TheJetway: Steering the Future

STEERING THE FUTURE

STEERING THE FUTURE

Table of Contents

Welcome from HOS

ECC: Chickens and Collaboration

Kindergarten Friendship Feast 3rd Grade Poetry Cafe

Global Studies

Grandparents and Special Friends Day Mini Maker Faire

Professional Development

Alumni Spotlight: Class of 2018 Graduation 2022

Alumni Highlights

Philanthropy Report

Annual Fund

05 07 08 10 12 14 18 20 23 24 26 28 30

Editors

Daniel Brubaker, Director of Communications

Hannah Lawrence, Director of Marketing & PR

Becky Lockhart Poulter, Assistant Director of Development

Alicia O’Connor, Graphic Designer & Creative Director

Alice Arutiunian Wyman, Assistant Director of Admission

Printing

Ed Su, Studio Printing

Photography

TheJetway is published annually by Westside Neighborhood School for parents/caregivers, alumni, and friends. For more information or questions, please contact:

WNS Office of Marketing & Communications 5401 Beethoven Street Los Angeles, CA 90066 communications@wns-la.org

© Westside Neighborhood School

Daniel Brubaker

Vince Bucci Photography WNS Community Members

STEERING THE FUTURE

Changemaker. This is a powerful term we use frequently at WNS. It is a term we place a great deal of weight on, and with good reason. Simply put, a changemaker is an individual who is taking creative action to solve a problem. A changemaker is committed to bringing about positive societal change. A changemaker is not just a dreamer, but an action-taker, an innovator, an active listener, and a leader. It is our collective commitment that when a student graduates from WNS, they are equipped with the necessary skills and mindset to continue on their path to becoming exactly that.

This year, all eyes at WNS are looking ahead to the future. With the resilience gained from the pandemic in our toolkits, we have moved away from the survival mode of the past and into thrive mode of the future. And we are swiftly gaining momentum. We are more focused now than ever before on innovation. This manifests in many ways, from technological upgrades in our newly expanded FabLab to a strong focus on professional development for our faculty and staff, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the educational field. It is only when we commit to being innovators ourselves that we are able to challenge our students to be innovators as well.

This 2022-23 school year, we are debuting our reimagined 8th grade capstone project, SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion). Coming off the 7th grade SPLASH project (Solving Problems for Los Angeles Society and Health), SWIM is about taking action and making students’ work visible. In 8th grade, students will be challenged to not only identify a societal problem, but also to connect with community members, implement different strategies in search of workable solutions, and record their experience in documentary form. The goal of this culminating project is to embody the spirit of our school’s mission statement: “to create a community of lifelong learners who… inspire the world with their curiosity, innovation, compassion, and stewardship.”

While these capstone projects take place in middle school, our younger students are equally involved in learning experiences that lay the foundation for becoming changemakers and innovators. In fact, students are introduced to the concepts of collaboration and innovation starting in our Early Childhood Center (ECC) and kindergarten. Our youngest students find meaning through play, questioning the environment around them, and guiding the curriculum based on their interests. This social constructivist concept then evolves into cross-curricular, projectbased learning from as early as the 1st grade. While our younger students may not be out in the community advocating for change just yet, they are learning to creatively problem solve together with their peers, and this is an invaluable building block in the creation of a changemaker.

I hope as you read through this issue of TheJetway, you are filled with pride at what each student at WNS is empowered to accomplish. We are inspired by them on a daily basis. I am entirely convinced that the future looks bright, and that is because your children are steering it.

Brad Zacuto

Brad Zacuto Head of School

Early Childhood Center

Chickens and Collaboration

Kelly Massey, Director of Preschool-Kindergarten

Young children are hungry to make meaning and connections through real-life experiences. In the years before COVID, kindergarten teachers would meet that need by introducing fertilized eggs to their classrooms and investigating the life cycle of chickens. After a few lost years due to COVID, we decided to bring the project back in a new way. To make connections between kinder and developmental kindergarten (DK), we created a cross-grade level collaboration to raise the chickens together. As a team, we have been surprised and excited to see what caring for another being can teach us about ourselves. Through this project, the children not only learned about disappointment, disability, and differences, but they were given an opportunity to watch the wonders of nature unfold in front of their eyes, learning to care for others and working as a team towards a collective goal.

When the eggs arrived, we were lucky enough not to lose any in transit, which unfortunately meant that there was not enough room in the kindergarten incubator. This was the perfect opportunity to form a DK/K collaboration as we worked to solve the problem of what to do with too many eggs! The DK students had a few ideas:

Oliver: We can let them live here!

Lincoln: Maybe Shelly (the Sandpiper class turtle) could take care of them because turtles lay eggs.

Maybel: We can be the mama hen!

It was decided that DK and kindergarten would work together to raise the future chickens. Another incubator was bought, and kindergarten took half the eggs while DK took the other half. As the children observed the eggs, they had a lot of questions about what might be happening inside. To support the children’s fine motor and reasoning skills, we had them draw their ideas of what might be happening inside the silent and still eggs.

To provoke more questions and conversation, we showed the children how to candle the eggs to see a shadow of what was inside. We discovered that two of the eggs did not have a chicken growing, but some of them did!

Dylan: Look, it’s moving!

Brooke (teacher): So this one is definitely developing.

Max: This one isn’t moving.

Dylan: Yes, but it has those lines. Brooke said those are the lines that help the baby chick live, so it must be alive!

Meanwhile, after kindergarten did their candling, the children predicted what their chickens would look like and did drawings to show their ideas:

Hannah: I think it’s gonna have some wings.

Rudy: I’m not sure if this is how a chicken actually looks. I think it will be a yellow chicken. There, this is what it will look like.

When the eggs began to hatch, the children thought they had been broken and were highly disappointed and concerned for the growing chicks inside. They were thrilled when they realized that the chickens were finally poking their way out of the eggs!

As the children watched our chickens grow, they had many questions about their differences. The chickens were different colors, behaved differently, and the children noticed that some had trouble walking. After one child mentioned in surprise that the chick was black, Douye wisely said, “Well, chickens can be different colors just like people. We are all just chickens… I mean people.”

Soon the chickens will move to the coop outside the kindergarten classrooms and begin to lay their own eggs. We are looking forward to seeing what new connections and discoveries the children make as the chickens continue to grow and change.

Kindergarten Friendship Feast

Shelby MacDonald, Kindergarten Co-Lead Teacher

Beginning with just one small voice, kindergarteners joined together to share their hearts with their grownups creating one big sound.

The youngest WNS learners started the year with an opportunity to show gratitude for their loved ones. The Kindergarten Friendship Feast is an event for students to share with their grown-ups a song and a small token of thankfulness. To start, students worked to create unique placemats with their version of pumpkin watercolors and a note of thanks. For some, this artistic aspect of the project was their razzle dazzle. For others, the opportunity to sing and perform for their loved ones was the highlight of the season.

Students began the song process with classroom rehearsals learning the words to One Small Voice, adapted by John Hartmann. Excitement filled the

rooms as students heard their voices mixing to create a single booming sound in their own cubby side classrooms. They worked tirelessly to learn how the words to the song matched American Sign Language (ASL) movements.

Their hard work paid off when their first rehearsal began. All three kindergarten classrooms joined forces on the stage. The students’ eyes were wide with amazement as they heard all 60 voices come together for the first time. Their sound echoed around the room and murmurs of wonder began. “We sound amazing,” one student commented. “I bet Home Depot can hear us!” another exclaimed.

Over the course of a few days, students continued to practice the art of getting on and off the stage. Students visibly felt pride that they were performing

on the big stage for the first time. This continued into show day. They donned their best outfits, prepared to dazzle their visitors. The stage was set and tables were decorated with student-made placemats. Snacks and beverages were prepared. We were ready to welcome their guests!

As the room filled with adults, it was clear they were just as excited as their kindergarteners. The opportunity to participate in the event as an observer was clearly just as exciting. The moment arrived! Kindergarteners filed into the hall outside the stage. Quiet whispers of excitement abounded. Students jittered with joy as they filled the stage, waving to their grown-ups. As they began their song, they clicked into a deeper comfort level than before. Every kindergartener, no matter their level of anxiety or excitement, joined with their voices and their ASL signs to show how much they learned.

Grown-ups cheered as the children bowed and left the stage to join them. It was a joyous experience for all involved. The lyrics in the song help define what it’s like in kindergarten. Students begin the year as one small voice and over time, they connect and shift from “one” to “we” and begin to change the world.

“One Small Voice”

With just one small voice Singing out a song With just one small voice Singing sweet and strong One by one they’ll grow And together sing along And then soon all the world Will be singing

Elementary School

Poetry Cafe

The 3rd Grade Team

The Poetry Cafe is the highly-anticipated culminating project for the 3rd grade’s poetry unit, forming a key part of the students’ literacy curriculum. In preparation for this project, 3rd graders spend several weeks learning about different elements of poetry and figurative language. This prepares the students to learn how to both read and analyze poetry, valuable skills that they will take with them throughout their English studies for years to come at WNS.

Students put pen to paper and their learning into practice - a key tenet of WNS education - by writing their own poems and publishing their very own poetry portfolios! Poems range from haikus to limericks, from cinquains to free verse. One particularly moving poem is the ‘‘I Am” poem, where students write about what they feel contributes to who they are today. This always makes for some beautifully tear-jerking moments!

We end the unit with The Poetry Cafe - a special opportunity for parents and caregivers to visit our 3rd grade classrooms and listen to students recite poems from their portfolios. This is always a highlight, as we love seeing the grown-ups’ reactions as they hear children’s creative work read aloud for the first time! It’s a delight to see how proud the students are of their work, and to watch them present it to their families. Poetry is a meaningful medium of expression and gives us all an opportunity to watch the students’ creativity come to life in their very own ways, letting their personalities and imaginations shine through with their own wonderful individuality. We can’t wait to share this unit with this year’s 3rd grade families!

A selection of haiku poems by last year’s 3rd grade class:

Trees

By

Tree Branches

By Jackson Black shapes in the sun Pierce the sky like bright black bolts The form of lightning

Middle School

Middle School Global Studies

Hannah Lawrence, Director of Marketing & PR

The WNS Global Studies program is an invaluable experience offered to middle school students where they have the opportunity to travel to a Spanish-speaking country and embark on a trip of a lifetime with their WNS peers.

After a forced hiatus due to the pandemic, we were thrilled that we were able to resume our global studies program in the summer of 2022, taking a group of very excited middle school students to Panama! A goal of the program is to support our students in fostering their global citizenship, and this trip to Panama was no exception. Based in Panama City, the group had the opportunity to experience both the Pacific and Caribbean sides of the country and absorb the differences between the two coasts.

Over the seven-day duration of the trip, students discovered the sights and sounds of Panama in various ways. Early on, highlights included riding bikes along the Pacific Ocean, taking group photos at the Panama sign, observing the modern skyline with its varied architecture, and winding through some of the quaint and bustling brick lined streets of Casco Viejo (Old Quarter).

The group also headed to Panama Viejo, the oldest European settlement on Pacific Coast. One particularly special experience was their visit to Dona Edna’s Piña Farm. Students had an opportunity to meet the owner and learn all about growing, harvesting, and shipping process for pineapples.

Of course, no educational trip to Panama is complete without a visit to the famed Panama Canal - a marvel of the modern world. Our middle schoolers experienced a detailed visit to the Miraflores Locks before diving deeper into the culture of Panama by visiting an indigenous village along the Chagres River, inhabited by the Emberá tribe. Playing soccer with the tribe inhabitants, dancing together with the villagers, and spending time with local children was certainly not an experience we’ll soon forget.

We are happy to have been able to resume this incredibly important program. We are excited for trips to come, as we continue to support our students in expanding their horizons and discovering the world. We look forward to this year’s upcoming trip to Peru!

Grandparents & Special Friends Day 2022

Grandparents & Special Friends Day

Hannah Lawrence, Director of Marketing & PR

One of our favorite events at WNS returned in person this year - Grandparents and Special Friends Day (GPSF)! This heartwarming event sees WNS open its doors to some of the most important people for our students: their grandparents or other special adults - be they an aunt, uncle, mentor, or family friend - who play a key role in their lives.

On Thursday, November 17th, 2022, the Early Childhood Center (ECC) welcomed their grandparents and special friends to a wonderful morning, beginning with a Morning Sing in our brand new amphitheater space. We sang a collection of our favorite songs, including the crowd-favorite, “I Am a Meatball,” which was met with a lot of laughter! After coming together to sing and dance, the children invited their grownups to their classrooms, where a range of activity stations were set up for some quality time together. We made bracelets, built towers (it’s easier to build a taller tower when you enlist the help of an adult!), and snapped some souvenir Polaroid photos to take home. The students had a blast showing off their classrooms, introducing their teachers to their guests, and playing in the Wilds together. After all that activity, what could be better than enjoying a snack together before heading off to start the Fall Break?

With all the excitement of the ECC’s big day behind us, the next day it was our K-8 students’ time to shine! We were greeted with a beautiful crisp fall day and our students’ special guests began the morning enjoying an outdoor Art Walk, sipping coffee or tea while taking in the creative student work ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade. Visitors partook in a variety of activities set up by classroom teachers as well as specialists. Some of us painted, while others sang songs, learned Spanish, or took part in a Design-Code-Make challenge. This day also included some time on our renovated yard playing games, running off some energy, and enjoying a snack together while mingling with friends and their guests. The best part was that we did it together with our grandparents and special friends!

During the Community Gathering rotation, we were wowed by our 2nd graders who put on a special performance, and our students’ guests learned about the great projects and upcoming performances we have planned here at WNS. We closed this rotation with a heartwarming sing-along to “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes, led by Mr. Marquez on the piano, uniting all of our voices in one special performance.

For those who were able to attend, we were so happy to welcome you to campus! These were such special days, and our grandparents and special friends are an integral part of the WNS community. We are excited for the next time we get to welcome you back on our campus and show you what we’ve been working on here at WNS!

Mini Maker Faire

The Return of the WNS Mini Maker Faire: 3-5

Hannah Lawrence, Director of Marketing & PR

On December 3, 2022, we brought back our third annual Mini Maker Faire to WNS! This family-friendly event welcomed students in grades 3-5 from all schools in the area to our STEAM Academic Campus for an inspirational morning of creativity, innovation, and exploration.

We were well-equipped with our expert Design-Code-Make (DCM) faculty and a host of enthusiastic middle school volunteers stationed at each activity, eager to welcome younger students and walk them through the tasks at hand.

On arrival, each “mini maker” was given a map to help them navigate through all the various stations. With so many interactive activities to choose from, part of the fun was deciding where to head first! Would it be the virtual reality goggles that transport you to far away places, or perhaps the coding station where you could create your own character?

“This is the coolest art room I’ve ever been in!” exclaimed 3rd grader, Vita, as she discovered the delights of the middle school art room, hosted by Ms. Zachman, who led the students through painting and cardboard work.

As students worked their way through the stations, they were excited to collect stickers for each task they completed. We tried our hands at using a sewing machine, we got a front-row view of a 3D printer at work, and we were challenged with completing an outdoor marble run, putting our logic and construction skills to the test!

A crowd-favorite was the wooden laser-cutting station, hosted by Mr. Umekubo, where our intrepid makers could design their own wooden keychains, which would then be printed in the laser cutter and ready to take home as a fun souvenir from the day. Better yet, students were able to add some finishing touches to their keychains in the art room.

What made this day even more special, was that our WNS students got to share this experience with children from the community. Whether they invited a friend from a different school, or made a new friend at the event, it was a wonderful way to share all the exciting initiatives happening at WNS. What will we make next year!?

Professional Development

Professional Development at WNS

By Kaitlin Rodriguez, Director of Grades 5-8 Sarah Mirman, MS English & Dean of Teaching & Learning

Our academic programs are built on the foundation of a commitment to effective differentiation of instruction and assessment that stretches all learners, teaching for understanding, and a constructivist/project-based learning approach. Professional development (PD) is key to promoting the effective integration of curricular innovation throughout the whole school. Professional development helps teachers gain new perspectives and knowledge that are brought into our classrooms to help our lessons stay engaging and relevant. It helps teachers learn the latest research on how students learn, and what research-based practices we can apply to our classrooms that will help our students grow into critical thinkers who question the world around them. These PD experiences provide a place for teachers to question how and what they teach, and to bring those reflections and insights back to the classroom to create meaningful and eye-opening experiences for all of our students. WNS invests in bringing high-quality PD experiences to our teachers as well as supports and encourages our faculty to seek opportunities off campus. When faculty return from these experiences, they reflect and share their key takeaways with the rest of WNS faculty in informal or formal ways, such as at our yearly PD Symposium.

and Sarah Mirman

Presenting at the 2022 NAIS People of Color Conference

Jessica Reyes, ECC Co-Lead Teacher

With the theme of Reunited in Purpose: Elevating Our Worth, Our Agency, and Our Excellence, the energy and passion was palpable at the first in-person National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (POCC) since COVID reshaped the world and the ways we gather. With over 7,800 people in attendance from varied roles within independent schools from across the nation, it was a literal sea of people, often overwhelming, always awe-inspiring. We participants would joke as we’d wait in serpentining lines for escalators or lunch, or as we’d find ourselves in the back of a workshop with “standing room only” that there is no better crowd. Nowhere else can you be so assured that no matter the interaction - from accidental bump to a deep and vulnerable conversation about your personal identity - that you are surrounded by a community united in a shared purpose to create and sustain an equitable world where everyone can experience and participate in belonging.

I can honestly say that trying to put into words the experience of participating in POCC, or even to name just a few key takeaways, is incredibly challenging. How does one begin to explain the vulnerable self-work, self-reflection, and immutable passion for social change that grows inside your heart after four packed days of presentations and keynote speakers? I’m not sure it can be explained so much as experienced… and I can not recommend the experience enough!

In addition to this being my first in-person POCC (I was privileged to participate last year virtually as well), I was also there in the capacity of a co-presenter, representing the WNS community and acting as the memory keeper and meaning-maker of a classroom of twelve 2.5-3 year-olds. While I have been an early childhood educator for nearly a decade, and in that time had the opportunity to attend many different conferences as a participant and to share the work of children with many parents/caregivers in my classrooms, POCC was my first time presenting at a professional conference. To say that we were nervous (and I can definitely speak for both of us when I say that!) is an understatement, but Kendra Bonilla and I felt called to share the work of the youngest class at WNS - to show the capacity for even the youngest of children to deep dive into conversations about differences, strategies utilized to create a safe and positive space for affirming identity, reflections on the teacher’s thinking processes that support this work, and also the school systems that make it possible.

It is this last part, “the school systems that make it possible,” that I find myself ruminating on as I settle back into the school days and the daily demands of being a teacher, post-conference.

On the morning of Saturday, December 3rd, as Kendra and I did a tech-check and looked out across the sea of seats awaiting our audience, my palms were sweaty, my body was failing to regulate my temperature properly, and my voice felt shaky. I was worried I would trip over my words, that I would rely heavily on the word “um,” that the audience would be bored, that the room would be full, that the room would be empty, that the educators would fail to find the work relevant… the negative thought spiral was deep and dark! Then, in walked four familiar faces, our WNS family. And wouldn’t you know it, they sat in the very first row.

Our presentation opened with an interactive activity. We asked the audience to shout out what they think of when they hear the word “belonging.” After a pause, with everyone in the audience hesitant to be the first volunteer to offer a thought, our WNS colleagues offered up a few words and that was all it took to get the ball rolling. As the audience moved into small groups and introduced themselves to one another, our four colleagues spread out across the room, making connections with each participant at our workshop. As I saw this happening, physical changes occurred in my body. My breath came more deeply and slowly, my heart found a comfortable rhythm, my clasped hands relaxed and my palms dried - I was still nervous but now it felt more like excitement. We were ready to present!

Kendra and I found our flow, shared our passion, and hopefully inspired a few people along the way, but beyond the compliments from the audience and the sense of accomplishment at simply having presented for the first time, I was left with a deep sense of gratitude and connection for my colleagues. As I said, I’ve been to conferences before and some of those have had colleagues of mine presenting. I will admit, not only have I not sat in their front row, there have been times where, because I had the chance to see them practice or because I was familiar with the work, I’ve gone to other sessions while my colleagues were

PD and DEIJ

presenting. I can say with complete confidence that will never be the case again. Now I know what it means to be held by colleagues, to be seen and supported. It is a powerful experience to feel a sense of belonging. It is deeply meaningful and while it may sound corny, I believe that it is life-changing. How perfectly divine that I should experience this so profoundly in Texas, in a room of mostly strangers, while presenting about cultivating belonging! Thank you, WNS, for holding space for people to come together around a shared purpose. This is a community I’m honored to belong to.

Dr. Martinique Starnes, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

status-quo practices that fail to serve the needs of diverse communities, the knowledge gained from professional education is essential to building educational institutions that will serve every community member, that will strengthen our students’ understanding of who they are and what they can be, and that provides an opportunity to affect systemic change.

To ensure a welcoming and nurturing environment that meets the needs of all students, families, and staff, we are committed to engaging in professional learning that not only activates our awareness of the forces that perpetuate exclusion and bias, but also so we may have the tools needed to tear down these systems and cultivate young learners who can articulate and work toward the type of tomorrow they hope for. The world is ever-changing, and as we examine formally accepted

Alumni Spotlight: Class of 2018

Lockhart-Poulter, Assistant Director of Development

A solid elementary and middle school education provided at WNS creates the foundation upon which the Class of 2018 has and will build upon throughout their lifetime. WNS is a unique and incredible place where the spark of tomorrow’s global changemakers and social entrepreneurs is ignited. This class consists of makers and creators, prepared not just to succeed in the future, but also to play an integral role in creating that future. Over half of this class received awards and/or scholarships upon graduation from their high schools as well as scholarships and merit awards for their college education. There are members of this class who received All League Honors and an All California State Honors in athletics with some playing sports in college, and several at the Division 1 level! Among our graduates, we have business and finance, pre-med and biology, performing arts programs, psychology and social work, communications, and the list goes on! At WNS, this class collectively won five championship banners. They wrote, directed, and produced an original Westside Stories production and many participated in Once Upon a Mattress, Aladdin, and Annie. Members from this class have added to our science, robotics, and DCM Programs as well.

American University

Cal Poly Pomona

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Monterey Bay Colorado College

DePaul University Chicago Elon University Emory University George Washington University Georgetown University Highpoint University Hope International University Howard University International University (Spain) Keio University (Japan) Morehouse College Neihule Academy New York University Norfolk State University Northwestern University Occidental College Princeton University Purdue University Santa Clara University Sarah Lawrence College Syracuse University

The New School Tulane University Tuskegee University University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of Miami University of Pennsylvania University of San Francisco University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Class of 2018 is attending the following colleges and universities:

Becky

GRADUATION

WNS Class of 2022

Leila Michelle Algee

Aylin Arsan

Dominique H. Bentho

Olivia Violet Blake

Jade Davida Boykin

Henry Brink

Sophia Cohen-Pelletier

Charlie Cohn

Dawni Daniels

Ruthie James Faxon

Henry Leopold Filliettaz IV

Ella Forester

Omar Frelix

Madison Gottlieb

Caleb Gray

Noah Carolyn Johnson

Selah Johnson

Presley Witt Jones

Zoë B Katz

Gavin Joshua Kosmont

Jaeli Rae Landis

Sadie Lionelli

Jada Martin

Magnus Mayer

Sam Middlesworth

Chloe Page

Nathanael Charles Penny

Peyton Perriott

Hamish Reiter

Daniel A. Roberts

Zeke Romley

Mattea Rothenberg

Maxwell Sandoval-Cude

Sam Shahin

Sabrina Colette Simek

Asa Stiehm

Sebastian Theodore Tessler Devan Sanjay Vadgama

Nathanial William Valle

Miles Venegas

Zai Alvin Williams Caleb Yost Clare Younger

Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his 2008 book Outliers that it requires about 10,000 hours of quality work at something to get proficient at it. It so happens that kindergarten through 8th grade is about 10,000 hours of school. Really… Do the math! A great K-8 education is that important - it sets the table for all that will come next for you. High school. College. Beyond.

I am so proud of all of you in the Class of 2022. You are going to help remake the world, one little bit at a time. Congratulations on completing these 10,000 hours. You are ready to move on and make the very most of the high school experience wherever you are going!

-An excerpt from Mr. Zacuto’s Graduation Speech

High School Matriculation

WNS is proud of our Class of 2022 high school acceptances! Take a look at where the Jets will be soaring this year.

Archer School for Girls

Buckley School

Campbell Hall

Chadwick School

Dunn School

Harvard-Westlake School

Loyola High School

Marymount High School

Mira Costa High School

New Roads School

Pacifica Christian High School St. John Bosco High School Vistamar School Windward School

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Johannes Austin (‘21)

Johannes is a sophomore at St. John Bosco High School. He recently wrote in to tell us about his favorite WNS moments, and we are so thrilled! His favorite WNS memory is Fitness for Fun Day. It was always a blast to be outside with my family group (shout out Family Group 8) and playing fun games. His favorite WNS teacher was Senora Paul. He said that ever since he joined her immersion program all the way back in the 3rd grade it has turned him into a better Spanish speaker. This took him all the way to join the Spanish 2 Honors class at his high school. Lastly, he said that the number one thing that makes him happy about being a WNS alum is the overall impact that WNS has made on his life academically and physically by striving to make him a better person everyday.

Brendan Brisson (‘15)

Brendan is an American ice hockey center for the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League as a prospect for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League. He was drafted 29th overall by the Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He recently played for the 2022 U.S. Olympics Men’s Hockey Team that competed in Beijing, China where they placed 5th overall. Brendan was the only player on Team USA that represented California. Brendan also played in the 2021 World Junior tournament where they won gold and previously played for Team USA 2019 World Junior A Challenge where they finished in 3rd place.

Ayla Bushell (‘21)

Ayla is now a published author! Her book, Ineffable, is a collection of dark fantasy short stories, poems, and vignettes that can now be found on Amazon! She said she enjoys writing in short stories such as those in her book because it allows her to play with different characters, perspectives, and styles. Ayla said she fell in love with reading in 2nd grade and writing in 5th grade at WNS! Her dream was to become a published author by her 15th birthday and she conquered those dreams! She is currently working on three novels, one solo, and two collaboratively. We can’t wait to read what’s next!

Clara Etchegaray (‘14)

Clara graduated in 2022 with a major in International Relations Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University. We are so proud of Clara and happy to have been a part of her educational journey!

Skye Embray (‘15)

Skye Embray was awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship! The scholarship program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Skye is a senior at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She says she discovered her love of the sciences while a student at WNS!

Check out what our WNS alumni are up to now!

Mele Faiva Corral-Blagojevich (‘19)

Josh Hirsch (‘19)

Josh Hirsch was recently featured in the Westchester Living magazine for his award winning base ball season in the Spring. The article, titled, Josh Hirsch, Vistamar MVP, Knows How to Move Past Mistakes, discusses his work ethic and what he enjoys most on the field. Last season, Josh pitched a no-hitter which is no small feat. A no-hitter is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher. There have only been 317 thrown in MLB history since 1876, an average of about two per year. This goes to show you that practice really makes perfect. Not only did he pitch a no-hitter but he was named the team’s MVP, made the CIF-SS Baseball Coastal All-League First Team and was nominated for All-League MVP. He is currently a senior at Vistamar School and is patiently awaiting his last season on the school’s varsity baseball team. We can’t wait to hear how things play out for Josh this season and beyond!

True Jackson (‘18)

True Jackson was featured in Forbes! The article described True’s dreams of performing her first indie pop album (recorded in 2020 during the height of the pandemic) for a live audience. It read, “Despite all the struggles of creating an album throughout quarantine she never seemed daunted by her dreams and the challenge to make them come true… One year after releasing “Simulation,” Jackson’s album of original songs chronicling life as a teenager in a sudden virtual world, she yearned to connect with an audience. Live and in person. Her wish was to perform her surprisingly upbeat songs about what her generation had been experiencing and the isolation they felt…” True took matters into her own hands and threw a free backyard show to finally play the music from her album. The show was a success and gave her a new vision, to help other young artists get out there. Jackson’s second show became an art fest with all female bands and local artists. True said she grew up with severe stage fright, but when on stage and the crowd is jumping and singing is when she’s most fearless. The stage time and experience performing has paid off. Most recently Jackson was invited to play a show at the music venue The Mint in April. True had her start performing on stage at WNS. She is now off to The New School in NY to study Contemporary Music and Business.

Andrew Liner (‘15)

Andrew Liner is an actor currently working on a show called Vampire Academy on Peacock! He plays the character of Mason Ashford. He filmed his first movie over the summer that will be on HBO Max and is currently in Kentucky filming for his second movie that portrays a boxer and highlights a grandfather/grandson story. He credits WNS for setting him on his journey of being an actor. He thanks a lot of that to Dr. Cameron who led him through all of the performances he was in at WNS, particularly when he starred in Aladdin.

Alicia Quille Strickland (‘14)

Mele heads to the University of Oklahoma! Mele Faiva Corral-Blagojevich (’19) is committed to attending and play volleyball for Oklahoma. Mele is 6’1’ and plays outside hitter at Redondo Beach High School where she is currently a senior. She will join her best friend, Ella Parker (softball), as WNS’s most recent Sooner! Congrats, Mele!

Alicia Quille Strickland is a current senior at UCLA and is majoring in Art. She is presently finishing Dr. Cameron’s class on Social and Emotional Learning and the Arts at UCLA. Dr. Cameron is a Lecturer at UCLA along with being the Director of Visual and Performing Arts and Alumni Ambassador here at WNS.

Philanthropy Report 2021 -22

The 2021-22 WNS Philanthropy Report highlights the exceptional year we had. From student performances to outstanding capstone projects to the Luminous Gala, we were in it to win it… and we won! We are so proud and incredibly appreciative of what our community accomplished together.

You can see through the fundraising and financial reports showcased here just how much of an impact our donors had in the lives of our students and teachers over the past year. The charts showcased to the right represent the annual budget that WNS thoughtfully created and maintained in the 2021-22 school year. As you can see, our single-biggest expense continues to be faculty and staff compensation. WNS proudly sits above the median amongst peer schools in this area and this is key to attaining and retaining our top-tier teachers. Our largest area for revenue is tuition and fees which is common to all independent schools. What is not as common in an independent school budget is the commitment WNS makes to financial assistance. WNS remains at the top of the list in this category, investing almost $2.9 million in financial assistance last year. Financial assistance is key to making WNS the special place it is, a place that truly represents the world we live in. Another commonality for independent schools is fundraising. As a 501c3 nonprofit, WNS must fundraise a portion of the budget through voluntary giving. You can see in our fundraising summary and highlights that it takes a village to raise these necessary funds but it is so worth it!

59.17% 10.84% 12.18% 3.69% 8.47% 3.66% 1.99% 89.2% 3.9%

6.9%

To view the full 2021-22 Philanthropy Report, visit wns-la.org/philanthropyreport. Please contact development@wns-la.org for the access code.

When you support WNS, you are not just supporting a school, you are helping drive what comes next in education and community. A fundamental part of who we are stems from the broad range of diversity across our school community. WNS represents:

• 50+ Different Zip Codes

• 58% Students of Color

• 52% Faculty & Staff of Color

2021-22 FUNDRAISING SUMMARY Annual Fund Raise the Paddle Major Gifts

Parent/Caregiver Group, Library, Other Gifts Gala & Auction

TOTAL FUNDRAISING, 2021-22:

WNS FUNDRAISING STATS

• 100% Participation from Board Of Trustees

• 92% Parent/Caregiver Participation

• 100% Faculty/Staff Participation

• 665 Donors to WNS Annual Fund

• $13,045 Raised for 8th Grade Legacy with 98% Participation

• $103,693 in Matching Funds

• $437,600 Raised for Board Designated Endowment

• $120,784 Raised for Community Gift by 375 Donors

• $151,050 Raised for Raise the Paddle by 214 Donors

$ 1,048,391 $ 151,050 $ 437,600 $ 129,678 $ 163,775 $1,930,494

New Vision. New Times.

The Annual Fund is the school’s most vital fundraising campaign of the year and is essential to our sustainability and success. Like all non-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations, WNS relies on the generosity of its community to carry out the vision of our school. Annual Fund donations impact every aspect of our program for this current school year. It enhances everything from academics, faculty professional development, financial assistance, technology, the arts, facilities, athletics, and more. Your support of this year’s Annual Fund will bridge the gap between what tuition covers and the true cost of a WNS education.

Last year, our incredible community of WNS parents, caregivers, faculty, staff, alumni, grandparents and volunteers donated to the Annual Fund, helping us to raise over $1M! We are honored and inspired by the ongoing support from our community.

Visit wns-la.org/annualfund to see how you can help make a lasting impact on our teachers and students today!

When we first toured WNS it seemed too good to be true. The diversity was unparalleled, the kids were smart and engaged, and the faculty and staff seemed smart, kind, and committed to creating a progressive and supportive school community. We are now in our third year as a WNS family, and all of the hopes we had for the school have panned out. WNS has met our children where they are and helped nurture them as both people and learners, and we have all (kids and parents/caregivers alike) met incredible people with whom we’ve made amazing friendships. We couldn’t love this community more. The Annual Fund is a chance for us to show our thanks, help support the programs we’ve come to love, and ensure that other families have the opportunity to join this amazing community.

While there are many opportunities to support the school year round, the most impactful and significant way is through the Annual Fund. As a non-profit entity, WNS is required to fund a significant portion of the operating budget through voluntary giving. We recognized early on that the contribution we make to the fund directly influences the quality of the educational experience our daughter, Clover, has at the school by supporting important initiatives that tuition does not cover. From her first day at the ECC and now into our second year in DK, our daughter thrives in the nurturing and deeply committed community of educators. In addition, we know that our dollars enhance facilities and programs throughout the school that will ensure an exceptional experience in years to come while maintaining WNS’s leadership role within its community of peers throughout the city.

As parents of alumni who graduated many years ago, we no longer have daily interaction with WNS; however, we have proudly watched as the school has evolved and grown. The community and the mission of the school are never far from our heart.

As the saying goes, “Once a Jet, always a Jet.” In gratitude for our family’s experience and in an effort to make a WNS education accessible to as many students as possible, it has been our great honor to support the legacy of WNS for all Jets…current and future.

The WNS Annual Fund is made special by the community that stands behind it. Here are a few stories of why WNS is made a priority:

-Heather Hassler and Hersh Davis-Nitzberg, WNS Parents of Clover (DK)

Trisha and Steve Burdick, Alumni Parents of Collin (’03) and Kyle (’05)

-Johari Townes & Jennifer House-Townes, WNS Parents of Miles (1st) and Max (ECC)

5401 Beethoven Street

Los Angeles, CA 90066