Originally published as the introduction to Beacon Media’s Education Guide which appeared in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly on 27 October 2016
Having children is a lifelong commitment that brings with it tremendous joy as it begets vast responsibilities. One of every parent’s primary concerns when raising kids is ensuring them an education that not only teaches reading, writing, math, and science but also prepares them for life beyond school.
My husband and I decided to give our daughter a private school education and that journey began when she was only two years old. I enrolled her in a co-op where parents are expected to work alongside a teacher and an assistant teacher in class.
It turned out to be a really fun experience for both of us. My daughter and I enjoyed being at school two mornings during the week. She learned to draw and sing; I handed out snacks and drinks, cleaned after the little kids and took them to the potty.
My daughter stayed at the co-op for only one year. The following school year, she attended a Montessori school. It was there that she learned reading, writing, and math. Having helped out in the classroom the previous year, I had become adept at assisting so I helped the teacher and her aide.
By the time my daughter was four years old, she had outgrown the Montessori system. She was ready for traditional education and our quest for the right independent school commenced.
Pasadena has several outstanding private schools but the competition to get accepted to one of them is fierce. We went on countless campus tours and applied to six schools; she was waitlisted on all but one, and it was in La Canada. Like in her previous two schools, she did extremely well in class, was adored by teachers, and was well-liked by her classmates.
Private schools are completely funded by parents and tuition only covers a portion of what’s needed to run them; it falls on the parents’ association to raise funds for enrichment programs. To fill the library or add books to its current offering, for instance, the association holds book fairs. So in addition to driving kids on field trips, I also volunteered for the book fair. I got braver and chaired the spring auction the following year. This benefit gala is usually a school’s largest fundraiser and proceeds from it are used for field trips, or to buy computers for the classrooms.
Image taken from Pasadena Now
The drive from Pasadena to La Canada, though, got too tiring for both of us after two years. Fortunately, I had kept in touch with the admissions director at one of the private schools where she had been waitlisted. My daughter reapplied and got accepted when a family had to relocate and leave the school. I was ecstatic – the school is a mile away from our house!
My daughter excelled in class, even played the piano for the entire school during morning assembly. I was again involved in the parent association. One year I managed the school store which carried snacks and drinks for after-school sports, provided pizza and drinks for dances, and even sold school uniforms, sports clothing and gym bags.
I was immersed in school activities, found friends, and felt comfortable there. I had found a community where I belonged. My daughter, however, felt quite the opposite so we decided to find another school.
St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews, Scotland (UK) | Photo by May S. Ruiz
In the first ten years of my daughter’s life, she had attended four different schools. In all of them students were expected to excel in academics, have a passion for artistic expression, and possess an athletic ability. Besides raising funds, parents were counted on to be partners in their children’s education – making certain that the kids came to school prepared to do the work.
In middle and high school, my daughter attended THE school of all schools in Pasadena. Every student and parent for miles around want to be there, and applying to it is sport. I found out that its culture is vastly different from all the ones she previously attended when I signed up for the book fair. I was very excited to sit in the very first meeting and had a lot of ideas, only to be told it wasn’t a fund-raising event. In fact, this school had no other fund-raising activity besides the annual fund and parents weren’t needed on campus
My daughter was there for seven years, the longest she had ever stayed in one school, and had the best time. She found like-minded friends, was challenged by the vigorous curriculum, and earned the admiration of teachers.
While my experience hadn’t been pleasant, my daughter spent several happy years there and received an outstanding education. And, at end of the day, that was what mattered.
Two years ago, my daughter graduated from high school. Today she is a third-year student at the third-ranked university in the United Kingdom. She’s thriving in a very active campus life and enjoying being self-reliant – skills she has successfully learned. Her private school education is certainly serving her well.
Originally published on 28 July 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly
Carved into the foothills of Pasadena is a Kindergarten to eighth grade independent school that has consistently provided an outstanding education for its students for the past 50 years. High Point Academy (HPA), located on five compact acres on Kinneloa Canyon Road, to this day remains competitive in a market which reputedly boasts some of the most high achieving educational institutions in the state.
HPA was established in October 1965 when three women decided to open a small school for a few children. With Millicent Wilson serving as the first headmaster, it opened on Chester Avenue with 16 pupils; the following year enrollment grew to 50. In 1967 it had 75 students and eight teachers, and another space had to be leased to accommodate third to ninth graders.
By 1973 it became clear that their existing site wasn’t big enough for all their students; construction on its present location began. In 1974 the 15 faculty members welcomed 230 students on their first day of school in this brand-new structure that featured a sports field. School uniforms were also introduced that year; and a $10 donation to the building fund was incorporated into the monthly statements (it continued until 1990).
The HPA library was opened and a junior high (seventh and eighth grades) science department was created in 1976. The decade between 1977 and 1987 saw more classroom and building additions; computers were installed. When the school observed its 25th anniversary in 1990 it had 312 students, 29 teachers and three administrators.
In 1993 John Higgins was appointed the sixth headmaster. He served in this office for 21 years and oversaw major expansions of the school’s facilities. He also ushered in the age of technology with the installation of Smartboards in every classroom, the launch of a digital library, and the introduction of laptops in junior high.
Under Higgins’s charge HPA’s enrollment reached its capacity of 350 students. The staff and faculty grew to about 55 (31 teachers, one librarian, one school counselor, one learning specialist, seven aides and student supervisors; with the rest in administrative capacities). Sixteen teachers hold masters degrees and have an average length of service of ten years.
Image taken from High Point Academy website
High Point offers a vast array of subjects including: math; science; history/social studies; language arts (reading and writing); world languages (K-3 Spanish; 4-8 French or Spanish); writers’ workshop; technology (coding, robotics, STEAM); visual arts and choral music; instrumental music in grades 4-7; physical education daily; library program twice weekly; and a technology class (computer lab) several times a week.
After-school enrichment courses are offered every day during the schoolyear with Kindercare for kindergartners and Eagle Club for grades 1 to 8. Some programs include: bricks 4 kids; chess club; dance; mad science; mathnasium; robotics; STEAM; cub scouts and girl scouts. An after-school musical theatre program is likewise available. Most seventh and eighth graders are in athletic teams and play a variety of sports in five different seasons in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
The school holds small class sizes with an average student/teacher ratio of 11 to 1. In K-6, there are approximately 20 students in the classroom with one teacher and an associate teacher who works with smaller groups.
Forty percent of HPA’s student body is of diverse ethnic backgrounds (Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans, and Middle Eastern) and 60 percent are Caucasians. Most of the students who arrive in kindergarten stay until they graduate in eighth grade.
HPA has a middle school placement program designed to help students and families find the perfect fit for them. Graduates matriculate to some of the most highly selective schools in the Pasadena area including Polytechnic, Flintridge Prep, Mayfield Senior, Westridge School for Girls, La Salle, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Loyola, Saint Francis and Maranatha.
By the time Higgins retired in 2014, HPA had gained a reputation as one of the best elementary and junior high schools in the area. The sports field was renamed ‘Higgins Field’ to commemorate his enviable legacy.
Timothy Burns was appointed interim headmaster for the 2014-2015 school year. He led HPA through the California Association of Independent School (CAIS) accreditation process where it was awarded the maximum certification of seven years.
Gary Stern, who in 2015 succeeded Burns as the eighth headmaster, is charged with ensuring the next half century measures up to the success of the first five decades. Several events marked his first year, a milestone for HPA. On the first day of the school year students and parents got to ‘Dive into the 50th with a swim event at Gerrish.
Alumni students and parents came back on campus for the ‘Alumni Wine & Cheese’ affair. On the 50th day of the school year, the entire student body, faculty and staff gathered on Higgins Field to form an ‘HPA 50’ and photographed by a sky lift and drone for posterity. A Golden Gala was held on April 30 to celebrate High Point’s anniversary in style.
The Earth Day and Green School Showcase in April was the capstone of HPA’s ongoing commitment to lead independent schools in the advancement of environment sustainability. The school was recognized as a flagship ‘green’ school and local dignitaries were on hand to present an award.
During his first year, Stern hired a curriculum and innovations specialist who will work with teachers to incorporate and integrate technology in their classroom curriculum. This will pave the way for students to keep pace with technology and be able to access its power to prepare them for today’s global society.
This fall, Stern will unveil HPA’s Strategic Five-Year Plan which outlines what’s ahead. Created in collaboration with the board of trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, parents and students, he says it will provide a clear path forward to allow High Point to remain true to its mission and core values, and successfully grow and evolve.
Stern elaborates, “First and foremost, we focus on academic excellence through awakening the joy of learning in every student. We trust that when learning is a joyful experience all students will rise to their full potential. We also believe in meeting the needs of the whole child, which means emphasizing not only the academic advancement but the social, emotional, and ethical development as well.
“Through our strategic planning process we identified four pillars that support and sustain our mission: excellence, innovation, responsibility, and community,” Stern expounds. “These, in turn, are the cornerstones of our long-term objectives that focus on: a strong, challenging curriculum; a commitment to fiscal responsibility; fund-raising and friend-raising; campus facilities to optimize student learning; admissions, enrollment, and marketing; and recruiting, retaining, and supporting talented faculty and staff.”
“Next year, most probably, we will undergo a campus master planning process. An architect will be consulting with all our constituents to come up with a facilities design that will continue to support our academic program,” Stern reveals.
“Some of the upgrades we’re contemplating include: remodeling the junior high classrooms; improving the sport court; expanding the Snack Shack; increasing technological enhancements; reconfiguring space to meet our curriculum needs; and adding more drought-tolerant landscaping,” Stern explains further.
HPA’s 50 years of establishment will be memorialized in posterity. Says Stern, “Sometime in the early part of the 2016-2017 school year, we will bury a time capsule to be opened in 2041. Students have gathered mementos from the five decades that denoted a noteworthy event for the period. Each student included in this time capsule things that represent who we are today and their dreams and aspirations for the future. They also put in their predictions about how life will change over the next 25 years.”
Another 50th anniversary commemorative is a transportable mural hanging on an outdoor wall made up of tiles individually painted by a student. It is a tangible demonstration of the importance of each piece to compose one beautiful whole.
It was indeed quite an auspicious beginning for Stern. That he came on board during this landmark year for High Point must have been predetermined by fate as he himself celebrated his 50th birthday. And just as he is looking forward to the rest of his productive life, he is likewise eager to lead this singular school to achieve greater significance in the San Gabriel Valley.
Originally published on 9 June 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly
Barnhart School was founded in 1959 by Dr. Ethel Barnhart and is affiliated with the non-denominational Santa Anita Church. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade acquire a stellar education based on an ethos of respect and love that encourages independence and self-responsibility.
Tucked away in eight acres of real estate between Colorado Place and Colorado Blvd. in Arcadia, close to the race tracks, Barnhart can easily by missed by someone driving by. But if Ethan Williamson, headmaster of five years, were to have his way, it wouldn’t be too long when everyone will know exactly where it is.
“My ultimate goal is for Barnhart to be the premier independent school in the greater Pasadena marketplace – Altadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre – the surrounding communities where we draw from,” Williamson pronounces. “I think we have an excellent product. We do exceedingly well placing our students into highly selective independent schools.
“We don’t track them to one particular school. And that’s also what I think is unique about Barnhart. We try to understand the child and make sure a Barnhart education is about stretch, not stress,” Williamson says further.
The 32 8th graders graduating this year were accepted to 23 high schools, including Marlborough, Campbell Hall, Flintridge Prep, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), Mayfield Senior, Sequoyah, St. Francis, Westridge, and Stanford Online High School. Seven of them have been awarded merit scholarships. This wide range of institutions to which they applied and were admitted is proof that Barnhart ensures it finds the best fit for them.
“Academics are essential at Barnhart. The rigor of our program shows in our ERB scores which have been improving over time. But we don’t focus a whole lot on test scores, we focus on education. We recognize that excellent test scores follow excellent education.
“We have been tracking their GPAs and our graduates do better than the average incoming freshman into high schools. We have a really high cohort of students who test as gifted; about 40 percent of our students qualify for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) and participate in its summer program, and it’s still increasing,” Williamson proudly states.
Barnhart is also distinctive for its racially diverse student body – 40 percent of its enrollment is Caucasian, 30 percent Asian (Chinese, Japanese or Korean), 20 percent Hispanic, ten percent African-American. And while students attend 15 minutes of chapel every morning (Monday-Wednesday-Friday for elementary students and Tuesday-Thursday for middle schoolers), a third of them are Catholics, another third are Agnostics or Atheists, and the rest belong to other world religions including Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.
Williamson says, “Cultural diversity and cultural competency are very important to our students because their peers are from all over the world. It mirrors what they will be experiencing in the future as society and jobs become ever more global.”
With a total enrollment at 225, a faculty and staff of 50, the average class has about eight students to one teacher; with a maximum of 15. According to Melissa Gersh, Director of Marketing, Barnhart has 25 teachers, representing 336 years of total experience in the classroom.
Gersh adds, “On average, our teachers have a little over six years of experience directly at our school. Half of our teachers have a master’s degree or higher; the school also requires all teachers to be credentialed.”
Barnhart’s elementary program schedule incorporates the core content areas into the homeroom classes. A focus on literacy (reading/writing) includes 90-minute teaching blocks each day. Math instruction occurs daily with a minimum of 60-minute lessons. Social studies and science classes are also built into the daily lessons. Balancing out the academic program is a variety of enrichment classes including: 45 minutes of art and library weekly; 30 minutes of music and Spanish, twice weekly; and 30 minutes of physical education daily.
The middle school program is designed to prepare students for the requirements of Pasadena-area high schools. Students have eight classes each day which include five core academic classes – Algebra/Geometry; English; History; Science; and Spanish – and three opportunities to experience the Barnhart Balance.
Four exploratory classes rotate each quarter. In 6th grade: art appreciation; music appreciation; public speaking; technology. In 7th grade: human health; life skills; theatre appreciation; woodshop. In 8th grade: art appreciation; music appreciation; woodshop.
Students take one elective class per year: advanced band; studio art club; drama club; outdoor education; science club; screenwriting; and yearbook.
Physical education is a required daily 45 minute class.
Barnhart has made incredible strides in technology. Says Williamson, “Four years ago not every student had individual access to an iPad or a laptop or any sort of tech device; they had to go to the computer lab. But our vision is to make technology as ubiquitous and available to students as pencils. This year we have iPads for every student in K to 2nd as they’re easy for children to use with their small fingers. Third to 5th graders use Chrome Books; we recognize that students enter the world of Google so we have Google Apps for Education and Google Classroom. In middle school it’s ‘bring your own device’ because we know this is the generation that will be device-agnostic. Many students already have both Apple and IBM at home so we intentionally gave them the flexibility to choose the right tool for the job they need to accomplish.
“We thought a lot about making sure our students are ready for the world they will encounter outside of college. We’re not just getting them into their high school or into college; we’re thinking about what their workplace will look like. And that’s especially true around technology where collaboration is key. In grades 3 to 5 our students use Google Doc so if they have a group project, which they might want to work on during the weekend, they can edit simultaneously without being in the same room.
“Investing in a seamless wireless infrastructure became a priority for me when I first came on board. By spending $7K on a wireless network, we were able to integrate our entire system. Another enhancement we’ve created is a comprehensive student information system database – the instant students apply to Barnhart, we are able to track their progress in the admissions process. Once they’re accepted, we are able to interact with the family, keep all of them updated. Grades, test scores are all available in real time – there’s no hiding as a student,” Williamson laughs.
There’s much yet to be accomplished in the future, as Williamson says. “We’ve made major improvements in our school facilities. While it isn’t exciting to talk about, last summer we pulverized 75,000 sq. ft. of asphalt. But what’s cool about it is that we were able to recycle what we dug up and used it as a foundation for the new asphalt … and we were able to complete the project in 30 days, between summer school and the start of the school year! In the process, we also took down outdated poles, put in brand new basketball hoops, put in a nice white fence.
“Our future goals include updating our facilities to make them inspiring and competitive with our peer schools. We are currently on the planning stage of figuring out our priorities for improvement, how to go about that, what fundraising that entails.
“In terms of our curriculum and staffing, we want to optimize what we’re already doing by making changes every year as warranted. We have something solid, it’s simply a matter of continuing training. On the technology side, we will keep up with students’ needs to get their work done.
“We have a big rollout on a social curriculum this coming schoolyear. We’ll be using a system from a book developed by the Northeast Foundation for Children called ‘Teaching Children to Care – Management in the Responsive Classroom.’ It’s a proactive approach using a social curriculum that involves creating community standards or rules in the classroom. We will have teachers model the expected behaviors. This consistency in conduct means students don’t have to adjust to teachers’ expectations and styles; while personalities differ, the language we use does not.
“More broadly, it’s a management system for the classroom. Research talks about ‘affect’ – how you feel in a classroom or work environment, for that matter, tremendously affects your performance. If one is scared, that uses up a lot of brain energy and leaves less available for learning. As students feel comfortable, their brains become fully engaged on their activity. So I think an investment in the social curriculum is critical to everything else we do.
We have adapted the system into our middle school what the Northeast Foundation for Children designed for K-6th grade. But they have now come out with a middle school-specific book for which we have the honor of hosting the training. This summer, from August 8 to 11, an international group of 90 educators will be on our campus to learn it. It’s pretty exciting!” Williamson enthuses.
Williamson’s infectious passion for learning and social responsibility is pervasive in the entire Barnhart community. Conceivably in the not-too-distant future, this spirit will spread far afield.
Originally published on 17 March 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly
In January this year, the Harvard Graduate School of Education released a seminal document titled Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions,which has the potential to forever alter the college admissions landscape.
The result of a joint effort among the nation’s most respected colleges and universities, this two-year campaign hopes to promote ethical engagement among students, reduce excessive achievement pressure, and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students. If its noble mission were to actually come to pass, Sequoyah School, which will be welcoming its first high schoolers this Fall, will be at the forefront of this sea change.
Established in Pasadena in 1958 by local college professors, ministers, scientists, teachers, doctors, and civil servants, Sequoyah School is a place where children can find joy in learning and make a difference in the world. Its founders’ mission is to provide education that challenges the mind, nurtures the heart and celebrates human dignity. The school values racial and socio-economic diversity in its enrollment, and 30 to 40 percent of its students pay below full tuition. Over half a century later, it hopes to extend this same ethic from the K-8 grades into high school.
Josh Brady, Sequoyah’s School Director, welcomes the timely conversation sweeping the nation’s institutions of higher learning that emphasizes concern for others over building shiny resumes for students aspiring to gain admission to university. He says, “Colleges want to see students who have demonstrated work over time on a particular area that are of service to others. For a while, only the privileged few can afford to do novel things that look good on a transcript.”
“As a Progressive School, Sequoyah starts with the students’ experience and understanding how they are interacting with the curriculum, what’s motivating them, and what’s challenging them, but also making sure they’re thinking of their life outside school. It isn’t just school for school’s sake; it should be about preparing them to become responsible and caring citizens of the community,” Brody expounds.
“I feel, in a wonderful way, more schools are embracing progressive ideals which are being recognized as good pedagogy. Doing it in a very deep way is challenging for high schools where transcripts, GPAs, and standardized testing results have been used as assessment methods. While these are measurements of learning, they are also imperfect measurements in the face of grade inflation and resume-padding,” he says further.
Brody elaborates, “Our high school students will develop initiative and self-direction through college preparatory coursework and field studies emphasizing global perspectives and cultural competency. Independent study and collaborative effort will culminate in a junior-year social impact project and senior-year internship.”
Sequoyah’s first high school director, Marc Alongi, explains how their program lends itself to a progressive approach, “We use performance tasks as a way to assess student learning. Each one has a project with a real purpose. If you’re in Conceptual Physics and you’re thinking about energy and mechanics, you’ll actually be building something that uses mathematics and all the equations that underlie whatever principle you used to come up with that object. It’s like what goes on in medical school where you demonstrate competency, not just taking an exam.”
“In K-8, students don’t get grades. In high school, we’ll have grades but we’ll continue to value goals that are process-oriented. We’ll include specific objectives relating to collaboration, or communication, or inquiry, as well as content standards. Students have seven modules per year that are five weeks long; they take three 85-minutes courses a day so they can be more focused, plus an elective and a social innovation program. At the end of each mod, they’ll get a report that scores their performance according to their mastery goals for each of the subject areas. What’s different also, is that we have interdisciplinary work within the curriculum. For example, students will be taking a Humanities course that integrates history and English, and some of the big themes and ideas could connect very nicely to the conceptual physics class or to the mathematics program,” Alongi explains.
“We have adopted a framework for Great Challenges which is a set of goals for making the world a better place,” Alongi illustrates Sequoyah’s program. “Let’s look at energy – where we get it, and how we produce it. The implication is that it contributes to global warming. The challenge then is to change that and mitigate its effects on CO2 emissions. We can embed that in our physics curriculum. At the same time there might be a group in the social innovation program who are out in the community talking about how we use energy in L.A., what innovations are taking place to transform technology or consumer behavior, etc. So we have it from both angles: real world investigating on the community project perspective and studying the subject.”
With progressive education in core courses in English, math, history/social science, laboratory science, foreign language, visual and performing arts, and college-prep elective, Sequoyah will meet the A-G requirements of the University of California. It will also offer athletics and participate in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as it fields teams in basketball, cross country, fencing, mountain biking, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball.
More importantly, though, its four-year Social Innovation Program (SIP) will develop students’ empathy and desire to be thoughtful, effective collaborators and changemakers.
Sequoyah’s educational philosophy is attracting the attention of accomplished proponents as evidenced by the caliber of teachers who have applied, and agreed to come on board. They come from the best colleges and universities, including MIT and Caltech, Columbia and Stanford. These educators have held jobs and been involved in careers that span the gamut – a journalist for a television network, counseling psychologist at a Quaker School or an artist in residence in New York, fair trade business entrepreneur, scientist and co-founder of a biotech company in Los Angeles. They have varied interests ranging from organic gardening and amateur beekeeping to cooking Greek food or at Lucques.
Brody himself is an alumnus of Pasadena’s Polytechnic School. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado and later received his Master’s in Education from Harvard. He has been involved in education and human rights in the U.S. and internationally. As an Echoing Green Fellow from 1999 to 2002, he started a project for education reforms in very remote high mountain areas of Nepal. Its objective was to make education relevant to languages, livelihood, and culture of people living in these remote areas where the nearest road is an eight-day walk.
Alongi, a New Mexico native, completed his BA in religious studies and his MA in Teaching at Brown University, and holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology from USC. He is also co-founder and advisor to Ashram Paryavaran Vidyalaya (APV), a model school and teacher training center dedicated to project-based learning, mindfulness, and music, in Uttarakhand, India.
This diverse group of civic-minded educators come together at Sequoyah School to use their experience and to impart their knowledge to the first class of high schoolers who share their passion for community service in scholarship. And if Brody is correct in saying this philosophy is being embraced by more schools, then through their combined work, future generations of Americans may yet get a chance at a better world.
Originally published in Beacon Media News’ Readers’ Choice Magazine on 20 August 2015
I do not profess to be an expert on schools, nor will I claim to be all-knowledgeable about education. But my almost two-decade-experience in searching for and sending my daughter to the elementary, middle, high school, and university that were the right fit for her, afforded me a front row seat in the world of independent schools.
As a stay-at-home mom, I volunteered yearly to spearhead fund-raising committees where I worked alongside other parents, became friends with heads of school, got to know admissions directors. At one school, I even knew the maintenance staff because I managed the school store. I bought all the snacks and drinks for after-school activities; provided pizza and drinks for all the dances; and I was in charge of supplying uniforms like neckties and sweatshirts, and sports items like gym bags. Every day, the maintenance guys helped me unload heavy items from my car. At another school, I befriended the Health Services Director because my daughter was always at the clinic for an injury (she was such a klutz, she got hurt just by walking to her classes). I was a constant presence on campus that my daughter’s friends were convinced I lived right outside the school gates!
My daughter’s ‘career’ as a student began early on in her young life. At her birthday party held in our backyard, I was advised that I needed to find the right nursery school so she could attend the right college. She was a year old; she went to nursery school the following year. In my defense, I sent my daughter to a co-op so teachers and parents alike taught toddlers through songs and stories. She spent three hours every other morning with small kids like herself.
Such was my introduction to private school education in Pasadena. If it’s any consolation, I read somewhere that in Manhattan (New York), expectant parents start registering for the waitlist at pre-schools right after the first trimester of their pregnancy!
I do not speak for all parents when I say the best primary and secondary schools are not the hardest ones to get into; the best universities are not the ones with five percent acceptance rates.
Student satisfaction and happiness aren’t predicated on school ranking. The best schools, I think, are where students are intellectually stimulated and not bored out of their wits; but neither are they so stressed out from all the work that they need to be medicated.
The best schools are where students feel the same excitement and intensity when they talk about black holes as when they expound upon Rick Castle’s coolness (Castle airs on ABC, Mondays at 10 pm Pacific time). It is where your child comes home from the Spring Musical rehearsal exhilarated that she has been put in charge of production for the biggest show of the year! It is the place where kids thrive and succeed.
My daughter is now 19 years old and is a rising second-year student at the third-ranked university in the United Kingdom. She is a happy teenager, enthusiastic to go back to school next month, and eager to find her place in the world.
Here, then, is my highly subjective, very personal, and wholly unscientific list of the top five independent schools in the Pasadena area. I’m sure I will have dissenters out there and I’m all right with that. I wasn’t going for a popularity contest.
Image taken from Pasadena Now
1. POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL
It has been referred to as the ‘most elite school’ in Pasadena, and for good reason. For over a hundred years Polytechnic School, on California Blvd, has been providing excellent education for students that come through its doors. Founded in 1907, Poly was the first non-profit, independent school in Southern California, providing academics and manual arts for kindergarteners through 8th graders.
In 1959, with Willis Stork as its fourth headmaster, Poly welcomed its first high school students, when it expanded to reach 12th grade. The achievements of Poly’s graduates in colleges and universities throughout the country established its national renown.
Succeeding heads of school continued Poly’s tradition of academic excellence and nurturing environment for students. Debbie Reed, who served from 2002 through 2014, led the ambitious “The Next 100 Years Campaign” which raised funds from parents and donors to construct a much-needed underground parking structure, and new buildings on the North and South Campus. Construction, which ended in 2013, established a state-of-the art science and tech labs, and an expansive library. It also refurbished the Garland Auditorium to make it a professional stage for performances and created a Black Box Theatre which doubles as a dance studio.
The school operates under three distinct divisions united by shared values. The school’s faculty and staff lay a scholastic foundation of academics and arts, athletics and physical education, global engagement, and community service – cornerstones of a Poly education.
The lower school has approximately 270 students, with 20 full-time teachers and assistants, 15 support and specialized instruction personnel. There are 14 to 15 students per class in kindergarten through 2nd grade; while from 3rd through 5th grade, there are 22 to 23. The lower school provides the perfect introduction to young learners as they discover new things. Teachers respond to children’s developmental needs, making them confident learners.
In middle school Poly’s 215 students transition from childhood to adolescence. It is where kids in their tween years question, learn, and find their own voice under the guidance of 20 teachers and assistants, and 10 support and specialized instruction personnel, who understand this phase in human development. The 17 to 21 students in each class get their first taste in making personal, individual choices through its outdoor education program, by selecting an activity which matches their particular outdoor interest. Later, in 8th grade, learners get to choose the foreign language they intend to carry on into high school. A crucial responsibility for middle school teachers is to ensure that every 8th grader is ready for promotion to high school. Eighth graders meet with the Dean of Students, towards the end of the school year, to discuss the curriculum for the next four years and begin mapping out individual course options.
Activities accelerate at a much greater pace at Poly’s high school, which has a total of 375 students, with 50 full-time classroom teachers. Each class has about 15 students. Class deans for each grade level are tasked with keeping abreast of each student’s academic performance, achievement, well-being, and progress through high school.
Poly’s sophomore year community service requirement involves students completing 30 hours of community service in a particular area of interest. This becomes a starting point for them to expand on throughout their high school years. The school’s outreach also provides opportunities for student involvement and leadership. Each grade level elects their representatives who find opportunities for projects.
In 2006, Poly launched the Global Initiatives Program (GIP) to develop and instill in students the tools to make them considerate, contributing, and connected citizens of the world. Students study various cultures, interact with people in other parts of the globe, and experience cultural events from around the world. The Study Abroad Program, a component of GIP, focuses on cultural immersion, face-to-face interaction, and service learning. Those who complete GIP’s rigorous requirements in each of the four areas graduate as Polytechnic Global Scholars.
The school’s athletic achievements are legendary as evidenced by the school’s 140 Prep League Championships, 46 CIF Championships, and 72 CIF Academic Championships over the past 20 years. Poly competes in an impressive array of sports – badminton, baseball, basketball, cross country, diving, equestrian, fencing, football, golf, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and water polo. Student participation in sports is 88 percent – in 16 fall teams, 15 winter teams, and 14 spring teams, under the guidance of 84 coaches.
Academics at Poly are vigorous, with AP courses on offer in 16 subjects. During the 2013-2014 school year, the school administered 660 AP exams, taken by 238 students, with 92 percent earning 3 or above. Forty-nine percent of seniors were National Merit Semi-finalists and Commended students . Of the 97 seniors who graduated that school year, 71percent were accepted to highly selective learning institutions. They attended 58 colleges and universities in the United States and one in the United Kingdom.
As for the next hundred years, current Head of School, John Bracker, says, “The next 100 years at Polytechnic School will be informed by its past and defined by the intellectual curiosity of its students, the unfettered commitment to teaching of its faculty, and the compassion of its community that is focused both inward and outward.”
For 108 years, Poly has been challenging and nurturing students imbued with a curiosity about people, their community, and the world they inhabit. They are natural learners and born leaders – they are the ones who will one day make a difference.
2 – FLINTRIDGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Flintridge Preparatory (Prep for short), in La Canada, was founded by Doane Lowery in 1933 as an all-boys school. In 1979 it became a co-educational school offering classes from 7th through 12th grade. It has a total enrollment of 500 students (100 in 7th and 8th; 400 in high school).
According to its mission statement, Prep “…seeks to nurture in its students the knowledge, critical skills, community values, and creativity essential for an engaged, balanced, and responsible life”. Thus, its focus is not only on a successful high school career, but also a jumpstart into a student’s future college career. To ensure personalized teaching for its population, classes are kept small – at twelve students – with a low student/teacher ratio of 8:1.
Prep attracts the most-qualified faculty, comprising teachers with terminal degrees, teaching artists, coaches and deans. It has a very high faculty satisfaction and teachers tend to stay for a long time. Likewise, it seeks only the best students who have the intellectual ability to appreciate the academic and extra-curricular activities available to them. Student retention is at 99 percent.
Thirteen Honors and 14 AP courses in English, history, match, science, language, visual arts, and performing arts are on offer.
There are excellent facilities to support Prep’s students’ learning requirements, including four centers of computing technology. The mathematics department’s Braun Foundation Computer Laboratory hosts applications and programming classes. The library has computers available throughout the day and after school. Classrooms are equipped with Smart Boards, and the art department has a ‘dry darkroom’ for digital photo editing and printing.
Arts courses take place at The Randall Performing Arts Center which has classrooms for dance, drama, and music. There is also The Miller Theatre, a black box performance space. Prep has art studios for ceramics, drawing, and painting. It has a fully-equipped photography studio complete with a professional camera, and developing equipment.
In September 2007 construction on the two-story Chandramohan Library was completed and it became the heart of student life. With a computer lab, a classroom for seminars, meeting rooms, areas for study, and a college counselling suite, the library is a busy place for academics and socializing.
Athletics are an important component of the school’s daily activities and Prep provides students with extensive facilities – the Lowery swimming pool, James Woods Memorial Field, Crawford Family Gymnasium and Tom Fry Weight Room.
Prep fields 30 teams, proudly wearing their blue and greys, in 13 sports including: dance and cheer, and equestrian year-round; cross country, football, tennis, volleyball, and water polo in the fall; basketball, soccer, and water polo in winter; baseball, diving, golf, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo in the spring.
A lively involvement on campus is displayed by the student senate, the student body at Prep. Since 1935, they have been holding weekly meetings, run by the senior class president. The program’s cabin members include the class president from every grade and two representatives, selected by each grade class. They hold annual traditions like The Book Day BBQ, the Haunted House, Spirit Week, Winter Festival, Teacher Appreciation Week, and Prep Fest.
Meanwhile, the SCAC (Student Community Action Council), a student-run organization, builds on and off campus leadership. It integrates all forms of leadership on campus and creates a socially positive environment for engagement.
Prep’s first athlete-based leadership program, Athletic Leadership Council, was founded in 2008 to actively promote athleticism while instilling responsibilities. Members create community service projects, serve as mentors to other students, encourage school and team spirit, and serve as role models and exemplars of strong leadership.
A rigorous curriculum, athletic programs, and opportunities for community service, all contribute to Prep’s graduates’ success in getting accepted to the best colleges and universities in the nation. Students of the class of 2014 went to Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, and other prominent institutions.
Asked about Prep’s guiding thought, Peter Bachmann, Head of School, says “Flintridge Prep aims to strike an even balance between intellectual and personal development. We want kids to do well in school and be well-prepared for college, but also be happy, well-developed individuals who establish life-long friendships with other students and teachers. We hope to prepare students, not simply for the next stage, but for their entire lives.”
What parent would disagree with such simple but sage philosophy?
(Beacon Media intern Ame Hossen contributed research and reporting to this story. A 15-year-old sophomore at Glendora High School, Ame is an avid reader of fiction; enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and helping out in the community.)
Image taken from Westridge School’s website
3 – WESTRIDGE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Mary Lowther Ranney, a noted architect and teacher, founded Westridge in 1913 to create a school that would offer an education for college-bound girls. She had originally intended to open it at her parents residence but enrollment exceeded her expectations and realized she needed a much bigger space. The Ranney’s acquired a larger house on Madeline and inaugurated it with a total of 21 students.
Today, 102 years after that momentous occasion, Westridge School for Girls has a total enrollment of 480 students and continues its excellent tradition of educating girls to become successful. In the words of Head of School Elizabeth McGregor, “Our vision for Westridge is to foster a culture of thinking that inspires our girls to realize their intellectual and creative potential, to foster an ethos and community that inspires Westridge girls to look beyond themselves in order to impact others and the world.”
At Westridge’s lower school (grades 4 to 6), students develop skills in academic subjects and the application of these through creative activities and group projects. They also receive in-class or after-school instruction about health and wellness.
The middle school (7th and 8th grades), addresses students’ transition from childhood into adolescence. They are provided the tools and skills necessary for academic success as they become confident, articulate and motivated learners.
In upper school (9th through 12th), students are encouraged to think critically and individually. They begin to identify their areas of interest – in academics, arts, athletics and civics. Girls embark on their Community Action Projects, multi-year service and inquiry process that empower them to use their skills and talents to improve the lives of others.
Implementation of a balanced education means finding out how knowledge is imparted and absorbed; and what is required to prepare students for the real world. As McGregor says, “Our curriculum and teaching approaches are based on the most recent research into how girls learn best, and we wish to become a center for research and information on girls’ education. We are also committed to empowering our students in design thinking and the STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). To that end, we have just opened our STEAMWORK Design Studio maker space.”
Westridge School’s facilities include a14,000 square-foot, two-story, and eco-friendly science and math building that houses the chemistry and physics labs, math classrooms, and a technology and data center to support the school’s 150 laptops. A Performing Arts Center has 600 seats and hosts numerous theatrical productions, concerts and dances.
Sports and physical education take place on the Frank Athletic Field where lacrosse, soccer and softball are played. Hoffman Gymnasium is the site for basketball and volleyball. The Studenmund Family Weight Training Room is the fitness center.
Athletics at Westridge is a source of pride as it has earned twelve Prep League Championships in the last ten years. The school has produced three Olympians – Anne Kursinski ’76, Equestrian,
in the 1988 (Silver), 1992, and 1996 (Silver) Olympics; Inger Miller ’90 received a Gold for Track and Field in the 1996 Olympics; and Erica Wu ’14 competed in Table Tennis in the 2012 Olympics.
An academically strong school, Westridge’s class of 2015 produced 17 AP Scholars, eight National Merit Finalists, and 12 Commended Scholars. Its graduates went to attend highly-selective colleges and universities in the United States and around the Globe.
Westridge students also enjoy a vibrant social life on campus as they pick Greek and Roman teams and earn points during competitions. There is a Big and Little Sisters organization where girls are assigned to a family – younger students bond and form friendships with older girls on campus. During the All School Day, the ASB (Associated Student Body) organizes themed activities for fun that include movies and food, making for a fun-filled, relaxing day for everyone. There is a Ring Ceremony at the end of the school year when a Junior receives her class ring, symbolizing her passage from junior to senior year.
All these components are ingredients for a fulfilling and gratifying scholarship for girls. As McGregor explains, “We believe, and are told by colleges and community members, that our girls stand out for their intellectual curiosity, independence and sense of self, and their desire to improve the world around them. Everything at Westridge is designed to foster these characteristics – to develop intellectually adventurous thinkers and courageous, compassionate leaders.”
Mary Lowther Ranney would have been so proud.
(Beacon Media intern Jonathan Tsou contributed to research and reporting for this story. Jonathan is a senior at Arcadia High School, and likes reading historical books. He has conducted a couple of interviews involving various historical figures.)
4 – CLAIRBOURN SCHOOL
East Hall Walkway at Clairbourn School | Photo courtesy of Clairbourn School
Clairbourn School was established in 1926 when Emily Bourne, wife of A.K. Bourne (scion of the Singer Sewing Machine founder), decided to teach classes at the conservatory of her San Marino home. Enrollment grew annually from the four original students, and in 1931 it relocated to its present site on Huntington Drive, in San Gabriel. It remains there today, providing education for children from Junior Pre-K through 8th grade.
Students at Clairbourn experience the thrill of discovering new things and learning life-skills taught by caring teachers in a nurturing environment. According to Nancy Ward, Communications Director, the preschool program is designed to encourage children’s natural love of learning. It sets the stage for a positive approach to education which is a vital ingredient of school readiness; preschoolers are ready to enter kindergarten with a positive self-concept, the spirit of inquiry and critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
In the preschool classroom, the focus is on the whole child; this encompasses language, cognitive, social, emotional, physical and spiritual development and competencies. “There is an emphasis on the acquisition and application of universal values as guided by the Clairbourn Code of Ethics, which includes respect, responsibility, citizenship, spirituality and honesty. This code spans all grade levels, permeating all aspects of school life” says Ward.
The competencies and critical thinking skills that preschoolers gain are carried on into Clairbourn’s kindergarten through 5th grade program. Here, experienced specialists teach core subjects supplemented with enrichment classes in art, computer/technology, library, music, foreign language, and physical education.
A faster pace and schedule make up a dynamic middle school experience at Clairbourn. With only 18 students per class, and two sections per grade, department teachers give personalized attention to each one. Core teachers specializing in English, history, math, science, French, Latin, and Spanish provide a balance of hands-on learning, written reflection and oral reporting.
During middle school, students get involved in service activities promoting an understanding of community and global responsibility. Annual outdoor education class trips emphasize the environment, leadership and teambuilding, with optional opportunities for travel to Costa Rica, Australia and Europe.
The highlight of middle school at Clairbourn is the Huntingtower Exchange Program, which began in 2000, as a way for students to be global citizens. Through some research, Clairbourn found an institution of similar age and philosophy in Melbourne, Australia and the two schools began to exchange students with host families. According to Head of School, Dr. Robert Nafie, “We felt our students would find that in the midst of a variety of difference in culture, language, and traditions, they would see that humankind is essentially the same where it really matters. They could see that applying the basic values and academic skills they learned at Clairbourn would be successful seven thousand miles from home and beyond.”
In 7th grade, each family receives individual high school admissions counseling to help them understand options, and how to prepare and apply to high schools. Students are required to take an interview preparation class, attend high school tours, and meet with high school admissions directors on the Clairbourn campus. Ninety-seven percent of its graduates are accepted to highly competitive and selective day and boarding schools, with three percent choosing excellent area public schools.
As Nafie looks back on his 36 years of stewardship, he is struck by the fact that education today is still facing the age-old question “What is the purpose of education?” e saysHHe He thinks that there are as many answers to this question as there are schools. And while it seems to be a simple thing to answer, many schools jump right over the question because it is difficult to find a consensus. Many move forward with an implied purpose, with the assumption they know what that is. To some, it just means higher, faster, farther, longer, or some other superlative. But he believes schools can do better, and parents deserve clearer choices in schools.
Ninety years after its inception, Clairbourn’s teaching philosophy remains true to its founder’s essential purpose: to impart knowledge based on fundamental principles applied to present-day needs. Nafie expresses this more eloquently when he says “ … the increasingly complex nature of global communication today with 24-hour news, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and a whole array of new and emerging social media, tells us that the ability to get along in a wider arena of influence will be essential for humanity’s survival. The narrow band of pure academics, as laudable as it is, will not be enough to ensure that students thrive and succeed in the 21st century. Rather, they need to know how to apply their academic abilities in a way that fosters healthy and positive outcomes.”
Very well articulated. Clairbourn students and parents would wholeheartedly agree.
Image taken from Chandler School website
5 – CHANDLER SCHOOL
Chandler School, in Pasadena, was founded in 1950 by Thomas and Catherine Chandler with an initial enrollment of 14 students. Today it has a total student population of 420, and is reputed to be one of the hardest K- 8th grade schools to be accepted into in the western San Gabriel Valley.
John Finch, who serves as Chandler’s fourth headmaster since its inception, describes the school’s philosophy thus: “Our mission is to provide each student with the highest quality and most academically challenging education in a nurturing, balanced and diverse environment. The curriculum balances core subjects and includes interdisciplinary study that develops well-rounded students.”
Carrying out Chandler’s grand mission are teachers and mentors with the expertise in meeting the academic, artistic, athletic, and social needs of K- 8th grade students. During the school year 2010-2011, one of Chandler’s 1st grade instructors received the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program’s Teacher Recognition Award. One-third of its school faculty hold advanced degrees and the average tenure of faculty is nine years.
Preparation for life begins at Chandler’s lower school, where academic rigor includes innovation, creativity and character development. The school offers core subjects and integrates an interdisciplinary STEAM. Students take core subject classes, and art, music, library, and Spanish very week. Its physical education program engenders not just physical strength, it likewise gives students opportunities to build teamwork, perseverance, resilience and discipline.
Teachers use technology to prepare Chandler’s lower school students for the one-on-one program offered in middle school. Kindergarteners through 2nd graders get iPads while 3rd through 5th graders get laptops. They teach young learners how to choose tools and how to properly care for and maintain them, how to protect their identity and privacy, and how to balance high-tech, low-tech and no-tech experiences.
In middle school, students take five core courses in English, history, math, science and Spanish. They also have fine arts and personal development classes, electives and physical education. In 6th grade, students develop skills like note-taking, time management and exam preparation. They build on and take these skills into 7th grade; and in 8th grade they have various opportunities for leadership and community service.
Families of middle school students are required to purchase Apple Macbooks as they start the year. Students use school-sponsored online databases and software applications. Chandler uses customized Google Apps for Education domain to support teaching allowing for easy sharing of documents, file storage, and connectivity.
Chandler is a nationally recognized and certified Common Sense Digital Citizenship school. It earned this distinction by demonstrating its commitment to taking a community approach to preparing students in using digital media to explore, create, connect, and learn, while limiting online perils, like plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. Common Sense is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology.
The visual arts program at Chandler includes photography, ceramics, water color, and printmaking; students hold a school-wide art exhibit in the spring. Music offerings are string ensemble, Clover Chorus, and a class that focuses on creating, composing, music history and appreciation. Students in the performance arts stage two theatre productions, one string and choral group show.
Athletics are an important component of a Chandler student’s experience. Sports activities include baseball, basketball, flag football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball.
Chandler’s middle school curriculum affords them ample preparation for the high school application process. The 59 students in the class of 2015 were accepted to very selective secondary day and boarding schools in southern California, including Campbell Hall, Flintridge Prep, Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough, Notre Dame High School, Polytechnic School, Westridge School for Girls, Cate School in Carpinteria, and The Webb Schools in Claremont; to east coast schools like Hotchkiss In Connecticut, Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, and Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire; and to charter and magnet schools like International Polytechnic High School in Pomona and the Los Angeles High School for the Arts.
These Chandler graduates are the envy of every high-schooler in the western San Gabriel Valley.
(Beacon Media intern Jonathan Tsou contributed research and reporting for this story. A senior at Arcadia High School, Jonathan is currently busy with college applications. He hopes to study Education Psychology.)
A residential neighborhood along Mendocino Lane in Altadena, with the San Gabriel Mountains in the background.
Originally published on 16 July 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly
There is a little known enclave north of Pasadena where life is serene, neighbors still greet each other, and one can practically touch the mountain. This small community is Altadena, a name derived from a combination of the Spanish word “alta”, meaning upper, and “dena” from Pasadena.
Another stalwart of the community is Saint Mark’s School, founded in 1960 by a group of dedicated parents who saw a need for quality education in a racially integrated setting. It has since grown into a well-respected preK-6th grade school that provides a strong academic curriculum that fosters critical thinking and creativity while instilling in its students a strong sense of moral and ethical responsibility. Dr. Doreen Oleson, who last month retired as its Head of School for 25 years, started her term when there were only a hundred students. While the school’s enrollment has increased to 350, each year it sees applications continue to rise and its geographic area widen with families from not only Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and La Canada, but also neighborhoods such as Silver Lake, Highland Park, and Los Feliz.
For a while they had contemplated extending the school to reach 8th grade, but they realized that they are best at their niche and scrapped that plan. According to Oleson, “We consciously decided not to go all the way to 8th grade. We built our reputation as a strong, independent school where kids stay with us for ten years and then they go on to middle school, equipped with a strong foundation.”
Photo taken from Saint Mark’s brochure
Oleson believes a small class size ensures that children get all the attention and support they need to prepare them for middle school. There are 34 faculty members who teach the core subjects, and supplemental studies in the arts, music, languages and physical education. Saint Mark’s also has a librarian, information service technician, counselor and education specialist.
It was Oleson who was instrumental in putting in place all of Saint Mark’s successful programs and garnering national recognition for the school. She leaves the school with a legacy of turning out students who are not just academically accomplished but who are self-confident, self-reliant, and responsible to themselves, their families, their school, and the world community.
These very qualities in Saint Mark’s graduates were what impressed Jennifer Foley Tolbert while she was middle school director at Pasadena’s prestigious Polytechnic School. When Oleson announced her retirement and the school’s search for its next Head of School, Tolbert didn’t hesitate to toss her hat in the ring. The ensuing national search attracted the most respected names in academia but her qualifications (a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Columbia University, a Bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont) combined with a network of local contacts and experience made her a standout among the applicants.
And so on the 1st of July this year, Tolbert officially took over as Head of School. Asked what attracted her to this school, she replies, “ I know that Saint Mark’s takes seriously its charge to serve as a critical and strong foundation for young children. There is great pride in a Saint Mark’s education. I’m impressed by its founders and the teachers, its strong reputation in the community and the character education that comes with it. The school teaches about what it means to be a good person and a good citizen. As an Episcopal school, Saint Mark’s values a culture of inquiry; it’s a place where we encourage children to ask questions.”
As to what she brings to this job, Tolbert’s says “… my experience in a variety of roles and schools; a lot of energy, a love for children, and new ideas. I come with a network of great mentors and relationships within our local and national school community. I also bring a personal and professional commitment to the same values and belief in diversity and putting children first.”
According to Tolbert “… the first order of business when the staff, administrators, and students arrive in the Fall, will be for me to observe, ask questions and listen. This approach will be important in figuring out priorities and areas that I need to focus on. I plan to get a sense of what’s working well and what needs to be improved upon as a way of informing next steps.”
One important aspect of private school education that Tolbert will be there to oversee is the accreditation process that will be coming up in two years. The results of this process will serve as the road map for Saint Mark’s future plans.
As Oleson prepared to leave Saint Marks at the end of June, she said, “While I enjoyed the 25 years I spent here, I am happy to go on to the next phase of my life. I am very confident that I am leaving Saint Mark’s in Jenn’s competent hands.” For her part, Tolbert says, “I am honored to be following the footsteps of a warm and beloved presence. I will take very good care of her legacy.”
A San Gabriel Valley Inquirer 