Winter 2024 Periscope

Winter 2024

SYSTEMS

I S S U E

SYSTEMS

In This Issue PAGE 1

Head’s Column PAGE 2

Traditions Old and New PAGE 4

Curriculum Connections PAGE 16

Alumni and Community News BACK COVER

Save the Date A New Journey of Play

THE PERISCOPE Volume 34, Number 1 Editor: Amanda Perla Designer: David Mellen Design PS1 Pluralistic School 1225 Broadway Santa Monica CA 90404 (310) 394-1313 (310) 395-1093 fax To learn more about our school, visit our website www.psone.org

Head’s Column

SYSTEMS In this Periscope issue, we explore our school-wide theme of Systems. As the Head of School, I often apply a systems thinking lens to understand the intricate connections among various elements within our educational environment, emphasizing how these elements collectively shape our learning community.

The interdependence of students, families, teachers, programs, events, and more plays a pivotal role in defining our community’s ethos.

Having spent over half a year at PS1, I am starting to feel like I am truly an integral part of this joyful and vibrant community.

I notice a commitment to meaningful work, which is evident as individuals engage with profound questions and embrace challenges. People are eager to dig in and stretch their thinking.

This ethos extends to students, who I see fearlessly tackle challenges and build respectful relationships. The intentional effort to create a supportive community is a long-term endeavor, witnessed in older students mentoring younger ones, creating a cycle of care and appreciation. It is a joy to watch our oldest students make space for others, especially our youngest ones, and help them come to see themselves as important and valued members of a community. This work is part of a long game: our grads remember what it was like to be cared for and appreciated by the big kids when they were little and they recognize both the responsibility and the opportunity they have to pass on that gift to another group of children at the beginning of their PS1 journeys. I also observe conversations among teachers, sitting with their heads together, planning adventures and new curricula, discussions between parents and teachers focused on each child’s growth, and collaborative adult dialogues shaping the school’s future — all sources of our school’s sense of joy.

Reflecting on PS1’s past, there’s a recognition of change as an inherent part of the school’s story. “The story of PS1 is one of change,” Joel and Ellie told me when I met them last summer.

Embracing change becomes a responsibility, guided by a shared commitment to preserving the essence of the school while evolving and growing.

This year’s Strategic Planning process involves input from the community to devise a roadmap for the school’s future. We are working to identify and develop the language to explain who we are as a school, specifically a Pluralistic school, and where that can take us in the future. As we move forward, we remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering a dynamic, connected learning experience in which children have deep relationships with teachers who guide them on their growth and development.

Our consultants have listened intently and have helped to name the shared values they see and hear, further establishing those values as our strategic opportunities to be woven into the plan to guide us for the next few years to come.

The school is in an excellent position and determinedly moving forward. Looking ahead, we are excited to share our progress and mid-year updates at the State of the School Night on February 6. The celebration of the new Euclid play structure and various opportunities for parents to engage with the school, including Circle Times and Open House evening, will showcase the inspiring work happening in our classrooms.

Susannah Wolf, Head of School

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Traditions Old & New

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Winter Concert

The theme of this year’s Winter Concert was A Season of Light and Love. At this time of shorter days and plentiful darkness, so many cultures, communities, and religions have practices of bringing light into the darkness as a way of coming together and centering hope and joy.

To represent the vocal and instrumental work the students have been learning in Music, each class presented a song that they selected inspired by the concert’s theme. Christina and Lina also shared some traditions and customs from our families, sprinkled throughout the concert to celebrate the many practices in our diverse community.

In addition to the Winter Concert, we planned a new event this year called Family Music - Holiday Sing-Along, where we sang and played a repertoire of holiday favorites. Families joined us in their pajamas, drank hot chocolate and apple cider, brought their voices and instruments, and came together for a fun and festive evening of holiday cheer!

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Book Fair & Family Fall Festival

Students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends browsed through books to their hearts’ content at our week-long Book Fair - a literary tradition at PS1. Curated

by Westchester independent bookstore, The Book Jewel, our Book Fair was also featured prominently during our Nov. 12 Family Fall Festival.

At the Sunday festival, there were games, crafts, slushies, popcorn, pizzas, and apples - something for everyone! This event showcased our school’s family and community-oriented culture as we came together to celebrate the fall season and the joy of connecting with one another on campus.

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Holiday Gift Exchange

Every year PS1 hosts a Holiday Gift Exchange where each student makes one gift to give to another (pre-assigned) student. The purpose of the Gift Exchange is to help children appreciate a thoughtful, homemade gift over a store-bought one, which we open together on campus.

Students had so much fun creating (and receiving!) crafts, designs made of Lego and fuse beads, hand-sewn pillows, pottery, and much more.

Community Service Projects This fall, buddy classes spent time together working on community service projects for the Salvation Army and the Santa Monica Animal Shelter. Students made cards, baked goods, and plants for the residents at the Salvation Army rehabilitation center, as well as cat scratchers and name tags for the cats/dogs at the animal shelter. A representative from the Salvation Army joined us at our Thanksgiving Circle Time to receive the handmade gifts.

The Santa Monica Animal Foundation sent us a video of some of the cats and kittens enjoying their new cat scratchers, and expressed their gratitude by writing: Thank you so much to all the students who worked so hard creating these wonderful signs to help the animals at the Santa Monica Animal Shelter find furrever homes.

We love them and know they will help the pets!

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International Human Rights Day Circle Time International Human Rights Day Circle Time has become an annual Circle Time tradition, where we honor the day by discussing its history and making connections to Pluralism and to our work at PS1. This year, students shared the history of International Human Rights Day, spoke about Children’s Rights, and considered how we practice human rights at school, including creating Class Constitutions and Agreements.

Students noted: Pluralism at our school means we celebrate everyone’s unique heritage and identity.

We learn from each other and respect and grow from our differences. We also discover that when we listen to each other, work together, and play fair, we are part of the solution. Because we care about the rights of children at PS1, we think a lot about how to make sure each student can feel safe, be themself, and have every opportunity to do their best learning.

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Morning Math

This fall we launched our new Morning Math program to provide a creative and challenging enrichment opportunity that nurtures students’ problem-solving skills, encourages new ways of thinking, and fosters a growth mindset. Students and families have an array of math activities from which to choose, aimed at strengthening our mathematical muscles and exposing students to various ways of approaching a problem. You won’t find any “easy” problems here! Each week we explore a new strategy, such as finding patterns. Morning Math provides a safe space for students to make mistakes and practice resilience. It’s been wonderful to see so much mathematical creativity flourish.

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SYSTEMS

This year at PS1, our school wide theme is Systems. Our classes and clusters are enjoying this opportunity to explore and uncover the myriad systems in science, in culture, writing, nature and more. It is fascinating to observe the spiraling complexity increase from the Youngers cluster to the Olders, as our children notice and make connections — for it is in the connections where curiosity lives.

Here is a sampling of the wonders being explored at PS1.

-Deirdre Gainor, Director of Teaching & Learning

Curriculum Connections

Red BILLY | LUCIA

The Youngers Cluster studied plant life as the topic of focus for the semester and explored the life cycle of a plant from seed through the final dissection of a grown plant. To begin this systems experiment, students listed materials and determined how to use each item to set up their experiment. Before planting, students observed the seeds and predicted how their grown plants would look. Next, Youngers learned the growth process by planting their seeds in soil, providing light, and watering. We observed and recorded our plant’s changes over time, including illustrations, measurements, descriptions, and labels.

In the Red class, students closely studied what plants need to grow by planting lima beans and changing one variable. Some lima bean seeds were placed in an area with lots of sunlight, while others were placed in a dark area. This experiment provided valuable information on how vital sunlight is for healthy plant growth.

Students also learned how plants are an integral food source for humans and animals. They were encouraged to look at plant life as part of a system connected to other systems of the world.

Systems Thinking encourages students to zoom in and zoom out. They zoom in to study one system, even one small part of a system, and they zoom out to understand how this system might impact other related or connected systems.

The education trip to Ishihara Learning Garden also gave students hands-on experience planting seeds and harvesting vegetables and fruits. Making and eating a delicious snack with the fresh produce prepared by the educational instructors was an extra treat. Students thoroughly enjoyed participating in the vermicomposting process by shredding newspapers and placing them in layers in the compost bin. They were fascinated to learn that worms can use plant and vegetable waste to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich compost for plants.

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YOUNGERS CLUSTER (Grades K - 1)

Systems Thinking encourages students to zoom in and zoom out. They zoom in to study one system, even one small part of a system, and they zoom out to understand how this system might impact other related or connected systems.

Orange HOLLY S. | MEGHAN | THERESA

Yellow BONNIE | MELVA

In the Orange class, students studied the bushes, trees, and plants on the Euclid Yard. They asked, “How do the plants in the Euclid yard help us and PS1?” Students noticed some trees offer shade, others provide protection for buildings, and some look nice.

Students used their scientist eyes to observe, sketch, draw, and paint a favorite one.

In the Yellow class, students investigated the various functions of plant parts by conducting an experiment with stalks of celery and food coloring. They learned that plant stems are essential for plant growth as they transport water and nutrients from the soil to the plant leaves and flowers. They also discovered that when you cut a celery stem’s cross-section, one can see tubes called “xylem” that transport the water up the stalk.

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SYSTEMS

BRIDGE CLUSTER (Grades 2–3)

Green DANIELLE | MAREN

Blue GINA | MCKENDREE

In the Green class, students have been learning about the Wetland ecosystem. Students visited the Ballona Wetlands in Playa Vista throughout the year to understand how the different living organisms and components interact and depend on each other in various ways. During the visits to the Ballona Wetlands, students made observations of the flora and fauna that exist in this particular ecosystem.

While there, students met with environmental scientists who are working to preserve the Wetlands and excitedly asked them many questions to deepen their understanding of this ecosystem.

Some questions included, “Why do the wetlands need to be preserved?” or “What are the rarest animals in the Wetlands?”

Through these interactions and additional learning opportunities, students discovered that people are also part of the systems that affect The Ballona Wetlands. They learned how we could help the scientists preserve the Wetlands by learning more about the ecosystem and through our everyday actions of composting, recycling, and properly disposing of trash. In the upcoming months, Green students will learn even more about the ecology of the Wetlands by exploring the interactions among the abiotic and biotic features, as well as delving into the impacts of the people past (Tongva) and present on this important ecosystem.

Through these interactions and additional learning opportunities, students discovered that people are also part of the systems that affect The Ballona Wetland.

In literacy, the Blue class honed their skills in procedural writing by exploring and writing recipes. Students familiarized themselves with the format in which recipes are written by puzzling together popsicle recipes with a partner. These recipes had been cut apart into different components: ingredient list, steps, blurb, title, and so on. Students used cookbooks to help make sense of the parts and piece them together in the organized framework of a recipe.

Blue students also investigated systems of measurement utilized in recipes. They practiced reading measurements, measuring wet and dry goods, and devising ways to attain a particular measurement when an exact match of a tool was not provided (i.e. ¾ cups using ½ and ¼ measuring cups).

From there, students began writing their own recipes. As students made each new recipe, they drew detailed drawings with labels of tools and fresh ingredients for each step. Students used their accurate drawings to write the ingredient list and corresponding steps of the recipes, including helpful tips and tricks. Through this activity, students became familiar with parts of grammar, such as verbs and adverbs, and writing command sentences. After the recipe was made and written, students added ‘blurbs’ to convince others to try their recipe. The best part of our recipe exploration is that not only are students walking away with a cookbook of their creation, but they have also tastetested all of their creations!

Blue students… investigated systems of measurement utilized in recipes. They practiced reading measurements, measuring wet and dry goods, and devising ways to attain a particular measurement when an exact match of a tool was not provided.

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MIDDLES CLUSTER (Grades 3–4)

Indigo KAYLA | MADELINE

Violet KELLY | MILICA

Taking on the role of LA River Ambassadors, students learned about the importance of the LA River from its past to the present and foreseeable future.

This year, the Indigo class explored the following social studies essential questions, “How do rivers impact the location of settlements?” and “How will the revitalization of the River reflect the neighborhood values and aspirations of specific communities and constituencies?” within the framework of Imaginative Inquiry.

In the Imaginative Inquiry framework, which utilizes the conventions of drama (point of view, tension, and narrative) to explore real-world problems and ignite a student’s imagination, students became social scientists tasked to think like environmental engineers.

Taking on the role of LA River Ambassadors, students learned about the importance of the LA River from its past to the present and foreseeable future. Then, they focused on shifting the narrative, redesigning the LA River to be more engaging and equitable for the surrounding communities, and making it more “green” by thinking about the past and existing flora.

When the context for learning is framed in terms of a problem worth solving, using a range of interdisciplinary themes from social studies, math, writing, and science, the classroom itself transforms as students and teachers share in the possibilities of collaboration, empathy, and hands-on learning.

The Violet class has been using Reading, through our Read Aloud and Book Club selections, to explore more abstract systems like families, government, religion, and power.

The Violet class has learned that a system can be a set of elements working together or procedures followed together.

In Writing, we’ve explored “The Writing Process,” a system of procedures followed together to support strong writing.

Students applied The Writing Process of ideation, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing while crafting their personal narratives.

In Science, students learned about how a set of environmental elements work together in a closed system to provide certain growing conditions for plants. Through experimentation, they observed how changing even just one element in the system affects the growth of the plants.

In Social Studies, students learned about community and migration systems through interviewing family members about their journeys to and experiences in California. The Violet class has been using Reading, through our Read Aloud and Book Club selections, to explore more abstract systems like families, government, religion, and power. Students are also beginning to understand Math as a system of logic.

Finally, Violet students recognize that our own classroom is a system—a community—which they are deeply invested in nurturing. Students collaboratively wrote and then ratified a classroom constitution, which they seek to uphold each day. They applied for class jobs, which they are responsible for every week to help maintain our physical space and lead routines.

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SYSTEMS

OLDERS CLUSTER (Grades 5–6)

Olders 4 LIANNE | YVONNE

Olders 5 HOLLY F. | JOHN

In the Olders Cluster, students have been examining systems through the lens of the essential question, “How do the attributes and interactions of individuals within a system ultimately define the system?”

Whether the individuals are members of the class working together to create a Class Constitution, the cells and tissues that make up organs and systems of the human body, the literary structures and archetypes that make up the realistic fiction genre of novels, or the artists, ideas, and social and economic movements associated with the Harlem Renaissance, this essential question helps guide our study and build our understanding of the complex world around us.

This winter, as the school celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the students in the Olders 4 class chose to dig deeper into the organization behind this important document. Students learned about its history, studied the preamble to its Charter to better understand its purpose, and gained an overview of the attributes and interactions of the many bodies, organizations, and agencies within the United Nations, such as the General Assembly, International Court of Justice, UNESCO, UNICEF, and WHO. After several days of gathering information, students shared their research through informative slideshow presentations.

Concurrent and subsequent discussions showed that our understanding of the world around us is strengthened when we couple a holistic view of systems like the United Nations with a careful study of the individual attributes and their interactions.

At the year’s onset, we worked to define a system, and then students diagrammed some examples that stood out to them.

Students contributed various ideas, from sports to engines, gardens to marble runs and sewer systems, and so on. We then had a geography project where one requirement was to describe a system in a particular place. In this context, students detailed systems of government, subway systems, monetary systems, ecosystems, education systems, and more.

This is excellent preparation for our second-semester study of Ancient Civilization, how systems played a part in their rise and fall, and how the individual fared as a part of the many systems in ancient times.

In science, we are focusing on the systems that make up the human body and how we are reliant on the synchronicity of these systems for our existence. We began with the system that is a cell and the role that cells play in homeostasis. In this exploration, we learned about the components of a cell and how they work together. We viewed animal cells under the microscope, prepared and viewed slides of onion skins, and extracted strawberry DNA, all to build a foundation for our study of other human systems throughout the spring.

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SPECIALISTS

Library CHRISTINA A thousand-and-one stories. That’s the Library Curriculum.

Children should hear that many stories before they graduate from PS1. Let me elaborate on the road we travel together! As many might recall, we always begin Library Time with a poem, and share one or two stories (sometimes even three) in our classes together. In choosing what I want to share with the students, I have some guiding principles.

Art LINA Youngers students explored the ecosystem of insects, plants, and trees. This inspirational subject spreads awareness of our local insects and their habitats. Students learned symmetry when creating imaginary insects out of Model Magic while focusing on systems of lines and patterns. They enjoyed creating the insects and loved that they had a chance to freely express their artistic talents.

Bridge students learned that artists use systems to simplify their works of art and to invent new art techniques that have never been used before. For example, Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) was an artist who paid close attention to systems of order, balance, and harmony. He followed a system of vertical and horizontal lines, only allowing himself to use the primary colors to fill selected areas. In art class, we discussed how we felt when we had certain boundaries to follow while creating art. Some students liked it and thought it made it easier to create by following a certain recipe! Others felt it was restricting and struggled with using only primary colors.

Systems is our school-wide theme this year, and I have a dandy one: The Dewey Decimal System. Not be too pedantic, Melvil (yes, he really spelled it that way! He thought it was more efficient.)

Dewey orchestrated his system to encompass all human knowledge, and I think that’s a good place to start. I am aware that, while I am on Team Fiction, that there are so many good books written about so many things, that I make sure to include some general knowledge, some mythology, some of the social sciences, some of the natural sciences, some of the arts, and some history and biography, too. And to focus the viewpoint, I use the Library of Congress calendar of months designated in celebration of Heritage—Hispanic Latino Heritage, Disability Employment Awareness and American Indian Heritage are the first part of the school year, followed by Black History, Women’s History, Asian Pacific American Heritage and Jewish American Heritage, and Gay Pride.

In presenting books written and/or illustrated through the lens of a specific heritage and history, we all explore the knowledge and wonder to be found in books and poetry. And then the magic all happens—sympathy, empathy, wisdom, concentration, camaraderie—all of which make our lives just fuller and richer.

Books will do that for you.

Middles students discussed how to use a system of a simple color wheel. A color wheel can help you eliminate muddy colors in your paintings and at the same time help you create contrast and beautiful color harmonies that hum. The students practiced creating an illusion of space with colored pencils while using the color wheel as a guide. They were blown away when they were able to make a flat drawing of a sphere look like a three-dimensional ball that you could reach out and grab. They did this by using a variety of tints and shades with two complementary colors in addition to black and white.

Olders students learned how to use a grid system to work with scale while creating amazing landscapes of national parks in the United States. Students painted landscapes on canvases with acrylic paint. In addition, the students used a one-point perspective, foreground, middle ground, and background in their composition.

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SYSTEMS

SPECIALISTS

Music VIRGINIA In the PS1 music room, students understand that they are part of a larger ensemble that produces music together. Each ensemble member operates within many systems while performing a piece of music. The recent Winter Concert is an example of how the PS1 musicians added their voice (or that of their instrument) to the collective ensemble of their class or cluster.

Some students sang, some played instruments, some even sang in solo or in small groups, and they all contributed to the scaffolding of the piece of music they were performing. The different themes jumped and bounced together upon the staff, weaving lines of collaborative melodies.

PS1 musicians learn music notation; an agreed upon language by which to communicate and interpret the medium of music making.

Students learn and experiment with how each note affects those that come after it, measuring the mathematical laws that govern time signatures, meter, and tempo.

When considering our school-wide theme of “systems” as it relates to music, students experienced music as it is shaped by

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rigid structures, as well as how music is simultaneously free of structures, rules, and laws. Just as we do with every aspect of the world, humans have developed a way to capture the “what?” of music using math, science, and symbols. The system of notation used to communicate music allows us to speak with the world despite the barriers of distance, langage, or even time. The “why” of music does not conform to any system, as the “why” is unique for each of us.

SPECIALISTS

PE PEDRO

The Studio CHRIS

The Physical Education program at PS1 is designed not only to promote physical fitness but also to instill values such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and a lifelong appreciation for a healthy lifestyle. We adapt activities to accommodate diverse needs, and ensure that each student can actively participate and succeed. We believe in a fostering an inclusive environment where every student, regardless of their athletic abilities, feels comfortable and supported.

Students engage in motivating lessons that build physical literacies while developing skills in the three domains of learning (psychomotor, cognitive, and affective). Our curriculum is carefully crafted to incorporate a variety of sports and activities that allow students to apply and practice their skills.

The Olders students focused on the human body this fall.

They learned that it is an intricate system composed of various subsystems working harmoniously to sustain life. In The Studio, they rebuilt a working skeletal hand with functionality from string, paper, straws, glue, and silicone. They learned and recorded in their Studio journals that the hand consists of 27 bones, including the carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges.

The carpals, eight small bones arranged in two rows, form the wrist’s foundation. The five metacarpals connect to the carpals, creating the palm’s structure. These metacarpals, made up of fourteen phalanges, extend into the fingers. The thumb possesses two phalanges, while the other fingers have three each.

Students then tested their designs by trying to catch and pick up various objects. The joints between the bones enable activities like grasping and manipulating objects, which are essential for daily life. The hand’s bones also play a vital role in supporting ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which students will study in the spring semester.

Understanding the complexity of the skeletal system in the hand emphasizes the marvel of human anatomy, an exploration that our students loved.

Many PE units involve team-building activities and cooperative games, such as the Pipeline game, where groups of students are challenged to transport a ball through a system of half pipes that the group members hold in place. The ball has to keep moving in one direction, without being touched. We bring students together at the end of class and reflect on how the game went and students share the challenges and the successes. Through these valuable lessons, students learn to develop positive social skills, cooperate with others, build confidence and make connections. They begin to see how their role impacts the group as a whole.

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Brad Shimada and James Werner, Class of 2010

Alumni Corner Brett Burris, 1971-1974 Brett attended PS1 in the early 70’s. He recalls that it mainly covered grades K-2 with a few 3rd graders. He moved on to Mar Vista elementary for 3rd grade and from there to Billings, Montana for 5th grade. During his senior year of high school he was an exchange student in the UK (Blackpool, England). He attended Cornell University and graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1987.

Jim Starr, Class of 1992 Jim recently opened a second location of Bludso’s BBQ just around the corner from PS1 at 1329 Santa Monica Blvd.

Amanda (Molina) Lane, Class of 1995 Amanda and Steve Lane, parents of Oliver (class of 2026) and Pax, welcomed baby Suri in November. We are over the moon for them!

Ruben Radlauer, Class of 2008 You might remember him drumming with The Pluralistics. Ruben is now a member of the band Model/Actriz which was profiled in the July/August 2023 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Rolling Stone dubbed the band “the hottest word of mouth sensation at this year’s SXSW festival.”

According to his mom, Karen, “Ruben was probably drumming before walking!”

Check out the Rolling Stone “Future of Music” article as well as photos of Ruben drumming in his PS1 days.

Mason Summit Allport, Class of 2009 Mason is one half of the music duo, The Prickly Pair. His mom, alumni parent, Susan Hayden, recently published her first book, Now You Are a Missing Person.

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Susan Hayden’s book jacket.

Mays Galker, Class of 2023

James Werner, Class of 2010 and Clyde Mulroney, Class of 2011 James and Clyde visited campus to film a music video in September. We can’t wait to see the finished product!

Dylan Vecchione, Class of 2011 Dylan was selected as a Graduate Research Fellow with the National Science Foundation. The fellowship will help fund his doctoral research in oceanographic molecular microbiology at the University of Washington. He recently had the opportunity to sit down with WA Governor Jay Inslee, a panel of climate science experts, and some fellow UW College of the Environment graduate students to learn about and discuss climate science, policy, priorities, and community resilience.

Josephine Gelinas, Class of 2018 Josephine attends Santa Monica High School and started a babysitting business, utilizing her babysitting experience and expertise which began in 8th grade. For more information follow her on Instagram @backyrdbaby.

Misha Sharif, Class of 2018 Misha attends Fusion Academy and during the summer before 11th grade, interned at a Nephrologist’s office, where she was able to sit in on patient appointments and learn more about the human body. She has also been volunteering at Cedars-Sinai hospital and has continued her taekwondo journey. She will be getting her second degree black belt in May of 2024. She is part of the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra’s Avanzati (highest level) group.

Joe Trilling, Class of 2018 Joe attends Westmark. He is a pilot in training and a photographer.

Andy Yu, Class of 2018 Andy attends Windward School and plays baseball on the varsity team.

Maya Acutt, Class of 2019 Maya attends Archer and is on the track and cross country teams. She also sings and plays piano.

Noah Brandy, Class of 2019 Noah attends Helen Bernstein High School and plays baseball for the Cal State 10 scout team.

Phoenix Vinar, Class of 2019 Phoenix attends Santa Monica High School and is on the surf team. He loves surfing, studying Spanish and photography and is also a big film/photo enthusiast. He also enjoys listening to music.

Ally Yu, Class of 2020 Ally attends Windward and plays soccer.

Arthur Jellinek, Class of 2021 Arthur attends New Roads and is working on songwriting.

Mays Galker, Class of 2023 Mays went on a Warner Bros tour with The Milken School and had the opportunity to interact and create art alongside Tom Ruegger, an Emmy award winning creator of several well known animated series.

Kyler Sziraki, class of 2023 Kyler had the lead role of Clara in the Westside Ballet’s 50th anniversary production of “The Nutcracker” over the winter holiday season. This was her dream come true, since she started ballet at the age of 5.

Photo credit: Sarah Madison Photography

Ruben Radlauer, Class of 2008

Dylan Vecchione, Class of 2011

Jim Starr, Class of 1992

Kyler Sziraki, class of 2023

Alumni Lunch at New Roads

John, Susannah and Tisa visited New Roads School on October 5th, 2023 to kick off our alumni school visits for the new school year!

Life After PS1

We hosted a robust panel for our annual Life After PS1 event. Current families and grads heard from high schoolers about their experiences in an array of schools in the area including independent and public. Click here for a video recording of the evening.

Grad Alumni party Class of 2024 Grads and 7th and 8th grade alumni students celebrated Halloween and reunited with friends at the annual Grad Alumni Party. They enjoyed dancing, a Limbo contest, cookie decorating, tacos and a photo booth. We loved seeing all of the costumes.

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Save the Date

February

A New Journey of Play!

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PS1 State of the School Night

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Grandparents and Special Friends Day

March

PS1 Book Share

6–8 8

Admissions Notification Day

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Alumni Bowling Party

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Critical Conversations Presents Richard Louv Open House Night

1225 Broadway Santa Monica CA 90404 www.psone.org

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