VOLUME 17 / NUMBER 1 / SPRING 2016
W H I L E YO U M AY S E E W H AT I D O, YO U M AY N OT S E E WHAT I S E E. MY
OWN
LEARNING
E X PE R I E N CE S
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A WOR LD VI EW THAT I S U N I Q U E LY M I N E.
mission OUR
VIEWPOINT SCHOOL is a welcoming, vibrant, and collaborative community that offers a challenging and enriched college preparatory education in a nurturing environment for students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. The School embraces students and families from diverse cultures of the world and teaches the history and wisdom of these traditions. VIEWPOINT INSPIRES a love of learning and develops those qualities which provide strength and direction for a lifetime. The School promotes among its students respect, integrity, responsibility, and optimism. THE SCHOOL CELEBRATES its love of country by commemorating our nation’s holidays and honoring its finest traditions. Viewpoint affirms in its assemblies and programs the ethical principles inherent in all religions. VIEWPOINT’S STUDENTS learn the importance of service to others and to the greater community with the expectation that this introduction becomes a lifelong commitment. VIEWPOINT RECOGNIZES the uniqueness of each child and is committed to the preservation and development of that individuality.
inside SPRING 2016
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THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE VIE WPOINT ON THE WEB
Cover: Adabel Corales ’17 This page: Lindsay Emi ’16 Cover: Photograph by Bill Youngblood
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LOVE OF LEARNING
40 Cultivating Life Skills and Inclusivity
ADVANCING VIEWPOINT’S MISSION
12 Innovation Space 14 Share Your Work: Persuasive Mini-Documentaries 16 Exploring American History
at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference
60 Our Field of Dreams 62 The State of the School 64 The Lifer’s Lunch
through Simulations and Games 20 Anna Deavere Smith
22 One Campus. Many Views.
IN OUR CANYON 24 First Crush – Justin Sun 26 Pursuing Their Passions 34 Download: Joe Diaz, Upper School Spanish Teacher 37 With Gratitude 38 Robotics Team
V I E W P O I N T
42 FOCUS ON DANCE 44 The Mechanics of Partnering 46 The Neuroscience of Dance 48 Filmmaker Deeksha Marla ’17 51 Film Awards 52 Theatrical Productions
ATHLETICS 54 Letter from the Athletic Director 58 Athletics:
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Fall 2015/Winter 2016
COLLEGE COUNSELING 66 How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
Creating a Well-Rounded College List
DIRECTION FOR A LIFETIME 68 Alumni Events 70 Alumni Profile: Stanford University Honors Matt Callahan ’11
72 Alumni Profile: Justin Bauer ’08 74 Class Notes 76 Contributors
Letter from the Head of School
Dear Friends and Families of Viewpoint, THE WEEK BEFORE my freshman year of college, I went on a trip of a lifetime. Like many others, my college offered a program that featured a week of backpacking the Appalachian Trail in Maine with a group of other first-year students, prior to the week of orientation. Having never been on such a trip, I took to the outfitters in my northern California town for wool socks, Gore Tex parka, and Snow Seal to waterproof my new hiking boots, which I dutifully broke in during the weeks prior to the trip. The seven days of walking (and singing) in the woods, of sardines and pita bread and huddling to sleep under a tarp in a New England summer rain, could not have provided a better way to prepare for the four-year educational journey ahead. I arrived to begin my freshman year with spirits lifted and a strong group of friends. This issue of Viewpoint magazine is devoted to experiential education and to the enduring lessons students take from this particular mode of teaching and learning. Experiential education is not new, as it is grounded in the philosophy and approach of John Dewey in the early 20th century and is evident in programs like the outdoor education experience my college offered over three decades ago. As Robert Bryan notes in his compelling feature article in this issue (pp.4-11), experiential education offers an approach very different from the model of teacher-as-authority in which the teacher delivers knowledge in the form of received information. Rather, teachers design experiences for students which are interactive, social, and prompt engagement and reflection. By their nature, like my pre-college trip, such experiences offer some of the most memorable moments of all schooling.
education reflect the priorities of current research and teaching practice. Experiential education is: • authentic, providing students opportunities from real life; • relevant, implicitly answering the question, “When will we need to know this?”; • engaging, drawing students in emotionally and intellectually; • personalized, suiting the lesson to the needs of each distinct individual; and • holistic, integrating ideas from different disciplines, from society and from life into a coherent whole. AS WE SEE IN THIS ISSUE, experiential education can be found across the Viewpoint campus, in classrooms as diverse as Biology and United States History. Students learn while they dance, create the orchestration for a quartet, prepare a scene or score a film. Students reflect on their powerful experiences in the pool getting a few seconds faster in a season or on the field, learning the flow of true teamwork. Experiential education is found with purposes as different as planning a blood drive to save lives, or researching the best way to meet the world’s energy needs and address climate change. Viewpoint students are creative, and their learning experiences give their education a purpose today, even as they prepare for lives of leadership tomorrow. Vive l’expérience!
Mark McKee, Head of School
With its roots in the last century, learning from experience is quintessential 21st century learning. Today’s classrooms have largely realized Dewey’s vision of breaking from the “factory model” of education, and the qualities of experiential S P R I N G
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engagement / reflection / iteration
Kyle Sardo ’23
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When
my son Benji, now 21, was in the Fourth Grade, he became fascinated with roller coasters. While he wasn’t always sure that he wanted to ride them, he wanted to know everything he could about them.
Georgia Krawczyk ’23
Nathan Danese ’25
Mylah Eaton ’19
Randy White ’17
The Value of Experience By Robert Bryan, Associate Head of School
Art Marquez ’18
Tia Nelli ’18
Grant Kaltman ’28
Katherine Yi ’24
Adam Zuckerman ’23
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A Angelina Habis ’27
Nicholas Poveda ’18
Eve Cornelius ’17
Ben Chesed ’26
LL THROUGHOUT
his Lower School and Middle School years, Benji researched online, joined a coaster enthusiasts club, and built both virtual and model roller coasters. He established everevolving goals based on their relevance, and he designed a process for achieving them that utilized the available tools in an experiential way. And, of course, once he was brave enough to embrace the challenge of the most extreme coasters, he encouraged his dad to make several trips with him to Magic Mountain, as well as pilgrimages to other theme park temples such as Cedar Point, where we could experience iconic rides like Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster. (The fact that he could quote the drop angle of a coaster and the g-force of the turn while I was perched at its apex was not always reassuring, however!) In the end, he became quite an expert in the field, with a thorough knowledge of the specifications, locations, and history of coasters and theme parks. Throughout the time that he explored this passion, he operated independently, and even now, several years after the roller coaster phase has passed, he retains a great deal of the learning that he internalized along the way. Of course, schools are not set up to allow each individual student to pursue his or her personal passions ad infinitum to the exclusion of other things. We have a responsibility to teach important academic skills, as well as social skills that are not individual in nature. School necessarily includes many “have to’s” that build the academic skills students need to be able to access more complex
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learning in subsequent grades, as well as the social-emotional skills and practice they need to be able to collaborate effectively and operate successfully in a community context. Still, the key features that defined Benji’s independent learning (relevance, goal-setting, engagement, practice, collaboration, application, trial and error, risk-taking, self-assessment, regular feedback, reflection, and iteration) are increasingly being incorporated with intentionality into a typical school day at Viewpoint, to the great benefit of our students. In short, the principles of experiential education are being embraced in the classroom. Charlotte Leonetti ’18
Daniyar Ali ’24
Jack Watanabe ’19
Alexa Latour ’23
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, OF COURSE, has been around for decades. Traditionally it has represented a narrow slice of school life, usually relegated to the “extra-curricular” side of the ledger. Student travel, community service, and off-site retreats are some of the common associations with the term someone of my generation might have. In the arts and athletics, the principles of experiential education have always been prominent. In the arts, a student begins with a vision in mind, but it is through interaction with the work itself and the challenges it presents that the final product begins to take shape. It is the doing that creates the deeper understanding that allows the student to sharpen his or her evolving vision. The artist takes advantage of the teacher’s expertise and feedback and chooses the tools best suited to the task. Through the process, the student’s self-awareness and confidence are enhanced, and skills are developed and internalized that will be applied to future projects. Though the product is the goal, it is the process that creates the learning.
Athletics has these elements as well. As a season progresses, practice by practice and game by game, a player develops and applies an increasingly sophisticated skill set, incorporates constructive feedback, overcomes challenges, obstacles, and even injuries along the way, and learns to fit his or her talents and needs into the team context. The product may be either a win or a loss – both can be valuable teachers – but future development and success arise from the process itself. Dara Denloye ’21
Westy Perkins ’16
Bridget Rosen ’18
Liam Frenkel ’22
Allegra Friedel ’25
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT VIEWPOINT SCHOOL
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NE PROMINENT EXAMPLE of experiential learning at Viewpoint is the Innovation Space. It is easy to see design thinking in this place, but where else is experiential learning happening? You might be surprised! In upper grades the opportunities for experiential learning expand, but they may be less visible because they are decentralized across many classes. In Sixth Grade, students design earthquake towers based on what features they think will best survive; they test their models on a shake table and, examining the results, consider which changes to make in future designs. They also use an app to identify birds in their native habitat and create a log of birds observed both on campus and in their daily lives.
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Cameron Wycoff ’20
Dominique Harpoothian ’22
True Watikins ’27
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century, many of the approaches I describe represent a design thinking process that is more broadly applied in the curriculum. Design thinking is virtually synonymous these days with experiential education, as they both involve similar strategies and seek similar outcomes. Stanford’s d.school (Hasso Platner Institute of Design at Stanford) sees design thinking as “a methodology for innovation that combines creative and analytical approaches, and requires collaboration across disciplines.” They also posit that “human values are at the heart of our collaborative approach.” Learning in the 21st century, from the earliest grades through college and into the workplace, is no longer centered on the acquisition of information, but the process by which learning is created. In the private and public sectors, as well as in higher education, students and workers who embrace a design thinking process, who can bring creativity to the collaborative problem-solving process, are in demand. With technology developing at light speed and change a constant reality, those who can remain nimble and resilient in the face of challenges are in the best position to contribute and to succeed. In Mark McKee’s State of the School address to Viewpoint’s families, he referenced Tony Wagner’s Seven Survival Skills as indicators of how the role of education is changing in the 21st century. Wagner currently serves as an Expert In Residence at Harvard University’s new Innovation Lab and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute. Wagner (www.tonywagner.com) cites the following skills students will need in the future, as defined by business leaders:
Seventh and Eighth Grade students have the opportunity to enroll in a range of design-related electives, including: Computer Animation, Graphic Design, Media Design, Practical Electronics, Pre-Engineering and Robotics. David Martin, the teacher of many of these courses, is a strong advocate of design thinking. He poses challenges, then guides students through collaborative problem-solving exercises. Solutions are designed, constructed, and tested. Once completed, he asks students to explain the rationale behind their design and reflect on its effectiveness. Mr. Martin relishes his role as a mentor who can observe a student’s progress and offer real-time feedback.
Upper School offers 3-D Design and Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, and Expressions in Design and Media Arts, among many courses that are experimental in nature. Our Robotics team’s successes are well documented. Lance Argano-Rush oversees this experiential program that embodies all the principles of design thinking in a competitive format. This requires the collaboration and creativity of all involved, as well as persistence and resilience. Traditional performance and arts classes from theater, dance, speech and debate to ceramics, sculpture, illustration and photography round out a broad selection of opportunities.
The Stanford d.school Design Thinking Model Based on your insights, construct a point of view based on user needs
Learn about the audience for whom you are designing
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
TEST
Return to your original user group and test your ideas for feedback
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence • Agility and Adaptability • Initiative and Entrepreneurship • Effective Oral and Written Communication • Accessing and Analyzing Information • Curiosity and Imagination EVEN WITHOUT UNPACKING these skills further, it is clear that according to Wagner’s list the future belongs to the creative, courageous, collaborative, process-oriented problem solvers.
Brainstorm and come up with creative solutions
IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
Build a representation of one or more of your ideas to show to others
As educators, it is our challenge to find new ways to adapt the educational process to foster more of these outcomes than has traditionally been the case. 21st-century creators will need to be able to follow the d.school’s design thinking model: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and iterate in an upward spiral of understanding and application focused on an essential question or specific problem. The future will not belong to the holder of information but to the creator of solutions. Today, teachers are increasingly aware of how students learn. As educators, we have access to a growing body of research S P R I N G
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the visual and performing arts almost by definition fit the profile of a 21st-century experiential learning environment. Viewpoint’s school garden and outdoor classroom, the ECOLET (Ecology Curriculum for Outdoor Learning with Experimentation and Technology) is another great example of experiential learning. Here you will find students identifying local birds, observing the monarch butterfly life cycle, examining native plants, growing organic crops, and much more. Students from all divisions work together with teachers and staff in this environmental laboratory to study our unique canyon, and to grow fruits and vegetables that produce an abundant harvest. Avery Oder ’25
Christian Juzang ’16
that helps us to understand child and adolescent development. For example, two local scientists, Dr. Susan Bookheimer at UCLA and Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang at USC, are conducting brain research on the emotion-cognition connection. Viewpoint parent and trustee Jeff Stibel, author of Breakpoint and Wired for Thought, spoke recently at Viewpoint about his entrepreneurship on the cutting edge of neuroscience in a Cum Laude-sponsored talk entitled “Brain Chips for the Human Mind.” In his riveting presentation, Mr. Stibel noted that the brain is built for pattern recognition, prediction, and survival, not for memorization, as the unused/unneeded aspects of memory are quickly pruned and lost. He also indicated that despite the myths we always use all of our brain, not just a portion of it (as we have often heard), and that the brain works in nodes and networks, with each part supporting the other parts to create meaning and solve problems. In the same way, problem solvers of the future will not be expected to “know it all,” but will team up with others in learning and problem-solving networks. The implications of much of the recent research are profound as we seek to shape learning environments that best serve our students. IN THE CORE ACADEMIC CLASSES, the principle of experiential learning is embodied in project-based approaches. Like the design classes mentioned above sidebar (previoius page), in project-based models students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time, often as part of a collaborative team, to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. Examples of this approach can be found in every academic department. While it may be obvious that the Design Challenge class and the Strategy Games and Classic Puzzles class would be project-based, other classes with more conventional names, like Algebra I or Biology or Advanced Placement U.S. History also contain project-based elements. And perhaps no curricular area is as experiential on a regular basis over time as the arts. From Primary School assemblies and plays to Middle School strings to Upper School Ceramics and Film,
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It is important to note that 21st-century learning is not, strictly speaking, about computer technology, though that is a common association. Appropriate technology targeted to the task at hand is certainly an important tool used to support and enhance the experiential learning process, and the School’s technology infrastructure facilitates its incorporation throughout and beyond the campus. THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE, above all, is about the value of process and what a student gains from working both independently and with his or her peers to design, test, and implement solutions to relevant problems. As we apply more broadly the principles of design thinking, we can devise learning experiences that encourage our students’ creativity, engagement and independence, as well as their critical thinking and problemsolving skills. By learning this way, and by taking ownership of the process, our students are not likely to unlearn these lessons – much like Benji and his coaster expertise, which he carries with him today. So whether we are talking about the Innovation Space for our youngest students or the many branches of experiential learning that are embedded in the program at all levels and in all departments, Viewpoint School is in a very strong position as we prepare our students for the challenges they will face in college and beyond.
Alec Riegler ’19
Clare Williams ’22
Q&A
Meet Robert Bryan, who joined Viewpoint in July of 2015 as our new Associate Head of School, after eleven years at Marlborough School in Los Angeles as the Director of Middle School. Robert is a distinguished educator of national renown, with almost four decades of experience in teaching, administration, and service to independent schools.
Q: What is your background? A:
Following a childhood spent in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Religion, with an emphasis on Asian thought. I discovered the Comparative Religion Department by following one particularly inspiring professor with whom I had taken a humanities class. What I learned from him and from the department as a whole gave me a new philosophical perspective that has proved to be defining. After receiving my teaching certification from the University of Texas-Austin, I spent seven years teaching at Casady School in Oklahoma City. Casady is a coed PreK-12 independent Episcopal school and is like Viewpoint in many ways. Though social studies was my field, as the newest hire I taught everything and anything, including German and English, in addition to coaching debate. Having gained this valuable experience, I then attended graduate school and received my Master’s degree in Modern Chinese History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I then spent a year in Chongqing, Sichuan Province, China, in 1985-86 teaching English and American culture.
Inspired by my year in China, I returned to the U.S. and considered joining the Foreign Service, but ultimately, I could not resist the pull of the classroom. I returned to teaching and began my career in educational administration, where I have served in several roles over the years, primarily as Upper School Division Head. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2004, I served as Director of Middle School at Marlborough School until I joined the Viewpoint School staff this past year.
Q: Why experiential education? A:
I believe in the value of experience, as well as the lasting significance of the confidence students gain by embracing new challenges. We know that not everyone learns the same way. We also know that many of the most enduring lessons are those learned by doing, and that when one’s paradigm shifts through experience, new internalized concepts are far less likely to be unlearned. We want to help our students become engaged 21stcentury citizens – competent, collaborative, connected, caring, creative, and courageous – and we want to support their search for relevance and meaning in what they are studying through active and interactive inquiry.
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THE INNOVATION SPACE VISUALIZE THE INNOVATION SPACE AS THE TRUNK of the experiential learning tree. In this space, Primary and Lower School students first develop the 21st-century skills that will continue with them throughout their Viewpoint education, their college years, and the rest of their lives. Our Middle and Upper School students have long enjoyed an expanding range of experiential learning opportunities. This unique space now initiates
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From Left to Right: 1 Samson Harrington ’27, Pippin Taylor ’27 2 William Yi ’28 3 Griffin Carabet ’23, Erin Beazley ’23, Georgia Krawczyk ’23 4 Anna Jennings ’24, Gilly Harrison ’24 5 Mrs. Lisa Kessler, A.J. Williams ’23 6 Nikhal Sarvaiya ’26, Derek Kessler ’26 7 Jordan Mercuri ’28 8 Skyler Hakim ’28
similar opportunities for our youngest students fostering these skills at an early age. Teacher Lisa Kessler and Assistant Teacher Ron Quarterman create age-appropriate, engaging design challenges and opportunities to use technology that meet their evolving developmental stages as students progress. Programmed to encourage curiosity and offering many opportunities to apply imagination, the Innovation Space provides an environment where
critical thinking, problem solving, initiative, and collaboration can flourish. Responding to the challenges presented, students analyze, design, build, and test their own creations as solutions. In this colorful and inviting learning lab, the energy and enthusiasm present are evidence that the curriculum and approach are fully embraced by Viewpoint’s youngest students.
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SHARE YOUR WORK PERSUASIVE MINIDOCUMENTARIES
THE CLASS
THE PROCESS
Eighth Grade English
PART 1: TOPIC SELECTION
THE MOTIVATION “Put your phone away.” “Close your computers.” We teachers frequently ask our students to put away their devices in order to get them to pay better attention in class. It can seem like a strange request in a world that is increasingly filled with technology. At an educator’s conference I was challenged to include at least one project each year in which students hear the opposite: use all of the technology tools they have available in order to help solve a real and complex problem.
THE PROJECT
By Tom Moore, Middle and Upper School English Teacher
For the Persuasive Mini-Documentaries Project the students develop and present persuasive documentary films in order to create meaningful change within the Eighth Grade at Viewpoint. The students are asked to find answers to an important question, to write about a topic they choose, to create with the help of technology, and to communicate with a real audience.
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“HOW CAN YOU CHANGE THE WAY your classmates think about something important? How can you change the way they act?” These are the questions that direct students as they work to generate topics for their documentaries. Often the challenge to create meaningful change within the grade is first met with blank looks from students. Students say that they don’t know what their classmates should do differently or what an important cause might be. After some guided brainstorming, however, they begin generating ideas. They share thoughts about how much time they spend on social media, about how they impact the environment, and about how their classmates are often too quick to judge each other. They create film pitches based on resisting negative gender roles, on limiting microaggressions, on choosing healthier eating habits, on resisting media pressures to look a certain way, on the importance of sleep, and on not using plastic water bottles. Each year the list of topics changes. After developing topics, each student makes a film pitch, and then classes choose from the pitches and gather into small film teams.
PART 2: RESEARCH “IS THIS A RELIABLE WEBSITE?” I ask as students begin researching their topics. “It looks good” or “it doesn’t look credible” are the most frequent initial comments. When asked to tell whether a site is reliable, students tend to draw attention to graphics that look professional or to layouts that look quickly created. Eventually we start discussing how to evaluate the quality of publishers and authors of websites in addition to learning how to identify and balance bias. We discuss how recently information should have been published to be considered up to date. Finally, students learn to access scholarly databases. They draft focus questions for their documentaries and break these into smaller research questions.
Students collaborate using a wide range of tools in order to create a short persuasive film. From the top center and moving clockwise, students are as follows: Devon Knopp ’20, Morgan Ratzan-Wank ’20, Thomas Leonetti ’20 (on the left) and Taro Watanabe ’20 (on the right), KaiLan Mackey ’20, Kendall Ferguson ’20
At this point, they are set loose to work with their film teams to explore what experts have learned about their topics. One of the goals of documentaries is to elevate the conversation about a given topic, and students work to achieve this while also finding expert facts and ideas that will convince peers.
of archival footage as well as music for their soundtrack. Finally, students find ways to visually demonstrate ideas expressed in their voiceovers.
PART 3: SCRIPT WRITING
EDITING BEGINS WITH CREATING STORYBOARDS. After sketching out a clear vision for how the film will fit together and how tasks can be divided, students work with movie-making software, and they engage in a critique and revision process modeled after the process used by Pixar Animation Studios.
AFTER RESEARCHING, STUDENTS BEGIN PLANNING the voiceovers for their films by writing scripts. The goal is to craft arguments to overcome the resistance of their peers. Teams brainstorm ideas and engage in inquiry into the genre, looking at different relevant documentaries and studying structures and tactics of persuasive writing. Students learn to integrate research into their writing in a fluid way, and how to reveal the authority of their sources to their audience. In addition, they learn to adopt a writing style that will speak to their peers — a writing style that is very different from the one they use in formal essays.
PART 4: GATHERING DOCUMENTARY ELEMENTS AFTER SCRIPTS ARE WRITTEN, film teams gather original footage for their documentaries. They interview students, teachers, parents, and administrators in order to give voice to different perspectives on their topics. After learning about copyright and fair use exceptions, students also gather clips
PART 5: EDITING
PART 6: SCREENING AND DISCUSSION AT THE OUTSET, Daniel O’Reilly-Rowe, a film teacher and documentarian at Viewpoint, spoke to our English classes and offered this challenge: “How is this thing that you are making going to change the world, even in the smallest way?” In the end, after all of the hard work is done, the projects do lead to change. Students show their films in class, and selected films are shown to a wider audience. In conversations after the films, students respond thoughtfully to the messages expressed. The documentaries created by students make a lasting impression, and they shape the community in a positive way.
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EXPLORING AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH
SIMULATIONS & GAMES By Susan Elliott, Upper School Social Studies Teacher
Adam Anwar ’17, Jake Levin ’17, Eve Cornelius ’17, Jennifer Cullen ’17
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OF THE MAIN PRIORITIES OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES department are to teach historical empathy and to inspire a love of learning. In an effort to achieve both of those goals, students in the Advancement Placement (AP) U.S. History classes spend the first semester engaged in a series of six historical simulation games designed to explore the larger themes and essential questions of American History. In the games, each student is assigned a role from the past that they are responsible for portraying throughout the game. Examples from the first game, “Survivor America,” include Pocahontas, Montezuma, Hernando Cortes, and Christopher Columbus. In the final game of the semester, “The Henry Clay Trial,” students portray Henry Clay, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nat Turner, John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln.
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PREPARATION for the games, students learn everything they can about their assigned role and the historical context of the game. In order to understand their roles, students study and analyze primary source materials in specially prepared Susan Elliott iPads, as well as textbook information. In this way, students fully engage with the past and they are drawn into the primary source materials. The iPad programs are completely interactive, allowing a student to come to a deeper understanding of primary source documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the game, students learn a variety of valuable skills that may otherwise be absent from a class where they merely receive information from instructors and textbooks. Through the complex games, students learn critical thinking, analysis, problem solving, and teamwork. They also learn presentation skills and persuasion.
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THESE
GAMES CAUSE
high excitement and even heart-pounding tension. There is no doubt that throughout the process, students feel fully engaged. During the games, I strive to remain quiet and allow the students to lead the class. Once the game is completed, students write reaction papers on the essential questions of the game. These papers are highly sophisticated in their understanding of the underlying tensions of the historical period. Students always beg to do more of this. As a result, the full curriculum for the first semester is taught through simulation using the corresponding e-book material. After the games, students talk for days about what happened in the simulations. Even graduates in college reminisce about the games they played.
THE GAMES
Colonial Period (1491-1607)
SURVIVOR AMERICA ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why were the Spanish and English successful at establishing profitable colonies in the Americas? THE GAME: Three teams representing England, Spain, and Native Americans vie for dominance in North America. A series of primary source analysis and map exercises are followed by game.
Revolutionary Period (1754-1776)
REVOLUTIONARY BOSTON ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extent was the American Revolution inspired by economic concerns? To what extent was it political concerns? THE GAME: Citizens of Boston react to events leading up to the American Revolution. A combination of informational lectures and primary source analysis is followed by re-enactments of the Boston Massacre trial and the Boston Tea Party.
Critical Period (1787-1796)
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extent were the framers of the Constitution motivated by protecting the interests of the elite? THE GAME: State Representatives travel to Philadelphia to write
a new constitution. This includes in-depth analysis of Articles of Confederation, primary source analysis, simulation, and analysis of the Beard thesis.
Early National Period (1789-1808)
WASHINGTON’S, ADAMS,’ AND JEFFERSON’S DECISIONS ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Analyze the contributions of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson in creating stability after the adoption of the Constitution.
THE GAME: The first three presidents make crucial decisions with the advice of their cabinets. After each cabinet meeting, students engage in in-depth analysis of primary sources and judge their decisions.
Jacksonian Democracy (1832-1840)
SECTIONALISM GAME ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What were the causes of sectionalism and what impact did it have during the first half of the 19th century? THE GAME: During Jackson’s administration, the House of Representatives votes on laws relating to the tariff, the bank, Native Americans, slavery, westward land sales, power to the federal government, and internal improvements. Depending on the results, students look at the possibility of impeaching Jackson. Students evaluate the positions of the Northeast, South, and West on each of these issues.
Causes of the Civil War (1850-1861)
TRIAL OF HENRY CLAY ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extent was the Civil War caused by a failure of leadership? THE GAME: Henry Clay is put on trial for failing to avert the Civil War. Throughout the process students analyze the causes of the Civil War through a combination of primary source work and informational lectures. Afterwards students will study the Civil War and Reconstruction.
STUDENT REACTIONS
Zoe Beckman ’17
“My favorite simulation was the Sectionalism Game. In these games, students get to portray different roles and often it is a person in history who holds an opinion that you don’t agree with. This experience really made me think about people’s motivations and situations.”
Samir Venkatesh ’17
“I loved the Presidential Cabinet simulation. For this class it is not just memorizing facts; instead we dive deeply into what goes into the decision making of the historic figures and all the factors they had to balance in making decisions.”
Allison Mora ’17
“The Survivor Game was so much fun. I was really motivated to read the sources so I could win the game. On the day of the game it was really exciting to see who got voted off.”
Jake Bubman ’17
“I loved all the games, but especially the mock trials. At the end of the semester when I was reviewing for the final exam, I found that all the games we played made me learn the material thoroughly, and I felt completely confident going into the test.” S P R I N G
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Anna Deavere Smith By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Comunications
On the 25th anniversary of the infamous Rodney King beating, Viewpoint welcomed acclaimed playwright, actor, professor, and recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Anna Deavere Smith, for a performance and a conversation about social justice and race in America. Ms. Smith is best known for creating one-woman shows based on interviews with people from across the social, economic, and ethnic spectrum. In her Tony-nominated play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Ms. Smith dramatizes the reactions of more than 35 people who lived through the 1992 L.A. riots that erupted after the police officers charged with beating King were acquitted. Viewpoint’s Conservatory of Theater presented Twilight at the end of February. Following the Upper School assembly, Ms. Smith met with those students to talk about her experience constructing the play, and their experience developing their characters and performing the play for their peers. Ms. Smith explained that growing up in a segregated neighborhood in Baltimore, she turned to theater as a way to break down stereotypes and to help her to understand other people’s feelings and circumstances through their own words. The students agreed that by portraying several characters – all very different in age, gender, or ethnicity – they came to empathize or better comprehend the experiences of individuals so different from themselves. For the students involved in the production of Twilight, or those who saw the play, Ms. Smith’s visit was an exceptionally powerful experience, and one that many said they would never forget.
GUEST SPEAKER
March 3, 2016
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AN INSPIRATIONAL DAY ON CAMPUS Acclaimed playwright, actor, and professor Anna Deavere Smith’s visit was a highlight of the school year. Her presentation and performance to the Upper School was followed by an intimate conversation in the Ahmanson Foundation Black Box Theater about questions of race in America, and the life and training of an actor. Viewpoint’s Conservatory of Theater presented Ms. Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at the end of February. The cast members performed excerpts from the play at the assembly.
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PHOTO COMPOSITION BY:
Eric Wang ’18, Photography 2
“Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it.” – Jasper Johns Lay hold of the transformative experience of looking, really looking at architecture and how it, the object, fits into its surroundings as it invites or disinvites you, and establish a dialogue now between you and it. Change it up. Deconstruct it. Take a big scissors and cut up big buildings and put them back together as you would imagine them to be. Shape, shift and imagine a new brand of design. Be in touch with what’s outside of your sphere of awareness. Always look. Always. Charlie Sitzer, Photography Teacher
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One Campus. Many Views.
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employees / students / environment / creativity / grow th
I realized
that teaching was more than just being passionate about a specific subject. It is also about building relationships with students and seeing each student as a whole person.
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IN EACH ISSUE WE ASK A TEACHER to write about his or her academic first crush, the moment or experiences that motivated him or her to become an educator.
first
CRUSH JUSTIN SUN / FOURTH GRADE TEACHER Justin Sun was raised in Newbury Park, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of California, Riverside, and a master’s degree in Education from University of Phoenix. After teaching Middle School math for three years, he joined Viewpoint’s Lower School faculty in 2009, and he is currently teaching Fourth Grade. WHEN I THINK BACK to how I became a teacher, I wonder how I ended up in this profession. While I enjoyed school as a child, I never thought that teaching would be a career choice for me. I remember my second grade teacher asking the class what we wanted to be when we grew up. My choices were a professional baseball player, a doctor, and a teacher. As we shared our career choices out loud, I vividly recall some classmates chuckling at my third choice because “teachers are supposed to be girls.” That comment ended any aspirations I had to become a teacher. Over the next several years, my list changed many times, but I never wanted to be a teacher again, even though I had several amazing male teachers over the years. Two of these teachers, both named Mr. Johnson, were incredible and left a lasting impression upon me. They made learning fun, were passionate about the subjects they taught, and took an interest in our lives and made us feel important. Even with these two wonderful role models, I still did not think that I could ever be a teacher.
When I graduated from high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. The only thing that remained constant was my desire to help people and make a difference in some way. I eventually followed my older brother’s footsteps and studied Business Administration. After I graduated from college, I started my career in human resources. I spent most of my days at my desk staring at a computer and still didn’t feel like I found my calling in life. ABOUT NINE MONTHS LATER, my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, encouraged me to reconsider teaching and working with kids. She was working as a teaching assistant at Viewpoint. I enjoyed working with kids, so I finally gave in and decided to spend the next year as a teaching assistant. This prompted me to go back to school to earn my master’s degree and credential. For the first time, I felt like I was doing what I was always meant to do. I loved supporting the students and helping them find success in the classroom. I realized that teaching was more than just being passionate about a specific subject. It is also about building relationships with students and seeing each student as a whole person. Now I get to spend my days with kids and help them realize their potential.
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PURSUING Their Passions By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications
Viewpoint School is a community of extraordinary individuals, educators, and students who are passionate about their work – in and out of the classroom – and committed to challenging themselves each day. I met with a few of our students for this article. I am delighted to share their projects with our readers.
LINDSAY EMI ’16 Orientalizing Postmodernity and Ancient Greek Lindsay Emi is not afraid to challenge herself. In addition to a rigorous course load, including three Advanced Placement (AP) courses, two math classes, basketball, and orchestra, she is working on two very different independent projects. The first is completing third-year Ancient Greek taken one-on-one with Lowry Sweney, Chair of the World Languages Department, as an Independent Study Project. The second is a Viewpoint Scholar’s Project, which Lindsay described as “a capstone senior thesis that’s essentially about representations of Asians and Asian-Americans in contemporary science fiction.” S he elaborated, “I am analyzing how facets of Asian culture are integrated into the futures of the western imagination (e.g., the use of martial arts in The Matrix, or the orientalized Los Angeles of Blade Runner) and assessing whether or not representations of Asian futures have evolved in complexity and nuance over time.” Lindsay was eager to gain thesis-writing experience as preparation for attending Princeton University this fall, where
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she is considering majoring in Classics and where a thesis is required for graduation. Lindsay began taking Latin in Middle School and Ancient Greek in Tenth Grade. Lindsay said, “Ancient Greek is special to me because it’s a challenge, more so than Latin or Chinese, and because I love seeing the intersections – linguistic, cultural, historical – between Latin, Ancient Greek, and English. I find that these languages are intensely interesting and immensely useful. They’ve helped me improve my grasp of English and instilled in me a deep appreciation for words and language. Above all, studying classics has made me a stronger, more precise, and more inspired creative writer.” The working title for Lindsay’s thesis project is “Perpetuating an Orientalized Postmodernity: On the (Non-) Evolution of East Asian Tropes in Contemporary Speculative Media.” This paper was inspired by her experience in the summer of 2015 at the Telluride Association at the University of Michigan, where she took a seminar entitled “Science Fiction, Technology, and
the Human Horizon.” Her interest in science fiction was later fused with an interest in the perception of orientalism after reading Edward W. Said’s Orientalism, driving her desire to explore how Western nations perceive East Asian nations, people, and technology. Lindsay is passionate about her scholarly pursuits and has an insatiable hunger to question and to learn – whether the subject is ancient philosophy or “techno-orientalism.” When asked about this and the impact her 13 years at Viewpoint had on her as a student, Lindsay said, “I really love the work. This is what I want to do. I am so grateful to be in such a supportive community where students are encouraged to pursue their interests, and where there are so many opportunities to learn.” S P R I N G
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ANTHONY PINECI ’18 Artificial Intelligence & the Self-Driving Car Last year in Ninth Grade, Anthony Pineci completed Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science, leaving room in his schedule this year to pursue an Independent Study Project under the direction of Computer Science teacher Dan Anderson and to collaborate with his fellow students. They decided to develop a miniature self-driving car, building upon the neural network created by Anthony, Jamie Hood ’17, and Evan Visher ’17 in their Artificial Intelligence class in the 2014-15 school year. They also formed a club and invited other interested students to get involved. The Self-Driving Car Club, which now has between 15-20 members, is working on various aspects of the car. They hope to include sensors to tell the car where it is, and a camera with facial recognition abilities so it can locate a particular person. Anthony plans to continue studying artificial intelligence in college, and he hopes to be on the cutting edge of this type of research. He is appreciative of the opportunity to explore computer science at this level. He says, “Mr. Anderson is a great teacher. He really guides us, but he also just lets us dream freely and build our own programs. It is a really good way to learn.”
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ZOE BECKMAN ’17 Finding My Heritage through Chinese Literature Zoe Beckman is the granddaughter of one of Taiwan’s most prolific writers, Amy Hsu. Ms. Hsu is virtually unknown in the United States, but for her Independent Study Project, “Finding My Heritage through Chinese Literature,” Zoe is working to change that. In consultation with Chinese teacher Ming Hodgson, she is writing Wikipedia pages in both English and Chinese to make information about Ms. Hsu available to those interested in knowing more about this popular writer of more than 58 books of fiction, essays, and motivational writing, whose work was turned into television programs and films in Taiwan. Ms. Hsu died when Zoe was in Fourth Grade, so this project involves researching all existing documentation on Ms. Hsu and her career, interviewing family members, reading her books in Chinese, and writing the Wikipedia entry in two languages. Zoe considers herself more of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) student with a particular interest in neuroscience, but she loves learning languages. This year she is taking both AP French and AP Chinese, in addition to her research on her grandmother and her other school work. Zoe also plays the piano and violin and performs in the Upper School Orchestra.
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CAITLIN HOGAN ’16 Raising a Hawk Caitlin Hogan’s approach to life can be summed up in her own words: “Know no boundaries. Don’t be intimidated. It is always worth it to try something new. You learn just by trying.” With tremendous curiosity and an irrepressible spirit, Caitlin is always up for a challenge – in the lab, on the playing field, or in the outdoors. Caitlin will be attending Stanford University in the fall with plans to study either nanotechnology or material science. She is particularly excited by the intersection between nanotechnology and immunology. However, her vast range of interests include linguistics, computer science, robotics, chemistry, and solar cell technology. A Viewpoint lifer, Caitlin is a Varsity three-sport athlete (cross country, soccer, and track), studies Chinese, plays the violin in the orchestra, is a member of Viewpoint’s championship Patriots Robotics Team, and in her free time, trains her red-tailed hawk, Kaze. Caitlin’s interest in birds began with the Bird Unit in Craig Didden’s Sixth Grade Science class, and her fascination with birds of prey began at the age of 13. She passed the State of California’s rigorous Falconry License test at 14 and apprenticed for two years under a Master Falconer. She is now a member of the California Hawking Club. In order to keep a hawk at her home, Caitlin’s family built a mews for Kaze to live in and an aviary in which he can fly. She feeds him one half of a quail each day. Caitlin explained that 80% of red tailed hawks die before reaching maturity, and only 5% reach two years of age. Kaze was malnourished and injured when he came to live with Caitlin, and her hope is that after more than two years with her he will be able to thrive in the wild when he is set free.
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ROBERT CARIERI ’16 Performing and Storytelling To Robert Carieri, Viewpoint and its theater community are his home away from home. Robert discovered the stage in Middle School and has been performing ever since. His experience as an actor is connected to his lifelong love of storytelling and what he hopes will be his future career as a screenwriter. Many of his theater friends are students in Viewpoint’s Film Program.
With the encouragement of Head of Upper School Alan Howie, and Chair of the Film Department Catherine Dunn, Robert enlisted those friends to help with his Independent Study Project to write and direct his own 12-minute science fiction film, Safe and Sound. It is the story of two 40-something bank robbers, who are locked in a bank vault when the world ends. Josh Knoller ’16 was both the Producer and the Director of Photography on the film. The elaborate bank vault set was built by Jamie Lipman ’16, Scott Lipman ’14, and Kathy Cutler ’16. Robert’s brother Matthew ’14, now studying Directing in the Film Program at USC, was also involved in the production, as well as two professional actors. For Robert, making the film reinforced his interest in screenwriting, and provided further validation for his plan to study Screenwriting at USC School of Cinematic Arts in the fall.
ETTA FRIEDMAN ’17 Focusing on Diversity Etta Friedman is passionate about diversity. She was among the six students to represent Viewpoint at the National Association of Independent School’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Tampa, Florida this past fall. Etta also is a leader in both the Social Justice and Equity Club and the Gay-Straight Alliance. As a visual artist with a particular interest in film, Etta decided to focus her Independent Study Project on representations of diversity in the media. She is working with Robotics Coach Lance Argano-Rush and the Robotics Team to rehabilitate an old television to display several different videos on the screen simultaneously. Etta is also working with a number of different affinity groups on campus (such as the Indian Student Union and the Latino American Association) to select videos to show on this specially adapted television. By screening the videos and soliciting the opinions of these groups, Etta hopes to determine if they are being represented properly in the media (or not), and to present her findings at the end of the school year.
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JUSTIN LEWIS WEBER ’16 Building a Self-Replicating Solar Panel Factory on the Moon Justin Lewis Weber has a driving passion for engineering and entrepreneurial endeavors. By the age of 16 he had already founded more than one technology-related business, and he wanted to set his sights on something larger. His scholarly paper “Lunar-Based Self-Replicating Solar Factory,” the result of two years of work and submitted as a Viewpoint Scholar’s Project, was recently published in the scientific journal New Space, and was the subject of an article in the March 2016 issue of Popular Science, “Solar Panels Grown on the Moon Could Power the Earth.” As explained in Popular Science, “These solar panels would build copies of themselves, autonomously, on the surface of the moon. Then they would enter Earth’s orbit, collect the sun’s energy, and wirelessly beam it to the ground.” While Justin’s solution is ambitious, there is excitement in the scientific community to pursue his ideas.
Justin will be attending Stanford University in the fall – where he has spent the last three summers working on a variety of engineering projects – to study mechanical or aerospace engineering and business. In addition to his ongoing work developing a Lunar-Based Self-Replicating Solar Factory, Justin also is a FAA certified pilot and drone operator. He runs his own drone photography business, JT’s Flying Pictures, and is CEO of Luminate Products, Inc.
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JOE
DIAZ IS A SPANISH TEACHER IN THE UPPER SCHOOL. As the eldest of five children, he has been teaching since he was old enough to care for his siblings. Joe is originally from Boston, and although a New Englander at heart, he always wanted to live near the sand and the surf. He moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to attend graduate school after earning his bachelor’s degree several years earlier from UMass in European Cultural Studies. He taught in the inner-city for many years, while completing his master’s degree in Education. Joe began teaching at Viewpoint in 2014, and he has loved every minute at the School. He especially enjoys the close-knit, caring community that encourages growth and exploration.
EXPLORING Travel is one of my strongest driving forces. I am at my happiest when I’m bouncing around the planet. I try to get my passport stamped a least once a year, but at my current rate it’s more like three times a year. I love traveling to different places on the globe and immersing myself in the language and the culture. Currently, I’m spending a lot of time in Spain (where I live during the summer) and Brazil. Brazil has an energy and joy that is incomparable to anywhere else that I’ve been. If I could impart just one message to my students, it would be, “See the world.”
Right now I’m reading two books. One is 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin. It’s the true story of a Mexican fisherman, who survived 14 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean thousands of miles from land. The man’s incredible strength of spirit and perseverance are an inspiration to keep fighting even when all seems hopeless. The second is El tiempo entre costuras (The time between stitches) by Maria Dueñas – a thrilling story of a seamstress in Madrid right before World War II, who gets swept up in Europe’s struggles and ends up being a spy for the British. This is a book that I will be teaching in my level 3 Honors for Heritage Speakers class.
MOVING Fitness is very important to me. I work out six, if not seven days a week. It’s my therapy. I’m an avid swimmer and I am a
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WATCHING Two of my favorite shows right now are Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. I (like the masses) can’t get enough of those two juggernauts. They are addicting. But in between those two shows, I watch a lot of programs on the History channel. I’m a History geek and love watching programs that expand on a historical event. I find it fascinating to see how we repeat so many of the same struggles and conflicts time and time again. There are also some Spanish language telenovela-type shows that I can’t get enough of such as Gran Hotel and El Internado, but those I watch on my own because they’re embarrassing.
IF I COULD IMPART JUST ONE MESSAGE TO MY STUDENTS IT WOULD BE, “SEE THE WORLD.”
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fixture at my gym’s pool. Yoga is also something I do a lot, but vigorous intense power yoga. The kind of yoga where you’re not sure if you want to be sick or pass out. Although tough during the practice, the feeling afterwards is so wonderful – the feeling of sweating and a physical job well done.
M AG A Z I N E
CREATING Although it has been difficult to carve out time to learn, I have just purchased a Cordoba acoustic guitar and have begun practicing. It has always been a dream to play classical guitar, and on my last birthday (in January) I decided to take the leap. The sounds of acoustic guitar have always spoken to my soul, and now I am attempting to create that sound for myself. Some of my inspiration comes from my time in Spain and the sounds of flamenco and artists like the Gipsy Kings. I’ve been practicing some of their songs and have set a goal of a year for myself to learn one fully.
DOWN JOE
DIAZ
LOAD
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WITH GRATITUDE
Top Row: Marisela Castañeda, Jose Saucedo, Lorenzo Magallanes, Malena Gonzalez, Fanny Martínez, María Cruz Vargas, María Vargas, Chris Snyder Middle Row: Gisel Vidal, Lloyd Lee, Cesar Márquez, María De La Cruz Vargas, Humberto Maldonado, María Castañeda, Jose Antonio Cabadas Bottom Row: Alan Yeh, Audel Vargas, Nolan Swaika, Michael Lombardi, Clemente Nava, Tony Gutierrez Not pictured: Kenny Bullock, Jose Santos Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Guadalupe Perez, Al Ramos
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E V E RY DAY, A L L OV E R CA M PU S , the 26 members of our hard-working Maintenance, Custodial, and Landscape staff work in shifts from 6:00 a.m. in the early morning to 1:00 a.m. late at night to ensure that our School is a lovely environment in which our students can learn and grow. They take extraordinary pride in their work as they keep our classrooms clean, vigilantly maintain our facilities, beautify our campus with drought-resistant and eco-friendly landscape design, and support the full range of daily student, faculty, and parent events. As one example, they will set up over 1,700 chairs for the Upper School graduation in June. Our entire Viewpoint community thanks each and every member of this dedicated team for their personal commitment to making certain our campus is ready to greet our students each day.
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THE VIEWPOINT ROBOTICS TEAM Back Row: Thomas Finello ’18, Mr. Michael Zlotnicki, Vincent Finello ’18, Mike Morris ’18, Natalia Hernandez ’18, Adin Gates ’19, Kevin Zhang ’19, Will Detterman ’17, Caitlin Hogan ’16, Edmund Liu ’19, Jamie Hood ’17, Mrs. Laurie Allen, Chris Lux ’21, Middle Row: Daniel Delgado ’17, Weston Bell-Geddes ’19, Anthony Pineci ’18, Front Row: Nika Gordy ’17, Val Dunn ‘21, Mr. Lance Argano-Rush, Catherine Grey ’16, Logan Cook ’16
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Patriot Robotics had an amazing 2015-16 season playing VEX Robotics “Nothing But Net.� The team earned a major award or won the tournament at each of their seven regional competitions, and made it to the semifinal round at the State Championship in March. S P R I N G
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Alejandro Campillo ’17, Etta Friedman ’17, Emily McKee ’16, Errol Ashby ’17, Sophia Stills ’17, Pablo Macias ’18
No matter if you fell within the boundaries of normative culture, or whether you were a “marginalized voice,” everyone found strength in the group.
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Cultivating Life Skills and Inclusivity at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference By Pablo Macias ’18
THIS PAST DECEMBER, Errol Ashby ’17, Alejandro Campillo ’17, Etta Friedman ’17, Emily McKee ’16, Sophia Stills ’17, and I were honored to be chosen to attend the NAIS annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in Tampa Florida. This conference runs concurrent to the People of Color Conference (PoCC), an annual event for teachers and administrators in Independent Schools. SDLC is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school student leaders from across the U.S., and this was the first year Viewpoint’s Upper School was represented by a delegation at this important conference. SDLC’s objective focuses on self-reflection, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participants develop effective cross-cultural communication skills, better understand the nature and development of effective strategies for social justice, practice expression through the arts, and learn networking principles and strategies. THIS CONFERENCE was a transformative experience for me and my peers. For three days we collaborated with high school students across the country to explore our different identities, and build awareness of ourselves, of others, and of the different environments in which we live. The environment at the conference was unique because it was filled with deep understanding, strong support, authentic dialogue, and total acceptance of each individual and our stories. No matter if you fell within the boundaries of normative culture, or whether
you were a “marginalized voice,” everyone found strength in the group. The energy was consistently powerful, positive, and uplifting. On the very last day of the conference, as we were saying goodbye in our groups, a young woman said that she had found so much strength at SDLC that she was ready to be true to herself, and tell her parents and friends that she was gay. That moment was touching for our whole group because it reflected the values that we had cultivated together: acceptance, authenticity, togetherness, and inclusivity. NOT ONLY DOES A CONFERENCE like this build life skills and social competencies, but it is a way to cultivate leadership that can be brought back to Viewpoint. Since the conference, my cohort and I have workshopped and presented to Viewpoint’s Parent Partnership for Diversity and Inclusivity (PPDI), to Southern California People of Color in Independent Schools, to Middle Schoolers in their Advisory classes, and to various social justice and affinity groups around school. The social justice component of SDLC has had a strong effect on me. At the conference I learned how to confront microaggressions, and how to lean into uncomfortable conversations around race, sexuality, gender, socioeconomics, family structure, and other core identifiers. My peers and I hope to continue to do justice to the SDLC experience by presenting to more constituencies of the community like the Viewpoint faculty and staff and our Board of Trustees. It is with great pride that we bring back to our community what we learned in an effort to evolve culture and create social awareness and change. S P R I N G
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practices / performances / profiles
DA
Viewpoint offers dance instruction beginning in First Grade. In the Upper Grades, students can take classes in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, tap, and hip-hop.
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arts The Mechanics of Partnering
Logan Clark ’17 and Shana Weintraub ’17 have been dancing together since First Grade. Fourth Graders Mia Nelson and Bijan Taheri are following in their footsteps.
By Ty Granaroli, parent and Former American Ballet Theatre Dancer
THE MOST SUBLIME MOMENTS in classical ballet are found in the precise coordination and synchronization of pas de deux work. Dancing together requires grace, strength, nearly telepathic timing, as well as a trust that each of the participants will do their utmost for each other. These are the basic mechanics of partnering.
dancer must make a correction. This is counterintuitive for the male dancer because the less he is seen manipulating the ballerina the better the movement appears. The objective is consistency so that each dancer responds to predictable amounts of force. Sudden corrections by either leads to problems.
For instance, the ballerina must think of lifting herself as her male partner gently raises her above his head. Before a lift, both the ballerina and her partner must coordinate their preparations, with pliés that allow a perfect moment of ascension as the ballerina is lifted just as she jumps. This is what makes the lift look so light and effortless.
Partnership extends beyond moments when couples are dancing together to when they are apart. While leaping or turning, during their take-offs and landings, synchronization is critical. The dancers must remain connected even when standing at opposite sides of the stage.
Balance is critical too. Both dancers must understand how to find the ballerina’s “center.” Every ballerina has a slightly different center of gravity and her partner must be as certain of that center’s location as she is. When performing supported pirouettes, promenades, or penchés, the ballerina must keep her body both supple and strong, clearly defining her center. The male partner must feel where her weight is – if the ballerina is on center, there is almost no weight in the male dancer’s hands. However, when her weight starts to lean too far off center, the male
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Then there is the moment when costumes are added to the mix, usually only a few days before the performance. This adds more complexity, with materials that may be slippery or bulky, which makes it difficult to get the right hand-hold, or to feel center. When costumes are introduced, refinements must be made. Partnering is not only one of the most sublime expressions of classical dance, but also the most fulfilling. In dance, partners moving elegantly through space is the absolute epitome of the art form. And it’s also how I met my wife, Viewpoint’s Assistant Chair of Theater and Dance, Gabrielle Brown!
DANCE Logan Clark ’17 and Shana Weintraub ’17
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The Neuroscience of Dance
By Kris Dworkoski, Teacher of Social Studies and Science
THE ROMAN POET JUVENAL IS CREDITED By Kris Dworkoski, Upper School Social Studies and Science Teacher WITH THE PHRASE “MENS SANA IN COPORE SANO,” TRANSLATED AS “A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY.” AT VIEWPOINT, WE SUPPORT THIS BELIEF by offering a wide array of athletic opportunities beginning in Kindergarten and expanding in Middle and Upper Schools. Daily physical activity should play a significant role in our students’ lives. Our dedicated teachers and coaches enable students to discover their athletic talents and develop their fitness, self-assurance, and teamwork at all grade levels. In addition to a wide variety of physical education classes and team sports, our thriving Dance Program offers opportunities for involvement from Primary to Upper School. MODERN NEUROSCIENTISTS have promoted for some time the benefits of exercise on the developing brain, and explained why schools should incorporate daily exercise for their students. Exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain which it needs for heightened alertness and mental focus. A 2007 Columbia University Lab study revealed that a three-month exercise program increased blood flow by 30% to the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. According to John Ratey, M.D., an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, exercise also stimulates nerve growth factors. “I call it Miracle-Gro for the brain,” Ratey wrote. He states that exercise builds up the body’s level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the brain’s nerve cells to branch out and connect, and communicate with each other in new ways, which ultimately helps children to develop a greater capacity for learning. THE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DANCE on the brain may be one of the next focal points in the field of neuroscience. Balance, spatial navigation, and the learning of complex, patterned movements are all elements of dance studied by neuroscientists. Positron Emission Tomography studies have
identified the areas of the brain that are active during dance, which blend cerebral and cognitive thought processes, along with muscle memory and proprioception. The motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum are all involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movement in a smooth and thoughtful manner. A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine stated that frequent dancing, over other physical and mental exercises, increases our mental acuity. In dance, the hippocampus and cerebral cortexes are constantly being used and rewired, paving new neural pathways that make the transmission of information faster and better. Dance’s full engagement of attention enables the participant to enter a “flow” state in which concentration and rapid-fire decision-making enhance our cognitive abilities. DR. PETER LOVATT DIRECTS the Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire and researches the link between dance and cognition. A recent study by Lovatt revealed that children in an experimental group who participated in ten minutes of improvised dance performed significantly better in a creativity task designing a toy, than those in the control group who did no dance. Improvised dance enhances creative thinking ability. PARTICIPATION IN DANCE ENGAGES all aspects of the brain, from emotional, to kinesthetic, to musical, to rational, and even irrational. Viewpoint’s students can choose from a wide array of activities to enhance the mind-body connection. Inspiring a love of dance, from classic ballet, to tap, hip-hop and jazz, can provide our students with an experience that is distinct from other forms of physical exercise. S P R I N G
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— Broken — (GIRL looks in mirror) VOICEOVER Someone once told me that our good traits are on our back. So when we look in the mirror, we never see them. We so often see everyone else’s. (beat) However, it’s there. Even if you don’t see it. (GIRL walks down hall confidently)
FILMMAKER Deeksha Marla ’17 By Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of Communications
A FILMMAKER AND AN INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER, Deeksha Marla ’17 seeks the power and impact of visual storytelling both on the screen and through movement and gesture. While the two media are seemingly dissimilar, Deeksha – who began Bharatanatyam dancing at age five – has devoted much of her life to developing her skills of persuasive performance. By stepping behind the camera as a filmmaker, she is able to tell a very different type of story, using modern technology, but the impulse to entertain, inform, and emotionally impact an audience is the same.
Broken. The three-minute, nearly dialogue-free film, was accepted into nine film festivals in the U.S. and the U.K. Using elegant, close-up cinematography, the film shows the psychological effects a narrowly defined standard of beauty can have on women. Deeksha explained that Broken was inspired by one of her favorite British television shows, My Mad Fat Diary. This program follows the path to recovery and acceptance of a once self-harming girl. “My Mad Fat Diary made a real impact on my life. It made me want to become a filmmaker, so I could help others as this program helped me.”
At the age of 16, Deeksha was featured in the January 2016 issue of the online magazine cinéwomen for her 2015 short film
She continued, “I feel like the media has created one definition of beauty – someone who is thin, light-skinned, and has a S P R I N G
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Still images from Broken, featuring Isabel Wynne ’17 and Emily Donan ’17
conventionally pretty face. A fixation on this idea of a singular kind of beauty can lead to depression and disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder. This causes people, most often young women, to perceive that a minor flaw is a major one, and this obsessive thinking can lead to extreme emotional suffering. Often these types of disorders are dismissed as inconsequential and something that will ultimately pass. As a filmmaker, I hope to highlight issues that frequently go unnoticed and to bring awareness to them.” Deeksha began at Viewpoint in Kindergarten and started taking Film classes in the Eighth Grade. She is particularly interested in women’s issues and mental health and using her films to draw attention to these subjects. She also is
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very active in Model United Nations, which has raised her awareness of global issues. Deeksha is currently working on a project for her Film III class. Last fall, she wrote the screenplay, which explores women’s issues both in Afghanistan and on college campuses. She is also writing a film about the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and she has ideas for many more. Deeksha shared the particular appeal of filmmaking, “I always loved telling stories, but felt that the short stories I wrote were missing something. I much prefer to show, rather than tell my stories.” This is in keeping with her other outlet of creative expression: classical Indian dance. Deeksha comes from a traditional Indian family of doctors and engineers, and her brother Ashan ’14 is studying Computer
WATCH
Broken by Deeksha Marla ’17
VIEWPOINT’S FESTIVAL ACCEPTANCES AND AWARDS 2 014 -15 S C H O O L Y E A R Out of Reach by Film IV Class Calabasas Film Festival (Best Screenplay) Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Honorable Mention–High School Video Competition)
Science at USC. She is the first filmmaker in her family. Deeksha travels back to India regularly and is deeply committed to the study of Bharatanatyam classical dance. She recently completed a solo dance performance called the arangetram, for which she spent 15 months training, with three hours of practice several days each week. The arangetram marks the completion of formal training and indicates mastery of this form of dance. Deeksha loves the structured choreography of Bharatanatyam and the stories she is able to tell through precise movement. When asked about the connection between Bharatanatyam dance and film, she replied, “There are many similarities between the two in terms of telling a story beyond the use of words.
With Love, Tuck and Alex by Film IV Class Cannes Film Festival – 2016 Short Film Corner SCREEN Film Festival Rhode Island Film Festival (Art Director invited to Q&A) Calabasas Film Festival Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (First Place – High School Video Competition) Providence Children’s Film Festival (Official Youth Filmmaker Showcase Selection) (Directors invited to Q&A)
VOID by Jamie Lipman’16 Cannes Film Festival – 2016 Short Film Corner
Broken by Deesksha Marla ’17, Film II Brighton Youth Film Festival – UK Calabasas Film Festival Los Angeles Cinefest New York Film Screenings Visionaria – Italy Cinéwomen – Italy – Director Interviewed in Online Magazine Barchu Call to Action: Student Film Showcase Student Art Festival Deeksha Marla performing the arangetram
Both can be comprehended on multiple levels, regardless of the audience member’s point of view. In addition, it took a lot of time for me to take pride in both of them. I have studied Indian dance since age five, and it is only this year that I became proud of doing so, as I’ve started to be more comfortable with my culture. Similarly, I had a lot of doubts about my skill in filmmaking and the type of stories I want to tell. However, now I’ve started to be proud of the fact that I am the type of person to talk about societal issues in a fictional medium, even if that might be targeted to a niche audience. Whether subconsciously or not, I’m sure dance and my culture have affected my filmmaking in some way, as artists are just the reflection of their environment.”
Sanford International Film Festival
Feminism by Sophia Stills ’17, Film II Calabasas Film Festival
The Right Call by Kat Ulich ’17, Film II Calabasas Film Festival
Eliza Frakes ’15 – 2015 National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention winner in WRITING/Play or Script for Film or Video. Zach Oschin ’16 – 2015 National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention winner in CINEMATIC ARTS
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TOP: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Eddie Wolfson ’19
Once Upon a Mattress Margaux Bauerlein ’20 and Kade Johnson ’20
Little Fir Tree Hailey Kramar ’27
BOTTOM:
Little Engine Tate Countryman ’28, William Yi ’28, Dylan Um ’28, Milla Barnes ’28
The Dispute Jimmy Nguyen ’17 Freddy Mulbarger ’16
THEATRICAL Productions 2015-16
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athletics
practice / games / competitions
BOYS BASKETBALL WINS CIF CHAMPIONSHIP Mike Jones ’16 and Christian Juzang on the rebound, while Aram Arslanian ’16 watches the action.
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From the Athletic Director By Patrick Moyal
FALL 2015 Coming off of consecutive eight win seasons and with a very skilled and athletic group of seniors returning, there were high expectations for the Patriot Football Program heading into the 2015 season. After an exciting comeback win on the road at Morro Bay to open the season, the team settled into one of the most challenging schedules ever played by a Viewpoint Football Team. Big wins over Campbell Hall, Brentwood, and La Puente at Homecoming helped propel the team into the post season for the fourth time in the last six years. In search of the program’s first ever play-off victory, Viewpoint shocked #3 seed Montebello 49-0 on the road in round 1 and then knocked off Covina on a game clinching field goal from Seth Frank ’17, 37-35. The season ended the following week in the semi-finals but not before Viewpoint had racked up 4000 yards passing and 50 touchdowns in the air to go along with two All-CIF players, Dante Nepa ’16 and Zach Chulak ’16.
44 teams) in the San Louis Obispo Tournament which draws some of the best teams in the entire state. Senior setter Zel Fortson was selected to the all-tournament team. We had a tremendous 1st place finish in the always competitive Gold Coast League. The girls won the most matches in Viewpoint’s history with 27 wins on the season. A disappointing 2nd round loss in the CIF playoffs was one of the few tough moments in a wonderful year. The six seniors were exceptional throughout and they were: Masha Chernitskaya, Zel Fortson, Rachel Furash, Jamie Schecter, Jessica Sprague, and Maddie Stutz. They will be missed.
The Girls Tennis Teams had arguably one of the best seasons in the program’s history this past fall. Between the Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams, there were 30 enthusiastic players who all bought into the philosophy of team before self and really invested in their journey. The Junior Varsity Team continues to grow in both quantity Viewpoint’s Cross Country and quality and did a really good Team was led by four excellent Left to right: Ben Davidorf ’18, Khair Jackson ’19, Sam Grushow ’18, job of improving in all aspects of captains in 2015: Caitlin Hogan Mike Jones ’16, Matt Kern ’18, Randy White ’17 the game throughout their season. ’16, Zoe Beckman ’17, Tyler The Varsity program finished second in the Gold Coast Barron ’17, and Alejandro Campillo ’17. Early in League for the first time ever and capped off an incredible the season, the Girls Team won the Viewpoint Invitational season with another CIF post-season berth. Thank you to the and the Boys Team placed second. The Boys, led all season seniors for leaving the program in a better place and really by James Smathers ’18, ended their season placing fifth in impacting all those around them. league competition. The Girls Team ran some strong races throughout the season, but found difficulty finding consistency. From the court to the field, we turn to the Cheerleading At League Finals, Ellis Glickman ’18 and Bridget Rosen Squad to promote school spirit and bring energy to football ’18 earned All-League honors helping their team advance to games, basketball games, and other events. Coach Lacey their culminating race, CIF Prelims. Schmidt’s and Coach Simone Rankins’ squad started off a great year attending Universal Cheerleading Association The Varsity Girls Volleyball Team had a fantastic fall summer camp at The Marriott Resort in Palm Desert, season in which they started off winning the Chatsworth California. This year the Cheer Squad, led by Carly Price ’16, High School Tournament championship. Senior Rachel Honour Fortrell ’16, and Daelyn Weitz ’16, continued Furash was recognized as the Tournament’s Most Valuable to display their skill performing a spectacular half-time Player. They also had a sensational 3rd place finish (out of S P R I N G
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athletics show at every football game, particularly Homecoming. The cheerleaders continued their season in the winter by supporting the Viewpoint Basketball Teams.
WINTER 2015-16 The Boys Basketball Program had its most historic season to date. The varsity boys won their first ever CIF Championship (Division 4A), while advancing to the StateRegional Finals. Our Patriots finished with an overall record of 29-6. Maxpreps final rankings has the Varsity Team ranked #26 in the state of California and #109 in the National rankings. Christian Juzang, Aram Arslanian, Sayo Denloye, and Kody Knox will all be playing college basketball next season. The Junior Varsity Team had another great year, finishing second in the Gold Coast League. The JV team’s growth from start to finish was a joy to watch. The Frosh/Soph team was very competitive while playing a very challenging schedule. They consistently represented our
program and school with great sportsmanship. Our coaching staff is very proud of all three levels and their development this season both on and off the court. To our six seniors Christian Juzang, Aram Arslanian, Mike Jones, Kody Knox, Sayo Denloye, and Charles Kleinman – our program is forever grateful for your commitment and contribution. The Girls Basketball Program had a tremendously successful season not just based on the record, but based on the friendships and bonds that were created and built throughout the year. With 20 girls ready to compete throughout the winter season, we were able to field two very competitive teams. The Junior Varsity Team had its best season in terms of the number of girls wanting to play basketball. Each and every game, the girls improved and competed to their full capability, not only getting some major results along the way, but also seeing how hard work pays off, and learning how to juggle academics and high school sports.
1 1. Top row, left to right: Coach Quarterman, Coach Lawson, Coach Fitzpatrick, Gbolahan Fajolu ’16, Khair Jackson ’19, Matt Kern ’18, Ben Yarovinsky ’19 (behind), Ben Davidorf ’18, Jake Weaver Thompson ’15 Middle row, left to right: Kian Nader ’19, Michael Okparaocha ’17, Sayo Denloye ’16, Devin Douglas ’17, Tyler Brumfield ’19, Charles Keinman ’16, Randy White ’17, Coach Prince, Miguel Quentero Bottom row, left to right: Nikhil Patel ’16, Christian Juzang ’16, Aram Arslanian ’16, Mike Jones ’16, Cody Knox ’16 2. Right page: Zach Chulak ’16 3. Zel Fortson ’16 4. Hannah Martin ’17 5. Ari Brozki ’18
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athletics Fall 2015
Winter 2016
UPPER SCHOOL
UPPER SCHOOL
Girls Volleyball Gold Coast League Co-Champions
Girls Basketball All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Hannah Martin ’17,
All-Gold Coast League Most Valuable Player: Rachel Furash ’16 1st Team: Masha Chernitskaya ’16,
Zel Fortson ’16 2nd Team: Stephanie Libonati ’17, Jamie Schecter ’16
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Girls Tennis Gold Coast League Individual Tournament:
2nd Team Doubles: Lauren Angard ’16,
Kat Ulich ’17
CIF SOUTHERN SECTION INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT: Lauren Angard ’16, Kat Ulich ’17
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Football All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Zach Chulak ’16,
Dante Nepa ’16, Drew Neubauer ’17 2nd Team: Chandler Gee ’16, Michael Jones ’16, Angel Rios ’16
ALL-CIF MID-VALLEY DIVISION
1st Team: Zach Chulak ’16, Dante Nepa ’16
ALL-VENTURA COUNT Y TEAM
2nd Team: Dante Nepa ’16
ALL-ACADEMIC VENTURA COUNT Y TEAM Dante Nepa ’16, Brenden Rodriquez ’16 VENTURA COUNT Y ALL-STAR GAME Michael Jones ’16, Dante Nepa ’16
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Cross Country All-Gold Coast League 2nd Team: Ellis Glickman ’18,
Bridget Rosen ’18
CIF PRELIMS QUALIFIERS Katie Antall ’17, Zoe Beckman ’17, Ellie Boock ’17, Ellis Glickman ’18, Alex Granaroli ’18, Caitlin Hogan ’16, Katie Kimes ’16, Bridget Rosen ’18
Teani White ’17 2nd Team: Lindsay Emi ’16
ALL CIF
1st Team: Teani White ’17
2nd Team: Lindsay Emi ’16
Boys Basketball
CIF DIVISION 4A CHAMPIONS CIF STATE DIVISION V REGIONAL FINALS ALL-CIF: Most Valuable Player: Christian Juzang ’16 1st Team: Aram Arslanian ’16 2nd Team: Sayo Denloye ’16 Coach of the Year: JJ Prince All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Aram Arslanian ’16,
Christian Juzang ’16 2nd Team: Sayo Denloye ’16, Kody Knox ’16
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Girls Soccer All-Gold Coast League 1st Team: Alyssa Hinojosa ’16,
Maya Sandel ’17, Sophia Stills ’17 2nd Team: Madison Jacobs ’17, Olivia Stamm ’17
ALL-CIF DIVISION 5
1st Team: Alyssa Hinojosa ’16
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Boys Soccer All-Gold Coast League
Daniel Flores ’17 MIDDLE SCHOOL All-Delphic League Boys Basketball – Devan Chung ’21 Fifth Grade Girls Red Soccer Team –
SFVPSL Champions
MIDDLE SCHOOL Middle School Championships
Boys Delphic Swimming 5th/6th Boys and Girls Swimming
Middle School All-Delphic League Swimming – Julianna Penner ’21,
Kyle Corbin ’21 Girls Tennis – KJ Eilenberg ’20 Cross Country – Aidan Gunasekera ’21, Kelsy Fogerty ’20
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Top: Devin Douglas ’17, Bottom: Maya Sandel ’17
The Varsity squad had a very successful year, despite losing a key member in preseason, sophomore starting guard Kim Friedman to an ACL injury. The team rallied together and put together a tremendous season. Making it to the 3rd round of playoffs posting a 21-7 record, they competed day in and day out. We would like to take a second to thank the seniors for their four years of dedication and hard work that they have given the Girls Basketball Program, as well as the school. They will be missed but not forgotten as they start the next leg of their journey in life: Lindsay Emi, Grace Jacobson. You have made to make this program great! The Boys Soccer Program had one of its biggest turnouts when it came to overall numbers this season. The Junior Varsity Team had some hard fought victories. The team had a really nice core of players who we will be looking to make an impact at the varsity level in the years to come. The Boys Varsity Team continued to get better throughout their season and finished the second half of their year playing some really inspired soccer. Competing against teams that have rosters loaded with club soccer players was not an easy task for our boys, but to their credit, they stayed the course and never wavered from the vision of what this experience is supposed to be about. With the core of our more experienced soccer players returning, plus the influx of Junior Varsity players coming up, we are hoping to take some serious strides
Lauren O’Connell ’19
towards being more competitive with the top teams in our league next season. To the senior group who will be entering the next phase of their lives this coming up fall, thank you and we wish you all the best – Gavin Kester, Dante Nepa, Chandler Gee, Brandon Garber, Henry Carr, Marc Hindin, Jake Moody, Max Latham, Jordan Sprackman, and Eric Potter. The Girls Soccer Program had another successful season when it came to both quantity and quality of players. With close to 40 girls ready to compete throughout the winter season, we were able to field two very competitive teams. The Junior Varsity Team had its best season to date in terms of competing each and every game, getting some results along the way, and most importantly creating their own identity within the umbrella of the soccer program. The Varsity squad showed up and competed day in and day out and fielded a lot of young players in their starting eleven this season, which bodes well for them moving forward. We would like to take a moment to thank the seniors that have given so much of themselves throughout their journey in the soccer program: Michaela Kuelbs, Masha Chernitskaya, Kailee Hicks, Caitlin Hogan, Alyssa Hinojosa, and Maddie Stutz. We wish you all the very best as you prepare to attack the next chapters in your lives.
Jonathan Gan ’17 S P R I N G
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community / expansion / opportunities
Scan here to view a video of Dick and Olga talking about the Field of Dreams.
OUR FIELD OF DREAMS By Jodi Schapiro, Chief Advancement Officer
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hen Dick and Olga Robertson, parents of Sofi ’24, learned about Dr. Bob Dworkoski’s plans to raise the funds needed to finish Viewpoint’s Master Plan, they knew that they were all in! Dick, a leader on the Advancement Committee of Viewpoint’s Board of Trustees, and Olga, an active Viewpoint parent volunteer, understood that the community needed a lead gift to provide the momentum. They surprised and delighted our community with their extraordinary generosity, announcing to the Board of Trustees their intention to lead the campaign with a $1 million cash gift. The decision to honor Dr. Dworkoski by helping to finish what he started came easily. “OLGA AND I WERE sold on the Viewpoint educational experience from the first moment we first stepped on campus several years ago,” Dick shared, “and our appreciation for Viewpoint and this community has only grown over time.” “We wanted to do this to honor 30 years of Dr. Dworkoski’s service to Viewpoint School. I know that the new athletic field and completing the Master Plan will be beneficial not only for Sofi, but also for the many generations of Viewpoint students who will follow,” expressed Olga. “As we contemplated making this gift we asked ourselves, ‘If not someone like us who cherishes Viewpoint so much, then who? And, if not now, when the School really needs this field, then when?’ We thought, let’s try and make this leadership gift happen now in the hopes that we can inspire our fellow moms and dads at Viewpoint to participate,” Dick added. SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the Robertson Family gift, over 500 alumni and current families, alumni, and friends, along with 100% of Viewpoint’s teachers, coaches, and staff have joined in the cause. The grassroots nature of this effort quickly took hold. In addition to their donation to the campaign earlier in the year, Viewpoint’s athletic coaches joined together to make a second collective gift to the campaign. Viewpoint’s parent community quickly formed the Parent Committee of the Dworkoski Legacy Fund, hosting informal grade-level gatherings to rally support, and our alumni community got behind our effort as well. The winter was filled with grade-level gatherings hosted by Brian and Leigh Glicklich, Peggy Jones and Parise Livanos, Sean and Tabitha Kane, and Scott and Zuzana Olofson, and the Parent Committee was rounded out by the participation of 1
Stephen and Eniko Earley, Chris and Zelene Fowler, Anthony Frederick and Kathryn Tjia Frederick, Peter and Elizabeth Gould, Chris and Lynn Hylen, Tony and Mary Rodriquez, Frank and Jaelle Watanabe, Jeffrey and Brooke Weiss, and Dr. Adrian and Elizabeth Yi. Following a beautiful gathering of Kindergarten parents at their home, Sean Kane reminded parents:
“We have an opportunity to give our kids memories built on a foundation of teamwork, determination, and heart.” Steve and Leslie Carlson, long-time friends and devoted leaders of Viewpoint School, joined in the effort, with their fourth lead capital campaign gift to Viewpoint School. Steve, a trustee emeritus, made an unexpected visit to the Board of Trustees meeting in February to announce their gift, explaining, “I’m about finishing things. Bob, this is for you. You deserve to have your vision completed, after 30 years of devoting your life to Viewpoint. Leslie and I hope that this gift of $300,000 will inspire others to join in – $3 million is not that much for a community as great as ours to raise for such an important cause.” With our goal of raising $3 million within reach1, plans are underway to complete our new West Campus Athletic Center, which includes a state-of the-art athletic field and renovations to our existing pool, locker rooms, and coaches’ offices. “Viewpoint is a generous, optimistic, and ‘all-in’ community, and I am confident that our families will get us over the finish line, so that we may complete this third phase of our original Master Plan for the 2016-17 school year,” Viewpoint’s Head of School, Mark McKee, expressed and further shared: “This new field and updated athletic facilities will benefit all students K–12, not only the youngest. A second field will provide much-needed open space and new playground equipment for our younger students, and will bring back to campus over 70 home games and over one hundred hours of practice for our Middle and Upper School athletes. This project makes a difference for every Viewpoint student.” THANK YOU TO THOSE who have already joined in. There is still time to become part of this exciting community effort. Every gift matters! Gifts of $3,000 or more will be honored on our Field of Dreams recognition wall. You can learn more at www.viewpoint.org/drdfund.
As of the date of this article, Viewpoint has raised $2.85 million toward its $3 million goal for the Dworkoski Legacy Fund. S P R I N G
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The State of the School
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By Jill Shaw, Director of Strategic Communications
T U E S DAY, F E B RU A RY 9,
Head of School Mark McKee hosted the first-ever conversation about “The State of Viewpoint School.” After an introduction by Chair of the Board of Trustees John Nadolenco, Mr. McKee took the podium to talk about three things: what he’s observed since arriving at Viewpoint; the results of the fall Parent Survey; and where he thinks the School is going in the future. 62
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the entire State of the School presentation.
Mr. McKee reminisced about his first visit with the faculty as part of his interview process in November of 2014. During that meeting, he asked teachers to describe images that conveyed the culture of the school. “Images of students helping one another on the playground, from Lower School teachers. Images from coaches of our athletes and how inspirational they are . . . . Again and again, the most compelling images were of younger and older students working together – younger and older students appearing together in a musical, younger and older students together at Homecoming – it told me something about the powerfully-felt culture of the school that I had read about so much. And I knew that this was a very special place.” MR. MCKEE ALSO TALKED ABOUT the year so far. He spoke of the first-ever Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Convocation in September, which brought together all of our students, teachers, and staff in the Paul Family Athletic Center. Led by a bagpiper, the seniors, formed a tunnel through which the Kindergarten Class of 2028 walked. For Mr. McKee, the All-School Convocation was the start of more than 100 events this year where he had the opportunity to meet thousands of members of Viewpoint’s community, City of Calabasas officials, neighbors, and other school heads and trustees. The conversation then turned to the National Association of Independent Schools Parent Survey, which was sent to our
parents earlier in the school year. The anonymous survey contained a variety of multiple-choice and open ended questions. WHEN TALKING ABOUT what he has learned so far from the survey, Mr. McKee said, “The biggest takeaway is this: that over 90% (91.3%) are satisfied or very satisfied with their child’s experience, with, amazingly, 62% very satisfied, the highest score that they could give.” When asked to rate the statement, “My child’s school offers a welcoming environment for my child and family,” over 90% of our families said they “agree” or “strongly agree.” Explained Mr. McKee, “This was something that, of course, is said to new families, but here we can see that, in an anonymous survey, it’s also felt by the ones who are here.” MR. MCKEE THEN SHARED where Viewpoint is headed in the future. He briefly defined 21st-century learning by talking about Tony Wagner, professor at the Harvard School of Education and author of Global Achievement Gap, and his “Seven Survival Skills for Careers, College, and Citizenship” (see graphic). He also talked about building upon the School’s strengths in tech, engineering, and design; leadership development; and wellness and community. Mr. McKee’s presentation was followed by a question-andanswer session, for which Mr. McKee was joined by John Nadolenco. S P R I N G
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Lifer’s Lunch The sounds of laughter and reminiscing by the Class of 2016 lifers filled the Carlson Family Theater at the annual Lifer’s Lunch. The students enthusiastically shared stories of their earliest years at Viewpoint, including who played which coveted role in Little Engine or Peter Rabbit, and which Second Grade teacher amazed her class by standing on her head. A few tears were shed as they reflected on their years together, but it was clear to all in attendance that their bond extends beyond our canyon, and that the term “lifer” means a lifelong connection to one another and to the school they have called home for 13 years.
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1. Group picture above: Top row, left to right: Lindsay Emi, Alex Lashever, Brandon Garber, Jordyn Horwitz, Paige Cornelius, Jessica Sprague, Nicolette Alexander, Cameron Meissner, Jonathan Star, Brenden Rodriquez, Zachary Oschin; Bottom row, left to right: Madeline Stutz, Jill Levy, Maggie Bendersky, Alyssa Gengos, Katie Kimes, Callie Kutasi, Catherine Grey, Samantha Salo, Jacqueline Nowakowski 2. Right page: Lifers in the Class of 2016 3. Brenden Rodriquez 4. Jordyn Horwitz 5. Paige Cornelius 6. Alyssa Gengos, Zachary Oschin 7. Madeline Stutz 8. Maggie Bendersky (far left ), Alex Lashever, Brandon Garber Also in attendance: Cathy Adelman, Head of Primary School, Claudia Antoine, Head of Lower School, Alan Howie, Head of Upper School, Mark McKee, Head of School, Robert Bryan, Associate Head of School, and Dr. Bob Dworkoski, President of Viewpoint’s Educational Foundation, who served as Headmaster for 28 years and remembers these students when they were six years old.
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college COUNSELING
personal goals / expectations / research / deadlines
Top Left: Jessica Hui ’15, Top Right: Miye Oni ’15, Center: Sam Howard ’15, Bottom Left: Sierra Saki ’15, Bottom Right: Niki Zahedi ’15
How Many Colleges Should I Apply To? Creating a Well-Rounded College List By Rebecca Heller, Associate Director of College Counseling
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aving solid affordable college choices where the student has a good chance of admission can make for a smooth and stress-free college process. As college counselors, our goal for students is to create options. A wellrounded college list is vital to that outcome, and will include schools that suit the student’s desires about areas of study, locations, size, and personality of the college. The list should also include schools with a range of selectivity. The bulk of the list should be attainable according to the student’s grades, scores, and activities. Equally important, the list should have schools that fit the family’s financial situation.
Students often ask us, what is the right number of schools to apply to? While the answer may vary from student to student, a well-researched and thoughtful list has eight to ten schools. For example, if a student applies to nine schools that are affordable and about which they are excited three should be “likely” schools, three should be “target” schools, and three can be “reach” schools. The likely schools are schools where we feel the student will have a high chance of admission and lands above the 50th percentile – based on numerical data (GPA and test scores). A target school is a school where the student falls right in the 50th percentile for the schools admission data, again giving them a solid chance of admission unless that school has something unusual happen that year, which is occasionally the case. Colleges can sometimes see an increase of up to 20% in applications in a single year. Reach schools are schools where students fall below the 50th percentile. Our college counselors will encourage students to find solid likely and target choices. This will give the student the most options when it comes to favorable admissions decisions. Likely schools also offer students more scholarship dollars, which can be important for students with financial need. A student with high financial need may be encouraged to apply to more likely choices so that the financial aid packages will have the highest percentage of scholarship. A school where the student is well above the average admitted student in terms of grades and test scores, will be in greater demand and therefore receive more scholarship money.
Five Core Colleges At Viewpoint, we also think in terms of Five Core Colleges. These are five likely and target schools where their likelihood of admission is high, and that fit all of the student’s criteria. If a student can come up with Five Core Colleges, he or she will most certainly have a positive application experience.
Testing Optional Schools Another factor for students to consider is testing optional institutions. These are schools that have decided that single-day standardized test scores, on the ACT or SAT, are not the best indicator of student success, and so opt not to use them in the admission process. For students who have strong transcripts but who are not great test takers, testing optional schools can be a great option. A list of testing optional schools can be found at www.fairtest.org.
Rebecca Heller
Research The key to a well-rounded college list is research. First, students must self-reflect to see what it is that they want out of their college experience. Is there a certain major they have in mind? Is there a career that they want to embark on after college? Is there a world problem that they want to solve? And then they must see if the college or university can help them meet that goal. Size and location are also important factors to think about when creating a college list. Students need to decide where in the country (or even world) they would like to study and at what kind of institution. Would they be happy at a big public university or are they more suited towards a small liberal arts college?
Every college has a vast website with information about their majors and programs. They have virtual tours and statistics. There are also websites that offer candid descriptions and statistics of the colleges by the students who attend. Books such as The Fiske Guide, Princeton Review or College Board guides, or Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope can help a student research many colleges. Students can also match themselves with college criteria through Naviance Family Connection and on College Board. But the best way to understand what a college is really like is to visit. This doesn’t mean that a family must tour the whole country, but ideally a student can visit a range of schools to see what is right for them. Within an hour’s drive of Viewpoint, families can visit a big public university, a large private research university, a small liberal arts college, and a technical institute. Visiting schools around the Los Angeles area by taking a tour and attending information sessions can give students a great idea of what they are looking for in a college wherever it is in the country. Once students know what they are looking for, they want to begin understanding the selectivity of the college. The colleges themselves will provide statistics on their admissions rates, but for a more specific picture, student can look at the statistics of Viewpoint applicant decisions on Naviance Family Connection. Naviance provides families with graphs and charts that indicate average GPA and test scores of students in various colleges and universities. By looking at these statistics, a student can see what it really takes for admission. By doing the important research and creating options, students can create a college list that will not only lead to great success, but also help them achieve their lifetime goals.
How can students figure all of this out? They can start by researching schools online or through various publications. S P R I N G
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events / reunions / life changes
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7 1. Santa Monica Alumni Gathering 2. Artin Sedighan ’00 and his daughter at Homecoming 2015 3. Nassir Nassirzadeh ’00 and his girlfriend at the New York Regional Alumni Event 4. Tiffany Ong ’15 and Demi DeCesare ’15 at the Alumni Holiday Party 5. Left to right: Justin Ratzan-Wank ’15, Josh Ogner ’14, Nolan Pearson ’15, and Tim Hoffmann ’15 at Alumni College Panel 6. Cellist Andrew Janss ’02 teaching our strings students 7. Boston Regional Alumni Gathering 8. Left to right: Aidan Hodgson ’14, Sam Howard ’15, and Curran Mody ’15 at Alumni Holiday Party
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Alumni Profile By Craig Didden, Chair of the Science Department, Upper School Science Teacher
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to be flown up to Palo Alto to honor one of Viewpoint’s finest. Matt Callahan ’11 received the Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award from Stanford University.The Terman Award is presented to the students who rank academically in the top five percent of the School of Engineering graduating senior class. Matt has been studying Chemical Engineering for the past four years and has taken advantage of his time at Stanford.
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Stanford University Honors
Matt Callahan WHILE MATT ENJOYED all of his classes related to his major, Engineering Biotechnology, Energy and Mass Transport, and Biochemistry, he also was able to take some classes outside of his area of study, such as the History of South Africa and Political Photography, and feels that these classes gave him a more well-rounded education. While at Stanford, Matt was also a tour guide for visitors and prospective students. Since his sophomore year, Matt has been leading groups through campus and dishing out facts on the amazing history of the school as well as answering questions about the unbelievable opportunities given to the student body. While at Stanford, Matt worked in the lab of Dr. Justin Du Bois, http:// duboislab.stanford.edu/. Matt worked with a graduate student who was making synthetically modified neurotoxins for use in the study of the voltage-gated sodium channel. His project specifically involved placing light-sensitive caging groups on a toxin to afford spatial and temporal control over its release. The idea was to develop a molecular probe that could be used to study the activity of sodium channels at specific locations within a neuron. By using a focused laser, the team could cleave the cages off of the toxin and release its active form at a desired site, deactivating any channels in the vicinity. DR. DU BOIS SAID, “It has been an absolute pleasure to know and to
work with Matthew. He is one of Stanford’s finest, and embodies all of the characteristics that separate the top students from others: a passion to learn, boundless curiosity, a tremendous work ethic, and the love of a good challenge. His modesty and appreciation for the opportunities afforded him at Stanford are qualities I find endearing.” Each recipient also nominates a high school teacher who has been most influential in the student’s academic career. The university pays for the teacher to be flown up to Stanford for the weekend and hosts a brunch to honor the educators who have helped shape the student’s educational passion for the sciences. Matt nominated me, and he also included these generous words about the time that we have spent together. “TO SAY THAT Craig Didden has been influential in cultivating my love for science would be a gross understatement. From his unabashed enthusiasm for ornithology to his creative and engaging AP Biology modules, Mr. Didden has a special knack for getting his students excited to learn science. His years of teaching and mentorship throughout middle and high school left an indelible mark on my life, helping to spark a passion for research and a yearning to explore, question, and ultimately better understand the world around me. I am thrilled to recognize him today for all that he has
done for me and so many other students over the course of his career. Thank you Mr. Didden” I have known Matt and his family for quite a while, having been Matt’s teacher for Sixth Grade Science, Ninth Grade Honors Biology, and Twelfth Grade AP Biology. Matt was also a participant on a nine-day marine ecology field study trip that I run for Upper School students in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I have watched Matt mature from a tall, skinny Middle School goofball into mature, intelligent, wellrounded Stanford graduate, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. THERE IS ONE MOMENT that I wanted to share that sticks out in my mind. As Matt was wrapping up his school career at Viewpoint, my own children, Henry ’22 and Ryley ’25, were starting theirs and I remember Matt speaking at our new parent dinner. As he spoke with poise and confidence before this groups of strangers, he talked about his experiences at Viewpoint School, and about how some of the lessons that he had learned and the experiences he had had during his academic career had helped shape him into the person he had become. I thought to myself, this is what I want for my own sons. Matt is an athlete, a scholar, he was involved in numerous clubs and groups on campus, he has an insatiable curiosity, and even with all of this going on Matt has a great sense of humor and never takes himself too seriously. Matt had grown into an adult right before my eyes. I couldn’t be more proud of him, he has continued to push his interest and passion for the sciences far beyond what I could have imagined, and to know that I have had a small amount of influence on this passion is a true honor. MATT WILL BE JOINING Genentech’s Process Development Rotational Program (PDRP) in the fall, where he will do four six-month rotations. The work will mostly be bench science – anything from cell culture development to drug formulation research – and will all be related to manufacturing and delivering high-quality biologic drugs to patients. Most likely he will be working on monoclonal antibody products designed to treat various forms of cancer and other high-impact diseases. S P R I N G
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“My hope for this book is that by providing students with information about what to expect in college and how to prepare, it will make them more able to meet the challenges that they will face and, therefore, remain committed to a STEM education.” – Justin Bauer ’08
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Alumni Profile By Patrick Skahan, Director of Alumni Relations
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and sharing a New York Times article “Why Science Majors Change Their Mind (It’s Just So Darn Hard)” in November 2011, Justin Bauer ’08 and a few classmates at Dartmouth agreed with the article’s conclusion. Many of their friends and classmates who began the journey alongside them in scientific curricula had long since changed course and were pursuing studies in the humanities. JUSTIN, WHO IS NOW studying medicine at the University of California San Diego, and his friends made a few fundamental observations from their experiences. “Many students are, quite simply, intimidated by their introductory college science classes. These classes are taught in a fundamentally different way than smaller discussion-based liberal arts classes.” In their book, What Every Science Student Should Know, published by the University
of Chicago Press in May 2016, Justin and his co-authors attempt to demystify and prepare students for the reality of a STEM education at the college level, what the New York Times calls the “math-science death march.” Students, who are typically high-achievers in high school, are greeted immediately by issues that are normal, but beyond their control. Justin elaborates, “A typical, introductory science class is taught in a large lecture
format where students receive very little feedback about how they are doing from professors who are often incentivized to commit their focus to research projects and not their classrooms. Add to this the fact that STEM subjects award lower grades on average nationally, and it all ends up being needlessly discouraging.” JUSTIN AND HIS CLASSMATES decided that many of the challenges a student will face could be alleviated simply by knowing what is normal. He explained, “My hope for this book is that by providing students with information about what to expect in college and how to prepare, it will make them more able to meet the challenges that they will face and, therefore, remain committed to a STEM education.” Writing the book was no small feat for Justin and his co-authors. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Justin double majored in Biophysical Chemistry and Asian/Middle Eastern Studies. A student of Latin at Viewpoint, Justin began studying Chinese at Dartmouth and earned the James B. Reynolds Scholarship for Foreign Study, which afforded him the opportunity to enroll at Tsinghua University in Beijing. While in China, Justin remotely pitched the book to agents and publishers, negotiated a contract, and then wrote the book with his co-authors using Skype and Google Drive. JUSTIN ATTRIBUTES much of his ability to remain in the sciences to his preparation at Viewpoint. “I was introduced to college-level courses at Viewpoint with Mrs. Dority and Mrs. Strumpf. I knew what to expect and I hope to share that experience with future students.” S P R I N G
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CLASS NOTES The notes below include news received between October 1, 2005 – April 1, 2016.
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Melina Watts is working for a number of clients as an environmental and media consultant, which involves learning a whole new array of technical information in order to secure grants. In addition, Melina writes environmental journalism pieces for Earth Island Journal, The Argonaut, Ventura County Reporter, and Topanga Messenger. Melina also continues to write fiction privately, and she plans to self-publish a novel this year.
Nazbanoo Pahlavi is studying at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech with hopes of graduating in 2019 with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. If anyone if interested in veterinary medicine, feel free to reach out to her for advice!
Krystal Dry-Murphy and Kyle Murphy welcomed their first child to the world, a baby girl named Kennedi Jones Murphy. Born on October 25, 2015, this future Viewpoint Patriot will be in the high school graduating class of 2034!
Melina writes “My son Vincent Scott ’14 is enjoying his sophomore year at University of Colorado Boulder. My seven-year-old daughter, Lucilla Orton, loves to read and is a gifted artist. My son, Stephen Orton, is eager for Kindergarten to start in about six months, though it feels like a hundred years to him, I suspect! My father and his wife are thriving and I am happy that they live close by.”
Melina Watts ’83 with Stephen and Lucille Orton
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1998 Shilpa Rajpara has worked as a fashion designer for the past 12 years. She began in luxury fashion and moved into active wear. Her passion for sports and fashion began at Viewpoint and in her current role she has found a way to combine both. Over the last few years, Shilpa worked as a Senior Designer at Athleta (Gap Inc.), and then moved on to be the Design Director at 2XU in Melbourne, Australia. Shilpa writes, “It has been such an amazing experience to live abroad again, and to travel and work throughout Asia! I have met remarkable people, been exposed to design and culture around the world, and continued to learn more about my craft. In the last few months I have moved from Australia to Bali, Indonesia to develop my first solo collection called Nayali. Nayali means “feminine courage.” The collection focuses on three small luxury capsules entitled “Sea. City. Sweat.” It is a combination of functional, yet beautiful pieces that help you move through you day. I am excited to work with the local craftsman and communities in Bali to develop unique, handmade product that really celebrates women who love themselves.”
Kennedi Dry-Murphy
2008 Maddie Schwarz graduated and received a M.D. from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine in May. She is thrilled to be pursuing a career in pediatric neurology. Maddie will begin her residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Oakland in July followed by training in Child Neurology at UCSF.
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Alexandria Chu graduated Tufts University in 2013 , and received her J.D. from USC Gould School of Law on May 13, 2016. She specializes in entertainment law and has worked at an entertainment law firm, a non-profit intellectual property clinic, a studio in-house, and an entertainment union. This past year, her note was published in the Southern California Review of Law and Social Justice, and she self-published a novel, On the Level.
Chris Kimes continues to enjoy life at Stanford. As section leader of the Stanford drumline, he performs with the incomparable Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band a few times per week, including in this year’s Rose Parade and at the Rose Bowl game. This summer, he will be continuing research on SCAMP, a small robotic platform that is capable of flying, perching on vertical walls, and climbing up them.
2014 Rebecca Gross has become increasingly interested in pursuing literature and journalism since beginning school at University of Washington. She is writing at the UW Daily newspaper for the Opinion, Arts & Leisure, Features, and Wellness sections. Rebecca also served as Special Sections Editor for the paper last quarter. Rebecca writes, “My love for media pushed me to volunteer as an on-air personality at my school radio station, Rainy Dawg Radio. Next quarter, my passion will take me abroad to study in London on a homestay program for 10 weeks where I will be focusing my studies on English literature.”
Mikayla Hubert graduated this spring from a 200-hour yoga teacher training course, and will be a certified yoga instructor by the end of the school year. She currently teaches free, weekly yoga classes at University of Vermont’s Hillel, which has solidified her passion to combine her yoga practice with her academic studies in Human Development and Family. She plans to focus her remaining time in school developing a career in helping/counseling with a focus on movement. Mikayla also works as a student mentor for University of Vermont’s Think College, a program that guides students through college who have mental disabilities. In her role as a mentor, Mikayla attends class with the students, helps with organization and focus, as well as socialization and integration into the college community.
Alexandria Chu ’09
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VIEWPOINT Editor: Monica Case ’90
Head of School: Mark McKee
Editorial Consultant: Anne Leonetti Creative Direction and Principal Photography: Bill Youngblood
President of the Viewpoint Educational Foundation: Dr. Robert J. Dworkoski
Art Direction and Design: Ken Camner, Dog Ear Design
Director of Strategic Communications: Jill Shaw
Additional Photography: Jennifer Berger, Steven Chen, Gregg Kessler, Reynaldo Macias
CONTRIBUTORS A special thank you to those listed below for contributing articles and photographs, and for assisting in the production of Viewpoint magazine. Lance Argano-Rush Greg Bisheff Gabrielle Brown Robert Bryan Joe Diaz Craig Didden Catherine Dunn Kris Dworkoski Susan Elliott Ty Granaroli
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Rebecca Heller Pablo Macias ’18 Amy Maentz Tom Moore Patrick Moyal Mary Rodriquez Jodi Schapiro Charlie Sitzer Patrick Skahan Justin Sun
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Viewpoint is published by the Viewpoint Educational Foundation. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us. Thank you. Viewpoint School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, its admission policies, scholarships, and athletic or other School-administered programs.
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