Nueva Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020

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NUEVA M A G A Z I N E

N U E VA Magazine is published by the Communications Department for past and current students, parents, grandparents, and friends of The Nueva School.

E D I T O RIAL TEAM Antonia Ehlers Rachel Freeman Mitzi Mock LiAnn Yim

S TAY

DESIGN Aldeia www.aldeia.design

C O N N E C T E D

P R I N T ER Colorprint www.colorprint.com

Printed on Rolland Enviro® 100PC, 80lb cover and 70lb text. This paper contains 100% post-consumer fiber, is manufactured using renewable energy—Biogas and processed chlorine free.

It is FSC® and Ancient Forest FriendlyTM certified.

T H E N U E VA S C H O O L is an independent, coeducational, PreK–Grade 12 school for gifted learners.

Our school community inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind. Nueva uses a dynamic educational model to enable gifted learners to make choices that will benefit the world.

W A N T TO REACH OUR A L U M N I OFFICE? Please email us at alumni@nuevaschool.org!

nuevaschool.org

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Dear Nueva Community, We are excited about the latest edition of Nueva Magazine— we hope you will enjoy its new look and vibrant pages! As we have navigated uncharted waters during the past several months due to COVID-19, we have done our best to capture the remarkable stories and resilience of the Nueva community.

We quickly adapted to the challenges of remote learning, and I was astounded by the dedication and perseverance of Nueva students and teachers.

This summer, we said farewell to Head of School Diane Rosenberg, who has inspired young lives for 19 years through her legacy of kindness, compassion, intellectual curiosity, diversity, and inclusion at Nueva. She will be deeply missed by our community, and her impact will never be forgotten. I know that Diane will visit our campus in the future, and she will stay in touch with her beloved students, colleagues, parents, and alumni.

In July, new Head of School Lee Fertig took the reins. I spoke to Lee about his vision as Nueva’s new head of school, and I am excited to share his goals on page 24. Lee is looking forward to embracing his new chapter and propelling Nueva forward, while simultaneously maintaining a culture that is steeped in tradition.

Through our storytelling of the 2019–2020 school year, the Communications Team has been inspired by Nueva’s passionate students and faculty, outstanding programs, and notable achievements. As you read their stories, we hope that you will be inspired as well! We are delighted to share the stories of the extraordinary people who make Nueva what it is today—a school where students are free to create, learn, care for one another, express themselves, and strive for excellence while making a significant difference in the world around them.

Go Mavericks and best wishes, Antonia Ehlers Director of Communications

DROP US A NOTE: Share your thoughts on this magazine—and anything Nueva related—at communications@nuevaschool.org

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02 R EF L E C T I O N

Letter from the Head of School

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03 N OT E D

News from Nueva

47 A LU M N I

News from alumni

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56 E XC L A M A T I O N P OI N T

Recreating art: Students participated in the Getty Museum’s #betweenartandquarantine challenge.

En Pointe

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Black Lives Matter Community members weigh in on their hopes for Nueva’s growth as an antiracist organization.

Violins of Hope

Every instrument has a story behind it. Middle and Upper School students were introduced to five violins that survived the Holocaust, and their stories at a powerful assembly this spring.

ON THE COVER “ I loved driving the backhoe. It was so much fun. In fact, I still have a bumper sticker that Bob created. As I recall, it says, ‘My other car is a backhoe.’ ” Diane Rosenberg Nueva head of school 2001-2020

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ILLUSTRATION BY ELEANOR SHAKESPEARE

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Katya Panchenko ’20 was chosen to represent the United States at one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions: Prix de Lausanne 2020. Learn about her journey!

Maverick for Life

We take a look back at Head of School Diane Rosenberg’s incredible 19-year tenure and the rich legacy she leaves behind.

40 #NuevaTogether

As we physically distanced this spring, the community became closer than ever in spirit.

A New Era

Q&A with incoming Head of School Lee Fertig.

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Dear Community

“ I am confident that, under Lee Fertig’s leadership, Nueva will remain a verb, continuing to move, become, grow, and change, actualizing our hopes and dreams.”

To everything there is a season, and this has been my 19-year season of love. Thank you for the honor, opportunity, daily joy, laughter, and the experience to learn in a community that lives its values and innovates boldly.

American architect Buckminster Fuller once said, “I seem to be a verb,” and Nueva seems very much to be a verb—always moving, always becoming, always growing, always changing. Over the last 19 years, this remarkable school has constantly surprised and delighted us all. The creativity, generosity, and kindness of the students and community are unparalleled; even in the turmoil of this past spring, we have all been learning by doing and learning by caring, gaining understanding through engagement with a world in need.

Yet the core of Nueva, the ethic and the vision, has been rock-steady, a beacon we have all been able to keep in sight. It anchors us all: from entering ninth graders who feel they have “found their people” to a kindergartner explaining to a sibling that “this is paradise”; from high school interns whose employers try to lure them from college to a fifth grader feeling “schoolsick” in mid-summer—“like homesick,” she explained, but for Nueva—and the child who declared, after a session with a math specialist, “I waited my whole life to do what we did today!”

Nueva is and always has been a sanctuary for students who wear their hearts on their sleeves, who are pulled, not pushed, by their intense interests, who feel they have found their home away from home. We say that the magic is in the classroom, teacher to student and student to student.

That is the greatest gift of all for these gifted learners—the gift of being understood, the gift of being surrounded by like-minded peers.

In the world we envision, every child would have a chance to be part of a diverse, inclusive community, exploring ideas in an emotionally safe environment where wonder is valued. Our role as educators and parents is to prepare our students for whatever might come, enabling them to make a difference in the world, ethically, empathetically, powerfully. That is our opportunity in the years ahead, and I am confident that, under Lee Fertig’s leadership, Nueva will remain a verb, continuing to move, become, grow, and change, actualizing our hopes and dreams.

With all my best, DIANE ROSENBERG

Head of School 2001–2020

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BUBBA THE BRONTOSAURUS Dominic Willoughby ’11 explains where the name came from: “We named it after Tracie Mastronicola, who was our amazing sixth-grade science teacher. She used to call us all bubba, like you’d call someone buddy or kiddo, and I can’t think of a single person who it didn’t make smile.”

TRIVIA

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The Hillsborough campus dinosaur was a gift from the eighth-grade Class of 2011. The brainchild of Clara Kelly, Amelia Roskin-Frazee, Dominic Willoughby, and Harry Bendekey, the students had it delivered from Half Moon Bay, where it has greeted students every day. (Except for one morning in June 2018 when it vanished from its usual spot, only to reappear on the San Mateo campus in Upper School Division Head Stephen Dunn’s office).

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MIDDL E S C H O O L STUDE N T S D E S I G N FLUID D Y N A M I C S MACHI N E In 2018, Stanford earth science professor Leif Thomas brought Middle School I-Lab teacher Al Davies a challenge: How could students make a fluid dynamics machine—expensive equipment used by universities to demonstrate the fluid mechanics in weather patterns and ocean phenomena—less costly and more accessible to schools everywhere?

Challenge accepted—and met. After two years of prototyping, Middle School students have designed a product that costs around $200 to build, and they’re planning to make the design available to other schools.

Through the design process, students learned that “the last three percent of the process takes 90 percent of the time,” Al said.

For eighth grader Lauren S., who has been working on the project since 2018, the opportunity to serve actual users was motivation to persist.

“We wanted to design something that is ideal for the classroom and then show other schools how to teach with it,” she said.

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↑ Middle School students construct a prototype of their fluid dynamics machine.

“ Liza is an incredibly talented, collaborative, creative, and experienced school leader who is always hungry to learn more.

Her widely known ability to work effectively with faculty, students, and parents will serve our newest division well in the coming years.”

Incoming Head of School L E E F E R T I G on the appointment of L I Z A R AY N A L as Upper School division head. Lee also said, “We are confident she will build upon her already impressive skill set used in the Middle School and expand upon it so that it effectively addresses the specific needs of a high school education.”

Faculty Farewells

Hello!

FROM THE NEW HEADS

This spring, incoming Head of School Lee Fertig announced the appointment of Liza Raynal as the school’s next Upper School division head. As many in our community know, Liza is no stranger to Nueva, having been a student, teacher, and school leader here for more than 20 years.

Filling Liza’s shoes will be Karen Tiegel, who will serve as interim Middle School head for the 2020–2021 school year. With 11 years at Nueva, teaching multiple subjects across different grade levels and serving as dean for fifth and sixth grades since 2015, Karen is well prepared to lead the Middle School in the year ahead.

In June, the Nueva community said farewell (but never goodbye) to two beloved faculty members—Gary Kaplan and Laraine Ray. As a college student, Gary never envisioned himself as a teacher. He dreamed of coaching sports, but went on to become a lawyer. Called to teaching years later, he brought his passions and skills to Nueva in his work as a Middle School humanities teacher and athletics coach (flag football and basketball) for the last decade.

“Beyond public speaking and writing essays, Gary taught me how to be kind, listen to others, and be a leader,” said sophomore Andrew C., who had Gary as a coach, advisor, and teacher for debate and humanities. “He really embodied the Nueva spirit.”

While Laraine dedicated herself to working with young children for more than 40 years, she never expected to stay at one school for so long. “I am not a creature of habit, and the fact that I have worked at Nueva for 16 years is such a testament to the richness of my experience here,” she said.

Lower School Division Head Megan Terra believes Laraine’s 16 years have had a lasting impact on Nueva’s culture and students.

“She models what it means to hold a strong image of the gifted child, to celebrate and spark creative thinking and problem solving, and to help children see that the sky is the limit—except maybe it isn’t really the limit,” she said. “Laraine will make you believe deeply that everything we need to know, we really do learn in kindergarten.”

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Second-Grade Angel Island Field Trip

Integrated Learning On Feb. 5, the second grade embarked on a research field trip to Angel Island and the former immigration center, which perfectly tied into the humanities theme of their grade: Bay Area history through the lens of immigration.

“We were looking at Chinese immigration in the late 1800s as a result of the transcontinental railroad,” second-grade teacher Sam Modest said. “Students learned about this systemic oppression, and also the ways that people resisted and persisted in the face of discrimination.”

In addition, the class also looked at the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, a racist piece of legislation, which followed an influx of people.

Student Maren L. said, “We’re learning about this because it’s a really important part of history.”

To better understand what it might have been like to be an immigrant on Angel Island, students conducted extensive research prior to their visit. They read stories on the experiences of Chinese immigrants, studied primary source photographs of the immigration station in operation, watched a KQED video about the station’s history, and read poetry that Chinese immigrants carved into the walls of the barracks. In looking at the poetry, students selected a poem and then a line from that poem and dissected what they thought the author might have felt when the poem was written.

When the students arrived at the barracks, they were awed to see the same poems they had carefully studied on the walls. “For many students, that was a highlight of the trip,” Sam said.

“My favorite part was seeing all the carvings on the walls,” student Anaya K. said.

“I also liked seeing replicas of the items that

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F A C U L T Y B O O KSHELF RECOMMENDED READING

The Overstory

↑ A state park ranger explains to second graders what the living conditions on Angel Island were like for Chinese immigrants.

immigrants brought with them, because it taught us about where they came from.”

Student Ishan S. shared, “My favorite part of the field trip was going inside the building and seeing all the cool stuff that I hadn’t seen before.”

For the final part of their studies, second graders selected one unmet need of the Chinese immigrants and a changemaking job that would empower them to implement a solution to this unmet need.

One student said, “I would be the architect of the immigration station, and I would build walls in the medical exams rooms so the immigrants had more privacy.”

Another said, “I would be a state senator and try to make laws that helped the immigrants have more rights, so that the station would be less claustrophobic and more welcoming.”

“Within the project and field trip we integrate equity and inclusion, design thinking, social-emotional skills, and empathy building,” Sam said. “We are asking ourselves, ‘How do we build empathy for people who immigrated to the United States during this time?’”

This project is really what Nueva is all about.

—Rachel Freeman

Richard Powers “It won the Pulitzer Prize last year and is a haunting story about the connection between humanity and nature.”

—EVAN BARTZ, Middle School Writing & Humanities Teacher

Free Food for Millionaires

Min Jin Lee “A delicious summer read: savage Jane Austen social commentary meets immigrant narrative meets New York City fashion. Why is this not a movie yet?”

—ALLEN FROST, Director of the Innovative Teacher Program

Season of the Witch

David Talbot “Definitely a must-read if you live in the Bay Area! Season of the Witch details the history of San Francisco from the ’50s to ’70s; this is the era of Harvey Milk, Summer of Love, anti-establishment hippies, and a young Nancy Pelosi. It’s easy to read and great if you want to understand the city by the bay.”

—CHELSEA DENLOW, Upper School History Teacher

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AT H L E T I C S

Mavericks

G O M AV S! …

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goals scored by the US girls soccer team

<< Soccer

In its first two official years in the PSAL, the varsity girls soccer team has done more than proven itself.

“Since joining the PSAL, the team has gone undefeated, 20-0-1, and earned two straight Central Coast Section (CCS) postseason appearances,” said Athletics Director Chris Wade, who also noted that, in addition to being league champions, the team earned recognition as a CCS Scholastic Team Champion for having the highest team GPA in their CCS Section. While the season came to an end with a CCS playoffs quarterfinals loss against Sacred Heart Prep, there is a lot to be excited about in the coming years.

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<< Volleyball

The varsity girls volleyball season was a historic one! In addition to competing in the CCS Division V championship, the team qualified for the NorCal regional and made it all the way to the NorCal regional championship before falling to familiar foe Mt. Madonna.

Following the conclusion of the season, Athletics Director Chris Wade shared that the athletes gave “nothing but their best, leading by example, making our community proud, and enhancing Nueva spirit community-wide.”

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the number of players on the inaugural US girls varsity tennis team

64%

of students in 4th through 8th grades participate in Nueva athletics

3.87 average GPA of US winter teams (highest four-team cumulative average in Central Coast Section)

 To learn more about Nueva athletics, visit nuevaschool.org/ athletics.

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Middle School

In Middle School, wins and losses take a back seat to participation and instilling the values of commitment. But when participation and commitment lead to on-field and on-court success, it’s an accomplishment worth recognizing. Middle School girls soccer had one of its most successful seasons, as two of three teams completed their seasons undefeated.

For boys basketball, two teams often shared the gym space for practices, which blossomed into unexpected leadership opportunities for our students. “We had our sixth-grade team practicing with the fourth-grade team, and it was so great to see the older students mentoring the younger students,” noted Lower & Middle School Athletics Coordinator Alyssa Richards.

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Building Empathy

Art Briefs

First Graders Strive to Be Kindness Ambassadors

MEE T A M AV E R IC K Hamilton fans, listen up! “The Federalist Papers” are no match for this mic drop.

Watch rapper and sixth grader Reid D. run rhymes around our founding fathers in his episode of #MeetAMaverick on our YouTube channel: nuevaschool.org/youtube.

HARVEY In the fall, Upper School students performed Harvey, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, 1944 comedy about a man whose best friend is a 6-foot-tall invisible rabbit. True to our own culture, it’s a story that proves that acceptance and kindness trump fitting in.

SU CCUL E N T S O UN D GA R D EN Inspired by other video series like NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the new student concert series Succulent Sound Garden featured intimate, performances showcasing a breadth of genres including rock, indie, and classical music. Check out these student performances on our YouTube channel: nuevaschool.org/youtube.

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Nueva first graders are learning to be kind, compassionate, empathetic citizens. This year, they studied abelism, a unit the first grade teachers say is redefining community and understanding people who are often misunderstood and marginalized.

According to the Center for Disability Rights, ableism is defined as “a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.”

“We want to teach the children to walk with people who have challenges while building empathy,” explained first-grade teacher Diana Friedman. “I understand ableism firsthand—my mom had polio when she was 13. She had many surgeries but never complained, and my mom went on to live an incredible life.”

“We are teaching our students to become kindness ambassadors,” said first-grade

teacher Emily Mitchell. “We read many wonderful stories to the children, including Six Dots, the story of Louis Braille, who created the Braille system based on the Morse code.”

Other ableism book favorites have included A Boy Called Bat, the story of a boy on the autism spectrum, and The Sound of Silence, the remarkable tale of a young boy who grows up with two deaf parents.

“You could be born without a body part (except for your heart or brain),” noted first grader Macallister B. “In the story Emmanuel’s Dream, a guy was born with a leg that didn’t work, but he ended up riding a bike for 40 miles a day! We’re learning that if people need help, you need to help them.”

“We are learning about ableism so that when we grow older, we can treat people correctly,” said first grader Toby G. “We all just need to be a little kinder.”

—Antonia Ehlers ← Nueva first graders are learning to be kind, compassionate, empathetic citizens. This year, they studied ableism, a unit the first grade teachers said helped to redefine the Nueva community and understand people who are often misunderstood and marginalized.

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← PK–12 Math Coordinator and Upper School math teacher Danielle McReynolds-Dell reads a “kind tweet” that one of her students wrote about her.

V I R T UA L A R T WO R K S H O P In a virtual art workshop hosted by teacher Reenie Charriere and parent Wayee Chu, sixth-grade students selected a photo from a newspaper or magazine that held meaning for them, and recreated it in collage form using found materials. This project was inspired by artist Mark Bradford’s “Pickett’s Charge,” an exhibit the class had planned to visit on their D.C. trip.

KINDNESS TWEETS We love Jimmy Kimmel Live’s “Celebrities Read #MeanTweets” segment and were inspired to do our own version in honor of Kindness Week. Below are some examples of #kindtweets students submitted about their teachers.

I Watch online: nuevaschool.org/ kindnesstweets

“ Jo is such a kind, caring person. She supported me when I was in a really tough spot, and continues to do so now. I can’t thank her enough.”

“ Kevin is so articulate and clever with words that sometimes when I listen to him speak I forget that I’m fluent in the same language.”

“ John is like the human embodiment of an excited puppy that memorized everything on Google.”

“ Alexa does it all, and still somehow managed to find time to be a nice person. I think she needs to be thanked more often.

So, thank you!”

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S E AS O N’ S G R E E T I N G S During the fall, some middle schoolers took Electronics and Wearables for Holiday Displays and Costumes, an elective blending art, technology, and fabrication. Using basic electronics, foam, and other materials, they created their favorite holiday moments.

O P E R A À L A CA R T E Teaming up with the San Francisco Opera for an Opera à la Carte performance is a treasured tradition in our Lower School.

This year’s jewel: a fourth-grade performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

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A R T S

Newsies Now is the time to seize the day!

The Middle School musical elective and afterschool club proudly presented Newsies as the fall musical in November.

Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike in 1899, the newsboys, mostly poor immigrant kids working 15-hour days, take action after publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise prices at the newsboys’ expense. Newsies is the vibrant, historically accurate celebration of the kids’ eventual triumph, filled with exuberant music and dance.

P H O T O BY S A M B. ’ 24

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Commencement

2020

As the world collapsed around us this spring, we faced a pandemic, economic uncertainty, and a reckoning of longstanding, grave human rights violations. We are in the midst of what feels like a collective consciousness stirring. There is determination to right the wrongs and conviction to find solutions to injustices. Our hope comes from you, Class of 2020—for who you are, the actions you will take, and the light you will bring into the world. Today is the day to focus on who you are . . .

You have so often been a grade of firsts—the first to create 100-word eighth-grade speeches; the first to create Upper School award-winning publications; the first to research and write biographies of mathematicians; the first to go on the Peru trip by interest groups; the first and only ninth grade to create a multi-round pingpong tournament during your portfolio defenses; the first to hold sports rallies at the Upper School, and the first to use taco trucks to attract crowds. You were also the first to create the 20-second talents, which included donning swimming caps, spinning yarn, and featuring your teachers in a variety of costumes and interviews. You may be the only ninth-grade class to take spam calls during the day.

Some of you tucked yourselves into little nooks and crannies, talking to scammers in various languages for so long that the scammers finally had to give in and give up. Well done.

You were also the class to develop opportunities for the grades to follow: you started the girls’ soccer, tennis, and beach volleyball teams and formed the boys’ volleyball team; you went to the states in cross-country, basketball, and volleyball and to the nationals in debate; you expanded the music program and founded coffeehouses; you performed a steel drum concert for 3,000 educators at last year’s national conference; you started the sweet tradition of welcoming freshmen at sunrise with donuts and signs.

Class of 2020, what you have given to Nueva and will give to the larger world—is your best. The beauty of giving your best is that you always gain more than you give.

You have changed all of us who have been part of your lives, and we are eager to see where your lives take you. You have proven over and over that you have the tools you need to build your wings on the way down. You are ready to soar.

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(1) Camille Grigg proudly shows off her grad cap. She received her diploma from her father and former Nueva trustee Vernon Grigg. (2) Noah Tavares throws streamers in the air after his diploma is conferred by Upper School Division Head Stephen Dunn. (3) The Hillsborough field was turned into a graduation drive-in theater to allow for an in-person socially distant celebration. (4) Jason Hwong poses in our open N after receiving his diploma from his mother Karen Tiegel, fifth grade dean and Middle School writing teacher. (5) Siblings Maya and Luciano Malavasi rolled onto campus with a bubblemaking machine on their car.

(6) Madeline Park shows off her decorated car, with one window honoring the moments and people that shaped her Nueva experience.

D I A N E R O S E N B E R G, Head of School, excerpt from commencement speech

v To read Diane's complete speech, go to nuevaschool.org/voices

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Eighth Grade Graduation

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Eighth graders and their families gathered for a socially distanced celebration, drive-in style, on Friday, June 12. Their teachers and advisers cheered them on as they rolled onto campus to a playlist of songs that held special meaning to the Class of 2024. From the windows and roofs of their vehicles, all those gathered watched pre-recorded 100word speeches each eighth grader delivered about their Middle School time at Nueva: lessons learned, unforgettable memories, and shared experiences.

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(7) Alex W. (8) Cars came to the ceremony decked out with graduation messages. (9) Temilola S. and family.

(10) Head of School Diane Rosenberg greets Nicholas Q. before the start of the celebration.

 See page 32 for an excerpt of Anjali Ramanathan’s ’20 powerful speech.

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authors hosted

5

BOOKS SOLD during the school Book Fair with

4,374

• piece LEGO structure

• corks painted red and shaped into a heart

• paper cranes for the coronavirus victims

• inspirational quotes

• hearts on a student’s house

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First-grade students celebrated the 100th day of school on February 11. They each created their own visualization of …

DAY S C E L E B R AT I O N

100

start-up founders were among the presenters!

SEVEN

sessions

118 155

presenters taught

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students spent a day in the life with a district attorney in a murder case

upper school students participated (82 eighth graders also joined)

400

students made CHEESE!

232

hours of meeting time since kickoff on Jan. 4 through the beginning of March

STUDENTS ON THE TEAM

100

W E R E B U I LT

S U C C U L E N T GA R D E N S

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students immersed themselves in a crash course in money management

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students ran away to the circus—they learned aerials and acrobatics at AcroSports

UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS

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students were hands-on at the Stanford School of Medicine Anatomy Lab

WILD ANIMALS

(along with FOUR humans) taught animal behavior in the Zoo to You session

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Intersession is a time for high school students to develop interdisciplinary exploration with real-world experts. It is an intellectual and experiential feast of topics extending beyond the usual academic disciplines.

Each year, students choose from nearly 200 seminars, intensives, and activity sessions offered by industry experts and academic presenters.

Intersession takes place in the two weeks following winter break and spans a total of six days.

I N T E R S E S S I O N 2020

BY THE NUMBERS

B O O K FA I R

of estimated waste per student

POUNDS

• SPANISH

• MANDARIN

• JAPANESE

L A N G UAG E INSTRUCTION

meals of soy, rice, vegetables, and vitamins for children in schools in other countries. Each box they pack will feed one child for an entire year.

28,000

This Community Service Learning (CSL) Day in the Middle School was organized, led, and run by students in the Community Service Club.

MIDDLE SCHOOL C S L DAY

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In March, Upper School students conducted an audit of one day’s waste by sorting roughly 60% of the waste generated.

WA S T E AU D I T

packed by Middle School students on CSL Day for Rise Against Hunger.

BOXES

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T O TA L AT T E N D E E S

1,410

On October 17–18, 2019, Nueva hosted its biennial Innovative Learning Conference, where some of today’s most influential experts in education shared their knowledge, their research, and their practices. All over the campuses, in classrooms, in the cafés, and in the hallways, there were engaging conversations and thought-provoking dialogue with people who all care deeply about the future of education.

I N N OVAT I V E LEARNING CONFERENCE

Middle School (5–8)

299

Staff

65

Graduates attending

Student-to-Faculty R AT I O

6:1

Students of Color

59%

Upper School (9–12)

423

ELECTIVES

different institutions

82 130+ Faculty with ADVANCED DEGREES

70%

AV E R AG E C L A S S S I Z E

15–18

Full-time Faculty

140

FAC U LT Y A N D S TA F F

205

Lower School (PreK–4)

214

T O TA L E N R O L L M E N T

936

of Upper School students participate in Nueva athletics

50%

Basketball Cross-Country Diving Flag Football Golf Soccer Swimming Tennis Track & Field Volleyball

AT H L E T I C S

PSAL and CCS

CHAMPIONSHIPS

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GO MAVS!

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A Unique Twist Creative Biology Project Makes Lasting Impression When remote class began March 16, the biology curriculum took a major pivot, threading in topics including zoonosis, the coronavirus, and immunology into the tapestry of 10th-grade learning. Instead of solidifying content through more traditional labs or tests, biology teachers Michaela Danek, Samantha Huff, Paul Hauser, Jehnna Ronan, and Trip Sweeney designed an original and creative “Deep Dive” project that enabled students to mesh different disciplines.

“We wanted to give students more freedom in their learning,” Michaela said. “We built up their understanding of biology, and at the end of the semester we wanted to open it up and allow students to dive in different directions.”

“Thinking about biology creatively is way more interesting, surprising, and memorable than just the content itself,” Trip explained. “Being able to artistically and creatively express yourself is paramount in high school, so having biology funnel into that greater goal is important.”

Students took advantage of the various pathways the project afforded them. Some utilized technology to create 3-D models, animations, digital drawings, or music, while others explored painting, cooking, poetry, drawing, and weaving.

Maya C. created a series of desserts, entitled “Reverse Transcrip-taste.”

“My art component was a metaphor for the activity of reverse transcriptase,” she said. It was very enjoyable to make, since I don’t consider myself to be very good at art, so I got to make something a little more interpretive.”

Rebecca T. presented her knowledge in digital art form. She explored the public health issue of concentrated animal feeding operations. These farms use methods such as overuse of antibiotics in animal feed, mistreatment of waste, and pollution—which has many consequences, including antibiotic resistance and bacteria.

For Rebecca, the deep dive was not only insightful because she learned about a topic of interest, but also because she grew as an artist. Her piece was created in Photoshop—which she had never used before to paint digitally—and wows with its meticulous detail, something that was “tedious but pretty rewarding.”

Brandon C. explored a completely different facet of art—music. He composed a piano piece influenced by the emergence of COVID-19.

Maya B. chose creative writing and wrote a poem about HIV. “Doing a mechanistic write-up is helpful for your learning, but having created some sort of artistic piece really cements the content for you—it gives you an emotional resonance with the project,” Jehnna noted. “It’s not just about students communicating to other people, but also them thinking about science from a different angle and seeing how it connects to another mode of expression.”

—Anouschka B. ’22

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CREATIVE BIOLOGY PROJECTS ↑ Rebecca T. explored the public health issue regarding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), learning new Adobe Photoshop skills for her art piece. “I thought about how disconnected most grocery shoppers are from the origins of their meat; they don’t really see the living conditions, life cycle, and effects on humans and the environment, and common depictions of farm animals— especially from childhood—are so unlike real life,” she said.

↓ Maya B. chose to write a poem about HIV. “The hardest part was finding the balance between metaphor or artistic abstraction and cold science,” Maya said.

“If you want something to be more visually appealing, you can’t just be reciting a scientific textbook, but at the same time, you are trying to communicate something about some scientific thing.”

Flowers bloom inside us every moment, there’s Daffodils, daisies, dalias, daphnes, delphiniums, our bodies Growing, healing, living, but some of the Flowers are dark.

No one lives through the beginning, consciously They learn of that dreadful inception posthumously, think back To when this thing would’ve taken root, inside Of their precious bodies.

Asymptomatic, invisible, at the Beginning of this dreadful story, which No one was ever meant to live, except You are living it, and life goes on— Until it doesn’t, the dark flowers Spreading their petals, at first Tentatively, then Into the deepest crevasses of your being.

You are the flowers, and the flowers are you.

That’s how it gets you. → Maya C. created a series of desserts, titled “Reverse Transcriptaste.” Reverse transcriptase is a process by which an enzyme can turn RNA into DNA—a process that allows retroviruses (such as HIV) to integrate their viral genome into the host cell genome. Maya represented the enzyme with three raspberries clustered in the corner, and the progression of chocolate shells, mousse, and the slight hint of raspberry depict the steps of reverse transcription.

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Diane Rosenberg’s bold leadership leaves indelible legacy S T O R Y B Y W I L LO W TAY LO R C. Y. ’21

for Life ← Departing Head of School Diane Rosenberg is honored at the fall ribbon-cutting for the new west wing of the San Mateo campus, named in her honor.

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M AV E R I C K M E M O R I E S… Carolee Fucigna Lead PreK Teacher, 2001–2019 I was the first person Diane hired when she arrived as the new head of school.

From the beginning, I always felt like she wanted to make a personal connection with all of us. She held dinners at her house for new and seasoned faculty. She would come by the PreK class for tea and share pictures of her own grandchildren. I always loved that she came to all the school events, like culminations. She tried to be present for all the grades. It meant a lot to me that she cared so much about seeing the work the children were doing.

Diane Rosenberg wasn’t looking for a job when Nueva came calling 19 years ago—in fact, the first time she was asked to apply for the head of school position by a friend who ran a search firm, she half-jokingly told him, “Please don’t call me again.”

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She’d thought nothing of Nueva’s head of school search other than as another recruiting request. But her husband, Bob Rosenberg, convinced her to take a second look.

“He said, ‘This is the school you’ve always wanted to found,’” Diane recalled. “So I did look at the website that night in late 2000, early 2001, and he was right. I loved everything about it.”

“ I’m not looking for anything else; I can’t imagine being in another school when I’ve loved this school as deeply and as long as I have.”

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Weeks later, she visited the Hillsborough campus for three days while school was in session. She fell for the beautiful campus, the extraordinary faculty, the walls of a particular fourth-grade classroom plastered with world maps from a geography unit, and, most of all, the students.

“I’d never met a group of kids so engaged in what they were doing,” Diane remembered. “It was like falling in love. Truly.”

Nineteen years later, Diane bids farewell to a school she describes as one of her life’s “two great love affairs”—Nueva and her family.

“It’s time,” she said. “I’m not looking for anything else; I can’t imagine being in another school when I’ve loved this school as deeply and as long as I have.”

Diane’s tenure, the longest in Nueva’s history, was characterized by stabilization—having been hired after a tumultuous period in the late ’90s when the school nearly closed—followed by rapid growth.

Under her supervision,the student population has tripled from 317 to nearly 950, and she oversaw the conceptualization and creation of the Upper School and the 2014 opening

of its San Mateo campus. A new building has already been added to it, named in Diane’s honor by the lead donor. She also pioneered the use of task forces to investigate questions in the community and enhance student programming, making Nueva a leader in areas like environmental citizenship and the ethics and education around artificial intelligence.

The success of the school has catapulted it into not only a far more visible spot among top independent schools in the Bay Area, but also amidst global progressive and gifted education, with weekly visits by national and international educators.

“Simply put, Diane has transformed Nueva,” said trustee and former board chair Bruce Cozadd. “Nueva—a model for gifted learning, innovative teaching, and institutional vibrancy—is recognized nationally and internationally for its leadership and excellence.”

While her innovations and accomplishments have been transformative for the school, Diane’s greatest legacy might be in what she has preserved so dearly: Nueva’s mission to serve gifted learners. Diane describes gifted people as those with

“ When Diane came to Nueva, it was clear to us as students that we had a new head who cared about connecting with us. We remembered Diane coming to our classes to see us work on projects. She was always ready with a curious question, a smile, and a warm laugh.”

— C O L I N T R I B B L E ’0 4 Nueva Middle School teacher

“the unusual question, unusual curiosity, and unusual level of engagement.” Throughout her tenure as Nueva’s gifted leader, she has been unwavering in her commitment to ensure that Nueva continues to be a safe haven for these learners.

“I was very afraid that with growth would come a loss of that mission,” said Lee Holtzman ’01, who attended the Lower and Middle Schools as a student and has taught interdisciplinary studies of science at Nueva for seven years.

To read about how the alumni community paid tribute to Diane, see page 49.

M AV E R I C K MEMORIES…

“I think one of the things Diane champions that is very difficult to champion in this world is gifted education. It was one of the reasons I came back, and it is one of the reasons I stay.”

Diane believes that while the school’s culture has evolved with its expansion, one core value continues to shape the Nueva identity.

“I know not every day or in every way, but fundamentally, so deeply valued is a culture of kindness,” she said.

“The culture is really deeply rooted . . . and has always been true to itself.”

Many of the academic practices at Nueva—such as self-evaluations and the absence of grading curves— focus on maintaining this idea of self-improvement over comparison. Diane particularly

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stresses this in Lower and Middle School, when students are first understanding social competition.

“One of my favorite stories is about a little boy who was in kindergarten,” she recounted. “He was very mathematically precocious, years ahead. However, he had a real challenge making friends. So he talked to his friend and said, ‘I’m really good at math, but I’m not good at making friends. You’re really good at making friends. Would you help me?’ That, for me, is Nueva. Kids at a very early age will understand an ability that another student has and not be diminished by it.”

While this year marked the end of Diane’s journey with Nueva and the conclusion of a significant era in the institution’s 53-year history,

it’s also a beginning for the community she has fostered over two decades.

“I think it’s healthy for schools to have new leadership and new directions,” Diane said. “It feels like it’s time for someone else to begin that new chapter.”

For Diane, her new chapter means spending more time with her family by moving to the East Coast to be closer to her grandchildren. She will, of course, miss her second love “tremendously.”

“I love the vitality, the vibrancy, the dynamism,” she added. “I’ll miss that, I’ll miss your questions, I’ll miss the engagement in curiosity. I’ll miss everything.” [N]

Noel Perry Board Chair 2001–2006 When Diane came in 2001, the last five years had been rocky for Nueva. A couple weeks into the job, the trustees informed her that the school had a $400,000 budget deficit. This was a great shock to Diane; she probably wondered, “What have I gotten myself into?”

But she rose to the challenge and, in short order, balanced the budget.

Around the same time, 9/11 happened.

The community was in shock. Again, she met the challenge head on. I remember all of us rolling up our sleeves and calling families to let them know everyone was safe.

As I reflect upon Diane’s legacy, I think of the leadership she brought to the school to stabilize it and advance it. When I was board chair, I told people that she could be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

She has tremendous energy, intelligence, and the fortitude to deal with crises and still keep her eye on the ball.

Connor Pace ’11 Diane never lost sight of what it was like to be the age of her students.

Whether it was the frame of mind of an 8-year-old or a 14-year-old, she could understand our actual priorities and needs—not just the ones adult society would have us care about.

She was the opposite of patronizing. Our voices mattered. Whenever new policies or hard decisions came about, she respected us enough to explain her thinking. That culture of esteem for students is her greatest mark on Nueva’s culture.

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2001

Diane Rosenberg started as head of school

How Diane’s leadership has transformed Nueva over the last 19 years

BY MITZI MOCK

ENGAGING AND INSPIRING EDUCATORS Spurred by Diane’s fall 2006 Teaon-the-Plaza speech, the Nueva community hosted its first Gifted Learning Conferences in fall 2007.

Later renamed the Innovative Learning Conference, the biennial event brings together parents, educators, and experts from around the world to explore innovations and best practices in areas such as gifted learning, social justice, mathematics, neuroscience, SEL, design thinking, and more.

INSTITUTES To further its efforts to share best practices and connect with teachers in the broader community, Nueva now hosts annual summer institutes in giftedness, design thinking, structured word inquiry, mathematics, and equity and inclusion.

“ Diane was described by a donor of the school as many things to Nueva, including ‘mother.’ It made sense to me. Diane is the mother of the Mavericks— with the mascot having been reimagined under her leadership as part of the recreation of Nueva as a PK-12 school. Diane inspired the largest gift the school has received in its history, and this anonymous donor named a building for Diane. This is just one of many examples of her impact.”

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—T E R R Y L E E, Associate Head of School

2001–2020

During Diane’s tenure, Nueva grew into a PreK–12 school and became an internationally recognized institution for its excellence in teaching and learning innovation.

She led the way by …

EXPANDING FACILITIES AND ENRICHING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

THE UPPER SCHOOL Nueva’s founder, Karen Stone McCown, always envisioned Nueva as a PreK–12 school. Diane’s leadership made it a reality. The pioneer class spent the 2013–2014 school year on one floor of a building in the College of San Mateo. The Upper School campus officially opened its doors at the start of the 2014–2015 school year.

NEW BUILDINGS During her tenure, Diane oversaw three capital campaigns, which transformed facilities—and therefore learning possibilities—across two campuses. These additions include: the Upper School campus (which further expanded its facilities in 2019), the Hillside complex (the Hillsborough café, library, the Neiman Speeth classroom building, and Nueva’s first I-Lab), and the forthcoming PreK–12 environmental and humanities centers. These buildings—all LEED certified— launched several new student programs and enabled innovative teaching practices, such as design thinking, to flourish.

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2020

A MAVERICK FOR LIFE Diane retired this summer.

Her legacy will be felt by generations of Nueva students to come.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF COLLABORATION

TASK FORCES Since she arrived, Diane has been eager to harness the collective knowledge and creativity of the Nueva community. Through task forces, she brought parents and teachers together to explore and develop student programs in subjects as diverse as environmental citizenship, artificial intelligence and ethics, global citizenship, humanities, internships, and more.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS To shape the broader education system, advance professional development, and support parent learning, Nueva is a founding member of networks like Common Ground (local parent education events), the Mastery Transcript Consortium (schools rethinking the traditional transcript model), and the Collaborative of Innovative Educators (a think tank of likeminded schools envisioning the future of education).

FUN DIANE FACTS

Favorite Nueva tradition: Annual Halloween parade.

Her final costume was fitting: the Queen of Hearts.

Diane used to keep an M&Ms dispenser and a jar of chocolate chip cookies in her office for student visitors.

Both have gone conspicuously missing for the last few years.

Kindergarten detectives hunting for the missing gingerbread cookies are still on the case.

Diane and her husband Bob are proud companions to two 25-pound Maine Coon cats. These feline friends and their predecessors were background fixtures at faculty and parent dinners held at Diane’s house over the years.

At the first “meet and greet” day of every school year, Diane wore her signature yellow smiley face costume. She’s the original emoji!

Diane will be remembered as a keen storyteller.

One of her all-time favorite stories: The day LowerSchool students asked her to save campus trees from the Hillside Complex construction.

She struck a compromise—wood from the lost trees became the benches and façade of the plaza design, and new trees were planted.

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“ I am truly humbled and honored to have the privilege to lead one of the very best independent schools in the United States, one that increasingly is becoming a global leader in learning for gifted students and other best practices in education.”

—LEE FERTIG New Head of School

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INTERVIEW BY ANTONIA EHLERS

Q&A

Changing of the SPOTLIGHT ON

Guard ← Lee Fertig in Brussels. He moved to California this summer to become Nueva’s next head of school.

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New Head of School LEE FERTIG

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The Nueva community is excited to welcome new Head of School Lee Fertig, who moved to California this summer all the way from Brussels. Lee has led some of the best and most diverse public and independent schools in the United States, Africa, South America, and Europe. Director of Communications Antonia Ehlers Zoomed with him in June to ask him some questions during a Q&A. What are you most excited about as Nueva’s new head of school? I am very excited

LOYAL COM PANION Jem, one of two poodles in the Fertig family, telling Lee that work time is over. Lee has three dogs and enjoys going on long walks with them: Jem, “the gentle giant poodle,” Lucy “the boss poodle,” and Pudim, “the feisty old Westie.”

They also have a snowshoe cat named Katniss!

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about many things as I begin my transition to Nueva. First and foremost, I am thrilled to be the head of school at a place that genuinely embraces the very simple, yet powerful, ethos of “Learn by Doing, Learn by Caring.” It’s one thing for a school to claim this sentiment; it’s another to have a school clearly demonstrate this every day in a variety of powerful ways. I can already see that Nueva has tremendous integrity around this belief. The impressive amount of project-based learning, coupled with a very intentional approach to socialemotional learning, is quite evident. I truly look forward to being immersed in this type of learning environment.

Second, as a mission-driven leader, it is really important for me to be completely aligned with the overarching aim of the school I am leading. To support Nueva’s vision of “enabling gifted learners to make choices

that benefit the world” and to lead a community that “inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind,” is extremely compatible with my own leadership priorities. There is tremendous alignment and synergy between my personal vision of education and Nueva’s mission for its own learners.

Finally, and most important, I am intrigued, impressed, and energized by Nueva’s Mission II. Nueva’s emphasis on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion fits beautifully into this ambitious agenda. My own career experiences have focused on this broader-based mission, with an aim to bridge the complex nexus between school and society. How can I not be excited about becoming Nueva’s new head of school?

What are your thoughts regarding giftedness and your approach to teaching gifted children? Gifted

children require high levels

of differentiation and personalization, just as all students do, if not more so. In fact, the asynchronous and sometimes vulnerable nature of how gifted students learn really demands tremendous insight, nuance, and care on the part of teachers and others who work with them in an educational setting. At the same time, the incredibly high potential of what gifted learners can achieve and accomplish represents a phenomenal opportunity for Nueva as it empowers young people to truly shape the world in which they live.

What are some ways that you hope to strengthen bonds between our faculty and staff?

Working with all faculty and staff, and empowering them to do their best in service of a school’s mission, is one of my favorite parts of my job as head of school. Throughout my career, I have found that the majority of our faculty and staff members pour everything they have into their work. They, too, want to continue to learn, grow, and develop—just like the students in a school community. I like to provide faculty and staff with the autonomy to creatively think out of the box. I also strive to create conditions for high levels of professional collaboration. This, coupled with lots of social events and opportunities for less formal get-togethers, is a good recipe for sustaining high faculty and staff morale. In short, the old adage, “work hard, play hard,” can be a very successful

Nueva’s emphasis on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion fits beautifully approach when leading a talented and dedicated group of faculty and staff members.

Following the aftermath of COVID-19 and remote learning, what are some things that you are going to implement to help our community to “return to normal?” It’s important to

acknowledge the high probability that we might not be returning to the same “normal” that we left a few months ago.

Even assuming we begin the 2020–2021 school year in late August as we always do, we will have no choice but to accept the fact that some things will look, sound, and feel different to us. I will work very closely with the Nueva leadership team and the school’s board of trustees to be as proactive as possible in planning for the transition from remote learning back to our preferred choice of physically being on campus for the Nueva experience. I just want to make sure we harness all that we have learned about the educational process these past few months and apply these principles to our “Learn by Doing, Learn by Caring” motto.

You are going to be the head of a PreK–12 school. Why do you enjoy working with children of all ages? I love the

breadth of perspectives and the wide array of cross-age learning opportunities that come along with such a diverse population. What will be different for me at Nueva is the

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fact that its student population is on two different campuses.

The challenge, as most people know, is to ensure that the Nueva experience is sufficiently similar across the two campuses. Based on several initial conversations with current Mavericks, I already have some ideas about how to continue to develop a two-campus, one-Nueva culture.

into this ambitious agenda. My own career experiences have focused on this broader-based mission, with an aim to bridge the complex nexus between school and society.”

Can you tell us a little bit about you and your family?

Amy, my wife, is a remarkable educator who has taught high school English, psychology, and a specialized epistemology course within the IB Diploma program for many years. She is also a certified yoga therapist, working with individuals and groups who suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and more.

We have three children. Adam, 23, is a recent graduate of the Brown-RISD dual degree program. With undergraduate degrees in Modern Culture and Media and Furniture Design, he is exploring a wide range of job possibilities. Sam, 21, has one more year at Oberlin College, where he is majoring in computer science and minoring in political science and English. Brenna, 18, will begin her undergraduate studies at Grinnell College in the fall.

She is interested in a variety of subjects, most notably environmental studies, biology, and geography. Living in five countries together has led our nomadic family to become

FA MI LY Lee Fertig celebrating Father’s Day with his children: Sam, Brenna, and Adam. Lee and his family have enjoyed their time overseas, as he worked in schools in Ethiopia, Brazil, Spain, and Belgium.

“A lot of what my career has entailed has forced me to learn new languages, new cultures, and meet new groups of people,” Lee said. He described himself as being “extremely open” to new perspectives and new ways of doing things.

“I’ve built my career [around] allowing things to fester a little bit, letting people have their spirited debate, as long as it’s grounded in some norms and consensual agreements. It sounds cliché, but I really do believe in my heart that there is strength in diversity and diverse voices,” Lee said. “Hopefully the Nueva community will appreciate that.”

quite tight-knit. We enjoy spending time together listening to music, reading books, watching movies, traveling, speaking different languages, playing sports and games, walking our dogs, and enjoying meals with friends and our extended family.

As you prepare for your move to California this summer, what are your thoughts? I am

truly humbled and honored to have the privilege to lead one of the very best independent schools in the United States, one that increasingly is becoming a global leader in learning for gifted students and other best practices in education.

It is obvious that the people behind all of this make Nueva so special. Without exception, I have been inspired by everyone’s passion, dedication, intellect, ambition, and heart.

I cannot imagine anything more invigorating than to be fully immersed in this amazing ethos. I assure you of my commitment to honor the mission-based integrity that is already so evident within the community. [N]

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Violins Hope

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STORY BY R AC H E L F R E E M A N

PHOTO BY W I L LO W TAY LO R C. Y. ’21

of

MUSICIANS will often say that they can feel the stories of the instruments as they play. On Feb. 11, Middle and Upper School students had an opportunity to see, learn about, and hear the Violins of Hope, a collection of string instruments that survived the Holocaust and have been refurbished by father and son violin-makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein. This stop at Nueva was part of the collection’s first-ever visit to the West Coast, and five of the 51 instruments brought from Tel Aviv were brought to Nueva.

“We have been exploring the notion of music as a source of resistance, which we started during our MLK Week programming,” said Alegria Barclay, director of social justice and equity. “Simultaneously, I learned about the Violins of Hope, which aligns perfectly with our exploration.”

“Our violins represent the victory of the human spirit over evil and hatred,” the Weinsteins shared on their website. “As many as 6 million Jews were murdered in World War II, but their memory is not forgotten. It comes back to life with every concert and every act of love and celebration of the human spirit.”

The presentation was led by sisters Rebecca and Elizabeth Jackson, who shared the story of violinist and Holocaust survivor David Arben. They took Middle and Upper School students through David’s journey, from his

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childhood in Warsaw and his time in a Nazi camp to his immigration to America and his time in the Philadelphia Orchestra. For each chapter, Rebecca played a selection of music from the Western classical music tradition because, she said, “Arben grew up in that tradition.”

(Rebecca and Elizabeth gifted Nueva a copy of the biography of David Arben, written by Rebecca and her father, John.)

During the Q&A part of the presentation, many students asked insightful questions of Rebecca and Elizabeth. Eighth grader Sam P. asked, “Are there instances in which people come with their own violins to be repaired and they want to keep it?” To which Rebecca replied, “For this collection, all of the violins are donated or sold to Amnon and Avshalom. So, the owner has chosen to contribute to this collection.”

In response to a question from junior Willow Taylor C. Y. ’21

regarding the fragility of these violins, Rebecca answered, “I wouldn’t say they are more fragile than ones you’d pick up in a music shop. Every person, every instrument has a unique story, and these violins just have a story of significance that others may not.”

Following the presentation, a few Nueva violinists were invited to play one of these special violins.

Matthew S. ’21 reflected, “It was a great experience to get to play one of these violins. This violin has a deep resonance that makes it feel like I’m playing it during the time period it came from.”

The Violins of Hope presentation captured the importance of music, and how music has helped people remain hopeful during times of deep pain and sorrow.

For David, music is what got him through: “Music is life. Music is hope. Music is peace. I cannot ask for more.” [N]

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“ I was humbled by the fragile, scratched wood that holds the memory of the human capacity for resilience and the human capacity for heartbreak.”

O L I V I A BA R B E R, Upper School Science of Mind Teacher

A TEACHER’S PE RS PE CTI VE

“For 13 years, I was trained as a classical violinist.

When I was 17, I quit my classical training and dived into playing world folk music. Through studying folk music, I have learned how to feel into the hearts, souls, and histories of global humanity. This way of playing has taught me how to create and relate from my heart, not my head. ¶ As I picked up that klezmer violin, my heart began to race and my mind went blank.

The 20-plus year catalog of music escaped my mind and fingers. I was humbled by the fragile, scratched wood that holds the memory of the human capacity for resilience and the human capacity for heartbreak. I felt everything the Jewish musicians during the Holocaust poured into their music. Their love, their pain, their loss, their sorrow. ¶ Through holding that instrument I was able to transcend a history that I understood intellectually, and meet it on the most humanistic level— through feeling the love and suffering of the people.

Allowing my emotion to flow through the same conduit through which survivors offered their prayers and final farewell to friends and families helped me tap into a greater expanse of emotion than I have ever thought possible. ¶ I am so grateful for the opportunity to tap into this vein of history and for the people who have protected and restored the Violins of Hope. ¶ For recognizing that to truly understand and prevent the history of genocide from repeating itself, the depth of human suffering it causes must be felt.”

 To see more photos from this amazing event, go to: nuevaschool.org/violinsofhope

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L C A K B L I can speak only from my experience as a nonBlack educator, with the hope my identity cohort can take the time (but not too much time) to explore our own understandings of ourselves, to reckon with the shame and the guilt that arises, and the anger, and also the fear of doing it wrong, so we can stand up and, in service of our Black students and colleagues and community members, lend our voice, our strength, our support, our humility, to the promise that we will work behind them, alongside them, to make this beloved community, to ensure us all the right to breathe.”

L I Z A R AY N A L Middle School Division Head

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OUR NATION continues to reel in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May, which followed on the heels of the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and hundreds of others. In cities and communities across our country, people are speaking out against racism and standing up for their Black friends, family members, colleagues, and fellow citizens. We are witnessing an outpouring of grief, pain, anger, and despair— the very real manifestations of what Langston Hughes called “a dream deferred.” ¶ Like organizations all over the United States, we have been complicit in regards to issues of systemic oppression. We know that we have critical work to do. We are committed to being an antiracist organization—one in which we all develop a comprehensive understanding of how racism and oppression operate—and to dismantling racism within Nueva and in our larger community.

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We know that being in a school with diverse perspectives can increase the sophistication with which individuals approach ethical issues. Yet we also know that schools can perpetuate inequity as well, in many ways, both overtly and inadvertently. It is not enough to simply throw diverse groups of people together with the hope that the array of opinions and beliefs they hold will automatically lead to increased understanding and less marginalization. Such a transformation requires intention. ¶ As the Nueva community comes together to learn by doing and learn by caring at a time when so much of the world is finally waking up to the notion that Black lives matter, it’s important for us to structure our educational program and community in ways that actively and urgently combat racism and other forms of discrimination. Nueva takes pride in its ability to ambitiously design new modes of thinking and collaborating. Now is the time for Nueva to apply this same innovative spirit to anti-racist thought and action. What better way to transform individual lives and shape the future of society.”

E S V L E E F E R T I G, New Head of School

COMMUNITY MEMBERS WEIGH IN ON THEIR HOPES FOR NUEVA’S GROWTH AS AN ANTIRACIST ORGANIZATION

PHOTOS BY R AC H E L F R E E M A N , J E N N I F E R PA U L L , A N D W I L LO W TAY LO R C. Y. ’ 2 1

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SPEAKING UP! A powerful moment took place during the Class of 2020 graduation on Sunday, June 14 when student speaker Anjali Ramanathan ’20 shared this message: “It is important to me that we take the time to honor the Black children that were murdered by police before they arrived at the momentous occasion we’re celebrating today,” she said. “They didn’t get to have their names read at their high school graduations, so I’m going to spend a minute reading some of their names and ages at ours.”

She then read off the names of 20 Black children, noting that two of these children should have been graduating with the Class of 2020, and a third who was killed just after his high school graduation.

“Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7. Aiyana was born on July 20, 2002 — she would’ve been a senior this year.

Tamir Rice, 12. He was born on July 25, 2002. Tamir should have been graduating with us.

And Michael Brown, 18, who was murdered eight days after his high school graduation.

Black lives matter.”

v To read Anjali's complete speech, go to nuevaschool.org/voices

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↑ Thousands gathered in San Mateo on Wednesday, June 3 to peacefully march from San Mateo City Hall to the San Mateo Police Department in support of Black Lives Matter. Once the group reached its destination, people lay on the ground for three minutes of silence for the victims of police brutality.

Moving Forward Together Making Sure No One is Left Behind

Nueva is known for paving the way in so many aspects of education . . . Nueva can also be a maverick when it comes to social justice, equity, and inclusion.”

R A S H I DA B L A D E

S P R I N G / S U M M E R

2 0 2 0

Nueva is not a place I imagined my career taking me when fantasizing about where I wanted to rekindle my calling to education. But I realized early on, when I used to frequent the campus as a Middle School substitute teacher, how impactful my presence was. While I was internally debating if applying to work at Nueva was the right choice for me, the Black students I had developed relationships with would express how excited they were to see me on campus and how that could simply impact their day. Those conversations pushed me to figure out how I could become a part of this community.

While the reality of all the magnificent things that makes Nueva Nueva is obvious, there are still opportunities for us to be better and do more!

The word Sankofa (SANH-koh-fah)—which comes from the Akan tribe in Ghana—translates to, “It is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” As educators, I feel like we play an essential role in the lives of our students, especially in making sure no one feels “left behind.” The importance of instilling antiracism in children from a young age is something that hasn’t been practiced in many educational institutions. While teaching children that bullying is wrong and that celebrating the diversity within our nation is valuable, why isn’t it just as important that we be transparent in really planting an understanding of how racial differences can create negative ideologies? By not proactively and consistently acknowledging these injustices, what are we saying about the value of our Black students, Black faculty and staff, and Black community members?

Educators, doctors, and researchers constantly emphasize the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. We hear jingles about going online to first5California.com and using their resources to create curricula that enrich our kids, but could you imagine how much better things could be if we consistently addressed racism throughout a child’s education, starting from a young age?

Instead of finding excuses as to why we need to keep the cruelty of this world veiled, we should brainstorm and actually execute ways to frame conversations and lessons to guide them in a direction that will give them the historical foundation and confidence to speak up against racial injustices. Through these conversations we not only open up a trusted space for children to navigate these really tough topics, but we also have the opportunity to challenge ourselves, and hopefully end the cycle of silence that perpetuates violence. For many, ignoring the injustices of our world is definitely the easier choice, but what about those of us who don’t have the privilege of being able to ignore it?

Nueva is known for paving the way in so many aspects of education, from social-emotional learning to design thinking.

Nueva can also be a maverick when it comes to social justice, equity, and inclusion. It is our duty as educators and an institution. That is the Nueva I’m hoping for!

—Rashida Blade, kindergarten associate teacher

TALK TO YOUR KIDS Ahmaud Arbery.

George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor. Three more unarmed black people murdered, victims of racist acts by civilians and law enforcement officials alike.

Many well-meaning white parents have asked how they can teach their children this is wrong. Many start with the belief that kids should be taught to be colorblind, and that everything would be OK if only everyone abided by the Golden Rule.

I’m not an expert, but I do have plenty of experience in talking to my own kids about race. That’s why I know this line of thinking—teaching children that kindness will solve racism—is appealing, but wrong. Kindness did not end slavery, produce the gains of the civil rights movement, or result in the election of our first black president in 2008. Kindness will not fix the racial wealth gap in this country, nor is it a strategy for achieving gender and racial equity in hiring and compensation.

I’d love to see white parents with school-aged children talk to their kids about race by, first, starting to talk about their own realities. Start by acknowledging your own ignorance, and fully accept that you are afforded the luxury of this ignorance because of your skin color. Tell your kids that structural racism is not their fault, but they benefit from it in countless ways. Their movements through life—through neighborhoods and boardrooms, through interactions with store clerks and law enforcement— will be free of the burdens and tensions that black people must swallow and endure daily.

Even (perhaps especially) with younger children, have open, clear conversations about skin color. For example, you could say something like: “People have different color skin because people have different amounts of a chemical called melanin in their skin. The color of someone’s skin tells you nothing about what kind of person they are. Unfortunately, people with darker skin are often treated badly because of their skin color. That is very wrong and unfair. We believe all people should be treated equally and with respect, and we want you to stand up for those values, too.”

—Kareem Graham, Nueva parent ’25 Excerpt from “White parents, talk to your kids about race,” published on SFChronicle.com on June 9, 2020.

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Q+A

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

QUINCY ALSTON ’20

Student Council Equity & Inclusion Representative

What’s helpful to you as a student right now? As a student right now, what would be the most helpful is not speeches or statements but rather an actual commitment to foster spaces for Black students. While I am no longer a student, for my entire high school career I and most of the Black students were left to fend for ourselves without any support systems and had to reach out and create those spaces ourselves. I would probably want to see an actual support/affinity program that the administration facilitates (not meaning they participate in) for Black teachers and Black students to engage with each other.

↑ Freshmen Drew S. and Eliza S. and Upper School teacher Jo Newman are joined by their families and thousands of others on June 3 for San Mateo’s peaceful protest and march.

What conversations or support do you want from your peers, teachers, school?

I think that a real conversation needs to be had with the Black students to support them.

I think the administration needs to do a lot more asking Black students and faculty what they need and actually giving them what they need. I think a great start would be to extend these questions to the Black students and faculty that are still part of Nueva because I have graduated. I also think that it is not at all fair for incoming Black students to be unaware of [struggles] that Nueva continues to have . . . I certainly wish I had known.

What do you hope will happen next? I hope that our administration recognizes that you don’t have to look farther than the walls of the school to find racism. I hope that the administration decides to start addressing this racism with concrete actions . . . I hope the administration opts to convey how serious we are about antiracism through punishments because things like suspension can be reconciliatory . . . I hope in the future the administration does not [place the burden on] Black students to disclose information about racist incidents.

What are important conversations we need to be having right now? I actually think Nueva has a lot of conversations. I think the problem is [it doesn’t feel like anything is being] done about these conversations. Talking is really easy but for some reason we believe that antiracism is as simple as just having a bunch of conversations. We put the entire burden of social justice on one person and when of course that doesn’t fix the problems we throw our hands up . . . I think a great place to start might be not pretending like our problems don’t exist . . . Antiracism is not some sort of half commitment you can make by just having conversations. It is definitely not easy and it means making hard decisions to stand up for the safety of Black kids instead of always thinking about how we can save a white kid’s future from their own racism . . . [To be an antiracist organization, you can’t] both consistently prioritize the education and futures of racist students and call yourself antiracist.

Lastly, get rid of the IQ test. The test is proven to be subjective and really isn’t measuring the abstract idea that is intelligence or giftedness. The way we define giftedness on our website is so wildly abstract and can really be applied to most children.

A test that measures how fast you can arrange blocks and say strings of words backwards measures exactly how fast you can arrange blocks, not one’s proximity to any of these conditions.

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As a student right now, what would be the most helpful is not speeches or statements but rather an actual commitment to foster spaces for Black students.”

QUINCY ALSTON

Today, under the coronavirus shelter-at-home guidelines, I decided to pick a few of the gardenias growing in my front yard of 25 years. The gardenias are along the perimeter of the yard, so I was picking them from the sidewalk.

I realized, as a white couple approached my house along the same sidewalk, that my actions, as a Black person, could be interpreted as stealing the gardenias. I felt an immediate urge to demonstrate that I lived in the house. Without any provocation from the passersby, the very fact that I had that thought is troublesome, learned, and an example of the day-to-day African American experience.

Experiences like these happen to African American students, to African American teachers, and to African American parents in our carefully curated nest called Nueva. The microaggressions are so ingrained that perpetrators don’t even know when they happen.

And Black people either don’t want to make a scene for fear of being labeled “trouble,” “sensitive,” “angry” or are too tired to yet again start a lengthy discussion about something those with privilege cannot comprehend in just a few minutes. Imagine living with that kind of tension. Every. Single. Day. I understand if that seems unbelievable. It seems that way because African Americans have had centuries to learn behaviors that hide this pain, terror, and anguish in order to survive. We are really good at it, to the detriment of our health; many of our health issues are stress-related chronic illnesses. If we aren’t killed by hate, we are killed by the fear of hate.

—Hillary Freeman, 5th–12th grade dean of student life b Excerpted from “Every. Single.

Day.” To read the full article, go to nuevaschool.org/voices

Nueva Deepens Our Commitment to Counter Implicit Bias In February, I was part of a small team of Nueva representatives who attended Pollyanna, an anti-bias conference for schools that teach grades pre-kindergarten through eighth. Aimed at promoting community-wide growth, the day centered on three experiences: a keynote focused on offering a wealth of research and practical strategies for tackling implicit bias; an opportunity to work with and learn from other Bay Area school members; and time reflecting on one’s own community and planning for the future.

Jerry Kang, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law, kicked off the morning with an engaging message about how to counter implicit bias. He offered everyone in attendance five alliterative key points to capture his thinking: Deflate: Be humble. Have the awareness that we all have implicit bias and that it takes effort to change. It is natural to engage in what he described as “moral credentialing,” thinking that having the knowledge is curative and then assuming our personal discretion is more reliable.

De-bias: Countering bias involves societal change, and yet, in our classrooms, we have some particular power to reinforce one of Kang’s key points: you are what you see. What we see defines what it means to be normal. We can influence what our students see as the norm. We can present diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and actively break down stereotypes and misconceptions. We have the ability to share mirrors of our students as well as windows into other perspectives, cultures, and identities.

Decouple: Kang raised the importance of creating systems that constrain personal discretion.

This can involve building diverse teams that bring diverse perspectives, embracing structures and protocols that counter group-think, and seeking to identify assumptions and then actively working to disprove rather than confirm them.

Design: Kang shared that it is important to consider how bias might affect who we support and in what ways. He asked us to identify where we communicate high expectations and for whom. He recommended emphasizing malleability and resisting tracking, as well as sponsoring or mentoring others outside of our comfort zones.

Data: Kang recommended gathering “little data” by doing something as simple as listing the last five people we had lunch or dinner with and then looking for patterns. We can also apply big data, and gather broader information to analyze our practices; for example, what language do we use in talking with different genders, and how might bias affect discipline or who participates in class? Data collection is also key to measuring our own changes in behavior.

Over the afternoon, our school team reflected on Kang’s presentation, our cohort meetings with members in similar roles at other schools, and our experiences within our Nueva community. In this space, our parents and students shared personal stories of triumph, disappointment, strength, challenge, and support. Faculty, administrators, and trustees shared their efforts to shape policy, culture, and practice. Collectively, we highlighted areas for continued work tied to race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic diversity.

We celebrated that Nueva is further along than many schools and recognized the need for important ongoing work and growth.

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the day was the importance of being open and honest in this journey and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to promote learning and growth. As one Nueva participant summarized, “When you open up and share something [personal], you can [then] connect with someone else and start to build bridges. Then we can understand, ‘It’s not okay to treat me differently because of the assumptions you have about me.’”

This echoed Jerry Kang’s keynote message, which was hopeful even as he asked us to recognize both that implicit bias is part of the human condition and that it has substantial and sometimes frightening consequences. He reminded us that “there is great power in radical honesty about our own limitations.” Embracing this insight, we can be honest about where we can still grow, develop policies and practices to further promote equity and inclusion, and build bridges that deepen our sense of community.

—Taryn Grogan, director of admissions

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‘There is great power in radical honesty about our own limitations.’

Embracing this insight, we can be honest about where we can still grow, develop policies and practices to further promote equity and inclusion, and build bridges that deepen our sense of community.”

TA R Y N G R O GA N echoing and expanding on the message of keynote speaker Jerry Kang

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At Nueva, our charge is to help our students discover, pursue, and make real their dreams. We are beholden, as educators, to build a community where all can thrive. We cannot, then, stand by as the long-deferred dream of equality continues to be denied. This is the time to uphold all that we hold dear as individuals and a community. This is the time for both introspection and action, compassion and clarity, courage and conviction. This is the time that we model for our children, our community, and the nation at large what it means to engage in the soul-searching work of racial healing, to truly be a beloved community, and to embrace being brave and civil and kind and bold in our envisioning of a world inclusive of all of us.

A L E G R I A BA R CAY Equity & Social Justice Director

As educators, we have a powerful role in the crucial, long-term work of reckoning with our countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painful legacy, recognizing our own biases, and actively combating racism and oppression. Working with young children, we have the power to counter the narratives that have dominated the past. We have the power to help our children develop positive racial identities, to build early awareness of how to disrupt bias and recognize and reject systems of oppression, and inspire a strong commitment to collective responsibility and care. This must be a focus for our work together so we can help our students build a different future.

M E GA N T E R R A Lower School Division Head

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LEARN BY DOING LEARN BY CARING.

Nueva’s motto loops over and over in my mind because of the need for the world to do something. Nueva’s response to the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Movement was appropriate yet, as a Black man in the United States, felt inadequate. White institutions, while well meaning, too often do not take the step forward BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) yearn for and so direly need.

They look to BIPOC to speak up, lead conversations, and be champions of diversity when it’s emotionally and physically detrimental.

Learn by doing. What, exactly, are we doing? Don’t misunderstand, Nueva is one of the best educational institutions in the world.

Yes, the world. Why? Simple. Learn by doing, learn by caring. This phrase points to the true measure of an educational institution. To what extent are students critical about the world around them and feel empowered to enact positive change? When applying this measure specifically with the lens of social (in)justice, Nueva fails.

Time and time again. Why? Simple. Lack of institutional change.

We easily point out flaws in a science experiment, rhetoric, and joyfully comment on Dickens’ style and prose, but fail our students in helping them see institutional racism and empower them to apply their learning to create a future void of racist institutions. Moving forward, Nueva’s obligation as an educational institution is to enable, enact, and empower. Enable BIPOC community members to equitably enter our institution and promise their safety and uplift their voices. Enact mandatory antiracist hiring practices, professional development, and curriculum design. Empower students to enact positive change in the world and enable my future Black child to breathe without fear. Nueva owes this to me. And every other BIPOC community member past, present, and future.

—Davion Fleming, associate director of admissions and 9th-grade co-dean

S P R I N G / S U M M E R

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We See You. We Hear You. And We Are Taking Action.

At the start of June, the Nueva Board of Trustees and the school’s leadership team convened a task force to deepen our commitment to antiracism, equity, and inclusion.

Led by trustees Jody Sievers and Puja Kaul—and comprised of trustees, faculty, staff, parents, and students—this task force will constructively and ambitiously address manifestations of racism and marginalization within the Nueva community. The task force will focus on identified areas of growth in this domain through active listening and goal setting in conjunction with other Nuevans. By raising awareness, building trust, and ensuring collective accountability, the aim is to elevate Nueva to become a significantly more inclusive community.

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K

Katya Panchenko ’20 was elated when she learned that she was chosen to represent the United States at one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions: Prix de Lausanne 2020.

The exciting competition was held in Montreux, Switzerland in February. The majority of dancers applied via video submission, and were chosen by a jury of nine dance judges from around the world who evaluated 377 dancers from 44 countries.

“Growing up as a ballet dancer, I watched the international Prix de Lausanne competitions and it was my dream to participate one day,” Katya recounted. “Last fall, I worked with my ballet teacher, Inna Bayer, to prepare and record a video application. A month later, I received an email that I was accepted! I was so excited but also worried if I would be able to prepare in just three months while keeping up with my college applications and academic program at school.”

The week-long Prix de Lausanne event hosted 77 candidates from 27 countries.

The dancers took classical and contemporary classes for five days. Each dancer presented on stage one classical and one contemporary solo.

“The event was far more than just a competition—it was an opportunity to network with international ballet schools and companies,” Katya said. “I worked with incredibly experienced, world-renowned ballet teachers including Elizabeth Platel, the director of Paris

S P R I N G / S U M M E R

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← On a family vacation in Lisbon, Portugal, Katya’s mom, Yelena, snapped this photo during a mini photoshoot.

Opera Ballet School. I met and was inspired by talented young dancers from all over the world.”

Katya added that the experience also had a few challenges.

“I quickly had to adapt to new, unfamiliar dance styles, fight jet lag, and overcome nervousness and self-doubt about the performance,” she explained.

Katya has been dancing at the Bayer Ballet Academy in Mountain View since she was 4. She has pirouetted to the pre-professional level, which means dancing for at least three hours, five days a week.

are many performances and competitions.

“I am so grateful for the support I have received at Nueva—from my teachers offering tutoring hours and extending project deadlines to my classmates sharing their notes and taking time to explain concepts I missed,” Katya said. “This year was the most challenging for me because of the heavy ballet performance and competition schedule and college applications.”

Katya plans to attend UC Berkeley this fall, where she hopes to double major in computer science and molecular and cell biology with an

"

“ I quickly had to adapt to new, unfamiliar dance styles, fight jet lag, and overcome

Poınte En

nervousness and self-doubt about

the performance.”

Katya Panchenko ’20 Dances at Prix de Lausanne

“After school, I typically rush to the ballet studio and have class most days until around 9 p.m.,” she noted.

“I often squeeze in about an hour of homework before my classes, but finish most of my work once I get home, before school, or during lunch.”

Balancing pre-professional ballet training with high school academics has forced Katya to stay focused and manage her time efficiently.

In addition to her regular high school commitments, there

emphasis in neurobiology. She will continue to dance through college and hopes to one day pursue one of her greatest dreams—dancing in Europe.

“It would enable me to get a feel for the daily life of a professional ballerina,” she said. “It is a hard decision to choose between a professional ballet company and my passion for biology and engineering; they both fuel me intellectually and creatively. I am very excited to learn what the future will bring.” [N]

STORY BY ANTONIA EHLERS PHOTO BY YELENA PANCHENKO

 For more on Katya's ballet highlights, follow her on Instagram @katyaa.ballet

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#NUEVATOGETHER Nueva Steps Up to Support One Another and the Greater Community

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(1) Maya C. ’21 engages in remote learning from her home. (2) Fourth grader Eliya W. dons a homemade toga for her class’s School of Athens philosophy discussion. (3) I-Lab engineer Rob Zomber works in the I-Lab putting together mask-making kits. (4) Alyssa H. ’22 and her brother Andrew sew face masks.(5) Twin fifth graders Anjali and Natasha M. perform Beethoven’s “Contra Dance” as part of the virtual Menuhin-Dowling concert.(6) Paul Knight’s kindergarten class enjoys a Zoom gathering together. (7) Eighth grader Temilola S. holds up her graphic novel cell in her writing class.

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(8) Kindergartners Jude S. and Cyrus S. play a game of chess together via FaceTime.

(9) Parent Julie Choey and her son, eighth grader Mason, work together to sew face masks for the community. (10) Mandarin teacher Jamie Gao leads a spring break class for PreK–2nd grade students. (11) Andrew Alexander and Michaela Danek’s 10th-grade advisory meet during the first week of remote learning.

(12) First grader Macallister B. grins from ear to ear when his STEAM project is shared with the entire Lower School. (13) Amelia Marvit ’20 works to 3-D print face shield reinforcing clips. (14) Hannah D. ’23 performs an original song, “The Joker,” as part of Coffee(home), a virtual open-mic style event organized by Upper School students.

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Ask a student, teacher, or parent what makes Nueva so special, and more often than not, the answer you will hear is, “The community.” This community has demonstrated in big ways and little ways what it means to come together during a time of great need to support one another, as well as the greater community around us. >> 41

#NUEVATOGETHER

>> There

have been more than a dozen initiatives spearheaded by Nueva faculty, students, and parents—everything from making personal protective equipment and creating COVID-19 related art to hosting togetherness Zooms and fundraising.

Early on in San Mateo County’s shelter-in-place order, three members of the Nueva extended leadership team—I-Lab Director Angi Chau, Social Justice and Equity Director Alegria Barclay, and Director of the Innovative Teacher Program Allen Frost—began to talk about the ways Nueva students could get involved in COVID-19 support and outreach.

“There were students reaching out to the I-Lab, and the I-Lab team recognized that they had the tools and equipment needed to get to work on some of the community’s personal protective equipment (PPE) needs,” Alegria said. “While talking with Angi, we decided to join forces because not everyone may be interested in making, so we wanted to provide an opportunity for students with varying interests and skill sets.”

Echoing Alegria, Angi said, “When the three of us talked about ways we could get involved in the efforts to fight COVID-19, we all realized we were hearing from Upper School students who wanted to participate.”

So, on April 9, Angi, Alegria, and Allen hosted a Community Support Planning meeting for Upper School students. During the meeting, which was attended by 32 people, students and faculty discussed a number of ways they could help with these efforts.

“It’s so inspiring to see students and colleagues,” Allen said at the start of the Zoom meeting. “I am so moved to be part of the Nueva community during this time.”

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I-Lab and Maker Initiatives

Angi’s team oversaw efforts that utilized Nueva’s I-Lab resources and expertise. When she met with her team prior to the Community Support Planning meeting, she posed the question, “What can we do to give students a sense of agency in effecting change?”

Her team took off with answers to that question. George Jemmott, Upper School I-Lab engineer and machine shop manager, spearheaded an initiative to make face shield parts using 3D printers. He partnered with Maker Nexus, a nonprofit organization focused on maker education, which had put out a call to hospitals and determined there was great need for face shields. He coordinated with interested students and provided them with all of the materials needed to print parts.

The school also loaned out Nueva 3D printers to students who wanted to get involved but did not have a printer and to maximize the number of parts Nueva can produce.

The Nueva team focused on printing reinforcement clips. “This is a simple part to print and we were able to produce 100 to 150

REMOTE LEARNING PLAN

“Nueva’s approach to remote learning begins with the assertion that the learning experiences teachers design when school is in regular session cannot be simply replicated through remote learning...

Nueva deliberately uses the term remote learning rather than technology-specific labels such as ‘virtual learning,’ ‘e-learning,’ or ‘online classes.’

Rather than being tied to an electronic device for their learning, Nueva’s goal is for students to read, communicate, and engage in authentic learning experiences, while continuing to be physically active...

Accordingly, Nueva’s shift to remote learning begins with consideration of how we can intentionally align remote learning experiences with our mission and vision.”

TEACHERS LEARN BY DOING

Upper School Division Head Stephen Dunn said it best in an email he sent out to Upper School parents. “The Nueva faculty has been remarkable in so many ways, and especially for their hard work in turning their curriculum from rich project-based, handson classes into a remote, synchronous, asynchronous, and distinctly handsoff experience,” he said. “It is no easy feat to redesign your class on the fly.” ¶ Since Nueva announced the move to remote learning, Nueva teachers from prekindergarten through 12th grade have learned by doing, adapting their curricula and utilizing digital technologies to bring their classes into an online space.

parts each day,” George said.

“Maker Nexus volunteers printed the other key components of the face shield, but there was a bottleneck to completing each one because of the need for reinforcement clips. I am proud to have recognized this bottleneck so that we more effectively helped this effort.”

In total, Nueva students and faculty produced more than 5,000 reinforcement clips for face shields.

Senior Amelia Marvit and her freshman siblings, Huxley and Selina, joined George’s efforts early on.

“Before we started 3D printing PPE, we were all going more than a little bit stir-crazy in quarantine,” Amelia said. “While it made sense that we just had to stay inside, it seemed bizarre that the most helpful thing we could do in a pandemic was . . . nothing.

It’s so amazing to be able to contribute to the cause. We’ve all been in much better spirits knowing that we’re lending a hand in these unique times. And it’s really been such a team effort here, which is even more rewarding since we’ve been so isolated.

My siblings and I teamed up with Cevi Bainton to keep printers running almost around the clock (averaging around 20 hours per day). It’s kind of crazy to think that these tiny plastic pieces are making a real difference in people’s lives, especially because we don’t follow their journey much further than our front porch. I think I finally realized the impact of 3D printed PPE when George sent us the words of a New York ER doctor.”

Another effort spearheaded by a member of the I-Lab team was mask making. I-Lab engineer Rob Zomber worked tirelessly beginning in week 2 of shelter-in-place

to put together mask-making materials.

“The intent of this project at the beginning was different from what it has turned into,” he said. “Originally, students in my engineering and fabrication class wanted to get involved, so I thought I could get them some sewing machines and have this be part of our class. When students started sharing what they were doing, I began hearing from other students, as well as faculty members and parents.

It really snowballed and I ended were full of turmoil and uncerup with a list of 70 people who tainty. Sewing masks was my way sewed masks.” of reconciling the way I was feeling, Once the masks were comand the privilege I have, with my plete, Nueva volunteers either desire to help those less fortudonated them to people and nate. It was something concrete I organizations they knew were in could do, and thanks to Rob’s and need, or they sent them back to Alegria’s organization, something Rob, who coordinated donations I could trust would be received by for local organizations. those in need.”

“Rob and I aligned our efforts,” “I love seeing the completed Alegria shared. “I had been masks because usually when I sit working to support vulnerable down to sew, I’ll make 10-15 in one populations, and it became clear sitting,” sophomore Anya P. said. that they were in urgent need of “It’s definitely super rewarding to face masks.” see how many you’ve done Nueva students and and then start the process faculty members also all over. I’ve also enjoyed supplied masks to the teaching my brother how to Center for Farmworker sew. It’s really fun because Families, Xinampa, we get to hang out, listen to the Disability Justice mask-making kits assembled by Rob music, and sew.”

Culture Club, and the Zomber and a Not only did these Mid-Peninsula Boys and team of faculty volunteers mask-making efforts help a Girls Club. variety of people and organizations Sophomore Alyssa H. was in the community, they also proved involved with this effort sewing to be opportunities for families to masks. She said, “I decided to spend time together. get involved because I wanted “Since the beginning, Mason to help out in some way, and (eighth grade) was trying to figure the opportunity to sew masks out how to help, what he could do felt accessible and productive. or what we could do together as I was feeling this great disparity a family to help others during the between my own lived experipandemic,” said Nueva parent Julie ence sheltering at home and what Choey. “We’d heard that a friend I was seeing and hearing on the was making masks to donate to news, because where my life felt local hospitals to wear over N95 stagnant, I knew others’ lives

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← Faculty and staff participate in a friendly game of team trivia.

LOWER SCHOOL HUMANITIES

masks so that the masks can be used for longer. We were surprised that there was such a need for homemade face masks. We suddenly felt the urgency to make them quickly, set up an assembly line in our rec room, with my husband Mark and younger son Griffin measuring and cutting while Mason and I sewed on the machine, finished by hand, and ironed. We’d catch up on the day, listen to music or podcasts, watch TV or just work in silence.

The days on end sheltering at home have been tough but we’ve enjoyed the time as a family working on a project together.”

Christine Braun, Middle School I-Lab engineer and shop manager, printed face shields visors and assembled face shields kits for Xinampa farmworkers. She has organized a group of Middle School students eager to get involved in a variety of COVID-19 related efforts, including putting together the components of the face shields so that they were ready for distribution.

Freshman Clay M. worked on a completely different maker project, one that was also much needed in the community.

“I fermented ethanol, concentrated it, distilled it, and combined it with hydrogen peroxide, glycerol, and aloe gel to make hand sanitizer,” Clay said.

The fourth-grade team loved the challenge and innovation this new remote learning has offered. “It pushed me to think outside of the box (my computer screen!) and embrace the Nuevan concept of ‘learning by doing,’ which is quintessentially Nueva,” said teacher Sarah Merkt. ¶ One area of the curriculum that adapted well to this new space was incorporating the current-events project into morning meeting discussions.

These important SEL check-ins gave students space to talk about what was going on in the world, which connected well with the class’s current-events discussions. ¶ Sarah shared, “We had just finished a large unit studying various components of the Olympics.

Two students found an article about the postponement of the Olympics and, over Zoom, held a thoughtful discussion of the implications of holding the Olympics a year from now.” ¶ Said fourth grader Dixon F., “It was fun to share information and news about the world, but it was also a bit hard to tell people that the biggest worldwide sports event of the year is canceled.”

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SI XT H- G R A D E PH YS IC S

Remote learning poses a particularly big challenge with courses that are most hands-on and typically utilize many materials. ¶ Teachers in science, art, engineering, and design adapted by reimagining their hands-on experiences in an online space. ¶ Middle School science teacher Dalton Lobo Dias incorporated a variety of online tools to help his students understand advanced concepts. If you stepped into one of his Zoom classes in late March, you would have seen Dalton showing students his handcranked generator while simultaneously showing a simulation of the underlying physics of what he was doing. This was part of the wrapup of a unit on electromagnetism. ¶ Throughout Dalton’s lesson planning, he kept top of mind the question, “How can I engage, assess, and frequently check in with my students?” He found that his students loved quiz games, and so he incorporated a number of these games into his class using sites such as Kahoot, Padlet, and Quizlet. ¶ Dalton added, “The amount of time the administration dedicated to helping teachers learn to use and to teach with these online tools was so great.

They carved out time and space for teachers to learn and meet and get caught up with technology.”

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Using a five-gallon bucket secured with an airtight lid and an S trap airlock, sugar, wash, and yeast, Clay was able to successfully make a one-liter batch of hand sanitizer.

The key to effective hand sanitizer is making sure the ethanal is above 60 percent of the total solution.

Clay added, “To test that the hand sanitizer truly works, we grew bacteria in petri dishes and once we had visible colonies, we applied some of the hand sanitizer to the dish and viewed it under a microscope to make sure the pathogens were dead.”

After successfully testing his process, Clay was able to ramp up his operation to be able to have two to three batches of ethanol concentrating and distilling at the same time, so that he can produce three liters of hand sanitizer a week. The finished products will be donated to LifeMoves, an organization that provides temporary housing for the homeless population.

“I saw an opportunity to make a difference and help communities during this time, and I’m able to leverage my knowledge and experience in chemistry to make an impact,” Clay said.

Documentation of the Pandemic

“I was thinking about how we can give students a creative outlet for their own feelings and responses,” Allen said. “One of the things that Alegria and I teach in our senior seminar, Rage, Romance, and Resilience: A Cultural History of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, is the importance of documenting and recording what people are feeling.”

Students recorded oral histories; photographed empty streets, boarded up business, and social distancing signage; wrote poetry and short stories; and created art related to the pandemic. Jennifer Paull, director of the Writing and

M A G A Z I N E

Research Center, collected and posted Quarantine Diaries of members of our community, “to share and archive what people have created during the shelter-in-place,” she said.

“Creative expressions can be just as sustaining and empowering as things that ‘look like activism,’ and can oftentimes suit students’ skill sets more,” Allen added.

Supporting One Another

Nueva parents have always supported the school and its faculty and staff. That has rung true now more than ever, as they came together to raise critical funds and to share their appreciations.

The NPA site said, “The Digital Appreciations Project provides an easy way for students and parents to share digital appreciations with Nueva faculty and staff. Notes, artwork, photos, quick videos, and other appreciations are submitted through Google forms and collected in a Google Drive folder which is shared with the recipient. This will provide a digital collection of expressions of gratitude for the recipient to keep.”

This act of kindness has had a lasting impact on both faculty and staff.

“The impetus for these initiatives was wanting people to know they are so appreciated and to make people feel loved,” said NPA Co-president Eileen Horng. “There are so many things that Nueva is doing for the outside community, and the NPA wanted to make sure that those in our own community receive some of that love.”

Upper School Spanish teacher Jo Newman said, “It was lovely in the busyness of the day to read an appreciation that makes everything that I’m doing seem even more meaningful.”

The NPA also gave each faculty and staff member a gift card to

further show their appreciation, using funds that would have otherwise gone to spring events.

“We used funds that would have been unused otherwise and thought this was the perfect way to use those funds to show our appreciation for the faculty and staff who made a Herculean effort to pivot to remote learning,” Eileen said.

Another area of parent-driven support was the Nueva Faculty and Staff Support Fund, which has provided needed funds for faculty and staff to weather the storm of financial hardships they have encountered.

“Many of you have asked how you can provide additional support in light of the new circumstances faculty and staff are facing because of these changes,” Head of School Diane Rosenberg wrote to the community on April 1. “Seeded by the generosity of several community members, we are establishing a special fund to help faculty and staff with the expenses resulting from this transition.”

In the six-day campaign, parents demonstrated what Nueva means to them by donating more than $240,000 to the fund. “We have a number of faculty and staff whose spouses have been laid off,” Diane said. “Rather than having two incomes, they now have one. This fund has helped with ongoing help with expenses like food and rent. It has also helped provide WiFi upgrades to support teaching and learning.”

Students also stepped up to spread joy and appreciation, through the Student Council (StuCo) philanthropic effort Appreciations for Nueva.

“To bring together our community in this new remote-learning world, we invite students and

UPPER SCHOOL CREATURE COMFORTS

↑ The Upper School yearbook staff gives each other virtual high-fives for completing the 2019–2020 yearbook.

teachers to share any appreciations for Nueva that they may have for the school under the new circumstances,” StuCo leaders Colin C., Anton P., and Camille C., wrote in an email on March 25.

For every student submission, StuCo donated $3 to Second Harvest Food Bank. Their goal was to donate $500 and they were able to meet this goal.

Middle School students also worked with Lower School Division Head Megan Terra and Middle School Division Head Liza Raynal to create a Lower School/Middle School buddy program. Middle School students paired up with Lower School students to offer them social time with a Nueva peer.

The Upper School Kindness Club members, led by senior Maya Malavasi and junior Gavi G., make it their mission to spread joy and kindness in the Nueva community, and they wanted to keep the spirit alive even if they couldn’t physically meet as a club.

“Most of our traditional projects—such as Appreciation Flooding, lollipops, and the Wall

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of Appreciation—are difficult to implement remotely, so Gavi and I discussed ways that we could continue to brighten people’s days,” Maya said. The Weekly Fluff newsletters [we send every week] were the product of those discussions!”

The Weekly Fluff email, sent to all Upper School students, included a section about ongoing projects the club was leading—the collection of small wonderful things and appreciation flooding—as well as Wonderful Happenings and a Calendar. (See green sidebar below for examples.)

Through this project, “we also wanted to make sure that we still realize and appreciate that we are a community, to combat the social isolation that many of us may be feeling,” Maya added. “Having a THE WEEKLY FLUFF WONDERFUL H A P P E N I N G S SUBMISSIONS : • R ob and the rest of the I-Lab team making and providing kits to help us make masks for PPE! Now THAT’s community!

• I ran over 12 miles for the first time.

• I worked really hard on a drawing and I think it looks really good!

• I played Scrabble with my dad and our combined score broke 600 points.

Students in Rob Zomber’s design thinking and engineering course, Creature Comforts, exemplified what it means to be Nueva students: flexible and open to anything. ¶ The class tasks students with working with Conversation Ambassadors to learn the needs of the animals and animal keepers and then building homes for specific animals. So, given the shelterin-place, students had to come up with creative ideas for moving forward. ¶ “I had a heart-to-heart talk with them,” Rob said. “Every student shared that this is something they want to do fully. We’re going to keep going, and as soon as we can do the install, we’re going to do it.” ¶ In the meantime, students came up with the idea to create enrichment activities for the animals. They researched a variety of enrichment activities and created CAD drawings before bringing them to life. ¶ “The zookeepers were stoked because they were under the impression that this was going to become a theoretical project,” Rob said.

“They loved that the students were so into this. The students feel connected to the animals and have their hearts set on making the animals happy.” ¶ “After these last few weeks, I realized that it is very possible to do these things at home despite the various difficulties, and am excited to see what this class will be like in the future,” said junior Aidan P. “Although I was looking forward to getting to know the I-Lab this year, I now know that I will still be able to learn a ton of stuff about designing and building things from home.”

“ Having a weekly uplifting email sent out to the whole Upper School helps everyone feel connected to each other as we imagine sharing the same laughs and smiles with our friends, no matter where they might be.”

M AYA M A L AVA S I ’ 20 Upper School Kindness Club

weekly uplifting email sent out to the whole Upper School helped everyone feel connected to each other as we imagine sharing the same laughs and smiles with our friends, no matter where they might be.”

Faculty and staff also connected with one another during this time, through the creation of the Togetherness Committee. Led

by Alegria, Allen, Joy Gao, Nicole Miller, Jim Morrison, Jen Paull, and Elizabeth Rossini, this committee organized a variety of events, activities, and connections to help bring colleagues together.

“We met early and brainstormed ideas for connection,” Allen said.

“We were mindful of the fact that for many faculty and staff, their social circles revolve around the people they work with. We wanted to give people a way to continue to be social.”

Activities and events organized

by Togetherness Committee included letter writing, a happy hour cantina (“Bob and Diane came in costume,” Allen said. “It was amazing!”), a spring break zoom

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← To keep his Upper School students guessing, I-Lab engineer and Quest co-director John Feland dressed up in a new costume for every day of remote learning. He said, “What started as just wearing silly hats with fun backgrounds has turned into a daily challenge as I set out to have a different costume for the rest of the year. The goal is to show students you can be remote and still have fun!”

hour around the theme of “campfire stories,” and a trivia night.

Community Partnerships

When Middle School students met with Christine on April 29, they brainstormed ways they could help support the community. Out of that meeting came the idea to support seniors in the community through the creation of fun, entertaining videos. They explored fundraising opportunities to purchase PPE for the homeless population in San Francisco.

“In 20 minutes we’ve covered an awful lot of ground,” Christine said to close the meeting. “That was amazing.”

“Not everyone is as fortunate as we are, and they are not able to stop working for long periods of time,” eighth grader Olivia C. said.

“I want to help try to keep people safe, because lowering the COVID19 count will help everyone get back to work.”

Sophomore Humza R. led efforts to raise critical funds for restaurants in his neighborhood. Humza decided in mid-April to gather some of his Palo Alto-area friends to raise money for two local restaurants: Kirk’s Steakburgers and Sancho’s Taqueria.

“We organized this fundraiser as part of our organization, HERO Swim, which we started three years ago,” Humza shared. “We host a swim-athon fundraiser every fall to raise money for different causes around the world, but we felt like this was a really important time to help out those in need, which is why we put this effort together.”

Sophomore Matthew S. spent the spring organizing Nueva benefit concerts, which he hopes to bring to the Nueva community this summer.

“It’s difficult to maintain normalcy in our lives in these unpredictable times, but playing and

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M A G A Z I N E

To see more photos of John’s daily costumes, visit @costzooms on Instagram.

enjoying music is a constant no matter the time, place, or circumstance,” he wrote to the community. “That’s why I’m asking all musically inclined members of the Nueva community to record a video of themselves playing or singing a piece of music. It can be any length, any genre, and any instrument; as long as that piece of music is meaningful to you in some way, I’d love for you to record it.”

Matthew plans to compile the videos he collects and livestream them as benefit concerts in order to raise funds for those most impacted by COVID-19.

“I wanted to find a way to use music to strengthen our interpersonal relationships and feel connected as a community even while we are physically separate, and I wanted to help raise funds for those who are put in the most jeopardy by this pandemic. This benefit concert project is my way of bringing those two objectives together into one project,” he said.

The NPA also supported the greater community, through a fundraising effort titled “Protecting Our Front Lines Project.” Through monetary donations, the NPA was able to purchase 10,800 surgical masks, 332 N95 masks, 230,000 pairs of nitrile gloves, 60 face shields, 1,650 gowns, and 400 caps for California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), Kaiser San Jose, Mills-Peninsula Hospital, Seton Medical Center, and Stanford Hospital.

After receiving a donation of PPE, a director of one of these hospitals wrote, “I just wanted to thank you all for your heartwarming support. These have been challenging times for us all. But you all have given me new hope, and my heart brims with joy knowing that we have a community that cares. We appreciate you all. I am crying tears of joy.” [N]

 See page 53 for how alumni have supported the Class of 2020.

 Are you doing something to support the Nueva community or greater community?

We’d love to hear from you! Email communications@ nuevaschool.org with your story.

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P H O T O BY T I M O T H Y K U R AT E K/ C B S P H O T O G R A P H Y

From a middle school obsession to claiming the Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X season 33 crown in 2016, alumnus Adam Klein â&#x20AC;&#x2122;05 returned to the revolutionary reality competition in February 2020 to compete in a battle against all former winners. As Winners at War season 40 aired, Adam was a frequent visitor to the Nueva campus, where he had the opportunity to connect with another megafan in eighthgrader Sam B. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;24.

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SURVI V O R W I N N E R

Adam Klein ’05 For 40 seasons, Survivor has entertained audiences with its gameplay, witty competitors, and unexpected plot twists.

Nueva alumnus and Survivor winner Adam Klein ’05 recently participated in its latest season, Winners at War. Last summer, as the unanimous winner of Millennials vs. Gen X, Adam headed to Fiji to compete in an epic battle between all past winners.

Winning Survivor in 2016 was the culmination of Adam’s childhood dreams and one that he was able to share with his mom shortly before her passing.

To celebrate the launch of the new season, which began airing in February, Nueva welcomed more than 150 alumni, parents of alumni, Adam’s friends and family, and even a pair of former contestants to the Upper School on February 12 for a premier party. Adam’s quick wit was immediately on display, as he rebounded from being an early target to be voted off. During commercial breaks, he offered anecdotes about that unnerving first night with his tribe and fielded questions about the show to the delight of all in attendance.

Back on the Hillsborough campus, megafan and show aficionado eighth grader Sam B.’s enthusiasm was barely containable, as his favorite contestant would be competing again. On February 25, the show veteran and the future hopeful competitor met to discuss all things Nueva, and, of course, Survivor.

They discussed gameplay and strategy, and Sam’s lifelong goal of competing on the show. Adam also surprised Sam with his own Winners at War buff (see sidebar for Q&A).

Adam’s second run on the show ultimately concluded in episode nine, as he was the 11th person to hear, “The tribe has spoken,” and was voted out of the competition. Following his elimination from the game, he was sent to the Edge of Extinction, where contestants who are voted out are taken to a desolate, abandoned beach with hopes of winning a competition and returning to the game. During his time on the Edge of Extinction, Adam had a tearful reunion with his father. “I needed my dad to be here to get some sense of closure for my mom’s passing,” Adam said during episode 10. “Him being able to come here, it made everything OK.”—Diana A. Chamorro ← During their February meeting, alumnus Adam Klein ’05 recounted Nueva traditions that still occur today with eighth grader Sam B.

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S U R V I V O R Q+A Survivor superfan Sam B. ’24 asks Adam Klein ’05 about gameplay and strategy

SAM: I understand your love of Survivor started as a Nueva middle schooler. Can you share how you got into the show?

ADAM: The show started when I was 9 and I was in the third grade. By the second season, I made a fantasy league with my family. When I got to Nueva in sixth grade, it had already been on for a couple years and it was still getting better. Then Pearl Islands was the season when I was in seventh grade and it was massive! Were you even alive when it aired?

S: Well, I watched it in preparation for season 40 and it’s my secondfavorite season ever.

A: What’s your top?

S: Cambodia!

A: My top two are Cagayan and Pearl Islands.

S: Did any lessons or experiences you had at Nueva help you better strategize and compete on the show?

A: Yes, because the person I am today is because of Nueva. I really believe that. When I was in the fifth grade, I got in trouble a lot for just being too much. My mom would always tell me, “You need an off button.” I had so much energy, and I didn’t know how to manage it.

S: I can relate.

A: I see a lot of myself in you for sure. I started to realize as I was entering the sixth grade that I needed to change a little bit. The world wasn’t going to change for me and I needed to start to think from the perspective of other people. I realized I needed to adjust how I was behaving, dependent on the reactions of the people around me—social awareness. That is what

that is, and I used to operate at my own speed. It was at Nueva where I learned to adjust, to operate at the speed of the person I am interacting with. More than anything, I learned at Nueva how to be a social human, and it was a perfect place to learn because everyone accepted people for all of their quirks. It was the perfect place for me to be comfortable in who I was, but also start to figure out how to be better socially and that’s how you win Survivor.

Do they still have a student council? Did you know that I started it? I created the student council (StuCo) for Nueva Middle School.

S: Were you president?

A: I was the first-ever president.

S: I was on StuCo in fifth grade and in seventh grade, but in first grade, I had a very similar experience. Did you have buddies?

A: With the Lower School?

I think so.

S: My buddy was in eighth grade and told me about student council. This was right after Obama got reelected and I was fresh into politics.

A: Fresh into politics, and you were what, 5 years old? This is so Nueva!

S: I made a monthly presidential election, where there were three parties: the Art Party, the Sports Party, and the Math Party. People would run with a vice president, and we set up a whole voting booth outside. It was pre-Survivor, obviously, but it was similar to you. Our stories are so similar—hopefully I can win (Survivor) too!

A: That’s so cool and to hear student council still exists. That’s my legacy at Nueva!

A L U M N I

ALUMNI (VIRTUAL) REUNION More than 100 alumni and their parents virtually returned home for 2020 Alumni Reunion on June 6. The event reconnected alumni and parents, spanning Classes of 1976 to 2019, who Zoomed with one another and faculty members, and celebrated and paid tribute to Diane Rosenberg.

T R I B U T E

 To view more photos from this virtual event, go to: tinyurl.com/ nuevareunion2020

9,900,400* M I N UT ES

HOW DO YOU MEASU RE ,

MEASURE 19 YEARS?

in MEETINGS, in GREETINGS, in EMAILS, in PARENT COFFEES, in VISIONS, in SMILES, in LESSONS IN LIFE, HOW ABOUT LOVE?

ME AS UR E IN LOV E

SEASONS

O F LO VE ← 2020 Alumni Reunion was reimagined into a joyous virtual homecoming for generations of alumni and parents of alumni, and celebration of Diane Rosenberg.

Here are just a few of the participants. → Alumni singing their musical tribute to Diane

S TAY C O N N E C T E D ! F O L LOW N U E VA O N L I N E … instagram @nuevaalumni

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facebook @nuevaalumniassociation

Diane Rosenberg has been Nueva’s head of school for 19 years. Translated into minutes, that would be 9,900,400 minutes. To celebrate Diane’s tenure and everything she has meant to our school, Nueva students and alumni—spanning 16 years—came together to sing about her many seasons of love, under the direction of musical theatre director and parent of alumni Lisa Share-Sapolsky.

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Q U O T E D

S AV E T H E DAT E

“ Your journey will take you both near and far to learn, explore, and be the change-makers to help make the world a better place. While you may not physically be on campus come the fall, Nueva is always with you—it is, and always will be a place you can call home.”

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION welcomed the 92 MEMBERS of the CLASS OF 2020 into the alumni association with an official class pin, pennant, and laundry bag to showcase their Nueva pride in their dorm rooms and beyond.

#NuevaNosh* While this past year has seen us transition from in-person get-togethers to digital meet-ups, the connection Nueva alumni have with one another and their former teachers transcends space and time. Prior to sheltering in place, alumni reunited to #NuevaNosh over a meal or coffee across the country.

We look forward to treating you and your fellow classmates at future get-togethers, when it is safe to do so! To qualify, take a picture of all alumni at your event, and send it along with a short personal update and a copy of your restaurant receipt to the Alumni Office. We will mail you the reimbursement for the meal, and post your picture on social media! *Please note, reimbursements are $50 maximum and are for food items and non-alcoholic beverages purchased for Nueva alumni only. Limit one submission per person per year.

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2021 Alumni Reunion A celebration for all alumni and parents of alumni

S AT U R DAY

JUNE 5, 2021

Hillsborough Campus Class of

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Inducted into alumni association and received some cool Nueva swag.

(1) Class of 2017 alumnae (l-r) Swetha Tummala, Jill Mankoff, and Kathryn Swint had a Nueva reunion in Copley Square in Boston. (2) Upper School grads (l-r) Xander Hughes ’18, Laurel Rodriguez Mitton ’19, Zach Chroman ’18, and Effie Theodosopoulos ’18 enjoyed grabbing Greek food in Santa Cruz in January 2020.(3) Class of 2007 alumni enjoyed catching up and reminiscing about their time as Nueva students over pizza in fall 2019. Pictured(l-r) Rosslee Mamis, Spencer Corpuz, Alex Bhasavanich, Nathan Sklar and Chris Addiego.

10:30 a.m.–12 noon Alumni Coed Soccer Game 4:30–7 p.m.

Reunion Celebration

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Alumni Luncheon Nueva alumni go out into the world ready to make a difference and accept exciting challenges—but there’s nothing like coming home. On Jan. 8, more than 30 recent graduates visited the Upper School campus to reminisce about the good old days and catch up on their current lives.

“Attending Nueva was incredible,” said Jess Karan ’17, who is enrolled in a liberal arts program at Kenyon College in Ohio. “I had amazing teachers and an experiential learning experience. I needed a nontraditional environment, and I had that at Nueva.”

Jess enjoyed catching up with Leo Ikle-Maizlish ’19, who is enjoying college life at Tufts University. He has particularly fond memories of Lee Holtzman’s Philosophy of Consciousness class and Claire Yeo’s English classes.

Brothers Yoni ’17 and Osher Lerner ’19 were in the mix, mingling with old friends enjoying the catered luncheon.

“This is a blast from the past,” said Osher, a student at UC Berkeley. “It’s great to be here during Intersession because it’s such a fun week.”

Yoni is studying computer science at Stanford University. He said Jen Selby’s Advanced Programming class prepared him extremely well for his university classes. In fact, he teaches computer science skills to 10 to 15 Stanford students every week as a section leader.

“The bond Nueva alumni share is incredibly special,” said Director of Alumni Diana Chamorro. “Many refer to their time as students here as the most transformational educational experience of their lives. While they no longer are current students, their relationship with Nueva does not end at graduation—this is a lifelong community and home for them. It was very exciting to have a great turnout from our young alumni at the luncheon. It was wonderful to hear where their post-Nueva journeys have taken them, how connected they remain to their former classmates and teachers, and how much they miss their school.”

—Antonia Ehlers

ALUMNI WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Stay connected with Nueva at nuevaschool.org/alumni

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(1) During Intersession, Upper School graduates joined former teachers, classmates, and Diane Rosenberg for a luncheon on Jan. 8. (2) Alumni were all smiles posing with former teachers at the get together (l-r): Avery Cowan ’17, Matthew Salah ’17, Yoni Lerner ’17, Osher Lerner ’19, Upper School physics teacher Mark Hurwitz, Emily Steirman ’18, Assistant Director of Environmental Citizenship and alumnus Aron Walker ’99, Natalie Gould ’17, and Zach Chroman ’18.

(3) Class of 2019 grads enthusiastically shared personal updates and reminisced about their time on the San Mateo campus (l-r, clockwise): Julienne Ho, Leo Ikle-Maizlish, Laurel Rodriguez Mitton, Upper School economics teacher Patrick Berger (center), Eric Jung (back), Max Dillon (middle), Arun Johnson (front) (4) Alumna and faculty member, Lee Holtzman ’00, caught up with former students Jennifer Lange ’19 and Jessa Mellea ’18. (5) Alumnus Xander Hughes ’18 and Upper School English teacher Jamie Biondi spent time reconnecting at the January luncheon.

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↑ MIXED C O M P A N Y

With a mix of up-tempo harmonies and choreography, Yale’s a cappella group Mixed Company delighted lower and middle schoolers in the GCC. This last stop of the group’s winter tour was particularly special, as Nueva alumna Kira Sze ’12 is a soprano in the 17-member group. A junior cognitive science major, Kira welcomed the excited students to the assembly and shared anecdotes of being a student on the Hillsborough campus. Following the performance, she spent time reconnecting with her former teachers and Head of School Diane Rosenberg.

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7,000 Peace Corps volunteers around the world

were evacuated from their sites in March 2020.

A Calling to Serve

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By age 5, Tatyana Ray ’06 was already immersing herself in intercultural inquiry, sparking an interest that would eventually guide her life’s work and bring her to Ecuador as part of the Peace Corps.

She credits this early interest and passion to her Nueva education, explaining, “Nueva had a direct influence on my global awareness, beginning as early as PreK. We did a lot of intercultural learning. For me, that was the start of my formalized awareness of other lived realities.”

This awareness was also deeply personal, as her father is African American and her mother is an Indian immigrant.

Being multiracial, but not speaking Punjabi, her mother’s native tongue, she hoped the opportunity to serve abroad could provide a collaborative space of cultural exchange that allowed for a deepening of her maternal roots.

“I have always felt a calling toward making our world more just and equitable,” she said.

Tatyana’s experiences as a woman of color are inextricably bound in advocacy work. The Peace Corps offered her an ability to directly engage with frameworks she was exposed to throughout her schooling.

After high school, Tatyana enrolled at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and studied cultural anthropology—a discipline that affirmed her desire to physically and ideologically transcend the lenses through which she viewed the world. To further her studies, she transferred to the University of Arizona, where she conducted research and fieldwork.

“I traveled with my professor and a small cohort of students to South Africa and eSwatini [formerly known as Swaziland],” Tatyana noted. “This particular trip had a very big impact on me. My professor was a post-aparthied Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa.”

In August 2017, Tatyana was accepted into the Peace Corps, and was among the early application cycles that could rank location and service preference.

“I ended up picking a food security program in Nepal,” Tatyana recounted. “It is just north of India and Nepali (the native language) is somewhat similar to Hindi. I had this grand vision that the Peace Corps would be an amazing way to connect with my roots.”

With her excitement building to serve in Nepal, an unexpected road block presented itself.

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During her time in Ecuador, Tatyana Ray ’06 supported multiple local organizations, including Fútbol Más, where her work intersected play with educating youth on gender paradigms.

“I was accepted into the Peace Corps in August 2017 and was expected to depart in early 2018 [to Nepal], but missed the deadline for departure because the clearance process wasn’t done,” she remembered. “Unfortunately, medical and legal clearances can take longer than expected.”

Since going to Nepal was no longer an option, Tatyana entered a waiting pool to determine which location still needed volunteers and in April 2018, she received her assignment— Ecuador. Tatyana was one of 40-plus Americans headed to the South American nation, where she spent nearly the next two years living in the coastal province of Guayas.

“The Peace Corps has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but also one of the best in so many ways,” she said.

Tatyana’s work targets specific needs defined by the area and population, in collaboration with local partner organizations. The goal is to create programs or initiatives that are sustainable well beyond her or fellow Peace Corps volunteers’ time there.

“We are not coming in and implementing programs for two years and then leaving, or coming in and giving standalone lectures that are difficult for people to engage in,” she said.

“The idea is we are capacity building. In my sector, we are developing skills with youth or families, only if they are applicable to their self-expressed needs.”

During her time in Ecuador, Tatyana worked with three organizations, including Fútbol Más, an international NGO. They use sports as a vehicle for local youth to build community and social inclusion. As she became more immersed in the Ecuadorian culture, she witnessed how prominent gender roles are, and how children’s education can be eroded.

“There’s sometimes a tension between being in school and performing informal labor to supplement insufficient familial income,” she explained. “So, then these inversion roles can develop, such as children performing adult duties in the house, and/or an economic function outside of it.”

Ideas about how human beings “should behave”— roles in the community and professions—are deeply gendered as well. “With my partner organization, Fútbol Más, we used games, paired with dialogue and activities to help dispel gendered paradigms,” Tatyana said.

One activity she recounted focused on having cones with names of varying professions hidden underneath. The children each randomly chose a cone to stand next to, and the profession is revealed. Tatyana and her colleagues engaged

A L U M N I

GREETINGS, NUEVA ALUMNI!

“ The Peace Corps has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but also one of the best in so many ways.”

Since joining Nueva in fall 2019, I have had the pleasure of learning how deeply passionate our 2,000-plus alumni are about this school. It has been a pleasure to meet many of you at events, visits to campus, or virtually, and to hear how transformative Nueva was and continues to be in your life.

As Nueva alumni, you are the school’s greatest legacy, and we welcome you home to the Hillsborough and San Mateo campuses any time.

The Nueva School Alumni Association (NSAA) looks forward to serving, supporting, and engaging its robust global community with events, networking and mentoring programs, and opportunities to get more involved.

I encourage all alumni who are interested in supporting the NSAA to contact me to learn more!

youth when they heard negative comments if certain professions weren’t aligned with perceptions of gender.

“We heard, ‘Oh she has bad luck, she can’t ever be president,’” Tatyana noted. “Using a moment like that to unpack our personal and societal prejudices is so important.

The activity with cones was an important way to address Diana A. Chamorro gender stereotypes. It was a small way to start undoing Director of Alumni, Parents of Alumni, and Grandparents gender [bias] training that happens at an early age.” dchamorro@nuevaschool.org For Tatayana, building a deep connection with the 650.350.4562 community has been the most fulfilling, and her own TAT YA N A R AY ’ 06 identity, as a multiracial woman, has been a natural bridge to connect with the Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous populations, too.

“It has been really helpful for them to learn about my identity as a Alumni Jump into Action woman of color from the United States, the assumption about many Graduates spanning more than a decade support Class of 2020 Americans is that I would be a white, tall, blonde, thin, blue-eyed, Whether together on campus or spanning the globe, Nueva person,” she explained. “So, for some, my unexpected identity can alumni share a unique and tight knit communal bond. That concreate obstacles and questions. But, it is also is a really wonderful way nectedness was most recently demonstrated by an outpouring to connect.” of support for the Class of 2020. Due to travel restrictions from While the emotional connection and physicality of service can be the unprecedented events of COVID-19, the senior class had to navigate their college decisions without the opportunity to make taxing, she credits the experience as an incredible opportunity for perfinal visits to the schools of their choice. Jumping to action, gradsonal growth, while making a meaningful and sustainable impact. uates spanning the Classes of 2008 to 2019 were quick to offer When reflecting on going to Ecuador instead of Nepal, she shared, themselves as resources to their “My Mom still says ‘I think it was meant to happen,’ fellow Mavericks, sharing insight and in a way, things fell into place.” about the institutions they had or are currently attending.

Tatyana, unfortunately, had an abrupt end to her service, due to “I decided to share my contact information with the COVID-19 pandemic. She and all 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers other Nueva students because I remember how scary the around the world were evacuated from their sites in March 2020. college decision process was for me, and I want to help them While bittersweet, she is grateful to be back home in the Bay Area in any way that I can,” said Sinead Chang ’18, a current journalwith her family and can feel a sense of relief knowing that her partner ism and political science major at the University of Southern California. “I actually decided on USC after meeting up with organizations will continue the work she supported. Looking toward another former Nueva student, Jesse Valdez ’17, during a campus her next endeavor of service, Tatyana has joined the San Francisco visit, so I know how valuable a resource alumni can be! Even based tech start-up Symba, in an effort to save internships amidst the though I only spent three years at Nueva, the community means pandemic, and will pursue graduate work at Columbia University in a whole lot to me and I’m always happy to offer support to current the fall of 2020. students. Plus, many of my friends are now seniors at Nueva, so of course I want to help!”

—Diana A. Chamorro

S P R I N G / S U M M E R

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BRIEFS

1973

In the summer of 2019, David Lewis, Andy Forrest, Joe Mitchner, and Kimi Nakabayashi from Nueva’s founding first-grade class reunited with their teacher, Pat Robinson, in Menlo Park at a memorial service for Andy’s father. After meeting more than 50 years ago at the original Nueva campus in Menlo Park, the classmates and teacher have remained in contact. Pat, Joe, and David reside in the Bay Area, and Kimi and Andy live in Seattle.

2004

Emily Tow, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Olin College of Engineering.

Her journal article was published in Elsevier in February. In collaboration with her colleagues at MIT, the article focused on redesigning the reverse osmosis process— for which Emily currently holds a patent—to desalinate water more energy-efficiently.

2007

During the 2019 holidays, Ann Masline reconnected with her 2007 classmates, Dana Chang and Camille Thompson, over dumplings.

Ann lives in New York City and works at the JetBlue corporate office.

2010

Annika Bhasavanich caught up at a rooftop bar in Times Square with her former teacher and advisor, Stephen Lessard, and classmate, Michelle Pereira. Annika said she continues to be very thankful to

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Nueva for the truly special relationships she nurtured there.

2011

Amelia RoskinFrazee will begin her graduate studies in UC Irvine’s sociology program as a provost Ph.D. fellow in the fall. She plans to research how incarceration affects LGBTQ+ youth.

2012

Joy Barrett is a senior at Barnard College and who helped to launch Columbia University’s inaugural Closet Concert series. Harnessing her love for music and festival production, Joy, the group’s co-president, and fellow group members created an intimate event to showcase student talent.

2017

Juliette Love, a Stanford junior computer science major, interned in the graphics department at the New York Times during the summer of 2019. One of her favorite projects was working on a front page graphic highlighting the popularity of baseball. Juliette is also an accomplished student-athlete and is a member of the nationally ranked Cardinal women’s squash team. ¶ Loreen Ruiz, a third-year theology major and American studies minor at Fordham University, was elected United Student Government president of the university’s Lincoln Center campus. In this role, Loreen will represent approximately 2,500 students. ¶ Swetha Tummala will begin medical school at Boston University this fall. With a deep passion for

→ June 2019: Pictured back row (l-r): Joe Mitchner, Andy Forrest and David Lewis. Front row (l-r): Kimi Nakabayashi, teacher Pat Robinson, parent of alumni Sheila Lewis. Flashback: Joe (bottom row, second from right), Andy (top row, second from left), David (top row, third from right), and Kimi (top row, far right) are pictured in their second grade photo from the 1968–1969 school year.

↑ Loreen Ruiz ’17 looks forward to serving the Fordham University community as United Student Government president during the 2020–2021 academic year. → Emily Tow, Ph.D. ’04 is an assistant professor at Olin, where her engineering research addresses sustainability through the study of transport phenomena at the water–energy– food nexus.

→ 2007 alumnae (l-r): Camille Thompson, Dana Chang, and Ann Masline reunited over dumplings over the 2019 holidays.

C L A S S

Over the 2019 holidays, Thea Portnoy ’18 and her a cappella group, “The Amateurs,” performed at the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

2018 ↑ Eton Shon ’19 and the Harvard Krokodiloes performed at an Upper School assembly as part of the a cappella group’s winter tour. ← Annika Bhasavanich ’10 (left) and Michelle Pereira ’10 reunited with former teacher Stephen Lessard in the heart of Manhattan on March 5.

← Swetha Tummula ’17, pictured with younger brother, Rohan ’25, looks forward to beginning medical school at Boston University this fall.

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Thea Portnoy attends Washington University in St. Louis, where she is double majoring in music and PNP (philosophy-neuroscience-psychology). Thea is a member of “The Amateurs,” a student a capella group. She serves as the assistant music director and is responsible for the team’s social media accounts. During her time at Nueva, Thea developed a passion for photography, and she has plans to launch a photography website this year. ¶ Xander Hughes is a member of Olin College’s Electric Motorsports Formula SAE team. He is working on building an electric race car for competition, and his area of focus is on the drivetrain subteam, designing solutions for the transmission. Xander is enjoying balancing his time between school work, the SAE team, and playing club ultimate frisbee.

“

It was so validating to have these personal projects that I had always done for my own interest, recognized by the New York Times.

“

↑

working with children and families, Swetha spent the last year helping to launch Massachusetts’ new BabySteps Program at Boston Medical Center. As part of BabySteps, Massachusetts gives families $50 seed deposits if they provide their newborns with a 529 college savings account. In her role, Swetha educates and enrolls families in BabySteps during pediatric visits, and she has created multilingual program materials. Through her work with BabySteps, she hopes to help families save for college and unlock the immense benefits of education at the earliest stage of life.

B R I E F S

JULIETTE LOVE Quoted in the San Mateo Daily Journal

2019

Eton Shon returned to the Nueva Upper School to take the stage this past winter, this time as a member of Harvard University’s oldest a cappella singing group, the Harvard Krokodiloes.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Do you have news or personal updates you’d like to share? We invite you to submit a class brief about exciting personal events, including marriages or new arrivals, professional experiences or accomplishments, recent travel, reunions with fellow Nueva alumni, and more. nuevaschool.org/classbriefs

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MUSEU M A R T C H A L L ENGE

During the last week of March, Upper School Spanish teacher Jo Newman discovered an Instagram challenge in which people from around the world recreated their favorite pieces of art using items found in their homes. Jo was inspired by this challenge and decided it was the perfect project for her students to do.

They were asked to choose a piece of art by an Hispanic artist, recreate the artwork, and research the artist. Students took off to recreate their chosen pieces of art with vigor, some opting to include their families, either to help with props or even to be models!

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S E C T I O N

Beloved Community “The ideal of Dr. King’s Beloved Community is near and dear to my heart.

How truly fortunate I feel, then, to be living in this present moment and to witness in gestures small and grand the embodiment of this ideal. From my neighbors who daily ask our elderly friends if they need groceries to our very own Rob Zomber spending countless hours assembling mask-making kits to the activists, far and wide, clamoring for justice, for protection, for healthcare, for dignity, and for the building of a better world starting today. In the midst of all the uncertainty and fear, I confess to feeling a swelling of hope and a spark of elation as I see my fellow citizens wholeheartedly embracing our collective humanity. This is not social distancing. It is social solidarity on a scale I have never seen and I am humbled and deeply moved to bear witness to it.

“Let’s choose to build stronger bonds between us. Let’s remember when this has passed what was laid so bare for all to see. Let’s make compassion our calling and community our road forward. Let’s be the people who they’ll write about—the ones who saw this as a crossroads, a turning point, the moment we decided to make real the Beloved Community.

Let’s be brave and powerful, at times faltering, yet far-sighted and fearless in our dreams for this world, this planet, and ourselves.”

A L E G R I A B A R C L AY, Equity & Social Justice Director S P R I N G / S U M M E R

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