Our Wildwood, Summer 2021, Volume 46

“It’s amazing what a group of people can do together–some people do more, some do less, but it is that whole community thing. We want to make the world better. And that’s what our kids want, right? That the whole Wildwood experience was one of the most important things we’ve all done in our lives. It’s changed our lives.” —JOHN FRIEDMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ALUMNI PARENT OF SAM ‘96 (ELEMENTARY), JULIE ’05, AND CHARLOTTE ’07

both before and since the expansion to K-12. Upper school teacher Deb Christenson, who’d had a long career in public education, was hired early in the K-12 incarnation to lead our Outreach Center. (See pages 38-41 Teaching Teachers.) Recalling a meeting with George and Roy Romer, the former Colorado governor who was then serving as the superintendent in Los Angeles Unified School District, she “vividly remembers” them all being “deeply invested in social justice as a driver of progressive schooling.” It was affirming to come to understand how central to our expansion those partnerships with other public systems were, both for us and, in some ways, for them. Being of service—in the community or by fostering innovation in peer schools—was top of mind as the founders of middle and upper thought through how best to build on the success of the elementary program. Originally hired to lead the school’s diversity work, which eventually became her focus for more than a decade, Rasheda Carroll launched the school’s Community Involvement and Internship programming. Rasheda and others were clear about wanting the expanded Wildwood School to reflect both an institutional purpose and, as she

2007 (L to R): Rasheda Carroll and Melinda Tsapatsaris

put it, “have students understand both their own power as individuals and their purpose—their responsibility— to contribute in real ways.” The Outreach Center, Community Involvement, and Internship Program all remain central to the student experience and have served as models for schools around the country. Founding faculty were acutely aware that none of the transformative work that happens in any classroom can happen without a web of support from staff and administrators, volunteers, and trustees. That’s certainly the case at Wildwood. Several founding faculty fondly recalled being young teachers from Ohio and New York, sleeping on sofas and in guest rooms in what felt like a foreign land: Los Angeles’ Westside. Mark, David, and Melinda all referenced it. I sat down and talked with four of those who made it possible: Jeanne Fauci, John Friedman, Lyle Poncher, and Colleen Pundyk. (See pages 32-37 Lasting Leadership.) Having dutifully prepared a list of questions in advance of a meeting with them, I quickly realized the best tack was to sit and listen to them talk. How grateful I am to have had the chance.

2014-2015: Deb Christenson facilitating Outreach Center program

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS! | OWW SUMMER 2021