Village Magazine Winter 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF VILLAGE SCHOOL

WINTER 2021

Mr. Allen welcomes back students in 2A for on-campus learning.

We’re grateful for the strength and flexibility shown by our VS faculty throughout the pandemic. This year has pushed our faculty to learn new skills alongside our students. We are so proud of them as they truly embody the meaning of life-long learning.

Hearts and Souls

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hile this past year has been a time of great challenge for all of us, each of us

has experienced it uniquely. To develop a collective resilience at Village School, we continue to model vulnerability by sharing our personal stories. In the pages before you, members of our community courageously share from their hearts and souls. They share a bit of who they are and how this year has affected them and affirm our belief that difficulties, disappointments, and setbacks can serve to strengthen our resolve to succeed. I thank our contributors for embodying our Village values as conduits of bold courage, rigorous responsibility, and continued trust.

John Evans Head of School

WINTER 2021

F E AT U R E S 8 10 12 14 16

Social Justice Artist of the Year Service Learning iPads for Venezuela Connecting During COVID

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 4 18 20

Around the School Voices Alumni The Big Picture

ON THE COVER This issue features Village School’s community members sharing their vulnerability through stories of connection and hope. “The Light Underneath” illustration, drawn by Kindergarten assistant teacher Blake Ahalt, features kindergartner Miles peeling back the page to reveal the light under the surface.

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AROUND THE SCHOOL

Spreading Some Cheer During the last years of her life, 5th

Fifth grader Ethan hones his dribbling skills during conditioning class.

Playing It Forward As a child, I was taught the meaning of hard work and how to fearlessly compete by my father, who played soccer at a high level in Spain.

Without a doubt, my father was the reason I excelled in my youth. His guidance and expertise instilled that discipline in me, but having a strict father can have its drawbacks. I rarely went to sleep-overs or high school parties.

Instead, I always made my 500 shots a day, got a full nine hours of sleep, and had a healthy meal at home. Thankfully, my Mom, who worked in education, provided a balance between academics, compassion, and fun.

During my junior and senior basketball seasons, I scored 54 points in a Conference Championship Game; we won two CIF Championships and various MVP Awards, which led to receiving a full ride basketball scholarship to UCSB. At that

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time, UCSB was a Top 25 program.

Playing basketball at a high level collegiately in the NCAA forced me to fully appreciate the importance of health and fitness.

I’m grateful I learned discipline, accountability, and teamwork at an early age. It is my goal to teach those same qualities to our young Village Vikings.

Currently, I work with our students through the conditioning program for Upper Division. I’ve designed my conditioning program to create a fun and competitive learning environment, focusing on body mechanics, speed, and agility.

I know many of these exercises can be new to our young Vikings, and I look forward to teaching the proper techniques. I’ve really appreciated my student-athletes showing up ready to learn, work hard, and most importantly have fun!

—Ana Onaindia, 4th Grade Assistant Teacher

grader Jillian’s grandmother lived at The Rehab Centre of Beverly Hills, where she suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. Jillian visited her grandmother weekly and loved how her face would light up when she came into her room.

Although several elderly residents live at The Rehab Centre year-round, most patients are there for a short time recovering from surgery or a broken bone.

Jillian’s aunt, an administrator at The Rehab Centre, told her that due to Covid-19 restrictions, the 80 patients were spending Thanksgiving without any family or visitors. Sadly, many residents have not seen relatives since March. Jillian

Jillian and Milo spent countless “hours illustrating nearly 80

cards and several ‘thank you’ holiday posters for the frontline workers who care for the patients.

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felt terrible for the patients and wanted to brighten their holiday. She decided to recruit her parents, her sister Hallie (Class of 2018), and her close friend Milo who jumped right in to help.

Jillian and Milo spent countless hours illustrating nearly 80 cards and several “thank you” holiday posters for the frontline workers who care for the patients. The posters were placed in staff areas on every floor of the facility, and Jillian and Milo’s holiday cards were delivered to every patient on their Thanksgiving meal tray.

Based on the pictures of smiling patients with their cards, Jillian and Milo certainly brightened the holiday. ▼

Sixth Grade Girls Math Club While studies show that many girls begin to lose interest in math during their early tween years, the fun is just getting started in Math Club. Every Tuesday, girls in the Upper Division are encouraged to join for 30 minutes during lunchtime, no matter their level of math sophistication.

The club provides an opportunity to participate in math conversation in a collaborative and supportive environment.

From gaining math confidence and problem-solving skills to fostering interest in the subject, the benefits of engaging in the club have been evident this fall. The benefits are achieved through the practice of Math Olympiad contest problems.

Each week the students welcome the contest problems’ challenges and allow me to share my personal love for math as I work alongside them. When I see their persistence in solving an “impossible” problem and the gratification that comes from their success, it reminds me of some of the reasons I fell in love with math as a kid. Being able to witness such growth and shifting perspective towards math in a short period of time has been an enriching experience during my first year at Village.

—Kristen Lee, Upper Division Assistant Teacher

Fifth grade students Milo and Jillian bring Thanksgiving greetings to patients at The Rehab Center of Beverly Hills.

Sixth grader Riley shares her mathematical thinking with her peers.

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VOICES

A D M I N I S T R AT O R

VOICES

The Anomalous Year of 2020

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tatistical anomalies are referred to as unexpected changes to an expected data pattern, or more simply put, a deviation from business as usual. That pretty much sums up 2020 for me, both professionally and personally. At the start of 2020, I was excited and a little nervous about the changes that lay ahead; a new head of school, a new position of assistant head for myself, a new crew of talented faculty members, and the new batch of students we welcome each fall.

I’m a person who typically enjoys change, and I like being pushed outside my comfort zone as I know that’s where growth exists. Lev Vygotsky, the famed child psychologist, referred to this as the zone of proximal development, and as an educator, this is where we hope to guide our students on a daily basis.

As I reflect on 2020, I realize that I spent from March, up to and through today, in this zone of proximal development spurred by two statistical anomalies. The first and obvious anomaly that hit us all on March 13th when we closed our doors to campus learning was, of course, the global pandemic, an experience that occurs every 100 years at most. The second was my diagnosis of gastric cancer on June 11th, for which I am not the typical age, gender, or even race.

As I reflect on what I have learned from the intersection of these two anomalies is twofold. First, this has given me a deeper appreciation of what we ask our students to do

...[these anomalies have] given me a deeper “appreciation of what we ask our students to do daily. We ask them to take academic risks, posit theories, talk to new friends, try new sports or instruments every day. These asks, which we know as educators lead to growth and learning, are hard.

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daily. We ask them to take academic risks, posit theories, talk to new friends, try new sports or instruments every day.

These asks, which we know as educators lead to growth and learning, are hard.

As we navigate the global pandemic for Village School, I’ve spent a year in the zone of proximal development, and 4

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it’s hard. It’s hard to spend time each day taking risks and failing. It’s hard to put yourself out there and share an idea that might not pan out. As adults, we have the privilege of removing things from our lives that are difficult. We gravitate to careers in which we excel, friends with whom we easily connect, and activities that we enjoy, usually because we’re good at them. So now, when I ask a student to take

As adults, we have the privilege of “removing things from our lives that are

difficult. We gravitate to careers in which we excel, friends with whom we easily connect, and activities that we enjoy, usually because we’re good at them.

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a risk, I think about what that feels like and have a much deeper appreciation for their hesitation.

Learning is hard, and nothing is more important than creating a context in which our students can take that leap because they know they’re safe. Nothing is more important than this. We’re here as the adults in their world to help them get back up, dust themselves off, and try again.

Gratitude is the second gift of 2020. There’s a clarity that stems from moving through each day cognizant of one’s own mortality. It allows one to let go of things that don’t really matter and brings into a crystalline focus that which does: family, friends, and community. For me, that’s Village School. I am grateful for my family, friends, and community that have carried me through both statistical anomalies and allowed me to fail, and helped me back up so I can try again tomorrow.

—Caroline Byfield, Assistant Head of School

STUDENT VOICES GROWING Tomorrow’s Leaders

VS Student Council

by Annie Block, Director of Secondary School Placementl

A story is a journey unfolding over time. As we grow, we learn that life takes twists and turns for which we have not planned; however, when the foundation is sound and core values embraced, those twists and turns can lead to an opportunity for enlightenment about our world and ourselves.

An essential aspect of a robust independent school is the opportunity to take risks in a safe and supportive environment; Student Council offers those opportunities in the spirit of service learning. Our three Student

Council Officers reflect on what leadership means to them.

Jake

“I love Village School.

Village welcomed a nervous Connecticut 1st grader into the community and helped me feel part of something.

Village taught me a lot in the classroom, but it taught me just as much outside of it. The Village Values are real and the teachers, administrators, and students all believe in them. I ran for office because I wanted to give something back to the school that taught me so much. I wanted to find a way to contribute to the community so that I could help pass along so many of the lessons that were taught to me as I grew at Village.

A leader should be able to keep their composure,

Sunday

even during the toughest moments. A leader should be focused on the needs of the people they are leading, and value their opinions.

A leader should be brave and take the risks necessary to get a good outcome for the people. And most importantly, a leader needs to be open-minded, and a good listener. I think that the ability to understand and collaborate with your peers—especially people who might disagree with you—is one of the most important values of a leader.”

—Jake ’21, President “We all know the stereotypical leader, but

Student Council is an organization conducted by students and supervised by adults, with the purpose of presenting opportunities for leadership development and connectedness within the community. The Council is designed to further the Village Mission and Values through service, leadership, initiatives, projects, and activities, in an environment where all voices are encouraged, heard, and respected. Council members share student ideas, interests, and concerns in a collaborative partnership with school advisors. The overriding mandate is to imagine and cultivate best practices in terms of leadership and service for the betterment and benefit of the school culture and ethos.

Samantha

what does being a leader really mean? It’s about inspiring the people around you by doing good things.

You don’t have to be elected to something or admired by others. You don’t have to be famous or have some type of social platform. You just have to help others, do things you believe in, and try new things. You have to believe in yourself, be ambitious, and not afraid to ask for help. I decided to run for student council because I love helping others, and I knew that this school year was going to be a rough one. I worked very hard on my speech and believed in myself. If you are going through a hard

time (which we all are) don’t forget to keep going and keep family and friends close. Be the leader that you know the world needs, but don’t forget to be yourself.”

—Sunday ’22, Vice President “Every year we get a buddy family. I loved showing the kids around school and helping them find their place… Our teachers will be there no matter what, even through these hard times. …My dad is on the board. He showed me how to be the best leader I can be!”

—Samantha ’23, Secretary

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VOICES

F A C U LT Y V O I C E S MEET Ms. Patterson We are delighted that Katelyn Patterson has joined our faculty. Katelyn’s enthusiasm, passion, and brilliance have already elevated our STEAM program and we’re excited to see where else Katelyn takes our students.

Share the story of how you became a teacher.

I’ve always been a teacher.

I was gifted a younger sister, and I quickly learned that I was good at relaying concepts to her in a chunkable, comprehensible way.

I was the kid that learned and synthesized information and wanted to share it with other people.

I also come from a long line of educators. There are principals, teachers, and bookkeepers in my family, so education was discussed at the dinner table. My grandmother was the first female principal in Walker County, Alabama; strong

opinions and ideas about education were modeled to me from a young age.

As I grew older, I tutored in after school centers, and I was always interested in helping people learn and understanding how they learned best. When I got to college, it was an easy decision to major in education to attempt to master the art of teaching.

What excites you most about teaching?

I live for the aha moment— the moment when all the stars align and students gain clarity on a subject or a concept. For every student,

Science Teacher Katelyn Patterson wants students to realize science is real.

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that looks different, so I love tailoring lessons and units to include various media, sources, and activities to help them have that aha moment.

I’m also really excited by the idea of investing in the leaders, business people, and innovators of tomorrow.

I want to empower my students to believe they can and will create a better society and environment and encourage them to own their potency as learners and individuals.

How have you experienced change in science education over your career.

There was a shift just as I entered the teaching field from science-in-atextbook toward real-world scientific application. That was a significant shift because I believe we need to understand this complicated world in which we all live and interact. Textbooks alone cannot give anyone a genuine understanding or excitement about science and the natural world. I encourage my students to go outside and explore the concepts we learn in class, so they develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the world through a scientific lens.

I have also seen more student-led passion-based learning in the classroom.

Kids often have very polarized feelings about their interest level in science. I find that some students show up on day one of class feeling like science isn’t for them; they either “aren’t good at it”

or have no interest.

However, when asked what they are interested in, most of the time, those topics are based in science.

For example, a love of puppies has a connection to biology. A love of video games is computer science.

An interest in juicy, delicious french fries is relevant to the digestive system and chemistry. Helping students create a connection between their interests and scientific concepts has been one of the most rewarding aspects of passion-based learning.

Where do you see science education going at Village School?

I have two main goals for the science lab. The first is an emphasis on sustainability.

This year, I introduced my students to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and invited them to think “big picture” and find ways to incorporate sustainability into their own lives. Why is it hard to access clean water in some communities? How can we better protect our green spaces? I enjoy discussing these giant global concepts with my students because they learn early that their ideas and thoughts can have real-world applications and solutions.

The second goal I have for the science lab is an emphasis on representation.

It is essential to me that children see scientists that look like them to know that they can work in scientific fields. Not all of our learners

PARENT VOICES look the same, and science doesn’t always look the same. I firmly believe that if students knew the wonderful discoveries and innovations created by women and people of color, they would be invited to take an interest in science because it becomes attainable to them.

I want kids to realize science is real. Science is going outside and breathing oxygen from a tree, or going to the beach and seeing driftwood. Science is the succulents in your garden and the vegetables in your refrigerator. I want to invite my students to use science in their own lives and become stewards of this incredible world we share.

What’s something that has surprised you about Village School?

It really is a Village!

I’ve never had a school community quite like this one. I’ve taught in a few schools, and this is the first one that feels like I joined a community with an educational tradition and values. I have met teachers who have spent decades at Village fostering a love of learning, a spirit of community service, inward reflection, and kindness to our fellow humans. Many schools teach that, but not a lot of schools embody what they say they believe. I was struck first and foremost by this strong community at Village, and I’ve enjoyed getting to ingratiate myself into the Village and own my little piece of our world. ▼

VSPA Co-Presidents this year are Kristyn Romans and Lisa Weinberger.

VSPA: Connecting our Community Virtually The Village School Parent Association (VSPA), at its essence, is about connection. As parents, when we feel connected to the school and one another, our children benefit (and so do we!). This year, with the pandemic changing so much about our typical school year, we felt, more than ever, that keeping our connections strong would be critical.

There is a lot of comfort in community, and we know that it is so important not to feel isolated even when we’re supposed to be isolated. And so we set out to make sure that the VSPA would be a place where we could all come together, even virtually, and provide the opportunities for connection that we have all needed. Instead of recreating all of the past traditions in an online format, we worked to reimagine how we could come together at this particular time and are happy to report that some of these new traditions will stay with us long after the pandemic has ended.

We were thrilled to launch the first-ever VSPA Book Club! With two books already under our collective belt and an exciting selection to announce at the beginning of 2021, our community has created an opportunity to have conversations and dialogue that never would have happened otherwise. It brought together parents from all grades, along with faculty, staff, and administrators, and allowed us to learn about ourselves and each other in a special way.

In taking to heart this year’s Village School theme of “Story,” we were excited to install a Little Free Library right outside the La Cruz campus. We were hopeful that our community could stay connected through stories this year and beyond—passing along books that people have loved so that others can enjoy the escape and friendship that wonderful plots and characters provide. It has been a joy to watch this library evolve—books coming and going— with people leaving a note inside for whoever gets it next to find.

We found ways to laugh during Let’s Connect! events and VSPA meetings, and we also had moments of real vulnerability as genuine opportunities for connection through our screens. We found that real community endures, even when we’re apart. Parents zoomed in and showed up, time and time again, even when it felt hard. School may look different this year, but the spirit of our village remains intact.

—Lisa Weinberger and Kristyn Romans, VPSA Co-Presidents

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Exploring Identity is the Foundation of Understanding Social Justice

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by Rachel Nagler Director of Equity and Inclusion

I gave birth during a double pandemic of COVID-19 and racial violence. I labored with my second son surrounded by White women in Blue masks.

When my son was born, people commented and observed, “he might be a little darker than your first one” and “he might look more like you.” Both of my mixed-raced children can “pass” as White, and that is their tightrope to walk. I am on that journey with them, precariously balancing our weight.

Race continually reveals the tension between the personal and the social world. The news streamed in the background. People protesting, I lay still, anemic after birth, in bed nursing this precious life.

I felt helpless, angry, fearful, and proud. Proud to be a woman of color.

Proud of my two sons. I think to myself, my son certainly knows how to protest at bedtime, saying, “No Pajamas! No brushing teeth!” Will that same passion emerge one day for social justice?

At three and a half, my son thinks Black Lives Matter protests are parties to celebrate Black people. He isn’t wrong, but he hasn’t grasped the nature of social resistance. He’s beginning to notice and talk about our skin color, our sameness, and differences. We talk about our “active” and “sleepy” melanin. My earliest memory of a racial encounter occurred when I was three years old, so he is old enough for me to explain to him that not all people are treated equally.

How do parents provide a framework for children to understand race and racism? What is the story we narrate to them to help them make sense of what they see and feel? How do we achieve this in partnership with teachers? How do we contend with the media and the narratives presented? I ask these questions as an educator and a DEI practitioner, but also as a parent. How do we engage in ways that don’t serve to traumatize but rather inspire children to be ethical problem solvers?

There is urgency and growing awareness of racial injustice, and there is also trepidation. The essential questions we are helping our kids to respond to are: “How do I see myself ? How do others see me?

How and why is that the same and/or different?” I will make mistakes in this education, this transmission of knowledge to my children. They will educate me; they accomplish that daily. But I cannot abandon my children in this exploration or leave them unguided. That is my act of protest. I will not leave this essential education solely in the hands of others.

Lying in bed, nursing my baby, dressing and feeding my sons, playing imaginary games seemed as if I was being irresponsible and opting out.

Yet, the exploration of identity is the foundation of understanding social justice. From this space, I hope my sons learn that they are limitless Beings and that they are also Jewish, African-American, White, Male, able-bodied people. I hope they learn what that means to them and understand what that might mean to others in order to be responsive and aware decision-makers as they engage in the world. ▼ VILLAGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021

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This Hoffman House rug (below) and “March Balloons” (right) designed

by Frank Lloyd Wright served as two inspirations for Village art students’ work.

artist of the year:

by Yvette Davies, Art Teacher

Art reflects life. It also provides a window into our thoughts and feelings and allows us to look out beyond ourselves to the world around us. Art provides us with a uniquely non-verbal way of communicating what we like and what we care about.

This year when our lives have in so many ways become smaller, art has allowed us to look through and beyond the windows of our homes to the bigger world outside. Studying others’ artworks and creating our own has allowed us to connect to people in times and places far away.

Learning about our artist of the year, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has allowed students to travel around the world virtually by studying the history and buildings that influenced him. The 4th grade students have also spent time exploring his graphic design work, especially his stained glass windows. These bold geometric designs and colors inspired by nature have brightened up plenty of homes. Students have created their own abstractions and reproduced these onto puzzles and most recently begun making their very own stained glass windows. I hope you enjoy them too. ▼ 10

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FR AN K L LOYD WRIG H T 1 | Ruby beautifully recreated FLW’s Hoffman House Rug design using primary and secondary colors and thoughtfully left white spaces just like he did!

2, 3, 4 | Ari, George, and Dashiell used our study of the elements of color, shape and pattern to create fabulous designs for their 12-piece puzzles.

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5 | Juliette had fun overlapping different geometric shapes for her puzzle design.

We also had a lot of fun having races online when we had completed the designs … but I’m not saying who won!!!

6, 7, 8 | Brent, Brooke, and Lizzy Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by butterflies when he designed the windows for the Dana-Thomas House.

Brent, Brooke and Lizzy all used the origami butterflies they made in class to create fantastic designs for their own butterfly inspired windows.

9 | Maddie used a series of overlapping circles to create a stunning design for her puzzle. It was fun to see how the students all started with the same design brief but created such unique and different artworks.

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10 | Rather than using butterflies as inspiration, Tor used a spider to make a fabulous three-color geometric design for his stained glass window.

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CONNECTING OUR STORIES TOGETHER

by Sara Singsank Director of Development and Parent Engagement

Village parent Leanne Richardson (left) shared information about The Paradigm Challenge, a nonprofit started by her husband Jeff (middle) that invites students to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems. The conversations Sara Singsank (right) had with Leanne about The Paradigm Challenge program served as a framework that helped redefine the Village Service Learning program.

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In a shift from community service to Service Learning, the TK-3rd grade group has looked at reusing books and literacy by supporting our Little Library. Second grade student Hailey and her family have erected a neighborhood Little Library outside their home.

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ur community comprises many wonderful individual stories that, over the years, become woven together. The key to finding these stories and then connecting them is being curious and listening, and learning about each student’s family, where their parents grew up, their favorite books, hobbies, and passions.

Knowing our families more intimately helps to shape the connection between home and school for the children. When stories of a shared passion spark a link to what the school is looking to create or expand, it is a stroke of serendipity because it’s at these intersections that our community becomes more robust.

One such “intersection” happened due to a chat with Leanne Richardson (Blake 1st and Chelsea 4th) when she shared her passion for Service Learning. We already had a service-oriented group of parents and students working on our Children for Community Service committee. Still, Leanne and I began to think about how we could engage these groups in more meaningful activities directly related to service. During this conversation, we brainstormed how we could add to our current program to give children the skills to ask questions and solve the problems they already cared about so deeply.

Leanne shared with me a nonprofit called The Paradigm Challenge, which had been started by her husband. The Paradigm Challenge is an ongoing competition that invites students worldwide to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems and make a difference. The program provided a straightforward, six-step process to solve a challenge. By utilizing this framework, we realized that we could give our

students the tangible skills necessary to see a problem, ask questions, and plan a solution.

Since that conversation, the shift from community service to Service Learning has begun. The TK-3rd grade group has looked at reusing books and literacy by supporting our Little Library and started Community Gardens at home to learn more about food insecurity. In the coming months, the 4th-6th grade Service Learning team will be exploring ways to reduce trash at home and Village School. Next, Village will be working on finding partnerships to expand the Service Learning program’s roles on campus and our local community.

When we talk to one another at a deeper level and listen to one another, our school is better for it. I am always eager to partner with parents to add a new event or improve a working program. Parent engagement partnerships can create ways to serve a onetime need or assist an ongoing group or project—either way, at the heart of both is to support the Village School students and our greater community.

Every person has a story, and we all have valuable insights to share. Let’s all find the time to connect and listen to stories and passions within our community. You never know what kind of change or connection we will see to strengthen our connections and our community. ▼ VILLAGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021

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VILLAGE VENEZUELA

FROM TO

by Rafael Cordero, Math Assistant Teacher

As a country, Venezuela has experienced economic and political turmoil since 2012, when oil prices began to decline, leading to a devastating recession.

The government invested less in social programs, which worsened Venezuelans’ situation, leading to a host of widespread health issues that affected many— especially children.

Reflecting upon this year, I know that 2020 has challenged us in many ways, but it has also made us reflect upon our privileges. At the beginning of quarantine, shutdowns threw all of us a few curveballs. When I got the confirmation in January to send the iPads overseas, I was never expecting this project to coincide with a pandemic—none of us were!

Thanks to Village School and OnceTrece Foundation, children at the Hospital Clinico Universitario in Caracas, Venezuela, had one of those “best” days, even during these incredibly challenging times of global pandemic.

These children received 55 iPads that we, as Village School, were no longer using. OnceTrece is an initiative founded in response to Venezuela’s health crisis and generates projects that benefit the neediest populations. This incredible partnership was made possible with our IT Director Edwin Pleitez’s cooperation; Edwin entrusted me to spearhead this project, and OnceTrece, who facilitated the shipping of the iPads from our school directly to their facilities in Caracas. I understand what it means for those children at Hospital Clinico Universitario to receive such a valuable gift and what it means not to have access to technology, material things, and the healthcare we sometimes take for granted.

As a community, we sent a message of caring and hope, and I was personally touched by the positive impact we created as a school. I look forward to exploring even more ways to advocate for this type of initiative.

Follow this link below to watch a video of the students receiving their iPads: shorturl.at/evPS9. ▼

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top left: Members of Once Trece Foundation deliver Village iPads to the hospital; left, above, and right: young patients receive iPads.

”As a community, we sent a message of caring and hope, and I was personally touched by the positive impact created as a school.

I look forward to exploring even more ways to advocate for this type of initiative.”

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Village Reconnects To help deal with the isolation from the pandemic “stay-at-home” orders, many people have reconnected with old friends or found joy deepening their connection with friends and family. Below are a few stories of community reconnection.

A few months ago , I decided to reach out to my best friend during elementary school. We grew up in Washington DC together, and I hadn’t talked to him for a number of years. It was so good to hear his voice and to catch up with him. He had recently gotten a new dog which was the love in his life. It is a huge Doberman and he takes care of it like one would a baby. He has been isolated since the start of Covid and was happy to have someone to connect with. He currently lives in North Carolina.

—Alex Warmer, Upper Division Teacher During quarantine, my brother Ian reached out to my dad, who he had shut out of his life ten years ago.

Ian’s daughter was having some medical issues, and he needed support.

I just had a 45 minute call with both my brother and my dad for the first time in my adult life. It was so fun, and it was as if no time had passed. We talked about the past and the future. It was a miracle.

Since that time, my niece is now doing well, and my dad and brother have been speaking ever since.

So thankful!

—Caitlin Welsh, Academic Enrichment Specialist

Alex Warmer

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Caitlin Welsh

Amia taught my daughter in Kindergarten and it has been at least eight years since I have talked to her.

This summer my children were tasked with learning something new, so they started their own business.

Amia immediately supported their business and we began to talk about what she had in the works. We talked in depth about non-profits as my children’s company makes several donations to nonprofits. As soon as she put everything together on her end, we began to support her nonprofit and partner with her to give her charity the exposure it needed. It’s been great learning more about her and how deep rooted her passion is for children.

—Desirae Shepard, Village Parent and Board Member As a working mom, I don’t always have as much time to build on my own adult friendships as I would like, mostly elevator speeches of catching up, if you will. Then comes the pandemic where everything slowed down drastically, and time was gifted back because everything was shut down.

Initially, I reached out to a couple girlfriends to see how they and their kids were doing.

Desirae Shepard

Gloria Kim

Since March, we’ve all shared more than we knew we could for each other—from the simple links of recommended items on Amazon/Instacart, to sharing recipes and health advice (because let’s face it, all moms are also doctors), to Covid updates for friends and family that we wanted to keep in our prayers, and of course everything in between. More recently, we’ve actually purchased walkie-talkies, but continue to be there for each other in our text chain, so aptly named “my walkie-talkie crew.”

—Gloria Kim, Village Parent Julia Quay is from Malaysia, and she and I first met when we were freshmen at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. We were in the same piano studio. We also both went to SMU in Dallas for our master’s degrees. She returned to Malaysia in 1997 and we kind of lost touch. I re-connected with her when I decided to do a unit on “Music from Malaysia” with 3rd grade. From the moment we said “hello” we picked up right where we left off in 1997.

She zoomed in to speak to 3rd grade about her culture, and it was great to reconnect!

—Greg Whitmore, Music Teacher I’ve heard many stories of quarantine-based reunions that are lovely, heartwarming. Here’s a cold-eyed, self-serving one.

A college friend pitched a biweekly zoom call back in March. Sounded terrible. Did it anyway.

When my wife, Shana, broke her leg hiking in July, I immediately thought, “Man, I wish I could call my hotshot NY orthopedic surgeon college friend and ask him for advice, but I haven’t talked to him in years.” But lo, I had talked to him! Biweekly-ly for months! I texted him x-rays and within minutes, he’d suggested a fantastic surgeon in LA. Now

Greg Whitmore

Scott Silveri

Shana walks again. Friendship validated! (We had some laughs over those zooms too, but that’s less important.)

Oh, and I also went on a distanced walk with Dan Weinberger. Highly recommend. Dan has yet to prove himself helpful in fixing anyone’s leg, but I trust it’s just a matter of time.

—Scott Silveri, Village Parent Over summer I began sending drawings and collages to friends and families back home in Australia, as well as to old friends around the world and across America. My girlfriend in New York would send me photos of her latest sewing, a friend in Chicago her poetry, from Ireland I would get photos of incredibly decorated cakes, and from Sydney I would get witty satirical hand drawn comics from my freshman college Psychology professor. Never was I more aware that we were all weathering the same storm or how the pandemic had connected us globally, but I sure felt a small joy in knowing that were all in beautifully decorated, creative, and tasty boats!

—Yvette Davies, Art Teacher In the 1990s I had the fantastic pleasure of leading a group of amazing young women as President of Alpha Phi Sorority. We were a diverse group of scholars, athletes, prom queens, and fun-loving college students. Being on the West Coast had not allowed me to join the reunions they enjoyed over the years. Then zoom entered my world, so along with another sorority sister, we planned a virtual gathering. As I sat back and enjoyed the stories, laughter brought me back to the 1990s when hair was slightly bigger, and life was just a bit more carefree. Thank you, Zoom!

—Sara Singsank, Director of Development

Yvette Davies

Sara Singsank

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ALUMNI

ALUMNI NOTES 1 | Eric Busi ’06 and his wife Tess Biemler welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world on November 12, 2020. Dane Olson Busi was born at 7 AM and they are looking forward to him one day attending Village School!

2 | Brennie Pellegrini ’10 recently became Head of Growth at Challenger Finance, a FinTech company that offers super-powered bank accounts as a financial wellness perk for employees.

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3 | Sara Konkoly ’16, a junior at Marlborough, is working on a project that shines light on amazing female chefs. She has interviewed 100+ female chefs around the world from LA to Singapore, Nairogi to Tokyo, Belgrade to Lima, Mexico City to Florence…almost 40 countries! The interviews can be found on Sara’s blog, https://femalechefencyclopedia. com.

4 | Sam Swartz ’14 is a freshman at the College of Charleston; he speaks of his experience as a volunteer at his local hospital during COVID-19.

“As a public health major on the premed track I volunteer for my school’s EMS program responding to medical emergencies on campus. I also work as an ER tech at the local pediatric level one trauma center at the Medical University of South Carolina, taking patients vitals, assisting with procedures and tests. We have been seeing a lot of COVID-19 (need a space)patients in our ER. I have been very lucky to get the PFIZER Vaccine on January 11th. I love working in the Peds ER because it is a fast-paced environment, and you get to learn and see a lot. It’s also very rewarding working with kids. I believe children don’t deserve to be in the hospital, and I want to make sure they get the best care possible while having an enjoyable time in the hospital.”

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ALUMNI Shine a Light on the Road Ahead

by Annie Block, Director of Secondary School Placement

T

he secondary school application process conjures many emotions and a range of anxieties associated with the unknown—for students and their parents. There is a sense of excitement, adventure, and the promise of discovery—about education and the road ahead.

VS hosted an alumni panel for our current 6th Graders in September—we believe there is no substitute for hearing first-hand from someone who has walked the path in recent years. Even though 2020-2021 is anything but a “typical” year, there are some universal experiences and perceptions that serve to enlighten and encourage; Village School and, especially, the Class of 2021, are grateful! Thank you, alumni, for your gift of time, thoughtfulness, candor, and wisdom; we all benefited!

Our VS alumni panel comprised students attending Archer, Campbell Hall, Crossroads, Harvard Westlake, Marlborough, New Roads, Viewpoint, and Windward; thank you VS alumni Alejandra Cortes (’18), Drew Wadler (’19), Brooke Reilly (’19), Ben Shaheen (’19), Leo Craig (’18) Kaila Elsayegh (’19), Ilan Singer (’19), Gemma Singer (’19) Jack Conlin (’16), and Griffin Misher (’19).

“The most common piece of advice that I heard during the application process was, “you will end up where you are supposed to be.” I found it accurate because when I stopped stressing over every detail, all of the pieces fell right into place. When I entered 7th grade at Archer, I knew that there would be different expectations of me. However, I was able to fulfill those expectations because Village prepared me across the board.

From sports to the six Village Values, I had an abundance of tools under my belt, helping me strive at my new school.

During my time at Village, I had the privilege to learn how to code and have now taken the courageous leap to be a part of Archer’s InvenTeam. Programming the motion control of the device contributed to my team’s success in receiving the Lemelson MIT grant. I think that I can speak for all of the Village School student alumni when I say that we are eternally grateful for THIS COMMUNITY. Village School always places education first, and I still feel it even today! We are the next generation of leaders, and Village School is a part of our journey. Thank you for encouraging me.”

—Alejandra Cortes ’18

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THE BIG PICTURE

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magine for a moment a satellite photograph of Earth as a kind of Rorschach inkblot test. What would you see? Where would you look? What would grab your focus? If looking only at the United States, would you find an amorphous splat of doom and gloom, or would you find blossoming tentacles of light and growth?

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“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.

On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

—ARUNDHATI ROY

Our country has undoubtedly taken massive hits during the past year, almost too many to name, yet the Village community has drawn lifeblood from the small moments of connection we have felt with our families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Our openness, receptivity, and sensitivity fuel the strongest relationships, empowering each other to meet unfathomable challenges.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm.” Perhaps a

jubilant and sustained enthusiasm for one another, and our school, is precisely the wave of hope and meaning our community needs. As we move forward into this new year, full of promise and change, let’s celebrate our precious and resilient children and their teachers; let’s endeavor to slow down on occasion and actually smell the gardenias that grow so beautifully in our California climate; and let’s also stand up for the marginalized groups that need our strength, our grit, and our resources.

M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Village School is an inclusive and dynamic learning community that prepares its students for success.

We engage children in a challenging academic curriculum that balances developmental and traditional principles of education and embraces a comprehensive and diverse enrichment program.

Village School fosters each student's sense of self and inspires social responsibility by integrating character education into a stimulating learning environment. We value the strong connection between home and school that characterizes our community.

VILLAGE SCHOOL MAGAZINE E D I T O R I A L S TA F F Alison McKee Director of Advancement

Turning the page on the story of 2020 is about rising above mere survival. It is about embracing the future before us and actively changing some of our habitual ways of seeing the world and our problems. Let’s make 2021 more than just a year of recovery, and manifest a year of engagement.

Together we can make the future better, and together we will make it brighter.

—John Evans, Head of School

Chris Gonyaw Director of Communications and Creative Media Sara Singsank Director of Development and Parent Engagement Caroline Byfield Assistant Head of School Annie Block Director of Secondary School Placement, Administration Manager, and Registrar Tina Turbeville Design Chris Gonyaw Photography

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