THE STORY OF Annual Report 2014 ! 2015 Annual Report 2014—2015 2014-2015 Administrative Team Table of Contents Lauren Wolke, Head of School From: The Head of School Marvin Jacobson, Founding Director 1 Leter from the Head of School Lynn Jacobson, Co-Founder/Educational Consultant Gary Stern, Associate Head of School/Principal * A Story of Gratitude 2 Leter from the Founders Shawn Shahmiri, Chief Financial Ofcer 2 Academic Report Liz Silverman, Director of Kindergarten – 2nd Grade Dear Laurence Friends and Family, P 3 Leter from the Principal *Principal, Paul Mastin joined the Administrative Team in June 2015. 4 STEAM Each fall, I have the privilege of sharing the story of Laurence’s connected world and learning how scientifc and technological A 7 21st Century Education 2014-2015 Board of Trustees academic year as a way to say “thank you” and express my grati- innovation can change the story of individual lives, society, and Randy Grimmet, Chair tude to all of the dedicated and generous current and alumni our planet. 10 Represent the “L” Mitch Tenzer, Vice Chair G families who make up our close-knit, caring community. 12 Te Arts Darrell Lane, Secretary Tis year was also the conclusion of our stories with long-time, 14 Sports & Athletics Jim Hliboki, Treasurer Laurence’s achievements during the 2014-2015 academic year beloved Associate Head of School/Principal, Gary Stern, and E Holly Bario not only refect the dedication of our hard-working students, treasured kindergarten teacher, Karen Beskid. I am so grate- 16 Parent Association Caron Bolton teachers, staf, and administrators, but also the enviable ful to both Mr. Stern and Mrs. Beskid for their dedication to 21 Graduates Doug Frank S commitment and support of Laurence’s parents, grandpar- Laurence during their tenures and for their friendship. We will 22 Alumni Ann Garret Esra Hudson ents and friends. I am truly grateful to the many parents who miss them dearly. 26 Leter from the Board of Trustees Stephen Prough volunteered their time and talents to support Laurence, from 27 Annual Fund Campaign Jennifer Saunders planning our Spring Event and Parent Association fundraising And while we closed these chapters, we also began several P.J. Shapiro events to serving on the Board of Trustees to organizing our new exciting ones. We started a competitive Math Club, 31 Jacobson Legacy Scholarship Endowment Alli Shearmur Parent Education series and school snack program. & Trinka Micol Baggeta Endowment expanded students’ ability to integrate traditional art forms Lisa Stone and digital tools to create interactive social studies, robotics, 32 Lifetime Giving Sharon Walter-Goldsmith It is also my honor, on behalf of the Laurence students and and visual story-telling projects, formed new ties with Harvey 32 Capital Campaigns staf, to thank each and every member of the Laurence com- Mudd College and its President, Maria Klawe, to enhance our Accreditation munity for their inspiring philanthropy, which made it possible ever-evolving STEAM program, and so much more. We also California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) for our school to continue expanding and growing our aca- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) had an incredible year in terms of admissions and Sixth Grade Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) demic and enrichment programs and state-of-the-art campus, matriculation. as well as atract and retain talented staf and faculty. It is with great joy and deep appreciation that I share highlights Tis school year, we explored the power of story through our from Laurence’s 2014-2015 academic year. Character Education theme, “What Is the Story?” Understand- ing ourselves and our world through storytelling is one of humankind’s oldest traditions and one which we continue to With warm regards and immense gratitude, rely on in our day-to-day lives. 13639 Victory Boulevard Valley Glen, CA 91401 Laurence’s students connected with each other, their families, (818) 782-4001 community, sister schools, and academic studies by learn- www.laurenceschool.com ing, understanding, and telling their stories. I watched with Lauren Wolke, Annual Report Designed By admiration and excitement as the children explored friendship Head of School Te Happening Studio and respect, teamwork, thankfulness, originality, creativity, and www.thehappening.us risk-taking, while expanding their perspectives of our inter- 1 Annual Report 2014—2015 From: Our Founders Te 21st century has accelerated technology in education by leaps and bounds, and the 2014-2015 school year was no exception. When we founded Laurence School in 1953, we did so knowing that change is inevitable and with an eye toward the future. For this reason, our From: The Principal approach to education has always been to combine tradition with innovation. We value all of the new technologies available to educators as a means for expanding class- I had the delightfully wonderful opportunity to “hit the ground running” in room resources, the academic curriculum, deep thinking, discovery, and a joy for learning. We joining the Laurence team in June when I was able to experience the 2015 continue to seek out and identify opportunities for growth in educating the “Total Child,” while Summer Camp. Tese four weeks allowed me to see the excellent Laurence continuing to emphasize Laurence’s character education curriculum in order to instill in our teaching team and staf in action. Te positive energy, the total commitment to students the virtues of responsibility, concern for others, respect, and hard work – all of which children, and the joyful pursuit of academics, sports, crafs, and pure summer are essential elements for success. fun abounded at every turn. From sports to cooking to coding and musical productions, the myriad activities gave me just a hint of Laurence’s school-year Tis year, we continued to look toward the future of the school’s physical campus, acquiring a program. To witness the excitement and engagement of the students showed new property. We are grateful to all of our Laurence families for their participation and support me frsthand why Laurence continues to be the magical garden that it is. in these endeavors. We are so pleased that this school year was another great success and are thrilled to have contrib- uted to helping Laurence students learn the skills they need to be successful and happy in our ever-changing world. Tey are the future! Paul Mastin Principal Marvin Jacobson Lynn Jacobson Awards & Achievements Founding Director Co-Founder & Educational Consultant National WordMasters Challenge National Math Olympiad Highest Honors: Four fourth and fifth grade One of our fourth grade students was a National students achieved perfect scores (only 116 out of Winner of this five month, five contest competi- Each year, Laurence’s Administrative Team and talented This year, we expanded opportunities for upper division students to 41,000 national participants accomplished this tion, achieving a perfect score. learn skills in applied mathematics in our Math Club and grew our feat). Academic faculty and staf come together to grow our school’s Culver City Math Olympiad innovative academic, character education, and experi- language arts curriculum as part of the 2014-2015 Character Educa- Fourth Place: Each of the fourth and fifth grade Our boys team won first place. teams placed fourth place out of 352 schools. ential learning programs into new curricular ideations tion theme, “What Is the Story?” Students explored their values, Report: One of our fourth grade students won the indi- grounded in the school’s philosophy of educating the identities, families, and communities through writing, literature, song Top Ten: Laurence was the only school to have vidual first place spot. writing, and dramatic performances. two grade level teams place in the top ten. Year in Review “Total Child.” Orange County Math Circle ERB Results Thanksgiving Tournament During the 2014-2015 school year, we continued to Additionally, Laurence further expanded integration of art into the More than 80% of third, fourth, and fifth grade Three of our fourth grade students placed first, students scored 95% or higher on the ERBs. third and fourth in the fourth grade individual integrate all areas of learning, helping our students STEAM program, and emphasized 21st century skills and topics, competition. prepare for the future by understanding subjects and including entrepreneurship, architecture, and environmental educa- Young Students Talent Search Exam tion. The Administrative Team is incredibly proud of Laurence sponsored by John Hopkins University Orange County Math Circle All Girls problem-solving from a multi-disciplinary perspective. and the Center for Talented Youth Tournament students’ accomplishments for the 2014-2015 school year. More than 86% of fourth and fifth grade students One of our students won first place for the fourth and 75% of third grade students qualified for this grade competition. 2 honor. 3 Annual Report 2014—2015 SCIENCE ART This school year, we expanded our edible garden program, One stunning example of this year’s expanded integration of art partnering with Farmscape, the largest urban farming venture and technology is the fourth grade California mission project. in California. First and second grade students learned biology, Students reviewed architectural plans and then used Google earth science, and sustainability through the lifecycle of the SketchUp to create 3-D digital models of their missions, which garden. Laurence also launched an exciting partnership with required an understanding of geometry, dimensions, and scope. Harvey Mudd College and its President, Dr. Maria Klawe, who They also painted their missions and built models, to which they spoke to parents and then visited students in science, math, and attached Arduino programmable circuit boards, turning their technology classes. physical artwork into interactive display pieces with LED lights As our world continues to change at a rapid pace, Laurence’s and sound recordings.