Shamrock Spring 2013

Published for the Chandler School Community

Spring 2013 VOLUME XXiii nUMBEr 1

shamrock

shamrockpUBLiShEd fOr thE ChandLEr SChOOL COMMUnit y

www.ChandLErSChOOL.OrgSpring 2013

missionThe mission of Chandler School is to provide each student with the highest quality and most academically challenging education in a nurturing, balanced and diverse environment. we strive to have our students gain a love of learning, a means of thinking independently and an ability to work collaboratively. A Chandler education seeks to develop good character, self-reliance and a commitment to community in students as a foundation for academic and personal success.

goalsTo uphold the Chandler tradition of academic excellence and intellectual discipline in a program that develops the mind, body and spirit. To promote respect, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, which are the core values of our school community.

To foster an educational environment that values and communicates respect for racial, religious, cultural and economic differences.

To serve the greater community, in recognition that as much is given to us, much is expected from us.

2 STeAm

11 Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

15 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award winner Keisuke nakagawa ’96

18 Alumni Council President lauren Craig Albrecht ’85

18 Alumni events

20 off to College Reunion Class of 2009

22 Class notes

25 in memoriam

26 Farewell & welcome

28 Chandler Golf Classic 2013

30 Spielberg Visits Chandler to launch national Contest

32 South Campus Campaign: Substance X

Table of Contents

Chandler School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

mr. Finch lines up a putt on the miniature golf course created by eighth-grade students as part of their STeAm project.

Message froM The head of sChool

The STeAm (science, technology, engineering, art and math) projects that students in each grade completed in the spring were the culmination of a yearlong study designed to lower the boundaries between subjects and to provide students with authentic, engaging problems to solve. by capturing students’ interests with a challenge that was not unique to one subject, Chandler faculty encouraged transference of knowledge from the classroom to a real world application.

in their city project, second-graders learned about the importance of relative location for different urban functions and how to resolve the tension of providing adequate space for competing land uses. eighth-grade students constructed miniature golf holes based on scientific and mathematical principles. you will read more about both projects in the following pages. one of our goals with the STeAm projects was to raise the profile of math and science within our K-8 curriculum. Faculty will be reviewing the projects in back-to-school meetings before we begin the new school year. using these projects as vehicles for creativity and innovation will be built into our planning for next year.

This edition of the Shamrock highlights several members of the extended Chandler community whose successes in their chosen careers of medicine, environmental management, business and computer science embody the kinds of multi-disciplinary thinking that we aim to promote in our K-8 learners with STeAm.

The antecedents for our graduates’ success in the world are the skills and understanding they learned in their formative years at Chandler. being grounded in basic academic and study skills are as important to each member of the Class of 2013 as they were to every class that preceded them. At the same time, Chandler’s program is continually evolving with initiatives like STeAm to prepare our students for the future. most sincerely,

John Finchhead of School

The antecedents for our graduates’ success in the world are the skills and understanding they learned in their formative years at Chandler. Being grounded in basic academic and study skills are as important to each member of the Class of 2013 as they were to every class that preceded them.

shamrock SPRING 2013 1

chandler school 2012-2013

Technology

arT

maThemaTics

en

gin

ee

rin

g

on a lunchtime Skype call with a handful of middle School students, launchpad Toys Co-founder Andy Russell expressed the importance of a varied skill set in the working world:

“we’re past the time when having one skill is enough. A blacksmith can’t just be a blacksmith anymore.

Particularly with start-ups like launchpad, there’s not that many people on staff. everyone has to be able to do a little bit of everything in order for a company to succeed,” he said.

Russell is a graduate of learning design programs at Stanford and northwestern, and a veteran of companies like hasbro and Sony PlayStation. At launchpad, the San Francisco-based Russell and his team create iPad apps that bridge the gap between informal and formal learning for children ages five to eight.

blurring the line between learning and play is far from a revolutionary pursuit, but how launchpad achieves its mission—

We’re Past the Time When Having One Skill is Enough

www.ChANDlERSChOOl.ORG2

through a small team of big-picture thinkers with multi-faceted skillsets—is a thoroughly modern exercise. Russell’s approach is particularly resonant for Chandler students, especially those in the middle School who fuse technology with tried-and-true pedagogical principles every day through the one-to-one laptop program.

The diversified skillset of Andy Russell and his colleagues at launchpad Toys is a substantiation of the value of STeAm, the interdisciplinary cocktail of science, technology, engineering, art and math. Chandler School has entered the STeAm realm, from kindergarten through eighth grade, through grade-level projects designed to foster the specific type of critical and creative thinking that comes from synthesizing the elements of STeAm.

s the ‘seniors’ on campus, the eighth grade class of 2013 embarked on their STeAm project first.

Students were charged with designing, buildingand marketing a miniature golf course in their study hall room in a project called “engineering a hole in one: Designing a miniature Golf Course.”

“miniature golf was a means to bring out the critical thinking fostered by STeAm,” says eighth grade science teacher Paul Korn. “even though the students may not have been doing equations and the like, they were using abstract thinking in all of the areas within STeAm.”

each study hall group designed their hole based on a historically revolutionary American-made machine or structure using Sketchup, a free 3D modeling computer application. Korn’s group found inspiration in the Golden Gate bridge and surrounding architecture of San Francisco, while other groups ranged from an ATm to a trip down the 110 freeway.

once the designs were completed, the groups sent a student representative to Trash for Teachers, a low-priced clean trash warehouse, to purchase materials within their modest budgets.

Despite the inevitable challenges, the golf holes were completed on time and within budget, allowing teachers and students in the lower and middle Schools to tee off, journeying from room to room to complete the course and browse the pamphlets created by the students, both in english and Spanish.

“i don’t mean to brag,” says Korn of his students’ finished product, “but my kids brought a lot of engineering and math into it. Things like figuring out the tabletop had less friction than the floor, or figuring out the angle needed to get the ball a certain distance. There was a lot of trial and error, and there was a lot of value in it.”

Tempering design ambitions to the realities of time and cost was a major concern for the eighth-graders. That push and pull exists on a much larger scale for

Eighth Grade sTeaM Project Outline

Intro Students choose themes, assign roles and responsibilities, choose materials and begin planning the design and choosing materials.

MaterIal collectIon Two students from each team travel with mr. Carlson and mr. Korn to Trash for Teaching to purchase materials for the project. Conversation with teammates at school by way of Facetime or some other communication is encouraged.

DescrIptIon DeaDlIne Deadline to submit a description of your mini-golf hole.

Info MeetIngs All curators will meet daily with assigned students regarding their specific roles.

InstallatIon Teams meet to discuss issues impacting the installation of the mini-golf course including schedule, coordinating of materials and installation logistics.


alumnus Greg Stolrow ’77, chief financial officer of hmC Architects. overseeing the logistics and liabilities of a project while maintaining an eye on design and client satisfaction is the primary challenge in Stolrow’s profession. “having an appreciation for design is important,” says Stolrow. “but i’m the money guy, so i have to make decisions that are both financial and operational. There’s a balance between design and functionality, what someone will pay you for. Architects claim to have no business knowledge, so it’s up to me and my team to determine if hmC’s design mantra is affecting the bottom line.” Stolrow poses a question the students grew to be very familiar with: “Are we putting too much emphasis on design and not enough on getting the job done?”

The basis of STeAm,” says eighth grade math teacher and math Department Chair

Pete Carlson, “is to highlight and emphasize math and science.” Developmentally, STeAm draws heavily upon problem solving—specifically, compiling data to devise a direction and reconciling multiple solutions.

while the nine projects across campus were varied, the guiding structure was uniform. “There is a specific target problem you aim for that has to be resolved with the considerations of STeAm,” says Carlson. “it starts from some kind of dilemma. it’s engineered.”

STeAm’s heightened emphasis on collaboration has left the biggest impression upon the faculty. “The

As CFO of HMC Architects, a prominent firm in Southern California, Greg Stolrow witnesses the synthesis of the individual elements of STEAM on a daily basis and is responsible for keeping the operation running smoothly. “I see myself as running a business within a business,” says Greg, who is responsible for the financial health of HMC in addition to information technology, risk management and the multitude of contracts. “Put plainly, I support the delivery of architecture from before we make a proposal until after a project is completed.”

For Greg, sensitivity to design and engineering is paramount. “Part of risk management is understanding civil engineering, architecture, design—all of it,” says Greg. “I’m the money guy, but I still have to understand all of the issues. I have to understand the entire business in order to make decisions that are both financial and operational.”

The HMC that existed when Greg started there is very different from today’s HMC. “When I was hired, HMC was a big company with antiquated systems,” says Greg. “We used to do a lot of big projects. Now we do a lot of smaller projects, and many more of them. We’ve become a more design-focused firm.” With

chIef fInancIal offIcer, hmc archItectS

HIgH scHool Flintridge Preparatory School, Polytechnic Schoolcollege uSCgraDuate scHool university of Chicago

Greg Stolrow ’77 that, the need for a more versatile and efficient workforce has

arisen. “I’ve revamped the business system and hired a great team,” he says.

Greg came to Chandler in seventh grade after being

in public school, and readily credits Chandler’s faculty for

having a positive impact. “It was a big change coming from public school,” Greg says. “But Mr. MacQuoid, Ms. Rose, Mr. Peck and all the Chandler teachers were very influential in my life. That was my first exposure to really impressive educators. They touched my life in a very positive way.”

Chandler’s emphasis on creativity and expression was equally influential on Greg. “I’m an athlete type of guy, but I gave up playing baseball one season to be in a play with Mr. Hill. I won two academy awards while I was there, I was totally into acting,” he says. “And Mrs. Rose; I’m a very good writer, and I give all the credit to her. Before Chandler I could barely write an essay, but every week she gave us something to write.”

A three-week trip to Mexico with Vernon Hill stands out in Greg’s memory. “You learn a lot about yourself through an experience like that,” he says. “There is a level of independence and expectation at Chandler that changed me forever.”

And, in a fit of coincidence, Greg’s mother-in-law is Judith Bitmars, Chandler’s music teacher in 1970.


sTeaM Night The Chandler community gathered on campus on a wednesday evening in may for the first-ever STeAm night—a time when all nine grade levels displayed the product of their STeAm projects. Projects were spread across the campus: the first grade project spilled out of the classrooms onto the field and the adjacent garden, fourth and fifth grades occupied the gym, the eighth grade project was highlighted in the Johnson library and media Center on the South Campus and the second grade project made use of the outdoor sport court. with all nine grade levels presenting, students and parents were free to track the progression of the projects from kindergarten to eighth grade and witness the increasing complexity.

students spent a lot of time working in groups,” says sixth grade science teacher J.J. newman. “They gained great experience in the compromise that comes with working collaboratively—hearing other ideas and applying tweaks to the direction of the group.” Korn echoes newman’s observation, adding, “whenever you’re dealing with a group, there are workers and non-doers. but the projects were designed with that in mind. nobody went away without contributing something.” Second grade teacher Jenifer izbicki observed a similar phenomenon in the lower School. “Some students are so literal and detailed. others have a broader view. watching all of the dynamics come together so closely has been really interesting. The STeAm projects allow students with varying talents to have an equal stake in a unified product.”

Productive partnerships among faculty is another tenet of the STeAm projects. “The faculty have had a collaborative effort between disciplines,” says Carlson. “i’ve had to consider what math goes into the different aspects of the project, and my colleagues have had to do the same for their disciplines. it’s not a case of coming to a meeting with some math problems, it’s an opportunity to fully integrate the subjects.”

ultimately, the projects fostered a strong collaborative sense and highlighted the advantages inherent in an independent school. “The STeAm projects put a different spin on Chandler’s environment of learning,” says Carlson. “The eighth-grade project in particular was


scholarship via a very independent school-type ethos. The entire grade pressed pause on the usual routine and built a golf course. The students were hyper-engaged. The project brought forward different skill sets in the students—someone who might be weak in math could happily tackle the math portion of the project simply by virtue of it being a different context than a daily math class. The students worked and created memories in a way that doesn’t usually happen from week to week.”

ach year second-graders delve into the people, resources, areas and structures needed to create a physical community. For second grade teachers Jenifer izbicki and Terry orth, modifying this unit to be inclusive of STeAm was an obvious move. So, second-grade students designed and built a city out of reused and recycled boxes and staged it on the evensen outdoor Court outside of the new middle School building.

The process of planning the community involved a great deal of class discussion, both as separate classrooms and as an entire grade level, often with the assistance of a handful of eighth-grade volunteers. The initial direction of the project was framed by questions as simple as

“what makes up a community?” As the foundation of the project was developed, it was refined by detailed discussions including a close look at what kinds of utilities are needed in a downtown area as compared to a neighborhood.

with the features of the community decided upon through popular votes, students set out creating a map and a city plan. “we’ve done a lot of math,” says izbicki. “Proportion, perspective, how big a city is versus a neighborhood. There’s been a lot of budget talk, too.” The technology aspect included grappling with many principles of city planning on the computer game

“SimCity.”

Art teacher Jane leese worked with second-graders on designing grids for the city on graph paper, utilizing the students’ spacial reasoning and design skills. The engineering came into play as students ultimately constructed the city, first as individual structures, then as an entire metropolis during STeAm week. “box City,” as it was called, was a visual standout during STeAm night, as the scope of the project and scale of the buildings—homes and shops were small, while skyscrapers and a university were quite large—encouraged lingering looks at all of the details of the community from everyone who passed by.


A Chandler lifer, Anna Pehoushek ’80 now works as a city planner in the City of Orange, a position that involves reviewing development plans for new commercial and residential development, city projects, alterations and/or additions to property and brand new development, public art, roadway improvements and more. “My job also involves the review of environmental impact reports and related technical studies associated with development projects,” says Anna.

“Planners tend to serve as the information control point for a project,” says Anna. “We’re also the main coordinator of city departments (Public Works, Police, Fire, Building, Water, Sewer, Parks, Libraries) to gather feedback on how particular projects may or may not impact city services, and the types of requirements different city departments may impose on a development project. It is the planner’s job to present the project and any requirements/conditions of approval to the Design Review Committee, Planning Commission, or City Council.

“Perhaps,” says Anna, “there is some dimension of riding my bike to school with my brother, and also being at Chandler when the gym was being built that gave me an appreciation for Pasadena and the built environment that planted a seed in my mind and led me to my career.” Either way, Anna easily traces success at her diversified position to her career at Chandler. “I view my time at Chandler as the beginning of a long-running liberal arts education,” says Anna. “That continued on with my high school experience at Westridge, then on to college at Occidental College. The well-rounded, balanced nature of the educational experience provided me with exposure to a wide array of subjects that laid the groundwork for expanding my knowledge base over the years and having a basic curiosity about an assortment of topics. Exposure to science, math and technology has helped me work more effectively with civil engineers, environmental consultants and others in my career.

“I have Chandler to thank for the opportunity to play sports that I would probably not have otherwise been introduced to by my parents—volleyball, softball, tennis, soccer, basketball. I have enjoyed playing those recreationally over the years. I also appreciate the foundation I developed speaking Spanish, and opening my mind to Mexican culture. Mr. Hill was particularly instrumental in instilling an excitement for Spanish and Mexican culture.”

PrIncIPal Planner, comPrehenSIve and advance PlannIng SectIon, cIty of orange

Anna Pehoushek ’80 “we worked on this project all year,” says orth. “i am amazed at how well the students took to it. They’ve gotten a good sense of a nebulous concept. what is community? what is government? now they can personally relate to it, because they see it’s all around them.”

“The STeAm project has been an excellent application of what the students are learning,” says izbicki. “we would talk about perimeter and measurement, then we’d go on the sport court and measure it. The nature of the material and how it’s been executed fits in well with this age group. They’re learning about their environment. it has brought about greater awareness: students come in to class and talk about graffiti and trash and other things they see in their lives. They perceive how things are structured. They’ve become observant of their communities.”

“it’s beneficial to all young children to draw connections, and with all disciplines overlapping, they can more readily make those connections,” adds orth.

As the principal planner in the comprehensive and advance planning section of the City of orange, alumna Anna Pehoushek ’80 understands intimately the synthesis of disciplines involved in planning a community.

“There is a significant amount of inter-disciplinary information and interaction involved with the work of a planner,” says Pehoushek. City planners have diverse backgrounds, in the fashion of STeAm. “City planners typically have an educational background in urban studies, environmental studies, geography and, in some cases, architecture or landscape architecture,” says Pehoushek. “Today it is also important to have computer skills, particularly related to Geographic information Systems (computer

HIgH scHool westridge Schoolcollege occidental College graDuate scHool Cornell university


mapping of land use conditions, environmental constraints, etc.). Scientific familiarity is valuable given the extent to which water quality, air quality, noise, hazardous materials, biological resources and other similar topics are evaluated in environmental impact reports.”

hy STeAm and not STem? According to organizers of a national Science Foundation conference of scientists, artists, educators, business leaders, researchers and policymakers, “hands-on, imaginative approaches to science education, using many of the methods used in the creative arts, have been shown to attract and retain young people in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

“STem gives you the tools to build complex systems that work, which is absolutely invaluable in today’s world and economy,” says Josh oreman ’05, a recent graduate of the massachusetts institute of Technology.

“being able to devise a clean and aesthetically pleasing design is surprisingly important, and a mark of distinction that a lot of people neglect. i think Chandler’s STeAm program is an inspired way of combining the two.”

simple, broad question was the entry point to STeAm for Chandler sixth-graders: how can

we reduce our carbon footprint as members of the Chandler community? “we were looking for an overarching question that would present the students an opportunity to problem solve,” says sixth grade science teacher J.J. newman.

The sixth-grade project, titled “modeling Change: Solar Cars, infographics and Advocacy for the Planet,” branched out to include students analyzing the school’s energy use, their energy use at home, the finer points of recycling and the concept of responsible consumerism. Those pursuits weren’t far afield from a typical Chandler project. “we’re very strong at ‘STAm,’” says newman. “we have a lot of those four, but we don’t typically have as much engineering.”

The STeAm project remedied that with solar-powered cars designed and built by the students. “The value of STeAm is that it brings in an engineering element that isn’t commonly experienced in middle schools,” says newman. “STeAm brings those concepts to the forefront, and it unlocks a great number of possibilities. engineering is fun for kids.”

newman sees more of STeAm’s value in the group work and the extent to which the students must familiarize themselves with the material. “They’re used

Graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science is challenging enough, but Josh Oreman has his first post-collegiate job in line too. “Believe it or not, I have it figured out: I’m going to be starting in August as a software engineer on the infrastructure team of Hudson River Trading in New York City,” says Josh. “It will definitely be an adventure!”

Josh’s interest in computers stretches back as far as he can remember, but he was looking to incorporate an additional discipline when it came time to settle on a major at MIT. “I dabbled in physics—quantum proved to be a bit too much for me—then made a pretty concentrated effort at aerospace engineering, but ultimately decided it was going to be too stressful to get the full second major without staying more than four years,” says Josh. MIT has a unified electrical engineering and computer science program, making it possible to earn a degree with elements of both.

Interdisciplinary study and skills are of great value to Josh. “I put a lot of value on having the experience and intuition to be able to build physical things, and think it gives my ideas more power to express themselves,” says Josh. “Being able to draw on both fields has made for some cool personal projects, as well as generally expanding the toolbox I have for approaching problems. I think that having an interdisciplinary background really gives you a leg up in trying to solve problems no one’s been able to solve before, because you can come at them in a different way.”

Josh readily traces his path back to his time at Chandler. “I remember [former computer teacher and current registrar] Bob Kondrath and appreciate the extent to which he encouraged me to pursue my computer-related passions. He gave me the tools and freedom to do so,” says Josh. “I always felt that excellence was valued in the classroom and that there weren’t any limits to how far I could take the things I was learning about other than my own desires. It’s hard to overstate the importance of that sort of atmosphere; more than specific topics, the thing I value most about Chandler is that it cultivated the general love of learning and exploration that’s taken me to where I am today.”

Software engIneer, hudSon rIver tradIng HIgH scHool harvard-westlake Schoolcollege massachusetts institute of Technology

Josh Oreman ’05 www.ChANDlERSChOOl.ORG8

PolIcy dIrector, clImate actIon reServe HIgH scHool la Cañada high Schoolcollege university of California, San DiegograDuate scHool university of California, Santa barbara, The bren School of environmental Science and management

Rachel Tornek ’92

Rachel Tornek ’92 promotes action on climate change by pioneering credible market-based solutions as a part of the Climate Action Reserve, a carbon offset registry for the North American carbon market. The Climate Action Reserve encourages action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring the environmental integrity and financial benefit of emissions reduction projects.

As policy director, Rachel develops the rules for what makes a good carbon offset project and how a project developer actually goes about quantifying and monitoring the climate benefit of their activities. “I have worked on a diverse array of project types, from planting urban forests to capturing methane at a dairy operation to destroying stockpiles of ozone-depleting substances,” says Rachel.

The Climate Action Reserve has soundly established itself, especially in California. “We have been quite successful with our small piece of the climate action puzzle. All four of the carbon offset protocols that have been adopted by the state of California for use in our statewide cap-and-trade program were originally developed by the Climate Action Reserve. We are also one of two organizations approved by the state of California to register carbon offset projects and issue carbon credits for use in the compliance market that launched here in January 2013.”

Balancing science and policy has heightened Rachel’s appreciation for interdisciplinary skills. “Interdisciplinary work allows you to look an issue from a variety of angles

and develop a ‘toolkit’ of skills and approaches you can use when presented with a real-world problem that often has only one solution,” says Rachel. “The integration of

science, management, law, economics, and policy into my education has allowed me to take an

interdisciplinary approach to environmental problem-solving in my career.”

The balance of disciplines and activities is one element of Chandler School for which Rachel is

particularly grateful. “One of the things I appreciate most about my Chandler experience, besides the

obvious best-in-class teachers and academics,” says Rachel, “was the fact I was allowed to try everything and not have to choose or limit myself to only certain activities. I played every single sport, did cheerleading, drama, art, language, musicals, made pinewood derby cars and somehow didn’t feel over-programmed or overwhelmed.”

Rachel’s enduring love of science was born in the labs at Chandler School “I remember having free reign to research and report on whatever scientific subject matter seemed of interest to me, from clouds to penguins. Mr MacQuoid was so enthusiastic about what we were all doing and learning, it created an incredibly powerful positive feedback loop,” says Rachel. “Who wouldn’t be excited about science after making a motor out of a potato and some copper wiring and nails?”

Substance X was another standout project for Rachel. “Substance X is a great example of a project that really captures a young adult’s scientific curiosity and inspires them to use scientific methods of observation and experimentation to answer the question of what the heck is in my test tube?”

“I have wonderful memories of fun times at Chandler: how I was practically fluent in Spanish leaving eighth grade thanks to Señor Hill, and how I had learned all of the study and work-ethic skills I needed for the rest of my academic career. I don’t know how Chandler managed to make that happen, but I am very thankful.”

to learning a concept, seeing it in the real world, and then moving on,” says newman. “STeAm’s emphasis on students communicating the concepts to their peers in a clear manner made the concepts more comprehensive and impactful.”

more than simply adhering solar panels to self-constructed cars, the sixth-grade STeAm project took a close look at consumer habits both at school and at home. Students then created action plans, using artistic flair to convey their findings and persuade people into

change. The action plans took the form of filmed public service announcements, temporary displays suggesting alternative consumption habits, holding posters in the carpool lines before and after school discouraging idling in cars and setting each classroom thermostat in the middle School to optimize energy efficiency.

Alumna Rachel Tornek ’92 also applies her interdisciplinary skill to resolving climate change as the policy director for the Climate Action Reserve, a carbon offset registry for the north American carbon market. “i


cannot over-emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary study in preparing students for working in the ‘real world,’” says Tornek. “Very rarely do you ever get things done on your own, so learning how to see things from other perspectives and be a contributing member of a team is crucial. no matter what your career, you are going to need to be able to interact and communicate with people that have different backgrounds, different expertise, and different methods of getting work done.”

he first year of STeAm projects yielded concrete results and an immersive experience that will stick with both students and teachers. “These projects were like the boojum trips in a way,” says Korn. “Down the line, the students will see the benefit of the work, some of which can’t be tangibly measured right now. but it has value, and the students will see that later in life. They’ll have a good realization of what they accomplished at a young age.”

Sixth Grade sTeaM Project Outline

QuestIon how can we reduce our carbon footprint as members of the Chandler community?

subtopIcs energy used at school—electricity and transportation energy used at home—electricity and transportation Reduce, reuse, recycle—what does it mean? being a responsible consumer—food and goods

proDucts infographic. Choose one action you would like members of the Chandler community to take to reduce their carbon footprint. Create a clear and compelling infographic to educate them.

solar car Gain an appreciation for one example of a renewable energy resource through engineering a solar car.

presentatIon Communicate the findings of your research to the class and then propose an action plan for Chandler School.


thE CLaSS Of 2013 haVE EnrOLLEd in thE fOLLOwing SECOndary SChOOLS:

The Chandler School Alumni Association welcomed 64 new members on June 12 as the Class of 2013 graduated. Seventeen graduates were Chandler lifers.

The ceremony included remarks from board President Christopher Rising ’83; class valedictorians matilda berke, Kami Durairaj and Tony Kukavica; Assistant head of School Anneke emerson; head of School John Finch; and Keisuke nakagawa ’96, who was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award by Alumni Council President Garrett Calhoun ’85. Read more about Keisuke on page 15.

As the leading fundraiser for the eighth-grade bike-A-Thon, emily Pearson ’13 presented mr. Finch with a check for $7,460, which has been used to purchase a scoreboard placed on the northwest side of the Chandler field.

“Chandler is now a part of your DnA,” nakagawa told the graduates during his speech. “As you get older, your Chandler friends will always feel like brothers and sisters you grew up with. The friends you are sitting with here today are your family.”

“i challenge you to be different,” nakagawa continued. “Take the uncharted path, not the safe and comfortable one; because you are meant to make a mark in this world. every single one of you has something unique to contribute. Go find what that is. And don’t stop until you do.”

Clark magnet high SchoolFlintridge Preparatory School

Flintridge Sacred heart Academyharvard-westlake Schoolla Cañada high School

la Salle high School loyola high School

maranatha high School mayfield Senior School of the holy Child Jesus

milton AcademyPolytechnic School

St. Francis high SchoolThe webb School westridge School

Congratulations to the Class of 2013!



aCadEMiC aChiEVEMEnt awardhanna barakatmatilda berkeKathryn berzasRhiana boylesJillian brady

Kamala DurairajRavi DurairajPatrick egan

Scott Fordhamelly hongJordan huSohni Kaur

Anthony KukavicaRosa llantoAlyson lo

lillian maxfieldJulia nowak

Samuel o’haganJulian otter

Rohan PrashantAlejandro Salinasnicholas Salinas

Tess StewartJennifer um

maya VasquezAlexander wedeen

michael yen

finE artS awardmatilda berke

hONORAblE MENTION: Rosa llanto

pErfOrMing artS awardmatilda berke and Tony Kukavica

arthUr L.p. BrOwn award fOr SChOLaStiC prOgrESS

emma StellwagenhONORAblE MENTION: lucas bin

VErnOn L. hiLL award fOr CitizEnShipSohni Kaur

hONORAblE MENTION: Ravi Durairaj and maya Vasquez

JEffErSOn C. StEphEnS award fOr SChOLarShipmatilda berke, Kami Durairaj and

Tony Kukavica

rOBErt t. MCinErny award fOr EXCELLEnCE in SChOOL SErViCEnicholas SalinashONORAblE MENTION:

Kami Durairaj and Alyson lo

CLydE E. MaCQUOid award fOr BESt girL athLEtETaylor yoshida

hONORAblE MENTION: Kim Austin and isabella Taglioretti

wiLLiaM wiLSOn award fOr BESt BOy athLEtEAlejandro Salinas

hONORAblE MENTION: Tony Kukavica

CathErinE S. ChandLEr award fOr BESt aLL-arOUnd girL

Jillian bradyhONORAblE MENTION:

hanna barakat and Jewelyn Pickett

thOMaS a. ChandLEr award fOr BESt aLL-arOUnd BOyAlejandro SalinashONORAblE MENTION:

Tony Kukavica and michael yen

awardS prESEntEd tO MEMBErS Of thE CLaSS Of 2013 inCLUdEd:


aLMOSt aLUMni: CLaSS Of 2013 EVEntS

100 Days Celebration eighth-grade students gathered at lunchtime in the Johnson library and media Center on march 6 to celebrate the milestone 100 days until graduation. Director of Alumni Relations & Special events Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 kicked off the event by defining what it means to be Chandler alumni. Alumni Council President Garrett Calhoun ’85 reminded students of the importance of their connection to Chandler and their classmates. eighth-grade ambassadors maya Vasquez ’13 and nikhil Adarkar ’13 put together a video and photo slideshow presentation of fond memories and treasured highlights from their years at Chandler. Following the presentations, the Class of 2013 enjoyed shamrock-themed cupcakes displayed in a

“100” formation.

Alumni Council Sponsored eighth-Grade exam breakfast on December 14, the Alumni Council provided a pre-final breakfast for the Class of 2013 in the Johnson library and media Center. Council members wished eighth-graders well on their upcoming english exam as they served a spread of bagels, cereal and fruit.

nikhil Adarkar and maya VasquezChandler lifers nikhil Adarkar and maya Vasquez were selected to represent the Class of 2013 as eighth grade ambassadors. now that they have become official alumni, both have made the commitment to serve as Class Representatives until their 10-year reunion. in the fall, nikhil will attend Polytechnic School and maya will attend Flintridge Preparatory School.

Time Capsule launchThe Class of 2013 gathered together with their parents for the fifth annual Time Capsule launch party held on Dickerson Point and The Rothenberg Family Courtyard on April 19. eighth-graders placed special mementoes from their years at Chandler into a trunk, which they then decorated with colorful

messages and memories. Afterward they feasted on a wonderful spread of refreshments and treats. The Rothenberg Family Courtyard also was decorated with Chandler memorabilia, and a class scrapbook was displayed for all to enjoy. At the end of the launch party, the trunk was locked and will not be opened again until the Class of 2013 returns for their 10-year reunion.


Chandler School 2013 Distinguished Alumni AwArD

winner

Chandler school 2013 distinguished alumni

Keisuke nakagawa ’96 is many things. he is the youngest person ever to be elected to the Fulbright Association’s national board of Directors and was recently re-elected for a second term. he is a third-year medical student at the uC Davis School of medicine hoping to specialize in cardiovascular surgery. he is a former co-resident of the American medical Student Association. he is the recipient of the two most prestigious cardiovascular surgery scholarships available to medical students: the looking to the Future Scholarship and the Research Fellowship from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons. he is a researcher investigating the development of robots that can someday perform surgeries on their own using artificial intelligence. he is the cofounder and chairman of Global health bridge, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and implement simple, grassroots-inspired health technologies to transform and improve healthcare delivery for communities in need.

now, having demonstrated outstanding achievement and unselfish dedication to his community, Keisuke is the recipient of the Chandler School Distinguished Alumni Award.

“what he has accomplished in such a short time exemplifies Chandler’s mission and Six Pillars of Character,” says head of School John Finch. “he is a marvelous

Chandler example,” remarks former headmaster Jeff Stephens, who presided over Keisuke’s years at Chandler. “Chandler couldn’t have selected a more worthy recipient.”

After graduating from Chandler, Keisuke continued his education at Polytechnic School and Cornell university where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. During his senior year at Cornell, Keisuke was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pilot a micro health insurance program for rural villagers through a local nongovernmental organization called bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. it was then that Keisuke made a keen observation: nearly every villager, no matter their health or economic status, had a cell phone. in some cases, cell phones were more readily available than clean water. This observation stayed with him long after his return to the u.S.

he started working on health care reform in washington D.C. in the Congressional budget office and developed an idea that would later blossom into the start of an international bridge to health care. he says he found himself in the right place at the right time and began to assemble “a group of young, social entrepreneurs with backgrounds in medicine, public health, computer science and engineering.” in 2008, Global health bridge was incorporated as a non-profit organization. Keisuke entered into business plan competitions and was a finalist in the harvard business School’s Pitch for Change and Princeton’s Social entrepreneurship business Plan Competition. Fellow alumnus Dan Rothenberg ’96, who had been keeping up with Keisuke’s progress, came through to provide what Keisuke calls “firepower funding needed to launch Global health bridge.” Alumnus TJ young ’96 provided his online marketing expertise to create Global

high SChOOL PolyTechnic SchoolCOLLEgE cornell UniverSiTyMEdiCaL SChOOL Uc DaviS School of meDicine

awa ’9Keisuke Nakagawa ’96


health bridge’s website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. “T.J. made Global health bridge much more visible on the web,” says Keisuke.

During his return to india and bangladesh, Keisuke quickly realized the highest priorities were maternal and children’s care. in 2010, Global health bridge received its 501(c)3 and partnered with moTeCh, a non-profit organization based out of Columbia university’s mailman School of Public health and the Comprehensive Rural health Project (CRhP) in Jamkhed, india to develop a cellphone-based technology that would improve maternal healthcare in developing countries.

The pilot project kicked off with 40 village health workers monitoring 40,000 villagers and pregnant women. “we learned a lot from our pilot project in Jamkhed, which is now complete. we were able to demonstrate that collecting health information from pregnant women in rural villages using cell phones was possible, and that important health reminders could be automatically sent via text message. even though it was a completely new concept for the pregnant women and

community health workers, it made a lot of sense to them. based on feedback from our users and partners, we are in the process of designing and developing our

second-generation system for cell phone-based healthcare delivery.

“it took us almost nine months to design and develop our first-generation system that focused specifically on helping pregnant women in rural villages. with our second-generation system, we want to make it easier to use. ideally, organizations would only need to spend four to six hours to design an equivalent system for their specific healthcare needs, compared to the nine months it took on our first system. in essence, our goal is to empower any organization, small or large, to be able to easily implement cell phone-based healthcare services for their patients and communities in india. This will allow us to expand to rural and urban areas of india as well as broaden the scope of healthcare services beyond pregnancy-related care.

“we are currently in discussions with a few AiDS clinics in india who are interested in using our next-generation system for their AiDS patients. There are still many technical challenges that we have to figure out, but we are excited about our new concept and design because we feel it will be able to help many more people in need of critical healthcare services” says Keisuke.

As he progresses through medical school, Keisuke looks forward to the reward of “working directly with patients in a field that saves lives.” The first heart surgery he watched, he “fell in love and knew this is what i want to do,” remarks Keisuke. in addition, the field of cardiovascular surgery “lends itself to continual research and technological innovations, which are both areas of interest,” says Keisuke. he has consistently followed his interests, allowing his passions and inspirations to guide him. “with a world that is constantly changing and rapidly evolving, your heart becomes your most predictable guide,” says Keisuke.

Keisuke is well remembered on the Chandler campus. Art teacher Jane leese recalls Keisuke as a “wonderful boy who got along with everyone. he was a strong student and enjoyed all assignments. Keisuke really put himself into art. he shined in middle School and with every challenge went at it with full enthusiasm.”

“he’s a bit of a character,” says eighth grade science teacher Paul Korn. “he was a fun-loving, good student who enjoyed basketball. it’s amazing what he’s doing and just tremendous how he is giving back to the world.”

Jeff Stephens remembers Keisuke as a “wonderful kid who had great energy and enthusiasm; someone who you always remember because of who he was and how he conducted himself. he was a bright, congenial student, who always had a smile and a greeting for the headmaster. he had great artistic ability and was a great track runner.”

“Keisuke was always a good kid,” concurs Athletic Director bill Anderson, who recalls saddling Keisuke with the nickname “The black hole” on the basketball court because of his initial reluctance to pass the ball to teammates. with time on the bench, Keisuke realized the value of teamwork and passing the ball. The team eventually scored 96 points in the league Championship game over Rio hondo and remains, according to mr. Anderson, “the best basketball team Chandler has ever had.”

Former history teacher Steve morrison remembers Keisuke as “a very intelligent and conscientious student who seemed to


really enjoy school. he was popular with other students and had an active and creative sense of humor. he liked to laugh and to make others laugh. Though more than 20 years have passed, i remember Keisuke as a calm and centered person who was, perhaps most important of all, kind and sensitive to others’ feelings and not afraid to stand up for what he thought was right and fair.”

“Keisuke is one of my closest friends,” says alumnus and trustee Dan Rothenberg ’96. “he is incredibly hard-working and smart.” Dan remembers sharing both the academic rigors and social highlights of Chandler with Keisuke. “we managed to have a lot of fun. we played basketball, football, golf and ran track together. when time permits, we still enjoy a round of golf,” says Dan.

The opportunity to support Keisuke was a “no-brainer,” says Dan. “That speaks volumes for the level of love and respect my whole family has for him. we are happy to support him— the work he is doing is so tremendous and innovative. it is amazing how much Keisuke has been able to accomplish, and what he is doing in the non-profit world is incredible; it is evident in everything he has done.”

“Keisuke worked hard and excelled,” adds Jay harder ’96.

“he is naturally bright. Keisuke put hard work into everything he did from basketball to science. he has a great outlook on life, very positive. he’s very focused and knowledgeable in his field.”

“Keisuke is an awesome person,” says TJ young ’96. “when i think of him then and now, he is essentially the same person. i came to Chandler in sixth grade and joined his group of friends. Those

were the best years of my life, and Keisuke was a part of that. Keisuke was very smart and took a lot of pride in his work academically, but never let the stress get him down. i remember his laugh—funny and loud—and it’s the same today. he is such a good friend and a joy to be around. i worked with him on promoting Global health bridge online, and i’m still involved with the website. helping Keisuke was a no-brainer. it’s a testament to who he is. he excels at every endeavor. i look forward to hearing his next great accomplishment.”

“you can’t be scared to take risks,” says Keisuke. he adds, “The key to success is to do what you love. hard work comes naturally when you are doing something you enjoy. be bold and follow your dreams wherever they may take you. Seek out your passion and follow it with courage.”

The Chandler School Alumni Council invites nominations for this award. if you know of a Chandler alumnus or alumna whose life or work you would like to see honored with this award, please consider any of the following criteria:•Significantaccomplishmentincareerorfieldofinterest;•Excellenceinservicetothecommunityortosocietyin

general;•Volunteerservicewhichhasinspiredothers;•EmbodimentofChandler’sSixPillarsofCharacter.

The deadline for nominations is February 8, 2014. nominations will be considered confidentially by the Chandler School Alumni Council, and the award will be presented at eighth grade commencement in June.

Please contact Director of Alumni Relations and Special events Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 with nominations or questions: [email protected] | 626-795-9314 x111

chandler school disTinguished Alumni award 2014

The Chandler School Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to a Chandler alumnus in recognition of

outstanding achievement and unselfish dedication to his/her community. Those who are honored with this award have, through their life and work, embodied Chandler’s mission and Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and

Citizenship.

From left to right: Dan Rothenberg ’96, Farrell heydorff young ’96, erin Kaneko ’96, Travis “TJ” young ’96 and Distinguished Alumni Award winner Keisuke nakagawa ’96


alumni eventsnews

lauren Craig Albrecht ’85 is the new president of the Alumni Council. After graduating from Chandler, lauren attended Cate School in Carpinteria, CA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in art history from Skidmore College in new york while playing on the varsity soccer team all four years. She later completed her master’s of science in gerontology and master’s of health administration from the university of Southern California.

lauren worked for several years in washington, D.C. as a health policy research analyst for AARP and the American heart Association. while living in D.C. lauren met her husband, michael. They moved to California in 2003 and settled in Pasadena in 2009. lauren currently works at the institute for educational Advancement in South Pasadena as the development coordinator.

lauren has come full circle with Chandler as the parent of Alexander ’17 and maggie ’21. lauren has been actively involved with Chandler for the past ten years as a member of the Alumni Council. Recently, she has been a Chandler Family Associates (CFA) board member as the class representative coordinator and the co-chair of the Chandler Royale benefit gala in 2013. lauren is very excited to take on the challenge of Alumni Council President. “my goal is to broaden the alumni network by having more alumni from the 1990’s and early 2000’s become active in the Chandler community,” says lauren.

when not working, volunteering at Chandler or coaching her children’s soccer teams, lauren still follows her passion of playing soccer on three different teams. “it was while i was a student at Chandler that mr. mac encouraged me to play sports and be an athlete at the college level,” she says.

AlUMNI VISITING DAynovember 16, 2012 marked the second annual Alumni Visiting Day. The school was open for classroom visits and for alumni to reminisce about their favorite Chandler moments. Alumni enjoyed lunch with their favorite Chandler faculty.

AlUMNI & PAST PARENT wINE TASTING more than 25 alumni and past parents gathered in Johnson library and media Center, which was transformed for the evening into a lovely setting for the Alumni & Past Parent wine Tasting. with great thanks to Christine Sarafian Sotiri ’99, guests enjoyed wine from Trentadue and Coppola wineries. in addition, alumnus Chris wright ’78 donated a few very special bottles of wine he made at Carr Vineyard in Santa barbara.

AlUMNI PARENT RECEPTIONon may 23, 2013, Chandler launched its inaugural Alumni Parent Reception at the home of head of School John Finch. Alumni who are parents of either incoming or current students gathered in a celebration with members of the board of Trustees and Alumni Council to celebrate alumni parent participation in the life of the school. head of School John Finch spoke of the importance of alumni parents in the life of the School and commended their representation on the board of Trustees, CFA board, as Annual Fund callers, Capital Campaign solicitors and especially on the Alumni Council. outgoing Alumni Council President Garrett Calhoun ’85 delivered an overview of the Alumni Council

alumni Council President lauren Craigalbrecht ’85

&www.ChANDlERSChOOl.ORG18

being a Chandler School Alumni Class Representative is one of the most important volunteer roles at Chandler—and one of the easiest. by being an Alumni Class Representative you are serving the school by acting as a connector between the school and your fellow Chandler graduates. we are looking to expand upon our current Class Representative program, particularly from the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and 2000’s. if you would like to volunteer or learn more about being an Alumni Class Representative, please contact Director of Alumni Relations and Special events Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 at [email protected].

alumni Council

Become a Class

Representative!

and introduced incoming Alumni Council President lauren Albrecht ’85. Director of Alumni Relations and Special events Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 provided her vision for the future of alumni programming and encouraged alumni parents to continue their participation; and incoming board President matt wright ’74 ChS ’78 emphasized again the importance of the leadership of alumni parents in the life of the School.

COllEGE CONNECTIONin honor of Chandler’s Pi Day celebration, 51 apple pies in a jar were shipped to alumni in college. one made it all the way to Spain. The Chandler School College Connection is designed for alumni in college to keep engaged with the School and fellow classmates. Through this program, alumni receive birthday cards, Shamrock publications, announcements, invitations to alumni events and care packages. Chandler alumni in college who would like to be included in the program should report their college mailing address to [email protected] in order to be included in next year’s mailing.

yOUNG AlUMNI MIxERAn small gathering of young Chandler alumni reunited on march 14 for the celebration of Pi Day and the season of shamrocks at lucky baldwin’s Pub in Pasadena. it was an evening of remembrances of Chandler faculty favorites with tales of fellow classmates and unforgettable Chandler moments. Spurred on by the march event, attendees Stephen lindgren ’01, Reed wagener ’01, Adam Stout ’02 and Trey massar ’01 returned campus in may for a tour of the School and the new South Campus. Greeted by several former teachers, they felt right at home as they took a stroll down memory lane.

The Chandler School Alumni Council provides leadership and defines strategies and direction for the Chandler School Alumni Association (CSAA) through Chandler’s traditions, mission and goals. Specifically, Council members help plan social events for the CSAA and serve as resources for the school and its students as speakers and mentors. Additionally, Council members assist in fundraising efforts, especially in annual giving directed to financial aid for current students. it is the goal of the Council that through these practices, a strong and positive relationship will be fostered within the CSAA as well as throughout the extensive Chandler community.

if you are interested in becoming a Council member, please contact Director of Alumni Relations and Special events Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 at [email protected].

Alumni CounCil membeRS

lauren Craig Albrecht ’85, Presidentlisa Curry Austin ’74 ChS ’78

John berger ’88Garrett Calhoun ’85

Trey massar ’01Joyce wang Sakonju ’87Peter Stavropoulos ’82

Chris waldheim ’81, Trustee liaison


off To college reunion

Class of 2009David Dizon ’09high SChOOL John muir high SchoolCOLLEgE Cal Poly Pomona

“i obviously had a very different journey from many of my fellow classmates,” says David Dizon ’09 of enrolling in John muir high School. “however, my foundation at Chandler was very strong. it gave me an invaluable initiative ingrained into my mind to strive for every goal and success. Thanks to Chandler, i’ve remained at the top of the class.” David is the valedictorian of muir’s class of 2013.

David’s pursuits in high school were diverse: he was the assistant head drummer of the John muir Drum Corps and the news editor of the school paper. David also pursued research with graduate students at Caltech and even dabbled in hip-hop dancing.

of his time at Chandler, David quickly recalls playing the pirate king in the Pirates of Penzance musical with performing arts teacher will Salmon. “my strongest memories are of my teachers,” says David. “i would think of many of their lessons when learning new material in high school. mrs. emerson’s memory tricks to remember countries and capitals, mrs. owen’s catchphrases, Señora Vasquez’s Spanish songs—all of those pop into my brain.”

David will be pursuing aerospace engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. “i was always a good student,” says David. “honestly, it wasn’t too difficult coming from Chandler.”

more than 40 members of the Class of 2009 and their parents returned to the South Campus to celebrate with current faculty and staff their upcoming high school graduations and departures for college. The event was held in The Rothenberg Family Courtyard and Dickerson Point. Alumni reminisced on the Point while looking at photos from their time at Chandler. Guests enjoyed a spread of food off the bbQ, strawberry lemonade and a special treat of peach and cherry cobbler. head of School John Finch kicked off the event with updates on major changes since their departure: the addition of a genetics elective, STeAm curriculum and new leadership for the middle and lower Schools. Alumni Council President Garrett Calhoun ’85 shared words of wisdom with the soon-to-be college students on the importance of staying connected with their Chandler peers, especially throughout their collegiate careers, and Director of Alumni Relations Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 introduced herself as the new alumni contact and provided a brief introduction of the College Connection program. Alumni were delighted to receive a pair of Chandler green flip flops to take to college. head of School John Finch and Assistant head of School Anneke emerson offered tours of the new South Campus to alumni and past parents who had not yet seen the new facilities.

boston universityuClA

uC Santa barbarauC Santa Cruz

Cal Poly Pomonauniversity of Colorado

boulder

Dartmouth Collegeuniversity of DenverDePaul universityDrexel university

FiDmGeorgetown university

Kalamazoo College

loyola university Chicagonortheastern university

university of north Texasuniversity of the Pacific

university of PennsylvaniaPitzer College

Princeton university

Rice universityuSC

Stanford universityTexas Christian universityuniversity of washington

The ClASS oF 2009 hAS enRolleD in The FollowinG ColleGeS


“i still know her home phone number by heart, event in this era of cell phones,” says Jennifer Gee of her long-time friend and classmate at both Chandler and Flintridge Prep, Arielle murphy. Jennifer and Arielle met in mrs. izbicki’s second grade class, when Jennifer was new to Chandler. “Arielle was my first friend at Chandler,” says Jennifer. “it’s hard to remember how we became friends, but she says we sat next to each other.” Arielle confirms: “we were friends right away in second grade.” both girls remember bonding in class, in the sandbox after school and in mrs. izbicki’s after school needlepoint class.

The bond between the two flourished both in and out of the classroom throughout the rest of lower School, when they were in the same classroom for fourth and fifth grade. “we worked on history skits together in mrs. Jacobson’s class in fifth grade, and did international dancing in mrs. bhat-hansen’s class in fourth grade,” remembers Arielle.

The link between Jennifer and Arielle stretches back to their mothers, who both attended Punahou School in honolulu, hi, though not at the same time. “After finding out our mothers went to the same school where they both grew up, we bonded over our Japanese heritage and love for hawaii,” says Arielle. “one Christmas,” Jennifer remembers, “we both visited our families in hawaii and i went to Arielle’s family reunion where we performed Christmas songs we sang in the recent Chandler winter concert along with her sister from a grade below us.”

The girls’ shared heritage is a vital thread in their relationship. “every summer we went to the Japanese obon Festival where we would eat shave ice and corn on the cob, and take part in traditional Japanese dances celebrating our ancestors,” says Arielle. “we’re not buddhist,” clarifies Jennifer, “but it’s a nice way to celebrate our half-Japanese heritage. we’ve kind of made it a tradition. we actually learned one of the dances (Tanko bushi) at the festival for an assembly we held for the school in fourth grade in mrs.

bhat-hansen’s class.”

Approximately one-fifth of Flintridge Prep’s senior class is attending uSC, including Jennifer and Arielle.

“it’s great going to college with someone i know, but especially someone i’ve known since i was seven,” says Jennifer.

in high school, Jennifer earned her Gold Award in Girl Scouts, interned at the outlook newspaper, was president of the Key Club and editor-in-chief of the yearbook. “Chandler definitely prepared me for Prep,” says Jennifer. “i came to Prep with a great foundation on how to write.” Arielle, too, was a member of the Key Club in addition to an active member of Prep’s cheer and dance squads. “At uSC, i am extremely interested in studying english, and want to sing in the choirs associated with the music school,” says Arielle. “mr. Salmon and mrs. Sharp gave me fantastic opportunities to perform while in middle School, and helped contribute to my love of music.”

Jack Grover ’09high SChOOL loyola high SchoolCOLLEgE uClA

water polo standout Jack Grover ’09 has always wanted to go to uClA, both because of his uClA-alumnus father and because uClA is the number-two ranked water polo program in the country. Jack started playing water polo while in third grade at Chandler. when it came time to look at colleges, Jack was recruited by a handful of schools. however, being recruited by uClA was something of a dream fulfilled. “That,” says Jack of the offer to play for uClA, “is not an opportunity i’d ever pass up.”

The nature of scholarships for collegiate water polo is substantially different from sports like football or basketball—only four-and-a-half scholarships per team are allowed, and scholarships for freshman are extremely rare. Thus, Jack is deemed a ‘preferred walk-on.‘

“being a student-athlete has definitely been a challenge,” says Jack. “Chandler prepared me well for the time management involved. There were many nights where practice went late, followed by a late night of homework, followed by a 5 a.m. practice the next day. my homework load my freshman and sophomore year of high school was similar to the homework load i had at Chandler.

“most of my classmates in high school had not taken finals in middle school. Chandler prepared me well there. while everyone was scrambling around and freaking out over their first finals, i had already been through that. “

Jennifer Gee ’09 & Arielle Murphy ’09high SChOOL Flintridge Preparatory SchoolCOLLEgE uSC

Arielle (left) and Jennifer (right)


,alumni

Class notes

Patrick Dougherty ’62 is still living in Solana beach and says “hi” to fellow classmate, Ward Smith ’62.

Brian Kabateck ’77 visited Chandler’s middle School in may to speak to a handful of seventh- and eighth-grade students about his law career. brian, the founder of Kabateck brown Kellner, llP and the president of the Consumer Attorneys of California, is recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in California.

Christopher Wright ’78 received a glowing June review in the Santa Barbara news Press for his first official gallery show at Frame in Santa barbara. he is referred to as an “intriguing, fine-eyed photographer” who “finds poetry in the crannies of California” for his body of work which he calls “The edge of the world.”

Gene Mueller ’79 resides in laguna niguel. he is the owner of the mueller Carey Group and has enjoyed a long-standing career as a corporate lawyer with a multi-national law practice, a commercial insurance broker and a record producer. he also serves on the board of Directors of hawthorne Race Course.

Patrick Farrand ’82 runs and owns Studio 1021 in long beach, CA. he teaches painting and drawing and runs weekly figure drawing workshops. Patrick is the uncle of alumni Michael

’09 and Tyler ’12 Anastasia.

Jim Gruettner ’87 and Leslie Muelder Gruettner ’97 were married in Carmel, CA on may 5, 2012. Jim’s father officiated the wedding. Chandler alumni in attendance included Rhoades Radar ’87, Kevin Vick ’87, Max Parker ’87, Trevor Caldwell ’87 and Jim’s two sisters, Allison Gruettner Stuart ’82 and Monica Gruettner Hickey ’83. Jim and leslie’s niece and one of the flower girls was Caroline Stuart ’21. leslie and Jim enjoy living in San Francisco where they work together at Jim’s wine, whiskey and slider restaurant, marengo on union.

Christine Madsen ’87 is married and living in oxford, england with her husband matthew Carlos. She is the manager of innovation and infrastructure for the bodleian Digital library Systems and Services at oxford

university. Recently, she was the breslauer lecturer at uClA. The topic of her lecture was “library Futures and the importance of understanding Communities of users.”

Heather Johnson Webster ’87 started her own photography business, heather m webster Photography.

Eric Ortiz ’88 is a senior editor, new media for new england Sports network in Cambridge, mA. eric is one of 12 u.S. journalists and innovators to have been awarded a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at

Stanford university for the 2013-2014 academic year. The program begins Sept. 1. he will be working on developing a free, live-blog publishing tool optimized for smartphones and tablets. eric’s wife, maria and their two daughters, eva, five, and emilia, one, will be joining him at Stanford. After 11 years of living on the east Coast, eric is excited to move back to California and reconnect with old friends.

Breckon Armstrong Kelsey ’91 recently purchased a home with her husband and two-year old daughter in Altadena. They are thrilled to be back in the neighborhood.

Former headmaster Jefferson C. Stephens and his wife Peg recently moved in to their beautiful new home in St. George, utah. They are enjoying life! mr. Stephens is involved in the local episcopal Church in St. George.

At 88 years old, Former Assistant headmaster Vernon L. Hill published his first book, “After the Dark.”


,Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94 is

pleased to announce her new position at Chandler School as the director of alumni relations & special events. She is eager to develop the alumni program at Chandler and looks forward to connecting with

fellow alumni! Please contact her at [email protected] for Chandler news, upcoming events and class notes.

Craig Revell ’94 enjoyed his time at uCSb where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. During that time he chaired the isla Vista chapter of Surfrider Foundation and helped start, and later chair, the Shoreline Preservation Fund of uCSb (now called the uCSb Coastal Fund). he and his wife Carissa were married by Jeff Stephens in 2005. Craig has training in Ayurveda, the healing science from india, and in culinary arts. he is currently a restaurant manager and certified sommelier living in Carpinteria. Craig has led more than 50 nutrition talks and cooking demonstrations in schools and other institutions, trying to help people understand healthy food. he has always loved food, but after a diagnosis of type-1 diabetes in June 2008, he has developed an extra passion in the importance of healthy eating. he recently completed a health-coaching program from the institute of integrative nutrition and plans to offer people individualized six-month programs. Craig continues to be close friends with Rick Thompson ’94 (now a teacher and coach at Poly) and his wife Khanvy.

Farrell Heydorff Young ’96 married Christopher young on August 25, 2012. Gillian Heydorff ’02 served as her maid of honor. Bev Jacobson attended the wedding.

Lauren Amling ’99 married Ramon Castillon in malibu on August 25, 2012. She is a graduate of the university of Southern California and currently resides in hermosa beach, CA.

Candice Hyon ’99 is an attorney for Forever 21 in Downtown los Angeles. After Chandler, she graduated from westridge School, uClA and uC hastings College of the law.

Mana Nakagawa ’99 continued her education at Polytechnic School and the university of Pennsylvania, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and east Asian studies. During her senior year at u.Penn,

she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Japan. Currently, mana is a fourth year PhD student at Stanford’s Graduate School of education, studying international comparative education policy. She is a teaching assistant for the master’s program and plans to pursue a career in academia. her love of learning and passion for education began at

Chandler. Additionally, mana is working with Sheryl Sandberg, Coo of Facebook and author of lean In, on global research initiatives, an opportunity which arose from the Clayman institute for Gender Research at Stanford university. with the international release of lean In in 30-plus countries, mana contacts women leaders globally to write the book’s foreword in each country and adapts the book’s data for each country’s individual launch. in July, mana returned to Japan as the lead international researcher for the book’s launch in Japan.

Matthew Boone ’00 will wed Chandler School’s Director of Annual Fund Mary Hastings on August 17, 2013 in mary’s hometown of Tulsa, oK. matthew is currently the manager of

technical accounting at Green Dot Corporation. The couple will reside in Pasadena, CA.

Katie Kelley ’00 will be a lower School teaching associate at Chandler School following a year of assistant teaching in fourth and fifth grades. She resides in Pasadena and owns Simmering Sugar, a candy

company which has more than 10 varieties of english toffee. her toffee was featured at the 2013 Chandler Golf Classic.

Whitney Westphal ’01 has been working at Chandler in the Afterschool Program for three years while pursuing a career in acting and modeling. She has been cast in hP and ninja blender

commercials; as well as having a leading role on “Riftwood bend,” a

Phot

o: D

ebbi

e W

alto

n


new web series. Recently, she has been a hair model for KmS, Goldwell and Sebastian and a print model for Sunshine Pool Products. This summer she is traveling the country with ue boom as a promoter—stops on the tour include the bonnaroo music Festival.

Hannah Hyon ’03 continued her education at westridge School, uClA and is currently a law student at uC irvine School of law.

Karissa Hurzeler ’05 graduated from boston university with a double major in archaeology and classicial civilizations. She

will be pursuing a career in aerial skills dancing before returning to school to earn a PhD in archaeology.

Raymond Jimenez ’05 graduated from Caltech. he will be joining the SpaceX avionics team. Raymond is the author of “Amateur nuclear Fusion.”

Lauren Miller ’05 graduated from the university of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Ben Samuels ’05 graduated from harvard and has been appointed a business consultant for Applied Predictive Technologies in San Francisco.

Hayden Betts ’08 and Daniel Leon ’08 worked over the 2012 summer to raise funds and build a tractor from scratch using open source plans. They plan to donate the tractor to South Central Farmers. hayden is a staff writer for the harvard crimson, and Daniel is currently at the university of San Francisco.

Mary Catherine O’Gorman ’08 completed her freshman year at Princeton university (class of 2016) majoring in mathematics.

Michael Anastasia ’09 returned to Chandler as an alumni panelist for the Admissions open house and the middle School and beyond Forum. he is also a counselor for Summer@Chandler. he graduated from laSalle high School and was awarded the De la Salle Service medal, which is presented to the graduate who best exemplifies the lasallian spirit of service and dedication to others. he will be attending the university of Alabama in the fall.

Ryan Hyon ’09 continued to Polytechnic School and will be attending Dartmouth in the fall. he hopes to continue playing tennis in college.

Ellen Kim ’09 will be attending yale in the fall.

Colleen O’Gorman ’09 graduated from St. mary’s hall high School in San

Antonio, TX. She was a united States Senate page in Spring 2012. She will be attending Princeton university this fall.

Sebouh Bazikian ’10 started biKe-4-oRPhAnS. he is working with an orphanage in Kenya to deliver 42 bikes to 42 orphans by July. in march, he was the winner of $1000 grant from an organization called

“The Pollination Project,” an organization that makes grants “to individual change-makers

with an idea and a plan to make their community and their world a better place.”

Alyssa Rivas ’10 has been elected president of the Associated Student body of mayfield Senior School for the 2013-2014 school year and recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in that organization.

Matt Saltzman ’11, Sam Hood ’11 and Andres Mendoza ’11, along with two friends, provided outstanding jazzy accompaniment to Chandler’s Founders Circle donor celebration event in may, held at the Caltech Athenaeum. matt played guitar, Sam played the drums and Andres played piano.

Miller Whitehouse-Levine ’11 will be studying in China for the 2013-2014 school year through SyA, School year Abroad. he will leave in September and return in June. During his stay in China, he will live with a host family in beijing. Attending school with 60 other students from across the u.S., they will share facilities with a Chinese high school. his main motivation is to return to the u.S. fluent in Chinese.

Hunter Harper ’12 completed his freshman year at Poly, during which he was elected vice president of his freshman class. in addition, hunter is a student ambassador and plays in the jazz band.


David Gray Hamlin ’60 passed away in December 2011. David graduated from Polytechnic School and uSC after Chandler. David began his career as a CPA at Price waterhouse and became the controller of universal Pictures. he started his own business in the 1980’s and went on to be CFo of several high tech start-up companies. he is survived by his brother harry Robinson hamlin and his son James Robinson hamlin.

Lisa Kursinski Savage ’78 passed away in February 2013 of liver cancer. She is survived by her mother mary Jo Kursinski and siblings Emil Robert Kursinski, Jr. ’70 and Anne Kindig Kursinski ’72. She was an instructor at Farndale Stables in los Angeles, CA and is remembered as a “kind, sweet” woman with a “winning smile and fabulous laugh.”

Patrick Otis Healy ’99 passed away in november 2012 of cancer at the age of 27. he is

survived by his bride Alicia, his brother Kevin ’05 and his parents

michael and leAnn healy. After Chandler, Patrick

attended laSalle high School, where he excelled in football and graduated with honors. he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from

uC Santa barbara as a Dean’s list scholar and was captain of

the uCSb Cycling Team. he met his future wife, Alicia Cooperman,

when she was on the cycling team for Stanford university. They were married in Altadena in September of 2012.

in his final days, Patrick donated the majority of his life savings to the Pasadena Community Foundation to establish the Patrick otis healy memorial endowment Fund. This fund will carry on Patrick’s legacy by supporting charitable causes important to him.

share Your news wiTh fellow

Chandler aluMni!Please send your class notes by mail, through the chandler School alumni association facebook page

(facebook.com/chandleralumni) or by emailing [email protected]. additionally, the chandler alumni office is seeking contact information for any chandler alumni currently serving in the military. if you have any information, please share it with the alumni office; [email protected], 1005 armada Drive, Pasadena, ca 91103.

Edna Klarman Dolan passed away in november 2012 after a short illness at the age of 85. her husband James Joseph Dolan passed away in February 2013. The Dolans are the parents of Chandler teacher Sheila Dolan and grandparents to alumni Brookes

’09 and Colin Treidler ’12. They are survived by eight children, eleven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and an extended family.

Judith Leonard MacCready, mother of alumni Tyler ’77, Parker ’74 and Marshall ’81, passed away in november 2012. She was born in osterville, mA in 1932 and moved to Pasadena in the 1950’s with her husband Paul b. macCready (1925-2007). in addition to her sons, she is survived by her brother Kirk leonard and her grandchildren Jillian and henry.


Fred, elizabeth ’97, Jan, Fritz ’92 and heather ’94

farewell & welcome

lower School Director Jan Gotha has retired following 24 years of service to Chandler School as a teacher, administrator, mentor and source of warmth and friendship for the lower School.

“i became involved with Chandler as a parent in September 1989 when my children enrolled here,” says Gotha. “because of my teaching background, headmaster Jeff Stephens hired me in December 1989 as a lower School assistant. A year and a half later, i became part of the learning Center with Director of learning Resources Tim mauldin. i took the 1998-99 school year off and moved to lake Placid, ny to be with my daughter elizabeth, who was involved with figure skating at the olympic Training Center. i returned to Chandler the following year to teach second grade with Jenifer izbicki for the next ten years

until becoming lower School director in 2009.”

Jeff Stephens, reflecting on mrs. Gotha’s time at Chandler, recalls hiring “a lovely, soft spoken person with an infectious grin and an obvious love for teaching. her 24 years at Chandler comprise an extraordinary career that

reflects hard work, dedication and a willingness to take on new challenges.”

Stephens continues, “yet there is another important part of Jan’s tenure at Chandler. She cared enough about her school to send three truly outstanding children, each of whom made all of us so very proud.”

“As a parent i appreciated that Chandler instilled the value of education in my children,” says Gotha.

“Fritz ‘92 went on to Andover, Claremont mcKenna (summa cum laude) and university of San Diego law School. he is now a deputy district attorney in Sacramento. heather ‘94 went on to Andover,

harvard, Cornell medical School and is now in her fourth year of an orthopedic surgery residency at brown Rhode island hospital in Providence. elizabeth ‘97 went to northwood School in lake Placid, wake Forest (Phi beta Kappa), and earned graduate degrees from london School of economics and uSC. She is now working for a management consulting firm in washington, D.C.”

“what i will remember most,” concludes Gotha, “are all the wonderful students and parents that i have had the good fortune to meet at Chandler.”

Gayle Cole has been appointed Chandler’s new lower School Director. Gayle joined Chandler for the 2012-2013 school year as the dean of technology integration in the middle School after spending sixteen years at the Center for early education (Cee) in west hollywood. At Cee, Gayle taught fifth grade language arts for eight years before assuming the role of instructional technology facilitator for eight years. in that role, Gayle had many administrative responsibilities that included designing evaluation systems, coordinating the school’s self-study for an accreditation visit and mentoring new faculty.

As dean of technology integration at Chandler, Gayle had a profound impact in a short time. She taught electives, hosted parent meetings, launched the focus group CATie: Conversations About Technology integration in education for the K-8 faculty, provided inspiration and activities for the buddy program and school groups, presented tools and resources during faculty meetings and successfully collaborated with faculty, staff, students and families.

one of Gayle’s colleagues at Cee wrote, “Collaboration is the essence of Gayle’s leadership style. Gayle helped us create a vision and goals for our students in the areas of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving.”

“She’s good with kids,” said a member of the fourth-grade student panel that interviewed Gayle. “She would help you cope if your hamster died.”

Gayle graduated from James madison university with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. She earned a master’s degree in educational technology from walden university and completed a graduate program in the administration and supervision of education at Johns hopkins university. Gayle and her husband Jeremy have two children, son Aedin (nine) and daughter Annie (seven).


Fifth-grade teacher Bev Jacobson is stepping down from her post due to an extended medical leave.

“over the past 21 years, my husband’s life and my own have been enriched so much by cherished friendships with my peeps at school, by my past and present parents and by so many wonderful students with whom i have had the privilege and pleasure of teaching during my Chandler

tenure,” says Jacobson. “As i depart, i will look back upon Chandler with endless fond memories. Chandler School and the Chandler community have always had and will continue to have an extremely special place in my heart.”

Former headmaster Jeff Stephens recalls hiring mrs. Jacobson. “word was out that we were looking for a new fifth-grade teacher,” says Stephens. “bev and i laugh even today about her persistence—one of her great qualities—and the number of calls regarding the position. The calls were never desperate in nature, but firmly stating a strong interest in the job. The rest is history. She came, and for 21 years has taught and conquered the respect and love of her students.”

The contrast of mrs. Jacobson’s colorful, whimsical wardrobe against her strict diet and exercise regimen demonstrate what made her a community favorite during her tenure: a warm, supportive environment that was always organized and demanding of students. As any visitor to mrs. Jacobson’s room who received a cordial, standing welcome from the students can attest, mrs. Jacobson’s class was the embodiment of the

“caring, challenging, committed” distillation of the Chandler mission.

mrs. Jacobson’s affirmations of each of her students during fifth grade promotion were a living example of the care she put into every day at school. And that care didn’t stop when the students went on to middle School or beyond. “Seldom have i known of a teacher who, when her students leave, keeps in such close contact,” says Stephens.

Jeanne Khoe Chung, mother of Dylan Riley ’14, sums mrs. Jacobson up perfectly: “She’s a tough cookie, but she has a huge heart of gold.”

lower School assistant teacher Nancy Foster has retired following 13 years of distinguished service to Chandler. nancy’s legacy includes the annual all-school assembly featuring dancing lower Schoolers and the wide array of posters on campus celebrating black history month.

lower School assistant teacher Nancy Adams has retired following a distinguished career epitomized throughout by educational excellence. nancy has built a legacy at the schools that have been fortunate enough to have her serve their communities. This year, mrs. Adams stepped in on short notice to be the head teacher of bev Jacobson’s fifth grade class when mrs. Jacobson was placed on medical leave. mrs.

Adams’ act was one of personal and professional generosity for which the community is incredibly grateful.

Fourth grade teacher Nancy Gadel has retired. nancy joined Chandler in 2005 and taught in the middle School before moving across the field to teach fourth grade.

After five years at Chandler, P.e. teacher Debbie Terry has hit the trail to pursue a career in outdoor education, partially inspired by her time on Chandler’s boojum trips.


FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014 1 P.m. ShoTGun STARTbRooKSiDe GolF Club

PASADenA, CA

gOLf CLaSSiC COMMittEEJohn berger ‘88, co-chair

Garrett Calhoun ‘85, co-chairSharie Chandra, CFA liaison

michael Albrechtwade berzasDavid Chao

laura Dicovitskymary hastings

Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94Joe mallinger

Trey massar ’01Derek PippertDan Rothenberg ’96Sean StellarChuck Tapertmihela VargaClayton Varga

2013 Chandler Golf ClassiC

The Chandler Golf Classic returned on may 31, 2013 after a 14-year hiatus. held at brookside Golf Club in Pasadena,

the Chandler Golf Classic was made possible with the support of title sponsors wells Fargo, Simplicity

bank, Cathay bank, Roger Stephens/ubS, eRS Security Alarm System inc. and the Pasadena Skin Cancer Center; tee sponsors; donors; and the unwavering commitment and support of members of the golf committee and volunteers. The goal of the day was to engage the broader Chandler community, and the sold out field of

alumni, parents and friends accomplished that goal. money raised during the event supported the

South Campus Campaign.

The 2013 Chandler Golf Classic kicked off with a box lunch, a putting contest and a clinic with Chandler parent and golf pro Jerome Andrews. After a shotgun start, players enjoyed a round of golf, which included a variety of on-course contests including hole-in-one for a new Prius from Toyota Pasadena, 50/50 Par 3 Raffle, Closest to the Pin, Straightest Drive and longest Drive. At the end of the day, players and volunteers gathered on Chandler’s South Campus for an in-n-out dinner and awards ceremony led by Golf Committee Co-chairs Garrett Calhoun ’85 and John berger ’88.

save the date2014 Golf ClassiC


gOLf CLaSSiC awardS 2013Champion monte baier, mark Kim, Dennis Chang

and Pierre youngWinner (Second Place) David Chao, Paul Simone,

Daniel Verduzco and louis wangWinner (Third Place) Joe mallinger, Kelly Johnson,

Steve mena and mike CookClosest to the Pin michael ortiz ’92 Longest Drive Women mihaela VargaLongest Drive Men Steve menaStraightest Drive John berger ’88

Title Sponsors wells Fargo (Golf Cart Sponsor)Simplicity bank (on-Course beverage Sponsor)Cathay bank (on-Course lunch Sponsor)Roger Stephens ubS Financial Services, inc. (After

Party beverage Sponsor)eRS Security Alarm System inc. (Dinner Sponsor)Pasadena Skin Cancer Center (Putting Contest Sponsor)

Hole-in-One Sponsor Toyota Pasadena

UnderwritersGeoffrey Arrobio ’83 Alex engemann ’01 John FinchSimon FraserJonathan headleyTrey massar ’01 Joseph mathews ’87 Fred muellerhisashi TsukamotoChristopher waldheim ’81

Prize Donationswade berzasTravis brasherGarrett Calhoun ’85 Cut Above Fundraisingmark Kim and Jeehyun leeJohn wells Golf ShopThe o’brien FamilyJohn mallinger, PGA Tour Promihaela and Clayton Varga

Tee Sign Sponsorsmaggie, Alexander, michael

and lauren ’85 AlbrechtAllen Tengmonte baier & mark KimJohn berger, Coldwell banker

Commercial Alliance blue Sky industries, inc.Calhoun & Poxon engineered

Process ControlRoger and michele

engemannFrank hu and Vikki SungThe Freer Family (ian Class

of 2015)The Gilbert Family, Cindy,

Paul, Jim and ChrisJohnson CapitalKohorst Allen Family

Dash lam, Class of 2020Trey massar, Crowell,

weedon & Co.The massar Familymetacloudmorris & bergerThe Pippert FamilyPremier healthcare ServicesRising Realty PartnersSarah and Dan RothenbergThe Search AgencySight SixStellar Prosthetics and

orthoticsStone TapertVista Sales, inc.

The popular giving tool—the iRA Charitable Rollover—is back for 2013 thanks to last minute action by Congress in December. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 once again

permits donors who are 70½ or older to use their iRAs to make charitable gifts of up to $100,000 without being taxed

on the distribution. These tax-free iRA distributions can be used to make gifts to Chandler School’s Annual Fund or the Capital Campaign for the new South Campus.

How can you benefit? For older grandparents, past parents and faculty and alumni, the provision is a great way to support Chandler School with assets or amounts you may not otherwise have at your disposal. The provision allows for a tax-free distribution of any amount up to $100,000 to a charity such as Chandler. married couples can transfer up to $200,000.in addition, all iRA owners are required to withdraw minimum distribution amounts each year once they reach age 70½. The distribution amounts are counted as income for tax purposes. For those donors who do not need the extra income, the iRA Charitable Rollover offers a way to avoid income tax increases.

How can you make a gift to Chandler School with an Ira Charitable rollover? First, Chandler School recommends all interested donors first consult with their tax advisors. next, donors must instruct their iRA administrators, preferably in writing, that they wish to make gifts to Chandler School using the federal rollover provision. in order to receive the tax break, it is very important that the gift amounts transfer directly from the iRA accounts to Chandler School. The rollover provision does not hold if donors first receive check disbursements from their iRA accounts and then forward them to charitable organizations.

How long do you have to take advantage of this tax-free giving provision? eligible donors can utilize the iRA Charitable Rollover any time through December 31, 2013 when the federal provision is set to expire. however, practically speaking, it is best for donors to contact their iRA administrators much earlier than the deadline to allow time to process the gift requests by the end of the year.

by taking advantage of this opportunity before the end of the calendar year, iRA owners can fulfill their obligations to take iRA distributions, avoid taxes they would otherwise have to pay and help Chandler School provide the best for its students and faculty at the same time. it is a win-win!

For more information, please contact Director of Development laura Dicovitsky at (626) 795-9990 or [email protected].

support Chandler school with

Tax-free ira rollover distributions


The Ahmanson Foundation Performing Arts Center in the new middle School building features a professional lighting and audio/visual system designed to make performances and presentations shine—and there was plenty of light shining in late February as Chandler played host to director Steven Spielberg as he launched the uSC Shoah Foundation’s iwitness Video Challenge from the Ahmanson.

Spielberg founded the uSC Shoah Foundation in 1994 to

create a video archive of testimony from holocaust survivors. These videos are made available to teachers and schools through an online program called iwitness. iwitness is used by Chandler, as well as by more than 6,000 students nationally, to create video essays and other forms of media that convey the stories of holocaust survivors. “iwitness is amazing,” says Dylan Choi ’14. “it teaches students more about the holocaust and raises awareness of genocide.”

in concert with the 20th anniversary of his landmark film Schindler’s list, Spielberg and the Shoah Foundation came to Chandler to launch the national iwitness Video Challenge for middle and high school students. The combination of the functionality of The Ahmanson and the culture of Chandler and the six pillars of character made Chandler the ideal host. The Ahmanson was transformed for the event, with

spielberg VisiTs

Chandler to launCh

National Contest


A few months after the IWitness event, Paula Lebovics, whose testimony was featured in the found poem created by seventh-grader Corah Forrester ’14 and screened during the event, contacted Chandler. Lebovics had seen her name in press coverage of the event and was eager to meet Corah.

Lebovics visited Chandler on June 3, 2013, to meet Corah and see the piece that was shown during the event. The two silently watched the video on Corah’s laptop. Lebo-vis was very clearly moved by Corah’s work,

stating “[Corah is] amazing. The way she picked out those words [for the poem]. They get to you. It touched me, it went right to my psyche. I am in awe of her.”

Lebovics was 11 years old when she was liberated from Auschwitz, where she had been imprisoned for six months. She had been in a ghetto and a hard labor camp before that.

She eventually moved to the Unit-ed States and met her husband before settling in Los Angeles. In 1996, Paula recorded a vid-eo testimonial of her Holocaust experience for the USC Shoah Foundation’s IWitness proj-ect, launched by Spielberg.

Lebovics, now 79, stayed through lunch to meet with students and teachers and answer questions. “Never stop talking,” Paula likes to say of her experience. She interspersed her har-rowing tale with words of wisdom about faith, hatred and how a simple smile can save a life.

additional lighting, a stage and large plasma screens. The

event, which was attended by a host of local and national media outlets, featured a screening of the iwitness video of seventh-grader Corah Forrester ’14, who used the testimony of Paula lebovics to create a found poem. “having my video played for mr. Spielberg was very nerve-wracking but really cool at the same time,” says Corah. “The feedback he gave me was positive and i enjoyed that.”

Spielberg spoke briefly of how Schindler’s list changed his life and career, and his hopes for iwitness. “in an age of unprecedented technological advancement, i was sure our consciousness would evolve along with those advancements in technology,” said Spielberg of the nature of content on the internet. “but sometimes it seems that there are still people immune to the notion of empathy, of compassion: People who see disturbing images on media, on television…who watch, let’s say, a clip of random violence or discrimination or bullying on youTube, and stand silent.”

“we can use iwitness to show the power of random acts of kindness, the significance of contributions to community, and the very idea that the best way to teach empathy is with examples of it,” Spielberg said. “maybe someday kindness will be a natural reflex, and not just a random act.”

At the conclusion of his remarks, Spielberg pointed at the three tables of Chandler students and excitedly announced, “now i want to meet these guys.” he shook the hand of each student, asking names of each

and how iwitness has played in to their history curriculum and changed their outlook.


south CampusMASter DeveLoPMeNt PLAN

Phase I

Classroom Buildings $ 14,000,000Gymnasium remodel $ 1,000,000

totAL CoSt $ 15,000,000

Amount Raised as of July 1, 2013 $ 12,570,442

an anonymous donor issued a special challenge to the entire chandler School community on December 10, 2012: help the school finish paying for Phase I of the South campus campaign by sending in your best gifts now. in return the challenger promised to pay the last $500,000 of the outstanding $2.5 million balance himself. The Substance X challenge, as it became known, was dubbed for chandler’s longtime science project assigned to middle School students shortly before graduation. Just as Substance X serves as a final hurdle for those students, the Substance X challenge is a final hurdle for the school community to finish paying for the new Phase I middle School building and gym renovations. The challenge continues but time is running out to reach the desired goal and trigger for the anonymous match. The city of Pasadena has mandated that the school begin construction this fall on Phase II of the campaign, which includes a two-tier parking lot and handicapped accessible elevator tower on Seco Street. as of July 1, 2013, 68 generous donors have answered the challenge with gifts totaling $475,244. The donors, listed below, include current and past parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty and friends.

James A. GruettnerStephen hamilton and Anne marie madla

Dr. Kurt hong and Dr. Julie yangTsutayo ichioka & Satsuki nakao Charitable

Foundationmarisu and Raymundo Jimenez

John and Jennith KnoxThe Kurtz Family

C.K. and miné lameun Kyung Sung and byron lee

Jenny and Fred limleslie Reeves lindholm ’83

lorance D. lisle ’59lin Kwan and Danny lo

Thomas T. maKaren and Ross martin

mr. and mrs. J.C. massarKaren F. mayeda

markus meister and elizabeth GibbSteve and meg morrison

Rachael and walter nichols ’65edward J. nowak and Sara C. nowak

Jeff and lysa oliveKay and Steve onderdonkAnne and Rudolphe otterDean and Jennifer PappasSteve and bettylee Payne

The lorraine F. Petitfils educational Foundation

The Pranyoto FamilyCarmen Puliafito

michael and bettina Rosenfeldbob and Gabi Sacks

Thomas and Jane SobotaCarol Standing

Dianne R. Sullivan ’58midori and John TaylorJessica S. Tornek ’89

mr. and mrs. h. l. TufeldKaren Skinner-Twomey and Scott Twomey

martin VossDon and betsy weigandt

Carie A. wickers

Kevin and esmeralda Akinsmrs. Aason AlmsAnonymous (5)

nelida and Joel AyalaSam and marlys babington

Alicia and John berlotPaula mcCullough bown ’79

Aimee bahng boyer ’89mark and Carole boylesJohn and marie Cleaves

Dr. Susan b. CliffordCheryl and eric CotteCub Scout Pack 78

John Culpepper and lisa heidelSally and ernie Farhat

Ann Fromholz ’82Suzanne and louis Fulps

The Family of Kara GarikianJan and Fred Gotha

michael Gould and Annette langer-GouldDr. Ann Grant

mr. and mrs. Douglas C. Gregg, Jr. ’62

DoNorS WHo reSPoNDeD to tHe CHALLeNGe BeGINNING DeCeMBer 10, 2012


Chandler School’s 2013-14 Annual Fund is already underway, having kicked off the new fiscal year on August 1! however, before the School closes the door on one incredible year and opens to a new, it is time to thank its many donors one

more time for the unwavering support that continues to enrich Chandler’s programs and students. The 2012-13 school year provided many opportunities for the entire Chandler School community to join in a number of fundraising endeavors, even breaking a few records along the way. in addition to the Annual Fund, this year’s

combined level of voluntary support for the ongoing South Campus Capital Campaign, the 2013 Chandler Royale benefit Gala and the 2013 Chandler Golf

Classic is proof of the unwavering dedication and belief of our community in the importance of the mission of Chandler School.

Thank You!


The Shamrock is printed on recycled paper (50% content with 15% post consumer) using soy inks and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPASADENA, CA

PERMIT NO. 3241005 Armada DrivePasadena, CA 91103www.chandlerschool.org

Address Service Requested

The Shamrock iS PubliSheD FoR PARenTS, Alumni,

PAST PARenTS AnD FRienDS oF ChAnDleR SChool.

eDiToRmartin Voss

GRAPhiC DeSiGnJihyun oh

ConTRibuToRSlaura Dicovitsky

John Finchmary hastingsSandy hume

Jennifer Sells Johnson ’94maureen Short ’84

PhoToGRAPhymartin Voss

John mcCarty

how To ConTACT uS626-795-9314 | 626-795-6508 (fax)

[email protected] | [email protected]

international Printing & Typesetting, inc. Printing

The cover of this Shamrock was designed by Vivian lu ’14. “Vivian is an exceptional artist,” says art teacher Jane leese. “She has an amazing drawing talent and a clearly developed personal style.”

Vivian won the fan’s choice in the Pier 1 imports/uniCeF greeting card contest in January 2013, represented Chandler at the yearly yAm contest sponsored by CAeA, won her local library’s bookmark

contest and has designed the cover of the last two editions of Images, Chandler’ literary magazine.

Vivian’s cover depicts the highlights of the 2012-2013 school year, including the STeAm projects (see page 2), Pi Day, the drama productions, Sports-A-Thon, the iwitness event (see page 30) and much more.

on The CoVeR

Documents

Shamrock Spring 2013