19 minute read
2021-2022 Pioneer News Briefs
from Vista | 2022
This year, our Cross Country team made history by becoming the first team in more than three decades to win a CIF Southern Section championship. Congratulations to Nareg Simitian ‘23, Jackson Hicks ‘22, Dillon Yell ‘24, Trevor Deane ‘23, Henry Virtue ‘25, Connor Flynn ‘22, Aidan Urbina ‘23, Xander Penaflor ‘22. Also congratulations to freshman runner, Aubrey Eaton ‘25, for being the first female runner to make it to State Finals.
PREP LEAGUE CHAMPS
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We had several teams secure Prep League titles. In the Fall, Cross Country, led by Co-Head Coach Michelle Boucher and Co-Head Coach Le’Von Davis, had a record breaking season as they earned a league title and more. In the Winter, Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, Kristineh Zadourian, and her veteran roster won league. They went 10-1 in league play and 18-7 overall. Boys’ Basketball Head Coach, Anthony Cosby, and his team went 8-0 in league play and 19-7 overall.
PREP LEAGUE RECOGNITION
Girls’ Volleyball: 1st Team/All CIF - Ashley Davis ‘22 2nd Team - Samantha Moon ‘22 and Mia Madariaga ‘22 Boys’ Basketball: League MVP/All CIF - Jaden Clinkscales ‘22 1st Team - Nigel Dickens ‘22 2nd Team - Kaiden Fine ‘23, Max Hudnall ‘23 Girls’ Basketball: 1st Team - Audrey Sayoc ‘22, Natalie Haroutounian ‘22, Lia Krumian ‘24 2nd Team - Bella Nazarian ‘22, Sylvie Demirjian ‘25 Boys’ Soccer: 1st Team - Shant Avedikian ‘22, Gabe Malong ‘22 2nd Team - George Demirjian ‘22, Joseph Hamzoian ‘22 Boys’ Volleyball: 1st Team - Gunnar Petrone ‘23 2nd Team - Brett Adams ‘23, Gunnar Sizemore ‘23 Softball: 1st Team - Delailah Lopez ‘25, Olyvia Rutter ‘23, Breanna Pelaez ‘24 2nd Team - Lucia Mosquera ‘22, Belen Benito ‘24, Gloria Galindo ‘25 Baseball: 1st Team - Connor Cafferty ‘23 2nd Team - Adrian Contreras ‘25
COMMITMENTS
Ashley Davis ‘22 committed to Emerson College to continue her volleyball career; Xander Penaflor ‘22 committed to University of Portland to continue his cross country career; Nikki Siy ‘22 committed to University of La Verne to continue her golf career; Audrey Sayoc ‘22 committed to Azusa Pacific University to continue her basketball career; Nigel Dickens ‘22 and Jaden Clinkscales ‘22 committed to Los Angeles Valley College to continue their basketball careers. At Providence, we continuously strive to integrate our core mission and values into our Christian Service Program, led by Ms. Janet Fontaine. In the Fall, our Pioneers participated in five charity walks; Shane’s Inspiration - Run, Walk, and Roll, ABDR Walk of Life for the Armenian Bone Marrow Registry, Club 21 - Together is Better Walk, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and the JDRF One Walk to End Type 1 Diabetes. Each event was heavily attended by our Pioneer students, faculty, and staff members. Shane’s Inspiration - Run, Walk, and Roll event was the first event of the year. We had two Pioneers place in the running competition. Henry Virtue ‘25 placed first and Aubrey Eaton ‘25 placed second. Our Pioneers raised $1,305 for Shane’s Inspiration. For the JDRF One Walk, Maddie Fernandez ‘24 and Charlie Wehrenberg ‘23 both led teams who raised an estimated $125,000 for JDRF. When interviewed about the walk, Maddie commented, “It’s less about the attention and more about helping find a cure and bringing more awareness towards a disease that gets very little recognition, yet it affects so many lives.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
Avery Marsh ‘22 was recognized at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels for her extraordinary service to our school and greater community. Luna Molina ‘23 and Gregory Filipian ‘23 organized a food drive for Family Promise of the Verdugos. Ashley Davis ‘22 volunteers regularly at Ahead with Horses, Equestrian Therapy. When the pandemic started Sofia Estrada ‘25 started volunteering for Lasagna Love and is now volunteering at Providence Tarzana in the Oncology Department. In April, our Providence community had a Lenten Drive that raised $1,000 for Ukraine.
VALUES IN ACTION
AWARD: Ms. Janet Fontaine was named the recipient of the Values in Action award. The Values in Action is an awards program in the Providence health system that allows caregivers to recognize each other for how they model our values of compassion, dignity, justice, excellence, and integrity. Congratulations on this well-earned honor! community community
The Equity and Social Justice Task Force seeks to foster a supportive environment for faculty, staff, and students in exploring their racial identity and identifying personal roles in implementing a more equitable and inclusive school community and society. This year, ESJ has been extremely active in our community. The task force started hosting listening sessions and student town halls, where our student population could gather and their voices could be heard. This is an initiative that ESJ plans on building on in the upcoming school year. Next school year, all students will be reading This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell, which will allow our school community to explore their racial identity and help identify personal roles in society to influence change. The goal is to influence change within our campus in hopes of it trickling down to the greater community. This book will support Providence High School’s mission of being a more inclusive and antiracist school. Not only will students be reading the book, our faculty and staff members, along with our parents and guardians will be invited to read along during ESJ’s Summer Book Club.
DID YOU KNOW? There are four committees that operate within the ESJ Task Force. This was implemented during the 2021-2022 school year so that the ESJ Task Force as a whole can operate more effectively. The Diversity of Curriculum committee, led by Ms. Marisa Bradfield, fosters an academic and collaborative environment, which assists in the planning and mapping of curriculum. The Student Led Organizations committee, led by Ms. Allyssa Moscotte, provides resources, tools, and mentorship for Student Led Organization moderators and leaders. The Policy, Procedures, & Training committee, led by Mrs. Maribel Kuklish, reviews all policies, procedures, and protocols through an equity lens. In addition, the sub task force provides ongoing training for all faculty and staff, as well as a more in-depth interview process for new hires. The Programming &
Events committee, led by Mr. Joshua Freeman, collaborates with ASB and Marketing & Communications on interfaith holidays. The Wellness Task Force was created to understand the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of our students, faculty, and staff members at a deeper level. This year, our Student Led Organization, Well-Aware has been at the forefront of not only understanding those needs, but also taking action to support the wellness of our Providence community. Well-Aware is led by Dominic Brown ‘22 and moderated by Ms. Shanica Dale and Mrs. Allison Castro ‘02. The SLO has been very active in promoting mental health on campus as they have facilitated “WellAware” sessions that consisted of activities and mini-lessons that our faculty advisors can do to help promote wellness. The SLO has also hosted various listening sessions, called Courageous Conversations, where students, faculty, and staff members are welcomed to join together in conversation about certain topics, such as mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth. We believe that creating a safe space and having conversations like these are necessary to fostering an environment of acceptance and inclusion. Student Led Organizations are groups within Providence High School that advocate for, protect, and/or represent members of our student community. These organizations differ from a typical club because they are reflections of social identities and personal autonomy. Providence currently has eight SLOs; Asian
American and Pacific Islander Club, Association of Latin American Studies, Black Student Union, Kehillah, Prism, Providence HYE, Red Whistle Club, and Well Aware.
These SLOs are called to be proactive by educating our community, whether it is through sharing and celebrating culture, addressing an issue, or by advocating for a cause.
The Environmental Sustainability Task Force, led by Ms. Rebecca Poliner, has been called to discern the most effective ways of supporting environmentally sustainable practices. This year, the task force, in collaboration with Ms. Poliner’s Nutrition Science students, piloted a composting program in an effort to minimize organic waste on campus. Recently, Ms. Poliner took the Juniors in her Nutrition Science class to Griffith Park to work with LA Compost. The trip allowed the students to understand the impact of composting on a larger scale. Next year, the task force plans on expanding on the efforts made this year by partnering with the Burbank Recycling Center to sort our waste into trash, recycling, and organics. Another goal for the upcoming year is to have a Sharing Table. A Sharing Table will allow students to give up untouched food items so that other students are able to take. This initiative will help limit the amount of food thrown away and will also foster awareness and community building.
Who is TEF Design? TEF Design is an architecture and interior design firm located in San Francisco. TEF Design prides themselves on achieving extraordinary results through authentic collaboration. They seek modern, economic, and responsible solutions that are optimistic, open, and warm. They foster community, health, and well-being through their work, and design spaces that are emotionally satisfying to those who visit, work, and learn in them.
After a thorough vetting process led by the Master Plan Committee of the Board of Regents, Providence High School partnered with TEF Design in Spring 2021. The Master Plan represents the culmination of a lengthy collaborative process that involved Providence students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, the Board of Regents, and the Sisters of Providence. It articulates a twenty year vision for the future of campus that is designed to serve the needs of future Pioneers, including those who have not even been born yet. The plan’s guiding principles - impact, health, and play - reflect the priorities of the Sisters of Providence (impact through service), our unique relationship with the Providence health system (health as the foundation for life) and the needs of young people today (play as a source of creativity and social-emotional health).
said Alumni Coordinator, Mrs. Sheridan Vititoe ‘12. TEF has been very active in the Providence community as they assessed current and future needs and gathered feedback regarding campus spaces from alumni, alumni parents and guardians, current parents and guardians, faculty and staff members, students, and current and former regents. Representatives from those groups were invited to participate in workshops and walkshops where they shared their thoughts about our Providence campus. The feedback from our community members, as well as the needs of future Pioneers, drove the Master Plan forward as TEF identified possible courses of action and vetted them through the Master Plan Committee. “All of this work is rooted in the mission of the school and the call of the Sisters to respond to the needs in front of us, especially the needs of our students,” said Head of School, Mr. Scott McLarty.
In March 2022, TEF hosted multiple sessions to showcase the progress made with the Master Plan. The community meetings were open to all and the feedback will be used by the Master Plan Committee of the Board of Regents to help determine how the Master Plan will be phased in the years ahead. Safety and security are top priorities of all school communities and significant improvements have been made to secure our campus since 2020. One remaining concern is that our current campus is divided into three areas, all separated by a public access road. The Master Plan proposes a solution that will flip the orientation of the campus so that the entrance on Buena Vista Street is closed off and the new entrance will be facing Johnny Carson Park. By allowing our campus to be unified with a single perimeter, this plan will increase safety, security, and efficiency while making better use of campus space.
Our current campus, beautiful and well-kept, no longer has enough space (indoor and outdoor) to meet the needs of students. The proposed Master Plan expands our square footage from 76,000 to 109,000, with a total of five labs, 23 general classrooms, additions to ensure universal access to all of campus, more soft-scape and flexible furniture in the quad, more green space across campus, a redesigned chapel moved to the proposed new front of campus, a Student Impact Center inside a new Commons building, an indoor-outdoor amphitheater with updated lighting and equipment, a new arts building and theater, and a full perimeter wall that will block outside sound.
Every six years Providence High School goes through an accreditation process. The accreditation process is a self-reflective study to see where we have been, how far we have come, and to see if we are taking the right steps to get to where we want to go. Providence High School does this process through the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). This year, Ms. Kerry Martin, Dean of Curriculum, has been taking lead on the study. It is a year-long process that will conclude in December of 2022.
Our faculty and staff members are divided into into the following committees: 1) Mission, 2) Educational Program, 3) Student Learning Experience, 4) Faculty and Pedagogy, 5) Climate and Community, 6) Admission and Enrollment, 7) Finance, 8) Advancement, 9) Human Resources, 10) Facilities, 11) Health, Safety and Wellness, 12) Governance, 13) Administration, and 14) Self-Assessment, Decision Making and Change. Breaking into committees allows our faculty and staff members to have philosophical conversations in smaller groups so that they can decide what is important to bring to the community as a whole.
When commenting on the accreditation process, Ms. Martin mentioned how “we have always been a school that will have conversations and always look for ways to improve.” With this year’s accreditation, our goal is to set the tone for the future of Providence. At the end of 2022, CAIS will be sending over representatives to go over the report and will look into every aspect of the school’s programs and operations to assess its effectiveness in fulfilling the school’s stated purposes.
Even though the study is completed internally, Ms. Martin said, “There are always ways for our outside community to get involved, whether it is participating in surveys or sharing your voice at a town hall.”
What is DISTINC_? Distinc_ is more than a branding firm. Everything DISTINC_ does focuses on the needs and dreams of real people. DISTINC_ engages their clients in an immersive journey that pulls out leadership qualities from everyone — everyone plays a role. They empower people within their organizations to leverage their collective intelligence and develop more participatory, potent, and compelling brands.
In March of 2021, Providence High School partnered with DISTINC_ to clarify our vision for the future and find new ways of expressing who we are as a learning community to the wider world. The goal was to align our internal values and external perceptions because our brand is not only what we say it is, but what they say it is.
Providence High School has a prolific history of evolution from the founding year of 1955 to now. Our Providence green has consistenly changed throughout the years to what it is today, but our values and tradtitions stayed true.
Our new brand initiative is an invitation designed to help us start and sustain more authentic conversations with prospective families about who we are as people of Providence. “We want to honor the history and tradition of Providence High School, but not be bound by it. We want to seek ‘today’ in words and imagery what the Sisters of Providence have been seeking for almost 180 years,” said Mr. Scott McLarty.
Meet Grant Ishkhanian ‘23. He is a rising senior at Providence High School and will be the ASB President for the 2022-2023 academic year. Grant is a member of the Golf team and Mock Trial team. He loves attending sporting events and loves giving his time to others in need. He runs a small business selling sports memorabilia.
He showed our Providence community that he is truly a man of action. As part of his campaign promises, Grant had pledged to shave his head if he won. Once that came to fruition, he approached the Development Department for advice about how he could leverage his promise so that it benefited a cancer charity. “Grant is the personification of our commitment to being of service and having a positive impact in the world,” says Mrs. Anja Kloch, Director of Development. “We worked with Grant and decided to support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research in the world. Not only did Grant shave his head, but he inspired others around him to join the cause and in the end, we were able to donate $2,000 to help end childhood cancers. Grant is a natural leader with an incredibly generous heart. I look forward to working with him to bring more of his vision to life during the 2022-23 school year.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Providence so far? Grant: I love the community at Providence. The staff and my fellow classmates are so good to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better environment. Everyone is so kind.
Q: What made you want to run for ASB President? Grant: From the time I got to Providence, I knew I wanted to become the president of the school. My time on ASB working under Benjamin Caloza ‘21 and Zachary Ching ‘22 have shown me how a good leader operates. My goal as ASB President is to inspire change amongst our school. I also want to provide perspective amongst us all. I believe that I have much room to grow as a leader and as a follower. One thing I know for sure is the environment of Providence High School is going to make this experience a whole lot easier.
Q: What are some of your goals for the next year? after Providence? Grant: One goal I have for next year, as cliche as it sounds, is to make the 20222023 school year very memorable. I have so many ideas to spread to my class and am always open to new ideas as well. In my final year at Providence and the years following that, I would love to give back even more to my community. I just completed a service project at the kids community Dental Clinic in Burbank, in which I led a team of volunteers in creating a beautiful mural in the X-Ray room. I would love to do more projects similar to that.
Q: What/Who inspires you? Grant: My mother inspires me. She has taught me so many valuable life skills and I credit any success I have to her. She has led me with the best intentions my whole life and I am so thankful for that.
Ivanna Shakh, ‘10 A Letter to My Alma Mater
“I graduated Providence High in 2010. At the time of my graduation, I was uncertain of my future career path and of what profession I wanted to pursue. However, there was one thing that I was very much certain of, my love of history. At the time, I did not know that studying history would inspire me to do the work that I am doing today – practicing law. While still an undergraduate student at Loyola Marymount University, I was pondering my next steps and what type of profession I should pursue. The answer became evident when I was able to participate in a class called History of Medieval Law. Besides learning the nuances of medieval conflict resolutions, I also learned the importance of law in a society. Consequently, I decided to study law, and today, after graduating Loyola Law School, I am a practicing attorney representing victims of childhood sexual abuse. Looking back, every step of the way I see the guidance of a divine providence that led me to where I am today.
Providence High School was a significant part of that journey for me. This is where I met individuals that inspired me to dream, to work hard, to be dedicated – individuals that believed in me when I doubted myself. To this day, I cherish memories of being a high school student. At Providence we got to build rockets and imagine ourselves as NASA engineers; we got to go back in time and learn about the complexities and beauty of the past; we were able to learn about the major religions of the world; we were able to dive into the vibrant world of literature.
Furthermore, as Providence students, we were reminded always to be caring and respectful of others, to be of service to others, to have courage, to overcome adversities, and to always strive to exercise our full potential.
Looking back now, I understand that being part of the Providence community has been an important part of my journey. How the education, support, mentorship provided at Providence High enriched me as an individual and allowed me to continue my journey pursuing further education, overcoming challenges and achieving accomplishments. Whenever I am asked what high school I attended, it is always with fondness and pride that I respond – Providence.” we are pioneers we are pioneers
