January 22, 2010

Dear Pilgrim School families, First Church members, and Friends close and far,

I believe in life-long learning!  What do I mean by that?  I mean that I believe that a talented educator can “light the spark” of learning in children of all ages, so that students are imbued with the intellectual curiosity that is at the very root of learning.

I brag – and rightfully so – about a lot of things at Pilgrim School.

I save my biggest bragging rights for the Pilgrim School faculty.  Every one of our teachers is an expert at “lighting that light.”  Whether your student is in Kindergarten or is a Freshman in High School, I guarantee you that her and his teachers are taking a careful, and nurturing, assessment of your student in order to determine what is the best educational course to follow.

That being said, I am about to embark on an educational adventure myself.  I am leaving tomorrow for New York, where I will be a Klingenstein Fellow at Teachers College at Columbia University.  The Klingenstein Center is dedicated to improving the quality of independent school education by developing and strengthening leadership among teachers and administrators who work in and with independent schools in the United States and throughout the world.

I am very excited to be embarking on this course of study, and look forward to sharing what I have learned when I return.  While I am gone, Mrs. McDugald and Dr. Kidder will be in charge of their respective divisions.  Valerie Pearson, our former Head of School, will be on campus, and board member Mimi Baer (who was the Executive Director of CAIS until her retirement) is available if needed.  I am confident that Pilgrim will run smoothly in my absence.

The Diamonds Are Forever Committee is busy planning an amazing party for the Pilgrim community.  Please mark your calendar for March 13, and prepare to be dazzled!  The Barnum Room, Amanda Scott and Stuart Hall will be transformed in our own Las Vegas, with gaming tables, auction items, bars and food stations in every room.  Dancing in Stuart Hall to a jazz combo, and a few surprises (of the fun sort!) are also planned.  Tickets are $100, and teacher sponsorships are $125 (which covers a teacher and her/his date).  We need items for the silent auction, which is being chaired by parents Kathryn Atwood and Annie Johnson.  We have received gift certificates from some of the city’s finest and “funnest” restaurants (Providence, Allston Yacht Club, Papa Christo), and items continue to roll in.  To be included in our Souvenir Journal, items must be turned in by February 12.  A Diamonds Are Forever packet was sent home recently, and your “top secret” invitation will be in your mailbox soon.  Don’t miss it!  For more information, please contact Mary Lou Malphus at mlmalphus@pilgrim-school.org.

Yesterday I gave the students an update on the Fine Arts Center.  In short:  we expect to have the building completed within five weeks.  (The students cheered!)  The cabinets, sinks and lights are installed and the building is, in a word, stunning.  We are organizing a special art show for the grand opening, which will be on Saturday, April 17.  Klieg lights, champagne, and festivities will abound!

“The Wizard of Oz” began rehearsals this week.  Congratulations to the eighty-plus students who auditioned, all of whom have a role.  Maddy K. is our Dorothy; Alexia C. is Glinda; Marco L. is the Uncle; Nkechi A. is the Cowardly Lion; Delina Y. is the Tinman; Clare R-G is the Scaregrow; Avery L. is the Wicked Witch; and Khari R. the Wizard.  Please mark your calendar for April 22 and 23 for this Pilgrim extravaganza.

Parents Anthony Sparks and Marlo Afflalo gave a report to TAPPS this week about their plans for Black History Month.  The theme is “The Roots of America,” and the kick-off event is a “rent party” on Saturday, January 30 (details to follow).  This fundraiser will help to underwrite the costs of the program, and is also just plain fun.  Bring an auction item and save $5 on the ticket price!

As part of Black History Month, members of the theater ensemble “Stomp” will perform for our students, and a food drive for Hope-Net and shoe drive for Haiti will be part of the “Stomp Our Hunger and Poverty” theme for the month.  Thank you to both of these Proud Pilgrim Parents for creating such a great program for our students.  A flier with all of the activities outlined is attached.

Dads Club members – and that’s every Dad at Pilgrim – take note!  You are invited on Wednesday, February 17 at 6 pm to a single-malt whisky tasting at the Jonathan Club with “The Master of Whisky,” Ed Adams.  Seating is limited, so please R.s.v.p. (rsvp@pilgrim-school.org) so that we can confirm our numbers with the Club.

Thank you parents in Grades 4 and 5 for a delicious and bountiful lunch for the faculty this week.  It seems like a small thing, but for our teachers to come into the lounge and find an array of food – gorgeous salads, paella, homemade pasta with sausage, chicken, dozens of desserts, and more – it really means a lot.  Thank you!

Patricia Polacco, author and illustrator of over forty children’s books, will speak to our Elementary students next Friday at 8:30 and 10:30 in the Barnum Room.  Please join us if you can.  She will be reading from her newest book, January’s Sparrow, which tells the story of a slave family that escapes to freedom via the Underground Railroad.  We are thrilled to have Miss Polacco as part of our Visiting Authors Series, funded by Jan Steeper.

When the earthquake hit in Haiti last week, art teacher Katrina Alexy asked the 4th graders for some artistic help. The 4th graders made "Haiti houses" in art class creating small, colorful houses out of scrap matte board cut in squares and triangles. Each "house" was decorated in the bright colorful style found throughout Haiti with a magnet glued to the back. The students were thoroughly behind the idea of creating art to raise money for Haiti, and many of them asked to stay in at recess to make additional houses. The magnets have been for sale on campus for $5 and we are almost all sold out.  A special thanks to Rev. Richard Bower for offering to sell the houses at church on Sunday, where he raised over $250 in one morning!  The art class hopes to raise $500 with the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. A big THANK YOU goes out to the terrific, positive attitude the 4th graders have shown with last week's impromptu art project to help the Haitians.  I am truly impressed with their open hearts and willingness to help!

School wide, we are also taking donations for Doctors Without Borders.  Checks or cash can be brought to the front office.

Looking ahead, the first day of school for the 2010-2011 school year will be Thursday, August 26 for Secondary students (Grades 6 – 12), and Monday, August 30 for preschool through Grade 5.  Start planning your summer trips now!

In the next two weeks, please expect abbreviated weekly updates from me, as I will be very busy writing papers, attending seminars, and going to class!  I will miss everyone at Pilgrim, and look forward to seeing everyone on February 9.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Brooks
Head of School

DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, January 26
Tasty Tuesday!

Wednesday, January 27
5 pm:  Preschool closes
6 pm:  College night (Grades 10 and 11)

Friday, January 29
8:30 and 10:30:  Visiting author Patricia Polacco, Barnum Room
9 a.m:  “Mommy and Daddy Club,” Toddler Room
Current Kindergarten Contracts due
Middle School Sleepover
Spirit Day

Sunday, January 31
New student admissions applications due

ATHLETICS SCHEDULE

Monday, January 25
3:30:  Middle School Boys Basketball at Pilibos
4 pm:  Girls Basketball at Newbury Park Adventist
5 pm:  Boys Basketball at Westmark

Tuesday, January 26
4 pm:  Hollywood/Wilshire Elementary Basketball vs. Hollywood Schoolhouse, at Pilgrim
4:30:  Boys Varsity Basketball at Trinity Lutheran

Thursday, January 28:
3:30:  Boys Varsity Soccer at Newbury Park Adventist

Friday, January 29:
5 pm:  Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Archer at Pilgrim

PRESCHOOL NEWS

Our monthly “Daddy and Mommy Club” is scheduled next Friday, January 29th at 9 a.m. in the toddler classroom. You will have an opportunity to make a picture frame with your child on this day. To add to the activity we ask all the toddler parents to bring in a picture of their child(ren). We are also plan to have a tea party and a fun imaginative play with the parents for our next February Club.

Our new clubs started this week: Girl Power and Big Boys!  Clubs meet twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays. BBC became little builders as they played with blocks, cars and trains. They created great structures, towns and cities and also enjoyed making rafts. GPC enjoyed playing dress-up and making colorful jewelry. One of our students said, “I really enjoyed playing dress-up with the girls. I didn’t want to stop playing!”

ELEMENTARY NEWS

Report cards will be in the mail on Tuesday for grades K-4 and online by end of day Tuesday for grade 5.

Miss Basom and Miss Koller report from Second Grade:

Last Friday, January 15, we had our Freedom Tea Celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For the Freedom Tea, students in Miss Basom's class shared facts they have learned about Dr. King and gave Peace Awards to each other to promote peaceful actions both in and out of the classroom.  Miss Koller's class joined us for tea and we tried many different delicious selections:  African Red Bush, chamomile, mint and honey, and regular sweet tea.  Thanks to City Cuisine for providing us with hot water for our tea, to Mr. Blake for taking great photos, and to the faculty, staff and parents who came by join us!

Second graders also have been busy reading Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, who will be visiting Pilgrim School at the end of the month on January 29.  The story is about a young girl, afraid of thunderstorms, who becomes empowered by her grandmother to get ingredients together to make a cake just as a thunderstorm is approaching.  The girl learns to not be so afraid of storms and she enjoys making the Thunder Cake with her grandmother.  We loved the story so much, we decided we'd try out the recipe given by Polacco in the book.  On Wednesday, January 20, just in time for the Los Angeles thunder and rain, we created our own Thunder Cake.  It was delicious!

LIBRARY CORNER

The Newbery Award and Caldecott Award winners recently announced at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago are now in our Elementary Library!

Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me features a girl who lives in Manhattan in the 1970s who is obsessed with A Wrinkle in Time (another Newbery winner, and a classic book worth revisiting!).  The Caldecott Prize was presented to Jerry Pinkney for his illustration in The Lion and the Mouse, which is a rendition of the Aesop fable, set in Africa.

Parents, the next meeting of Pilgrim’s book group is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10.  We are reading the popular and wonderful Steig Larsson book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Join us for wine, snacks, conversation and discussion!  Please contact Librarian Marjorie Clifton if you would like to be in on the enjoyment!  (mclifton@pilgrim-school.org)

KITCHEN CORNER

When the Elementary students walk into the serving line, many of them are asking what the fresh soup of the day is.  From Tortilla to Chicken Vegetable, the soup is all gone by the end of the lunch period – elementary and secondary alike are enjoying. We have added four new items to the salad bar – cottage cheese, fresh organic spinach, pea sprouts and sweet peppers.  Eighteen items and counting!

COMMUNITY SERVICE

This week Pilgrim students viewed a special presentation on Haiti. Students were introduced to our island neighbor, informed of its culturally blended history and told of its unique origins as a state founded on a successful slave rebellion. The tragic earthquake of January 12th was highlighted and students were urged to do what they could as individuals to help the relief effort. Students in the secondary Community Service Club made posters asking all to unite in helping our neighbor. As a school we have decided to combine all our donations and provide one check to Doctors Without Borders. Many thanks go out to elementary school teacher Katrina Alexy, who joined a local Haitian community meeting where this outstanding organization was singled out as one worthy of our united support. Doctors Without Borders has already set up makeshift hospitals in Haiti and are saving lives. We will continue our drive throughout the month of January. Students, staff, faculty, and families are encouraged to make any donation:  every penny will help.

Extended Care Director Ashley Alves writes:

In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, I would like to present you with an opportunity to help others while having a great time in the process (a new year’s resolution I can really get behind!).  The American Cancer Society holds an annual event, Relay for Life, to raise money for research and advocacy as well as to spread information and support. This event is a 24-hour relay where team members take turns walking laps around a track. There is live music, food, guest speakers and an overall spirit of hope and positive energy.

I have created a team for Pilgrim School and would love to see everyone participate. Our goal, which I know we can far exceed, is 15 team members, each raising $100. If you are interested please go to http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=20419 to get more information and sign up on the Pilgrim School Team.  Please make sure you select the Hollywood event.  Feel free to invite friends, family members, and even your students to participate!  If you feel you cannot lend support by participating, you can also donate to a team or an individual. Thanks so much and I hope Pilgrim School is well represented in showing support for survivors and those battling cancer.

If you have any questions you can find me on the yard, or email me (aalves@pilgrim-school.org) and I would love to explain in further detail.

“The Wizard of Oz” Cast List

Dorothy Gale            Madeleine K.
Aunt Em/ Glinda            Alexia C.
Uncle Henry                Marco L.
Zeke/ Cowardly Lion        Nkechi A.
Hickory/ Tin Woodsman        Delina Y.
Hunk/ Scarecrow            Clare R-G
Miss Gultch/ Wicked Witch    Avery L.
Wizard of Oz            Khari R.
Guard                    Muj R.
Toto(s)                Jalen C., Sydney G., Leanna F.

Munchkins:
Citizens of Munchkinland
Olivia S., Madison D., Jalen C., Lauryn E., Sydney G., Oscar D., Ariceli T., Alexis A., Alexandria A., Leanna F., Isabella N-T, Aidan K., Isabel R., Mya A., Ryan P., Monica R., Bianca R., Reese D., Javier C., Junah T., Lissa K., Deni W., Alexander F., Jared C., Madeline S., Luca R., Kiara F., L S., Akuti P, Ryan W., Sophia L., David R., Journey S., Garrett I., Kieran K., Jayvier D., Daisy K., Melia R.

Mayor:  Kieran K.
Coroner: Melia R.
Barrister: Deni W.
Fiddler: Akuti P.
Braggart: Journey S.
3 Fathers: Aidan K., Jared C., Reese D.
3 Tots: Isabella N-T, Bianca R., Monica R.
3 Tough Guys: Luca R., David R., Jayvier D.

Three Crows:
Mae H., Jasmine Y., Mariah D.
Three Trees:
Mae H., Jasmine Y., Mariah D.
2 Oz men:
Journey S., L S.
2 Oz Women:
Myriam O., Mae H.
Winkie General:
Melia R.
Winkies/ Flying Monkeys:
Junah T, Lissa K, Deni W, Alexander F, Jared C, Madeline S, Luca R, Kiara F, L S, Akuti P, Ryan W, Sophia L, David R, Journey S, Garrett I, Kieran K, Jayvier D, Daisy K, Melia R.

Oz Chorus and Winkie’s Chorus: Dustin P, Xavier S-B, Audrey D, Hadassah H, Myriam O, Shannon V, Angela X, Mae H, Jasmine Y, Mariah D.