Spring Newsletter 2021 Excerpts from... A Message from the Head of School When I reflect upon the tremendous work the Wesley faculty and staff have accomplished this year, I am inspired and proud.
Middle School News I firmly believe that, in the midst of adversity, wonders often emerge, worthwhile lessons are learned, and we can evolve in positive ways, individually and collectively.
SPRING NEWSLETTER 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from the Head of School
Page 3
Lower School News
Page 4
Middle School News
Page 7
CODI Corner
Page 9
Student Council Spotlight
Page 12
Parents' Association Update
Page 14
Board of Trustees News
Page 16
Coach's Corner
Page 17
Development Office Update
Page 18
Admissions News
Page 20
Communications Update
Page 21
Campus Kudos
Page 22
Wesley Graduates: Where Are They Headed?
Page 25
Middle School Electives Showcase
Page 26
3 Dear Wesley Community, Whew! What a year! I’m sure I’m not the only one who is extremely grateful that June has arrived, the virus is in retreat, and we are heading into a summer that can once again include activities that bring us together in person. I have spoken with a number of educators for whom the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years just ran together. We ended the former at home, and we spent most of the latter at home as well. Many of the traditional rites of passage graduations, summer vacations, fall festivals, holiday get-togethers - were eliminated or conducted via Zoom from our homes. I find myself, therefore, emerging this June feeling like I have survived a two-year school year, and I suspect some students, teachers, and parents may feel the same way. However, when I reflect upon the tremendous work the Wesley faculty and staff have accomplished this year, I am inspired and proud. The efforts of our PA Co-Presidents and the parent volunteers have been no less heroic. Through the truly sacrificial efforts of these groups, the students have learned and grown, and the Wesley community remains as vibrant and committed as ever. Our enrollment numbers are strong for next year and new inquiries are still keeping the Admissions Office busy. We laughed and guessed our way through our virtual Game on Gala, raising almost $80,000 for the Wesley Commons project to refurbish and uplift our community spaces. And the Class of 2021 will soon be headed off to an outstanding array of secondary schools. By all external accounts, the year has been a raving success. And yet, there is no escaping the fact that these herculean efforts came at a cost. Students, parents, teachers, and staff members are finishing a multi-month marathon that has left many of us exhausted and depleted. The warm days are a welcome reminder that summer is near at hand and this year, unlike last summer, we can enjoy a slower pace and some rest. We have already formed plans for next school year and will continue to refine those over the next few months. We will be ready to welcome students and families back in September with renewed energy and vision. I am grateful to all within the extended Wesley family who continue to support and encourage our school and who have extended grace and kind words to me in my first year. I appreciate the partnerships with the Board, with the church, with the brilliant Wesley faculty and staff, and with all of our families. We are still #WesleyStrong. Stay safe and connected over the summer, and we’ll see you in the fall! Julie Galles Head of School
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"Remember When?" Chris Thinnes, Head of Lower School At this time last year, most of us were really just waiting for “it” to be over: surely the sudden rupture of distance learning to the fabric of our community would soon be over, and things would be back to ‘normal’ by the fall of 2020. A year ago, many of us adults had whispered conversations with each other, in which we confessed our fears about the damaging impacts remote learning last spring might have had not only on the children’s academic progress, but particularly on their social and emotional welfare. If anyone had told us then that we’d spend nearly a full year under essentially the same conditions -- punctuated eventually by a partial return in late fall, only to resort back to distance learning in the winter -- I think we would have been dumbfounded and might have despaired.
Nevertheless, we focused instead--willfully, sometimes--on the strength and resilience of the children and our solidarity as adults. We cultivated our belief in the children, and their own belief in themselves, at home and at school. Even in the online learning environment, we developed connections with students that surprised us and helped us to learn more about them; facilitated projects and activities that have made extraordinary impacts on them; made discoveries about the students’ resilience, persistence, and capacity that have inspired us; and enjoyed countless moments that helped us to glean insights about teaching, learning, and children that--ironically, perhaps--we might not have learned in the context of “regular” school.
Lower School News Cont.
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A 2nd grade teacher told me last spring, marveling at the complexity of a spring student project at the time, “what I have seen my students do, and how they've learned to navigate this format, has been inspiring to us all.” Following her students’ engagement with outside speakers on hunger and the food industry, a 5th grade teacher reported, “I am taken aback by their maturity and high level of self-awareness… Each student has stepped up to the plate in a profound way to bring our lessons in social justice to life and inspire action in all kinds of ways.” As the Kindergarten team put it at the time, astonished at that juncture by their students’ facility with technological tools, “our kids inspire us every day because of how much growth they have continued to show during this less than ideal time.” Yet despite the pride and belief in students that all teachers expressed last spring, there was a quiet sentiment many of us harbored at that time: a deep-seated longing to return to more familiar dynamics of teaching and learning on campus, face-to-face, and in community. To return to school as we knew it. As Lee Siwek, our Director of Student Support Services and K-2 Learning Specialist said at the time:
Oh, how I miss seeing the students every day. Being there to laugh with them and help pick up the pieces in tricky moments. Their smiles, hugs, wisdom, and even tears… Through it all, they have continued to show up and give their all, even when they have nothing left because they wish they could just go to school already…I cannot wait to look back one day and say, "Remember when…?” And that was well before the public health catastrophe became worse still. And before the nation’s reckoning with race had risen to an even higher energy. This was before the election and the insurrection. We had this deepseated longing in our hearts last spring, well before several more months of ‘school’ in challenging conditions tested all of us further still. I’m not sure we could have imagined the reserves of resilience, grace, patience, and determination on which all of us -- particularly the children -- needed to draw in the year that followed.
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Lower School News Cont.
And now we find ourselves here and now: the overwhelming majority of students back on campus every day for weeks now, a vaccine radically improving public health stats and our safety in the broader community, restrictions gradually lifted as we’ve moved from tier to tier, and a sense of relative calm, ease, and -- dare I say it -- predictability and consistency from day to day. Right on time for the most generative, inspiring, and productive time of any school year, the stars aligned and we made our way -- confidently but with due caution -- from where we were to where we find ourselves. Despite unprecedented crises in our world in the last year -- in public health, finance, politics, and the social order, to say nothing of our inner lives -- we nevertheless soldiered on as parents/guardians and as educators to support the needs and goals of the children. So many relationships were cultivated. So many new routines mastered. So many new skills and concepts introduced. And in these final weeks of school on campus, the students have had the opportunity to leverage all of this to catalyze and consolidate their learning in a frenzy of creative and collaborative activity inside and outside the classroom. As you could probably tell from your children’s teachers during our recent parent-teacher conferences, it is as much a joy for us as for you to contemplate the incredible trajectory of your children’s growth throughout this period, and to celebrate their efforts, goals, and growth. Testifying is perhaps the best thing we can do to acknowledge and to affirm the miracle of our community’s success in light of the surprise, ambiguity, vulnerability, alarm, and change we have all somehow navigated successfully. Thus, I invite you to participate in this reflective exercise with me. If you had to guess twelve months ago whether your children would hold up so well after a year like this, what would you have said? What did this year teach you about your children’s stamina, persistence, and resilience in the face of unsustainable ambiguities, unpredictable circumstances, and arguably impossible odds? As I have suggested before, it is important for all of us to identify what we’ve learned about the children this year -- about what, how, and why they learn -- if we’re meant as educators and as parents really to bridge the so-called ‘gap’ between this year and the future of your children’s learning. As we turn our eyes to planning for next year and beyond, let’s remember that the purpose of school isn’t simply to fill children’s pails with more sand, but to kindle the spark we see in their eyes. To do that we need to focus as much on the demonstrable strengths, joys, and talents we can leverage -- and the truths children have revealed to us about themselves, sometimes borne of struggle -- at least as much as to harp on their so-called “learning loss” in a small subset of academic domains that’s actually quite simple to fix. With that, I invite you to share something you have learned this past year about children’s strengths, talents, joys, and/or learning, whether at home or at school. Maybe you’re a parent who’s learned something about parenting from your child; maybe you’re a teacher who’s learned something about teaching from your class. Please just click here to access a simple form to share what children have taught you and what you have learned. We’d love to learn from what you have learned about the children.
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Joey Campanella, Head of Middle School To say that this school year has been the most unique and challenging in my decades of experience would be an understatement, and I acknowledge and appreciate all of the superlative effort, support, communication, and compromise that we have had to employ in arriving together to the end. From shifting on extremely short notice to distance learning last March, beginning school in September through remote learning, and then, after months, finally phasing grade levels back onto campus, it has truly been a rollercoaster ride. All of us–students, teachers, parents, and administrators–have experienced both significant successes and challenges as we have navigated these changes and restrictions. We have had to change and adjust at school and at home, and somehow together we have worked collectively and collaboratively to provide the best possible school experience for our students. The middle school faculty’s goal has always been to serve our students in their academic, social, and emotional development, and, needless to say, transferring this commitment to distance learning and then to hybrid learning and finally back to on-campus school has presented some significant learning curves, new set of challenges, and the necessity of being more adaptable and flexible than ever before. As we approach the end of this most unusual and difficult school year, I continue to marvel at our teachers’ tireless devotion, flexibility, adaptability, and passion as they have adjusted and refined their curricula and pedagogical practice to engage, support, and challenge their students. You, as parents, more than ever have also been thrust into the role of facilitators at home for your children’s education, and the teachers and I remain deeply grateful for your communication and the support you’ve provided for your children and the school. The challenges of the past 15 months have profoundly impacted all of us, and from a professional perspective, the teachers and I have learned so much that will serve to inform our future practice as educators. I firmly believe that, in the midst of adversity, wonders often emerge, worthwhile lessons are learned, and we can evolve in positive ways, individually and collectively. With this in mind, teachers have shared observations and experiences with the students from the 2020-2021 school year that have surprised and even inspired them and that reflect the students’ remarkable determination, resilience, and talent. Following are reflections from some of the middle school teachers…
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"I have admired the students’ endurance in their transition to distance learning and finally returning to campus. Despite technical difficulties and the challenges that come along with the students’ developing time management skills and learning routines, other students were always ready to offer support and help out their peers with regards to completing middle school academic requirements successfully. As an educator, this challenging school year has validated my commitment to never stop learning to keep up with the changing ways we support our students." – Jenny Soriano "I have been very impressed by the daily positivity so many students continually brought to the Zoom classroom in distance learning and now in on campus classrooms. While the challenges of this year have been many, I’ve enjoyed watching the more tech-savvy students eager to help those of us who are not as well-versed with technology." – Laurel Silver
Middle School News Cont. Overall, the style of teaching through distance learning was incredibly challenging, but I’m grateful for the opportunities to add new resources to my pedagogical tool belt, many of which have made teaching and learning more engaging for myself and my students. It is wonderful to be back in the classroom with the students, but I know I’ll carry these tools for differentiation with me for years to come." – Laura Claus "Of course, this has not been an easy time for any of us, especially the 8th graders who have missed some of the best parts of the culmination of their Wesley experience. But despite that, I’m very proud of several individuals who rose above the difficult times (and timing) of the situation by upping their game and leading in class. Instead of caving in to despair as they could have, these individuals brought the rest of the class up and became leaders - when the going got tough, they got tougher. They taught me that sometimes in difficult situations, or even in ones that are less than ideal, we can still learn and be enthusiastic about our education. We can learn from every situation, especially difficult ones." – Andy Campanella
"I have been surprised at seeing some students absolutely flourish in the unique and evolving learning environments of this school year. While many have struggled, some students have found an increased sense of confidence and creativity in the ability to work with new technologies. I’ve also found excitement and curiosity as an educator. These are only a few of the reflections of this school year, and despite the myriad challenges we have all faced, particularly our students, we should feel pride in our collective efforts to endure and learn from the range of adversity that has become a part of our lives. I remain humbled to be part of a community that, through reciprocal support, patience, and grace, found creative and original ways to stay connected, adapt to unpredictable circumstances, and become even stronger. We are Wesley strong together!
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Trisha Singletary, Coordinator of Diversity & Inclusivity/K-8 Art
As the school year comes to an end, it is wonderful to reflect on all the creative ways in which we were able to stay connected during an unprecedented year. I am grateful for the great discussions we have had, opportunities for learning, the collaboration, and joy. Wesley Connection groups met throughout the year. They continue to empower the people involved as they provide space for resources to be shared, communication between people with similar experiences across grade levels, and opportunities for people to support others in our community. Current groups include: African American/Black Families, LGBTQ+ Families, Families with Learning Differences, 50 Plus Families, Single Parent Families, Latin X Families, Asian/Pacific Islander Families, Only Child Families, and New Families. If interested in learning more or creating a group that does not exist yet, reach out to the CODI chairs at codi@wesleyschool.org. Staff members were able to take part in four dialogues around identity as it relates to race this year. In my 19 years of teaching at Wesley, this has been the first time we have spent a truly substantial amount of time on this important subject. As we continue to open ourselves up to learn and grow, we will be that much better for the children in our lives. It is part of our mission, as a school, to provide an education that is fueled by social justice work. I am truly grateful for my co-organizers Chris Thinnes and Olivia Brown, as well as the teachers that have provided facilitation for these important dialogues. I am thankful to Julie Galles for providing time in the calendar for the dialogues to happen. The new DEI Task Force made up of Traci Allen, Olivia Brown, Kristen Brown, Barbara Goelman, Rachel Mottaz, Chris Thinnes, and myself, will make sure that this important work continues next year as well as educational programming for students. S.E.E.D. Seminar members were able to meet throughout the year on Zoom. Olivia Brown and I truly appreciate the faculty we are able to have monthly dialogues with on the subject of identity, diversity, and equity. We had some great discussions and personal shares. I look forward to building on all that we have learned as Olivia and I plan seminars for next year. We ended with a celebratory get together on June 5th. Parent enrichment around DEI learning is always on the agenda in CODI - whether sharing information about an event like the webinar of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi event at Oakwood (Voices Envisioned in 2020– 2021 | Oakwood Stories), a speaker event through SoCal POCIS, or planning a speaker event for our Wesley community. This year we had a very educational talk led by Ken Facey on the history of Systemic Racism in America on April 29th. The combination of historical facts, personal stories, and engagement with the topic, made for a very rewarding evening. Many of us learned new information that we did not know previously. It is wonderful when you leave an event like that with “aha” moments that ignite a desire to learn more.
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CODI Corner Cont.
The CODI Cooking Series began in December with The Meyer Family teaching the community how to make tamales and ended on April 27th with The Lim Family teaching us how to make Asian American/Pacific Islander Musubi. Each month members of our Wesley community had the opportunity to learn how to cook a dish from another culture by a Wesley family. It allowed for a fun way to learn, great community building with new families, lots of laughter, and very tasty dinners to enjoy. I want to thank the Cooking Series Committee Chair: Janett Meyer and members: Daphne McVay, Rosemary Alcantar, Thordis Howard, and Naomi Thume, P.A. Chairs: Marissa Seeman & Jenny Hollier, and Lindsey Drasin for all their help in making this series so amazing. Also, special thanks to the families that gave us some of their time, sharing knowledge about their heritage and food. The families included: Thursday, December 17 at 6pm: Mexican Tamales (hosted by The Meyer Family) Thursday, January 28 at 6pm: Jamaican Stewed Peas (hosted by The Pinnock Family) Thursday, February 25 at 6pm: Indian Tikka Masala (hosted by The Larson Family Thursday, March 25 at 6pm: Italian-Inspired (hosted by The Godi/Buckley Family) Tuesday, April 27 at 6:30pm: Asian/Pacific Islander-Inspired (hosted by The Lim Family) If you are interested in teaching a cooking class in the next school year please contact codi@wesleyschool.org. Our final event was The Annual Multicultural Potluck. We planned a fun evening June 3rd at 6pm on Zoom, filled with video shares from children and adults in our community related to culture or identity, an opportunity to chat in smaller groups in break out rooms, and amazing student performances led by Mary McGregor. This year nobody had to cook anything because we did something different in light of our current situation: a “potluck in a box.” The box included tasty foods from around the world. Special thanks to our Multicultural Potluck Chair, Rosemary Alcantar, and potluck committee members: Janett Meyer, Thordis Howard, Trisha Singletary, and Lindsey Drasin. Thank you to Sarah Francis, who created the amazing videos for the event. You can still check out our Musical Performance Video and our Identity Exploration Video.
CODI Corner Cont.
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On a personal note, for those that may not know, I am stepping down from the Coordinator position. It has been my great pleasure to contribute to DEI growth within the school. While I will not be a coordinator, I will still be doing some of the work to support the school’s mission through participation on the DEI Task Force and co-facilitation of S.E.E.D. Seminar. I am delighted to pass the torch to my friend and colleague, Traci Allen. Traci teaches our Kindergarteners an incredible social justice program every week, she is on the DEI Task Force, and a member of S.E.E.D. Seminar. Traci has a MA degree in Advocacy and Social Justice with an Education emphasis. I am excited about the knowledge and the new energy she will bring. I want to thank the CODI chairs, Melanie Elliott and Bertha Muñoz for their friendship and support over the years. While I will still be involved with CODI, I just want to also say a big thank you to all the members. I appreciate you all very much. Best wishes for a great summer vacation! My very best, Trisha Singletary
Join the CODI Committee The CODI Committee is a Board committee comprised of parents, teachers, staff, administrators, student reps, and Board members. By being a part of our Wesley Community, you are automatically a member of CODI and are welcome to join the Committee officially by signing up HERE! The CODI Committee conducts surveys, helps market guest speaker events, participates in panel discussions, and hosts the annual spring Multicultural Potluck Dinner. All are welcome!
12 From the desk of Madisyn Grant, Student Council President On behalf of myself and the entire student council, we would like to thank all Wesley students and families for your participation in making our incredible Wesley School shine again this year! We know it was a tough year for everyone, but the Wesley spirit was evident in each one of you and the hard work and courage you showed throughout the year! Student council worked very hard this year to keep us all connected, and they sacrificed a lot of time to create programs and presentations for our Wesley community. We couldn’t have done it without our representatives and all of our officers and ambassadors. We have had so many accomplishments and milestones!! Here are some of the highlights: The student council created and led five successful Community presentations this year. A special thank you goes to our special project ambassadors. First, Henry Koplan, our Kindness ambassador, fulfilled his campaign promise and created the Kindness board in honor of Mr. Ernie. The Kindness board will remain a staple in the future of Wesley where all students can post their good wishes and thoughts during the school year. Ralston Turcotte, our North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry ambassador, spearheaded the collection of canned goods and other foods to feed our neighbors who are food insecure. At our Halloween drive through parade last fall, we collected cans for the NoHo food pantry. It was a huge success, and we helped to feed so many families this year! Ralston also hosted two “Bake for Better” events this year. Thank you to Ralston and to everyone in our community who provided yummy treats for the hungry! Olivia Lim and Henry Risley, our CODI ambassadors, attended CODI meetings during the year, and helped create and present the CODI student council community along with video presentations of what makes each of us unique presented by many of our student council, and some of you too. This was a huge success.
Student Council Spotlight Cont. Next, we had a whole week of spectacular earth week events thanks to our Environmental ambassador, Bella Thompson, and all her hard work!! Bella’s presentation on recycling and sustainable goods was a great reminder for all of us about how we too can help keep our environment healthy. Lastly, we ended the year with a presentation by our American Cancer Society Relay for Life team captain, Henry Mottaz. Henry told us of the background of Relay for Life, and spearheaded the “Among Us” game nights fundraiser. As a reminder, please watch your email for information over the summer about how to sign up for Relay for Life which will take place in September, and let’s join as a community to help end cancer! As you can see we had many accomplishments that we are very proud of and it took every member of our student council, including our class representatives, to pull it off! Student council did an amazing job! This year has been a rough and tough year, and even though it was sometimes hard to come up with ideas via zoom and difficult working together virtually, we persevered and were determined to do it and we did!! Thank you to our Vice President Nikos Berchtold-Karakasidis, our Treasurer Olivia Lim, and our Spirit Leader Jordan Canepa. A big shout out to our class representatives, Roshen Tharani, Halle Jensen, Paige Fairweather, Dakota Risley, Brooklyn Shields, and Jack Hollier for all of their help with the community performances. Lastly, a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Martson and Ms. Anderson for their guidance and for being our student council advisors! We couldn’t have done it without you!!
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14 Jenny Hollier & Marissa Seeman, PA Co-Chairs Well, we did it! We have made it through one of the most unique, challenging, and downright craziest of school years. And we couldn’t have survived it without the amazing Wesley families! Thankfully the last part of this school year, we were finally able to welcome back the kids on campus, which meant our Parents’ Association could start holding hybrid events and we could begin to feel like we were slowly inching back to normal; better late than never, right?! Coming back from Spring Break, we wrapped up our joint venture with CODI and held our last Cooking Series of the year. Families gathered around their computers donning leis, and adults sipped sake, while we learned not only how to cook meals from the Asian Pacific Region, but heard stories and learned cultural traditions of the area. Thank you to the Lim Family (Olivia, 6th and William, 1st) for guiding us through this culinary adventure. To steal a line from our First Graders ....“2-4-6-8 Wesley Employees are Really Great!” The first week of May, we were able to celebrate everyone who works at Wesley! The week started with a morning Community dedicated solely to our amazing faculty and staff, with a slide show that left some teary eyes in the house. Then, every day following, there were different surprises -- some consisting of treats and some where individuals could partake in a few moments of relaxation and be pampered. The week ended with lunch and perhaps a cocktail (or two) that could be enjoyed at home or socially distanced on the field (the food not the cocktails!). A big shout out to Sam Thompson (Avery, 5th and Amelia & Grace, 2nd) and Heidi Lieberman (Ben, 4th) who chaired the event.
And most importantly, all families were welcomed back on campus for the first time in over a year!! They were able to catch up (yay not over Zoom), do some art, grab yummy goodies, and then head home to watch their favorite students show off Now, we can’t forget about our most popular their wide array of talents. Thank you to the entire event of the year - the Wesley Palooza! Kids had Stewart Family (Sylvester, 4th) and Lindsey Drasin the chance to showcase their talents in a Hybrid for planning this rocking event. version of this beloved event that was held on May 15th.
Parents' Association Update Cont.
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All year long, The Turcotte Family (Ralston, 7th) has been the liaison with the Interfaith Food Pantry. They have been organizing middle school students to make sacked lunches monthly for those in need. For the months of April and May, 3rd-5th grade families took over the responsibilities and over 100 lunches were made and delivered to the pantry. Thank you to all who helped out and volunteered your time! Wrapping up the year, we decided the adults could use a little night out, well night in if we are being technical. Working closely with Development, on May 22nd, we held our first ever Virtual Gala….Game on Gala, and not to toot our own horn, but it was a success!! Groups of teams gathered together and competed in four rounds of competitive trivia. But what really stood out, besides knowing what TV show Megan Markle was in before she became a princess, was even though we weren’t physically together, the community found a way to have a little fun while uniting in support of bettering our school. We raised almost $80,000 for the reimagined sports court, the newly named Wesley Commons. There will be new flooring, basketball hoops, handball courts, and the most touching - a memorial dedicated to our beloved Mr. Ernie. And finally, this brings us to the last day of school. Our out of this world room parents have planned grade-level specific events for each grade to partake in on the last day of school to really end this year off with a bang. Some classes will have dance parties, others a magician or a clown might make an appearance, or just a good ol’ fashion water balloon fight might be the perfect send off to summer vacation. This year was all about pivoting for the Parents’ Association and we can not thank you enough for supporting us and going along with us on this ride. We want to acknowledge all the chairs of committees and volunteers, who did not know what to expect, but jumped in without hesitation. We could not have pulled any of this off without them and the tireless support of admin’s, Lindsey Drasin. Over the summer information about the new PA structure will be sent out along with the opportunity to join! We look forward to what the 2021-22 school year will bring and hopefully, there will be a little less Zoom and a lot more hugs in our future!
16 Board Communications Group
The end of the school year has always been a time of transition: congratulating our 8th grade graduates as they move on to high school, our rising 6th graders preparing for their middle school adventure, and opening our hearts to the smiling, sometimes shy, preschoolers at our rising community, who walk down the aisle of the sanctuary and take their place as our new Kindergarten class. The Board of Trustees has its own ritual of transition as members finish their terms of service and appointed Officers retire. This year we give heartfelt thanks to our retiring board members, Nicole DeLeon (current 8th grade parent), Marcus Grant (current 8th grade parent), Noreen Halpern (current 7th grade parent), Lisa Katz (current 4th grade parent), and Alain Yotnegparian (alumni parent). These parent volunteers have donated their time and energy to think about the present and future well-being of The Wesley School, (one for 9 years!), and we have been proud to have them on this hard-working team. The Committee on Trustees engaged in an in-depth search this year for candidates to nominate to the Board of Trustees. We look for areas of expertise, diversity, class representation, volunteerism and an ability to work well with others. The Board of Trustees is excited to welcome Jenny Hollier (current 4th and 7th grade parent), Thordis Howard (current Kindergarten parent), Mike Natividad (current 1st grade parent), Eddie O’Flaherty (current 4th and 7th grade parent) and Alan Waldman (current 2nd and 4th grade parent). We look forward to working with these talented individuals!
Scott will retire from the Executive committee and remain on the Board. We thank them for their tireless commitment and impactful contribution. We are all grateful for the thoughtful, steadfast leadership of our Chair, David Hookom, who guided our Board and our school through these uncertain times with thoughtful dedication. Through his direction, the Board has forever changed into a more effective, organized, empathetic governing body. David will retire as our Board Chair but remain on the Board of Trustees. A new Executive Committee will take shape and continue to guide the board forward to strategic long-term work. The following volunteers have been deeply involved on board committees, task forces and as committed Board members, in every aspect of governance. Please join us in welcoming them to these leadership roles: >Dave Monahan - Board Chair >Paolo Velasco - Vice Chair >Brendon Blincoe - Secretary >Alexandrea Young - Treasurer The Wesley Community has grown stronger through our shared experience this past year and our full return to school this Spring. The Board of Trustees, working with our skilled and constant Interim Head of School Julie Galles, has stretched our capacity for leadership as we have understood new ways education can be delivered as we dealt with the impact of the pandemic and contemplated how we might utilize all we have learned to make Wesley a more dynamic place for young minds to grow. We continue to express our gratitude to the Faculty and Administration who ignite this love of learning in our children and foster growth in every way.
The Board is led by appointed Officers who make up the Executive Committee. For the past three years this EC has shared an extraordinary partnership: David Hookom, Chair, Nicole DeLeon, Vice Chair, Scott Ault, Secretary, and Alexandrea Young, Treasurer. Alex will continue her exceptional work on Finance and remain the Treasurer. Nicole will retire The Board of Trustees wishes everyone good from the EC and from the Board. health and safety over the summer. We can’t wait to begin a new year in September together.
17 JoAnn Neil, Director of Athletics/Middle School PE Covid Schmovid. We would not, we could not, we did not let the pandemic get in the way of our need for speed - also fun in the sun, laughter with classmates, sweat on the brow, and the expending of energy after all these months keeping it in. Putting together this past intramural sports season was the opposite of thankless. It was pure joy, from the smiles on the faces of the student-athletes, to the triumph of having parents back on the sidelines. We started the season off in April with a fierce 6th grade vs. 7th grade volleyball game on the sport court. Fourth grade played 5th in soccer, then 5th played 7th on North Hollywood Park’s dusty, lumpy pitch, basketball tipped off with 7th grade, and the season had begun. Due to some Covid complications, we postponed 8th grade contests that first week but our “senior” athletes came back to campus with a bang and quickly fell into the rhythm of playing either classmates or younger students -for bragging rights, sure, but mainly for fun. Most of the competition worked, regardless of the difference in size and age. And yes, some of it was challenging, but everyone seemed to understand the objective: to get outside, hone some skills, compete to win, but not take anything too seriously. We’d all just come out of a year-long, hopefully once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, and it was time to reconnect. Sure there was mask wearing and expectations for physical distancing were on our minds but, once the genie had been let out of the bottle, it was hard to put the cap back in. We were determined to “get back to normal,” even if no one knew whether that was possible or even desirable. What we did know was that the children needed to play, and play they did. By the end of May, we finished up seven weeks of sports with a 6th grade kickball game against Valley Beth Shalom. Wesley won on the scoreboard, but it felt like a victory for all of us. We were at the park playing another school, dozens of students participated, and they could have played all afternoon. A lively 8th grade volleyball match two weeks ago, with a final point in the third set as exciting as any we’d seen thus far, was the perfect end to our imperfect spring season. There were popsicles to enjoy and a sense of relief. Life was heading in the right direction.
It is the league’s intention to be back to our regularly scheduled programming in the fall. Until then, let’s not waste the valuable lessons we’ve hopefully learned from being apart all of these months. Life is full when we connect. Joy comes from being involved with each other. Sports provides such an opportunity for all of us, but especially our children. I look forward to having them sign up in September. Details will be emailed in August. Until then, enjoy the summer. Wear sunscreen, drink plenty of water, and play. If given the chance, hug someone. They need it.
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Tammy Rodriguez, Director of Development Dyllan Fernandez, Development Associate On May 22nd, Wesley had its first entirely online fundraising event —the Game on Gala. When we first started planning back in January, we were just going to put together a trivia partybook. We had no idea what to expect. Would people want to come to our silly Zoom trivia event? Would it be better if we sold food? Since we’ll have people together, should we try to sell off some items that were donated for last year’s gala-that-never-was? If we’re going to auction those off should we look for some more items to make the auction more exciting? Can we use this opportunity to raise money for something the school really needs? And then, a couple planning meetings in… Are we planning a gala?! We decided the answer to that was a resounding “yes!” and leaned into it, putting together an evening to remember in record time. After a grueling couple of months, we had assembled some delicious food and drink vendors (Shappys Pretzels, Low Boy Bar, and Bar Flores), almost 100 silent auction and raffle items, and two amazing live auction items (Thanks Fulton Family and Gershon Family). All we needed was guests. We ended up with over 200 party people in attendance. Sure, we weren’t all wining, dining, and dancing together in an event hall but the atmosphere was no less electric. Between rounds of (surprisingly difficult) trivia, people hooted and hollered, caught up with their friends, and even trash talked a little. Some vaccinated families even gathered with their teams in person and had a mini party of their own. It brought the community together in so many more ways than we had dared hope. Not to mention that it raised almost $80,000 for Wesley! A huge Thank You to everyone who made this event possible: Julie Galles Lindsey Drasin Tammy Rodriguez Dyllan Fernandez Beth Fulton Jenny Hollier Marissa Seeman Lisa Lange Mariah Leavitt Larry Sullivan and Dave Monahan and King Trivia Sincerely, Tammy Rodriguez & Dyllan Fernandez If you would like to contribute to the 2020-21 Annual Fund, please click HERE or mail a check to Annual Fund • The Wesley School • 4832 Tujunga Ave. • North Hollywood, CA 91601
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What was the Gala raising money for you ask? It was raising money for a refresh of Wesley’s outdoor space. If you’ve been on campus lately—which, admittedly, considering the last year, you may not have—you’ve probably noticed that the outdoor space to the East (the part from the shade structure to the climbing wall) could use a refresh. The sport court flooring is old enough that it would have already graduated from Wesley if it were “born” when we installed it 14 years ago. And it’s starting to show its age. It is such an important space for our community, and this refresh will ensure it stays safe and fantastic into the future. Therefore, we are fundraising to refresh and rebrand this area "The Wesley Commons." Check out this short video to learn more about our most recent project:
We are so thankful for this amazing Wesley community and the generous donations to our Common Goal Fundraiser. If you still haven't had the chance to be a part of this amazing community effort, you can still make a gift by visiting the donation page by clicking HERE or by reaching out to Tammy Rodriguez, Director of Development, to make alternate arrangements.
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Verena Denove, Associate Head of School/Director of Admissions & Financial Aid
In a typical year, Admissions is 95% “done” by the end of April and 99% complete by the beginning of June with a possible late application here and there trickling in between now and the start of the new school year. We all know, however, that this has been anything but a typical year. We have had over a dozen applications come in during April and May and are currently working with another three to four families who have just inquired in the last couple of days about Wesley and whether or not we might still be able to accept a late application for their child. We are excited to share that enrollment will have recovered in this one year back to prepandemic levels and look forward to welcoming so many new families into the fold at Wesley! We know that our returning families will help us all in making the newest members of our community feel connected and comfortable. Happy almost Summer!!! Verena Denove and Lindsey Drasin
21 Sarah Francis, Communications Associate & Social Media Coordinator
As we come to the close of this school year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. We are grateful to the students for braving this unusual year, we are grateful to the parents for their continued support throughout this strange time, and we are grateful to the faculty and staff for making this year fun and engaging despite its challenges. With all of your help, we maintained a feeling of togetherness and kept our Wesley community intact. In the Communications Office, we have enjoyed planning, participating and documenting our virtual and in-person Spring events! The CODI Cooking Series was a blast, we hope to continue it next year, and the CODI Multicultural Potluck “in a Box” was also one for the books! We loved creating our interactive map of student performances for this year’s Hybrid Palooza, and seeing each grade-level together on campus for some fun activities and goodies! Game on Gala was another success, filled with laughter and, of course, trivia, and we were overjoyed to connect with you online for this year’s Wesley Strong-A-Thon. Our Instagram and Facebook accounts have highlighted these events, along with other on-campus classroom experiences, like the enlightening 2nd Grade Book Chats, the inspiring Kinder Protest, and the challenging Mythology Bee, to name a few! And the fun doesn’t stop in the summer! Though our socials may be a tiny bit quieter, be sure to follow us @TheWesleySchool for rad camp highlights and important announcements! Thank you all for your past, present, and future participation on our social media platforms. Without you, there would be no connection, no laughs, and no smiles. We look forward to remaining socially active and can’t wait for what the new calendar year will bring! Go Lions! Sarah Francis and Lindsey Drasin
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22 It's definitely been an interesting year for us all. Let's find out what some members of our faculty/staff have been up to during this unusual time!
From Verena Denove:
Mrs. Verena Denove is sooo excited to share with her Wesley family that her personal family is about to grow with the addition of her first grandchild due in just a couple of weeks! Her son and Wesley alum (class of '02), Tony Denove, and his wife Gina are expecting a little girl in mid-June. The entire family is already looking forward to meeting baby Lia! This photo was taken last October, when Tony and Gina came over to share the news with Mrs. Denove!
From Ivonne Arias: After much anticipation and two rescheduled dates, Ms. Arias will be getting married in August 2021! She is thrilled to begin this new chapter in her life with her soon-to-be husband, Jo!
Campus Kudos Cont. From Lindsey Drasin , LeLoni Bass & George Eleftheriades: We have three staff members with daughters starting Kindergarten at Wesley in the fall! Congratulations to Mrs. Bass' daughter Nadia, Mrs. Drasin's daughter Milly, and Mr. Eleftheriades' daughter Alison! We're so excited for them to join the Wesley student community, and your parents are so proud!
From Andrew Dinh: Mr. Dinh choreographed a dance back in September for the new Boss Baby movie, and the promotion for it was released a few weeks ago! Check it out on Instagram HERE!
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Campus Kudos Cont.
From Lee Siwek: Mr. and Mrs. Siwek welcomed Yael Ruth in the wee hours of the morning on April 2nd. Big brother David loves to give “his baby” Yaely kisses and the two can often be found together doing tummy time. Mom and dad are over the moon in love with their new addition and growing family!
From Dyllan Fernandez: In his never-ending quest to acquire more hobbies, Mr. Dyllan Fernandez has started learning to sew, and made this shirt! If you overhear him grumbling about sleeves, now you know why.
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Lindsey Drasin, Director of Communications & Alumni Relations/ Associate Director of Admissions The Wesley Class of 2021, comprised of 33 students, was accepted to 22 schools. Of those 22, they chose to matriculate to 13 - Buckley, Campbell Hall, Ensworth, Flintridge Prep, HarvardWestlake, Immaculate Heart, Marlborough, Notre Dame, Providence, SAS at NHHS, Sierra Canyon, VIP Charter, and Westridge. Equally impressive is the list of colleges that some members of the Wesley Class of 2017, comprised of 39 students, chose to attend. That list includes American University, Chapman, Colorado State, Emerson College, Georgetown, Ithaca College, Michigan State, Northeastern, NYU, Oregon, Reed, Rhode Island School of Design, San Diego State University, Trinity College Dublin, Tulane, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Arizona, University of Denver, and University of Vermont. Wesley Graduates and Wesley Alums WE ARE SO PROUD!
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We've had such an amazing time with the students this year in our electives, ranging from Arts, Dance, and Theatre, to Speech and Performance. We look forward to seeing what's in store in the next school year. Have a great summer! Current families, please click HERE to view the full (password-protected) Electives Showcase, including student work from all three trimesters! Enjoy!
Spring Newsletter 2021
4832 TUJUNGA AVENUE
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91601
818.508.4542 COMMUNICATIONS@ WESLEYSCHOOL.ORG