Head-Royce Spring 2015 Magazine

Spring Magazine 2 0 1 5

SPRING MAGAZINE 2015 editors

Megan Long Elizabeth Owen editorial a ssis tance

Susan Anderson design & produc tion

Shelby Designs & Illustrates printer

Solstice Press photogr aphy

Emily Birren Jaqueline Botterman Kristi Farnham Thompson Claudia Miranda Mitch Maher Jessica Mericle Elizabeth Owen Peg Skorpinski Richard Wheeler

Spring Magazine 2015 V IS ION FOR TH E F UTURE 02 Head’s Letter

M ORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

15 Meet SOM

26 Curriculum 2.0

04 Questions for the Future

16 Q & A with SOM

28 Exploring Essential Questionss

06 Master Plan

17 Innovative Design: SOM Project Examples

40 Access & Affordability

08 The View from Above

18 A Look Inside the South Campus

42 Financial Aid Recipients’ Reflections

10 Meet the Design Working Group

20 Year in Review: Research & Assessment

12 Master Plan Fundamentals

22 Applying Calculus to the New Campus

44 Heads Up: Connecting with the Broader Oakland Community

14 Planning for the Future

24 Flexible Learning Spaces

46 Honoring Retirees

47 HRS Parents’ Association: Building Community 48 Crustacean Sensation Recap 50 Alumni Notes 55 In Memoriam

What does it mean to become a “school of the future?” Or, what does it mean to “prepare our graduates for the future?” These are

vision for head-royce school!

questions that we ask ourselves every day at Head-Royce. They

The mission of Head‑Royce School is to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for diversity that makes our society strong and to encourage active and responsible global citizenship.

Founded in 1887, Head‑Royce is an independent, nondenominational, coeducational, college-preparatory K–12 school, which offers a challenging educational program to educate the whole child. The school nurtures the development of each individual student through a program that seeks: » to develop intellectual abilities such as scholarship and disciplined, critical thinking; » to foster in each student respect, integrity, ethical behavior, compassion and a sense of humor; » to promote responsibility and leadership, an appreciation of individual and cultural differences and a respect for the opinions of others; » to nurture aesthetic abilities such as creativity, imagination, musical and visual talent; and » to encourage joyful, healthy living; a love of nature; and physical fitness.

All members of the Head‑Royce community strive to create an educational environment that reflects the school’s core values of academic excellence, diversity and citizenship, and one in which each student can thrive. We believe that a program based on these core values will prepare our students to be effective global citizens as they face and embrace the challenges and the opportunities of the future.

4 Head-Royce School Magazine

are heady and daunting, but ultimately meaningful questions for us to constantly consider. Head-Royce is uniquely positioned to be a leader in education because we have a perfect confluence of traditional educational excellence — this year is our 128th year of preparing students for the world — and, due to our location in the Bay Area, an ethos of change, innovation and re-thinking.

We know that the educational landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade.

Content areas, such as programming and engineering, have taken on significantly new relevance in the lives of our students. Highquality, free online instruction is no longer a new fad, but rather a truly viable method for our students to augment their experience here at Head-Royce. Our faculty members are hard at work assessing and understanding the different tools and expectations of our new students.

Because our current students are “digital natives,” they see the world differently, they communicate differently and they learn differently.

Our “sweet spot” at Head-Royce is finding the balance between tradition and innovation.

We will never abandon time-tested ways of teaching. For example, I firmly believe that dedicated, focused study and practice is required to achieve mastery. Learning to write a cogent and persuasive thesis sentence, for example, cannot be adequately learned online. It requires practice and guidance from a master teacher. A liberal arts education has been a hallmark of our school for over a century and I envision that will be the case for the next 100 years. At the same

time, schools like ours have a real responsibility to understand and embrace the opportunities that technology and brain science bring to our craft of teaching.

In a way, we aren’t preparing our graduates for the future. Rather, we are guiding, nurturing, preparing and inspiring them to thrive in the present so that they can influence and shape their own futures.

Head of School Rob Lake hosted interactive presentations during the winter of 2013–14 that addressed the following:

In this magazine, you will read about our approach to navigating these important questions. As you will see, we are taking a systematic, interdisciplinary, bold approach. We are looking at curriculum design and building design, for example, as two interconnected components as opposed to two separate ideas. We are taking our time so as to make thoughtful decisions, but we are also moving with a sense of urgency. The pace of change in our lives is fast, and I believe that Head-Royce can thrive in that mode.

I look forward to hearing your reaction to our work.

All the very best,

»» How we prepare students for lives of purpose and meaning »» Who we are today and where we’re headed »» Campus expansion plans »» Access and affordability efforts Now we are implementing the vision through our work on the Master Plan, Curriculum 2.0 and financial aid and diversity programs.

M ORE ONLINE!

>

Read on to find out about our progress in these areas and visit vision.headroyce.org for more details and to watch videos about the future of Head-Royce.

Rob Spring 2015

5

How is Head-Royce preparing you for the future?

“Going forward, I think it will be necessary to have interdisciplinary focus. I think it’s good to know how to work with other people who are better than you in a specific field, and be able to synthesize what you are good at with what others are good at and find common ground in between.

I believe that the next frontier is discovering additional territories within what has already been explored, and Head-Royce has prepared me to venture into the unknown.” Andy P. ’15

“At Head-Royce I learned not to be afraid of my own opinion. It was where I fell in love with learning and developed the desire to do something with that knowledge.

I know I will take this with me in the future.” Ella C. ’15

How will your teaching change in the future?

“Head-Royce has taught me to think critically and to question accepted societal values and beliefs. Having a strong foundation in history and English allows me to thoughtfully analyze current issues and events. I think that this is especially important in a society where many people get their political and social viewpoints by simply turning on the TV or looking at social media. This ability to question gives HRS students an advantage that goes beyond non-academic settings.” Lauren Q. ’16

“As supported as you are in the Head-Royce community, the most powerful skill Head-Royce gives you is the confidence and work ethic that lets you succeed on your own.” Eli B. ’17

“Three things that I’ve learned at HRS is how to advocate for myself, how to deal with competition and use it to my advantage and how to work hard. I know that sounds cliché, but being someone with a learning difference, I feel like I work 10 times harder than some people just to get the same results.

This has prepared me for what I might have to deal with in my future, whether it be in business or my personal life.” Kendra A. ’15

“I hope my teaching doesn’t change as I get older because I am a teacher, it’s who I am, it’s not what I do. I think it’s the human connection that I’ve been blessed to make with people, regardless of age, race or socioeconomic class.

Great teachers can do that, they can reach people that way, they have that gift; so I intend on just nurturing that, valuing that and always bringing that to whatever I’m doing. Education may change — there’s all this talk about technology and science — but there’s got to be soul and spirit, and that’s what I will always bring to the profession.”

Willie Adams, MS fine arts teacher

“Teaching will change in the future — I think already we are starting to see things like ‘flipped teaching’, which I do often, where I create video lessons and then students complete problem sets in class so it’s more active. We will see more project-based learning and more active work from the students, instead of teachers always just spewing information. In addition, perhaps it won’t be just the teacher teaching but both the teacher and student learning together — more collaboration between teachers and students.”

Neethi Venkateswaran, US math teacher

“As a Lower School, we’re really moving away from a lot of typical, rote penciland-paper work and moving toward project-based learning where students are looking at an end goal and thinking, problem-solving and collaborating with their peers over the course of many, many weeks to work toward a common goal.

I believe that teachers will always have a very core place in the growth and education of young people, but also definitely believe that the role of teachers is shifting slightly. It’s less about mastering content, more about having a deep understanding of the way children learn and the multiple intelligences that exist in any one group and how to best present learning opportunities that actually hit each human being in the way that helps them learn and grow the best.”

Zach Bernard, second grade teacher

6 Head-Royce School Magazine

Spring 2015

7

Master Plan: Building for the Future Every aspect of our 22-acre school — from its building materials to aesthetics to open spaces — must reflect our school’s mission and commitment to teaching excellence and enhance the learning experience for our students.

As explained in the vision for Head-Royce School, from the moment students step onto campus, they should be inspired at an age-appropriate level. The campus should be a unified space, one place with three distinct learning communities.

Aesthetically, the campus should reflect all that makes the East Bay unique. The campus should take advantage of the natural beauty of our location and enhance our Oakland hills neighborhood.

»» A Lower School village, where our youngest children of different backgrounds grow and, guided by their teachers in a safe, nurturing, and holistic environment, expand their understanding of themselves and the world around them.

We need flexible, multi-use spaces, thoughtfully designed to be relevant and inspiring 50 years from now. We should create open spaces that can be used for play, work, reflection, collaboration and gathering. It is in these open spaces that humans bump into humans and create a sense of community.

»» A Middle School marketplace where children explore, taste and expand their perspectives, world views and knowledge in a mall of ideas and experiences. »» An Upper School laboratory where young women and men design, develop, research, experiment, test and reflect upon skills and principles that will be the foundation for their adult lives.

M ORE ONLINE! 8 Head-Royce School Magazine

We must take advantage of the natural light and vistas of the bay.

A quad or series of central locations or a set of academic commons for each division will provide a sense of place and anchor.

And underpinning all of our design and building will be a conscious commitment to embrace the highest environmentally sustainable principles.

> vision.headroyce.org Spring 2015

9

The View from Above Understanding more about the north and south campuses is critical to understanding the transformative opportunity facing Head-Royce School.

The North Campus (4315 Lincoln Avenue) is 14 acres, located in a canyon. It contains a full-size athletic field, three outdoor tennis courts, academic and administrative buildings, a library, pool, garden and outdoor gathering spaces. Residential homes surround the school.

The South Campus (4368 Lincoln Avenue) is approximately eight acres, with a greater range of topography and spectacular bay views. It contains administrative and residential buildings, play spaces, a practice athletic field and a number of trees. It is adjacent to residential homes and the Cerebral Palsy center.

Graphic ©SOM

RIGHT: This diagram by SOM provides additional detail about what’s currently located on each campus.

10 Head-Royce School Magazine

Spring 2015

11

Brian Barish MIDDLE SCHOOL I have been participating in the design and brainstorming process ever since the visits from prospective architectural firms last fall and have thoroughly enjoyed and have been inspired by the entire process. I am fascinated with the design thinking and planning required in the creation of innovative learning environments and spaces.

Brian Barish MIDDLE SCHOOL

Josh Tower

MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOLS

Jennifer Brakeman UPPER SCHOOL

Leslie Powell LOWER SCHOOL

Meet the Design Working Group The Design Working Group is a group of trustees, administrators, faculty members and parent volunteers who are working with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP to design the future campus. Its members include attorneys, real estate developers and master planners who have relationships with traffic engineers, construction firms, architects and an array of other professionals whose expertise informs our approach and decision making. Notably, it also includes four faculty members who ensure that the priorities, wishes and concerns of the HRS faculty are considered. Each faculty representative is also spearheading a subcommittee in their division and will help coordinate additional student input into the campus design.

12 Head-Royce School Magazine

We have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be on the forefront of creating innovative, 21st-century spaces for creators and doers. I truly love the philosophy behind how space and design mold human interaction and community energy. I am really excited and eager to build interdisciplinary work at both the K–12 and at the Middle School curriculum levels. I am also passionate about creating a Middle School heart — a space where play, experimentation and inquiry are central to learning in order to shape creators and critical thinkers.

Josh Tower MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL Being part of the Design Working Group has been a truly exciting experience, and I’ve been incredibly impressed with the thorough, thoughtful, dedicated and transparent process that’s underway. It really underscores our school’s commitment to providing the best educational practices and resources to our entire community, while cultivating a lifelong love of learning. I am also beyond excited about the prospect of designing and building a new fine arts center. Performing arts and fine arts continually are cited as important components to the educational development of students — young and old. The associative and awareness skills that students acquire in the arts help strengthen and deepen their ability to interact with others and express ideas in all other pursuits of study.

The work that we do here in the fine arts at HRS is truly exceptional. I look forward to sharing that incredible work with everyone at our school and with the larger East Bay community in a new beautiful space that will continue to inspire countless generations of young artists and performers for years to come.

Jennifer Brakeman UPPER SCHOOL What excites me most for the future of HeadRoyce is the possibility of merging new spaces and potentially new ways of teaching students for the 21st (and 22nd and 23rd?) centuries. I’m interested in how our curriculum will influence the new construction — and how new facilities can enhance what and how we teach. The coincidental exploration of new ways to design both teaching spaces and curriculum makes me feel as though Head-Royce is at the forefront of our field.

I am also a member of many of the relevant constituents: I am a faculty member, parent and neighbor. I can see any particular issue from multiple viewpoints and I am also vested in a good outcome on all of these levels.

For me, the best thing about being on this group has been working with an amazing, smart, broadyet-detail-oriented group that always puts the kids first. Every decision we make all boils down to this: what will be best for the kids?

Leslie Powell LOWER SCHOOL It is my greatest hope that we can expand our vision of education, community outreach and global citizenship to enable Head-Royce School to become a landmark, model school that draws educators, students and community members near and far, to experience education like never before imagined.

Design Working Group Trustees Scott Verges, Chair, TMG Partners Marc Furstein, Fortress Investment Group LLC

Head of School Rob Lake

Faculty Brian Barish, MS Math/Science Jennifer Brakeman, US Science Leslie Powell, LS fourth grade Josh Tower, MS/US Fine Arts

Operations Dennis Malone, CFO/Chief of Operations

Communications Elizabeth Owen, Director of Marketing & Communications

Finance/Development Marc Furstein, Fortress Investment Group LLC Dennis Malone, CFO/Chief of Operations Mantra Robinson, Director of Advancement Elizabeth Brook, CCS Fundraising

Real Estate Scott Verges, Chair, TMG Partners Ken Dupee, TMG Partners

Urban Design Lewis Knight, Gensler

Design Team Michael Duncan, Design Director Sean Ragasa, Senior Designer Gayle Strang, Project Manager Tom Leader Studio Sherwood Design Engineers Integral Group

Spring 2015

13

What is the Difference Between the Master Plan and a Capital Campaign?

A master plan is a comprehensive, iterative, long-term planning document, which establishes the framework and key elements of a campus.

It reflects a clear strategy created and adopted in an open process, that synthesizes the school’s goals and vision. Our Master Plan will be a roadmap of how we would like to develop the new campus along with improvements to the existing campus over the next 25 years.

Master Plan Mission Statement Shortly after hiring SOM, the senior administrative team drafted this mission statement to guide the Master Plan project: We imagine a campus that will inspire and allow our students to pursue academic excellence inside the classroom and beyond.

The physical environment will nurture aesthetic abilities such as creativity, imagination, musical and visual talent. The site should encourage joyful, healthy living, a love of nature and physical fitness.

What is the Master Plan? »» Flexible spaces

The Master Plan will guide campus changes over the long term and give physical form to Head-Royce’s strategic vision and values.

»» A welcoming and inviting campus for our students and community

It will:

»» Sustainability: minimizing our impact on energy, water and the neighborhood

»» Show how the campus can evolve in a logical way over time to support the educational goals and mission of the school.

Its attributes include:

»» Innovative and inspirational learning spaces

»» Address needs through the construction of new buildings, as well as the renovation and re-purposing of existing buildings.

A capital campaign serves as the financial vehicle to achieve the first phase of the school’s master plan. We invite donors to participate in realizing the vision established by the Master Plan, forever shaping Head-Royce through their generosity.

To get involved, contact Director of Advancement Mantra Robinson at mrobinson@headroyce.org or 510.228.1521.

»» Be created through an analytical and participatory process. »» Address all aspects of our physical environment — buildings, open space, landscape, traffic.

»» Be flexible to accommodate changes in student population and curriculum; it is not a fixed solution.

14 Head-Royce School Magazine

Spring 2015

15

Planning for the Future Head-Royce is partnering with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) on our Master Plan. SOM brings to the Head-Royce community deep education expertise, global capabilities and a local team. SOM boasts a strong K–12 academic practice nationwide. SOM engages the full range of education clients, including public and private schools, colleges and universities and research centers, and supports these institutions and organizations with deep resources and in-house departments such as education planning and design. SOM achieves design excellence for academic facilities by respecting the legacy of the school and its campus, developing a plan that expresses the school’s educational values and designing for maximum durability and flexibility to adapt and expand, while creating a vibrant learning environment for students and faculty.

Read on to learn more about SOM, their approach to designing a school and meet the key team members.

Meet the SOM Team SOM’s key team members for Head-Royce School have personal interest and proven expertise in the design of cutting-edge educational facilities and master plans. They have delivered awardwinning academic projects that are at the forefront of educational design and sustainability for institutions across the country.

Carrie Byles, Partner: “We’re particularly drawn to the innovative vision of Head-Royce, which taps into progressive ideas that we are also seeing on the rise with our most esteemed higher education clients.”

Michael Duncan, Design Director: “The topography of the site, with its upper knoll and lower ravine area, complements the school’s inspiring vision. We’re helping to create an environment of both shelter and expansive horizons, a place that is at once of its community and for its community.”

Chris McCready, Director: “Having worked with K–12 school communities across the country, to us, Head-Royce stands out for its creative, research-driven approach to enhancing pedagogies.”

16 Head-Royce School Magazine

Gayle Tsern Strang, Associate: “I love the energy with which Head-Royce embraces original and inventive ideas. The school draws on its community, and is remarkably thoughtful about being inclusive in the design process for this new plan.”

Sean Ragasa, Associate Director: “I’m excited to work with and help shape a campus that is tailored to an emerging curriculum. It’s fulfilling and inspiring to be able to create forward-looking spaces in which students can thrive and help to further Head-Royce’s mission of inspiring a lifelong love of learning.”

Tom Leader, Landscape Architect (Tom Leader Studio): “The site and its wonderful open space have enormous potential as a vibrant, sustainable learning environment for this campus and its community.”

Spring 2015

17

Q: What are the most important qualities of design for this campus?

Implementing a Vision Over the last 25 years, educators have fundamentally shifted their practice to align with the way children learn. Academic campus and facility planning is essential in the creation of innovative learning spaces that evolve with educational needs. The principles of the design are about flexibility, sustainability and developing a cohesive academic community.

Environmental Sustainability We stress preservation and conservation through prudent land use, infrastructure development, energy use and building orientation and materials. We also develop plans that promote compact, pedestrianfriendly and mass-transit-friendly plans to minimize individual commuters. We combine these sound practices with an overall template for material selection and energy strategies, as well as the writing and implementation of green specifications.

Neighborhood Relations We recognize that this design process is an important opportunity to build healthier relationships between the school and its neighborhood. The acquisition of the Lincoln Children’s Center was an exciting and unique opportunity for Head-Royce, and the Master Plan must address the school’s presence on Lincoln Avenue as a contribution to the neighborhood.

18 Head-Royce School Magazine

A

It has been fantastic working so closely with Rob, the faculty, board members and the school community in the last year and half. It is the combination of Head-Royce’s energetic commitment to a communicative process, its drive to enrich students’ experiences and the school’s desire to motivate faculty to do their very best work that shapes and enhances the collaborative design of the campus. We are building on these philosophies to craft a vision that inspires learning and encourages creative work.

Together, we imagine a campus that embodies a progressive 21st-century learning environment, exploring together different models of campus spaces, such as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) centers and learning commons as well as spaces that will engage students in an essential aspect of academic life: dialogue. The campus design starts with looking at meeting some fundamental goals around traffic and the way students will move across campus. It considers opportunities for learning beyond the classroom, outdoor academic spaces, the benefit of planned flexibility and seizes opportunities for sustainable design.

Q: What unique opportunities have you encountered in this design for the long-term vision of the campus?

A

Linking the existing campus and the former Lincoln Child Center site will create opportunities to give each division a distinctive identity while remaining connected. Having room

1

2

Innovative Design: SOM Project Examples SOM is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering and urban planning firms in the world.

Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, sustainability initiatives and innovative ideas. SOM has influenced the campuses of K–12 schools and college campuses across the country.

Q: How will SOM’s philosophy inform the Head-Royce campus design?

A

We believe that excellence in design implies that a building be functional in its form, have carefully thought-out systems and details and be contextual to its surrounding environment.

Our design approach includes planned flexibility through the arrangement of open spaces, pathways and buildings to create adaptable centers that stimulate conversation and extend the learning process outside the classroom.

1

The Strand, American Conservatory Theater image ©SOM

2

3

4

3

Burr Street Elementary School photo ©robert polidori

Brunswick School Lower School and Gymnasium photo ©florian holzherr

Q: How will SOM’s experience inform the campus design?

A

We have provided design and planning solutions for education institutions around the world — from new academic master plans to updates and additions to existing campuses. For each project we apply similar principles: respecting the legacy of the school and its site, developing a plan that expresses its educational values and designing for maximum durability and flexibility. As we look at shaping a unique architectural character for each of the school’s divisions, we think the design can be informed by our work with universities, which offer similar precedents and scale of space to the Upper School.

We are also committed to meaningful sustainability and the efficient interface with optimized energy systems for the students. As a current example, we designed the first net-zero energy school in New York City, which is nearing construction.

All Images and Projects: © Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, 2015. All rights reserved.

Q & A with SOM

to grow means that the school has the unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design the types of spaces that promote meaningful connections across divisions and departments.

Another remarkable opportunity that the new site offers is the ability to address how students more safely arrive and leave campus in ways that also alleviate the impact on neighborhood traffic.

4

Greenwich Academy Upper School photo ©florian holzherr // photo © robert polidori

5

St. Albans School Marriott Hall photo ©florian holzherr

5

Spring 2015

19

A Look inside the South Campus For nearly 85 years, the Lincoln Child Center (LCC) occupied the property located at 4368 Lincoln Avenue. Many students, parents and alumni are unfamiliar with the property or its longtime connection with Head-Royce School.

Purchased initially as the site for the Lincoln Home for Children (an early name for the LCC), the property was under the same ownership for more than eight decades. There, the LCC served its mission of bettering the lives and education of orphaned and troubled children in Oakland. The LCC, which dates back to 1883, now operates out of facilities in West Oakland and focuses on community-based programming and serving its clients closer to their homes.

20 Head-Royce School Magazine

What few people know is that the Josiah Royce School for Boys leased some of the buildings shortly after the school was founded. While the Anna Head School for Girls occupied the current “north campus,” the Royce School was located across the street for many years after it was founded in 1971. Even after the schools joined into the co-educational Head-Royce School in 1974, the property at the LCC was leased for a number of reasons, most notably use of the gymnasium and athletic field for practices.

Unlike our current campus, the new “south campus” property is visible from Lincoln Avenue.

It sits on a 7.5-acre parcel with frontage along Lincoln to the northwest.

The lot is situated on gently hilly terrain, with beautiful views of Oakland, the bay and San Francisco. There are a range of mature trees that provide shade and nooks, sheltering some areas of the campus and lending a woodsy feel to the residential neighborhood.

It’s exciting to consider how the new campus will integrate into the Head-Royce Master Plan and what shape this property will take in the future. For those in the community who played basketball in the Royce School gym when it was leased from the LCC, visiting the “new” campus may indeed feel like a homecoming.

Spring 2015

21

Year in Review: Research and Assessments 1

3

4

Before we could start developing plans for the future, it was critically important for SOM to learn more about the two properties. A team of experts comprising civil engineers, traffic engineers, arborists, historical consultants, architects and more have been studying both our current and future campus.

1

Stakeholder Input

Over the last year, the school and SOM have solicited ideas from parents, alumni, students, faculty/staff and neighbors. The feedback has ranged from assessments of current facilities to frustrations over traffic on Lincoln Avenue. The site strategies and options in development by SOM reflect this feedback. In the coming months and years, there will be additional opportunities to weigh in on options and priorities.

2

5

Land Use Considerations

Michael David Rose Photography and EHDD Architecture

22 Head-Royce School Magazine

The school operates on what’s called a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which is a zoning exception that allows a property to be used in a way not otherwise permitted within the particular zoning district. It is designed to allow flexibility within zoning laws and, as with Head-Royce, is often used to add commercial, education or religious services to residential zones. In addition to the CUP, over the years Head-Royce and the Lincoln Child Center entered into agreements with the neighbors. SOM has been working to understand the existing neighborhood agreements and conditional use requirements for both properties.

2

Building Analysis

As we consider future uses of existing buildings on each side of campus, it was important to evaluate each using the same criteria. SOM created a soft map assessment of each building’s condition, retrofit feasibility, functional re-adaptability and site accessibility.

3

Tree Survey

Trees are abundant on the south campus — contributing to the woodland setting. The landscape team and arborist have examined the tree species, identifying Monterey Pines, oaks, Monterey Cypress, podocarpus, redwoods, eucalyptus and Italian Stone Pine and assessed their health. The trees provide scale and character and will be an important feature on both sides of Lincoln.

4

View Studies

Perched atop a hill overlooking the bay, Head-Royce’s current campus has stunning views from some of the newer buildings and from the athletic fields. The new campus has more sweeping views, from more parts of campus. In consideration of our neighbors, SOM has also conducted view studies to consider how

the development of our campus can capitalize on these views, while being considerate of the views of our neighbors to the east.

Campus Connection One of the most interesting — and challenging — factors in this project is finding a way to link the two campuses. Lincoln Avenue is a major thoroughfare with automotive and bus traffic.

How can the two campuses be connected so that children, faculty and visitors can walk between the two without having to cross a city street?

This is the question that has been examined, with a bridge or tunnel the two top options to link the two sides.

5

Storm Water Management

We are fortunate to live in a place with temperate weather, where we can enjoy the outdoors for many months out of the year. There has been a tremendous focus on understanding the natural characteristics of each site, including the watershed. The landscape architects want to understand the ecology of our project with the goal of creating a beautiful, sustainable landscape appropriate for our East Bay location.

Spring 2015

23

Applying Calculus to the New Campus Upper School students found a real world application for the calculus they are learning when they were tasked with a project that asked them to use their knowledge of calculus to build a scale model of an optimized structure or building for the new south campus.

They examined the list of priorities as outlined by the senior administration, the Board of Trustees and the community for the new south campus, which will be on the eight acres on the south side of Lincoln Avenue that HRS purchased in 2013.

Then they went on a tour of the former Lincoln Child Center property to orient themselves with the grounds and the topography of the site.

Students were also asked to consider the school’s mission and design structures that represented and even deepened the tenets of the Head-Royce mission, which includes the passage “… to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for the diversity that makes our society strong, and to encourage constructive and responsible, global citizenship.”

As part of their classwork, students supported their examples by developing optimization equations for specific features — in terms of an aspect they could quantify. Then they used this constraint (fixed element) to reduce their equation into a single independent variable.

24 Head-Royce School Magazine

For example, the class wrote an equation for the surface area of a can (in terms of its radius and height, SA=2πrh+2πr2) and used the known (fixed) volume of the can and the equation for volume (πr2h) to solve for height in terms of radius and the fixed volume. They could then use this to substitute in for height in the original surface area equation. This allowed them to rewrite the surface area equation in terms of a single independent variable (radius).

Finally, the students applied this approach to a proposed structure or building, while taking into consideration such factors as maximum surface area, constrained height and largest volume.

The students’ projects reflected their own perceived needs of the school. Their proposals included performing arts centers, an observatory and an astronomy tower, an amphitheater, a STEM quad and a science center. Engaging our students in projects like this demonstrates how faculty members are committed to taking academic concepts out of the classroom.

Spring 2015

25

classmate or to work independently. The carpet spaces, cozy gathering areas in all classrooms, are comfortable, informal settings where children and teachers discuss class topics and the day as it unfolds. The classroom tables, desks and a variety of chairs allow students to receive more formal instruction and learn from each other and from the teacher.

The hallways in the Lower School are also undergoing transformation into small learning spaces. Kid-height white boards are now integrated in the wainscoting for quick jotting of notes or ideas while tables, comfortable chairs, cushions, carpets and stools designate areas for small-group instruction. Frequently, small groups of students with an adult gather in the garden or around outside tables.

Flexible Learning Spaces The first attribute in the Master Plan mission statement (see page 12) is flexible spaces. This concept is already taking root in the Lower School.

The Lower School teachers embrace the idea of flexible and adaptable classroom spaces, and understand that some students need to stand while they work independently while others need to have vestibular movement while listening to the teacher and some still prefer traditional seats and desks. The teachers take time to create a

26 Head-Royce School Magazine

thoughtful vision for the types of activities the learning environment needs to support. By addressing questions around how, where and with whom the students should learn, this vision can be used to determine how to configure the rooms.

Students are asked to listen to teacher-directed lessons. They are asked to work independently and they are asked to work in collaborative groups. Each kind of task needs a shift in its structure. Students often enter a classroom with

a different furniture configuration. When many tables are pushed together, students automatically know they will be working in cooperative groups.

When students enter a room where seats are spread out to allow more independent and quiet work, they understand the expectation when entering the class.

Many classrooms have quiet corners as well — cave spaces that allow students time to reflect, to self-regulate after a disagreement with a

The Lower School’s non-traditional adaptable spaces will continue to evolve as additional furniture options appear in the near future.

We are excited about the possibilities and the flexible learning spaces offer to our students!

“It would be amazing if there were outdoor areas where you could teach — a quieter, more inspirational spot. We’re always competing with the playground noise at the moment. I want to be able to use indoor and outdoor spaces flexibly.”

Sue Moon, fourth grade teacher

“We need to create an environment that fosters collegiality. We can no longer be satisfied with cramped classrooms, fixed furniture and a focus on individual learning and achievement. The old classroom setting promotes the Industrial Revolution model of mass-produced students who create mass-produced work.

It is important to establish a dynamic configuration of flexible furnishings, which frees teachers and students to become guides and better learners.

Cooperative learning and dynamic seating allow students to work together and individually. Better utilizing student input gives children a chance to notice their environment, to notice how groups work together and to notice how they fit into the overall group structure — and ideally into the larger community.”

Lea Van Ness interim Lower School dean of academics

Spring 2015

27

Curriculum 2.0 The profoundly transformational, often-disruptive events of the last 10 years have changed previously static industries, and are changing education forever. What we require now is a proactive and substantial response. The Internet — with low- to no-cost access to high-quality, accurate information and teaching — has disrupted the paradigm of teaching and learning. Online learning, teaching tools, communities and systems provide education in ways that didn’t exist only a few years ago.

HR S

28 Head-Royce School Magazine

Spring 2015

29

Faculty Research: Exploring Essential Questions In a systematic and scientific way, we plan to dedicate the next three years to educational research so we can explore the answers to these five essential questions: »» What do our students need to know?

(Content, skills and curriculum) »» How should we teach? (What are the best practices in pedagogy) »» When and where do children learn best? »» What are the most reliable methods of assessment? »» How can technology enhance the learning process?

This will require dedicated resources and mindful planning for faculty members and administrators as they engage in substantive research and development.

Most important, we will muster courage, honest self-critique and an entrepreneurial spirit seen now in every industry — but often lacking in schools. During the 2013–14 school year, a faculty committee was formed with Head of School Rob Lake and representatives from all divisions: »» Hilary Bond

»» Carrie Horsey

»» Scott Clark

»» Carol Kennedy

»» Chris Davies

»» Lindsay Zika

»» Nancy Feidelman

»» Paul Scott

»» Ryan Garrity

»» Rasheeda Turner

30 Head-Royce School Magazine

The group started in February 2014 with a brainstorming session in which it explored topics such as students’ emotional well being, the goal of homework, the challenges and logistics of assessment and an alternate schedule. After three additional meetings, some of the committee members dedicated part of their summer to researching educational topics and writing the following white papers, which were presented during the first full faculty meeting in September: What Should We Teach? — Paul Scott Homework: Relevance to Student Achievement and Success — Ryan Garrity Redesigning the Classroom for 21st Century Learning — Carol Kennedy Outdoor Spaces — Hilary Bond Improving Instruction through the Use of Data at Head-Royce School — Lindsay Zika Inquiry-Based Learning & ProjectBased Learning — Chris Davies The Curriculum 2.0 committee members are now leading subcommittees of fellow faculty members to have deeper discussions and do additional research around the paper topics.

The school plans to pilot programs based on the conclusions and recommendations of the committee and subcommittees in the coming years before implementing any official changes to the Head-Royce program. Please read on for excerpts from the white papers.

Spring 2015

31

What Should We Teach?

Any assessment of what we should teach must muck about in our deepest notions of who we are and what we wish to be, as individuals, as a school community, as participants in our larger city and as citizens of the world.

What I am proposing is orienting our curriculum in a way that makes more explicit how we are all parts of a local and global ecology, how the natural environment is not just some external place we can visit for hikes and rafting trips, but the reality we inhabit every second of every day we are alive. I propose that we take our education of the whole child and reframe it as the education of the whole

32 Head-Royce School Magazine

ecology: the global environment needs help, and we as educators have the good fortune to be perfectly placed to make a difference.

Integrating our schooling at Head-Royce into the greater Oakland community — politically, socially, economically, environmentally, artistically, practically — will help make authentic work for our students, help to make immediate, real and enlivening what, at this point, can feel abstract and disconnected. Doing all of this will, in turn, help transform our students into active, caring and wise members of their own community.

The goal of education is not merely the accumulation of information, skills or knowledge in the student, but the shaping of young

people to become wise and capable stewards of the world. Knowledge is value neutral, what matters is what you do with it. We seek selfknowledge for ourselves as adults within the process of education and for our students as the people who will one day care for our communities and our environment. To know who you are in full is to know of your integration into a living system. The system is comprised of energy, politics, economics, aesthetics, language, history, technology and of course, atoms. We can teach our children how to live honestly, justly and courageously within this living system; it is the only one we have.

Excerpted from the paper by Paul Scott, US history teacher and 11th grade dean

Spring 2015

33

Homework: Relevance to Student Achievement and Success In his paper, Ryan outlined the homework policy in each HRS division and compared them to peer schools’ policies. He also reviewed research conducted by Challenge Success, a researchbased organization that develops practical curriculum, conferences and other programs for parents, schools and kids looking for a healthier and more effective path to success in the 21st century. Some noteworthy excerpts from Challenge Success’ findings include the following: »» A trained and educated teacher delivering content during the teaching day is far more relevant to student achievement than homework. »» There is almost no correlation between the amount of homework and achievement in kindergarten through fifth grade; little correlation in middle school students — and what there is fades after 90 minutes of homework; some correlation in high school students, although that diminishes after two hours of homework. »» There is no clear evidence that homework makes kids better thinkers. »» Some 90% of students report cheating on homework and this amount increases with quantity (not quality) of homework assigned. »» Parental involvement in homework studies show mixed results; parents must be competent in the subject area, positive and tempered in their time involvement or else it has negative impact. »» Student stress related to homework often is greater than that associated with divorce, socioeconomics, moving and illness and manifests through disengagement, lack of sleep, depression and physical illness.

34 Head-Royce School Magazine

Ryan proposes the key questions/conversations that should drive homework policy: »» Is the assignment/activity relevant, is there value to it and can the time/quality/effect be predicted? »» Does the homework improve learning or is it meant to practice/produce a behavior?

»» Does the homework policy promote emotional health, physical health and well roundedness? »» Is the school’s homework policy in line with physical/mental health goals, motivation goals, and achievement goals?

Summarized from the paper by Ryan Garrity, MS science teacher and science department chair

»» Does the homework spark and sustain a child’s intrinsic motivation?

Spring 2015

35

Redesigning the Classroom for 21st Century Learning Educational reformers across the country argue that living in a technology-rich, global world requires the deconstruction of our institutionalized and deeply ingrained concept of learning environments and that a failure to change current pedagogy, curriculum and school design will leave generations of students illprepared for future success. To meet the challenge, innovative schools across the country are adapting inquiry-based pedagogies designed to develop collaborative critical thinkers, creative innovators and lifelong learners. To support these pedagogies, these schools are moving away from the traditional classroom model where the teacher’s primary role is to be the “sage on the stage” towards classroom designs that use open, flexible, tech-embedded spaces to facilitate and 36 Head-Royce School Magazine

support the redefinition of a teacher’s role to that of a mentor and the students’ experience to one of actively constructing and taking ownership over their own learning.

A guiding principle of modern architectural design is that form follows function. With this in mind, leading school design architects such as Prakish Nair, Randall Fielding and Trung Le suggest that the first step in the design process is the creation of a vision for the types of activities the learning environment needs to support; by addressing questions around how, where and with whom the students should learn, this vision is then used to make key decisions as to how the spaces will be configured.

Viewed through the lens of a project-based, inquiry-driven pedagogy, the design principle vocabulary becomes directed at what the space will enable the student to do: analyze, create, debate, present, reflect, explore, collaborate.

Ultimately, sustained success comes with the alignment of redesigned learning spaces with a project-based pedagogy, ongoing professional development and teacher support and whole school practices that promote an encompassing culture of inquiry, divergent thinking, collective knowledge and innovation.

Excerpted from the paper by Carol Kennedy, third grade teacher

Spring 2015

37

Outdoor Spaces Developing and expanding our outdoor space ties directly to the movement for projectbased and student-directed learning and to our school mission, in particular our efforts to nurture aesthetic abilities such as creativity, imagination, musical and visual talent; and to encourage joyful, healthy living, a love of nature and physical fitness.

Play time is sacred even for 21st-century learners. The Head-Royce Lower School, with the Big Toy and the Butterfly Garden, understands and honors the need for exploration and free play; we should promote play time for the MS and US students as well, however, and can do so with thoughtful outdoor design. An expanded outdoor play space filled with a variety of activities and resources would promote creative play for students of all ages. Some ideas from stakeholders include a falling stream, a wetland area, a tree house, zip line, a weatherproof play area and other structures for imaginative play, which would draw students outside. Many educators are calling this movement for freedom to play outdoors “re-wilding” our children.

Our outdoor space can also serve the pedagogical needs of the PE department. One movement among physical education experts steps away from sport-specific drills and practice and toward “functional fitness,” focusing on agility, balance, coordination and dexterity and honing one’s fitness base of muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility. It involves movements that replicate how the body moves while performing everyday activities: ducking, jumping, crawling and so forth.

38 Head-Royce School Magazine

What a welcoming opportunity it would be to include a sculpture garden and a venue for displaying larger pieces of graphic art. We could build an outdoor amphitheater, truly designed for acting and musical performances.

It could serve as a performance center for the neighborhood as well, promoting warm community relations and promoting that Malguzzian sense of serenity and wonder. The school could have not only an outdoor venue for displaying art, but also for making art. A large space for collaborative work could be magical.

An outdoor lab for survival skills would be an exciting contribution: students could learn about and practice shelter building, fire starting, food preparation, map reading and navigation and water treatment, all vital skills for wilderness adventures or for living on the Hayward Fault. These skills tie to 21st-century learning by promoting a sense of self-efficacy and confidence in the face of obstacles.

Excerpted from the paper by HIlary Bond, MS English and history teacher

“Each year I take my poetry students to the garden and to the athletic field, where we look down over campus and see the views of the bay. It’s meaningful for students because their natural circulation doesn’t necessary connect them to the outdoors, so these quiet moments in nature are unusual. I’d love to see more access to outdoor space for all of our students.”

Andy Spear, 12th grade dean and US English & drama teacher Spring 2015

39

Inquiry-Based Learning & Project-Based Learning

Improving Instruction through the Use of Data at Head-Royce School This is a dynamic time in the education world. We are changing the way we think about teaching and learning in many regards, not least of which is the use of data. “Big data” in education originated with the boom in standardized testing during World Wars I and II, stemming from the urgent need to sort and train young men. Today, there is more data available about student learning than ever before thanks to recent increases in technology as well as the emphasis on accountability and assessment in initiatives such as No Child Left Behind. The U.S. Department of Education is calling for schools to use assessment data to respond to students’ academic strengths and needs, as outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. While the emphasis on compliance may be associated with public education, the push for data-based decision making is growing in independent schools as well.

As of October 2011, the National Association of Independent Schools’ Commission on Accreditation now includes the use of data among two of its accreditation requirements.

40 Head-Royce School Magazine

Lindsay’s paper notes that used effectively, data can improve instruction by allowing educators to: »» View students holistically and as individuals, including setting goals for each student, such as demonstrating mastery on a test or gaining entrance to college. »» Improve instructional effectiveness in ways including giving teachers an easily accessible source of information about their incoming classes that help them to shape instruction before the year even starts. »» Increase learning outcomes such as ensuring students are making adequate growth at all achievement levels. »» Increase instructional efficiency schoolwide. »» Strengthen communication among stakeholders. »» Support teachers, including positioning them where they are most likely to be successful (best grade level, subject area, etc.).

While there is something to be said for qualitative observations and “teacher instincts,” and indeed Head-Royce teachers tend to do very well qualitatively, without quantifying student

outcomes, it can at times be difficult to see the larger picture. This is not to say we should replace conventional wisdom, but rather enhance it with charts, graphs and other sources of concrete information in order to understand what is most effective for our students. Data may in fact reveal trends we were not previously aware of. Using data in combination with anecdotal observations will help to ensure the countless hours we spend at meetings, professional development, planning over the summer, etc., are used most efficiently.

Excerpted and summarized from the paper by Lindsay Zika, fifth grade teacher

As students move through the K–12 program at HRS, they are exposed to more and more teacher-centered, direct instruction. This is particularly true in grades 7–12 and in the subjects of math, science and history. Peeking inside HRS classrooms, we often see an animated teacher talking passionately to a group of docile, passive students. The students are usually facing front, in rows, and are often quiet for long stretches. Don’t get me wrong, lecture will always play an important role in schooling.

Direct instruction is the most efficient way to dispense information. Our curriculum maps and AP syllabi are bursting with information and skills we claim to teach. Too often, however, we teachers focus on what we are covering rather than on what the students are actually learning.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) can take on many forms. Depending on the lesson, teachers can choose where on the scaffolding continuum they wish to be. For younger students, a highly structured lesson would start with a question whose answer is already known to the teacher. And the students could be told what type of research or experiment to perform. For advanced students, a low-structured lesson would start with a question that mankind has still not answered. The teacher would not disclose the methods or procedures needed, and would leave it to the students to develop ways of answering the question.

So what is the difference (between IBL and project-based learning [PBL])? IBL begins with a big question (hence the “inquiry”). There may or may not be some sort of project submitted at the end. PBL is always centered around a big project.

Generally, the project will be shared beyond the walls of the classroom. It is common for parents, community experts, other faculty and other students to check out the final project. But PBL is much more than second graders building a Great Wall of popsicle sticks after the unit on China. No longer does the project come outside of the curriculum or after the curriculum. The transformative idea behind PBL is that the project becomes the curriculum.

Maybe our best hope of leveraging the benefits of IBL and PBL would be through a campus-wide movement. Much like the recent rollout of iPads in the Middle School, IBL and PBL could be embraced in a deliberate, coordinated manner. That way, students would know what to expect as they moved from class to class and from grade to grade.

At the very least, I suggest that all faculty acquaint themselves with these concepts, and then engage in divisional and departmental conversations.

As a K–12 institution, we have an opportunity to create a school-wide culture of student centered, active learning. Many of the important elements are already in place. Our Lower School students currently sit in groups and complete hands-on projects regularly. They are used to posing questions, working in teams, working with their hands, applying learning to real life and displaying their work. The next step would be giving Lower School students even more choice in what they study. In my research, I noted many educators were initially concerned about giving more control to the students. Time after time, however, they were pleasantly surprised by how much the students were able to achieve.

Excerpted from the paper by Chris Davies, US math teacher

Spring 2015

41

Access & Affordability Beginning in the 1970s, K–12 independent schools and colleges used financial aid as a key strategic tool to shape and alter the demographics of the student body. Offering financial aid increased access for non-traditional families. In other words, charging less or no tuition diversified the student body with a primary focus on race and ethnicity. Schools, rightly so, understood the moral and academic imperative of diversifying the student body with students who typically did not have access to or knowledge of the independent school world.

42 Head-Royce School Magazine

This approach worked and the result was a positive transformation of school demographics, cultures and values.

As a result, an important and unplanned shift has occurred over the past decade in both the purpose and implementation of financial aid.

At the same time, tuitions rose dramatically, and consequently, so has the demand and demonstrated need for greater amounts of financial aid.

The purpose of financial aid now has morphed such that access is still critically important, but the conversation has moved to include the concept of affordability. Socioeconomic diversity has become as important as other forms of diversity.

Spring 2015

43

Access & Affordability continued ...

Financial Aid Recipients Reflect on Head-Royce

Caroline Vurlumis ’10

Johnny Manzon-Santos ’83

How long were you a student at Head-Royce School?

Caroline Vurlumis (CV): I was a student at Head-Royce from sixth grade until 12th grade. I graduated in 2010.

Johnny Manzon-Santos (JMS): Six years: seventh through 12th grade, from September 1977 to June 1983, when I graduated.

How did your Head-Royce education shape the person you are today?

CV: Head-Royce School completely changed my perspective on education and paved the way for my success in college. Head-Royce instilled in me a love for learning that left me always wanting to know more. I thrived in college, graduating with Latin honors based on successful study habits I developed at Head-Royce. Taking Video Production and AP Environmental Science in

44 Head-Royce School Magazine

Financial aid plays an important role in helping many families afford to have their children attend Head-Royce. Over the years, financial aid is a key factor that has led to increased diversity — both ethnic and socioeconomic — at the school. In 2014, 26 percent of Head-Royce students received $4.2 million in financial aid. Lower School intern Caroline Vurlumis ’10 and Johnny Manzon Santos ’83 were financial aid recipients during their time at HRS and recently talked about their experience at the school. high school set my academic goals for college.

Head-Royce’s emphasis on the importance of communication through film and environmental stewardship put me on the path to majoring in environmental analysis and minoring in media studies at the Claremont Colleges.

JMS: One particularly potent impact of my education has to be HRS’ classroom focus on critical thinking and communication skills. Our humanities program grounded me in western civilization and taught me to integrate and synthesize. I fell in love with art history (thanks to Mary Purnell Frederick), which informed my decision to do junior year abroad in Bologna, Italy and major in Italian studies.

In ninth and 12th grades, respectively, I went out for tennis and badminton and found supportive places to learn collaboration and teamwork, and an appreciation for physical conditioning. I enjoyed ample opportunities to explore my passion for performing and selfexpression through drama and music. These allowed me to open up emotionally as well as

artistically. Additionally, I got to edit HRS’ literary magazine (at the time called Chrysalis), and to serve as president of Thespian Troupe #2811.

My eventual leadership roles as a nonprofit executive director, a community organizer and, most recently, coach and coach trainer, are rooted in what I studied, as well as how I was supported to experiment and step up at HRS. I received encouragement and permission to “play big” and bring my interests to bear on my education in and out of the classroom.

Do you feel like HRS prepared you well for college?

CV: Absolutely.

JMS: Yes, in key ways. Certainly in terms of acceptance: I applied to six schools, got accepted to five, and ended up attending Brown University. I remain indebted to Rosemary Karplus, then Upper School head, my college counselor and faculty who went the extra mile

for me including Glenn Kennedy, Francine Shirvani, Marla Moss and Barry Barankin.

I am grateful for my hands-down rigorous, and in many ways, well-rounded education.

I experienced my own set of opportunities and challenges going on to an Ivy League school, where I was able to secure a combination of scholarships and financial aid. As a gay man of color who grew up working class, I wonder what would it have been like to attend high school during a time when robust dialogue around class, race, gender, and sexual orientation were more the norm.

One quarter of our students receive financial aid; how did it shape your experience at Head-Royce?

CV: I could not have been a student at Head-Royce if it were not for the kindness of donors contributing to my education. Although my family was not as financially fortunate as many of my peers, I still felt welcomed and safe in the Head-Royce community. I was never viewed differently for being on financial aid and I feel a great deal of gratitude for Head-Royce giving me the opportunity to be among such a kind and talented populace.

JMS: I received nearly full financial aid for my six years at HRS. In addition to commuting daily to and from Daly City, more than two hours each way, attending HRS also involved what I call class commuting — both externally and internally — going from my working class, predominantly Asian/Latino immigrant neighborhood where my family lived, to the Oakland hills and the community of largely

middle and upper-middle class schoolmates.

My mother packed lunches for the South San Francisco Unified School District and my father worked as a bartender at the Orinda Country Club, where he also served members who were parents of classmates. (He had a fatal heart attack when I was in the ninth grade, making financial aid even more critical in my situation.)

Stepping onto campus each day I was struck by how different a world school was. I remember feeling shame for not being able to dress like everyone else. I remember coveting polo shirts and penny loafers (The Official Preppy Handbook was big then), and envying the friends who routinely went skiing and came back with the lift ticket stubs attached on their down jackets.

I was conscious that some of my friends came from significant wealth and influence. Their parents were prominent college professors, multinational corporation CEOs and descendants of the original Mayflower families. I recall how strange it was to engage my friends’ parents, often graduates themselves of academically elite schools, discussing at the dinner table the books we were studying. I remember being reluctant to have friends over to my relatively small, pre-fab house in Daly City.

I definitely felt lucky to be at HRS, but on a deep level I often questioned whether I really belonged there. It took time for me to become aware of — and deeply appreciate — the resiliency I developed as a result of my experience as a financial aid student both at HRS and at Brown. In retrospect, I imagine I would have felt more validated and less isolated if the school had been able to acknowledge the benefits of a student body that was diverse in a myriad of ways including socioeconomically.

“My journey at Head-Royce was certainly a challenging one, but one of the most beneficial factors were my teachers.

They were not just academic advisors, but also felt like trusted friends. They always took the time to talk to me after class whenever I needed and always spoke with me with utmost sincerity.

They always pushed me to the zenith of my potential.” Caroline Vurlumis ’10

If you could say something to the donors who helped contribute to your financial aid what would you say?

CV: I would say “thank you,” but that cannot quite capture the amount of gratitude I have for their contribution. My experience at Head-Royce completely shaped the individual I am today and it is difficult to put into words just how thankful I am.

All I can say is I could not have accomplished what I have without their kindness. Thank you so much.

JMS: Thank you not just for making possible my HRS education but also for helping catalyze many other opportunities that blessed me afterwards at Brown and beyond. Thank you also for embodying HRS’ values. Though scholarship, diversity and citizenship were not explicitly articulated as core values 30 years ago, creating the financial means to meaningfully include students from multiple class backgrounds translates to having a student body that is more real-world and representative of Oakland and the Bay Area.

Spring 2015

45

Walkathon & All-School Picnic

Connecting with the Broader Oakland Community Each year Head-Royce holds two main events to raise money for Heads Up, the school’s community partnership with the Oakland Unified School District that annually serves 125 underserved students of color in sixth through ninth grade. The program’s mission is to provide these students with challenging and enriching programming, with the intention of supporting students in their academic success and helping to facilitate a deeper appreciation and love for their community.

Since the program’s inception in 1987, Heads Up has served more than 1,000 students, the vast majority of whom have successfully matriculated through high school and become the first in their immediate families to attend and graduate college.

Equally important, Heads Up alumni have learned the importance of civic responsibility and often give back to their program by serving as mentors and counselors for younger students who also come from this community.

MORE ONL IN E!

46 Head-Royce School Magazine

Thank you to our sponsors!

Last September, students, faculty and families gathered to participate in the annual Heads Up Walkathon & All-School Picnic. With high hopes of fundraising for the Heads Up Program, our first all-school event of the year welcomed more than 450 guests to the athletic field for an afternoon of fun. For the first time, we were able to bridge our Head-Royce and Oakland community by inviting over 130 Heads Up students, staff and program alumni. On a beautifully sunny afternoon, participants competed for fun prizes, played carnival-themed games and enjoyed gourmet food from local Off the Grid food trucks. DJ Miguel “Hightop” Fonseca, a Head-Royce Middle School favorite, provided entertainment and laughs for the entire audience. The event concluded with a performance by the Heads Up summer hip-hop dance class, during which students enthusiastically led the entire audience in doing the “Cha Cha Slide.” This event was truly a community builder.

With the help of the HRS community and sponsors Braun Hagey & Borden, Gibson Dunn, First Republic Bank, Blackfire Clamplight, Seiler Certified Public Accountants and Flavor Brigade, we netted approximately $21,000 for the Heads Up Program. Many thanks to HRS faculty/staff, the Parents’ Association and Upper School student volunteers; we look forward to growing this annual event.

> headroyce.org/magazine

Spring 2015

47

Celebrating Retiring Faculty This year we have four long-term members of the Head-Royce community who will be leaving the school after this year and well deservedly moving on to pursue personal passions. Barbara Gee, Caroline Lehman, Michele Metz and Anna-Marie Nilsson together have contributed an incredible 112 years of service to Head-Royce.

The PA organized a luncheon for faculty and staff to recognize the soon-to-be retirees.

Submit Your Stories We’d love to collect your memories, favorite stories and photos so that we can put together a tribute to the careers of these amazing educators.

Submit your stories at headroyce.org/retirees or send an email to info@headroyce.org.

48 Head-Royce School Magazine

Barbara Gee is a longtime resident of Oakland and has been a member of the Head-Royce community for over 40 years, beginning as a Lower School teacher and then teaching math and drama in the Middle and Upper Schools. She is now a full-time administrator serving as director of diversity and associate director of K–8 admissions and financial aid.

Barbara presently serves as co-director of the Private Schools with Public Purpose (PSPP) consortium and looks forward to continuing with PSPP into retirement and serving as the executive director. Barbara received her AB in sociology and teaching credential from the University of California at Berkeley.

Caroline Lehman was born and raised in London, England. She graduated with a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Manchester. She began her teaching career at the Kgari Sechele II Secondary School in Molepolole, Botswana in 1974. Marrying a Peace Corp volunteer from Botswana, who became a PhD student at The University of California, Berkeley (Cal), precipitated emigrating to California in 1978 and Caroline first began teaching chemistry and eighth grade science at Head-Royce in the fall of that year. After five years, they moved to Chicago for post-doctoral studies and then back to the Bay area when Steve became a professor at Cal. She returned to teaching at Head-Royce in 1996 and continues to be an active participant in local organizations for chemistry teachers and science educators.

Michele Metz joined Head-Royce in 1988 as the art history instructor.

She currently teaches all juniors in the Honors History 11 art history course once a week, as well as a section of seniors in AP Art History, a history elective. In 1997, she began teaching Honors History 11, as well as guiding interested students towards success on the AP Modern European examination. Ms. Metz received her BA from Tulane University and her MA and PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.

Anna-Marie Nilsson will retire at the end of the school year after 40 years of teaching, including 20 at Head-Royce. Anna-Marie grew up in Oakland, attended Oakland public schools and then San Jose State University. She began her teaching career at St. Paul’s School in Oakland where she taught PE, music, fifth grade and kindergarten. She moved on to the Lafayette School District teaching kindergarten and first grade. Anna-Marie brought many new traditions to Head-Royce, including the kindergarten Nutcracker performance and talent show, and she led Upper School trips where students volunteered at the Ama Ghar Children’s Home in Kathmandu, Nepal.

HRS Parents’ Association: Building Community PA PRESIDENT ERICA BACHMAN & THE PA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Head-Royce School is a place of community — for our children to gather and learn, and for us to support them in these endeavors. When we come together as parents we show our commitment to our children’s education. As members of the Parents’ Association (PA), we strive to foster this sense of community in several ways:

HRS Parents’ Association (PA)

Building Community

We volunteer — in our children’s classrooms, at fine art events, in the library, driving on field trips and athletic events, helping with admissions events, working on a committee.

We host and attend events — parent education and Family Affinity Groups’ speaker events, discussion groups, Jayhawk Events and Adventures, fine art productions and athletic games, to name only a few.

VOLUNTEERISM

FUNDRAISING

PARENT ED

AFFINITY GROUPS

› PA Executive Committee

› Head Royce Day: Celebrating Our Heads Up Program

› Speakers

› African American Families Network

› PA Committees › Classroom Activities › Events

› Annual Main Event (auction, crab feed, etc.) › eScrip/Amazon

› Discussion Groups › Division/Grade Level Topics

› Asian Parents Network › Latino Families Network › Gender & Sexuality Diversity Network › Learning Differences Network

We model citizenship — as fully engaged parents we continue to contribute to an all-school culture that fosters integrity, ethical behavior, compassion and a sense of humor in each student.

We encourage you to find a way to get involved — attend an event, volunteer in your child’s classroom or join the PA Board or one of the many committees. There are so many ways to participate in our school and make the HRS community even stronger, while at the same time getting deeper involved in the lives of our children.

Spring 2015

49

A Crabby Good Time!

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the 2015 Parents’ Association main fundraiser of the year, the two-part Crustacean Sensation. Whether you donated items for the live event, volunteered to host a parent party, sponsored faculty members, underwrote a portion of the live event or gave your time to organizing the events, we are tremendously grateful for your support.

Nearly 300 tickets were sold for the live event on Saturday, Jan. 28, which brought together parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends to celebrate Head-Royce. Highlights of the evening were a crab dinner, entertainment featuring both faculty and parents, a live auction and a silent auction. (Not to mention seeing Coach Blakeley dressed up in a crab suit!)

50 Head-Royce School Magazine

In addition, the online auction, which ran for one week following the live event, gave the HRS community a opportunity to buy tickets to 43 different parent/guardian-hosted events such as viewing a baseball game by regional rivals in a private suite and a women’s poker party. In addition, the community bid on nearly 30 faculty adventures in the online auction, which included a lacrosse clinic with Head of School Rob Lake and a Sausal Creek hike and ecology lesson with Upper School teachers Paul Scott, Andy Spear and Gene Vann.

Altogether, Crustacean Sensation raised over $160,000 in support of our faculty and the resources they requested to provide our students with the best education possible.

We couldn’t have done it without you!

M ORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

Spring 2015

51

Alumni Notes 1948

1956

Sue Ahlf has moved back to Concord after 15 years in Roseville. “We are now back where most of the family lives including my son Gary Gardner, Trish, Briana and Adam, Trinity (14), and Lincoln (7). Shannon and Jesse Van Zee have Emma (5), Asher and Landon (2) and a new son on the way.

My daughter Gail Emery with her husband John live in Walnut Creek and their son Scott lives in Los Angeles. My brother Richard Morrison and wife Laurie live in Lafayette. Nephew Peter Morrison and Dawn live in Lafayette with their kids, Madison (10) and Huntley (5).”

Susan Fratis Penny writes “2014 has been a productive and satisfying year for me and my family. My son and family traveled to Croatia in June and we also spent time at their home in Inverness this summer. I have just finished my second book and plan to have it published in November. I celebrate being able to walk well after two knee replacements and still enjoy water aerobics in the pool in my building. I have been kept busy also with continuing taking classes at Fromm Institute at USF. My grandsons, now 16 and 14, are busy with school at SF Friends School and Bay High School, as well with soccer, lacrosse and basketball. We look to the end-of-the-year celebrations!”

1949 Joan Blanchard Linebarger sent in this note about her Anna Head memories: “Many fond memories as a boarder; our bumpy rides to Mills College for riding class. [I fondly remember my] teachers: Mrs. Backus for sophomore English, Mrs. Grainger for junior English, Mrs. DeFremery for senior civics and their devotion in visiting me as I recovered at home with rheumatic fever so I could keep up with my studies. Mrs. Upshot [the] music [teacher chose] me to play Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore when [I was] a junior. Even my senior English teacher who gave me a C on my final as I used a pencil in my blue book said, ‘I’ll give you a B if you redo it in ink!’ I was tested in my hospital bed — no ink allowed by my mom, who wanted to ‘keep it off the bed linen.’ ”

52 Head-Royce School Magazine

distinguish between our bios. Actually, Carol and Don’s migration patterns and miscellaneous outposts will give it away when sites like Brunei; Kitimat, British Columbia; Massachusetts; and Arizona are mentioned and these are just the Bechtel side of Carol’s story. Her travel agency/ personal explorations cannot be overlooked either! Carol is currently packing to move from Nevada to John’s Creek, Georgia to be near family!

On the other hand, I (Sandy) maintain the bird watching/feline rescue sites in Carmel Valley; fitness/Zumba/Israeli dance classes; and some hiking and local politics, but am pretty much a provincial Carmel Valley person, retired from 34 years of teaching and 10 years with cancer research. We are both anticipating in the 2016 Anna Head’s reunion, of course.

1965

Susan with grandsons Mathew (R) and Kevin (L)

Carol Navone Corwin and Alexandra “Sandy” James are submitting a dual-entry ditty for the Alumni Notes as a test, to see if the “audience” can

Ann Peterson Zeise is “still having too much fun working on my global homeschool website a2zhomeschooling. com to retire just yet.” I drove to Santa Fe for a family reunion last spring with my sister, Carol Peterson Hennekens ’75, and my brother, Frank Peterson, who some may remember for drawing smiley faces on the board for those with the cleanest classrooms. Carol is not doing so well. Friend her on Facebook, if you remember her from middle school days. She’d like that.

1966

1974

1976

Suzanne Sutton says “Join me in Provence where my 40 years in France find me settled in an environmentally friendly house with two wheelchair accessible rental units. I also prepare itineraries and may accompany you to visit the region.”

Marguerite Young was elected to serve on the Board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). She will be representing Ward 3, which includes the Head-Royce campus and much of Oakland as well as Piedmont, Orinda, Moraga, El Sobrante and parts of Richmond and Pinole. “I’m excited to take on the many issues that EBMUD deals with including water conservation, recycling, protecting water quality, replacing our aging infrastructure and addressing climate change. As a student at Anna Head I was a leader in putting together the very first Anna Head Earth Day program in 1970; environmentalism has been my passion and profession since.”

Olivia Pierson runs an environmental contracting and consulting company, Clearwater Group, with her husband, James Jacobs, a geology professor, in Point Richmond. She is an environmental manager and researcher and together they provide investigation, litigation support and drilling, among other services.

1967 Kathleen Marks Gibler writes: “Hello! I found some wonderful pictures dating back to fall of 1962 or spring of 1963 when Anna Head School for Girls was still located at its original and wonderful old building in Berkeley on Channing Way. The photo above shows some type of assembly in the courtyard at the old school. The girls standing are 1967, I believe, as some of the faces are very familiar, even after 50 years! I took a class in one of the rooms on the second floor — you can see the windows above the courtyard. This is where I was when we were informed of President Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963.

Memories of Anna Head are dear to me. Warm regards from deep south Texas!”

1975 Elizabeth “Betsy” Armour has made a recent career move and returned to live in California for the first time since high school. “I am now the assistant dean and dean of career services at USC Gould School of Law. My husband, Jonathan Lewis, and I are living right in downtown L.A., close to work for me and near many of the ‘happening’ diversions for music, theater and art in the area. Fun!”

1980 Says Allison Pennell, “How great is it to have an alumna on the radio every morning! I love to hear Tara Siler on “The California Report” on KQED radio every morning (evenings too!) Love her good writing and trenchant reporting. So proud to be her classmate!”

1984 Kristine Mattson writes: “Here is some news from the class of 1984 ... we were pretty impressed that our wedding was featured in the New York Times vows section. In the near future, we hope to move to Hawaii where I will work for the Honolulu Waldorf School and Kevin McCauley, aka Kevin Mampaey, hopes to get accepted for a psychiatry residency.” Read the article: nyti.ms/1aKbuRX

Spring 2015

53

Alumni Notes continued ...

1986 David Sternberg moved to the United Kingdom in May 2013 to join Manchester United, the world’s most popular football (soccer) club, as head of media. “My job is to manage all of the team’s media businesses, including the MUTV cable channel, the manutd.com website, club mobile apps, social media accounts and print publications. I also help to sell sponsorship rights to corporate partners around the world. I live outside of London with my wife Julie and our three children and split my time between our commercial offices in London and the club’s headquarters in Manchester. Being in England has allowed me to reconnect with a few expat classmates from HRS, including Steve Shultz and Alison (James) Price and see others — Jonathan Pont, Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Jason Ginsburg, Craige Bertero — on their travels across the pond. If any other Jayhawks are ever in the vicinity, look me up and we’ll take in a match!”

1990 Andrew Kass reports that “It has been quite a busy start to 2015 after an eventful 2014! Most significantly, in January I married my lovely wife, Jenna, and we are happily living in Sammamish

54 Head-Royce School Magazine

[Washington state] with our four children. I also left Hitachi and started a new role as senior vice president, operations at LUMEDX, a company that makes healthcare technology solutions. I’m very excited, as I’ve wanted to get deep into this space for quite some time now. In a very interesting twist, not only is LUMEDX’s official headquarters in Oakland, but another of our executives is none other than the mother of my classmate Darrin Mollett. What an amazingly small world.”

1998

2003

2005

2009

Jessica Naylor Minkoff is thrilled to announce the arrival of her son, Joseph Minkoff, whom they will call Yossi. He was born on April 9, 2014. Yossi joins older siblings Leah, Noah and Zoe.

Trenton Price took a job as manager of the Arts Matter program, an initiative to staff arts-poor schools with arts teachers and provide development and resources to support the growth of dance, theater, music and visual arts programs for the NYC Department of Education. In addition, Trenton, with his wife Miriam, are excited to welcome the newest addition to their family, Naomi Sora Price, born August 13, 2014!

Daisy Linden bit the rent bullet and moved to San Francisco in 2013, continuing her mission to find the best dumplings the city has to offer. Since 2009, she has been working for SYPartners, a company that partners with CEOs and leadership teams to set vision and strategy, build a culture of purpose and design brand experiences. In January, she was promoted to strategy director.

David Mangold graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a BA in business-economics and a minor in Mandarin Chinese. After graduating, David and his business partner were able to raise financing and sign a lease in Westwood right near UCLA to start a boba tea shop known as Koala T (pun on “quality”).

“We just opened the doors on Jan. 9 of this year after fighting through many permitting and construction issues. We now employ more than 20 people as well as serve close to 400 customers per day. We serve a variety of boba tea drinks as well as a selection of Asian Fusion foods. “

1992 Jean Tom reports that, “After 11 wonderful years of practicing with Patterson Belknap, I have joined the New York office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (DWT) as a partner in their taxexempt organizations group. In June, my family and I will be moving back to my hometown of Berkeley, California, and I will formally take up residence in DWT’s San Francisco office. I am looking forward to being based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with the many innovative nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs located in the region and greater California. However, I also look forward to continuing to represent my clients on the East Coast and across the country and feel fortunate to have a truly national team focused on the needs of tax-exempt organizations supporting me in those efforts.”

2004 1999 Sean McMahon got married to Towela Sichinga on May 9, 2014 at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. “We met at the New College of California in 2007, where we both were media studies MA students. I currently work at UC Berkeley in the campus’ shared services IT department and Towela is a filmmaker and audio/video professional. She was born in Zambia and grew up in Canada and Zambia. I was born and raised in Berkeley and we currently live in Walnut Creek.”

Frank Bauch got married! He tied the knot on August 2, 2014 at a beautiful ceremony in Carmel Valley, to his wonderful wife Brittany. Brother Jake Bauch ’07 was the best man, and Frank’s father & HRS assistant baseball coach Mike Bauch gave an amazing speech. See the photo below of just a few of the many Jayhawks at the reception including fellow 2004 classmates Ken Akiha, Toby Lunt, Matt Prewitt, Neil Sawhney and Paul Wong as well as Conrad Murphy ‘05.

2007 Daniel Hausrath is in his third year of medical school at UCSF and in the middle of rotations through all the general areas of medicine. “I am enjoying my experience as a medical student very much and can’t wait to become a doctor,” he says.

2008 Marcele Januta graduated from UC Berkeley cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in linguistics. While at Cal she was active in women’s and disabled students’ advocacy and support groups. She is now a counselor at Bay Area Women Against Rape and at San Quentin prison, as part of her field experience requirements for the UC Berkeley’s master’s program in social studies.

Hilary Katz is currently a PhD candidate in the department of organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago.

Spring 2015

55

Alumni Notes continued ...

In Memoriam 2010 Andrea Januta graduated from Yale University summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a double major of mathematics and economics.

While at Yale she was one of the editors of the Yale Daily News Magazine and belonged to the Yale Pistol and Rifle Club where she competed against West Point, MIT and other universities.

She also completed studies in Latin and studied Mandarin. She received a fellowship to Beijing, China, to continue her Mandarin studies but had to postpone going to Beijing because upon graduation she started work as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Jamie Manley reports: “I am living in Delhi as part of a year-long fellowship that places young professionals in the Indian government to work on social problems. I’m working with a state-owned solar company to deploy solar mini-grids in un-electrified rural areas. Learning a lot about India, the government and solar!”

Mika Siegelman led Brown University women’s soccer team to its best season since 2003 as team captain her senior year. A four-year starter as a forward and midfielder, Mika tallied three goals (all game winning) and two assists during the 2013 season. All of her points came in wins, including a strike in double overtime in a key 3–2 conference victory over Cornell. Her game-winning goals were good for an eight-way tie for first in the Ivy League. For her efforts, she was named to the 2013 Women’s Soccer All-Ivy Second Team, in a vote by the Ivy League’s eight head coaches, and

56 Head-Royce School Magazine

received All-New England accolades.

She was also a 2012 All-Ivy First Team honoree. In 2014, Mika received the ESBYS Best Fall Female Athlete Award; the Ridgely Most Valuable Player Award for the second consecutive season; the Sarah Nicholson Memorial Award, given annually to the senior who through total dedication and loyalty has given the most of themselves for the good of the team; and, along with her fellow senior teammates, the Dobson-Kay Coaches’ Award, for the senior class’ contributions to the soccer program over the previous four seasons. Mika graduated with a BS in physics in May 2014 and is currently pursuing a PhD in physical oceanography at the University of Hawaii.

2011 Julia Musto is loving NYU (and freezing in NYC!).

She is a communications major and is interning at WNBC4 this semester, following an internship at Peacock Productions last fall.

2012

Courtney Smith completed her second year at Harvard College. She spent the summer as participant in Harvard’s seven-week study abroad program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Prior to arriving in Jerusalem, Courtney and her mother Crystal visited London, Paris and Rome. After taking four years of Latin at Head-Royce under Dr. Thaddeus Lisowski, she fulfilled a dream of walking the grounds of the Coliseum and the other ruins of historic Rome. At Hebrew University, Courtney took the class Jewish History from Antiquity to Present. Some of the sites she visited during the program were the old city of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, Tel Aviv, Dead Sea, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Dome of the Rock and Masada. Due to the war between Israel and Hamas, Courtney spent time in bomb shelters and fortunately she was never injured. Overall, Courtney had a great experience meeting students from all over the world at Hebrew University.

1939

1963 Anne Ristenpart Soulé passed away at home in October 2012 at age 91.

Obituary from the Contra Costa Times Oct. 27, 2012: Born April 19, 1921, in Berkeley to Chester Harrison and Elizabeth Stitt Ristenpart, died peacefully at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek on Oct. 24, 2012. Predeceased by her husband, Stanley Eldon Soulé and survived by sons Sandy of Danville, Jim of Pleasanton, Alan of Sebastopol, daughter Jane Soulé Collett of Lafayette, daughters-in-law Anita Soulé, Cathy Soulé, son-in-law Bill Collett, eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren and predeceased by son Stuart Soulé, brothers Chet and Jim and sister Jane. Anne was a graduate of Anna Head School and the University of California Berkeley where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

A longtime resident of Berkeley and former member of the Berkeley Tennis Club. A Lafayette resident for 37 years and eight years at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek. Private services. Memorial contributions to Guide Dogs For the Blind, P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, CA 94915-1200.

Toni Zacher Stock: Anne Gideon Lyons writes “It is with great sadness that I share with you that Toni Zacher Stock died suddenly on Sunday Aug. 24, 2014. Toni was my best friend from the first week of kindergarten and I am just one of many who are deeply saddened by her loss.”

Obituary from the Marin Independent Journal on Aug. 29, 2014: Toni Zacher Stock (Toni Miller) passed away suddenly on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014 in Kentfield, California; she was 68 years old. She was born to Elisabeth Catherine Kergan and Gerhardt Zacher in Oakland, California in 1945.

She attended high school at Anna Head and received her bachelor’s in psychology from UC Berkeley in 1967. She was an exceptionally dedicated educator. She spent over 30 years as an elementary school teacher in the Oakland, Richmond, San Rafael and Lagunitas school districts. Upon retiring from teaching, Toni began exploring her love of technology and technological innovation, attending conferences, conventions and joining groups dedicated to the advancement of technology and starting her own computer networking company, Foolhardy Productions.

Missing her greatly is her husband Michael Stock; her step-children Amy and Arthur Drozd, Ben and Emily Stock, Rebecca and Philippe Chicheportiche; her grandchildren, Sophia Drozd, Maya and Cy Stock; her brother and his wife, Gary and Joannie Zacher and her beloved nieces and nephews; Kasey and Aiden O’Connell, Peter, Ted and Nick Zacher; and her loving canine companion and sidekick Bella.

Spring 2015

57

In Memoriam continued ...

Stay Connected!

IT IS EASIER THAN EVER TO STAY CONNECTED WITH FRIENDS AND FACULTY

A private family ceremony was held Monday Sept. 1.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you send a donation in Toni’s name to The Spirit Rock Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 169, Woodacre, CA 94973, a place where Toni received much clarity and comfort in her life.

1989 Tosha Nicole Wilkes Andrews passed away.

Obituary from the New York Times March 6, 2015: Tosha Nicole Wilkes Andrews was born on Dec. 29, 1971 in San Francisco, CA to William and Sharon Wilkes. She was the first of two daughters.

Tosha attended The Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA. Upon graduation from Head-Royce, she attended Pomona College in Claremont, CA and earned a BA in international relations. While at Pomona, she also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Later, Tosha obtained an MA degree in international economics and Japanese studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Tosha had a life-long love for Asia, particularly Japan, and spoke fluent Japanese. During her time at The Head-Royce School, she studied in Japan as an exchange student, based on encouragement from her father. After she completed her study 58 Head-Royce School Magazine

abroad, she returned several times to Japan, including as an English teacher in the prestigious Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme.

She also was an economic researcher for Japan and Korea at the US Department of Agriculture.

Additionally, after graduating from Johns Hopkins SAIS, she was a research associate focusing on US international trade policy and US-Japan relations in the Washington, D.C. office of ITOCHU International, one of the largest Japanese trading firms.

It was during her time working for Itochu International in Washington, D.C. that she met her future husband, Dwayne Andrews. After a year of dating, Tosha moved from D.C. to New York to become the director, Asia/Pacific for the Business Council of International Understanding (BCIU), a nonprofit organization that seeks to foster foreign trade, where she eventually became a senior vice president.

In the ensuing years, Tosha and Dwayne maintained a long-distance relationship until he moved to New York and they ultimately were married on Oct. 6, 2001 in San Francisco, California. They have two wonderful daughters, Sophia (9) and Olivia (5).

At BCIU, she regularly organized senior level discussions featuring heads of state, ministers of commerce, energy, finance, foreign affairs, and information technology such as Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan; Vicente Fox, president of Mexico; Abdurrahman Wahid, president of Indonesia; General Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan; Georgi Parvanov, president of Bulgaria; and John Agyekum Kufour, president of Ghana.

Tosha was passionate about international travel and had visited countries on six of the seven continents. She was also very engaged in the schools that Sophia and Olivia attend. She was a class parent and took part in many committees that helped foster a sense of community at both of the girls’ schools.

Tosha touched many lives and will be greatly missed. She leaves to mourn her passing her loving husband Dwayne; her daughters Sophia and Olivia; her parents William and Sharon; her sister Alexsis; her grandfather Robert; her parents-in-law and sisters-in-law; and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Recently moved? Looking for a new job? Tap into the Head-Royce School Alumni group on LinkedIn. It’s open to alumni, alumni parents, faculty and current parents and includes more than 700 members.

Like our Facebook page where you can find out about upcoming alumni events and keep up to date with the latest HRS school and alumni news. People love our Throwback Thursday photos from the archives — you never know, you might be in one! https://www.facebook.com/HRSAlumni See the pictures from alumni events and scan through our archived albums from the glory days! http://www.flickr.com/photos/headroyce/sets

Discover a new mentor or reconnect with classmates in a new city by searching by name, industry, school or class. Visit www.headroyce.org (Alumni>HRS Alumni App) to learn more on how to download our alumni mobile app.

Let us know what you are up to. Our greatest asset is having an accurate database and we love learning about the interesting things you all are doing. Send an email with any address updates or news to alumni@headroyce.org.

4315 lincoln avenue oakl and 路 c a 94602 address service requested

Does the person on the mailing label still live or work here? If not, please notify the Alumni & Development Office of the correct address by calling 510.531.1300 x2149.