Curtis Magazine & Annual Report 2020-2021 by Curtis School

Magazine 2020

GOING FULL STEAM!

Contents 3

From the Head of School

First STEAM-Maker Day

Perspectives: Maisha Pajardo-O’Neal & Cleveland O’Neal III

Anti-Bias Curriculum

A Visit With Dr. Terrence Roberts

Music Moves Us: Grammy Music Project

A Year Unlike Any Other

Student Voices: 6th Grade Microaggressions Initiative

Celebrating Our Community’s Cultures

Educational Travel Fellowship Reports

Introducing Our New Directors

A Musical Coda: Mr. Worth Retires

Farewell, Sarina Fierro

Alumni Year In Review

Our Refreshed Look

Curtis School 15871 Mulholland Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 476-1251 Publications@CurtisSchool.org

As you begin to explore this publication, you will no doubt notice our new visual identity, which is also reflected on the refreshed Curtis website. Curtis School’s visual rebranding was a natural outgrowth of the culmination of our two-year strategic plan initiative, “Envision Our Future,” that many of you in our extended community played a role in developing. Our new logo reflects what is most important to us at Curtis School: We always begin with the child. It tells the expansive story of our school. The circle is an elementary geometric shape that is welcoming and signals accessibility. The colors and natural elements express our beautiful campus and California. And the child at the center of the logo is emblematic of who we are at our core―focused on the child. The rays around the circle symbolize the energy we put into each child and that they, in turn, put into the world. The child with arms spread wide tells a story of curiosity, a child open to possibility. The spirit of the new look announces the optimism and joy with which we and our students approach education at Curtis.

Dear Curtis Community, March 11, 2020 will forever be a day I won’t forget. It was a beautiful early spring day on campus―the time of year when the mornings start out cool but warm up to a wonderful Los Angeles sunny day by lunchtime. Our students were in free dress, as it was our first-ever STEAM-Maker Day. In the previous months, teachers and students had been working together to create a variety of STEAM activities for kids to participate in. It was to be the equivalent of Superstars Day―an all-student event, but with science, engineering, art, and math as the focus. And while our students were enjoying the activities, being with each other, and running around campus between different exploration stations, the outside world was beginning to understand the impact and extent of the COVID-19 virus. While Curtis students were making periscopes and engineering electrical flat circuits, the CDC and WHO officially announced that the world was experiencing a pandemic. And I began receiving calls from our local peer and secondary schools letting me know that they had received reports of community members testing positive and that they would be closing their schools. March 11 would be our last day together as a learning community on campus. In the days that followed, our entire way of living was redefined and the education system was turned upside down as schools had to quickly pivot to online learning and figure out how to complete the school year with students at home. Here at Curtis, our faculty, staff, and administration rallied to plan for and prepare to teach in remote learning mode, a term that we had never used before. After only two days of tireless preparation, our teachers and students embarked on a “new normal.” And while so much of what we transitioned to doing was new, there was plenty of normalcy. Students and teachers continued to bring laughter and joy to the virtual classroom; students sustained their friendships with one another; and genuine and thoughtful connections amongst community members, and especially between teachers and their students, were intentionally prioritized. Classroom routines continued on Zoom, birthday celebrations became even more memorable, and as a community, we gathered as always for Flag every Monday and Friday―but from our homes and offices. Most importantly, the same innovation, creativity, and curiosity that we witnessed from our students on that inaugural STEAM Day carried through the spring and has continued into this new school year. In these unexpected, unfamiliar, and challenging times, I see our Curtis community―faculty and staff, students and their families―rallying, adapting, and striving, always with optimism and fierce determination, to do what is best for our students. We are buoyed by and so very grateful for the positivity and resilience that our students bring each and every day to their learning and to our beloved school. Warmly,

Dr. Meera Ratnesar Head of School

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Letter from the Head of School

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Going FulL STEAM! On March 11, we launched the first-ever, all-school STEAM-Maker Day. As it turned out, this was to be the last day of school on campus. But what a wonderful, final on-campus event it was! STEAM-Maker Day presented a totally new, interactive, and interdisciplinary series of experiences for students. As part of the Intellectual Literacy strand of Curtis’s Strategic Plan, our science, technology, arts, and library faculty, in conjunction with academic administration, worked long and hard to envision and create an all-grade, all-day experience that teaches our students how to develop their critical thinking skills in a fully integrated STEAM curriculum. Accompanied by their buddies, peers, and teachers, students engaged in exploration activities, experimenting with new skills and materials in stations around campus, and in expert activities that allowed them to demonstrate something they had learned to do or create.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: • Designing and flying paper airplanes • Creating a piece of art with Pointillism • Building jitterbug machines • Weaving yarn snakes • Engineering electrical flat circuits • Designing and testing straw rockets • Exploring plant and butterfly life cycles • Creating stop-motion videos • Learning to make silk-screens • Building marble roller coasters • Constructing periscopes • Making density tubes

Perspectives The strength of the Curtis community derives from the shared commitment of our families and school to provide the best educational foundation for children. Recognizing and celebrating the diverse backgrounds, cultures, histories, life experiences, and affinities of our parents, students, educators, and staff is essential to creating the optimal learning environment—one where people can bring their authentic selves each day and feel accepted and valued. Getting to know one another’s stories fosters the compassion and appreciation for others that we strive to instill in our students and strengthens our sense of shared purpose. We thank the O’Neals for their thoughtful and generous contribution to our effort to tell the story of who we are as a community and to illuminate the rich and wonderful tapestry that is Curtis.

Tell us about yourself—your family background, growing up, and your education. MAISHA: I was born in the port city of Baltimore, Maryland. My grandmothers migrated up to Baltimore from further down south for better job opportunities and socioeconomic conditions, and my grandfathers immigrated from Cuba and the Philippines to escape their countries' hardships and pursue their “American Dream.” In addition to soul food, R&B, Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop, I grew up on House music, Go-Go, seafood, and in my formative years, a wee bit of Salsa. Both of my parents were educators. My father was an executive-level Management Education Specialist for the USPS. My mother was an elementary school teacher for the Baltimore County public school system. Columbia was a progressive and diverse community. As a founding principle, Columbia encouraged diversity and fostered inclusivity before inclusivity was a buzzword. My neighborhood was like a mini-United Nations. I shared my cul-de-sac with a Christian family from Wisconsin, a Jewish family from Argentina, a Korean family from Seoul, a Hindu family from New Delhi, and a retired Air Force colonel. We all looked out for one another.

Maisha Pajardo-O’Neal and Cleveland O’Neal III

projects included work on the chemistry of rocket fuel in the Apollo space program. Both my parents earned undergrad and graduate degrees, my father in Physics/Chemistry and my mom in Education. I’m the oldest of four siblings. We lived in Shaker Heights and later Toledo, Ohio, where all of us were the first African American graduates of and only Black family residing and attending school in the upscale Village of Ottawa Hills. I became a professional stage actor at the young age of seven and had a burgeoning career in local union playhouses and community theater throughout my childhood. I went on to lead roles in high school theater, then Off-Broadway with Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival while still in my teens. I was accepted into most of the top theater schools in the country but decided to attend Boston University because of its well-regarded television and film production program in addition to being a top theater school. I graduated from B.U. with a B.S. in Broadcasting & Film.

What have been the strongest influences in your life? MAISHA: My parents and Maryland upbringing. My father was the type of person that always showed up to work 15-30 minutes early. He taught me how to iron my homework papers so that they would always look nice and crisp. He was a Marine and jack of all trades. He always emphasized the value of an education, the value of being both book smart and hand savvy, and encouraged me to be intellectually curious. He was a stellar student who graduated as valedictorian in junior high and was one of 15 students selected by (then) attorney Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP to desegregate the Baltimore City public school system in 1952. My mother was proactive in instilling a sense of ethnic pride and purpose. She exposed me to culturally friendly social clubs, debutante balls, and literature. She always made sure I had doll babies that represented me in addition to other ethnicities. In the ’80s when I was in 1st or 2nd Grade, my private elementary school held a Cultural Heritage Day. For the four years of my tenure there, I was the only African American in the class. My mother proudly sent me on that day with beaded corn rows and traditional Nigerian attire to accompany a newly learned traditional African dance routine.

The main reason my parents raised me and my brother in Columbia/Ellicott City was because of the access to quality education. I attended private and top-tier public schools while routinely attending mass at my Baltimore City church. I had a solid academic experience scholastically, but being the only African American student in my classes a great majority of the time, I needed extra perspective, so I chose to attend an HBCU and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from North Carolina A&T State University.

Maryland has a lot of pockets of Black economic and social empowerment. There is a long history of Black progressives, a long list of Black business ownership, politicians, educators, entertainers, medical professionals, restaurateurs, colleges, museums, radio stations, local TV show programing, etc. Because I was always exposed to people that looked like me in this setting, I never felt unequal to others who didn’t look like me.

CLEVELAND: Born and raised in Ohio, I am the son of a rocket scientist (literally), Cleveland O’Neal, Jr., a physicist/ chemist who worked at NASA for 25 years and whose

CLEVELAND: My parents met at the legendary HBCU, Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama, and always instilled a strong commitment to achievement and education. I attribute my

success to my parents’ determination to provide the best education and exposure to music, arts, and theater at a young age. This helped to develop confidence and a positive spirit that enabled me to have the will, desire, and foresight on how to pursue each venture that I embarked on.

also progressively values and pursues students of diverse faiths, communities, ethnicities, economics, experiences, and welcomes enlightenment. This makes for a more enriching experience for Layla, our family, and other Curtis students and families.

Tell us about your work life.

And, of course, we are in love with the beautiful campus. We enjoy when Layla returns home to us with acorns and pebbles tucked away in her socks and stories of snails and ladybugs!

MAISHA: Initially, I pursued a career as a foreign service officer. After meeting my future husband, Cleveland, I switched gears to stay in the US and worked for a time at a NYC media company as an account executive. After living in NYC through the trauma of 9/11, I moved out west to join Cleveland in California, where I was a pharmaceutical drug facilitator at UCLA and assisted Cleveland with his business before becoming a full-time parent to our three children. I have a long tenure on the Board of Directors of the Mt. Olympus Property Owners’ Association. CLEVELAND: While still in college, I had a vision of creating a media production and distribution company, Connection III Entertainment Corp. That vision was realized as we later created, produced, and distributed the first African American After School Special in network TV history on CBS. I’m proud of our track record producing many first multicultural media projects and our unique ownership of our office building, studio, and 100% of our IP, copyrights, and masters. As a media producer, distributor, and entrepreneur, I recently reached a milestone with my acquisition of the iconic digital media company Moviefone.

What do you find to be the most distinguishing aspects of your experience at Curtis? CLEVELAND & MAISHA: From Day One, Curtis has held a special place in our hearts. The very first thing [our daughter] Layla said when we returned home from her applicant evaluation was, “Can I go back to Curtis?” It felt so wonderful to receive an acceptance letter and say, “Yes!” to our child. In the past three years, we have watched Layla continue to grow and develop into a very insightful, confident, inquisitive, thoughtful, and compassionate young lady. She takes great pride and enjoyment in sharing with us her many handwritten story books and projects she creates in school. Most importantly, Layla is having fun; she is engaged, and she feels valued. It’s not only about the academics; it’s the whole child approach. She has met and had many positive experiences with multiple classmates along the way. Curtis does a wonderful job fostering a sense of community. It’s encouraging to know that Layla is involved in age-appropriate anti-bias discussions and Seedlings [student service learning group] activities that cater to her emotional development and sense of awareness. Yes, Curtis is an independent school with high standards that attracts a wealthy segment of the general population. Curtis

O’Neal Family (l-r): Amara, Cleveland, Layla (Grade 2), Maisha, and Alicia.

How would you describe your family values? CLEVELAND & MAISHA: We instill our core values to teach our children honesty, kindness, self-love, gratitude, appreciation, the importance of faith, and giving back to those less fortunate. We want our daughters to have pride and a deep awareness of their African heritage and multicultural roots, to become strong, confident leaders with kind hearts who will always support each other while making significant contributions to society and making a difference in their communities.

What are your hopes and dreams for your family? CLEVELAND & MAISHA: We would like for our children to excel academically, to be appreciative and grateful of opportunities presented to them, to not take anything for granted, to make their mark in this world by continuing to live their lives with purpose. We would like for them to be in a position where the sky is the limit. We want them to be goal-oriented, productive members of society; to pay it forward.

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Anti-Bias Work in the Curriculum: An Update When Curtis launched its Anti-Bias Task Force in 2017, the intention was to enable teachers to discuss and discover places in our teaching that had implicit biases. The outgrowth of these conversations was the creation of our Anti-Bias curriculum and recognition of the need for a much more deliberate and intentional time in the academic program for students to have healthy and supportive conversations around their own identity development and understanding their identity in relation to others. A seminal outgrowth of the task force was the creation of an Anti-Bias curriculum. Anti-Bias Workshop lessons occur in all grade levels, beginning in DK. The goal of the AntiBias Workshop is to promote awareness and acceptance, affirm equity, and take an active stance against bias in our community. We teach children to respect every family’s background, while introducing cultural competency skills to students in a way that addresses the impact of social stereotypes, bias, and discrimination. The Anti-Bias curriculum at Curtis speaks directly to achieving the objectives of the Human Literacy strand of our strategic plan, specifically by diversifying and supporting our community of unique and valuable voices and backgrounds. Our anti-bias framework teaches and prepares students to engage in critical self-reflection, to understand that the anti-bias journey will challenge their assumptions and preconceptions, and to respect each other’s identities. At the beginning of the 2019-20 year, children engaged in a number of classroom lessons and grade-wide discussions about identity, family pride, racial literacy, consent, equity, and social justice. Following that unit of exploration, children actively participated in classroom lessons and gradewide discussions about civil rights, activism, social justice, and the cultural and historical accomplishments led by Black Americans. We also encouraged families to support their child’s critical thinking at home by providing a list of age-appropriate books, videos, and conversation starters as a springboard to initiate dialogue with their children. In the remote learning environment, it is even more imperative that we stay committed to our work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI), including our Anti-Bias curriculum. We are committed to ensuring that children are forging strong connections with each other and are continuing to be affirmed in their own individuality and identity. In creating our remote learning program last spring and in this new school year, we have made sure that Anti-Bias Workshop continues to be scheduled into the program for all of our students. Our task force is continuing with its great work of refining lessons and fleshing out a scope and sequence to the curriculum. The task force is led by our new Director of Equity, Curriculum, and Instruction, Janet Lee, whose role is to oversee our entire educational curriculum to ensure that it is aligned and always being taught with the lens of equity and inclusivity. As part of its work, the task force will also be taking on a larger curriculum audit, examining texts and ways in which material is presented to our students so that it is inclusive of all voices and people. Contributors: Dr. Sarina Fierro, former Head of Lower Elementary, and Dr. Meera Ratnesar, Head of School

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A Transformative Morning With Dr. Terrence Roberts Curtis School was honored to host Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine, to speak to our community in February 2020. Dr. Roberts was one of nine teenagers who made history as the first African-Americans to attend the previously segregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. His powerful presentation about the experience he and his fellow African-American students encountered during that, for them, difficult and danger-fraught school year was intensely moving to our audience of students in Kindergarten through 6th Grades and Curtis parents. At the end of his oral history presentation, students in all grades formed a line that reached almost to the door of the Pavilion to question Dr. Roberts about everything from the violence and intimidation that he and the other African-American students endured, to what the Little Rock Nine are doing today and how he continues to approach bigotry and racism in his own life. The candid Q & A between Dr. Roberts and the students provided so many insights and take-aways for our community and a historical foundation and lens with which to process the protests against institutionalized racism and police brutality, triggered only months later by the death of George Floyd. After the session with students, Dr. Roberts met with the Parents Group on Inclusivity and engaged in deeper discussions about race, bigotry, and how to parent our children to disrupt bias and prepare them for the existence of racism in America. He advised parents to speak the truth and said, “The present is predicated on the past, and you can’t be in the present without knowing the truth about your history.” Dr. Roberts’s visit was truly transformational for all who had the privilege of hearing him speak. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Roberts for sharing his insights and wisdom and for inspiring our students and parents to work always, and courageously, for understanding, justice, and equality. His story reminds us that we must never stop striving to make the Curtis community one in which all members feel safe, included, and valued for who they are. We are thankful to the school administration, the Parents Group on Inclusivity, and the Parents Association’s Student Enrichment Committee for working together to bring Dr. Roberts to our school to educate and help us work towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusivity. His words have indelibly and positively touched the minds and hearts of all of us.

Students Asked and Dr. Roberts Answered Q: Do you think it was worth it going to that school? A: Yes, I do. If ever there is injustice in your life, something going wrong that you know is not to be, by all means stand up and it will be worth it, yes! Q: What inspired you to go to school every day even though people were against you? A: In this world, there will always be people against you. But if you know what you want to do, that’s your focus. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. One of the good things to know is that what other people think about you is none of your business. It’s their business. Let them handle it. Q: Did you ever forgive anyone who harassed you? A: Yes. In fact, all people who wish to do me harm are forgiven in advance. I don’t have time to mess with that. Q: Who was your closest friend out of all of them [The Little Rock Nine]? A: Terry Roberts. If you’re not your own best friend, kids, you’re in deep trouble already. You need to love yourself unconditionally and that allows you, then, to love others the same way.

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Music Moves Us

A Cross-Curricular Exploration of Music, Art, Identity and Emotion By Ashley Williams, First Grade Teacher In fall 2019, First Grade explored the connection between art and music in their field trip to the Grammy Museum. First Grade teachers prepared their students for this experience by exposing them to various genres of music and pioneers in the music industry. A deep dive into the culture and history of music allowed our students to tap into styles of music they had not before discovered. This experience presented endless opportunities for cross-curricular connections spanning multiple disciplines. From studies in science on the evolution of sound quality to an analysis of song lyrics in the Grammy-awardnominated Born This Way, by Lady Gaga, in Anti-Bias Workshops, we were amazed by just how many ways we could tie music into every aspect of learning.

The Grammy Museum: An Inspirational Field Trip Exploring the Grammy Museum, students beamed as they heard music familiar to them from the artists they had studied in class. The experiential nature of this field trip allowed for hands-on learning opportunities, including playing the piano, scratching turntables, and banging on percussion drums to name just a few. Guided by Education Senior Coordinator, producer, and artist Schyler O’Neal, students were brought on stage in the Clive Davis Theatre to create their very own Curtis original tune using state-of-the-art production equipment to mix some serious beats.

Investigating On Our Own: First-Grade Student Project Our journey through the Grammy Museum and subsequent studies at school culminated in a powerful, diverse, and magical community project. In an exhibition at the museum, “Face the Music,” photographer Richard Ehrlich explored the question: “Can one capture in photographic portraiture the intense and profound inner depth of feeling and emotion while listening to one’s favorite music?” Music, painting, photography—as art forms—share a common nexus for experiencing feeling, and are incredibly linked in contextualizing human emotion. [Face the Music] helped redefine the profound and transcendent influence music has on human emotion. — Preface by Richard Ehrlich, Face the Music, (Steidl 2015). Inspired by the museum display that presented photographic portraits of the facial expressions of 41 musicians listening a song of their choice, we decided to emulate what we had seen using our own Curtis community. In collaboration with the Art Department, students completed a unit of study on photography. They then set off in small groups to interview faculty, staff, and administrators about their favorite songs. Using Polaroid cameras, students endeavored to capture the emotion on our own Curtis teachers’ faces as they listened to the songs that moved them. The questions they asked teachers allowed us to learn about one another on a deeper level. Participants were asked

• Why did you choose this song? • What emotion does it make you feel? •Does this song remind you of a specific event or moment in your life? If so, what?

The powerful message of music and how it can bring us to a memory, a moment in time of great joy, sadness, inspiration or awe, was conveyed. Through their experience at the Grammy Museum and their own investigations interviewing and photographing members of our educational community, students experienced first-hand a universal truth: Music MOVES us. It brings people together. It can take us out of a current reality. It can conjure a special moment we want to revisit. And so much more. What a powerful notion for our first graders to experience. Photo of Ringo Starr by Richard Ehrlich. Reproduction of book cover courtesy of Steidl.

What I really liked about going to the Grammy Museum was that it was hands on. The kids music studio was great! It was teaching the kids that they could be real musicians in a studio just like the adult musicians. –Caleb Hubbard

Francesca Gerbino - “La Isla Bonita” (Madonna)

I learned that music is beautiful and brings up a lot of emotions. I never knew that music can make you happy, sad, or whatever emotion you want to feel. –Lily Henningsen

Gina Favre - “As” (Stevie Wonder)

My favorite part of the field trip was listening to Lady Gaga, because I liked the rhythm and the movements and the song lyrics said that everyone is different and if everyone looked the same, it would be boring. –Elliott Lee

Patrick Lynch - “Let It Be” (Beatles) Below: Ashley Williams - “Uptown Funk” (feat. Bruno Mars)

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A Year Unlike Any Other We kicked off the 2019-20 school year with excitement and anticipation to experience all of our beloved Curtis traditions. Along with our city and the world, we navigated unexpected challenges. Through it all, the Curtis community demonstrated remarkable resilience and an enduring commitment to our educational mission to educate minds, bodies and hearts. Most importantly, our students met the challenges of remote learning with perseverance and continued to bring optimism and joy to their learning and their engagement with classmates in the remote setting. Clockwise (from top right): A wondrous Winter Concert warmed our hearts; students moved us with presentations during Black History Month; saferat-home orders ushered in a new way of learning; a car parade kept us connected during the pandemic; Swim Team won 1st and 2nd places in the league finals; Seedlings grew compassion through service projects; Curtis hosted its 2nd annual FLL Robotics Practice Tournament for L.A. schools.

By Andrew Hilton, Chloe Saadat, Denise Seol, and Michaela Williams (Class of 2020) At Curtis, we strive to be a diverse and welcoming community in order to make every student feel at home. One very important goal is to teach the Curtis students how words can impact others. This year, the sixth graders became familiar with the term “microaggression” through a community-building activity. Microaggressions are subtle but hurtful remarks regarding racial and gender stereotypes. Those who have experienced microaggressions say that they’re not sure whether to correct the person or not since racism and stereotyping are only implied. We believe it is necessary to know what microaggressions are, because that knowledge can stop people from saying hurtful words and make the world a more peaceful place.

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Sixth Grade Microaggressions Initiative

Andrew Hilton

Chloe Saadat

Learning about real-life issues is what we students find most important. Microaggressions are one of these real-life issues. This might seem insignificant in the grand scale of world problems, but microaggressions can hurt a student’s feelings more than anything else. Therefore, it is crucial for all members of our community to have discussions about microaggressions so that students will not intentionally or unintentionally injure another student. A group of us worked together to research information and to create a lesson for the entire sixth grade. During one community-building block, we led our peers in an activity to learn about microaggressions and how they affect people. Microaggressions are very important to talk about, because students might not realize that they are used inside and outside of the classroom frequently. For instance, when others expect certain students to “represent” their race when talking about a subject related to their race or culture, that is one example of a microaggression.

Denise Seol

We began by asking “What is a microaggression?” Then we discussed “intent” versus “impact,” which relates to microaggressions because microaggressions are mostly unintended or accidental; although, in some instances, they are done Michaela Williams on purpose. Afterwards, students worked in small groups to sort a list of phrases that they thought were or weren’t microaggressions, such as “Should you be eating that?” and “Your English is very good.” A few students said that once they looked over the phrases, they realized that all the comments could be hurtful. Near the end of the activity, students were asked to write down some microaggressions they had heard before. They then came up with solutions for how to handle them when they occur. One way that you can handle a microaggression is by letting the person know what they said that was not appropriate and educating them about why the phrase or term is wrong to say. After this presentation and the follow-up exercises, many students said they were enlightened about microaggressions. Olivia Atterberry said, “It helped me learn how to be cautious of people’s identity and what I say.” She shared that she strives to listen to herself and what other people say so she can stop microaggressions from happening. Other students mentioned that learning about microaggressions helped them respect others people’s feelings at a much higher level than in the past. We believe that our microaggression session has helped with this problem one slideshow at a time.

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Curtis believes that children learn best and flourish most when they encounter perspectives, people, backgrounds, and experiences other than their own. The school has developed an anti-bias curriculum that has been formally implemented in every grade level. It teaches children to respect every family’s background and introduces cultural competency skills by addressing the impact of stereotypes, bias, and discrimination. The effectiveness of the school’s efforts is strongly supported by our Parents Association and individual parents who take an active role in bringing a variety of cultural experiences to our students and sharing their own family traditions in the classrooms. Among the enriching experiences our parents, working with the school, offered our students this year were beautiful celebrations of Diwali and Lunar New Year and commemorations in the classrooms of a variety of holidays observed around the world, including Día de los Muertos, Hanukkah, Christmas, Noruz, and more. In addition, Mrs. Sarah Ballas, 5th Grade Teacher, continued her annual observance of Greek New Year’s for her students by baking and serving a cake with a hidden coin whose finder is ensured good luck in the coming year. Although we were unable to host our hugely popular annual Go Global Week and International Lunch Day on campus this spring, our students were eager to share their identity in their homerooms by dressing in the clothing of their heritage and speaking to their family history. 1. Students made diyas for Diwali; 2. the Alvarados presented about Día de los Muertos; 3, 4, 5 & 8. students shared their heritage in dress during Go Global Week; many families told about their holiday traditions, including 6. Hanukkah (Golditch and Eshaghoff families pictured) and 7. Armenian Christmas, for which students made crowns following a presentation by the Simonian family; 9. the Mendoza and Huang families hosted a Lunar New Year performance.

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Growing Cultural Literacy in Partnership with Parents

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Curtis Educational Travel Fellowship Program The Educational Travel Fellowship Program offers our teachers a unique opportunity to engage in fieldwork, conduct research, and collaborate with educators and organizations anywhere in the world. These experiences, made possible by the generosity of key donors, enrich our learning community by creating new perspectives, promoting crosscultural competency, and fostering global thinking in our classrooms.

By Jessica Pezdek, Spanish Teacher and World Languages Curriculum Coordinator, 2019-20 The sun was tucked behind the mountains in a small Spanish town when I awoke to the rustling of backpacks. Sleepily, I rolled over to see several empty bunk beds: signs of pilgrims who had made an early departure. Feeling a surge of optimism at this new day, I snapped awake in eager anticipation of the adventures ahead and readied myself for another day of hiking the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. This particular day would be the most strenuous yet. The 20 miles between La Faba and my next destination would take me across mountains, through rural towns long since abandoned, and into the autonomous region of Galicia. I would carry my supplies in my backpack and stop at cafés and restaurants for meals offering an inexpensive “pilgrim’s menu.” A few hours up a dirt path, panting with exertion and dripping in sweat, I relished the feeling of aliveness provoked by the demanding physicality and familiar views. Although halfway across the world, the verdant hills sprinkled with cows and the fresh air reminded me of my home in central New York. Rounding a bend, the local one-room schoolhouse-turned-café appeared to my hungry eyes like a mirage. I sat at a little table outside and ordered a delicious breakfast of tortilla española, zumo de naranja y pan con tomate. As I ate, I noticed the pilgrims passing by, each one moving at their own pace.

“¡BUEN CAMINO!” WAS LIKE MUSIC FLOATING THROUGH THE AIR, A KICK OF ENCOURAGEMENT SHARED BETWEEN PILGRIMS AS THEY PASSED EACH OTHER.”

“¡Buen camino!” was like music floating through the air, a kick of encouragement shared between pilgrims as they passed each other. I heard it repeated often as I sat on my little perch enjoying my food. This customary show of camaraderie struck me as a poignant metaphor. While it literally translates to “good way,” as in “have an enjoyable experience walking the Camino” or “good luck” or “you got this,” it can also be interpreted as “have a good life” or “I wish you the best on your Way, your Life.” Most often, this was spoken to someone likely never to be encountered again. This small, forgettable gesture of humanity woven in humble words was deeply resonant. Here we were, a little cohort of hikers on a little dirt path in a little slice of the world sharing a fated experience. On the Camino, I had hoped to gain an understanding of the evolving identities of northern Spain in an attempt to understand aspects of California’s identity as a former Spanish colony. How has the Camino de Santiago (re)molded the identities of the communities it traverses? Are there parallels between the Camino de Santiago and the Camino Real in California? The interactions with local farmers and shopkeepers and Spaniards across generations and in different parts of the country helped me appreciate the complexities inherent in identity. It also helped me bring these stories back to Curtis in a more meaningful way. In Spanish class, we look at how our identities are shaped by culture, language(s), age and life experiences, among other things. Our students are eager to learn about the perspectives of others. If not for the opportunity to hike the Camino, I would not have been as prepared as I was to join them on this journey.

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Spain: ¡Buen Camino!

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A Librarian’s Journey to Middle-Earth and Back By Karen Nguyen, Associate Librarian Ever since I picked up J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, I’ve wanted to be a hobbit. This past summer, I came very close to realizing this dream when I donned a hobbit cloak and set foot in Hobbiton, the Auckland movie set used in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations. This was the perfect starting point for my adventures in New Zealand and Australia as I focused on exploring literature and libraries in this region. A Book Lover’s Paradise I visited two UNESCO Cities of Literature during my travels, Dunedin and Melbourne. They were truly a book lover’s paradise. An abundance of bookstores and libraries provided easy access to books anywhere in the city. In Melbourne, I was awestruck by the State Library of Victoria’s domed reading room. With natural lighting and inspiring literary quotes adorning its walls, the space is conducive to reading or researching for hours. In Dunedin’s city center, I enjoyed reading plaques set in pavement featuring quotes from renowned New Zealand writers and poets. Surrounded by this love of literature, I could not help but be drawn to books and the joys of reading during my time in both cities. I often refer to my trip as the “Library Tour,” because I made sure to check out the local libraries in every city. Each library was unique but had in common a dedication to serving the needs of their community. A great example of this is the newly constructed Tūranga Christchurch Central Library. In partnership with Matapopore cultural advisors, it was designed as a “bicultural storehouse of knowledge” and incorporates indigenous values and voices throughout. It stands as a golden beacon in a city recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2011 and offers a muchneeded community gathering space. There’s No Place Like the Library In addition to visiting libraries, I attended the Australian Librarian and Information Association (ALIA) New Librarians’ Symposium in Adelaide to hear from librarians about their work. Some projects include creating GPS-based audio tours of a city and utilizing zines to harness local knowledge. The presentations were professionally enriching and showed that while libraries are changing, they are remaining true to their core value of serving the community as a place of information, learning, and knowledge sharing. Bookending My Journey Though highlights from my journey include feeding lemurs and interacting with kangaroos, I was impacted most by the libraries I visited and the welcoming librarians and library staff that I met along the way. A librarian at Carey Baptist Grammar School, an independent school in Victoria, AU, even showed me around the junior school library, and it was uplifting to find many similarities to Curtis School Library. I am eager to translate the knowledge from my travels to our library and hope to spark the joys of reading in our students. Perhaps one day, a student will resonate so much with a book that it will set them off on their own journey, much like Tolkien’s books did for me. Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam and I wouldn’t have gotten far without the help and support of so many. I am grateful to the Curtis School Educational Travel Grant, my travel companions, and all the generous people I met on my travels who enriched my experience.

“IN MELBOURNE, I WAS AWESTRUCK BY THE STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA’S DOMED READING ROOM. WITH NATURAL LIGHTING AND INSPIRING LITERARY QUOTES ADORNING ITS WALLS, THE SPACE IS CONDUCIVE TO READING OR RESEARCHING FOR HOURS.”

“THIS EXTENSIVE JOURNEY HELPED ME ACHIEVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW A CULTURE’S STORIES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT LIVE SIDE BY SIDE AND HOW PEOPLE’S OWN LIFE STORIES AND IDENTITY INFLUENCE PERSPECTIVE.”

By Debra Cohen, Fourth Grade Teacher Once upon a time … just kidding! Well, not really. My trip to Greece and Italy was truly a fairy tale come true. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to travel and see the ancient ruins of those two fascinating countries. Being an Upper Elementary Division educator offers me the opportunity to impact multiple areas of the 4th Grade curriculum and my trip was designed to help me increase this impact. My trip focused on how cultures tell the story of the past, and these countries are rare in that ancient history is still very much a part of modern life. By absorbing the rich history and daily life of Greece and Italy, I hoped to be able to learn how humans tell stories of the past and the present through artifacts, traditions, and personal experience. I began my travels in Athens, Greece, and I immediately immersed myself in both its ancient past and modern civilization. By day, I saw the “sacred rock,” or Acropolis, with its Parthenon that was dedicated to the goddess Athena (Parthenos), Propylaea, and Temple of Athena-Nike. At night, I visited the Plaka, Athens’ famous shopping quarter, where Greek culture is alive and well. Greek music could be heard through the alley-lined streets, and the aroma of moussaka, baklava, and portokalopita filled the air. One cannot go to Greece and not have ellinikos, Greek coffee, which the people take very seriously. Evenings are spent languishing at the table, enjoying food and the company of family and friends. “Γεια σου” (“welcome”) greeted me wherever I went. I spent time learning from guides who were incredibly engaging and shared stories of Greece’s past and their own personal stories of their family’s history. From Athens, I visited the ancient cities of Sparta, Delphi, and Olympia (where I had the chance to run into the ancient Olympic stadium). I then flew to Santorini, which is one of Greece’s most beautiful islands. Santorini, officially Thira, is the largest island in a small, circular archipelago, the remnant of a volcanic caldera. The white buildings set against the beautiful clear blue sea make it magical. After spending six incredible days in Greece, I journeyed to Southern Italy. Italy and Greece are very similar in terms of the importance of family, food, and history. “Ciao” became my new daily greeting along with “un caffè, per piacere.” Coffee has developed its own culture in Italy. The day is defined by coffee rituals: a cappuccino with breakfast, a caffè macchiato as an afternoon pick-me-up, and espresso after dinner. I fit into this lifestyle very easily. Who knew I was Italian? From Catania, I flew to Milan where my true travel fantasy came true. For years, I dreamed of having a home base where I could just wake up and decide where to go for the day. I used Milan as my home base. I put on my walking shoes, bought train tickets and traveled throughout Northern Italy, where I immersed myself in the culture. Along the way, I enjoyed fresh pizza, pasta, and of course, gelato, as I walked the streets until late at night, savoring every minute of the welcoming Italian culture and cuisine. This extensive journey helped me achieve an understanding of how a culture’s stories of the past and present live side by side and how people’s own life stories and identity influence perspective. I look forward to infusing my 4th Grade social studies curriculum with what I learned and creating for my students a rich jumping-off point for the family history project. Grazie mille and Σας ευχαριστώ (Thank you)!

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Greece and Italy: One Foot in the Past and One in the Present

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Land of Hope By D’vora Taus-Kahn, Sixth-Grade Teacher

With a population of 8.7 million and a land area roughly the size of New Jersey. Israel is a country whose historical, cultural, and political significance loom larger than its geography. Canaan (ancient Israel) was a geographic bridge between Mesopotamia and Egypt, both of which are studied in the sixth grade. Modern Israel is governed by a parliamentary democracy, and women have served in the military and as leaders of government since its inception―indeed, in 1969, a woman, Golda Meir, was Prime Minister. While Israel’s population includes families who have lived there since Biblical times, it is also a country of immigrants and is home to Holocaust survivors, refugees from the former Soviet Union, and transplants from culturally diverse areas including Iraq, Morocco, and Ethiopia. Twenty percent of the population identifies as Palestinians, most of whom are Muslim. Additional minorities include Bedouin, Druze, and Christians. While most groups live peaceably with each other, tensions exist internally in Israel and with its neighbors. The country is a world leader in medicine, technology, and innovation, but its post-Holocaust establishment as a Jewish state is a source of controversy. Sixth-grade social studies encompasses ancient civilizations and themes of tolerance. Since Israel is important to three monotheistic religions, my travel was predicated on the idea that visiting multicultural and interfaith sites would deepen my appreciation and understanding of other cultures and allow me to reflect on issues surrounding diversity and inclusivity. Upon our arrival, I noticed rainbow flags on the hotel and on the streets. I learned that 250,000 people from the Middle East and regions across the globe had just participated in the week-long festivities and Pride parade that Tel Aviv websites describe as “a celebration of acceptance, love and joy for individuals of every gender, religion and color.” This seemed an auspicious beginning. One early adventure took us to Petra in Jordan. Our guide for the drive talked to us about the Bedouin people, Jordan’s culture of tolerance, and the country’s stability, security, and economic development. By the time we arrived, the temperature had swelled to 105 degrees. The slot canyons offered no relief from the relentless heat, as we made our way through the Siq. I was impressed by the ingenuity of the irrigation systems the Nabateans developed to help them survive in the desert by protecting the city from floodwaters while harvesting and storing rainwater for dry seasons. Ancient irrigation is a topic covered in sixthgrade social studies, where we learn about the development of agrarian civilizations. Once through the canyon, The Treasury is revealed—an impressive 130-foot high structure carved out of the rock. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Our return to Israel saw us spending another day under the sun trekking through another UNESCO Site. Masada, originally built by Herod as a castle, is better known as the last holdout for Jewish resistance fighters against Roman conquest. The story of Masada is both tragic and heroic, and the site garners visitors from all over the world. We moved on to Jerusalem where our first stop was Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This allowed me to reflect on the unit I teach about the Holocaust as a lens for human behavior. Exhibits trace

“SINCE ISRAEL IS IMPORTANT TO THREE MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS, MY TRAVEL WAS PREDICATED ON HAVING MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO REFLECT ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY.”

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Land of Hope – Continued from page 22 rising anti-Semitism in Europe that led to genocide. The museum houses testimony dedicated to the remembrance of victims, the strength of survivors, and the bravery of non-Jewish rescuers all over the world who faced unimaginable risks to help persecuted people. It was a powerful affirmation of the importance of teaching tolerance. In the Tower of David Museum, we learned about Jerusalem as a cultural tapestry woven by conquering rulers across time, each one leaving his mark on the city, its landmarks, and inhabitants. The holiest site in Judaism is the Western Wall, and our time there was particularly meaningful, as I watched my son don the prayer shawl (tallit) and phylacteries (tefillin) and read from the Torah. We traveled north to Haifa and the famed Bahá'í Gardens—another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Baha’i believe all religions are worthwhile and espouse the unity and equality of all people. I learned about the garden’s symbolism and that Israel is home to the religion’s most sacred sites. The other site is in Akko, which was our next destination. There we visited the Al-Jazzar Mosque, also known as the White Mosque. We enjoyed the tranquil courtyard and were able to peer inside a prayer room that was beautiful and ornate. We heard the haunting and melodic chant of a call to prayer as we set off for the Crusaders’ Fortress and its underground tunnels to round out the day. Our last days in Israel were spent near the Galilee, exploring Christian sites. We visited Capernaum, which has ruins of what is believed to have been St. Peter’s house. We ventured to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus is believed to have delivered his famous Sermon. Although much is made of the Jewish and Muslim claims and disputes, Israel is significant for the roots of Christianity, and our final stop was Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. Israel is a land of diversity that bridges antiquity and modernity. My vision for this trip was to explore the intersections of history, culture, and religion, and each site, interaction, and reflective moment connected with my curriculum. I am grateful for this opportunity, as my travel to Israel provided a meaningful experience that left an ineffable imprint on me as a human being and educator.

By Olivia Siegels, Kindergarten Teacher Traveling to Thailand for two and a half weeks in the summer of 2019 was one of the most exciting and influential trips I have ever had the privilege to experience. Elephants have long been my favorite animal, and animal cruelty is an issue I feel very passionate about. I chose to focus specifically on the plight of the Asian elephant, because elephant riding is one of Thailand’s top tourist attractions. In fact, the most common piece of advice I received from family and friends was, “Make sure you ride an elephant!” Unfortunately, this seemingly fun adventure wreaks havoc on the lives of these magnificent creatures and shortens their lifespans by decades. Elephants have long been used for the entertainment and profit of humans. Due to the growing number of tourists to certain parts of Asia, one of the popular activities advertised is being able to ride an elephant for a fee. Although the animals appear docile while tourists ride on their backs, most visitors are unaware of the brutal treatment young elephants must endure to develop into submissive adults. The demand for this popular tourist attraction perpetuates the cycle of abuse. Thankfully, several organizations in Thailand have stepped forward to try to end the cycle. After an extensive review, I ultimately chose to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation in Phetchaburi, the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) in Chiang Mai, and the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Phuket.

“I WANT MY STUDENTS TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO BECOME INVOLVED IN A CAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT, WHETHER THAT BE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME OR COLLECTING DONATIONS.”

While I enjoyed visiting the Wildlife Friends Foundation and the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary during two day trips, my overnight stay at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) was the most impactful and memorable part of my experience. When we arrived at ENP, we were greeted by our guide, who immediately took us on an extensive tour of the grounds. We met several elephants, including one that was over 100 years old and two siblings that had been born in the park a few years ago. After spending the day watching the elephants eat, bathe, and play, we retired to our cabin adjacent to the pens where the elephants slept. We could hear them moving around and softly trumpeting all night. The following morning, we visited ENP’s newest enclosure that had not yet been opened to the public. Our overnight group was able to take bags of food to feed a hungry group of female elephants their breakfast. Over the course of our two days at ENP, we had many opportunities to wander around the grounds, feed and interact with elephants, and learn about the incredible work being done by the organization. Having had the opportunity to learn about the rehabilitation efforts being undertaken by ENP, the Wildlife Friends Foundation, and the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, I want to inspire our students to advocate for issues that they are passionate about. Especially as a Kindergarten teacher, I want my students to know that they are never too young to become involved in a cause they care about, whether that be volunteering their time or collecting donations. By teaching my students a series of specifically constructed lessons, my passion for helping end the cycle of elephant cruelty will encourage them to think about pressing issues they feel empowered to address. When asked what is the single most important thing that visitors can do going forward, Elephant Nature Park founder Lek Chailert entreated, “Please educate people.” As a teacher, I aim to do just that.

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Saving Thailand’s Gentle Giants

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Faculty Transitions Meet Our New Directors

Director of Equity, Curriculum and Instruction We are proud and excited to announce that Curtis has created a new directorship for Equity, Curriculum and Instruction (ECI) and appointed Janet Lee to this key position. As Director of ECI, Ms. Lee will work with the faculty and the academic team to oversee curriculum alignment and assessment philosophy and will undertake the critically important role of implementing and ensuring best practices in anti-bias teaching and learning at Curtis. Before her appointment at Curtis, Ms. Lee was an educator at the Center for Early Education (CEE) for 11 years, where she taught Kindergarten and 5th grade before taking on the role as a math specialist and leading the implementation of Singapore Math into CEE’s curriculum. Ms. Lee also launched CEE’s Balanced Literacy curriculum (also practiced at Curtis),

and created a curriculum digest outlining the cumulative skills and concepts taught from Toddler through 6th grade. Prior to working at CEE, Ms. Lee was a Kindergarten teacher and an after-school teacher of Mandarin at Girls Prep Charter School in New York City. She holds an A.B. in East Asian Studies from Princeton University and an M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood General Education from Bank Street College of Education. Ms. Lee has extensive experience in many of the programs and initiatives that are a part of Curtis’s curriculum. She is trained in Responsive Classroom practices; she served as advisor in CEE’s new 6th grade advisory program; and she participated in the rollout of the RULER program and a lengthy schedule audit, both of which Curtis is in the process of implementing. Her years at CEE have given Ms. Lee a front row seat in one of the leading elementary schools for diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Ms. Lee was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and is a native Mandarin speaker. She emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 6 and grew up in Long Island, where music (she is a classically trained violist) and track and field/cross country were her passions. She and her husband have a 2½-year-old son and 6-month-old daughter, and together they enjoy snuggling up with books and laughing a lot. Ms. Lee is excited to join Curtis’s faculty and administrative team and describes herself as being “compelled to further the cause of anti-racism as it is foundational to the betterment of our society and the upbringing of children in it.”

Janet Lee Director of Equity, Curriculum and Instruction

We are delighted to introduce our community to Tessa McKeown, who steps into the role of Director of Lower Elementary in 2020-21. Ms. McKeown is formerly the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Mirman School, and prior to her tenure at Mirman, she worked in a variety of instructional leadership roles in elementary schools for the Orange County Public Schools system in Orlando, Florida. Ms. McKeown earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida, an M.S. in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University, and has a certificate in School Leadership and Management from Harvard University. Her experience both at Mirman and in the Florida public school system has given her in-depth exposure to many programs in use at Curtis: Writers Workshop, RULER, Responsive Classroom, and diversity equity and inclusivity and anti-bias curricula. She is a nationally recognized expert in differentiated learning and is often asked to consult with other schools about this subject. Curtis’s lower elementary faculty, school administrators and representatives from our Parents Association, and Board of Trustees had the chance to meet Ms. McKeown before the school closed due to the pandemic. Ms. McKeown relates: “From the moment I stepped onto the Curtis campus, I sensed a genuine depth of connection amongst the faculty and administrators I encountered. That same feeling carried throughout the day as I was able to meet with parents and members of the Board of Trustees. In the classrooms, I observed students and teachers engaged in joyful learning and could picture my own child there. For me, that is the true test of an institution, feeling that you would entrust your own child to the care of educators and leaders within a school. I truly look forward to being part of such a caring community that puts the well-being of students at the center of it all.” Ms. McKeown grew up in Merritt Island, a small coastal town in Florida. She knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher and was awarded a scholarship while in high school for an essay she wrote about her dream to build a better future through education. Ms. McKeown and her husband have two children, Parker (11) and Cora (9). Parker will remain at Mirman for his 6th grade year, while Cora joins our 4th grade this year. When not working, Ms. McKeown enjoys camping with her family, hiking, and indoor cycling. (She admits, “I caved and bought a Peloton during this pandemic.”) Ms. McKeown describes herself as a “voracious reader who usually has multiple books going at one time.” Ms. McKeown appreciates the equal emphasis Curtis puts on developing the physical, social and emotional, and cognitive skills of students, and notes, “In every conversation I have had and meeting that I’ve been part of, I have seen the mission lived out. There are no decisions made at Curtis without centering around what’s best for children.” She is excited to be part of the Curtis community and looks forward to building relationships and creating memories for years to come.

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Director of Lower Elementary Division

Tessa McKeown Director of Lower Elementary

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A Musical Coda: Jimmy Worth Retires The 2019-20 school year marked Jimmy Worth’s 20th year teaching at Curtis and his transition from Director of Choral and Instrumental Programs and Fourth Grade Music Teacher to retirement and new beginnings as he looks forward to a more rural life and to composing and publishing his musical compositions. Mr. Worth has left a monumental imprint on generations of Curtis students and families. His encyclopedic knowledge of music, skill and sensitivity as a teacher, and deep devotion to Curtis students are universally recognized and will be sorely missed. Hired in 2000 by then Headmaster Stephen Switzer to teach music in Grades 4-8, he quickly created robust in-house programs for both Choir and Orchestra, with the goal of making them open to all Upper Elementary students and an integral part of the life of the school and the Curtis experience. He founded the school’s instrumental/orchestra program and grew its choral program from a handful of students to a full-fledged choir of dozens of singers organized into sections by vocal range. Students in Choir and Orchestra together have numbered from 90 to as many as 130, a significant proportion of the Upper Elementary and a testament to the music program’s popularity among UE students.

As the general music teacher for 4th Grade, Mr. Worth continually refined the music curriculum to reflect that grade’s social studies focus so that students would make and understand connections between musical periods, composers and compositions, and the social movements and history being taught in the core academic program. His creative direction gave our 4th Grade families so many special memories of grade-level and Winter and Spring Concert performances. Mr. Worth has been infinitely imaginative in creating opportunities for our students to perform and express themselves musically. He took our Choir and Orchestra to perform at the Forum Music Festival for 17 and 15 years respectively. It is beyond remarkable that Choir earned gold ratings for every performance they gave during 17 years (including in their first year of existence), and Orchestra received only gold and silver ratings for their performances at the festivals, which feature almost exclusively middle and high school groups. He brought us Choir and Orchestra Showcases. He created Baroque Concerts, which increased our students’ depth of knowledge in that musical period and also allowed our students to perform more solos and duets. Most recently, he created the Concert of the Masters for Choir and Orchestra to expose them to a wider range of musical periods. These evenings have been magical, both for our performing students and those attending. Mr. Worth’s seemingly endless energy and enthusiYou taught with your heart and soul, and the kids felt it. You gave each asm for teaching came from one of them a chance to participate and shine and be a part of the the joy he had in fostering music that celebrated holidays and marked milestones. …The consistent in Curtis children a life-long outcome was that the children were successful in that they felt so proud passion for music and the to represent our school both on campus and out in the world. ability to express themselves — Saken Family (Rio, Karen, Kai ’15, Piper ’18) through music. There was virtually no time during the school day when Mr. Worth could not be found helping and working with his students, and the foundation he provided inspired many of our students to continue to study and perform music in middle school, high school, and beyond. When asked what he will miss most about Curtis, unsurprisingly, his reply was simply: “The children.” His dedication has been unmatched, and we wish him all the best in this well-deserved transition.

What an incredible 20-year career making beautiful music at Curtis School. You have left a legacy that will not be forgotten. Hundreds of students have learned to appreciate and love music because of your passion. — Meera Ratnesar, Head of School

You have taught me discipline, allowed me to try my hand at every instrument and role, and gave me leadership opportunities that allowed me to feel empowered and motivated. — Daniel Novikov ’15

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Fair Winds and Following Seas, Sarina Fierro! At the end of the 2019-20 school year, we said a bittersweet goodbye to Sarina Fierro, Head of the Lower Elementary Division, as she moved on to become the founding lower elementary division head of a brand new school, Avenues Silicon Valley. For 17 years, Sarina served Curtis with a deep commitment to the education and growth of students and the professional development of all the teachers in her division. We are so very grateful for her devotion and the many contributions she made to our school and community. A gifted and inspiring teacher, Sarina began her career at Curtis in 2002 as a lead teacher in First Grade and her teaching talents were immediately apparent. Her leadership ability was also evident from the start, and within two years, she was appointed Head of the Lower Elementary Division with responsibility each year for some 230 students and their families, and 33 faculty members. Over the course of her time as head, she ushered 3,893 students through the lower elementary. Sarina leaves an extraordinary legacy at Curtis. She founded and grew the Associate Teacher program, coaching and mentoring young teachers to take their place as lead teachers both at Curtis and in the wider educational community. She helped launch curricular initiatives such as Balanced Literacy and Responsive Classroom, and most recently, she helped create and implement the school’s Anti-Bias curriculum.

Sarina consistently cultivated a growth mindset among her faculty, and her leadership and mentorship have been pivotal in creating a truly collegial and mutually supportive community of educators at Curtis. Her Families honored Dr. Fierro with waves and shouts of appreciation at wisdom, insights, and superlative judgment made her the bittersweet end-of-the-year car parade. a trusted and valued member of the administrative leadership team. She was a generous and supportive colleague to all, and her administrative and curriculum expertise, positive energy, enthusiasm, and friendship have left an indelible mark on our community. Dr. Ratnesar says, “My gratitude knows no bounds when it comes to the great thought partnership I had with Sarina. While it is hard to say goodbye to her, we couldn’t be more proud. Her being tapped to head the lower division at the brand-new Avenues Silicon Valley school is a real feather in Curtis’s cap. What a prestigious honor for her and for us!” Reflecting on her time at Curtis, Sarina writes, “For 17 years, Curtis has been my home: a place of support, surprise, inspiration, and trust. ... There is no amount of thanks that could measure my gratitude. In my new role as the founding Lower Division Head of Avenues Silicon Valley, I will experience new challenges and thrilling possibilities; and, at the same time, this transition is so bittersweet because I will miss my role at Curtis very much! ... To the students of Curtis―the very best part of being here, each of you have taught me numerous lessons on how to be young, how to cherish childhood, and how to improve always. You are a generation of change-makers!” Farewell, but not goodbye, Mrs. Fierro!

The school year opened with a transition to new leadership for the Alumni Council: Darren Cohen ’88, president; Lloyd Bunnak ’85, vice president; and Patricia Petrie Weg ’94, secretary. We thank outgoing President Jill Carmel ’85 and Vice President Allison Jacoby ’83 for their many contributions and generous gifts of time, energy, and love for the school as officers of the Alumni Council. We were fortunate to have them continue on and lend their insights and expertise. The Alumni Council quickly got down to work setting priorities and goals for the school year. Although the emergence in 2020 of the coronavirus pandemic curtailed alumni events planned for spring, we were still able to host the alumni lounge, now called the “Cougar Café,” where we welcomed back former students at the Fair, and the year was marked by considerable progress. We launched several new initiatives, including a twice-yearly newsletter, “Alumni CougarNotes,” and the Curtis Alumni Class Ambassador Program, which is designed to strengthen the connection between alumni and the school. In our first phase of outreach for the new Curtis Alumni Class Ambassador Program, we were thrilled to enlist over The Council kicked off a productive year with their 30 class ambassadors. We hope to have our second phase of annual fall get-together at the beach. Thank you to Andy Miller ‘65, who provided the relaxing venue with outreach complete with a published list of ambassadors by sunset-over-the-ocean view. 2021. A strong alumni network is a reflection of all that Curtis has become in its 95 years. We deeply value our alumni. Becoming an engaged alumnus, sharing memories of your time at Curtis, contributing your expertise and insights―these provide the fuel that helps sustain our vibrant and productive Curtis community. In order to support the graduating 6th grade class, who missed out on their final months on campus as Curtis Cougars, the Alumni Council came up with a few wonderful virtual alternatives to the on-campus events. We rolled out a Young Alumni Cougar Conversations (formerly 6th Grade Roundtable) mentorship program that paired the Curtis Class of 2020 (rising 7th graders) with Curtis alumni at the middle schools where the students are matriculating. The secondary school Curtis mentors welcomed the younger students and were able to help answer questions and provide a source of support. In addition, 6th graders received a letter writing kit they could use to memorialize themselves in 2020 and which the school will return to them in spring 2026 at their Senior Send-off.

Above: Ainsley M. '24 and Ethan M. '20. We missed gathering with our Curtis legacy families at the annual spring Curtis Legacy Breakfast but mailed home t-shirts to be worn with Cougar Pride.

Finally, and not least, we were heartbroken that we couldn’t bring our alumni who graduated from high school in spring 2020 back to campus for the traditional Senior Send-off in May. Curtis sends off the Class of 2014 with all of our Cougar love and pride and we look forward to hosting a Class of 2014 reunion on campus when it’s safe to gather again.

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Alumni Year In Review

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Jaden Amersi Anselmo

Alumni Community Service Grant News Established in 2017, the Curtis Alumni Community Service Grant Program has quickly become a highlight of the year in alumni affairs. Its purpose is to support and recognize our young alumni who demonstrate a commitment to serving the greater good. Alumni currently attending high school are encouraged to apply for a $500 grant to be applied to a summer community service project they are associated with through their work with a non-profit organization. The Curtis Alumni Council selects for awards applicants who demonstrate the following: “Our graduates have purpose beyond themselves: they recognize how their contributions can bring about change and positivity, and understand their responsibility to the greater good.” We congratulate this year’s two grant recipients: Jaden Amersi Anselmo ’17 and Adam Blackman ’15. We are proud to see so many of our former students actively engaged in a wide range of valuable causes and projects (see Grant Finalists on page 33).

2020 Alumni Curtis Community Service Grant Winners Jaden Amersi Anselmo (Curtis ’17, Windward ’23)

received a grant for his work with Music Mends Minds, a community music program for senior patients with dementia and neurodegenerative brain disorders. The organization improves the lives of elderly neurologically-impaired patients through the healing power of music. The grant will fund music therapists who work with the senior patients and ongoing research and programs that spread awareness about the beneficial effects of music therapy in delaying the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. During the pandemic, Jaden has been playing music for the seniors via Zoom three times a week. He is also playing once a week in person to a very isolated patient with severe Alzheimer’s disease, who responds to his music with foot taps. Jaden shared in his application, “I initially thought that my presence as the youngest band member [playing with patients] would be a gift for the seniors. However, with time,

I have come to learn how valuable they have been to my life. I have learned lifelong lessons about the importance of human dignity and the impact of music on healing our brains and hearts, irrespective of our age and health.”

Adam Blackman (Curtis ’15, Harvard-Westlake '21) is a founder of Teens for Teens, part of a larger organization called Present Now that provides support, connection, and special gifts to teenage boys living in 36 domestic abuse shelters. Adam says, “The boys in shelters that we assist have escaped from an unsafe home. They have so little. Many of them are fearful, disoriented, traumatized. They have experienced violence and a complete lack of stability. Although we cannot fix everything, I feel that giving these boys a great present on their birthday and helping them feel celebrated and cared for on one special day is a start. It is something positive in their lives, and it is a simple way that my group can begin to make a change in their environment.” Adam’s grant from the Alumni Council will supplement donations to the organization and help assemble quality packages for the teens. During COVID-19, the volunteers have been dropping cupcakes off to the domestic abuse shelters. Safety measures have prevented direct contact with the kids and a special sporting event has been postponed, but Teens for Teens is working remotely over Zoom to plan future fundraising and manage gifting logistics.

Adam Blackman

The Alumni Council thanks all of the young alumni who participated in the grant process for giving so generously of themselves to so many worthy and noble causes. You are truly stewarding Curtis’s mission of a compassionate heart within the larger Los Angeles community.

Finalists Cate Elson (’16) Upward Bound House

Ben Jacoby (Curtis ’16, Harvard-Westlake ’22) serves on the Youth Leadership Board of Harlem Lacrosse Los Angeles. The non-profit is a sports-based development program that helps at-risk students reach their full personal potential through a wrap-around program of academic support, mentoring, leadership training, college readiness, career exploration, and admissions counseling. Ben Jacoby

Mission: “To eliminate homelessness among families with children in Los Angeles by providing housing, supportive services, and advocacy.”

Nicholas Guagliano (’17) Our House Grief Support Center―Camp Erin Mission: “To provide children an opportunity to learn coping skills, enjoy traditional summer camp activities, and connect with other children who are also grieving the death of someone close.”

Lily Gussman (’14) Thirst Project

Mission: “To work with young people to end the global water crisis by building freshwater wells in developing communities that need safe, clean drinking water.”

Hannah Joe (’15) and Parker van Dyk (’15) Wags and Walks

Mission: “To reduce the number of dogs in Los Angeles shelters by finding them loving, forever homes.”

Asher Schwartz (’15) Wise Readers to Leaders

Mission: “To close the literacy achievement gap for youth from low-income communities and to nurture future leaders for a diverse world through service learning, cross-cultural leadership and enrichment programs.”

Emily Walker (’14) Kids Against Animal Poaching (Founder)

Mission: “To eliminate animal poaching in Africa and around the world so future generations can see elephants, rhinos, lions, and zebras in a place other than an old book.”

Isabella Welsh (’16) The Gentle Barn

Mission: “Teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other and our planet.”

Ben’s grant enabled 25 children to attend the organization’s summer sleepaway camp in 2019. Ben reports, “Camp is a great opportunity for kids to create friendships and have fun in nature, making memories and bonds that will never be forgotten. None of the kids attending overnight camp have been fortunate enough to attend a sleepaway camp before, and many have never been away [from home] or outside an urban environment.” The global pandemic has significantly impacted the organization’s ability to do its good work. Without the school infrastructure, the ability to gather in person and run camps, and because a large percentage of the children don’t have access to WiFi, contacting and motivating students is more challenging for Lacrosse Los Angeles volunteers. Nevertheless, the organization has continued to tutor and mentor whenever possible. Ben remains active in Harlem Lacrosse and looks forward to the time when the regular, in-person work of the organization and the camps can start again.

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Applauding All Grant Application Finalists

UPDATE: 2019 Award Recipient Ben Jacoby

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COLLEGE DURING COVID-19: How Education Changed Overnight Alumni from the Curtis 6th grade Classes of 2010-2013, attending college or university in spring 2020, provide a window into how the pandemic affected their lives and educational experience. What was your experience in the final months of the school year? Kenneth Noble (Curtis ’10) Brown University ’20, B.A., English and Africana Studies

What did you miss most about being on campus? Kenneth Noble “I would say singing and dancing. I really missed late afternoons when my former roommate would be on the piano. I lived on campus in a literary society, King House (a part of a larger society called St. Anthony Hall), made up of people who like to share artistic work, and we would sing songs that were popular on the radio or make up sound music. A former roommate was a noise musician, so sometimes when they would have their tracks on we would all dance.”

“A lot of my peers, especially in Africana Studies, were going back home and might not have internet connections and space, and there were huge financial problems for some in moving out of the dorms. We had a three-day notice and we had to pack up and went right into finals. We had to get everything done in the same amount of time without a library space and the ability to research. The Africana Studies Department, in particular, was really quite amazing. Professors tried to make graduation feel very special. They helped students from the Northeast move out and brought them food. I stayed in contact with a lot of people online, but a lot of the conversation was about grief and fear. Graduation time was useful and important in that way. You had wonderful news and celebration and you had a sort of built-in community while people were going through a horrible time.”

Anika Bhavnani (Curtis ’11), University of Miami ’21, Public Relations with minors in Advertising and Religion

Jack Shane (Curtis ’12), Bowdoin College ’22, double-major in Economics and Math

“I really missed my clubs, Kelley Student Government and the Shoebox (IU’s student startup incubator) and my routine. I was getting into a really good routine where I would spend Sundays in the library to get ahead on schoolwork for the week, so that during the week, I could do my hours at the Shoebox and take all of my meetings. I miss having order in my life. I’ve tried to have it during the quarantine, but it’s hard.”

“My experience in virtual learning was definitely a bit of a culture shock. It was very confusing for the first few weeks, feeling like I was simultaneously taking college-level classes while also feeling like I was on an extended spring break at home. My professors worked tirelessly to make the transition as smooth as possible, but it quickly became obvious how drastic the divide was between students with the capability to perform well at home and those who couldn’t due to factors outside of their control. I just hope that this fall my school works to make sure those differences don’t lead to some students having a leg up.”

“I’m a very social person, and need to be around people all the time. I missed making plans and the fun nights out at Monty’s, our favorite restaurant, with my friends. I’m involved in our campus’ full-service, student-run consultancy Orange Umbrella, where I missed meeting with my team. I also missed bringing people together within the Panhellenic community. We were working on an important vote, and I missed being able to talk to the deans and other student leaders in person.” Casey Curtis (Curtis ’13), Indiana University ’23, Kelley School of Business

What is the single most significant way that the pandemic has impacted your life as a college student? Were there any silver linings? Anika Bhavnani “The pandemic has taught me that I have to adapt easily and that things don’t always go according to

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plan. I’m the Panhellenic President at the University of Miami, and that was the hardest position to continue remotely. However, ittaught me to think on my feet, how to still be supportive during a crisis and how to make things happen remotely. You can never really predict what is going to happen, and I think that’s important to take into account as a leader.” Casey Curtis “I definitely took for granted the freedom that I had. Because I was so involved in the school, I could go into any office, see anyone, reserve any meeting. Now, I think, ‘Wow, I’m so grateful that I get to do the things that I get to do.’ I like to live such a fast-paced life and do so much at once, and all of a sudden, I wasn’t doing anything and I was really calm. It’s been nice to check in with myself―to ask, ‘How am I feeling?’ ‘What actually triggers me in life?’ I’m able to see how my schedule should be laid out moving forward. I need to have time.”

High School Insights

Kenneth Noble

Jack Shane

Anika Bhavnani

Two Curtis alumni reflect on how the pandemic affected the end of their freshman and senior high school experiences. Ryan Pinsker (Curtis ’17, Harvard-Westlake ’23) “It took a few days to adapt to the new technology, but for me, it was a smooth transition with a great finish. The courses became more lecture based which was fine, but I missed being with other people in class, studying with friends and hands-on learning.” Katie Suchniak (Curtis ‘14, Marlborough ’20) “Missing out on a majority of the senior traditions and activities was definitely difficult to cope with. I truly missed being able to hug and enjoy my friends, especially since I considered Marlborough my home away from home. Because of COVID-19, my last Varsity Lacrosse season was cut short, so I was bummed about not having my very last senior night. In May, Marlborough hosted a beautiful drive-through graduation, where I got to say goodbye to all my favorite teachers and have my diploma handed to me and feel supported by my community. In July, I participated in a Marlborough podcast that a teacher started during quarantine. In that episode, I and a few other students discussed our experiences with the BLM protests that occurred all across Los Angeles in June, as well as the progressive actions we want to see Marlborough and our country as a whole take to better the future of minorities everywhere.”

Casey Curtis

Ryan Pinsker

Katie Suchniak

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Point Of View

Schoolhouse Rock: Let’s Talk About Education By Jack Shane (Curtis ’12), Bowdoin College ’22 Schools across the country are grappling with an unforeseen enemy of the new school year: the COVID-19 virus. Will learning even take place on campus, and if so, in what form? At the time of this writing, some schools have already announced their intention to return in-person in the fall, others have held off making a decision until the risks are better understood. Those that have offered plans for returning have ranged from moving the semester earlier and removing fall break, as Notre Dame has decided, to smaller classes capable of physical distancing and daily sanitation, as some California public schools have announced, to fully remote schooling (except for a select group of students, such as low-income students) as Harvard and MIT are planning. Additionally, almost all schools that have gone back on campus have implemented some sort of “closed campus” model where visitors are all but banned and students have limited ability to leave campus. The efficacy of these decisions, however, hinges on the students' access to a reliable internet connection at home. For many low-income and/or rural families, this could be a problem. During the hectic move to remote learning in March, companies such as Comcast offered families without adequate internet connectivity free internet for two months. As schools negotiate the return to campus, the inequities at home, not just in internet capabilities, but in food accessibility, familial responsibilities, etc., must not be overlooked. If families are unable to acquire reliable internet service for the return to remote learning, the social inequities we already see in schools could be magnified even more. There are, however, some bright spots in the future of education. The rise of remote learning could help alleviate some of the massive debt that students hold, as more and more bootcamps and online courses pop up, which are drastically cheaper than an advanced degree. Adult learning is another area where the rise of remote learning is a pleasant surprise, allowing adult students to take classes on their own time and possibly for free. Overall, the pandemic has uncovered some glaring holes in our current educational system, but it has also shown us that education and ways of accessing it are able to change. Who knows, maybe in 15 years, the schoolhouse will no longer rock to its traditional beat but will find a whole new sound.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela

9 Million+

The number of children in the U.S. that lack sufficient internet access for remote learning, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The number of U.S. states and territories that required or recommended all schools to end in-person classes for spring 2020.

1970s Lisa Niver (’79) ponders, “Can it really be 40 years since we left Curtis School? I loved walking into school each day and talking to Baddy. I know he would be proud that I won a National Arts and Entertainment Journalism award in December 2019 for one of my travel segments on KTLA TV here in Los Angeles. Before COVID-19, I was traveling all the time and sharing my stories in Ms. Magazine, Wharton Magazine, and many others.” Lisa now has more than 1.2 million views on her “We Said Go Travel” Lisa Niver YouTube channel. She would love to reconnect with classmates, and you can find her online @WeSaidGoTravel.

Alex Quinn (’89) attended Curtis from Kindergarten through 8th Grade. His most treasured memories include the teachers’ exceptional warmth and commitment, after-school sports under the leadership of Coach David Pappin, and the many memorable special events: Red, White, and Blue Day, the Turkey Trot, the Curtis Fair, Father-Son Banquets, and Christmas recitals. After graduation, Alex attended Crespi High School in Encino, followed by Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a degree in Communications. After moving back to Los Angeles, Alex worked both behind and in front of the camera, following in the footsteps of his father, Anthony Quinn. He later transitioned Alex Quinn

1980s Jill Carmel (’85) is V.P. and General Counsel at J&D Financial, her husband David’s family business. The company provides factoring and purchase order financing services to small-to-medium sized businesses nationwide. Jill also serves on the advisory board of School Speaker Alliance of Los Angeles, a 13-school affiliation coordinating parent education programming. She is V.P. of Programming on the Executive Board for the group that coordinates the parent education program at Harvard-Westlake, where her daughter Sydney (’17) is a 10th grader and daughter Devon (’15) is a senior.

into event production, event marketing, and is now working to launch his own website/blog featuring a curated collection of Los Angeles activities, eateries, and more. He currently resides in Sherman Oaks with his wife Kristine and their precious 3-year-old son, River.

1990s Justin Mink (’94) shares, “As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I recently opened my own psychotherapy practice in

Culver City, where I see clients both in-person and virtually. I work with individuals who are facing addiction, depression, anxiety, and psychogenic pain (TMS), among other issues. My wife and I reside in Culver City and are parents to a rescue dog that is a genetic mixture of numerous breeds and appropriately named Alexander The Great.”

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Alumni Class Notes

Jessica (Sukov) Orenstein (’86) and her family are relocating to Norwich, Connecticut, after more than 40 years living in California. While packing for her two-week cross-country road trip with her daughter and three dogs, she came across old pictures of her 1st and 2nd Grade classes at Curtis (taught by Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Davis) and was very excited to share them on Facebook with fellow classmates of the 6th Grade Class of ’86.

Julia Michelson Richter (’94) is the Vice President of Strategy and Marketing at Private Health Management. She earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Ian, and children, Tanner and Hailey, live in Los Angeles. Patricia (Petrie) Weg (’94) writes, “I was fortunate to be a room parent for [my daughter] Polly’s Kindergarten class this past year at Curtis, which was especially meaningful since Ms. Morell was my Kindergarten teacher many years ago. As a family, we continue to feel the warmth and connectedness of the Curtis community, even during these challenging times. Polly (’26) is really looking forward to being in 1st Grade, and we cannot wait to see how she continues to learn and grow at Curtis!” Marshall Cole (’96) and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their third child on March 12, 2020. Margaux Ruth Cole joins older brother James and sister Caroline. James (’28) is entering Curtis this fall as a student in Developmental Kindergarten. Welcome, James! Max Mednik (’96) says, “The last few months have been an interesting period of transitions.” Max recently decided to depart from his last start-up, Epirus, where he was COO and to start exploring different opportunities to find his next entrepreneurial adventure. In the meantime, he has been

*Alumni are identified by their 6th Grade class year regardless which year they graduated or left Curtis.

Patricia Weg

City. Samantha is co-founder of the not-for-profit organization Give A Mask and holds a B.A. from The Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University.

Max Mednik

keeping himself and his son, Benji, busy at home during quarantine with sticker books, building blocks, and 3-D printing. Max and his wife, Suzanne, are excited to become Curtis parents, as Benji (’28) is a new DK student at Curtis this fall.

Amy Shaughnessy (’02) After ten years of working for Barbra Streisand, Kristin Chenoweth, and various television shows in Los Angeles, Amy moved to London, where she has lived for the last two and a half years, working and writing her one-woman show “An American in London.” Amy shares, “Due to COVID-19, the show was sadly postponed, so I’m back in LA with my family, regrouping and rethinking.” Amy Iman Nanji Family

Jason Warnke (’96) works in video game design and development for one of the biggest franchises in the console video game industry: Call of Duty. Jason has also spent time in the Freemium market, working for Zynga as a game designer and for Signia Venture Partners. He recently left Activision to take a role as lead game designer for Ascendant Studios and hopes to build the next big franchise. Jason lives in

Iman Nanji (’03) graduated with an M.B.A. and an M.P.P. from UCLA in June. She will join the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a consultant in its LA office in January 2021. Iman received a fellowship through BCG to work at a non-profit until she starts her job. She is working part-time at KIPP SoCal Public Schools, helping to strategize the reopening of its schools this fall. In her free time, Iman is learning Portuguese and exploring her new-found love of cooking. Amy Shaughnessy

hopes to perform her show in the new year and to continue her career in the entertainment industry.

Jason Warnke

San Rafael with his wife, Kaite, and two children, Liljequist and Mars. Jason takes pride in supporting his wife’s goal of earning a law degree from UC Hastings and “embarking into a career to save the world.”

2000s Samantha Moray (’01) moved back to Los Angeles in the fall of 2019 after 12 years in New York City. She currently oversees VIP and celebrity relations at Salvatore Ferragamo. Previously, she was the senior manager of public relations at Hermès, based in New York

their wedding earlier this year, she affirms, “We will be tying the knot no matter what in October and I cannot wait to become Mrs. Stoffers!”

Nicole Huenergardt (’03) shares, “My love for the film industry has not subsided as I continue to work on projects with my brother Charles (’00). Charles acquired Spacecam Systems Inc. in 2018, a company that manufactures camera support equipment for the television and motion picture industry, and brother and sister work to create the best camera support equipment available. Nicole’s passion continues in television and film producing/writing and her most recent documentary film, Center Ice, won three film festival awards. Nicole continues to expand her real estate portfolio as well, and currently is seeking representation in the real estate industry. Although she and her fiancé, Taylor, had to postpone

Molly Cox (’05) attended Crossroads School after Curtis and then Colby College, where she focused on Global Studies and Environmental Studies. After earning her undergraduate degree, she lived in Boston for a few years and worked in the solar industry. Molly now lives in New York City and is working in solar energy research at Wood Mackenzie. Molly continues to keep in touch with Curtis alumni in the area and recently attended a Curtis reunion! Brian Harwitt (’05) has lived in New York City for the past five years and currently works at CoVenture, focusing on investing in financial technology and digital media companies. Brian has

Harwitt

Brother

Hallie Brookman (’06) After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017, Hallie returned to Los Angeles, where she began working at United Talent Agency. She now works for the co-head of the endorsements and voiceover department, as well as the director of talent brand partnerships. She continues to play tennis and dance, and she sits on the Young Adult Campaign Cabinet of the Jewish Federation. Hallie looks forward to planning events and reconnecting with Curtis alums as one of Curtis’s new Class Ambassadors!

Hallie Brookman

Courtney O’Brien (’09) graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. from the School of Public and International Affairs and certificates in Global Health and Health Policy and Entrepreneurship. In January, she spent four weeks in Japan researching the country’s unique regulatory framework for stem cell therapies, and in her senior thesis, she compared Japan’s framework to that of the United States and provided policy recommendations for the FDA. She was also a member of the Princeton Women’s Soccer team and won First and Second Team All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy accolades. She is now working full time on an early-stage medical device start-up, NuHeal LLC, that she founded in December of 2018 with financial support and guidance from the Princeton Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.

2010s Kenneth Noble (’10) graduated from Brown University with honors in English

and Africana Studies and completed graduate coursework in Anthropology, Religious Studies, and Performance Studies. He is writing a book on Frantz Fanon’s philosophy, applying that political philosopher’s phenomenology to the United States. Kenneth writes, “Coming out of school and into the pandemic, I wanted to return to words to define the problem of race, spirit, and colonization in the United States, which I believe Fanon’s pragmatism can help us name and possibly tell us what to do.” Kenneth intends to write a book to help elucidate how one might apply humanities thinking outside the university. Alanna B. Richman (’10) graduated from Colgate University, cum laude, with a double major in Political Science and Media & Communications. Dietrich Carl Tribull (’10) graduated from Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, magna cum laude, with a triple major in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Computer Engineering, and Economics. Anika Bhavnani (’11) is a senior at the University of Miami, Florida. She is majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Advertising and Religion. She is the current Panhellenic President, Cane Buddy Mentorship President, Director of Public Relations for the school’s literary magazine, Distraction, and a public relations strategist for the school’s on-campus student agency, Orange Umbrella. Brendan Rose (’11) is a senior at Yale University, majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He conducts research on histone post-translational modifications in Dr. Matthew Simon’s chromatin lab, is a tour guide at the Yale University Art Gallery, and volunteers in the geriatric ward of Yale New Haven Hospital. In early January, he performed at Curtis with his Yale a cappella group, the Spizzwinks (?) and then did a workshop with the Curtis Choir. He writes, “Curtis definitely took the cake as the most respectful and well-behaved audience of our whole winter tour across California! It was inspiring to see all of the innovative

changes that have been made to the Upper School curriculum, and it was wonderful to be reunited with many of my old Curtis teachers.” Maya Golob (’12) shares that she is “studying hard as a pre-med student at the University of Southern California, working hard on the executive board of Alpha Phi sorority, and playing hard as a USC Song Girl supporting athletics and the university at large.”

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led several investments in companies in LA, including the first private securitization of YouTube videos. While sheltering in place due to COVID-19, Brian and his brother David (’02) have continued to refine their cooking abilities, especially their barbecuing skills.

Megan Chang (’13) graduated cum laude from Harvard-Westlake in June 2019 and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship from Pomona College, in Claremont, California, where she wrapped up her freshman year in spring 2020. Since graduating from Curtis, Megan’s passion for music, known to us from her amazing talent as a violinist, has only grown. She has won numerous state and national competitions, performed as a soloist with several orchestras, and was one of the few high school fellows of the American Youth Symphony (2017–2019). Megan attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Summer 2018, where she was selected to be concertmaster of its Young Artists Orchestra for the first concert of the summer. She attended the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 2019. At Pomona, she is actively involved in the Pomona College Orchestra and the music department’s chamber ensembles and hopes to pursue a double major in Music and Molecular Biology. Megan is forever grateful to Curtis for inspiring her love of learning and music and would like to thank all her Curtis friends and teachers for their constant support and

Brendan Rose with Mrs. Sasaki, Mrs. Grimes, and Mr. Worth.

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Casey Curtis

guidance. Casey Curtis (’13) was excited to complete her second internship at technology company BlackLine, headquartered in LA. In 2019, she was on the Business Development Team, and in 2020, she worked with the People Team and shadowed product management and information security. Casey spends all of her free time working on her new venture, Elevate. “Elevate is a mobile app idea that I came up with while experiencing a plethora of problems with the elevators in my dorm building,” she explains. “I wanted to create a mobile app that would allow my friends and I to track the elevators on our phone, helping us to better budget our time. We are now focused on creating a completely hands-free elevator experience by using hardware and software to allow residents in a building not only to track the elevator, but to also push all of the buttons from their phone.” Casey is partnering with a team of venture capitalists and plans to begin testing the app and raising a first round of funds in September. At Indiana University, Casey is director of alumni engagements for Kelley Student Government and a client in the Shoebox Innovation Center, a start-up incubator where she is building Elevate. Anthony Pimentel (’13) is now attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, pursuing a double major in Political Science and History of Public Policy and Law. He has attained his Real Estate Salesperson and Notary Public licenses and works at a real estate agency in downtown Santa Barbara. As a student at the Academy of Careers and Exploration,

Anthony Pimentel served as Senior Class President and Co-Captain of the Varsity Basketball team during his senior year. Additionally, Anthony served on numerous faculty-student committees designed to address topics such as campus safety, mental health, and academic assistance/tutoring for students needing additional help. To his fellow alumni of the Curtis Class of 2013, he shares, “You all mean so much to me and nothing could ever replace the spot that Curtis and all of you have in my heart. Go Cougars!” Jai Bhavnani (’14) graduated from Windward School in 2020 and is now a student in USC's Iovine and Young Academy. Jai left his previous company, Ambo, after it was acquired by blockchain conglomerate MyCrypto. Now, as he heads into freshman year in college, Jai is starting his own cryptocurrency-based hedge fund called Rari Capital (http://rari.capital).

headed to Washington D.C. to attend Georgetown University and says she “cannot wait to begin that adventure!” She plans to pursue a career both in writing and international politics. Arin Littman (’14) graduated from Marlborough School in the spring. She completed an Honors Research Capstone in the Performing Arts, in which she directed and produced a piece of theatre, and she also received the Marlborough Book Award in Theatre. During the uncertain time of COVID-19, Arin founded her own theatre organization called Pandemic PlayHouse, which is focused on performing live theatre digitally and benefiting organizations that are fighting for racial justice. The PlayHouse’s first performance raised over $200 for the Okra Project, and two more live performances were planned for the summer. Arin is attending Sarah Lawrence College and will concentrate her studies in Theatre and Art History. Jaya Nayar (‘14) graduated from Harvard-Westlake School and is excited to attend Harvard University, where she plans to join the Policy Debate team. Over summer, she interned for the Loyola Project for the Innocent, channeling her passion for law and social justice. She is inspired hearing the stories of people who spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. She hopes to continue working with similar projects in college and beyond.

Gia Kok

otakis

Gia Kokotakis (’14) writes, “In 2015, I won the bronze medal at the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships and proceeded to compete as a member of Team USA until 2017, when a chronic injury removed me from Olympic contention. Shortly after, I became an author. Writing has helped me express my love for literature in a new way, and I am currently working on publishing my first novel in the young adult fantasy genre.” A graduate of Windward School in 2020, Gia is

Katharine Suchniak (’14) graduated from Marlborough School and is now enrolled in Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon. She plans to major in Neuroscience. In her senior year at Marlborough, she served as athletics representative of her grade, played Varsity Volleyball and Lacrosse, and was selected to participate in an Honors Research program in a lab at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, where she studied the differing effects of nicotine in men and women. Tessa Augsberger (’16) played on the Varsity Field Hockey team and the Varsity Track and Field team in her sophomore year at Harvard-Westlake School. In the spring of 2020, she received the Morris

Michael Landres Award for her work on the Harvard-Westlake Chronicle. During the summer, she tutored children every weekend and virtually taught two weekly classes on journalism and climate change. In addition to interning at a non-profit organization empowering young women to run for public office, she also launched her own community service initiative in July, Global Youth Climate Database, which strives to be the most comprehensive database on everything related to climate change activism. Kristina Megerdichian (’17) writes, “This year, on my Frosh-Soph volleyball team, I won the Coaches’ Award. It was an incredible honor and I had the time of my life playing volleyball with my friends and classmates.” Even through summer break, Kristina’s school responsibilities continued. She attends Marlborough School, and shares, “I was elected co-leader of my school’s Latinx club and have been working on bringing the Latinx community together at school throughout these crazy times.” Ryan Pinsker (’17) relates that, in his first year at Harvard-Westlake, he played trombone in the HW Concert Band, an instrument he took up during his years at Curtis. At the same time, he continued to practice piano on his own time. The next year, he was one of only two 8th Grade students selected to join the HW Jazz Band, where he learned jazz theory. Ryan recalls, “I learned how to take a solo, and on my own time, I applied what I learned to my piano playing, and I switched over to playing jazz piano in 9th Grade.” Ryan then joined the Blue Note Combo at HW, which he likens to a miniature jazz band. He plans to continue playing piano as he moves to the Upper Campus as a 10th grader this fall. Connor Bunnak (’18), in 9th Grade at Harvard-Westlake, shares, “This past school year, I really pushed my boundaries in the second half of the year by studying extra hard to up my grades. I am really happy with my work, because I got the results I wanted. Having social media has really helped Alexa Eskovitz me keep in contact with my friends, especially friends from out of school. I still talk to a few all the time, and it is nice to hear how they are dealing with the virus and life right now.” Connor is a player on the Harvard-Westlake football team. Alexa (Lexi) Eskovitz (’18) writes, “Throughout this crazy time, I have tried hard to keep busy, including by sewing masks and donating the proceeds to Save the Children, an organization that helps children all over the world survive the pandemic. Another way I have kept busy is by taking some of the incredible online courses on the internet, including a psychology class with a Wesleyan professor and a philosophy lecture series offered by Harvard. My family and I have also tried to keep busy in creative ways such as casting all of the parts in ‘Hamilton’ between the five of us and having family game nights, which get quite competitive. I love to keep in touch with my Curtis friends online as well!” Andrew Wesel (’18) continues his adventures in debate, violin, and tennis at Harvard-Westlake School. He is thankful to Curtis for introducing him to the activities that he now enjoys.

ACTION CHECKLIST Become a Curtis Class Ambassador We need Curtis Class Ambassadors for the class years 1970-2012. Ambassadors keep their former classmates connected with Curtis by sharing information of interest to alumni, including upcoming alumni events, initiatives, and news.

Plan or Join in Virtual Curtis Alumni Events We are actively exploring new ways to stay in touch with alumni through virtual events such as featuring school leaders and speakers on topics designed to appeal to alumni. If you have ideas for or would like to help organize a virtual event, please contact the Alumni Office.

Submit a Class Note Share your news with the Curtis community by sending us a class note about what you are doing, your life transitions, or your continuing friendships and meet-ups with Curtis classmates. To submit a note or update your email address, see “Alumni” under the “Community” tab on the Curtis website.

Update Your Contact Information Think of Curtis whenever you move or change your email address! We want to stay in touch by sending you the Alumni Newsletter, invitations to alumni events, and print publications like Curtis Magazine and the Annual Report. Be sure to update your contact information whenever it changes so you won’t miss a thing. You’ll find a form on the Curtis School website. Click on "Community" on the main menu, then on "Alumni" to update your email address or create an "Alumni Profile."

Magazine 2020 Contributors Debra Cohen Dr. Sarina Fierro Dede Haglund Andrew Hilton ’20 Karen Nguyen Cleveland O’Neal III Maisha Pajardo-O’Neal Jessica Pezdek Dr. Meera Ratnesar Chloe Saadat ’20 Chuck Sawyer Corinne Schulman Denise Seol ’20 Jack Shane ’12 Alexis Shuster Olivia Siegels D’vora Taus-Kahn Ashley Williams Michaela Williams ’20 Photography Kamila Bhavnani Lloyd Bunnak Donald Chang Shari Friedman Dede Haglund Sonja Harrigan Lilas Lane Lauder Photography Michel Lim Susan Lynch Michelle McGruder Moloshok Photography Natalie Srabian Lauren Stewart Victoria White Design SMOG Design, Inc. Printing Colornet Press Curtis School 15871 Mulholland Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049 publications@curtisschool.org

Mission To develop, in every child, a sound mind in a sound body, governed by a compassionate heart.

Vision By pioneering programs that inspire engaged, healthy, and empathetic young learners to embrace the next phases of their education and lives with joy, confidence, and purpose, Curtis School sets the standard for elementary education in the Greater Los Angeles area and beyond.

Purpose Our graduates are dexterous learners: they have learned how to learn and are intellectually curious, agile, and inspired to be problem seekers as well as problem solvers. Our graduates have healthy, sustainable habits of body and mind: they understand that the mind and body connect and take responsibility for living healthy lives. Our graduates know and understand the impact of their own character on others: they are aware of their feelings, regulate their actions, and empathize with others. Our graduates have purpose beyond themselves: they recognize how their contributions can bring about change and positivity, and understand their responsibility to the greater good.

Values Educate in balance Equal emphasis of academic, physical, social-emotional, and character education is the guiding principle that defines a Curtis education. Improve, always The Curtis community has a growth mindset which is modeled by faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to the best practices in their craft. Roam freely Curtis children have space to learn and play on their campus and feel safe and secure. Embrace diversity Children learn best, and flourish most, when they encounter perspectives, people, backgrounds, and experiences other than their own. Diversity, equity, and inclusion speak to our highest ideals for a just society. Cherish childhood Childhood is brief and precious, a time of limitless potential and essential development. It is also a time to be savored for its own wonders, as it will not come again. A Curtis education honors these truths.

Curtis is committed to caring for the environment. This publication uses paper from responsible sources and soy-based inks.

Live with purpose In all we do, a Curtis education strives to provide students with the skills, tools, and sense of purpose they need to be good people.

@curtisschoolalumni @curtisalumni www.facebook.com/curtisalumni

At Curtis School, each lesson, exploration, and experience begins with the child and asking what do they need to feel a true and lasting connection to their learning. Because, when every stage of childhood is deeply understood and honored, learning is forever joyful.

Annual Report 2019-2020

ALWAYS BEGIN WITH THE CHILD

Contents 4

Letter From the Board Chair

Board of Trustees Report

School Finances 2019-2020

Gratitude for Allan Schweitzer

Parents Association Report

Curtis Celebrates!

Curtis Fair

Sixth Grade Class of 2020

Matriculation of the Curtis Class of 2014

Annual Fund Leadership

Report on Philanthropy

Ways to Give: Legacy Society

Milestones of Service

Curtis School 15871 Mulholland Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 476-1251 Publications@CurtisSchool.org

Cover: At Curtis, we educate in balance. Equal emphasis of academic, physical, social-emotional, and character education is the guiding principle that defines a Curtis education. Facing page: Back to School Picnic, August 2019

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 3

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 4

Letter from the Chair of the Board of Trustees Dear Curtis Community, On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank all Curtis families, past and present, faculty and staff, and the many friends of our school for the strong philanthropic support that made the 2019-20 Annual Fund a great success. In addition, I want to thank the Parents Association for the countless ways that it has helped create such an amazingly supportive and inviting community, especially during a very challenging second half of our school year. The Parents Association, in partnership with the administration, was remarkable in its commitment to helping sustain the Curtis spirit and a strong sense of community in a virtual environment. Only with the support of so many flexible and dedicated people can we continue to adapt, develop, and provide our students with a rewarding and well-rounded education. At the end of the school year, we bid farewell to two long-standing trustees, Katherine Holmes-Chuba and Rachel Edwards, who dedThe Schweitzer Family (l-r): Lily, Allan, Ethan '23, icated an extraordinary amount of time and effort to Curtis. KathJonah '19, Jade '17, and Benjamin '23. erine served for 12 years and brought great educational wisdom, intelligence, strategic thinking, and collegiality to this Board. She was a respected and thoughtful leader of the Planning Committee and was a strategic member of various other committees and task forces. Rachel Edwards served on the Curtis Board for six years. During her tenure, Rachel served as a valued and dedicated member, including on the Finance Committee, Planning Committee, Audit Committee, Financial Task Force and various other committees. Her input on vital decisions was invaluable to the Board. We thank Katherine and Rachel for their dedication to Curtis School and know that we can always count on them, as former trustees and parents of alumni, for their wisdom and support. On a more personal note, after serving a three-year term as Board Chair, I stepped down at the end of the 2019-20 school year. Rob Friedman succeeds me as Chair, and the Board of Trustees and our school could not be in better hands. Rob is a very experienced Trustee and has been involved for many years in all the school’s key strategic decisions. In addition to bringing the added perspective of being a Curtis parent, he has already been serving Curtis in a number of important ways, including as Chair of the Committee on Trustees and the Building and Grounds Committee. As an indispensable member of the Master Planning Committee, Rob is just the right person to lead our Board as Curtis charts its course into the next decade. During this unprecedented time in our history, I couldn’t be more proud of how Curtis has distinguished itself. With Dr. Ratnesar’s leadership, our students will have a best-in-class education in a virtual environment with thoughtful, adaptive pedagogy, expanded resources and technological support, and deep care for our treasured faculty. In every decision during this pandemic, Curtis puts our students at the center. It has been my privilege to serve as Board Chair, and I remain profoundly grateful for all that this extraordinary school has meant to me over my lifetime, and now, to my family as well. Go Cougars!

Allan Schweitzer ’79 Chair, Board of Trustees, 2019-20

Board Of Trustees 2019-2020 Allan Schweitzer ’79, Chair Tracy Minker ’88, Vice Chair Alex Nehorai, Treasurer Vanessa Keith Garcia, Secretary Rob Friedman, Parliamentarian Erikson Albrecht Kavitha Bhatia Dilip Bhavnani Steve Chang Shadi Daneshrad Rachel Edwards Katherine Holmes-Chuba Sharoni D. Little Jim Miller ’90 Kevin Newman ’83 Priscilla Sands Craig Varnen Jon Wimbish Rachel Yang

2020-2021 Rob Friedman, Chair Tracy Minker ’88, First Vice Chair Allan Schweitzer '79, Second Vice Chair Steve Chang, Treasurer Vanessa Keith Garcia, Secretary Erikson Albrecht Kavitha Bhatia Dilip Bhavnani Shadi Daneshrad Sharoni D. Little Jim Miller ’90 Alex Nehorai Kevin Newman ’83 Priscilla Sands Craig Varnen Jon Wimbish Rachel Yang

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 6

Board Committees 2019-2020 Executive Committee Allan Schweitzer ’79, Chair Rob Friedman, Parliamentarian Vanessa Keith Garcia, Secretary Tracy Minker ’88, Vice Chair Alex Nehorai, Treasurer Advancement Annual Fund Committee Shadi Daneshrad, Chair Jim Miller ’90, Chair Kirsten Albrecht Kavitha Bhatia Dilip Bhavanani Curtis Estes Shane Fermelia ’84 Elana Gimbel, Annual Fund Participation Chair Monica Johnson, Annual Fund Participation Chair Tracy Minker ’88 Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Chuck Sawyer, Director of Annual Fund Corinne Schulman, Director of Advancement Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Thea Wolf Rachel Yang Audit Committee Rachel Edwards, Chair Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Craig Varnen Sara Wetzstein Buildings & Grounds Committee Rob Friedman, Chair Alex Nehorai, Chair Jeff Albert, Director of Facilities Erikson Albrecht Steve Chang Ryan Lynch Tracy Minker ’88, Ex officio Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Dan Rothbauer, Chief Operating & Financial Officer Brad Schwartz Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio

Committee on Trustees Vanessa Keith Garcia, Chair Tracy Minker ’88, Chair Dilip Bhavnani Shadi Daneshrad Rob Friedman Sharoni D. Little Jim Miller ’90 Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Finance Committee Steve Chang, Chair Alex Nehorai, Chair Alex Albert Kate Fox, Director of Accounting Ann Kono Kevin Newman ’83 Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Dan Rothbauer, Chief Operating & Financial Officer Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Noah Shore Planning Committee Katherine Holmes-Chuba, Chair Erikson Albrecht Kavitha Bhatia Sarina Fierro, Head of Lower Elementary Ginger Healy, Director of Grades 3-5 Karoline Hilu Ashley Ma, Director of 6th Grade & Secondary School Outplacement Tracy Minker ’88, Ex officio Kevin Newman ’83 Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Jon Wimbish Rachel Yang Master Planning Sub-Committee (Buildings & Grounds) Allan Schweitzer ’79, Ex officio Rob Friedman Jerry Neuman Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Dan Rothbauer, Chief Operating & Financial Officer Craig Varnen

1.5%

Operating Budget for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020

0.3%

Net Parents Association Fundraising

Investment Income

2.7%

Restricted Gifts

OPERATING INCOME Tuition, Fees & Other

$15,534,000

87.1%

Investment Income1

$60,000

0.3%

Total Operating Income

8.4%

Unrestricted Gifts

$15,594,000

GIFTS & CONTRIBUTIONS $1,500,000

8.4%

Restricted Gifts

$475,000

2.7%

Net Parents Association Fundraising

$275,000

1.5%

Unrestricted Gifts2

Total Contributions Total Revenue

$2,250,000

10.9%

General Administration

Salaries, Benefits & Educational Programs

$12,524,000

70.2%

Facilities

$1,507,000

8.4%

General Administration

$1,938,000

10.9%

Financial Aid

$1,875,000

10.5%

Investment Income plan reflects bank interest only estimate. Curtis School’s operating budget does not include investment fund (endowment) growth or interest estimates. 2 Unrestricted Gifts reflects the 2019-2020 Annual Fund goal. 3 Operating Expenses includes fixed-asset purchases and excludes depreciation. Facilities includes planned PPRSM funding. Financial Aid includes tuition remission. As of 7/30/20

10.5%

Financial Aid

8.4%

Facilities

70.2%

Salaries, Benefits & Educational Programs

$17,844,000

Financial figures reflect the Board-approved revised budget for the school year 2019-2020. 1

OPERATING INCOME, GIFTS & CONTRIBUTIONS

$17,844,000

OPERATING EXPENSE3

Total Expenditures

87.1%

Tuition, Fees & Other

OPERATING EXPENSE

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 7

School Finances

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 8

In Appreciation of Allan Schweitzer A proud Curtis alumnus, parent of two alumni, current parent of two students, and member and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Allan Schweitzer has been a lifelong Cougar and wears more Curtis hats than most. Allan always says that Curtis is his “happy place.” In June 2020, Allan stepped away from his position as Chair of the Board, but we are grateful that he will continue to serve as a Trustee. A member of the Board since 2013, Allan has brought exceptionally thoughtful, measured financial expertise to his role, and he was active in the search for our current Head of School, Dr. Meera Ratnesar. As Chair since 2017, he has governed with insight and deep appreciation for Curtis and how best to support Dr. Ratnesar and her team, enabling their talents and expertise to flourish. He has been a steadying partner, who worked with the administration to steer the school through the uncertainty, anxiety, and temporary closures resulting from two nearby, catastrophic fires and the current COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure, Allan supported a broadly inclusive, schoolwide strategic planning process resulting in our current “Envision Our Future” plan that identifies the school’s most deeply held values and sets a vision to guide us in the coming years. As Chair, Allan championed Curtis’s focused commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He pushed to increase the Financial Aid budget, and he recognized the need for and approved two new positions with transformative potential for our school: Director of Equity, Curriculum and Instruction and a Community Liaison for DEI. In addition, and not least, Allan endorsed many of the school’s recent academic programming initiatives that have exponentially enriched our students’ educational experience, including the departmentalization of 6th grade, the introduction of a World Languages Program, with Spanish language instruction in all grades, and our newly implemented Singapore Math program. Allan has left an indelible imprint on all who have worked with him on the Board, and his transition has generated accolades too numerous to mention. Among them, Dr. Ratnesar calls Allan “the epitome of a Curtis Cougar.” She is grateful for his steady leadership, partnership in all things Curtis and his mentorship, and notes, “Allan has approached his time as Board Chair only from a place of ‘How can I give back to this school that did so much for me and my own children?’” Priscilla Sands, Head of Marlborough School, states: “Having served as a trustee on the board of several schools, I can say that Allan is one of the hardest working, most accessible Board Chairs I know. He is passionately devoted to Curtis and leads from both his head and his heart.” Trustee Sharoni Little says, “Allan truly embodies the school’s mission and vision, especially leading with a compassionate heart. Allan has always placed the learning, joy, and well-being of our Curtis students at the heart of our collective decision-making.” And new Board Chair and fellow parent Rob Friedman states: “Allan is a great friend, but he is also an inspiration to any parent. He is a dedicated father, passionate contributor and great role model for our Board of Trustees and especially for me as new Chair. I am grateful that he will continue his service to Curtis and be there for support and guidance for us all.” Curtis is forever grateful to Allan for his loyalty to the school, his compassionate and intelligent leadership, and his unwavering commitment.

Letter from the PA President Last summer, I decided our biggest goal entering the school year would be to foster the joy, fun, and connection of Curtis while embarking on the important work of the Parents Association. Curtis is a wonderful collection of families, and I wanted to highlight the uniqueness and connectivity of these relationships. We started on a path that we always look forward to: kids back in school, re-establishing sleep routines, planning for our beloved Curtis Fair. It feels like a lifetime ago when the fires occurred in October. We were unsure if the Fair was possible, but the winds shifted and we were afforded a wonderful day for our community to gather and celebrate. I am so thankful for the hours of dedication our parents devoted to this Curtis tradition. The Fair creates a shared experience that our children never forget and ties together the collective memory of parents and students who travel through Curtis. This past year we accomplished so much. The PA initiatives, fueled by parent involvement, created community and support for the Curtis Financial Aid Fund. We followed up the Curtis Candyland Fair with Party Book, the Holiday Boutique, Book Spree, and Curtis Celebrates! In addition, there were the meaningful committees that steered Cougar Wear, Practically New Uniforms, Lost & Found, Buds and Seedlings student service groups and Library Maker Days. Even after school closed to on-campus education due to the pandemic, our parents found innovative ways to reimagine committees and initiatives like Families Helping Families, Curtis Cares Day and Faculty & Staff Appreciation. Although we were not able to hold the End-of-Year Parents Association Luncheon, where we say ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’ to our sixth grade families, please know that we are grateful to have had you as part of this vibrant community. We wish you all the best and hope our paths will converge again soon. As our faculty, students, and families continue to pivot to a different version of virtual learning and community, we remind ourselves of Curtis’s nearly 100-year legacy of rising to challenges. Our families are innovators and deeply committed to Curtis. I saw many acts of kindness and creativity this year that allow me to remain confident for the future. Although I can’t predict when the winds will again shift in our favor, we will be able to see and hug each other again eventually. And we will do so knowing that our investment in the joy of our community during this unexpected year created a lasting impact. With great respect,

Heather Bath Parents Association President, 2019-20

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 9

Parents Association Report

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 10

Parents Association Board 2019-2020 One of Curtis’s greatest assets is our community of families. Each year, through the Parents Association, our parents and guardians give generously of their time, talents, and resources to provide services and experiences that enhance the learning environment and overall experience for students, families, faculty, and staff. During this unprecedented and challenging year, the PA stepped up with willingness and energy to reimagine ways to serve and keep our community connected, and we all have benefited from their innovation, flexibility, and perseverance. Curtis is deeply grateful to all who served as officers, committee chairs, and volunteers and contributed in so many ways, from fundraising to sustaining our community and making lasting memories for us. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEES

Heather Bath, President Philippe Mayer, Treasurer Makala Williams-Singleton, 1st VP – Grade Representatives Sharon Eshaghoff, 2nd VP – Administration Monica Kirchner, 3rd VP – Ways & Means Lisa Condren, 4th VP – Social Katherine Meyer, 5th VP – Enrichment Elsie Mendoza, Recording Secretary Mindy Owens, Corresponding Secretary Jeanine Kay, Parliamentarian GRADE REPRESENTATIVES Kathy Laxer, Developmental Kindergarten Amita Ramesh, Kindergarten Jennifer Hilton, 1st Grade Jennifer Smiley, 2nd Grade Lisa Condren, 3rd Grade Barbara Segor, 4th Grade Betsy Miller, 5th Grade Tracy Akselrud, 6th Grade Cynthia Atterberry, 6th Grade Shari Friedman, 6th Grade Jeeun Kim, 6th Grade

Assistant Treasurer Susanna Tran Book Spree Amy Chidiac Jeanine Kay Nancy Meidel Zaheeda Rahemtulla Daniela Sheahan Boutique Casondra Ruga Karla Sayles Salimah Shamji Patricia Weg Cougar Wear Rachel Cohen Paulette DePaulo Shelly Detmer Carolyn Huang Melody Jazaeri Curtis Celebrates! 2020 Anna Gross Yelena Johnson Marla Raminfar Robin Chamberlain Rogers

Curtis Celebrates! Auction 2020 Annabelle Apley Heather Bath Kamila Bhavnani Jessica Ezor Stacey Fish Haley Fisher Gillian Sheldon Heckendorf David Hilton Monica Johnson Jeanine Kay Monica Kirchner Jacquelyn Marciano Kirstin Meyer Amanda Miller Betsy Miller Brooke O’Neill Karla Sayles Ashita Shah-Bohra Jennifer Smiley, Chair April Topp Courtney Weiss Curtis Celebrates! Décor & Tickets Kristin Campbell Nilou Raiman Foujan Sakhai Barbara Segor Christine Zenjiryan

Curtis Celebrates! Seedlings Wine Cellar 2020 Sapna Abrol Audney DePaulo Nathalie Grohe Paulette DePaulo Melody Jazaeri Ashita Shaw-Bohra Curtis Fair 2019 Alli Katz STANDING COMMITTEES Randie Kleinman Elsie Mendoza Allocations Committee Katherine Meyer Zahara Ramji, Chair Sheila Nazarian Kirsten Albrecht Steven Hawn Party Book David Press Kristin Campbell Daniel Williams Leena Fakhri Naomi Gloege Emerging Artists Mindy Owens Jenny Cole Katherine Gebhard Practically New Uniforms Mara Hawn Erica Copeland Julie Torres Katie Gebhard Yelena Vayner Marian Williams Ways & Means Members-at-Large Historians Kirstin Meyer Shari Friedman Julie Torres Susan Lynch ENRICHMENT COMMITTEES International Lunch Day Cynthia Atterberry Buds Lisa Daly Kristin Campbell Melody Jazaeri Nancy Meidel Courtney Mack Erin Novak Golnaz Saedi-Paya Library Melissa Barshop Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Enrichment/Go Global Carlye Morgan Melissa Degus Ashley Josephson Lost & Found Yasmine Maghami Melissa Albrecht Erin Novak Rachel Kirenga Mindy Owens New Parent Liaisons Curtis Cares Community Kirsten Albrecht Service Day Rose Hubbard James Degus Monica Johnson Alana Kagan Stephanie Seib PA Members-at-Large Amanda Smith Melissa Degus Thea Wolf Families Helping Families Chelsea Bond Eryn Kilstein Our families serve Curtis in so many ways. Karen Frankel Top to bottom: Back-to-School Picnic Cougar Wear pick-up station; Dads Day to Lisa Neman Serve Lunch; Fair concession volunteers; Casondra Ruga Black History Month lunchtime activity.

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20â&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; 12

Curtis in Wonderland Curtis Celebrates! 2020

Event Underwriters We gamely jumped down the rabbit hole on March 7, 2020, for a most fabulous evening in Wonderland, hosted by our amazing Parents Association. The night was filled with whimsy, music and dancing, Alice-inspired fare, and silent and live auctions and brought us together to celebrate our school and community. Curtis thanks the following donors who helped underwrite this extraordinary event with proceeds benefiting the Curtis Financial Aid Fund. Clare & Stephen Apelian Tina & Glenn Caron The Centurion Group Janet & Roy Choi Erica & Brad Copeland Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP Marla Schwartz & Matthew Cutler Judy Dickinson Rachel & John Edwards Michelle & Bob Etebar Anna & Adam Fee Angela & Daniel Feiner Haley & Adam Fisher Catherine Gopaulsingh & Scott Friedman Gillian & Timothy Heckendorf Dr. Karoline & Mr. Joseph Hilu Ciara Castro & Gabriel Johnson Yelena & Mike Johnson Brooke & Barry Josephson Alli & Austin Katz The Kay Family Jennie & David Kim Jon & Monica Kirchner Danyel & Chris Lau Nicole & Travlin McCormack Nancy & Greg Meidel Katherine & Andrew Meyer Kirstin & Carl Meyer Lisa & David Neman Holly & Sean Olson Stephanie Kleinjan & Sol Poursalimi Amita & Harshith Ramesh The Ramji Family Robin Chamberlain & Leif Rogers David Rosenberg Carrie & Anthony Scotti Barbara & Craig Segor Laine & Richard Siklos Kathryn & Eddy Simonian The Trattner Family Thea & Jay Wolf Erin & Shawn Yari

Financial Aid Restricted Gifts We are grateful for the generosity of all who responded to a special request for direct support for the Curtis Financial Aid Fund in conjunction with Curtis Celebrates!, the Parents Association’s biggest annual fundraiser. These gifts, combined with proceeds from the event, help ensure the school’s ability to offer admission to and provide continuing support for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend Curtis. Tracy & Gregory Akselrud Rakhee & Ray Alston Amy & Adam Bass Ginger Healy ’97 & Brian Berumen Drs. Kavitha & Sunny Bhatia Kamila & Dilip Bhavnani Merav & Aaron ’80 Broder Kristin & Geoff Campbell Erica & Brad Copeland Khalief & Henry Dantzler Shelly & Mark Detmer Judy Dickinson Galit & Gavin Donnelly Michelle & Bob Etebar Kirsten Albrecht & Marc Evans Heather & Michael Ezer Jessica & Gregory Ezor Gina & Jeff Favre Angela & Daniel Feiner Shane ’84 & Louis Fermelia Jed Kapsos & Luis Fernandez Missy & Jimmy Fox Sandra & John Fox Susan Dickinson & David Frank Karen & Eli Frankel Shari & Rob Friedman Catherine Gopaulsingh & Scott Friedman Anna & David ’90 Gross Sonja & Matthew Harrigan Rebecca & Jason Hild Jennifer & David Hillman Jennifer & David Hilton Dr. Karoline & Mr. Joseph Hilu Dr. Cassie & Mr. Robert Holmes Carolyn & Danny Huang Romy & Borden James Nadia & Josh Javaheri Lower right (l-r): PA President Heather Bath, Event & Auction Team Anna Gross, Yelena Johnson, Marla Raminfar, Jenny Smiley, Robin Chamberlain Rogers, and 3rd VP Monica Kirchner.

Monica & Cory Johnson Yelena & Mike Johnson Brooke & Barry Josephson Monica & Jon Kirchner Danyel & Chris Lau Dr. Yasmine & Mr. Steve Maghami Jacquelyn & Anthony Marciano Rayna & Brandon Marz Nathalie Grohe & Philippe Mayer Nicole & Travlin McCormack Elisabeth & Justin McInnes Nancy & Greg Meidel Katherine & Andrew Meyer Kirstin & Carl Meyer Samantha & Jason Milner John Morris Sheila & Page Nazarian Holly & Sean Olson Mindy & Mark Owens Lindsey & Michael Palumbo Dr. Meera Ratnesar & Mr. John Querio Zaheeda & Nav Rahemtulla Amita & Harshith Ramesh Marla & Arash Raminfar Meg & Alan Resnikoff Heather Bath & Jeffrey Reynolds Sara & Grant Ross Daniel Rothbauer Casondra & Dylan Ruga Foujan & Isaac Sakhai Karla & Matthew Sayles Katherine Gebhard & Raney Schackne Corinne Schulman Chana & Justin Schuman Carrie & Anthony Scotti Meredith Rettinger & Roy Silver Jennifer & Ryan Smiley Dianna & Justin Sternberg Michelle & Gregory Suess April & Sean Topp Chelsea & Mark Vahradian Patricia ’94 & Adam Weg Marian & Daniel Williams Thea & Jay Wolf Erin & Shawn Yari Christine & Armen Zenjiryan

CURTIS FAIR SPONSORS

How sweet it was! The Candyland Curtis Fair 2019 fulfilled all of our sweetest wishes with amazing rides, games of skill and chance, prizes, mouthwatering food, and one of the perennially best-loved attractions: the Candyland booth, of course! Most of all, being together with family and friends on our beloved campus, safe and sound in spite of area fires, made this fair a special memory for our community. Thank you to the following families and individuals who sponsored this unforgettable day of fun that benefited the Curtis Financial Aid Fund.

Alexandra Goodyear & Alex Albert Clare & Stephen Apelian Dr. Cynthia Atterberry Amy & Adam Bass Lisa & David Beaubaire Dr. Kristin & Mr. Aaron Bendikson Linda Guerrero & Brett Berkowitz Kendra & Christopher Bollenbach Kimberly & Daniel Branscome Angela Arnold-Brownlee & Marshall Brownlee Tina & Glenn Caron Jennifer & Peter Chiarelli Jenny & Alex Cole Erica & Brad Copeland Marla Schwartz & Matthew Cutler Sabrina & Adam Daneshgar Paulette & Audney DePaulo Shelly & Mark Detmer Galit & Gavin Donnelly Curtis & Kristi Estes Michelle & Bob Etebar Kirsten Albrecht & Marc Evans Jessica & Gregory Ezor Anna Joo Fee & Adam Fee Angela & Daniel Feiner Shane ‘84 & Louis Fermelia Stacey & Mardy Fish Erica & Evan Fisher Jacalyn & Aidan Foley Sandra & John Fox Beverly & Kris Galashan Jaclyn & Todd Golditch Anna & David ’90 Gross Sonja & Matthew Harrigan Dr. Karoline & Mr. Joseph Hilu Faye & Louis Hsieh Dr. Fan Dong & Mr. Huiqing Hu Romy & Borden James Monica & Cory Johnson Ciara Castro & Gabriel Johnson Brooke & Barry Josephson Annie & Paul Kambur Alli & Austin Katz Brandy & Moe Keshavarzi Jennie & David Kim Monica & Jon Kirchner

Randie & Alan Kleinman Erin Estrada & Ron Laffitte Michele & Daniel Lasman Danyel & Chris Lau Kathy & Kevin Laxer Donna & John Low Dr. William & Mrs. Courtney Mack Erin & Michael Mand Nicole & Mark Manuel Jacquelyn & Anthony Marciano Yana & David Matlof Nathalie Grohe & Philippe Mayer Nicole & Travlin McCormack Ninderpal Mattu & Michael McFerran Elsie & Johann Mendoza Katherine & Andrew Meyer Kirstin & Carl Meyer Gail & Windell Middleton Amanda & Andrew Miller Samantha & Jason Milner Tracy ‘88 & Scott Minker Carlye & Michael Morgan John Morris Sheila & Page Nazarian Lisa & David Neman Syldy & Robert Nida Erin & Jonathan Novak Rachel & Ryan Ogulnick Caroline & Benjamin Ohana Mindy & Mark Owens Sally Daws & Julia Pecano Jill & John Peters Stephanie Kleinjan & Sol Poursalimi Dr. Marcella & Mr. David Press Zaheeda & Nav Rahemtulla Dr. Jonathan & Mrs. Nilou Raiman Amita & Harshith Ramesh Heather Bath & Jeffrey Reynolds Ines Cho & Edward Ro Karen Weiss & Bradley Schwartz Carrie & Anthony Scotti Barbara & Craig Segor Daniela & Matthew Sheahan Dr. Joan Ryoo & Dr. Jeremy Shelton Laine & Richard Siklos Meredith Rettinger & Roy Silver Kathryn & Eddy Simonian

Jennifer & Ryan Smiley Jiwon & Steven Song Sarah Mlynowski & Todd Swidler Ms. Laura Kim & Dr. Terence Tao Alison & Nicholas Temple Carolyn Hunt-Trattner & Gregory Trattner Chelsea & Mark Vahradian Alison Kay & Alexander von Furstenberg Chelsea & Kevin Washington Sarah & Mark Wetzstein Melissa & Roee Wiczyk Amanda Angle & Jonathan Wimbish Elina & Sam Wineburgh Xperi Renee & David Yang Erin & Shawn Yari Dr. Nelly Farnoody-Zahiri & Dr. Christopher Zahiri Laura & Mo Zahrawi Christine & Armen Zenjiryan

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 15

Candyland – Curtis Fair 2019

Secondary School Placement

Sixth Grade Class Of 2020 Sixth Grade Awards ACADEMIC AWARD

Curtis teachers, administrators, and staff maintain a close partnership with our students and families, and this relationship is reflected throughout the process of assisting our 6th graders with middle school outplacement. Curtis works with

Recognizes the student who has continually displayed outstanding effort and achievement in all subject areas of academic work. Faculty selection.

Jolie Friedman Levi Schwartz

families to identify schools that will be a good fit for their children. We are proud that our students consistently move on to attend some of the most highly regarded secondary schools in Los Angeles and beyond, and this year was no exception. We congratulate the Class of 2020 and look forward to following these talented and bright young people as they continue to grow

CONTRIBUTION AWARD Recognizes the student who has continually contributed to the betterment of Curtis School and the student body. Faculty selection.

Andrew Hilton Lila Wimbish

academically and as contributing members of their new school communities and beyond.

THREE-RULE AWARD

The Archer School For Girls

Berkeley Hall School

Brentwood School

The Buckley School

Campbell Hall

Chaminade College Preparatory

Harvard-Westlake School

Jones Middle School (OH)

Marlborough School

Paul Revere Charter Middle School

Viewpoint School

Windward School

Recognizes the student who exemplifies the school motto of kindness, honesty, and respect for oneself and others. Faculty selection.

Addison Ma Levi Schwartz

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AWARD The 6th grade students were asked to reflect on their time at Curtis and to identify two students, who, through their actions, consistently inspired peers to become better people. Selected by the 6th grade class.

Bella Kapoor Levi Schwartz

Sixth Grade Class Of 2020

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 17

Congratulations!

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 18

Matriculation Of The Curtis Alumni High School Graduates Of 2020

Sixth Grade Class Of 2014 Congratulations to our alumni who graduated from high school in 2020. Given how quickly the world changed this spring, we realize that they were unable to enjoy many of the rites of passage of the end of their senior year. We are proud of their hard work, adaptability, and resilience. The members of this class will matriculate to some of the finest and most esteemed colleges and universities in the United States. We are confident that each of these remarkable young people will continue to pursue their education and passions with enthusiasm and purpose, and will use their knowledge, talents, and compassionate hearts to make our world a better place.

Hannah Mittleman • Princeton University

Jaya Ananda • Colgate University

Ava Morgan • New York University –

David Arkow • Harvard University

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Chase Beeks • Tulane University

Alexandra Mork • Brown University

Jai Bhavnani • University of Southern California –

Gautam Natarajan • University of Wisconsin, Madison –

Iovine and Young Academy

Wisconsin School of Business

Katherine Bower • University of Southern California

Jaya Nayar • Harvard University

Drew Bowser • Stanford University

Lauren Nehorai • University of Michigan

Theodore Bradstreet • Fordham University

Willow Nelson • Pursuing a photography career

Sabrina Brumlik • Reed College

Connor O’Brien • Washington University, St. Louis

Lola Carino • Colgate University

Audrey Regan • Colgate University

Alec Chapman • Emory University

Rileigh Repovich • University of Southern California

Thomas Cody • Kenyon College

Landon Richardson • Syracuse University

Alejandro Davila • University of Southern California –

Will Saferstein • Syracuse University –

Thornton School of Music

School of Information Studies

Jack Dudley • Southern Methodist University

Henry Scharff • Cornell University

Jacob Dulberg • Chapman University –

Luc Schifino • American University –

Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

School of Public Affairs

Jacob Edwards • Southern Methodist University

Reza Shamji • Harvard University

Lauren Elson • Vanderbilt University

Emma Shapiro • Boston University

Finn Gatins • Georgetown University

Jane Sidon • Cornell University

Elle Gebhardt • University of California, San Diego

John Sirras • University of Colorado Boulder –

Alexandra Goldberg • Syracuse University –

Leeds School of Business

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

Bianca Sjoenell • Duke University

Rileigh Goldsmith • University of Michigan –

Elton Sjoenell • Dartmouth College

School of Music, Theatre & Dance and College of

Benjamin Sophy-Voss • Loyola Marymount University

Literature, Science and the Arts

Justin Spitz • Northwestern University

Samuel Green • University of California, Berkeley

Katharine Suchniak • University of Oregon –

Jeremy Greenberg • Bard College

Clark Honors College

Lily Gussman • Tulane University

Joseph Terenzio • Randolph-Macon College

Hailey Hameetman • University of Southern California –

Shane Thompson • University of California,

School of Cinematic Arts

Santa Barbara

Nyah Harrison • Colgate University

James Upsher • Chapman University

Carson Kirshbaum • Louisiana State University

Olivia Venit • New York University –

Spencer Klink • Wesleyan University

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Giacoma Kokotakis • Georgetown University

Tassilo von Furstenberg • University of Miami

Stella Koondel • University of Wisconsin, Madison

Emily Walker • University of Michigan

Arin Littman • Sarah Lawrence College

Grant Wasserstein • Tulane University

Jack Malins • University of Richmond

Mirabelle Weinbach • Princeton University

Amorette Marcus • Emory University

Julian Weinstock • Syracuse University

Amanda McKnight • Colgate University

Emma Wilck • University of California, Santa Barbara

Kyla Merhi • University of Michigan

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 19

Keara Albert • California State University, Northridge

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Annual Fund Leadership Annual Fund leaders, including members of the Board of Trustees, school administrators, and parent volunteers, lend vision and collectively devote hundreds of hours to the school’s annual fundraising efforts. We are deeply grateful to these individuals for guiding our 2019-20 Annual Fund campaign with great optimism and energy, in spite of the pandemic that posed so many challenges to our community of Curtis families. We thank the following for their steadfast dedication.

Leadership Gifts Committee

Annual Fund Grade Ambassadors

Shadi Daneshrad, Chair Jim Miller ’90, Chair Allan Schweitzer ’79, Chair

Developmental Kindergarten Katherine Meyer Marla Raminfar Meg Resnikoff

Kirsten Albrecht Kavitha Bhatia Dilip Bhavnani Curtis Estes Shane Fermelia ’84 Tracy Minker ’88 Dr. Meera Ratnesar, Head of School Chuck Sawyer, Director of Annual Fund Corinne Schulman, Director of Advancement Thea Wolf Rachel Yang

Annual Fund Subcommittee Elana Gimbel, Chair Monica Johnson, Chair

Kindergarten Becky Burns Stacey Fish Rebecca Hild Jonathan Levine ’88 David Press First Grade Joanna Augsberger Jessica Ezor Sonja Harrigan Charles Hsieh Amanda Miller Lauren Stewart Second Grade Karen Frankel Carolyn Huang Meredith Rettinger-Silver Jenny Smiley Jeffrey Weiss ’89

Third Grade Kathy Azarbal Melissa Bretz Eryn Kilstein Yasmine Maghami Julie Torres Fourth Grade Sharon Eshaghoff Nancy Meidel Daniela Sheahan Chelsea Vahradian Renee Yang Fifth Grade Shelly Detmer Erin Mand Gary Sayble Kiera Strain Sixth Grade Misha Assomull Chana Schuman Barbara Segor Noah Shore

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Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 22

Report On Philanthropy

We thank all who are listed in this report for their gifts to Curtis in the 2019-20 school year. The generosity of our donors enables Curtis to provide an educational program that prepares young learners to embrace the next phases of their education and lives with joy, confidence, and purpose and to set the standard for elementary education in the Greater Los Angeles area and beyond. This year, we are deeply grateful for the critical support provided by Annual Fund giving as Curtis transitioned to remote learning.

We gratefully acknowledge these donors who increased their gift to Curtis in the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is vital to the school’s financial strength. Gifts to the Annual Fund provide support for nearly every area of school operations, including educational programs, faculty and staff salaries and benefits, financial aid for students who would otherwise be unable to attend Curtis, and maintenance and improvement of the campus and facilities. FOUNDERS CIRCLE ($50,000+) Curtis Parents Association Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation Louis & Fenfang Hsieh Allan ’79 & Lily Schweitzer Alex von Furstenberg & Alison Kay Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Washington

BENEFACTOR CIRCLE ($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous (2) The Ahmanson Foundation Drs. Sunny & Kavitha Bhatia ^ Kirsten Albrecht & Marc Evans Hindsight Capital LP Tracy ’88 & Scott Minker ^ Ann & Greg Myer ^ Jennifer Danto Shore Noah Shore Thea & Jay Wolf

HEAD OF SCHOOL CIRCLE ($10,000-$24,999)

Alex Albert & Alexandra Goodyear ^ Peter Benudiz & Jennifer Lewis The Bhavnani Family Tina & Glenn Caron

Steve & Julia Chang ^ Roy & Janet Choi ^ Jenny & Alex Cole ^ Terence & Niki Cole The Daws-Pecano Family ^ Shelly & Mark Detmer Mr. Michael Dreyer Rachel & John Edwards ^ Curtis & Kristi Estes Michael & Heather Ezer Louis & Shane ’84 Fermelia ^ Haley & Adam Fisher Shari & Rob Friedman Kris & Beverly Galashan ^ Brian & Jill Glennon Deena & David Gussman Mara & Steve Hawn ^ Mr. Don Ho & Dr. Rachel Yang ^ Borden & Romy James ^ Brooke & Barry Josephson ^ Jeanine & Kevin Kay ^ David & Jennie Kim Kissick Family Foundation Alan & Randie Kleinman Erin Estrada & Ron Laffitte LSJB ^ Susan & Ryan Lynch Mark & Nicole Manuel ^ Glenn & Debra Martin The McFerran Family Nancy & Greg Meidel

Kirstin & Carl Meyer ^ Jim Miller ’90 & Betsy Miller ^ Samantha & Jason Milner ^ Mr. John Morris Palmer Murray Sheila & Page Nazarian ^ Nevada Community Foundation Rachel & Ryan Ogulnick Holly & Sean Olson The Otis Booth Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Stephen P. Rader Samantha Rankine-Wilson ^ Dr. Meera Ratnesar & Mr. John Querio Laura & Michael Richter Robert D. Shipp The Siklos Family Jiwon & Steven Song Brian & Lauren Stewart ^ Lisa & Adam Stoll The Tomsic Family Craig & Ashley Varnen ^ The Walt Disney Company Foundation ^ Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden Erin & Shawn Yari

COUGAR CIRCLE ($5,000-$9,999) Anonymous AF Double Eagle

Drs. Jisun & Monica C. Ryoo Brad & Karen Schwartz Craig & Barbara Segor Kathryn & Eddy Simonian The Smith Family ^ The Sugimoto Family The Trattner Family ^ Chelsea & Mark Vahradian Haley Weidenbaum ’99 ^ Roee & Melissa Wiczyk David & Renee Yang Drs. Christopher & Nelly Zahiri ^

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($3,000-$4,999)

The Abrol Family ^ AIG Dr. Michael & Mrs. Joann Alexander The Bank of America Foundation ^ Seda & Aykut Bayrak The Beker Family ^ Lucy & Stu Billett Timothy & Susie Cheng ^ DaeJin Cho & SaeHae Lee Jared Cohen ’88 ^ Dr. Laura Dolecek & Dr. Tyson Condie The Copeland Family ^ Marvin & Patti Demoff Paulette & Audney DePaulo Sharon & Chad Eshaghoff ^ Greg & Jessie Ezor The Federman Family ^ Mr. Adam Fee & Mrs. Anna Joo Fee Kathrin Nicholson & Don Felder ^ Kelly & Adam ’89 Gafni Mr. Armand Hammer & Mrs. Elizabeth Chambers Hammer Rebecca & Jason Hild Dr. Karoline & Mr. Joseph Hilu ^ Dr. Cassie & Mr. Rob Holmes ^ The Jazaeri Family ^ Alli & Austin Katz ^ Mr. & Mrs. Louis Kim, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jon Kirchner Matthew ’91 & Ariane Klein ^ Jonathan & June Lee ^ Dr. & Mrs. William Mack ^ Dr. Yasmine Fattahi Maghami & Mr. Steve Maghami ^ Michael & Erin Mand Natasha Chesler & Timothy McCaffrey

Kacey & Peter McCoy Mendelson Foundation Carlye & Michael Morgan Atoosa & Alex Nehorai Desiree & Kiarash Neman Robert & Syldy Nida Cleveland O’Neal & Maisha Pajardo-O’Neal Jill & John Peters Sara & Grant Ross Dylan & Casondra Ruga ^ Wendy & Ron Schwartz & Family ^ Carol & Ben Scotti The Sharma Family Matthew & Daniela Sheahan The Slootweg Family Dianna & Justin Sternberg Mr. Todd Swidler & Ms. Sarah Mlynowski Dr. Terence Tao & Mrs. Laura Tao Sanaz & Shawn Tavakoli ^ The Topp Family Jill & Nicolas van Dyk Watson Family Foundation Brian & Suzanne Watson Sarah & Mark Wetzstein Eric & Elizabeth Witt

ASSOCIATES ($1,500-$2,999)

Anonymous The Akselrud Family The Atterberry Family The Azarbal Family Roseanne Badham-Burand Samantha Billett Rosenblum ’97 Uri & Stacy ’83 Blackman Troy & Francesca ’00 Bodie Melissa Bretz ^ Dr. Joe & Becky Burns The Campbell Family Dr. Lawrence & Jane Z. Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Colin Condren Sabrina & Adam Daneshgar The Daneshrad Family Erik & Nicole Davis Judy Dickinson ^ Earl B. Gilmore Foundation The Esmaili Family The Fish Family Fortress Investment Group, LLC Aimee Frank Darin Frank

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Vinod & Nirmila Assomull Mr. & Mrs. Adam Bass The Bath-Reynolds Family ^ Kristin & Aaron Bendikson Mr. Brett Berkowitz & Mrs. Linda Guerrero The Boeing Company ^ Mr. & Mrs. James R. Burroughs The Charlotte Friedman Foundation Tom & Mary Alice Davidov Mr. & Ms. Gavin & Galit Donnelly ^ Dana & Lorenzo Doumani Bob & Michelle Etebar The Fakhri Family ^ Daniel & Angela Feiner Katelyn Fisher ’96 Aidan & Jackie Foley John & Sandra Fox Eli & Karen Frankel ^ Diane Friedman Scott Friedman & Catherine Gopaulsingh Todd & Jaclyn Golditch ^ Mr. Huiqing Hu & Dr. Fan Dong The Jay and Rose Philips Family Foundation of California/Levin and Zarcufsky Families Mr. & Mrs. Cory Johnson ^ Mr. Gabriel Johnson & Ms. Ciara Castro Ashley & David Josephson Dr. & Mrs. Matthew Kagan The Kilstein Family Ann & Sean Kono ^ Danyel & Chris Lau ^ The Lugash Family ^ Rayna & Brandon Marz ^ The Mayer Grohe Family ^ Johann & Elsie Lai Mendoza ^ Andrew & Katherine Meyer ^ Dr. Sherli Mikail & Mr. Mishel Mikail Andrew & Amanda Miller ^ Ellie & Amir Mossanen ^ Netflix Northwestern Mutual Foundation The Novak Family Caroline & Benjamin Ohana Mindy & Mark Owens Sol & Stephanie Poursalimi ^ Zaheeda & Nav Rahemtulla ^ Dr. & Mrs. Jonathan Raiman Harshith & Amita Ramesh ^ The Resnikoff Family

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Annual Fund Breen Frazier & Sheila Lawrence Cameron & Naomi Gloege ^ Good Old Lew Foundation David ’90 & Anna Gross ^ Lylle Breier & Andrew Henderson Jennifer & David Hillman ^ Diane & Henry Hilty Christopher Holthouse ’05 ^ Luke Holthouse ’07 ^ Katie & Phil Holthouse ^ Roman Holthouse ’09 ^ Dr. Susanna Tran & Mr. Charles Hsieh ^ Danny & Carolyn Huang ^ Todd ’93 & Arielle Jackson Nadia & Joshua Javaheri Yizhou Sun & Ning Jiang Jenny Cohen & Michael Joe Larry & Cathy Kagan The Kambur Family Brandy & Moe Keshavarzi Christopher Keyser & Susan Sprung Soo & Seung Kim Young & Jackie Kim Karin & Greg Klein Amanda ’85 & Jeff Kolodny ^ Joyce & Ryan Komori Sara Klevens & Joseph Loewenbein Mr. & Mrs. Trey MacLeod Mark & Esther Magna

Jacquelyn & Anthony Marciano ^ Travlin & Nicole McCormack Max Mednik ’96 ^ Microsoft Corporation Rebecca Mall & John Miller Joan & Wayne Miller Harry Mittleman & Margaret Gray Dahlia & Shoib Myint Lisa & David Neman Kevin Newman ’83 & Amy Weimer ^ Linda & Vincent Nicoletta Northern Trust Charitable Giving Program David & Tayler Park Golnaz & Mark Paya ^ Pioneer Broach Company Dr. Marcella & Mr. David Press ^ Anne & Gary Richards Isaac Sakhai & Foujan Neman Sakhai Polly & Michael Sarris Gary & Susan Sayble Corinne Schulman ^ The Shamji Family Debra Shuwarger ’87 Mr. & Mrs. Robert Shuwarger Ryan Shuwarger ’97 The Smiley Family Orly & Carlo Tabibi Melissa Barshop ’92 & Steven VanDeBogart ^ Courtney & Jeffrey ’89 Weiss Elina & Sam Wineburgh Michele Wyman ’89 Xperi Jane & Tien T. Yang Laura & Mo Zahrawi Mr. & Mrs. Armen Zenjiryan

FRIENDS (TO $1,499)

Anonymous (6) ^ Kavita Ajmere ^ Gillian & Jeffrey Albert Revs. Janet & William Albrecht Rakhee & Ray Alston Brianda & Esteban Alvarado Kavita Amar Chip & Barbara Angle Clare & Stephen Apelian ^ The Apley Family ^ Mary Arnold Misha & Navin Assomull

The Augsberger Family Chad Bacon ’16 Jarod Bacon ’11 Andréa & Jeff Bacon Sarah Ballas ’03 ^ Christina Banks The Regan ’09 Banvard Family Mr. & Mrs. Alan Barbanel Hratch Bardekjian Drew Beckmeyer Jordan Bender ’02 Gail & Neil Berlant Adam Blackman ’15 Jennifer Weiss ’98 & The Blecker Family ^ Martha Blumenthal Jason Bohle ’88 & Jennifer Rundell ^ The Bollenbach Family Brian Border ’85 Kathryn Brady Autumn L. Brannon Kimberly & Daniel Branscome ^ Jeff & Mary Bretz ^ The Broder Family Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. Buch Connor Bunnak ’18 Lloyd ’85 & Ivy Bunnak ^ Nop & Ock Bunnak Marion & William Campbell Bob & Linda Camras The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Trina Capka Jill ’85 & David Carmel Devon Carmel ’15 Sydney Carmel ’17 Mr. & Mrs. Barry Cayton Derek Cayton ’15 Margaret Lee & Donald Chang Ashton Chase Alexandra Chavez ’15 Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Chistolini Mr. & Mrs. Danny Chu Katherine Holmes-Chuba & Dan Chuba Raquel Chung Sue Chung Veran Chung ’17 & Family Jordan & Carly Church ^ Debra & Andrew Cohen Marshall & Jennifer Cole Bobby & Kristin Collin Alexandra A. Conrad

Elizabeth Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. William M. Goodyear, Jr. The Gordon Family Grace Gordon ’15 Jennifer Gordon Eric Graffer Mr. Paulius Grigas & Dr. Agnia Grigas Mrs. Annie Grimes Allison Gross ’00 ^ Caroline Gross ’02 ^ Dr. & Mrs. Robert Gross Daniela Guardia Villegas Morgan Gubin & Vanessa Montes-Gubin ^ William & Nancy Gubin Andrew Gussman ’15 Mark Gutierrez Dede & Tom Haglund Jim & Nini Halkett Steve Hall ^ Harbert Family Trust Laurie & Chris Harbert Samy Harbert ’07 Sonja & Matthew Harrigan ^ Ben Harris Brian Harwitt ’05 Ginger Healy ’97 ^ Jack William Healy ’04 Janna & Neil Healy ^ The Heckendorf Family Krista & Christian Henningsen Mr. & Mrs. Jose Henriquez Matias Henriquez Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Henry Mr. & Mrs. Eladio Hernandez Jennifer & David Hilton ^ Charles Hinkin Mr. & Mrs. Con Howe Mr. Christopher Hruby ^ The Hubbard Family (Rose ’99) Karen & David Hubbard Elizabeth Iason Ms. Karen Ivy Catherine & Cuong James Susan Burnap Janneck ’66 Art and Mel Johnson ^ Nancy & Richard Katz Elizabeth Kaufman ’98 Lynne & Ron Kaufman The Kay Family ^ Kirk & Arsineh Kazazian Laurie & Paul Kelson

Ana & Bill Kenah Peter Kenah ’88 Marley Kennedy ’23 Mr. & Mrs. Ray Kolahi Mrs. Ashley Kolbe Mr. & Mrs. Howard Kreshek (Emily ’80) Janie Kreshek ’12 Katie Kreshek ’10 Daniel Kromolowski ’99 Mr. & Mrs. Jerzy Kromolowski ^ Jagger Lambert ’15 Scott & Alexandra Lambert James & Lilas Lane ^ The Larson-Seahorn Family Jake Lasker ’04 Michele & Daniel Lasman Jung & Ted Lee Donielle Lemone-Bulmer Arthur & Carole Levine Jonathan ’88 & Britt Levine ^ Mr. & Mrs. Michael Levine Steve & Cynthia Levine Andrea & Andrew Lewis Carol Li Emma Limor ’15 Jack Limor ’18 ^ Limor Family ^ Jonathan & Nancy Littman Dara Burdette Looney ’89 Erika & Arturo Lopez Mr. & Mrs. John Low ^ Sally Loyd ^ Orell Lumpkin & Amorette Brooms ^ Patrick Lynch The Ma Family Addison Ma ’20 Gracen Ma ’23 Tom & Ashley Ma Deena & Bill Mack Mr. & Mrs. Christian Mahony Shelly & Martin Mand Ripsi Margaryan The Martin Family ^ Chris Matthews Ms. Raylene Mayer Linda McCormack Sandra McGarry Michelle & Aaron McGruder ^ Mr. & Mrs. Justin McInnes Katherine McKenna The McKnight Family Alexandra Meyer ’19

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 25

Anne-Marie Cordingly ’77 ^ Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Coyne, Jr. Sandra & George Creznic Carla & Antonio Cue The Cutler Family The Cutter Family Louise Cutter ’15 Stephen Daly & Lisa Hamilton Daly Bennett Daneshrad ’15 Khalief & Henry Dantzler ^ Zahra Dantzler ’25 Nicole Davidson Guadiana ’95 Dr. Mauricio de la Lama & Dr. Lindsy Forbess The Degus Family Kevin ’89 & Jennifer Demoff Dr. Ramani Durvasula ^ The Eglee Family Pamela Eisenstein Allayne & Marshall Estrada The Ewald Family ^ Janet Farrant Gina & Jeff Favre Violet Favre ’24 Angela Favreau ^ Judie Fenton Francisco Fernandez Castrillon The Kapsos/Fernandez Family Dale Fielder Jamie Fieldman Epstein ’97 Isabella Fierro ’22 Dr. Sarina & Mr. Angelo Fierro ^ Michael Fourticq ’15 Mike ’82 & Teresa Fourticq Missy & Jimmy Fox Kate Fox David E. Frank & Susan Dickinson Jennifer & Robert ’84 Galperson Jeffery Garcia & Vanessa Keith Garcia The Chan/Gatins Family Terra Geisler Francesca Gerbino Patricia Marciano Germain & Jeffrey Germain Gerald Giamportone & Teresa Beaudet Mr. & Mrs. Barry Glazer Rosemary Lewis & Thomas Glennon Joann & Terry Gloege Richard & Laura Gold Carol & Neil Goldberg

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Annual Fund Julia Michelson Richter ’94 ^ Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mickelson Gail & Windell Middleton ^ Andy Miller ’65 Milton & Marcy Miller Marie & Michael Millman Carol & Richard Minker ^ Mr. & Ms. Jeffrey R. Mirkin The Molina Family Mrs. Patty Molinari & Mr. Charles Molinari Max Moray ’04 Michael & Kathy Moray Terri & John Morell Sandra Naftzger Jaya Nayar ’14 Jonathan Nehorai ’16 Julia Nehorai ’19 Lauren Nehorai ’14 Karen Nguyen ^ Mrs. Susan Nihiser Erin Creznic & Jennifer Noble Ms. Tracy North Mark & Kasey Nott Tanner Nott ’15 Daniel Novikov ’15 Dmitri & Eugenia Novikov Claudia & Jerry Nussbaum Rachel Kirenga-Nyarwaya & Zuba Nyarwaya Karen Ochoa Samantha O’Gorman Mimi Paley ’00 The Palumbo Family Ava N. Park ’19 Greg Patterson Angela Pennington ’87 Mimi & Don Petrie Jessica Pezdek Nicholas Plaska Mr. & Ms. Calvin Portley ^ Prager Family (Dianna ’87) Megan Pyle The Quinn-Wollaeger Family Georgina Sanchez & Jonathan Quinones The Ramji Family Sonia Randazzo The Reiner Family Roland & Sarah Richardson ^ The Rivera Family The Ro Family Gale Robitshek

Daniel Rothbauer The Rudoy Family Mr. Kent Russell ’75 Shohreh Saedi The Rio Saken Family ^ Annarosa Salazar Ms. Kyoko Sasaki Chuck Sawyer The Sayles Family The Schackne Family Dr. Linda Schaffer ^ Ryan ’87 & Lisa Schneider The Schuman Family The Schumer Family Alice & Bill Schumer ^ Asher Schwartz ’15 Christine Burton Schwartz & Donald Schwartz ^ David & Julie Schwarz Simone Schwarz Jeffrey R. Schwimer ’01 Kevin B. Schwimer ’97 Michael E. Schwimer ’94 Stanford & Randi Schwimer Carrie & Anthony Scotti Deborah Seidner Jay & Katherine Shelton Stacy Shirk ’03 Terra Shirvanian The Shore Family Ava Shore ’15 Alexis Collins Shuster ^ Alexandra Shveda ’09 Mary Sidell ^ Olivia Siegels-Bitetti Molly Simms The Singleton-Williams Family ^ Bianca Sjoenell ’14 Elton Sjoenell ’14 Pelle & Pauline Sjoenell Shelby Slayton Susan & Michael Smith Loren Sobul Mrs. Christine Sorfazian ^ Dr. Lois M. Sprague ’60 Seema & de Winter Stewart Frank Stork & Katrin Kalischer-Stork Blair & Kiera Strain The Suess Family Kristen Sullivan Liam Sullivan ’15 Mr. & Mrs. Kinji M. Tasugi

Ms. D’vora Taus-Kahn Jackie Taylor The Tehranchi Family Richard Tenser Alex Thibiant ’15 Michele & Patrick Thibiant The Thompson Family Scarlett Thompson ’17 Shane Thompson ’14 The Torres Family ^ Brian & Laurey Treiger Jackson Treiger ’15 The Tuchin Family ^ Jessica Tuchin ’15 Mr. Wilbert Umana Unger Family Foundation Susan & Daniel Unger Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Unger Norm & Lorraine Varnen Maribel Wallace Effie Wallen Patricia ’94 & Adam Weg Julie & Dan Weinbach Eli Weinbach ’17 Mirabelle Weinbach ’14 Isabella M. Welsh ’16 Susan & John Welsh The Whitney Family Mr. & Mrs. Griffin ’87 Whitney Grace Whitney ’19 Isabella Whitney ’19 Amy Wiggins ^ Ashley Williams Clarence Williams & Paulette Guyton-Williams Marian & Daniel Williams Joel & Veronica Williams Leronda Williams Maritza Williams Quinton Williams Jon Wimbish & Amanda Angle Kimball Winans ’10 Family Adele Wineburgh McDowell & Charles Winn Mr. & Mrs. Michael P.A. Winn Ms. Susan Woolley Jimmy E. Worth Yeargin Family ^ Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Zalevsky Zelisha Zigler Cliff Zimmerman ’03 ^ Lucie & Doug Zimmerman

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Restricted Gifts We thank the following donors whose contributions to a variety of funds and initiatives strengthen our students’ educational experience and enrich the entire Curtis community. Above & Beyond Financial Aid Fund* Anonymous (2) Peter Benudiz & Jennifer Lewis Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation Hindsight Capital LP Alex von Furstenberg & Alison Kay Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Washington Thea & Jay Wolf *The Above & Beyond Financial Aid Fund recognizes donors who have generously pledged $100,000 or more above and beyond their Annual Fund gift. To participate in this campaign, please contact Corinne Schulman, Director of Advancement.

Alumni Financial Aid Fund Anonymous Adam Blackman ’15 Uri & Stacy ’83 Blackman Devon Carmel ’15 Jill ’85 & David Carmel Mr. & Mrs. Barry Cayton Derek Cayton ’15 Alexandra Chavez ’15 The Cutter Family Louise Cutter ’15 Bennett Daneshrad ’15 The Daneshrad Family Michael Fourticq ’15 Mike ’82 & Teresa Fourticq The Gordon Family Grace Gordon ’15 Andrew Gussman ’15 Deena & David Gussman Jagger Lambert ’15 Scott & Alexandra Lambert Mark & Kasey Nott Tanner Nott ’15 Daniel Novikov ’15 Dmitri & Eugenia Novikov

Ava Shore ’15 The Shore Family Kristen Sullivan Liam Sullivan ’15 Alex Thibiant ’15 Michele & Patrick Thibiant Brian & Laurey Treiger Jackson Treiger ’15 Jessica Tuchin ’15 The Tuchin Family

Alumni Council Community Service Grant Jill ’85 & David Carmel David ’90 & Anna Gross Allison ’83 & Mark Jacoby Amanda ’85 & Jeff Kolodny Max Mednik ’96 Mimi Paley ’00 Shana ’85 & Matthew Zarcufsky

Curtis Financial Aid Fund Anonymous (2) The Abrol Family The Ahmanson Foundation Alex Albert & Alexandra Goodyear Dr. Michael & Mrs. Joann Alexander The Apley Family Maniya Arnold-Brownlee ’20 & Family Misha & Navin Assomull The Atterberry Family The Azarbal Family Seda & Aykut Bayrak Peter Benudiz & Jennifer Lewis Mr. Brett Berkowitz & Mrs. Linda Guerrero Mr. Arun Bohra & Ms. Ashita Shah The Bollenbach Family Kimberly & Daniel Branscome Melissa Bretz The Campbell Family Tina & Glenn Caron Steve & Julia Chang Roy & Janet Choi

Stacy & Ted Cohanim Dr. Jeffrey & Mrs. Rachel Cohen Jenny & Alex Cole Dr. Laura Dolecek & Dr. Tyson Condie Mr. & Mrs. Colin Condren The Copeland Family Curtis Parents Association Stephen Daly & Lisa Hamilton Daly The Degus Family Judy Dickinson Gavin & Galit Donnelly Dana & Lorenzo Doumani The Esmaili Family Bob & Michelle Etebar Kirsten Albrecht & Marc Evans The Ewald Family Michael & Heather Ezer Gina & Jeff Favre Mr. Adam Fee & Mrs. Anna Joo Fee Daniel & Angela Feiner Louis & Shane ’84 Fermelia Haley & Adam Fisher Aidan & Jackie Foley Darin Frank David Frank & Susan Dickinson Eli & Karen Frankel Breen Frazier & Sheila Lawrence Kelly & Adam ’89 Gafni Kris & Beverly Galashan Elana & Jon Gimbel Brian & Jill Glennon David ’90 & Anna Gross Deena & David Gussman Ben Harris The Heckendorf Family Krista & Christian Henningsen Jennifer & David Hillman Jennifer & David Hilton Dr. Cassie & Mr. Rob Holmes The Hubbard Family (Rose ’99) The Jazaeri Family Mike & Yelena Johnson Joseph Drown Foundation Brooke & Barry Josephson Kris & Robert Joyce Dr. & Mrs. Matthew Kagan

Tot Lot Initiative Alan & Randie Kleinman Harshith & Amita Ramesh

Library Curtis Parents Association

Endowment Gifts The Peter W. Smailes Financial Aid Endowment

Hassan Iken Jennifer Danto Shore Noah Shore Jon Wimbish & Amanda Angle

Honorary & Memorial Gifts Gift in Honor of Maya ’12 & Shanti ’16 Hinkin Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Gift in Honor of Maple ’19 & Oliver “O.B.” ’21 Mand Shelly & Martin Mand

Gift in Honor of Ethan ’20 & Ainsley ’24 Minker Carol & Richard Minker

Curtis Annual Report 2019-20 | 29

The Kay Family Jeanine & Kevin Kay Earleen Kennedy The Kilstein Family David & Jennie Kim Mr. & Mrs. Jon Kirchner Alan & Randie Kleinman James & Lilas Lane Danyel & Chris Lau Jonathan & June Lee The Ma Family Dr. Yasmine Fattahi Maghami & Mr. Steve Maghami Michael & Erin Mand Glenn & Debra Martin Rayna & Brandon Marz The Mayer Grohe Family Natasha Chesler & Timothy McCaffrey The Mehta Family Ms. Sonia Mehta Andrew & Katherine Meyer Kirstin & Carl Meyer Gail & Windell Middleton Jim Miller ’90 & Betsy Miller Rebecca Mall & John Miller Samantha & Jason Milner Tracy ’88 & Scott Minker The Molina Family Carlye & Michael Morgan Dahlia & Shoib Myint Sheila & Page Nazarian Lisa & David Neman Desiree & Kiarash Neman The Novak Family Rachel Kirenga-Nyarwaya & Zuba Nyarwaya Rachel & Ryan Ogulnick Caroline & Benjamin Ohana Holly & Sean Olson Cleveland O’Neal & Maisha Pajardo-O’Neal

Mindy & Mark Owens Golnaz & Mark Paya Jill & John Peters Dr. & Mrs. Jonathan Raiman Arash & Marla Raminfar The Ramji Family The Reiner Family The Resnikoff Family The Ro Family Leif & Robin Rogers The Rudoy Family Dylan & Casondra Ruga Isaac Sakhai & Foujan Neman Sakhai The Sayles Family Ryan ’87 & Lisa Schneider Brad & Karen Schwartz Carrie & Anthony Scotti The Shamji Family The Sharma Family Jennifer Danto Shore Noah Shore The Siklos Family Kathryn & Eddy Simonian The Smith Family Jiwon & Steven Song Dianna & Justin Sternberg Brian & Lauren Stewart Seema & de Winter Stewart The Suess Family The Sugimoto Family Orly & Carlo Tabibi The Topp Family Chelsea & Mark Vahradian Craig & Ashley Varnen Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Washington Patricia ’94 & Adam Weg Courtney & Jeffrey ’89 Weiss Elina & Sam Wineburgh Eric & Elizabeth Witt David & Renee Yang Erin & Shawn Yari Yeargin Family Laura & Mo Zahrawi

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Donors By Constituency Alumni Chad Bacon ’16 Jarod Bacon ’11 Sarah Ballas ’03 c Steven VanDeBogart & Melissa Barshop ’92 c Jordan Bender ’02 Samantha Billett Rosenblum ’97 Adam Blackman ’15 c Stacy ’83 & Uri Blackman c Troy & Francesca ’00 Bodie Jason Bohle ’88 & Jennifer Rundell Brian Border ’85 The Broder Family (Aaron ’80) c Connor Bunnak ’18 Lloyd ’85 & Ivy Bunnak c Dara Burdette Looney ’89 Jill ’85 & David Carmel c Devon Carmel ’15 c Sydney Carmel ’17 Derek Cayton ’15 c L. Ashton Chase, Jr. ’72 Alexandra Chavez ’15 c Veran Chung ’17 Jared Cohen ’88 c Marshall ’96 & Jennifer Cole Anne-Marie Cordingly ’77 Louise Cutter ’15 c Bennett Daneshrad ’15 c Nicole Davidson Guadiana ’95 Kevin ’89 & Jennifer Demoff c Mr. & Mrs. Louis Fermelia (Shane ’84) Jamie Fieldman Epstein ’97 Katelyn Fisher ’96 Michael Fourticq ’15 c Mike ’82 & Teresa Fourticq c Kelly & Adam ’89 Gafni c Jennifer & Robert ’84 Galperson Elizabeth Goldstein ’95 Grace Gordon ’15 c Allison Gross ’00 Caroline Gross ’02 David ’90 & Anna Gross Morgan Gubin ’91 & Vanessa Montes-Gubin Andrew Gussman ’15 c Samy Harbert ’07 Brian Harwitt ’05

Ginger Healy ’97 c Jack William Healy ’04 c Christopher Holthouse ’05 Luke Holthouse ’07 Roman Holthouse ’09 The Hubbard Family (Rose ’99) Todd ’93 & Arielle Jackson Susan Burnap Janneck ’66 Elizabeth Kaufman ’98 Peter Kenah ’88 Matthew ’91 & Ariane Klein Amanda ’85 & Jeff Kolodny c Mr. & Mrs. Howard Kreshek (Emily ’80) c Janie Kreshek ’12 c Katie Kreshek ’10 c Daniel Kromolowski ’99 Jagger Lambert ’15 c Jake Lasker ’04 Jason Levin ’89 c Matthew Levin ’93 c Jonathan ’88 & Britt Levine c Emma Limor ’15 Jack Limor ’18 Max Mednik ’96 c Alexandra Meyer ’19 Julia Michelson Richter ’94 Andy Miller ’65 Jim Miller ’90 & Betsy Miller c Tracy ’88 & Scott Minker c Max Moray ’04 Sandra Naftzger ’72 Jaya Nayar ’14 Jonathan Nehorai ’16 Julia Nehorai ’19 Lauren Nehorai ’14 Kevin Newman ’83 & Amy Weimer Tanner Nott ’15 c Daniel Novikov ’15 c Mimi Paley ’00 Ava Park ’19 Angela Pennington ’87 The Prager Family (Dianna ’87) c Mr. Kent Russell ’75 c The Sayles Family (Matt ’94) Ryan ’87 & Lisa Schneider Asher Schwartz ’15 Simone Schwarz ’19 Allan ’79 & Lily Schweitzer c Jeffrey Schwimer ’01 c

Kevin Schwimer ’97 c Michael Schwimer ’94 c Stacy Shirk ’03 Ava Shore ’15 c Debra Shuwarger ’87 Ryan Shuwarger ’97 Alexandra Shveda ’09 Bianca Sjoenell ’14 Elton Sjoenell ’14 Dr. Lois M. Sprague ’60 Liam Sullivan ’15 c Alex Thibiant ’15 c Scarlett Thompson ’17 Shane Thompson ’14 Jackson Treiger ’15 c Jessica Tuchin ’15 c Patricia ’94 & Adam Weg Haley Weidenbaum ’99 Eli Weinbach ’17 Mirabelle Weinbach ’14 Courtney & Jeffrey ’89 Weiss Jennifer Weiss ’98 & The Blecker Family Isabella Welsh ’16 Grace Whitney ’19 Mr. & Mrs. Griffin ’87 Whitney c Isabella Whitney ’21 The Whitney Family (Tybalt ’85) c Michele Wyman ’89 Shana Levin Zarcufsky ’85 c Cliff Zimmerman ’03

Parents of Alumni Anonymous c Gillian & Jeffrey Albert c Andréa & Jeff Bacon Roseanne Badham-Burand The Regan (’09) Banvard Family Mr. & Mrs. Alan Barbanel Gail & Neil Berlant Lucy & Stu Billett Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. Buch Nop & Ock Bunnak Susan Burnap Janneck ’66 Mr. & Mrs. James R. Burroughs Jill ’85 & David Carmel c Mr. & Mrs. Barry Cayton c Margaret Lee & Donald Chang c Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Chistolini c

Mr. & Mrs. Christian Mahony c The McKnight Family Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mickelson Andy Miller ’65 Milton & Marcy Miller Marie & Michael Millman Mr. & Ms. Jeffrey R. Mirkin Harry Mittleman & Margaret Gray c Michael & Kathy Moray Terri & John Morell c Ann & Greg Myer c Atoosa & Alex Nehorai c Mark & Kasey Nott c Dmitri & Eugenia Novikov c David & Tayler Park Mimi & Don Petrie c Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Rader The Rio Saken Family c Ms. Kyoko Sasaki c David & Julie Schwarz c Stanford & Randi Schwimer c Robert D. Shipp The Shore Family c Mr. & Mrs. Robert Shuwarger Mary Sidell Pelle & Pauline Sjoenell c Loren Sobul c Kristen Sullivan c Mr. & Mrs. Kinji M. Tasugi D’vora Taus-Kahn c Michele & Patrick Thibiant c The Thompson Family Brian & Laurey Treiger c The Tuchin Family c Julie & Dan Weinbach c Susan & John Welsh The Whitney Family (Tybalt ’85) c Kimball Winans ’10 & Family Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Zalevsky Lucie & Doug Zimmerman c

Grandparents Revs. Janet & William Albrecht Chip & Barbara Angle Mary Arnold c Vinod & Nirmila Assomull c Martha Blumenthal Jeff & Mary Bretz Nop & Ock Bunnak Marion & William Campbell Bob & Linda Camras Timothy & Susie Cheng Terence & Niki Cole

Sandra & George Creznic Allayne & Marshall Estrada c Janet Farrant Judie Fenton Diane Friedman Patricia Marciano-Germain & Jeffrey Germain Gerald Giamportone & Teresa Beaudet c Mr. & Mrs. Barry Glazer Rosemary Lewis & Thomas Glennon Joann & Terry Gloege Richard & Laura Gold c Mr. & Mrs. William M. Goodyear, Jr. William & Nancy Gubin Janna & Neil Healy c Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Henry Karen & David Hubbard Art & Mel Johnson Nancy & Richard Katz Arthur & Carole Levine Deena & Bill Mack Shelly & Martin Mand c Linda McCormack Kacey & Peter McCoy Joan & Wayne Miller Carol & Richard Minker Ann & Greg Myer c Claudia & Jerry Nussbaum Mimi & Don Petrie c Sonia Randazzo Roland & Sarah Richardson c Drs. Jisun & Monica C. Ryoo c Shohreh Saedi Alice & Bill Schumer Christine Burton Schwartz & Donald Schwartz Carol & Ben Scotti Jay & Katherine Shelton Robert D. Shipp Susan & Michael Smith Richard Tenser c Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Unger Norm & Lorraine Varnen Effie Wallen Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden Clarence Williams & Paulette Guyton-Williams Adele Wineburgh Mr. & Mrs. Michael P.A. Winn c Jane & Tien T. Yang

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Katherine Holmes-Chuba & Dan Chuba c Veran Chung ’17 & Family c Debra & Andrew Cohen c Dr. Lawrence & Jane Z. Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Coyne, Jr. The Cutter Family c The Daneshrad Family c Kevin ’89 & Jennifer Demoff c Marvin & Patti Demoff c Mr. Michael Dreyer Dr. Ramani Durvasula Rachel & John Edwards c The Eglee Family Mike ’82 & Teresa Fourticq c Diane Friedman Jeffery Garcia & Vanessa Keith Garcia c The Chan/Gatins Family c Terra Geisler c Mr. & Mrs. Barry Glazer Joann & Terry Gloege Carol & Neil Goldberg Dr. & Mrs. Robert Gross William & Nancy Gubin Dede & Tom Haglund c Jim & Nini Halkett Harbert Family Trust Laurie & Chris Harbert Janna & Neil Healy c Diane & Henry Hilty c Charles Hinkin Mr. Don Ho & Dr. Rachel Yang c Katie & Phil Holthouse Mr. & Mrs. Con Howe Ms. Karen Ivy c Lynne & Ron Kaufman c Laurie & Paul Kelson c Ana & Bill Kenah Christopher Keyser & Susan Sprung Kissick Family Foundation Larissa & Scott Klein Mr. & Mrs. Ray Kolahi Mr. & Mrs. Howard Kreshek (Emily ’80) c Mr. & Mrs. Jerzy Kromolowski Scott & Alexandra Lambert c Arthur & Carole Levine Mr. & Mrs. Michael Levine Steve & Cynthia Levine Carol Li The Limor Family Jonathan & Nancy Littman

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Employees Kavita Ajmere Gillian & Jeffrey Albert c Sarah Ballas ’03 c Christina Banks Hratch Bardekjian c Drew Beckmeyer c Kathryn Brady c Autumn L. Brannon c Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Chistolini c Mr. & Mrs. Danny Chu c Raquel Chung Sue Chung Debra & Andrew Cohen c Khalief & Henry Dantzler Gina & Jeff Favre c Angela Favreau Francisco Fernandez Castrillon Dale Fielder Sarina & Angelo Fierro c Kate Fox c David Frank & Susan Dickinson c Terra Geisler c Francesca Gerbino Jennifer Gordon c Eric Graffer Mrs. Annie Grimes c Daniela Guardia Villegas Mark Gutierrez c Dede & Tom Haglund c Steve Hall c Ginger Healy ’97 c Mr. & Mrs. Jose Henriquez c Matias Henriquez Mr. & Mrs. Eladio Hernandez c Mr. Christopher Hruby c The Hubbard Family (Rose ’99) Elizabeth Iason c Ms. Karen Ivy c Mrs. Ashley Kolbe c Donielle Lemone-Bulmer Sally Loyd c Patrick Lynch Ashley Ma c Mr. & Mrs. Christian Mahony c Ripsi Margaryan Ms. Raylene Mayer c Sandra McGarry Mr. & Mrs. Justin McInnes Katherine McKenna c Mrs. Patty Molinari & Mr. Charles Molinari c Terri & John Morell c

Karen Nguyen Mrs. Susan Nihiser c Ms. Tracy North c Mark & Kasey Nott c Karen Ochoa Samantha O’Gorman Greg Patterson c Mimi & Don Petrie c Jessica Pezdek Nicholas Plaska Megan Pyle Dr. Meera Ratnesar & Mr. John Querio c Gale Robitshek c Daniel Rothbauer c The Rio Saken Family c Annarosa Salazar Ms. Kyoko Sasaki c Chuck Sawyer Dr. Linda Schaffer c Corinne Schulman Deborah Seidner c Terra Shirvanian Alexis Collins Shuster Olivia Siegels-Bitetti Molly Simms c Shelby Slayton Loren Sobul c Mrs. Christine Sorfazian c Ms. D’vora Taus-Kahn c Jackie Taylor Mr. Wilbert Umana Maribel Wallace c Amy Wiggins c Ashley Williams c Leronda Williams c Maritza Williams Ms. Susan Woolley c Jimmy E. Worth c Zelisha Zigler

Foundations, Corporations & Family Funds AF Double Eagle The Ahmanson Foundation c AIG American Endowment Foundation The Bank of America Foundation c The Boeing Company The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation CESE The Charlotte Friedman Foundation

Curtis Parents Association c Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation Dreiseszun Family Foundation c Earl B. Gilmore Foundation c Fortress Investment Group, LLC Good Old Lew Foundation Harbert Family Trust Hindsight Capital LP The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation of California/Levin & Zarcufsky Families c JEWISHcolorado Joseph Drown Foundation Kissick Family Foundation Mendelson Foundation c Microsoft Corporation Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust, Inc. Netflix Nevada Community Foundation Northern Trust Charitable Giving Program Northwestern Mutual Foundation c The Otis Booth Foundation Pioneer Broach Company Unger Family Foundation Vanguard Charitable The Walt Disney Company Foundation c Watson Family Foundation c Xperi

Matching Gifts AIG The Bank of America Foundation The Benevity Community Impact Fund The Boeing Company The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Fortress Investment Group, LLC Netflix Northwestern Mutual Foundation The Walt Disney Company Foundation Xperi c We gratefully acknowledge these donors for their record of sustained giving to the Annual Fund for five or more consecutive years.

There are many ways to benefit Curtis School, and we are here, with gratitude for your support, to help you choose the best option for you. You may make a one-time gift or a recurring gift (pledge) that gives you the option to spread payment over the year. Your employer may match your gift, doubling its impact. We welcome gifts of appreciated securities, or you may wish to include Curtis in your estate plan. Please visit the school website at www.curtisschool.org/support-curtis/ways-to-give for details and giving forms. If you have questions or need additional help, please call the Advancement Office at (310) 889-3750. Remembering Curtis in your estate plan is a meaningful way to ensure Curtis School’s ability to continue to fulfill its educational mission into the future. Please let the Advancement Office know if you have included or are thinking about including Curtis in your estate plan. We would like to recognize your generosity and your participation in the Legacy Society.

David Pappin, Curtis Leader and True-Blue Cougar “Coach Pappin” as David was known from his long tenure as director of athletics (1980-2006), figures large in the story of Curtis School. In addition to leading the athletics program, David was head of the Upper School for eight years. In all, David served Curtis with heart and soul for nearly 30 years. After his retirement, he remained close to Curtis and passionate about the school’s role in nurturing young people of character. His legacy lives on in the athletics award named in his honor, the David Pappin Competitive Spirit Award, which is presented during our traditional celebration of Curtis athletics on Sports Night. Through the years, David touched many lives among colleagues, staff, and Curtis students and families. All who knew David recognized how much he loved Curtis. He ensured that the school would continue to benefit from this affection even after his passing in 2017 by naming Curtis as the beneficiary of a generous bequest. We keep Coach Pappin close to our collective Curtis heart, and we are deeply grateful for his gift. Coach Pappin (seated) with the 2014-15 recipients of the David Pappin Competitive Spirit Award (l-r) Betsy Bass, Maddy Codding, Ally Lynch, Bennett Daneshrad, and Joel Sanchez.

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Ways to Give: Legacy Society

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Celebrating Milestones of Service In 2019-20 the Board of Trustees, along with the faculty and staff, celebrated 14 long-serving employees whose demonstrated dedication and many contributions to our school have enriched the lives of so many Curtis students and families. We are deeply grateful for the work they do to sustain an equitable and inclusive learning environment that enables all students to reach their highest potential.

Honorees (l-r): Drew Beckmeyer, Leronda Williams, Ashley Williams, Jennifer Gordon, Gina Favre, Kathryn Brady, Jimmy Worth, Kate Fox, Katie McKenna, Karen Ivy, Sue Nihiser, Meera Ratnesar, Linda Schaffer. (Not present: Debra Cohen)

35 Years Karen Ivy

25 Years Kate Fox Susan Nihiser

20 Years Debra Cohen Jimmy Worth

15 Years Gina Favre Ashley Williams

10 Years Drew Beckmeyer Jennifer Gordon Katie McKenna Dr. Linda Schaffer Leronda Williams

5 Years Kathryn Brady Dr. Meera Ratnesar

Annual Report 2019-20 The Annual Report gratefully acknowledges gifts received in the fiscal year July 1, 2019 trough June 30, 2020. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the listings and other information in this publication. If, however, an error or omission has been made, please accept our apology and contact Corinne Schulman, Director of Advancement.