2022 Founder’s Alumni Award winner: Ed Littlefield

Head of School Lars Kuelling and Director of Development Brian Schlaak had the distinct pleasure of traveling to beautiful Arlington, Washington in March to present the 2022 Founder’s Alumni Award to an exceedingly deserving Ed Littlefield (U67).

The Founder’s Alumni Award was created to honor alumni whose extraordinary achievements exemplify the school’s philosophy and values. Among the criteria for consideration, the Award recipient should demonstrate good character, broad and positive service to the community, and a commitment to the sustainability of the school through various forms of engagement and support.

“Mr. Littlefield’s timely and profoundly generous support was the primary driver of the miraculous, phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the OVS Upper Campus,” said Mr. Kuelling, “and his philanthropic efforts might best be described as heroic.”

Mr. Kuelling and Mr. Schlaak were privileged to visit Mr. Littlefield and his wonderful wife, Mary Wallace, at the Littlefield Farm about an hour north of Seattle. Through the course of their visit, Mr. Littlefield’s authentic embodiment of the ideals of a 21st century Renaissance man came clearly to the fore. Mr. Schlaak said, “Ed is an accomplished musician, a gentleman farmer, an avid reader, and an active and passionate philanthropist. He is as comfortable with a chain saw as he is with a fiddle or pedal steel guitar.”

A highlight of the visit was seeing Mr. Littlefield’s state-of-the-art recording studio. It is within that stunning space that his band Marley’s Ghost (easily findable on Spotify) has done the bulk of their recording. A long list of recognizable recording artists have done work in that space, as well.

Following a sumptuous lunch prepared by the multi-talented Ms. Wallace, she and Mr. Littlefield led an EV-ATV tour of the 450-acre farm. Horse drawn plows were working the fields, and a multi-generational family who live and work on the property were repairing equipment and caring for the horses, cattle, pigs and chickens. Signs of love and devotion to the land were everywhere, from extensive solar arrays to sophisticated water systems.

Mr. Littlefield has exceptionally fond and abiding memories from his formative years at OVS. He speaks warmly of many instances of timely guidance that he received from his dorm parent and coach Mike Hermes (L53). He also related a story that illustrates the “can do” philosophy of the school. While a student, a young Ed returned from an extended absence. He approached one of his teachers and asked how to handle the work that he missed while sick. The teacher replied, “They’re up there,” referring to his classmates, “You’re back here. Catch up. You can do this.” That lesson stuck with him: High expectations with appropriate support.

The entirety of the OVS community is profoundly grateful to Mr. Littlefield for his exceptional support of the school. We could not be more thankful, nor more honored, to have presented The Founder’s Alumni Award to the very deserving Ed Littlefield.

Upper Campus: Chicago

Upper Campus students staged the musical Chicago in December. Set in the legendary city during the 1920s and based on real-life murders, Chicago is a dazzling and satirical look at fame, justice, and media. The play follows Roxie Hart, played by junior Donahi Soriano (L20), an aspiring vaudevillian star who murders her lover and is arrested. In the Cook County Jail, Roxie meets her hero, the famed double-murderess and performer Velma Kelly, played by senior Hannah Little (L19). Throughout the fall semester, the high school cast and crew worked tirelessly during rehearsals. Junior Vlada Antipkina took a leading role as dancer and choreographer with help from junior Charles Hsu. The production was directed by Lisa and John Boyd, veteran teachers of 37 years at Ojai Valley School.

Middle School: Annie

Middle School students in Grades Six to Eight performed the spring musical Annie in March at the Lower Campus before a packed audience in the Greenberg Center. The cast was comprised of 27 students, with an additional 18 running the lights, sound and tech and doing makeup and hair; many parents and staff members helped behind the scenes, as well. Special thanks to parent Kendra Bollenbach for her choreography and Performing Arts Coordinator Andy Street for making the music come alive! Our productions are run by students, under the guidance of Mr. Street and Assistant Head of Lower Campus Mike Mahon. Mr. Mahon sees the tech and crew jobs as an opportunity to instill a sense of responsibility and build passion, grit, and determination by exposing our students to real-world challenges.

Elementary: Pinocchio

In October, our elementary students in Grades Three to Five staged a wonderful production of Pinocchio. The music, costumes, lighting and choreography were truly outstanding, and showcased the depth of talent in our elementary grades and the breadth of experiences that our students enjoy at Ojai Valley School.

Hello, Holidays: Campus Lighting

What better way to kick off our three-week Holiday Break than with a musical extravaganza? It all started in early December, when the OVS Parent Club volunteers decorated the Lower Campus to set the stage for our annual Campus Lighting production. The main event began with our youngest Spuds helping to light up the Hermes Quad with colorful lights. Then, every class from Pre-Kindergarten to Eighth Grade performed a different holiday-themed song on stage, with our middle school students providing continuity — and comic relief — in between performances. We sang, we danced, and we celebrated ... and then we ate cookies! Thank you to everyone who made this event so special.

Pinkies Up: High Tea

Our youngest students in PreKindergarten to Second Grade recently celebrated High Tea — now in its 32nd year at Lower Campus! Finger sandwiches, fresh strawberries, tea, lemonade and cookies were served by students to more than 200 guests in the Greenberg Center. Students and their families also enjoyed musical performances. One goal of High Tea is for every child to perform. With the elementary play in the fall and the middle school musical in the spring, the High Tea is an opportunity for the PK- 2 students to get on stage. It is also a time for students to showcase proper etiquette and dress up for a special tea party!

Lower Campus Class Hikes

How do you celebrate the end of the first semester? Go hiking! Middle school students in Grades Six to Eight participated in traditional Class Hikes in January, venturing into our nearby mountains for a day of exploration on the trails. Our primary and elementary students had the same opportunity in March. Many of the trails were rutted and damaged in some areas due to the winter storms, but our students had no trouble navigating the muddy paths enroute to spectacular views of the Ojai Valley and beyond. Class Hikes, as well as camping trips in the fall and spring, are traditions that began in the 1950s under the guidance of school leaders who believed the outdoors provided valuable lessons and hands-on experiences.

Destination: Costa Rica

An adventurous group of OVS students spent their winter break in Costa Rica, zip lining through a jungle, soaking in hot springs, and observing crocodiles, poison dart frogs, and sloths in the wild! Traveling internationally as a school group can be an incredible experience as students learn about different cultures by trying new foods, discovering local history and customs, and visiting parks and historical sites. Trips also provide students with opportunities to develop new friendships and lasting memories. We look forward to new travel adventures next year!

OVS Speaker Series: Conservationist Kris Tompkins

Ojai Valley School was honored to welcome guest speaker Kris Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia and a world-renowned conservationist, during a special community event at the Upper Campus in December. Ms. Tompkins spoke about her groundbreaking work through Tompkins Conservation to preserve millions of acres of land and seas in Argentina and Chile. She also delighted students, alumni and community members by sharing stories and photos of jaguars, macaws, and other species they are “rewilding” in South America. Ms. Tompkins also brought copies of her most recent book, which she personally signed for fans following her talk. If you missed this event, be sure to check out her upcoming documentary, “Wild Life,” from Academy Award-winning director Jimmy Chin.

Cross Country Runners Make History

For the first time in Ojai Valley School history, both the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams earned league championship titles in the same season. Both teams captured Omega League crowns at the fastand-flat Soule Park Cross Country course in Ojai in November. For the girls, it is the fourth league title in the past eight years. However, all of the previous titles had been earned in the Condor League, making this the girls’ first Omega League championship. For the boys, their dominating performance brought the team its second Omega League title in a row and the opportunity to compete at the CIF prelims. The boys were led by senior Logan Wallace (L19), who placed second overall in a personal best time. In his firstever Cross Country meet, junior Eli Roston (L20) came in fourth overall, senior Eugene Fisher (L19) took the sixth spot, sophomore Shuhei Kotani grabbed ninth and senior Emanuel Zagata-Jacobson rounded out the scoring with a 10th-place finish. On

Winter Sports Teams Reach Play-offs

In a first for OVS, all three competitive winter sports Teams at the Upper Campus — Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball and Boys Soccer — advanced to the CIF playoffs in February. The OVS Boys Soccer Team played a tough first-round match against Cobalt Institute of Math and Science. Cobalt took an early two-goal lead, but OVS junior Maximilian Berninger brought the OVS boys back into the game with two goals. Cobalt put two more in the net for a final score of 4-2, but the OVS players showed great resilience and effort to the end. Just hours after the Boys Soccer game, the Girls Basketball Team took on The Buckley School, with OVS students packing the bleachers at The Thacher School gym. OVS the girls side, sophomore Prudence Currey-Schafer (L21) ran her best race of the season, taking the individual league title with her first place overall finish. Juniors Karin Hahn (L20) and Elizabeth Ramsay placed fourth and fifth, respectively, senior captain India Getty-Pruss (L19) came in sixth, and senior Zimo Zeng secured a 10th place finish. Said Head Coach Fred Alvarez: “We have worked since the start of the summer toward winning the league and making it to CIF. Our runners exceeded all expectations.” lost, 36-21, but the game was marked by gritty performances by the OVS Team, including 13 points from junior Donahi Soriano (L20). A day later, the Boys Basketball Team competed against Midland School. OVS led that game into the fourth quarter, but fell to Midland, 52-43. Senior captain Ethan Chen (L19) had an amazing game, scoring 32 points and carrying the team throughout. Although the teams came up short in the first round, the students and fans made the games great to watch. Athletic Director Ryan Pearman said, “I really enjoyed seeing our girls and boys playing hard from the start to the end and the student body in attendance at the games added great support for our Spuds.”

Ojai Valley School students have hiked, biked, climbed, kayaked, snowboarded and surfed through the fall, winter and spring seasons in California — and they aren’t done yet.

Middle school backpacking trips will depart in late April, followed by elementary camping trips and a few final high school excursions. Notable Outdoor Education experiences so far this year include a three-day exploration of the backcountry of Catalina Island, where Upper Campus students rode mountain bikes over 20 miles of ranch roads, hiked 14 miles of the Trans-Catalina Trail, and caught waves at Little Harbor. Wildlife was abundant, with numerous sightings of bison, island fox and raptors. Upper students also spent four days star-gazing in Anza Borrego and the surrounding Mojave Desert. Mixed into the outdoor gear was a telescope from the Astronomy department, allowing students got to see the green comet (aka C/2022 E3) as well as other celestial objects in the night sky.

Thirty-two honors students also floated the Colorado River below Hoover Dam during the annual Honors River Trip in February. More recently, middle school students enjoyed a stunning blue-sky day with views of the Pacific Ocean during a weekend mountain biking trek near Malibu. A second group of middle school students paddled the shores of Lake Cachuma, with tributary streams gurgling, and the snow-capped peaks of the San Rafael and Dick Smith Wilderness in the distance. Ojai Valley School is proud to offer one of the most expansive Outdoor Education programs in the western United States, with more than 300 students in grades PK-12 learning and exploring in the outdoors.

Ochos return to Washington

Our Eighth Graders arrived in Washington, D.C. last fall and hit the ground running with a jam-packed schedule that included visits to Monticello, the University of Virginia, St. John’s Church, Jamestown, and the American Revolution Museum. They also visited the Arlington National Cemetery, took a tour of Capitol Hill, saw Ford’s Theatre, and the National Archives before stopping by the White House. The annual D.C. Trip is a highlight of the eighth grade year, where the curriculum focuses on American history and government. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to bring this trip back to OVS — and we are excited to return in the fall with next year’s Eighth Grade class!

Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit

Welcome to the Year of the Rabbit! Lunar New Year started on January 22 and we celebrated in grand style with a sumptuous pan-Asian meal for our Upper and Lower Campus students, teachers and staff. The Greenberg Center was transformed for the celebration, and students from our revived English Language Development program bravely took the podium to share their own Lunar New Year traditions with the assembled audience. A handful of our middle schoolers departed with pockets full of fortune cookies! In the Chinese zodiac, the Rabbit is associated with longevity, peace, and prosperity. Senior India Getty-Pruss (L19) captured our collective optimism for a good year ahead with her winning design for the “Year of the Rabbit” greeting card. Congratulations and thank you, India!

Family & Fortitude: New OVS publication

We are pleased to announce the publication of Family & Fortitude: The Heart and Spirit of Ojai Valley School. This 220-page book by author Elizabeth Rose tells the story of OVS through personal narratives with alumni, faculty, students, staff and parents. It can be purchased for $60. Please email alumni@ovs.org for more information.

Read more from the OVS Student Journalists at oth.ovs.org

OVS has launched a woodworking class at the Upper Campus, allowing high school students to explore a discipline that until now has only been offered at the Lower Campus

By Eugene Fisher (L19)

At first glance, the Woodshop appears empty — a lone couch, bare walls, a simple table saw. But to teacher Doug Colborn, it’s already full of life.

“Just look around,” he says. “It’s day one and it already feels exciting.”

With the opening of a new art studio, Ojai Valley School was able to carve space for a woodshop at the Upper Campus this semester, allowing high school students to explore a discipline that until now had only been available to their counterparts at the Lower Campus.

Woodshop has been an integral part of the school since its inception a century ago. Founder Edward Yeomans believed that all students should learn to measure, build and craft projects with their hands. Many current high school students fondly remember making stilts, looms, and skateboards when they were elementary and middle school students in the Founder’s Shop at Lower.

“I started woodworking at Lower,” said junior Mariana Thacher (L20), who is part of the inaugural group of Woodshop students at Upper. “Ever since then I’ve loved being able to make something with my hands.”

Woodshop made its way to the Upper Campus in the form of an H Block elective during the current school year. H Blocks — which include Robotics, Garage Band, Chess, and other electives — are an important part of the current high school schedule because they give students the chance to explore their interests and take a break from core academic classes during the school day.

Woodshop was added to the electives list when construction concluded for the new art studio, and the former art room could then be converted into a woodshop. Mr. Colborn, a math teacher and accomplished carpenter, was the perfect person to launch the Woodshop elective.

“I have a passion for it,” he said. “I just hope it’s a popular choice for fine arts students.”

While Woodshop is starting as an elective, it won’t be staying as one. Next year, it will be moving into the A through G rotation to become one of 21 visual and performing arts courses offered at the high school. Other art courses include Drawing, Ceramics, Music Theory, Guitar, Voice, Photography, Media and Digital Design, two levels of Video Production, and more.

From Mr. Colborn’s perspective, there are myriad benefits to woodworking, including unplugging from a technology-centered world. He’s thrilled that OVS is now giving high school students time and space to do that.

“It’s a creative release,” he said. “It’s spiritual. It’s therapeutic.”

The Studio and the Woodshop have been made possible through the generous support of donors and in-kind contributions, including tools and materials. If you would like to support these or other programs, please contact Development Director Brian Schlaak at bschlaak@ovs.org or call (805) 646-1423.

Construction of The Studio followed on the heels of the massive $20 million rebuilding project after the Thomas Fire destroyed part of the Upper Campus

By Emanuel Zagata-Jacobson

For more than 50 years, the high school fine arts department sat in the same building at the bottom of campus, a long walk away from the bustling classrooms at the top of the hill. But after a years-long renovation of former classrooms 9, 10 and 11, the fine arts are now front and center at the Upper Campus in a well-lit space dubbed “The Studio.”

The name is spelled out in big, black typeface on the westfacing wall of the building, where drawing, advanced studio art and three levels of Advanced Placement art and design classes are now held. Three interior walls were demolished to create an open floor plan flooded with natural light. Large north-facing windows frame views of the oak canopy and mountains in the distance. Colorful student sketches, paintings, and 3-D design installations are displayed throughout.

“Art needs room to be seen,” said Head of School Lars Kuelling. “The Studio was purposely designed to showcase student work.”

Construction of The Studio followed on the heels of the massive $20 million rebuilding project to replace dorm and classroom buildings lost in the December 2017 Thomas Fire. The Aramont Science and Technology Center, the Grace Hobson Smith House dormitory, and the Littlefield Student Commons dining and library complex were dedicated in August 2021 following a three-year capital campaign and support from hundreds of donors. In contrast, The Studio was built with financial support from one anonymous donor and a handful of other supporters, who quietly championed the effort to create a vibrant and more centrally located arts center at the Upper Campus. In many ways The Studio marks the completion of a fiveyear construction phase following the Thomas Fire, and it has connected the art department in ways not seen since the founding of the high school.

“Curious students are coming in and out now … just becoming aware of OVS art,” said art teacher Chia Hersk (L88, U92) about one of the benefits of the new location. “This new space definitely revitalizes our program.”

Senior India Getty-Pruss (L19) is enthusiastic about the remodel. “I think it’s really great to be at the top of the hill because all the other classes are at the top of the hill,” she said. “Sometimes I’d have class twice a day and I would walk down the hill, and then walk back up, and then walk back down, and then walk back up.”

India is the only art student in the senior class who has participated in art every year of high school. She is currently working on her second year of AP Studio Art 3-D Design. India began in her freshman year in Drawing and worked her way to focus on fashion design, which she plans to major in during college.

“It really integrates the art (program) with the rest of the classes,” she said.

And then there is the walk. The short walk, that is, to the new art space. Said Ms. Hersk: “My students are never late to class now.”

By Lars Kuelling, Head of School