The Willows is committed to a balanced yet demanding progressive curriculum rooted in experiential learning and social values. We teach and model a zest for learning and the courage to take risks. We challenge children to challenge themselves and set high standards for academic excellence, which they pursue with energy and joy. We encourage students to explore the road less traveled, to ask difficult and thoughtful questions, to take intellectual and creative risks, and dare to dream. We want our students to live the credo: All things are possible.
MESSAGE FROM LISA ROSENSTEIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time.”
Thomas Edison American Inventor
he Willows “can-do” philosophy dates to the very beginning of The Willows when our founders opened our school in a few short months. Today, our students, community, and campus are alive with the love of learning and the “can-do” spirit.
Our school credo: all things are possible links beautifully with a “can-do” culture and supports our philosophy that “great minds” are growing here at The Willows. Fundamental to this is the creation of an environment where students feel safe, nurtured, and free to stretch themselves and take risks.
Listening
Our students are encouraged to explore, to engage, and to question, and most of all, to not limit themselves. Of course, we supply the leadership, tools, and resources to support their vision in our classrooms and listen to their ideas.
“Outstanding teachers tend to do more listening than talking . . . as Harvard educator Eleanor Duckworth argues, the more intensely interested a teacher is in a kid’s thinking, the more interested the kid becomes in [their] own thinking,” writes educator Alfie Kohn in “Less and Less Curious” in Education Week, October 2024.
Growth Mindset
In Mindset, psychologist Carol Dweck Ph.D., first introduced her now embraced concepts of growth and fixed mindset, highlighting that our beliefs in our capacities exert influence on our learning. With a fixed mindset, abilities and intelligence are innate and static, in contrast to a growth mindset where abilities and intelligence are flexible and can expand and be developed.
We guide our students to adapt a growth mindset where all things are possible with effort, perseverance, reflection, and a “can-do” drive. We ask them to embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and listen to feedback.
A can-do philosophy asks students to find the joy in learning, in mastering challenges, and in personal accomplishments, and then to apply this same attitude in group collaboration. We can do it!
The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER approach that we have integrated into our curriculum and life of the school for a decade, instills social emotional wellbeing as well as emotional regulation and expression strategies, that are pre-requisites to a “can-do” mentality. RULER training focuses “on building a growth mindset and common language around emotions, skill development in emotional intelligence, and the building and sustaining of positive social and emotional climates where all stakeholders in the school feel empowered to learn, work, and achieve.”
The Willows environment promotes a community that values a pathway of lifelong learning honoring effort as well as accomplishment. Education at The Willows takes aim at an accelerated, unknown future and so, in the present, we ask our students to be true to themselves, take ownership of their learning, find meaning in their work, and follow their dreams. As Walt Disney, American innovator, wrote “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Lisa Rosenstein Head of School
The Willows Community School
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, It’s a Can-Do DKer! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, It’s a Can-Do DKer!
Shazam! Each year, our Developmental Kindergarten students transform into superheroes! When these youngest students on our campus don their capes and embark on the Superhero Unit, they symbolize the lifetime journey of confidence and service that starts here at The Willows. In a quest for knowledge and with a can-do attitude, these students identify their individual superpower and then use this superpower to solve problems and serve others.
They can all be seen soaring around our campus with capes flying to help other faculty, staff, and students. This is their introduction to the can-do spirit and acknowledgement that all things are possible. This dedication to others and passion for community has been a core value of The Willows since the founding in 1994. Each year, our students are the focus of our program where they discover their powers and potential as an individual and part of our community. As individuals, we thrive. As a community we soar!
We made this movie to show the history of our school. How it’s evolved, how it’s helped grow and shape thousands of students and staff alike. This is The Willows story. This is our story.”
James Minikes,
7th Grade Student
30 Years
OF THE WILLOWS WAY
To celebrate and document our 30th anniversary, Head of School Lisa Rosenstein challenged Middle School Teacher Brian Tousey to work with Middle School students to help them research, create, and produce a documentary of our 30 years.
“I envisioned the documentary as more than just a recording of our history,” explains Lisa. “I approached it as a deep learning and critical inquiry experience for our students. I envisioned a hands-on, yearlong project that promoted collaborative and individual participation for the students and the faculty and brought all our community together in a unique way.”
We originally began to produce a student documentary for our 25th anniversary and enlisted the expertise of Andrea Nevins, alumni parent and filmmaker. However, due to the COVID pandemic, we were forced to drop the early work of the documentary. We did however incorporate Andrea's suggestions on timelines and story.
“In the summer of 2024, after meeting with Lisa, I met with Shelley Shulze, a filmmaker and mother of Willows alum Graydon Schulze-Kalt ‘18 to discuss the process of creating a documentary using our students,” says Brian. “The documentary began to take shape as Shelley asked the questions: Where will this be seen?
Who will be the audience?
What do you want to say about The Willows?"
Brian met with the Middle School Core teachers and embarked on a plan that would include topics like traditions, athletics, performing arts, origin of The Willows. He taught a series of lessons covering the six different types of documentaries to offer students ways to shape a film. They watched scenes from a variety of films including Koyaanisqatsi (1982), Man With a Movie Camera (1929), and Hoop Dreams (1994) to expand their visual grammar on ideas like “point of view,” “voiceover,” “transitions,” and “cinema verité.” It became apparent early on that the challenge of incorporating every one of the ideas would be difficult and limit the meaning and participation for each student. They pivoted and recruited a small group of dedicated student filmmakers. All the students and faculty guided the structure of the documentary and helped gather photos and videos from our 30-year media archive.
Shelley, Graydon ‘18 and Ben Knight ‘18 continued to serve in an advisory capacity, and Brian Tousey, Nicole Lipshutz, and
Dakota Smith worked with the students.
The project offered so much for students including developing a vision, research, history, interview techniques, developing questions, cooperation, synthesizing information, creativity, and collaboration.
The finished video, 30 Years of The Willows Way, is not simply a love letter to The Willows, but an exciting way to communicate our mission seen through the eyes of our students. The creative opening starts with these words:
The children are the leaves that grow.
The teachers are branches that help the leaves.
The trunk is the house that guards them, safe and sound.
Like baby trees, we are a bud growing every day. With enough nutrients, we will grow and be in full growth someday, but like all willows, we will keep growing and learning the ways of The Willows.
CAN-DO & THEY DID!
Alumni Return to The Willows to Give Back – Celebrating 30 years
The impact of a Willows education is perhaps best reflected by our industrious alumni, who are excelling and thriving in high school, college, and careers. As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, our alums returned throughout the school year to share their incredible accomplishments. They are truly a testament to The Willows nurturing environment that offers students opportunities to express themselves and discover their passions. These former students brought their real-world knowledge, creativity, and passion into our classrooms, sharing their knowledge, leading discussions, collaborating with teachers, and inspiring our current students. Our 30th Anniversary became a full-circle moment exemplifying the lasting impact of a Willows education and the strong, supportive community we continue to build together.
Left to right: Head of School Lisa Rosenstein with four amazing Willows alumni—one now a proud Willows parent! Lauren (Jacks) Seeff ‘02, Max Olshansky ‘07, Lisa Rosenstein, Chasen Olshansky ‘05, Anna Ullman ‘02
Entrepreneur
Max Olshansky ’07
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, Topanga.io
Max Olshansky, who returned to The Willows to speak with students participating in the Snack Shack class during Intersession, brought real world insight and entrepreneurial energy to the classroom. As a co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Topanga.io, Max shared his experience launching and managing food-related ventures, offering students a deep dive into what it takes to run a successful restaurant operation. From budgeting and supply chain logistics to customer experience and branding, Max fielded thoughtful questions from our students, leaving them inspired and better equipped for the grand opening of Snack Shack to The Willows students, faculty, and staff.
Senior Art Director
Anna Ullman ’02
Anna Ullman ’02, Senior Art Director at MOTHER Denim, lent her professional expertise and creative vision to the annual Willows Fashion Show and photographed the students’ fashion pieces. Her passion for design and keen eye for detail gave our students a unique, behind-the-scenes view of the world of fashion, offering an authentic glimpse into what it’s like to walk the runway and model in a professional setting.
Artist
Benny Reiss ’99
Benny Reiss ’99
graciously loaned two of his sculptures to the art rooms as a still life to inspire our students. Filled with incredible details, the pieces incited curiosity and excitement and served as the basis for student still life’s. Benny also shared his inspiration and creative process with our 8th grade students.
Artist Milan Michaud ’14
We welcomed alumni artist Milan Michaud ’14 to our campus as an artist-in-residence for a few months this past year. Milan created a large painting inspired by the yard and then, worked on it on-campus every Tuesday and Thursday. Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed observing Milan’s creative process as they watched him paint and were inspired by his work. In Art classes, students had the opportunity to engage with him to learn more about his creative process and participate in lessons led by Milan.
NFL Player Brycen Tremayne ’14
Alumni Brycen Tremayne '14, who recently signed with the Carolina Panthers, visited The Willows and shared his inspiring journey— from his time at The Willows to playing at Stanford University and now reaching the NFL.
Medical Student
Naomi Nicholas ’13
Naomi Nicholas ’13, who is currently in the final stages of her Medical Program at USC (University of Southern California), returned to share her medical student experience with our kindergarten and 1st grades. Naomi taught kindergarteners, who had just completed their Human Body unit, and 1st grade students, who were studying occupations, about her experiences in medicine.
Marine Scientist
Malcolm Tunnell ‘10
As a part of The Willows FIRST Lego League Robotics team Innovation Project, students were tasked with interviewing experts in a field related to their project idea. This year’s theme challenged students to “dive into a problem faced by people who explore the oceans.” With Malcolm’s background in marine science, including underwater autonomous robotics, the team concluded he was a perfect fit for this opportunity to gain valuable feedback on their project ideas. Malcolm, who shared insight with the team, was a member of The Willows’ first robotics team!
Entrepreneur
Jhamasa LewisAdams '04
Alum Entrepreneur
Jhamasa inspired students with her beauty tech innovation. During Intersession, Jhamasa spoke to students in the Shark Tank class about business, design thinking, and problem solving. She introduced her venture, Loosha, a design-centered beauty technology company focused on increasing access and convenience in the beauty industry. Jhamasa shared how a trip to Japan, where vending machines offer far more than just snacks and drinks, inspired her to identify a key gap in her life: Black and Brown communities often lack convenient access to beauty and personal care products designed specifically for them. Her solution? Vending machines that dispense curated beauty and personal care items tailored to the needs of Black and Brown consumers. She walked students through the process of bringing Loosha to life from concept development and product selection to purchasing the machines and designing their operations.
Alumni
Lauren Pomerantz ’21 & Alumni Parent
Jeff Pomerantz
Lauren Pomerantz ’21 along with her father, Jeff Pomerantz, returned to The Willows to conduct a presentation on financial literacy, credit, and the importance of being financially responsible. Both Jeff and Lauren are part of CARE, Credit Abuse Resistance Education. They shared the many benefits and disadvantages associated with spending habits and platforms and emphasized the importance of starting to be financially aware and responsible at a young age.
Award-Winning Photographer
Rebecca Yale ‘02
Rebecca Yale ’02 returned to teach a photography elective in the Middle School. She shared her expertise and passion for photography and provided students with a foundation in photography essentials to inspire their passion and creative vision. Rebecca, who has an impressive portfolio and reputation, has had her work featured in renowned publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, People Magazine, and The Knot. She has been recognized as one of the world’s top wedding photographers by Harper’s Bazaar, Brides, and Destination Weddings magazines. By teaching the elective, Rebecca inspired students to learn technical skills and gain a deeper understanding of the creativity and dedication behind professional photography. To view her work, please visit her website: https://rebeccayalephotography.com/
Jazz Pianist
Isaac Wilson ’07
Isaac Wilson inspired 5th through 8th grade Middle School music elective students with his musical journey and experience as a jazz pianist. He shared how he finds joy in music, and how individuals can connect with the inner musician found within each of us and discover a personal identity as an artist. Isaac attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Berklee Global Jazz Institute.
Graphic Desinger
Carson Stern
Karlin ‘08
Carson Stern Karlin also visited the Shark Tank Intersession class to share her professional journey and expertise in brand design with our future entrepreneurs. She spoke about the importance of color theory, thoughtful packaging, and cohesive visual identity in building a successful brand. Her engaging presentation sparked creativity and inspired students to think strategically and artistically as they developed their own business ideas.
Our 30th Anniversary became a full-circle moment exemplifying the lasting impact of a Willows education and the strong, supportive community we continue to build together.
Rosie Hudson ‘14 and Eden Rothenberg ‘23
Rosie Hudson and Eden Rothenberg both proud alumni and former Willows dancers, returned to campus to serve as guest judges for The Willows Intersession elective Dancing with the Stars alongside dance teacher Marissa Weiss. Drawing from their own experiences as student performers, Rosie and Eden brought warmth, insight, and encouragement to the judging panel. Their thoughtful feedback and supportive presence not only celebrated the dancers’ creativity and diligence but also illustrated what it means to stay connected to a passion—and a community—after graduation.
Design Panel with Jack Bush ‘07, Jenna Ruth ‘03 & James Wu ‘09
Alumni Designers Jack Bush ’07, Radar Hardware Engineer at NASA JPL; Jenna Ruth ’03, a Senior VFX artist at Insomniac Games; and James Wu ’09, Product Design Engineer at Apple, joined together to conduct a panel on design for our Middle School students. The panelists discussed technological design creating products in their three different areas of design, working individually but accentuating the importance of collaborating and using people skills in their fields. They also touched on asking for help with their team when technically challenged, their design process, and working toward a common goal.
How Do You Instill a Can-Do
ALEX WOLFE
5th Grade Teacher
For me, a can-do mindset has a lot to do with not letting doubt overshadow the value of process and effort and curiosity. You can’t experience the potential for learning and growth if you are too worried to get something wrong or too focused on perfection. In my classroom we embrace mistakes and questions as opportunities for growth. Take a risk! Ask the question!
CASEY BLINDER
1st and 2nd Grade Loop Teacher
I instill a can-do mindset by focusing on the process and “how” we do things, not the product and “what” we did. Also, by modeling mistakes. We take time to reflect on process, particularly noting how we got through something challenging. Getting help from others (peers or teachers) is part of the “can-do” mindset and celebrating the times that we can use each other/ teamwork to accomplish tasks and goals.
J.R. LEBERT
Middle School Teacher
I try to make it simple. I talk to each one of my classes on day one about creating a classroom environment of inquiry and acceptance, and free from the fear of making mistakes or judgment by other students. Learning happens when students feel free to express themselves as themselves, and sometimes that journey is hard, uncertain, and full of struggle. I try to be there for them every step of the way.
Mindset in Your Students?
PHIL LEE
Kindergarten Teacher and Founding Faculty Member
When any of my readers are struggling and others are reading, I tell them to not get discouraged, to try your very best, be patient, take your time, and believe in yourself. I say that I know it’s hard, but you can’t give up. Practice, encouragement, and most of all belief in yourself instills the can-do spirit.
ANN ISTRIN
6th Grade Science Teacher
I make science as fun and full of wonder as possible. When students are diligently taking detailed notes on their observations of the experiments, they don’t even realize how hard they are working. When I point out how much they have written, they see how capable they are. This is the can-do spirit that inspires them to work hard and really think about what they are observing.
GREG BLUM
Music Teacher and Founding Willows Student
I try my very best to break down what I am asking students to do into simple steps, so anyone with no musical background can create music. I describe the steps visually, aurally, and kinesthetically, and instill the understanding that a finished song is a process where they work to refine their vision, and that it is normal and safe to fail, and fail, and adjust. I accentuate that it is okay to struggle and that they can do anything. E-Music class is often a student’s first opportunity to explore a new avenue, and their success is very gratifying.
Amid the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles and the aftereffects, our community, modeling our core values of caring, strength, and compassion, reached out in numerous ways to those in need. Willows faculty, staff, students, and families opened their arms in service to others who lost their homes or were displaced and to support our incredible first responders, firefighters, police, and volunteers. We set up a data base to gather items for those in need and opened our campus to schools that lost their buildings and campuses.
Village School & The Willows Community Day
Students and faculty from both The Willows and Village School, that tragically lost their Palisades campus, came together on our campus after the Palisades Fire. Both schools discussed doodling and acknowledged the calming effect of repetitive mark making. Using Zentangle, a form of art meditation used to relax the mind by drawing repetitive patterns with no end goal, the students of all ages worked together to fill small sections of large papers with unique doodle patterns using line, shape, and a limited color palette. The posters shown here are in The Willows building 1 atrium; more artwork was posted in a sister display on Village School’s interim campus.
Thank you to Our Firefighters
To show appreciation for the firefighters battling the fires, our students created and delivered heartfelt Thank You cards to various fire departments. Shown here are firefighters from Ventura County station, who played a crucial role in extinguishing the Eaton fire, showing the cards they received from Willows students.
Hosting Korean Students from Brentwood School Exchange Program
Due to the impact of the LA fires, Brentwood School was unable to host Korean students who were part of Brentwood’s exchange program. So, The Willows welcomed 16 4th and 5th grade students from the Kyonggi School in Seoul, South Korea. During their visit, the Kyonggi students were immersed in our community, engaging in lessons and classroom activities as they experienced two weeks in the life of an American student. One Kyonggi student shared, “It was the most fun part of the trip–more fun than Universal studios!” The exchange was memorable and enriching for all involved, highlighting the value of cultural connection with peers from other countries.
Students Raise Money for Friends Affected by Fires
The Willows community’s response to the tragic wildfires exemplifies all the best qualities that have defined our school for thirty years.
8th Grade Students held a bake sale to support their friend who lost her guitar
A group of 8th grade girls at The Willows took it upon themselves to hold a bake sale on Abbot Kinney in Venice two weeks after the fiire in the hopes of raising enough money for their friend to replace her much loved guitar which was lost in the fiire . . . they far exceeded the cost of replacing Vivi’s guitar. They were even able to contribute to Vivi’s older sister, recreating her extensive book collection.
“Where I/we become involved is that they shared the proceeds with their classmate, my son, who wasn’t involved in the bake sale in anyway. When they saw how generous people had been with their donations to the guitar fund though, they felt compelled to extend the benefiicence to my similarly affected son. What incredible generosity of spirit on top of altruistic enthusiasm. To extend the largesse to Asher, to me, just truly deserves recognition beyond what my words of thanks can offer.” – Willows Parent who lost their home in the Palisades Fire
6th grade Students sold 3D printed items on Abbot Kinney to benefit Palisades High Students:
A response from Pali High:
“This is amazing! Please convey to your students how incredibly grateful we all are. Their support will help Pali High to cover the many costs of moving our students, teachers and staff into a temporary facility until it is safe to return to campus and rebuild. Willows Community School gives us great hope for a brighter future. We so appreciate all their time and work.
Thank you so much!” – A response from Pali High:
RULER & THE WILLOWS — A POSITIVE, CAN-DO PARTNERSHIP
10 YEARS OF BEING OUR BEST SELVES
For a decade, The Willows has been on an ever-evolving journey with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and their RULER systemic approach to social emotional learning. Developed over a 20-year period and now integrated into thousands of schools across the U.S. and internationally, RULER has been shown to enhance teacher effectiveness, reduce conduct problems, enhance school environments, and boost academic performance.
The importance of emotional intelligence in the development of a child has been recognized since the founding of The Willows in 1994. Character and heart are essential to The Willows definition as a place “where great minds grow.” Emotional intelligence, the ability to manage one’s own emotions and perceive the emotions of others, is vital to academic and classroom performance, health, and success and viewed as paramount at The Willows.
We have comprehensively and strategically integrated RULER into the heart and soul of our
school, in our curriculum, classrooms, culture, and life of our school. Our youngest students are introduced to the RULER tools and quickly become fluent in communicating their feelings using these tools. RULER has given our school a common language and understanding across grades as we creatively and powerfully nurture the emotional intelligence of our students, faculty, and families to engage with empathy and respect.
How did this transformative journey start? “I heard Marc Brackett, PH.D., the Director of
the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Co-founder of RULER, speak at the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS),” explains Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “I immediately knew it would fit perfectly with our mission, core values, and development.”
In April 2015, Marc presented an evening Keynote for Willows parents and our Los Angeles community and met with our faculty and staff for training.
We embarked on intensive training with Dr. Brackett and the Yale Center and began implementing the RULER tools and the five key emotion skills of Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions. “We were honored to be instrumental in bringing this valuable emotional intelligence work to the West Coast,” continues Lisa Rosenstein. “I knew RULER could be easily incorporated into all learning communities. The West Coast RULER training was made possible by the generous donations of The Hauptman Family Foundation, Inc. (our Founding Donors) and the Simms/ Mann Family Foundation, and so thanks to them, The Willows became a hub for training.”
As a trailblazing west coast school, in 2018 and 2019, The Willows collaborated with Yale to offer the West Coast RULER Anchors of Emotional Intelligence Institute and conducted two trainings with public, charter, independent, and parochial schools from California, Oregon, Washington State, and beyond. The trainings reached 200+ educators and administrators. In addition, The Willows hosts Round Tables during the year with trained RULER schools to
share ideas with each other, and a West Coast RULER Implementation Conference was held at The Willows after the 2019 Training session. Over the years, The Willows has served as a RULER Flagship School, Mentor School, and Spotlight School and has offered speaker events (open free to the public), roundtables, and tours to see RULER in action at our school.
Speaker Events (offered free to all attendees) include:
2015 Marc Brackett Emotional Intelligence: From Theory to Everyday Practice Emotions Matter Part 2: From Recognizing to Regulating Emotions
2017 Marc Brackett/Robin Stern The Art of Understanding & Repairing Our Differences: How to Have Difficult Conversations using Emotional Intelligence
2019 Marc Brackett Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive
2025 Marc Brackett, Robin Stern & Diana Divecha What 100 Years of Research Tells Us About Guiding Children and Families Through Crisis (Interactive virtual event to address the Los Angeles wildfire crisis)
Today our RULER team, led by Lily Solomon Davis, Director of Programming and RULER Team Chair, with faculty representatives from Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School, work throughout the year on the development, documentation, and usage of creative curriculum to support deeper RULER integration.
Lisa Rosenstein has participated on panels at RULER Implementation Conferences, and along with Lily Solomon Davis and other faculty members shared curriculum and integrated programming nationally and internationally, presented at RULER Implementation Conferences, and conducted webinars for RULER schools with Yale.
In 2024, The Willows embarked on an international, faculty exchange program with Celsiusskolan in Edsbyn, Sweden focusing on our integration of our Yale RULER approach. During the year, four of our teachers and Lisa Rosenstein traveled to Celsiusskolan and then four of their teachers and the Head of School visited The Willows. The visits were followed by international zooms to further engage.
“We have had many opportunities to share RULER with our colleagues and continue to embrace those experiences,” says Lisa Rosenstein. “Community is an intentional part of our name, and this is one of the ways we reflect that culture by forwarding the impact of social emotional learning through RULER with students, faculty, schools, and families. As Marc Brackett says,
“Emotions matter, and they matter a great deal in school.”
presents:
Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Co-creator of the RULER approach, and author of Permission to Feel
Dealing With
Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want
Wednesday, October 8 7:00 PM. The Willows Community School 8509 Higuera St. Culver City 90232
Dr. Brackett presents a talk on his new book, the essential guide for regulating how we respond to our emotions to transform our lives. Dealing with Feeling will show you how to work with your emotions—not against them—so you can become the best version of yourself.
Proven Strategies, Profound Results.
EMOTIONAL REGULATION TOOL BELTS – RULER TOOLS FOR OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS
THE INTEGRATION OF MAKER & RULER
The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER approach offers many tools to regulate emotions and support social emotional learning within school communities. Our Developmental Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Maker Teacher Brent Weiss took this literally and created a class lesson making Emotional Regulation “Tool Belts.”
“The beginning of the school year presents many different emotions as students go through their first days,” explains Brent. “I wanted students to create a project that helped with emotions and decided building tool belts would help them think through strategies and then remind them of what they could do to regulate their emotions.”
Students built tool belts, just like adult utility belt, and tools out of cardboard and loose parts. The tool belts are individual, personal creations that remind students of positive strategies to help with their emotions. Using maker tools such as scissors, tape, glue, Velcro, hot glue, clamps, saws, and screwdrivers students constructed the belts, and then filled their belts with regulating strategies like take a deep breath, read a book, drink some water, and take a walk.
They answered the question, “When I feel ___________ (sad, frustrated, angry, excluded etc.) I use my regulation tools to help me feel ____________ (happy, energized confident, safe etc.). The belt and tools helped students discover what works best for them as individuals.
One 2nd grade student shared,
“My entire tool belt can help me with just about everything.”
Beyond the Headlines: Using RULER to Foster Emotionally Intelligent Media Consumers
Lily Solomon Davis, Director of Programming and Brian Tousey, Media Literacy Coordinator, will be presenting at the RULER Implementation Conference in October 2025 on the topic of RULER and digital citizenship.
“We are leveraging a decade of RULER integration to create an innovative approach to media literacy education,” states Lily. “The critical intersection between emotional intelligence and media literacy is being explored by The Willows to offer insights into how we can help students recognize and manage their responses to emotional manipulation.”
The presentation will showcase how RULER tools, such as the Mood Meter, Meta-Moment, and Blueprint, can provide students with concrete strategies to navigate media and regulate their reactions and better engage in polarized online environments.
Literacy Unlocks Lifelong Learning
Our Literacy Committee is the Key!
At The Willows, we are always reflecting on and strategically revitalizing our curricular and instructional practices to ensure that our practices evolve to meet the student, faculty, and classroom needs. To further embed this culture of reflection and improvement, we instituted a Literacy Committee to oversee this work. The Committee members include faculty members Jennifer Cunningham, Dakota Smith, and Taylor Stacy along with Lily Solomon Davis, Director of Programming. This team also works closely with Terri Baird, Assistant Head of School for Student Support, and Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School.
The Committee works throughout the year to review and implement changes to our curriculum and mentor and offer support to our teachers through in-house training and professional development opportunities. Their experience and expertise allows for inspiration to inform our curriculum.
“The creation of the Literacy Committee serves several purposes,” Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School, explains. “Their work keeps our educational program fresh and thriving, formalizes the through line from one grade to the next ensuring progression, and offers faculty support through mentors. This also offers our seasoned teachers an opportunity for leadership and collaboration as they work together with the administration to cement our literacy program.”
THE SHORT-TERM GOALS OF THE COMMITTEE IN ADDITION TO REGULAR REFLECTION AND EMPOWERING FACULTY INCLUDE:
Expanding Assessment Methods, Instructional Approaches, and Curriculum to ensure all students are accurately assessed and supported to further track student progress we have added:
• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) 8th Edition Administration and Scoring Guide to facilitate Reading Assessment used to assess student development K-5 including dyslexia screening and intervention
• The Mossflower Writing Project New Units of Study and the Grammar and Spelling Institute. Mossflower is dedicated to empowering educators to grow children into enthusiastic and proficient readers, writers and thinkers
• The Orton-Gillingham Approach (https://www. orton-gillingham.com/approach/) a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy
Ongoing Integration of Language Arts
Components to maintain the school’s holistic and integrated approach to language arts education including spelling, vocabulary, and grammar
Bolstering Literacy Conversations through Transition Years and Loops to dedicate time to meet regarding learning progression in phonics programs
THE LONG-TERM GOALS OF THE COMMITTEE INCLUDE:
Sustained Curriculum Reflection to embed a culture of continuous improvement to evolve with student and classroom needs
Full Integration of Language Arts Components across grade levels including Media Literacy and Library Arts
Enhanced Teacher Training and Support to align ongoing teacher training with The Willows Strategic Plan
“We will also be enhancing our community inclusion and strengthening our engagement with parents on our literacy initiatives,” states Lily Solomon Davis. “We will host divisional Parent Coffees during the 2025-2026 school year focusing on key literacy topics with an emphasis on reading and writing.”
To foster a culture of reading for pleasure and enrichment, our teachers, librarians, and Literacy Committee strive to create warm and welcoming reading spaces within the classroom and library. They encourage book discussions, offer read alouds, pair students with books that they will enjoy, and empower students to create their own literary masterpieces.
Kate Rao, Director of Library Services, with Willows students holding books they have written and published that fellow students may check out in our library.
A DK-8 Can-Do
Developmental Kindergarten Tea & Language Arts
Director of Library Services Kate Rao read Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang highlighting that children who speak different languages around the world can all share the pastime of tea.
different color markers to make hypotheses regarding why the
Kindergarten Phonics with Artists Kindergarten students study phonics and famous artists whose names start with the same letters and sounds and make art in the style of the artist. For example, Jackson Pollock and the /j/ sound.
As part of their study of ecosystems and food chains, 5th graders dissected owl pellets to see the producers and consumers in an owl’s ecosystem.
1st
Using squishy circuits, conductive LED lights, students experimented hypotheses about which items
6th
As part of the forensic unit, investigation study, students expert, witness, or suspect in our judicial system and the
5th Grade Owl Pellet Dissection
Grade Grade Circuits
4th Grade Robotics modeling the Moon’s Orbit 4th graders used Ozobots, miniature robots programmed using
moon’s orbit is elliptical.
Grade Crime Scene Investigation
CurRIcuLUm
conductive dough, and small experimented and made items would conduct electricity.
Investigation & Mock Trial after a crime scene then serve as a lawyer, a trial learning more about science of forensics.
2nd Grade Ocean Habitats
2nd grade students explored ocean habitats and studied coral reefs culminating in the creation of ceramic coral. Then observing the coral, they drew their coral with a creative background.
7th Grade Creative Cell Construction
As the culmination of their cell unit, 7th graders construct a cell and its parts with their own personal interpretation–a cake, a pizza, an orchestra–then present their models to the grade.
3rd Grade Grade field trip to Natural History Museum Field trips extend learning through real world experiences.
8th Grade Pinewood Derby Cars 8th grade students design, test, and experiment with mass and weight distribution to compete in the Pinewood Derby races.
Can-do Attitude IDEAS@ THE WILLOWS
A network of shared ideas that leads back to the classroom, into the home, and out into the world.
Ideas@TheWillows is a collaborative community generating and exchanging ideas to enhance the knowledge of parents, expand the vision of educators, engage life-long learners, enlighten our community, and enrich the classroom experience.
Our speaker events, workshops, film screenings, panels, partnerships, professional development, mentoring, research, and inquiry are intentionally designed to continue the education and empower the growth of great minds.
Michael Thompson, Ph D., internationally acclaimed psychologist, speaker, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author, returned to The Willows to present his new talk on Children and Devices: How Much Should Parents Worry? Dr. Thompson brought his expertise and wisdom to help parents with this all-consuming issue and offered guidance to safeguard the wellbeing of children.
educators are at the fulcrum of pressure—protecting children while trying to respond to the disaster they face. 100 years of research on children in various crises—wars, famines, natural disasters, the pandemic—has taught us some important lessons.
America Unfiltered: Portraits and Voices of a Nation, a feature film documentary created by Horacio Marquinez and Kirill Myltsev and produced by Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, was screened with a Q & A in April. The two immigrant filmmakers explored what it means to be an American during a cross-country, U.S. journey to capture the essence of America.
Dr. Lisa Damour, Psychologist, The New York Times bestselling author, monthly New York Times columnist, and contributor to CBS News, a year-long series of 4 Lunchtime Zooms for our parents and staff that we opened to our Los Angeles community. Dr. Damour shared strategies on how to help parents manage their emotions, face fears head-on, and help children and teams in uncertain times. www.drlisadamour.com.
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Virtual Event: What 100 Years of Research Tells Us About Guiding Children and Families Through Crisis featuring Marc Brackett, Director, and Robin Stern, Associate Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Diana Divecha, Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale Child Study Center conducted 2 virtual events for Los Angeles parents and faculty. Parents and
Family Ed Night – Tinkering and Technology A spectacular showcase of tinkering and technology learning activities! Families collaborated to experiment with robotics and coding, construct miniature sailboats, consider how shadows form, complete thought-provoking challenges including technology learning activities such as coding digital art, designing sails for wind-powered boats, and exploring with blocks & shadows.
VISITING AUTHORS
Killian,
how a
Robb Armstrong, the author and illustrator of Jump Start, the widely syndicated daily
talked with our 3rd through 8th grade classes and worked with our 7th grade students in a special comic illustration workshop. Recently, he wrote the screenplay for a new Peanuts special, Welcome Home Franklin. He demonstrated the importance of geometry and shapes in comic Illustration.
Falcone, an American author,
to share his new book, What's
Than
and
visited The
The story was originally created by Ben and Willows Film and Media
Teacher Brian Tousey as children. This picture book uses humor to help ease fears—Claire, afraid of thunder, is comforted by her parents’ silly, laugh-out-loud examples of things scarier than a storm—until she giggles herself to sleep.
the
of more than 100
and middle
with our 3rd through 5th
who published his first book at age 14, has numerous New York Times bestselling novels including Ungifted, The Unteachables, Pop, and the
His book, Restart, is a 4th grade book club book. He shared how he discovers ideas for his books and read from his new book, Old School
Alex
the picture book author of This Table, which celebrates
farm-style dining table, born from a single helicopter seed, becomes “the heart” of someone’s home. Killian visited with our DK through 1st grade students.
Ben
actor, comedian,
filmmaker,
Willows
Scarier
Thunder?
Literacy
comic strip,
Gordon Korman,
popular, bestselling author
teen
school books, visited
grade students. Korman,
Masterminds series.
LeUyen Pham, acclaimed Caldecott Award winner and New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than 120 books, spoke to our 3rd through 8th grade students, sharing personal stories and motivations. She also conducted a mini-illustration workshop.
Jessica McKay, was an instant New York Times bestseller with her debut picture book, Always with You, Always with Me, written with Kelly Rowland. She shared her work, which validates the big feelings of small children in our DK through 2nd grades.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY
"The Willows... lends a new perspective to learning, and generates exceptionalan community of learners and creators."
The Willows is dynamic and embraces innovation that energizes curriculum, creates a dynamic campus climate, lends a new perspective to learning, and generates an exceptional community of learners and creators.
The students in our Middle School Photography Elective used digital cameras to capture interesting shots across our campus. Using the factors that impact composition such as the rule of thirds, visual weight, and leading lines, students used patterns, perspective, and lighting to showcase elements of our campus.
Tweet! Tweet! Dialing Up!
Bird Calls Phone on Campus
If you visit our campus, you may see an unusual sight: students and staff using a pay phone. No change is required to use this payphone! It’s a Bird Calls Phone! Donated by The Willows Class of 2024, the phone, which is installed on the outside of our Willows 3 Building, is used by students throughout the day. Simply pick up the handset and push a dial-pad number and you will hear various bird calls. This ornithological landscape also offers brief information about each bird such as habitat and description.
After listening to an NPR’s Weekend Edition article about the Bird Calls Phone, Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School, thought what a wonderful addition this would be on our campus and asked Ann Istrin, Middle School Science teacher, to inquire about securing a phone for The Willows.
“The Bird Calls Phone is an interactive, experiential, and inspirational tool for our students,” states Lisa. “It is an extension of our science curriculum but also offers our students a connection to nature to discover more about their surroundings.”
Ann immediately contacted David Schulman, a sound designer, violinist, composer, audio producer, and faculty member of Georgetown University, who created the Bird Calls Phone by hot-wiring an obsolete pay phone as part of a contest to design an interactive public art project.
The bird calls included in the phone are from the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology recordings and all feature birds that are native to Culver City and Los Angeles. Birds represented and the corresponding dial number include:
1 Allen's Hummingbird
2 House Sparrow
3 Red-Tailed Hawk
4 Acorn Woodpecker
5 Northern Shoveler
6 Red-Winged Blackbird
7 Red-Crowned Parrot
8 Night Heron
9 Hooded Oriole
O Great Horned Owl
In addition to offering a science and ornithology lesson, birdsong is shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Birds are a way to connect with nature. In The Washington Post article, "Why Birds and Their Songs are Good for our Mental Health", by Richard Sima, it states, “Research has consistently shown that more contact and interaction with nature are associated with better body and brain health.”
We kicked off the Bird Calls Phone with a Friday all-student assembly featuring the Audubon Society conducting a bird presentation complete with taxidermy birds for students to see.
Now, students, at any time, can participate in a mini-ornithology lesson or just hear the peaceful sounds of birds chirping!
Bird Calls Phone Article on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2024/02/03/1228839458/ how-one-maryland-phone-box-turned-into-a-work-of-art-connecting-people-to-nature
Learn more about David Schulman at: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/ contact/0031Q000025pdW4QAI/david-schulman
Notable Accomplishments! Can-Do Champs!
“...dream big because my whole career, including any of the things that I’ve accomplished, I never thought in a million years that I would be here. So, it just proves that once you believe in yourself, and you put your mind to something, you can do it.”
-Simone Biles, Olympic Champion
THE WILLOWS COMMUNITY SCHOOL THEATER RENOVATION
Part of our Big Ideas Build Dreams Capital Campaign Phase 3 included the dream of expanding our music and performing arts spaces. The renovation of our theater was at the top of this list, and thanks to generous donors the theater was transformed into an amazing, theater/multipurpose space, in 2024.
The renovations, designed by Parallax Architecture and Planning, include retractable seating, state of the art resilient surfaces, hardwood flooring, acoustic treatments, a remodeled sound booth, improved lighting and sound equipment, and a new stage.
“Our donors played the roles of a lifetime,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “Our students,
present and future, will perform in this space in some capacity–in plays, musicals, assemblies, dance, choir, yoga, and more.”
The theater was opened at our annual Book Fair in November featuring the Middle School play, The Wizard of Oz. The versatile space will also benefit our community as a multi-purpose space for events, speakers, screenings, and visiting authors and artists.
The innovated space helps us to further our mission to help our students discover their passions. “Creativity is essential to learning at The Willows,” continues Lisa. “We are devoted to cultivating our students’ imagination and helping them discover their unique talents.”
“Creativity is essential to learning at The Willows. We are devoted to cultivating our students’ imagination and helping them discover their unique talents.”
A Willows tradition returned in May as our faculty and administration took to the stage to prove that they can-do. Dancing, singing, and acting, they rehearsed and performed twice for students and parents.
Faculty Play
Katya
The students love to see their teachers in action. The musical is also a bonding opportunity
Anthony
Doug
directed by Liza Monjauze
PIANO RINA SCHLOSS
The Willows Faculty Play
Modeling a Can-Do Culture
The first faculty musical was Guys and Dolls presented in 1999 and followed over the years by Anything Goes in 2009, and The Wizard of Oz in 2014, and Bye Bye Birdie in 2025.
The faculty musical has always been a unique way to showcase the talents of our faculty and staff while promoting the social bonding and interaction of our teachers and administration across grade levels,” explains Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “Many of our same teachers return to perform year after year.”
Middle School Teacher Lil Mingail, who has taught at The Willows since August 1997 is attributed with conceiving the concept and presenting it to Lisa. “I wanted to help create something that brought joy to our community,” explains Lil. “While also giving teachers a chance to step outside of the classroom and connect in a whole new way.”
All the faculty musicals have been scripted and directed by Performing Arts and Music Teacher Liza Monjauze, who usually selects a well-known popular title that children will recognize and capsulizes performances in a 30 to 40-minute time. The musicals are often performed by Middle School students during the year.
Liza states, “Being in a show can be truly transformative. Regardless of a person’s level of
experience, it is so meaningful to work with them through rehearsing and performing, discovering aspects of themselves that they might not get to see in other contexts. It is a pretty magical process.”
An important aspect of the faculty musical is the modeling for our students. Teachers and staff model performance skills as they overcome fear of performing, collaboration, and function as a part of a team working together on a project.
“Watching the faculty sing, dance, and play instruments can inspire a student to take a dance or music class, play an instrument, or be in a dramatic arts elective,” explains Terri Baird, Assistant Head of School for Student Services who has performed in every musical. “Seeing their teachers performing onstage, overcoming any fears often motivates them to emulate their teachers.”
“Seeing their teachers performing onstage, overcoming any fears often motivates them to emulate their teachers.”
Most of all it is just fabulous FUN!
Navigating the Media Literacy Maze
In today’s media rich world, students, and parents, are constantly bombarded with endless messages, information, news, suggestions, products, photos and more, not all of which are true or legitimate.
Media Literacy is defined by the National Association for Media Literacy Education as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of media . . . and refers to the skills needed to understand all types of media, identify bias and misinformation, and operate as responsible digital citizens in the challenging world of technology and social media.”
To help children understand and navigate these messages, we teach media literacy as a vital component of our curriculum in third through eighth grade. This helps to ensure that our students develop a foundation for critical thinking, understanding, and discourse–as well as responsible engagement with the media. We help them recognize false information and fake photos, distinguish fact from fiction, and become aware of false influences and propaganda. We encourage students and faculty to ask what and how information is delivered and can this information be trusted.
With these goals in mind, Brian Tousey, Media Literacy Coordinator and 8th Grade Teacher, began working to mentor faculty on media
literacy states, “From the moment I began teaching, (at The Willows since 1997) I immediately incorporated media into my lessons. It felt like a natural extension of the educational training I received at the University of Illinois. My thought then (and now) was that a great way to learn about a given time period was to examine the art created during that time. The music. The photography. The writing. And of course, the movies.”
FIVE CORE CONCEPTS OF THE WILLOWS MEDIA LITERACY APPROACH:
1. All media messages are constructed.
2. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.
3. Media messages are produced for particular purpose: gain in profit or power.
4. Media messages have embedded values and points of view.
5. Different people understand the same message differently.
MEDIA LITERACY Q & A WITH BRIAN TOUSEY
We asked Brian specific questions to determine how he works with the faculty and students to share this information.
Can you give us an example of working with a younger class to teach media literacy using the Core Concepts? I observed 3rd grade using these Core Concepts in guiding their students to ask good questions about the information they receive, by interrogating the infamous photo of Kathrine Switzer running in the 1960 marathon, to examining an electoral college map and all its components. The 3rd grade teachers modeled good questions and guided the kids to focus on “the why” rather than “the what.” Additionally, through media literacy, those teachers helped make their students aware of bias and got them thinking about the concept of credibility. This helped the kids to learn compassion and empathy and shifted them to become active participants, not passive consumers.
How did the school participate in Media Literacy Week? Media Literacy Week celebrates the power of media literacy and underscores its vital role in education across the nation. At The Willows this year, using resources from the National
Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), we provided both parents and teachers lessons and guidelines to teach one of the five components of media literacy (Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act) for each day of the week.
Have our students embraced the concepts of Media Literacy? They have! No matter the age, it is human nature to want to ask questions about what we see and hear every day. The skills we teach around Media Literacy provide ways for students to be active rather than passive recipients of the information they receive. In a recent Kindergarten lesson, students took a closer look at morning cereal boxes, asking thoughtful questions like: 'Why are so many of the boxes red?' 'Why do they all feature cartoon animals?' and 'Why does the box show strawberries when there aren’t any inside?’ The idea is that those students take those questions home and share with their parents.
How will the skills they have learned benefit students?
Media literacy IS literacy - just as we teach children how to read and write, we need to teach them to be literate or fluent in all forms of communication that we use today - whether it is a tv show, cartoon, product packaging, logo, social media image or post, lyrics, billboards, etc. Put simply, these skills are giving students the tools they need to be literate in today’s media-driven world.
Can you describe how critical thinking and inquiry affect media literacy? They go hand-in-hand! Faith Rogow, founding president of NAMLE, once said, “We need to expand the 3 R’s to include reasoning and reflection—and do it in ways that foster curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.”
At The Willows, that’s exactly what we aim to do. In addition, we add Regulation to the R's and integrate social emotional learning with the RULER approach. We want our students to become thoughtful questioners—to be curious about the world around them and to let their questions guide their learning. Media literacy is not a skill reserved for older students; it starts in the earliest grades, when children first begin to wonder why things are the way they are.
This is the heart of media literacy: teaching students to think critically about the messages they receive and to explore the world with open, questioning minds.
Alumni Happenings
To Celebrate our 30th Anniversary, Alumni, Alumni Parents, Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, and Faculty & Staff gathered for an Alumni Happy Hour on The Willows Campus
Alumni Happenings
Alumni Open Mic Night
Alumni Open Mic Night
This year’s Alumni Open Mic Night was a huge success as familiar faces returned to campus to share their varied talents–singing, playing an instrument, spoken word–or supporting those performing.
Alumni Class of 2021 Reunion
Alumni Parent News
Alumni Parent News
Goodie Boxes being packed for Alumni for College Freshmen.
Alumni Parent Josh Elbaum and Head of School Lisa Rosenstein at the America Unfiltered documentary screening.
Jenna Ruth '03, Cindy Ruth, and Terri Baird, Assistant Head of School for Student Services, at Alumni Panel.
Elena Yu Alumni Spotlight
“The Story of Us” Quilt: A Weaving Project Inspired by the Artwork of Willows Alumni Elena Yu, Class of 2008
Middle School Art Teacher Jean Magers developed an interactive art project for Willows students based on the weaving of Elena Yu, an artist and arts organizer now based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has her own design practice, Dao Bao; works full time at the Ruffin Gallery and is the Visiting Art Coordinator for University of Virginia’s Department of Art.
Elena states, “I weave and stitch social and personal histories into sculptures, performances, exhibitions and events that engage communities. I also weave and stitch clothing and quilts for bodies and homes.”
Elena’s work responds to archival research, conversations, time spent outdoors, and opportunities to activate alternative spaces.
“The Story of Us” Willows grandparents had the opportunity to contribute to The Willows “Story of Us” quilt during this year’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day, creating an eclectic tapestry of expression, featuring scenes of nature, art, design, and bold colors.
See more of Elena’s work at https://www.elenadaojingyu.com/ and https://daobao.bigcartel.com/.
Artwork by Elena Yu
Artwork by Elena Yu
The Willows Story of Us Project
Alumni Spotlight
Katherine (Katie) Blue
Katherine Blue, Class of 2020, who graduated from Harvard-Westlake and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science, Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has a summer internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.
In the Research Lab, she is assisting in stem cell research and dissecting placenta for trials as part of a larger project to investigate the connection between placenta and fetus.
“The question we are answering is ‘how does placental inflammation affect the fetal immune system?’” explains Katherine. “Some of the skills I have learned and honed are pipetting, homogenization of tissues, cell mapping, and protein quantification.”
Katherine reports that this has been a great experience, and that she will be working in the lab in the fall.
In these photos, Katherine is working with various fetal tissues for homogenization. This included cutting up tissue, measuring media, and utilizing machines such as a tissuelyser and a centrifuge.
The Willows Class of 2021
College Acceptances
Congratulations to the alumni from the Class of 2021 on their acceptances to the following colleges and universities:
Boston College
California State University of Northridge
Chapman UniversityDodge College
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Elon University
Emory University (2)
Lewis & Clark College
Loyola Marymount University
New York University (3)
Northeastern University (4) Pepperdine University
San Francisco State
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University (3)
Savannah College of Art and Design (2)
Southern Methodist University
The George Washington University
The New School - Parsons School of Design(2)
Tulane University (2)
University of Arizona (2)
University of California, Davis
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Colorado Boulder (2)
University of Oregon (2)
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Rome
University of South Carolina
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vassar College
Wesleyan University
Alumni News
The CAN-DO Accomplishments of our Alumni!
ERIK-VOGT-NILSEN ’08 edited the independent film, Big Boys, which was nominated for two 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards: The John Cassavetes Award for best feature made for under $1million and Best Breakthrough Performance. His latest feature, Plainclothes, directed by Carmen Emmi, was selected to premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast. It has since been acquired by Magnolia Pictures and is set to have a theatrical release this fall.
SKYE BELKER ’19 played for the German National Women’s Basketball Team and hopes to play for 3 summers. She also played in the March Madness Women’s Princeton vs. Iowa game.
ISAAC WILSON ‘07, GREG BLUM ‘99 and current faculty member, and JEFF BLUM ‘03 reunite as a trio to play at Family Arts Night.
ISIS GINYARD ’19 and ATTICUS ROSENTHAL-KING ’19 visiting The Willows. Atticus has an internship with Fox Studios in Scripted TV Development. Atticus, who currently attends Wesleyan University, has a summer internship with Fox Studios in Scripted TV Development. Isis attends Dartmouth University.
KALEO KNIGHT ’22 and ISABELLA CASO ’13 performed at The Willows Winter Concert. Kaleo sang her original song and Isabella danced to the song. Kaleo is a senior at Windward School and Isabella, who attended USC, is a professional dancer.
PHOEBE WOLFE-CARLING ’25 and ILI KLIER ’21 performed at Winter Concert.
SIMONA VISHNEVSKY ’14 graduated from Loyola Marymount University Law School.
SAM GAZECKI GREENER ’08 graduated from Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center and is now a Resident Physician at the University of Wisconsin Hopsitals and Clinics.
JESSE NEVINS ’20 and BEN LEVIN ’20 visiting with their Book Buddy, current student Jackson M. Jesse currently attends Yale University and Ben attends University of Chicago.
Alumni News
CHARLOTTE FASSLER ’05 co-directed the film My Fault London playing on Amazon Prime.
Alumni Dancers Performing at The Willows shown with MARISSA WEISS, Dance Teacher L to R: LAUREN POMERANTZ ’21, ARDEN MEHTA ’24, EDEN ROTHENBERG ’23, MARISSA WEISS, PHOEBE WOLFE-CARLIN ’24, and DANI AZIZ ’24.
ENGAGEMENTS/MARRIAGES/BIRTHS
Greg Blum ’99 is engaged to Chloe Bean
Erik Vogt-Nilsen '08 is engaged to Fernando Foehn Hurtado
Madeleine (Maddy) Grey '08 married Paul Fox ’04
James Garland ’10 is engaged to Sharon Cormier
Jacob Goodman '11 is engaged to Sophie Hoyt
Lily Solomon '06 married Ben Davis
Rebecca Yale ’02 and her husband, Nick Andert, welcomed a baby girl, Lexi Ethan Weinman ’06 and his wife had a baby, Mateo
Zoe Birnbaum ’07 and her husband welcomed a baby girl named Ella Lindsay Flyer.
China Moss ’99 had a baby, Cassius.
Ross Huberman ’06 and his wife Ketura Berstyn, had a baby, Charlie Huberman
Charlotte Fetterman '13 had a baby, Beau Abraham Fetterman-Browning Destiny Chanman ’09 welcomed a baby named Reese
Isabella (Bella) Latt ’15 had a baby boy, Arlo
The Willows Class of 2025 Secondary School Acceptances
We are proud to share the success of our eighth graders during the secondary school admissions process. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 for their acceptances to the finest, most competitive schools in Los Angeles area and beyond.
The Willows Class of 2025
Archer School for Girls
Brentwood School
The Buckley School
Campbell Hall
Chadwick School
Crespi Carmelite High School
Crossroads School
Geffen Academy at UCLA
Harvard-Westlake School
Immaculate Heart High School
Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies
Loyola High School
Marlborough School
Marymount High School
Milken Community High School
New Roads School
New West Charter School
Notre Dame High School
Oakwood School
Pacifica Christian High School
Palisades High School
Polytechnic High School
Punahou School
Saint Monica Preparatory
Santa Monica High School
Sequoyah High School
Vistamar School
Westridge School
Windward School
Celebrating 31 Years of Innovation & Excellence
The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.
