pegasus magazine - winter 2014

ISSUE 8 / WINTER 2014THE PEGASUS SCHOOL

Gifted,meetGrit

MISSION STATEMENT

The Pegasus School is dedicated to academic excellence and to the development of lifelong learners who are confident, caring, and courageous.

COMMUNITY VALUES

• Responsibility

• Kindness

• Teamwork

• Generosity

• Creativity

• Curiosity

• Courage

• Integrity

• Perseverance

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

• Academically Confident

• Well Balanced

• Critical Thinker

• Exceptional Communicator

• Collaborative Leader

• Responsible Citizen

• Environmentally Conscious

• Technologically Adept

• Economically Astute

• Versed in the Arts

• Globally Aware

PEGASUS STUDENTS love to learn, to be challenged, and to work hard; they are bright and motivated; they are joyful; they grow in both intellect and empathy.

PEGASUS TEACHERS love to teach; they are flexible, creative, collaborative, and innovative; they foster each student’s individual gifts and passions; they educate the mind and the heart.

PEGASUS PARENTS value education; they work closely with the school in a partnership based on thoughtful communication and mutual respect.

2 THE PEGASUS SCHOOL

Winter 2014

www.thepegasusschool.org

EDITORIAL BOARD

Nancy Conklin, Director of Admission

Rick Davitt, Photographer

Sue Harrison, Director of Advancement

Karla Joyce, Writer

Shalini Mattina, Assoc. Director of Advancement,

Marketing

Nancy Wilder, Middle School English Teacher

Jason Lopez, Head of School

WRITERS

Karla Joyce

Benjamin Jenkins

Jason Lopez

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Carin Meister

Tiare Meegan

Eva Polizzi

Patty Seyburn

Marrie Stone

Alene Tchekmedyian

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

Shalini Mattina

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rick Davitt

PRINTING

Orange County Printing

Pegasus Magazine is published twice yearly by the Office of Advancement at The Pegasus School. It is archived at thepegasusschool.org/about/publications

We welcome your feedback! Please address queries and comments to Shalini Mattina [email protected]

Table of Contents

FEATURES 18 Gifted, Meet Grit

22 The Apocaloptimists

26 Free Fail

ALUMNI

PEGASUS NOW 5 Head’s Message

6 At the Heart of Pegasus

8 Faculty Focus: Elaine Sarkin

10 Program: SPARK!

12 Insight: Modern Family

14 StudentProfile:ShreyaPatel

36 Calendar

32 Those Who Soar

34 Alumni Connections

PEGASUS MAGAZINE WINTER 2014 3

John Wooden rocks. To many, he was a great basketball coach. To me, he

was a great man, a deep thinker, and one of the few celebrities that I would

considerarolemodel.InthisparticularWooden-ism,Ifindsomeofmy

thinking on the topic of change and growth. How many books, articles and

blogs have you read that try to get you to embrace change? In my experience,

we tend to favor those changes we bring to others while we shy away from those brought to us. What I like most about Coach

Wooden’s words is how he recognizes that we are responsible to take action and make something of ourselves, regardless of our

circumstances. However, in this same quotation, we learn that some things just turn out a certain way, and our response can either

result in growth, or leave us feeling powerless and put upon. In her article, “Free Fail,” Pegasus teacher Eva Polizzi describes personal

resilience in spite of pain, and colleagues’ stories of failures turn into strengths. In addition, in her article, “Apocaloptomists,” Marrie

Stone met with long-time Pegasus parents to discuss the upshot of change and, as the school evolves, why they continue to believe

Pegasus is the right place for their children.

Since we have moved back to the west coast, my wife Pernille and I have new neighbors and new friends — even the wonderful

familiarity of living near family again is a complete change for us. December marks the sixth month that we have been without

our things, since leaving Chicago in early June. Even at this writing, our “stuff,” as George Carlin would describe it, sits in storage

somewhere in the Midwest. We have slept in multiple hotel rooms, two temporary apartments, a near empty house/construction

site, and even a few nights as guests of our children in their apartment in Culver City. The journey has been daunting, but also very

exciting and exhilarating. I won’t even begin to discuss the thrill of a new job or the recent release of Pernille’s new book, both

wonderful in their own right, but changes nonetheless. Note that these changes were not only embraced, most were sought out and

planned; and still, an adjustment period has been necessary. I think about the life cycle of a school, and I can’t help but marvel at the

sheer number of changes that Pegasus faced in recent years, many unplanned, but each providing its own opportunity for growth and

learning. In her article, “Modern Family,” Marrie highlights a few of the challenges and changes that my own family has faced in our

move home.

One of the things I love about my work is that daily, I get a front-row seat to the teaching and learning that occur at Pegasus.

I have already come to expect thought-provoking questions from teachers and piqued curiosity from engaged students as a matter of

course. I love asking students what they are doing and why they are doing it because I know that not only will they answer, but the

answers will be inspiring, and demonstrate depth of thinking and an eagerness to learn. Our students and teachers do not spend

their days lamenting change, but rather they look for change opportunities — they know that it can be the discomfort of change that

brings real growth. In “Gifted, Meet Grit,” Karla Joyce examines parental expectations, meaningful success in spite of challenges,

and the importance of grit and tenacity when the going gets tough. We can all take our lessons from Pegasus students, teachers and

alumni. As you read about them here you will get a window into their views on change, and maybe a clearer understanding of why

our community has embraced change and is better for it.

HEAD’S MESSAGE


Change

Jason Lopez

Head of School

embracing

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” - John Wooden, “The Wizard of Westwood”

At the Heart of Pegasus by Karla Joyce

Schools everywhere build community service requirements into their

curriculum in a valiant effort to teach perspective, encourage civic responsibility, and breed charitable habits. And students everywhere step up, sifting plastic from sand, delivering lovelies and punch to seniors, or stocking food banks with non-perishables. That’s community service, and it’s vital. But ideally, it is a starting point. The urgent needs of society knock daily. According to the Orangewood Foundation, about 3,500 Orange County kids enter foster care, every year. Moved by those alarming statistics, seventh grader, Samuel Abraham, hatchedaplan.Inhisfact-findinginterviewwith Tracy Cooper, senior development director at Orangewood, Abraham learned that the foster population with the highest-risk was teenagers “aging out” of the system. They needed services and goods beyond what Abraham could provide, but they also needed

basic hygiene products. Abraham — with help — could do that. He and six friends — Garret Cogan, Kai Kasserman, Jonathan Lake, Jack Makler, Daniel Min, Holden Rhee — formed a charitable organization, called OCKids4Kids, with the clear-cut mission “to help kids all over the world with things that we take for granted.” First order of business: organize a community hygiene drive to collect enough hygiene items to assemble 150 comprehensive product-packets for emancipating teens. Abraham and his team produced a documentary-style YouTube video to reach a wider audience, outlining the need (basic hygiene for homeless teens) and a solution (donate toiletries today). One month later, OCKids4Kids backed trucks up to the entrance of the Orangewood Foundation and unloaded 160 hygiene packs (at a value of $1,600). They punctuated the

delivery with an additional check in the amount of $4,120, to be used by Orangewood as needed. Before they left, the boys met two emancipated foster kids who shared their personal, heartbreaking yet hopeful stories… making it real. “Service Learning” is the enhanced version of the community service model, adding planning and reflection, like bookends, to the service itself. Abraham and his seven friends understand the difference. Next up: Community Costume Jewelry Drive. (Foster teens attend prom, too.)

Community Service on Steroids(OCKids4Kids: Samuel Abraham, Garret Cogan, Kai Kasserman, Jonathan Lake, Jack Makler, Daniel Min, Holden Rhee)

It’s so much fun to say: “See that kid on the playground, the one in blue in the tuft of

fifth-gradeboysdivingfortheball?Dude,he’s a concert pianist.” Sam Katz is a “regular Pegasus student” says fourth-grade teacher, Julie King, “who happens to also be a talented musician.”Heiscurrentlypreppinghisfirst

full-length solo recital of Schubert’s Moments Musicux. There is nothing regular about that. Even his mother admits: “It’s kind of unheard of, for a 10-year-old.” Wunderkind aside, King, who taught Sam last year, can’t see past Katz’ empathy and enthusiasm and “impressive internal motivation” when asked to pinpoint his gifts. “He is creative and energetic,” she says. “Always ready to mix it up.” And, his appetite to try new things is a teacher’s dream. “I had so much fun with him in my class.” Claire Kim sees the same idiosyncrasies in her son’s nature in his approach to music. “A new piece of music exhilarates him,” she admits. “He devours it.” (No mention here of the sheer genius at play if Mozart, say, can be grasped so fast.) “But it is harder for him to fully develop a piece. His problem comes with

perfecting. Polishing takes patience.” Kim and her husband, Michael Katz, wanted Sam to play piano because so many life lessons are wrapped up in it. Most important: perseverance. “In the long run,” Kim says, “with practice, you will always see improvement.” They maintain that his rigorous daily practice schedule and a performance calendar meant to enhance his development as a musician (as opposed to racking-up awards) are just brick and mortar. “We are doing what we need to do if he moves down this path.” But if he doesn’t, this lesson in grit will still serve him well. As a parent, it’s really cool to hear: “I love school. I love that I’m learning so much.” Regular Pegasus student, Sam Katz, says it daily.

Mr. Schubert, Meet Sam Katz(Pegasus Student: Sam Katz)

The Everyday Stories of Exceptional People


Prominent among the moves and swings that peppered Pegasus last year was the

repurposing of Jennifer Green. Green spent six years as a fourth grade teacher before she switched her position to serve as the interim director of pre-K through third grade, a role she breezily chalks up to personal calling. “I always knew I would land in administration.” Such self-possession comes from experience.Green’sfirstjoboutofgraduateschool was teaching fourth-graders at a K-4 public school in Compton, California. Her class of 36 had unique needs: 25 students were ESL and 11 had state-mandated IEPs (Individualized Education Programs). There were six equally challenged fourth-grade classes at the school, and she was the lead teacher. So, from the very beginning, Green linked teaching with teamwork and differentiation. Even in Boston, in a brief three-year stint as sixth grade teacher at a charter

school (while her husband completed his degree), Green faced the hurdles associated with learning disparities. It was like her Compton class all over again but, this time, sprinkled with eleven GATE kids. She and her husband returned to California in 2008 at the height of federal cutbacks in public education and options for teachers were limited. Luckily, she found Pegasus. Green says her job interview was memorable. “I visited Pegasus during Shakespeare Week, and I did my ‘teaching interview’ in Julie King’s room the day after thefourth-gradeovernightfieldtrip.”(Shekept them awake.) Former director, John Sullivan, recognized a curious similarity between Green’s experience and the set of skillsrequiredofaPegasusteacher:flexibility,persistence, and an aptitude for open communication. At a school like Pegasus, Green says, “We have to be an advocate for kids and help parents understand the process.”

Green thinks her colleagues are happy with her in her role this year, because she understands what it is like to be a Pegasus teacher. She may be a new director, but she’s not a new face.

Change is Good(Director of Pre-Kindergarten through Third Grade, Jennifer Green)

Weapplaudfilmmakersfortheirstorytelling abilities, accepting that a

perfectly rendered narrative can tap emotion and inspire action more than anything else. Meanwhile, when a teacher applies the same skill set: no fanfare. Math, for example, can be ‘the linear delivery of equations and calculationstoafixedend.’Or,mathcanbe‘everywhere, equations and calculations the exotic code to unsolved mysteries.’ Devin

Seifer isn’t just a math teacher at The Pegasus School. He is a vivid storyteller who possesses such an authentic, infectious fascination with his subject, it inspires. I sat down with Seifer one day after school to hear his story, expecting a straightforward equation of education and ambition plus or minus opportunity equals present-day career. I wasn’t prepared forthefull-lengthscience-fictionnovelpenned shortly after graduation from UCLA in 1985. And nobody could have foreseen such hectic early years teaching

middle school history alongside high school physics, while coaching an eighth-grade basketball team to championship wins three years straight. But a plot twist in year four was the surprise — suddenly Seifer was the head of school at a 600-kid, pre-K–12, private school in the San Fernando Valley, navigatingadministrativeintrigueandafieryparent population.

We all know the ending. Seifer moved south to marry and refocus and today teaches Algebra to sixth-grade students at Pegasus. Heinstillsinthemareflexivetendencytoshow their work, an ownership of math, and the sense to recognize that speed can hurt. But, I still wanted to know, why did he go from there to here? There’s an equation for that, of course: P (power) = V (voltage) x I (current). “In electricity, the power going in,” he said, “should match what comes out. But it doesn’t because friction, from a conductor, disperses it.” H = I2 x R (resistance) measures that loss. “The amount of effort and creative energy that I have expended has been the same all along, like P. But as an administrator H was high, so my energy didn’t fully make it to kids. As a teacher, H is lower. That means all of my effort and creativity goes directly to students, with almost no loss.” (CUE Applause.)

There’s An Equation For That (Sixth Grade Math Teacher: Devin Seifer)

Karla Joyce is a Pegasus parent and contributing writer for the Pegasus Magazine. Contact: [email protected]



FACULTY FOCUS

The ability to conquer her nemesis — the crossword

in the Friday edition of the Wall Street Journal — will

earn you the utmost respect. In her free moments,

away from school, Elaine Sarkin fearlessly tackles

the challenge, determined to master it.

Twenty-seven years ago, Dr. Laura Hathaway

hiredSarkintoteachthefirstsecond-thirdgrade

combination class — a total of only 7 children — at

The Pegasus School. During her tenure, Sarkin has

earned tremendous respect and admiration of the

entirePegasuscommunity.Sinceherfirstmeeting

with Hathaway, she continues to support the

development of the children and the vision of The

Pegasus School. And, in the process, the experiences

she has had at Pegasus have molded her life in

America.

Growing up in South Africa, Sarkin attended an

all-girls’ school that spanned Kindergarten through

grade twelve. The 1960s, a period when the world

was changing drastically, were an exciting time for

her to be in high school and college. In high school,

Sarkin competed on the tennis and swim teams.

She graduated with a degree in geography, with no

reflects on 27 Years of Teaching

Life and Lessons:

laineSarkin

by Tiare Meegan

intention to teach for any length of time. In fact, she went from

“college graduation gown” to “wedding gown” within the same

month: Elaine and Russell married 40 years ago this December.

But her teaching career “stuck.” She taught for thirteen years in

South Africa while she raised her sons, Michael and Clifford.

“We say it was either the bravest or stupidest thing we

have ever done,” Sarkin explains. In 1986, the Sarkin family

immigrated to the United States because of the political tensions

inSouthAfrica.ThefamilylandedbrieflyinLosAngeles,

where they had a few South African friends. But with private

school beyond the means of a newly

immigrated family, and the public

schoolsysteminL.A.influxwith

bussing, the Sarkins looked south. They

were drawn to the outstanding public

schoolsintheIrvineUnifiedSchool

District. Twenty-seven years later, they

are still Irvine residents.

She needed to work. At the

recommendation of another South

African expat, Sarkin navigated the

teacher credentialing process at the

University of California, Irvine. Two

nights a week for seven months, with

two young boys at home, she took

courses to complete the requirements.

When it came time to turn in her credential paperwork, Sarkin

noticed a bulletin board advertisement for substitute teachers at

The Pegasus School. Immediately, she contacted Laura Hathaway

to interview for the job.

It is easy to envision the scene, as Sarkin describes it. The

interview with Dr. Hathaway took place “in a rinky-dink

classroom/officewithonetelephoneandakitchentable,andthe

dream of a school for gifted children.” In her excitement —

for the prospect of writing her own curriculum, and for teaching

bright students — they never even discussed salary; Sarkin had

to call back the next day.

Thatfirstcombinationclasswaslocatedinthesame

building as a day-care facility for Alzheimer patients. Patients

would wander into Sarkin’s classroom and her “sweet students

would take them by the hand and walk them back to the day

care center,” Sarkin remembers.

Her family played a part in the Pegasus story, as well; her

boys helped move furniture into the current Pegasus location.

The boys would work at Pegasus during summers and in-

between jobs. One of her sons still serves as a mentor to Pegasus

alumni.

“Being a teacher at Pegasus,” Sarkin explains, “is about

having that connection with the children. It is like being the

teacher of the year, every year, all the time.” Her passion for

teaching has evolved over her long career, but it is Pegasus that

has delivered her greatest memories. She was given the freedom

to write and then teach the second grade curriculum, a challenge

which Sarkin says helped her become a better teacher. And, she

had the opportunity to work with

great colleagues who set the bar high

in teaching. “It was humbling at times,”

she says.

Those colleagues, who shared in

Hathaway’s dream and inspired Sarkin,

became her best friends. They went

through life together, sharing births,

weddings, bar mitzvahs, divorces and

death, and everything else in between.

Theybecameaninfluentialpartofher

world. Sarkin keeps their pictures on

her desk, each teacher with a megawatt

smile and sparkling eyes to match the

personalities...though the most recent

photos miss the familiar smile of

Hathaway herself.

The Pegasus School is “a living and breathing entity,”

Sarkin says, “so, of course, it’s going to mold and change.” One

of the many instances where Mrs. Sarkin has seen conspicuous

changeisthePegasusLibrary.Atfirst,theroomcontained

only furniture; there were no books. The teachers felt strongly

that an actual library was needed. They each donated the books

from their classroom collections, which, in Sarkin’s case, were

from her own children’s bookshelves, and three Pegasus moms

volunteered to oversee the operation. Today, the Pegasus library

has over 20,000 books.

Through the years, Sarkin is still inspired by the children in

her classes. She enjoys the continued contact, the emails and the

phone calls from her former students. But, when away from her

Pegasus world, she continues to pursue her most obstinate foe:

that weekly crossword!


Tiare Meegan is a Pegasus parent to Isabelle (‘15) and is the creator, writer, and photographer for the blogs Basil1 and Wahine Wednesdays. Contact: [email protected]

Five years ago, fourth-grade student Ryan Mitchell

came into the library and began rummaging

throughtherecyclingbin.Afterbrieflysifting

through its contents, he settled on a cardboard box

and asked if he might use it along with masking

tape,scissors,pensand,finally,rubberbands.Astheresponsible

adult in this exchange, I asked Ryan how he would be using the

supplies. He answered cooly, as if it were evident: “I’m going to

make a set of robotic hands.” Had it been anyplace else, I would

have been dubious. But, this was Pegasus.

I watched Ryan and a friend cut, mold, fold, and rework the

cardboard. By the end of lunch, he had created a set of hands

so well constructed they were able to grasp an object. It was

impressive, but also somewhat emblematic of what happens at

Pegasus on a daily basis. So, when lower school teachers Keri

Gorsage, Shannon Vermeeren, and Chressa Fancher returned

home from the Fall 2013 Computer Use in Education (CUE)

Conference with the idea of harnessing creativity and innovation

inadayofstudent-directedprojects,itseemedanaturalfitfor

our school. If one student could create robotic hands in twenty

minutes, we wondered, what could be accomplished in a day?

How SPARK Day was born is a testament to the trust and

loyalty of our faculty and staff. At the conference, Gorsage had

attended a workshop called “The Best Day of School Ever,”

in which a consortium of northern California public school

teachers had shared their experiences establishing innovation

days at their own schools. They spoke of students generating

ideas, conceiving plans, providing required materials, and

executing projects in a single day. Inspired, Gorsage found her

colleagues after the session and told them, point blank, “We are

doing this!”

“I’m in!” Vermeeren shot back. “But, what are we doing?”

As a faculty, we had been discussing the importance

of creativity in education for years. Whether through our

community reads or the discussion of Sir Kenneth Robinson’s

TED talk about a school’s role in killing creativity, we have

uniformly conceded the importance of fostering ingenuity,

innovation, and creativity in our students. So when Gorsage

and team pitched the idea of bringing Innovation Day to a single

Pegasus grade on a trial basis, director Dan Rosenberg took it


by Carin Meister

CONSTRUCTIONUNDER

Harnessing Pegasus Students’ SPARK in a Single Day

PROGRAM


further;hewantedgradesthreethroughfivetoparticipate.

The lower school teachers jumped at the opportunity to

enhance the student learning experience, in a single day...with

failure as an option. Because the time constraint and scope of work

were so exacting, Gorsage explained, “The goal wasn’t just about

being successful. It was also about being okay with failing and

beingabletoreflectonwhatyoucoulddodifferently.”

SPARK Day represented the way that small ideas

canignitebiglearning—litafirefromtheseconditwas

suggested. Throughout the planning process, Fancher felt the

students’energyintheirfixationwithplanning.Concepts,

implementation strategies, and supply lists were revised daily.

“Students were excited because they were going to get to do

what they wanted,” Fancher explains, “all day long.”

Finally, on March 27, the inaugural SPARK Day arrived.

It was magic. The kids came to school with a different energy,

an excitement that would sustain them throughout the day.

The sheer variety of projects attempted was astonishing. Two

students researched Coco Chanel, then designed and sewed

Chanel-inspired ensembles. Students built models of historic

landmarks, wrote gluten-free cookbooks, programmed video

games, composed and performed original music, built a skate

ramp, and staged a Chopped-style culinary challenge, to name

a few. And, while these projects varied greatly in terms of topic,

the common thread throughout the day was the students’

engagement, unwavering and enduring for hours on end. Most

students opted to skip recess in favor of working on their

projects and returned early from lunch, lining up at classroom

doors across campus to get back to work. It was a Pegasus

School version of Black Friday, with learning as the lure.

The indicators of success were many, but it was the

resounding chorus of four recurring words — the best day ever

— that meant the most to Gorsage, Vermeeren, and Fancher.

“Seeing how engaged students were in what they were doing

was a highlight for me,” said Fancher. “Because they chose their

own projects,” Gorsage explained, “they didn’t want to stop.”

Evenstudentswhohaddifficultyinexecutionmanagedtofind

creative ways to complete projects that hit snags. The group of

boys, who had underestimated the amount of supplies needed

to replicate the Leaning Tower of Pisa, crafted an “Under

Construction” sign as the day wound down.

But perhaps the most impressive sign of success came in the

program’s aftermath. Gorsage and Vermeeren both noticed an

increase in interest in every subject, and Gorsage says, “students

were amped-up to be at school.” Because that inaugural day was

such a winner, Pegasus is planning to take SPARK Day school-

wide. Vermeeren is optimistic about the idea of collaboration

across grade levels and sees the next go-around as potentially

even more innovative, because the entire campus — with its

variety of learning spaces — will be available to students.

On a personal level, SPARK Day exceeded my expectations

as an educator and a parent. My daughter’s Lego roller coaster fell

apart ten times, but she and her team persisted. The lessons in

physics, creative thinking, and teamwork were invaluable. Max,

her classmate, built a Star Wars city with balsa wood, paint, and

the verve of a true Star Wars fan. Unlike many school projects

left to languish in a garage collecting dust, his remained on

display in the library until summer. He visited it weekly, proudly

explaining to any passerby how he’d made it. I admired it as

well, but for altogether different reasons. Every time I looked at

it I couldn’t help but wonder: what will these kids do next?

Stay tuned…

Carin Meister is the School’s librarian and proud mother of Cate (’18), Reese (’20), and Sloane (age 3). She is always in search of the next best read and a reason to wear a costume. Contact: [email protected]


Jason and Pernille Lopez know something about tackling

tough projects. The same month Jason took over as the

head of Pegasus, they purchased a stylish Mediterranean

bungalow in the heart of Belmont Shore. Although it may look

ideal to the untrained eye, Jason and Pernille can see further

potential. They are embarking on an extensive remodel—

knocking out walls, upgrading the kitchen, and chemically

polishingtheirSpanishtilefloor.Theirhome,andtheirvisionfor

it, is an apt metaphor for some of the tasks that lie ahead of Jason

at Pegasus.

As the Lopezes prepare to undertake the project, their only

furniture includes four lawn chairs, two beach chairs,

a mattress, and a 17th century chest inherited from Pernille’s

Danish mother. I join them for Sunday brunch and, as we sit

outside, Pernille perches her coffee mug on the arm of her plastic

chair. Jason rescues it, holding the cup until she reaches for it,

and then taking it back when she’s done.

Jason has been described as a “doer.” He sees what needs

to happen, and he acts without fanfare. “Some would say our

gender roles are reversed. Pernille is the corporate executive,”

says Jason of his wife, the former President and CEO of IKEA

North America. “For years, I played Mr. Mom, carrying our son

in a backpack while I delivered our daughter to pre-school.

I knew where to buy the best sippy cups.”

Despite their high-powered positions and prestige, Jason

and Pernille still embody the humble, down-to-earth values

that brought them together. “We come from culturally diverse

backgrounds, geographically opposite countries, but what

At Home With Jason and Pernille Lopez by Marrie Stone

modernfamily

INSIGHT


brought us together is a shared value system.” They did such an

effective job at blending cultures that their son, Sebastian (21),

didn’t realize there were two separate sides to his family when he

was young. “They were all just cousins and grandparents to me,”

hesays.“Ittookmeawhiletofigureoutwhowasonmymom’s

side and who was on my dad’s.”

Jason and Pernille not only teach their children respect,

diversity, and multiculturalism, they live it. When they moved to

Pittsburgh in 1993, Jason says he

was the only Mexican in town.

“They thought I was exotic,” he

laughs. Culturally, they identify

more with Pernille’s Danish

heritage, celebrating Christmas

with stars and candelabras in

the windows, eating frikadeller,

and singing Danish drinking

songs. “People would look in our

windows during the holidays

and not know what was going on. A Mexican father, a Danish

mother, things that looked like the Star of David hanging in our

windows. But that’s just normal for us.”

“People make assumptions,” Pernille says. “Like what our

life must be like because I was the CEO of IKEA. At IKEA, you

knowwhatflyingfirstclassmeans?”Thekidssmile.“Imakesure

I’m always last to board. Then I scan coach for a few empty seats

together.That’sIKEAfirstclass.Theydon’tgiveexecutivescars

orofficesorfirst-classtickets.Whatyougetinsteadisfreedomto

try different things, a lot of trust and latitude.”

Does that philosophy extend to their home life? They all

laugh at once. “What does it look like?” says their daughter

Sine (23), pointing to the plastic chairs.

Jason keeps photos of Sine and Sebastian in their younger

yearsaroundhisofficeasareminderthatnochildcomeswith

an instruction manual. “I want parents to know I’m not just

theheadofschool.I’mafatherfirst.Irelatetoalltheirfears,

anxieties, protective instincts, and pride,” he says. “I remember

freely dispensing advice to middle school parents when my kids

were small. Then, when I had teenagers of my own, I just shook

my head at my hubris.”

We head to brunch at Simmzy’s, a quaint local pub where

Jason loves to eat. We sit on benches at a long communal table,

and all four of them order the

same meal. “I’m a creature of

routine,” Jason says. “A little

OCD. I could eat at the same

four restaurants all the time.”

Jason describes himself as an

outgoing introvert. “I can turn

it on for events and public

speaking, but I’m happy to go

for a few days without talking

or socializing.” Pernille says this

makes Jason a very good listener and observer. “Jason can be at a

party and not say anything, but he takes everything in.”

Heenjoysrunning,fly-fishing,andaneclecticarrayof

music—all activities that give him ample time to be in his own

head. When asked about favorite books, they were all quick

to say The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. “We talk a lot about our

Personal Legend,” says Pernille. “What one’s personal destiny is,

andhowtoreachit.Forme,it’sastruggletodefine.For‘J,’it’s

easy. To impact the lives of children—his own and others.”

The Lopez family’s root structure is deeply entwined in

thesamerichsoil,buttheirbranchesflowoffinfourdifferent

directions. Their home life represents a microcosm of the ‘Pegasus

Way.’ As we part ways after brunch, Jason says, “Coming to

Pegasus feels like coming home.” I can see why.

Marrie Stone is the Director of Public Affairs and co-host of “Writers on Writing” at KUCI, 88.9 FM and the mother of Haley Rovner (’15). Contact: [email protected]

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

ShreyaPatel ’15

All the way from England, new student Shreya Patel brings a spate of unique experience and talents to the Pegasus community. by Patty Seyburn

Though there may be nothing average about any

Pegasus student, Shreya Patel, one of the eighth grade’s

new denizens, brings new meaning to the word,

“exceptional.” Joyful, sweet and talkative, Patel conveyed the

many differences between her life in London and here, including

the challenges of moving from a considerably more traditional

educational approach and environment at the James Allen’s

Girls’ School.

The most obvious difference is going to school with boys.

“They are a little crazy,” she admits.

Thus far, Patel gives Pegasus glowing

reviews and comments on the different

level of formality between educators

in the U.S. and the U.K. “I love it. It’s

amazing. A strict teacher here would

be mild at home. Here, the teachers

are not only people you look up to, but friends, as well. It was

extremely formal back in the U.K. We would stand up when

the teacher entered the room. We wrote everything in fountain

pen. I think it was meant to make everything more deliberate; in

general, once you’ve written something down, you can’t go back

and change it. Actually, writing in pencil is one of the biggest

difficultiesI’mhaving!”

Her fellow students, however, are also praiseworthy. “People

are lovely. A week before school started, I was so worried. I

thought people wouldn’t like me, or my accent might be a big

turnoff. But it is no problem. People who

have never seen me before ask me to walk

to class.”

Patel’s favorite subjects are

mathematics and science.

“In the U.K., I would take all three sciences at one time: physics,

biology and chemistry. We had a generic science class until

sixthgrade,andthenitsplitintothree.There,itwasafixed

curriculum, and you were working toward a set of exams. Here

thingsaremoreflexible.Here,theteachersaregoingbeyond

what I did before, but I like a challenge.” Coming from the

home of Shakespeare, though, Patel also has a love for reading

and theater. “I read almost everything. I’m one of those strange

kids who will read Shakespeare out of choice. I performed in

The Tempest as Ariel. She praises the local libraries — “I got my


library card within a week” — but, like a good Californian, is

also learning to surf and body-board.

Patel’syoungersister,Saffron,isinMrs.Gorsage’sfifth

grade class, and Patel feels she’s making the transition even more

quickly and seamlessly. “She’s quite at home here, already. She’s

picking up an accent and saying little words different. Like

‘caramel’.”Patelrepeatstheword,stressingthefinalsyllable,

which sounds considerably more elegant than the American

pronunciation. “My sister can make anything,” she adds. “She

knits like a professional. She tried teaching me, and it did not

work. We had a typical brawl and that was the end of it. But we

get along.”


Patty Seyburn is the Pegasus parent of Sydney (’15) and Will (’17). She is a poet and associate professor in the Department of English at California State University, Long Beach. Contact: [email protected]

GETTIN’ GRITTY

Pop by the Pegasus School’s Outdoor Classroom on a sunny day and watch kids

digging in. There’s a big box of messy materials, a climbing tree, a stage (of course),

a quiet place to sit and write…and so much more. It may look like kids-at-play, but

don’t be fooled. These kids are learning.


FEATURE


Seven-plus years at Pegasus have validated many of my assumptions about education, but three things — curiously analogous — stand out: 1) every parent has a gifted child, 2) personal responsibility starts in third grade, and 3) change is good. Let’s break it down.

1) We didn’t start out seeking private education. We

simply responded to our twins, who felt more observant, more

focused, and — frankly — quirkier than every other kid on the

planet. Without the brass fact of testing, we were free to call it

gifted. The Pegasus School offered us a rich history in giftedness,

beginning with its summer programs in 1984 for seven

academically-gifted students, to the development of a teaching

body dedicated to the grasp and application of gifted education,

to its embodied motto: it’s a safe place to be smart. Gifted or not,

we wanted all that.

2) As a mother-of-multiples who started late, turning tasks

over to anybody willing was my method of healthy parenting.

Ironically, it was the twins themselves who stepped up. A

three-year-old candressherself,afive-year-oldcan pack a healthy

lunch, and an eight-year-old will remember her homework

eventually. The third-grade personal responsibility program at

Pegasus provided those things we know in our gut are good for a

child — like, challenge and deprivation. (If a little hardship is

the ticket to breakthrough, this parent prefers it orchestrated,

thank you.)

3) Change isn’t unique to Pegasus, but the sheer volume

of it during our Primary and Lower School stints has been

noteworthy.Buteveninthemidstofdifficulties,mygirls

skipped and whistled through their years convinced that school

Gifted,meet Grit

A Look at the Latest Findings on Failure, Character, and Meaningful Success

by Karla Joyce

was all-play-no-work, and ended every day with the same

ringing mantra: I can’t wait for tomorrow.

It feels bold to connect identity labeling, purposeful

character training, and unwelcome change in a single sentence,

butI’mnotthefirsttodoso.Infact,thesubjectofhow-kids-

learn and which-kids-succeed is kind of a rage, lately. That the

word ‘gifted’ contributed to the lure of Pegasus for us belies an

attachment to a dated assumption: that innate cognitive skills,

those conveniently measured on tests, are the key indicators of

success. And, watching our twins spot patterns and handily

performatthestandardpaceofPegasus-accelerationforthefirst

few years, it was easy to cling to that conviction.

But differing strengths and learning-traits surfaced early

and that one-size gifted identity neither matched the facts

nor mattered, certainly by middle school. Test scores rise and

fall, and rise again which, as it turns out, has more to do with

character, or non-cognitive skills, such as: persistence, self-

control, curiosity, and grit. According to psychologists and

neuroscientists and decades of research, not only is character

more crucial than sheer brainpower to achieving success, it is

created by encountering and overcoming failure.

(Parents, everywhere, cringe.)

SUMMER READING

Long ago, Pegasus founder Laura Hathaway established the

ritual of a “Faculty Summer Read.” Each June, Hathaway

assigned teachers a title to complete during summer to be

discussed, at a faculty retreat, before classes resumed. The

summer before Jennifer Green’s teaching debut at Pegasus,

Hathaway selected Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right

Brainers Will Rule the Future.

During administrative transition, the tradition was

temporarily suspended.

This past June, new Head of School Jason Lopez set up

shopinthefrontoffice,andJenniferGreendoffedherfourth-

grade teacher’s hat to become our Primary School Director. Her

firstorderofbusiness:bringbacktheRead.“Itismorethana

faculty-bonding exercise,” she explained. “The summer selection

is a barometer of how we are evolving as a faculty — and a

community — and what we are thinking about education. It’s a

conversation starter.”

As such, this year’s selection was telling.

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of

Character, by Paul Tough, is a research-rich, absorbing guide to

educating and parenting that focuses on the non-cognitive skills

students need to perform well in school and life. It is one thing

to identify those kids with the kind of skills and strengths that

scream, “Watch out world, I’m coming!” The more pressing issue

is what to do with the capable students — from both ends of

the socioeconomic spectrum — with just as much potential to

thrive.

Toughtakesontheplightofdisadvantagedchildrenfirst,

those whose pervasive obstacles (from inadequate nutrition

to dysfunctional schools and neighborhoods) are, too often,

insurmountable.Butsomedodevelopresilienceandfind

success and he tells those stories, each buoyed by the support

of a mentor, usually a teacher or principal dedicated to the

developmentofcharacterinthefaceofterrificodds.He

thenturnshisattentiontotheoffspringofaffluentparents,

specificallystudentsattheacademically-chargedRiverdale


...not only is character more crucial than

sheer brainpower to achieving success, it is created by encountering and overcoming failure.


Country School in New York City which — rolling greens and

Greek portico aside — sounds a little like Pegasus.

There is no shortage of printed opinion on how we raise and

educate well-off children, and a sizable group of psychologists

and educators argue that the system now in place — a practice

thathasgivenbirthtoAPoverload,GPAinflationandOlympic-

level extracurricular commitments — are, in fact, hurting them.

Add to that a growing number of parents who, while pushing

their kids to excel, inadvertently shield them from exactly the

kind of experience that can lead to character growth (like: child

writesa“C”essay;Dadfightsforan“A-”).

“Although they would almost certainly not express it

this way,” says Tough, “wealthy parents choose a school

like Riverdale for their children, at least in part, as a risk-

management strategy. What it offers parents is a high

probability of non-failure.”

And yet, according to Tough, and Riverdale Head of School

Dominic Randolph, and parents everywhere (on some level, at

least), the best way for a person to build character is for him

or her to attempt something where there is a real and serious

possibility of failure.

CHANGING BACK

So, studies verify a connection between character-building

failures and disappointments and success in school and life,

and character-education programs pop-up everywhere. Banners

extollingvirtueslikepersistenceandintegrityflutterinschool

hallways to the point of ubiquity (and, if eighth-grade eyes

glazing over is any indication, futility). In recent years, educators

everywhere have been guilty of character-ed slogan overload.

If the genuine act of trial and failure and trial-again builds

thegritandself-confidencethatbegetssuccess,isn’tthemere

articulation of these values another shortcut?

Character is one of those words that muddy many

conversations because it means different things to different

people. In 2008, an organization called the Character Education

Partnership published a paper that divided character instruction

into two categories. One was based on “moral” character and

stressed ethical values like fairness and integrity. The other

emphasized “performance” and pointed to qualities like zest and

perseverance.

According to Green, the selection of Paul Tough’s bestseller

invitedteacherstoreflectonwho-we-areandwhat-we-valueas

a school. For seasoned second-grade teacher, Sharon Goldhamer,

the dialogue was cathartic. “I wasn’t alone in thinking that

the Traits for Success had been too heavily weighted toward

performance. Sure, our kids might become very successful with

those skills. But will they be good people?”

When asked whether the predominance of performance-

success traits had been an effort to indicate academic-rigor

while eschewing the gifted label, Green shrugged. “Academics—

we simply have it here, and at a high level. What teachers felt we

needed to restore was that safe place: safe to be smart, safe to try,

safe to fail.” That’s about re-building community, re-connecting

divisions, and re-visiting the values represented by the Be Kind

Committee, she explained.

“Grit still matters,” said Green. “But only in conjunction

with ethical grounding can it help a child negotiate her way to a

thriving and autonomous adulthood, within society.”

By the end of the summer, The Pegasus School Traits for

Successwereamendedtoreflectmoreaccuratelythecore

values of the greater Pegasus community. These newly named

Community Values may appear on placards, from time to time. But,

more importantly, they will be on display in every teachable

moment, in sensitive decisions such as class placement, and in

the long-established and new Pegasus programs designed to

challenge kids to fail – as they have been for 30-plus years.

THE MEANING OF MEANINGFUL

There is no doubt that my daughters will leave Pegasus

academicallyqualifiedforhighschool.ThoughIcan’tpredict

future GPAs, college acceptance rates, or professional salaries,

I am certain that each will be successful in aspects that we

value: responsible, honest, dogged, and kind, to name a few. We

picked Pegasus to do more than simply help accompany the girls

where they were going already. We picked the school because it

reflectedourvaluesandourinexactideasonparentingwhich,

frankly, has been a hit-or-miss mix of lecturing, modeling, and

letting-go.

Green chuckled, clearly relating to my technique that, she

said, translates to teaching. “We can’t protect a student from

every problem — nor would we want to. But we can shape

thinking so that students (and parents) understand failures or

setbacks to be teachable moments, as opposed to the worst thing

that has ever happened.”

The modeling-part starts with all of us, said Green. “Our

communityhasbeenreflectingonitsidentitysodynamicallyin

response to setbacks. We will be stronger because of it.”

Some people call that grit.


FEATURE

APOCALOPTIMISTSTHE

Long-Time Pegasus Parents Ponder the Upshot of Change by Marrie Stone

In an earthquake, it’s understood the most dangerous place to

be is in a tall, unyielding structure. Yet one of the safest places is

inside a tall building that has been stressed for earthquakes – in

otherwords,onethathasadeepfoundationandisflexible.So,

too, institutions that remain rigid will crumble, while those that

succeedinaddingflexibility,teamwork,andcreativitytotheir

organizations will thrive.

Change and growth are oftentimes products of

uncomfortable challenges.

A few years ago, Pegasus parent Malinda Bryant came across

the term ‘apocaloptimism’ on Facebook. Essentially, it means

the ability to maintain a hopeful and positive attitude in the

faceofdifficultcircumstances.Itstruckher,andafewofher

parent-friends, as the perfect way to describe their feelings about

Pegasus since Dr. Laura Hathaway’s passing in 2009. They would

text the word to each other now and then, or bandy it about at

birthday parties as a proxy for dwelling on their frustrations.

Administrativeturnover,afinancialscandal,andthedeparture

of a few beloved teachers last spring all contributed to a

generalized fear that Pegasus might be losing its way.

No school is immune from change, nor should be, but

Pegasus has weathered many changes since Hathaway’s

death.Forthepastfiveyears,ThePegasusSchoolhasfaced

the challenges associated with leadership loss, most notably a

shaking-up of its comfort zone. In spite of it, the vast majority of

Pegasus families have decided to stay the course.

Why?

Chitra and Hitesh Bhakta, Malinda and Rob Bryant, Lisa

Ann and Thomas Lydon, and Amy and Matt Weiss sat down to

discuss some of the challenges they’ve uniquely endured during

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


their Pegasus school experience, and why they are still strongly

here.Theperspectiveissignificantgiventhedurationoftheir

commitment; they all arrived at Pegasus during the Hathaway

administration, have kids spanning multiple grades, and remain

at the school today. Together, they embody the belief that change

is uncomfortable, but true growth can’t happen without it.

Discomfortclarifiedforthemourschool’sdirection.

IF SHE BUILDS IT, THEY WILL COME

The Bryant family arrived at Pegasus under the leadership of

Hathaway, but they were reluctant converts to private education.

Both parents believed in public teaching. They were educated

in public schools. “We bought our house because it was in a

neighborhood with an excellent, highly-regarded public school,”

said Malinda Bryant. Their eldest daughter, Rachel, happily

attendedfirstgradeatthislocalelementaryschool.Butwhen

she and her husband, Rob, saw what her best friend was doing

and achieving at Pegasus, they knew there was no comparison.

“For as good as our public school was,” Malinda explained, “the

class sizes were large and there was a wide range of abilities.

Rachel was frequently left alone to read books at the back of the

room, while the other kids were sounding out words.”

The Bryant’s story is one with which many Pegasus families

will identify. Amy Weiss, sixth grade Social Studies teacher and

three-time Pegasus parent, never envisioned private school for

her children. “I was a public school teacher, my mother a public

school principal,” she said. “Private school wasn’t consistent

with our philosophy.” But when a friend urged her to look at

Pegasus for potential employment, she immediately enrolled her

son. (Amy didn’t join the faculty for another seven years.)

“Once we saw what Dr. Hathaway was doing,” said her

husband, Matt, “the decision was straightforward.”

Hathaway had a way of making enthusiasts out of non-

believers, Amy explained. By affording her faculty freedom to be

creative, establishing an innovative environment, attracting a

gifted student body, and nurturing a caring and supportive staff,

she created a school where it was not only safe to be smart, but

exciting to learn. The energy, she remembered, was palpable.

Lisa Ann and Tom Lydon were also early believers. “We

would have sold our home to pay for this kind of education,”

Lisa Ann said. “There was never a question that this was where

our children needed to be. I cried when Creagan’s acceptance

letter arrived.”

CHANGE IS NOT OPTIONAL

Hathaway’sdeathmarkedasignificantshiftforPegasusandwas

typical of an organization whose founder, one integrally involved

in all aspects of operation, passes away. In business jargon, an

organization so heavily shaped by a single individual

can sometimes suffer from Founder’s Syndrome.


This condition occurs when the mission, the vision, the story,

the administration, the fundraising, the programs – the whole

organization — is embodied in the founder. It is a set-up

reminiscent of The Pegasus School and, when Hathaway died,

itwasunderstoodthatthetransitionwouldbemoresignificant

than a simple exchange of leadership.

The Lydons knew change was inevitable, and perhaps

potentially positive, but they weren’t prepared for some of the

reforms that followed. “We wondered what would happen when

Hathawaydied,buthadfullconfidencethathervisionwould

endure,” said Lisa Ann.

The transition started hopefully. Jacqueline Smethurst,

InterimHead,wasrespectedandlaudedasdoingaterrificjob

duringadifficulttime,whenthelosswasraw.Butshewas

recognized as transitional.

A year later, the community

placedhighhopesinthefirst

officialHeadofSchoolfollowing

Hathaway, John Zurn. But to

the parents interviewed for this

article, something felt off. While

they collectively acknowledged

that he was a capable and

educated director, the match

between leader and institution

didn’t feel right to them.

Jack Jennings, president of the

Center of Educational Policy in

Washington, D.C. says, “Leadership only succeeds if the leader

brings other people along into the same vision, and they are all

able to work together and trust one another.” Zurn’s strategies

felt at odds with Hathaway’s vision for the school, and he was

unable to pull momentum in his direction.

The disproportionate turnover in administration didn’t

help.TheMiddleSchoolhadfourdirectorsinfiveyears.“Our

daughter had a different director for each of her three years in

middle school,” Dr. Chitra Bhakta said. Bhakta’s daughter, Alisa,

received the Hathaway Award for the 2011-2012 school year. But

the tribute that punctuated her nine-year Pegasus experience

wasmutedbythefactofafleetingleadership.TheMiddleSchool

director that year didn’t know anything about Alisa, Chitra

lamented. “I’m not even sure he knew her name.”

When there is a lack of leadership, there is a natural

inclinationforpeopletostepintofillthegap.Inthiscase,

someparentsfeltthatgapbegantobefilledbyboardmembers

and other parents. More than one interviewee believed that

because the board was already forced into additional action

after Hathaway’s passing and the interim head, it was natural

itwouldhavealargershareofinfluenceonhowtheschoolwas

run.Parentsthen,too,beganexertinginfluence.

Parents aren’t educators,” Hitesh Bhakta said. “If they

were, our children would be home schooled. But parents began

making decisions about all sorts of things, including the amount

of homework children should be given.” (Robert Bryant was

quick to agree. “My child’s workload shouldn’t be dictated by

another student’s sports’ schedule,” he insisted.)

Both Bhaktas continued to believe in the strength of the

faculty, while identifying the leadership vacuity as the source of

concern. “We chose the school

for its rigorous academics, and

Pegasus delivered on those

values. But once the leadership

floundered,andparents

began complaining about

the established curriculum,

we couldn’t help but feel the

standards were starting to

slide,” said Chitra.

“There is always a risk

that education will be viewed

like a consumer product,” said

former board member and

alumni parent, Rick Davitt. “Parents begin viewing themselves

as customers, and demand customer satisfaction, as opposed

to looking to educators for their expertise. This makes it very

difficultforaschooltodoitsjob.”

Hitesh concurred. “Pegasus isn’t a democracy. It’s a school,”

he said. “I trust the school to make appropriate educational

decisions for my child based on their years of training and

experience.”

It is easy — and powerfully therapeutic — to vent the

fallout from bad decisions. And parents can readily articulate

the areas in which transitional decisions didn’t match Pegasus

ideals. It is exactly at this point, wallowing in what wasn’t

working,thatonemustask:whatworksnow?Specifically,what

makes these parents continue to believe Pegasus is the right

place for their children?

The universal answer: the faculty.


THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The earthquake analogy applies perfectly to Pegasus.

Dr. Hathaway laid a solid foundation that has been continuously

stress-tested since her passing. But each of those tests has taught

something and, arguably, made the institution more resilient in

the process.

Itwasdifficult,attimes,todeterminewhowasdrivingthe

bus,” said Tom Lydon. “But when you look at that core group of

teachers — what they stand for, what they believe in, what they

teach the kids — that message and theme has been consistent all

along.” Indeed, the one constant that has endured the transition

of the past several years is the bedrock of Pegasus – its faculty.

Many parents agree a lot of positives came out of the past

fiveyears.“Insomesense,”saidMattWeiss,“youhavetoknow

whatyoudon’twantinordertogivedefinitiontowhatyou

do.That’swhatthepastfiveyearshavebrought.Aconcrete

understanding of what Pegasus is, what it values, what the

Pegasus way looks like and what it doesn’t.”

It comes down to trust,” explained Tom Lydon. “If you trust

the right thing is being done and you trust the people doing it,

you let them do their jobs and don’t get emotionally involved.”

“Of course, there were administrative bumps in the road,” he

continued.“I’mincludingthefinancialturmoil,here.Butthere

is a silver lining to that, too. The administration now recognizes

that it can’t relax or take things for granted. They have to look

three steps ahead, and they’re more aware of it than ever before.

There are solid people lifting every stone to see if there’s rust and

mold,andasking:whatneedstobefixed?”

Lydon summed up the current station of The Pegasus School,

from its visionary founding through transition to now: “We’re

no longer a brand-new school,” he said. “But now we have the

right people in the right seats. I think the course has been

established.”

NEW HOPE FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE

Having the right people in the right seats seems to be the

critical change for all of the families interviewed. Hope has

been renewed, enthusiasm restored, and nerves calmed. There

is universal enthusiasm for new Head of School, Jason Lopez.

The excitement, both amongst faculty and parents, is palpable.

Already, many parents said Jason knows their children. He

has taken time to learn their stories, observe their activities,

and listen. And he’s a man of action, taking the reins and

reestablishing the course. Talking with Lopez, it’s clear he is

committed to Hathaway’s original vision, and committed to

moving beyond the pitfalls of the past few years.

“IjoinedPegasusknowingtheredflagswerewavingtheir

ownredflags,”Jasonsaid.“ButIwasn’tdaunted.Thefoundation

of this school is so strong, the core values so innovative. It’s a

challenge I happily accept.”

Andrew Simms, writing for the UK Guardian, points out

there are very good reasons for being an apocaloptimist. In the

face of extreme challenges, incredible opportunities arise to

make things much better.

Pegasus stands in a powerful position to do that.

FA I L U R E H A P P E N S

MAKE IT MATTER

FREE FAIL


FEATURE

by Eva Polizzi

What makes someone a failure? Am I a failure? I wonder that

sometimes. After years of private education, infinite opportunities,

and unconditional support, am I really living up to my potential? The

word fail is used so colloquially— epic fails, for example— that it’s

easy to list all the things I’ve failedat trying. I’mdefinitelya failed

concert pianist (sorry, Dad), a failed ballerina, and a failed princess

pirate.Butoncewesetourgoalsanddecidetodefineourselves,how

do we judge ourselves? There is comedy in those childhood failures, but

it’s those things that we jump into with both feet, and that we swing

at with all our might, that knock us over when we miss the mark.

And when we’re knocked over like that, it can feel like we’ll never get

back up. We feel as if we’ll be wandering failures forever, with shame

and humiliation written across our faces. And frankly, some people

are like that. Some people never seem to recover. At Pegasus, we are a

resilient community, which means we have plenty of role models for

raising resilient children. So often failure— in its many forms—seems

so heartbreaking and debilitating in the moment, but over time, it

often turns out to be the best thing that could’ve happened to us.

I asked members of our community to share with me those choices

that they faced, and how missing a prized goal turned out to be a

wonderful, life-changing decision.


Stephanie Rinker,Pegasusfirstgradeteacher,isa

championofwhatcanbecalleddelayedgratification.

Since she was a child, Rinker knew she wanted to be

a teacher. When she enrolled at Cal State Long Beach, she

chose her major on orientation day! While in college, Rinker

wastoldthatshewouldfindateachingjobrightafter

graduation. As the new school year drew closer, and Rinker

didn’t have a contract, she started to fear that she would

not have a classroom of her own. She says, “When I realized

that all I had worked for in school had not led to a success, I

didn’t know what to do. I was confused and asked the world

if this is really what I am supposed to do in life?” There were

signs, she says, pointing her in other directions, but she just

couldn’tbelievethathercareerineducationhadfinished

before it had started.

Rinkeracceptedajobasateacherassistantinthefirst

grade at Pegasus. It was not what she had planned. But in

hindsight, Rinker sees this as a turning point in her life.

WorkingasaTA,shewasabletolearnfirsthandfrom

some of the best teachers around, as well as earn a masters

degree. She explains, “Once I realized just how amazing

this community was and how much I loved being with the

students, I knew the rerouting of my career path happened

forareason.”Nowthatshe’safirstgradehomeroomteacher,

she has the opportunity to put into practice all of the

strategies she learned over the years working closely with

some of our school’s most admired teachers. And she is a role

model for our students. “One of the main things I learned

about myself is that I can persevere,” she says. “Life may

try to get you down, but I remain positive with each new

day, and I know that those harder times will always give us

something to learn from, even if in the moment it’s hard

to see.”


Sometimes, failure can mean letting go of one dream,

while focusing on another. Julie Warren, seventh

grade science teacher, spent her childhood and

adolescence as a competitive baton twirler. Warren explains

that, as the youngest of six sisters, she was very competitive

and always wanted to do her own thing, and therefore

competed as an individual in contests and competitions.

When she was 14, she joined a team, which was a big change

in dynamic for her. She explains that “this particular team

was a lot of fun to be on, because although we almost

alwaystookfirstplace,wewereallfriendsanddidnot

aspire to go to the world competition.” This team’s casual

attitude did not take too much time away from Warren’s

individual training schedule: her utmost priority was to win

individually at the national competition, so her personal

practice time was very important to her.

When she was sixteen, Warren was invited to join a

more focused team. That team’s goal was to win the national

competition and go on to compete in the world competition.

Warren explains the dilemma she found herself in: “I knew

this would take away so much time from my individual

routines, I almost declined. Plus, I preferred to perform and

compete alone.” It was a an important decision to make,

especially since it would be her last year of competing.

She ultimately decided to join the team and continue to

work on her individual routine, and compete in both at the

national competition.

As an individual, Warren missed her goal of winning

the national competition that year: she placed fourth and

seventh. Her new team, however, won the title, advanced

to the world competition in Italy, and they won! Warren

says she still looks back and wonders if she made the right

decision, and she wonders how things may have been

different if she hadn’t made the choices she made. She is

certain that her experience taught her some invaluable

lessons. She learned the value and importance of teamwork

and collaboration; she found that working as a group and

achieving a goal together can be just as satisfying— maybe

even more satisfying—than achieving it alone. You can see

how dearly Warren holds these lessons when you enter her

classroom: she teaches her students to function well as a

team and to use individual strengths to bring success to

the group.


While my class discussed a novel last month, I

asked my seventh graders to come up with

their best piece of advice for a new middle

school student. About half of them said, almost without

even taking a breath, “make good friends.” As if it were

that easy. But middle school friendships are tricky, and

theycanchangeinaflash.Whenshewasinsixthgrade,

theater arts teacher Janice Krell-Coyle had plenty of friends,

until one day, someone started a rumor, and she was left

friendless and tormented. She explains, “I remember back

then constantly racking my brain, trying to think what I

had done to make them so mad. I never came up with an

answer. I think I was just their chosen victim, with no real

reasoning behind it at all.”

For the majority of that year, a group of girls bullied

Krell-Coyle. They would push or trip her when she went

to turn in her work, call her names, prank-call her house,

and lock her in the bathroom. “I was afraid to go into

the bathroom because I didn’t want to be caught there

alone with the ‘mean girls,’” she says. “I was always scared

walking down the hallways because I was usually alone,

and they were usually together and therefore felt inclined

to torment me.” She recalls one low-point when a girl told

her that her mom felt bad for the way the other girls were

treating her. Failing to accomplish simple tasks like turning

in her work or walking safely to the restroom left Krell-

Coyle feeling powerless and alone. No one would champion

her in front of the “mean girls,” and she had no control over

the situation.

Finally, surrounded by other students, facing a girl

whosefistswereintheair,poisedtoattack,Krell-Coyle

screamedatheroffenders,startlingthem,andfled.

Eventually, the bullying died down, but Krell-Coyle has

never forgotten it, nor has she forgotten those four mean

girls. “It made me tough and strong,” she asserts, “and a

champion for the underdog.” This compassion is evident in

Krell-Coyle’s performances: she knows just how to coax the

beauty and the grace out of all her students. “I try to teach

them to look out for others, as well as for themselves,” she

says. “I also try to teach them that when you get to a point

where you think you ‘can’t take it anymore,’ dig deeper.”


Like Krell-Coyle, my own biggest failure was not my fault.

I don’t mean that as an excuse: I simply had nothing to do

with it. Less than a year after getting married, my husband

was killed. It was a plane crash in the Congo, where he

worked as a remote paramedic. We had dated for a long

time before getting married, and we both knew the risks

he took every time he deployed. He was on a small plane

traveling from one site in Cameroon through the jungle

to a site across the Congolese border. It was days before

the plane was found, months before the cause of the crash

was determined. It was bad weather, poor visibility.

The jungle, they told me, can create its own weather

patterns. It happened quickly, they assured me, he wasn’t

scared or suffering. But shouldn’t I have known? I talked

to him on the phone moments before boarding the plane.

And then, because of the time difference, I went to bed.

Shouldn’t I have warned him? Shouldn’t my wifely intuition

have prevented it? Instead, I slept through it. Rationally, I

know that this tragedy happened to me, through no action

of mine, but that didn’t prevent me from feeling like I’d

failed. I’d had my entire life planned out beautifully and, in

a blink, everything was broken and ruined.

Inthosefirstdarkdays,Istruggledtogetoutofbed;

I didn’t think I would ever be a whole person again,

anything other than broken. And yet. The poet Mary

Oliver reminds us that to be human we must “love what

is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing that your

own life depends on it,” which, if you think about it, is what

children do every day. In my new life, I try to keep that

sentiment at the forefront of my mind, especially when I’m

teaching. I do so because my students will need my help

when it comes time for the third part of Oliver’s mandate:

letting go.

Turning your failures into passions and strengths

doesn’t mean that the failure doesn’t hurt. These teachers

who shared their stories still recognize and feel the pain

thatthatthesedifficultiesanddisappointmentscaused

them. Resilience doesn’t necessarily mean that the pain

is gone, or that a painful memory has been replaced by a

pleasant one. Resilience means that in spite of the pain —

ofteninthefaceofit—apersonhasbeenabletofighton,

tofindanotherpathtosuccessandhappiness.

Eva Polizzi ’97 is a Pegasus seventh grade English teacher. Contact: [email protected]


RANDON DAVITT ’12 knows he’s onto

something when he’s watching TV

on the couch, mindlessly fiddling

with his guitar, and a cool riff grabs

his attention.

He’ll whip out his phone and

record the improvisation to save in

his pocket for later, because it just

may be unique enough to turn into

a song.

“As long as it pulls my attention

away from whatever thought

I’m thinking, and back to the

instrument I’m playing, that’s a very

good sign,” says the 16-year-old

Pegasus alumnus and junior at the

Orange County School of the Arts.

As a bassist and vocalist for the Chase Walker Band,

a three-piece blues band, Davitt has more than 100

gigs under his belt, including opening for Kenny Loggins,

headlining at the Orange County Blues Festival, and two

dates on the Vans Warped Tour.

Drawing musical inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Muddy

Waters and John Mayall, the trio in September released

a 13-song record, on which all but five songs are original.

Davitt wrote three of them.

“It feels really good to be hands-on in the creation of

the music as well as part of the performance,” he says.

With Davitt in Huntington Beach, the vocalist and

guitarist in Riverside, and their drummer in Anaheim, the

band rehearses every two weeks, about five hours at

a time.

Davitt has an impressive history

in entertainment, which all started

when he played Willy Wonka at

Pegasus in fifth grade.

He subsequently braved 46

auditions before he snagged his first

gig in 2008, a Sara Lee commercial

for bread. His stint in acting

included an appearance on the

CBS series Criminal Minds, as well

as a role in the Lifetime movie, The

Cheating Pact.

But most recently, he’s funneled

his creative energy toward his

musical pursuits.

“It’s really fun to play up the

energy,” he says. “It’s really great to be able to play and

have a lot of people embrace it.”

In the last couple years, the Chase Walker Band

has traveled from Memphis to Seattle to take the stage,

graced the cover of a German magazine, and has aired

on 70 radio stations. Randon has also performed as a

back-up singer for Carol Channing and Jo Anne Worley.

“None of this comes easy — he’s put in his 10,000

hours,” says his dad, Rick Davitt, who’s usually behind the

wheel driving Randon to rehearsals, auditions and shows.

“When he’s forty years old, I’m going to look back

at that time we had together in the car talking about

whatever as the best days of my life.”

While balancing studies with band rehearsals leaves

him with little free time, Randon says, “It’s definitely

worth it.”

THOSE WHO SOAR

Talent, Fine Tuned: Two Pegasus Alumni Give New Meaning to...ART


Many people may think of

technology and art as vastly

different concepts, but for

DARIUS LAM ’13, the most

powerful ideas come from a

juxtaposition of the two.

The sophomore at

Phillips Academy in Andover,

Massachusetts, pointed to James

Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi blockbuster

Avatar.

“It is an art that you can

create these snippets of text and

make it do something on the

computer,” Darius says, while

sitting on a bench at his school’s

on-campus wildlife sanctuary, a

large plot of land filled with ponds, trees and wild flowers.

It’s where he goes to think and envisions using the space

for a film project one day.

A self-taught computer programmer, Darius is

proficient in multiple programming languages and can

name a number of projects for which he has used his skills.

Prior to attending boarding school, he conducted

research at University of California, Irvine, during which he

developed software to visualize the inside of cancerous

tumors.

He also has a patent pending on an interactive

projection system, an idea born while he was at Pegasus

after seeing teachers struggle with the clunky Smart

Board. The system would have the similar functionalities as

the Smart Board, without the physical board.

Darius realized the power of

technology around six years old,

fascinated by the game Lego Star

Wars.

In fifth grade, he started

animating Legos to create stop-

motion movies.

“It really sparked an interest

for me in terms of technology and

art,” he said. “I really wanted to

create movies which is art, but I used

technology to make the special

effects and really enhance it.”

When he’s not advancing his

technological skills, Darius stays

active. He joined the rowing

team at Andover and also swims

competitively and practices Taekwondo.

He’s also making friends from “every corner of the

globe,” as his school draws students everywhere from

France and Ireland to Japan and Kenya.

As far as how he wants to use his skills in the future, he’s

still working that out.

“I’m still thinking about what I can do that will make

a really big impact — something that will make people’s

lives better,” he says. “But I’m just using all these tools right

now, so when that time comes, when that idea comes, I’ll

be ready.”

Talent, Fine Tuned: Two Pegasus Alumni Give New Meaning to...ART by Alene Tchekmedyian

Alene Tchekmedyian ’02 is a news reporter for Times Community News. Contact: [email protected]


1995Chad Bailey has continued his work as Chief

MarketingOfficerofRobeksCorporation.

He has recently been a featured speaker at a

variety of high-level speaking engagements on

topics such as Marketing Excellence, Digital

Media, Social Media, and New (Restaurant)

Concept Design. Some of the biggest events

include Variety magazine’s MASSIVE

Conference in Beverly Hills, Fast Casual

Executive Summit in Denver, and Digital

Marketing Strategies Summit in San Diego,

as well as a contributing author on CMO.

com and many other restaurant industry

publications.

1998Danielle Schulman is the director of

operations at Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center.

Her outpatient orthopedic surgery center

specializes in sports medicine.

2003Christine Shepard recently visited her former

teacher, Vicki Olivadoti. Shepard served as

the Media and Virtual Learning Manager for

the University of Miami’s Shark Research

Program. She recently moved to the Big Island

of Hawaii to pursue her passion as a wildlife

andunderwaterfineartphotographer.

Carissa Cummings made big moves in the

travel industry. She works for Coastline Travel

as an agent and has been highlighted in Travel

Agents Central: 30 under 30, and was nominated

for Virtuoso’s 2014 Rising Star Award. She

specialized in travel through Europe and has

recently expanded to South Asia and South

America.

Taylor Moore graduated from Pepperdine

University and is now an advertising

executive in Orange County.

2004Joseph Puishys graduated from the

University of Maryland in mechanical

engineering after earning his undergraduate

degree at the U.S. Naval Academy. He is an

officerintheU.S.Navy.

2005Alex Rios visited with his third grade

teacher, Elaine Sarkin in September. Rios is a

recruiting analyst for USC football. He began

two years ago as a student manager and was

thrilled to be offered his dream job full time

inJuly.“Myjobistohelpfindthebestplayers

in the country and get them to commit, sign

and play for USC. I manage social media

accounts, send personalized mail, and manage

allofthestudentworkersintheoffice.Ialso

run the music at practice and play music for

the team to get them going. It is the best job

in the world, and I could not imagine a more

perfect job for me.” He keeps in contact with

fellow classmates Michael Epstein, JB Green,

Daniel Dichiro, Dan Guthorn and Blake

Peterson.

JB Green graduated from USC, where he

played football under the training of the

current Seattle Seahawks coach, Pete Carroll.

He also played volleyball in the national

championships at the Galen Center with an

audience of 10,000 fans. Green works at CBRE

as a real estate broker.

Blake Peterson graduated from NYU in 2013

and works on Wall Street.

2006Melody Hernandez graduated last spring

from NYU. She is now working in Hollywood

while she writes and records a solo album

that she plans to release in January.

Ryan Hueston graduated in the spring

with honors from Dartmouth College with a

Bachelor of Arts in studio arts and a minor in

filmstudies.Hisartisdisplayedthroughout

the Dartmouth campus. His senior thesis

was a series of paintings exploring themes of

bipolar disorder.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Chad Bailey ’95, CMO for Robeks smoothie franchise, has been a featured speaker at several venues.

Christine Shepard ’03 visits her former teacher, Ms. Vicki Olivadoti.

Alex Rios ’05 visits with his third grade teacher, Elaine Sarkin.

by Benjamin Jenkins

2007Colt Peterson is a senior at University

of Colorado. He is currently training for

competitive cycling.

2009Jack Harris is in his sophomore year at USC.

He is studying journalism.

2010Matthew Hurst ’10, a freshman at Harvard

University,setanindoortrackandfield

record in Harvard’s season opener earlier this

month at Boston University. Matthew ran the

300 dash in 35:16. Crimson caoch Saretsky

remarked that his freshman class brings “a lot

of accomplishments, accolades and talent…

they really want to make their impact.”

Hurst already is. Congratulations!

2011Clair Goul has been a busy senior at Sage

Hill School. She was mentioned in the Orange

County Business Journal for her lab work with Dr.

Susanne Rafelski at the Center for Complex

Biological Systems at UCI. “Goul might sound

young for the role, but she’s already been in

the lab for two years, with a stint at the Koch

Institute for Cancer Research and MIT under

her belt.”

Hawken Miller has been working hard on

college applications while simultaneously

completinghisfinalrequirementstobecome

an Eagle Scout.

Michael Rouleau and Hawken Miller

joined a service learning group called Kairos

Technologies, which refurbishes and donates

old, used computers to local elementary

schools like El Sol in Santa Ana. Their interest

and skills in technology and computers makes

themagreatfitforKairos.

2012Griffin Vrabeck is a junior at Sage Hill

School. One of his many hobbies and talents

includes writing and performing spoken

word poetry. He performed his poetry

opening for Sarah Kays and Phil Kaye at Sage.

He was also honored by having one of his

poems showcased at back to school night and

published on the evening program.

2014Nicholas Bost returned to campus in

November to help deliver two hand-built

benches to the new primary school Outdoor

Classroom. This opportunity allowed

Nicholas to complete an Eagle Scout project.

Thanks to his coordination, leadership, and

a little assistance from Mrs. Mary Karaba

and Mr. Bruce Duncan, the task was a huge

success. Bost is a freshman at Sage Hill School

and is on track to become the youngest Eagle

Scout in the Pegasus troop, Troop 911. Bost

has also been playing in his band, Thermite,

which evolved at Pegasus. The band has

played at the House of Blues, LA Battle of the

Bands, and Sage Hill School.

Robert Leigh is doing well academically as a

freshman at Sage Hill School. He also plays on

the varsity and junior varsity football teams.

Third grade teacher, Elaine Sarkin, joined Pegasus alumni James Mather ’08, Melanie Arnold ’08 and Nicolas Jaber ’08 at the Stanford/Cal game in September. Mather and Arnold attend Stanford and Jaber attends UC Berkeley.


Class of 2010 reunion: (L-R, front to back): Terrin Morris, Shelby Williamson, Sarah Groux, Kelsie Swift, Audry Rimland, Ian Fries, Anthony Jusuf, Wyatt Robertson, Alexander Asdourian, Matthew Hurst, Ryan Sung, Garret Byers, Colby Bock, Liam Stimpson, Nathaniel Pozin, Riley Dix, Grant Kang, Brett Dunlavey. Robertson was presented with the 2014 Wings of Honor Award during the 2010 class reunion.

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Nicholas Bost ’14 built and delivered two benches for the new primary Outdoor Classroom. Mrs. Mary Karaba guided him during the process.

Adam ’14 and Blake ’12 Meyer enjoyed a visit from Coach Tyler at an Ocean View High School football game.

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

HUNT. BEACH, CA

PERMIT NO. 42119692 Lexington LaneHuntington Beach, CA 92646www.thepegasusschool.org

FSC logo

December 22 – January 2, 2015

Winter Break

February 16-20

Intersession Week

March 21

Pegasus Film Fest Spring Benefit

March 30 – April 3

Spirit Week

April 20 – 24

Shakespeare Week

pegasus magazine - winter 2014

Documents