Expanding Possibilities, Fall 2023 - Annual Report

E X P A N D I N G

POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

GLOBAL CULTURES CELEBRATION INDIGENOUS RIGHTS PODCAST STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE ANNUAL REPORT

About the Artist: Ellie Cross You may have noticed some new artwork on the pages of this publication.

The Little School is proud to partner with local artist, Ellie Cross, on this campus-specific art. Ellie came to visit campus to gather inspiration for the elements that make TLS special, and we are excited to debut some of her work in this edition of Expanding Possibilities.

Ellie Cross is interested in using art as a problem-solving tool to create a more just world. Originally from Seattle, she has painted murals designed to raise environmental consciousness in Malaysia, Thailand, Guatemala, and the U.S, and has also worked on several short film projects with inspiring social messages. You can follow her work through her website.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear TLS Community, There’s no other way to say it. The 2022-2023 school year was a blast!

After years of interruption from COVID and construction, we dug into what we do best–cultivate authentic learning in community and the natural world, amplify curiosity and expand sense of self, belonging and possibility.

With our mission as our north star, so many things felt (and continue to feel) possible.

First, our teaching teams leaned into their collaborations in new ways, centering experiential, thematic, place-based learning for students that reminded all of us that learning is fun.

If you walked through campus on any given day, this is what you might have seen:

Imaginations were on display in Kindergarten and 1st-2nd grade classes too as students explored the power of letter writing and the many ways that messages can be delivered.

Using letters to ask questions, express appreciation or to connect and share ideas, students filled mailboxes with thoughtfully crafted notes, eagerly awaiting responses. 1st-2nd grade classes used this study to design and build their own wooden mailboxes in TED (Technology, Engineering & Design) class. The Woods Courtyard now holds mailboxes for all 1st-2nd grade students to use for years to come.

Early Childhood students merged their imaginations with their natural dispositions to design. They created a fully outfitted “airplane.” Students designed seat pockets, in-flight snacks and seatbelts to ensure comfort and safety. Pilots and flight attendants practiced public speaking as they made announcements to passengers.

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3rd grade students went on an exploration of life underground, as they learned about the geology, biology and industry of the earth beneath its surface and “dug deep” (their yearlong theme) into science and social studies. Three-dimensional shadow boxes showcased their discoveries and gave them an opportunity to shine a light literally and figuratively on landscapes that don’t see the sun.

media in the Art Room and discovered the biological and geological wonders of campus in Environmental Ed. In TED, integrated multiweek blocks of study gave students time to design and build myriad projects.

As our classrooms buzzed with purpose and playfulness, our parent community sought the same. We reopened after-school connections and playdates on the Big Field and Library.

Families found each other and started making plans outside of school. As this unfolded, school-sponsored event attendance skyrocketed. The Fall Harvest Festival, Dance Party, Family Game Night, Parents Night Out, School of Toy, Campus Clean Up and more were deftly organized by the Parent Guardian Association (PGA) and deeply appreciated by all.

Aligned with their year-long theme of change, 4th-5th grade students explored the powerful words of poets like Amanda Gorman and other “agents of change.” Inspired, they wrote their own poems showcasing the ways that they would like to change the world.

Each day in specialist classes, personal and classroom connections abounded.

On a weekly basis, students set and achieved personal wellness goals in PE, sang songs in languages from around the world in Music, snuggled in the bathtub with countless stories in Library, explored vast materials and 2 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

The success of these events set the stage for amazing participation at our Global Cultures Celebration, Arts Festival, end of year picnic and Outgrowing ceremony.

Behind this backdrop of energy, our auction committee organized and produced our Picture This! Auction.

In the spring, this 200+ person event exceeded expectations thanks to the countless volunteers and attendees who committed to making the night a huge success in support of financial aid.

Not only did current families want to connect, we welcomed many new families and students to the school.

216 students filled our classrooms and campus helping us keep the small, connected feel of our community while also ensuring a robust and wide community of friends and learners for every student. Three 4th-5th grade classrooms filled the halls of the Cedars Building for the first time. This balance of age groups across the school has a visible impact on the ways students develop and hone their leadership and collaboration skills. Weekly Buddy Lunches between older and younger students added practice and depth to these skills.

Across the school, our values feel aligned and in synchrony. When we talk about our vision “to foster vibrant understanding and promote action that advances sustainability, justice and joy,” it’s visible.

Our inaugural student-led Green Team enthusiastically took on drafting a land acknowledgement for TLS. With a commitment to seek input and respond to questions, the Green Team continues to evolve this living document. Early childhood students also leaned into understanding belonging and justice, creating signs to promote care and organizing a campus-wide march to vocalize their convictions. Joy abounds daily through play, discovery and connection and all of us work to capture these moments with gratitude.

Thank you for being a part of the joy that makes TLS such a special and purposeful place.

Gratefully, Julie

JULIE KALMUS Head of School

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FROM THE BOARD

By Dan Westfahl, Past Board Chair (2021-2023) and Tina Knutson, Current Board Chair (2023-Present)

The Little School Board of Trustees serves the school’s mission and vision, ensuring sustainability for generations of learners to come. Our work focuses on stewardship of the long-term strategic direction of the school with the active engagement of the entire community. Later in this report, you will find an in-depth update on our ever–evolving strategic plan, and the foundational planning that drives our board committees’ work throughout the year. The strategic plan helps us focus our work on the areas that will continue to move the school forward.

In the 2022-2023 school year, we jumped into our Horizon One strategic goals to create new structures and processes for ongoing strategic work; to activate our commitments to community connection and alumni relations; to help the administration sustain and lift a culture of authentic learning for children, families and faculty; and to elevate the visibility and impact of our Climate Action and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) work.

Dan and his family, Maia ‘17, Grant ‘22, Shannon and Ashton ‘19 4 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

Going forward, we are continuing to expand on last year’s great work while also planning into our strong enrollment and space needs. We are excited to further enhance our beautiful campus to better enable authentic learning and community connections by designing new spaces and experiences that meet our challenging needs, improve our accessibility and promote inclusion.

As we work to drive accessibility and access across TLS, we felt it was also important to make board leadership accessible. Dan chaired the board for two years as we finished construction, navigated changing COVID protocols and grew into the Rivers Building. His calm and reasoned focus on board sustainability and succession planning has prepared us well for a leadership change. The board elected Tina Knutson as board chair in May, and she entered her inaugural year after three years on the board, having served as treasurer and leading the finance committee. We are both honored to serve the school, and we are grateful to each other for the opportunity to work together with the board, administration, staff, faculty and amazing TLS community to imagine into the future.

Tina and her daughter Riley ‘20 THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 5

HERITAGE FESTIVAL TO GLOBAL CULTURES CELEBRATION

TRADITIONS ALIVE AND GROWING Heritage Festival—or Global Cultures Celebration (GCC), as you may now know the event—is rooted in a long-standing TLS tradition to celebrate diverse global cultures around the world.

As shown in the photos above, student performances during the 2023 Global Cultures Celebration were the highlight of the event. Student art decorated the stage and walls, lanterns created by students are seen here.

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Regardless of how you know the event, Heritage Festival and Global Cultures Celebration is a celebration of the world and cultures around us. Flash forward to The Little School in 2023, 65% of our students and families identify as international.

The impact of this diversity is palpable. It expands everyone’s understanding of identity and offers countless opportunities for the school to hone its commitments to cultivating a culture of belonging. In the 2022-2023 school year, we worked to recommit to the purpose of the event and focused on celebrating the different cultures that inform and make up our school community.

Over 400 members of TLS’ community warmed a cold winter afternoon in the Rivers Building to convene for our 2023 Global Cultures Celebration. Student art brightened the gym’s walls and many families chose to add color and revelry in celebratory outfits from their home countries. We enjoyed an extraordinary feast representing our community and an evening of music and performance by the TLS student choir and 3rd-5th grade classes. Music and Performing Arts Specialist Emily Black helped students proudly take the stage to sing, dance and play instruments from around the world.

Top: Music and Performing Arts Specialist Emily Black led the student performers in songs.

Middle: The Rivers Building Breezeway was filled with a potluck of food representing our TLS community.

Bottom: Families were encouraged to dress in what made them feel most celebrated.

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MISSION IN ACTION:

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS PODCASTS CEDARS THEME STUDY

Last winter, the 4th and 5th grade students of the Cedars Building embarked on a journey to learn about Indigenous rights and protest. Students studied that Indigenous rights have been fought for and how protest can impact community perception and action. Across this theme study, students integrated their learning about science, history, literacy, perspective taking, mathematics and storytelling. Students honed their abilities to apply and synthesize research by creating a podcast on Indigenous Rights. Diving deeply into topics that included water, land and family rights, students collaborated to produce thoughtfully constructed podcast episodes that radiated with ownership and pride.

To launch their study, students spent time learning about our continent’s history of human occupation and created a timeline that represented some of the major events that have affected the lives of those now living here. After learning how timelines are constructed, students calculated how long ago some of America’s most historic events occurred.

They had to decide where to place each event on a classroom-length timeline, putting their math learning of fractions and decimals to work!

Once all the events were placed on the timeline, students reflected on their perspective of time and what they imagined happened during the precolonial period where we have little written documentation of events. One essential question that students discussed was, “How could those thousands of years lived on this land be connected to Indigenous understanding of sacred space?”

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Similar questions arose as the 4th-5th grade students read and discussed books in literature groups dedicated to Indigenous People’s histories and stories. All of the books were written by or written about Indigenous People.

Titles included:

Each week, students led discussions, helping them make connections between their book and research by asking questions that pushed their inquiry deeper. Students further dove into exploring the rights of Indigenous People, grounding conversation in the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

They then contextualized this learning by examining three different examples of how Indigenous People in North America have had rights violated and how they have survived and fought back for those rights.

They learned about the history of fishing rights in Washington state, a history of how treaties were used to remove Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands and the dark history of how they were forced to attend boarding schools..

Equipped with context and insight from shared research, students worked collaboratively on podcast episodes to more deeply investigate water, land and family rights. Over the weeks that followed, students used their research to write podcast scripts, record audio and learn editing skills from our Technology, Engineering and Design (TED) Specialists.

Before they began recording, they took one more step as researchers, listening to other podcasts to assess for themselves what was most impactful. As they listened to excerpts of different podcasts, they compared the classic interview format to a more theatrical, embellished, sound effect-focused production.

Together, these approaches captured student interest and informed their finished products.

As students entered the recording booth set up by our TED specialists, they had polished scripts in hand. To refine their podcast episodes, students had taken time to rehearse, listen, and reflect to notice the pace of their speaking, the articulation and volume of their words and the clarity of their writing.

As they gained comfort with the microphone and listening to their recorded voices, a happy hum of revisions and retakes sounded from the recording booth.

Over the course of six episodes and nearly two hours of audio, podcast listeners will learn details about the many ways Indigenous People have had to fight for their rights to their land, waters and personal liberties and freedom. 4th and 5th grade students are at a developmental stage where they think passionately about justice, fairness and taking action. The beauty of creating a podcast was that it allowed listeners to hear the passion of student voice about these important civil rights topics.

The Indigenous Rights Podcast is hosted on the TLS SoundCloud channel, accessible through the TLS website. You have the option to stream or download the episodes. Click on the image below to listen. Enjoy!

They learned not only to reflect on their personal presentations but also explored how to give and receive feedback from their team.

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THE LITTLE SCHOOL

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE FOR 2023

By Laura Machado de Wright and Kristin Condit In October of 2022, TLS formally launched its new Strategic Plan. In contrast with many multi-year strategic plans, the Board of Trustees developed a more dynamic approach to strategic planning at TLS that considers short-, mid- and long-term time horizons, and allows us to assess the alignment of the initiatives against our mission, vision and the changing environment in which the school operates.

Anchored in commitments to our Program, People, Place and the Foundations of our school, the Strategic Plan is organized through initiatives, tactics and goals designed to vibrantly amplify our mission. Taken as a whole, our plan is relentless in ensuring that the school continues to evolve and thrive into the future.

Below, we’ll provide an update on the short-term horizon initiatives (Horizon 1) across the four pillars, and the newer initiatives that are now under consideration. Most initiatives on Horizon 1 are two to three year initiatives. They are underway and most are on track to be completed by December 2024.

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PROGRAM PILLAR

Vision: The Little School will create and advance authentic, purposeful learning for students, families, faculty/staff and the community.

Initiative

Update

Communicate Depth of Curricular Continuity and Student Learning

In-service work and weekly professional development on concepts including backwards design, thematic planning, collaboration and project-based learning has informed our curriculum design and implementation leading to deeper, aligned learning experiences.

Conferences and reports have also been redesigned as the school leverages authentic assessment to help students grow and thrive.

Design Global Ongoing DEIJ and curricular work has scaffolded conversations about Culture and how we honor cultural celebrations and language. This led to a full Language Program redesign of the Heritage Festival. The school is also piloting language Plan learning programs as part of its Enrichment Program in 2023-2024.

Map and Define Nine Associate Teachers work full-time at TLS each year. The Associate Associate Teacher Teacher Program is now designed for early-career professionals looking Program for a two-year experience in an elementary school. The program has a designated coordinator who organizes regular professional development for Associate Teachers and their mentors over the school year.

Strengthen our We have nearly doubled our professional development budget to ensure program through that faculty have access to robust learning experiences across their professional careers. We’ve designed long-term engagements with local professionals development and to support our math and DEIJ priorities. We’ve also fortified our Student expanded Student Support Team to include seven full-time professionals who support the Support Team (SST) academic and social-emotional growth of our students and support our faculty in working successfully with every student.

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PLACE PILLAR

Vision: The Little School will sustain and steward connection to place and its campus, maximizing educational potential and ensuring a long-term, ethical responsibility and relationship to the natural world that honors the ongoing legacy of the Indigenous stewards of this land.

Initiative

Update

Create Climate Action Plan

Our drafted Climate Action Plan identifies five areas for increased stewardship and sustainability on campus. These include student engagement, campus planning, campus consumption & energy solutions, community partnerships and organizational policies and practices. A final plan is anticipated to be completed in Summer 2024.

Cascadia Consulting has completed a greenhouse gas assessment and inventory of the school and made recommendations. This report will be woven into the larger Campus Plan that is underway with Bassetti Architects.

The Green Team launched in the winter of 2023, tackling campus sustainability practices and researching and drafting a land acknowledgement as its first two tasks. The land acknowledgement draft is now a living document, and the team meets weekly with faculty advisors to support the education and practices of students in relationship with the environment.

Six beautiful, sustainable and permanent outdoor classrooms now grace campus and provide needed covered space for environmental science, outdoor learning and community.

Assess campus footprint & identify sustainability metrics Launch student Green Team

Enhance outdoor spaces & classrooms

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PEOPLE PILLAR

Vision: We will work together to build an intentional, vibrant and engaged community that is committed to equity. We will first focus on students and the school community, and then expand to the larger community outside of TLS. Initiative

Update

Enhance community events for meaningful connection

As COVID loosened its grip on our practices, the school was able to launch numerous new community events in 2022-2023 and return to in-person celebrations. To further support the care and success of these events, we expanded the Advancement Team to include a full-time Community Events and Alumni Coordinator.

Represent global The school has joined the People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS) diversity in faculty Network to expand its hiring pool. Each winter, over 200 educators attend and staff a Diversity Hiring Fair sponsored by the network. TLS was fortunate to hire two new faculty members from this fair for the 2023-2024 school year.

Create affinity Faculty and administrators stepped up to facilitate needed affinity spaces spaces for families over the 2022-2023 school year. Groups meet regularly for families who identify as Black or African, LGTBQ+ families, Multicultural families and families with students who identify as neurodiverse. Students have also launched their own affinity groups for LGBTQ+ students and allies and neurodiverse learners.

Define social TLS continues to engage in DEIJ work with Dr. Heather Clark and facilitated justice/social studies in-house professional development. This ongoing work supports our faculty standards in developing practices that are informed by national social studies and social justice standards.

Design a DEIJ Plan The Board’s DEIJ Committee has launched a 2-3 year process to design a robust DEIJ Plan. This includes efforts to define shared vocabulary and values, decision making procedures, policy design, assessment metrics and more. In the 2023-2024 school year, faculty are each a part of different DEIJ committees designed to deepen our practice of DEIJ thinking and integration throughout the school day and school-wide policies.

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FOUNDATION PILLAR

Vision: The Little School will be resourced, prepared and resilient to deliver its mission out loud in changing circumstances. TLS provides community scaffolding to nourish our program, people and place.

Initiative

Update

Establish The Board’s Finance Committee and administration partnered to meaningful understand faculty sustainability and retention. Surveys and interviews compensation and led to wellness pilots as well as a restructuring of benefits and salary faculty sustainability that went into effect in the summer of 2022. The school continues to plan investigate creative ways to lift and sustain our professional community.

Identify, assess The Board’s Advancement and Finance Committees are deep in and recommend research and planning. In 2023, the school revitalized the Eleanor Siegl implementation Endowed Fund for Financial Aid. Strategic work continues around how of revenue to leverage endowment funds for long-term sustainability and to offset diversification budget pressure. These committees have also been more proactive methods about creating investment policies that align with the school’s values and deepen our financial stability.

Refine The expansion of the Advancement Team has led to more consistent and communications, planned communication across our constituencies. Continued redesign staffing, policies of a more accessible online family portal paired with a new database and practices and records system has allowed us to further streamline our systems.

Design Campus The school hired Bassetti Architects to complete a Campus Plan in Plan the spring of 2023. After assessing the immediate needs on campus including a new space for the library, the Board’s Campus Planning Task Force has been partnering with the firm to design our new library space and a Campus Plan for TLS into the next two decades. The library is on schedule to open in the Fall of 2024. In the meantime, the task force is meeting with different constituents to ensure a myriad of voices inform the long-term Campus Plan.

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NEXT STEPS As many of the short-term Horizon 1 initiatives (those with action plans in the 1-3 year range) are on track to be completed in the 2023-2024 school year, the Board’s Strategic Thinking Committee is evaluating initiatives to advance. We are currently collecting additional information to assess the initiatives and brainstorm new ones. Some of the initiatives currently being evaluated are: • Expanding the Financial Aid Endowment: How might we substantially grow the financial aid endowment to fund financial aid in perpetuity?

• Understanding the pros and cons of adding a birth-to-3 program: How might the addition of a birth-to-3-year-old program to expand access to TLS for young families and sustain TLS’ admissions pipeline into the future?

• Pursuing sustainability grants: How might we partner with local organizations and/or universities to better manage our forest and campus to sustain this beautiful space hundreds of years into the future?

• Creating a transportation program for the school: How might offering transportation impact interest in TLS for a more diverse group faculty or families? How might having transportation to/from campus impact our students’ access to meaningful, experiential learning in the broader community?

Please visit our Strategic Plan webpage to add your thoughts to this conversation! We would love to hear your ideas.

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CULTURE OF GIVING AT THE LITTLE SCHOOL

By Libby Singer At The Little School, robust family and community support highlights the culture of giving as a cornerstone of our mission.

Annual initiatives like the Annual Fund, Auction and Endowment play integral roles in shaping the institution’s present and future.

In the 2022-2023 school year, we saw philanthropic support across the school in many forms: 88% of current TLS families supported the Annual Fund. High participation like this strengthens the sense of community, fostering a culture where every contribution is valued.

Many families completed their multi-year pledges to the Rivers Building’s Campaign for a Big Future, supporting a building that is now home to all of the wonderful learning, playing and reading that takes place in its spaces and classrooms.

In the spring, the Picture This! Auction’s proceeds not only supported the school’s commitment to financial aid but also bolstered the Eleanor Siegl Endowed Fund for Financial Aid. This shift highlighted the multifaceted impact of giving, reaching beyond immediate needs to also look towards the school’s long-term goals.

Each year through the Auction and Annual Fund, the community comes together to bridge the funding gap that tuition alone does not cover.

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This collective effort underscores our shared dedication to ensuring that every student at The Little School has access to a rich educational experience, regardless of financial circumstances.

In addition to the gift of funds, 90 families gave the gift of time to TLS in 2022-2023.

Volunteers made so much possible–from the Auction team to PGA and Room Reps, from Board of Trustees to those who helped in the garden and library; the gift of time is honored and valued at The Little School.

Thank you for your support of The Little School in the 2022-2023 school year. It is the people, from parents to alums to grandparents to teachers, who shape the culture of giving at TLS. Thank you for playing a role in that culture, ensuring a bright future for education and our community.

The following list of names includes those who supported the school with gifts to the Annual Fund, Auction, Endowment, Campaign for a Big Future and through volunteering. We are grateful for your support in the 2022-2023 school year.

Great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this report. If we have omitted or misspelled your name, or if you have any name, address or family information changes, please contact Libby at libbys@thelittleschool.org.

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

Individuals and Families

Luke Adams and Katherine Michaelsen Utsav Dalal and Shweta Banker

Nina Hawley

Andy and Megan Albertson

Mallory Dehbod

Aaron and Nicole Haynes

Brita and Richie Altig

Eric Deng and Chunhui You

Vicki Haynes and Chuck Weger

Ali Alvi and Fatima Kardar

Guofeng Deng and Wenlan Jing

JD Hazra and Margie Ye

Troy Anderson and Desiree Salgado

Mandy Dillon

Alex Hehmeyer and Jaime Teevan

Keiko and Jon Andrews

Joe Do

Jules Hetland

Julia and Michael Atalla

Becky and Gerald Dolan

Ryan and Robyn Hites

Hakan and Cigdem Aygun

Sean Dolgin

Gordon and Sara Hodge

Cecilia Ayres

Ernie and Abiade Dore

Max Honch and Sarah Birkebak

Benjamin & Margaret Hall Foundation

Abhishek Dubey and Neha Goswami

Kristin Hornell

Amit Bidaye and Nupur Bihani

Jon Ebbert and Vanessa Vanasin

Jay Huang and Vanessa Pai

Nihar and Ojasa Bihani

Sophia Egler

Henry Ipince and Adriana Baiz

Claudia Bintinger

Ugo Enyioha and Chidinma Odoemenem Ryo Ishizuka and Yuki Murakami

Eric and Jojo Bisset

Alejandro Estrada and Kari Perez

The Ishizuka & Murakami Family Fund

Emily Black

Jeffrey Fan and Jaishun Lu

Rasa Izadnegahdar and Silvia Hartmann

Monique Bloch

Carlos Figueira and Flavia Amaral

Mark and Debra Jacobson

Michael and Tara Borysenko

Andrew Finch and Rachel Brodsky

Mansoor Jafry and Nazia Zaman

Brad and Michelle Goldberg Fund

Jeffrey and Mary Finn

Sarah Jamal

Monique Bradshaw and Ada Duan

Chris and Angela Fitts

Hassan Javed and Sara Tahir

Henry and Cindy Burgess

Nancy Foster

Han Jia and Dan Wu

Tim Burrell and Claudia Hung

Jeff Fowler and Noel Murphy

Jay and Ashley Jochim

Hung Burrell Family Fund

Murphy Fowler Fund

Tiana Johnson and Kyle Dickson

Chris and Adrienne Cadotte

Daniel and Kerryn Frampton

Shawn and Larrissa Johnson

Chris Carlson and Carolyn Weger

Mark Freid and Julie Glendenning

Ajay Kalhan and Sushma Verma

Bharat and Pallavi Chadha

Will and Sarah Gallien

Julie and Ted Kalmus

Michael and Kelly Chang

Liz Garden

Maya and Tucker Kalmus

Joohan Chang and Emily Kim

Guy Gilbert and Keri Moran

Ellen Kaspi Cool and Thomas Cool

Yisheng Chen and Jeanne Yu

Nina Crocker and Stephen Gillett Charitable Fund

Suchin Katageri and Kala Anantharaman

Lichuan Chen and Minmin Li Kenny Chen and Jade Qiang David Chen and AnChi Hsieh Bowen Chen and Qianqian Sun John and Samna Chheng-Mikula Jenny Chiang and Jenny Yin Fidela Chiang and Mu-Hsin Wei Davin Chin and Shirley Yeung Jimmy Chu and Kim Daane Jiun-Haw Chu and Eunice Huang Jeremy and Kristin Condit Nick and Louise Conway Terry Coonan and Judy Shedd Connie Coutain

Ginger and Laurie Goble-Van Diest

Daniel and Amanda Keller

Michael and Meaghan Kelly Kingston Govati and Christina Kadzamira Jeremy and Christina Kinder Deborah Gray Christina Knutson Jennifer Gruenberg

Jeffrey Krauss and Meredith McClurg

Amanda Haecker Jonathan and Janna Hamaker Hamaker Family Fund

Michael Kroll AJ Kumar and Su-Ann Tan Kam Lai and Wen Xu

Dustin and Amanda Hamlin

Stanley Lam and Vivian Lu

John and Nicolette Hancock Leslie Harris-Johnston and Raheem Johnston Stephen and Joelle Harrison Alice Hauschka and Sean Walsh

Dan Laughlin and Alani Kalfayan Andrey and Zina Lee Josh Lee and Soora Kim James Lee and Cindy Lin Michael LeFevre and Selena Shelley

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 17

Randall and Julia Lehner

Vivek and Payal Pradeep

Adam and Tara Levin-Delson

Xuele Qi and Yi Liao

Tao and Liya Li

Jiqun Qi and Minjie Ji

Yiheng Li and Kiki Jiang

Madison Ragland

Hao Li and Qing Du

Habib Rahbar and Zarry Tavakkol

Curtis and Jeanie Light

Jaideep Ravela and Pranati Desiraju

Layne Lin and Miranda Jiang

PJ Rawlings

Quanhui Lin and Yufei Liu

Sierra Reid

Little Henry Giving Fund

Ren Che Foundation

Liang Lu and Elsa Shi

Marlie Reny

Gordon Lyon and Rebekah Brown

Jeffrey Richter and Kristin Trace

Wendy MacDonald

Colin and Samantha Robertson

Nir Mardiks and Noa Rappaport

Jessie Ryan

Johnny Marsh and Brittany Tinker

Jevan Saks and Ling Xu

Wayne and Kristin Martin

Saks Xu Family Fund

John and Kristan McCaskey

Bassam and Laila Saliba

Aurora McCone and Jamie Evans

Phillip and Leah Saltzman

Taira McKinney

Anne Salzar

Greg and Julia McLawsen

Rebecca Sears and Joe Burcar

Beth Meidinger

Peter Selby and Claire Jin

Cristal Meidinger

Roy and Cassie Seney

Michele Mendrick and Brad Herman

Wei Shao and Yi Fang

Harve and Wyomia Menkens

Eitan and Dahlia Sharon

Mem Merrin and Adam Harrison

Brian Shelden and Eliza Flug

Brent and Jamila Merritt

Prashant Singh and Astha Parmar

Elizabeth Mitchell

Virtaj Singh and Sarah Sullivan-Singh

Brady Montz and Jessie Zhou

Lenin Sivalingam and Thangam Vedagiri Seenivasan

Shay and Sur Moon Robert Morse and Heidi Ruff Mike and Debora Murphy Seyed Ali Niknejad and Yeganeh Farigam Toshi and Sarah Niwa Megan and Grant Norcross Joseph Notarangelo and Joanne Edinberg Andy Nowka and Sarah Imbach Imbach & Nowka Family Fund Randy Nuñez and Andrea Salazar Jude and Ngozi Nwoko Ndidi Obicheta and Rashmi Feroz Kaan Ozel and Andrea Estes Morgan Padgett Marc and Tammy Paine Mario and Alma Pastega Foundation Abhishek PC and Archana Ampili Jeff and Kendra Petkau Petkau Family Charitable Fund Bernhard and Jinny Poess Sid Prabhu and Suma Prasad

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Spencer and Yasmin Smith Jo Smith Hannah Sternberg Lisa Stewart-Decker and Dave Stewart Barbara and Woodruff Sullivan Tom Tang and YJ Dang Weifeng Tao and Faye Liu Tom Tao and Jianwen Zhou Daniel Tessema and Ketemash Behulu Justin and Debbie Thenutai Karthik Thirumalai and Gowri Venkatesh Kelsey Thomas Jeffrey and Debbie Thomas Etalia Thomas Apoorav Trehan and Pooja Jain Umut Utkan and Meltem Celikel Sean Vacca Way Vadhanasin and Mei Chan Patrick Walsh Yun and Elaine Wang

Gavin Wang and Yiqi Zhao Ben and Jessie Wang Philip Wang and Cheng Chen Katie Warden and Ray Castillo Robert and Ginger Warfield Cindy Weber Henry Wei and Allie Zhao Regan and Mark Wensnahan Dan and Shannon Westfahl Braden Wild and Emily O’Leary-Wild Alex Wilford and Hannah Moore Bruce and Shelly Wilhelm Tyler and Ann Williams Andrew and Colette Willingham Warn Willis and Lisa Coté Ken and Susan Wong Andrea Wong Michele Wong Kendra Wong Tim and Stacy Woo John and Marie Wood Matthew Wright and Laura Machado de Wright Cong Wu and Meiying Li

Organizations and Corporate Matching Amazon

Apollo Design Studio Baker Tilly US, LLP Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation CustomInk LLC Design Laboratory Inc. DigiPen (USA) LLC Emerald City Discs Google Heritage Bank LiveOak Audio Visual Meysen Academy Microsoft Monarch Landscape Company OpenWorks Pacific Portfolio Consulting, LLC Salesforce Foundation Stryker Corp.

United Way Wayfair Weyerhaeuser

Xiao Wu and Wei Wang Yanchen Wu and Helen Pan Yuelei Xie and Chan Wang Jinlin Xu and Jasmine Zhang Li Yan and Ying Liu Yates Stevenson Charitable Fund Jie Yu and Vivian Huang Chengzhu Yu and Xiangmei Jiang George Yuan and Emma Lee Peter Zetterberg and Pamela Kessler Harry Zhang and Amy Liao Bowen Zhang and Qi Liu Lei Zhu and Feiying Chen Nick Zosel-Johnson and Susan Sparrow Anonymous (3)

Gifts In Honor and In Memory In Honor of Eleanor and Geneva In Honor of Leila Chen In Honor of Hawthrone Chheng-Mikula In Honor of River Gilbert In Honor of Mem and Asher’s Class In Honor of Dia’s grandparents In Honor of Cooper Kroll In Honor of Sparking Curiosity In Honor of Joaquiin Nuñez Salazar In Honor of Eddy Qi and Evan Qi In Honor of Parker Qiji In Honor of Hongxi Tao In Honor of T-Rex In Honor of The Trustee Legacy In Honor of Jacob Xu In Memory of Ruth Thornton In Memory of Edna Harris, Elizabeth Wilson and Rose Johnston In Memory of Dia’s maternal grandfather In Memory of Bob Warfield In Memory of Olivia’s first year at TLS

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 19

THE LITTLE SCHOOL

REVENUE AND EXPENSES 2022-2023 FISCAL YEAR OPERATING REVENUE Tuition

$6,293,885

Fundraising

$897,918

Extended Care

$481,465

Investment Income

$421,837

Special Grants and Credits

$273,126

OPERATING EXPENSES Compensation Classroom Experiences and Professional Development Financial Aid General and Admin

$4,580,816 $1,529,142 $832,916 $758,819

ENDOWMENT Eleanor Seigl Fund for Financial Aid

$431,236

Renée Motley-Colbert Faculty Endowment Fund

$297,798

Notes: The difference between operating revenue and expenses this year resulted in a surplus. This places the school in a strong financial position. The 2022-2023 surplus has been allocated to strategic spending consisting of: 1. Long-term debt repayment from the Rivers Building. In July 2023 we closed out our Series B loan, a total payment of $326,452.

2. Upcoming modular building project payments beginning in early 2024.

Special Grants and Credits includes a Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families grant for a new playground and funding from the Employee Retention Credit. This line item will likely not continue at this level in future years.

With questions about the school’s financials, please contact Director of Finance and Operations Kingston Govati at kingstong@thelittleschool.org.

20 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

75+59+ 11+653A 20+1110A 59+41+A 6%

5% 3%

75%

11%

OPERATING REVENUE

10%

59%

11%

OPERATING EXPENSES

20%

41%

ENDOWMENT

59%

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 21

OUTGROWING 2023 Eighteen students became TLS alums after their years together full of friendship, learning and growing up.

The class joined middle schools around the Puget Sound and we’ve been glad to see many of them back at campus already to help give advice to the class of 2024 and say “hi” to us.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

Ahir Alex Aliya Amanuel Benjamin Charlotte Espy Gautam Hannah Kaylee Liya Maya Mia Nora Norah Pawynn Tamar Zoe

22 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

The Class of 2023 is sharing their gifts and some TLS culture with the following middle schools: Bellevue Big Picture School The Bush School Chinook Middle School Chrysalis School Eastside Catholic School Eastside Preparatory School Forest Ridge School Hamlin Robinson School International Community School Kirkland Middle School Lakeside School The Northwest School The Overlake School Rose Hill Middle School Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences Timberline Middle School

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 23

THE LITTLE SCHOOL

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATE

By Sarah Gallien ’94 It’s been a transformative year for the Alumni Association.

During the 2022-2023 school year, Interim Director of Advancement Kelly Chang helped us identify some ongoing opportunities for alumni engagement, promoting belonging, community and care.

Last year we: • Created and continue to develop babysitter’s network of young alumni to serve current TLS families.

• Supported Admissions, Development and Summer Program staffing with alumni outreach and data-gathering.

• Hosted an archiving and picture tagging event with former faculty.

• Organized and enjoyed overwhelming alumni support for and at the auction.

• Welcomed the alumni community back for a winter All School Sing.

• Welcomed alums back to campus in positions across the school including: intern in the Business Office, instructors in our Enrichment Program, coaches and volunteers for campus clean up and camp counselors at summer camps.

• Held a luncheon to induct a new class of Outgrowers into our alumni family where we talked about some of the benefits and opportunities associated with this community and helped foster this new relationship to the school and each other.

24 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

In 2023-2024, we’re building on those relationships and setting in place systems for growing and sustaining engagement and involvement.

Three new members joined the Alumni Association Board this September, each representing a petal of our alumni community—former faculty Matt Weiner, alum Diego Wright ’17 and former parent Pooja Jain.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

Sarah Gallien ‘94 Chair

Matt Weiner Vice Chair

Diego Wright ‘17 Secretary

Jules Hetland Member at Large

Pooja Jain Member at Large

With the addition of Community Events and Alumni Coordinator Jenny Chiang and new Director of Development and Communications Libby Singer, we’ve expanded our perspective, capacity and reach. So far: • We’ve revamped and streamlined our newsletter with new branding and alumni-driven content.

• Built out the Alumni Portal on the school website.

• Hosted and planned new and recurring events for alumni to reconnect and build community in support of the Little School’s mission.

And we’re just getting started! Next up: Alumni Dip & Sip January 5, 2024!

Learn more here and share your updates on the TLS Alumni Portal.

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 25

FOND FAREWELLS

IT IS WITH THE UTMOST APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE THAT WE HONOR THESE TRUSTEE AND FACULTY MEMBERS WHO RECENTLY LEFT THE LITTLE SCHOOL. We wished a fond farewell to two extraordinary people at the end of the 2022-2023 year at TLS. Each of them held years of institutional knowledge and deep love for the school and consistently used their gifts to make The Little School a better, more authentic place for children, families and colleagues. Kelly Chang and Kelsey Thomas are important parts of our TLS family, and we are excited for the days ahead when they will visit and share time on campus with us again.

KELLY CHANG Excerpts of remarks shared with the Board by Julie Kalmus “Kelly, I still remember the day you offered me this job. I was out on a walk and you called. I wasn’t expecting the offer, and I had to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk to digest everything you were saying. You radiated this warmth and confidence as we talked and I thought, ‘If she’s going to be my partner in this, shouldn’t I say yes?’

Little did I know how deep or powerful that partnership would be. You built our relationship around the possibilities of the school, anchoring and re-anchoring our conversations in the love and care that you had for TLS while also fully visioning how the school could thrive. You brought the most amazing balance of relentlessness in pursuing our goals with the deepest understanding and compassion. It was, and has continued to be, transformational and inspiring….

You brought your analytical self to the Rivers Building construction project and your global health self to COVID. You offered meaningful perspective to your work with the Board, parents and faculty. When there was a hole, you knew how to fill it, including when you gracefully resigned from the Board and boldly embraced the Development Office and Auction.

26 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

Here’s what I know: your presence and impact cannot go away, even if you do.

You have rooted yourself too deeply in TLS’ story. Your vision, generosity, strategy, grace and love stand tall, always lifting towards the sun. Kelly, you’ve become a Mother Tree for the school and the Board.

The Mother Tree offers safety and trust. People marvel at her beauty and impact.

We whisper wishes to her and plan solutions. We exhale beside her, knowing that the peace we feel is authentic and held. You have done this and so much more for The Little School and we are so, so grateful. Thank you.”

This fall, TLS held a tree planting in Kelly’s honor. In this photo, Ashlan, Tayla, Espy, Kelly and Michael Chang pose beside her tree. Kelly served on the Board of Trustees from 2015-2022 and was Interim Director of Advancement from December 2022-August 2023.

KELSEY THOMAS In reflecting on her time at TLS, Kelsey shared: Four years ago, I moved across the country from New York with a gut feeling that this little school nestled under tall cedar trees matched my dream of working with an incredibly joyful community of learners. And I was right! I have loved being a part of a place so full of wonder for the natural world and care for each other and I have poured my heart into my work here.

My wife and I have decided it’s time for us to put down some roots amongst family and friends back on the east coast. Next fall I will be living in the Boston area and working as a school librarian with early childhood through eighth grade students. It has been difficult to imagine life away from TLS and I am already missing my incredible students and friends here. I know I will carry my Little School memories with me for a long, long time. Thank you all for the tremendous privilege of learning alongside you these past few years.

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 27

WELCOME TO OUR NEW TRUSTEES

We are thrilled to welcome three new trustees to The Little School Board this year. All three are parents of TLS students and have served on board committees, already sharing their skills with us. Please join us in welcoming Janna, Justin and Robyn!

JANNA HAMAKER is a parent of a current Little School student and one Little School alum. She strongly believes in the benefits of progressive education and The Little School’s dedication to diversity and equity. She has over 20 years of experience in the software industry working at several local tech companies. Outside of work and family, Janna is passionate about ultimate frisbee. She serves as the USAU National Rules Director and as a member of USAU’s Observer Working Group. She is also an active official of ultimate, traveling across the US and world officiating ultimate tournaments.

JUSTIN THENUTAI is the parent of two current Little School students. He is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and also serves on the Board of Directors at the Global Mentorship Initiative. Justin works in Human Resources at Microsoft and his background spans recruiting, strategy, planning and operations. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and running after the kids, music, cooking and eating simple and delicious food.

ROBYN SANDBLOM-HITES is the mother of two children (and a dog). Her children have had the pleasure of spending their elementary years at The Little School. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Robyn attended the University of Washington and is an actively licensed CPA. Robyn currently works as a Director of Finance & Planning for Weyerhaeuser.

In her free time, Robyn enjoys being active (skiing, yoga, hiking, paddle-boarding, etc.), visiting with friends and family, music and traveling.

28 • THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

As we continue to emphasize building community with our families, faculty, alums and friends, we hope you will join us for these upcoming events in 2024!

ALUM DIP AND SIP Friday, January 5, 2024 The Little School Campus (Rivers Building) TLS BOOK FAIR Wednesday, January 17 to Friday, January 19 The Little School Campus (Rivers Building) GLOBAL CULTURES CELEBRATION Sunday, January 21 The Little School Campus (Rivers Building) VARIETY SHOWCASE STUDENT PERFORMANCES Friday, March 1 and Friday, March 8 The Little School Campus (Rivers Building) TLS AUCTION Saturday, April 27 Liljebeck Farms, 9009 222nd St SE, Woodinville, WA 98077 Tickets and more information will be available in January! Stay tuned!

ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday, May 18 The Little School Campus (Rivers Building)

THE LITTLE SCHOOL • EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES FALL 2023 • 29

Values held by members of the TLS community: • Demonstrate a deep respect for childhood.

• Wonder, learn and reflect for continuous growth.

• Celebrate creativity, innovation, kindness and curiosity.

• Honor identity, foster belonging and promote justice.

• Steward the environment and engage nature.

• Cultivate and embrace joy.

2812 116th Ave NE • Bellevue, WA • 98004 425-827-8708 • info@thelittleschool.org • thelittleschool.org