Athenian Magazine 2017 by The Athenian School

athenian M A G A Z I N E 2017

2017

Head of School Eric F. Niles Director of Admission Chris Beeson Director of Advancement Allie Rowe Ladio Associate Director of Advancement Karen Winner Huff Alumni Relations Manager Elizabeth Newey ’11 Editor, Director of Communication Sarah Freedman ’05 Copy Editors Meg Freedman, Marta Grajeda, Karen Huff, Susan Zic

Contributors Kalyan Balaven, Ruth Gewing, Jenna Hajny ’19, Yehven Horban ’19, Arul Malhotra ’19, Stephanie Oana, Dylan Ratner ’17 Design Julie Rozelle Contreras Urban Bird Design, Walnut Creek, CA Printing Solstice Press, Oakland, CA Photography Contributors Sophie Bales ’17, Camille Batiste ’18, Josie Chapman, Mark Friedman, Katie Furlong ’18, Sofi Kaplan ’19, Sofia Kavanaugh ’17, Lanny Lee, Avrah Ross ’19, Evan Segimoto ’17, Simona Shur ’18, Emily Shinkle, Dave Otten, Ted Webb

About The Athenian School For over 50 years, Athenian has been educating students for a life of intellectual exploration and meaningful contribution through experiential, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning. The Athenian School is a private, college preparatory boarding and day school that serves students in grades 6 to 12 in Danville, CA. Students gain knowledge and skills that stick with them throughout their lives through signature programs, including a required 26-day wilderness expedition, a robust international exchange program, and a student-built airplane project. The Athenian School is dedicated to educating young people who will thrive in a variety of environments and will put their knowledge in service of society, both in college and beyond. Learn more about why Ian Montesanti ’18 says, “Athenian is school as it should be,” at www.athenian.org and www.facebook.com/athenianowls.

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athenian M A G A Z I N E 2017

Features

Students Redesigning Spinal Surgery

When you give students the freedom to explore their interests, there’s no limit to what they can do.

Perspectives

Students share their stories in the style of the eponymous KQED series.

Building an Idea

Slowing Down for Some Lovingkindness

The Make It Meaningful Campaign funds new buildings that will bring to life programs we can now only imagine.

By Dylan Ratner ’17 This Dharma Talk, written in the Buddhist Thought seminar, reminds us to slow down.

Departments

Head’s Message

Leaving the Nest

Class Notes and Alumni News

In Memoriam

Annual Report The Athenian Magazine is published annually in the fall for alumni, parents, and friends of The Athenian School. The opinions expressed in the Magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily The School. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and address changes at give@athenian.org. Or send us mail at:

The Athenian School 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. Danville, CA 94506 Cover Art: Adam Thorman

A Year of Change By Eric F. Niles, Head of School It was a year of significant change at Athenian, and in the world. We ask Athenian students to constantly reflect on their work and their learning, so it is important that we do it as an institution as well. The year started for me with my youngest heading off to college and the specter of an “empty nest” for Margaret and me. Nothing quite prepares one for the birth of a child, and I learned, nothing quite prepared me for the empty house that became the norm this year. It wasn’t a bad transition—my children are thriving in college and Margaret and I are rediscovering the joys of a life we knew as a young and childless couple—but it was a significant change and I needed time to adjust. Athenian too is adapting quickly to this fast changing world, most decidedly this year as we updated our facilities to support an evolving curriculum.

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And so it was a year filled with construction activity, right after a beautiful commencement on the East Lawn, with the demolition of the original Kate and Dyke Brown Hall. We will soon begin construction of the new space that will also, fittingly, grace the name of our founder and his wife. Dyke Brown’s vision and ideas will grow and flourish in our new classrooms, Kate and Dyke Brown Hall, Freeman Commons, and Carter Innovation Studio. They will reinvigorate how we interact with each other and the ideas that have long been a part of an Athenian education. My deepest appreciation goes to our generous supporters who see Athenian and our students as a worthy focus of their

philanthropy. Our mission deserves to live another fifty years and well beyond, and our students and teachers need the spaces that will support their best work. Thank you for believing in us and helping to make this dream a reality. Faculty come and go at Athenian, as is the nature of any organization. Yet this year marks the departure of two of our most dedicated and committed Athenians. Nurturing inclusion and compassion and the students who embody these attributes is what Lisa Haney and Dick Bradford have done for a combined sixty-plus years at Athenian. Lisa left in June 2017 to become a “teacher of teachers” at the California Teacher Development Collaborative. Dick

“Change and rebirth. That was the theme this year.”

Eric keeping an eye on the construction site.

has decided that he will retire in June 2018 to ensure a smooth transition as we prepare to be leaders in experiential and project-based learning for many years to come. Spending time with Dick often reminds me of the scene in the movie Contact where Jodie Foster sees heaven for the first time from her spaceship. She, the analytical scientist, laments that “they should have sent a poet.” Lucky for us, Athenian was sent our own. Dick has brought the colors of poetry to our lives and his own brand of care and empathy to all he does. Both Lisa and Dick will leave Athenian better than they found it and poised for a successful future. I wish them both the best in their adventures. While the change happening on campus kept us on our toes, the challenges we faced seemed relatively unimportant in the scope of things. It was a year of political turmoil unlike any I have known as an educator. Honestly, it made most other things seem trivial but also kept us on edge as we tried to process the events unfolding on the world stage. Athenian

strives to be a marketplace of ideas, and yet, like many other institutions, we struggle to find our equilibrium. The seniors, in the finest Athenian tradition, were a particularly humble and welcoming bunch, modeling for me and the younger students an equanimity and a desire for inclusion that softened blows from the world around us. The “Athenian bubble,” I must confess, was a welcome one at times. Change and rebirth. That was the theme this year. All the while we were able to anchor ourselves in an Athenian mission and philosophy that has served us so ably over these last fifty-two years. Interestingly, as the world around us and the subsequent demands on education have swiftly evolved, the more the world has “come to Athenian” to find how to best educate our children. While others have talked about combining whole-person education with rigorous academics, Athenian has been doing it since its founding in 1965. Our foundational programs like Focus Days,

AWE, and Round Square Exchanges have become the coin of the realm in education. Dyke Brown’s prescience is only now becoming clear. The world has come to us, and we will continue to model for others what it means to live a life of intellectual exploration and meaningful contribution. More than 50 years of alumni are proof of that. Athenian in 2017 is a thriving community, one built firmly on the foundation of our past, but also looking to a future where we will lead the world of education by doing what we have always done: honor, respect, and teach the whole individual. I suspect there is more in Athenian than we even know. I look forward to the journey in discovering all that is in us in the year ahead. And I look forward to taking that journey with all of you. With continued appreciation,

Eric F. Niles 2017

Students Redesigning Spinal Surgery

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Feature: Students Redesigning Spinal Surgery

When Sofia Kavanaugh ‘17 started Applied Science at the beginning of her senior year, she thought she would learn how to use a saw and wasn’t really sure what else. Little did she know that she would embark on a project that could change the way surgeons treat scoliosis.

photo credit: Simona Shur ‘18

Applied Science is an untraditional course, Sofia explains. “Eugene [Mizusawa] sets us loose and tells us to think of something we’re interested in, not something that’s going to bore us a couple months from now.” Some of Sofia’s classmates set to work on a range of projects. William Yao ‘17 wanted to build a robot that could carry heavy camera equipment on movie sets. Emma Cottrill ‘17 used a personal experience with a concussion to fuel her search for an on-the-field concussion detection device. Rock Williams ‘17 and Ryan Keller ‘17 wanted to build a motor that mimicked the movement of a joint socket, rolling around rather than backward and forward or side to side. But Sofia wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Eugene prompted her to think about what she was passionate about. “He asked what my interests were and I told him I was interested in medicine and anatomy,” Sofia remembers. Eugene thought of a 9th grader on the robotics team who he knew had scoliosis and had undergone an experimental surgery. In short, Grace True ’20 had a spinal surgery that in time overcorrected her scoliosis, forming

a curve in the opposite direction and necessitating a second surgery. Surgery is always risky, so Grace, Sofia, and fellow Applied Science classmate Peni Magari ’17 set about creating a mathematical and computerized 3-D model that could help surgeons perform the surgery with more precision necessitating less surgeries. Unlike older scoliosis surgeries that fuse the spine together restricting movement, Vertical Body Tethering (VBT) works to correct spinal curvature by screwing a tether into the spine of a still-growing scoliosis patient. As the patient grows, the tether pulls the spine back while still allowing for a full range of motion. The problem is that there is no way to test how tight to screw in the tether. In Grace’s case, she grew more than was expected in a short amount of time, and the tether pulled her spine past vertical into a curve opposite of the one she started with. While the first surgery went well, after a year, Grace needed a second surgery to alter the tightness of the tether to accommodate her rapid growth. Sofia and the team were left with the question: How can we measure the tension in the tether and figure 2017

“I’ve always been a motivated

Models of Grace’s spine in 3D Slicer, a software program used to convert medical images into 3D models.

person, but this class tested me: if someone isn’t watching, will you still put in the work?”

out a mathematical and computerized model of predicting how tight the tether will pull and how much the spine will correct? They set about creating a model that surgeons could use to enter the patient’s height, weight, predicted growth, and other measurements to predict what tether pressure would have the best outcome. After extensive research and pulling into the project a 9th grader with coding expertise, Kate Oxley ’20, they used Grace’s x-rays and CAT scans to create a digital 3-D model of Grace’s spine. They were able to print the model using 3-D printers so they could feel and see for themselves what they had been studying. Using the Cobb Method, they set about measuring the degree of spinal curve. Measuring the cobb angle at various stages of growth is the baseline data needed for making predictions. A highlight of the project, the team spoke with Grace’s surgeon to get more information on the flaws in the surgery and what problems he anticipated with the model. Sofia says, “Up until

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we met with the surgeon, it had been all talk. What if we did this? What if we did that? The surgeon showed us what we needed to work on. He saw the project for what it was and really believed in it. It was definitely a cool moment.” Sofia notes how important and also how unusual this class is, even at Athenian. The students are given freedom to explore a passion and see where it takes them. “In other classes, you’re more dependent on the teacher, but in this class, it’s all you doing it. Athenian is one of the only places that would allow that kind of freedom.” A class without strict attendance rules and no specific assignments may not sound like a class at all to some people. Yet the outcomes of this course make its value self-evident. Sofia shares the impact the class had on her, “I’ve always been a motivated person, but this class tested me: if someone isn’t watching, will you still put in the work? It taught us how to be self-motivated and learn about the things we really wanted to. The kind of perspective the class gave me, I’ll definitely carry with me through college.”

Feature: Students Redesigning Spinal Surgery A

B Kate Oxley ‘20, Peni Magari ‘17, and Grace Brown ‘20

Sofia further raves, “This class and these types of classes are really important. Getting to learn in a new way that is purely directed by you is incredibly beneficial. It gave us more confidence as there’s no one telling us this is the exact procedure you have to follow. Everything was driven and created by us. Since we are younger and we still have a lot of school left, we often get told we don’t know or can’t do certain things. This class was the complete opposite of that. A high schooler can come up with a super complex project and have it be used by the world.” The team made a lot of progress during the year but there is still more to do. Sofia isn’t exactly D

sure where it will go from here, but she hopes Grace and Kate will keep working on the project the next couple of years and take Applied Science as seniors. She also plans to stay involved in whatever way she can as she moves on to college.

Sofia started at University of California Los Angeles in fall 2017; while her major is undeclared, she plans to be in the pre-med track. Asked what she wants to do after school, she responded with a wise smile, “Right now, I want to be a vet. But there’s still a small chance that I might become a physician given that I would probably be the 5th generation. It’s kind of in my blood.” E

A. A section of Grace’s spine replicated by a 3D printer. B. Resin models of two of Grace’s vertebrae with a flexible inter-vertebral disc and rubber bands in place of major ligaments. C. Grace’s vertebrae printed on the 3D Formlabs printer. D. Resin models of all 11 of Grace’s vertebrae curing under light to harden the resin. E. The Cobb Method measures the degree of spinal curvature. F. A model of three of Grace’s vertebrae with two flexible inter-vertebral discs. G. Four uncured resin 3d-printed vertebrae with printing supports still intact.

2017

The Pillars in Action

Athenian was founded on five pillars which are shared by all member schools of Round Square. These pillars are at the heart of what we believe as a School and the outcomes we desire for our students. Here are just a few examples of how the Pillars came alive in the last school year.

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Measuring Equity and Inclusion By Kalyan Balaven Offices of Equity and Inclusion and their like have for the longest time measured diversity using a variety of metrics. They have also measured their allocation of resources, and therefore have a measure for equity. However, very few have stepped into the difficult arena of attempting to consistently measure inclusion, until recently. The Athenian School has kept a measure of diversity and equity on our campus for years and taking a cue from colleges and universities, decided to create an inclusion thermometer for our institution in the form of a dashboard. The Athenian School decided to put resources into measuring inclusion because we believe that it is at the heart of learning and at the core of what we strive to do at Athenian. We plan to use the data from the dashboard to measure our capacity for and design new programs to foster inclusion in leadership, engendering a sense of belonging, academic achievement, leadership and meaningful work for our entire community. We will know we are successful at being inclusive when we see outliers diminish in these areas, based on traditional metrics of gender, race, socioeconomics, distance and learning style.

During a two-year process of surveys and interviews, a group of Athenians created a robust list of questions to measure our inclusion. This list was then culled from roughly 60 to less than 20 key questions alongside identifiers. We administered a series of surveys and used the results to create a prototype of a dashboard. As the first high school with an Inclusion Dashboard, Athenian is proud to be a pioneer amongst our peers in measuring inclusion at our schools. Out of this work, a new group formed organically under The Athenian Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership called the Inclusion Dashboard Consortium. This fall, the group came to Athenian for a daylong retreat to study the Athenian process and agree on shared questions so these schools can become a brain trust for best practices for promoting inclusion in our programs. Caroline Blackwell of the National Association of Independent Schools participated in the retreat, as did representatives from UC Berkeley. They

joined thirty participants representing schools all over the West Coast. This fall, we surveyed our community again. Participation on these surveys helps us hold ourselves accountable to our promise and be in the vanguard around inclusion measurement in independent schools. At Athenian, no individual should ever feel apart or excluded based on these or other identifiers, and the promise of Athenian, and all that entails should be easily accessible for everyone in our community. The Inclusion Dashboard will help Athenian achieve this. The dashboard is a longitudinal tool, which we plan on using with other schools who will follow our lead, as part of an Inclusion Dashboard Consortium with The Athenian School at the helm, in order to hold ourselves accountable to our promise of inclusion and continue to strive to be a leader in inclusion amongst our peers.

2017

Slowing Down for Some Lovingkindness By Dylan Ratner ’17

Assignment Overview: In delivering his teachings, the Buddha emphasized listening and regarded the dharma as a primary vehicle for liberation and transformation. Dharma talks are intended to offer an insight into the Buddha’s teachings through multiple means: the teachings transmitted through the Buddha; one’s direct experience; and references to other sources that elucidate the teaching. For this assignment, students in the Buddhist Thought seminar were asked to craft their own dharma talk. As Pema Chödrön says, “The dharma never tells us what is true or what is false. It just encourages us to find out for ourselves.” 10

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I am the slowest car in California, at least after getting a speeding ticket. Everyday, I take my

Feature: Lovingkindness

time in the slow lane enjoying smooth jams from Mac DeMarco or John Lennon, occasionally turning on NPR to hear what Terry Gross has to say. Moving at a leisurely pace, I can look around at the other people on their way, alone in the world of their vehicle. I feel a sense of comradeship as I watch everyone around me, all of us making our great quotidian migration, tirelessly going there and back, and there and back again. There are times, though, when someone behind me will roll down their window, extend their arm into the wind, and flip me off. At times like those, I like to remember how I used to drive. When I went fast in a rush to get to school on time, I had a different mindset. Rather than seeing other motorists

photo credit: Katie Furlong ‘18

as fellow fish in the sea of traffic, I viewed them as obstacles to circumnavigate. Consumed by a need to get somewhere, do something, feel something, we forget each other and are consumed by ego. Cultivating lovingkindness in that state of delusion and wanting is near impossible, at least for me. In letting go of the desire to move quickly, I make the mental space necessary for lovingkindness to arise. In Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s 1997 translation of the Dhammapada, the Buddha is quoted as having said, “How very happily we live, / free from busyness / among those who are busy. / Among busy people, / free from busyness we dwell” (Dhp XV 199). This encapsulates the feeling of going slowly. That sense of being pleasantly unoccupied, even among people who are uniformly intent on arriving at their destination, is what driving in the slow lane, literally and metaphorically, is like. Upon freeing ourselves from this “busyness,” we can live in greater contentment, knowing there is always time for our doings if we make it. Going slowly, moment by moment, is what meditation is, and in practicing, we create the conditions necessary for lovingkindness. Still, it is one thing to envision beings before you in meditation and project lovingkindness and quite another to hold a spirit of lovingkindness for the person or beings that challenge you. This brings me to an incident that unfolded at my volunteer job when I was completely lost in my anger, forgetting that the person at whom my anger was directed also ultimately had the same goal. I volunteer in an emergency room, and in a testament to the inexorable pull of the ego, even amid all manner of human suffering, I can be completely in my own head, losing all perspective. As I was cleaning an empty room, a fireman brought a new patient in before

the room was ready. Rather than help me finish, he snarled at me to “get it together” and spoke rudely on behalf of the patient even though she could speak for herself. After the fireman left, the woman thanked me in an apologetic tone, as though she were somehow at fault for his rude behavior. My mind was awash in thoughts. “How could he not see that he was being so totally unproductive? Did he not realize that things might have moved faster if he had lent me a hand instead of criticizing me?” and so on. Reflecting, I can see I was moving too quickly. Had I been able to slow down, step outside myself, and find the right vocabulary for thinking about where I stood, I might have been able to cultivate a feeling of lovingkindness and perhaps offer the man a smile or at least wish him well in my mind. Instead, I let the tightness and frustration of the moment fester, and even after my heart softened slightly from the gratitude of the patient, I drove home in a cloud of consternation—this time in the fast lane. When we are travelling down the road in our thoughts, without checking our speed, we simply do not have the capacity to look on unpleasant moments with an attitude of lovingkindness. Learning to slow down is its own opening of the heart, an openness to the present moment and all that it holds, and has been unbelievably helpful for fostering my own lovingkindness practice.

This brings me back to that speeding ticket. Even as I recount it, I once again feel the sheer panic of seeing a police car coming at me with loudspeaker on and lights blazing. I was expecting a real telling-off. I was already closed to the interaction about to happen, my heart and mind racing. I was filled with dread. To my surprise, the officer’s expression was one of concern, and he smiled with a friendliness that was unmistakable. I rolled down my window and got the usual question: How fast do you think you were going? But then, stranger than even the policeman’s expression, were his words. “You know, I just want you to be safe out there,” he said to me. “Seeing you drive like that scares me, you have a long life ahead of you.” This all seemed cloyingly sentimental at the time. I was unprepared for the almost fatherly concern of this man. When my heartbeat returned to human speeds, I really felt the weight of his lovingkindness. And the more I thought about it, I realized he was right. I do have a long life ahead of me— we all do.

We have more time than we think. More time to contemplate, more time to learn, more time to be. So in closing I say: take your time, take the long route, drive in the slow lane. There’s more lovingkindness there, if you remember to look for it, that is. 2017

Notable Moments 2016-17 Every student athlete completed the ImPACT computerized concussion evaluation for baseline measurements and a new certified athletic trainer on staff further reduced injuries.

The Fall Play, “Metamorphoses,” included Athenian’s first aerial performance. The Middle School departed from a tradition of costly international travel by offering inclusive local or regional service and adventureoriented trips. Students enjoyed shared experiences in the Catalina Islands and Redwood Glen. We held two Grandparents Days, one for Middle School grandparents and one for Upper School grandparents. Look for information about the next biennial Grandparents Day in 2018.

We had heavy rains for the first time in years and our second admission Open House was still packed despite regional flooding!

To experiment with our annual winter professional development day, we hosted our own mini conference with sessions led by our faculty and with the Social Emotional Institute.

We sent five groups to Death Valley for the first time to accommodate the 92 students in the class of 2018.

Renewed 7-year Accreditation Athenian was accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. After a rigorous yearlong process, we again received a 7-year accreditation, the longest and “cleanest” accreditation a school can get.

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The APA sponsored T-shirts for the entire school with our new athletics owl logo.

Run-In returned to the driveway for the Spring 2017 Death Valley Athenian Wilderness Experience, due to the returfing of the Estakhri Sports Field.

The Middle School saw the center of its campus shift to the Peanut after it was turfed in the summer of 2016. The Middle School now has a school-managed iPad program which prevents distractions from personal apps and allows the School to push content and apps out to student devices.

The Upper School held the last Morning Meeting in the original Main Hall in the fall, as the student body officially outgrew the space. Morning Meetings were held and will continue to be held in the gym until the renewed Main Hall is complete.

Athenian hosted an Education Series for our parents and community members, including an evening with parenting expert Catherine Steiner-Adair, a concussion workshop hosted by UCSF’s Benioff Children’s Hospital, Screenagers film screening and discussion with alumna producer Lisa Tabb ’84, and a Middle School “Focus Night” for parents.

photo credit: Katie Furlong ‘18

The varsity golf, varsity baseball, men’s track and field, and women’s swim teams all finished 2nd in the league.

2017

Perspec 1

Students in United States Literature classes grapple with the question, “Why do stories matter?” Having read a variety of voices through the year, students are asked to write and perform their own piece in the style of KQED’s Perspectives series. 1 photo credit: Camille Batiste ‘18 2 photo credit: Mark Friedman 3 photo credit: Sofi Kaplan ‘19

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Jumping Out of the Nest by Yevhen Horban ‘19 I remember the day I was accepted to a boarding school abroad. My childhood dream had just come true, and it felt as if suddenly the sun came out from the clouds. After a few minutes, however, I sighed, lowering my eyebrows. I realized that most of the people who had an impact on my life were not going to be close to me anymore. I was going to miss out on the future opportunities to talk about space and purpose of life with my father. Every time we sat at the dining table, late evenings after he came from work, planets and black holes hung above us as if they were chandeliers, and despite the fact I had to go to school the following morning, I could not resist these engaging conversations. He was the only one I could talk to like this, and I blame myself for choosing to abandon him, my teachers, and friends. But I hope that there will be more benefit in the long run. Imagine a hatchling in its nest that is doomed never to see its parents returning with food. Not every hatchling is able to spread out its weak and gentle wings when circumstances pushed it out of the nest, where every twig and piece of grass is so familiar. Would a hatchling jump from the nest praying to fly if jumping was its only chance to survive? continued page 16

ctives 2

Feature: Perspectives

A Gift

Planning a Vacation

Forty young students greeted me, grinning from ear to ear with a twinkle in their eyes, as if this moment was a gift. Most of the children were around eight years old, mushed close together on dilapidated wooden benches with one pencil and one notebook to call their own. They gave me their attention. I shared my love of learning. And we exchanged pieces of our hearts.

A few months before the summer of 2014, my family decided to travel to Italy with our family friends. The whole house echoed with excited chants as the plans for our vacation began to solidify. Clothes were thrown haphazardly into suitcases, travel guides were thumbed out of shape, and minute-by-minute plans were drawn out. I could already see the picturesque Italian countryside, feel the rough walls of the Colosseum, taste the cold gelato on my lips.

by Jenna Hajny ‘19

This past March I traveled to Marangu, Tanzania with a group of my classmates. I had the opportunity to teach an English lesson to students at a primary school. Our morning began with a fiery round of Simon Says which quickly alleviated the nervous energy filling the room. We pointed to our toes, ears, eyes, and the one eliciting the most laughter: belly buttons. Engaged and excited, the children took on every challenge I threw their way. Their energy never wavered. From counting to 100 to reading Dr. Seuss’ One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, the opportunity to learn something new was a gift well received. While walking around the classroom, a girl jumped up and wrapped her arms around my waist in a warm embrace. She peered up at me and softly relayed a message of gratitude in her language and mine. Asantesana. Thank you. continued page 16

by Arul Malhotra ‘19

Then, the night before we were scheduled to leave, my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Before I knew it, I was walking down a hospital corridor, overwhelmed by the medicinal odors and my emotions. Everything felt foreign. Surreal. Seemed as if the tumor was starting to fill all that space. The nurses guided me into a small, dimly lit room with a bouquet of flowers sitting on the table. In the center of this room was an oversized bed, clean white sheets tucked neatly into its frame and a lifeless lamp hanging above. There she was. I felt weak in the knees as I saw my mom. I couldn’t stop thinking about her ordeal over the days that followed. In the middle of class one day, I completely lost it. I wept. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. I tried to hide behind the binder, but its pages only reflected my sorrow back at me. Why her? Why us? Why did everything go so wrong? continued page 16 2 0 1 7 15

Perspectives continued same way the hatchling is accepted by new surroundings, I now have new people impacting me. But this time I am different. This time I open my heart more and appreciate the instances that I have with teachers and friends, because otherwise I will regret when they are gone. And they will be. Nothing lasts forever. So if

Jumping Out of the Nest contd I was facing the same challenge as the hatchling, when I learned I was going to leave Ukraine. But I realized that this was a natural stage when I had to make a life-changing decision in order to pursue my dream of sending people to other planets as part of NASA. So I left the nest. The

A Gift continued I was a complete stranger welcomed as a friend. Every student wanted to be present. This enthusiasm and positivity conflicted with the familiar scene I was accustomed to while attending a public school, where a culture of

Planning a Vacation continued As it turned out, her medical tests revealed that my mom’s tumor was benign, though its removal warranted a major surgery. Perhaps I should have I comforted myself knowing that she would recover after the surgery.

Feature: Perspectives

I ever face a stage where I have to make a decision like this again, I will not resist it, I will jump, just like the hatchling. It’s all about trying to fly after all.

With a perspective, I’m Yevhen Horban.

complaining emanated from the halls. Blank faces, sighs of exhaustion and boredom, ear buds disguised under a hoodie. Far too often we take school for granted, thinking of it as a chore rather than a gift.

understood that learning is about love. Through sharing part of my culture, I had the opportunity to learn about someone else’s. Love and learning go hand in hand, bestow and appreciate the gift of something new.

While in Tanzania, I recognized the joyous feeling in my heart and

With a perspective, I’m Jenna Hajny.

It’s been three years, and my mom has made a full recovery. As we approach June this year and plan another vacation, I try to not let that experience shape my thoughts. Instead, I plan each detail with the same enthusiasm as I did in the past. Take every vacation to be a privilege, a

gift of good health. Hardships happen. But remember that what doesn’t break us makes us stronger.

With a perspective, I’m Arul Malhotra.

“If I was allowed to, I’d talk all day about how much this school means to me. The best way I’ve found to express my time at Athenian is to say thank you to those who have shaped it for me. To my teachers

Lisa Brown ’17, Sophie Bales ’17, Ethan Gross ’17, Nick Armanino ’17, Jordon Dabney ‘17

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for enriching my life both inside the classroom and out, for letting us think way deeper than we ever thought we could, thank you. To the hOWLers for giving me a second family within Athenian. To my friends for knowing me better than most people ever will; for coming into my life at a time when I had no friends. And a special thank you to my boys who have been with me since Middle School, for sticking with me for

the last six years. You’ll never know how much you changed my life for the better, thank you. Finally, the Athenian community for being the soul of this place, for welcoming me with open arms, and for coming together to accomplish the amazing things we have accomplished and will continue to accomplish, for giving me a home away from home, thank you so much, I love you all.

”

~Nick Armanino ’17

The buzz amongst the student body during the 2016-17 school year.

Hot Topics

Beauty and the Beast Friends RogueOne What movies or Stranger

Construction Town Meeting Proposals 7th grade interim trips

What big topics were discussed about Athenian?

13 Reasons Why Gilmore Girls

Pets

Bachelor/Bachelorette The rain Doctor Strange Game of Thrones

Equity and inclusion

homework Hillary

Turfing the Peanut Women’s March

Clash Royale

Hamilton

Kendrick Cubs Lamar

What’s the pop culture buzz on campus?

Fidget spinners

We Are Number One Olympics Patriots Carrie Fisher “The amazing dedicated teachers and the eager students” “Sliding down the back hills on cardboard” “Dick Bradford reading Wild Geese “

Gender equity

The Walking Dead

Immigration

Trump

What’s was the political buzz on campus?

Black Lives Matter

Presidential Beyoncé election 21 Pilots Prince #Mannequin Challenge David Bowie

“When my friend and I went up to the “bench” in a tree and just sat there and talked”

“Randomly being allowed to stay late in the dorms and participate in the dumpling challenge.”

“Working with people from low-income households at St. Anthony’s”

Things

shows were popular?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

“When people did the mannequin challenge in the quad” Interim, AWE, Focus Days, athletics team bonding, field trips, making new friends, meeting new people, advisory.

“Opening up to a girl who I always looked up to, and finding out she looked up to me too.”

“Having pancakes with advisory at my advisor’s house on reading day” “During Shogun Day, our clan daimyo became the shogun after a hard day.”

“Throwing snowballs the size of boulders with three throwers in NYC”

Student’s Favorite Memories 1 photo credit: Juno Ju ‘20

2017

Have a Summer of Awesome with Athenian Summer Programs Did you know Athenian offers fun and engaging summer opportunities for kids in kindergarten through high school? Visit www.athenian. org/summer for a full list of our camps, classes, and paid summer jobs for older students. Know friends abroad whose students would love to spend a summer in the Bay Area? Tell them about Athenian’s Summer English Language Program! Learn more at www.athenian.org/selp.

Thank you to the Sodexo staff who have served us for many years!

Epicurean Group We are pleased that our dining services are now run by the Epicurean Group, a Bay Area company dedicated to sustainable dining. Their artisan approach and sustainable practices support local, organic farms and ranches and the sustainable seafood model of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Leslie Lucas, Chief Operating Officer, explains, “One of the things that was really important for us was to make sure that our food service provider was really in line with our mission, ordering from local vendors and managing environmentally sustainable purchasing programs, as well as providing some educational programs in nutrition.” We are proud of Epicurean’s eco-friendly waste reduction program, commitment to diversity, and

safe work environment with ServSafecertified staff and we are delighted that Miguel Aguilar and Nhi Nguyen will continue to work in our kitchen with Epicurean. Epicurean has taken on the added challenge during their first year of providing meals for our students, boarders, faculty, staff, and residents out of our temporary kitchen located between Orchard and the Dase Center. Our renewed Main Hall is under construction so we are dining in the Carter MPR in the Dase Center. We hope the community enjoys the new food service and we welcome all your comments (contact Leslie Lucas at llucas@athenian.org).

Sing with Us!

Do you love to sing? If you have ever longed to sing in a choir, then come and join the Athenian Community Choir!

We are excited to be piloting a new community program, an open chorus that will meet regularly with choral director Emily Shinkle. Open to all adults of the Athenian community, all you need is a willingness and openness to make music with others. Come sing with your fellow Owls! Check the School calendar for upcoming rehearsal dates.

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ALUMNI

Leaving the Nest Shu-Chiang Chung has retired after being at Athenian for 10 years. Shu taught Chinese in both the Upper and the Middle School and is responsible for developing our very effective Chinese curriculum in the Middle School, pioneering Smart Boards and modeling the use of technology in the classroom. Shu developed original Focus Days, including a trip to the San Francisco Opera, Lunar New Year Day, and a tour of the Asian Art Museum. She was invaluable on the many trips she led to China over the years. We will miss Shu’s gentle nature, care for students, and innovative curriculum. We wish you well in your retirement, Shu!

Lisa Haney has moved on from Athenian after teaching here since 1991. From teaching literature to running international trips to serving her colleagues as Dean of Faculty, Lisa gave much to this community. Lisa is now the Executive Director of the California Teacher Development Collaborative, where she will continue to be a teacher of teachers. Our students will miss Lisa but we are excited to continue collaborating with her through CATDC programs. Congratulations, Lisa! We know you will continue to improve the world of education in your new role.

Dick’s Last Year Dick Bradford will be retiring at the end of the 201718 school year after 37 years at Athenian. Dick has been a pillar of the community for generations of Athenians, playing too many roles to list in this short announcement! We will be celebrating Dick throughout the year, culminating in a community-wide retirement party on Saturday, June 2—save the date! And look for a retrospective on Dick’s extraordinary contributions to Athenian in next year’s Magazine. Email your memories and pictures of Dick to alumni@athenian.org to share with him and for inclusion in a memory book.

2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Building an Idea The world is in need of innovators, active learners, risk-takers, and doers who make the imagined real. Athenian has long been a place where alumni make meaningful contributions to the world at large. With the pace at which the world is changing, we need to continue being educational pioneers, innovating to create a program that will provide the world with capable, motivated young people. To this end, Athenian is in the midst of many interconnected enhancements that will help us meet the needs of our students and the world. While the changes to our campus are the most visible, the changes to our program are happening in tandem to ensure that we use the new spaces to their fullest. In the next two years, the School will be examining:

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

•

New administrative structures to support a vibrant, 6-12 interdisciplinary and experiential curriculum,

•

The processes by which we imagine and develop curriculum,

•

The daily schedule and yearly calendar to promote student wellness, engaged learning, and 6-12 coordination, and

•

Graduation requirements.

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

These programmatic changes will only be possible because of the new spaces in which they can come to life. Bigger, flexible classrooms; more meeting spaces and student lounges; and centralized community areas are what we need and the new buildings will offer this and more:

1 2 4

The new Knoll Classrooms provide flexible learning spaces to foster collaboration and hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. Three new buildings house nine new humanities and language classrooms, one new science classroom, and two bathrooms. Each classroom is more than 650 square feet and includes an additional 150 square foot breakout room. Some of the classrooms have flexible walls that can be configured into larger meeting spaces for grade-level gatherings.

A reimagined Commons is a vibrant activity hub for students and provides one-stop services, from college counseling and meetings to retrieving mail. The Freeman Commons is already busy with students and the people who support them.

A renewed Main Hall will serve as the heart of the campus. The new Kate and Dyke Brown Hall will have a kitchen and dining area that can easily accommodate the size of our school. The Main Hall will also house two meeting spaces, a student lounge, more bathrooms, and an established front office reception area.

The Carter Innovation Studio will enhance interdisciplinary learning, encourage innovation and creativity, and centralize engaged learning at our front door. The Studio will house current projects including the airplane, robotics, and the Art & Science of Making and Applied Science classes. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the beginning. In time, we plan for every student to have experiences in the Studio in a variety of classes during their time at the School, just as they do in the library. Its position at the front and center of the Upper School campus will make it a natural hub for creativity and innovation.

More Middle School Learning Space When the Carter Innovation Studio is complete, the current makerspace will turn into a Middle School building. While the plans have not been finalized, possibilities for the space include a mini-maker space, an area where students could work on large projects of any kind, and/or a black box theater. The Middle School already has robust programs and curriculum to immediately take advantage of a space like this. Focus Day activities will flourish with the added space and resources. The social studies teachers have been experimenting with incorporating making into the Monday-Thursday schedule the last two years, developing a unit for their study of Rome that has students building their own functional arches. Having more space to work in will make it easier for Middle School teachers to weave even more experiential learning into the curriculum.

2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Farewell to the Main Hall

■■■■■■■■■

The original Main Hall was Athenian’s first structure when the campus was purchased more than 50 years ago.

Every Athenian has strong, fond memories in this space which housed everything from meals to plays to senior pranks. We said farewell to the Main Hall during our 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee, September 2015, and various times with students and residents in the following year. The night before the Main Hall demolition began, June 12, 2017, a small gathering shared stories and Dick lit one last fire in the iconic fireplace. The majority of the Main Hall came down in about four hours. With poignant symmetry, the fireplace was the last piece standing. Many of the Main Hall’s pillars and cement foundation have been saved for repurposing either in the renewed Main Hall or around campus.

Groundbreaking During our official groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, December 2, 2016, Courtney Curd ‘17 gave a heartfelt opening speech, followed with words by Eric Niles and Board Chair Dave Welsh who commemorated the momentous occasion. Danville Council Member Newell Arnerich and representatives from Assemblywoman Baker’s and Supervisor Andersen’s office presented Eric with official groundbreaking certificates. The event concluded with students digging into the earth alongside Eric and board members.

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

An exercise in community resilience Faculty and students alike have demonstrated an extraordinary capacity for flexibility and resilience. The construction projects have impacted everything from the time it takes to get to class to whether or not we will have working bathrooms. Despite the unpredictable challenges, our students and faculty continue to put their best foot forward! From tracking steps walked to finding new places on campus to hang out, our community continues to demonstrate that there is more in us that we know.

“What are you looking forward to most when the new Commons and knoll classrooms open?”

“larger classrooms” “not having to walk as far to get to class” “more bathrooms” “natural light in the classrooms”

What are you looking forward to most in the new Main Hall and Innovation Studio?

“new dining services with shorter lines” “having the east lawn back” “more room to eat in the dining room” “student porch/lounge area” “Morning Meetings back in the Main Hall”

photo credit: Avrah Ross ‘19

2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

To build these ideas, we have embarked on a capital campaign that encourages connection, kindles the imagination, and ignites transformational teaching and learning.

■■■■■■■■■

A school-wide philanthropic effort to raise funds to support Athenian’s vision and priorities, this 4-year, $12 million campaign officially began in November 2013 and was publicly launched on October 6, 2017. Our campaign is called Make it Meaningful because Athenians have a long history of making their learning meaningful, making their Athenian experience meaningful, and making their lives meaningful. Not only are we building structures, we are making manifest a vision whose meaning will be amplified with the support of our community. We hope you will join us with a meaningful contribution of your own to make Athenian meaningful for generations to come. The scale of our ambition is monumental, yet when our community comes together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Just as having students build a plane seemed like a far-fetched dream and we are now building our third, we know that your support will help us set the foundation for students to continue to dream, create, and make meaningful contributions.

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Campaign FAQs What is a Capital Campaign? To finance this construction, our Board of Trustees approved a philanthropic campaign to raise funds from our community with additional support from financing. The Campaign will be funded through private gifts from every member of the School community: parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, and friends. Every member of the community, past and present, will be contacted in regards to supporting this effort. For independent schools like Athenian, capital campaigns are standard practice in fundraising for infrastructure improvements. Just as community philanthropy has sustained our School for the last 51 years, we believe that our current families will want to invest in the future of Athenian.

What is the difference between giving to the Campaign vs. giving to the Annual Fund? Annual Fund gifts are solicited and given every year to help fund operations. The Annual Fund supports all areas of the institution, including academics, athletics, art, drama, operations, and financial aid – the costs of educating students that exceed tuition. Gifts to the capital campaign are generally larger pledges, usually made over a three- to five-year period, that fund long-term projects such as new construction and endowment. The School asks for an annual fund gift even while you’re making a capital campaign donation for the same reason you have to pay your mortgage while you’re putting an addition on your house. The School must continue to meet its operating costs even as it’s making major improvements.

What is the Campaign fundraising goal? It will cost $25 million to build the project and our goal is to raise $12 million and beyond to complete the project with as little debt as possible. Bank financing will cover the gap, at terms that are affordable within the school operating budgets.

Are people making gifts to the Campaign? How can we make a gift? Every person has their own personal reason for making a gift. We have received gifts from a wide representation of Athenian families— parents, Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, alumni parents, and grandparents! You can make a gift by contacting the Office of Advancement at 925-362-7252 or by emailing Allie Rowe Ladio, Director of Advancement, at aladio@athenian. org. We would love to have you stop by for an inside look at the Master Plan for Athenian.

Will this project impact Athenian’s ability to offer financial aid to students? No – our financial aid program will not be touched. Each year, 20% of our students receive financial aid from $2.8 million distributed because it’s a part of who we are and an integral part of our mission.

I can only make a small gift, will that make an impact? Yes! While large gifts are crucial to the Campaign, many small gifts make a BIG difference, which is why we’re asking every member of the community to participate at whatever level is meaningful to you.

2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Early Leadership Campaign Supporters $10,000+ as of June 30, 2017 Anonymous (3) Adobe Cutler and Molly Andrus Roger and Sandra Arlen Wendell C. Arnold ‘92 D & M Ball Edwin and Margaret Booth The Borchers Family David and Emily Breach William and Veronica Butcher Steven and Vanessa Capelli Carter Family Foundation Thomas Caulfield and Sandra Eng-Caulfield Chahal Family Chevron The Chow Family Jeff and Jenn Christian Michael Connolly ‘71 Jonathan and Rae Corr The Cottrill Family Christopher Crespi and Marcela Alurralde The Cronk Family

David and Beth Cutrer David and Mary Kat DeWalt David and Dana Dornsife Stephen Elliott and Kim Risedorph Allison Fletcher ‘96 Bob and Ann Fletcher Patty and Bob Frazer Josh and Chelsea Freeman Leigh Freeman Thomas J. Furlong and Elizabeth A. Gard Robert and Caroline Gates Jason and Virginia Girzadas Geetika and Ashish Goel Guy R. and Susan S. Henshaw Peter and Jeanne Marie Kaplan Sunil and Yoon Jung Kim Ellen and James Kocins John Kohler ‘88 Mark and Janet Laudy Philip Leboit and Karen Axelsson

Michael and Patricia Leigh Levi Strauss Foundation Stephen and Pauline Liu Mike and Mary Ann McCoy Chris and Elisa Merrifield Michael and Nicole Mills The Miskovetz Family Luisa Muñoz and W. Michael Kavanaugh Eric and Margaret Niles Joseph Osha and Stephanie Oana Keir and Kathy Oxley Rahul Arockiaraj and Family Jim Price XiaoHong “Brian” Qian Nimesh and Esha Ray Sharam and Fariba Sasson Scarpelli Family Rob Shaw Alexandra and Mark Smith Lisa and Tom Thompson The Traube Family

Gerard and Kathryn van Steyn Laura and Steve Victorino Stephen and Megan Vilke The Virgilio Family Welsh Family Monika Witte and Charles Cerjan Greg and Jazy Ye Peter and Katherine Yewell Payam and Gouya Zamani Special thanks to our Campaign Co-Chairs Josh Freeman and Lisa Thompson; our Campaign Cabinet members, Patty Frazer, Eric Niles, Allie Rowe Ladio, and Esha Ray; and our Board of Trustees!

Freeman Commons

The Freeman Commons opened at the end of summer 2017 and houses Upper School student services offices. The Freemans joined Athenian when their daughter Peyton ‘17 began sixth grade. Peyton and Ginger ‘19 are avid equestrians and have been enthusiastic and integral members of the community. Josh is an active trustee and one of our Campaign Cabinet Chairs, leading the efforts behind the Make It Meaningful Campaign. The Freemans gave a generous $1 million in addition to the countless hours Josh and Chelsea have spent committed to the transformation of the heart of our campus.

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Why We Give Mark and Judy Carter have been a part of Athenian since 2006, and have sent three students here for a cumulative 21 years of Athenian education. In addition to countless hours volunteering with the School, Judy as a board member and Mark as a member of the facilities committee, they have given the largest gift to Athenian in the history of the School. After many large gifts over the years, including a substantial gift to improve the theater at the Center for the Arts, the Carters have donated $2 million to the Make It Meaningful Campaign. Longtime supporters of Athenian’s innovative approach to education, the new making space at our front door will bear their name, the Carter Innovation Studio. “It’s exciting to witness this major transformation. It’s a message to the community about the quality of the School. It demonstrates a commitment from the School to the students and the faculty that we want to improve the environment where they both can thrive,” says Mark. Judy adds that bringing the innovation space from the back of the school to the front door may inspire kids to try something they would not have otherwise considered. Judy knows the potential is endless, “If we can fit an airplane in that space, the possibilities are unlimited.” When asked why they are giving to the School now, when their children have already graduated, Mark and Judy gush about their children and the importance of giving back. “I love who my kids are. I think a lot of that comes

from what they were exposed to and how they were challenged to open their minds to different views and ideas through their Athenian education,” Mark explains. Judy remembers that they came to Athenian because they were looking for a good fit for their oldest daughter, Katie ’13, an out-ofthe-box thinker. When they got here, they realized it would be great for their other two children for completely different reasons. They wanted the protective and nurturing environment for Hayley ’15 and they knew Matt ’16 would thrive in a place where he could be a hands-on learner. And all three of their kids blossomed here. Judy admires the people her children have become. “All three of my kids, even though they’re completely different, came away from the School comfortable with talking in front of people and being able to advocate for themselves. I wish I had had that comfort level in high school. It’s a true gift. Through small class sizes and other Athenian opportunities, they have found their voice. It’s not a big deal for them. It’s easy for them to wing it, too. They don’t have to prepare a speech, they can just talk from their heart. I admire that skill.” Mark and Judy’s family won’t receive anything from their gift to the School. But that’s not why they give. Mark explains, “No one ever told me that the reason for philanthropy is that you’re supposed to receive a benefit for yourself. We’ve received our benefit already, and we now want others to benefit. It’s been a great experience for our family. Judy knows from her work

with the Board how tight Athenian’s operating budget is. She explains that “we’re working on changing the mindset, ‘it’s so expensive here, why do they need more money?’ If people didn’t give, then we wouldn’t have the diversity that makes this school so valuable; your kids would be going to school in a bubble and then it would be an elitist school. That’s not what Athenian is about.” A student’s character development is an important part of an Athenian education. The Carters have seen it firsthand: not only have their own children become poised, mature young people, but they have seen their three Athenian graduates enter the next stage of their lives ready to make meaningful contributions of their own. And in no small part because of the Carters, now the School is poised for the next generations of Owls to have their own innovative, character-building Athenian experience. The Athenian School is grateful for everything the Carter family has contributed. In addition to their leadership campaign gift, the Carters have contributed major gifts to the Carter Multi-Purpose Room, the Center for the Arts, and the new turf field. Their family’s commitment to serving and improving our community and educational programs are an inspiring example of what is possible at Athenian. Generations of Athenians to come are proud to honor the Carters’ philanthropic efforts and involvement in the community with the Carter Innovation Studio at the entrance to our campus. 2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Making the Imagined REAL “You built an airplane when you were 15? Really?” When Diablo neighbor and airplane enthusiast Marsh Freeman thought of working with high school students to build an airplane, many thought the idea was outrageous. How could teenagers build such a complex structure, especially when someone’s life could hang in the balance? Why would a college preparatory school embark on such a risky endeavor? With the visionary support of former Head of School Eleanor Dase, Marsh and Eugene Mizusawa started the Airplane Project in 2004. Thirteen years later, Athenian students have completed two functional (and still flying!) airplanes and are working on a third.

This is what happens at Athenian. Since the airplane hangar (currently the Makerspace) was built, it has been home to projects that push the boundaries of what most high schoolers have access to. From constructing model artificial limbs to building giant cardboard articulated horse, Athenian students learn that you are never too young to grapple with big ideas or make the imagined real. Athenian teachers have long created environments for students to push the boundaries of what is possible. And this year, The School has formalized

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

an employee position that is charged with just that. Mark Mendelson is our new Coordinator for Engaged Learning. Mark, in partnership with Shop Manager Lori Harsch, will facilitate opportunities for teachers to incorporate experiences intrinsic to the Carter Innovation Studio into their curriculum. They will be the “innovation librarians,” resources to the entire school who will apply their extensive real-world experience and expertise to curricular support. The possibilities inherent in a space like this are endless. For example, the Middle School has a long history of experiential education, primarily rooted in our signature Focus Days. A couple of years ago, social studies teachers saw the potential for building and making opportunities in their classes. With Lori’s support, the teachers designed building projects that wove hands-on learning naturally into the curriculum. With new spaces to house project-based learning, teachers will be able to use more class time on the project and less time on setting and cleaning up. The librarians facilitate research projects in humanities classes by pulling all the Cold War-related books for 10th grade U.S. Studies so students have all of class time with the materials, instead of having to spend time tracking them down or carrying them back

and forth between the classrooms. Mark and Lori will be able to provide similar access to tools and equipment so students and teachers can jump into projects without having to waste precious class time hauling equipment to the classroom or storing elaborate projects in between classes. Lori and Mark will be uniquely positioned to see connections between classes and projects, because they will be facilitating projects across the disciplines and divisions. Lori has a goal of helping teachers see the connections between their projects. Students would have twice the time, less redundancy, and an opportunity to dig deeper into a topic while still building the skills needed for each respective class. When students have time and freedom, they can take a project further than even they might think is possible. Lori and Mark believe strongly in this approach to education. Both have spent many years working in their respective industries, Lori as a mechanical engineer and Mark as a theater technical director and set designer. Their real-world experience outside of the academic setting reinforces the current trends in education to foster life skills in addition to academic knowledge. Once our kids enter the “real world,”

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Philanthropic HISTORY

Athenian has a history of running successful capital campaigns. In our School’s history, we have completed three successful campaigns and are confident the Make It Meaningful Campaign will also reach its goal. Start of School Thanks to the financial generosity of the founding Board of Trustees, The Athenian School opened with 66 ninth and tenth graders, a faculty of 10, and 13 buildings.

they won’t be working by themselves; all projects are interdisciplinary and facility in applying their knowledge in creative and original ways is essential. Lori has observed that most young people don’t get real life experiences until after college, let alone middle or high school. Most students learn these lessons in internships or when they begin to work. Mark and Lori know that our students will be best served by learning these skills now to ease the transition from the academic to the working world. While Mark and Lori have been doing this work in various ways at Athenian for the last four years, the new spaces, new positions, and new strategic initiatives will support the School’s rapid growth in these areas. Mark, as Engaged Learning Coordinator, is charged with leading the reexamination of Athenian’s mandala in a 21st century context, which is no small feat. Working closely with both divisions and school leadership, Mark will serve on every committee that affects student learning outcomes. The School community has already seen what our students can do with Mark and Lori’s support. We can only imagine what our students will bring to life under their guidance in years to come.

The Campaign for Athenian: Making the Vision Flourish A three-year, $3.5 M capital fundraising effort (1998-2001) to: • Renovate and enhance the Middle School • Relocate the library and technology center to the heart of our campus • Create a center for the arts in the former library • Add basic amenities like restrooms, lockers and showers needed for our sports program and Middle School • Create an endowment fund to provide stable, long-range support for educational programs.

Pillar Campaign A five-year, $8M capital fundraising effort (2004-2009) to: • Grow our endowment to support financial aid, faculty development, and general school operations • Build the Dase Center, a new multi-purpose center and music complex • Athletics facility updates.

Make It Meaningful Campaign A four-year capital fundraising effort (2014-2018) to build: • Three new classroom buildings • A student services Commons • A renewed Main Hall • The Carter Innovation Studio. ■■■■■■■■■

Tomorrow! The potential to build on our philanthropic past is limitless. Together with our community, we are poised for Athenian to enter the next 50 years with success.

2017

FEATURE: CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Supporting the vision:

To support all that the Make It Meaningful campaign has to offer, we are asking community members to make The Athenian School a philanthropic priority this year. Just as we tell our students “there ■■■■■■■■ is more in you than you know,” we are confident this Campaign will show that there is more in our community, too. Each gift will have an impact beyond its dollar value. It will signal to the world that Athenian is worthy of investment by those who believe in our unique mission and vision of education. We hope you will join us.

Together, we will Make It Meaningful athenian.org/makeitmeaningful For more information on supporting the project, please contact: Allie Rowe Ladio, Director of Advancement 925-362- 7252 aladio@athenian.org

How to Get Involved Give your time. As a volunteer, your

knowledge and enthusiasm help students make the most of their Athenian experience. You can serve as a mentor, host a dinner, participate in local alumni groups, reach out to your classmates, and much more.

Share your story. Did philanthropy have a

positive impact on your time at Athenian? Has an Athenian alumni, faculty, or friend helped you personally or professionally? Want to share why you support Athenian? Get in touch with us at news@athenian.org. Make a gift at www.athenian.org/makeitmeaningful

Athenian Is…

We asked students to describe Athenian in a word.

DREAMCOAT EQUALITY BIG AMAZING HAPPINESS EXTRAORDINARY CARING TECH TECHNICOLOR

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

OPENNESS FREEDOM EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITY

FUN BIG

GOOD

FANTABULOUS

EQUALITY BOARDING

AMAZING! AMAZING ACCEPTING

DEMOCRACY D

BIG

HARD

BIG

EXPERIENTIAL

HARD COOL

GENUINELY

SCHOOL EXCHANGE

DIVERSE DIV D VERS SE

GOOD

CRAZY

LEARN

ACCEPTING EXPERIENTIAL

DIFFERENT TRUE GREAT

SAFE FREEDOM

GENUINELY

WORLD

ACCEPTING ELEGANT COMMUNITY

SCHOOL

DYNAMIC

ACTIVE

ELEGANT EEL EGANTT

FUN

OPPORTUNITY UNITY EXCITING

FRIENDLY FR RIEN NDLY L

FREE

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FREE

SMALL

EQUITY

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EVERYONE FREEDOM FUN COMPLICATED FRIENDLY DEMOCRACY

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rejoice and celebrate!

GREAT

FREE CHILLLLLLLL CRAZY HARD BEAUTIFUL

FREE

SAFE

COOL

ACTIVE

CHANGERS TEECHNICOLO TECHNICOLOR E

FULLEST

FAMILY CHILLLLLLLL

DIFFICULT DREAMCOAT

WORLD HOPEFUL

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COOL FULLEST EXHILARATING DYNAMIC

DYNAMIC

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WORLD

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WORLD DIFFERENT WINNER

GOOD FUN EXHILARATING FAMILY

DREAMCOAT

BEAUTIFUL BE

SAFE

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EXCEPTIONAL

LEARN

The spring community gala is a celebratory occasion for the entire Athenian community. This elegant evening will feature a seated dinner, performances, and dancing under the stars at The Athenian School. Proceeds from the event will benefit Athenian. Dance, laugh,

CARING

CHANGERS

CARING

FREE

EQUITY

a night among the stars

GOOD CONSIDERATE EQUITY CONSIDERATE D DREAMCOAT

FUN

CHANGERS

AWESOME A W

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CARING NG

FREE

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BIG

AMA AMAZING

The Make it Meaningful Gala

OYABLE Y ATHENIAN A T ENIAN TH N ENJOYABLE AMAZING! ZING!

GOOD

Saturday, April 7, 2018

EQUALITY BIG TRUE

ATHENIAN A THENIAN

ELEGANT

FULLEST FU ULLESTT

EQUALITY

SAFE

Save the date!

SCHOOL

EXHILARATING XHILARATING A

HARD

Spring Community Gala 2018

AWESOME

EXCITING

COOL

ATHENIAN CHILLLLLLLL

GREAT

COOL DEMOCRACY TRUE LEARN

FULLEST

FAMILY HAPPINESS ENJOYABLE

TRUE

SAFE

BIG

HAPPINESS AMAZING! COMPLICATED EVERYONE FUN

HOPEFUL HARD

DIFFICULT DIF FFICULT L

WINNER COOL

CARING

EVERYONE

ACTIVE

ELEGANT EQUALITY

ACTIVE

EXHILARATING LARATING A FRIENDS

FAMILY FRIENDS CHANGERS BEAUTIFUL

FREE

EVERYONE NE

SAFE

ACTIVE TRUEE

BIG FUN

SCHOOL FULLEST A ATHENIAN

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AMAZING! AMA

UNCONVENTIONAL NVEENTIONA N AL

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HOPEFUL

BIG

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OUTDOORSY O OUTDOORS Y GENUINELY WORLD

HARD COOL TRUE RUE

EXCITING

FRIENDLY FRIENDL FRIEND LY

AMAZING!

EVERYONE

BIG

LEARN

CONSIDERATE GREAT

FREE

ATHENIAN TRUE

COMPLICATED

EQUALITY

WINNER

EXTRAORDINARY EX XTRA AOR RDINARY BEAUTIFUL

WINNER

DYNAMIC AMAZING!

TRUE

FFAMILY A

EXCEPTIONAL

SMALL

UNCONVENTIONAL ONVENTIONAL FRIENDS

OUTDOORSY OUT TDOORS SY

ADVENTUROUS FREE BIG

GENUINELY INCLUSION IN

OPENNESS

LEARN LE EARN N

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DREAMCOAT DYNAMIC

SMALL SM MALL

COOL

COMMUNITY MMUNITY

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Questions? Want to get involved? Contact Molly Andrus, Gala Chair, at molly.andrus@comcast.net.

Annual Report

2016-2017 Annual Report From the Director Athenians support Athenians. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and volunteers are committed to looking out for each other, opening doors, and helping each other thrive. At Athenian, we promote a culture of making meaningful contributions, both in the world and within our own community. We are all members of the Athenian family. A core value of most families is mutual support--caring about each other’s goals and dreams, and helping each other achieve them. Your Athenian family includes more than 2,000 living alumni, 150 faculty and staff, 500 students, and thousands of current and past faculty members and parents. We have alumni in almost every state and major city, and in more than 50 other countries worldwide. I encourage you to get involved at Athenian, volunteer, and be there for other Athenians when they reach out for help. Join Athenian Link (see page 38) and share your professional experience with young alumni, host a regional alumni event to share your Athenian story with prospective Athenians, or come to campus to work with current students. This year, we will ask for your support to reach our capital campaign goal while maintaining a robust Annual Fund. The Annual Fund maintains the education we offer today while the Make It Meaningful Campaign will provide for the next generation of Athenians. As we ask for your support, we also offer ours: we are here to help strengthen relationships with and between alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty, and staff, so please reach out if there is anything we can do for you. With gratitude,

Allie Rowe Ladio

Director of Advancement

2016-17 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Wendell Arnold ’92 Beth Borchers Judy Carter Vince Chow Michael Connolly ’71 Kathryn Craft Rogers Tony Dominguez Allison Fletcher ’96 Patty Frazer Josh Freeman Debby Grauman

Guy Henshaw Nicole Holthuis John Kohler ’88 Russell Patton ’07 Walter Peters Susan Reckers Sharam Sasson Ed Scherr* Monica Streifer ’05 Lisa Thompson

Thank you to our dedicated Board of Trustees for their commitment, time, leadership, and many meaningful contributions to Athenian. Laura Victorino David Welsh Monika Witte* Catherine Yewell

Advisory Board Members Hansol Hong ’06 Matt Okazaki ’06

Honorary Trustees Steve Davenport Susan Nebesar Ted Urban* Bea Winslow ’75

Ex-Officio Eric Niles

Incoming Board Member 2017-18 Esha Ray

*Outgoing board members

2017

Annual Report 2016–2017

By The Numbers

REVENUE (Sources of Operating Cash)

Annual Giving 2016-2017

$1,224,453

88%

Total Gifts and pledges to Athenian

3% 2% 3% 4%

777

Tuition and Fees $19,835,000 Summer Programs $740,000 Auxiliary $655,000 Annual Giving $859,000 Endowment Harvest $366,000

Donors Gave

WHICH HELPED

TOTAL $22,455,000

$2.8 million

EXPENSES (Uses of Operating Cash)

72 53%

13% 12%

10% 5%

Salaries and Benefits Financial Aid Administration & Student Support Academic Departments Buildings & Grounds Summer Programs Capital Expenses

$11,901,000 $2,830,000 $2,289,000 $1,035,000 $1,294,000 $425,000 $1,564,000

TOTAL $22,455,000

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

alumni gave to a one-day fundraiser for financial aid on #givingtuesday

juniors attended AWE

in financial aid to 20% of our student body

279

Upper School students participated in at least one of our 37 sports teams

5,749 114 alumni volunteered as mentors to current students

32 Upper School students went on International interim trips

Books checked out from Athenian libraries

Thank you, volunteers! This year’s Annual Fund success was due in large part to our inspiring volunteers who planned, asked, thanked, and gave this year. Volunteers were led and inspired by our incredible Annual Fund Chair, Stephanie Oana (current and alumni of Maggie ’17 and Greg ’20). Annual Fund volunteers are critical to maintain and advance our efforts year after year.

A N N UA L G I V I N G 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7

Annual Fund The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of the culture of philanthropy at Athenian and benefits each and every student every day in tangible ways. Like most independent schools, Athenian’s operating expenses exceed the revenue from tuition and fees. Athenian deliberately sets tuition below full cost in order to keep the school more accessible to a wider range of students engaged in active and participatory learning. We depend on Athenian’s expansive community of parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, trustees, faculty, staff, and friends for their charitable tax-deductible gifts to help us offer the forward-thinking, adventurous, and rigorous programs for which Athenian is known. Your gift of any size underscores your support of Athenian and belief in our mission while providing funding for immediate needs. Thank you to all who gave to the 2016-2017 Annual Fund!

Introducing Karen Winner Huff Karen Winner Huff, Athenian’s new Associate Director of Advancement, comes to us with ten years of professional not-for-profit fundraising and stewardship experience. She also brings a wealth of experience from her previous career as a professional opera singer, a career that included 5 years with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in New York City and 16 years with the San Francisco Opera Chorus in their large-chorus productions. Karen is a former President of the Board of

the Danville Girls Chorus and currently volunteers as the Development Officer for Chromatica Chorale, a Tri-Valley community chorus. Karen and her husband, David, have made their home in Danville for the past 17 years. Their son, Matthew, is an officer in the U.S. Navy and their daughter, Molly, is an International Relations/French double major at UC Davis. Karen believes that philanthropy should be the joyous connection each of us makes to support the endeavors that speak to our hearts.

The Impact of the Annual Fund Rahul Arockiaraj participated in a regional Model United Nations with Sanjev deSilva’s International Relations seminar, where he won the Exceptional Delegate Award representing Israel on a general assembly committee addressing the topic of cybersecurity and drones. Rahul was inspired by the experience and was invited to New York during Spring Break to participate in an International Model UN conference at the UN Headquarters. Rahul won an honorable mention award and the Most Professional Delegate Award representing Kenya on the Commission on the Status of Women addressing the topic of Boko Haram’s treatment on women. Rahul shares the impact of participating in Model UN. “I had a fantastic experience participating in the International Model UN conference in New York which was held at the UN headquarters. It was an amazing opportunity for me to compete at the international level connecting with those all around the world. Over 2,300 students came from all around the world and it was truly an inspiring opportunity. I would like to thank Sanjev and Athenian for providing me with such a great opportunity. I plan to create a Model UN club at Athenian this year, as I think it is a great extension of the multicultural pillar we have and the political discussion we always seem to stimulate during meetings. This trip also would be a great way to entice people to join. Thank you so much.” 2017

Annual Report 2016–2017

ONE SCHOOL Middle School students learning about earth science from Upper School geology students

Athenian began in 1965 with just 9th and 10th grade classes. By 1968, they had their first seniors and eleven years later, they opened the Middle School. Since its inception in 1979, the Middle School has functioned fairly independently. Only a couple of faculty have taught in both divisions at the same time and the Upper and Middle school curricula are not necessarily created in tandem. For example, the Middle School schedule is built around Friday Focus Days, weekly daylong immersive or culminating learning experiences. The Upper School schedule has had a variety of block schedules that incorporate one or two longer periods per class each week. The mismatch in schedules does not easily facilitate cross sections of the community coming together. With the support of faculty and a recommendation made by the WASC/ CAIS accreditation team, the School has prioritized becoming “one school” in our strategic initiatives. Structurally,

the School has already created a 6-12 teaching and learning committee, comprised of faculty and administrators from both divisions. Former theater tech teacher, Mark Mendelson, has stepped into a new 6-12 role, Coordinator for Engaged Learning, and will support faculty in every discipline in creating hands-on learning experiences for students (read more on page 28). The School is considering a new 6-12 curriculum coordinator position that could be charged with overseeing the scope and sequence of learning outcomes for the whole school. The School has also embarked on a process to reimagine the daily schedule and yearly calendar, to support easier synthesis of Upper and Middle School curricula. While the curriculum may not be fully coordinated yet, there has always been a history of crossover between the Middle and Upper Schools. Some Middle School students take advanced language or math classes in the Upper School. Upper School

students facilitate Equity and Inclusion Focus Days, are advisory mentors, and occasionally teach in the Middle School. This year, as part of a several week project, the geology class created lessons for the 6th grade earth science unit. In groups, geology students designed interactive experiments to demonstrate the principles behind earthquakes, and volcanoes.

Athenian has prioritized becoming “one school” in our strategic initiatives.

Athenian Link We are excited to announce a new community networking tool! Athenian Link is an app and website that connects Athenian parents, alums, faculty, and current students to provide professional networking, mentoring, internships, jobs, and career opportunities. We will be reaching out to you soon to get you signed up for this easy-to-use tool. Our community is full of brilliant and caring minds doing great things in a wide variety of sectors. With enough participation, we can create a network that can help our students and alumni discover what their passions are and give them a headstart in entering the world after school.

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

The refinished science building.

Deferred Maintenance In addition to the extensive construction work on campus, our facilities team made significant updates and upgrades on campus. This “deferred maintenance” is often less exciting but nevertheless makes a big impact on the lives of our students. The following projects were completed during the last year. • Created a new Ridgeview parking lot, adding more than 20 parking spaces to campus. • The library got a repaint, new carpet, and floor repairs. • The science building was seismically upgraded, new windows were installed, and we replaced the siding and roofing.

Ways to Give GIVE ONLINE

www.athenian.org/give GIVE BY CHECK Checks should be made payable to The Athenian School and mailed to:

• The AWE and Maintenance barn got an upgrade; AWE now has 50% more space.

The Athenian School Advancement Office 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. Danville, CA 94506

• The primary water main was replaced, adding additional strength and depth to withstand the bus traffic.

GIFTS OF SECURITIES, WIRE TRANSFERS, AND LEGACY GIFTS

• Athenian now has two full-time grounds keepers who have been working on cleaning and improving the grounds. • Creekside and Appletree dorms had bathroom updates, new flooring, paint, and some needed repairs. • The School invested in the maintenance equipment and took over the maintenance from an outside vendor to improve the grass on the baseball field, especially during the break in the baseball season. • The roofs of Courtside, House 10, House 11, and part of the CFTA were replaced. • The Middle School parking lot was expanded and we now have designated parking for our school buses.

If you are interested in transferring stock or other securities to the School, making a wire transfer, or making a legacy gift, please be sure to notify the Advancement Office. MATCHING GIFTS

Do you know that many corporations will match their employees giving? Check with your employer!

2017

Annual Report 2016–2017

Donor Profile

Stephanie Oana YEARS AT ATHENIAN: 5 years STUDENTS’ NAMES: Greg (Class ’20) and Maggy (Class ’17) Osha

What’s your favorite Athenian memory (so far)?

It is probably welcoming Maggy’s class at Run-In after her High Sierra’s AWE. It was wonderful to see the kids running in, holding hands and sharing the moment, to be greeted by other students with hugs, cheers and balloons. There was an outpouring of support from the parents there and a feeling of closeness. It was a great example of the community that Athenian builds for the kids and parents alike. Another favorite memory was the 50th Anniversary Gala in 2016. Everyone felt free to be silly and dress up to match the evening’s “steam punk” theme. It was hard to get guests to go in to sit for dinner because everyone was having such a great time visiting and having fun over cocktails.

What’s your favorite part of campus?

My favorite part of campus has to be the Center for the Arts (CFTA). It is such an inviting space and it’s great to have the Performing Arts and the Visual Arts together in one building. I love that it is a bit removed from the rest of campus which gives a feeling of being close to nature and sparks creativity. The unstructured nature of the performing space allows students to build every element of a show. Mark and Peter have done a wonderful job of showing students that theater is as much about the behind-the-scenes work as it is about being out in front performing. I’d like to see the lighting to the CFTA improved —although I could walk that path blindfolded, I’d like it to be more inviting and easier to access for our guests.

Why did your family choose Athenian?

Because it is both international and progressive. We lived in Hong Kong for four years and the kids attended an international school (K-3 for Gregory and 3-6 for Maggy). While there, we developed many friendships with people from all over the world and we found that same kind of international sensibility at Athenian. Not only do kids here become connected to the rest of the world through Round Square, the international trips, and friendships with the boarders from overseas, but the community is full of parents from other countries and families like ours who have lived overseas. Athenian is not just paying lip service to the idea of “global citizens” but is helping its students become part of a global community. And from the beginning of our children’s education, we have sought out schools that are progressive and have something to offer beyond textbooks and lectures. We see other schools just starting to learn about the kind of education that Athenian has offered for years – providing multi-faceted and participatory learning to foster creative and critical thinking—the skills that our children need to continue to grow and learn as the world changes around them.

Why do you make Athenian a philanthropic priority?

We support many philanthropic programs, but those that are most dear to us are those to which we have personal connections. What could be more important to us as a family than the school that is providing such an amazing education to our children? We give to support Athenian for future generations and to help provide financial aid for those that might not be able to attend here otherwise. We donate to help keep Athenian great knowing that that things that make the school so special and so unique are not cheap. We want to pay it forward and make it possible for future generations to have this incredible Athenian education and experience. 40 T H E

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2017 Gala recap

Last spring, the parent and guardian community came together to celebrate historic Kate and Dyke Brown Hall. Clad in fabulous decades themed gear, we danced the night away and raised $95,420 for financial aid at Athenian. Decked out in costumes, our parents and faculty strolled through the decades, heard some of Dick Bradford’s favorite Main Hall memories, and danced long after the band called it a night. The evening will go down in Athenian history as one to remember. We’re so grateful to all of the volunteers who made this year’s gala possible. Your time, energy, and school spirit are one of Athenian’s greatest resources. A special thank you to the Athenian Parent Association Board for generously sponsoring the floral arrangements and decorations. Our APA Board does outstanding work and their generosity knows no bounds.

2017

Annual Report 2016–2017

The Tools She Needs to Succeed Dear Eric, As the school year winds down, I wanted to take a moment to send you my gratitude. As Jordan prepares to graduate, I have been reflecting on the choice we made to send her to Athenian. I believe Jordan is a spectacular person. Some of that is just who she is. Some can be attributed to her family. A huge part of who she is falls on the Athenian community. Through her years at Athenian, she has not only learned, but has embodied the tenets of feminism, equality, world citizenship, environmentalism, and democracy. I believe her time at Athenian has made her more thoughtful as a human. While she would have done well scholastically anywhere, Athenian had provided her an opportunity to become a critical thinker and an active participant in her world. She has travelled, explored many extracurriculars and has availed herself of the many opportunities Athenian provides. The exemplary staff has never given her a reason to complain and she has forged strong relationships with her teachers. While sad to send her off into the world, I know she has the tools she will need to succeed. Thank you for nourishing my child’s mind and soul for the past six years. It was the best decision we have ever made. She has been thankful every day she has attended school. You have all made a huge impact in her life, as well as the lives she touches. Thank you so much for everything you have provided. With much gratitude,

Ruth Gewing, mother of Jordan Gewing-Mullins ‘17

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ALUMNI

Alumni Class Notes

1969

1970

Carl Joplin :: Sandy (Alex Sherriffs ‘69) and I are still miffed that we missed AWE (it hadn’t been invented yet), and we seem to have spent the last 48 years overcompensating in the outdoorsy department. Every summer lately, we’ve done Sierra backpack trips with wives Joan and Olga and friends. Sandy still has camera and fly rod in hand. There is always enough cross-country route-finding to make things interesting. This year we’re off to Evolution Basin in Kings Canyon National Park.

Susan (Byrd) Starbird :: I published the first two volumes of Susan The Magazine in 2016. Volume 3, with some assistance from George Prince ‘72, was released in August 2017.

Kip Smith, Stephanie Jurs, and Dan Valens :: Ten percent of the class of 1969 reunited in August when Dan and Kip met Stephanie in San Candido, Italy for a week of hiking in the Dolomites. The views, hikes, food, wine, and company were excellent. Accompanying Kip was his wife of 38 years Monica. They are both retired professors living in Issaquah, WA. Dan was accompanied by his new husband Rex. They are both retired bodyworkers living in Medford, OR. When she is not guiding treks around Europe for Piccolo Walking Tours and Customwalks, Stephanie makes mosaics in Ravenna, Italy, with her husband Robert. Fun was had by all.

1971 Sara (Goldberg) Feldman :: My husband Yaakov and I are celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary! Two of our three kids are married, one daughter is an RN like I am, and she is married with a son and her wife’s twin girls. Our son has three little girls and is studying Talmud full time. Our other daughter is enjoying her single life, living in Manhattan and working in finance. At 29, she was just promoted, and is supervising about a dozen younger Millennials. She just got her very long hair cut shoulderlength to have her look more mature. My husband continues his work as a hospital rabbi/chaplain, and isn’t ready to retire. I’m semi-retired, and enjoying leisure and being able to help with the grandkids. We have an adorable 14-pound Shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso mix who makes our empty nest a joy. I’m loving this phase of our lives.

1972 David Buchanan :: I started playing a couple years ago in my first country western band, called Lonesome Eddie and the Saddle Sores. I play rhythm guitar and sometimes bass (when the regular Sore cannot make it). I sing some as well. I see Stephen Davenport regularly; I try to support his writing activities, and he tries to support my musical activities. I am enjoying tiny living in a 450 sqare foot studio apartment in north Berkeley with my girlfriend and two small dogs—in the basement of the house that my mother has owned since I attended Athenian. This way, I keep an

eye on Mom. I bought a couple small apartment buildings in Oakland and enjoy working on them.

1973 Randy Markin :: I was retired for ten years but have gotten back into the Casino business. My wife and I have two kids and five grandchildren. If you’re ever in Vegas, look me up.

1974 Don Dennis :: I am still living on a wee island on the west coast of Scotland, where I make orchid essences. My wife and I are also making ice cream and bottling her farm’s milk in glass bottles for supply to the shops around the county of Argyll. Read all about us on Facebook under Wee Isle Dairy. Emma and I have a 5-year-old son Mark, who has 5 siblings: two teenage boys by Emma’s first marriage, and my three eldest by my first marriage: Jennifer (30), Ava (29) and Stewart (26). Carol Moldaw :: BEAUTY REFRACTED, my new book of poetry, will be published by Four Way Books in early 2018. Margaret Barnett Stogner :: I am still enjoying living in Annapolis, teaching film and media arts at American University in Washington D.C., and have been working hard on a powerful documentary about the death penalty. Check out www.intheexecutionersshadow.com. Keeping up with classmates has been wonderful. In July, Ellen Rankin ’74 and I giggled our way through the Summer of Love exhibition in San Francisco. I am hoping to meet up for another art museum sweep with Karen Uhlmann ’74 in NYC soon, and I am loving seeing news from Jason Christian ’74, Vicki Frost ’74, and others on Facebook. 2017

ALUMNI

1976 Rachel Frankel Meek :: I am sad to report that our classmate, Nina Stettner ’76, died from complications of an overwhelming infection on Monday, June 26, 2017. A private memorial service was held in southern California.

Athenian. I am very grateful to all that Athenian has given me. I am in the financial industry and love it.

1977 Marsea Marcus :: I finally got married this last year and recently returned from my honeymoon in South Africa. I have had a successful counseling business for the past 23 years in Soquel, CA and am the proud author of three books: The Don’t Diet, Live-It Workbook; Tranny Tales: True Stories of Gender Transitions; and Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Breaking the “I Feel Fat” Spell. I am still in touch with Nina Moore ’77 and Lance La’Shagway ’77. I have fond memories of The Athenian School that were especially present for me on a recent camping trip in the Sierras.

1994 Amanda Malachesky :: I have found my true life’s calling since I last updated you all. I have trained in health coaching and functional nutrition over the last two years, and launched my practice, Confluence Nutrition (www.confluencenutrition. com) during this last year. I help clients with anxiety, complex digestive illness, and chronic illness find rootcause resolution in a dedicated and supportive coaching environment. I love my work, and wake up inspired each day to help people. If you think I might be able to help you or someone you love, please feel free to reach out: amanda@confluencenutrition.com.

1996

1992 Tilden Moschetti :: I live in Los Angeles with my lovely wife Anya and two amazing kids Alex (2 years) and Will (2 months). As I plan the educational path of my family, I find myself often reflecting on the values, philosophy, and experience of

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Saheli S. Rupa Datta :: I am going back to teaching, this time teaching math at El Cerrito High. I get a lot of inspiration from following the adventures of Athenians I taught from 2007 to 2009. If any alumni want to share anecdotes of how algebra and geometry have helped them outside school, I am always looking for more stories to share with my students!

1998 Jeannine (Bell) Whittaker :: On June 17, Alexander Dean was born and officially made us a family of four! This August, we moved back to the Bay

Area after 10 years in Brooklyn, New York and are so excited to be back.

2002 Zoey Burrows :: I am living in Seattle after a fun one-year stint in Denver last year. I am in school once more at the University of Washington getting an MA in Public Policy so I can be a bigger influence in the renewable energy policy world, ideally. I misss friends at home, so come visit like Kate Russell ’02 did. We explored the Olympic Peninsula together. Sara (Olson) Moussa :: It’s been a big year for our family! On Halloween 2016, we had our first child—a little boy we named Emmett—he is the happiest baby we’ve ever met and we are so in love! He loves being outdoors and playing in any water he can get his hands on. His aunt Ashley Olson ’06 came to visit for Fourth of July and we took him to the beach for the first time! New England may have harsh winters, but the summer time feels like Athenian and we spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can these days.

ALUMNI

2003

2005

teachers and the Athenian learning environment inspired me to complete the circle and re-discover the classroom from the perspective of an educator. I finished my first year in June, and am now gearing up for round two.

2008 Jennie (Inglis) Lillibridge :: I have been living with my husband Adam and two dogs in Denver, Colorado for the last six years. I have a monthly breakfast date with Holly Stewart Giller ’04 who is up in Fort Collins. In April, we celebrated the birth of our first child, Juniper Reve, and are over the moon for her.

2004

Lindsay McAlpine :: I recently graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia with a Doctor of Medicine. I matched into a Neurology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital and am currently doing a preliminary year in Internal Medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I previously graduated from Brown University with honors and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. I worked in environmental consulting and completed a post-baccalaureate at UC Berkeley before pursuing my medical degree. I now live in the New Haven area with my partner, Jacob.

2007

Emily McDonnell :: This year has been full of travel, mostly to weddings, but also including trips to Iceland and Russia! I’m still enjoying my time at Remind, where we’re entering our first back-to-school season selling to schools and districts.

Alexandra Dunn :: I’m been living in Manhattan for a year now, working as a psychiatry resident at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and going running in Central Park every chance I get. In other exciting news, Sam and I got married in February at the city clerk’s office. Kailyn Kent :: Guess what? I’m now an English teacher in Salem, OR. Powerful memories of my

CALL FOR CLASS NOTES The Class Notes section of the Magazine is where alumni can see what their classmates are up to. Our hope is for this section to be as robust as possible. For the next issue, please contact alumni@athenian.org and tell Elizabeth Newey ’11 Alumni Relations Manager, what you’re up to.

Justin Goh :: This year I graduated from medical school with my M.D. and have started my Internal Medicine Residency at Eisenhower Medical Center in beautiful Rancho Mirage, California. I was fortunate to be able to celebrate my white coat ceremony with my mother and sister, Tiffany Goh ‘05. I am interested in pursuing a fellowship afterwards in Cardiology.

2011 Olivia Brantner :: Never did I think I would find myself in Education but here I am! This past spring, I made the huge move from California to Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan to become an Assistant Language Teacher. I live in a city a couple of hours outside of Tokyo where I help teach English classes at a local public junior high school. My students are great (all 700 of them!) and the experiences I am having both inside and outside the classroom here are proving to be invaluable and immensely enriching. Asha Brundage-Moore :: Cullen Ross ’12 and I moved from DC to New York. I started at NYU Law in the Fall. I am going to law school to do something in the public interest field since I am a Root-Tilden-Kern Scholar.

2017

ALUMNI

Alumni Adventures 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17

DC Gathering Washington, DC area alumni gathered for drinks and to learn about campus updates.

Owl Bowl We celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday break by getting together for our annual flag football game.

Alumni Day Over 40 alumni returned to campus for Alumni Day, when alumni share their experiences and advice with current students on a variety of topics. Alumni had lunch with the senior class and played an alum versus student soccer game.

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ALUMNI

Athenians in Asia

Allie Rowe Ladio, Director of Advancement, and Michelle Park, International Student Coordinator, hosted community events in Seoul, Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Hong Kong, China; and Taipei, Taiwan. Alumni came out at each event to mingle with each other and meet new Athenian families.

Concert Reception Before the spring concert on campus, the Alumni Council hosted a reception at the home of Eric Niles.

Community Service Day This year alumni joined Athenian 9th graders for trail maintenance on Mt. Diablo.

Reunion Alumni at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reunion took hard hat tours of the new classrooms, took a class by Gabe Del Real on the Athenian Mandala, and shared memories in Athenianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic Kate and Dyke Brown Hall.

2017

ALUMNI

The Athenian Alumni Association That’s You!

The Athenian Alumni Association is 2,894 alumni strong, hailing from 45 countries. As a former student of Athenian, you are a lifelong member of the organization. But it is not enough to define our network by the stats; we need to remain connected, engaged and involved with each other and the school to keep it alive. It’s this connection that affirms our identities as Athenians! This past year, the Alumni Council embarked on a new initiative to raise one full tuition scholarship for an Athenian student. Our Fund-One-Owl effort increased alumni giving participation and we look forward to another Fund-One-Owl campaign this year on Giving Tuesday. We surveyed our alumni community, getting over 200 responses which will help the School demonstrate the outcomes of an Athenian education. We also hosted a number of events, including the senior induction lunch, and a cocktail party before the spring concert, and we participated in a 9th grade community service project maintaining trails on Mt. Diablo.

Alumni Council

We are excited about what’s to come this year. We are hosting alumni council open houses to invite more alumni into our planning process. We will be working this year on making a great reunion and celebrating Dick’s retirement. We are also planning a 2nd Alumni Wilderness Experience, so get in touch if you want to be involved!

Marnye Langer ‘81 Patrick Quinn ‘84 Bryna Winchell-Ross ‘84 Melissa (Barry) Hansen ‘85 Kerry Marsh ‘86 John Kohler ‘88 Ruth Winchell Moyes ‘89 Angel Lewis ‘92 Jamahn Lee ‘94 Melissa Williams ‘96 Emily McDonnell ‘04 Matt Okazaki ‘06 Daniella Smith ‘10 Elizabeth Newey ‘11

Young Alumni Board Members Hansol Hong ‘06 and Matt Okazaki ‘06 have been appointed as Young Alumni Advisory Board Members, and will serve on the Board of Trustees as alumni representatives. This program began recently as a way to cultivate new alumni board members. Our inaugural Advisory Board Members, Monica Streifer ‘05 and Russell Patton ‘07, have now joined the board as voting trustees.

Fund-One-Owl We raised over $37,780 for Financial Aid, the equivalent of one Upper School student’s tuition for a year, with the support of 168 generous alumni donors. This addition to the Financial Aid fund helped pay for tuition, AWE, and other essential Athenian experiences for Athenian students. Every gift made a difference, and together we were able to Fund-One-Owl! Participate in this year’s Fund-One-Owl campaign on Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2017. 50

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ALUMNI

Athenian Remembers Nina Stettner ‘76

A boarding student at Athenian, Nina was active in the arts. Classmates have fond memories of Nina during an Interim trip to Kauai. She went on to UCLA and became an arts and crafts professional. Nina passed away in June 2017.

Greg Severns ‘86

Greg was a boarding student at Athenian and is remembered for his humor, heartfelt conversations, and generous spirit. After Athenian, Greg attended St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC. He moved to North Carolina where he worked as a finish carpenter. He enjoyed traveling, sailing, and cooking. Greg passed away in October 2016.

Jada Koonce

Jada was the Assistant to the Upper School Head and Academic Dean from January 2004 through 2011. Jada loved her time at Athenian and was a beloved member of the community, especially by the students, a number of whom she made long-time friends with. When Jada was first diagnosed with breast cancer, the School began an annual tradition of taking a “Pink Picture” in support of those we have known and lost to breast cancer. We will continue this tradition in honor of Jada, whose smile, warmth, and dedication to this community will be missed. After Athenian, Jada remained active in her church community and was an unwavering supporter of her two sons. Jada passed away in June 2017.

Allan “Abe” Baker Christensen ‘88

Abe developed a number of passions at Athenian. A lifelong entrepreneur, he went on to start his own tree-trimming business, a tax service business, and was a Certified Public Accountant. He was actively involved in the Sausalito Rotary Club, volunteering and holding a variety of positions, and participated in a variety of business group sharing his knowledge with other entrepreneurs. Abe loved travel, the outdoors, and planting trees, and will be remembered for his hard work, service, and joyous approach to life. Abe passed away in April 2017 in his home after a four-month battle with cancer.

Carmine Devivi

Carmine taught art at Athenian in the School’s early years. He opened a gallery and gift shop in Danville called The Image Maker and later The Carmine Devivi Gallery in New Mexico. Carmine was an Air Force veteran, an avid gardener, the original Danville Father Christmas, and a lifelong artist. He will be remembered as a generous and kind mentor, artist, and teacher. Carmine passed away in January 2017.

John Streetz

John was Athenian’s first Head of School from 1969-1971. His unique understanding of our School during the early years contributed to the overall narrative we use to talk about Athenian. In his years as Head, John demonstrated a marked foresight about the way Athenian would grow, and he was an early proponent of financial aid. During our 50th Anniversary, John became involved on campus again and shared many stories from his time here. A highlight in his memory reel was a camping trip he took with Ed Ellis in Yosemite when a bear walked between them as they slept just a couple feet apart. After leaving Athenian, John remained a passionate advocate for experiential education. John passed away in March 2017 at the age of 90.

2017

Class of 2017 and College

Colleges in bold are where students chose to attend. The asterisks indicate how many students are matriculating this year.

Allegheny College American studying University* overseas Amherst College Azusa Pacific University Bard College Bates College* Beloit College Binghamton University Boise State University Boston College* Boston University Brandeis University* California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo*** California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Chico California State University, Long Beach* Carleton College* Case Western Reserve University* Chapman University Chulalongkorn University City University of New York Clark University Colby College Colgate University* College of Charleston Colorado College* Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University* Columbia University recruited Connecticut College* athletes Cornell University* Dartmouth College** Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Drew University Drexel University Earlham College Eckerd College Elon University gap year Emory University

T H E AT H E N I A N S C H O O L

Fashion Institute of Technology Fordham University* Franklin & Marshall College Franklin University Switzerland George Fox University George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College Gonzaga University Goucher College Grinnell College Gustavus Adolphus College pursuing Hamilton engineering College related fields Hamline University Hampshire College Harvard University* Harvey Mudd College** Hope College Humboldt State University Indiana University at Bloomington Ithaca College* John Cabot University* Kenyon College Knox College Lafayette College Lake Forest College Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College***** Linfield College London South Bank University Loyola Marymount University** Loyola University Chicago Macalester College Manhattanville College Massachusetts Institute of Technology* Merrimack College Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Montana State University, Bozeman Morehouse College Mount Holyoke College New York School of Interior Design New York University*

Northeastern Southern Methodist University University (School of Engineering) Northern Stanford University** Arizona will attend college State University of New York University at Albany out of state Oberlin College Suffolk University Occidental Susquehanna University College** Syracuse University Oregon State University Texas A&M University Oxford College of Emory Texas Christian University University* The American University of Paris Pacific Lutheran University The College of New Jersey Pacific University* The College of Wooster Pennsylvania State University The George Washington Pitzer College* University** Pratt Institute** The New School - All Divisions Prescott College The University of Texas, Austin* Princeton University* Trinity College Purdue University* Trinity University Randolph-Macon College Tulane University Reed College*** Union College Regis University pursuing visual Universidad Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute art related majors Europea de Valencia* Rice University University of Rochester Institute of Technology Brighton* Rollins College* University of British Columbia Rose-Hulman Institute of University of California, Technology Berkeley* Rutgers University-New Brunswick University of California, Davis* Saint John’s University (MN) University of California, Irvine* Saint Mary’s College of California University of California, San Diego State University Los Angeles* San Francisco State University University of California, Merced San Jose State University University of California, Riverside Santa Clara University* University of California, San Sarah Lawrence College Diego** Savannah College of Art and University of California, Design Santa Barbara* School of the Art Institute of University of California, Chicago Santa Cruz* School of Visual Arts University of Chicago* Scripps College* University of Colorado Seton Hall University at Boulder** Skidmore College University of Colorado Colorado Springs Smith College University of Denver Sonoma State University will be University of Greenwich attending UC’s University of Hawaii at Manoa

74%

10%

ALUMNI

Welcome New Alumni! Congratulations on completing the Athenian experience! We are proud of what you did during your time here and we are confident you will continue to lead lives of intellectual exploration and meaningful contribution wherever you go. Thank you for your senior class gift of hammocks to be enjoyed by future Owls. As new alumni, you can continue your connection to Athenian by coming to alumni and community events, following us on social media, and volunteering at the School.

Congratulations, again, on all you have achieved. There is more in you than you know.

Love, Your Athenian Faculty and Staff

Class of 2017 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign** University of La Verne University of Maryland, College Park* University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of will attend New Mexico

49%

college east of the Rockies

University of Notre Dame University of Oregon* University of Pennsylvania* University of Portland* University of Puget Sound University of Redlands* University of San Diego University of San Francisco* University of Southern California* University of the Pacific University of Washington* University of West London

University of Westminster Ursinus College Vassar College Villanova University Wagner College Washington College* Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis** Wellesley College Wesleyan University* Western Washington University* Wheaton College MA

Whitman College Whittier College Willamette University* Worcester Polytechnic Institute* Yale University

they will be going to

different states

2017

PAID 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd. Danville, CA 94506 925-837-5375 www.athenian.org

2018 SAVE THE DATE We hope to see you at these upcoming events! Find more details at www.athenian.org/calendar. January 4 Alumni Day January 30 Athenian Community Education Series: Adolescent Mental Health with Mark Lukach March 28 Athenian Wilderness Experience Spring Run-In

April 7 Athenian Spring Community Gala

April 13 Faculty Talent Show fundraiser in support of the Starehe Schools April 25 Athenian Community Education Series - Jazz Appreciation with Stephen Herrick and the Rory Snyder Big Band

May 5 Athenian Leadership Donor Reception

June 1 Middle and Upper School Graduations

June 2 Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Retirement Party & Alumni Reunion

Printed on New Leaf Ingenuity made with 100% post-consumer waste 54

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