thegood CAMPBELL HALL MAGAZINE
S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 I V OL . 5
ON THE COVER
Featured on this cover of this issue is Campbell Hall’s Vikings Robotics Team 580 whose creative work earned top honors this year in an international robotics competition. Read more about the robotics program and competition on page 24.
graduations + awards 14
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION At Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Valedictorian & Salutatorian Speeches Matriculation List 48
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 50
END-OF-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS
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6TH GRADE PROMOTION Awards + Student Reflections
FROM THE HEADMASTER
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GROWING YOUNG INNOVATORS
SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL K-12 Visual Arts K-12 Performing Arts
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DESIGNING FOR CHANGE
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REDESIGNING AP COURSES
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By The Rev. Canon Julian P. Bull By Robin Frank, Elementary Principal
By Marina Kheel, Ed.D., Middle School Principal By Carolyn LaGaly, High School Principal
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CHASING INNOVATION WITH STEAM Preparing Students for Careers that Don’t Yet Exist By Greg Williams 22
#techCEO16 Sophomore Launches Social Media Platform By Hilary Palmer Rehder ’94 26
THE BUSINESS OF SLIME 6th Grade Entrepreneurs Capitalize on Craze By Hilary Palmer Rehder ’94
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TALES OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT By Kara Stark ’20
collaborations 44
good people
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CROSS-CURRICULAR Performing Arts & Engineering BUILDING HOPE + COMMUNITY Teachers and Students Build a Home in Mexico By Jonny Rodgers
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RESTORING L.A. RIVER GREENWAY TRAIL Stewards of Environmental Sustainability By Joe Laskin
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By Jim Whiting
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CROSS-DIVISIONAL Elementary Science + AP Chemistry By Ray Griffin
THE GIFT OF A JOURNEY A Path to Ordination
By The Rev. Dr. Louise Macatee 40 CELEBRATING 115 YEARS OF SERVICE A Tribute to Wasserman, Muñoz, and Mooney By Eileen Powers and Pamela Hopson
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PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION Volunteers of the Year + Year in Review good sports good times
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WINTER + SPRING ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS
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GRANDPARENTS’ + SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY
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friends for good 62
PARTY BOOK BAGPIPER’S BALL ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Raffi Tachdjian ’87
CLASS NOTES ALUMNI EVENTS
credits
Editors + Designers Hilary Palmer Rehder ’94 Catherine LaGaly ’09 Suzanne Turpin Contributors Danny Baker/Epic Imagery Marcia Berman Vivianne Fernquist Shauna Johnson Aubrey Rakoski Parent Photographers
FROM THE
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headmaster
When you visit the Campbell Hall website, against the background video of students and teachers in action, you first see these two phrases:
We develop innovative thinkers We prioritize spiritual + moral development BY TH E R E V. CA N ON JUL IA N P. B UL L
Innovation is a hot topic these days; spirituality tends to be thought of (misleadingly) as more of a personal matter. For example, Clayton Christenson’s excellent book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, rightly tops the charts with an updated new edition. Christenson outlines the disruptive power of new technologies and the difficulty established organizations have in learning from those disruptions in a timely way. The managers in the established organizations (think Digital Equipment Corporation or Sears) were good in the traditional sense in that they focused on their best current customers and improvements to their experience, but disruptive new technologies pointed to futures (think Dell, Apple, Costco, Amazon) that even good leaders in established companies found difficult to imagine and plan for. Christenson’s research concerns intellectual and business matters, of course, but I see them as primarily spiritual realities, and very old ones at that. Jesus warned millennia ago about the futility of trying to put new wine into old wineskins, and every great spiritual teacher says one way or another that our small selves or egos are not adequate to the challenges of living life to its fullest. Innovation requires spiritual strength, courage, and the
ability to discern right from wrong, even when what is right looks disruptively strange and what is wrong looked pretty good not too long ago. It takes spiritual maturity to discern between merely pointless or destructive disruption and disruption in the service of the better. It takes wisdom to know when to keep working hard and try something new, and when to just take a break and relax in trust and faith. Campbell Hall is committed in its strategic plan to the goal of “responsive innovation” with 17 related strategies and action items. The programs you can read about in this issue of The Good are only a few of the many faces of innovation on this campus; you can be sure there will be more in the years ahead, not for the mere sake of change but as new wineskins are created to accommodate the lively, wise, and creative energy of this faculty, administration, and parent body. In some way everything we do is a matter of responsive and responsible innovation, knowing what to change and when, and to which traditions to hold firm. At Campbell Hall, we develop innovative thinkers by committing ourselves spiritually to responsible innovation as adults. campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 5
Growing Young Innovators
Robin Frank and kindergartners collect lettuce from the elementary garden
BY R OB IN FR A N K , E L E M E N TA R Y PR IN CIPA L
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pending a day in the life of an elementary student is truly like watching innovation in action. As a community of inquiry, we strive to develop innovative thinkers through collaborative grade-level lessons and projects in and out of the classroom from kindergarten through 6th grade. Innovation is happening at every grade level in the elementary. This year, all elementary students created works in the art studio that reflected portions of class projects that included components from science, technology, and music classes. Kindergarten students collaborated in PE, science, and technology classes to code robots to learn a fun dance. Through coding and programming, students are developing technical literacy skills and using complex language that they can apply. First grade students became mammal experts by building their wooden dioramas in science lab, decorating them in the classroom, and doing their research in the library as well as the science and technology labs. Second grade students became dinosaur experts after collaborative efforts with the library, art, science and technology teachers. Third graders truly learned about the inner workings of city planning through hands-on research in the library as well as in the science and technology labs, which they later transformed into a detailed classroom display through their time in the art studio. Our 4th through 6th grade classes demonstrated remarkable innovation and collaboration with department specialists all year. Fourth graders conducted an in-depth study of California and took a trip to Sacramento to experience the history of the Gold Rush. The 5th graders created colonial-themed videos to showcase during colonial immersion week. The 6th grade students developed (hysterically self-written) Greek plays and also researched, designed, engineered, and presented their creative roller coaster projects. Some of the ways we encourage innovative thinkers in the elementary are not as obvious. This year, teachers in kindergarten-2nd grade were all trained in Units of Study in Reading (Reader’s Workshop). Our primary teachers are thrilled with the success they are seeing in students already. Lucy Calkins, author of the Units of Study series and founder of Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project, says, “this curriculum gives young people extraordinary power, not only as readers, but also as thinkers. When young people are explicitly taught the skills and strategies of proficient reading and are invited to live as richly literate people do, carrying books everywhere, bringing reading into every nook and corner of their lives, the results are dramatic.” To that end, all K-6 language arts teachers will attend training this summer in the Units of Study in Writing (Writer’s Workshop). These units of study go hand in hand and provide opportunities to foster high-level thinking, including regular chances to synthesize, analyze, and critique. Building a strong foundation as readers and writers at this wonderful young age provides greater opportunities to develop truly innovative and creative thinkers. We know that learning is more engaging when it is cross-curricular as it gives students a chance to apply a diverse set of skills to their learning. Innovative thinkers constantly experiment, build on prior knowledge, and lay the groundwork for discovery of new information. Through the lens of collaboration and innovation, students are able to observe how we can experiment and build together as a team of individuals with diverse talents and interests.
AN ANNUAL TRADITION started by former Elementary Principal Tom Phelps The garden is a wonderful place for students to ask questions and satisfy their natural curiosity by exploring topics like: Why do plants have roots and how do they work? Or why do we have to water plants? Each kindergartner has the opportunity to plant his or her own seedling with Robin Frank, and as a culmination of their science unit, the students make a delicious salad together.
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Designing for Change BY M A R IN A K H E E L E d .D., M ID D L E SCH OOL PR IN CIPA L
“Empower young people to build character and do good.”
This slogan from the “Design for Change” organization would be easy to adopt as the motto for our middle school students. In everything we do we strive to nurture decent, loving, and responsible human beings against a backdrop of academic challenge and inquiry. Most recently, our 8th grade students have engaged in creating innovative solutions to problems in the community.
design challenge against 4,200 teams nationally and won both the Western Regional and state finals. To advance to the national competition, they had to present their research to four scientists and include their research questions, design specifications, and answer a series of challenging questions about their proposed solution, including a discussion of the durability and longevity of the piezoelectric tiles.
As part of our advanced 8th grade science course, Science Investigations, one group of students will travel to Washington, D.C. in June to compete in the national “eCybermissions” competition, a web-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics contest.
In Washington D.C, they will compete against other 8th grade groups and hope their prototype will serve as a basis for a real-world solution to our growing renewable energy crisis. Not only did they learn about high-level concepts in science, but they also experienced the true meaning of teamwork. In the words of Jed Bynum ’21, “Working on eCybermissions showed me that working in science, a subject that I was not devoted to previously, can be incredibly interesting and rewarding.” Rory Nolan ’21 noted, “This project helped me realize how important it is to work as a team and split up work based on individual skill sets.”
Under the mentorship of 8th grade science teacher, Jen Crandall, “Schoolyard Gnomes” (pictured above) focused on creating new sources of renewable energy. They created a prototype of a roadway built out of piezoelectric tiles in hopes of harnessing the energy of motion to create electricity. They participated in this engineering 10 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
1st place team “Schoolyard Gnomes” led by (l-r) Jed Bynum ’21, Bhada Yun ’21, Anna Kuser ’21, Rory Nolan ’21 Campbell Hall’s “Schoolyard Gnomes” student team led by Jed Bynum ’21, Bhada Yun ’21, Anna Kuser ’21, Rory Nolan ’21
In the advanced 8th grade history course, Social Justice for a Changing World, student groups worked under the direction of 8th grade history teachers Ellen Pilon and Jim Meade on a more local level to identify a problem on Campbell Hall’s campus and implement a solution. Through the design for change framework, they used empathy, creativity, initiative, and reflection to better our community. To begin with, they drew a map of the school and identified “hot spots” (areas of difficulty) and “bright spots” (areas of strength) and interviewed a variety of constituents on our campus including the headmaster, director of operations, chaplain, principal, assistant principal, deans, and fellow students. With this data, they analyzed trends across data sets and went about the difficult work of determining what was at the core of each issue. The groups attempted to determine the values at the center of issues such as the level of trash on the quads or the cleanliness of middle school bathrooms. Their solutions centered around the values of respect and compassion, and the implementation of their solution dramatically changed the cleanliness of our campus (and provided them with an extra day
of free theme dress!) Liana Schmitter-Emerson ’21 commented that this project, “Taught us great logical thinking skills and about how to approach a problem in a systematic way.” Oliva Reiner ’21 added, “Anyone can make a difference. Problems seem overwhelming when you first tackle them, but if you start from a small place you can have a big impact.” Campbell Hall students voices and ideas are making a difference in the community and globally. These and other school projects have given students agency and the joy of seeing their innovative ideas realized. By creating a change in the community, they know they are important and valuable members of society and have the power to make our world a better place. We hope that every day at Campbell Hall our students can feel, imagine, do, and share.
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Mission-Driven Innovation
Redesigning AP Courses BY CA R OLY N L A G A LY, H IG H SCH OOL PR IN CIPA L
In a community of inquiry, innovations in teaching and learning are always underway and reflected in changes both big and small. Indeed, our commitment to provide the best program for students compels change when we feel that a current offering falls short in some way. Thus, in an exciting and dramatic new initiative, the high school has committed to eliminating roughly half of the currently offered 25 Advanced Placement courses and replacing them with Campbell Hall Advanced Inquiry (CHAI) classes beginning in the fall of 2018. Inspired by the January 2016 publication of Turning the Tide by the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project, Campbell Hall’s Joint Curriculum Council considered head-on an issue that had been brewing throughout the school’s multi-year strategic planning conversations: whether the College Board’s AP classes follow a community of inquiry 12 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
model or are instead curiosity-dulling marches through test-driven, standardized curricula. Following the February 2016 Joint Curriculum Council meeting, department chairs met with their departments for discussions of their AP discipline-specific courses, and then the headmaster and the high school principal met with chairs individually to review their AP courses and evaluate them against the community of inquiry model. The result was mutual agreement that many AP courses did not serve the school’s mission, and the beginning of a process to replace those that did not with our own advanced courses began—courses that will cover roughly the same subject areas as the APs in question but allow for more discussion and inquiry, and prioritize engagement, depth, and quality over quantity.
Campbell Hall Advanced Inquiry (CHAI) PR OG R A M D E SCR IPTION
Campbell Hall Advanced Inquiry courses are designed to engage students in constructing meaning through authentic, rigorous study of a discipline at the college level. These courses aim to expand students’ curiosity through the pursuit of inquiry wherever it leads and to give students an experience of the transformative power of essential questions. Students can expect these courses will require more work and time than standard courses; they will demand a great deal of intrinsic motivation and independence as well as a strong work ethic and highly developed time management skills. S TUD E N TS WIL L :
• • • • • • • • •
Analyze issues from multiple perspectives to gain understanding and construct meaning Demonstrate the global awareness necessary for success in an interconnected world Integrate, synthesize, and make cross-curricular connections Pursue inquiry and conduct research on complex topics using multiple, sophisticated resources Make real-world applications of area of study Use a variety of digital tools to develop multiple representations of the study or investigation Engage in high-level communication in various forms Collaborate to construct evidence-based arguments Demonstrate mastery through a comprehensive final examination, portfolio presentation, or culminating project
As we continued to inquire into and plan this curricular innovation, a CHAI Criteria Committee, chaired by the secondary principals, met throughout the 2016-17 school year. They researched University of California, College Board, International Baccalaureate, 21st Century Learning, and other standards in order to develop a set of criteria for the new CHAI classes that best reflect our goals for these college-level courses. In the spring of 2017, the committee arrived at a CHAI program description and set of criteria that were then reviewed by academic departments and the Secondary Educational Policy and Review Committee. Concurrently, a CHAI College Impact Committee, chaired by the high school principal and college counseling director, met throughout the 2016-17 school year to determine the impact of this change on our students in their college application and registration process and to ensure that our students would not be at any disadvantage. Conversations occurred with peer schools who had already moved away from some or all of their APs as well as private and public colleges and universities. Colleagues at fellow high schools and colleges agreed that universities trust the quality of the advanced curricula that a school like ours develops and that they are in fact eager to see students engage in unique programs like the CHAI initiative. As always, they reminded us, communication with colleges is the key to their understanding our rich and varied program. Even
with this overwhelmingly positive news, a single University of California policy remains clear: as anticipated, once students matriculate to the UC, they will not earn college credit for courses without an AP or IB designation. Communications plans are already underway and, moving forward, department chairs will continue to prioritize their courses for redesign; beginning next spring, three to four new CHAI courses will be offered each year with full implementation of the initiative accomplished over the next several years. Four new CHAI classes have been submitted already to the University of California for honors-designation approval, ready for marketing and course selection in the 2017-18 school year, and in place for implementation by the fall of 2018. Mission-driven innovation and managed change are crucial to our continued growth as a school that always strives for excellence. As we prepare to move boldly into the future with the CHAI program, we are excited to provide our students with this unique opportunity to embark on a journey of intellectual discovery.
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Class of 2017 Graduation Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Christina Boatwright, excerpts from her valedictorian speech
Graduating tonight as the Class of 2017 ends our time as students but continues our time as living representatives of Campbell Hall values: a ‘community of inquiry,’ whose stated goals are to ‘prioritize spiritual and moral development,’ to ‘develop innovative thinkers,’ and to ‘foster collaborative problem solvers.’ But it’s not these goals, nor the curriculum of the school, that have provided the most memorable learning experiences for us; instead, it’s the things we’ve picked up on the side... ...Each Monday and Thursday, we all sat in our respective places in the bleachers of Garver Gym to watch chapel, and each year that place moved down the bleachers, closer to the front. Each year we moved closer to the action, from participating in activities to mastering activities, from being yelled at to leave the senior patio to yelling at underclassmen to leave the senior patio. We, as graduates, are about to take the largest leap forward yet, from simply learning about the world to actively participating in it. In the future, we will use the knowledge we have gained throughout our education — both curricular and the extracurricular — and what we have gained through experience. I urge you all to continue your academic pursuits but, more importantly, to embrace the wisdom that can only be learned by understanding how to function best in your surroundings. As we say goodbye to high school, I will not only remember parallel axis theorem and integration by parts, but also all of the knowledge I have gained from all of you. I couldn't have asked for a better class to learn with and learn from. Thank you, and to the Class of 2017, congratulations!” Christina will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall. Her full speech is available at campbellhall.org.
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Julian Beckman, excerpts from his salutatorian speech
‘Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned in school.’ Einstein probably said that at some point, but I doubt he was the first, and I won’t be the last. Still, I can’t help but feel like he was talking to us when he said ‘The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.’ A lot of us have understood our education as a means to an end, something practical that will lead to a recognizable form of achievement. Others of us have valued feeding our curiosity just out of appreciation for the beautiful and the interesting; a little less pragmatic, maybe, but I believe, far more satisfying. But we fall into this trap of pragmatism more often than we realize, even when we think we’re being playful. A few weeks ago just after the AP Art History test, we were playing a board game called ‘Philanthropist.’ The game itself is pretty simple–you answer a question about a painting, and if you get it right, you get to draw a card, and those cards let you give away a certain amount of fake money. Winning isn’t that complicated: the first player to lose all his or her starting money wins the game. But about half the class seemed to resist giving away money when they got questions right. Now, it was just a game–nobody was losing anything real here–but I understand the paradox. It feels counterproductive–you’re losing something by learning more. But I think that begs the question: why did we learn all that stuff about art in the first place?... ...Look–this might seem ironic coming from me, because I fell into that trap for three years. That’s the only reason I’m standing up here. We’ve all fallen into the trap to some extent. But I want you, Class of 2017, to realize something: that trap isn’t going to go away after high school. Maybe you’re done thinking about getting into college, but there’s always going to be another ‘important’ internship, another high-paying job, another goal to chase after. I know that all of you in the Class of 2017 are smart and resourceful enough to decide for yourselves what kind of life you want to lead. Feed your curiosity out of appreciation for the beautiful and the interesting. Thank you.” Julian will attend The University of Chicago in the fall. His full speech is available at campbellhall.org.
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Matriculation The Class of 2017 will attend the following colleges and universities: Barnard College Bennington College Berklee College of Music Boston College Boston University (2) Bucknell University Cal Lutheran University California Institute of the Arts California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2) California State University, Northridge (2) Carleton College Chapman University (2) Colby College Colgate University Colorado College Columbia University Emerson College Feather River College Franklin & Marshall College Georgetown University Grinnell College Hamilton College (2) Johns Hopkins University King’s College London Lewis and Clark College Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans (3) Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University Middlebury College New York University (5) Occidental College Ohio State University Pacific Northwest College of Art
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Rhode Island School of Design San Francisco State University Santa Monica College (2) Sarah Lawrence College Scripps College Skidmore College Stevens Institute of Technology Syracuse University (2) The New School Trinity College Tulane University (5) University of Alabama University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles (6) University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz (7) University of Chicago University of Colorado, Boulder (3) University of Denver University of Edinburgh University of Iowa University of Miami University of Michigan (5) University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Portland University of Puget Sound University of Redlands (2) University of San Diego University of Southern California (8) University of Texas at Austin University of Utah University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison (4) Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis (2) Whitman College Willamette University
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Chasing Innovation with STEAM “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.” —Yogi Berra BY G R E G WIL L IA M S, K- 12 S TE A M COOR D IN ATOR + H IG H SCH OOL S CIE N CE TE A CH E R
Yogi Berra’s quote comes to mind when I think about the future, specifically when considering that we’re trying to prepare students for careers that may not even exist yet. How can we be sure we’re preparing students for a world that we know nothing about? It’s actually fairly simple: we teach them to be innovative. It might be as close as we can get to predicting the future to say that the ability to be innovative will, without a doubt, be one of the most critical skills needed in almost every future career. Our world is ever changing and at an increasing rate. What technological, social, and industrial transformations we’ve experienced in the last decade will be nothing compared to those of the next decade, much less the one after that. Being innovative will not only help people change with the times, it will also help them be the ones who change the times. Historically, the U.S. has been (and still is) a leader in innovation. We dream, we imagine, and we create. It’s one of the things we’re good at, and it’s what helped build our nation into what it is today. Today’s students have been gifted a legacy of innovating wildly 20 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
and freely by those creative minds that came before them. Campbell Hall recognizes the opportunity to build upon this tradition of innovation by investing in cutting-edge educational experiences for its students. This is where STEAM enters our classrooms. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. It’s STEM plus The Arts. It’s important to note that STEAM isn’t just a statement that each of those discrete subjects is important on its own, but that even more powerful is the blending of those individual disciplines together. STEM plus The Arts. Analytical thinking, logic, and organization plus creativity, imagination, and risk taking. Left brain and right brain working together. That is the necessary combination for effective innovation. Is STEAM another educational fad? Even though I was skeptical when I first heard of it, I’d argue now that it’s not. Interestingly, STEAM isn’t even a new idea—the concept of blending creative Arts and STEM has been around for a long time. Visit the works of Leonardo da Vinci, a true STEAM pioneer, combining his artistic
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ability and wild imagination with engineering to dream up some of the most innovative ideas that were several centuries ahead of his time. Look around campus, and you’ll see examples of STEAM that have been in the curriculum before STEAM was an acronym. Linda Savage (elementary science teacher) and Kathy Allison (elementary art teacher) collaborate to do a project on Calder Mobiles with the 3rd grade as well as the infamous 6th grade roller coaster project. STEAM isn’t a new idea, it’s just a new label and a definitive formal undertaking of what some intellectuals in the past already knew to be important. I have the pleasure of teaching Engineering Principles at Campbell Hall where students get an overview of different types of engineering through several small-scale projects that we work on throughout the course of a semester. We design and 3D print rockets while learning about propulsion and aerodynamic stability; we build balsa wood bridges to hold as much weight as possible while learning about structural mechanics; we work with composite materials and CNC prototyping machines while building a pair of downhill skis. During all these projects, innovation is practiced, encouraged, and applauded. Often times creative ideas fail, but we learn from the first day of class that failure isn’t a negative experience–quite the opposite really. It’s a necessary part of the engineering process. It helps us learn what constructive, and often imaginative, steps to take next. Failure is integral to innovation. This semester we gave the Engineering Principles class a new twist by inviting Gabi Ferrer ’01, one of our art teachers, to co-teach it. Her expertise in the arts added more creativity to the class and encouraged an even deeper STEAM approach. We’ve gotten our hands dirty sculpting with clay and compared that to digital sculpting (sculpting in a computer program). We engineered mobiles. And in the process of these projects, we learned to think about art and engineering in a cohesive, unified approach. Thanks to Gabi, we’ve added a new dimension to our class. Authentic collaboration between the Arts and STEM is crucial as we embrace STEAM curriculum. The next level of engineering we offer at Campbell Hall is
Engineering Research Projects. Here, small groups of students work on a single, self-devised project over the entire semester. This allows a more real-life approach to engineering with students having time to go through the engineering design cycle multiple times in order to make refinements to their project. Again, innovation is key. The goal of most projects is to do something that’s never been done before. Past and current projects have included creating stronger skateboards that can grind rails more easily; creating a harmonograph (an artistic pendulum machine that draws amazing patterns); and using 3D scanning and 3D printing in order to customize footwear and soccer shin guards so they perfectly fit a unique individual. In the fall of 2017, Campbell Hall will be offering a new engineering course that is an authentic STEAM class. Titled Engineering Art with Technology, this class will focus very heavily on creativity while blending engineering and art in a really innovative way. We will use digital technology during the design process (both CAD and digital sculpting software) as well as during the fabrication process (3D scanners/printers, CNC machines, etc). I’m excited to see what the students create as they learn to utilize both their left and right brains in producing their artistic inventions. These three engineering courses, as well as several other courses at CH, provide students the opportunity to exercise their creative thinking skills, problem solving skills, and analytical skills in order to be innovative. Learning the discrete STEAM subjects individually is important, and all schools already do this. Each subject adds an important component for helping to build a foundation that enables us to be innovative. However, one benefit of blending the STEAM disciplines together through specific curriculum is that we are able to offer students a formal course-based opportunity to become learned innovators. We are currently still dreaming up how we can further deepen STEAM curriculum as well as enhance current classroom experiences in both the Arts and STEM. I’m proud to say that we’re making strides, and the future of STEAM at Campbell Hall is very exciting.
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#techCEO@16 16-year-old Tech Founder and CEO Launches Social Media Platform BY H IL A R Y PA L M E R R E H D E R ’94, D IR E CTOR OF COM M UN ICATION S
ech industry leaders are watching Campbell Hall student Sophia Latessa ’19 whose development of an app called MemeStream is taking social media by storm. MemeStream is a social content platform that allows users to communicate back and forth through memes (pictures with captions). As a busy Campbell Hall student, Sophia also manages a team of six employees and oversees every aspect of her company as she conducts conference calls and team meetings before school and during breaks. Sophia has been featured in a variety of press including a USA Today podcast interview on the subject of “What’s next in Apps, post Snapchat.” In addition to press coverage, Sophia recently attended the tech industry’s most coveted events: Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and F8, Facebook’s exclusive private conference where she also met with the Facebook Team. “The best part about being at these conferences was meeting intelligent and ambitious like-minded people,” said Sophia. In October, she will travel to New York as a featured speaker at YMS 2017, America’s biggest youth marketing event that brings together thought leaders, top brands, and innovative agencies that are pioneering movements within the youth sector. She attributes her success to her experience as a Campbell Hall student. “Campbell Hall has been and still is a special place for me. As a student, I am able to take risks, push boundaries, and make my mark in the field of technology. From my dean to all of my teachers, I have an incredible support system at school that has made the impossible...possible.”
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Sophia initially thought of her app idea after noticing her friends communicating on social media through photos and memes. After researching various platforms across the internet, she discovered there wasn’t an app that consolidated all memes in one place or allowed users the option to caption and re-caption funny content. Seeing an opportunity, she raised the capital by reaching out to investors. “Memes are important in today’s world because they spread culture and patterns of behavior across borders much faster than was possible in the past,” said Sophia. The app allows users to scroll through multiple captions for every meme, create their own take on viral favorites, and make entirely new ones themselves. You see or submit a picture and add the caption. From there, you can share the meme to the social platform of your choice. Friends can communicate and comment on each other’s creations. Sophia discovered her love of tech in 8th grade at Campbell Hall after being placed in a coding class elective after all her first-choice electives were full. She left after the first class with a new-found passion for coding. In addition to being a student and entrepreneur, Sophia enjoys the sport of competitive fencing and is an accomplished ballroom dancer. She has won two gold medals at the Ballroom Dancing World Cup. We look forward to watching this innovative young woman as she paves the way for other tech entrepreneurs. MemeStream is available for free from the Apple iOS Store as a beta test version with the official version launching June 30, 2017.
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Vikings Robotics Team 580 Top Honors in International Competition BY PE TE R OB B IN S ’89
The Viking Team 580 placed 8th out of 62 teams from Southern California, Hawaii, Chile, and Brazil. After ranking 8th, teams moved on to alliance selections to form a group of three robotics teams from different schools. Campbell Hall made it through the quarterfinals to the semifinals, where they continued their success and were proud to announce their 3rd place finish at the Los Angeles Regional. This year’s unique challenge, SteamWorks, centered around building an airship and providing steam to power the airship for takeoff. To build the airship, robots had the task of collecting gears via a human player in the airship, building up pressure by shooting fuel in the form of balls into goals, and climbing aboard the airship at the end of the match.
s an alumnus and parent of two Campbell Hall students, I have had an amazing opportunity to help mentor Campbell Hall’s Robotics Team along with coach and current parent Rick Galinson, and my wife, Angie Robbins, who has served as First Robotics Competition (FRC) liaison and facilitated team communications. The team was founded nearly 20 years ago and has always been a joint effort among students, faculty mentors, and parent volunteers; after a two-year hiatus, the team is back stronger than ever, and we’re excited to have been part of that rebuilding. The national First Robotics Competition is a yearly engineering contest that requires students, in conjunction with mentors from the fields of science, technology, mathematics, and other STEAM professions, to build a robot to precise specifications supplied by FRC. Teams begin their designs in January and, over the course of six weeks, build and test their robots before gathering in March for a contest that includes teams from Southern California and beyond. This year’s team members were Justin Galinson ’18, Ian Weiss ’20, Logan Drescher ’17, Ethan Moscott ’18, Lucas Germain ’18, Luke Pollard ’20, Leila Berger ’18, Ryan Phillips ’19, Grace Hsu ’17, Max Chow ’17, John Forristal ’19, Tiffany Kim ’18, Kiana Conn ’18, and Beiqi Wang ’20. 24 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
One of this year’s objectives was to pick up a gear and place it on a tower in the center of the playing field, which provided a very unique teaching opportunity for coach Rick Galinson, a special effects designer specializing in animatronics, full-size robots, and puppets. As Rick explains, “Parallelograms allow for easy integration of strong springs to support the weight as well as constrain the end of the device to remain horizontal. For instance, the gaze of a dinosaur’s eyes would remain locked on prey while the body and the head move up and down while running. This is an inherent feature to parallelogram geometry and adds ‘life-like’ movement to our creations while being strong and supportive at the same time.” Senior and co-captain Liam Marshall ’17 took what he learned about parallelograms in the fall and reversed it so that a gear could slide down a ramp and move into position. The idea of a reverse parallelogram is that it gives a larger arc than a normal parallelogram would; therefore, the gear can be taken right to the front of the robot without exceeding the perimeter limitations. Liam decided that this would be the best option to bring the gear to where it needed to be in the most efficient way possible. The Robotics Team is open to all high school students eager to learn and be part of a team that incorporates all aspects of STEAM. In doing so, students take ownership of and pride in the
team they are a part of as well as learn the business side of what it takes to build a robot and enter at least two competitions each year. Campbell Hall students are passionate about what they do, and there is an amazing camaraderie among the team. This year three of our Campbell Hall Team 580 alumni returned to offer their expertise and mentorship. Lucien Brule ’15, Conlon Meeks ’16, and Tyler Robbins ’16 came back from college during our build season to advise and assist students with design concepts, building, and programming. Lucien and Conlon collaborated with the build and design team while Tyler had several meetings with the programmers on the team to tutor them on the new programming language that they were learning. To witness this kind of support and genuine passion, especially from Campbell Hall alumni, proves the type of leaders our students become by being a part of the Robotics Team, and this is the legacy that we hope will continue for years to come. Team mentor Angie Robbins, who is also the liaison for FIRST Robotics, describes what the organization means to our students here at Campbell Hall: “Learning to problem solve and work with others gives the students valuable experience they can use in college and eventually in their future career.” Robots also take material, parts, and money. There are several members of the Campbell Hall community who have financially supported the robotics program at Campbell Hall. Neil Sherman ’68, CH parent of alumni, alumnus himself, and owner of Industrial Metal Supply (IMS), generously donated the metal necessary to build the robots. Another major sponsorship Campbell Hall received this year was from NASA. Mentor Angie and co-captain Maddy Robbins applied for the NASA grant through FRC, and after competing with several other schools throughout the U.S., Campbell Hall was awarded the Sustaining Grant of $5,000 that funded the team’s opening competition at the Ventura Regional. The Galinson Foundation and Strata IT are also big contributors, and the team is very grateful for their support. In our technology business, we find that many young employees don’t have the practical experience needed to get started in the workplace, so it’s a great experience to be able to come back to Campbell Hall and teach students through building a robot how to manage a project, a timeline, and unforeseen problems. More about the Campbell Hall Robotics Team and this year’s Los Angeles Regional competition can be found at vikingrobotics580.com
The Business of Slime Sixth Grade Entrepreneurs Capitalize on Craze BY H IL A R Y PA L M E R R E H D E R ’94, D IR E CTOR OF COM M UN ICATION S
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alk into any office supply or arts & crafts store, and you can’t avoid the “Slime Headquarters” product ads everywhere. A quick search of “slime videos” on YouTube yields 6.5 million videos of kids making slime. Elmer’s Glue recently announced the need to increase their production of glue to meet the demands of the millions of slime makers who rely on glue as their primary ingredient. Slime has taken the world by storm, and young entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the craze by starting slime businesses where they learn the basics of developing and selling products. Many Campbell Hall students have started slime businesses, and several students in the 6th grade have been especially successful. Anessa Powell ’23 and Coco Crevoiserat ’23 started a slime company called “AnessaCocoSlime” with a dedicated Instagram account featuring 44 different videos of homemade slime and various tutorials. They even have a company logo with labels for each slime container. The girls also set up an Etsy account and have shipped their slime all over the US and the world. “We have shipped to customers in Asia, Turkey, and all over the United States,” said Anessa. Coco added, “I have purchased over 12 gallons (maybe even more) of glue to create my slimes.” Madison Damus ’23 started “Zesty Slimes” and has made more videos than she can count. “I love making slime. It’s a really good stress reliever,” she said. “I like to sell it online.” When asked what she has learned through her slime business, she commented, “You have to be good about following through when someone places an order and to make sure to ship it right away!” Her twin sister Makenzie Damus ’23 is the perfect tester for Madison’s slimes and gives her feedback to make sure she is producing the best quality products. Margaux Reynolds ’23 owner of “M.A.Slimes” loves watching slime videos as much as she loves making them. Her advice for making slime: “Follow your recipe carefully so you don’t end up with watery or solid slime.” Caroline Rehder ’23 named her slime business “Studio Slimes” and has more than 47 videos on a dedicated Instagram account and features special slime collections such as “beach slimes,” “carnival slimes,” and other themed varieties. The slime that kids are making is different from the slime the older generations think of; sticky, wet slime. This slime is a stretchy, gooey, colorful mix of Elmer’s Glue, Borax (or safer alternatives like cornstarch or contact eye solution), and a variety of enhancements like glitter, foam balls, clay, or pony beads.The going rate to purchase homemade slime is $2-$7 depending on the container size and quality. Most proceeds go back into buying supplies. Not only are kids enjoying playing with slime but adults are as well. One CH grandparent said, “I love buying slime from my granddaughter as it’s therapeutic to play with and has even helped my arthritis!”
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Building Hope + Community Teachers and Students Build a Home in Mexico BY JON N Y R OD G E R S, H IG H SCH OOL D IR E CTOR OF COM M UN ITY SE R VICE + B IS H OP’S CH A IR FOR S PIR ITUA L E COLOGY
eannie Walla’s classroom was abuzz with excitement. More than 40 students and teachers filled the room, all of them almost vibrating with anticipation. Some were chatting and laughing, others seemed drawn into themselves: staring at the walls or listening to the conversations around them, but all held within them the tension of a journey about to begin. Ms. Walla whistled sharply and the din quieted. Her commanding voice and obvious passion for the program she had worked tirelessly to organize were more than enough to hold the attention of the assorted high schoolers–no small task. She reminded us all of what we were about to do, how she needed everyone to act (with deep respect and an open mind; after, all we were entering a very different environment from the manicured campus of Campbell Hall), and why this mission was important. We were going to build something desperately needed by a family of four–mother, father, and two boys–a home. We loaded up the bus and began the long journey through Friday afternoon traffic to UC Irvine where we stopped for a lovely cafeteria-style dinner and loaded the bus once more to finish our journey for the night. We landed at a small motel in Chula Vista where everyone promptly fell into beds, exhausted. We woke up at 5:00a.m. sharp the next morning and groggily ate breakfast before gathering outside to wait for the bus. We had our first speed bump when the bus from Mexico broke down on its way to pick us up. Fortunately, the folks from Corazon were able to procure another bus within the hour and, while we departed late, we were on our way. After a relatively swift border crossing, we were in Mexico! The landscape was hilly, covered with the familiar plants of the chaparral environment, and a river ran down a concrete channel, making it feel like we had barely left L.A. But when we got to the neighborhood where we were to build the house, the differences became a little more clear. The houses were small and tightly packed together. Some were of concrete bricks and others of splintering wood, but all were modest. We were dropped off next to a dirt lot, right up against the road, where we were going to build a house. The team from Corazon was already there and in force. Because we had lost about 90 minutes due to the bus breaking down, we jumped right to work building the frame of the house and painting the plywood paneling. Each student was part of a team– paint team, wall team, roof team–and were led in their tasks by a “blue shirt” (Corazon worker). Some students had never done anything like this. They were painting, swinging a hammer, even 28 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
cutting wood for the first time in their lives, and while there was a learning curve, all participants were eager and hardworking. It was a whirlwind, with multiple things being done all at once, and all in a very small space. It was difficult to take it all in, so everyone instead focused on his or her own task, doing one thing at a time. By the time we took a break for lunch, we could really see a house forming. Lunch was provided by local families (including the one for whom we built the house) and was delicious. It was simple food–rice, beans, tamales–but it was hearty and wholesome, and it charged everyone right back up. After lunch, things really started to come together. The walls went up, windows were put in, and the roof was mounted. The roof was particularly exciting as it took a good 30 people working together to get the frames for the roof up on top of the walls, but teamwork prevailed. At that point students were really in a groove and were completing little missions all on their own: putting up a medicine cabinet, building a staircase for the loft, or mounting a shelf with hooks on the wall. It was amazing to see a house come together over the course of just one day. By the time the sun hit the hills, the only thing left to do was finish shingling the roof. The family had their hands coated with paint so they could put all their handprints on the wall of their new home, the idea of one of our students. The house was basic, but functional and made a world of difference to the family of four. Running on fumes and bewildered joy, the students gathered around the home and the family for the key-giving ceremony. There was a prayer spoken, and gratitude spilled over on all sides. It was all I could do to tear the students away from the children of the family with whom they had bonded so much in such a short time. The students loaded up the bus and waved goodbye, and we were on our way back to the border. We crossed without much ado and made our way to Hometown Buffet for dinner. The chatter of the students was filled with even more excitement than the day before, a testament to how invested they had become in their work over the course of the day. Everyone was exhausted but happy and most slept on the bus ride home. We arrived at Campbell Hall late, around midnight, and parents were eagerly waiting to take their children home. It struck me how absurd it seemed that we had woken in a motel in Chula Vista that morning, and now we were back at school after having built a house. But more than that, we had built a home.
good people
“Running on fumes and bewildered joy, the students gathered around the home and the family for the key-giving ceremony. There was a prayer spoken, and gratitude spilled over on all sides.� campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 29
“We are committed to being stewards of environmental sustainability in our community.� H E A D M A STE R B UL L
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Restoring the Zev Yaroslavsky L.A. River Greenway Trail Entrance near Fire Station 78 on Whitsett Avenue BY JOE L A S K IN , A S SISTA N T PR OJE CT M A N A G E R AT COM M UN ITY CON S E R VATION S OLUTION S
We are thankful for the support from Campbell Hall to help restore the Zev Yaroslavsky L.A. River Greenway Trail that connects existing segments of the river trail to create the longest river-walking trail loop in the San Fernando Valley. This project also restores the native habitat in an ecosystem design and improves water quality in the L.A. River. Handcrafted metal art is displayed throughout the trail with a unique entrance gate that is sure to become a landmark in Studio City. Opening this formerly barren part of the L.A. River is finally a reality thanks to five years of effort by Community Conservation Solutions and the support of the Studio City community. Generous support from Campbell Hall, community members, hundreds of individuals, and many local and state agencies helped to make this happen. This half-mile, unpaved walking trail also includes the Hirsh Family Native Habitat Walk–a place to relax in the shade, enjoy the river, and learn about the restored habitat. The signature River and Mountains Entry Gate and the River Story Fence Panels highlight the river’s rich human and natural history through interpretive, hand-crafted metal art work conveying the L.A. River's unifying force throughout Los Angeles. “This project is setting a new precedent for revitalization of the L.A. River by planting over 3,000 native trees, shrubs, and plants in an ecosystem design. In nature, tall and short trees, shrubs, and plants occur together–so you get to experience a natural environment right in the heart of the city! We hope all Campbell Hall families will experience the Zev Yaroslavksy L.A. River Greenway Trail, where you can stop… slow down…. and enjoy this beautiful piece of nature in the city. For more information, visit conservationsolutions.org/larivergreenway
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good people
The Gift of a Journey BY TH E R E V. D R . LOUISE M A CATE E , D IR E CTOR OF COUN S E L IN G
I’ve always loved the “journey” motif, and the greatest passage in my adult life journey was coming to Campbell Hall first as an English teacher, then as K-12 chaplain, and now as director of counseling. I often think of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Your Hometown” when I’m on campus: “Take a look around, this is your hometown.” Certainly CH has been the source of professional satisfaction, treasured personal relationships, and dear and valued connections with students. For almost 40 years, CH has been at the center of my life—relationally, intellectually, and spiritually. There was hardly reason to think that it could become even more, perhaps a catalyst for unexpected life change and revolution. I became an Episcopalian while working at Campbell Hall and was confirmed at All Saints Church in Pasadena. While teaching high school English at Argyll Academy (the all-girls high school before it became co-ed Campbell Hall), I decided to go to seminary and received my Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. After graduation, former CH Headmaster, The Rev. Canon Thomas G. Clarke, encouraged me to take a look at the school chaplaincy job that was open, and I served as K-12 chaplain from 1981-1988. During these years, I contemplated seeking ordination as a priest but ultimately came to the conclusion that I was called to be a lay person. In 1988, I left Campbell Hall to work at Westlake School for Girls, and during this period, I felt my vocation shifting to the counseling arena. I finished a Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling, seeking more counseling chops but also wanting to nurture an understanding of school counseling as something that could bring solace and healing to students’ lives. In 1993, I returned to CH as the director of counseling, and I have remained in that role since. And then something happened. One day during spring break 2009, I was at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, just hanging out, staring off, and listening. One of my closest friends in life, longtime amazing CH teacher Sandy Behlmer, had just died, and I think this was a time of heightened openness and awareness. While I was sitting quietly, a thought came through my mind, “Maybe this thing with the Church isn’t over.” I hadn’t thought about anything related to ordination for a number of years, and I felt my life was full and vital–and busy with my 10-year-old son! 32 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
The following Monday, we were back at school, and The Rev. Canon Norman Hull, Campbell Hall’s current chaplain, was preaching in high school chapel. Afterwards, I went up to tell him how much I had valued his sermon. He didn’t say, “Hello”; he just looked at me and said, “When are you going to get ordained?” Obviously this blew me away, coming as close as it did to my experience at the retreat center. We talked soon afterwards, and that conversation led to a long but deep and meaningful exploration of the idea of “call” to ordained ministry…what that meant and if that meant me. After tear-filled lunches and conversations (I don’t normally cry while dining at California Pizza Kitchen), I discerned that I was feeling called to the Episcopal priesthood, a completely crazy, nuts, absurd, impractical confession that was nearly impossible to share with anyone. But I did get up the nerve to tell my boss, The Rev. Julian P. Bull. Having a school leader who is both an educator and a priest is a great gift, and Julian immediately embraced the idea (without saying whether he thought my discernment was right on or off…leaving space for me to continue to question and to listen), telling me that perhaps Campbell Hall could sponsor me for ordination. I was wobbly, but I was launched and ready to approach the church. In the Episcopal Church, there is a specific structure to help people figure out whether this is the decision for them or not that engages the whole community. At Campbell Hall, a nine-member discernment committee was formed of faculty, parents, board members, and students to help me in this process. We met for about six months to discuss my personal and spiritual journey, my reasons for coming to this point, and their feedback and thoughts about what they heard from me. Ultimately, they gave me the thumbs up, as did Julian and the Board of Directors, and I was to see the Bishop next for his approval. Our Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, a great supporter of Campbell Hall and an alum parent, had been a guest in Lenten chapels when I was chaplain in the 1980s, and so it was especially meaningful to have his approval to enter the next stage in the process, the Formation Retreat. Through that experience, which included multiple interviews with members of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry (which included CH parent, The Rev. Canon Mark Weitzel), I was invited to become a postulant, step one in the process that “could” lead to ordination.
“I often think of Bruce Springsteen’s song ‘Your Hometown’ when I’m on campus: ‘Take a look around, this is your hometown.’ ...For almost 40 years, CH has been at the center of my life—relationally, intellectually, and spiritually.” Somewhere I still have the “To Do” list that accompanies the invitation to move forward (holy, holy, holy kamole!). Fortunately, I already had my seminary degree, but I needed more Episcopal/Anglican education and took a course in Anglican history at Bloy House, the Episcopal Study Center in Claremont. Every Monday for 15 weeks I went to Good Samaritan Hospital to learn Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), how to help people in complex, crisis situations. My Ministry Study Year was spent at Church of the Angels in Pasadena with The Rev. Bob Gastell (another former CH parent) helping me learn the work of a parish priest– pastoral care, liturgical life, preaching, marriages, funerals, outreach, potlucks! The grande finale was the General Ordination Exam, a four-day written exam that covers everything from ethics to scripture to theology. At the conclusion of the first day, I dragged myself to a Poquito Mas for a tostada and drink; I still have the small glass Coke bottle in my office to remind me of one the most demanding (freak-out) days of my life. Throughout this process, there was never the thought that I would complete this preparation and move on to full-time parish work. I understand my work as a counselor, and fortunately the Episcopal
Church allows me the gift of being a priest and living my work as a counselor, not as opposing forces or dual identities but as mutually interacting and fulfilling forces, both of which, in their own ways, seek to communicate the love of God in this world and for this world. The happy ending (or beginning) is that I was ordained a priest at St. John’s Pro-Cathedral on January 14, 2017. The Campbell Hall banner was carried in the procession by Rebecca Weitzel ’13, who had been a member of my discernment committee. My presenters were all dear Campbell Hall friends: current Headmaster Julian Bull, former Headmaster Tom Clarke, Chaplain Norman Hull, and former CH Board member and alumnae parent, Jackie Callas, also a member of my discernment committee. These days, I’m assisting at Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park on Sundays and am working as counselor at Campbell Hall Monday-Friday. And all the time I’m parent to Jordan, now 17 years old. Sometimes there’s a moment of flow in the journey, and I’m grateful that I’m in the midst. It’s just grace that I’m in the midst.
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1. Fiona Captan ’19 2. Zoe Zoldan ’17 3. Nick Susac ’17, Livia Lange ’17, Olivia DeMirjian ’17 and Isabel Stern ’17 4. Livy Uribe Garcia ’18 5. Harvey Roberts ’19 6. Maddie Song ’18 7. Joe Del Pero ’23 8. Luke Fogel ’23 9. Eva Carloss ’19 10. Juliette Hawley ’21
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good vibrations
HS Musical “The Robber Bridegroom”• MS Musical “Guys & Dolls”• Repertory Dance Company Spring Concert • World Music Concert • Popular Music Concert Elementary Spring Arts Festival • Choral Concert • Jazz Concert • Orchestra Concert • Spring Curricular Dance Recital • Gospel Concert • TV Production
good vibrations
good vibrations
good people
Celebrating 115 Years of Service A Tribute to Three of Campbell Hall’s Living Legends Over 200 people gathered in Garver Gym to reminisce, honor, thank, and pay tribute to Assistant Head of School Eileen Wasserman and long-time Facilities/Operations employee Ruben Muñoz as they leave Campbell Hall after decades of service.
Eileen Wasserman, Assistant Head of School 35 years of Service to CH BY E IL E E N POWE R S , D IR E CTOR OF F IN A N CIA L A ID
Eileen Wasserman began her career at Campbell Hall as a long-term substitute in 1982 teaching 7th grade math, computer science, and ethics. She became math department chair in 1989. Together with Pat Sauve, she was the first junior high dean in 1990. Appointed junior high principal in 1999, she served in that role until 2007 when she was appointed assistant head of school. She developed the first computer science curriculum including BASIC, Fortran, and LogoWriter. As junior high principal, she initiated single-gender math classes, added honors options, and expanded the community service program to include off-campus service learning. Perhaps her greatest legacy is the return of instrumental music and the vast expansion of all performing arts, which began with a simple concept of study hall pullouts for secondary students– and there began a flood of talent and musical expression in every corner of campus. Later she served as performing arts department chair. A more recent contribution to the school is the late start at the secondary school. No one will forget Eileen’s patient nudges toward the goal of respecting teenagers’ unique sleep needs and the presentation of vast research on the impact on their learning. Along with the rotating block schedule, Campbell Hall has solved a national conundrum: how to fit in rigorous academics while not sacrificing after-school activities and student health. And most of all, if you have noticed the wonderful quality of teaching at Campbell Hall, thank Eileen for her intuitive and thorough recruiting and hiring methods that have resulted in a diverse, talented faculty and staff. We wish her well as she moves on to serve as director of the upper school at the Center for Early Education. Eileen’s contributions to Campbell Hall are deep and wide, and her work will continue to benefit everyone in our community for decades to come. But most of all, we all know that she loves a new challenge, and we wish her every happiness in this latest adventure. 40 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
Ruben Muñoz, Facilities/Operations 46 Years of Service to CH BY PA M E L A H OPSON , D IR E CTOR OF OPE R ATION S
Ruben Muñoz joined the Campbell Hall operations & facilities department in 1969, left for a few years, then returned. Ruben is the only Campbell Hall employee to have served under the leadership of all three of the School’s headmasters: The Rev. Alexander Campbell, The Rev. Canon Thomas G. Clarke, and The Rev. Canon Julian P. Bull. In true commitment to Campbell Hall, all five of Ruben’s children graduated from Campbell Hall as 13-year students. You may have seen Ruben quietly ensuring that napkin dispensers are filled, that audience chairs are set up just so, or that tables are transported smoothly on the back of a Cushman cart from one event to the next. As the longest-standing member of our workforce, Ruben maintains a patient and steadfast nature in his execution of the essential daily tasks crucial to Campbell Hall’s smooth running. His talent as well as his welcoming smile and kindness will be missed. We thank him for his years with us and for his never-ending support of our school and wish him well in his well-deserved retirement.
Rick Mooney, Facilities/Operations 34 Years of Service to CH
BY PA M E L A H OPSON , D IR E CTOR OF OPE R ATION S
Since 1983, Rick Mooney has served Campbell Hall in the operations & facilities department. He joined the Campbell Hall maintenance team as a carpenter/handyman. As a selfproclaimed tinkerer, he has expanded his areas of expertise to include locksmithing and audio-visual support for events. You may have seen Rick sneaking biscuits to his canine friends in the backseats of parents’ cars at the end of the school day, acting as “The Bleacher Whisperer” when the Garver Gym bleachers needed that special touch to open and close properly, or constructing any number of custom carpentry masterpieces to perfectly fit the needs of one of our many unique programs. Perhaps the most entertaining “Mooney Urban Legend” is that Rick had run the sound for so many Nutcracker ballet rehearsals and performances that he was once able to step in to show students their blocking when a teacher was running late! Rick’s wonderful presence will be missed, but he promises to return to us anytime we can’t get those bleachers to behave.
Tales of a Middle School Student Originally Delivered by a High School Student during Middle School Chapel BY KA R A STA R K ’20
My name is Kara Stark. I am currently in 9th grade and not but 50 weeks ago, I was sitting where you are now. The teachers here, in middle school….yeah, they changed my life. And for so many different reasons and in so many different ways. One of the first things I was taught by these teachers wasn’t the quadratic equation, or that I absolutely must have Oxford commas in my writing or else I will be marked down (and by quite a few points), but that I needed to be confident and self-assured in all that I do. Every single teacher I met at my time in middle school–whether for a whole year, a semester, or even just once or twice–had a message, a way of looking at the world that they encouraged their students to see, and to learn from. I had so many teachers focus not only on the material, or the subject that they were teaching, but on the why’s and the how’s and purposes. They explored not only what we were doing but why we should be doing it at all, and how we could discover ourselves amidst all of this learning and all of these facts and
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equations being thrown at us. I had multiple teachers–most all of them actually, if not all of them–that engaged in conversations about humans and the idea of personal goals and purposes. I actually had a teacher who assigned a whole project about life and what makes it worth it that challenged all of us to think outside of a normal English curriculum. Actually, it is because of the teachers here that I am comfortable giving this speech. I used to be afraid of things because they were scary, or different, or new, and teachers taught me that that is poor excuse. They taught me to not let those doubting parts of myself get in the way of trying something new. We are always going to have to do things that we don’t like. That’s part of life. You’re going to have to take finals that, in the interest of honesty, you might not be ready for, or you might not like the subject; and that’s okay! You’re going to have days when everything is going downhill. But if you stop to listen to these wonderful role models around you, you will realize that if you
have that many people caring about you, trusting you, and willing to work towards your goals with you, that you can do anything. Thank you teachers for realizing that we aren’t all the same. That we don’t all learn the same way. Thank you for helping and for listening and for being open to learning yourselves. Last week I watched Dead Poets Society for the first time, and there is a teacher, John Keating, who is played by Robin Williams, who changes the course of a group of boys’ lives. I watched that movie and, after I was done crying for about two hours, thought of my teachers here, and how all of them were their very own version of Keating. In the movie he says, “I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself,” and if these teachers taught me nothing else, which of course they have, it is to not undervalue the power of an individual. And I think that there is no greater lesson. So thank you, teachers. You have done so much more than you can ever imagine to help so many more kids than you think. Thank you.
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Cross-Curricular Collaboration Performing Arts Works with Engineering to Build Their Own Instruments
BY JIM WH ITIN G , S E CON DA R Y PE R FOR M IN G A R TS TE A CH E R
Over the course of this past year, the instrumental music program has embarked on several instrument-making projects often in collaboration with Campbell Hall’s engineering program. For the Winter Orchestra Concert, the high school orchestra class designed and fabricated a rare percussion instrument for a piece by Jean Baptiste Lully, “Le Bourgeios Gentilhomme.” The instrument, originally called the cevgen, but now nicknamed “The Jingling Johnny,” was (humorously) performed by our own Jonny, Jonny Garnett ’19. For the high school spring musical, “The Robber Bridegroom,” Jackson Shanks ’19 and Taylor Kamemoto ’19 made instruments that appropriately conjured the needed backwoods folk sounds. The drumset that Jackson played was composed of carefully selected found objects such as vintage license plates, feed barrels, hubcaps, and cooking pots. Because Taylor’s primary instrument is flute, she was able to transfer her embouchure and breathing skills to creating and playing the musical bottles. Using a chromatic tuner, Taylor carefully filled two dozen old-fashioned soda bottles with precise amounts of water to create an fully functional instrument.
The most technical of our projects was the prototyping of a baroque flute. Working in close collaboration with CH’s engineering guru, Greg Williams, we used a plastic baroque flute as a 3D model to fashion a wood version with the school’s advanced lathe and other STEAM equipment. The orchestra class’ flute players, Irene Park ’20 and Taylor Kamemoto ’19, drilled holes and tested the intonation on the first functional prototype. Next year, we hope to continue this project by finalizing the design with the engineering students and crafting an instrument out of English boxwood to create a truly concert-hall quality instrument. campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 45
Cross-Divisional Co llaboration 27
BY R AY G R IF FIN , H IG H SCH OOL SCIE N CE TE A CH E R
Elementary Science Fair Winners Take a Field Trip to High School AP Chemistry Lab The tradition of a “Field Trip to the AP Chemistry Class” for winners of the Elementary Science Fair started over 10 years ago as an off-campus event. In more recent years, the field trip– which is a reward to the elementary students for their hard work and creativity during the science fair–was moved on campus. The high school AP Chemistry students begin organizing the event by choosing science concepts that would be appropriate for the younger elementary students. After taking the AP Chemistry Exam in May, the high school students research the topics they want to share with the elementary students. On the day of the “Field Trip,” the AP Chemistry students work with the elementary students in exploring specific scientific principles, and demonstrating how fun learning something new can be. This event has become a major prize for placing in the science fair. Some of the demonstrations have included: Fire in the Hand–Burning soap bubbles filled with hydrogen gas
which demonstrates thermodynamics by showing that heat rises so there is no danger of getting burned. Turning Copper to Silver to Gold–Plating a copper penny with zinc to look like silver. When heated, the zinc makes an alloy with copper to form a coating of brass to look like gold. Elephant Toothpaste–Rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to show how much faster a reaction can take place if it has a catalyst added. Supersaturated Sodium Acetate–When a solution is disturbed, it will form crystals by transforming from liquid to solid very quickly. Non-Newtonian fluid–This is a mixture of cornstarch and water. It looks like a fluid, but when you press on it quickly, the viscosity increases, and it behaves like a solid. campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 47
Take a look
Student Achievements AT TH E S E
The Piper Recognized with National Gold Medal for Scope of Coverage, Design, and Writing Campbell Hall’s student newspaper, The Piper, has been awarded its first Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold Medal critique for the year 2015-2016. In addition, The Piper earned special merit recognition, All-Columbian Honors, in CSPA’s three ranking categories: essentials, verbal and visual. All-Columbian Honors are awarded to publications that achieve the 95th percentile or higher in a given category. The 2016 Piper editor-in-chief, Nicholas Friedlich ’16, is now a student at UC Berkeley and a deputy editor for the Berkeley Political Review. Nick was closely supported by a strong editorial board: Katherine Boatwright ’16, Molly Kempf ’16, Ashley Flier ’16, Sydney Botko ’16, Morgan Jen ’16 and Lynn Kim ’17. The judge commended The Piper’s scope of coverage as well as the publication’s design and writing. The judge also applauded the staff for raising important issues: “The Piper staff is fearless in tackling tough/controversial topics with maturity and thoughtfulness.” The student journalists were further praised for demonstrating outstanding skills in interviewing and research as well as showing excellence in writing and style.
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The judge’s closing comments included, “The Piper demonstrates exactly what a student publication should do; it informs, entertains and provides a forum for student opinion.... The stories and design, the complete package, is compelling...The staff exhibits professionalism and encourages and raises the level of intelligent discourse on current social issues. All topics are treated with maturity and thoughtfulness. Reporters go above and beyond in using numerous sources and developing topics of interest that inform and entertain their readers.’” “The staff worked relentlessly last year. They set high standards for content and coverage and didn’t waiver in their efforts to achieve excellence. I am thrilled that work paid off for them,” said Christine Gaul, newspaper advisor. "This years’ Piper staff looks forward to continuing to set goals that push themselves to achieving high standards for thinking and engagement in our community of inquiry. In today’s climate where journalism is coming under fire, I am proud that our students are brave, diligent and thoughtful. In their quest for the truth, they have remained levelheaded when making difficult choices and determined to tell stories that matter. In these students, I am renewed with hope for the future," said Christine Gaul.
Middle School Speech & Debate Crushes Competition Campbell Hall’s Speech & Debate teams continue to capture top placement in competitions. The middle school Speech & Debate team (l-r: Riley Eisenstein ’22, Liana Schmitter-Emerson ’21, Ji-Wan Kang ’21, Jake Pollard ’21, Ms. Foley, Mr. Jones, David Eick ’22, Nathan Lee ’21, Josh Shin ’21) conquered the Southwest Regional Championship in May, placing 9th overall with top individual awards. David Eick won First Place Speaker out of 240 middle school debaters who qualified to compete, and Ji-Wan Kang, Nathan Lee, and Joshua Shinalso received speaker awards. “These students represent the best of Campbell Hall. They are inquisitive learners who have taken undertaken a time-intensive, academic extracurricular for the sheer love of learning and a desire to better understand our world,” said Sue Foley, speech & debate coach. “All of this–with great humor and teamwork. We laugh–A LOT!”
Continental Mathematics League Awarded Four Middle School + High School Students Congratulations to these students for their strong approaches to problem solving in the 2016-2017 Continental Mathematics League. Maxwell Chow ’17 was the national winner of the calculus league and set a Campbell Hall record with perfect scores in all four meets. Andrew Mutchnik ’20 was the regional winner for 9th grade. Campbell Godfrey ’21 and Justin Kang ’21were the regional winners for 8th grade.
A R TWOR K BY QUIN N F R A N K E L ’22
High School Awards
Awards and honors reflect the dual purposes expressed in the school’s mission statement: “Campbell Hall is a community of inquiry committed to academic excellence and to the nurturing of decent, loving, and responsible human beings.” We believe that true excellence, both academic and personal, is attained over a period of time, that it is reflected in attitudes as well as in specific achievements, and that it should be rewarded publicly because, at each level of the school, such awards exemplify those qualities that are most valued. We, therefore, reward excellence in scholarship and in citizenship, we limit the number of awards presented in our public ceremonies, and we assure that each award reflects the school’s philosophy appropriately for the level at which it was earned. At the close of each school year, awards and honors are presented to students at the Awards Ceremony and at the Commencement Ceremony.
GRADUATION AWARDS
Valedictorian: Christina Boatwright Salutatorian: Julian Beckman
Leadership Gavel: Phoebe Townsend Highlander Award: Lynn Kim
Headmaster’s Award: Theo Ressler
Caledonian Award: Grace Hsu Community of Honor Awards: Sarah Tashman Ella Pallenberg Lynn Kim
Bishop Garver Athletic Award: Antonio Brown
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS This year, Campbell Hall high school students performed over 24,000 hours of service to our community. The community service awards recognize one student in each grade who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to serving the community based on annual service hours accrued by May 2, 2017. Quinton Wilson - 9th grade Sela Russo - 10th grade
Livia Balian - 11th grade
Zoe Miner - 12th grade
Viking Spirit Award: Emma Farley
COLLEGE BOOK AWARDS
Bishop’s Award: Megan Lim
The Brandeis Book Award is given to an outstanding high school junior in the top 10% of the class who demonstrates a commitment to social justice, volunteerism, or activism. The 2017 recipient of the Brandeis book award is Charles Rettig.
Alumni Award: Logan Drescher
13-Year Student Recognition: Christina Boatwright Sophia Brewington-Williams Malcolm Bull Amelia Burke Kathryn Close Abigael Conran Olivia DeMirjian Logan Drescher Emma Farley Aidan Feldman Sloan Fischer James Hutchins Livia Lange Alice Levine Megan Lim Marco Manlunas Jacob Meserve Gino Renzulli Jeremy Stark Sarah Tashman Christopher Urun Benjamin Weitzel
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The George Washington Book Award is given to a junior who demonstrates significant achievement in the following three areas: civic engagement, service, and independent and creative thought. The recipient of the GW book award is Carol Ryan.
The Harvard Book Award is given to an outstanding junior who combines excellence in scholarship and character with achievement in other fields. The recipient of the Harvard book award is Daniel Farid.
The Kenyon Book Award is given to the member of the junior class who embodies the highest level of intellectual engagement, creativity, and commitment to community that are central to the liberal arts and sciences. The recipient of the Kenyon book award is Gabriella Baba-Conn.
The Princeton Book Award is given to the junior in the top 5% of the class who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and made positive contributions to extracurricular life at Campbell Hall. The recipient of the Princeton book award is Cady De Camara.
The Wellesley Book Award honors a young woman who has been a top scholar in high school as well as a talented performer in extracurricular areas. The recipient of the Wellesley book award is Liza Jacoby.
THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP The National Merit Scholarship Program was founded in 1955 and is an annual academic competition for recognition and undergraduate scholarships. The program was founded to identify and honor scholastically talented American youth and to encourage them to develop their skills to the fullest. The scholarship competition is very rigorous. Scholarship winners are chosen for their abilities, skills, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential in college and beyond. From approximately 1.5 million students who entered the competition, only 7,400 of them are awarded scholarships. The Class of 2017 National Merit Scholarship winner is Julian Beckman.
DEPARTMENT AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award Bausch and Lomb, in association with the University of Rochester, New York, has been offering the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award for over 70 years. Recipients of this award who are accepted to and enroll at the University of Rochester will receive a scholarship of $10,000 per year for a total of $40,000 over four years. This year’s award winner is Liza Jacoby.
The Rensselaer Medal was first presented over 100 years ago with two purposes: to recognize the superlative academic achievement of young men and women and to motivate students toward careers in science, engineering, and technology. Award winners who apply, are accepted and enroll at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will receive a guaranteed $25,000 per year scholarship. The Rensselaer Medal recipient is John Kustin. SCIENCE
Computer Science Department Award: Jeremy Stark
Science Department Award: Ariel Vieira WORLD LANGUAGE Theo Ressler
Ryan Haggerty MATHEMATICS
Julian Beckman
HISTORY Theo Ressler ENGLISH Ava Bellows VISUAL ARTS Zoe Zoldan Max Rubin
Hannah Saidiner
Jay Park
Emma Farley PERFORMING ARTS
Max Beck - Instrumental Music Alexandra Beck - Choir
Sarah Lutzky - Dance
Jamie Albrecht - Technical Theater Jasmine Djavahery - Drama
ATHLETICS
The Scholar Athlete Award honors two senior studentathletes with the highest grade point average.
Julian Beckman (cross country)
Christina Boatwright (equestrian)
The Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award honors two athletes from any grade level who competed in at least two varsity sports, had an excellent season in at least one of those sports, and demonstrated good sportsmanship and leadership.
Jamie Moreland (cross country + track and field) Kelly Grossman (soccer + track and field)
The Rookie of the Year Award honors student-athletes with outstanding overall contributions in their first year of high school athletic competition at Campbell Hall. The award-winners must have potential for continued growth and development in sports, dedication to their sports, and good sportsmanship.
Ethan Bae (soccer + football)
Lisa Wagner (tennis)
Rachel Wagner (tennis)
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good sports
Nick Susac
Winter+Spring Sports Highlights High School Boys’ Varsity Soccer
Antonio Brown
Boys’ Varsity Soccer won the 2016-17 Gold Coast League Championship, the Vikings’ first League Championship since 2001. It was also the Vikings’ first playoff appearance in eight years. Coach TJ Gooding captured his first playoff win as the Vikings’ head coach when the boys beat Arroyo High School 4-2. Nick Susac ’17 was named the League’s MVP and was awarded 1st team All-CIF Honors.
Varsity Football
Sean Maruyama
Antonio Brown ’17 was named All-CIF Southern Section for football. Brown was selected to the offensive team for his outstanding senior season. He led the Vikings in most offensive categories including receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and all-purpose yards with over 1,400 this season.
Varsity Golf
Sean Maruyama ’18 won the 2017 Gold Coast League Individual Golf Championship. He moved effortlessly through playoffs, winning the CIF Southern California Regional Championship, shooting 4 under par, and tying for second at the CIF State Championship, shooting 3 under par.
Varsity Boys’ Tennis
Danny Moini ’19 and Josh Landau ’19 won the Gold Coast League Tennis Doubles Championship. The Viking duo swept number-oneranked Viewpoint. 52 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
good sports
Track and Field
Track and field won seven Individual Gold Coast League Championships and sent 17 Vikings to CIF Prelims. Jamie Moreland ’18 and Noah Ballard ’17 qualified for CIF Finals. Moreland went on to win the Division 4 CIF 1600m Championship, running 4:24 to win the title. Ballard finished third in his event, the 800m. CIF Champion Jamie Moreland ’18 -1600m
League Champions Noah Ballard ’17 – 400m Jamie Moreland ’18 – 800m & 1600m Andrew Villeneuve ’18 – discus Elena Forbath ’17 – pole vault Kelly Grossman ’20 – 1600m Kylie Foster ’19, Kelly Grossman ’20, Molly Chesney ’19 and Liza Jacoby ’18 – 4x400m relay
Varsity Baseball
Varsity Baseball was led by nine seniors, six of whom are moving on to play baseball in college in the fall. The Vikings came up just short in their quest for a CIF title, losing to Katella 2-1 in the CIF Semifinals. Baseball kicked off their playoff run when the Vikings beat Buckley 1-0 in the first round. Naar Sahakian ’17 hit a two-run walk-off home run in extra innings to beat Garden Grove in the second round, and the Vikings squeaked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to beat La Canada 2-1 to enter the CIF semifinals. Viking pitching, led by RJ Collins ’17 and Avery Plum ’18, and defense were outstanding throughout the playoffs and gave up just four runs in four games.
RJ Collins
Varsity Softball
Varsity Softball had a bounce-back year with an influx of seven freshman players. The Vikings, who two years ago won just one game and the last two years finished last in league, finished fourth in league to earn a playoff spot. Coach Shauna Johnson earned her first playoff win as Viking head coach when the Vikings beat Coastal Christian 27-12. Softball was defeated in the next round but looks forward to a great future.
Class of 2017 College-Bound Athletes
(back row l-r) Charles Kwong, Stevens Institute of Technology (baseball),
Sloan Fischer, NYU (baseball), Lincoln Pantell, Franklin & Marshall (baseball), Cole Slater, Willamette University (baseball), Nick Susac, University of Redlands (soccer), Elliott Layne, Vassar College (baseball), (front row l-r) Trent Mayfield, Grinnell College (football), RJ Collins, University of Puget Sound (baseball), Antonio Brown, UCLA (football).
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good sports
Middle School All-League Recipients Football
Cameron Washington ’22
Volleyball
MS Soccer
8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball – Grace Anderson ’21 7th Grade Girls’ Volleyball – Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti ’22 Boys’ Volleyball San Fernando – Luc Bourassa ’21 Boys’ Volleyball Delphic – Desi Reed ’21
Cross Country
Boys’ Cross Country – Tony Fontana ’21 Girls’ Cross Country – Erica Bunting ’21
Basketball MS Volleyball
8th Grade Boys’ Basketball – San Fernando League Champions 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Delphic – Anthony Spearman ’21 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball San Fernando – Nicholas Starkman ’21 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Delphic – Chris Hammond ’22 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball San Fernando – Griffin Thorn ’22 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball – Paige Kamemoto ’22
Soccer
Boys’ Soccer Delphic – Charlie Henriks ’21 Boys’ Soccer San Fernando – Jack Wilcox ’22 Girls’ Soccer – Olivia Reiner ’21
Tennis MS Basketball
Girls’ Tennis – Devyn Marinos ’21 Boys’ Tennis – Oliver Sanger ’21
Baseball
Edwin Groff ’21
Track and Field
Campbell Godfrey ’21 Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti ’22
Golf MS Baseball
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Timmy Von Der Ahe ’21 (placed 8th out of 56 in the golf finals) Danielle Landis ’21
good sports
Elementary
95% of 4th-6th grade students play on a Campbell Hall team Elementary athletic teams had a great winter and spring sports’ season with success in the top divisions in the San Fernando Valley Small Schools League. All 6th grade teams made it to playoffs or finals.
Basketball
4th Grade Baseball
4th Grade Boys’ Basketball – 2 teams 5th Grade Boys’ Basketball – 3 teams 6th Grade Boys’ Basketball – 3 teams (finalists)
Soccer
4th Grade Girls’ Soccer – 2 teams 5th Grade Girls’ Soccer – 2 teams 6th Grade Girls’ Soccer – 2 teams (playoffs) 5th Grade Boys’ Soccer – 1 team 5th Grade Boys’ Soccer – 2 teams 6th Grade Boys’ Soccer – 2 teams (finalists)
4th Grade Soccer
Baseball
4th Grade Baseball – 1 team
Volleyball
4th Grade Girls’ Volleyball – 3 teams 5th Grade Girls’ Volleyball – 3 teams 6th Grade Girls’ Volleyball – 3 teams (playoffs)
5th Grade Basketball
6th Grade Soccer
6th Grade Volleyball
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“Campbell Hall has grown me from a tiny seed into a beautiful butterfly. I know that a seed can't become a butterfly, but that is what Campbell Hall has done for me.”
Campbell Hall has a very fun athletic program, and I have had lots of fun playing sports with all of my friends.”
6th Grade Promotion + Awards
“Campbell Hall taught me to think for myself and be kind to others.
MARY KENT AWARD: Joe Del Pero Named in honor of Mrs. Kent who served as school secretary beginning in 1956, this award recognizes a student council member who demonstrates strong leadership, loyalty, and commitment to school service as well as excellent citizenship and work habits in the classroom. THE MILDRED E. HAWKS AWARD: Ireland Harrison Named in honor of our founding principal, Miss Hawks, this award recognizes a student who demonstrates excellent citizenship, support for other students, and is helpful, kind, and honest. THE HEADMASTER'S AWARD: Avery Ahmanson & Ethan Edelstein Given to a well-rounded student or students who demonstrate the values of community, self-worth, compassion, respect, service, and responsibility.
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At Campbell Hall the most meaningful thing to me is being welcomed every morning. If my teachers pass me, they always tell me good morning, and if someone is at school earlier than I am, they always invite me to play a game with them or just to talk to them.”
“Chapel is a place where everyone feels safe and united no matter what religion they practice at home.”
“When I am at Campbell Hall elementary school, I feel safe and loved.”
“Our school is a really inviting community, especially to new students.
“I have always loved the way the wind feels in the mornings, especially on the green top. Crisp, cool, and full of love, energy, and lifted spirits.”
“Campbell Hall has helped me grow as a person; I have learned that Campbell Hall is a safe place to express myself and think outside the box.”
good times
Campbell Hall Times PARTY BOOK Campbell Hall parents raised almost $38,000 for The Rev. Canon Norman Hall Endowed Scholarship Fund for Financial Aid by hosting the following Party Book events during the 2016-17 school year: DTLA Art Walk, Wine and Cheese Pairing Night, An Evening with Neil Sedaka, Havana Nights with Andy Garcia and the Cineson All Stars, the 2nd Annual Campbell Hall Poker Tournament, Cinco de Mayo, Martini Madness, and the annual Parent versus Faculty Softball Game.
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good times
Campbell Hall Times GRANDPARENTS’ + SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY 3.24.17–Over 350 special guests explored the elementary campus, enjoyed an energetic elementary performance, and took part in classroom activities alongside their students.
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good times
Campbell Hall Times BAGPIPER’S BALL 4.21.17–The Beverly Hilton–The 63rd Annual Bagpiper’s Ball Hollywood Nights raised a record-breaking $900,000. 675 attendees enjoyed a glamorous evening featuring Live Auctioneer Sharon Stone, a CH Lip Sync Battle hosted by LL Cool J, and special performances by Chris Daughtry, and Brad Fernquist and John Reznik of the Goo Goo Dolls.
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alumni spotlight
Innovating Healing Through Music BY R A F FI TA CH D JIA N M .D., M PH (CH ’87)
A S SISTA N T CL IN ICA L PR OFE S S OR OF M E D ICIN E A N D PE D IATR IC S, UCL A SCH OOL OF M E D ICIN E
Innovation keeps us young, healthy, and fulfilled. I have always tried to push the envelope in order to come up with new solutions, whether they be in medicine, on the sports field, or in the music studio. Campbell Hall gave me the liberty and tools necessary to explore possibilities and develop the skills needed to go to the next steps. As an adult and pediatric allergist, I treat allergies and asthma, but I’m also the consulting physician for a number of rare (orphan) diseases in Los Angeles. I’m kept me on my toes to diagnose, treat, and hopefully improve the lives of these patients who are often told by others that there’s nothing more that can be done for them. As a musician and founder of Children’s Music Fund (TheCMF.org), I’ve enjoyed growing an idea that started 15 years ago when I saw patients becoming anxious and fearful from procedures in and out of the hospital. At the time, I was a pediatric intern seeing chronically ill kids at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Since that time, we have grown this organization to serve over 2,000 kids in nine states and counting! We bring music therapy into the lives of these sick children to knock out fear, pain, and anxiety so that they can focus on knocking out their disease. We raise money to pay for music therapists who empower patients over the course of 10 weeks. We also purchase an instrument of choice for any kid in the program who wishes to have his/her own
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tool for getting stronger. Lastly, we measure the improvement and the changes that music therapy brings about in the patient so that we can accelerate the process towards becoming a healthy kid again. Our fundraising is mainly through gifts in kind and via music events. Our last fundraiser was at the Village Recording studio in Santa Monica, where the likes of Coldplay and Elton John just finished their latest albums. I’m also proud to have two Campbell Hall champions on our board. The first is Jean Grasso ’89, a lifelong friend from my high school days and an energetic executive board member from early on. The other is Mike Post, a prolific musician whose compositions I grew up hearing on TV shows and whose daughter was a friend of mine while at Campbell Hall. Interestingly, he is both a father and grandfather at Campbell Hall. I’m proud to say that we are innovating and optimizing health care for children from any walk of life and with any condition. Our latest project involves setting up a mobile laboratory that kids can keep under their pillow. This system records biometric measures and can give us insight into not just the illness but the quickest path to health and a normal life. We are committed to knocking out fear, pain, and anxiety while empowering the patient through the common language of music we all speak. After all, how did you learn your ABCs?
#VIKINGIMPACT A CH IEVEMEN T S
friends for good
#VIKINGFAMILY B A B IES
Ashley Baker Dolieslager ’00 and Duane Dolieslager welcomed their fourth son, Donovan James, in November 2016. Pictured with three brothers (1). Matthew Matsumoto ’06 and Haley Matsumoto welcomed their second son, James McClane Matsumoto, born June 3, 2017. Pictured together with older brother Jackson (2). Andrew Leff ’03 and CH faculty member Malerie Leff welcomed their second child, Veda Drew Leff (3), born March 12, 2017. Sam Brody ’10 won the David Lynch Award from the Washington Press Club Foundation for his regional coverage on Congress and his piece on the sugar industry “Preserving the Sweet Life in Minnesota.”
Molly Wolf Frysh ’07 and Dan Frysh welcomed their first child, Shane Noah Frysh (4), born May 1, 2016. Ally Pony ’06 and Will Dean welcomed their first child, Olivia Rose Dean (5), born March 14, 2017. Supria Rosner ’96 and Jake Buczko welcomed their first child, Josh Jagan Buczko (6), born September 16, 2016. Madison Hamile Karsenty ’06 and Harold Karsenty welcomed their second child, Birdie Alice Karsenty, born May 30, 2017.
Jrue Holiday ’08 of the New Orleans Pelicans received the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente. 1
Mayan Lopez ’15 signed with Grossman & Jack Talent in Chicago. Currently, she can be seen in the Netflix movie Handsome and heard in a voiceover for the United Way. Recently, Mayan was featured in the book Next Bold Move and the magazine Inspiring Lives where she talks candidly about overcoming bullying, her parent’s public divorce, and comedy. Mayan performs with her improv group All Inclusive Gang at Second City in Chicago.
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IN MEMORY Cameron Burton ’10 passed away while serving in the Peace Corps in Malawi on March 20, 2017. 6
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Alumni Good Times
ALUMNI MEET-UP: SF The Alumni Board along with Eileen Wasserman, Carolyn LaGaly, and Stephanie Carrillo hosted 20 at the Alumni Meet-Up in San Francisco at Chambers inside the Phoenix Hotel.
ALUMNI CHAPEL This past Spring, Aeriel Scott ’10 and Erik Rasmussen ’96 returned to high school chapel to reflect on their time at Campbell Hall and to share what they are doing now.
ALUMNI MEET-UP: NYC Just a week after the SF Alumni Meet-Up, the Alumni Board along with Eileen Wasserman hosted 33 alumni in New York City at Mr. Fong’s bar in Chinatown. 64 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
ALUMNI PLAYDATE 13 alumni returned to campus with their kids for a playdate on the kindergarten playground.
BAGPIPER’S BALL 25 alumni attended the 63rd Annual Bagpiper’s Ball held this year at The Beverly Hilton.
ALUMNI REUNION Class years ending in 7 + 2 returned to CH to reconnect with friends and teachers, enjoy dinner together, and tour The Arts & Education Center. Past athletes checked out the newly-installed lights on the field.
good people
The Thomas R. Von Der Ahe Volunteers of the Year Furthering our Mission of Nurturing Decent, Loving, and Responsible Human Beings
LESLIE BOATWRIGHT, Outgoing Parents’ Association Vice President We honor Leslie for her 14 years of volunteer service and dedication to Campbell Hall and for her role as PA vice president. After many years of volunteering in the elementary school, she served as middle school vice president for two years and high school vice president for two years, and lastly as PA vice president. Leslie is efficient and always willing to step up to take care of business. She always puts other people first and continually wants to know how she can be of assistance. This deserving Viking is a mentor to so many. “Having Leslie as a partner has been a true blessing. I have learned so much from her and admire her dedication and commitment to our school. She is committed to what is best for the well-being of our students. Leslie is a true friend and mentor and I could not be more pleased to see her being recognized as Volunteer of the Year for her years of service to Campbell Hall.” –Adrienne Bunting, PA President
WALTER & SHARYN GERTZ The Gertzes have both served on the Grandparents’ Committee for seven years and have made quite the impact on our community. From chairing dessert committees for faculty lunches, to volunteering at various events such as the Veterans Day Chapel and the PTC picnics, to attending the Bagpiper’s Ball regularly and donating to the CH Fund each year, these two grandparents are true supporters of Campbell Hall in every way. Walter is still recognized on campus for his powerful chapel presentation several years ago about the Holocaust and was also one of the unforgettable speakers at the Paper Clips event this past November. Sharyn was an early advocate for adding a Grandparents’ Day in middle school. Because of her persistence and that of several other committee members, we now have a 7th Grade Grandparents’ Day as well as a special event for grandparents of 12th graders. Not only do these CH grandparents want to feed you, they also want to inspire, nurture, and share the wealth of knowledge they have accumulated over the years.
HILLARY KANIGHER Hillary has been at CH for 15 years and started her volunteer work when her oldest child was in kindergarten. She’s been a class coordinator in elementary school, a vice president of the middle school, and even chaired the college counseling hospitality committee. In between all of this, she plays a mean game of tennis and has volunteered and played at our annual Golf and Tennis Classic numerous times and has chaired Party Book for the past three years. Hillary brings an immense amount of style, grace, and calm to everything she does. She always has the children’s and school’s best interest as a priority and is able to balance doing what is right for the school, students, and parents. Hillary and her husband, Mike, have also helped out with raising money for the CH Fund and have attended many Bagpiper’s Ball events. We are so blessed to have this fantastic and dedicated volunteer as part of our school community. Pictured above (l-r) Hillary Kanigher, Julian P. Bull, Leslie Boatwright, Sharyn and Walter Gertz. 66 campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017
good people
THANK YOU PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION FOR ANOTHER FABULOUS YEAR! formal volunteers comprise the PA, and this doesn’t include lots of parents who help out occasionally at specific events
committees served the school with thousands of hours of dedicated volunteerism
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people gather on any given Tuesday to practice mindfulness in the SwigerNathanson-Dwyer Chapel & Center for Spiritual Practice thanks to our Parent Mindfulness Committee
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85 meals, car rides, and hospital visits have already been provided to CH families who needed some extra help by our newest PA committee, Viking Care, dedicated to taking care of our community
events sponsored by the PA in just the month of September
meals served by the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Committee this year as a “thank you” to our hardworking CH faculty and staff
220 480
parents attend an evening organized by the Parent Social Committee for the secondary school
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pieces of cake served to our incredible CH faculty and staff by our fantastic Grandparents’ Committee
Party Book events, attended by more than 225 guests, raised almost $38,000, with eight pounds of Spanish cheeses consumed, nine Neil Sedaka songs sung, and much more
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” HELEN KELLER campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 67
THE CAMPBELL HALL
LEGACY SOCIETY P Ceremony Key INAUGU RAL INDUCTION
of the LEGACY S OCIETY MEMBERS FALL 2 017 e Campbell Hall Legacy Society is an honorary society of community members who have chosen to support Campbell Hall through legacy gifts and have chosen to share this information with the School. e easiest way to join this esteemed group of Campbell Hall supporters is to share your philanthropic intentions or add Campbell Hall as a beneficiary in your will or trust. Planned Gifts also include bequests, real estate, gift annuities, life insurance, tangible personal property, art , stock, and living trusts. Members of the Campbell Hall Legacy Society share a common bond of generosity and visionary leadership, nourishing the School’s continuing success. We welcome the opportunity to recognize those who are helping to make the future possible.
Contact Information Aubrey Rakoski, Associate Director of Advancement, Alumni Relations & Planned Giving, would be pleased to assist you in exploring how your charitable legacy can include Campbell Hall. You may contact her at rakoska@campbellhall.org or 818.505.5385
THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS COMMUNITY, THE CAMPBELL HALL FUND
SOARED TO A SCHOOL RECORD OF OVER $3 MILLION!
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Mixed-media collage mural, created by elementary parent volunteers, now on display in Elementary breezeway.
HOMECOMING
CARNIVAL AT CA M P B E L L H A L L
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2017
CAMPBELL HALL vs. BRENTWOOD 3PM
Middle School Football
7PM
Varsity Football Carnival Rides Game Booths Bingo
Bounce Houses Food Trucks and more!
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North Hollywood, California 91607
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We develop innovative thinkers. We prioritize spiritual + moral development. We nurture kind + inclusive human beings. We foster community-minded individuals. We foster collaborative problem solvers.
PA REN T S O F A LUM N I :
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Printed on recycled paper (50% content with 15% post consumer) using soy BASE inks and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
campbell hall magazine I SUMMER 2017 72