Windward Magazine Summer 2023

WINDWARD

GROWING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

2022-23 Donor Impact Report

WELL-BEING AT WINDWARD

At Windward, the well-being of our community is at the forefront of everything that we do. Turn to Page 06 to learn more about the School’s approach to fostering a nurturing, inclusive environment for all Windwardians.

Contributions

Dawn Barrett

Associate Head of School for Advancement, Finance, and Operations

Michael Bognanno

Director of Advancement Services

Jeff Gilder ’08

Director of Alumni Development and Engagement;

Associate Director of Admissions

Ashley Goodman

Director of Service Learning; Associate Director of Admissions

Molly Hudson

Digital Communications Specialist

Jeff Lake

Director of Communications and Public Relations

Lindsay Knaub

Director of Development and Engagement

Jamey McElvain-Whitman

Graphic Designer; Brand Strategist

Robin Pickett

Director of Windward Network; Associate Director of Admissions

Jacqueline Varney

Director of Development and Major Gifts

La Donna Wertlieb

Director of Development & Donor Services

Photography

Akiko Nimura

Brandon Kirk Photography

Corey Marquetti

Daniel Kleen

Hudson Janow ‘23

Molly Hudson

Ultimate

Akiko Nimura

A LETTER FROM Tom Gilder

For many, the Summer months offer moments of respite and reflection, a time to look back at the school year that was in preparation for the year soon to be. As I reflect on my 36th year as Head of School, I’m struck by how the small school I joined over 40 years ago has blossomed into the educational cornerstone and elite college preparatory institution our students, faculty, and community members enjoy today.

This evolution doesn’t happen overnight. It takes the investment and support of each and every stakeholder, and if the 2022-23 school year showed us anything, it’s that our students are passionate about Windward’s future, committed to its progress, and determined to make their voices matter. The

year saw our students take ownership like never before, their dedication and commitment to the causes important to them only furthered by the trust, patience, and fellowship they showed one another. From working with our counselors in growing universal wellness practices (page 6) to helping foster a sense of belonging across our wide ranging DEIB events (page 34), our students empowered each other and the Windward community at large with a sense of partnership and poise.

That same collaborative spirit resulted in a number of team accolades and community accomplishments. Windward’s Robotics team—The Omnicats—showed the depths of their professionalism in an historic performance at the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Competition (page 14). Our VMA program made a literal mark on the history of the School, resulting in our first ever student-illustrated mural (page 38). And the School’s Service Learning program returned to full force for the first time since the pandemic, assisting a number of off-

site programs while ushering in the return of a series of on-campus community favorites (page 52).

As educators, it is our job to provide our students with the tools needed to become thoughtful global citizens of the world. To see them utilize these tools in the manner they have this year—it’s a reminder of what Windward strives for each and every day. It also highlights the necessity of our ever-evolving educational goals and campus enhancements, which serve to drive programming forward with spaces that allow for continued growth in the years ahead. This is reflected in the recent groundbreaking of our new Innovation & Arts Center, as well as the upcoming Milken Family Community Plaza. These spaces, along with the recently opened Academic Hub, represent the next step in Windward's future and the evolution of our campus for future generations.

Witnessing the impact these spaces have had on our students, faculty, and staff firsthand, I find myself profoundly grateful for the ongoing commitment of our Windward community members. Thanks to your contributions, our Windward Fund and Innova-

tion Campaign have seen record involvement, further establishing Windward as a premier model of academic excellence. Your continued support has allowed us to remain program leaders in the independent school space, including the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (page 12). We recognize your generosity and the impact you’ve had on Windwardian’s past, present, and future in our 202223 Donor Impact Report, included within.

As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of education, we know that our dedication to nurturing wellness, belonging, and the fulfillment of potential will forever be bolstered by the unwavering support of our community. I thank you for your partnership. The future of Windward is bright, and I hope you’ll join in my excitement for what comes next.

Tom Gilder HEAD OF SCHOOL

WELL-BEING at WINDWARD

InMay of 2023, the School took part in what is nationally known as Mental Health Awareness month. From student-run panels to weekly “Wellness Wednesdays”, the month allowed students to speak and share their thoughts on the challenges and stressors faced by students today. It also spoke to a wider focus put forth by Windward’s counselors—that finding a healthy life-balance and sense of well-being is a daily endeavor.

“Making talking about well-being a normal part of conversations is so important,” said Sarah Musich, Director of Counseling Services: Collegiate Division. “The biggest challenge to well-being is stigma. People often feel completely comfortable talking about physical health, but mental health can be more difficult. The more we can communicate about our mental health, the more it becomes normalized.”

Fostering a sense of comfort and support is something that begins early in a student’s Windward career. “As counselors, we

work to connect with students early in any year to let them know who we are and what we do,” said Tammy Clem, Director of Counseling Services: Middle School Division. “We continually remind students at Monday morning meetings, in individual conversations, and in Seminar that asking for help is a strength.” Incoming students are also assigned peer counselors and mentors as a way of providing a point person to direct immediate needs, ensuring that no student feels unsupported as they get acclimated to campus life.

Though the counselors play an integral part in the implementation of these programs, they also recognize that the role of providing support and open dialogue is one shared by the entire Windward community. “Counselors see all members of the community—students, parents, faculty, coaches, and administrators—as partners for facilitating safe spaces for students,” said

Tammy. “We see value in encouraging, educating, and advising faculty/staff in their interactions with students as well.”

The counselors also understand that for some students, sharing their feelings and admitting they need support is easier said than done. “Attending to one's mental health can be very private and personal, but there are many different paths to getting help,” advised Gail Holmes, Director of Counseling Services: Prep Division. “Explore ALL paths and find the one best suited for you. The path of support can look very different, but all roads can lead to the result of getting your needs met appropriately.” Similarly, the counselors are quick to stress that building a sense of self love and acceptance is not something that happens overnight. “It’s important to remember that we are all constantly moving along a spectrum of well-being and mental wellness,” said Gail. “It’s okay to have some harder days, and those are the times when we need to care for ourselves and seek support when needed.”

As Windward seeks to further cultivate a nurturing, inclusive community built on fellowship and support, they again emphasize that the advocacy and celebration of well-being is integral to one’s individual health. “As counselors, we continue to connect with students and the community to be a resource of care and

support,” said Sarah. “We are always increasing efforts to make asking for help the norm, and making sure students know that there is always someone there to support your well-being. Struggles are inevitable, but when we know who to turn to for support, those struggles feel less overwhelming.”

Sarah concluded, “There is nothing too big or too small to seek support for—you don’t have to do this alone. When we feel good, we do good.”

For a student perspective on well-being and mental health, visit page 32.

STUDENT SUPPORT—TIPS FROM THE COUNSELORS

Balance is important when it comes to mental health. Take time for yourself daily doing whatever makes you feel more relaxed; listen to music, talk with friends, watch a show, or exercise, even if your time is limited! At school, use breaks to relax, stay hydrated, talk with friends, and be proactive with work.

Work to keep things in perspective. If you’ve given your best, that’s enough!

Remind yourself that you are deserving by practicing self-compassion. Treat yourself to something that gives you joy, peace, and happiness!

Get some sleep! Sleep is one of the key factors to overall health and well-being.

NEW in TOWN Welcome New Faculty and Staff!

At Windward, we believe that great work comes from those who feel inspired, supported, and encouraged to do their best. We welcome teachers and professionals who bring the skills, qualities, and experiences that demonstrate an understanding of our work in growing and supporting a diverse school community. This year, we are excited to welcome the following new faculty and staff members to the School. Read on for more on our newest Windwardians and what working in education means to them!

Working in education means a chance to build meaningful relationships with students and teachers alike so that we can open our minds and challenge preconceptions, realize and take on appropriate challenges, and thrive in the classrooms and communities we find ourselves a part of.

Jake Williamson is an experienced teacher and educational leader. For the last 17 years, he has taught English at the Middle and Upper levels and taken on leadership roles at Los Angeles-area independent schools, most recently serving as the English Department Chair at Chadwick School.

Jake earned his B.A. in English from Loyola Marymount University and M.A. in English Education from California State University, Northridge.

Working in education is having the opportunity to impart knowledge, but beyond that, it is being able to show different points of view and cultivate a safe place to debate and think about how others live or recreate the world. Education is for excellence, a field free of judgments, where people can meet in common values of respect and tolerance without the need to think alike. Working in education is fostering a free place where you can guide, support, and encourage students with your knowledge and grow from their perspectives as well. It is the opportunity to open minds and thus develop yourself.

Lilian joins Windward (2023) with over 15 years of experience teaching Spanish and history in different locations across the U.S. and Colombia, her native country. During her experience in Colombia, she taught history and led the Model United Nations (MUN). In recent years she has worked as a Spanish teacher with the international IB (International Baccalaureate) program for Middle and High School students.

Lilian earned her master's degree in Salamanca, Spain and her B.A. in Bogotá, Colombia. She has also studied education and technology in Colombia and Human Development at FLACSO Argentina. Lilian is very enthusiastic about language teaching and is always looking for ways to create a sense of community and openness in her classes, so that she can teach languages from an international and open perspective.

In her free time, Lilian enjoys contact with nature and other cultures, so her passions are travel, camping, and hiking. She has also worked on community projects with women's rights and migrants. Lilian is thrilled about the opportunity to work, grow and contribute to the Windward community.

For me, working in education means having the opportunity to support an incredible institution in its mission to inspire students to become well-balanced young adults while also being encouraged and supported in my own personal and professional development.

Molly Hudson graduated from Campbell University with a B.A. in Communications Studies and a minor in marketing. Before joining Windward in 2023, she served as the communications specialist at Norwich Free Academy, an independent high school in Connecticut, and freelanced as a digital marketing strategist.

In her free time, Molly enjoys cooking, traveling, and exploring with her two dogs.

Working in education affords me the opportunity to positively impact young people by providing them with life skills and serving as a source of motivation.

Brent Tanaka joined the Windward community in 2023 as the School's Director of Peak Performance. Brent began his career as the athletic performance coach for the UCLA men’s basketball and tennis teams prior to an eight year stint as a strength and conditioning coach for the LA Clippers from 2013-2021. Most recently, Brent spent time in the private sector at the renowned Meyer Institute of Sport where he worked with a multitude of clientele.

The UCLA graduate is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In his free time, Brent enjoys spending his time outdoors with his wife and daughter.

Working in education for me is a meaningful and fulfilling opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of all my students, and to contribute to fostering a positive school culture that creates stronger relationships between colleagues, students, and families.

Carmen Camacho is a passionate and dedicated Spanish educator with over 15 years of experience in teaching Spanish. She holds a Bachelor's degree in World Languages and Cultures, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, and a Master’s degree in Spanish Philology. She has developed a deep appreciation and understanding of the different languages and cultures around the world which have been an important influence to her teaching philosophy, providing an inclusive learning environment that encourages student engagement and growth. Before joining Windward, she taught Spanish for nine years at a local private school in Los Angeles. She feels grateful to have the opportunity in life to dedicate her entire career to education with passion, respect, and love.

Outside of the classroom, Carmen enjoys writing short stories and traveling with her family.

MOLLY HUDSON Digital Communications Specialist

BRENT TANAKA Director of Peak Performance Center

JAKE WILLIAMSON

English Teacher, English Department Chair

CARMEN CAMACHO Spanish Teacher

LILIAN CUENCA Spanish Teacher

NORMA GAMEZ Educational Technology Specialist

To work in education means to actively participate in the construction of our future. Striving to empower students to become the inventors, artists, and leaders of tomorrow. Educators have the responsibility to provide students with meaningful, exciting and relevant learning opportunities that will guide them towards self-discovery, promote their personal growth, while at the same time help develop their sense of belonging and responsibility to society. Creating a learning environment where students can develop their true potential and a sense to contribute positively to the world.

Norma Gamez brings over more than 15 years of experience in education. She has a Bachelor's Degree from San Diego State University and a Master's Degree in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University. She has been instrumental in helping schools with implementations of Google for Education and iPads, providing comprehensive professional development to teachers, and empowering them to leverage technology effectively.

Norma's contributions extend beyond the classroom as she helped bring back her local Computer Using Educators Affiliate (IV-CUE) and served as a board member since its inception, culminating in her term as president.

In her current role at Windward, Norma brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to empowering students and educators through innovative educational technology practices. She is dedicated to transforming education through technology integration and equipping students with the skills they need to thrive both in the digital world and beyond the classroom.

EDUCATING EDUCATORS

Akey component to Windward’s Strategic Plan is research, development, and growth, specifically as it pertains to our faculty and staff. While oftentimes that goal is fulfilled by way of conferences or professional development opportunities, sometimes the best path to sustained growth starts right at home.

At the end of the 2022-23 school year, Windward’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging team partnered with the Counseling team to assign all faculty and staff a list of required and suggested professional materials to read or review over the course of the Summer. These excerpts were purposefully selected to coincide with Windward’s updated Strategic Plan, which places an enhanced emphasis on community belonging and mental well-being. The three mandatory selections featured topics that directly align with Windward’s campus goals: Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist

Work in Your School Community by Liz Kleinrock; At What Cost?: Defending Adolescent Development in Fiercely Competitive Schools by David L. Gleason PSY D; and Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle, a podcast episode hosted by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski. These selections were chosen specifically for their connection to Windward’s ongoing work, and will serve as potential guides for discussion when classes resume this Fall.

The suggested readings, while not required, also speak to the ongoing development of Windward’s wellness and diversity initiatives. From books on the effects of anxiety and reframing self-care to the differences across generations and the importance of workplace diversity, these readings, selected by Windward’s Responsive Teaching Team, encourage our faculty and staff to consider other perspectives, be open to new ideas, and challenge their own conventions for the betterment of our students and our community at large.

While these materials are geared towards Windward educators, the themes they explore extend far beyond the classroom. Fostering a community that prioritizes belonging and well-being is an all-hands effort, one that affects and shapes all aspects of the Windward experience.

Working in education means having the privilege of being able to see what I thought I already knew through different lenses every day. Shoshana received a B.A. in Biology and a B.S. in Computer Science and Business Administration. She is interested in how natural and manufactured systems parallel each other and the related spiritual implications of any such parallels. Her love for computer science is most actualized by teaching its intricacies to students and witnessing them appreciate the symmetry of those intricacies for the first time.

She has been teaching middle and high school computer science for three years. In her free time, she enjoys pilates, comedy, and cooking.

RHAZES SPELL Computer

Science Teacher

I love learning. Literally anything. Car repair. Crocheting. Languages. Sewing. Abstract Algebra and Set Theory. Working in education gives me the privilege of being around folks involved in the business of learning. I feed off of their excitement of learning and, hopefully, I transmit some of my joy of learning to them.

Rhazes Spell is a media artist and computational scientist interested in the intersection of science, technology, media and society. He is a patent holder and former entrepreneur, technology consultant, strategy consultant, professor and co-founder of Geffen Academy at UCLA. Rhazes was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Duke University. He then went on to complete an M.F.A in Design | Media Art from UCLA prior to co-founding the Computer Graphics program in the School of Design at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. He is excited to be joining the Windward Science department to continue pursuing his recent work introducing computational literacy in secondary education.

"These Summer Reads are intended to foster belonging and growth on a number of levels,” said Melanie Arias, Associate Director of the Prep Division and Responsive Teaching Team member. “The topics of many of the reads are connected specifically to building a sense of belonging in order to support growth for students and colleagues. Moreover, I hope that the Summer

reads foster connection and growth by creating a shared experience and topics for collegial conversations among those who work in our learning community at Windward. I'm excited about hearing how different colleagues are inspired in their work by readings that we have in common."

SHOSHANA ARUNASALAM

Computer Science Teacher

Generation AI THE FUTURE

IS NOW

At Windward, having cutting-edge models and innovative programs plays an essential role in ensuring that our students enter college with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world. It’s that guiding mindset that encouraged Jim Bologna, Senior Director of Innovation and Technology, and Austin Totty, Math Teacher, to focus their attention on perhaps the most rapidly growing field in the world—artificial intelligence.

In the Spring of 2019, Jim and Austin, along with Director of STEAM Program Simon Huss, came together to complete an Artificial Intelligence in Education certificate from the International Society for Technology in Education. Inspired by how the lessons learned through the ISTE program aligned with their own professional expertise, Jim and Austin initially planned to create separate teaching modules to bring back to the School for the 2022-23 school year. During the development phase they realized that the material worked even better as a full course, taught collaboratively. Windward’s first AI Course—Honors Computer Science: Topics in Artificial Intelligence— evolved into a richly rewarding learning experience for all involved.

Jim and Austin had already been adding components to some of Windward’s existing computer science courses to introduce the topics of artificial intelligence to computer science-minded students. However, the foray into an Honors Computer Science course allowed them to really hone in on what was needed to make Windward a true leader in AI education throughout the independent school space. The degree of complexity in the course is unique among independent schools, allowing students to fully explore the advantages and ramifications of AI in education and beyond. “Every student should understand the issues and drawbacks of the currently available AI models, as well as how AI can be leveraged as a tool to support their learning,” Jim explained. “The use of artificial intelligence will expand rapidly in most knowledge-based fields over the next few years, so students who study and understand these models will be better able to use them to enhance their work in whatever field they are interested in.”

That same understanding extends to educators as well. In the Fall of 2022, Austin and Jim submitted a workshop proposal to the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) that was accepted in late November. The intent was to run a session targeting computer science educators to expose them to some of the tools that would be helpful in teaching artificial intelligence to students of all ages. In January, after ChatGPT became a topic of conversation in every household, educators across the world were asking how this would impact their schools. Jim joined ATLIS as part of a working group to study the impact of AI on education and gather resources. He brought that knowledge back to Windward, supporting faculty in-service sessions relating to the potential impact of ChatGPT on assignments in January. By the beginning of February, ATLIS had partnered with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to offer a Summit on AI in Education. Jim and Austin were featured speakers at the summit, discussing AI Bias and Alignment issues in education on the first day of the ATLIS annual conference at the end of April.

As Jim and Austin look to the future of AI and its role in education, they see a field that’s only just beginning to develop. “As of mid-June 2023 there were upwards of 17 foundational large language models (LLMs) with dozens of services and apps announcing interconnections to these models to enhance their services,” Jim shared. “The openness of access and rapid adoption by so many companies means that we will encounter these AI tools in almost every aspect of our life in the very near future.” Already national leaders in the AI education space, particularly as it pertains to faculty professional development, the School continues to explore what AI education might look like within the Windward curriculum. Thanks to the concerted efforts and expertise of our program leaders, Windward’s role in the independent school space, much like the burgeoning AI landscape, will continue to evolve.

Built for Success

In March, Windward’s Robotics team 1452—the Windward Omnicats—wrapped up their incredible 10-week season with a historic performance at the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Competition in El Segundo. The team came away with a Windward best finish as tournament finalists, and were also awarded the Gracious Professionalism Award for their collaborative spirit, positive demeanor, and outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values.

One of 44 teams featuring over 1,300 high-school students from Los Angeles, Arizona, Turkey and Chinese Taipei, the Omnicats had the opportunity to showcase their hard work designing and building their original robot. To stake their claim in one of the biggest and most competitive robotics competitions in the country, our Upper School students and First Robotics Program participants spent months in Windward’s Robotics Lab, building and perfecting their robot for the competition.

The process began in January 2023, as the 40 students from 7th - 12th grade brainstormed, designed, debated, prototyped, built, and coded their robot, affectionately named ‘Robobot’. In addition to working directly on the robot, students also split their time working to revitalize Windward’s outreach program, as well as redesigning the “pit”, a space at tournaments that contains all of the necessary tools needed for when the robot is worked on between rounds. As March drew closer, the team turned its attention to the game at hand. The game for the 2023 edition of the competition was a fun, interactive affair, consisting of a 3-on-3 contest with lots of fast driving, the picking up and placing of traffic cones and inflatable cubes, and balancing on a three robot-wide see-saw.

In the weeks leading up to the competition, team members put in tremendously long hours, staying at school until 7 p.m. and working Saturdays and Sundays on their robot. The results were well worth the effort—by the tournament’s start they had a solid robot with consistent performance. As the competition kicked off, the Upper School team demonstrated grit, perseverance, and grace throughout the entire tournament. At the end of qualifying rounds, the top ranked teams select their alliance partners for the subsequent Semi Finals and Finals. The Omnicats were selected by the #2 seed, and went on to win three consecutive rounds in the Semis. When the Omnicats went up against the #1 seed, they lost and were transferred to the losers bracket. There they again showed the resilience that had defined the team all season, fighting their way back and ending up in the Finals to face the #1 seed yet again. In a best of three series, the Omnicats won the first match handily, demonstrating serious defense and balancing skills. The Omnicats lost the second round, leaving it all down to the last match. In the final seconds of the match, the Omnicats’ Blue Alliance was ahead 118 to 117, but they failed to balance on the see-saw and were ultimately bested by the #1 seed in a thrilling end to a terrific season.

Though the Omnicats fell just short of their ultimate goal, they were rightfully recognized for the collaborative and helpful spirit they displayed throughout the entire tournament. During the first day of competition, Windward’s local neighbor team, the Culver City High Bagel Bytes, suffered catastrophic damage to its chassis. Two of Windward’s mentors snapped into action and helped the team re-shape their drivetrain. This willingness to lend a hand, coupled with our Windward students' constant positive and gracious manner, garnered the team the coveted Gracious Professionalism Award.

“This season was a wonderful redemption,” said Simon Huss, Director of STEAM and Omnicats Head Coach. “Coming off of the first year post COVID, our team was essentially a rookie team once again. Our kids worked so hard, relearning all of the essential skills and putting them together to bring a functional robot to competition. After a disappointing finish at Port Hueneme, our team showed truly indomitable spirit and work ethic making crucial changes to the robot acquisition system in record time. The long days and weekend practices truly paid off. Winning the ‘gracious professionalism’ award and taking 2nd at the LA Regional were truly amazing accomplishments for the Omnicats. I couldn't be more proud.”

Omnicats 2022-23 Regional Qualifiers

Co-Captains: Justine Ludden ’23 and Reed Farkas ’23

System Engineer: Charlie Van Hook ’23

Code: Connor Mollinski ’23

Mechanical:

Andy Balasa ’23, Rex Gavsie ’24, and Lany Hill ’24

Electrical:

Christopher Robson ’23 and Natalie Behrendt ’25

Quartermaster: Maddie Rogers ’23

Up to the Challenge

On March 23, the School was thrilled to welcome a long-running staple back to campus—the 7th Grade CBL Challenge Community Forum.

Acollaborative learning experience in which students and teachers work together to learn, ideate, and propose solutions to compelling issues, the 7th Grade CBL program gives students the opportunity to reflect on their learning and the impact of their actions in a community setting. For the first time since the pandemic, our 7th Grade students were able to invite their family and friends to attend a special lunchtime presentation of their well-researched projects and ideas.

The challenge offered to students this year was to improve the sustainability or health of their community by advancing, engineering, or creating a positive solution that addresses a food-related problem. After identifying the initial issues they planned to address, students spent the next few months gathering information by way of community surveys and campus collaboration. They then used the research they collected to come up with a potential solution for their existing problem, sometimes trying multiple models and ideas before landing on a successful solution. Student topics covered everything from composting and better plastic habits to nutrition suggestions and gardening hacks.

“Our students truly stepped up to the challenge this year, enacting various creative and thoughtful solutions to improve the health of our community,” said Gage Loveless, Science teacher and CBL advisor. “From partnering with local organizations such as the City of Santa Monica Animal Shelter and the Hollywood Food Coalition, as well as our own Windward Service Learning department, to connecting with Blue Ocean Barns in Hawaii and farms across California, my 7th Grade scientists really dug deep into food related problems this year.”

The final forum was a genuinely special affair, as students had the opportunity to show off and explain their processes to a captivated crowd in the Lewis Jackson Memorial Sports Center. The pride our students felt in being able to showcase their hard work was palpable. “The effort and enthusiasm of our students was reflected by the visitors at the Community Forum," said Gage. Thank you to all our faculty members and parent volunteers for their help in making the return of the Challenge Community Forum so triumphant!

History in Action

Forthe first time since 2019, Windward’s History Capstone, partnering with the Center for Teaching and Learning, led students on a trip to the Charles E. Young Research Library and its Department of Special Collections at the University of California, Los Angeles in early 2023. A long in the works collaboration between the School and UCLA, this special trip allowed students the opportunity to learn how to successfully locate scores of books relevant to their topics in the History Capstone, in turn mastering the finding of items in a complex research library. They also got to work with first-hand documents relevant to their topics that are unavailable anywhere else in the world, making for a truly one-of-a-kind lesson.

“This trip to UCLA has literally been years in the making and it did not disappoint,” said History Capstone instructor Dr. JP Contreras deGuzman. “Providing students the opportunity to visit a world class university research library gave them the tools to transform a small curiosity into a robust research project. The History Capstone prioritizes rich engagement with unexpected sources so that students produce - not just passively consume - knowledge. The ability to find historical artifacts and cutting edge scholarship made that happen.”

Eli Pearl ’23 found the experience similarly engaging. “Visiting the Research Library and the Department of Special Collections was incredible,” he shared. “The opportunity to roam around the halls of the library, to work alongside professional historians, made us feel as though we ourselves were collegiate historians.” Eli also found that there was an added benefit to being able to physically peruse the texts and resources that pertained to his Capstone project, so much so that he continued to return to the library in the weeks following his initial visit. “I really benefited from visiting the library and special collections, as YRL (Young Research Library) housed tons of primary sources on one of the men I was studying, Henry Gaylord Wilshire (who you might know as the namesake for Wilshire Boulevard).”

“The ability to come face to face with primary sources on the person I was studying was invaluable,” Eli continued, “as I felt that I was more able to create a cogent thesis on Wilshire's societal impact, as I was able to materially see where he invested his money and his more general views on the world.”

As he prepares to take his research to the college level at New York University next Fall, Eli encourages his fellow Windward students to take advantage of the unique opportunities afforded by the School. “I think experiences like the library field trip are imperative for Windward students, as they provide invaluable insight on what academic work looks like at the next level. Field trips like the ones to YRL allow students to be more ready for college, while also providing enriching and memorable educational opportunities. The experience will unquestionably aid me in countless ways in the next stage of my education.”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Of the many values instilled in students throughout their Windward careers, the lesson that results are achieved through hard work and time is chief among them. For Dahlia Morrone (formerly, Setiyawan), this belief is more than educational encouragement—it’s

a real promise gained from first-hand experience.

In February of 2023, Dahlia, Windward’s Associate Director of the Collegiate Division and Director fo the Senior Capstone Program, had her work published in the book Asian Military Evolutions: Civil-Military Relations in Asia Her chapter—”Business as Usual despite Reform: The Indonesian Military under Jokowi”—represented not only the culmination of years of work as a political historian of modern Southeast Asia, but also a full-circle moment that first began right at Windward.

In 2018, when she was teaching the History Capstone, Dahlia attended and presented at a conference in Hong Kong as part of the School’s professional development initiative. Following the conference, Dahlia and some of her fellow panelists were contacted by the panel organizers to discuss what would eventually become Asian Military Evolutions. For Dahlia, the book provided her the opportunity to really dive into her chosen area of expertise. Looking at the Indonesian military during the administration of current president Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, Dahlia’s chapter argues that the more things change, the more things stay the same. By showing the Indonesia that was, Dahlia was able to highlight how the power structure has continued to exist relatively unchallenged due to the military’s murky triangle of protection, perception, and control.

This warts-and-all approach to history is one Dahlia is honored to be able to share not only in her academic work, but also in the classroom. Now as the instructor for the Junior course Honors History: The U.S. in the World, Dahlia shares her expertise with students, giving them a hands-on look at the type of scholarly assignments they might find at the next level. Her research helps students explore the foreign relations of the United States while also considering familiar historical events from unfamiliar perspectives. The freedom to introduce new ways of teaching and learning is something Dahlia doesn’t take for granted. “Bringing my knowledge and expertise into the classroom, and having the flexibility to do it—there’s no one saying

‘You have to do it this way or you can’t do it your way.’ Instead it’s ‘Great, you’re an expert’,” Dahlia shared. “I feel like we, as teachers, there's this great trust in us.”

That trust is something Dahlia shares with her students as well. Over the course of her five year path to publication, Dahlia allowed her capstone students insight into the long, painstaking process of writing a scholarly work. From sharing drafts to holding peer reviews, Dahlia made sure that her students witnessed her practicing what she preached. “This process is years long,” said Dahlia. “By sharing with my students, it showed them that history looks like this and it takes time and it takes revision and it takes iteration. And that's what I'm asking you to do. I'm not asking you to do something that I don't have to do myself.” That lesson is one Dahlia became well-versed in over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the moment of living history forced her to update her chapter yet again to reflect the impact coronavirus had on military dominance in Indonesia..

While history never ends, Dahlia’s work on her chapter eventually did. The editing and publication process allowed her to share yet another perspective to her interested students. “I was very lucky that the two scholars who were the editors of the volume, they were so great to work with,” said Dahlia. “I had only met them once in-person in Hong Kong where we all presented on that panel, and then I never saw them again. But we communicated through email, and there’s such a global element in this book, the authors came from all over. It’s pretty neat to think that you're part of something, that you're connected to all these other people who you've never even met. But then it produces something like this.”

While she’s happy to finally have her work out in the world, Dahlia is equally as happy that her students got to witness the work that went into it along the way, showing that the path to the finish line is not always a straight one. “I think if there’s one thing we want to teach our students, it’s to be resilient, and just to realize, even when there are setbacks or even when there are roadblocks or hiccups, be resilient and then something cool comes of it. Absolutely.”

“Asian Military Evolutions: Civil-Military Relations in Asia” was edited by Alan Chong and Nicole Jenne and is available now.

Putting the Fun in Function Shaking Things Up

8TH GRADE EARTH SCIENCE SHOWCASE

Aspart of their ongoing lesson plan, students in the Middle School Entrepreneurship class created their own arcade games using the elements of design-thinking they had covered in class. Students used the CREATE cart where they could prototype ideas and then build working games that mimicked their favorites from real arcades. From unique game boards to sculpted game pieces and working mechanics, students showed their creativity and ability to innovate and collaborate with their fellow classmates.

Once their designs were completed, the class held a special classtime event on February 16 and invited available Middle School students and adults to check out their games and even play them!

"This design-thinking challenge enabled our students to think creatively about the whole process of the game, from coming up with an innovative idea to building a working model to running their game for our customers," said Emily Dawe, instructor and Associate Director of Middle School. "A great time was had by all!"

Thispast January, Windward’s 8th Grade Science students held a two day cumulative showcase in the Center for Teaching and Learning featuring the coding projects they created in Earth Science. 8th Grade students learned how to use a variety of sensors, lights, and motors as they each built practice circuits during the first week of the project. They then worked in teams to plan and execute their ideas for an interactive earth science exhibit in the CTL’s Shirley Windward Museum of Science. Windward 7th Graders and faculty members served as audience members for the museum exhibits, which covered subjects such as plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

“It’s incredibly valuable for my students to have the experience of coding circuits for a purpose, to see their ideas come to fruition as they work, and to see the value of their work reflected back to them through the interest and engagement of student visitors at their exhibits,” said 8th Grade Science teacher Gage Loveless.

Working alongside fellow 8th Grade Science teacher Becky Carter, Gage and Becky created this authentic assessment for students as a way to encapsulate the first semester of Principles of Science II, providing a project based learning opportunity that gives students daily practice with time management, individual accountability, and communication while working together towards the shared goals. The two day event served as a true showcase to the detailed work our Middle School students are capable of doing. We can’t wait for next year’s event!

The Write Stuff Hard Work Pays Off

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

Itwas a banner year for Windward English students, who saw their work acknowledged and published across multiple mediums. This past Spring, three Windward writers were recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which celebrates creative teens locally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.

For his critical essay, “Freedom from the Cave: Self-Determination Through the Lens of Past Restriction”, Jude St. John ’24 was named a Gold Key recipient. His essay was also nominated for the American Voices & Visions Award, one of only five such nominations for teens in the region. Leyna Amin ’24 also featured in the critical essay category, earning a Silver Key for her work, “A Predetermined Education.”

Zach Gottlieb ’24 received recognition in two categories. His essay, “The Man Who Lives in the Double Helix of my Cells”, was awarded a Gold Key for Personal Essay and Memoir, and was also featured as a student guest essay in The New York Times. He also received a Silver Key in Humor for “MasterClass: How to Become a Successful Social Media Mental-Health Influencer”. For more on Zach, visit page 32.

"I am tremendously proud of this crop of young writers, who wrote passionate and incisive pieces on issues ranging from education, family history, and personal identity,” said Maja Starcevic, English teacher and Director of the Studio for Writing & Rhetoric. For more on Windward writers, check out the feature on Lexi Eskovitz ’24 on page 33!

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

The School would like to congratulate Luke Gialanella ’23 and Henry Nieves ’23 for being named 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists. Those named as semifinalists represent less than one percent of high school seniors across the country—congratulations to Luke and Henry!

Each year, the United States Department of Education recognizes the outstanding scholastic accomplishments of high school students across the nation by way of the U.S. Presidential Scholars competition. Windward is unbelievably proud to announce that Stanley Zhou ’23 was named a semifinalist for the competition this Spring, a remarkable achievement reflecting the time, effort, and commitment he put into his education.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars program recognizes high school students for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields. As one of only 40 students recognized as semifinalists across California, Stanley is well deserving of this incredible honor. The School congratulates Stanley for all his hard work, and looks forward to following him at the next level of his academic career next Fall at Stanford University!

SOMETHING TO CHALK ABOUT

On May 15, Windward’s Senior Class made their mark by taking part in one of the School’s favorite traditions—Senior Chalk Day! The Class of 2023 came together for a morning of fun and fellowship, creating a chalk collage featuring their college logos, Windward memories, and more. There’s nothing quite like seeing our Seniors proudly sign their names to the visual culmination of all their hard work—they’re truly ready for the next level!

NIGHT ON THE BRIDGE A SENIOR SEND OFF

On May 24, the Class of 2023 took part in one of the School’s most beloved traditions—Windward’s Night on the Bridge. In an incredible evening together, Windward hosted our graduating class and their parents and guardians for one last evening on campus. The less formal ceremony led directly into graduation week, and allowed the Class of 2023 to both be celebrated and to celebrate one another.

The event, held on a beautiful early Summer evening, included a photo booth, a Bridge display of flags representing every college and university our students are matriculating to, a collage of student baby photos paired with their Senior photos, and a wonderful assortment of snacks, treats,

and drinks. The evening allowed the Class of 2023 the opportunity to both reflect on their time at Windward and to look forward to their lives after graduation.

The official Night on the Bridge ceremony began with a procession of students down the stairs of the 400 Building and through a cheering corridor of their parents, guardians, and wellwishers to the main stage. The class was welcomed by Kevin Newman, Collegiate Division Director, as he gave each student an antique key and a candle, and reminded the Class of 2023 the difference they have made not only in the lives of their classmates, but in the culture and community of Windward as well.

The night also featured a speech by Science teacher Colin Rose, who was personally selected by the students, as well as a candle-lighting ceremony to signify the continuation of their journeys. In honor of the class and the School’s co-founder, Shirley Windward, students also performed original works: “It was High School”, a poem by Annabelle Fields; “Wildcat Blues”, a poem by Zoe Neiman; and “If This Is It” an original song by Wyatt Peers.

At the close of the ceremony, our Seniors watched a video montage of their years at Windward, concluding the evening as it began, together, reminiscing and excitedly looking to the future.

CAPS OFF TO THEM

Congratulations to Windward’s Class of 2023, who celebrated their commencement on Friday, May 26 in a spirited and sentimental display!

Held on a transformed Foley Field, the ceremony featured several touching, heartfelt, and memorable speeches from our students, as well as a stirring faculty speech by JP deGuzman, History

Teacher. The ceremony concluded with our Seniors collecting their hard-earned diplomas to the cheers of loved ones and well-wishers, making for a truly special moment for all involved.

STUDENT SPEAKERS

An Ode to Windward

Ashley Marie Renselaer

A Small Thank You

Truman Doyle Pauley

Embrace Change

Michael Anthony Blevins

Curveballs and Silver Linings

Aerin Rose Glaser

What’s my Name?

Macie Leila McPherson

Creation Over Consumption

Luke M. Gialanella

How to Live a Life

According to Tolstoy (and Damon)

Elias Tobisman Pearl

The Unspoken Curriculum

Hugo David Miller and Samantha Rose Silver

A Spirit, A Thought, and A Thank You

Meiyi Wang

PASSION PROJECTS

WINDWARD’S HONORS

SENIOR CAPSTONE PROGRAM

With the end of the 2022-23 school year came one of the School’s most intellectually stimulating events—the Senior Capstone Colloquium. Now in its seventh year, the Honors Senior Capstone Program gives Windward Seniors the opportunity to take a deep dive into a chosen subject area.. Guided by faculty, students take part in a variety of experiences depending on the Capstone course, including research, collaborative projects, experiential learning, community service, and rigorous academic learning. The Colloquium is a celebratory culmination of their year long learning, as well as a chance for Seniors to share their growth with the community., (To review a firsthand experience of one such research opportunity, return to page 18.)

In 2022-23, students participated in one of seven Capstone courses: Collaborative Arts (making its return this year), Historical Analysis, Ethics & Leadership, Psychology, Statistics & Data Analysis, Social Justice & Public Policy, and World Language. Beyond simply fulfilling an academic requirement, students were encouraged to pick subjects within their respective capstone courses that truly mattered to them. For Alexa Faucette, Ethics & Leadership Capstone instructor, it was the freedom of intention that stood out with this year’s program. “This year's Capstone taught me the importance of co-creating space with students, and how essential authentic vulnerability is within Leadership,” she shared, “Our students, when given the trust and respect to explore

leadership and ethics creatively, stepped in and stepped up to transform the course into a space of self-growth and collaborative development.”

Depending on the subject and focus of the Capstone course, students are presented with opportunities for growth in two or more of Windward’s Core Competencies—Critical Thinkers, Effective Communicators, Resilient Problem Solvers, Inclusive Leaders, and Ethically and Culturally Responsive Citizens. For example, the Historical Analysis and Psychology courses challenge students to dive deep into a narrow research topic thus, having them hone their critical thinking skills, while the Social Justice course asks students to identify societal issues and take action thus strengthening their role as

ethical and culturally responsive citizens. Reflecting the diversity of the Capstone Program, students who take the Ethics and Leadership or the Collaborative Arts courses are able to practice effective leadership and communication skills throughout the year.

For Alexa, the Capstone Colloquium served as a true showcase to the resilience, spirit, and inquisitive nature of her capstone students. Watching them learn and grow over the course of the year, turning early challenges into essential lessons, only solidified the leaps and bounds the program has made as a whole.

“The Honors Capstone program is a space where students get ultimate choice,” said Alexa. “They get to decide what matters to them and then they get the opportunity to

dive into that topic and become masters of their chosen craft. To be able to share their knowledge and work with the community and inspire the classes that follow is a wonderful legacy to impart before they begin the next chapter of their journeys.”

Further bringing the program to life, librarians Cielo Botello-Williams and Sarah Clark helped the Capstone program through curricular and direct student support, as well as helping plan the Colloquium event. “This was the first year the Colloquium really had the gravity and impact we’ve been hoping for. After the pandemic, it feels like it has hit its stride.

It was so rewarding to see students confidently present their work and watch them support each other. It was obvious

how their Capstone experience pushed them to grow in their thinking, independence, and collaboration. It was also special to see the bond students developed with their teachers, who really challenged them throughout the year to push their boundaries and develop their passions while providing structured guidance,” said Cielo.

Dahlia Morrone, Associate Director of the Collegiate Division and Director of the Capstone Program, came away impressed with the caliber of work our students presented. “We are excited to see how the program is growing and look forward to working with our faculty to make the Capstone program even more impactful in the coming year.”

CA california

*2MI

*3WI

CT connecticut

Connecticut College (2)

Wesleyan University (3)

Yale University (1)

washington

University of Wisconsin-Madison (8) WA

PA pennsylvania

California State University-Fullerton (1)

California State University-Northridge (2)

Cal Poly (2)

Chapman University (1)

Harvey Mudd College (1)

Pepperdine University (1)

Pitzer College (1)

Stanford University (3)

University of California-Berkeley (1)

University of California-Los Angeles (2)

University of California-Santa Barbara (3)

University of California-Santa Cruz (1)

University of Southern California (6)

NY new york

Bard College (1)

Colgate University (1)

Columbia University in the City of New York (1)

Cornell University (1)

New York University (6)

Skidmore College (1)

The New School (1)

Vassar College (3)

Berklee College of Music (1)

Boston College (2)

Boston University (3)

Harvard University (1)

Northeastern University (1)

Tufts University (6)

NH*5

NJ*6

Washington

DC

We’re so unbelievably proud of the Class of 2023, who will continue their educational journeys all across the nation this Fall. Forever part of the Windward family, we look forward to supporting our newest alumni through the Windward Network, which assists students seeking professional growth, networking, and mentorship opportunities.

arizona

University of Arizona (1)

CO

IN indiana

Indiana UniversityBloomington (1)

*4RI

Brown University (3)

*5NH

Indiana

TX texas LA louisiana

FL

florida

Washington University in St Louis (2)

Dartmouth College (1)

30 - SENIOR CELEBRATIONS WINDWARD MAGAZINE - 31 SENIOR CELEBRATIONS

Talking With Teens A Mathematical Mindset

Zach Gottlieb ’24 Lexi Eskovitz ‘24

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, students the world over were faced with challenges they never could have foreseen. Anxiety and depression, long seen as somewhat taboo topics, suddenly became headline constants as students grappled with the uncertainty and isolation they now faced. To Zach Gottlieb ’24, the pandemic simply opened the world to what the younger generation already knew—mental and emotional health was not simply an adult problem.

“All of these issues were happening before COVID,” said Zach. “Anxiety around school has always been there, but a lot of us didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. The pandemic kind of illuminated these issues and made us cognizant of our emotional health. Once the media declared ‘Hey, there's a teen mental health crisis going on,’ and the surgeon general was talking about it as well, it showed us all that we need to pay attention to this.” It was that realization that led Zach to start “Talk With Zach”, a “Gen Z space for important conversations.” Initially started as an Instagram account, “Talk With Zach” has since evolved into what Zach calls an “emotional fitness platform,” featuring interviews with guests ranging from fellow students to noted experts and celebrities. “Talk With Zach” is geared specifically towards teens and the relevant issues they face, with topics as diverse as self-acceptance, self-advocacy, addiction, masculinity, friendships, and much more.

“I wanted to create a space where teens already are, which is social media,” Zach explained. “Where we could open up and have these conversations about the issues we're dealing with. Because not only do we not always feel comfortable talking about these things, it's also that a lot of the time we don't know what it's like to deal with anxiety or relationships. We just don't have the skills because they're things not built into our curriculum at school.”

With “Talk With Zach”, Zach’s goal is to destigmatize and normalize the idea of mental health in teens and put the same focus and energy at school that is placed on students’ physical health. He also believes that this approach can apply to students in all grade levels, and starts with finding a good support system. “The main thing is just finding people who you can trust and telling them what you’re going through, whether it’s a trusted friend, a school counselor, or your parents. It really depends who that person is for you, but starting to have those small conversations can really set the stage.” He continued, “prioritize connections with friends and family. I feel like relationships are very key to your happiness, so make time for them.”

As Zach prepares for his Senior year, he’s encouraged by the shift he sees in the conversation, both at Windward and beyond. “I was on a panel (for Mental Health Awareness Month) talking about the importance of opening up and being vulnerable and sharing, which I think is really great. I feel like the faculty and staff here have done a really amazing job on getting to know students on a personal level. I know those casual relationships seem like they’re not very significant, but they are. They mean a lot, and it means a lot when you talk to a teacher about how you're doing, how your weekend was, even the simple things. It's just knowing that someone like a teacher is also kind of a friend in many ways, or someone you could talk to, which I think is really nice.”

With more “Talk With Zach” interviews on the way, as well as an upcoming partnership with UCLA for a citywide Gen-Z Wellness Summit, Zach realizes that the work in the mental wellness space will be forever ongoing. For his fellow students, he offers a simple reminder. “I've heard from teens from all over, and it's interesting that they're all dealing with the same things,” said Zach. “They could be writing to me in French or from some country that I don't know the language, or you could be from Los Angeles, and you're both dealing with the same thing. It's like our experiences are so similar, yet we feel isolated so much of the time. We're not alone in what we're going through.”

For more on “Talk With Zach,” scan the QR code.

When one hears the term "mathematics", the immediate mental conjuring is that of numbers, equations, and well-worn symbols on a calculator. For Lexi Eskovitz '24, mathematics offers so much more—a door to infinite possibilities.

In March, Lexi was named the First Place winner in the Grades 9-12 category of the Association for Women in Mathematics/Math for America Essay Contest for her essay “From the World Cup to a Sustainable World: Mandiola’s Math Mindset.”

“I have always loved math. I find joy and comfort in problems, processes, and solutions. Windward mathematics has been a real journey for me from competing with classmates over baked goods in Benjamin Delwiche’s class or cashing in my Ken cash in Ken Asher’s class, I have been stretched in many ways,” says Lexi. “Most recently in Mike Fox-Boyd’s class, I was prompted to focus on the processes rather than the solution. Mike has an emphasis on figuring out equations, processes, and the reasoning behind them instead of learning a single, robotic way to solve a problem; this mindset has been a great springboard for problems I experience outside of the classroom.”

Lexi first learned about the essay contest by seeing posters around campus and thought the contest wasn’t for her. “But I kept seeing the posters and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a great excuse to interview women in the field,” says Lexi, who was contemplating a future in STEM but didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do in the field. She took the continued poster sightings as a sign to enter the contest, largely to learn about different STEM careers and become inspired by women who have paved the way.

“Women are behind some of the most significant mathematical contributions despite the obstacles they have faced and continue to face,” Lexi explains about the importance of women in STEM. “Including more women in mathematics brings fresh viewpoints to the field and leads to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements.

Lexi went on to interview seven women as potential candidates for the subject of her essay before selecting Chilean footballer and Ørsted data scientist Leticia Torres Mandiola as her muse. “Like me, she didn’t know what exactly she wanted to do in the field. Early on she worked at UCLA on an algorithm to segment microscopy images. Then she worked with the Los Angeles County Registrar to promote voter participation based on data science. Currently, she works at Ørsted, tackling the world’s climate problems with the growth of renewable energy. She has used mathematics in ways I never imagined could be used in a career. Lastly, Torres Mandiola’s math mindset goes beyond mathematics entirely,” Lexi says of Letitia, who also lived in six countries before graduating high school and led the first Chilean’s women’s team in history to qualify for the World Cup. “She has used her platform to make a real difference for women in the workplace, creating Female Coders Ørsted and the Gender Inclusion Network.”

At the time Lexi found out she won the competition, coincidentally, she was studying in a leadership program in Letitia’s home country of Chile. “She sent me a huge congratulations in all caps and thanked me for writing her story ‘so beautifully and eloquently,’ ” Lexi says.

With her curiosity sparked about math’s “applications in the real world,” Lexi completed an engineering internship at Boeing this summer through the Windward Network.

“I hope to someday have a job that is in the STEM field,” she says. “Regardless of where I end up, I will always take what I have learned about a math mindset and apply it in all aspects of my life.”

Our Our CAMPUS, COMMITMENT

In advance of the 2022-23 school year, Windward’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team added a new pillar to its ongoing initiative—Belonging. The goal of this added directive was to foster an environment where every community member—students, parents, faculty, and staff—felt supported in being their complete, authentic self.

While the direction of DEIB at Windward begins at an institutional level, it takes the concerted efforts and involvement of all stakeholders to truly create a nurturing, inclusive atmosphere. In 2022-23, Windward students took ownership of their role in DEIB in a way that was truly inspiring. Students created their own clubs, affinity groups, and campus celebrations, served as moderators and speakers in student-led events, and worked tirelessly to ensure that their voices were heard not just by the student body but by the Windward community at large. For Ila Brooks ’25, the newly elected president of Windward’s Black Student Union (BSU) and Upper School Diversity Leadership Board member, taking an active role in DEIB is a necessity, not a luxury. “When students lead DEIB events, it helps the student body listen to the topic at hand,” she said. “Having a peer talk to you is more effective than an adult, mainly because most students feel adults can’t relate to certain challenges younger generations face. Students taking ownership makes everyone more receptive and willing to learn.”

Ila’s participation in DEIB initiatives opened her eyes to the importance of her own involvement. “I have learned how to find my voice this year,” she shared. “Speaking out isn’t as scary as it once was because of the community that has been built around DEIB. In past years, I was unsure if there was a community for me here, but now I know that people have my back and will support me no matter what.”

As part of the Upper School Diversity Leadership Board and a proud member of the multiracial and Middle Eastern affinity groups at Windward, Jude St. John ’24 saw a similar benefit to students becoming more involved in DEIB at Windward. This past year he founded the School’s first Arabic Club, which partnered with the DEIB team to host a school-wide celebration for National Arab-American Heritage Month. Said Jude, “Opportunities such as these, offered to relatively small groups like ours, empower students at Windward to foster connections with a sig-

nificant portion of the community, enabling them to share and reflect upon their personal experiences with others.”

“Students are at the core of Windward’s community and are directly impacted by the work done to better our community through Windward’s DEIB initiative,” Jude continued. “In this way, it is vital to amplify students' voices to foster an atmosphere of inclusivity that honors their unique perspectives.”

Ryan Shelven, Co-Director of DEIB, viewed the 2022-23 school year as one of potential and growth. “This year, our students felt empowered more than ever to use their voices to create change at Windward,” said Ryan. “From hosting panels with special guests to educating the community on heritage months, our students are taking the initiative to be the change they want to see. By holding space for different cultural backgrounds and identities who are normally underrepresented, our Affinity programs allow the students to feel comfortable in their skin, take pride in who they are, and advocate for their fellow affinity members.”

While students took a huge step forward in on-campus ownership, Windward parents also played an integral role in growing Windward’s DEIB lens. From parent-led events like Grounds for Conversation, to collaboration on community events such as heritage month celebrations and Windward’s Tales at the Table, our parents showed that DEIB isn’t a singular topic, but rather something that is ingrained in every aspect of the campus community.

For Heather Mitchell, Parent Guild DEIB Committee member and parent to Carter ’25, it was Windward prioritizing DEIB and, more importantly, its commitment to avoiding complacency in its efforts, that led her and her family to join the Windward community. “DEIB touches every aspect of our schools - it informs admissions, student life, curriculum and teaching, athletics, finances, faculty, staff, etc.,” she shared. “There is no part of school that DEIB does not affect, hence why it's critically important.”

Juliet Oh, Parent Guild DEIB Committee member and parent to Maddie ’26, points to Windward’s efforts to increase the diversity of its students and faculty and staff, and the impact that has had on fostering inclusivity and a sense of belonging within the Windward community. As these initiatives have evolved, so too has the level of parent engagement and involvement. “Parents play an integral role in creating and implementing the values that matter to the Windward community,” says Juliet. “While Windward's faculty and staff have made strides in creating and executing Windward's DEIB initiative, that work cannot be accomplished without the support and active participation of Windward parents.”

Heather agrees, noting that this generation of Windward students have shown a clear interest in supporting each other, the environment, and humanity overall, and are looking to their parents to be examples of these ideals. “As parents, we have a responsibility to learn alongside (our students) and when opportunities arise, take an active role,” she said. “The school also depends on our involvement - it cannot execute such an inclusive and important initiative without our engagement and support.”

As Heidi Lindelof, Parent Guild DEIB Committee member and parent to Van ’25, puts it, “Everyone benefits when everyone participates.” While the initiatives set in motion by the School

are undoubtedly important, Heidi feels that the real growth and enjoyment comes from the grassroots efforts of the community itself. “Collaboration is key,” says Heidi. “We all share the same goal, which is to have a deeper, more enriching experience at Windward. How we actually achieve that experience, however, may not necessarily be our own plan or way of doing things. When we come together, we learn from each other. This learning is not always comfortable, but when met with an open mind and heart, it can be transformative.”

Looking to the year ahead, Windward will continue to evolve in its DEIB efforts thanks to the active support and shared vision

of its community. As our students and parents have proven, the work, while not always easy, is vital to the School’s ongoing growth. Says Heather, “When you approach DEIB as not a divisive initiative, but something collaborative, it intentionally celebrates and recognizes all aspects of this community, and everyone can feel a sense of belonging.” Juliet concluded, “These DEIB functions are not only a lot of fun, they have also encouraged members of our community to listen, learn, and appreciate the diversity of experiences within the Windward community. While there is still work to be done—DEIB work is, by its nature, constantly evolving—there is no better or more open-minded community than the one we have here at Windward!”

When we as parents take ownership, we are signaling to the greater community that we care, that we are committed to upholding an incredibly special culture. But culture is not static - it requires nurturing, processes and intentionality.

- Heather Mitchell, parent of Carter ’25

From THE TEAM

2023-24 DEIB AT A GLANCE Events are subject to change

September

Hispanic Heritage Month

Roger Bridges

Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

The 2022-23 school year brought an injection of growth and new ideas centered squarely on the concept of belonging. We are so proud and inspired by how the community, students, parents, faculty, and staff engaged in conversations about the importance of DEIB, and particularly belonging, and followed up by creating and putting forth DEIB-centered initiatives that moved our community forward. Some highlights include the revitalization of our Upper School Diversity Leadership Board (27 active stu-

Ryan Shelven Assistant Director Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

dents involved!), the launch of Grounds For Conversation, a parent-driven belonging event series, and the myriad of educational and fun-filled heritage month celebrations that brought our community closer together. Our community has demonstrated that the work of DEIB, while challenging and sometimes complex, is and always will be the entire community’s responsibility to be shared, celebrated, and honored.

October

National Coming Out Day

Pollyanna Conference

November

Native American Heritage Month

Día de los Muertos

Tales at the Table

Diwali

January Grounds for Conversation

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Dad’s Night

February

Black History Month

Lunar New Year

March

Women’s History Month; National Disabilities Awareness Month

April

Arab American Heritage Month Day of Silence

May

Jewish American Heritage Month; AAPI Heritage Month Grounds for Conversation

Dad’s Night

June

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Whilestudents at Windward are always encouraged to leave their mark on the School, not many are asked to do so in as literal a way as Tilly LaPaglia ’23. In 2022, the then Junior created a painting in Tony de los Reyes’ Interdisciplinary Studio 1 art class, one inspired by the nature she witnessed while on her long hikes at Will Rogers State Park over the course of the pandemic. When she returned for her Senior year, Tony was waiting for her with an additional requestturning her original design into a full on mural outside Windward’s new Academic Hub.

To aid her in this task, Tony introduced Tilly to professional muralist Renée Fox, who helped Tilly turn her digital design into a pounce pattern made up of three large panels of butcher’s paper. Together, the artists then transferred the pattern using charcoal dust, with Tilly completing the design by using water-based acrylic paint mixed with matte medium to fill in the black lines. “Renée made it a very enjoyable experience,” said Tilly. “She is a seasoned muralist, and has many prolific projects under her belt. She was very patient, kind, and endlessly willing to answer my many questions about the process. I immensely enjoyed collaborating with her, and hope to do something similar in the future.”

FROM CANVAS TO CAMPUS LIFE IN 3D

The surrealness of the experience is not something lost on Tilly. “It is truly an honor,” she shared. “I never imagined that my work would be displayed on such a large display, and I am so happy to see it brighten the new Academic Hub (you can never go wrong with a bit of color). I smile every day I pass by it and hope it does the same for everyone else, too.”

While Tilly never expected her design to live on beyond the classroom, she credits Windward’s faculty for giving her the space and opportunity to grow her creative interests. “All of my teachers — regardless of subject — have inspired me to pursue my creative instincts in one way or another. Whether it be creating my own English prompt when I struggle with the assignment, or submitting a photo journal for history class, the faculty here at Windward has done a wonderful job of encouraging me to express myself in an authentic way that suits who I truly am.”

It’s that same encouragement that Tilly hopes to impart upon her fellow student artists as they chart their own path at the School. “I would tell (students) to make work that interests them,” Tilly advised. “Don’t listen to guidelines or specific prompts if what the teacher provides doesn’t produce anything inspiring. Break barriers: mix mediums, rip the canvas, and melt the crayons. Stay true to yourself, and create work that fuels your inspiration. This work was not meant to be more than a digital drawing, but it soon made its way onto the canvas and then was translated to drywall on a large scale. This work has inspired an entire line of inquiry that I still feel passionate about, more than one year later. And this all came from a place where I was doodling during class, fascinated by the way a petal curves in the sunlight. Stay true to yourself. It will take you further than you could ever imagine.”

Asa way of exploring the idea of identity and family in an alternative way, students in Katie Thoma’s 3D Design classes were tasked with creating a new take on the self portraiture form. Aided by Max Nishimura, Windward’s Resident Tinkerer, students in 3D Design 1 were instructed to design and produce their own “frame” using Adobe Illustrator and the CREATE Studio laser cutter. With their frame complete, students were then asked to select objects and materials that represented various aspects of their unique identity, ones they felt were important enough to communicate and embed in either resin or wax.

Students in 3D Design 2 and 3 took the project even further, with their designs focusing on family members or people in their lives they find influential. The finished portraits featured a wide range of colors, materials, thoughts, and personalities, and included a variety of materials from baseballs to soap carvings to fly fishing flies. The meaning behind the projects went even deeper, as students worked to convey complex feelings of identity, growth, connection, heritage, and more through a tactile and eye-catching form. Though deliberately simple in nature, the thought and intention of these pieces were readily apparent to all who witnessed them in their final gallery setting.

RED CARPET READY

Windward’s Media Media Arts & Film Lab Showcase returned to the Aero Theater for a powerful display of storytelling and passion.

OnMay 21, Windward celebrated its 4th Annual Media Arts & Film Lab Showcase! This storytelling event featured over 300 guests at the historic Aero Theater in Santa Monica and showcased some of the very best films, animations, documentaries, and multimedia stories created in Windward’s Media Arts & Film program. The theme for this year’s showcase was "The Power of Storytelling'', which grew from the 2021 theme "The Return of Cinema and Storytelling", Windward's very first MAFL Showcase, post-Covid. The event was our best attended yet, and showcased over 60 digital stories on both the silver screen and multimedia monitors. Illustrating the diverse and meaningful journeys of our students and the importance of their brave stories, the stories featured just about everything. From student-centered self-discovery stories to LGBTQ romance films, documentaries about a grandmother and her late lost love to the science and art of sound therapy and sound theory, to haunted mansions, fast cars and family, cross-country road trips, the event was a true celebration of individuality and expression.

"In many ways, our students in the MAFL program are telling more personal and far better executed stories than many of the top film schools,” said Drue Metz, Director of the Media Arts & Film Lab.

“Thanks to Regina and Colleen's classes and mentorships, our students are receiving an impactful first-hand experience in film production and animation, and are learning the essence of socially redeeming storytelling. Their films and animations have been deeply personal and unique, and they have demonstrated such an impressive understanding of the technical and creative craft of storytelling. This year’s showcase was our best yet, and we are over the moon excited to see what our young storytellers will create next year."

In addition to various awards given on behalf of the student’s work in categories such as Directing, Sound Design, 2D Animation, and Production Design, some Senior filmmakers took home the coveted “Shirley Spirit Award”, the highest storytelling honor bestowed at the showcase in which only one student can be nominated by each of the three MAFL faculty. This year, the MAFL showcase also described and honored the rich history of film and storytelling at Windward, describing how in the recent decade, the school has evolved from a single broadcast class and film class offering to a forward-thinking, multimedia storytelling program with classes in professional Film Production, Animation, and Media Arts storytelling.

With over two hours of student stories on the silver screen, 21 award winners, eye-catching red carpet outfits, photos, and a ton of fresh popcorn, the MAFL showcase was a true celebration of our community and the power of storytelling.

The Kids are Alright

Disney’s Descendants: The Musical Director’s Note by James Patrick Moran

Whenthinking about what to produce for our Spring production, my goal was to find material that our young artists were passionate about and also tackled far-reaching and vital themes that directly affect their daily lives. Disney’s Descendants: The Musical surprised me. While our students absolutely love this show and the songs, I was taken with its deceivingly complex characters and rich storylines. In the first read-through it was clear that everyone knew every song by heart—our joyous journey had begun.

At the heart of Descendants: The Musical is a story of inclusion and belonging. It’s about the importance of making our own choices regarding who we want to be and how we show up for the world. It reminds us that we deserve ownership of our own destinies, and that redemption is always possible.

Our production has been lifted by so many who lent their expertise in guiding Descendants: The Musical to fly. It has been an honor to collaborate with co-choreographer Rebecca Barragan, who elevated this whole experience with her exhilarating choreography and generous spirit. Our Production Manager, Kristie Mattson, expertly led the exceptional professional designers and crew, as well as designing the beautiful costumes you saw on stage. Thank you to our tremendous Musical Director, Dr. Daniel Koh, and Assistant Musical Director, Dr. Zach Neufeld, who impeccably guided our young singers through this difficult score. Stage Manager extraordinaire, Matthew Steward, thank you for steering our production with unwavering dedication and leadership. I am grateful to our Dance Captain, Dori Farkas ’25, and our two Assistant Directors, Natalie Behrendt ’25 and Lila Hernand ’26, as well as our dedicated student tech crew led by JJ Dawley ’25 and Willow Eaton ’23. And thank you to Jordan Fox, our Theatre Area Advisor, for the late night calls and onstage guidance during this experience. I am forever grateful for this collaboration of many. Lastly, I want to thank each student artist involved in Descendants: The Musical. You all continue to usher in this new chapter in our Theatre Department, one that is filled with your blinding promise and light. In coming together and sharing your exquisite authenticity and talents amidst the demands of your academic lives and countless after school commitments, you have managed to give this production its unique and beautiful heartbeat. I am left changed for the better by witnessing your drive to “Break Anything Down” that stands in your way, to delivering truth and authenticity. Soar, you creative giants!

With love, James

ISLE OF THE LOST

MAL - Kaleo Knight

EVIE - Ruthie Faxon

JAY - Mollie Garner

CARLOS - Camila Cardenas

MALEFICENT - Daisy Harkin-Goodrich

GRIMHILDE - Lila Ahitov

JAFAR - Sophie Hoffman

CRUELLA DE VIL - Lily Richardson

AURADON

Disney’s Descendants: The Musical

BEN - Emma Harris

AUDREY - Sophia Schuman

CHAD - Fin Affleck

DOUG - Theo Karno Glaser

JANE - Sydney Litt

FAIRY GODMOTHER - Noa Alpern

KING BEAST - Zachary Kraus

QUEEN BELLE - Eden Adams

ROYAL PAGE - Kayla Nickerson

ROYAL GUARD - Sunday Kelly

MAURICE - Millie Helm

COACH - Olivia Broumand

SNOW WHITE - Emme Rogers

ENSEMBLE (Isle Inhabitants/Auradon Prep Students)

Eden Adams, Olivia Broumand, Sage Chambers, Millie Helm, Delilah Holsey, Theo Karno Glaser, Sunday Kelly, Zachary Kraus, Morgan Litt, Kayla Nickerson, Allie Perttula, Elise Pollack, Emme Rogers, Olivia Stodel

THE STUDENT CREW

Assistant Directors: Natalie Behrendt, Lila Hernand

Assistant Stage Managers: JJ Dawley, Willow Eaton

Prop Artistry & Costume Design Assistants: Luca Measer, Kennedy Richard, Juju Samarge, Riley Taylor

Associate Choreographer: Hugo Miller

Dance Captain: Dori Farkas

Sound Crew: Abe Ezra

Lighting Board Operator: Nick Letscher

Wardrobe Assistants: Luca Measer, Kennedy Richard, Juju Samarge, Riley Taylor

Hair & Makeup Design

Deck Crew: JJ Dawley, Abbey Paz, Abigail Richman, Reese Zolkin

We’re gonna break this down, we’re gonna rock this town. Everyone all around, Let’s be whoever like this. Better together like this!

Spring Arts Festival

In April, Windward Performing Arts offered not one, not two, but three amazing arts showcases as part of the Spring Arts Festival. Featuring an assortment of Middle School and Upper School performances both on-campus and off, the Spring Arts Festival was a festive showcase of our students’ many talents.

Beginning April 28 with Spring Music Unplugged, Windward’s Vocal Music Ensembles and Chamber Music Ensemble had the privilege of taking their performance to a new venue—the Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club, a premiere performance venue that is particularly suited to the acoustical needs of vocal and chamber instrumental music. The ensembles shared music from all around the world and from a wide variety of different genres, from traditional Japanese, Iroquois, British, Hebrew and Latin American folk melodies and rhythms to Classical, musical theater, gospel rock and contemporary pop selections. Even more exciting, the Chamber Music Ensemble was delighted to be able to present the premier performance of "Conversations" by Aidan Rutman ’26. Aidan composed and arranged the piece specifically for that ensemble!

The festival continued in a double feature performance on April 29 with Spring Music Plugged and the Spring Dance Concert. In Spring Plugged, each ensemble gathered to display their expansive achievements. Windward’s Jazz Ensemble showcased their wide array of growth beginning with the challenging and angular melodies of Charlie Parker, and culminating with the inspired groove of the Afro Cuban Buena Vista Social Club.

Advanced Jazz Ensemble B torched the stage with a blistering rendition of the Japanese fusion group Casiopia, capped off with interplay between highlighted members of the ensemble. The Advanced Jazz Ensemble A closed out the show, presenting those in attendance with a series of creative original compositions and arrangements. The concert was a true celebration of our talented musicians and had everyone up on their feet!

The culminating showcase for Windward Dance, the Spring Dance Concert featured choreographic work developed over a three-month period by students throughout the department, expanded this year to include two guest artist works made in col laboration with students in the Middle School Repertory Dance Ensemble and the Honors Dance 4: Dance Company, Section 2. Works crafted by longtime Windward Dance guest choreogra phers James Gregg and Justine Fink who have been instrumental in modeling craftsmanship in the studio for these young artists.

Focusing on the development of student voice, this collection of largely student-generated work ranged from ballet to contemporary to jazz and hip-hop, and was a demonstration of how students are exploring their own methodologies and creative visions, seeing them through from ideation to creation. Said Alesia Young, Performing Arts Program Area Advisor: Dance, “Students are learning how vital collaboration is in the Performing Arts, and are being asked to consider all aspects of production from the vantage point of choreographers, performers, directors, sound editors, costumers, production managers, lighting designers, and more in preparation for the show.”

Pushing that commitment to collaboration even further, the program also included a new solo work created by Lauren Weiskopf '25, accompanied by Charlie Cohn '26 on piano, as well as a trio choreographed by Claire Asten '23, Jane Blythe '23, and Lauren Weiskopf '25 to a stunning original composition entitled “Vertical Sunrise” by Aidan Rutman '26.

The trio first premiered in February at the New Works Festival and returned in new form for the Spring Arts Festival. It was a truly exciting way to showcase these talented students and the spaces that nurture and support their growing artistry. This year's Spring Dance Concert program closed with a dedication to Ping Hon Tom, professional ballroom dancer and grandfather of Windward

DEDICATION TO PING HON TOM

Born in Kaiping China, he survived the Japanese occupation, separation of his family of 11 siblings, survived the cultural revolution, moved to Hong Kong, studied very hard and got a scholarship to San Jose State University where his American story began. He was a model of determination and perseverance, grace and humility. Ping is a former United States senior ballroom champion. He participated in and won most of the major championship competitions throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Ping was a member of the National Dance Council of America. Ping’s passion for ballroom dancing continued after he retired from competition. He was a sought after ballroom teacher in San Francisco and worked with some of the top professionals in the country. His legacy in dance lives on through his granddaughter Pia Brosmith ‘22. Pia is currently a BFA student at the Alvin Ailey School in conjunction with Fordham University.

GRADUATING SENIORS CONTINUING THEIR STUDY OF PERFORMING ARTS AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL

Dance:

USC Kaufman School of Dance, Choreography Minor UCLA, Dance Major Vassar College, Performance Correlate/Rep Dance Theater The New School Music: Brown University, Composition Berklee College of Music, Composition Theatre:

NYU Tisch, Atlantic Acting School, BFA Acting University of Texas at Austin, BFA Acting

A Weekend of Wonder Bringing “The Laramie Project” to Life

On March 13, students in Windward’s Honors Advanced Theatre Ensemble put on an important, student-directed performance of The Laramie Project. A documentary-style devised theatre piece created from interviews conducted by members of the Tectonic Theater Project with the residents of Laramie, Wyoming in the wake of the savage beating of Matthew Shepard, a 21-yearold gay college student, The Laramie Project resonates today as an extraordinary example of theatre as advocacy, particularly in its support of LGBTQIA+ communities. The subject matter of the play raises awareness of the homophobia and heteronormativity that still permeates our culture today, and examines the themes of memory and regret, as well as the communal accountability and subjectivity in storytelling, as many different perspectives on the same historical event are examined and explored.

To better educate students and faculty on the importance of this story, Jordan Fox, Performing Arts Program Area Advisor: Theatre invited members of the community (both at Windward and beyond) into class to share their experience and perspective. From dialogues with Windward faculty and the LGBTQIA+ affinity group, to a joint discussion regarding the oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard'', students were provided important history and context as part of their exploration of this performance. Their research culminated with a powerful in-class Zoom conversation with Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father, who spoke with the actors about The Laramie Project, his son, and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

“The Laramie Project is a play that I have wanted to share with our Windward community for quite some time, and I knew that this was the group of student artists that should perform it,” said Jordan. “I am so proud of (student director) Hudson Janow’s direction and exploration in storytelling. I feel a great deal of pride for the actors in Honors Advanced Theatre Ensemble who worked so hard to bring this play to life. Working on this production opened dialogue and helped our actors learn to have empathy for people with fundamentally different perspectives than their own, which is one of the great powers of the theatre.”

Dancing the Night

Thispast January, Windward Dance was thrilled to present An Evening of Dance at the JAMS Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica. This year’s show continued the program’s research and exploration of outside venues, helping the School as we prepare to build our own state of the art spaces on Windward’s campus, ones that will support the future of the arts and technology.

The sold out show included the work of special guest choreographers Bryn Cohn, Joseph Davis, Haley Heckethorn, Marcella Lewis, Laura Goresnstein Miller, and Justin Pham, and were performed by our Middle School Repertory Dance Ensemble and Honors Dance 4: Dance Company, with a guest performance by HD Theatre in a work set by Justin Rapaport.

“Mounting this year's contemporary winter concert in some ways felt herculean,” said Alesia Young, Performing Arts Program Area Advisor: Dance. “After an adapted curriculum and loss of traditional performance opportunities during the pandemic, we are still helping dancers to build back their technical foundation and rediscover their onstage presence, and we are asking them to do so on big public stages. There are very few disciplines in the college preparatory environment that require students to be tested openly for a viewing audience, but this kind of education is key to building individual fortitude and grounding these young artists in the strength of the ensemble with shared experience and purpose.”

This year, dancers were also challenged to stretch themselves stylistically in order to accommodate the range of artists represented at An Evening of Dance, which featured an eclectic mix of contemporary work representative of the culture Windward Dance is cultivating. “Our aim is to be reflective of the diverse and ever-changing landscape of the art form,” shared Alesia. “Some of the pieces experienced that evening were larger works, statement pieces commanding the stage, while others were intimate moments almost best viewed in a small room. While dancers were tasked in one piece with representing big themes through sweeping movement, at other times they were called upon to stand quietly, authentically, and present in who they are, reflecting the beauty and humanity involved in a simple glance or touch.”

The work showcased in the evening was not solely about purity of movement, but expression, intensity, intention, and mindfulness, all of which begins in the studio. The evening served as a reminder for Windward Dance Faculty, who remain committed to process and inspired by craft. “We appreciate seeing these elements masterfully utilized in creation by our guest artists in collaboration with the students,” said Alesia. “Once the work hits the stage, these young artists are responsible for bringing the artistic vision to life and creating an experience for the viewer that momentarily transcends our every day, while simultaneously reminding us of the vital importance of basic human connection and expression.”

“ Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. It’s the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy. ”

Jacques d’Amboise

“ You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. ”

Merce Cunningham

A SEASON TO REMEMBER Spring Sports Roundup

The sheer determination and hard work of the Track and Field program paid off as each scholar-athlete turned in lifetime bests during the 2023 Spring season. This accomplishment not only highlighted the individual achievements of our athletes, but also served as a testament to the competitiveness of the entire program.

The Spring season also featured the emergence of some very promising newcomers who made an impact on the team. With the League Finals culminating in a thrilling competition, our athletes made their mark with over 13 athletes qualifying for the CIF Championships in Carpeteria. The girls placed a close second to Brentwood

UPPER SCHOOL

and the boys were fourth overall in League Competition. We anticipate an exciting future for the track and field program. Despite losing a strong group of Seniors from the previous year, as well as losing Senior captain Adin Rush to injury, the Boys Golf team added four new players to the lineup, and had a great season. New Seniors Theo Gertner and Aaron Platt joined freshmen Asher Rush and Brady Eng, along with returners Liam Green and Zach Schwab, to repeat as Gold Coast League champions. Liam, Zach, Theo, and Asher also claimed four of the six individual CIF spots allotted to the league. Competing in Division 1 for the first time in

school history, the squad came within 5 shots of advancing as a team to the next round of CIF team playoffs.

In Swimming , this year's team saw impressive growth throughout the season as every swimmer improved their personal best times in their respective events. In the league championship, every swimmer posted a PR and four swimmers qualified for the league finals—Pearl Furst ’25 and Elle Crotty ’24 for JV as well as Patrick Nelson ’25 and Natalia Fishkin ’24 for Varsity. Patrick had an impressive sophomore season, showing tremendous growth after picking up club swimming less than a year ago. Patrick placed 3rd in a loaded Varsity

100 Freestyle final with a time of 51.37. This year also saw Senior Isis Ginyard graduate. Isis brought an unmatched energy to the group and served as the “glue” of the team. She will greatly be missed!

Girls Beach Volleyball had a special season, showing their love for getting after it and competing. The varsity team took 2nd in the Gold Coast League, earning their spot in the first ever official CIF playoffs for girls beach. They battled and won the first two rounds of playoffs, and ended their run in the quarterfinals.

Skye Belker ’23 and Sidney Proctor-Johnston ’26 qualified for the CIF Pairs Championship, where they competed against all the top teams in southern california.

In an anticipated “rebuilding” year, the Boys Volleyball program exceeded performance-based expectations. They prioritized building a culture of discipline and tenacity, and they held themselves and each other capable of full investment in the process of growth. Seniors Nicky Ketcham and Ben MIlstein led the team to a second place finish in the Gold Coast League, with Juniors McQuaid Harkin-Goodrich and Zach Klubeck receiving 2nd Team All-League honors, and Sophomores Jack Phelps and Maxwell Stotsky receiving 1st Team All-League honors. With depth in every class and position, the competitive future of the Boys Volleyball program continues to be on the rise!

Boys Varsity Tennis also had a strong season, finishing 2nd in the Gold Coast League, a first in six years! They reached the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row with

the help of Benjamin Strug ’25, who finished the year 21-5 and 6-0 in playoff matches. Captains Josh Weber ’23, Connor James ’23, and Campbell Scotch ’23, kept the team culture alive and instilled in the younger players the importance of teamwork. The boys team is already looking forward to next season!

Early in the fall of 2022, the Windward Baseball team committed to creating a culture of hard work, belonging, camaraderie, and grit. The culture they established helped propel the program back into the CIF-SS Ford Championships for the first time in four years, and allowed them to compete for a league championship. The program saw almost 40 scholar-athletes participate in the program, which allowed for a standalone junior varsity squad to complement the varsity roster, both of which engaged in a rigorous non-league schedule. Windward Baseball was led by Alex Umland ’24, Upper School Male Athlete of the Year, Truman Pauley ’23 (Harvard), Will Matuszak ’23 (UCSB), Kamran Naficy ’23 (Bard), Ben Leshgold ’24, Joshua Patterson ’24, Jack Luirette ’25, Oliver Arenson ’25, Gibson Pauley ’25, Luke Crotty ’26, and Bobby Rapp ’26.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

In Middle School, the 7th Grade Boys Volleyball team consisted almost entirely of players who were new to the sport, and they all showed a lot of growth and development throughout the season. They opened their season with a comeback win in 3 sets and continued to compete in close matches throughout. They showed a lot of promise as the season went on and the boys are eager to step into the 8th grade team next season!

The 8th Grade Boys Volleyball - Royal team played some great volleyball and went undefeated in league play, comfortably winning A Division East. Their fantastic season unfortunately ended with a tight defeat in the Pacific Basin League A Final. However, the team had great fun and made huge strides adhering to coach Kenny’s core values of Character, Communication and Competitive spirit. 8th Royal demonstrated a fantastic amount of progress and commitment throughout.

The 8th Grade Boys Volleyball - White team competed very well across the season, showing great promise in every match by taking teams to 3 sets even when they ended up as the losing team. This group learned some key volleyball components by running a 6-2 rotation, pass, set, hit, as well as learning how to be great competitors and show resilience. Overall it was a solid year of learning and progress!

Both our Royal and White Baseball teams performed well throughout the Spring season, highlighting the Middle School Baseball scholar-athlete’s application, commitment, and desire to improve. The league lineup was a very competitive one this year, with strong teams from Crossroads, Brentwood and Turning Point resulting in some fascinating and entertaining matchups. The Royal team made it to the Pacific Basin League playoff semi-final and did themselves

proud in a tight defeat after a strong showing in league and nonleague play.

Although the White team did not make the postseason, success is not always measured by wins and losses, and the White team’s sense of fun, great team attitude, and huge all around improvement throughout the season made it a very rewarding and successful campaign.

The Middle School Boys Tennis team finished second in the Gold Coast League and advanced to the semi-finals of the playoffs before losing a close match against Geffen Academy. Individual highlights included Caleb Yellin ’27 advancing to the quarterfinals of the individual tournament, and both doubles teams, consisting of O.B. Mand ’27/Theo Howard ’27 and C.J. Henning ’27/ Milo Green ’28, advancing to the quarterfinals before losing hard fought matches.

This year the Middle School Track and Field team proved they have grit! Faced with the challenge of having meets on Friday, the team managed to pull off some amazing accomplishments. 8th Grader Zachary Berman and 7th Grader Ashley Mascolo came in 1st place in the high jump, and Hannah Davids ’28 ended the season in 2nd place in the shot put. The relay team was also amazing. Each student athlete persevered and fought their way across the line, and the coaches really enjoyed seeing the team grow this year.

Our Girls Beach Volleyball team far exceeded expectations with some supreme performances across the season. The team celebrated winning both the PBL team championships and the pairs competition, in which Windward provided all four athletes in the final. Cora Seabold ’27 and Miette Moon-Sasik ’27 took home the pairs title, defeating the other Windward pairing of Tal Altman ’27 and Julia Arenson ’27 in a great match. It was a wonderfully successful season for our Middle School Girls Beach team.

To win a league championship in Golf, it takes depth of talent. The top six scores from each team are added together and the lowest total wins. The Middle School Golf team displayed its depth at the Pacific Basin League “A” Championship to walk away with the first place trophy. At the Par 27 Heroes Golf Course, Windward posted the following scores: Elliot Yun - 31, Luca Slewett - 33, Michael Cohen - 34, Micah Rosenblum - 34, Daniel Turteltaub - 34, and Jake Kaplan - 35. Aarav Asnani shot 36, but only the top six scores from each team got added together. Aarav’s

score would have easily been counted for every other team in the event. But because of Windward’s depth, his fine score was not needed to secure the championship by a 10-stroke margin over the second place team..

Windward ultimately finished in a tie for third place in the Pacific Basin League “B” Championship. Windward posted the following scores: Leo Ciriello - 40, George Terpening - 46, Terrence Love - 49, Carter Musich - 49, Gavin Rosenberg - 51, and Oliver Eshaghoff - 52.

Congratulations on an incredible Spring season, Wildcats!

SETTING THE STANDARD

In May, the School recognized the outstanding efforts of our scholar-athletes in a special Upper School and Middle School awards ceremony in front of their coaches, families, and friends. This special group truly led by example, making an impact on the field, on the courts, and in the classroom. Congratulations to all of our award winners!

SENIORS SIGN THE DOTTED LINE

Congratulations to Michael Blevins ’23 (Cal-State Northridge) and Alina Newman ’23 (Connecticut College) for their Spring commitment signings! We look forward to cheering them on at the next level!

2023 Athlete of the Year: Skye Belker '23 and Alex Umland '24

2023 Middle School Athlete of the Year: Emmett Corwin '27, Cillian Lavin '27, Lucy Matuszak '28, and Reena White '27

2023 Scholar Athlete of the Year Award: Chloe Andrieux-Amadei '24 and Truman Pauley '23

2023 Middle School Scholar Athlete of the Year Award: Julia Arenson ’27, Tal Altman ’27, Mason Cohen ’27, and Jacob Essey ’27

2023 Matt Schreck Leadership Award: Cooper Feldstein '24, Nicky Ketcham '23, Georgia Miller '24, and Carter Mitchell '25

2023 Middle School Matt Schreck Leadership Award: Jake Horowitz '27 and Lila Owens '27

2023 Athletic Leadership Team Award: Michael Blevins '23, Max Bridwell '24, Gabriella Glass '23, and Alina Newman '23

2023 Middle School Athletic Leadership Team Award: Morgan LaSalle ’27 and Rafael Milchan ’27

COMMUNITY FIRST Windward Service Learning

The 2022-23 school year was one of many returns for Windward’s Service Learning program. Forced to postpone their offsite efforts due to the pandemic, the Spring season ushered in a welcome feeling of normalcy as student and parent volunteers again took part in events both on and off campus.

In March, the Windward School Chapter of The Pad Project teamed up with the organization for a period product drive. Student club members orchestrated the drive, which called on the community to donate tampons, pads, and other hygiene products. The Windward community went above and beyond with their response, and their generous donations were distributed to organizations all across Los Angeles. April and May also brought about many new events. First, Windward teamed up with our neighbors at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Windward volunteers worked to assemble 100 bunk beds in support of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building, assembling, and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Those unable to make the in-person event were still able to contribute by donating new twin-sized sheets, bedding, blankets, and pillows. In May we launched a new program, mini-service retreats, for Prep Division students. These retreats allowed students the opportunity to go in small groups during the school day to learn about, and take part in, hands-on volunteer opportunities at local organizations across the city. Organizational partners included St. Joseph Center, Hope in a Suitcase, Safe Place for Youth, and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH).

For Ashley Goodman, Director of Service Learning, the strides made this year made reinstating these various programs feel well worth the wait. “This was a great year for service learning, having parents, organizations, and elementary students back on our campus, and having the opportunity to visit different organizations all around the city really made all of the hard work that our students and families put in come to life,” said Ashley. “I’m looking forward to next school year when we can hit the ground running, and have even more opportunities for our community to get involved!”

The School was also thrilled to again offer a number of after-school programs for our neighborhood community members. Junior Scientists, a class led by JJ Dawley ’25, was a six week program for Elementary aged students that allowed them to investigate various aspects of science through hands-on lab activities and science projects, utilizing the resources of simple items at home and equipment. Jet Jadeja ’23 led HackEDU, a coding class for students in grades 3-5, with the goal of helping students of the next generation develop the skills to make a lasting impact in our advancing world. This Spring also saw the welcome return of community favorite Windward Teaches Tech, a student club whose members meet with neighboring Seniors to help educate them on the use of apps, smartphones and other current media technologies.

A SEASON OF SERVICE

Whileit took a while for the weather to warm up, Windward Middle School Service Learning got off to a hot start in 2023. In January, over 20 Middle School students and parents traveled to Hope in a Suitcase for Windward’s first off-campus Service Learning event of the year!

Hope in a Suitcase is an organization that helps many of the 35,000+ youths in foster care throughout Los Angeles County. Their mission is to provide children and teens in foster care with a suitcase/duffel bag, along with basic essentials and comfort items, to make their transition and circumstances just a little easier.

At their headquarters, our students and parents helped put together hygiene kits and art kits to be distributed at various times. Our parents also sorted new clothing that had been donated, which was then put in their onsite store, where foster youth of teen/tween ages are able to choose their own items - free of charge - during “Shopping Days”. They are also able to obtain other items such as shoes, luggage, and books.

“We are so happy to be able to go off campus and have our students see the amazing work of non-profit organizations in-person,” said Ashley Goodman, Director of Service Learning. “We did a clothing and suitcase drive for Hope in a Suitcase in December, but being on-site and being able to have our students and parents hear the origin story from Founder Marsha Austen is another layer of inspiration for all!”

Then in April, over 30 7th and 8th Grade families came together for the final Middle School Service Learning event of the year. For this event, Windward collaborated with The Painted Turtle, a non-profit organization co-founded by Paul Newman, which provides year-round medical specialty camps for children and their families who have serious medical conditions free of charge.

Parent and student volunteers first heard more about the Painted Turtle’s mission from its Director of Development, Alexis Madrid, and then they stuffed 130 plush turtle toys to be distributed to campers.

Ashley was inspired by the turnout of the event, and even more impressed with the amount of turtles our volunteers stuffed. “It was so wonderful to once again work in collaboration with fellow Middle School parents and our students, and we are thrilled to have a new partnership with the Painted Turtle,” shared Ashley “Our volunteers were so happy to hear from Alexis on other ways that they can help the organization, and we look forward to further collaborations in the future.”

The impact we’ve made in our community wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible parent volunteers, who helped us execute the many events held on and off campus this year. We look forward to partnering with our community members in the Fall!

BREAKING BARRIERS

Windward’s Second Annual Women’s Leadership Forum

OnThursday, April 20, Windward hosted its second annual Women’s Leadership Forum with the focus on “Breaking Barriers”. The event, held at the Blackbird Collective in Culver City, was a collaboration between Robin Pickett, Director of Windward Network, and Ashley Goodman, Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

This special evening featured an esteemed panel of women including Windward Alumnae Veronica Lombardo ’97 and Charisma Osborne ’19, and Windward parents Jovana Lara-Brooks and Candace Nelson. Members from across the Windward community –parents, alumni, faculty, and staff — came together to hear shared stories and experiences as women and leaders. At the end of the panel there was an active Q&A with the audience, followed by a festive hour for those who wished to network and enjoy the wonderful company.

Panelist and Windward parent Candace Nelson said of the evening, “I wanted to thank all of you for including me in this year’s Windward Women’s event. I was honored to be included on the ‘Breaking Barriers’ panel and it was wonderful to meet and interact with so many parents and alums from across the Windward community.”

Thank you to all of our speakers for sharing their stories, and thank you to our Windward community members who attended for making the second annual event another wonderful experience for all!

ThisSummer*, the Windward Network** was successful in providing both in-person and virtual internships. Through the generosity of parents, alumni, and Friends of Windward, we provided 40 students and alumni opportunities to partner with 25 organizations in a variety of fields including engineering, publishing, finance, and medicine. We would like to acknowledge these organizations and mentors and thank them for supporting our interns and giving them the opportunity for "real-world" work experience. Additionally, we applaud our interns for a successful summer!

To learn more about the Windward Network and our Summer Internship program, please visit our website by scanning the QR Code

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

SMARTSOFT

Ben Blau ‘24

��Anitra Tarpey (Eve ’25)

DR. MARC COHEN

Andy Yu ‘24

�� Marc Cohen ’91 (Sadie ’24)

JA SOCAL

Caroline O’Connor ‘24, Maxwell Shoustal ‘22

�� Steve Dolcemaschio (Vince ’19)

TRIPLE THREAT YOUTH

BASKETBALL

Jaden Russo ‘24

�� Liza Avanceña

SANTA MONICA

SHAMSAH AMERSI, MD

Zoe Kreller ‘22, Lila Newkirk ‘24

�� Dr. Shamsah Amersi (Jaden ’23)

GIDEON STRATEGIC

PARTNERS

Noah Cosgrove ‘21, Will Gallon ‘21, Oliver Savage ‘25

�� Corinne Weisler

*This list is current as of June 30, 2023.

**Windward Network initiatives are sponsored in part by the Senior Class Gift. By supporting the Class Gift, parents of Seniors will leave a legacy at the School, in honor of their child, that will work to help support students and alumni for years to come.

TASTE OF NATURE

Cece Bouza ‘19, Caroline O’Connor ‘24

�� Scott Samet (Jack ‘23 and Spencer ‘26)

EXPAK LOGISTICS

Carter LaSalle ‘25

�� Michael Kraus (Cameron ‘24 and Lucas ‘27)

MARINA DEL REY

WATKINS SPINE

Natalie Behrendt ‘25, Joy Cheng ‘22, Emma Goldstein ‘24, Brianna Kirkendall ‘25, Jack Phelps ‘25

�� Dr. Robert Watkins IV (Bobby ’24 and Tommy ’26)

WESTWOOD

UCLA DEPARTMENT OF HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

Tess Agoglia ‘24, Sophie Sloan ‘24

�� Dr. Maie St. John (Zane ’22 and Jude ’24)

WEST LA

MYRIAD PICTURES

Ella Diamond ‘20

�� Kevin Forester ‘89

WAGS N WALKS

Monica Kusserow ‘25

�� Lesley Brog

JENN FELDMAN DESIGNS

Audrey Ku ‘25

�� Jenn Feldman (Ari ‘28 and Sammy ‘26)

ROGER FISHMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cameron Kraus ‘24

�� Roger Fishman (Jack ‘26)

BEVERLY HILLS

ROXBURY CONSULTANTS

Tea Koudsi ‘24, Aden Rush ‘23

�� Scott Diamond (Olivia ’17, Jack ’19, and Henry ’22)

CENTURY CITY

COHNREZNICK

Sam Siminou ‘21

�� Margaret Shanley (Cillian ’27)

BLUESTONE SAFE

Elliot Bobrow ‘23

�� Ariella Salimpour

Eshagian ’13

WEHO/HOLLYWOOD

GOTHAM GROUP

Luke Hanna ‘25, Brandon Richard ‘21

�� Ellen Goldsmith-Vein

OLIVE & JUNE

Shira Schlessinger ‘22, Julia Siegal ‘20

�� Olivia Van Iderstine

TANTOS

Stella Paz ‘22

�� Sean Knecht

DOWNTOWN LA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

LOS ANGELES

Zachary Blackman ‘25, Justin

Yu ‘21

�� Dr. Dean Anselmo (Jaden ’23)

INNER CITY LAW CENTER

Ella Diamond ‘20

�� Elliot Gordon ’74 (Daniel ’10)

CULVER CITY

ECHO HORIZONS

Aman Granados-Puvvula ‘25

�� Peggy Procter (Sidney ’26)

SOUTH BAY

BOEING - EL SEGUNDO

Lexi Eskovitz ‘23, McQuaid Harkin-Goodrich ‘23

�� Laura Velez

OUT OF STATE

RGC COFFEE

Jessica Behrendt ‘22

�� Nathalie Huddleston (Jonathan ’27)

IN THEIR WORDS

EMMA GOLDSTEIN ‘24

Intern at Watkins Spine

I think this internship experience was very impactful. It helped solidify my goal of one day becoming a surgeon. I recommend participating in an internship through the Windward Network because there are so many different and fascinating opportunities that can broaden your horizons and help you establish what different professions would be like after college.

OLIVER SAVAGE ‘25

Intern at Gideon Strategic Partners

Through the Windward Network, I have had the opportunity to work as a summer intern at a finance company here in Los Angeles. This program is incredibly special because it immerses students in a professional work environment whilst teaching them about a specific profession that they might pursue after attending Windward. I encourage students to look into the opportunities Windward Network has to offer if they want to explore passion or an interest outside of the Windward community.

JENN FELDMAN

Mentor of Audrey Ku ’25, Intern at Jenn Feldman Designs

Audrey has been such a welcome addition to JFD. She has integrated herself into our team and business and is here to support us in daily and ongoing studio needs. She is a self starter and incredibly detailed, all ingredients that are so valuable to us! Supporting Windward's internship program has been such a rewarding part of building community both personally and professionally - it's been a thrill to create this opportunity for her to grow and thrive exploring something she loves, and wonderful to see her on campus throughout the year and stay connected!

MONICA KUSSEROW ‘25

Intern at Wags & Walks

As someone who has grown up loving and surrounded by (rescue) animals this internship stood out to me immediately. I’ve always been an advocate for rescue and adoption, and Wags & Walks has given me the opportunity, while teaching me along the way to turn my passion into an impactful role. This internship has not only deepened my love and understanding of rescue, but taught me so much about what it takes to successfully run a nonprofit while staying engaged with the community. To anyone who’s even just thinking about participating in an internship through the Windward Network, go for it! You will never regret gaining experience in a field you love.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

We are deeply grateful to all who have served as Trustees since the School was founded in 1971, and we salute the following Trustees, who are leaving the Board this year, for their commitment to Windward. As you join the special group of former Trustees, please know that you are always a member of the Windward community, and we look forward to your continued involvement in the life of the School.

2022-23

CHAIR:

Alex Kwit

SECRETARY:

Tom Gilder

OFFICERS:

Gareth Asten

Ann Gianopulos

Elliot Gordon ‘74

Michelle Taub

PARENT GUILD

REPRESENTATIVE:

Cara DiBona

2023-24

CHAIR:

Alex Kwit

SECRETARY:

Tom Gilder

OFFICERS:

Gareth Asten

Elliot Gordon '74

Michelle Taub

PARENT GUILD

REPRESENTATIVE:

Chelsea Patterson

MEMBERS:

Ed Gariulo

Nancy Glaser

Jordan Kaplan

Nora Malone

Pamela Mass

Heather Mitchell

Rich Pachulski

Chelsea Patterson

Viveca Paulin-Farrell

Colin Rose

Andrew Schwartzberg

Raj Shourie

BOARD OF TRUSTEES BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MEMBERS:

Amy Eldon Turteltaub

Ed Gargiulo

Ann Gianopulos

Rose Helm

Steve Henning

Jordan Kaplan

Heather Mitchell

Juliet Oh

Rich Pachulski

Viveca Paulin-Farrell

Colin Rose

Legally, the Board is responsible for the institution and selects the Head to be the educational leader and administrator of the School. The Head is a full-time

Steve Trilling

Erica Tukiainen ‘06

Karol Watson

Perrie Weiner

Brian Weitman

DEPARTING:

Cara DiBona

Nancy Glaser

Nora Malone

Pamela Mass

Andrew Schwartzberg

Raj Shourie

Steve Trilling

Erica Tukiainen '06

Karol Watson

Perrie Weiner

Brian Weitman

professional while the members of the Board are parttime and volunteer.

The Board sets policy and delegates the administration of the School to the Head, subject to the Board’s

review. The Head guides the Board in setting policy, while the Board has primary administrative responsibility for its own management, for managing the School’s assets, and for raising money.

DEPARTING NEW TRUSTEES TRUSTEES

Amy Eldon Turteltaub

Cara Di Bona

Cara Di Bona departs the Board after serving as the Parent Guild President for the 2022-23 school year. Cara’s tenure ushered in the first full school year back on campus since the pandemic, and resulted in a community-centric year of on-campus engagement. Cara also served as a member of the Advancement Committee, supporting the Advancement Department in their goal of furthering their development, communications, and public and alumni relations initiatives.

As her daughter, Phoebe ’24, enters her Senior year at Windward, we look forward to Cara’s continued engagement with the School, and thank her for her efforts in growing the sense of community and belonging among our parents, guardians, and Windward community members.

Nancy Glaser

Dr. Nancy Glaser concludes a successful eight year stint as a member of the Board that first began in 2014. Over the course of her tenure, Nancy served on the Executive Committee and Co-Chaired the Committee on Trustees. The Committee on Trustees deals with the management and perpetuation of the Board, and is responsible for the selection and nomination of Board members and officers, in addition to their orientation.

Nancy also hosted the Board’s Fall retreat for many years, a highlight for all involved. The proud parent of Windward alums Levi ’16 and Aerin ’23, Nancy’s voice will be missed. We thank Nancy for her incredible partnership and her longstanding dedication and commitment to the betterment of the School.

Nora Malone

A longtime member of the Board, Nora Malone’s educational background proved an invaluable asset to the Board’s ongoing success. First joining in 2014, Nora brought decades of experience as a teacher and school administrator, also serving as both the Head of School and Director of Admissions in her over two decades at Village School in Pacific Palisades. In her career, Nora has served as a member of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Board of Directors, Vice Chair and member of the CAIS Board’s Executive Committee, and both Vice Chair and Chair of the CAIS Elementary Board of Standards. Her leadership and expertise were instrumental in building the Board we enjoy today, and we thank her for the indelible impact she’s made on our school community.

Pamela Mass

Departing member Pamela Mass first served on the board in 2015 as Parent Guild president and was honored to return in 2019. She served as co-chair of the Advancement Committee prior to and throughout the pandemic and was happy to partner with the school and report on the success of the Windward Fund, despite the difficult circumstances. Pamela was a longtime member of the Innovation Campaign’s Steering Committee, and was thrilled to see the Academic Hub recently completed. She looks forward to the completion of the Innovation & Arts Center.

Pamela and her husband, Ron, are the proud parents of alumni Nolan ’17, Oliver ’19, and Theo ’22, so a piece of her heart will always remain at Windward School. We thank Pamela for her years of service on the Board and know she’ll be following the continued success of the School.

Amy Eldon Turteltaub grew up in Kenya and London before graduating from Boston University with a degree in Communications. At the age of 22 she was nominated for an Emmy for her documentary Dying to Tell the Story about the death of her brother, photographer Dan Eldon, who was killed at age 22 while working as a photojournalist in Somalia.

Amy co-produced Soldiers of Peace a film about the Children’s Peace Movement in Colombia for CNN and was the creator and presenter of Global Tribe, a PBS series about extraordinary social entrepreneurs. Together with Julia Roberts, Amy exec-produced Extraordinary Women about the power of mothers to change our world for the Oprah Winfrey Network featuring Hillary Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell and Christiane Amanpour. Amy is also the author of four guided journals published by Chronicle Books, including the bestselling Angel Catcher: A Journal of Loss and Remembrance.

With her mother, Kathy, Amy is the co-founder and co-chair of Creative Visions Foundation, dedicated to supporting creative activists who use media and the arts to create positive change. She also serves on the board of Seven Arrows Elementary School. Amy is married to film director Jon Turteltaub and is the mother of Jack ’26, Daniel ’28, and eight year-old Arabella.

Juliet Oh

Juliet Oh believes in the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion in both educational and corporate institutions, and has been and continues to be an active member of professional organizations that encourage and facilitate such values, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Juliet is a graduate of Stanford University and obtained her law degree from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Juliet is a partner at Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo & Golubchik L.L.P, an insolvency boutique law firm where she has practiced for over 20 years. Juliet and her husband, Jun, are the proud parents of current Windward student Maddie '26.

Rose Helm

Rose Helm is the Head of School at The John Thomas Dye School (JTD), a K-6 independent school. Previously, Rose was at The Hamlin School, a girls’ K-8 school in San Francisco, where she was Middle School Division Head and taught English. Earlier in her career, she taught at JTD and her alma mater Harbor Day School, a K-8 independent school in Corona del Mar, CA and also worked for several years in marketing and public relations in San Francisco. Rose serves on the Board of The Independent School Alliance and Marymount High School (Los Angeles, CA) and is the Vice President of the Elementary School Heads Association. Rose holds an M.A. in English Literature from UC Irvine and a B.A. in Art History from Princeton University, where she was also captain of the Volleyball Team. Rose and her husband Peter are parents to Millie ’28.

Stephen J. Henning

Stephen J. Henning is a founding partner of Wood, Smith, Henning, and Berman, LLP, an Am Law 150 national law firm. With a focus on construction, business, and employment litigation, he represents Fortune 500 companies and businesses. Outside the office, Stephen is dedicated to education and community service. He recently completed his tenure as board chair of an elementary school, gaining a profound understanding of the importance of quality education and a supportive learning environment. He also serves on the Dean's Advisory Board for the Law College at the University of Nebraska, where he earned his law degree. Steve also serves as a trustee for the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Steve's commitment extends to leadership roles on the boards of national and local non-profits, including the March of Dimes, Alzheimer's Greater Los Angeles, and LevittQuinn, a public aid law firm. His legal work has earned him prestigious awards, including CLM's Professional of the Year for Outside Legal Counsel. He looks forward to bringing his expertise and dedication to the Windward trustee team. He and his wife Stacey are the proud parents of Christopher, who is a member of the Windward class of 2027.

Big Hair, Don’t Care

Windward’s Spring Soirée

On Saturday, May 6, the Windward community brought their neon, ruffled, hairsprayed best to the Mountaingate Country Club for Windward’s annual Spring Soirée! This bodacious, 80s Prom themed affair was set to a stunning mountain backdrop, and featured all the rubik's cubes, cassette tapes, and slinkies any cool cat could hope for. Windward families danced the night away thanks to the radical beats of LA staple and 80s DJ personality Richard Blade, who kept the party

rocking until the very end. From tasty food and drinks and an 80s movie poster photoshoot to a silent auction and our popular wine pull, this year’s soirée truly had it all!

As always, a night like this wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous support of our incredible community volunteers.

We would like to thank co-chairs

Mikki Kane, Samantha Robichaud, and Nicole Westheimer.

Additionally, thank you to our stellar Parent Guild volunteers—Allison Bloom, Cara Di Bona, Shana Garner, Ellen Goldfarb, Corey Hartnack, Katarina Hyde, Ryan Kilstein, Erin Mand, Michelle Lehmann, Chelsea Patterson, Amy Perrette, Peter Rieveschl, Susie Romano, Kate Seton, Chana Taft Schuman, Linda Casale Tierney, and Katherine VanderKloot —for helping to create this wonderful event.

Thank you to all our generous Ticket Sponsors

Rachel & Jayson Adams

Ann & Jim Gianopulos

Mags & Trevor Lavin

Zaheeda & Nav Rahemtulla

Shawn & Jason Silletti

Kate Petrosky & Julien Thuan

Thank you to those who donated amazing Silent Auction items and wine and champagne for the Wine Pull

Anonymous

Lisa & David Alpern

Junko & Jason Choy

Amy & Joseph Dickstein

Anita Famili

Adi & Jerry Greenberg

Kendra & Michael LaSalle

Wendy & Eric Levine

Diana Longarzo

Honor Fraser & Stavros Merjos

Megan & Eric Needleman

Jess Meyer & Tim Pappas

Chelsea & Saladin Patterson

Viveca Paulin-Ferrell & Will Ferrell

Kimberly & Joshua Perttula '88

Gretchen & Dan Rush

Jennifer Rush

Kate & Gil Seton

Linda & Glenn Solomon

Arika Mittman & Cynthia Stegner

Georgeann Carras & Adam Stotsky

Linda & Thomas Tierney Jr

Amy & Jon Turteltaub

Sharon De Mayo & Luca Viola

La Donna & Neil Wertlieb

Nicole & Jeffrey Westheimer

Thank you to those who helped us solicit fabulous Silent Auction items and wine

Kavita Amar

Alma Castellanos & Dirk Binkley

Allison Bloom & Gabriel Rutman

Shainaz Donnelly Burg & Mark Burg

Jo Champa

Daniell & Daniel Elperin

The Hurwitz Family

Olivia & Brian Kelly

Suzanne Kraus

Vivian & Samuel Ku

Cori & Max Lagao

Leslie & James Margolis

Christine Moran Miller

Megan & Eric Needleman

Maureen & Noah Pollack

Lisa Shannon & Peter Rieveschl

Naz & Zad Shooshani

The Petrosky Thuan Family

The Trilling Family

Windward Alumni returned to campus on the first sunny Saturday of the year to reconnect with classmates, faculty, and staff on June 3, some traveling from as far as London. Over 400 Wildcats and their families attended Alumni Festival, enjoying delicious food and drinks from local favorites like Lucky Yu, Ford's Filling Station, and In-N-Out. Activities including Succulent Making, Art of Shibori, and Live Model Figure Drawing were also crowd favorites.

Following the Festival, 150 members of the Classes of 1973, 1983, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2013, and 2018 gathered for milestone reunions. Mark your calendars for next year’s Alumni Festival on Saturday, June 1, 2024.

Forever a WILDCAT

Top Marks Susan

Wood Watson ‘90

While a Volleyball player and Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook at Windward, Susan Wood Watson ‘90 would have never imagined she’d become a teacher. Now, as the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA) Teacher of the Year, Windward experiences inspire how she leads in the classroom.

“I don’t see myself as teacher of the year,” says Susan, still in disbelief despite also being named the 2016-17 LA County Teacher of the Year. “I remember looking at people 10 years ago thinking ‘wow, that’d be really cool’ but I never thought that I’d be that; I’ve been incredibly honored.”

As a past President, receiving the CLTA Outstanding Teacher Award in 2016, and playing “an instrumental role on the California World Language Standards Advisory Committee when the standards were rewritten in 2019,” according to a press release by the CLTA, Susan’s history as a long-standing, active member of the CLTA led to her consideration as Teacher of the Year.

“A panel chooses, and I didn’t know I was being considered. It was kind of like ‘Hey, we chose you,’ and I was like ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?’” As Susan humbly explains, she may have missed out on the honor if not selected before a new process goes into effect. “We just changed the way people have to apply and I was looking at the application and I was like ‘This is scary. There’s no way I would have done this!’”

With a Danish mother, Susan grew up speaking two languages plus Spanish, as Japanese wasn’t offered at Windward until her senior year. However, thanks to the exchange program, Susan was able to go to Japan following her Freshman and Junior years. ”When I came back from Japan the first time, that was it,” Susan recalls. “Everything Japanese was what I wanted to do.”

After graduating from Windward, Susan went on to study Japanese at Bryn Mawr College, not because she wanted to be a teacher, but rather because she thought her Japanese experience would give her an advantage. Although the advantage lasted about three weeks as she jokes, she received her B.A. in East Asian Studies before going back to Japan to teach English for four years. She then returned to California and was offered a high school teaching position at a local independent school. While there, she completed her M.Ed. in Secondary Education at Pepperdine University.

Susan has now taught at Long Beach Polytechnic High School (LBPHS) for 14 years and is the World Language Department Chair. Serving over 500 students per year, LBPHS’s Japanese program is the largest in the contiguous 48 states.

“I know I teach at a big school, but I teach my kids that we’re all part of a family and my room is always open and available for them,” she says. “And I think I got that from Windward, that idea that teachers were always available.

“We really got to know our teachers personally; we really knew who they were as people. That inspired me. They were able to reach us and still show us who they were as human beings – they weren't just robot teachers” Susan says while recalling her experiences with Windward faculty Paula Hirsch and Tom Haglund. “That along with teaching in Japan made me realize that I really could make a difference for kids and that’s exactly what I want to do.”

Wildcats at Work

Daniel Newman ‘01 and Jenna Gestetner ‘21

Windward’s annual Alumni Festival brings graduates together, and it literally did just that for an unlikely duo who graduated 20 years apart.

Daniel Newman ‘01 and Jenna Gestetner ‘21 met at Alumni Festival in 2022, bonding over mutual connections at USC, where Jenna was heading into her sophomore year. Dan, who owns AI Next Now, LLC, a holding and consulting company for artificial intelligence products and data mining, quickly realized that Jenna, who developed a love for logo design and UI UX design at Windward, might be the perfect person to help him build out a new product, Fanlytcs.

“The first product we want to build with Fanlytcs is where a musician can see where their highest disposable income fans are located,” Dan explains. “We want to be a bridge between the musician, the tools, and their fans; a Salesforce for musicians.” Dan’s path to this project is an admittedly winding one, as he went from a focus in finance to developing a program that allowed consumers to order from a food truck directly from a mobile app to technical-meets-marketing consulting in the entertainment space. Along the way he realized the importance of working with hardworking, like minded people that shared his “win what you earn” mindset. “As we’re trying to build this product, we have really smart people like Jenna helping us.”

For Jenna, the collaboration has allowed her to further develop interests and skills she first fell in love with while a Sophomore at Windward. Described by Dan as a “0-1 enthusiast,” Jenna has consulted on everything from initial wireframe work and development planning to perhaps the most important role—helping to communicate Dan’s vision into concise, actionable items. The ability to communicate effectively across specialties has already paid early dividends. “Jenna created a mockup of what that should look like and just that mockup got us a fair amount of attention,” said Dan. Since building the dashboard mockup, Jenna has worked alongside other team members to help with user experience and user interface strategy and project management, as well as the behind-the-scenes work to obtain patents. “Jenna’s good at this. I am shocked at how good she is because she hasn’t even graduated college yet. She’s so talented, it’s amazing.”

Though they took different paths on their way to their partnerships, both Dan and Jenna agree that their time at Windward was crucial in cultivating the variety in passions they share today. “The nice thing about Windward is you can try lots of different things,” said Dan. Jenna agreed, citing her internship with Cedars Sinai’s Tech Accelerator through the Windward Network as an impactful moment in her early career. “Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about having a company or product in a traditional sense,” shared Jenna. “It’s about doing your own thing, your own path. I feel like the biggest thing I learned from Windward is to get experience and meet people. The internship I had was the biggest lightbulb moment.”

As the “car” that is Fanlytcs continues to be built piece by piece, Jenna continues to help Dan as needed while pursuing her degree at USC’s Iovine and Young Academy. She has also found a way to combine her passions of design, business, and health through consulting with health companies on brand strategy. While the end result of their partnership remains unknown, Dan hopes that Jenna’s time working with him may encourage an alternate career avenue. “Jenna is on track to work in healthcare, and I love the idea of her working in music, entertainment, and data,” Dan chuckles. “She’s granted me a Windward exception.”