THE MURAL
VILLAGE COMMUNITY SCHOOL • SUMMER 2024
LETTER FROM JEN
VCS: Home of the Blue Jays
Dear Community,
What a year! This issue of The Mural wonderfully highlights how VCS continues to extend students’ learning in new ways, both within and beyond the school building.
One development that will always make 2023-2024 a special one in the school’s history: this was the year VCS elected its first mascot! After collecting input from the full community, we officially became “the Home of the Blue Jays” in September, and students wasted no time showing off their Blue Jay pride: all year, they’ve been wearing their swag, creating blue jay-inspired art, and bringing new enthusiasm to supporting our student athletes—I even saw some 3rd Graders organizing a mini cheerleading squad.
It was also a record year for community service at VCS. The hardworking parent volunteers of the Community Service Committee led the ambitious undertaking of offering a new drive or initiative every month, and our community came together to meet each challenge, ensuring service was woven into the fabric of life at VCS.
These are just a couple of examples of the ways VCS is evolving in alignment with our Mission. For a look at some of the other rich experiences, new and returning, that our community has enjoyed this year—read on.
Community Service: By The Numbers
250
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
donated to Homes for the Homeless —the most our community has ever collected. Our contributions allowed Homes for the Homeless to throw a party for children in the shelter system to pick out a Halloween costume.
350 TOYS sent to Hour Children, the leading provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children.
65 FRESHDIRECT BAGS containing 3,000 gently used books for the Brooklyn Book Bodega, which is on a mission to increase the number of 100+ book homes for kids 0-18 in NYC.
$1,121 RAISED during the VCS Book Fair to purchase books for PS 15 in Red Hook. Later, 6th Graders visited PS 15 to read the new books aloud to students!
600 TOILETRY KITS
assembled by students from items donated by VCS families for The Door, an organization that provides comprehensive free services to youth aged 12-24.
142
NEW AND GENTLY USED COATS for New York Cares, who distributed our donations to nonprofit social service agencies, public schools, religious institutions, and transitional housing shelters.
350 POUNDS
of canned goods purchased for City Harvest, helping to ensure vulnerable New Yorkers have enough food for themselves and their families.
420 BOXES
of shelf-stable foods packed by 7th Graders during a visit to Food Bank for New York City, the city’s largest hunger-relief organization.
13 TREES
“adopted” in the West Village by 2nd-4th Graders supporting street tree stewardship.
A Day in the Life of an 8th Grade Student in Spain
7:00 a.m.
My roommate and I wake up in the home of our familia española, the Spanish family hosting us in Seville. All of the students on the trip are staying with local families, and we have all had a great experience. None of them speak very much English, but all of them have been welcoming and generous —every day, they serve us breakfast and pack us lunch, and they always make sure to give us authentic food like they eat. It’s obvious our familia española wants to help us make the most out of this experience—and they like practicing their English with us, too!
8:00 a.m.
Our host mom walks us over to Centro Mundolengua for our morning check in with the VCS group. It’s the week before Holy Week, and churches have been decorated, stores are selling special clothing, and flowers are blooming all over town. It smells so nice. Our host mom tells
us a little bit about Holy Week traditions in Sevilla and how her family will celebrate. Centro Mundolengua is where we take our language classes, so it’s our usual morning meet-up spot. In addition to giving daily updates on how we are feeling physically, we each always take a turn reflecting on the day before. We came up with our own words for this share: our “high” is a favorite moment from the day before, our “low” is something that was challenging, our “buffalo” is something we are hoping for, and our “slay” is something we are proud of. My high was definitely the flamenco show last night!
8:30 a.m.
Spanish class with our teachers from Centro Mundolengua, Juan and Carlos. Juan has the best fashion sense…we are always excited to see what he’s wearing. Not everyone on the trip takes Spanish at VCS, but Juan and Carlos include everyone by mostly teaching us words we
will be able to use on the trip. Plus, it’s fun for the people on the trip who have been taking Spanish to help our friends. Kind of puts in perspective how much I’ve learned…
11:00 a.m.
To try out our new vocabulary, Juan and Carlos send us on a scavenger hunt in the Plaza de España. Talking to the locals, I’m a little less confident in my skills than I was in the classroom. They talk so fast! Everyone is nice, though, and we all manage to finish the scavenger hunt before lunch.
1:00 p.m.
Picnic lunch at the Plaza de España. Lunch is always a picnic of the things our host families have packed for us, plus plenty of Spanish sweets and candy to try, courtesy of our chaperones from VCS: Helen, the Upper School Assistant Head, and Rosario, our Spanish teacher. Rosario is originally from Spain, and has been encouraging us to try new foods the whole trip. After the
picnic, people whose turn it was to call their parents called them, and we got to spend a little time relaxing and playing cards by the Guadalquivir River.
2:00 p.m.
Before we left the park, we counted off to make sure we were all there, like we always do before moving on to the next activity. Helen and Rosario always go first and last, and our local tour guide from Centro Mundolengua, Roberto, has become our honorary number 14.
We all love Roberto! He’s so excited to show us his hometown, and he made an effort to get to know each of us. From the beginning, he really felt like part of the group, and our relationship with him has made the tours so much more fun—he always tries to connect the things we are seeing with the things we are interested in and learning about.
2:15 p.m.
We had a little free time before our ceramics workshop, so we split up into groups to shop and explore. I went with Rosario and Helen’s group, so of course we stopped to do some eating: churros and gelato!
3:30 p.m.
We all meet up again at Barro Azul in Triana, a ceramics studio where we are going to learn to paint Spanish tiles. They have lots of beautiful ceramics for sale, and I got some gifts for my family. We learned about the tradition of tile-making in Spain, which people have been doing for centuries, and the different materials used to make and decorate them. Then we got to paint our own; I loved how mine turned out. I’m happy I will always have it to remember my trip to Spain.
5:00 p.m.
We walk by the river to go make paella at Andaluz de Cocina. On our way, we listen
to the same song we’ve been listening to all trip: “Me Gustas Tu” by Manu Chao. When we got there, we met the professional chef hosting the class and his assistant, they were both amazed that a student on the trip was vegetarian. A lot of ingredients go into paella—we made rice; washed and cut peppers, green beans, and other vegetables; and cooked them together with chicken in a huge skillet.
7:30 p.m.
Time to eat! Our paella was so good, and it was most of our first time trying the dish.
9:00 p.m.
Our host parents pick us up, and we all head back to our homestays for the night. We talk to our familia about our day and start our nighttime routine of showering, reading, and journaling. Then it’s off to bed before another big day tomorrow: we are going to tour the Alcázar of Seville and go rowboating in the Plaza!
MEET FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL
Jeff Wallis
Jeff Wallis was Village Community School’s second Head of School, replacing Founding Director Sheila Sadler after her retirement. We spoke to Jeff to learn about how the school grew and changed under his leadership, from 1989 to 1996, what he’s up to now, and how he remembers our community.
What brought you to VCS?
I had extensive experience with progressive schools before coming to VCS, having been the Assistant Director of the Bank Street School for Children and the Lower School Head at Calhoun. And at that point in my career, I was looking for the challenge of being the head of a school. When interviewing for the position at VCS, all the faculty, staff, and parents were welcoming and forthcoming; the strengths of the school were clear, and I felt the challenges were also apparent but addressable. Sheila, along with many others, did a wonderful job of creating a school whose child-centered values were at the heart of everything. The faculty, staff, and parents were dedicated to the school; the founding principles were strong and effective, and children loved coming to school as a result. This was an unmitigated strength of the school—and one of the main reasons I came to VCS.
What differentiates VCS from the other schools you’ve worked for?
VCS has a strong identity as a West Village school, with most of the students living within walking distance or a short commute. Many of the parents walk their children to school and/or pick them up at the end of the day. Children, parents, faculty, and staff all know each other.
This nurtures a warm and caring environment. And as a result, the sense of community is strong and vibrant. found right away that community is not just a word in the name of the school; it is an essential descriptor of the school.
You oversaw several major developments at VCS, including the first capital campaign and the building of our first library. How else did you observe the school growing and changing in your time here?
The most obvious growth during my tenure was the size of the school. If my memory serves me correctly, the school was just below 200 students when I began, and that number grew to more than 300—the size of the school today. The educational philosophy, curriculum, pedagogy, and staffing were strong when I arrived, but the school itself needed some TLC. The Board, faculty, staff, and parents worked together to improve the facilities to better support the wonderful activities that were happening within them. We engaged in VCS’s first capital campaign, which supported a new library, music center, and enhanced aesthetics throughout the building. It was an exciting and rewarding time.
When you look back at your time at VCS, what sticks out to you?
More than anything, it’s the children and parents. Being an elementary school educator and administrator was a dream job. Greeting students and parents in the morning in the Front Lobby was one of my favorite times of the day. The Lobby didn’t exist prior to the 1990s, and it was created when we renovated the building. The Lunchroom was cavernous, and its doors opened directly onto West 10th Street. People had to be “buzzed” into the building from the second-floor office. So we took some of the Lunchroom space and made a warm and welcoming entrance to the school. As simple as it seems, it was transformational in how people experienced the school and one of the best things
done during the renovation. Standing in that lobby and interacting with children and parents is one of my fondest memories.
What are you up to these days?
I retired this past year, and I am enjoying a golden time in my life. Pickleball, cooking, volunteering in my community, catching up on reading, participating in our Newton, NJ Unitarian Universalist fellowship, and enjoying friends and family keep me busy. My husband Hal—who met while I was at VCS—and I have been together over 30 years, and we both retired at the end of 2023.
I achieved one of my lifetime dreams in the early 2000s: obtaining a doctorate degree from Seton Hall University, and I’ve spent the last 20 years of my career in higher education as an administrator and professor of Education. Whether they’re five years old or 50 years old, working with students has been a joy for me all my life. Before we close, I want to give a warm shout out to all the faculty, staff, parents, and students who were part of the school when I was there. I am so grateful that you were in my life; I have fond memories of you all. I’m a very lucky guy! Hugs and sincerest thanks!
Bringing the World Into the Classroom: Family Shares in Social Studies
By Eva O’Neill and Rosalie Rivera-Chacon, 1st Grade Teachers
At VCS, we believe that true engagement sparks when students are able to make connections between their classroom learning and their own lives. Social Studies teachers at VCS are always looking to enrich their curriculum with meaningful experiences that bring the world into the classroom—especially in K-2nd Grade, when students are exploring the themes of identity, community, and work. That’s why in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade, teachers extended invitations for students’ families to share some part of their career or culture with the children.
While there was no obligation to participate, VCS families enthusiastically partnered with us throughout the year to design unique experiences that enhanced students’ Social Studies lessons. These experiences took the forms of field trips, interviews, and workshops, with teachers and families working together to tailor the activities to match the needs of the curriculum and interests of the group.
Field trips enriched the K–2nd Grade Social Studies curriculums by offering children a look at the different roles people hold within professional communities and the ways people work together to achieve common goals. For example, 1st Graders built upon their study of urban, rural, and suburban communities during their visit to a local roastery to see how coffee can be used in a variety
of products. After their senses ignited, they visited a family-owned business that imports coffee to learn about the coffee bean and how it travels from farm to cup. Their visit to Lincoln Electric brought the concept of manufacturing with raw materials to life, while a trip to the Urban Battery Park Conservatory illustrated the importance of community spaces like parks and gardens.
K-2nd Grade students also welcomed visitors to VCS for interviews and workshops. Some of these guests spoke about their occupations or volunteer work, like the architect who shared how buildings are designed and constructed in Hudson Yards and the pediatrician who conducted a health and wellness workshop. Others taught students about cultural holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Shavuot and traditions like Indian block printing.
These are just a few examples of the unique experiences families offered our students this year, all of which fulfilled the goal of the VCS Mission to provide “an understanding of themselves and the world across time and place, peoples and cultures.” By bringing the world into the classroom and inviting families to share their experiences, VCS teachers built community within the Homeroom and grade, strengthened family-school connections, and sparked a love of learning in their students.
Blue Jay Pride: The Year in Athletics
John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, defined success as, “peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
Wooden’s sentiments are directly aligned with the objective outlined in the VCS Mission Statement to “challenge students to reach their full potential for cognitive, social, emotional and physical growth.”
Of course, it’s nice to win, too. And the VCS Athletics program did plenty of winning this year.
VCS Athletics coaches share the philosophy that if each student-athlete competes first and foremost with themself, measuring each day’s progress against the day before, they will achieve a momentum that inevitably leads to winning. This year, that momentum was accelerated by a boost of collective school spirit inspired by the introduction of VCS’s first mascot, the Blue Jay, elected after months of community-wide voting and deliberation. The Blue Jay was revealed at another VCS first: the fall Pep Rally, which kicked off the start of our immensely successful Volleyball and Soccer seasons.
So many special moments came out of our first seasons as the Blue Jays, including the times our community “Packed the Pier” to support our soccer players and, of course, the 7th/8th Grade Soccer Team’s D.I.S.C. Championship win. And that was just the beginning of an incredible year for VCS Athletics; students were uniformly on time and focused for practice, 5th Graders became eligible to participate in Basketball, and without fail, each team played their best when their best was demanded at the end of each season. The entire Upper School felt the energy of a momentous year in VCS Athletics, and this spring we were able to collectively celebrate our teams at our school’s first Athletics Banquet.
The impact our Athletics program has on our school culture cannot be overstated. The pride our students feel is apparent in their work not just on the courts and fields, but in classrooms, too. We are so grateful to our coaches—all VCS teachers—to our school administration, and to everyone who came out to cheer on VCS this year. Go Blue Jays!
Five Questions For… Bill Hill, Director of High School Placement
How does working as VCS’s Director of High School Placement compare to your previous career as an English teacher?
There’s actually some significant crossover, given that the application process asks students to express themselves thoughtfully, articulately, engagingly, and precisely in both writing and speaking. I’m a bit of a word nerd, so I take great pleasure in encouraging (some might say strong-arming!) students to up their respective vocabulary games (and to rid their speaking of the occasional um-uh-like-y’know vocal tic); further, I refresh their memories about basic mechanics (punctuation, spelling, pronunciation, capitalization, etc.). And having taught English classes of all shapes and sizes for decades, I’m in my element when it comes to facilitating HSP-related discussions.
There is much more involvement with parents as a Placement Director, but, there again, as a former department head, dean, division director, advisor, admissions counselor, and teacher (yep, I’ve been around), parents have always been part of my career, and I genuinely enjoy helping 8th Grade parents help their students through the process.
What goes on in the High School Placement class?
Early in the year, the 8th Graders and I talk about the process they’re about to embark on, and most of that talk centers on navigating the logistics of the process: the applications, the tours and interviews, the deadlines, the recommendations—and the need to find a precise, efficient way to keep track of everything!
By the end of September, mock interviews are underway, often with a VCS adult students may have little or no day-to-day contact with. We will also do some writing so that I can give them some tips on how best to approach the essays they’re going to be asked to write for the applications and on the standardized tests—and, in some cases, at schools where they interview and tour. Once the interviews and tours have started, the students share their experiences with each other. Being VCS students, they are extremely generous with their classmates, freely giving advice, suggestions, and support to each other as needed. But there is a ‘cone of silence’ (any Get Smart fans out there?) that descends over the class so that students can speak openly about any frustrations, concerns, or insecurities they may have without fear of being judged or gossiped about.
Towards the end of the class, as notification days draw near, we speak about handling the news from the schools, how to deal with wait pools and revisits, and how best to help each other with final decisions.
How many high schools does the typical 8th Grader apply to?
Since most VCS students apply to independent schools (day and/or boarding), the HSP team and I encourage students to apply to 6-10 schools. A few students apply to 5 or 6 schools, several apply to 7 or 8, and a number to 9 or 10. If a student applies to public schools, they are most likely listing 12 regular public schools, several of the 8 Specialized High Schools, and, within some schools like LaGuardia, multiple programs.
When a student must finally choose a school in which to enroll, what advice do you give them?
I encourage them to trust their gut. They may not be able to put into words why they prefer this school over that school, but they’ll know this school just feels right. Having spent time at the end of 7th Grade putting together their Philosophy of Education Presentation (aka PEP), and after working carefully and thoughtfully through the several months of the placement process, that gut-check will likely be the most reliable, well-informed indication of which school they should choose. The good thing is, most parents, having been there on occasion themselves, seem to understand the gut-check and accept that their student has made their final decision based on it.
What is the biggest challenge and the biggest benefit for 8th Graders during the placement process?
Biggest challenge Along with their parents, keeping track of everything: due dates, application requirements, tours and interviews, testing—all while they’re also being VCS 8th Graders. What’s hugely helpful? Teachers and
Advisors know what the process will be like for the students, and they adjust and assist as needed.
Biggest benefit: The 8th Graders are more or less in the driver’s seat for the process. Once the students (to extend the metaphor) put their hands on the wheel and get used to steering, parents tell me time and again how awestruck they are by the growth they witness in their students—the thoughtfulness, the articulateness, the resourcefulness and resilience. As one parent put it,
“I have a sense from this process of the adult my kid is going to become, and I have to say, I’m impressed! I had no idea.”
A close second biggest benefit The 8th Graders have significant agency over their choice of high school, something students in K-12 middle schools don’t have if they don’t consider other options in 8th Grade. As a result, VCS 8th Graders move into their high schools with excitement, pride, a little bit of nervousness, and, most importantly, ownership of the next four years of their educational journey. There is just no downside I can see to feeling that way as a 9th Grader at any of the outstanding schools these students enroll in.
Spring Soirée 2024
April 30th, at The Bowery Hotel
VCS families have plenty of opportunities to participate in events with their children throughout the year, but there’s only one school-wide celebration that is just for parents: the Spring Soirée! This annual party brings current parents, incoming parents, and staff together for drinks, dinner, and dancing, inviting the adult community to form new relationships and get to know each other outside of the school building.
This was the second year the Spring Soirée was held at the Bowery Hotel, and the second year with Co-Chairs Wendy Amsterdam, Alexis Litman, and Beth McNellis at the event’s helm. Once again, it delivered on the fun—and the fundraising. Our mid-evening Paddle Raise to benefit the Fund-a-Need, an annual initiative to underwrite a specific program or resource, raised $150,000 in support of the Performing Arts at VCS. These generous donations will make it possible for the school to make various upgrades to the Auditorium; create a digital archive of past performances; and, most significantly, launch a new pilot program that will bring instrument lessons into the 5th Grade Music curriculum.
For the first time in VCS history, 5th Grade students in the 2024-2025 school year will take instrument lessons as part of their daytime Music program, with each student receiving lessons in flute, clarinet, saxophone, or trumpet. They’ll play their instruments for the entire year, and classes are expected to continue the following year.
With every Paddle Raise, we open an exciting new chapter for VCS. And with every Spring Soirée, we keep a very special VCS tradition alive. Thank you to all who attended and donated this year!
Empowering Students to Tackle Difficult Topics in the “ Dialogue Across Difference” Upper School Symposium
By Richard Rodriguez Douglass, Upper School Social Studies Teacher & 8th Grade Advisor
"I haven't only learned about myself and the values I have as a person, but I also learned about other people's values and where they came from."
—8th Grade Graduation Speech
The VCS Diversity Statement—well-known to everyone in the community—is especially familiar to staff, who use it to guide all of our work at VCS, both inside and outside of the classroom. We always “encourage genuine conversation about complex issues,” but the nature of those issues is ever-evolving, and when Upper School students began bringing up sensitive, potentially divisive topics this fall, a comprehensive approach to equipping them with specific communication skills was needed.
In collaboration with Upper School Directors Jessica and Helen, I addressed this need by devising a sequence of lessons that mirrored the structure of the introductory 8th Grade Social Studies unit. This unit, inspired by a NAIS article by Rob Munro titled “Dialogues Across Differences: Prepare Students for Life Beyond the Bubble,” engages students in practicing a specific set of communication skills that are crucial to creating inclusive communities, like listening and empathizing. It then provides opportunities for students to apply and grow these skills over time through discussions related to
race, gender, religion, cultural appropriation, sexuality, and class.
As 8th Graders were already familiar with the unit, we decided to empower them to lead 6th and 7th Grade students through the material. Helen and I spent time reviewing the content with 8th Graders and discussing how best to deliver it to their fellow students, and for eight weeks between March and January, we dedicated Advisory time to learning to have “Dialogues Across Difference.”
Working in the mixed-grade groupings they formed on the Upper School Overnight, 8th Graders taught these skills to their fellow students, beginning with two days of introductory lessons in which they established group norms and rehearsed what to do if someone said something insensitive, inflammatory, biased, or hurtful. Four specific communication skills were then covered over the course of six lessons, with each skill being presented as a dichotomy between
opposing antitheses, so as to better clarify their meaning through contrast:
• Impact vs. Intent
• Hearing vs. Listening
• Empathy vs. Sympathy
• Calling Out vs. Calling In
As our student leaders guided younger students through the curriculum, they were supported by Upper School teachers who were present in each room to observe and, when appropriate, offer clarity or guidance. Similarly to our 8th Graders, these staff members already had first-hand experience of the “Dialogue Across Difference” unit; to prepare for the Symposium, I had spent time during our weekly division meetings engaging them in the same material.
Students across all three grades participated thoughtfully in the series of lessons, helping Upper Schoolers find commonality among different truths, become more
"Teaching
6th and 7th Graders how to talk about sensitive topics not only helped them learn, it also helped us become better teachers and leaders."
—8th Grade Graduation Speech
empathetic and aware, and ultimately, be able to participate respectfully and sensitively in potentially difficult conversations.
Later in the spring and only after feeling that these foundational communication skills had been firmly established, we wanted to give students opportunities to actually apply these skills—to actually engage in dialogues across difference. And so I collaborated with other Upper School staff to plan workshops around issues of identity and marginalization. This time sessions would be teacher-led, and would be designed to connect to the 8th Grade Social Studies curriculum, the identity
work the 6th and 7th Graders were engaged in in Advisory, and the various heritage months celebrated in the spring. After much deliberation, the four topics we selected were:
• Arab/Muslim American Identity & Islamophobia
• AAPI Identity & Anti-Asian Hate
• Jewish American Identity & Antisemitism
• LGBTQ+ Identity & Homophobia/Transphobia
For this new set of workshops, students again met in the same mixed-grade groupings they formed on the Overnight, as trust and relationships among these groupings had already been established. And while teachers were present to act as moderators, the communication skills students acquired during the Symposium allowed them to engage in productive conversations around these potentially divisive topics. As rewarding as it was to see the sensitivity students
brought to these conversations, it was even more exciting to see the confidence they had in their own ability to navigate the discussions and their own feelings.
The idea for bringing the “Dialogues Across Difference” unit to 6th-8th Grade students may have been inspired by conversations happening at VCS, but it addressed a need that exists in the world at large. Much of the news today spurs divisive, sometimes hostile, discourse, and much of the information we obtain is distilled or filtered for us. We tend to only consume information that reinforces our worldviews, encouraging us to forget about those people and ideas we do not identify with. Given this, it seems like one of the most important things we can teach children to do right now is communicate with each other across differences. We are equipping them with something absolutely essential before they graduate—and fulfilling the promise of our Diversity Statement.
"As I grew older, I realized I had to be a leader, and to lead by example."
—8th Grade Graduation Speech
The Year in Alumni Events
In December, the Classes of 2016-2019 returned to VCS for a reunion lunch during the school day, allowing them to once again experience the school in full action and to participate in an alumni panel for an audience of Upper School students and staff. These college-aged alumni shared memories from their time at VCS, insights into the high school and college application processes, and advice on how students can make the most of their VCS experience.
We marked a significant milestone in February with the 25th-ish Year Reunion, when the Classes of 1997-2002 returned to VCS for dinner in the Library and a tour of the expanded building—some even brought their spouses and children to share in the happy occasion.
In March, our High School-Age Reunion brought the Classes of 2020-2023—and their parents—back to VCS for a gathering on the 4th Floor and Sky Yard. While students were reconnecting with each other and their former teachers, parents participated in an informal discussion with Head of School Jen Mitchell about their children’s high school experiences.
Alumni from the Class of 1984—the largest graduating class in the school’s history—traveled far and wide to return to VCS for their 40th Year Reunion. In addition to dinner and drinks, alums enjoyed watching the music video for UTFO’s 1984 song “Beats and Rhymes,” which was filmed at VCS during their time.
Just a couple months after the High School Reunion, the Class of 2020 returned in mid-May for a reunion all their own, this time full of exciting college acceptance news and summer travel and internship plans. It’s amazing to see how these students have transformed over the last four years of high school—and how many of them have managed to maintain strong bonds with their VCS classmates while studying at different schools.
COLLEGE
25TH REUNION
CLASS OF 2020
HIGH SCHOOL
In Their Own Words:
Excerpts
from the Class of 2024’s Graduation Speeches
It has been a longstanding tradition at VCS for each 8th Grade student to stand at the podium and deliver a speech at their Graduation ceremony—it’s an important part of what makes the event so meaningful and student-centered. Though brief, these speeches give our graduates the opportunity to reflect on their experience at VCS, share some favorite memories, and thank those who have been important to their educational journeys thus far.
Like so many VCS graduates before them, each of the 33 students in the Class of 2024 confidently addressed the audience of families, staff, and fellow students at their Graduation this spring. Their poignant remarks were a demonstration of their leadership, their individuality, and the pride and gratitude with which they concluded their time at VCS.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024—our newest VCS alumni!
“No one could have prepared me for how much of an attachment I would have to VCS.” —Coco F.
“This school has always let me try new things without the fear of being judged or cut from the team.” —Abhir C.
“Thank you to all my teachers for being patient and kind. You all have known me academically and personally, which creates such a warm relationship that will be hard to leave behind.” —Emory Y.
“I’m going to miss my teachers who really showed that they cared about me. They wanted us to ask questions, and they cared more about how we learn than what we learn. My classmates and I had different learning styles, but my teachers were able to inspire each of us and highlight our strengths.” —Jack K.
“Although I feel ready for something bigger, I’m grateful for VCS’s smaller classes and community. I know my classmates and teachers with a kind of familiarity that's really special, and I’m very grateful for the education I’ve received here.” —Jane M.
“Being at VCS has helped me learn about who I am, what I can do, and let me know that the world is in my hands.”
—Kayin O.
“The thing about VCS teachers is that they are super supportive and understanding. They truly make sure you feel like you have a safe space to share your ideas and thoughts.” —Laila G.
“VCS is a school based on community and belonging.”
—Madeline C.
“I will miss all of my teachers and friends and all the memories I have made here, but I know that VCS will always be a part of who I am and that whenever need, the community will be here for me.” —Martin P.
“In just my two short years here, I feel like the community has shaped me to become a better person and be the best version of myself.” —Nkosi Z.
“The teachers here are your mentors and I know they all have my back and truly want the best for not only me but all my peers” —Reece S.H.
“Something about VCS that has really stood out to me is the bonds created between the students and teachers. My teachers create an environment in which I can speak and ask questions without fear of being criticized.” —Sadie S.
“If I had to describe my time at VCS in one word, it would be ‘home.’ It is not just because of the countless hours have spent here over the past nine years, but because it is truly the place in this world where I feel most like myself. I am lucky to have grown up in this small, warm community and have learned lessons and formed bonds that will last me a lifetime.” —Miller F.
Class of 2024 High School Acceptances
American School of Barcelona
Beacon High School
Benjamin Franklin International School,
Barcelona
Berkeley Carroll School
Brooklyn Friends School
Brooklyn Technical High School
The Calhoun School
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School
Concord Academy
Convent of the Sacred Heart
The Dalton School
Dwight School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Friends Seminary
Grace Church School
High School of Art and Design
Horace Mann School
LaGuardia High School
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
LREI
Loomis Chaffee School
Manhattan Center for Science and Math
Mary McDowell Friends School
Marymount School
Midwood High School
The Nightingale-Bamford School
Northfield Mount Hermon School
The Packer Collegiate School
Performing Arts and Technology School
Poly Prep Country Day School
Riverdale Country School
Saint Ann’s School
The Spence School
Trevor Day School
Trinity School
Xavier High School
Colleges and Universities Currently
Enrolling VCS Alumni
Amherst College
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Bates College
Bennington College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brown University
Bucknell University
University of California Los Angeles
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Chapman University
University of Chicago
Colgate University
University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado College
Cornell University
Duke University
Eckerd College
Elon University
Emory University
University of Florida
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College
Harvard University
Haverford College
Howard University
Indiana University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
McGill University
University of Miami
University of Michigan
MIT
Naropa University
New York City College of Technology
The New School
New York University
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
University of Pennsylvania
Pitzer College
Point Blank Music School Los Angeles
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
University of Richmond
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Rochester
Scripps College
Skidmore College
Smith College
University of Southern California
Southern Methodist University
Spelman College
University of St. Andrews
Stanford University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Albany
SUNY Purchase
Syracuse University
Temple University
The University of Texas at Austin
Tufts University
Tulane University
Vassar College
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
Washington University in St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Whitman College
William & Mary College
Williams College
University of Wisconsin - Madison
The College of Wooster
Yale University
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