2013 Spring Viewpoint Magazine - CASE

8I N O U R C A N Y O N9Rozalia}PROJECT FORA CLEAN OCEANBy Mrs. Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of CommunicationsON NOVEMBER 9, the Rozalia Projectfor a Clean Ocean, an environmentalnon-profit organization whosemission is to find and remove marinedebris, shared their work with the Middle andUpper School students.THE ROZALIA PROJECT’S CO-FOUNDER Rachael Millerled engaging talks in the Paul Family Athletic Center and laterdemonstrated an underwater, remotely-operated vehicle (ROV)used to remove sample debris in the School’s new competition pool.MS. MILLER TOLD THE STUDENTS, “Through action,technology, outreach, and research, we are able to make animpact.” The Rozalia Project is based in New England andgathers trash from their 60-foot vessel, American Promise.“We connect people of all ages to the underwater world andinspire them to be part of the solution by using underwaterrobots and sonar, as well as nets, to locate and remove debris.We are committed to collecting data and working with sailors,fishermen, boaters, schools, and government officials to findsolutions to the problem of marine debris.”Ms. Miller brought with her Hector, one of the micro-ROVsthat they use to collect trash on the ocean floor. It has a camerawith a lighted dome, and a 1,000-foot tether. She demonstratedits operation by a computer and controls that resemble a videogame console. She allowed the students to maneuver the ROV onthe bottom of the pool. “The ROV can go where divers cannot,”explained Ms. Miller. “Unlike divers, it can operate for hours incontaminated or freezing water.”During the assembly, Ms. Miller asked the students to namethe top 10 items removed by the ROV. They are in order: cans,plastic bottles, plastic bags, cigarette butts, building materials,food wrappers, rope, plates, utensils, and glass bottles. Shecontinued, “Many of these items may take hundreds of years orlonger to decompose, and some, like cigarettes, break down intosmall particles, which are eaten by fish and make their way tothe food chain.”MS. MILLER TOLD THE AUDIENCE that the three most criticalsteps they can take are to pick up trash, don’t litter, and spreadthe word about the importance of being environmentally friendly.Parents Mr. John and Mrs. Catherine Kilroy were pleasedto bring the Rozalia Project to Viewpoint. Mr. Kilroy, a worldchampion sailor, and his company Kilroy Realty Corporation arecommitted to raising awareness of the threat to our oceans andwaterways from trash. Mr. and Mrs. Kilroy believe it is importantfor our students to be aware of the magnitude of the problem andthe critical steps that they can take to address it.Headmaster Bob Dworkoski ended the assemblyby encouraging the students to follow the advice of theRozalia Project, and to consider careers that involveenvironmental protection. He concluded, “Viewpoint’sstudents are prepared to make a positive impact upon theworld. They eagerly perform many important communityservice projects without our prompting.”Above:Left to right:Elana Moline ’13,Jack Leonard ’14,Jordan Aguayo ’13,Nic Etue ’14,Left:Jared Litmanovich ’13,and Adam Katzner ’13Left with to Rachael right: MillerCaption of Rozalia to Project come forCaption a Clean Ocean to comeCaption to comeCaption Right: to comeCaption Left to right: to comeCaption Cassidy to Samovar come ’18,Caption Ellis Glickman to come ’18Caption to comeCaption to comeCaption to comeCaption to comeCaption to comeCaption to comeService & AdvocacyBy Ms. Katie M. Fox, Middle School Director of Student ActivitiesAT VIEWPOINT, we recognize anddevelop the individuality of ourstudents, and the desire to servethe community. Encouragingthe uniqueness of each student,Viewpoint offers 35 electivesin Middle School. This yearthe School added a new elective,the Service and Advocacy class,in which students focus onleadership and philanthropyin the 21st century.IN THIS COURSE, students consider their current andfuture participation in society as leaders. They examinecurrent events and articles, most recently those on thepresidential election, which expose them to differentleadership styles. By exploring past and present figures,such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., former UCLAbasketball coach John Wooden, and Michelle Obama,our students develop leadership skills of their own.MOST RECENTLY, the students demonstrated theircommitment to service by raising money and awarenessfor Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit organizationsupporting research for new and improved therapiesfor pediatric cancer. The students as a group wereresponsible for devising, organizing, and marketing theevent. While eager to make a meaningful monetarydonation, the main focus of the project was to raiseawareness for the organization. After the project, thestudents enjoyed the satisfaction that comes fromhelping others in need, while also gaining practicalskills that will help them through life.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “Everybody can begreat… because anybody can serve.”can begreat… becauseanybody can serve.”‘‘Everybody- DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.}Our Middle School students have embraced this message,and through the Service and Advocacy class they aredeveloping skills that will help them as leaders andcontributing members of our global community.Alex Stiller ’17 said, “This class will definitely prepareme for when I am older on so many levels. I knowwhat to do to be organized, and how to avoid stresswhen working on a project or running a meeting.It helped me understand more about communityservice, and I will do more to help others becauseit is fun and it makes me feel good!”VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

I N O U R C A N Y O N10 11DID YOUKNOWSummerOPPORTUNITIES}AT VIEWPOINT?By Mr. Greg Courter, Director of Summer and Auxiliary ProgramsPerformance of “Barbara Frietchie” at Viewpoint’sSummer AcademicsAnnual Spring Sing, 1970WHILE SUMMER USUALLY EVOKES thoughts of rest andrelaxation, there is a growing population of Upper Schoolstudents who are taking advantage of Viewpoint’s summeracademic offerings. Whether they are improving a gradeor creating room in their future academic schedules, thesestudents are finding that the School’s summer for-creditclasses offer an excellent opportunity to take a single classin a focused and condensed way. These classes replicate thenumber of class hours of their school-year equivalents, andtake place over either three weeks for a semester class or sixweeks for a full-year class. Therefore, they are fully accreditedand accepted by colleges and universities.In the minds of students and teachers who participated in lastsummer’s classes, Viewpoint’s summer academic offeringswere richly rewarding and memorable. According to ChiefFinancial Officer and last summer’s Global Economicsinstructor Mr. Chad Tew, “The intensive format – four hourstogether day after day – presented a challenge as a teacher. Ihad to modulate the pace and mix-up the learning experienceto keep it engaging, but what happened was magical. Inmy time at Viewpoint, I’ve led student trips through themonuments and museums of Italy and the rain forests of CostaRica. In the midst of a trip, the students and chaperonesconnect at a fundamental level as a temporary family. Thesummer intensive Global Economics course felt like thoseexperiences. I bonded with the students and we shared ajourney through the global economy.”The School is excited to continue this journey in thesummer of 2013 for students and teachers who will dedicatethemselves to learning and growing in a uniquely personal,yet collaborative fashion.Counselor-in-Training ProgramWHAT STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO as a way to extendCamp Roadrunner for children who outgrew our legendaryday camp has evolved into one of Viewpoint’s most popularsummer offerings. The Counselor-in-Training (CIT) programAbove:Danielle Thompson ’18and KindergartenerMason Wymerattracted 60 students in Sixth through Tenth Grades in 2012.All CIT participants completed an application, and newapplicants submitted a teacher’s recommendation and hadan interview. In addition, CITs attended an orientation andbarbecue prior to the start of Camp Roadrunner and hadspecific responsibilities and roles during their weeksof attendance.With the addition of Camp Bobcat this past summer, there werenine weeks in which students could participate in the CITprogram. As a result, there are legions of Viewpoint studentswho will undoubtedly contribute to Camp Roadrunner andCamp Bobcat as experienced, paid counselors in the yearsahead. This fun and rewarding program is no longer just aversion of Camp Roadrunner for older children, but a vibrantand structured way for many of Viewpoint’s aspiring leadersto gain valuable experience.Viewpoint once ownedhorses, Chico and Cochise.In the early to mid-1970s, the horses lived in a barn thatstood on the hillside near the current location of theBehrens Building. There was a large corral accessed bycrossing a wooden bridge over a creek full of willowslocated where the ECOLET is now. The horse corral wasroughly where the batting cages are today.Viewpoint’s Director of Admission, Laurel Baker Tew ’78,recalls, “The older kids had special privileges takingcare of the horses. During the school year, we sometimesrode during sports, and we always rode duringCamp Roadrunner.”As seen above, the horses were occasionally enlistedto participate in the students’ theatrical productions.In this case either Chico or Cochise played the part ofStonewall Jackson’s horse in the dramatization of JohnGreenleaf Whittier’s poem of 1864, “Barbara Frietchie.”VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

PAGE13In our CanyonIan Levy ’13 andNic Etue ’14 in theFletcher Family LibraryVIEWPOINT MAGAZINE SPRING 2013

14L O V E O F L E A R N I N GLeft:Will Detterman ’1715PAGELOVE OFLEARNINGBy Mr. Greg Armbrister, Head of Middle SchoolEmbracing}A GROWTHMINDSETPhoto: Benjamin Ariff ’04MATH WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT FOR ME, as my ThirdGrade teacher Mrs. Podryska so kindly affirmedback in 1971. If it were not for keeping a golfscorecard or figuring out fantasy basketball statisticsin order to draft a winning team, the prospect of learninganything even remotely related to a mathematical concept justnever appealed to me. Simply put, I was not good at math.DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR toanyone? Is this type of idea something towhich you’ve become accustomed, anddo you grant it credence? Welcome to theworld of the fixed mindset, and welcometo the fruitless pursuit of perfection.What if, instead, you realized that whilemath wasn’t coming easily to you in thatmoment, that in fact you did have the abilityto solve problems, and that by undertakingthe arduous process you were actuallyforming neural connections in your brainto literally make you more intelligent? Howempowering and motivating that wouldbe! Such an experience would be yoursif you embraced the growth mindset, aspostulated by Carol Dweck in her bookMindset, and as embodied in teaching andlearning at Viewpoint.Most of us have grown up with the ideathat we are good at some things, not sogood at others, and ultimately best suitedfor one path or another. Dr. Dweckwould have us believe that while I wasn’tvery good at math in Third Grade, it wassimply a matter of not yet, rather thannever. Having been told throughout myearly years that I was intelligent, andsubsequently being praised for somethingcompletely arbitrary and out of mycontrol, I saw little utility in masteringthe art of effort. When I predictablyfound something to be difficult later on,my reaction, through the filter of a fixedmindset, was very simply to shut down. Iwas intelligent – therefore my inabilityto understand math had to do with someother factor – certainly nothing related tome. It had to be someone’s fault. Shuttingdown, rather than facing the terror ofimperfection, became my logical means ofpreserving my self-esteem.MY YOUNGER BROTHER, the worker,faced a far different situation. Operatingunder the ostensibly heavy weight ofa diagnosed learning difference, heassumed that he would have to employextraordinary diligence in order tocompensate. By embracing the challengeand enjoying the process of learning, henot only surpassed everyone’s expectations,based on his designated condition, heactually re-organized the neurons in hisbrain and increased his intelligence to boot.To be fair, the preceding sentencecomprises a 2012 analysis of comparativelyancient personal history. In the 1970s, I’msure that both of us viewed our respectiveconditions as predestined. My modernunderstanding of the issue is due to Dr.Dweck’s research and writing. The giftshe gives us, and the one we share withour students at Viewpoint, is the gift ofresilience and self-determination. Byembracing a challenge, we make ourselvesstronger. By accepting and valuing setbacks,we make ourselves more imperviousto real harm. By praising effort andpersistence, rather than results, we allowstudents to find success more consistently,more tangibly, and more reliablythroughout the continuum of a task.THANKS TO OUR FACULTY’S summerreading program and Associate Head PaulRosenbaum’s leadership, Viewpoint’sfaculty read Mindset last summer. Mindsettouches all of us because the ideas areso straightforward and intuitive to us aseducators. By adopting a growth mindsetfor ourselves and for our students, we arecontinuing to implement what we all haveknown as good teaching practice – onlynow, we have the validation of science toback us up.In applying the lessons of Mindset to ourstudents and teaching, we encourageeffort and process over results, and weemphasize that difficulty presents anopportunity for growth. The attendantresilience demonstrated by our studentsenables them ultimately to enjoy thechallenges of learning more thoroughlyand also to reach a more distant markeralong the way. Again, while we articulatethe terminology of mindset differentlynow, the method has always been a part ofan education at Viewpoint. This idea isconsistently brought home by our alumni,who remark that, more than preparingstudents for college, we prepare ourstudents to flourish in college and beyond.The growth mindset lives happily, and nowwith full faith and credit, at Viewpoint.VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

16L O V E O F L E A R N I N G17Teaching}HISTORYTHE FASCINATINGOF CHEMISTRYfocus off of the simple facts of chemistry and shift their gaze to thebigger questions of why, I tell them stories of the early scientistswhose insatiable curiosity led them to ask the first great questionsof chemistry.Chemistry is a relatively young science. Although it seems likewe know much about it, in truth we actually know very little,and over time deeply held scientific beliefs have often proven tobe false. For over 2,000 years, Aristotle’s four elements theory –defining all physical matter as a combination of earth, water, air,and fire – dominated scientific thought with little refinement.How could something so misguided have lasted for so long?However, Aristotle’s ideas ultimately did lead to alchemy,a primitive form of chemistry. In modern times, we haveromanticized the practices of the alchemist, and for J. K. Rowlingit has helped to sell millions of Harry Potter books. The days ofalchemy were brought to an end by a French tax collector, aFrench apothecary, a Quaker, and a cast of other characters in thelate 18th and early 19th centuries.IN ALCHEMY, when one could not explain why things happened,magic or supernatural forces were implied. The person wholed the revolution to change that notion was FrenchmanAntoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry. One of thoseunexplained ideas was the loss of mass in chemical reactions thatformed gasses. When a log burned, where did all the mass go?To the alchemist it went into the aether, another dimension wherethe supernatural existed. Lavoisier did not believe in magic andset out to disprove this idea. He managed to trap those gases andprove that there was no loss of mass (circa 1789). Unfortunately,another revolution, the French Revolution, ended his life. You see,he helped finance his experiments by being a tax collector, andthis earned him a date with the guillotine.Another interest of alchemists was to learn the composition ofsubstances with the ultimate goal of turning base metals intogold. This effort led to modern day analytical chemistry. Oneof Lavoisier’s colleagues and a French apothecary, Joseph Prost,strived to understand the make-up of compounds. His researchled him to the conclusion that compounds were made ofsubstances – called elements today – in a definite compositionby mass (circa 1799).PROST’S WORK then led to the question of why do thingscombine in these ratios? English Quaker John Dalton answeredthis question in 1810. His first love was meteorology – he keptextensive records about the local weather his entire life. Besidesexplaining the aurora borealis and discovering colorblindness(he was color blind) he gave us atomic theory. And thus, thecuriosity of the alchemist ultimately led to the explanation ofatomic theory by the scientist.I’ve only scratched the surface, but I hope that, like my students,you can see that chemistry can be more than just a theory ofmatter. These stories play an important role in the history ofmankind, and we will depend upon chemistry to secure ourfuture here on Earth. More directly, I hope my students cometo class each day with the desire to know the next chapter, andperhaps contribute to the fascinating story of chemistry.Dr. Curtis Musser earned a B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh anda Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. Since 1989, he hasbeen a Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and for thelast 12 years has served as a member of its Executive Committee.I hope mystudents come to classeach day with thedesire to ...contributeto the fascinatingstory of chemistry.– DR. CURTIS MUSSERPhoto: Benjamin Ariff ’04By Dr. Curtis Musser, Upper School Chemistry TeacherWHEN I FIRST STARTED teaching chemistry,I thought that every student would just wantthe facts, and they do. However, if you wantto keep them motivated and excited aboutbeing in class, it helps to have a hook. One ofmy favorite hooks is the endlessly fascinatinghistory of science.AS SOON AS CHILDREN ARE OLD ENOUGH to understand theword “why,” they begin their journey in science. A teacher hopes toencourage that inquisitive impulse. To help my students take theirAshan Marla ’14, Dr. Curtis MusserPhoto: Benjamin Ariff ’04ALISON VISHER ’14“Remember those scenes in the potion’s classroom in HarryPotter, where Professor Snape makes his students brewconcoctions that bubble and explode? Well, Dr. Musser’sclassroom is just like that, if you subtract the explosions andthe teacher being evil. He is a remarkable teacher who bringsthe magic back to science. He shows that science isn’t just thisremote, untouchable concept created by a few geniuses. It isthis potion, this mixture, of many scientists, not too differentfrom us, partaking in the act of discovery. Dr. Musser inspiresme every day with the idea that these scientific ‘geniuses,’these ‘revolutionaries,’ perhaps aren’t too different from me.”VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

18L O V E O F L E A R N I N G19Planting}THE SEEDSFOR A LIFELONG LOVE OF SCIENCE‘‘I love to appeal to their naturalcuriosity. I see myrole as planting the seeds, providinga foundation for a lifelonginterest in science.”– MS. CHRISTINA FURIO, PRIMARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERBy Mrs. Monica Case ’90, Associate Director of CommunicationsLAST SUMMER, my husband and I took our daughterMadeleine to visit the California Academy of Science in SanFrancisco. She had just finished Second Grade at Viewpoint.On the drive up the coast, we talked about seeing their featuredattraction, the Albino Alligator. Ghostly pallor, razor sharp teeth,fierce and scary eyes. Good stuff! However, once we walkedthrough the doors, she ran right past the chalky white alligatorand went straight to the undersea exhibits in the SteinhardtAquarium. Madeleine couldn’t wait to tell us all she knewabout the deep ocean and its spiky, glowing inhabitants, manywith ferocious teeth of their own. When I asked her where shelearned all of this remarkable information, she said, “Ms. Furiotaught us about it in Science this year.”Ms. Christina Furio joined Viewpoint’s Primary School in September 2011. Shegraduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies,earned a master’s degree from Claremont’s Graduate University in Education, andhas a certification in Field Ecology from UC Riverside. After teaching First Gradefor six years, she fulfilled a long-held dream of becoming a park ranger at JoshuaTree National Park. In her two years with the National Park Service, Ms. Furio,among her many duties, rewrote the curriculum for teachers on desert tortoises.AT THE END OF HER TENURE with the Park Service, Ms. Furio was excited toreturn to an indoor classroom at Viewpoint. Beginning in Kindergarten, she introducesSecond Graders Griffen Carabet,Lincoln Stibel, Ms. Christina Furio,Second Graders Aspen Aragon,Alana MalingagioSecond Grader Lincoln Stibelstudents to the scientific method. Theylearn to ask a question, conduct research,develop a hypothesis, perform experiments,and draw conclusions from their efforts.IN KINDERGARTEN, the children alsolearn about the human body, includingthe brain and the five senses, the skeleton,major organs, and germs. They also studyphysical science, including liquids, solids,gases, and astronomy. In First Grade,students learn more abstract conceptslike sink and float, buoyancy and density,as well as concrete subjects such asnocturnal animals, dinosaurs, nutrition,the ocean, tide pools, kelp forests, andplants. In Second Grade, they covergeology, earthquakes, weather, light,sound, zoo animals, and the deep ocean,which is why Madeleine was able toeducate her parents with such enthusiasm.“It is a rich curriculum. We cover so much,and the children are so curious,” said Ms.Furio. “I love to appeal to their naturalcuriosity. I see my role as planting theseeds, providing a foundation for a lifelonginterest in science.”Mr. Craig Didden, Chair of the ScienceDepartment, agrees, “Primary School isthe first time that we have to hook thechildren and develop their love for thesciences. Ms. Furio does an excellent jobof baiting that hook with lots of hands-on,student-centered activities. It has beenespecially rewarding for me as a parentto watch my own sons, Third GraderHenry and Kindergartener Ryley,develop a love for the sciences and knowthat they have a teacher like Ms. Furio tohelp this passion flourish.”THIS EXCITEMENT FOR SCIENCEcontinues in the Lower School. Mrs.Christine Bazylevsky recounted,“Our First Grader Aleksa had heartsurgery in 2005, so Hannah, now in ThirdGrade, is enjoying their lessons on theheart. Hannah was fascinated by both thepuzzle of the heart and the yarn necklacethey made which explains blood flowthrough the heart in class. One evening,my daughters sat down with the heartpuzzle, played together, and chatted aboutventricles and valves.”THERE IS NOTHING BETTER than seeingthe seeds planted so carefully by a teachertake root and thrive in our children asthey learn to understand the world aroundthem, whether it is in the deep oceanor in the heart of a little sister.VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

20L O V E O F L E A R N I N G21Photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04CrackingTHE CODE:TEACHING READING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLBy Mrs. Cathy Adelman, Head of Primary School,and Mrs. Alice Kessler, Assistant Head of Primary SchoolREADING is not something you think aboutonce you know how to do it. It’s like riding abicycle; after you know how, you never haveto learn it again. There are many similaritiesto these two skills. Both require the use ofour active, working memory; both requirevisual and spatial processing; and both requireteachers who will impart these skills withpatience and care. However, learning to read{Andrea Harvey ’18,James Smathers ’18,KindergartenerGraysen Carlson,Mrs. Alice Kessleris more complex than learning to ride a bicycle. While you may not skinyour knee or your elbow learning to read, you will use a great deal ofcognitive muscle to crack the code.VIEWPOINT’S KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM, its teachers, and itsadministrators assume with passion the responsibility of teaching ouryoungest students to read. The Kindergarten year is unique in thatstudents enter the grade from different preschool experiences. Thus,each child has varying degrees of literacy. Some may know their alphabet,others may be able to connect sounds to letters, some may be able todecode simple words, and a few may be able to read. Because students’reading abilities differ, we teach reading in small groups, which allow forindividualized attention and differentiated instruction. Reading groupsin Kindergarten are fluid, changing throughout the year as the children’sabilities progress. Regardless of a child’s skill level, our programemphasizes the importance of phonics.Phonics establishes the relationship between letters and the sounds theyrepresent. By developing a strong phonetic background, students candecode words independently, regardless of the number of letters orsyllables in a word. Once a child masters the alphabetic principle, whichexplains letter-sound associations, the process of cracking the code begins.THE NEXT STEP in cracking the code is recognizing vowel sounds.Vowel sounds in general are harder to learn than consonants becausethey have more than one sound associated with them. At Viewpoint webelieve it is easier to teach students long vowel sounds before shortvowel sounds because the former say their name. We teach the longvowel sounds using the CVCE or Consonant, Vowel, Consonant, Epattern. Using this pattern students learn to underline the first vowelin a word, and cross out the e, because it is silent or “sleeping.” Theyknow that every time they see this pattern, the underlined vowel willsay its name. We use a mnemonic rhyme to help our students rememberthis rule: “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.”In addition, we introduce word families, which allow students tosuccessfully identify groups of words that follow a particular lettergrouping. For example, after the students know the sound of -ake, theycan readily read rake, make, cake, take, bake, and fake.A similar process is implemented for short vowel sounds. The childrenhear the difference between cape and cap, steep and step, fine and fin,hope and hop, and cute and cut. The children easily convert to the newCVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) pattern by drawing on the skillsthey initially acquired. Numerous stories with a controlled vocabularyallow the children to decode and gain confidence. Repetition andpractice ultimately lead to fluency.Cracking the code is perhaps the most important skill a child will learn inhis or her lifetime. Reading is the key that unlocks so many doors andenriches every aspect of our lives. Reading, unlike riding a bicycle, can bedone anywhere at anytime and doesn’t require a helmet. Ultimately thetiming of both these skills is developmental, and practice is the avenue tosuccess. As Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things youwill know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Viewpoint’sKindergarten teachers and administrators couldn’t agree more!VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

T H E A R T S30 31}}BILL BRENDLEBattles the Pink Robots}All the GirlsIN THEWORLDBy Ms. Jennifer Rhodes, Senior Advancement OfficerBy Ms. Jennifer Rhodes, Senior Advancement OfficerRARELY DOES ONE associatea Viewpoint music teacherwith one of the most popularpsychedelic alternative rockbands performing today.However, last year music teacherMr. Bill Brendle created anoriginal orchestration of YoshimiBattles the Pink Robots, a newmusical based on three albumsby the Grammy Award-winningband, The Flaming Lips.The band’s front man Wayne Coyne askedMr. Brendle to “bring the heart of themusic” to the production to be stagedat the La Jolla Playhouse. If anyone haswatched Mr. Brendle’s contributions tothe music program at Viewpoint, therewas no question that he would deliver.MR. BRENDLE JOINED VIEWPOINTin 2001, and directs Viewpoint VocalJazz, as well as composes and arrangesthe scores for many of the Upper andMiddle Schools’ theatrical productions.Last spring, he was honored to be hiredto create the original orchestration forYoshimi under the play’s director DesMcAnuff. Mr. McAnuff directed theoriginal Tony Award winning Broadwayproductions Big River, The Who’s Tommy,Photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04Mr. Bill Brendle, Director of Viewpoint Vocal JazzJersey Boys, and How to Succeed in Businesswithout Really Trying.Although Mr. Brendle says, “It was a hugehonor and challenge to work with theseextraordinary artists,” his strong workethic and talent combined to create anorchestration that was well received byMr. McAnuff and Mr. Coyne, and was a hitwith critics and audiences. The Los AngelesTimes wrote, “The show’s sophistication liesin the floating lyricism of its score…thesublime orchestrations are by Bill Brendle.”A member of Viewpoint Vocal Jazz,Nataliea Abramowitz ’14 says of herwork with Mr. Brendle in theclassroom, “He is an inspiring teacher,who puts a new spin on the way wehear and sing music. Mr. Brendlestretches us as performers, not just as agroup but as individuals as well.Though the class is early in the morning,he makes it so that we look forward togoing because we know we will startour day off on a good note. Mr. Brendleis a wonderful teacher!”THE PROLIFIC AMERICAN POET Adrienne Rich describedpoetry “as living language, the core of every language, somethingthat is still spoken, aloud or in the mind, muttered in secret,subversive, reaching around corners, crumpled into a pocket,performed to a community, read aloud to the dying, recited byheart, scratched or sprayed on a wall. That kind of language.”OUR UPPER SCHOOL students havean opportunity to work with the livinglanguage of Spoken Word poetry in PoetryPeople. Every week, this group – anoffshoot of the School’s Conservatory ofTheater and open to all students – gathersat picnic tables during lunch to write andperform their original poetry. These youngpoets developed a project called All theGirls in the World, which struck a magicalchord with Viewpoint’s community.Dr. Julianne DeSal, Viewpoint’s Directorof the Arts, explains, “This project beganin spring 2012 with a single line from onestudent’s poem delivered during lunch. AsEliza Frakes ’15 recited the line, ‘All theGirls in the World,’ it resonated with all ofus. Ms. Nina Harada ’02, acting teacherand director, and I asked if they would beinterested in doing a project with this title.The students immediately agreed, and itbecame their summer work.”Ms. Harada and Dr. DeSal guided theirstudents for several months. Ms. Haradaexplains, “Our students used their lunchmeetings to work on these poems,reading them aloud, critiquing them,rewriting, and coming back the followingweek with new drafts to share.”Dr. DeSal adds, “All the Girls in the Worldis a Spoken Word celebration of ‘girlhood,’of what it means to be girl today, at anyplace in the world. It does not pretendto be either feminist or anti-male; it is apositive expression of voices, both femaleand male, offering insight into uniqueperspectives of girls and those who lovethem. The purpose of this productionis to raise voices and awareness of thethoughts, dreams, strength, and beautyof girls united in the pursuit of educationand of art.”When classes resumed in September,the group began putting together theshow under the exceptional leadershipof Elizabeth Woolf ’13 and AmandaFaucher ’14. Elizabeth wrote, “Workingwith my classmates on this project hasbeen the highlight of my senior year,and a most transformative process.Hearing the voices of my generationshine and reveal themselves throughoutthis piece gives me my own strengthon and off stage.”When All the Girls in the World wasperformed at two assemblies for Middleand Upper School students, the poemswritten by both boys and girls had animmediate impact. After the programconcluded, students were visibly moved.The size of Poetry People tripled thefollowing week. Ms. Harada remarked,“I hope that they continue to motivatemore and more students to keep thisimportant conversation going. After theassembly, a Sixth Grade boy told mehow touched he was by the performance.He said perhaps he too will write a poemone day and join Poetry People whenhe reaches Upper School.”THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING,the students presented this work at thePasadena Central Library, which sponsorsan outreach program for children whodo not often have opportunities to attendlive theater. After the performance, ourstudents conducted a writing workshopwith students from St. Andrews HighSchool, who then presented their ownpoignant and personal spoken wordpieces. On January 26, Viewpoint’sstudents presented All the Girls in theWorld again at the Pasadena Library ina public performance.The force of their words continues toresonate, extending well beyond ourcampus. We look forward to watchingtheir poems continue to soar on behalfof all the girls around our world.The performance at thePasadena Central Librarymay be seen on ourYouTube channel atwww.youtube.com/user/viewpointschool.VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

36A T H L E T I C S37Viewpoint’s BOYS CROSSCOUNTRY TEAM began the seasonwith big shoes to fill. Having graduatedMason Alford ’12 and Lou Sarkes ’12,last year’s top runners, the team lookedat the season as a rebuilding year. Duringsummer training at the Lake Mary TimeTrial on the team’s trip to MammothLakes, the boys bettered their teamperformance over past years, withyounger runners filling in the team’sopen spots. Particularly impressive werethe freshmen, who entered the seasonprepared for hard work and happy tochallenge for varsity spots. When leaguecompetition began, Viewpoint’s boys wereready. The boys raced up front for asecond-place finish at both cluster meets.League finals brought the boys their bestscore, and five All-League finishers, morethan any other Delphic League team.Ian Driscoll ’14, Krishan Patel ’13,David Soper ’13, Andrew Gu ’15, andAndrew Schoenberger ’16 earnedAll-League recognition. This year’s teamwas impressive due to the proximity of thetop-five boys. During most races these fivefinished within 30 seconds of each other.The boys qualified for the CIF preliminarymeets. The team is excited about futureseasons as they return most of their toprunners next year.From the court to the field, we turn tothe CHEER TEAM, which brought terrificspirit and energy to the football field.Coming off an award-winning summercompetition at UCLA, Coach SamoneRankins’ squad continued to impress withits ability, energy, and numbers. SeniorsRachel Thommen, Maddie Levitt, andAshley Grossblatt added tremendouslyto the spirit and fun at football games andseveral other events.Yet another Viewpoint team had solidresults. Several of our equestriansfinished in the top 12 places in the firsttwo Interscholastic Equestrian Leagueshows of the season: Julia Landmann ’15,Paulina Knox ’15, Pilar Flournoy ’15,and Tallulah Tepper ’15.THE JUNIOR VARSIT Y FOOTBALLTEAM had a successful season withwins over Albert Einstein and Alhambraas highlights. Led by running backDominick Brown ’15, the team’sOffensive MVP gained over 1,000 yardsin just seven games, including a 300-yardperformance against Albert EinsteinAcademy. Quarterback Zach Chulak ’16played well, routinely finding as targetsfellow freshman receiver Dylan Barnesand sophomore tight end Matt Johnston.Sophomore Linebacker Ryan Boyce wasthe team’s Defensive MVP. Eliot Gilliam,a freshman lineman, was awarded theMost Improved Player Award.THE JUNIOR VARSIT Y GIRLSVOLLEYBALL TEAM had a strong season.With a challenging pre-season scheduleand tough league competition, thePatriots finished with a record of 9-7.The Patriots were led by junior captainsRachel Villeneuve, Rachel Safenowitz,and Grace Cornelius, whose leadershiphelped motivate and challenge theirteammates. Freshman Jamie Schectermade an immediate impact on the JVTeam and was recognized for her hardwork and skill by being pulled up to theVarsity Team for the postseason.Coach Eric Taylor’s FROSH/SOPHVOLLEYBALL TEAM had a near perfect2012 season. The Patriots finished bywinning their last 11 matches in a row. Theteam culminated their season by winningthe Milken Tournament for the thirdconsecutive year. Freshman Kailee Hicks,who was named the Most Valuable Playerof the tournament, was one of the team’stop all around players. Sarah Evans ’16 andJenna Lorin ’16 led the Patriots withcontagious enthusiasm for volleyball andfor their team.MiddleSchoolATHLETICSIN MIDDLE SCHOOL,Viewpoint’s SEVENTH ANDEIGHTH GRADE BOYS SWIMTEAM won the Junior HighDelphic League Championship,and our Fifth and Sixth GradesTeam won the SFVPSL LeagueChampionship in Swimming.Viewpoint’s EIGHTH GRADEGIRLS BASKETBALL TEAMwon the Junior Varsity Basketballchampionship of the SFVPSL.THE TACKLE FOOTBALL TEAMfinished 2-4 and lost a close gamein the league semifinals.Left:In December, Alex Angard ’13,surrounded by his sisterLauren ’16, father Mark,brother Max ’20, and motherSusan, signed a letter ofintent to play golf at UCLA.Top Left:Left to right:Gabriella Privitelli ’16,Rachel Thommen ’13,Ava Sambora ’15,Alyssa Gengos ’16Top Right:Jordan Strasser ’18UPPER SCHOOLALL-CIF SOUTHERNSECTION RECOGNITIONSVarsity Girls VolleyballDivision 3AAFirst Team: Elizabeth Sheffield ’13ALL-LEAGUE RECOGNITIONSBoys Varsity Cross CountryAll-Delphic LeagueSecond Team: Ian Driscoll ’14,Krishan Patel ’13, David Soper ’13,Andrew Gu ’15, Andrew Schoenberger ’16Girls Varsity Cross CountryAll-Delphic LeagueFirst Team: Diane Hoffmann ’14,Jessica Hui ’15Varsity FootballAll-Alpha LeagueFirst Team: Charlie Fries ’13,Adam Markun ’13, Brad Martin ’13Second Team: David Cutler ’13,Dakota Williams ’13, Adam Balaban ’14Varsity Girls TennisAll-Alpha League SinglesFirst Team: Becky Woolf ’16Varsity Girls VolleyballAll-Alpha LeagueFirst Team: Elizabeth Sheffield ’13Second Team: Blythe Berka ’13Fall Season 2012MIDDLE SCHOOLLEAGUE CHAMPIONSJunior High Delphic LeagueBoys Middle School SwimmingSan Fernando ValleyPrivate School LeagueJunior Varsity Eighth GradeGirls BasketballBoys and Girls Fifth andSixth Grade SwimmingALL-LEAGUE RECOGNITIONSBoys Cross CountryAll-Junior High Delphic LeagueMatthew Peacock ’17Girls Cross CountryAll-Junior High Delphic LeagueCharlotte Harrison ’17Girls TennisAll-Junior High Delphic LeagueDominique Perriseau ’17Tackle FootballAll-Junior High Delphic LeagueTackle FootballBrandon Ortega-Cuevas ’17Boys SwimmingAll-Junior Delphic LeagueJake Jepson ’17Girls SwimmingAll-Junior Delphic LeagueAlyse Tran ’18VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

38PAGE39ADVANCING THEMISSIONMISSION}SupportingOUR EDUCATIONALLeft:Chair of the Advancement Committeeand Trustee Halé Behzadi, Chief AdvancementOfficer Amy Maentz, Annual Fund Co-ChairKate White, and Advancement CoordinatorMary Rodriquezeducation, the power of a nurturingcommunity with a shared purpose.It is this shared purpose that engendersa commitment by all of us who work atViewpoint to strive each day to enhanceour students’ experience. As our fearlessleader Bob Dworkoski often says,“Excellence is hard work to maintain.”By Mrs. Amy Maentz, Chief Advancement OfficerWHEN I STARTED MY CAREER in the independent school worldin Advancement I was often asked, “What is Advancement?”I agree it is a broad term that leaves one open to wonder. The roleof the Advancement Office is to advance the mission of the Schoolby raising both its esteem in the community and its voluntarysupport. A critical component of our success is Viewpoint’sdynamic community of trustees, current and alumni parents,alumni grandparents, alumni, students, faculty, and staff.WE PERFORM this important workthrough fund raising, donor and volunteerevents, communications, and strategicplanning, partnering with Viewpoint’sBoard of Trustees to execute the School’svision for the future. The unifying elementthat threads all of these pieces together ispeople. We are fortunate to collaboratewith hundreds of volunteers in ourcommunity to plan for the future – allwith the focus on improving the dailyacademic and extracurricular experiencefor each of Viewpoint’s 1,200 students.One of the joys of this important work– and what vividly brings the School tolife – is hearing the personal stories froman alumna, a student, or a parent abouttheir experiences at Viewpoint. Thesenarratives are sometimes ordinary andsometimes life-changing. The gatheringand weaving of these threads create ourrich tapestry, which is the 52-year historyand future of Viewpoint School.As the curators of these stories, weenthusiastically share them with ourbroader community through Viewpointmagazine and our Web site. Our goal isto communicate the magic that happensin our community as talented teacherstransform lives, helping Kindergartenersthrough Upper Schoolers mature to alumnimaking a positive impact on our world.In addition, by sharing these narratives,we hope to strike a chord that resonateswithin each member of our community,an affirmation of the value of a ViewpointOn two occasions, wehave had the honor ofwinning one of the mostprestigious nationalawards for Improvementin Fund Raising from theCouncil for Advancementand Support of Education(CASE) — 2006 and 2012.In the letter to Headmaster Bob Dworkoskifrom CASE, the President wrote, “Yourinstitution has not only demonstratedthe highest levels of professionalism andbest practice in fund raising efforts, it hascontributed to the betterment of educationaladvancement worldwide.”Once a year I represent Viewpoint atour national conference of advancementprofessionals. The National Associationof Independent Schools has 1,100member schools around the country andoverseas. This conference is the largesteducational advancement conference inthe world among colleges, universities,and independent schools. This year 1,300professionals gathered in Washington, D.C.for our conference in January.ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUNDcomments I heard was from Lisa Bodell,an internationally-renowned consultantand speaker as CEO and founder ofGroupthink. She said, “I travel the world, Ispend my time telling companies that theyneed to learn from educators. What youdo is very valuable, because you light afire within children, and I think that is soinspiring and important. You are creatingthe minds for tomorrow. You are creatingthe people that will create our future, andthere is tremendous potential in that.”IT IS THIS FIRE within that motivatesViewpoint’s Advancement team and ourcommunity, who embrace a sharedpurpose to provide our students with alife-changing experience. And in doing so,this energy manifests itself into thecare given to each student to spark a firewithin, to develop lifelong learnerswho will be active citizens who servetheir communities.VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

PAGE40New York CityRegional GatheringNOVEMBER 4, 201241EVENTS}AlumniDIRECTION FOR ALIFETIMEATTENTION ALUMNI: This school year has seen agreat increase in alumni attendance and engagement.To learn more about upcoming alumni parties andevents, please visit Viewpoint’s Web site or like us onFacebook. We look forward to seeing you soon!Undeterred by the devastatingHurricane Sandy, a few Viewpointalumni joined Dr. Bob Dworkoski,Mrs. Kristin Dworkoski, Mr.Alan Howie, and Ms. StephanieShapiro for some food, drinks,and reminiscing.Alumni College LunchJANUARY 3, 2013Recent graduates returned to campus to share their experiences with the Classof 2013. Topics included time management, social life, navigating the collegeselection process, adjusting to living with roommates, and how Viewpointprepared them for the challenge. Associate Director of College Counselingand Alumni Liaison Ms. Stephanie Shapiro moderated the lively panel.Photo: Scott Davis ’12, Matt Callahan ’12, Austin Tesoriero ’12, Paige Handy ’12Alumni Music DayDECEMBER 19, 20125 for 5NOVEMBER 28, 2012The Senior Class of 2013 continued the tradition of signing the “5 for 5 SeniorClass Pledge.” The senior class set a goal of at least 75 % participation in thepledge to keep up-to-date information with the Alumni Office, participate inthe alumni mentorship program, attend alumni events, provide class notes toViewpoint magazine, and to participate in the charitable mission of the School.Photo: Noelle Geckle ’13, Alexa Pontello ’13HomecomingOCTOBER 26, 2012Enthusiastic alumni returnedto witness the Football Teamdefeat Marshall 54-12. Alumnithat returned received “NAVYAlumni” t-shirts and joinedcurrent students to enthusiasticallysupport the team.Class of 199220th ReunionOCTOBER 27, 2012The Class of 1992 gatheredat Sagebrush Cantina toreminisce, reconnect, and sharea great night of fun!5-UPNOVEMBER 28, 2012Upper School students andfaculty gathered for the “5-UP”lunchtime series in the AhmansonFoundation Black Box Theater.We were delighted to have NateRuegger ’02 talk about the“Magic of Movies.” He presentedalong with Aida Marasli ’14 whospoke about “The Influence ofYouTube,” and Viewpoint musicteacher Mr. Roger Fletcher, whospoke on “A Blessing in Disguise,a Book, and a Revolution.”Photo: Nate Ruegger ’02Aida Marasli ’14, Mr. Roger FletcherRecent graduates returned to Viewpoint tojoin Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Ms. AmyRolniak, Mr. Roger Fletcher, and Mr. BillBrendle to perform with current students.Photo: Julian Gordy ’15, Ben Willner ’12,Jason Flahie ’12, Alex Barnett ’13Alumni Parent BreakfastDECEMBER 26, 2012Alumni parents gathered to stuff care packages forthe Class of 2013. The care packages were receivedjust in time for the students’ first college exams.Photo: Mrs. Sharon Tesoriero, Mrs. Cathy MaslanAlumni Holiday PartyDECEMBER 19, 2012The 2013 Alumni Class Agentshosted this year’s AlumniHoliday party. The seniorshelped to reconnect withalumni of all ages and broughtthe community back to campusto celebrate the HolidaySeason. Special thanks go outto everyone who attended,including the great turnout ofViewpoint’s faculty and staff!Photo: Spencer Schwartz ’10,Cyrus Behzadi ’10, Director ofAlumni Relations Patrick Skahan,Webster Heath ’11VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

42D I R E C T I O N F O R A L I F E T I M E43Strategy for Multi-Robot AutonomousExploration. Her research is being usedto develop robots that can communicatewith each other. This project is indevelopment for use in search and rescuemissions in places too dangerous forpeople. This semester, Amanda joined alab that is developing robotic limbs thatwill provide movement for paralyzedindividuals. She is most passionate abouther work with Engineers without Borders,whose mission is to provide clean andreliable water in third world villages.Robotics }REUNIONBy Mr. Patrick Skahan, Director of Alumni RelationsJesse Shevin ’09 is currently pursuinga degree in mechanical engineering atCalTech. Jesse enrolled in the school’scapstone Robotics Engineering course inhis junior year. The challenge of the classwas to design and program a robot, andto do it within a budget. Jesse reiteratedMr. Argano-Rush’s most frequent advice,“Oftentimes the simplest answer is thebest answer. The more complicated yourdesign becomes, the more things cango wrong.” Jesse said that he often findshimself thinking back to Mr. Argano-Rush’s acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It SimpleSilly). His adherence to the K.I.S.S.philosophy of design enabled his team totake first place among juniors at CalTech.THE FINAL PRESENTATION was fromRyan Goldstein ’09, a founding memberof Viewpoint’s Patriot Robotics Club.Ryan is now a member of the AerialRobotics Team at USC, while majoringin Mechanical Engineering. His team’stask is to build a completely autonomousflying vehicle that can enter a building andsearch for a predetermined target. Whenthe vehicle finds the target, the robot isprogrammed to retrieve it and fly it outof the building to safety. Because of hiswork on this project, Advanced Tactics Inc.,which builds prototype vehicles, offeredRyan a job during his sophomore year.Ryan plans to continue his studies at USCto earn a master’s degree in MechanicalEngineering, while committing to workfull-time with Advanced Tactics. Ryan’ssuccess is a clear example of the strengthof Viewpoint’s Robotics program. Becauseof his training with Mr. Argano-Rush,Ryan was readily employable in his fieldin his second year at USC. He urged thestudents to continue their studies with Mr.Argano-Rush, and to strive to elevate therobotics program to even greater levels ofachievement.Photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S School ofEngineering and Applied Sciences, studentsare developing a RoboBee in response tothe diminishing population of honeybees.In Japan, autonomous robots were used to check andmonitor radiation levels in advance of the emergencyteams after the tsunami in 2011. As advancements inrobotic technology continue at an ever-increasing rate,Viewpoint’s students are prepared to help solve theproblems of our modern society.ON JANUARY 3, Viewpoint’s robotics students hosteda Five-Year Anniversary dinner to welcome backthe alumni who helped to build Viewpoint’s VEXRobotics program into one of the most successfulin California. Fifteen alumni shared their recentexperiences in robotics with former classmates andcurrent students. As our students listened to storiesof the impressive academic and career paths ofthe alumni, they pondered their own directionsafter Viewpoint.Amanda Boone ’11 is currently studying engineering atRice University. Because of her foundation in roboticsat Viewpoint, Amanda became involved with theuniversity’s solar power car project and Behavior-BasedOpposite Right:Left to right front row:Mr. Lance Argano-RushHolland Mills ’09Ryan Goldstein ’09Art Chang ’09Nathan Bartley ’09Amanda Boone ’11Left to right back row:Jeff Shih ’10Charlie Greulich ’12David Muns ’12Ernest Acosta ’09John Christian ’11Austin Brockhaus ’12Jesse Shevin ’09Jason Flahie ’12Photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04MR. ARGANO-RUSH closed the event byspeaking about the rapid growth of therobotics program and his delight at thegrowing network of exceptional alumnipursuing careers as engineers. Heexpressed how the program had grownbeyond his initial vision five years ago dueto the passion and commitment of thestudents. “Patriot Robotics does more thanjust build robots. We are preparing for thefuture, developing valuable skills, learningto communicate effectively, and buildinglifelong friendships. I am proud of everyaccomplishment and setback because whatwe are building best is character.”VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

44D I R E C T I O N F O R A L I F E T I M E45The notes below include news receivedbetween June 16 and December 31, 2012.1978In Memoriam: Sandra Paige Eustis,October 24, 1960-October 30, 2012.Beloved daughter of Rich and Tiana andsister of John ’82, Madeleine ’83, andRon ’86, Sandy battled breast cancerand passed away at her parents’ homewith her family at her side. Several ofher Viewpoint classmates visited hershortly before her death. In reflectingon her passing, Sandy’s sister Madeleineremarked on the lifelong friendshipsSandy had made growing up at Viewpoint,as well as on Sandy’s love of participatingin the School’s annual Shakespeareproductions. Her last role at Viewpointwas as the sprite Ariel in The Tempest,about whom Prospero says, “Thou whichart but air…. For thou wast a spirit toodelicate.” A fitting tribute to Sandy’s spirit.With love always from your ViewpointClass of ’78 girlfriends, Krystn, Carolyn,Taryn, Julie, and Laurel.1986Dr. Angela Vanessa Knox Tanner, herhusband, and their two sons (alongwith horse, dog, and guinea pigs) movedback to California after living in Idahofor the last 10 years. She writes, “Weare enjoying Santa Barbara very much!I am keeping busy by forming a newindependent, co-ed, day school forgifted elementary school students.Viewpoint has inspired me to createa strong curriculum that still respectsand supports a child’s social andemotional development.”}AlumniCLASS NOTES1987Karen Elowitt is currently living in St.John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where sheworks from home as a freelance travelwriter for clients such as Priceline.com,CNBC.com, and 10Best.com.Artie Lechtman is an attorney with theFederal Communications Commissionin Washington, D.C. He lives with hiswife Pam and son Harris, who is now sixyears old. Artie writes, “During the coldwinters I often think of California!”1988Gregg Vanourek is excited to announcethat his new book, Triple Crown Leadership:Building Excellent, Ethical, and EnduringOrganizations (McGraw-Hill), is nowavailable. Triple Crown Leadershipoutlines advanced leadership practicesAngela Vanessa Knox Tanner ’86}for building excellent, ethical, andenduring organizations, ones that achieveexceptional performance while doingthe right thing, operating sustainably, andcreating a positive social impact.1994Dean O’Malley set a world record on awater-powered jet pack when he traveled26.2 miles from Newport Harbor toCatalina Island, off the coast of LosAngeles, in five hours. Dean planned thetrip to honor the 100th anniversary of thefirst flight to Catalina from Newport.1995Haylie Gibson Norton reports, “Writingunder the pen name H.P. Mallory, I hitthe New York Times bestseller list twice formy last two releases, The Witch Is Back andEliana and Mateo LessingSomething Witchy This Way Comes. SomethingWitchy This Way Comes came in at numbereight of 20 on the bestseller list, whichwas a great accomplishment. I was alsoincluded as one of the top 100 mostpopular authors on Amazon.com. I’mcoming out with two new series in 2013,and I just finished a book signing tour inthe South, where I visited six states infive days!”1997Andres Lessing and Lindsay Rosenfeldwelcomed twins on May 16, 2012. ElianaRebecca and Mateo David are home withtheir parents and thriving!1998Summer Michelle Davis and her husbandare now owners of Los Angeles UrbanAdventures, a tour company focusingon real-life experiences, responsibletravel, and getting off the beaten pathin Los Angeles. She writes, “We hostlocals and visitors alike and often groupslooking for something fun and uniqueto do in L.A. The Web site is www.losangelesurbanadventures.com.”1999Sara (Ching) Doll and her husbandwelcomed their second boy, JamesonMichael Doll, on November 11, 2012.She writes, “We are also busy workingon our two businesses, Ion Vodka, anionized, ultra premium vodka, andGlutenfreedaily.com, which is a glutenfreeonline nutrition Web site. Life isvery busy these days!”2001Sari Megan Andelson is currentlyworking as a registered nurse in theEmergency Department at Cedars SinaiMedical Center. She is engaged to JustinKern, an architect at Landry DesignGroup in Los Angeles. She writes, “Wewill be married at the Ritz Carlton inMarina Del Rey on July 13, 2013!”Shannon Vincent Brown is currentlyVice President of Solution Delivery atBuyerQuest, a business-to-businesssoftware company. She lives in downtownL.A. with her husband Drew. They areexpecting their first child in spring of 2013.2002Daniel Lincoln works in theater in NewYork as a musical director and composer,currently conducting the Tony AwardwinningAvenue Q, as well as the nationaltour of The Midtown Men. He also teachesmusical theater performance and voice atNew York University. His first commercialalbum was released in November 2012.2003Hannah Catterall writes, “I would liketo give a shout out to Mrs. A. Smithwho taught me how to understand theperiodic table and think about chemistry.Her mentorship and ability to conveyknowledge still sets me apart from mypeers. My first patent was filed on August9, 2012. It is a novel chemical process todetect different ionic species of mercury.”2004Chelsea (Brown) Kenna was married onAugust 12, 2012. She and her husband areworking in the social gaming industryfor a company called Sojo Studios. Thecompany recently released a game calledJoy Kingdom, which she worked on asthe concept artist. The game providessupport for animal charities via purchasesmade by players, and was featured on theEllen DeGeneres Show in early 2012. Sherecently completed illustrations on OldMacDonald, a children’s eBook for theiPad, which is due out in early 2013.2005Daylin Ackerman is working in businessdevelopment at PennyMac, a financialservices firm which addresses dislocationsin the U.S. mortgage markets. He isbased in Moorpark, where his focus ison enabling the continued growth ofthe firms.2006Erin Mann graduated with professionalcertification in Fashion Marketing andMerchandising from the Fashion Instituteof Design & Merchandising, and isworking for a fashion trend forecastingcompany called TrendsWest. She has beenhired to launch a new venture, anChelsea ’04 and Eric KennaVIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

46D I R E C T I O N F O R A L I F E T I M E47app called LiveLoveShopLA, whichshe encourages everyone to check outat www.liveloveshopla.com. Erin hasworked on the app from the ground up –branding, public relations, web design andformatting, and promotion.Elizabeth Paich is living in Shanghaiand working as an English teacher untilJuly 2013. She credits her success to theamazing support from Viewpoint teacherslike Zhou Laoshi (Mrs. Ming Hodgson),Mrs. Jennifer Kirchman, and Dr. AmandaNowakowski. “Thank you all so much!”Adam Sowlati finished two years workingat an investment bank in New YorkCity, and began his studies at HarvardLaw School this past fall. He enjoys lawschool, and finds the material interesting.However, he added that the cold weathercan be a bit of drag.2008Jeremy Mann graduated in June fromJohns Hopkins University with both aB.A. and M.A. in Mathematics with HighHonors. While at JHU, Jeremy enjoyedhis role as a teaching assistant duringhis junior and senior years. He recentlymoved to Austin, Texas and is workingthis year before pursuing his Ph.D.2009Alexandria Chu graduated early withhonors from Tufts University. In her lastyear at Tufts, she was a features assistanteditor for the Tufts Daily, wrote fornumerous Tufts publications, and waspublished in a collection of short stories.As an English major with a minor inCommunications and Media Studies, shewrote a pilot script for her senior project.Alexandria will enter law school in thefall of 2013.Devin Glass found his true passion whilestudying at UCSB: musical theater! InJennifer Levinson ’10the fall of 2011, Devin starred as LinkLarkin in his theater company’s renditionof Hairspray. After graduation in May2013, he plans to move to the Big Appleto follow his dream of making it onBroadway. If Broadway doesn’t work,Devin plans to enroll in RabbinicalSchool and to settle down with the loveof his life, Danielle Friedman. Mazel Tovon four years everybody!Zachary Kaufer graduated in December2012 from the USC School of DramaticArts with a B.A. in Directing andTheatrical Production. He will moveto New York City this summer topursue a career in production andarts management.2010Elana Hubert has been busy at BarnardCollege. She started Sweet Karma IceCream, a business that produces 100%organic and sustainable ice cream, ather school. The ice cream is deliveredin mason jars, which can be keptor returned when the new order isdropped off (like the milk exchange atthe farmers’ market). In order to helpbuild community, Elana used the masonjars as part of her overall Karma Project.Each week, along with the new flavorlist, Sweet Karma Ice Cream’s customerscan post anonymous questions that areanswered by other users.Olivia Lassoff is a Senior Communicationsand Marketing student at USC and spentthe fall 2012 semester in Amsterdam.Since August, she has met people fromthe Netherlands and made friends fromall over the world, while studying andtraveling to London, Barcelona, Berlin,Paris, and Bruges. She is excited to returnto L.A. for her final semester at USC.Jennifer Levinson recently concludeda graduate thesis film at Chapman, inwhich she was the only performer. She iscurrently gearing up to intern at Conanon the Warner Brothers lot, and iscompeting in the Delta Queen Delta TauDelta pageant to raise money forthe Beckstrand Cancer Foundation.Lucy Tew is completing a semester-longwriting intensive course in spring 2013at the University of East Anglia WritersProgram in Norwich, Norfolk, England.2011Amanda Boone is studying MechanicalEngineering and applying her knowledgeand skills to Engineers Without Bordersand the robotics lab where she works. Thissummer she will have her first internshipwith Exxon Mobil in Houston. Amandawrites, “Viewpoint’s teachers have trulyoffered extraordinary mentorship andguidance to me over the years. Morespecifically, this past year Mr. LanceArgano-Rush proved that his concern andinterest continues beyond our four yearsof Upper School, when he introducedme to a Viewpoint alumnus at USC. Thisrelationship allowed me to connect withan Aerospace Lab at USC and have anamazing summer research experience. Mr.Argano-Rush’s help didn’t surprise mebecause throughout my time at Viewpointhe went out of his way to help his studentsin any way he could. His assistancereminded me how lucky we all areto have had such amazing teachers atViewpoint, whose guidance helpedus get to where we are. Thank you somuch to all the teachers at Viewpointand specifically, thank you, Mr. Argano-Rush.”Rachel Leib is a Psychology major atBoston University where she has aninternship in the ICU at Children’sHospital Boston. She is also an activemember of the Alpha Phi sorority,where she is on the marketing board,and is involved with planning social andphilanthropic events.2012Michael Dix attends Emory Universitywhere he joined the Crew Team anddeclared a Business major. He writes,“I am studying hard in my BusinessEconomics, Psychology, Philosophy, andMusic Theory classes. I hope everythingis still awesome at Viewpoint!”Kyra Lynch ’12John Christian ’11, Mr. Lance Argano-Rush, and Amanda Boone ’11Arthur Iula recently returned from livingin Florence, Italy for two months, wherehe studied the Italian language, cooking,and art. Arthur returned home for theholidays, and then set off for NewZealand where he is backpacking andcanoeing the South Island. Arthur is astudent at Stanford.Kyra Lynch is a freshman at EckerdCollege in Florida, studying MarineBiology along with a Psychologyminor. Kyra writes, “Mr. Craig Diddeninspired me to be a Marine Biologymajor. I always had an interest inmarine life, and his oceanographyclass senior year solidified my goal ofpursuing the science at Eckerd.”Kyra also joined the Eckerd CollegeCheer Squad and loves being a partof the team.Louis Sarkes spends a great deal oftime rock climbing and has become asprinter for the Track and Field Teamat Oberlin College. He also startedmodeling for a photographer, who hasan upcoming exhibit at the IstanbulMuseum of Modern Art.Michael Williams-Hart finished hisfirst semester at Rice University,where he discovered a strong interestin biotechnology, in which he hopesto pursue a career. He writes, “SinceI have been at Rice, I joined the ClubCrew Team, became a HometownAmbassador (representing theCalabasas area), and became involvedin research.”VIEWPOINT MAGAZINESPRING 2013

48A Night of Auctions, Music, Dining, Dancing, and ComedyCONTRIBUTORSVIEWPOINTA special thank you to those listed below for contributinginformation and photographs, and for assisting in theproduction of Viewpoint magazine.Mrs. Cathy AdelmanMrs. Claudia AntoineMr. Lance Argano-RushMr. Benjamin Ariff ’04Mr. Greg ArmbristerMrs. Jennifer BergerMr. Bill BrendleMrs. Monica Case ’90Mr. Greg CourterMs. Rhody DavisMrs. Sarah DavisDr. Julianne DeSalDr. Robert J. DworkoskiMs. Susan ElliotMs. Katie M. FoxMr. Justin FrankMs. Christina FurioMs. Rebecca HellerDr. Kristin HerkstroeterMs. Caroline HoggMrs. Hope JonesMrs. Alice KesslerMrs. Amy MaentzMr. Patrick MoyalDr. Curtis MusserMs. Jennifer RhodesMrs. Mary RodriquezMr. Paul RosenbaumMr. Patrick SkahanMrs. Laurel Baker Tew ’78Mrs. Jennifer TownesMrs. Candy WallaceMs. Lori WinemanA Magazine for the Community of Viewpoint SchoolCalabasas, CaliforniaHeadmaster: Robert J. Dworkoski, Ph.D.Chief Advancement Officer: Amy MaentzSenior Advancement Officer: Jennifer RhodesAssociate Director of Communications: Monica Case ’90Graphic Design: Dog Ear DesignPrinter: Typecraft Wood & JonesPhotography: Benjamin Ariff ’04, Jennifer Berger,Justin Frank, and Gregg KesslerViewpoint is published by the Viewpoint Educational Foundation. Everyeffort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however,an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies andnotify us. Thank you.Viewpoint School23620 Mulholland HighwayCalabasas, CA 91302-2060Phone: 818-591-6500Fax: 818-591-0834E-mail info@viewpoint.orgWeb: www.viewpoint.orgViewpoint School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnicorigin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generallyaccorded or made available to students at the School. The School doesnot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic originin the administration of its educational policies, its admission policies,scholarships, and athletic or other School-administered programs.Featuring the uproariousstand-up comedy ofAlonzoBoddenInternational Headlinerand Champion of NBC’s“Last Comic Standing”Viewpoint’s30 th Annual BenefitSaturday, May 4, 20136:00 p.m.Four Seasons HotelWestlake VillagePhoto: Benjamin Ariff ’04MISSION STATEMENTViewpoint School is a welcoming, vibrant, and collaborativecommunity that offers a challenging and enriched collegepreparatory education in a nurturing environment for studentsin Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. The School embracesstudents and families from diverse cultures of the world andteaches the history and wisdom of these traditions.Viewpoint inspires a love of learning and develops thosequalities which provide strength and direction for a lifetime.The School promotes among its students respect, integrity,responsibility, and optimism.The School celebrates its love of country by commemoratingour nation’s holidays and honoring its finest traditions.Viewpoint affirms in its assemblies and programs the ethicalprinciples inherent in all religions.Viewpoint’s students learn the importance of service to othersand to the greater community with the expectation that thisintroduction becomes a lifelong commitment.Viewpoint recognizes the uniqueness of each child andis committed to the preservation and development ofthat individuality.Master of Ceremonies:Nickelodeon’sJeff Sutphenand DJ Extraordinaire:Jason EverhartPlease consider becoming a Benefit Underwriterand/or Auction Donor. For downloadable donor forms:www.viewpoint.org/Giving/Benefitor contact Candy Wallace in the Advancement Office,cwallace@viewpoint.org or 818-591-4470Left: Andrew Gu ’15 and Caitlin Hogan ’16

23620 Mulholland HighwayCalabasas, CA 91302-2060NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGEPAIDCLAREMONT, CAPERMIT # 77CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTEDIs this your preferred address?If you did not receive this magazine at your current address – or parents of alumni, if your sonor daughter no longer maintains a permanent residence at your home – please notifyDirector of Alumni Relations Patrick Skahan (patrick.skahan@viewpoint.org or 818-591-4430),so we can update our records. Thank you for helping us to keep our addresses current.Below: Fifth Grade Girls SoccerOn the cover:Sarah Berger-Maneiro ’19 (photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04)Photo: Benjamin Ariff ’04