A Magazine for the Curtis Community

Transcription

A Magazine for the Curtis Community
Winter 2009
In This
Issue
Curtis Mock Election
2
Student Council—
A Training Ground
for Leadership
3
Technology Integration
5
Around the Quad
7
Camera Obscura
10
Headmaster Switzer
11
A Look Back on Progress
Curtis Rocks the House!
19
Halloween on Parade
22
Five-Star Service
23
3rd Annual Turkey
Trot/Fun Run
25
Coach’s Notebook
26
Faculty Professional
Development
27
Winter Arts Holiday
Showcases
29
Meet the Parents
30
Alumni News
31
Alumni Profiles
33
Alumni Quick Takes
36
Arts & Letters
37
ON THE COVER
Sixth grader Courtney O’Brien drives
the ball across the Upper Field during a
soccer game against Campbell Hall.
PHOTO RIGHT
Colorful totems made by students
in grades DK-3 from two-liter plastic
bottles covered with plaster and painted
in traditional totem colors create a
dazzling display and add a whimsical
touch to the school entrance. The
project was inspired by Alaskan Tlingit
artist Nathan Jackson.
Curtis School
Holds First-ever
Mock Election
The return to school in the fall is tinged with
the excitement inherent in the promise of a
brand new year. The looming U.S. presidential
election added its own overtones of anticipation
to the Curtis campus in the weeks leading up to
Election Day and offered an ideal opportunity to
practice the democratic process at school.
Seizing the moment, Charley Martin, Director of the
Experiential Education Program, floated the idea of
an Upper Elementary mock election for president
and the California propositions, and Student Council
ran with it. Mr. Martin sees his role as “creating
a structure in the background to help the students
be successful.” His objective is to give them the
opportunity to carry out a goal without relying on
adults to make it happen. Drawing on their own
experience watching elections and visiting polling
places with their parents, the students created a
list of jobs and assigned themselves to the roles
necessary to mount and run the election.
In preparation for Election Day, Student Council
members made signs and ballot boxes for the
polling place and hundreds of stickers. They
announced the upcoming election at flag and
encouraged faculty, staff and all Upper Elementary
students to cast their votes. Voter information
packets were made available so that students could
study up on the issues.
Third grader Jack Shane signs in at the voter registration table
before picking up a ballot. Voter information packets helped
the students learn about the issues before voting.
November 4. Student Council poll workers
guided faculty, staff and students to tables where
they signed voting registers and picked up
ballots. Poll workers showed voters to booths,
helped them drop their ballots in the appropriate
ballot box and handed out stickers that
proclaimed “I Voted!” and “I Respect Others’
Opinions.”
The turnout was high: 219 of 253 students
(87%) in the third through sixth grades cast
ballots. Participation in fifth and sixth grades
was 91% and 94% respectively. Because the poll
workers were well prepared and performed their
jobs conscientiously, they were able to process
270 voters in roughly 30 minutes. Mr. Martin
was thrilled with the way the mock election
turned out. “The students made it happen,” he
says. “It’s working if I can stand on the sidelines
and the event runs on its own.”
U.S. Presidential Election Results
On October 30, voters entering the Ahmanson
Auditorium stepped into a polling place as real in
appearance as any of the hundreds of thousands
of neighborhood garages around the country
that would double as official voting locations on
Barak Obama/
Joe Biden
Democratic Party
John McCain/
Sarah Palin
Republican Party
All Others
Popular Vote
Percentage of Total
Popular Vote
Percentage of Total
Popular Vote
Percentage of Total
66,862,039
58,319,442
1,649,005
United States1
52.7%
46.0%
1.3%
8,274,473
5,011,781
275,646
61.0%
37.0%
2.0%
2,295,853
956,425
65,970
69.2%
28.8%
2.0%
California2
Los Angeles
County2
195
72
1
73.0%
27.0%
<1.0%
Curtis School3
1
Students took seriously the opportunity to choose the next
U.S. President in Curtis’ mock election. Cardboard polling
booths ensured voter privacy.
Popular vote reported by The New York Times, December 9, 2008, http://elections.nytimes.
com/2008/results/president/map.html. Percentages compiled from state results published in
the same source.
2
Official Statement of Vote, certified by the Secretary of State of California, December 13,
2008, http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2008_general/contents.htm.
3
Election results for Curtis School reported by Charley Martin.
curtis magazine — winter 2009 | 2
The polling place ready, Student Council waits for the lunch time crush of voters. Its efforts to get the vote out were rewarded by
a high turnout. This energetic group of student representatives also organized the Talent Show, a charitable fundraiser and a winter
clothes drive.
Upper Elementary Student Council
A Training Ground for Leadership
In an election year, it makes good sense to take a careful look
at how as citizens we select our leaders. At Curtis, students
have been encouraged to do just that in casting their votes for
sixth grade Student Council representatives last October and
student body president this year. Following a thoughtful review
of the selection process for these offices, election procedures were
redesigned to reduce the influences of popularity and campaigning
and provide a framework for choice based on demonstrated
qualities of leadership.
The sixth grade three-day retreat in Temescal Canyon at the
beginning of the school year provided an ideal opportunity to
begin the process. The trip focused on developing leadership and
social communication skills through a variety of activities. The
students were challenged by group initiatives and cooperated in
a joint community service project with a group of students from
LAUSD schools that works with the Los Angeles Conservation
Corps. Throughout the experience, the trip leaders facilitated
discussion with the students about what worked, what didn’t, and
what constituted good leadership. “There’s a fine line between
group dynamics and leadership,” says Charley Martin, Director of
the Experiential Education Program. “Facilitating the group, helping
the group move forward, being a good communicator, cooperating
with and listening to others are all qualities of a good leader,” he
explains.
Having explored “what makes a good leader” as peers during the
retreat, the sixth graders were later encouraged to reflect on the
qualities they had identified and elect as their Student Council
3 | curtis magazine — winter 2009
representatives classmates who
best embodied those traits. The
eight who were chosen, a boy
and a girl from each of the four
sixth grade classes, comprise
the Executive Council—the core
leadership body within the larger
Upper Elementary Student Council
and the pool of candidates for
student body president.
The Executive Council develops
the agenda for Student Council,
leads weekly meetings and
engages members to contribute
ideas and carry out plans.
Ultimately, the Executive Council
is responsible for moving ideas
from the drawing board to reality.
Working together, the Student
Council accomplished three
ambitious projects in the first
months of the current year. In
November alone, it organized a
talent show for students in grades
four through six, held a mock
election of the U.S. President, put
on a bake sale that raised almost
$1,100 to benefit the victims
of recent Los Angeles area fires,
and collected winter clothing for needy families.
The successful outcome of each of these projects
required Student Council members to plan, divide
up jobs, assume responsibility for their own roles
and cooperate closely.
These projects also provided opportunities for
Executive Council members to demonstrate their
leadership skills within the larger Student Council,
an important factor in the way the student body
president is now elected. In past years, candidates
have actively campaigned by giving speeches and
making posters, and all students in the fourth
through sixth grades were eligible to vote. This
year, voting will be limited to Student Council
representatives in grades four through six—those
students who have had a genuine opportunity to
observe and work with the candidates.
Before the election, Mr. Martin will engage the
Student Council in a discussion about leadership,
mirroring the process undertaken with the sixth
graders during their retreat. Student Council
representatives will be encouraged to base their
votes for president on the Executive Council
members’ performances in Student Council meetings
and their contributions to advancing the Student
Council agenda so far. “The candidates for president
have the opportunity to earn the office,” says Mr.
Martin. And, the Student Council representatives,
who have worked with the candidates for half a
year now, will be well positioned to choose a good
leader.
The 2008-2009 Executive Council (top to bottom, left to
right): Brian Adler, Paige Dubelko, Ethan Madison, Sara Evall,
Roman Holthouse, Victoria Haglund, Sarah Winshel and Jason
Oberman (not pictured). The Executive Council is the core
leadership group within Student Council.
Although campaigning would not play a part in
choosing the student body president this year, Mr.
Martin did not want the sixth grade representatives
to lose a valuable opportunity for public speaking.
He offered them the choice of speaking individually
about what each proposed to bring to Student
Council or developing a joint presentation about
what they wanted to accomplish as a group.
Demonstrating a remarkable level of cooperation
and cohesion from the start, they chose to work
together. The students brainstormed ideas as a
group, and each wrote a segment describing one of
the goals of the Executive Council this year.
Within one week of its election, the Executive
Council had assembled a visually rich PowerPoint
presentation and, with each member speaking in
turn, delivered it to an assembly of the Upper
Elementary division. The sixth grade representatives
were already putting into action the very qualities of
leadership that had earned them a position on the
Executive Council: facilitating the group, helping
it move forward, communicating, cooperating and
listening. The new system is working.
Ethan Madison takes his turn at the podium to present the
Executive Council’s goals for the year to an assembly of the
Upper Elementary students.
not as a subject but as a tool to
be used every day in the course
of learning and creating, much as
reading and writing are tools that
support learning in core subjects.
The parallel goal for teachers is
not to “teach” technology per se
but to use it as a way to impart
information.
SMART specialist Jason Moore is helping teachers put technology where it
belongs—in the curriculum.
Integrating Technology
into Classroom Learning
Technology touches every aspect of our lives from the
moment we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep
at night. New technologies emerge in a continuous and
rapid stream and are changing the way people live, work,
play, socialize, create and learn. The pervasive influence of
technology on our lives is also changing the way educators
look at teaching and using it in schools.
Keeping Curtis on the cutting edge of digital learning, technology
literacy is being incorporated increasingly into the core classroom
curriculum. Two of the most visible signposts of this evolution are
the expansion of SMART Boards on the campus and the elimination
this year of computer science as a discrete subject in grades four
through six. A third is the hiring of a specialist to facilitate the
transition.
Jason Moore, the new Technology Integration Specialist, brings a
skill set uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal. Mr. Moore,
who moved from Melbourne, Australia, to join the Curtis faculty,
combines a background in education as an elementary school
teacher and technology coordinator with experience as an Education
Specialist Accounts Manager for Australia’s leading SMART Board
company. In that position, he helped schools implement SMART
Board technology and provided professional development for
teachers on how to use it effectively within the curriculum.
At Curtis, Mr. Moore’s primary role is to support teachers’
initiatives to integrate technology into the classroom. Academic
Dean and Acting Head of Upper Elementary Chris Thinnes and Mr.
Moore share the philosophy that technology should not be taught
as a specialty class but rather should be incorporated into every
facet of the curriculum. They want students to view technology
To support these objectives, Mr.
Moore works closely with teachers
in both the Lower and Upper
Elementary divisions. He meets
cyclically with Upper Elementary
teachers to suggest ways in which
different technologies can be
applied to specific lesson plans
and follows up with classroom
visits to give students the skills
they need to apply the selected
technologies to the lessons.
He has helped the UE students
integrate technology into a variety
of projects and subject areas.
For example, he taught fourth
graders effective Internet search
techniques to find information for
their projects on the California
missions. Students learned about
web browsers, what constitutes
a trusted site and how to sift
through “hits” to locate the
specific facts they needed. In
language arts, he helped fourth
graders use skills in Word beyond
basic keyboarding to publish
their poems. He introduced
PowerPoint to students in the fifth
grade classes who were studying
the presidential election and
showed them how they could
use it to compare and contrast
the candidates’ stances on issues
like taxes, the war in Iraq, and
the environment. And, in sixth
grade, Mr. Moore led students
through a critique of PowerPoint
presentations they had already
created and showed them how to
incorporate more advanced visual
presentation skills—including
color palettes, fonts, images and
animation—to enhance their
subject.
Sandy Kiratsoulis gives a lesson on short and long vowel sounds
using one of the school’s new interactive SMART Boards. SMART
technology allows both the teacher and class to manipulate what
is on the screen.
With her fingertips, second grader Vienna Webb sorts a list of
words, dragging them into circles on the SMART Board that
correspond to their vowel sounds.
With the expansion of SMART Boards on campus
this year, Mr. Moore’s particular expertise in this
technology has been especially valuable. SMART
integration is a focus in the first and second grade
classrooms, all of which are now equipped with the
boards. Mr. Moore is mentoring the teachers in these
grades, helping them learn the technology and, as
needed, providing ideas about how it can be used
to deliver the curriculum. Given his background as
a teacher, he has also been able to suggest lesson
ideas to assist with integration. Armed with SMART
Board skills, the teachers are now creating interactive
lessons in math, English and social studies on their
own.
the board. Instructors and students can interact
with the computer by touching the board or
writing on wireless slates that can be passed
around the class. SMART Boards are effective
because they support the three principal learning
styles: visual, kinesthetic and auditory. According
to Mr. Moore, studies show that SMART Boards
retain students’ attention for longer periods than
do traditional whiteboards. In addition, SMART
Boards increase efficiency and reinforce learning.
Teachers can save work the class has done on the
SMART Board and recall it to continue or review
later.
For now, Mr. Moore’s role is hands-on, but in time
he will provide background support. “The goal
is to give teachers and students the skills to use
technology effectively in what they are doing every
day,” he says. “Once the skills are in place, the
teachers can utilize them in future learning.”
The current vision is to make SMART Boards
the standard on campus, as they are a powerful
educational tool for the current generation of digital
learners. SMART Boards are interactive hardboard
screens fitted with electronic sensors that allow users
to control a computer (usually the instructor’s) from
“SMART Boards are the tip of the iceberg,”
says Mr. Moore. “They open up a new range
of possibilities for interactive learning.” Addons to SMART Boards like Senteo, an instant
polling device that allows students to answer
questions with a remote control and provides
instant feedback of results, and the interactive
SMART Table, a touch system that allows a
group of students to manipulate what is on the
LCD tabletop, engage students and increase their
retention rates and performance, according to
Mr. Moore. “Where we are at the moment is at
the infancy of where interactive technology is,
but we are heading in a very positive direction.”
Around the Quad
A Flag Assembly is momentarily interrupted with the glide-by of a great red-tailed hawk that draws the students’ attention and
“oohs” and “aahs” of general admiration.
Clean-up is as good as play to Ben Walter (DK) and his classmates under
showery faucets in the roomy outdoor art sink.
In-N-Out Burger Day brings a smile to fifth
grader Joe Katz’ face.
The sixth grade boys’ red football team huddles to discuss strategy between plays.
Mr. Albert, Headmaster Switzer and Mr. Kolb (left to right) set up sundaes at the 4th
and 5th grade ice cream social, a popular yearly Party Book event.
Mirabelle Weinbach (Grade 1) and other Seedlings make festive
Thanksgiving napkin rings for Para Los Niños families.
Jacqui Maatta (Kindergarten) savors a
cupful of sweetness.
Adam Blackman (Kindergarten) trades a dollar for a tasty
homemade treat at the Student Council bake sale fundraiser
for fire victims.
Dad’s Pancake Breakfast chefs Larry Richman, Don Muller, Glenn Levie, Steve Beeks, Andrew Goldsmith and Jim Harris (left to
right) flip flapjacks for a hungry crowd at the Holiday Boutique.
Let it snow! Katie Suchniak (Grade 1) cuts out paper snowflakes
for scenery at the Winter Arts Showcase.
Demonstrating the Curtis motto, Pilar Schrage (Grade 2)
shows her compassionate heart by offering a kind hand to a
nestling bird found on campus.
Jason Dulberg laughs between takes at a rehearsal of
the First Grade’s winter concert numbers.
Camera Obscura
As an introduction to photography in the sixth grade
visual arts curriculum, students learned about the
various parts of a camera. Using that knowledge and
their imaginations, they abstracted and redesigned
cameras in acrylic on canvas.
Jason Oberman
Jordan Tager
Will Cox
Anna Barnes
Cookie Litvack
Josh Krutchik
Headmaster Stephen E. Switzer photographed in front of the Kissick Family Pavilion on January 12, 2009.
keep Curtis on the leading edge of educational
currents. Today, Curtis is one of the preeminent
elementary schools in the region. At the end of June
2009, Mr. Switzer will pass the baton of leadership
to Peter Smailes, former Head of the Middle School
(2000-2008) and Upper School (1998-2000; 20012002).
Enter the Curtis School campus and you
immediately hear the music. Listen to the
lilting melodies of the children’s laughter
as they line up for morning flag. Feel the
rhythmic beat of the basketball as it hits
the court in the Kissick Pavilion. Hear the
staccato notes of chalk on the blackboard as
math problems are solved in the classroom.
Relish the quiet respite of concentration
as students immerse themselves in silent
reading. Coming together like the varied
During Headmaster Switzer’s tenure, progress
has been made in nearly every area of the
school. It has depended on the willingness of
the several constituents that make up Curtis
School—administrators, teachers, staff, trustees and
families—to collaborate to make Curtis the best it
can be. No one is more insistent on this point than
Mr. Switzer. “Our success is a direct result of the
spirit of partnership and teamwork,” he is quick
to point out. Teamwork has been a hallmark of his
headmastership, and Board Chair Philip Holthouse
has hailed as one of Mr. Switzer’s greatest legacies
the leadership team he has created.
Headmaster
Switzer
sections of a world-class orchestra, the result
is a symphony of educational splendor. This
orchestra has been masterfully led for the past
12 years under the artful baton of conductor
Headmaster Stephen E. Switzer.
When he arrived here in the fall of 1997, Mr.
Switzer took the stage as Curtis’ fifth headmaster.
He inherited a school with an already welldefined ethos and established traditions that
had been cultivated by stability in the highest
leadership position. Since then Mr. Switzer has
focused on building upon the school’s existing
strengths, preserving the best of what came
before, and looking forward and outward to
Curtis is continually evolving. A defining quality
of Mr. Switzer’s tenure has been the embracing of
change that constitutes progress consistent with the
school’s culture. “A vibrant institution is not static;
it must be dynamic,” he says. Supremely conscious
that the work is never finished, he typically follows
up any report of progress with the reminder that
there is still more to accomplish.
The focus has remained squarely on what is best
for children. Curtis is all about children and their
individuality, Mr. Switzer has often said, and that
has been his guidepost through the years. On his
first visit to the campus in the spring of 1997, he
was most struck by how happy the children were and how eager they
were to be here. Stephen Rountree, Chair of the Board of Trustees that
hired Mr. Switzer and a longtime member of the Curtis community,
recalls, “When I first walked around the campus with Steve, he was
the only candidate who instinctively dropped to one knee when a
small child approached so he could talk with her at her level. The kids
were comfortable with Steve and so were the teachers. Those were the
keys.” Mr. Switzer had precisely the qualities of leadership the trustees
were seeking, says Mr. Rountree: “The Board saw in Steve Switzer a
deeply caring and experienced school head, who demonstrated the
commitment to strengthen Curtis’ curriculum while preserving the core
values.”
With characteristic fundamental concern for the students in the Curtis
symphony, our “piccolos and flutes,” Mr. Switzer orchestrated a
revision of the Mission Statement in his first year as headmaster to
more appropriately focus on the journey of the individual child rather
than the child the school aimed to produce. “Nurture a student’s
natural abilities,” “inspire a love of learning,” “active partnership
between family and school,” and “special joys of childhood” are
phrases woven into today’s Mission Statement, which reflects Mr.
Switzer’s educational philosophy, sets Curtis’ institutional tone and
guides all work.
Programs
From the start, Mr. Switzer has focused on strengthening Curtis’
primary mission to provide a well-rounded education that balances
academics, the arts and athletics. Former Curtis Trustee Jeff Melvoin, a
member of the Academic Affairs Committee when Mr. Switzer began
his term as headmaster, believes that “the initial challenges were in key
academic and administrative areas where the school needed to evolve to
keep pace with the demands of a new century.”
One of the most significant challenges of his administration has been
the coordination and enrichment of the curriculum. In the early years,
Mr. Switzer frequently fielded questions at parent meetings about
differences in the curriculum from classroom to classroom within a
grade. A major effort has been underway for several years to set clear
standards for learning and to align the curriculum horizontally—so that
children within each grade have a similar experience—and vertically—
so that content and skills learned in one grade build to the next. The
process is ongoing, but tremendous progress has been made.
Early on, benchmarks for learning were set for each grade. From
there, scope and sequence pacing guides have been developed and
implemented in core subjects. These help teachers within a grade stay
in sync by covering the same content over the same time period. The
process has depended on administrative support, divisional leadership,
faculty commitment and funding from the Parents Association—in
short, an enormous collaborative effort. Sarina Fierro, Head of the
Lower Elementary division, believes that cutting-edge tools like
Curriculum Mapper, along with more systematic grade- and divisionlevel meetings and professional development days, have galvanized
alignment within and between the Upper and Lower Elementary.
“Both divisions are on the same track and pace, and there is lots of
collaboration between them,” she says. “This is a huge change.”
Headmaster of Le Jardin Academy
in Kailua, Hawaii, for 12 years before
coming to Curtis, Mr. Switzer
began his career in education as an
elementary and middle school teacher
in Ohio.
The academic program
continues to benefit
enormously from recent
structural changes within
the divisions. “The goal
has been to keep class size
as low as possible,” says
Mr. Switzer, reflecting the
consensus opinion of the
faculty and administrative
team. The addition of a fourth
homeroom in each grade in
the Upper Elementary has
reduced the student-teacher
ratio from 22:1 to 16.5:1.
In the Lower Elementary,
the adoption of an Associate
Teacher/Lead Teacher
classroom model now places
two fully qualified instructors
in each of the homerooms
in grades K through 2 and
cuts the student-teacher ratio
in those grades in half (from
22:1 to 11:1). Now teachers
in both divisions are able
to give more individualized
support to learners of all
abilities; assessment of student
progress is more frequent; and
the teaching environment is
equally enhanced.
Reflecting Curtis’ mission to
serve the individual child,
within his first year as headmaster, Mr. Switzer hired the
school’s first psychologist. The school psychologist adds
depth to the larger Curtis orchestra; her value to a decade
of students, teachers, families and school programs has been
incalculable. She supports classroom teachers in their efforts
to address each child’s learning style and needs; provides
expertise on child development and parenting issues; and
refers families to appropriate on- and off-campus resources.
Support services for learners who might benefit from
additional individualized help in acquiring specific academic
skills have been greatly expanded under Mr. Switzer’s tenure
as well.
When he arrived, the arts were something of a “stepchild”
compared to academics and athletics, says Mr. Switzer.
Ten years ago, that changed dramatically when he hired
Annie Grimes to create an age-appropriate music program
for the younger children, and, a year later, Jimmy Worth
to teach the older students. Now, in accordance with the
school’s mission to balance traditional academics with
“lively experiences in art and music,” there is more
equitable support for the arts. “This administration has been
overwhelmingly supportive of the growth of the music
department,” notes Mrs. Grimes. Instruction in the visual and
performing arts benefits the entire curriculum by helping
to build 21st century skills children need that require both
right- and left-brain processing.
Believing that Curtis deserved its own full-fledged orchestra
program, Mr. Switzer supported Mr. Worth’s creation of
an in-house orchestra to replace the existing outsourced,
after-school program that served only 15 students. Today,
the Curtis Choir and Curtis Elementary Symphony number
Aloha, Mr. Switzer! The new headmaster gets an
island welcome on his first day at Curtis School.
on average 75 students each year.
Elite performance groups, they have
consistently earned top honors at
local music festivals since they began
competing. In addition to choir and
a new choristers group, the music
program offers an extraordinary array
of opportunities, including instruction
in individual instruments, string and
wind/percussion sections at several
ability levels, and musicianship skills.
Radical improvements in the music
department, coupled with the addition
of drama to the fifth and sixth grade
curriculum, have greatly enlarged the
scope of children’s experience in the
arts in a few short years.
Athletics has always been strong at
Curtis, and support for that program
has not diminished. Firmly committed
to nurturing a “sound mind in a
sound body,” Curtis has managed
to strengthen the arts and academic
programs without diverting resources
from or curtailing time allotted to
the physical education program. This
balance has been maintained through
curricular alignment and a modest
increase in the length of the school
day.
“The administration realizes the value
of the athletics program and gives us
For Mr. Switzer, Curtis is all about children.
an optimal schedule that accommodates the large
number of Curtis teams and the many games they
play,” says Athletics Director Mark Nott. There has
been consistent support for a full coaching staff
under Mr. Switzer’s administration. Having adequate
personnel enables Curtis to field multiple teams in
each grade. This in turn maximizes each student’s
playing time and supports the child’s developmental
pace by enabling him/her to play with other
students of the same ability level.
One accomplishment of which Mr. Switzer is
extremely proud is Curtis’ lasting contribution to
competitive athletics within the San Fernando Valley
Private School League. In 2005, Coach David Pappin
and the Student Council drafted a Code of Conduct
that sets a high standard of behavior for coaches,
teams and spectators at league games. Coach Pappin
secured the Code’s adoption, and now each year all
member schools’ athletic directors and coaches must
pledge to uphold it in order to compete in league
play. The Code is continuing to raise the level of
sportsmanship and spectator conduct at games, and
Curtis’ values are being felt in the larger independent
school community.
Board Chair Philip Holthouse (left) and Mr. Switzer work to
improve Curtis School.
Improvements in the balance and content of the
programs have significantly advanced Curtis’ mission
to provide a well-rounded education that prepares
children “to pursue confidently the journey of their
lives.” Curtis is held in high esteem in the local
school community. Curtis graduates are known to
be well prepared academically, well adjusted socially
and caring and responsible school citizens. The
secondary school outplacement process has been
greatly personalized and refined during the past
ten years, and Curtis graduates are placed well at a
diverse number of schools that are a good match for
them.
Jay Wintrob, Chair of the Board of Trustees
from 2002 to 2005, vividly recalls Mr. Switzer’s
“devotion to and true belief in the mission
statement of Curtis, and the balance it embraces
between academics, athletics/arts and the
development of conscientious, compassionate,
‘good kids’ with a kind heart.” Mr. Wintrob
says, “By staying focused on this simple
aspirational message, Steve helped Curtis grow
and prosper and send many very well prepared
kids on to the next stage of their academic
journey.”
Diversity and Multicultural Perspective
Deeply committed to creating a symphony
in which all instruments’ voices are heard,
Mr. Switzer renewed Curtis’ commitment to
diversity in his very first year as headmaster. Jeff
Melvoin recalls, “The leaders of Curtis School
had long been interested in promoting diversity
and multiculturalism on campus and beyond,
but it wasn’t until Steve’s administration that
we were truly in a position to make this a
serious, consistent commitment. With Steve’s
strong encouragement, we added language
to the Mission Statement that made progress
in this area an explicit goal. We convened a
new Diversity and Multiculturalism Committee
[DMC], drawing upon teachers, administrators,
parents, and students to create programs, share
ideas, and spread awareness.” In addition to
revising the school Mission Statement, the DMC,
headed by Mr. Melvoin, drafted the Curtis
School Diversity Mission Statement, a watershed
declaration that commits Curtis “to becoming a
leader among independent elementary schools
in pursuing diversity within its constituencies
and in providing multicultural viewpoints in its
programs and daily life.”
Beyond the statements of mission, real
progress has been made. The diversity of the
student body has doubled, increasing from
approximately 11 percent to 23 percent during
Mr. Switzer’s tenure. Supporting the goal of
increasing the diversity of our student body,
the DMC sends parent ambassadors to meet
with families from preschools that may not
be aware of Curtis. This effort has helped to
raise Curtis’ profile in the broader Los Angeles
community and has increased the diversity
of our applicant pool. Mr. Switzer and the
administrative team have also actively worked
to increase the diversity of the faculty and staff
as positions opened up. Mr. Switzer affirms
Evan Kantor accepts his diploma from Headmaster Switzer at the final graduation of the Upper School classes in June 2007.
the need to continue to build a more diverse
Curtis community. “Regardless of how strong
a program we offer in academics, athletics and
the arts, the best learning environment for
our children in the 21st century is one that
realistically reflects the broader community,” he
declares.
Numbers do not tell the whole story; a shift
in institutional mindset has been transforming
Curtis as well. For several years, the DMC and
the Parents Association have initiated events that
celebrate the world’s cultures and their many
contributions. Planned curriculum and activities
inside and outside the classroom further support
the organic development of the children’s
appreciation of differences and teach them about
the diversity of cultures that make up our society
and world. Instructional materials used in the
classrooms have become increasingly diverse.
Mr. Thinnes attributes this to a greater awareness
on the part of the faculty of the importance of
contributions made to our society from a range
of cultures. Recently, for example, classroom
libraries were reorganized to include books that
more accurately reflect, celebrate and explore
issues relevant to the diverse society in which
we live.
Jeff Melvoin fondly remembers the many hours
he spent with Steve and others in the Curtis
community in planning the initial objectives of
the Diversity and Multiculturalism Committee.
“I am proud that the school, which has always
prided itself justifiably on its affection and
concern for its students, has taken a leadership
position by extending its vision to the broader
community of Los Angeles and the world itself,”
he says. “With the election of President Obama, it’s
hard not to feel some sense of pride that we were
onto something vitally important and in our own
small way, perhaps, helped Curtis School ally itself
with the vanguard of social progress and equality.”
Environment
Enter the Curtis campus, hear the music and
view the natural landscape of one of the most
beautiful schools in Los Angeles. The Facilities and
Maintenance departments keep the buildings and
grounds in superior condition through planning,
care and foresight. The physical plant has not
changed fundamentally since the major buildout of the classrooms and Kissick Pavilion that
was completed in 1996, although many smaller
improvements have benefited programs and the
comfort of all who use the campus. Among the most
notable are the addition of a second DK classroom,
Mr. Switzer, here with Amy Shaughnessy in 2002, cherishes
his time with the students.
Art imitates life when Mr. Switzer as “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen, surprises the crowd
with a spirited rendering of “Born in the U.S.A.” at the Curtis American Idol show in 2008.
Exchanging his “headmaster’s robes”
for a top hat and tails, Mr. Switzer
plays ringmaster at Send-Off for the
Under the Big Top Fair in 2006.
“The administration recognizes
that having what we need
to withstand a manmade or
natural emergency is in the best
interest of the school.”
After a National Association of
Independent Schools (NAIS)
conference on sustainability
in 2007, our headmaster
conductor returned to campus
with a new musical score
that awakened strains of
environmental consciousness at
With grace and good humor, Mr. Switzer granted every request to lend his presence to
Curtis. Mr. Switzer challenged
campus merriment. As head of school, he was a shoo-in to play Dumbledore in the sixth
the Curtis community to take a
grade class film last year.
leadership role in modeling and
the installation of new playground equipment and a
teaching stewardship of the Earth’s resources. As a
climbing wall, the recent upgrade of the Ahmanson
result, a green movement is gaining momentum
Building and the construction of restrooms on the
in all quarters of the school and conscious efforts
Upper Field.
are being made to achieve that goal.
Security, virtually nonexistent when Mr. Switzer
came to Curtis, has been a major focus of planning
and resources. Under Mr. Switzer, a kiosk was
built to secure the entrance to the school, a
security company monitors the campus daily, and
surveillance cameras have been installed throughout
the grounds. The realization of a secured campus
creates a safe space in which children can thrive.
Emergency planning and preparedness has also
improved dramatically in the past decade. With
staunch support from Mr. Switzer, the trustees and
the administrative team, detailed plans have been
developed to respond to a variety of scenarios and
ensure the safety of people on campus in the event
of an emergency or disaster. Fire, earthquake and
lock-down drills are regularly practiced; supplies
are stockpiled; and all employees are trained in
first aid and CPR. Facilities Director Jeff Albert says,
At this time, all trash is sorted for recycling;
all clippings are sent for composting; and most
buildings have been retrofitted with energy-saving
light fixtures and low-flush toilets. To conserve
precious water, satellite-driven irrigation systems
turn off sprinklers when atmospheric conditions
are wet. Two years ago, to help reduce the use
of plastic throwaway bottles, a water filtration
system was installed throughout the campus and
the Parents Association bought reusable bottles
for all students and faculty. At about the same
time, CougarNotes, Curtis’ online school news
source, replaced the six-hundred paper copies of
the Tuesday Bulletin that were being sent home
weekly for years. On a path of progress towards
sustainability, Curtis is now poised to join the
Green Schools Alliance and set benchmarks for
further reducing the school’s carbon footprint.
Support for Curtis
The growth of the school’s endowment over the
past twelve years is one of the most significant
accomplishments of Mr. Switzer’s tenure. When
he arrived as headmaster, the endowment was
approximately 3 million dollars. In 2002-2003,
the school launched the “Securing the Future
Campaign,” with the ambitious goal of raising
8 million dollars to ensure continued financial
stability and more closely conform to the NAIS
recommendation for a school of Curtis’ size.
At the end of the campaign, in June 2005,
more than 9 million dollars had been raised.
The endowment has since risen to 13.5 million
dollars.
The campaign’s success is one measure of the
supportive and cooperative partnership between
“Headmaster for a Day” Ali Iken confers with his mentor.
looked forward to her weekly meetings with Mr.
Switzer and recalls their collaboration as a “true
partnership.” “He was genuinely interested in
learning about everything the PA was doing, and he
never missed a single event I told him about,” she
recalls. “Never failing to express his appreciation for
each person’s contribution, Steve’s presence, warmth
and caring were felt at every meeting and event.”
This close relationship is reflected in PA-sponsored
events and activities that honor and support the
faculty, staff and administrators. In addition, the PA
contributes to both the endowment and scholarship
funds and allocates several hundred thousand
dollars in monies raised to Curtis each year. Parents
Association funding has provided critical additional
support for programs, professional development,
improvements in the physical plant and the
acquisition of new technologies.
Into the 21st Century
Mr. Switzer briefs parents about the state of the school and
administrative matters in the monthly Parents Association
meeting.
the parents and the school that is a hallmark
of Mr. Switzer’s leadership. “The generosity of
the parent body who supported the campaign
created a permanent benefit to our school,”
notes Chief Operating and Financial Officer Bob
Kolb. That generosity is visible in the area of
annual fundraising as well. Over the past 12
years, parent participation in Annual Giving has
risen markedly and is consistently in the range of
90 to 95 percent of families—another testament
to the close relationship that has been fostered
between the school and Curtis families.
The Parents Association has always played a
central role at Curtis. Parents work with the
school’s administration to support and enhance
programs, and cooperation has increased during
Mr. Switzer’s tenure. “Parents feel connected
to the school and want to give back,” explains
Beth Kleid, President of the Parents Association
in 2006-2007. As PA President, Ms. Kleid
The world of technology has exploded at Curtis
during the last 12 years. From the advent of a
school-wide email system in 2002 to the current
integration of SMART Boards into classrooms
across the campus, Curtis is striving to stay on
the cutting edge of educational technology and
communication. Under Mr. Switzer, a school website
was created; mobile computer labs were purchased;
and wireless networking now links technologies
and users throughout the campus. Staying abreast
of best educational practices, Curtis is increasingly
integrating technology learning into the core
curriculum.
Progress achieved in the school during Mr. Switzer’s
tenure was affirmed in the official report issued in
2008 by the California Association of Independent
Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC) that granted Curtis
a new six-year term of accreditation, the longest
possible and least restrictive term. The grant
followed the school’s exhaustive self-study and
an external review by the CAIS-WASC Visiting
Committee. The committee’s report includes 11
major commendations for contributions made by
the Board of Trustees, headmaster, administration,
faculty, staff, students and families in many areas of
the school, its programs and governance. The Action
plan that grew out of the self-study and accreditation
recommendations will guide future progress.
Mr. Switzer has identified as one of the school’s most
important challenges the creation of global citizens.
“The world our children will inhabit as adults
will be faster paced, more global in outlook and
more interconnected on every level than the one
we grew up in,” he predicts. “We must educate
students for the world of the future so they will
be optimally prepared to meet whatever challenges
that world may bring.” It is a concern that he has
brought to the forefront of the school community’s
consciousness within the last year.
To tackle that question and others that he believes
will significantly differentiate Curtis and take the
school to a higher level of excellence, Mr. Switzer
convened Research Study Groups in the Arts,
Educational Technology, Global Awareness and
Science. The work of the Research Study Groups
will continue to provide guidance as Curtis moves
forward in developing educational programs and
implementing the Master Plan.
The school has become a close-knit family
under Mr. Switzer. New parent meetings help
to connect the newest members of the family
to Curtis early in the year. Administrators,
faculty and staff are welcoming and available.
And teamwork is the keynote of Mr. Switzer’s
addresses to faculty and staff at in-service
meetings.
Mr. Switzer daily nurtures Curtis’ partnership
between school and family. Carrying on the
longstanding tradition of the headmaster’s
greeting at drop-off, Mr. Switzer is in the circle
every morning. He is never too busy to pause
to listen to a child. The morning flag ceremony,
when the whole school gathers together as a
family, is one of his favorite times.
One of the composers and arrangers of the
music that has been heard over the last decade
is Peter Smailes. When Headmaster Switzer
passes the baton of leadership to Mr. Smailes at
the end of the school year, the music of a new
conductor will be heard at Curtis. But it will
still be made by an orchestra of many sections
playing in harmony, a legacy of Mr. Switzer’s
years as conductor and headmaster.
A snowshoe enthusiast, Mr. Switzer cuts a frosty trail at the base of the majestic Grand Tetons in Wyoming, where he and Mrs.
Switzer make their second home.
Up, down and winding around, Go Gator is a perennial favorite of young fairgoers.
Curtis Rocks
the House!
By Pam Beeks, Parents Association President
At the beginning of every year, our annual
Fair brings the Curtis community together in
the most amazing way, and this fall was no
exception. The hottest ticket in town was the
Curtis Rocks! Tour 2008 Fair, which took the
stage on campus on Sunday, October 12.
Our extraordinarily talented and hardworking Tour
Producers, Dagny Dubelko, Cindy LeBauer, Susan
Samuels and Kristi Stearns, brought the house down
with non-stop entertainment that lasted all weekend
long. These Fair Chairs are what rock legends are
made of, and the Curtis Rocks! Fair is definitely
headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The fun began on Friday afternoon with the highly
anticipated Fair Send-off show, Curtis American
Idol. The kids sat in awe as they watched (through
John Lennon-inspired spectacles) the contestants,
our very own star-studded teachers, administrators
and staff members, give Grammy Award-winning
performances as legends of rock past and present.
Directed, produced and choreographed by ultratalented music teacher Annie Grimes, the show
was a rollicking musical romp punctuated by the
hilarious commentary of our very own Simon, Paula
and Randy.
The festivities moved to Boulevard 3 in Hollywood
that evening, where 400 people packed the chic
Step right up! Carny Curtis dad Uri
Blackman takes tickets for a chance at the
Water Clown Race.
club to capacity for the Pre-Fair
Party. This traditional, adultsonly event gives Curtis parents,
faculty and staff an opportunity
to take a break from the frenzy
before the Fair and socialize in a
fun environment, while raising
money for the school at the same
time.
The night began in the club’s
private courtyard, a stone-paved,
elegant outdoor anteroom heated
by a roaring fireplace. In this
urban oasis, the silent auction
was stunningly staged in cabanas
ranged around a reflecting pool.
Here, trays of delectable hors
d’oeuvres were passed to the
guests, who chatted and soaked
up the club’s unique ambiance.
Afterwards, the crowd moved
into the beautifully appointed
ballroom for a spirited live
auction.
But, the party really kicked
into high gear when George
Thorogood and the Destroyers
claimed the stage. The band
delivered a high-octane concert
that exhilarated the crowd and
kept everyone dancing all night
and getting “B-b-b-bad to the
Bone” with rocker and Curtis dad
George Thorogood.
From face painting to cookie decorating,
the Fair is a child’s delight.
Lighthearted jesting and the hidden musical talents of faculty and staff “rock stars”
tickled and entertained students at the Fair Send-Off show, Curtis American Idol.
The headliner of the weekend, of course, was the
Curtis Rocks! Fair. On Sunday, the campus was
transformed into an all-access concert event that
rocked all day long with thrilling rides, games of
skill and chance, mouth-watering food and one
of the best silent auctions ever. In the maze of
activity, one thing stood out—the spirit of the
Curtis community. The Fair captured the essence
of what Curtis is all about: working side-by-side
and bringing the Curtis family together.
“It is amazing to see how the countless hours
of hard work by so many resulted in a day
that looked effortless,” said Fair Chair Susan
Samuels. What looked effortless was actually the
result of an all-out community effort. Forty-two
committees worked for thousands of hours in
the months, weeks and days leading up to the
Fair. And, on Fair day itself, all parents were
called to duty. Of course, the show could not go
on without the steadfast support, encouragement
and participation of the school’s administration,
faculty and staff. “It was incredibly gratifying
to see the combined work of so many people
transform the campus, and we [Fair Chairs] were
all grateful to have played a part in making it
happen,” said Cindy LeBauer.
The reward for all the hard work, the Fair
Chairs agreed, was the pleasure the Fair gave the
community, especially the children. Kristi Stearns
recalled, “It was wonderful to see all of those
smiling faces and hear the laughter as our kids
enjoyed themselves.” And, there were personal
rewards as well. Dagny Dubelko reflected,
“Working on Curtis Rocks! Tour 2008 totally
surpassed my expectations. It was bigger, better,
more fun, more exciting, more challenging and
more rewarding than I ever imagined it would
be. Seeing the way everyone banded together to
create something so amazing made me feel more
connected to the school and its parents. I am so
happy I said ‘yes’ to being a Fair Chair!”
Perhaps our Master of Ceremonies, Headmaster
Steve Switzer, summed up best what the Curtis
Fair is all about when he said, “It is brought to
you each year through inspiration, organization,
creativity, commitment and sheer hard work.
This year was no exception. The many volunteers
who unselfishly gave of their time, talents,
energy and resources made the Curtis Rocks!
Tour 2008 a day we will always remember and
cherish.”
The Fair was more than an enjoyable and
rewarding event for participants and planners
alike, it was a successful fundraiser too. The
Parents Association has already allocated a
large portion of Fair proceeds to items on the
school’s wish list. Chief Operating and Financial
Officer Bob Kolb notes that the allocations
“will allow us to improve our communications
and technology infrastructure, continue to
develop curriculum support for the faculty,
continue to improve individual classrooms, and
make visible improvements to our athletic and
restroom facilities.” Most importantly, according
to Mr. Kolb, the PA continued its traditional
contribution to financial aid, providing support
that “will help our school community weather
the current economic difficulties and emerge
stronger down the road.”
Fair Chairs Dagny Dubelko, Cindy LeBauer, Susan Samuels and Kristi Stearns rocked the house with Curtis Rocks! Tour 2008.
The stage lights are down
now, the crowds have gone
home, and the roadies have
loaded up the vans and
headed off to other gigs. But
for those of us lucky enough
to have shared the experience,
echoes of Curtis Rocks! Tour
2008 Fair will continue to
reverberate with messages
of community and a shared
commitment to Curtis.
A hands-free ride on a slippery mat supersizes the thrill of the giant slide.
Cooper Klein (DK) gets a bird’s-eye view of
the action and catches a free ride around
the Fair.
Ethan Rose (DK) indulges his sweet tooth
and bites into a heavenly cloud of blue
cotton candy.
Halloween on Parade
The Curtis Maintenance team is Pepé Jimenez, Supervisor Athula Aturugirige, Manny Henriquez, Eladio Hernandez, Rocky Gonzalez
(left to right) and Andrew Davis (facing page).
Five-Star Service
The Maintenance Team
Behind the Scenes
Coming to Curtis for the first time, many
visitors are awed by the beautiful and
spacious campus. For the regulars—students,
parents, teachers and staff—the graceful
surroundings are an integral part of the
ever-unfolding Curtis experience, daily
pleasing the senses, inspiring productivity
and creating a haven from the bustle of the
surrounding city.
The landscape is a harmonious blend of native
hillsides, naturalized slopes, seasonally planted
flowerbeds and ample, crisply mown lawns.
The buildings, the youngest of which are now
nearing 25 years old, belie their age, as they
have been caringly tended. The grounds are neat
and pretty near spotless considering that they
serve as the school, playgrounds and workplace
for about 600 people during eight or more
hours each day.
The appearance is so dependable that its
achievement seems almost effortless. And
Director of Facilities Jeff Albert, Maintenance
Supervisor Athula Aturugirige and the
Maintenance staff work tirelessly to keep it that
way. “It has to be clean; it has to be safe; and
it has to work, or the school doesn’t function
properly,” says Mr. Albert—“it” being shorthand for
everything in, on or about Curtis’ 70,000 square feet
of interior space and 27-acre site. That’s a tall order,
and Curtis’ crack Maintenance team fills it day in and
day out.
There is not much that Mr. Albert, Mr. Aturugirige
and the small but multi-talented and hard-working
team cannot handle. The regular day crew, Rocky
Gonzalez, Manny Henriquez, Eladio Hernandez
and Jose (Pepé) Jimenez, are a full-service staff.
They provide routine care for the school’s facilities
and perform most of the electrical, plumbing and
painting work. Daily, they keep the campus picked
up and the trash moving out. They clean the lunch
tables, distribute supplies throughout the school and
tend the grounds. Maintenance repairs everything
that needs fixing, from tools and furniture to
sprinklers and electrical wiring. In a place the size of
Curtis, that’s a daily job.
A fifth essential member of the Maintenance team,
Andrew Davis is “the eyes and ears of the school at
nighttime,” according to Mr. Albert. The cleaning of
the classrooms and other buildings is outsourced to a
crew of four who begin a night shift at 3 p.m. That
is when Mr. Davis, the night monitor, takes over.
He keeps the 4th and 5th grade classroom building
in shipshape, oversees the work performed by the
cleaning company and informs the day crew about
anything that needs repair.
Keeping the grounds in top condition requires
constant attention. The landscape includes 20 acres
of grass and 500 trees. Independent contractor Valley
Crest Landscaping mows the Upper Field and prunes
required to run the event. They manage to finish between three
and four o’clock in the afternoon.
Andrew Davis, who has been at Curtis for
17 years, oversees the campus at night.
the tallest trees, but Maintenance
does everything else. The team
grooms the lawns and flower
beds on the lower campus, trims
shrubbery and trees, replants
seasonally for annual color and
adjusts and repairs the irrigation
system.
The constant turnover of setups is
a huge part of the job. Curtis held
between 450 and 500 events in
the past year, ranging in size from
a three-person meeting in the
Library Conference Room to a sitdown event for 600 people in the
Pavilion. While Facilities schedules
the events, the job of setting up
and breaking down all the tables,
chairs, rentals and additional
equipment (microphones,
speakers, podia, cabling and even
coffee urns) falls to Maintenance.
In a single day, the team may
be called on to set up and break
down the auditorium several
times for different constituents. A
Parents Association meeting in the
morning needs to make way for a
performing arts class, and another
setup might be required for an
evening presentation.
The Fair is one of the most
awe-inspiring testaments to the
Maintenance team’s organizational
skill and efficiency. At least a week
in advance, Mr. Aturugirige gets
plans for the layout of booths,
rides and concessions and begins
to assemble what is needed. On
Friday, the Maintenance crew
sets up the rentals and installs
the extensive electrical cabling,
phone lines and other equipment
Breakdown of the Fair on Sunday evening proceeds at a similarly
astonishing pace, and the crew of four is done by about 10 p.m.
On Monday, a mountain of trash is moved out and the campus
tidied up. By Tuesday, except for the trampled quad, hardly a trace
remains of the weekend’s festivity and thousands of visitors. In the
week following the Fair, Maintenance reseeds and feeds the grass
so that it is restored to its usual luster within a month. The key to
their productivity, according to Mr. Aturugirige, is planning, good
communication and a great crew.
There is no summer break for Maintenance. When school is out,
new jobs are added to the routine. “Curtis looks brand new,
because we are constantly planning, looking ahead and fixing
everything that needs work,” says Mr. Albert. The team paints,
repairs and undertakes a major cleanup of the buildings, “from A
to Z,” according to Mr. Aturugirige. The classrooms are emptied,
one by one, for the ritual summer cleaning, and the rooms are
wiped down from ceiling to floor. Carpets are cleaned, floors are
waxed and desks, chairs, counters—even the light fixtures—are
washed.
Summer brings a continuous stream of packages and crates of
every shape and size, filled with supplies for the next school year.
Arriving in 1000s of boxes, orders placed by the teachers and staff,
ranging from pencils and erasers to books and office furniture,
must be delivered throughout the campus, and the Maintenance
team works like a deputized UPS service to get the job done.
In addition to its regular workload, last summer the team took on
major responsibility in the remodeling of the Ahmanson building,
logging extra-long hours in order to finish the project before
the beginning of the new school year. Working with Mr. Albert,
Maintenance completed all the demolition for the project, tearing
out tile, flooring and walls. The men also replaced, plastered and
painted the drywall and installed the electrical needed for the new
auto-flush toilets in the Ahmanson building bathrooms.
Special projects are all in a day’s work for Maintenance. This fall,
Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Henriquez have been busy installing new
SMART Boards around the campus. The team also made major
repairs to the school’s water main line. Within the last year, the
men rebuilt the skyboxes on the Upper Field and repaired the
school’s extensive fencing.
No two days are exactly alike. And that is part of the appeal for Mr.
Aturugirige and his team. The average tenure of the members of
the Mainentance staff (excepting Mr. Gonzalez, who was hired in
2007) is 15 years. Mr. Aturugirige attributes that longevity as much
to the relationship of the team members—“they communicate and
work well together”—as the working environment.
With hard work and good humor, the Maintenance team keeps the
school “clean, safe and working” and, by doing so, ensures that
Curtis School continues to provide the best environment possible
for the people and programs on this campus.
3rd Annual Turkey
Trot / Fun Run
Lower Elementary Students
Run for Health
Pop and rock music floated into the crisp
autumn air from a boombox on the Upper
Field as students in grades K through 3
stretched and warmed up on the last day before
the Thanksgiving break. At a signal from Coaches
Saken and Chistolini, they hurried to the starting
gate, one foot forward, leaning eagerly into the
course. At a blast of the whistle, each group tore
out across the grass with shrieks and shouts of glee.
Divided into two P.E. periods and staggered starts,
more than 250 Lower Elementary students ran for
pleasure and health
in the 3rd Annual
Turkey Trot/
Fun Run. Turkey
Trots are typically
non-competitive
footraces
associated with
Thanksgiving and
are traditional in
many parts of the
country. Runners
aim to burn off
calories before
the Thanksgiving
feast. At Curtis, the
focus is on health Gia Kokotakis (Grade 1) takes the halfand the value
mile Fun Run in stride.
of exercise. In the weeks preceding the Turkey
Trot, the coaches talked to the children about
the importance of exercising the body’s most
important muscle—the heart. They also helped
the children work up to the approximately halfmile course with practice warm-up runs during
P.E. class.
The Turkey Trot course follows the inside of
the white perimeter fence on the Upper Field
for about half its
length, then the
children cross
to the outside
of the fence
and wind back
to the starting
point on the
paved walkway.
The coaches
were stationed
around the
course to provide
encouragement
and cheer the
children to the
finish, a practical
First grader Sam Green powers
arrangement as
through the Turkey Trot course.
some runners
were distracted
along the way by sticks and bugs and all the
wonders of the outdoors that are irresistible to
young children.
All the participants finished tired but satisfied.
After some cool-down stretching and well earned
gulps of water, they received certificates attesting
that they “flew through the turkey trot course,
carved out a good habit and left behind tracks for
fellow pilgrims to follow.”
Coach’s
Notebook
A Message from
Mark Nott,
Athletics Director
The fall season is always a busy time in athletics
at Curtis. In addition to the regular season
sports, flag football for the boys and basketball
for the girls in grades four through six, Curtis
fields a co-curricular, fifth and sixth grade
swim team. Students in the fourth grade make an
important transition into competitive sports and,
beginning this year, third grade P.E. has a new
structure and curriculum. Lastly, annual fitness
testing that is mandated by the State of California
also begins at this time.
During the fall, twenty-one teams, including
the swim team, competed in 138 games and
meets in just six weeks. Curtis teams won three
championships (4th grade boys’ white football team
and 4th and 5th grade girls’ white basketball teams)
and four co-championships (4th grade girls’ red,
blue and gold basketball teams and 5th grade girls’
red basketball team).
Excitement ran high at the end of the season
when all six of Curtis’ sixth grade teams made the
playoffs, and three teams advanced to the finals. The
boys’ red football team played hard all the way to
the wire, but came up short in the final outcome.
The girls’ white and red basketball teams lost by one
point in the final seconds of both of their games.
For the girls’ red team, the loss ended a winning
streak that began for this group of girls in the
fourth grade. The team’s remarkable record for three
seasons was 21-1.
The losses in the finals and semi-finals were
heartbreaking, but all the athletes handled them
with dignity and class, and I cannot commend
them highly enough. Their comportment set a great
example for the younger children who are coming
up through the program.
The swim team was competitive and very popular
again this year. Roughly a quarter of the students in
the fifth and sixth grades joined the team. Interested
fourth graders were invited to practices and had the
opportunity to compete in one of the meets. The
Curtis team placed second in the league for the
season.
Each September, the incoming fourth grade
class joins the sports program. The transition
brings novelties like lockers and uniforms and
the challenge of learning to play as a team and
compete against students from other schools.
The coaches look forward to this exciting
time for the children they have known, taught
and guided from their earliest years at Curtis.
The fourth graders made a terrific start in the
competitive program, earning five of Curtis’
seven championships and co-championships in
their first season.
This year, third grade moved to the Upper
Elementary division. In keeping with the
treatment of third grade as a transitional year
in the academic program, third graders now
follow a modified fourth through sixth grade
curriculum in P.E. Although they do not compete
in league games, they now practice and play on
single-sex teams four out of five days during the
week. In addition, third graders now concentrate
on each sport for three to four weeks (rather
than one week), which gives them more time
to build skills and practice fundamentals before
moving on.
At the end of the fall season, the coaches
administered in the Upper Elementary P.E.
classes the first of a series of fitness tests. The
tests challenge students to do their personal
best and give them an opportunity to qualify
for Presidential and National Fitness Awards
and Curtis’ Decathlon Award. Testing will be
completed in February.
The winter season is now in swing. The coaches
and I look forward to continuing to work with
the children, helping them grow as athletes and
individuals through sports. We appreciate your
support of the athletics program and hope to see
you at the games.
Faculty Professional Development
Education is a dynamic discipline. Research
continually advances our understanding of
how children learn and how to teach them
effectively. Pedagogy evolves as educational
theories are developed and tested. In turn,
best teaching practices are developed in
response to the current state of knowledge
about education.
To be as effective as possible, educators need to
stay informed about the most recent theories and
practices. “As a teacher, you are never done,”
says Sarina Fierro, Head of the Lower Elementary
division. “There is always new research; there
will always be new pedagogy to consider. Part
of being professional is being aware of the
contemporary discourse on learning and tailoring
it to us,” she says.
Professional development serves this goal. It
brings teachers in contact with the latest research
and data on instructional methodologies and
promotes a dialogue within the school on the
direction of education. Ms. Fierro and Chris
Thinnes, Academic Dean and Acting Head of
the Upper Elementary, agree that a successful
professional development program requires that
the school foster a culture of learning, allot
time for teachers to implement and assess new
practices, and provide adequate financial support
for teacher education.
A culture of learning does exist at Curtis.
Teachers expect, and are expected, to continue
to learn and grow. “We provide the latest
curriculum materials and training and build
professional development opportunities into
the program,” says Ms. Fierro. Each year,
teachers in both divisions attend conferences
and workshops and receive training in teaching
tools that are aligned with curriculum, divisionwide or school-wide initiatives. Last summer, for
example, faculty members attended the SMART
Board Educators Academy in conjunction with
the decision to install additional SMART Boards
in classrooms this year.
Some teachers travel to national conferences, which
offer a unique opportunity to share ideas and
collaborate within wider national and international
communities of educators. New teachers in both
divisions, and those who have been trained but
are due for a refresher, attend the National Users’
Conference for Everyday Math. Lower Elementary
teachers attend a variety of conferences related to
the several strands of the Balanced Literacy Program,
and Upper Elementary teachers also attend literacy
conferences related to their curriculum.
In some cases, Curtis brings experts to campus to
conduct in-house workshops that are tailored to our
school’s particular needs. This fall, faculty in both
divisions were trained to use Curriculum Mapper,
newly acquired software that allows the teachers in
each grade level to document curricular content,
skills, methods of assessment, and resources in a
common, searchable database. The sessions spurred
productive collaboration within the grade-level teams
as the teachers explored and adapted the tool to their
curricula.
The second element that must be in place for
professional development is time to implement and
assess new practices. Ideally, teachers need time
to share with, coach and mentor each other; set
goals for implementing new practices; and receive
feedback from division heads and other faculty
members. Time is a logistical challenge in an already
full schedule, but regular and consistent twicemonthly grade-level and once-weekly division-level
meetings provide a forum for communication and
feedback. Moreover, the transition to an Associate
Teacher/Lead Teacher instruction model in the Lower
Elementary classrooms puts the lead teacher in the
position of mentor to the associate teacher every day.
A meaningful professional development program
also requires a sustained commitment of financial
resources. The school annually budgets for
professional development. And, traditionally, the
Parents Association has also provided significant
financial support, by allocating money to items
on the school’s wish list that support professional
growth.
Kyra Terenzio (Grade 3) daubs paint directly from the bottle to create an original work in the style of Aboriginal art.
Professional development has been on a growth
continuum at Curtis during the past six years.
The culture of learning, the time and the funding
necessary to support professional development are on
an upswing, according to Ms. Fierro. By maintaining
a culture of learning and committing the time
and money required for continuing professional
growth, Curtis is keeping our teachers on the
cutting edge of education.
Winter Arts Holiday
Showcases
Meet the
Parents
Each fall brings a flood of
activities to the Curtis School
campus. For new parents and
their children, the first days
and weeks can be daunting.
The top priority for any parent
is ensuring that their Curtis
student makes a seamless
transition into the classroom.
Parents enjoy nothing better than
hearing their youngster say, “I
wish it weren’t Saturday because I
want to go to school!”
Mr. Switzer, Mr. Kolb, Kris Chavez and Jeff Sklar (left to right) listen as parents share
perspectives. Small group meetings enable the administration to hear from new
parents at the beginning of the year.
Students are not the only ones
entering unknown territory. New parents are
faced with myriad questions and opportunities
for socializing and meeting other members of the
Curtis community. Just to name a few: the Back-toSchool Picnic (“Did you pick up your Handbook &
Directory?”), Parents Association Meetings (“How
exactly does carpool work if my daughter is an
Early Bird?”), Grade Level Coffees (“Did you sign
up for a field trip or a classroom party?”), First
Friday Flag and Back to School Night. The Curtis
Parents Association also offers a plethora of volunteer
positions and social activities from which to choose.
Has the Room Parent position already been filled?
Then how about joining a PA committee? “What is
Party Book anyway?” “Did I order my Fair t-shirt
yet?” All this activity culminates in the annual Curtis
School Fair held in mid-October. Once the Fair
passes, however, life at Curtis takes on a significantly
slower pace.
It is during this lull that all new parents are invited
to attend one of a series of small group meetings
with Headmaster Stephen Switzer and Chief
Operating and Financial Officer Bob Kolb that take
place at the headmaster’s residence. The purpose
of new parent meetings is to give administrators
valuable feedback on topics ranging from the
admissions process to carpool procedures. These
small gatherings of six to ten parents help Mr.
Switzer find out how well the school is meeting
expectations. “Parents give us a new set of eyes
to see with, and they frequently make helpful
suggestions in areas that we may overlook
because we are so close to the day to day
activities at school,” he explains.
Feedback from new families helps the school
refine its presentations and procedures. Small
changes can have a significant impact. For
example, key academic administrators are now
introduced to prospective parents on admissions
testing days as a result of one parent’s
suggestion. Comments from parents also led to
improvements in the “buddy family” program
this year. Mr. Kolb confirms the benefits of
parent input: “The new parent meetings help us
establish a culture of continual improvement. We
always strive to get the little things right, so that
interactions between families and the school are
as smooth as possible.”
Good communication is the cornerstone of a
successful partnership. The school strives to
provide frequent and timely information to
families through the website, via electronic
communications and in written correspondence.
But communication is a two-way street.
These new parent “conversations” offer a
unique opportunity for parents to talk and
administrators to listen.
Alumni News
A Special Evening Honoring
30 Years of Excellence
By Joanna Behr Hameetman, Alumni Council
Through the support and organization of
Curtis School’s dedicated Alumni Council,
there are more opportunities than ever
for alumni to return home to Curtis and
reconnect with our cherished school and
childhood friends. And 2008 marked an
exceptionally special year for both alumni and
the entire Curtis family. On November 13,
2008, jubilant alumni, past parents, and current
and former faculty and administrators gathered
together in the Kissick Pavilion to honor faculty
members Deborah Atkinson, Marna Biederman,
David Pappin, Kathie Reed and Dorothy Serrao
and celebrate their 30 years of loyalty and
devotion to Curtis School.
The Pavilion was transformed into a beautiful
setting for a magical and inspiring event. The
staggering number of alumni and past parents
who attended this evening of celebration
Former Curtis Headmaster “Baddy” Badham (center) is
joined by alumni Matt Clark and Elizabeth Guber Sugarman
(left) and Jonas Heller (right).
John Thomas Dye’s Headmaster, Ray Michaud (right),
congratulates 30-year Curtis teacher and administrator David
Pappin (left), one of the evening’s honorees.
exceeded our wildest expectations. And, as old
friends arrived and embraced, a palpable buzz of
genuine excitement filled the room. Nothing is
more heartwarming than reuniting with childhood
friends and teachers, gazing upon familiar faces and
surroundings as if no time has passed. This historical
evening gave alumni an opportunity to show
appreciation for our revered teachers and school, all
while evoking precious memories of growing up
with Curtis.
The spectacular night featured a cocktail hour,
catered sit-down dinner and a touching photo
montage of the five honorees that included pictures
taken over the past 30 years. A highlight of the
evening were the beautiful and moving presentations
given by alumni Ari Bass, Ginger Healy, Nick
Melvoin, Tracy Myer Minker and Scott Wilson about
each of the honored faculty members. As a special
treat, our Headmaster, Stephen Switzer, joined
former Headmaster “Baddy” Badham on stage to
share delightful and humorous stories about our
treasured faculty and school. The five honorees
touched the lives of so many students and their
families, and we give special thanks to this year’s
Alumni Council for bringing everyone back home to
Curtis to celebrate this wonderful milestone in Curtis
family history.
The mission of the Curtis School Alumni
Council is to unite, inform and involve
alumni and friends in support of Curtis
School. The Council fulfills this vision
by promoting a sense of Curtis pride
among all graduates; keeping alumni
aware of the programs, activities and
goals of the school; and providing
opportunities for alumni to contribute
to Curtis School’s continued success.
Give us an update!
Post your class note at
www.curtisschool.org/alumni
Left to right: Debbie Atkinson, Dotti Serrao, Kathie Reed, David Pappin and Marna Biederman, cherished members of the Curtis
family. Each has given 30 years of dedicated service to Curtis School and has benefited many hundreds of students and families
who have passed through Curtis in that time.
Sixth grade teacher Marna Biederman (center) is joined by (left
to right) daughter-in-law Anna Biederman, son Jeff Biederman,
daughter Melissa Biederman, former student Scott Wilson (H.S.
Class of ’96) and close family friend Lane Bishop.
Librarian Debbie Atkinson is celebrated at dinner by colleague
Barbara Bomes, Kathi Switzer and Headmaster Stephen
Switzer (left to right).
A group of young Curtis alumni gather for a mini-reunion at the
30-Year event that brought graduates from many decades back to
Curtis.
Curtis classmates Devon Kellgren, Dominique Odekerken
Merrick and Michelle Lund (left to right) (H.S. Class of ’88)
welcome the chance to catch up.
Frank-Robert Kline (left) and DARPA Urban Challenge teammate Noah Zych (right) take Team Cornell’s
autonomous car out for an old-fashioned spin.
Alumni Profiles
Frank-Robert Kline
High School Class of ’04
Frank-Robert Kline has spent much of his
undergraduate career as a pivotal member of
Cornell’s DARPA Urban Challenge Team, a
small, elite group of engineering and computer
science students at Cornell University who
developed an autonomous car—a car that
navigates and drives itself without a human
operator or remote control. The vehicle, a
converted Chevy Tahoe named “Skynet” for the
artificial intelligence in the Terminator movies,
successfully competed in a complex groundbreaking
trial in November 2007, and the technology Kline
developed will be transferred to the military to help
protect U.S. troops.
DARPA (the Defense Advanced Projects Research
Agency) is the central research and development
organization of the Department of Defense. Its
mission is to maintain the United States’ lead in
applying state-of-the-art technology to military
capabilities. In response to a 2001 Congressional
mandate that one-third of ground combat vehicles
be unmanned by 2015, DARPA created a series
of challenges to encourage the development of an
autonomous vehicle. Team Cornell was one of only
11 teams to receive funding for the project from
DARPA—a $1 million grant.
After playing a smaller role in an earlier challenge,
Kline had major responsibility as the software
developer of the high-level artificial intelligence for
Skynet in the Urban Challenge. The culminating
and most difficult of the trials, it required cars to
do unaided all the things a human driver must
normally do in city traffic: navigate 4-way stops by
determining order of precedence and proceeding
safely in turn through the intersection; merge
into and out of two-way traffic; avoid other
vehicles; pull into and out of parking spaces;
and reroute themselves when confronted with
roadblocks, all the while obeying traffic laws.
Kline was responsible for all of these and for
the car’s ability to plan a route from one point
to another—“pretty much everything that goes
through a human’s head when interacting with
other vehicles and that makes the car drive
rationally on the road,” he says.
Although Team Cornell did not win the race,
Skynet was one of only six vehicles that finished
the course. Kline and other members of the
finishing teams were invited to the Pentagon,
where they met with high-ranking officials
and, bringing their vehicles with them, had an
opportunity “to show off the ‘tip of the spear’ of
autonomous technology.”
Rather than resting on well-deserved laurels,
Kline was keeping busy away from Cornell again
in 2008. After interning last summer at Palantir
Industries in Palo Also, Kline accepted “a fantastic
offer” to stay on for the fall term and return after
graduation in summer 2009. While at Palantir,
Kline was the main software developer for an
administration and management suite to manage
the company’s main software product.
The time Kline has spent away from Cornell,
particularly working on the DARPA Challenge,
has made completing his coursework more
challenging, but he has still managed to maintain
a superior grade point average, make the Dean’s
List and publish two scholarly papers from his
work in artificial intelligence on the Urban
Challenge. When he graduates in June, Kline will
have earned more than a B.S. in Engineering.
He will leave with invaluable hands-on research
experience that has benefited the field of artificial
intelligence, and he will transition seamlessly into
a job that is already waiting for him in Silicon
Valley.
Kate Weiskopf
Jimmy Worth received an unexpected early holiday
present before school let out in December when a
former student who was home from college for the
winter break rang him up with news that was music
to his ears. Kate Weiskopf told her former teacher
that she had followed a path in music because of
him, studying voice after leaving Curtis, winning a
major competition for young classical singers and
earning admission to one of the best vocal programs
in the nation. Weiskopf is now a senior majoring in
vocal performance at Illinois Wesleyan University. She
will graduate in June with a Bachelor’s degree in Music
Performance and a bright future in the performing arts.
“I called to thank him for giving me my start,” Weiskopf
says, referring to the solo Mr. Worth gave her in the
Spring Concert in 2001, her last year at Curtis. The
reception to her performance—she received a standing
ovation—and Mr. Worth’s encouragement to develop
her considerable natural talent, proved to be the ignition
source that sparked Weiskopf’s passion for singing and set
her on her current course.
When Mr. Worth held an open audition for a soloist
to sing “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” a hymn by
Henry van Dyke that is traditionally set to the music of
Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” Weiskopf applied. She took the
piece home and really worked hard on it, embellishing it
artistically with feeling and emotion and making it all her
own, Mr. Worth recalls. “You don’t characteristically see
that ability in someone so young,” he notes. Mr. Worth
describes her performance as “astonishing and emotionally
overwhelming,” not least because her talent had been
hidden at school until then. Believing that Weiskopf had a
genuine ability to interpret music that was a rare gift, Mr.
Worth urged her to take vocal lessons.
Weiskopf took his advice. “I’d always enjoyed singing for
fun,” she says, “but it hadn’t occurred to me that I could
sing professionally.” She began to study vocal musicianship
formally for the first time from a private teacher and
in classes at Van Nuys High School’s Performing Arts
Magnet, where she was a student after graduating from
Curtis’ Upper School. Her talent, drive and discipline
were extraordinary and, by the time she was 15 years old,
she took first place in voice at the prestigious Southern
California Junior Bach Festival, a competition so stringent
that first prize is not even awarded in some years.
Drawn to Wesleyan University by the strength of its music
program and a “whopping scholarship,” Weiskopf follows
a rigorous course of vocal study. When she receives her
A solo performance in the Spring Concert set
talented soprano Kate Weiskopf on a musical path.
She will graduate in June with a degree in vocal
performance from Illinois Wesleyan University.
baccalaureate degree in June, she will
have completed extensive coursework
in musical literature and theory,
demonstrated proficiency on the piano
and given culminating vocal recitals in
her junior and senior years. At present,
the singer is preparing intensively for her
senior recital in the spring, when she will
sing 14 pieces in Italian, French, German,
Russian and English that demonstrate her
mastery as a vocal musician to a jury of
music department faculty.
Weiskopf, a soprano, specializes in
classical technique. It is no coincidence
that her new pet, an abandoned kitten
she rescued, is named Tosca. The heroine
of the eponymous opera by Puccini is
her dream role. Although she “fell into
opera,” as she says, rather by chance
(her first private teacher was an opera
singer), she is fairly certain now that she
wants to pursue a career in that musical
style. Last year, she took a huge step in
that direction when she studied for five
months in Vienna under internationally
renowned classical singer Donna Robin.
About singing, she says, “I’m a very
emotional person and singing helps me
channel that energy and emotion into a
work of art.” After graduation, Weiskopf
plans to take a year off to spend more
time with her family before continuing
her studies at the graduate level.
Charlie Melvoin
“The world is a book, and those
who do not travel read only
one page.” The admonition
attributed to St. Augustine prefaces
a website, “Charlie’s Travels”
(www.whereischarlie.com), that
traces the global peregrinations of
outward-looking scholar and world
explorer Charlie Melvoin. It was the
motivation for his gap year.
Charlie Melvoin sits in with Bob Costas at the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing. The Harvard junior’s knowledge of Mandarin landed him a coveted job
as a guide for NBC’s VIP guests.
A top student at Harvard-Westlake, where
he earned the Lester Medvene Award as the
outstanding sophomore student, the Bishops
Award as the outstanding male graduating
student, and the Foreign Language Award,
Melvoin took a break from the classroom
between high school and college in 2005-2006
to do what he loves most—travel. His year
off was no Grand Tour of Europe, but rather
a trek—in many places on foot—through 22
developing countries in Asia, Africa, South
America and the South Pacific.
A consummate storyteller, Melvoin kept a witty
and insightful running blog along the way that
showcases his journalistic talent and makes the
reader feel like she’s on the trail with him. After
nine months of backpacking around the world,
he returned with a storehouse of experiences and
lessons about “things that simply can’t be taught
in school,” he says.
Now, as a junior at Harvard University, Melvoin
is immersed in the study of Chinese language
and culture. His self-professed passion for the
language grew out of his fascination with China
after seeing the martial arts epic, “Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” filmed against such
spectacular backdrops as the Gobi Desert and
Beijing’s Forbidden City. He saw the film
13 times in its opening week and became
determined to learn Chinese in order to more
fully access the culture.
His passion has not wavered. Fast forward to
today. Melvoin is eight years into his study
of Mandarin, which he began in ninth grade.
Along the way, he has visited China four
times, once as a student of Harvard University’s
Beijing Academy, a two-month intensive language
immersion program and, most recently, when he
worked as a guide for NBC’s Client Hospitality
Program at the Beijing Olympics last summer. On
the strength of an interview and his knowledge of
Chinese, Melvoin managed to snag one of only 30
plum positions for American guides of NBC’s 1,600
VIP guests to the Olympics.
As an NBC guide, he escorted employees, sponsors
and friends of the network and its affiliates—
including celebrities and athletes—to and from
sporting events and other activities in and around
the capital city. On one memorable sightseeing
excursion, Melvoin gave Olympic gold-medal
gymnast Shawn Johnson a tour of the Great Wall.
In the cable car on the way up to the Wall, she
mentioned to him that she was thinking about
doing a handstand once she got there. Jokingly, he
said, “Me too.” But she thought it was such a great
idea that they actually carried out the plan, to the
enormous delight of onlookers. “Hers was better,”
he admits with characteristic dry humor.
Melvoin is majoring in American History and
Literature and plans to write a senior thesis
combining that with Chinese language and culture.
When he is not working on his major, he is
studying Chinese and writing for The Harvard Crimson.
After graduation, he plans to continue to travel
and to pursue a career with a global perspective.
He’ll be doing both this summer in Uganda, where
he has obtained a position working under that
country’s director of the United Nations World Food
Programme. He will spend two months learning
about operational strategies at the UN headquarters
in Kampala and carrying out fieldwork before
returning to Harvard for his senior year.
Alumni
Quick Takes
Lauren Abell (H.S. Class of ’05) is an English
teacher at her high school alma mater, Brentwood
School. She attended Duke University, where she
majored in psychology, minored in English and
graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Ms. Abell also holds a secondary school teaching
certificate. After college, she returned to Brentwood,
where she has been teaching for the past four
years. This year she took on the additional role
of Admissions Counselor. Last summer, Ms. Abell
was a Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia University.
She recently created the Young Leaders Board for
the Exceptional Children’s Foundation (ECF), to
give young professionals increased philanthropic
opportunities. ECF is a nonprofit organization that
serves children and adults with developmental,
learning and emotional disabilities. Ms. Abell is
engaged to be married in June 2009.
Special Deliveries
The Curtis family continues to grow as alumni
welcome new children into their own families.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Guber Sugarman
(H.S. Class of ’90) and Jason Sugarman on the
birth of a son, Augustus Grier Sugarman,
on August 8, 2008. In addition to being a
new mom, Elizabeth is completing a Ph.D.
dissertation in Child Psychology. She formerly
worked as a psychologist in private practice
and also at Crossroads School. Kate Phillips
Wiczyk (H.S. Class of ’91) and her husband
Modi Wiczyk welcomed twins, a son Jesse and
a daughter Sloane, on September 14, 2008.
Jess Jennings Clark (H.S. Class of ’96) and
Jon Clark are the proud parents of a girl, Piper
Simon Clark, who was born on November 23,
2008.
Brett Pierce (H.S. Class of ’03) and Charlie
James (H.S. Class of ’03) made news when
The Los Angeles Times staff writer Eric Sondheimer
singled out the two for attracting attention to
Brentwood School’s football team in a writeup of local high school games. At the time of
the article, Pierce had made eight interceptions
in eight games, tying for the state record. He
also pitches for the Brentwood baseball team
and sings in the choir, which will perform
at Carnegie Hall in March. James is a leading
receiver and defensive player on the football
team and plays soccer for Brentwood as well.
James’ 51-yard field goal, his 11th in 14 attempts
during the season at the time, was just two shy
of the state record.
Alumni at the Fair
Arts & Letters
My Utopia
By Cece Manze, Grade 6
You look past a vast green meadow and see
the horizon. To your left you see a clear
ocean and feel the mist land on your tongue.
As the sun sets you feel the warm night
cascade around you like a heavy blanket. You
lay down on the grass and it feels as if life could
not get better. If I got my way, life would always
be like this. This is my utopia.
You wake up, feeling the warm sun on your
eyes. As you get up you see that you somehow
got back to your house. You also notice that
you’re already wearing your school clothes. It
seems that you’re not hungry yet not full. As you
walk to school you feel the smooth, crackless
cement underneath your feet. You get to school
and pick up your very own tablet P.C. at the
school office. All the teachers smile and wave
at you as you pass them even though you don’t
even know them. Your school doesn’t give out
grades or homework so you don’t have to worry
about trying to fit homework into any afterschool
activities.
You walk over to the bike stand and insert twenty
cents. You choose bike twenty-five, walk over to
it and unlock it. You bike home, passing all the
sleek, modern houses. As you get to the end of
your street you see your house. It is classic yet
modern and has solar panels on the roof. The
many windows let in light and make the house
look almost transparent. You set your bike out
on the lawn and walk up the porch. As you walk
in you smell sweet lavender and see that the
house is spotless as usual. From the inside the
house looks like a well-put together puzzle, all
sleek and clean. You walk up the spotless whitecarpeted stairs and walk up to the balcony. You
can see children playing in the sand and people
surfboarding on the perfect waves. You close
your eyes and think about how it must feel,
riding with the wind in your face and the water
underneath you. You snap out of it as a nice
breeze brushes against you.
You suddenly run outside and hop on your bike.
You ride on, soon becoming a speck on the
mountainside. But, you don’t care about leaving,
you’ve got your whole life ahead of you.
Ode to an Apple
By Mrs. Kiratsoulis’
2nd Grade Class
From the seed
Into a tree
Flowers!
Tastes like candy
Sweet to sour
Tarts
Favorite foods
Apple pie, cider, juice
Applesauce, baked
Cereal, honey, caramel
Apples, apples, everywhere!
Please never disappear in thin air.
Thank you Johnny Appleseed!
Cinquain Poetry
By Ms. Ivy’s
4th Grade Students
Drums
Black and white
Beating, banging, booming
Fun to play
Music
by Jake Caan
Stacy
Senior year
Stressing, fighting, studying
I will miss her
College
by Maddy Harbert
Socks
Sweaty comfy
Hoping, jumping, sleeping
Keep my feet warm
Soft
by Lily Goldsmith
Curtis Magazine
Winter 2009
Editor
Robin Keith Winshel
Design
Robin Yamaguchi
Writers
Dede Mendenhall Haglund
Robin Keith Winshel
Contributors
Pam Beeks
Joanna Behr Hameetman
Mark Nott
Photography
Rebecca Fenning
Michelle Feynman
Matthew Fienup
Andrew Goldsmith
Dede Mendenhall Haglund
Ruth-Ann Huvane
Sandra Klink
Nikos Kokotakis
Victoria White
Robin Keith Winshel
Have you received the Curtis
Magazine at your preferred
address?
A row of self-portrait heads made by fifth graders from recycled materials and sculpting clay
on a papier-mâché skull base form an arresting group.
BACK COVER
Aboriginal painting
Audrey Regan (Grade 1)
Tempera on paper, 2008
Don’t miss an issue of the
Curtis Magazine! If you did
not receive this publication at
your current address, if you are
moving, or if you are the parent
of an alumnus/a who no longer
maintains a permanent address at
your home, please contact Karen
Harwitt in the Alumni Office,
at (310) 889-3827 or email
[email protected], to
help us update our records. Thank
you for helping us stay in touch.
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Student Council—
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Technology Integration
Around the Quad
Camera Obscura
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Curtis Rocks the House!
Halloween on Parade
Five-Star Service
3rd Annual Turkey
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Coach’s Notebook
Faculty Professional
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Winter Arts Showcases
Meet the Parents
Alumni News
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Alumni Quick Takes
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Headmaster Switzer
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Curtis Mock Election
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