017 Graduates 33 Eighth Grade Commencement DIRECTION FOR A LIFETIME 40 Class of 1997 Reunites for

their 20th Reunion 42 Congratulations to the Class of 2013

Listening to these voices led us to focus on “creative leadership” as a concept that applies to all students. Viewpoint students are already leaders in many ways, and we aspire for them to go on to live inspired lives of influence and impact, through their education, character, and personal excellence. But as any playground observer can tell you, not all students are “natural” leaders. Leadership takes many forms: not all leaders “lead from the front,” with loud voices and big personalities. My favorite definition of leadership is “servant leadership,” as the very purpose of the leader is to serve the people and mission. Simon Sinek reminds us in a popular TED Talk, in the Marines and elsewhere, the best leaders eat last. At Viewpoint, these are the leaders we want to develop, who bring people together in their families, communities, and work teams, in private and public life. So “leadership” requires a modifier: but why “creative”? Our focus on “creative leadership” goes far beyond the art classroom to remind us of what it means to create. The practice of leadership is a creative act – leaders build teams, inspire confidence, unleash power and potential in others. Creative leadership is a renewable energy source: in an effective team, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

“Creative Leadership” gets at a truth: our new world needs leaders with particular people skills in addition to their content knowledge in their field. A July 31 Deloitte study offered another reminder of the essential “Future of Work”: changes in technology and big shifts in employer-employee relationships require that leaders have “essentially human” skills that are creative and empathetic. Leaders motivate workers to collaborate and “go beyond their comfort zone." As you see in these pages, Viewpoint teachers inspire students to such experiences every day, and such experiences are the future of schooling. A Google images search on “leadership” reflects a decidedly old view: in dozens of images, we find mostly men – white guys in business suits – clearly not today’s demographic reality or need. “Creative leadership” challenges and expands our field of view, going beyond the natural extrovert to encompass all our students, their voices, dreams, and technical and human skills. This issue doubles as our Annual Report to Donors, and my profound thanks to our community comes with this reflection: charitable giving is creative leadership. Your voluntary donations of time and treasure, selfless acts of providing for others, are the actions of the generous and caring leader. And your giving makes possible what wasn’t there before, from a Robotics Lab to a teacher’s learning experience. This is creative leadership. And this magazine embodies creative leadership as well, as I congratulate the Viewpoint magazine team for achieving the goal of a CASE Gold Award for excellence given in our industry. As we focus on creative leadership, we will be trusting and following students’ and teachers’ voices, inspired by their collective energy, vision, and innovation. Thank you for supporting our work. Yours in creativity and shared vision,

Mark J. McKee Head of School

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learning LOVE OF

“My safe space is where I’m comfortable – with friends I’ve known for a long time or with someone I trust because I feel like I can open up to them.”

engagement / reflection / iteration

COME INTO

THE

Amir Baylock ’23

FOSTERING DIVERSITY &

CLASSROOM

INCLUSIVITY

T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N S CONTINUE The spring 2017 issue of Viewpoint magazine invited readers to “Come into the Classroom” to hear directly from the teachers on the topics of Student-Centered Learning, Inclusivity and Diversity, and Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). These conversations were instructive and illuminating.

Maleia Alejandre ’18

n May 31, eight Middle and Upper School students gathered in Middle School teacher Nick Lawson’s classroom to discuss diversity, inclusivity, and what makes for a “safe space.” Pablo Macias ’18 led the conversation with some prepared questions.

PABLO: What do the terms “inclusivity” and “diversity” mean to you?

In this issue, we thought it would be interesting to hear directly from the students on those same topics. We gathered four groups of students from different divisions and asked them to discuss each particular topic and how it related to them. Not surprisingly, they had a great deal to say when it came to approaches to learning, how to make Viewpoint a more inclusive environment, and the importance for girls to encourage one another in STEM fields. The conversations were both lively and insightful. Due to space constraints, the following pages are excerpts of those conversations.

MALEIA ALEJANDRE ’18: I think diversity is such a hard term to define

because there are so many different things when it comes to diversity. It’s not just race or religion, but it’s also about socio-economic class, and how you identify your sexual orientation. I think diversity is such a broad topic and such a broad term. SONALI ANAND ’18: For me, inclusivity and diversity kind of go hand in

hand in a way that it makes a person feel safe and at home and that they’re not being threatened, or that there’s isn’t any harm that will be done to them. PABLO: As Middle Schoolers, what do diversity and inclusivity

mean to you? AMIR BAYLOCK ’23: Diversity is different people. They can be black, white, Indian, Persian, they can be anything. And then inclusivity is having all of those different people to be treated the same way, in the same group. They’re all included.

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Karlee White ’23

PABLO: When we talk about diversity and inclusivity, a lot

of times you hear the term “safe space.” What do you think of when you hear that? Do you think Viewpoint, as a school, is a safe space? MALEIA: “Safe space” means that you feel welcome and no one’s going to judge you on how you look or how you are as a person. My safe space is in a class called Human Development: Skills, which is a prerequisite to Introduction to Counseling and Peer Mentoring. It’s kind of everyone’s safe place, because it’s a small group of kids and we are all so close, and we know if someone says something no one will be judged. DONOVAN ROBERTS ’18: My safe space is where I’m comfortable – with

friends I’ve known for a long time or with someone I trust because I feel like I can open up to them. But also there are times when I’m with the teacher and we’re just talking and I feel comfortable with them because I can say anything to them, and they will understand. PABLO: For me, my safe space is definitely my friends. There are some

things that you want to leave between you and your close friends – but only to a certain extent. Sometimes I think it’s good to talk about your problems in a larger group, even if it’s not comfortable. For example, we learned about micro-aggressions in a special assembly, and people got to talk about things they heard that might have seemed hurtful and no one else even knew that they were being hurtful.

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people when they’re wrong. As you get older, you’ll likely be hearing more stereotypes about your race or about what you believe in. I feel like it’s up to the students to address certain things rather than the teachers. SONALI: I agree with Donovan in that the students have more power

than the teachers do to enforce diversity and encourage mixing between people and stop stereotypes. PABLO: Does anybody else have anything to add? NATASHA TANDON ’23: I also think it would be interesting to do what

we’re doing here today. Combine both Upper School and Middle School together and have these conversations. Because it’s interesting hearing your perspective compared to ours. And I think that’s really beneficial. SONALI: On Diversity Day, we did a spectrum exercise that we did

at SDLC. We did this with a number of topics, but for example, we had everyone stand in a line randomly, and then said, “If you are pro-life stand on this side, pro-choice stand on the other, but remember since it’s a spectrum, you can stand anywhere on the spectrum.” Once everyone was in position, we asked them to explain their opinions. We also said, “You are not allowed to argue, simply share.” Because at the end of the day, we are all living in the same world, we’re all going through our own challenges, and we shouldn’t judge others’ opinions when we don’t know their whole story. I love this exercise, because it showed that there’s not just a right and left, we’re not just black and white; we’re a bunch of different colors. ■

CLASS MEETINGS

SECOND GRADERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS

asmine Novick’s Second Grade students start each day in a circle for their daily Class Meetings. On May 31, she asked a few of her students to come back to the circle, and using cards with prepared questions, the students talked about their class meetings – an integral part of the Responsive Classroom, a system used in the Primary and Lower Schools that fosters community and puts education in the students’ hands. The morning meetings are just one way in which students become better known to one another, which is essential for creating an inclusive environment where diversity can be understood and celebrated. JASMINE NOVICK: What do you learn about your

classmates in our morning meetings? I’m going to go ﬁrst. So, in morning meetings I learn more about them. I learn about their backgrounds, and how they’re feeling. How about you, Ashley? ASHLEY CHESED: In morning meetings, I learn my classmates’

personalities. I learn what they do and what they say, what their religions are and what their cultures are. I learn what they like and what they dislike. HAILEY KRAMER: For me, what it really means is to understand

someone else. EMERSON MARSH: I think I learn about what they like to do.

So if I like what Anderson likes, maybe we could be good friends. MIKAH WOLFSON: Can morning meetings help you work out problems in the classroom or on the playground? Anderson Han '27 and Charlotte Young ’27

TAJ MAHESWARAN ’20: I think Viewpoint’s a pretty safe space. There’s a

lot of understanding and open-minded people who are in charge, and also open-minded people that are around you, like your peers and your friends. I also think that thoughts you express in a safe space, when addressed with a bigger audience, can create conversations about inclusivity. PABLO: What difference do you think you could make at

Viewpoint in inclusivity or in diversity? MALEIA: I am the co-president of the Multiracial/Multicultural Club. In

our generation there’s a much bigger population of multiracial people, but we’re still kind of in the mindset of seeing every person for just one thing. Like for me, I’m mixed, and growing up everyone has only seen me as Mexican. I just want to open people’s views to see, “No, I’m not just Mexican. I’m also Asian. I’m this and this and that.” SONALI: Donovan and I went to Student Diversity Leadership Conference

(SDLC) this year in Atlanta. Pablo, you went last year, right? PABLO: I did. SONALI: It was one the most amazing experiences of my life. For two

days we were surrounded by people who were as engaged in diversity and inclusivity as we are. And for me, that felt like a safe space. We all were there to explore the meaning of diversity and what inclusivity meant to us as young adults heading off to college soon. To bring some of that feeling to Viewpoint, we had Diversity Leadership

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EMERSON: I think yes, because, let’s say someone was being

mean to you on the playground, then we have a morning meeting and we talk about it, and then that person would hear that someone was being mean to you, and they might recognize who it was, so they would stop doing it.

Day in the Upper School, which was so cool. There were 37 workshops, and I did one about censorship, but the whole point of that day was to expose the Upper School to different kinds of diversity. Some people were skeptical about the value of this, but at the end, they came up to me and said, “I’m sorry. This was really beneficial.” I think if we continue doing things like that, that would make Viewpoint . . . I love Viewpoint, but it would make Viewpoint even more of a safe space for me.

JASMINE: So if one day something kind of bad

happened, then we talked about in circle, the next day you think it might be a different experience when you try that same thing again?

PABLO: So, do you think about diversity in anything that you do

in Middle School? Does that come up for you?

EMERSON: Yes.

KARLEE WHITE ’23: Well, yeah . . . Because Amir, Osirus Nalls ’23, and I

SCARLETTE NEWSOM: Do you think it’s okay to have different opinions from your friends. Why?

went to a meeting for black kids in Middle and Upper Schools.

CHARLOTTE YOUNG: Yes, I think it’s okay to have a different

PABLO: Did you enjoy the meeting? Did you enjoy having that

opinion from your friends, because if we all thought the same thing that wouldn’t be great. Thinking different things makes the world exciting, and if we all thought the same thing about it, it would be very boring.

interaction with the high schoolers? KARLEE: Yeah, it was cool because they understood what you were going through. They’d bring up a topic and you would know what they’re talking about. It’s not like they’re talking about something you’ve never heard of. You’ve been through it.

HAILEY: Yeah, I’m going along with Charlotte. Just imagine a

world that everyone looked the same, everyone thought the same thing. I don’t know, if everyone liked the same color, everyone liked the same food. That’s so boring.

PABLO: Is there anything else that the School can do help with

inclusivity and diversity?

EMERSON: Because if everyone did have the same opinion, then

DONOVAN: There’s only a certain amount that teachers can do. I feel

like it’s more of a thing that students can do. Like what we’re doing right now, talking about inclusivity and maybe not being afraid to address

a lot of things wouldn’t be invented. If everyone only liked green, then there would be no such thing as blue really or any other color. Top: Pablo Macias ’18, Maleia Alejandre ’18, Sonali Anand ’18 Bottom: Scarlette Newsom ’27 S U M M E R

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the evidence, the argumentative analysis, the questioning, the devil’s advocate is somewhere in there, those are all the building blocks that make a discussion, but you want it to be natural, it shouldn’t be a formulated discussion or test. ALEX: I think besides just the conversation, the

“What I appreciate about this way is not only are you allowed to have your own opinion and defend it, you hear everyone else’s opinion, not just the teacher’s.”

STUDENT-CENTERED

LEARNING O

n January 17, Middle School social studies teacher Julie Clark and Upper School English teacher Catalina Rivera met to discuss their approaches to teaching through student-centered learning. On May 24, some of the students in Julie’s Eighth Grade American History class joined students from Catalina’s Eleventh Grade AP English Language class to discuss their experiences with student-centered learning. For some, the term was entirely new, but all of them felt strongly that the approach brought greater meaning and understanding to both the material and to their learning overall. What does the term “student-centered learning” mean to you?

JANSEN BAIER ’18: When we started the class, Ms. Rivera never used the

term student-centered learning. Instead, she talked about how our class would be a discussion, and how through discussing and figuring it out on our own, we were going to learn to interpret books and not only learn how to interpret, but we were going to have a deeper understanding of the books. HANNAH ROSENBERG ’18: We learned to have a discussion and

formulate our own thoughts. I talk a lot, but I had to learn during discussion not to talk and to hear everyone else’s opinion, so I could formulate what I wanted to say and make it more defined and focus exactly on the prompt. DAVID MIRON ’18: I remember Ms. Rivera describing it kind of like getting onto a freeway on-ramp. Some people need to speed up to get on and others need to slow down and let other people get on. So, as you were saying, learning to hold back or go forward more.

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KAYLA ROSENBERG ’21: And learning from your peers, rather than from the teacher. You listen and you develop your thoughts based off of everybody else’s.

thing for me that was the most transformative in terms of how I engage in English class was the way that we were told to read a book. We read The Sound and the Fury this year, which is a really difficult book. So the first thing that Ms. Rivera said to us was read and be immersed in it, and just pick up what’s going on, as you would like. She used the analogy of a detective looking for clues and I like to feel I’m making sense of everything as I read, so I went in to the first reading assignment trying to find meaning in everything. I was thinking, “I need to figure out exactly what’s happening, and I need to come to class with a brilliant interpretation of all this.” And I wanted to have exactly what I was going to say. And I wasn’t able to do that. I missed stuff, I failed. But I think the thing that I learned and that was helpful, was that once I put that aside I was able to just read it, and enjoy it, and just be introduced to everything when I wasn’t forcing it, and I got a much more meaningful read out of it by approaching it in my own way. Do you think you could all say that learning in this style created a deeper sense of understanding? KAYLA: I do. Just today, we had a simulation

about a Japanese-American trial that involved a fact-finding mission on the Japanese internment camps. There was a judge and the jury, it was like the whole courtroom. And we had to debate. We were put on the stand and asked questions

about our positions and there were all different points of view. Some had really strong nativist opinions, or you got somebody who was in the internment camp, or you got somebody who was observing at the camp, or a neighbor of the member who was sent to a camp. We got to hear the opinions and develop our own opinion. It was a really interesting simulation because you don’t necessarily talk about this topic in the textbook as much as you would talk about a broader subject, and in a simulation you just go into more detail and define what you’re talking about and you get a better chance to understand, to go further. JANSEN: For me, another huge aspect of

student-centered learning is not only developing our own ideas, but we have also developed a skill of how to learn on our own, interpret a text on our own, figure out what something means to us. It could be wrong, but I really enjoy this idea of seeing something, figuring out what it meant to you, and then bringing it to a broader audience. HANNAH: It’s true. Jansen and I were talking a

few days ago about the concept of learning to question and that’s what the class is designed to do. It teaches you, “You have an opinion, and I have an opinion,” but if they’re both different, if we can find evidence in the book that supports both of our opinions, we can both be right. Then there can be someone else who disproves both of our opinions by using similar or even different quotes in the book. So, being able to have your own opinion or look for the evidence that could disprove your own opinion, gives you a better understanding. It brings the information, the reading more to life, and it makes it more related to you. It makes it more fun. ■

What do you think is the best way to learn? You’ve experienced both a typical classroom setting, where the teacher is in the front, lectures, you take notes, and acquire knowledge that way, versus student-based learning, where it’s more about discussing with your peers and playing a more active role in the process. What seems to you to be more effective? ALEX GRANAROLI ’18: What I appreciate about this way is not only are you

allowed to have your own opinion and defend it, you hear everyone else’s opinion, not just the teacher’s. It also gives you the opportunity to change your opinion or to develop your own voice in a class with other people. MAYA FARDAD-FINN ’21: I like how we’re able to be active in the historic simulations we do in Mrs. Clark’s class and we’re put in the historic person’s situation, especially, because we get to learn what they were doing and feeling, rather than just the facts.

What would you describe as a good discussion or a discussion that was successful? HANNAH: I guess one where everyone gets to speak. You don’t talk

over each other, and you use evidence or you have a facilitator, like this conversation. You just hail the bullet points. You’ve gotten the analysis,

From Top Down, Left Side : Nick Poveda ’18, Elias Jarjour ’18, David Miron ’18, Hannah Rosenberg ’18, Valen Dunn ’21 Right Side : William Parker ’21, Maya Fardad-Finn ’21, Kayla Rosenberg ’21, Jansen Baier ’18, Alex Granaroli ’18

Top: Kayla Rosenberg ’21, Middle: Elias Jarjour ’18, Nick Poveda ’18, Bottom: Alex Granaroli ’18

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“Well, I loved STEM and I wanted to build a community at Viewpoint for girls who have the same interests as I do.”

C O N V E R S AT I O N S O N

GIRLS IN

STEM O

n May 23, Zoe Beckman ’17, Caroline Kester ’17, Abby Kolbrenner ’19, and Chloe Kuelbs ’18 gathered in physics teacher Nancy Argano-Rush’s classroom to talk about their passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects and the importance of the Girls in STEM Club as a place to share that interest with other girls like them. This fall, Zoe begins studying Neuroscience at Brown University, and Caroline will embark upon the interdisciplinary major of Rollercoaster Engineering at Purdue University. Chloe loves the creative aspects of STEM and is particularly interested in medicine or engineering, while Abby is curious about all different aspects of science, especially chemistry and computer science. So, did you love science from the beginning?

CHLOE KUELBS: Yeah, I think I did. Viewpoint does a really good job early on of showing kids the exciting, creative, discovery aspect of STEM. I remember in Kindergarten I would be in Mrs. Kessler’s class digging through some “dinosaur poop” brownies to find “fossils” and other things and creating... We made recycled paper once. There’s a lot of tangible experiences that we did, where the kids actually got to create things and experiment with real things. ABBY KOLBRENNER: I wasn’t really into science until about Seventh Grade when we did a whole mix of sciences. But I do remember in Fourth Grade, we had a computer class and we had an intro to coding with a little turtle. I loved that. ZOE BECKMAN: I’ve always loved science. Math came pretty easily to me,

and then science went along with it. In Fourth or Fifth Grade, we had this one experiment where I put a banana in yeast and then it made a balloon blow up, and I remember having so much fun with that.

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CAROLINE KESTER: When I was younger, I always built stuff. I had a set of wooden blocks, and I would arrange them by size and shape and line them up by color. When I got older I started using those blocks to build everything. So I always knew I wanted to build things. And this fall I am going to start to learn to build rollercoasters.

So what about Girls in STEM? What was the motivation to establish this club at Viewpoint? CAROLINE: Abby had the original idea, and she talked with one of the

college counselors, Mr. Murray, who really liked the idea. He sent a group of us emails saying, “Hey, Abby wants to create a Girls in STEM Club.” I responded immediately. I thought, “That sounds awesome, I want in.” I thought it was a senior named Abby, and it turned out to be this freshman who I’d never met before. A brilliant, brilliant girl. We started with about six girls, and now we have about 30 members. ABBY: Well, I loved STEM and I wanted to build a community at Viewpoint

for girls who have the same interests as I do. So, basically we just try to make STEM engaging for girls and we try to reach out to the girls in Lower and Middle School. We did an activity where we built robots together. We also bring in guest speakers and motivate girls to come and to not be scared of STEM fields. CHLOE: I definitely feel like the club is a safe place for girls to get together

and not feel pressured to be the best at STEM, and just enjoy the coolness of it. But it’s also a really opportune environment for exploring things in STEM. We want to go in a more hands-on direction next year. This past year we did a lot of presenting to our club members about discoveries in STEM that were interesting, but we didn’t do too many actual experiments. So I think we want to do more where they can actually start getting involved, too, with their hands.

Above: Abby Kolbrenner ’19, Chloe Kuelbs ’18 Right Top to Bottom : Caroline Kester ’17, Chloe Kuelbs ’18, Caroline Kester ’17, Zoe Beckman ’17

ABBY: Also, I feel like since it is a STEM club

be into robotics and then I tried it in senior year we haven’t really done a lot with technology. and I thought, “Why haven’t I been doing this for So we’re going to try to do more teaching them four years?” And so get yourself out there and different basics of code to get them interested get more experiences. in that too. ZOE: That could be our slogan, “Just try STEM.” Do you have any larger goals for CAROLINE: Just try things. And don’t give up Girls in STEM or words of wisdom on yourself, even if you do stumble, because I for girls thinking about getting more stumbled a lot of times, and here I am. I’m doing involved in STEM subjects? what I love to do, I’m going to a great college that CHLOE: In the fall of my sophomore year, I I’m really proud of, and yeah, just keep going. went to a pre-collegiate science conference at Stanford. A lot of kids were giving presentations ZOE: Oh, one of the great things about STEM of their projects that they had been working on is that when you think of people in it, you might for a year or two in high school. I was listening think of Einstein doing great equations, and to one girl talk about a prosthetic arm that she the image that everyone has is very lofty and made for her dad who had lost his arm from a sometimes when you’re doing it as a teenager, disease. I was so amazed that someone so young you think, “Oh, I’m not that impressive.” But you could make something that could help someone don’t realize that you’re working towards that, or close to them so directly. I think that type of you don’t have to be a genius to actually have an connection between humans and science is impact in a STEM field. what inspires me and drives me to learn and be able to apply things. So I want us to go in the CAROLINE: We’re not geniuses, and we can teaching direction next year with the club so that see from this club that we have made an impact we can try to teach the younger girls things that on younger students, which is really an amazing they can apply to science and learn about how thing, and something that I’m really grateful for. powerful it can be. ABBY: I just find science really exciting and so CAROLINE: As for advice, I would say get more broad. And it really excites me and it makes me experience, because oftentimes when you are want to keep learning more. I feel like science dissuaded from something it’s because you don’t can do so much and I really want to be a part have enough experience with it. I didn’t think I’d of that and encourage other girls to try it too. ■ S U M M E R

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learning LOVE OF

A Conversation with Anneke Emerson MARK MCKEE: Welcome to Calabasas.

school. We wanted to find a leader to help us think broadly about innovation, including technology, and yet beyond technology.

ANNEKE EMERSON: Thank you. It is wonderful to be here. MARK: You’re in your first week as Chief Innovation Officer at Viewpoint School, so let’s start with: What is your working definition of innovation? ANNEKE I think of innovation as a mindset. In an educational setting, that means examining what you may have done in the past and thinking about how you might do it differently in the future. Innovation is being open to growth and change in the service of the student experience. Innovation means change, but doesn’t mean change for the sake of change. It is change that adds value. It is a mindset that embraces questioning and learning. MARK: Help me understand, because when parents think about innovation, we might think about computers. Technology is where the mind goes. But I have a sense that what you’re talking about is bigger than that.

Meet Anneke OUR NEW CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER

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On July 12, Head of School Mark McKee sat down in the Fletcher Family Library with Viewpoint’s new Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), Anneke Emerson, to talk about her role at the School and what it means to be innovative. Anneke joins Viewpoint from Chandler School in Pasadena, where she served as Assistant Head of School. While at Chandler, she led the design and implementation of several of the school’s signature programs, including service learning initiatives, a project-based STEAM curriculum and a 1:1 laptop program. She is most proud of the innovative professional development models that she has helped champion. She believes that facilitating a culture of continual professional learning is the best way to ensure the curriculum and methods schools use continue to best serve children.

ANNEKE: Yes, I think a lot of people do hear innovation and think about tools and devices like laptops, iPads, and 3D printers. But I was drawn to this school because of Viewpoint’s mission, and that it is much greater than technology. Viewpoint wants to consider the entire student experience and build a culture of innovative teaching and learning that best serves all students. This idea of innovation is rooted in an aspirational strategic plan and the School’s core values. The opportunity to serve as CIO and help to design and support that vision is thrilling. And at the end of the day, that vision is not about hardware, it’s about evolving teaching practice. What was the thinking process led to the creation of the position? MARK: We have an opportunity, as we think about students and what they need for the future, to think broadly about the skills that students will need to be successful in a time of rapid change. When all the world’s knowledge is at your fingertips in a smartphone, learning has to look different. It’s no longer about, “How many facts can I master and carry around in my head?” but, “What do you do with them?” We know that. We also know that so many of today’s professions didn’t exist 10 years ago. And we’re educating students across 13 years. Our current Kindergarteners will graduate in 2030. What they’re going to need is going to look different from what they’ve needed in the past. While we perceived a need for leadership in our school in educational technology, it seemed to limit our vision to confine the scope of this position to technology. So much of what excites me in education today is about the how and the why, not the what. Which is why we looked for a Chief Innovation Officer, a position that itself embodies innovation in how we are thinking about

What do you see yourself doing here at Viewpoint? How do you imagine you’ll spend your days? ANNEKE: I’m so excited about the opportunity to build the position. I want to keep my eye on the big picture. I hope to leverage my personal learning communities and attend conferences and visit schools to learn and think about new possibilities. “What’s out there? What could we try? What might things look like 10, 15 years from now?” That is something you just don’t have the time to do in a school if you don’t have a position dedicated to that type of thinking. I envision much of the rest of my time will be spent with teachers, division heads, and administrators, helping to move this work forward in real time. Because as much as you need someone with the 10,000 foot view, you need someone to help make things happen – around the School, in the classroom, and with students and teachers. So I see myself balancing those two threads – serving as a “boots on the ground” person, helping to facilitate things, while also making time to keep big picture ideas flowing to inspire the work done at the School. I also hope to support professional development across the School and to have the opportunity to meet with parents in the community to talk more about Viewpoint’s innovative initiatives and how they serve students. MARK: Underlying all of this is a continuing focus on some of the core values of the School, and the most essential one to me is love of learning. That love of learning is the spark of intellectual curiosity that leads to innovation. Another core value of the School is a focus on the individual and developing the individual’s excellence. This also leads us to innovation, to specific innovations in education today that lead to personalized learning. As we look at where education is going generally, and where Viewpoint is going specifically, we have a program which already has many fine examples of innovative learning and teaching across our campus from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. And we have the opportunity to knit them together and then to deliver on that promise for every single student. Many of the ways in which we’re excellent right now are things that only some individuals do. Some individuals do a Viewpoint Scholar’s Project. Some individuals get to star in a play. Some individuals are in the Robotics program. But some of the most exciting innovations will be things that everybody gets to do, the promise we make for all students. Every student in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade is an innovator and an inventor in our Innovation Space. As we’re building towards a vision where with personalized learning, we can deliver those inspiring experiences to every single student, at scale, in a school of our size and importance. The great thing about Viewpoint S U M M E R

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is that we can offer a broad program and we can serve students with many diverse interests. A challenge with the size that we are is delivering that intimate connection, that experience of a closely connected classroom. So for us to do that at scale is a true innovation in education. We need to continue to leverage the strength of our connected community, so that students feel safe to take risks to be the innovators for the future. ANNEKE: Yes, in my short time here I can already feel a schoolwide questioning of traditional, lecture-based instruction, a model that delivers content to a group of students en masse, the way that parents might remember from their own classroom experiences. I sense the passion for student-centered learning and the move toward differentiated instruction, blended learning and personalized, passion-driven projects within classrooms. Where would you characterize the School’s path on that trajectory? MARK: Our Associate Head, Bob Bryan, has really led an emphasis on professional growth and development for our faculty that the faculty has embraced. We have many leaders across the faculty from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade who are challenging themselves to develop their teaching practice and to focus on inspiration, from some of our most experienced and seasoned teachers to the exciting new teachers we get to bring into the fold every single year. ANNEKE: That’s one of the things that struck me when I first began the interview process here. Every staff member, teacher or administrator I met with had a growth mindset. There was an openness to examining and thinking about how Viewpoint might do things differently, all in the service of student learning. It was exciting to come into an environment where innovation felt like a cultural norm. The spirit of learning and growth is palpable and I am excited to be a part of it. This is a special school, I can already sense how much everyone pulls together for the sake of what’s most important, which is the student experience and student learning. MARK: I agree. We’re blessed by a tremendously talented faculty who are very dedicated, and then by students who are so generous in their curiosity and their appreciation for one another and for their teachers. As you’ve gotten to know the School through this onboarding process, I wonder what stands out to you as examples of the sorts of innovation that you appreciate. ANNEKE: There are so many to name already. The Primary and Lower School’s embrace of maker curriculum, educational technology, and student-centered learning is inspiring. I’ve walked in and seen Kindergarteners with drills and hammers. These students are empowered to create and make and do, not just copy and listen and conform. I’ve spoken with administrators and faculty who describe the use of station rotations and online, adaptive technologies to personalize reading and math instruction for

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students. And the resources in each classroom to deliver this type of differentiated, small group instruction are top notch. In the Middle School, I am excited to be here for the laptop program that begins this fall. I had the opportunity to see some of the careful thinking, planning, and organization that went into this initiative and it has been really impressive. Faculty and administrators are focused on enhancing each student’s learning experience and they know all about the training and tools necessary to realize that vision. In the Upper School, I had the opportunity to watch a rising junior, Weston Bell-Geddes (highlighted on pages 20-21) demonstrate his digital design and programming prowess in a virtual reality platform. I entered his 3D design space and was able to walk around and see art by Magritte and Mondrian on the wall. I could literally step into the paintings and see Weston’s personal interpretation of the pieces. And then I could physically interact with parts of the artwork that he had been reimagined as interactive games. Weston had designed this incredibly immersive experience in just a two month course that he had done within the Upper School. Most importantly, he had made it his own. His pride and excitement about what he’d been able to create with the guidance of an expert teacher was breathtaking. Viewpoint is a school that is doing amazing things with students and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it. MARK: When we asked Weston how long he’d been coding, I think he said he’d been writing computer code for three or four years. Can you imagine when we have students, as we will, who have done their first coding in Kindergarten or First Grade? When they are juniors in high school, think what they’ll be able to create. ANNEKE: Yes, when you think about designing deep learning opportunities for students, leveraging their strengths and passions in the service of learning goals, the opportunities are endless. When you provide students with skill-building opportunities and meaty, open ended questions you provide authentic and meaningful learning opportunities that are irresistible. The capability of students is often greater than we realize and sometimes educators simply need to unleash that potential and provide guidance. My jaw was on the floor when I saw what Weston did with virtual reality. I imagine how empowering it would be for every 16 year old to be able to show the world what their “jaw dropping” project or skill or interest is. It might not be programming, but it might be a device they designed, or a problem they helped solve. It might be a blog or a novel they wrote, or a video or piece of music they produced. Often that type of inspired learning happens in spite of school, but that is changing. It is an exciting time to be in education. There are so many new opportunities to design authentic learning experiences that provide space for students to develop skills and strengths that they can apply right now. That type of learning is self-sustaining and produces creative and confident leaders who can adapt to a dynamic and constantly changing world. ■ S U M M E R

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film / camera / set / location / action

WHETHER RACING THROUGH THE GRASSY HILLS OF MALIBU TO CAPTURE THE FOOTAGE needed for their short film, Boy, I’m Stuffed (see cover), or squeezing into the guest bedroom of a borrowed house to get a tight interior shot for Not as I Do, the students were excited to be shooting on location and were very focused on the specific tasks at hand. For these students, their Film IV productions were the culmination of years of film courses and hundreds of hours practicing the skills necessary to fulfill each of their particular roles on their respective shoots. Viewpoint is one of the few schools in the nation with a fiveyear film program, which begins with an Introduction to Filmmaking and Movie Adaptations in Eighth Grade and concludes with the production of a festival-worthy film in Film IV in Twelfth Grade. For those students who commit to spending five years studying film theory and production, they emerge as accomplished filmmakers, often with a clear idea of the aspect of production that they hope to pursue in film school and beyond. From this particular year of Film IV, students are attending USC, NYU, and Emerson for directing, Tulane for cinematography, and Chapman to study color. Others will minor or double major in Film. And for those students who have decided to study something else, they will take away the skills, life lessons, and friendships that come from working intensively and creatively on projects with a group of peers over a long a period of time. Filmmaking at Viewpoint is extremely popular. In 2016-17, 185 Middle and Upper School students were enrolled in one of the film courses offered by Film Department Chair Catherine Dunn, and teachers Monica Hoenig and Dan O’Reilly Rowe, all of whom bring rich production and classroom experience to every level of instruction. Each year, graduates of the Film Program, which started in 1992, head off to film school, and Viewpoint is the only school in the U.S. to have a student enroll in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts every year since 2010. Anath Baiju ’17, Director Deeksha Marla ’17, Tyler Frost ’17, and

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Charlie Thomas ’18 working with the actors on Film IV production, Not As I Do.

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As an inherently iterative process, constant assessment and adjustment is critical, and prepares the students for the ﬁlmmaking profession.

Inspired Professionalism By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications

“The success of the ﬁlm program relies upon the students’ ability to collaborate, learn independently, mentor others, and to offer constructive criticism to their peers,” explained Dan O’Reilly Rowe. “Filmmaking is the marriage of technical, creative, and people skills. It relies heavily on computers and the students learning challenging subjects like optics and physics. However, it is also artistic. But ultimately, it is really about working with other people, because everything in film is collaborative. The students might individually learn certain things, but they cannot do the work of film production alone. So beyond whatever filmmaking skills they get, it’s about learning how to collaborate.”

Dan also explained that often the teachers and the students are learning together and teaching one another. “The reality is that Monica, Catherine, and I cannot be experts in all aspects of filmmaking, when it’s changing constantly. There is no way to know everything about all post-production software or latest camera equipment. Often we take the approach that we – both students and teachers – all want to improve our ability in animation, or to get better at scriptwriting, or whatever it is. And that improvement happens by teachers providing structure and resources, but everybody is learning together. So there are students that know a lot more than I do about many aspects of filmmaking, particularly specific technical skills. Ethan Ganouna ’17 knows a lot more about color correction. Jansen Baier ’18 knows a lot more than I do about scoring, but it is empowering for them to feel like they’re gaining mastery over their little piece of this vast industry, and they can share that knowledge with us.”

Mentoring younger students is also a key part of the Film Program. According to Catherine Dunn, there is an informal understanding that older students will mentor younger ones. She said, “From Film I and especially II-IV, we strongly encourage our students to work across grade levels. They collaborate on films made in other classes, especially with the Film IV shoots. There are a number of Film II and III people who take on roles on those senior shoots, and their help is invaluable to the productions.” As the ﬁlms progress, it is important for the students to get feedback from their peers. As an inherently iterative process, constant assessment and adjustment is critical, and prepares the students for the professional world. This spring, in order to give them more real-life professional experience, teacher Monica Hoenig, who is also a filmmaker, offered her students the chance to participate in the development of her film. Much like an in-house internship, the students were asked for their input on her professional project.

Monica explained that when it came time for some constructive criticism, she was excited to engage her students in the process. “We had a table read of my script and I looked at them as if they were filmmakers with whom I’m going to work in the future, so I asked for their creative and artistic opinion, and they gave it to me. And when they gave me their critique, it was very professional, thoughtful, and constructive. And I know that they learned how to do that in the last four years just by simply doing it over and over and over again for each other. They have become very insightful filmmakers who can give notes, who can work with you, and who can collaborate with you. I trusted them; I said, ‘Okay, give me what you have.’ And they hit the nail right on the head, they got exactly what was good, what was bad, what was not working. I know I’m going to work with them in the future, and they’re going work with each other in the future. Already some of my past students who have graduated, have contacted some of my present students to work on their projects. They look to one another as colleagues they can trust.” ■

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Top Left: Cast and Crew of Not As I Do with film teacher Monica Hoenig Below Left: On location in Malibu filming Boy, I’m Stuffed Right: Ben Cantle ’17

Left: Ty Frost ’17, Deeksha Marla, Ananth Baiju ’17 Right: Filming on location for Boy, I’m Stuffed S U M M E R

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arts Enter Weston Bell-Geddes’ Virtual Reality By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications

“WANDER

into your favorite piece of art. Enter the artist’s mind. Or change their mind. And modify the painting. Hike around in a VR world of brush strokes and unseen light, mixed with Mondrian’s cubes of color and Magritte’s apple-tinged surrealism. Have a cup of coffee with the Nighthawks. Or tell time with softly melting clocks. Become an artist yourself by smashing the idealist images and do what every artist does — reinvent the painting to reﬂect yourself.” — Weston Bell-Geddes, the explanatory text for Artiﬁce at viveport.com

PUT ON THE VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) HEADSET, grab the motion controllers, and enter the playful and exciting interactive gallery space of Weston Bell-Geddes ’19. Starting with paintings by two of his favorite modern masters, Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) and René Magritte (1898-1967), Weston created several games that invite the user to interact with works of art in a physical way. These games include playing golf with Magritte’s green apples, “Golf de Pomme,” and moving Mondrian’s blocks of color to create a new work of art, “Make Your Own Mondrian.” Games based upon Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” and Jackson Pollack’s drip painting are currently in development.

working on a variety of projects. Weston has taken Mr. Martin’s courses in Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), Expressions in Digital Design, and 3D Design and Modeling. Mr. Martin teaches his students to look at shape, color, and form through the paintings of Josef Albers (1888-1976) and others. His students also learn about CGI imagery; 2D design; 3D modelling with sound using Blender software; animation; and architectural, graphic, and product design. For Weston, this broad design knowledge, added to his years of computer programming and photography, as well as his love of art history, gave him the tools and drive to commit hundreds of hours to the development of his games.

This past June, as Weston was completing Tenth Grade, he was also preparing to publish Artiface, his suite of interactive VR games. Artiface is the result of months of work, and years of study and practice, and is great example of what is possible when skills, imagination, and encouragement all come together.

Weston credits Mr. Martin for providing him with a creative environment in which to explore his interests and as a mentor who allows his students that freedom to be curious. According to Weston, “Mr. Martin likes to say that he knows a little about a lot of things, but he inspires kids to do what they want to do as long as they are productive. He is what every teacher ought to be.”

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Weston is a dedicated student of photography, completing four years of courses with teacher Charlie Sitzer, and will continue with Advanced Photography in Eleventh Grade. He began working on computer programming outside of school several years ago, and as he explained, his programming ability has allowed him to really “take advantage of the cool classes at Viewpoint.”

Mr. Martin is also full of praise for Weston. He explained, “Some students are self-motivated, some are very creative, some have strong technology skills – Weston has all three. He is a ‘creative technologist.’ He is also fast, curious, and driven. He learned how to do visual design, he knows how to code. This gives him a broader range of what is possible. I encourage my students to Many of those “cool classes” take place in David Martin’s have a creative outlet and practice – whatever it may be – and classroom/computer lab, where Weston can often be found Weston has found that.” ■ Weston Bell-Geddes ’19

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Maddie White ’19 / Sophia Stills ’17 By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications

FILMMAKERS

in Viewpoint’s Film Program are encouraged to pursue projects and tell stories that excite them — both within the structure of the classroom and on their own — drawing on the support of the faculty and their peers. For ﬁlmmakers Sophia Stills ’17 and Maddie White ’19, this freedom to explore has allowed them to create thoughtful short ﬁlms worthy of outside recognition. Maddie White joined Viewpoint’s Film Program in Eighth Grade, but her experience with the medium began much earlier on the movie, music video, and commercial sets of her father, Australian director Alan White. As an Eighth Grader, Maddie made her first documentary titled Perception. The film is about blindness, or the experience of darkness, from the perspective of a formerly-sighted musician. The film was accepted into the Independent Filmmakers Showcase Los Angeles, which led to Maddie signing up to create short films for social media targeted at young people for a production company, Adolescent Content. In addition to her professional work, Maddie remains dedicated to Viewpoint’s Film Program – either working on her own projects or volunteering to be part of the crew of other students’ films. Maddie’s love of filmmaking and of mentoring others had made her invaluable member of Viewpoint’s film community.

is about two friends getting ready for prom, but one of them is the child of undocumented immigrants. The film explores the impact that has on her daily life and the potential danger of being stopped by police while driving to prom. Chosen from among 500 applicants, Sophia participated in the 26th Annual National YoungArts Week in Miami in January, where she worked with accomplished filmmakers to advance her skills and build relationships with other YoungArts artists. For Sophia, who never entirely saw herself as a filmmaker, this experience was transformational. She was told by the adjudicators, “You have this vision and that’s really beautiful, and you have to keep sharing this with the world.” Those words gave her greater confidence in her filmmaking abilities and furthered her resolve to tell meaningful stories.

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Sophia Stills is a scholar, athlete, filmmaker, and one of eight finalists for the 2017 National YoungArts Award for her film, Mija, which she wrote and directed. The film

Unlike many of her fellow finalists, Sophia is not going to film school. Instead, she is going to study liberal arts at Swarthmore, where she is also playing soccer. However, she is not done with filmmaking, and is excited to spend the next four year learning and thinking about the kinds of stories she wants to tell. ■ Maddie White ’19 and Sophia Stills ’17

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arts Traffic School ACCLAIMED SCULPTOR KIEL JOHNSON ENGAGES STUDENTS K-12 TO CREATE A CARDBOARD TRAFFIC JAM AND STOP-MOTION FILM

IEWPOINT WAS HONORED TO HOST ACCLAIMED SCULPTOR KIEL JOHNSON, best known for his large-scale and elaborate cardboard sculptures, as artist-in-residence during the week of April 10-13. Mr. Johnson, who frequently works collaboratively with large groups, used this opportunity to engage in his first K-12 project: “Viewpoint Traffic School,” a stop-motion animation film featuring both artwork, performances, and technical assistance by Viewpoint students.

Mr. Johnson asked every student to make a cardboard vehicle or other feature of a city, which he then used, with the help of our students and a professional crew from the Downtown L.A.-based production company Roger.TV, to create his film. The film, shot in the Paul Family Athletic Center and the photography studio, features Mr. Johnson as an alien robot who descends upon a cardboard city defended by cardboard fighter jets operated by Viewpoint student fighter pilots. Using scissors, glue, and their imaginations, the students had an amazing time transforming this simple material into a miniature movie set. For Daniel Cashdan ’19, a student with a deep interest in stop-motion animation, it was a chance to work with professional filmmakers on this very particular type of filmmaking. “Working with the crew, I learned how to be useful and move around on a professional set, setting up lights, cameras, and rigs. It was also different because of the precision needed for the stop-motion sequences; there could be no accidentally knocking into tables! It takes about 1,000 shots or frames to make a 83 seconds of film or 12 frames per second. I was already using the same software as the crew on my own projects, but I was self-taught. Ben Rohel, a member of the film crew, was kind enough to walk me though my questions. He taught me many things – whether that was importing a reference video, creating a timeline to program the x and y axis’s motion, or just that you can never have too much table space. I learned about acceleration in 2-point perspective, which had two moving parts, meaning the camera moved with the car. This made the sequence even more realistic, but meant the camera had to be on a motorized gimbal. (A special piece of equipment that Ben had made for one of his professional shoots, but brought having thought it could help at Viewpoint.) This was also so interesting to me, that I could just make a piece of equipment, but Ben really opened my eyes to engineering and building specific rigs for each project. To that end, with the same spirit but not technicality, in my garage I used duct tape to horizontally mount a tripod to a rolling clothes rack to get my vertical shots in my own film. Ben was really open to answering questions about any aspect of his career, and how he planned ahead and solved problems on set. It was a fantastic experience and I hope to carry my lessons with me during my high school film career!” – Daniel Cashdan ’19 ■

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Clockwise from Left: Artist Kiel Johnson as the alien robot. Above Left Top: Derek Kessler ’26 and Kiel Johnson. Above Left Bottom: Stop-motion photography. Above Right: Filmmaker Ben Rohel working with Daniel Cashdan ’19 on stop-motion animation. Below Right: Amir Baylock ’23 and Quilin “Cherry” Ge ’18 with other Middle and Upper Schooler students constructing cars and buildings. Below Left: Viewpoint Traffic Jam.

I wish you could feel the joyful energy that we experienced during the week of Kiel’s visit. Across our campus, there were hubs of creativity where students and faculty collaborated alongside Kiel. You could find Kindergarteners working in the High School Art Room, Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers constructing in the Innovation Space, and Lower Schoolers working outside in the Middle School. ‘Viewpoint Traffic School’ brought us to a new level of collaboration and community building.

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– Lisa Kessler, Lead Innovation Space Instructor

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arts National Gold Key

Viewpoint Students Win 142 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications

IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR in the Fine Arts and English programs at Viewpoint. Our students won five National Gold Awards, two National Silver Awards, and 135 Regional Awards in The 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Out of the 330,000 entries nationwide, there were only 134 National Gold and 299 Silver Award winners in Photography – of these Viewpoint students won two gold and two silver. And, Sarah Eicher ’17 won two of the 43 National Gold Awards for Sculpture.

IN JUNE, the work of Viewpoint’s National Gold and Silver Key was recognized at a ceremony held for the award-winning students, and their teachers and families at Carnegie Hall in New York. At that time, the Gold award-winning artwork was exhibited at various galleries in New York City, and is now part of a two-year national travelling exhibition. ■

Established in 1923, The Scholastic Art & Writing competition is the most prestigious recognition program in writing and the visual arts for students in Seventh through Twelfth Grades in the United States. Young artists and writers are granted over $1,000,000 in scholarships and prizes. Past winners include artists Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, and John Baldessari; writers Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, and Joyce Carol Oates; photographer Richard Avedon; actors Robert Redford, Alan Arkin, Lena Dunham, and John Lithgow; fashion designer Zac Posen; and filmmakers Ken Burns and Richard Linklater.

Sarah Eicher ’17, Sculpture (2) Ellis Glickman ’18, Novel Writing

Ben Moody ’19, Photography Aiden Rodriquez ’19, Photography

National Silver Key Weston Bell-Geddes ’19, Photography Tyler Frost ’17, Digital Art

Regional Gold Key Clayton Allyn ’17, Photography Avalon Aragon ’19, Photography Tyler Barron ’17, Ceramics Weston Bell-Geddes ’19, Photography Myca Comacho ’18, Sculpture Melissa Deng ’19, Personal Essay/Memoir Ishika Dhingra ’19, Science Fiction/Fantasy Sarah Eicher ’17, Sculpture (3), Painting/Drawin (2) Tyler Frost ’17, Digital Art

Carson Gilford ’19, Photography (3) Ellis Glickman ’18, Novel Writing Lila Mass ’18, Photography Ben Moody ’19, Photography Griffin Pearce ’19, Photography Ryann Perlstein ’19, Photograph Troxell Roclord ’19, Photography Aiden Rodriquez ’19, Photography (2) Benjamin Yarovinsky ’19, Photography Eddie Wolfson ’19, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Regional Silver Key Avalon Aragon ’19, Photography (2) Weston Bell Geddes ’19, Photography (2), Critical Essay Tyler Barron ’17, Ceramics Mattheu Boucher ’17, Ceramics Tyler Brumfield ’17, Photography Jennifer Cullen ’17, Short Story Kayla Dworsky ’18, Painting/Drawing Sarah Eicher ’17, Art Portfolio, Drawing Jenny Fang ’20, Printmaking, Painting Tyler Frost ’17, Digital Art (2) Carson Gilford ’19, Photography Ellis Glickman ’18, Ceramics Ethan Ganouna ’17, Ceramics Katie Hameetman ’19, Poetry Kayla Kohanteb ’18, Sculpture (2) Chloe Kuelbs ’18, Poetry

Julia Kushell ’19, Photography (2) Kristen Lee ’19, Ceramic Sculpture Theodora Lewis ’17, Painting McCloy Leonard ’17, Ceramics (2) Jiahao Liao ’18, Drawing (2) Kristupas Marinicev ’17, Ceramics (2) Ben Moody ’19, Photography Vittoria Nelli ’18, Photography 2) Sydney Payab ’19, Photography (2) Ryann Perlstein ’19, Digital Art Aiden Rodriquez ’19, Photography James Smathers ’19, Photography (2) Alexandre Toberoff ’19, Photography Tifanie Tsai ’19, Flash Fiction Hanna Waldman ’18, Photography Eric Wang ’18, Photography Eddy Yang ’20, Photography

Regional Honorable Mentions

National Gold Key Award-Winning Sculpture Retract by Sarah Eicher ’17

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Matthew Bahar ’18, Sculpture Myca Comacho ’18, Sculpture Isabella Cohen ’18, Sculpture Rebecca Danese ’19, Ceramics Melissa Deng ’19, Poetry Kayla Dworsky ’18, Ceramics Sarah Eicher ’17, Drawing (2) Simone Flournoy ’18, Personal Essay/ Memoir, Short Story Sophia Frazier ’17, Ceramics Etta Friedman ’17, Art Portfolio Qiulin “Cherry” Ge ’18, Painting, Sculpture Alessandra Granaroli ’18, Poetry Grace Heshmatpour ’19, Ceramics Madeline Hilliard ’17, Sculpture Ethan Kaufman ’17, Ceramics Jonah Kirchmann ’17, Sculpture Kayla Kohanteb ’18, Sculpture Chloe Kuelbs ’18, Sculpture (2) Samuel Kritzer ’19, Short Story

Kristen Lee ’19, Poetry Mccloy Leonard ’17, Ceramics (2) Winnie Liu ’17, Ceramics Kristupas Marinicev ’17, Ceramics Arturo Marquez ’18, Sculpture Allison Mora ’17, Ceramics Curran McIntyre ’19, Short Story Claudia Moysset ’19, Poetry Roy Numa ’20, Photography Sydney Payab ’19, Photography Alec Riegler ’19, Photography Troxell Roclord ’19, Photography Claire Taylor ’17, Drawing Alexandre Toberoff ’19, Photography (3) Sarbrina Urban ’18, Photography (2) Hanna Waldman ’18, Photography Eric Wang ’18, Photography Shaler Williams ’17, Painting Benjamin Yarovinsky ’19, Photography (2)

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practice / games / competitions

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Spring 2017

UPPER SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Varsity Girls Soccer

Varsity Girls Swimming (11 consecutive years) Varsity Boys Swimming (13 consecutive years)

MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

WINTER

Highlights SPRING

6th Grade Girls White Soccer 7th Grade Girls JV Red Soccer 7th Grade Boys Red JV Soccer 7th Grade Boys Blue JV Basketball

MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

U PPE R SCHOOL

Girls Soccer All-Gold Coast League MVP: Sophia Stills ’17 1st Team: Maya Sandel ’17, Lindsay Lipman ’19, KaiLan Mackey ’20, Fiona Bernet ’20 2nd Team: Lauren O’Connell ’19, Lee Sandel ’17, Maddie Jacobs ’17

Lacrosse All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Darren Solursh ’18, Ethan Kaufman ’17

Boys Soccer All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Ari Brozki ’18

Softball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Allison Mora ’17

Girls Basketball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Hannah Martin ’17, Teani White ’17 2nd Team: Kim Friedman ’18

Boys Volleyball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Jack Hall ’17 2nd Team: Noah Tsenter ’18

Boys Basketball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Andrew Reyes ’20 2nd Team: Michael Okparaocha ’17

Boys Tennis All-Gold Coast League Singles: Sky Bitschnau-Moraino ‘19 Doubles: Konrad Ulich ’20 and Eddy Yang ’20

ALL CIF

Girls Basketball CIF All Team for Division 3A: Hannah Martin ’17, Teani White ’17 Girls Soccer CIF Player of the Year for Division 5: Sophia Stills ’17 ALL CIF Team for Division 5: Maya Sandel ’17, Lindsay Lipman ’19, KaiLan Mackey ’20 Coach Travis Kikugawa named CIF Division 5 Coach of the Year

8th Grade Girls Varsity Volleyball 7th Grade Girls JV White Volleyball 7th Grade Boys JV Red Volleyball

Baseball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Sam Schur ’18

Golf All-Gold Coast League All League: James Walsh ’17, Roshon Yamani ’17, Calvin Chen ’18, Max Angard ’20, Eric Wang ’18

M I D D LE SCHOOL All Delphic League Baseball: Will Lashever ’21 Golf: Jake Dyne ’21 Lacrosse: Max Miller ’21 Softball: Brooke Schwartz ’22 Boys Tennis: Owen Kolbrenner ’22

Left Page: Elijah Newman ’19, This Page: 1. Andres Concha ’20 2. Michael Okparaocha ’17 3. KaiLan Mackey ’20 V I E W P O I N T

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college COUNSELING

“We seek to empower our students to make smart decisions about the next step by reﬂecting on how their goals intersect with personal, academic, and ﬁnancial realities.”

personal goals / expectations / research / deadlines

Rhody Davis

Millions of Dollars Offered to Viewpoint’s Graduates. The Class of 2017 received much merit-based scholarship money, and a number of graduates accepted generous offers. Scholarships being used include: ■

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Opportunities Abound for the Class of 2017

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By Rhody Davis, Director of College Counseling

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143 graduates, Viewpoint’s Class of 2017 was the largest in the School’s 56-year history. These seniors will embark on 143 different paths, each carrying with them their own unique goals, strengths, and challenges. In the College Counseling Office, we seek to empower our students to make smart decisions about the next step by reflecting on how their goals intersect with personal, academic, and financial realities. We want students to make the best decisions for the present and for the future.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2017

Graduates Seek Unique Programs in Engineering and Computer Science. Highly competitive for admission, engineering, and computer science attracted about 10% of the class. One graduate will study Theme Park Engineering and Design at Purdue University and another will study aeronautical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a commercial pilot’s license. Other STEM programs include: ■ ■ ■ ■

Mara Lorin ’17

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Our seniors were busy last fall – they filed an average of 10 applications that yielded other interesting stats. Just over a third of seniors (36%) are staying in California, and New York and Massachusetts have the next highest concentration of matriculates, and one student is headed to France. Nine percent of the seniors are athletes who will play Division I, II, III, and community college athletics.

Northeastern’s College of Engineering UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Clemson’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences Lafayette’s Engineering Division

High-Powered Technical Institutes on the List. Three graduates will study at powerful technical institutes: ■ ■ ■

California Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

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Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Pratt Institute’s School of Art Film/Video Department, School of Design USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, School of Cinematic Arts (Unlike any other high school, Viewpoint has had a matriculate in the School of Cinematic Arts every year since 2010.) Emerson’s Department of Visual and Media Arts, Stage & Screen Design Technology NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Film & Television, Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Drama Indiana U Bloomington’s Theater, Drama, and Contemporary Dance Pacific Northwest College of Art’s Painting Program Ringling College of Art and Design’s Computer Animation Program

LMU’s College of Business Administration University of Miami’s School of Business Administration University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business Pepperdine’s Graziadio’s School of Business and Management Purdue’s Krannert School of Management University of Redlands’ School of Business USC’s Marshall School of Business Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business SMU’s Cox School of Business Tulane’s Freeman School of Business

Two-Year Community Colleges Are a Smart Choice. For a variety of reasons, several graduates chose to enter California’s excellent community college system. ■

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High transfer rates to UCs and other top universities, low cost, academic enrichment, and athletic opportunities were among reasons that students chose to go to Moorpark College and Santa Monica College. The end-goal is for all students is to complete their degree at a four-year college or university.

Graduates Are Taking Advantage of Other Unique Admission and Curricular Programs. ■

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Viewpoint’s Artists to Attend Exciting Arts Programs. About 10% of graduates will study performing or fine arts at institutions including: ■

It’s always exciting to review the college matriculation list, and for the Class of 2017, the college list is as diverse and nuanced as ever! It includes over 75 different institutions in 29 states, statistics indicating that our students are researching colleges well and courageously charting their own courses.

Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan full-tuition scholarship at UC Santa Cruz Questbridge full-tuition, room and board scholarship at Caltech Trustee (full tuition) and Presidential (half tuition) Scholarships at USC Half-tuition scholarship at Marquette University Dean’s Scholarship at Chapman University Marquis Scholarship for half-tuition at Lafayette College Premier Scholars Award at Tulane University Apex Scholarship at the University of Oregon

Business Continues to Be Popular. About 10% of graduates will study undergraduate business at the following universities:

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Spring Admit and Guaranteed Transfer Plans. One semester or even one year is not that long to wait for a top-choice school. USC and Tulane are offering graduates entrance in the spring. USC’s Trojan Transfer Plan. This program guarantees a transfer admit after one year of work at another college or university. Two graduates will attend the American University of Paris and Santa Monica College, which both have articulation agreements with USC. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). Two graduates will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Northern Arizona University as part of the WUE program. This program offers out-of-state students a discount on tuition at 160 public universities in the western U.S. Women’s Leadership Program at George Washington University. One graduate will enter this selective, year-long, living-and-learning program for freshmen women at GWU. It includes small classes, close contact with faculty and women in leadership roles, and strong community ties within the program. Bonners Scholars Program for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond. One graduate has committed to this four-year program that focuses on social service at nonprofits, schools, and government agencies. It includes paid internships and coursework that engages issues of social justice. ■ S U M M E R

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college COUNSELING

Beyond Viewpoint Colleges & Universities Admitting Viewpoint’s Graduates from 2014-17

Institutions in blue type indicate one or more matriculates from the Class of 2017. American Jewish University American University Amherst College Arizona State University Art Center College of Design Auburn University Babson College Bard College Barnard College Bates College Baylor University Becker College Bellarmine University Belmont University Beloit College Bennington College Bentley University Binghamton University Boise State University Boston College Boston Conservatory Boston University Bowdoin College Bradley University Brandeis University Brigham Young University Brigham Young University, Idaho Brown University Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Butler University California College of the Arts California Institute of Technology California Institute of the Arts California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, East Bay California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Northridge Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Claremont McKenna College

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Clemson University Colby College Colgate University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University Dartmouth College Denison University DePaul University DePauw University Dickinson College Dominican University of California Drexel University Duke University Durham University Eckerd College Elmira College Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Emory University Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University Fort Lewis College Franklin & Marshall College Franklin Pierce University Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Furman University George Mason University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College Gonzaga University Gordon College Grinnell College Hamilton College Hampshire College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hawaii Pacific University High Point University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Humboldt State University

Indiana University at Bloomington Ithaca College James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Kansas State University Kenyon College King’s College London Knox College Lafayette College Lake Forest College Lebanon Valley College Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Lindenwood University Linfield College Lipscomb University Loyola Marymount University Lynchburg College Macalester College Marist College Marquette University Maryland Institute College of Art Marymount California University Massachusetts Institute of Technology McDaniel College Menlo College Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Middlebury College Minerva Schools at KGI Minneapolis College of Art and Design Montana State University, Bozeman Moorpark College Morehouse College Mount Holyoke College Mount St. Mary’s University Muhlenberg College Nazareth College New York University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northwestern University Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Occidental College Ohio University Ohio Wesleyan University Oregon State University Otis College of Art and Design Pace University, New York City Pacific Northwest College of Art Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Pierce College

Pitzer College Plymouth State University Point Park University Pomona College Pratt Institute Princeton University Principia College Providence College Purdue University Queen’s University Reed College Relativity School Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rhodes College Rice University Rider University Ringling College of Art and Design Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Salve Regina University San Diego State University San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco State University San Jose State University Santa Barbara City College Santa Clara University Santa Monica College Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of the Museum of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts Scripps College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College Smith College Sonoma State University Southern Connecticut State University Southern Methodist University Southern Oregon University St. John’s College St. John’s University Stanford University Stetson University Stonehill College Stony Brook University Suffolk University Swarthmore College Syracuse University

Class of

Texas A&M University Texas Christian University The American University of Paris The College of New Jersey The College of Wooster The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art The Evergreen State College The George Washington University The London School of Economics and Political Science The New School - All Divisions The Ohio State University The University of Alabama The University of Arizona The University of Edinburgh The University of Georgia The University of Iowa The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa The University of Texas at Austin The University of Warwick Trinity College Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University Union College United States Air Force Academy United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy University College London

University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Colorado Springs University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Exeter University of Florida University of Glasgow University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Illinois at Chicago University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of La Verne University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Missouri Columbia University of Nebraska at Lincoln University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of New Hampshire at Durham

University of North Dakota University of Notre Dame University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of Puget Sound University of Reading University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of St Andrews University of St. Mary University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of the Pacific University of Tulsa University of Utah University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Wyoming University of York Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University

2017 Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University Westmont College Whitman College Whittier College Willamette University Williams College Wittenberg University Woodbury University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

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celebrate!

graduates / commencement / awards

On June 10, Viewpoint celebrated the graduation of the 143 students in the Class of 2017. Family, friends, faculty, and students gathered on Ring Family Field for an elegant commencement ceremony, which included performances by the Upper School Vocal Ensemble and Chorus and members of Upper School Strings. Head of School Mark McKee welcomed the students and their families and thanked the faculty for “helping our young people to achieve their dreams.” This year’s class will be attending more than 70 different colleges – the most in the School’s history. Salutatorian Jamie Hood moved the crowd with a heartfelt speech recalling precious memories from his 13 years at Viewpoint, which culminated in an “epic 140-person snowball fight” on the Senior Retreat. Zoe Beckman, the Class of 2017’s Valedictorian, recounted two stories where making a giant harnessed leap was required and the lessons she learned from those experiences. She reminded her classmates, “The bravest people are those who are most afraid and that bravery does not exist in your comfort zone.” The ceremony also included the presentation of two awards. Logan Clark won the Arthur B. O’Leary Award, which recognizes a student who demonstrates high academic achievement, character, and a positive spirit. Katrina Ulich was chosen by the Student Council as the Upper School Student of the Year, given to a senior who exhibits concern for others, school spirit, and interest in improving student life. Commencement Speaker, Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Associate Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience at USC, who studies the relationship between emotion and experience and cognition, encouraged the graduates “not to suppress emotions, but instead leverage emotion for powerful change, and use emotion strategically for good in this world.”

2017

GRADS

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Left Page: Rebecca Luner ’17 This Page Top Right: Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Bottom Left: Christopher Marinicev ’17, Jushin Teg Mann ’17, Tommy Maher ’17 Bottom Right: Upper School Counselor Mara Garcia with members of the Class of 2017

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celebrate! 2017 Upper School Awards

of the School’s founders and its first Director of Admission.

Sculpture of the Year Alden Smathers ’20

Meryl Staley ’06 Award for the Performing Arts Nicholas Poveda ’18 This award in memory of Meryl Staley ’06 is presented to a sophomore or junior who, through his or her generous spirit, quiet determination, and positive attitude, exemplifies the character critical to success in the performing arts. The winner of this honor receives a grant for offcampus programs in the performing arts.

National Merit, Hispanic Scholarship Programs, and Other Recognitions Of the top 50,000 high scorers of the 1.6 million juniors who entered the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2015 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, 16,000 became Semi-finalists and about 34,000 students became Commended Students. This year, Viewpoint School had two Semifinalists, who eventually became Finalists, and 10 Commended Students. National Merit Scholars Zoe Beckman ’17 Logan Clark ’17

Valedictorian Zoe Beckman ’17 Chosen by the faculty, the Valedictorian is the outstanding scholar of the graduating class.

Upper School Community Service Award Hannah Rosenberg ’18 The faculty recognizes the student who best demonstrates the spirit of generosity to others. Typically, the recipient volunteered time and effort on a significant, long-term basis, working to better the lives of those in need.

Upper School Student of the Year Katarina Ulich ’17 Chosen by the Student Council, the winner of this award is a senior who exhibits concern for others, school spirit, and interest in improving student life.

Salutatorian James Hood ’17 The Senior Class selects the Salutatorian who introduces the graduating class to the audience at Commencement.

Joseph and Elizabeth Handley Award for American Studies David Miron ’18 Established in 2002, this award honors an Upper School student who demonstrates unusual achievement and interest in American studies, expects to pursue these studies in college, and who exhibits excellent character and concern for the community. Mr. and Mrs. Handley were leaders of Viewpoint School during its founding years in the 1960s.

VSSA Award Rachel Jacobson ’17 The Viewpoint School Service Association (VSSA) annually recognizes a student remarkable for service to the School, often as an ambassador to the community. The faculty recommends the recipients, and the VSSA makes the final choice.

Arthur B. O’Leary Award Logan Clark ’17 The School’s most significant award recognizes a senior who demonstrates high academic achievement, character, and a positive spirit, qualities Viewpoint strives to develop. The faculty selects the recipient. Mr. O’Leary was the School’s first Headmaster, appointed in 1979. Thelma B. Sitton Award David Miron ’18 The faculty selects the recipient of this award recognizing outstanding qualities of character and service to others. Mrs. Thelma Sitton was Viewpoint’s first Director, appointed in 1963.

Cooper Scholar-Athlete Award Sophia Stills ’17 The faculty selects the recipients of this award based on the students’ achievements in academics, athletics, and service to others. The award was established in 1970 by Viewpoint’s teacher Rayna Cooper in honor of her sons, who excelled in athletics and academics. Mary Carpenter Award for the Arts Jimmy Nguyen ’17 The faculty selects a student who upheld the standards of the School and achieved unusual growth in the arts. Established in 1986, the award is named in honor of Mary Carpenter, one

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National Merit Commended Students Jessica Blumberg ’17 Jake Levin ’17 Daniel Delgado ’17 Cyrus Levy ’17 Molly Gross ’17 Jack Salamati ’17 Jamie Hood ’17 Katarina Ulich ’17 Spencer Hylen ’17 Evan Visher ’17 Each year, the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) recognizes about 5,000 of the 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT. Colleges use this program to identify academically exceptional Hispanic/ Latino students. National Hispanic Recognition Program Jake Bubman ’17 Daniel Delgado ’17

2017 Upper School Departmental Awards

Calabasas Chamber of Commerce Award Jack Salamati ’17 This award is presented to a senior who performed outstanding community service and is likely to study business in college.

Fine and Performing Arts: Barbara Exum Art Award Claire Taylor ’17 Barbara Exum was an art teacher at Viewpoint for 25 years and served her last 15 years as Chair of the Art Department.

Fine Arts Awards of the Year Each year the faculty chooses the Upper School’s Fine Arts Awards of the Year in the four following areas:

Mary Carpenter Award for the Arts Jimmy Nguyen ’17

Ceramic Piece of the Year Christopher Enuke ’18

Meryl Staley Performing Arts Award/ Scholarship Nicholas Poveda ’18

Photograph of the Year Carson Gilford ’19

Dance Award Hannah Schulhof ’18

Picture of the Year Kayla Dworsky ’18

Theater Award Andrew Steele ‘18

Zaki Gordon ’94 Film Award Emily Garber ’18 This award was established in memory and honor of Zaki Gordon ’94 to recognize outstanding and inspirational achievements in filmmaking at Viewpoint School. The winner receives $1,000 towards tuition for college if he or she is studying film. English Award Trey Spellman ’18 & Chloe Kuelbs ’18 Math Awards Bitticks Math Award: Mike Fang ’18 & Anthony Pineci ’18 Mrs. Terry Bitticks was a revered math teacher, the Math Department Chair, and Curricular Director until 1992. AP Calculus: Katarina Ulich ’17 Calculus: Hayley Ratzan-Wank ’17 Statistics: Damian Gardiner ’17 Music Awards Band: Kenyon Allen ’17 Orchestra: Hayley Ratzan-Wank ’17 Vocal: Randy White ’17 Science Awards Biology: Samantha Wapnick ’17 Chemistry: Katherine Kaplan ’18 Physics: Anthony Pineci ’18 Environmental: Elizabeth Boock ’17 Computer Science Awards Programming: Franklin Huang ’19 Computer Generated Imagery: Adin Gates ’19 Virtual Reality: Weston Bell-Geddes ’19 Social Studies Awards Ryan Singsank ’18 Psychology: Rebecca Luner ’17 Handley Award for American Studies: David Miron ’18 World Languages Awards Chinese: Ethan Dettmann ’18 French: Katherine Kaplan ’18 Latin: Mike Fang ’18 Spanish: Connor Hogan ’18 Student Council Members Jamie Hood ’17, President Katarina Ulich ’17, Vice President Ella Diab ’18, Secretary Cole Kaplan ’19, Treasurer

Top: Mark McKee and Jake Bubman ’17, Middle Left: Zoe Beckman ’17 Bottom Left: Jamie Hood ’17, Right: Katarina Ulich ’17

Induction of the Cum Laude Society 2017 Viewpoint School’s chapter of the prestigious Cum Laude Society welcomed 27 new members during an induction ceremony in the Carlson Family Theater on April 26, 2017. The faculty members of the Society select students for membership who have demonstrated scholastic excellence (Areté), justice (Diké), and honor (Timé).

The Cum Laude Society, modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honor society for college graduates, recognizes superior scholarship in selected high schools in the United States and abroad. A member since 1992, Viewpoint is one of only 31 schools in California to have earned the distinction of having a Cum Laude chapter.

2017 Cum Laude Society Inductees Class of 2018

Class of 2017 Ellie Boock Jake Bubman Jen Cullen Pranali Dave Cailan Feingold Damian Gardiner Molly Gross

Rebecca Luner Deeksha Marla Maya Sandel Sophia Stills Jacqueline Tang Samir Venkatesh Duolai Delia Xing

Matheu Boucher Ethan Dettman Ella Diab Delaney Eagle Mike Fang Ellis Glickman Alessandra Granaroli

Chloe Hodgson Connor Hogan Katherine Kaplan Gavin Levy David Miron Anthony Pineci

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celebrate! On June 9, Viewpoint’s 123 Eighth Grade students gathered with their families, friends, and faculty on the Ring Family Field for a Commencement Ceremony to celebrate their many accomplishments and the completion of Middle School. The ceremony included inspiring remarks from Head of School Mark McKee in which he reminded students that caring for others is what counts above all else, and that happiness comes from cultivating meaningful relationships and engaging in projects larger than oneself. He cited a recent Harvard University study in which students were asked which is more important: achievement, happiness, or caring for others. Quoting an unnamed student, he asserted that by caring for others, something important has already been achieved and that happiness will follow. Mr. McKee then offered this enduring truth, “Raise children to be happy and they may or not be good. Raise them to be good, and they will be happy.” Commencement was a celebration of the kindness and good works of the Eighth Grade Class and their exciting achievements yet to come. The ceremony also featured fine performances by the Eighth Grade Band, Strings, and Vocalists, and remembrances from the Class Historians. In his Eighth Grade Address, Student Body President Gabriel Malek encouraged his classmates to recognize and embrace the beauty of their differences and to always keep an eye out for a touch of magic.

2017 MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS Middle School Student of the Year Sasha Vogel ’21 The Middle School faculty selects an Eighth Grader who best exemplifies academic diligence, unquestionable character, a positive attitude, and respect for the School’s community.

EIGHTH GRADE

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M AG A Z I N E

Kindness & good works!

Eighth Grade Academic Achievement Award Joshua Tenenbaum ’21 The faculty selects the Eighth Grade’s outstanding scholar to receive this award. Middle School Classperson of the Year Gabriel Malek ’21 Selected by fellow Eighth Graders, the Classperson of the Year exhibits unusual qualities of leadership, dependability, a positive spirit, and respect for the School and classmates.

Middle School Community Service Awards Gabriel Malek ’21 This award recognizes the Eighth Graders who best exemplify the spirit of giving. Eighth Grade Graduation Speaker Gabriel Malek ’21 The faculty of the Middle School chooses the Speaker based upon a student’s demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding character as represented through his or her actions, and the extent to which he or she represents the learning expectations of the School. Class Historians Jacob Davis ’21 Maya Fardad-Finn ’21 Sara Goldberg ’21

Aidan Gunsekera ’21 Gracie Schecter ’21 Ian Temkin ’21

The faculty of the Middle School chooses the Class Historians.

Left Page: Josh Tenenbaum ’21 This Page from the Top: Gabriel Malek ’21, Mark McKee and Dara Denloye ’21, Vanessa Chermak ’21 Bottom Front Row: Daniel Lotwin ’21, Liza Levine ’21, Will Lashever ’21 Back Row: Kristin Schrage ’21 and Gracie Schecter ’21

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direction FOR A LIFETIME

achievements / announcements / life changes

Payam Farjoodi, MD

Allison Johnson Charalambous

Payam recently celebrated his first anniversary with his wife. They live in Orange County. He is an orthopedic surgeon in Fountain Valley at the Robotic Spine Institute. He continues to be an avid basketball fan.

After college, Allison traveled all over the world. She and her husband were married in Cyprus where he is from. She received her master’s degree while nine months pregnant and now works for Lucky Brand Jeans. They are living near the house she grew up in and is a new mom.

JR Sichel JR lives in Portland with his wife of twelve years and three children: two girls and one boy. They enjoy the outdoors and amateur farming. He has been working in medical sales for the last thirteen years.

Andrew Pease Andrew lives in Studio City with his wife. They recently completed an amazing trip to Japan. In this last year, he traveled to England to be in fellow alum Gregg Wilson’s wedding.

Justin Campbell Justin and his wife were married last September. They live in the East Village section of Chicago and enjoy all the restaurants and street festivals in the neighborhood as well as exploring new travel destinations around the country and overseas.

Rho Cauley Bruner Rho lives in San Diego with her husband and she has been working at Northrup Grumman for more than 15 years. She currently has an exciting career working on autonomous unmanned aircraft in the aerospace/ defense industry. She writes, “I have worked on Air Force programs, Navy programs, and a German program which afforded me the opportunity to work and travel in Europe for several years. I am currently the Director of Vehicle Management Systems for the Navy’s Triton program. When Harry and I aren’t working, we love to travel and spend time with our families, both of whom live on the East Coast.”

Amber Young Medina Amber has been happily married to her husband for six years. They live in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Mt. Washington with their two children. The Medina family loves going on adventures or having a dance party at home. In 2008, Amber founded KIPP Raíces Academy, a public school in East LA, and was the principal there for six years. She is now the Managing Director of Academics for KIPP LA, overseeing school management and the development of academic talent.

Names are listed below from left to right (for the most part) joined by Patrick Moyal, Kris Dworkoski, and Asif Azar (who are not listed).

The Class of 1997 Reunites for their 20th Reunion at the Malibu Café on June 3 Shahin Nazari

Stacy Shaw Feit

Shahin lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and two daughters. He co-owns an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ in the Valley. He and his family recently traveled to Greece for a memorable vacation.

Stacy lives in the San Fernando Valley and works in Calabasas. She has two daughters and recently celebrated her tenth wedding anniversary with her husband.

Bijan Berenji, PhD

Alison Steelberg Corneau

Bijan lives in the LA area and is an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at Cal State LA. He received his PhD degree from Stanford University in 2011, and spent time as a postdoc with UCLA and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory before joining as faculty.

Alison lives in Moorpark and is back working at Viewpoint. She has two daughters and celebrates 16 years of marriage. She most recently ran the NY Marathon, calling it the most incredible experience ever!

Echo Aoki

James and his wife have a daughter and live in Santa Clarita. He is currently working on his MA in Secondary Science Ed at CSUN. He teaches at Northridge Academy High School. He is happier than ever as his family grows to four this coming December.

Echo lives and works in Northern California. She has fun adventures with her daughter and family.

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James Rice

Shelby Surfas After finding her passion for working with children with autism, Shelby received her doctorate in Occupational Therapy at USC. She and her partner have three daughters and live in the LA area. She directs the Occupational Therapy Department at the USC UCEDD at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She enjoys charity mud runs and took up a new sport, Capoeira!

Amy Hanf College, law school, lawyering, traveling, and the greatest joy of my life: being a mom to Arya. They live in Seal Beach, CA.

Terence Alemann Terence lives in Santa Barbara with his fiancé. They recently welcomed a baby boy. He is a real estate agent and enjoys traveling all over the world.

Kara Block Kara lives in Santa Barbara. She and her son enjoy spending time at the ocean. She is currently running a creative agency that focuses on visual media, art, and production. She writes, “I enjoy international business, because traveling is still one of my most favorite ways to spend time.”

Gwen Abrams Gwen lives in Las Vegas with her husband. She works in the Venetian Hotel on the Management Team. They have traveled all over the world on each wedding anniversary and enjoy seeing the major sites and small towns. She writes, “My favorite memory from my years at Viewpoint was probably either the Voyage of Discovery trip or when Swim Team won the Fountain League championships for the first time.”

Taryn Linder Phillips

Dori Calloway

Taryn lives in Westlake Village with her husband and two boys. After living and working in Texas for several years they moved back to Southern California. She was able to travel quite a bit while working for American Airlines and has been to some amazing places. She is a new Viewpoint Kindergarten parent this fall.

Dori and her husband recently moved to Denver with their two daughters. She works as a GP veterinarian.

Jeremy Kenton

Nolan Reichl Nolan, his wife, and two sons live in Maine. He is a lawyer specializing in commercial and appellate litigation. His favorite Viewpoint memories include: Lower School plays/holiday program; shaking hands first thing in the morning; Great Pumpkin Day; Lower School assembly dress; Middle and Upper School sports; going off campus before games; the great friends he made.

Daniel Miller Daniel lives in New York. Travel has defined most of his past 20 years, visiting all 50 states and 60 countries on six continents. He has lived in Seattle and London. He and his partner of four years were married in August here in Southern California.

Nimisha Dhawan Nimisha lives in the Bay Area with her husband, son, and daughter. She has her MBA from U of Chicago where she met her husband, and they have traveled all over the world. These days they enjoy skiing, hiking, and exploring. Some noteworthy life-events: meeting Warren Buffett and actually riding in his car and having lunch with him, going on a pilgrimage to feed 1,000 people, and working with the United Nations in Sri Lanka.

Jeremy lives in the Bay Area and is Senior Director of Alliances at Origami Logic working on partnerships and business development. He writes, “For fun, I SCUBA dive, snowboard, and cook. I married my wife after being captivated with her ever since she caught my eye at a house party in LA in 2005. We have a son who is a very precocious two-and-a-half-year-old and are expecting another boy this August.”

Stacy Mecham Stacy lives in the Philadelphia area and works in the pharmaceutical arena. She writes, “I oversee a team providing research and consulting services to oncology companies. I travel all over for work. My daughter is nearly 10 years old - she is vivacious and sincere.” Stacy enjoys spending time with her and their two bulldogs.

Shirah Dedman Shirah lives in California and enjoys being a vocal advocate for minorities. She travels all over and produces films to promote her work as a filmmaker, lawyer, and activist. She was recently featured in a short film #UPROOTED. Her other project is MOCMADA (of Color Marketing and Distribution Alliance) – “educating and connecting filmmakers of color in order to mobilize their local audiences, and support each other at the national level so that diverse filmmakers can distribute films which authentically represent our communities.” ■

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veterinary school. While attending college, she was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and headed up Share A Meal, a nonprofit that works to feed the homeless of L.A. This summer Becca taught Marine Biology to campers at Heal the Bay Summer Camp in the aquarium at Santa Monica Pier.

CELEBRATING OUR ALUMNI

Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

Adam Katzner Columbia College Chicago Cinema Arts and Science

Dilip Arumugum

Charlie Fries

Brown University Computer Science

Pomona College Economics and Computer Science

Dilip is currently enrolled in a fifth year Master’s program at Brown. He was inducted into the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society in 2017, and was a recipient of the department Faculty Award. He plans to continue his research in the field of artificial intelligence re-enforcement learning.

While at Pomona, Charlie played four years of football, two of which were spent as a defensive tackle starter. He was research assistant to both Professors David Kauchak and John Clithero, helping to advance their studies of Computer Science Natural Language Processing in the Sub-field of Text Simplification and Behavioral Economics. Charlie began working as an associate economist for the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago starting in July, focusing on macroeconomic research and the U.S. economy. Charlie is also considering attending law school in the future.

Lucas Athanassiadis Haverford College East Asian Studies and Economics

Lucas is working for Zeal Inc. in Ningbo, China as an educational consultant for college-bound high school students.

Jacqueline Barish ’13

engineering testing and design. He plans to remain in the Bay Area and pursue a career making smart products.

Evan Bernstein University of Chicago Computer Science and a Minor in English and Creative Writing

Steven Goodrich ’13

Steven Goodrich University of Southern California Psychology and a Minor in Business

During his four years at USC, Stevie actively participated in Troy Camp, Kick for Kids, and the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. He graduated this year summa cum laude and is excited to join UCLA Law School’s class of 2020 in the fall, where he hopes to ultimately pursue a career working with children in the legal field. While at USC Stevie made sure to show his Trojan Spirit by attending as many USC sporting events as possible. Although he will be attending the “Other School,” he promises to continue “Fighting On!”

Adam graduated with a BA in Cinema Arts and Science from Columbia, after having worked on 25 films as the Director of Photography as well as crewed for over 100 other projects in his four years at school. Many of his films were selected for various film festivals, one of which was awarded Best Comedy and was subsequently screened at the prestigious Chicago International Film Festival. While working on set in the camera department, Adam honed his skillset as a Camera Operator and 1st AC, mastering a multitude of camera systems. He is now back in Los Angeles beginning his career in the film industry, a passion that began as a student in the Film Program at Viewpoint.

Chris Kimes ’13

Erica Kitchin University of Texas Austin Public Relations

Erica will be returning to Austin in the fall to work for Oracle in Business Development after a five-week training program in San Francisco.

Evan graduated as a Student Marshall, the highest honor awarded to University of Chicago students. During his time at UChicago, Evan performed in the improv group, Occam’s Razor. He both interned on campus in the University of Chicago’s App Challenge program, and also with Uber last summer. Starting in October, Evan will be working for Google at their headquarters in Mountain View. Adam Katzner ’13

Chris Kimes Stanford University Mechanical Engineering Aaron Girard ’13

Aaron Girard Emory University Computer Science

Lucas Athanassiadis ’13

Jacqueline Barish Syracuse University Jaqueline will be continuing her education this fall at Boston University where she will obtain a MA in Clinical and Sports Psychology.

V I E W P O I N T

M AG A Z I N E

Evan Bernstein ’13

Aaron graduated from Emory in May where he excelled in both academic activities and extracurricular clubs. While at college, he was known around campus as “the dude with the jeans overalls”! This summer Aaron began a job as a software engineer at Google in Venice Beach.

Becca Hess ’13

Becca Hess University of Southern California Biology

After obtaining a BA in Biology, Becca graduated from USC with an eye toward

Chris will return to Stanford in the fall to pursue a Master of Science and Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechatronics. Chris was awarded the Henry O. Fuchs Memorial award for mechanical engineering design, and he was also inducted into the Tau Beta Pi Engineering honor society. In his spare time he is an active participant in the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band. He is currently interning at Fellow, a San Francisco-based startup that makes premium coffee products, where he participates in

Erica Kitchin ‘13

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Krishan Patel Cal Poly Pomona Electromechanical Systems Engineering Technology

Annette Kleinman

Kayla Mason

University of California at Santa Barbara Biochemistry

University of California at Berkeley Mechanical Engineering

Annette graduated with High Honors and was inducted into Phi Lambda Upsilon, the National Honorary Chemical Society. Annette will pursue her dream of becoming a doctor by attending Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine this fall.

During her years at Berkeley, Kayla secured engineering internships that provided her with valuable work experience making her a strong applicant for various positions after graduation in the field of Engineering. On June 1, she joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as their newest mechanical engineer working on a joint team with Stanford University to develop the world’s brightest X-ray laser, the new and revolutionary X-ray laser LCLS-II.

Elana Moline ’13

Zachary Montgomery Jason Lopata ’13

Jason Lopata Stanford History with Department Honors Annette Kleinman ’13

Alexandra Levin Scripps College Linguistics and Psychology

During her junior year while attending Scripps College, Alexandra studied for a semester abroad in London. The summer before her senior year, Alexandra interned at a Montessori School where she worked with children with language acquisition difficulties to help them to communicate on an age-appropriate level. Alexandra interned at Garey High School in Pomona, California, where she was a high school counselor and worked one-on-one with under-represented students during her senior year. She is currently working as a behavior interventionist for the Autism Services Division of Easter Seals and plans to return to school to get her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work.

Jason spent the summer of 2017 traveling through Asia and participating in a writing fellowship with geopolitical analysis company Stratfor, in Austin, Texas. In September, he will move to Downtown L.A. and work with Craig Lawson & Co. Land Use Consultants, helping developers and investors navigate the city’s real estate entitlements process. Jason will also serve as a Southern California Regional Director for Stanford Professionals in Real Estate (SPIRE), while maintaining his involvement with global affairs by sitting on Stratfor’s Board of Contributors and writing for a monthly column. Jason aims to pursue a future in real estate development and investing and possibly obtain higher education in business and real estate development.

Lily Moffet ’13

Indiana University Public Affairs and Policy Analysis with a Certificate in Applied Research and Inquiry

Krishan Patel ’13

Zachary consistently earned a place on the Dean’s List and was invited to participate in an Honors Certificate program where he presented a thesis on predictive models for refugee migration. Zac served as Recruitment Chair and Corresponding Secretary for his fraternity, and as a contributor to the Debate Team creating the research portfolios on policy issues and as the Under Secretary General of Crisis of the Model United Nations. His internships and volunteering took him around the world, including one summer spent researching and creating databases at the University of Chicago as part of the Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism, and one spent in Norway learning permaculture and working on an organic farm. His future academic plans include law school. Zachary is currently living in Washington, D.C. and working at the Hudson Institute.

Southern Connecticut State University Exercise Science and a Minor in Chemistry

V I E W P O I N T

Jonny was a four-year member of the Men’s Basketball Team and was consistently on the NE-10 Honor Roll. He received multiple nominations for top academic honors with the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Jonny was named Male Athletic Scholar of SCSU, 2017, and is currently nominated for the 2017 NE10 Scholar-Athlete Award. Jonny is currently studying for the MCAT and hopes to attend medical school and ultimately become a doctor.

Occidental College Psychology with a focus in Neuroscience

Lily graduated cum laude from Occidental. While there, she conducted research alongside a Developmental Psychology professor, and will be published in an undergraduate research journal this year. Outside the classroom, Lily volunteered as a peer health educator throughout Los Angeles public high schools, worked with both Eagle Rock’s local Planned Parenthood clinic and Oxy’s Planned Parenthood Club advocating for women’s health. Before returning to her job as studio manager for an entertainment and advertising photographer in Los Angeles, Lily spent the summer traveling throughout Southeast Asia.

Kayla Mason ’13

M AG A Z I N E

Jonathan Paul

Lily Moffet

Arizona State University Business Law

Elouise Roche ’13

Julia Schwartz Duke University Spanish and Latin American Studies

Julia graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in May. A highlight of her college experience was spending a semester studying in Madrid during her junior year. After graduation she spent a month traveling in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. This fall, Julia moved to Austin, Texas to start her career at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) as a Junior Associate. GLG is an expert network that operates a membership-based platform providing independent ad-hoc consulting services to business professionals around the world.

Jonathan Paul ’13

Elouise Roche Duke University Economics and certificate in Markets & Management

Elana Moline Alexandra Levin ’13

semester in her home country, Sydney, Australia, during her senior year. While in college, Elouise had internships with Oppenheimer Wealth Management and with Morgan Stanley. She has accepted a two-year position with Morgan Stanley in New York in their Global Capital Markets Division. Elouise is considering Business School in the future, having already completed the GMAT exam.

Zachary Montgomery ’13

At Duke, Elouise was a member of the Dancing Devils, participating in many performances at the Duke Basketball and Football games. She also joined Duke’s Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter, and both the highly selective Duke Business Society and Duke Investment Club. She spent a

Julia Schwartz ’13

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forward to empowering and supporting our nations’ disadvantaged youth to overcome the educational barriers they face. During his free time, he will either be lesson planning for hiking the Appalachian Mountains.

Dakota Williams Salve Regina University Philosophy and a Minor in Business and Accounting

Dakota started his own recycling company, Simbiotics, which recycles and uses its earnings to finance the tuition of college students. He is a part of the Changemaker Fellowship, the Nuala Pell Leadership Program, and the Accounting Honor Society. Additionally, Dakota made Salve Regina University’s Dean’s List.

Jordan Sitzer California College of the Arts Glassblowing and Mixed Media

Jordan is currently working in the field of glass and completing his MFA at CCA.

David Soper Carleton College Political Science

David graduated cum laude and won the Lee Sigelmen Prize for his research in Political Science. While at Carleton, David was active on campus including, running, rock climbing, environmental issues, and music. He was also a Chaplain’s Associate for the College. In the fall, David will attend the University of Chicago where he will pursue a MA in Religious Studies.

Elizabeth Sheffield ’13

Elizabeth Woolf ’13 Rachel Thommen ’13

Elizabeth Sheffield

Elizabeth Woolf

University of California at Santa Barbara Biology

Charles Werman

University of California, Berkeley American Studies and a Minor in Music and Theater

Chapman University Finance and Minor in Leadership

Elizabeth Sheffield graduated in June from UCSB after great perseverance and good fortune. After recuperating from a torn ACL obtained on Senior Day at Viewpoint, she was a member of the University’s Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Team for both their 2015 and 2016 seasons, helping them to win the 2016 Big West All-Conference and the 2016 Big West Academic All-Conference Fall Sports. In addition to these accomplishments, Elizabeth excelled as a Biology major at UCSB, a success she attributes to her years at Viewpoint. Elizabeth also earned the 2015 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll with Highest Honors and she began her career with Oracle Corporation in Santa Monica in July 2017.

Charlie graduated cum laude from Chapman University Argryos School of Business. At Chapman, he played on the Men’s Varsity Tennis Team for four years and became the Chapman All-Time Win Leader for both singles and doubles. He graduated as an ITA Scholar Athlete and received the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Tennis First Team Award. Charlie secured a position as a Financial Analyst at Fox TV Network Groups and he continues to be actively involved in volunteer work for the special needs community.

David Soper ’13

Dakota Williams ’13

Julia Wise University of California at Santa Cruz Community Studies and Cognitive Science

Elizabeth graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in American Studies and a minor in music and theater. She wrote her honors thesis on the feminist history of Broadway, as told by the Wizard of Oz. Her first musical, which received the UC Berkeley Music Theater Award, debuted in San Francisco last year. Now she is in LA, where she is writing, composing, and performing!

Julia graduated with both a BA in Community Studies and a BS in Cognitive Science. During her time at UCSC, Julia completed a six-month field study at the Roses in Concrete Community School in East Oakland, where she worked full-time as a First Grade instructional aide, after-school program leader, and community resources intern. In the future, she hopes to work to improve social equity by drafting legislation concerning education.

Evan Zimmet ’13

Evan Zimmet Georgetown University Accounting and Finance and a Minor in Economics

At Georgetown, Evan was a Global Business Fellow and an Entrepreneur Fellow. He was General Manager of The Hoya, Georgetown’s newspaper, a member of the Blue and Grey (Georgetown tour guides), a leader in the start-up Hoyas, and nominated for a Saxa Award. Evan moved in July to New York City to work for Oppenheimer in Mergers and Acquisitions.

Rachel Thommen Wellesley College Biology and Minor in Chemistry

During her time at Wellesley, Rachel worked in the Flynn Lab studying therapeutic possibilities of nanoparticles for pancreatic cancer. She also volunteered at Rosie’s Place, a homeless shelter for women in Boston. Rachel also danced on Wellesley College’s FreeStyle Team, Wellesley’s only hip hop dance team. Before graduating, she was elected Alumni Class President, which she will serve for the next five years. She currently is working as a receptionist and translator at the Conejo Free Clinic, and is studying for the MCAT.

Jordan Sitzer ’13

V I E W P O I N T

M AG A Z I N E

Kyle Yeh ’13

Kyle Yeh University of Chicago Linguistics

Charles Werman ’13

Julia Wise ’13

Kyle begins working with Teach for America this September. He will be teaching Spanish at the Floyd Central High School in Floyd County, Kentucky. He writes that he looks

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“ While there will always be more building to do, last year marked an important shift from focusing on building to focusing on what happens inside those buildings.” –JOHN NADOLENCO, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ANNUAL REPORT 2 016 - 17

50 Board of Trustees / Chair's Report 51 New Trustees 52 Financial Report 53 Advancement Report 54 Leadership Giving 56 Annual Fund 66 Special Gifts 67 Endowment Funds 69 Tribute & Memorial Gifts

70 2017 Benefit 74 VSSA Report

76 Ways to Give

B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S / 2 0 1 6 -1 7

John Nadolenco, Chair Jonathon Wolfson, Vice Chair Michael Murphy, Secretary Andrew Gengos, Chair / Finance Committee Halé Behzadi, Chair / Committee on Trustees, Delegate-at-Large Joseph Carieri, Delegate-at-Large Brian Glicklich, Delegate-at-Large Shelly Sumpter Gillyard, Chair / Advancement Committee, Delegate-at-Large

Tom Boone Seth Casden ’91 Jay DiMaggio, Chair / Buildings and Grounds Dirk Gates Jeremy Helfand Peggy Jones Kraig Kitchin Anne Leonetti Robert Lopata Susan Lotwin

Tom Moran Dick Robertson Jill Schecter Charles Schetter, Chair / Strategic Plan Committee Sarah Spano ’05 Robert Webster Brian Wynn ’85 David ZeBrack

L E T T E R F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N O F T H E B O A R D / 2 0 1 6 -1 7

John Nadolenco / Chair, Board of Trustees The future has arrived on Viewpoint’s campus.

for the innovation taking place on our campus. And we’re just getting started.

For many years, our School has focused on building. We built classrooms, libraries, pools and fields. We transformed our campus. While there will always be more building to do, last year marked an important shift from focusing on building to focusing on what happens inside those buildings.

The Board is fully committed to supporting the administration in this important endeavor. In that regard, I want to thank the trustees rotating off the Board who played such important roles in supporting this next chapter: Tom Boone, Joe Carieri, and Tom Moran. And I’m equally excited to welcome the new trustees who will carry our mission forward: Kafi Blumenfield, Tim Fish, David Kirschner, John Nelson, Thomas Tull, and Frank Watanabe. Our Board is stronger than ever.

In hiring Mark McKee as Head of School, we hired an educator to ensure that our already strong curriculum gets stronger and evolves where necessary. We’ve already seen results: ■

■

Mark and his administration have worked closely with the faculty to establish a new direction for our academic program – one that is focused on innovation and developing inspired students and creative leaders. They have changed the teacher-review process to ensure that we have the best teachers who continue to develop professionally.

A heartfelt farewell.

They are making important changes to the School’s schedule and calendar, including moving final exams before the Winter Break! And in June, they hired a Chief Innovation Officer whose job will be to make sure that we have the most cutting-edge programs possible.

In large part because of these efforts, the word is out. Viewpoint is becoming known throughout Los Angeles and the country

And as I, personally, rotate off the Board, a final word to a very special community. I’m mindful that the Board I helped lead will be remembered for overseeing the Head of School transition from Bob Dworkoski to Mark McKee. It’s been a terrific success by all accounts. To make it so took immense work from trustees, administrators, staff, parents and students – people who spent many selfless hours dedicated solely to doing what’s best for Viewpoint. I will always be proud of, and touched by, what we accomplished together. It was our finest hour. Yet I’m confident that our best days are still ahead.

V I E W P O I N T

S C H O O L

John Nadolenco Chair, Board of Trustees

Kaﬁ Blumenﬁeld / New Trustee

Tim Fish / New Trustee

Kafi Blumenfield, mother of Nia ’24 and incoming Third Grader Obi, was the Founding Executive Director for Discovery Cube Los Angeles, and is an active member of the boards of the James Irvine Foundation and the Tides Foundation, among others. She and her husband, LA City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, are delighted by their experience at Viewpoint and eager to become more involved. She explained, “My career has been spent supporting non-profit leaders, and my happiest moments are when I am of service. I am excited to lend my experience in strategic change at this moment in history of the School.”

Tim Fish is the Chief Innovation Officer for the National Association of Independent Schools. From 1998-2016, Tim was Associate Headmaster at McDonogh School in Maryland. He was also the founding president and CEO of the FolioCollaborative, a nonprofit community of more than 125 schools around the world. When asked why he decided to join Viewpoint’s board, Tim replied, “Mark McKee is a visionary leader, and I want to do everything I can to support the strong work that the School is doing to create a supportive and empowering learning environment. Viewpoint is one of our nation’s great schools. I am excited to join the team!”

David Kirschner / New Trustee

John Nelson / New Trustee

David Kirschner, grandparent of Sophia ’25, Mikah ’27, and Gavin ’29 Wolfson with his wife Liz, is a film and television producer and is currently head of his own production company, David Kirschner Productions. As the producer of such films as An American Tail, Hocus Pocus, and the Child’s Play films, David explained that his work is always an “exploration of childhood,” and in some way rooted in his own childhood experiences. David said, “I am proud as a grandparent to support an institution that I stand in awe of. Viewpoint is a place where children learn to be caring citizens of the world, and I am excited to do my part.”

John Nelson, father of Collin ’24 and Mia ’24, is the Co-Founder and CEO of SEED Beauty, the parent company for ColourPop Cosmetics, Kylie Cosmetics, and KKW Beauty. Headquartered in Oxnard, SEED Beauty incubates and launches new beauty brands. With a team of over 1,500, the business creates, produces and ships products direct to consumers. When asked why he joined Viewpoint’s Board, John explained, “From day one, my wife, Allison, and I recognized that Viewpoint was a special and unique environment. I am excited to contribute and enhance the School in any way that I can. I believe that Viewpoint’s best days are still ahead.”

Thomas Tull / New Trustee

Frank Watanabe / New Trustee

Thomas Tull, father of Connor ’28 and Christopher ’28 with his wife Alba, is currently the Chairman and Founder of Tulco and part of the Pittsburgh Steelers ownership group. He previously served as founder and CEO of Legendary Entertainment. He is a lecturer at the Harvard and Stanford Schools of Business and is an Entrepreneur-inResidence at Harvard. When asked why Viewpoint and why join the Board, Thomas replied, “We wanted our children to have a well-rounded experience that included a world-class education within a grounded community, and after much research Viewpoint hit those points for us. We felt that Viewpoint would foster intellectual curiosity and make learning a lifelong journey.”

Frank Watanabe, father of Jack ’19 and Andy ’24 with his wife Jaelee, is the COO of Kanan Therapeutics, a company that develops innovative pharmaceutical therapies. Frank also continues to serve as a Commander in the Naval Reserves. Frank attended an independent school in Indiana and wanted something similar for his sons. Frank is excited by the School’s new strategic direction and making plans for the future. In addition to his role on the Board, Frank is co-chairing the 2017-18 Viewpoint Fund with his wife Jaelee. He said, “I am honored to be able to contribute to writing the next chapter in Viewpoint’s history.”

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FINANCIAL REPORT

ADVANCEMENT REPORT

3% Investment Income 5.5% Auxiliary Programs

.5% Fund Raising Expense 4.2% Auxiliary Programs

COMPARISON OF GIVING

7.1% Facilities

2016-17* 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13

Fiscal Year Annual Fund

9.4% Annual Contributions

Benefit (Net Proceeds)

10.9% Financial Aid

Restricted Capital

18.9% Academic Programs

$2,211,706

$1,967,970

$2,177,651

$2,095,197

$1,729,190

$629,904

$398,241

$396,735

$459,772

$451,404

$84,297 $271,343 $169,286 $133,496 $502,512 $974,301 $692,500

$171,739

Endowment

$2,536,995 $3,339,550 $107,669

$238,074

$154,162

$125,555

$372,523

Total (Net)

$5,570,571

$6,215,178

$3,872,135

$3,506,520

$3,227,368

*Reflects cash received as of 6/30/17

82.1% Tuition and Fees 58.4% Salaries and Benefits

2016-17 SUMMARY OF GIFTS

Alumni and Alumni Parents

$77,721

Alumni and Alumni Parents

Corporations

$78,992

Corporations

Current Parents Foundations

2016-17 Total Annual Revenues*

2016-17 Total Annual Expenses*

Endowment & Capital Giving

Annual Fund & Restricted Gifts

$1,831,773 $239,053

$106,164 $3,250 $2,358,695

Current Parents

$171,000

Foundations

Faculty, Staff, and Friends

$13,214

Faculty, Staff, and Friends

$2,555

Grandparents

$55,250

Grandparents

$3,000

Total $2,644,664 Total $2,296,003

Operating Budget $50.3 million

Andrew Gengos / C hair, Finance Committee Education for K-12 students is beginning a period of what could be fundamental change. The novel use of technology, increasing competition for students, and experimentation in the classroom guided by an improving understanding for how children learn are a few of the many forces at work driving innovation and change. It is an exciting time and Viewpoint’s faculty and administration are embracing the change under foot and engaging in the challenges it brings. There are plenty of uncertainties to navigate as we travel this path. However, it is clear that having a strong financial underpinning will provide Viewpoint with maximum flexibility to engage, invest, and lead the way. Over the last decade, we have seen substantial increases in the cost of delivering a technology-enriched, high-quality education at all levels. To maintain and improve our educational program and experience, Viewpoint has relied on moderated tuition increases and the continued and enormous generosity of our donor community. Tuition alone does not cover our costs, and we are grateful that our community – our teachers and administrators, our parents and grandparents, our alumni, and our friends – have made Viewpoint a priority in their philanthropy. For example, in last year’s Annual Fund, we achieved 97% parent participation in the Primary and Lower Schools. That’s record breaking!

V I E W P O I N T

S C H O O L

$2,211,706

Capital $2,536,995

Restricted $84,297

Endowment $107,669

Annual Fund

Shelly Sumpter Gillyard / Chair, Advancement Committee We do not take tuition increases or the generosity of our community for granted. Yes – we depend on both, but we manage Viewpoint’s finances prudently. Over the past few years, we have consciously slowed tuition growth, have continued to operate efficiently, and have added to important reserves through generation of modest surpluses. The 2016-17 academic year was another example of sound financial management led by our CFO, Lissa Sholty, and Head of School, Mark McKee. As I finish my tenure as Finance Committee Chair and welcome Rob Webster back to the role for a second term, I am confident that Viewpoint is financially positioned to thrive in our next chapter. Change is coming, and we are ready to lead.

Andrew Gengos Chair, Finance Committee

*Unaudited data for July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017

The act of giving is something that we can all feel good about! Our gifts of time, talent, and treasure to Viewpoint have an immediate and significant impact on the lives of our students and unite us as a community. These collective contributions fuel the Viewpoint experience, enriching the opportunities for our students to thrive and succeed. I marvel as my children Chase, Chandler, and Ryan explore, create, problem-solve, and gain confidence and life skills as they move from one Viewpoint division to the next. Ryan developed a passion for design that was fostered in the Innovation Space. Soon she will take full advantage of the newly developed TEAM Design and Invent class – a poignant example of the many ways Viewpoint School invests in the latest pedagogy and technology to inspire and nurture the individuality of each child. As I reflect on my final year as Advancement Chair of Viewpoint’s Board of Trustees, I wish to thank each of our parents, trustees, alumni, employees, and supporters whose generosity helps make the excellence happen for our children. Your level of engagement not only affirms the value you place on our students’ education, but also enables Viewpoint to continue to invest in forward-looking, innovative teaching practices. I thank you for your inspired giving, not only as a trustee, but also as a parent of three students who love coming to school each day!

Thank you for helping to continue our legacy of excellence in the 201617 academic year. Together, we raised more than $2 million through the Annual Fund; we supported Viewpoint’s employees who showed their appreciation with 100% participation in the Annual Fund; and we exceeded our fundraising goal from our amazing Benefit Gala − Lights, Camera, Auction! − raising over $600,000, including $150,000 from our Fund-aNeed paddle raise for educational technology and innovative teaching. And, we strengthened our enduring community, inviting our alumni and parents of alumni back to campus, while providing many opportunities for our community to engage and celebrate together. I hope that you enjoy the pages that follow, highlighting our successes and the many ways our dedicated corps of parent and community volunteers contributed to our success. Thank you for making an impact on each and every one of our students with your generosity.

Shelly Sumpter Gillyard Chair, Advancement Committee

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VSSA REPORT

“ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

– MARGARET MEAD

VSSA Co-Presidents, Allison Nelson and Nicole Mazzolini

Viewpoint School offers our children the best possible education in a nurturing environment, in the hands of the School’s amazing community of dedicated professionals. As parents, we are also fortunate to be a vital part of the School’s community through the Viewpoint School Service Association (VSSA). This welcoming group is comprised of many dedicated and talented parent volunteers who willingly and eagerly join together to “give back” to the School and enhance the overall experience of the students, faculty, staff, and families by creating many “fun raising” activities. The 2016-17 school year afforded the VSSA many opportunities to expand our community-building efforts with the ultimate goal of making every family feel welcome and connected at Viewpoint. During the summer, the VSSA welcomed new families to Viewpoint’s thriving community through our Host Family program and Summer Welcome Barbeques. The annual VSSA Back-to-School Coffee kicked off the “Back-to-School” season during the first week of school. As the year continued, we provided volunteer support to all divisions of the School. Room Parents and Divisional Representatives facilitated communications between the faculty and parents, keeping them informed of the myriad events and activities happening daily on our busy campus. In the fall, our annual Homecoming game was a wonderful K-12 event that builds community, and gives students and parents a chance to come together to cheer on our Football Team. For Primary and Lower School families, Great Pumpkin Day is a most loved tradition of spooky fun and wonderful memories. BookFair, the Fall Luncheon and Shopping Boutique, and the VSSA “Giving Back” Spring Luncheon are also great events that are perfect for meeting new parents, as well as supporting the School.

V I E W P O I N T

S C H O O L

The VSSA shows our thanks for our outstanding teachers, administration, and the entire support staff throughout the year by providing monthly Employee Appreciation Breakfasts, and the end-ofthe-year Appreciation Luncheons. Through these small gestures, we hope that the entire Viewpoint staff knows how greatly we appreciate all that they do for our children. It has been a pleasure working with the hundreds of hardworking, dedicated, and committed parent volunteers who worked together as the VSSA to create so many amazing events and memories for Viewpoint’s students and families alike. We should all be proud of being part of a community that nurtures not only our children, but each other as well. Warmly,

2016-17 VSSA EXECUTIVE BOARD

2016-17 VSSA OFFICERS

Co-Presidents Primary and Lower School: Allison Nelson

Book Fair Michelle Mishan

Middle and Upper School: Nicole Mazzolini Vice Presidents Primary and Lower School: Lisa Austin Marcia Balbín Secretary Natalie Chesed Treasurer Kerry Latour Hospitality Jessie Wolfson Tina Wynn

Allison Nelson Co-President Primary and Lower School

Nicole Mazzolini Co-President Middle and Upper School

Athletic Spirit Laura Schare Divisional Representatives Primary School: Debbie Kramar Lower School: Kristi Davidson Cornelia Taylor Middle School: Lauren Buatti Brooke Weiss Upper School: Cachi Baier Margarita Wazana

Class Representatives: Middle and Upper School: Grade 6: Mia Boudreau Grade 7: Tiffany Weitzman Grade 8: Farnaz Fardad-Finn Grade 9: Micki Jacobs Grade 10: Christina DeRonde Grade 11: Julie Solursh Grade 12: Beth Bair Dance Committee Middle School: Catalina Fillipakis Upper School: Marcia Balbín Prom: Karen Wager-Zadeh Drama Support Middle School: Bonnie Stoilkovich Upper School: Claudia Friedman

Holiday Greens Nancy Alpert Kim Helfand

Social Chairs Jessie Wolfson Tina Wynn

Homecoming Kathryn Carlsen Leslie Frost

Special Events Primary and Lower School: Nora Rohan Brooke Vimtrump

Lost and Found Primary School: Stephanie Hertzman Lower School: Andrea Sax

Sports Sports Representative Coordinator Grade Six - Eight: Renée Vogel

Middle School: Andrea Lux

Sports Team Parents: Grade Four Girls: Alison Corneau

Upper School: Sue Gibbs

Grade Four Boys: Andrea Ponti

Lunch Service Primary and Lower School: Jen Charness Lauren Donkar

Grade Five Girls: Sasha Tarnopolsky

Magazine Drive Mary Rodriquez Music Support Renee Vogel

Great Pumpkin Day Patricia Friberg Kim Helfand

Parent Education Yara Diab Lauren Campbell Susan Kresnicka Julie Williams

Primary and Lower School Window Painting: Rachel Goddard Kim Helfand

Parent Partnership for Diversity and Inclusivity (PPDI) Committee Presidents: Shelley Robertson White

Great Pumpkin Day Shirts: Daphne Etcheverry Rick Requena

Senior Events Lauren Buatti

ADOPT-A-MAGAZINE The following donors purchased magazines for classrooms through the VSSA’s annual Magazine Drive. Mr. Kelly & Mrs. Lisa Austin Ms. Rachael Blanda Mr. XiaoBing Cheng & Mrs. Min Tang Mr. Steven Gong & Ms. Mandy Lou Ms. Peggy Jones & Ms. Parise Livanos Mr. Gold & Ms. Michelle Lee Mr. Richard & Mrs. Dru Margolis Mr. Jay & Mrs. Erica McGraw Mr. Clinton & Mrs. Kelly Rockwell Mr. Antonio & Mrs. Mary Rodriquez Mr. Jeffrey &Mrs. Lorraine Staab Dr. Cameron & Mrs. Tara Torabi Mrs. Elena Vassinkevitch

Grade Five Boys: Shana Glassman Grade Six Girls: Lisa Stutman Grade Six Boys: Kate White Grade Seven Girls: Beth Bair Grade Seven Boys: Wendy Klier Grade Eight Girls: Renée Vogel Grade Eight Boys: Lori Gunasekera Used Uniforms Jennifer Lisenby

AN N UAL

R E PO RT

2 016 - 17

WAYS T O G I V E

Every gift to Viewpoint is vital to the advancement of the School and to our efforts to enhance an excellent curriculum. Listed below are options you may consider when making your gift.

CASH

PLANNED GIFTS

Gifts may be made by cash, check, or credit card.

Donors may consider giving through such means as life insurance, bequests, or charitable trusts. Gift planning can be a way to reduce or avoid estate and inheritance taxes. We encourage you to speak with your financial planner when considering any type of planned gift.

STOCKS OR SECURITIES A gift of appreciated stock generally offers a two-fold tax saving: avoiding capital gains tax on the increase in value of the stock and providing an income tax deduction for the full market value of the stock at the time of the gift.

MATCHING CORPORATE GIFTS Many employers will match employees’ donations. This opportunity presents an additional source of income for Viewpoint School and an easy way to leverage your gift into a larger donation. Please check this informative website to see if your employer matches charitable gifts at www.viewpoint.org/giving/matchinggifts

Items may be donated to Viewpoint, such as computers, software, professional services, and athletic equipment, which provide operational savings and meet the specific needs of Viewpoint School. The School does not assign a dollar value to gifts-in-kind.

VIEWPOINT SCHOOL 23620 Mulholland Highway Calabasas, CA 91302 818-591-4191 phone 818-591-4473 fax www.viewpoint.org

V I E W P O I N T

For more information, please contact: Amy Maentz 818-591-4474 amaentz@viewpoint.org

For the second straight year, Viewpoint School’s Annual Report received national recognition and the Bronze Award in the CASE Circle of Excellence Award Program 2017 for Annual Reports.

ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Jodi L. Schapiro Chief Advancement Officer 2016-17 Trudy Baylock Advancement Coordinator 2017-18 Amy H. Maentz Director of Strategic Partnerships Denise A. McAdoo Director of the Viewpoint Fund Mary Rodriquez Director of Advancement Services

GIFTS-IN-KIND

The School is pleased to provide you, your attorney, accountant, or tax advisor with additional information and assistance. Keep in mind that this information is general in nature. Always contact your professional tax advisor to learn how this general information relates to your individual circumstances. We are most grateful for your philanthropic support.

Inspiring Individuality / Viewpoint School Annual Report 2015 -16

Patrick Skahan Director of Alumni Relations 2016-17; Assistant Football Coach Jennifer Townes Associate Director of Research and Special Events Candace R. Wallace Associate Director of Advancement

The Annual Report of Viewpoint School is published once a year to provide a summary of the year’s fund raising efforts and to recognize gifts received in the fiscal year July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. For the purpose of this Report, donors may be listed in more than one constituency group. The Advancement Office has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information. If, however, an error or omission has been made, please accept our apologies and notify Candace Wallace at cwallace@viewpoint.org.

S C H O O L

Daylilies, Hemerocallis, in Viewpoint’s ECOLET

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAI D CLAREMONT, CA PERMIT # 77

23620 Mulholland Highway Calabasas, CA 91302-2060 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Is this your preferred address? If you did not receive this magazine at your current address (or parents of alumni, if your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent residence at your home), please notify the Advancement Office (trudy.baylock@viewpoint.org or 818-591-4191) to update our records. Thank you for helping us to keep our addresses current.

Kate Iacoiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fourth Grade Class