Roots and Branches
Presidio Hill School Annual Alumni Magazine | Summer 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Word from Lisa Jeli HEAD OF SCHOOL
meaningful and authentic ways so that they can become, like you, responsible and optimistic citizens of the world.
2 A Word from Lisa Jeli HEAD OF SCHOOL 4 A Letter to the Alumni Community SUSAN ANDREWS, FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL 6 Where Are They Now? ALUMNI 8 Where Are They Now? FACULTY AND STAFF 10 Welcome Class of 2021 to the ALUMNI COMMUNITY! 12 A Look at Yesterday and Today . . . The Legacy of the PHS Mission 14 Recent ALUMNI EVENTS 15 Make Your VOICE HEARD 16 Get INVOLVED 17 Alumni SPOTLIGHTS 18 Alumni HAPPENINGS
Dear PHS Alumni, I am so glad to be writing to you with important updates from PHS, your former teachers, and your fellow alumni. This Roots and Branches explores the theme “We are PHS”, a theme that has especially resonated this year as Presidio Hill weathered Covid-19 and the flashpoint of social justice and civil rights issues. We, the full community of PHS– alumni, current and prospective families, and staff–are PHS. Presidio Hill has proven that we remain rooted in our progressive values and mission even when the entire experience of schooling is turned upside-down. That is because school and learning are not only about where and what, but most importantly about who. We are so grateful to our alumni community for your support and care–you are the reason Presidio Hill School will continue to educate children in
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As you know, “Presidio Open Air School” was founded 103 years ago, on the brink of the flu pandemic and amid health concerns caused by the prevalence of tuberculosis during those times. We have experienced many worldaltering events since then, some positive and some very difficult, and our 2020-2021 school year was unprecedented. Presidio Hill reopened on-campus learning for our youngest students on October 26th, 2020, and by November 30th, 2020, all students were able to attend school on campus. Creating an on-campus learning experience that was safe and fulfilling (while also maintaining a comparable and vibrant distance learning experience for those who felt more comfortable continuing to learn off-campus) was incredibly challenging; our school leaned heavily on the expertise and commitment of our faculty and staff, on the flexibility and patience of our families, and on the resilience and creativity of our students. We expanded our time in the Presidio (a muchloved experience for many
1942
1984
2007
then… generations) by more than 100% in many grades, and we instituted strict health protocols for staff and students (cohorts, distancing, mask-wearing, rigorous hand washing and sanitizing, and much more). PHS students during 2019-2020 and 20202021 had incredibly challenging school years, and yet their experience at PHS likely mirrored your own in many ways–a collaborative and dynamic curriculum focused on current events, social justice, and student interests, much time spent playing with friends in the peaceful and powerful nature of the Presidio and at Presidio Wall Park (formerly JK Park), and lifelong connections forged between students, teachers, and families. Presidio Hill has exciting projects on our horizon, including a California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) re-accreditation process and associated strategic planning for our school’s bright future, continued integration of social justice and outdoor education benchmarks into our curriculum, refinement and updating of our curriculum and program overall, and further development of the Center for Progressive Education at Presidio Hill School’s education programs and outreach. I look forward to sharing more with you about what is currently happening at Presidio Hill in the future. Finally, I want to welcome our Presidio Hill School class of 2021 into our alumni community! In many ways, alumni are the most authentic representations of the mission and ethos of a school, and we are so proud of each of our Presidio Hill School graduates. We are PHS.
and now!
A Letter to the Alumni Community
SUSAN ANDREWS, FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL
It is my pleasure to get this chance to communicate with Presidio Hill alumni. I know many of you well, and consider you all to be “my kids,” even though a considerable number of you now have your own. Although those of you who came before my era, and those who followed, may not have known me personally, you are all “Ours.” We have a very special place in our hearts for you, always. When Aidan Compton ‘99 opens a coffee shop on upper Fillmore or Rebekah Davis Reed ‘84 becomes Director of Exploration Integration and Science at NASA, you’re Ours and we swell with pride when we hear of you. When your new baby comes along and we see them on Facebook, your baby is ours too. We have always quietly known fragments of the PHS alumni community, too quietly. That has begun to change over the last few years, as PHS has grown and is now able to bring on staff to take on activities previously covered by a thin group of devoted staff 4 | ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Presidio Hill School | Summer 2021
and volunteers. We now have a new Development Director whose experience and passion is in alumni communication. Thanks to Adrienne Moon’s outreached hand, I am writing directly to you now. We are developing new ways to stay engaged, starting with this alumni magazine. Imagine! Presidio Hill’s 103 years of students have their own magazine, as well as a Facebook group just for you: www.facebook.com/groups/presidiohillalumni. We are seeking ways to help you find and get news about your friends and for ways for our current community to see and learn about their predecessors. We are expanding our reach. Several years ago I took on involvement in the PHS 100-year anniversary celebration and saw many of you. A virulent flu and concurrent West Coast storm kept many PHS stalwarts away, including Ann Meissner, Karen Angier, Erainya Neirro and Dennis Thoele, now settled in serene coastal nests north of PHS. As part of our anniversary outreach, however, we were able to establish renewed ties with many of you, and we’re not going to let those go now. We plan to extend our tethers. I get such joy from hearing news and finding friends among our 103 years of alumni.
I have joined the PHS Board of Trustees, and I represent YOU. I am also a holder of PHS history, and the ever-changing view I have of it. I’ve always been interested in it: the 1918 Open Air origins (so relevant in 2020), the pre and post war periods, the social justice activity and our compassionate commitment from the very beginning. We were founded by a poet and a painter, Flora Arnstein and Helen Salz, both of whom were social activists in their day. We took in pre-war German refugees and aided Japanese San Franciscans being relocated to faraway internment camps. We spoke up during the McCarthy era, and during the civil rights and anti-war marches of the 60’s. We hosted Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, and Malvina Reynolds on campus. In the nineties, we put on concerts with Todd Rundgren, Paul Kantner, and their bands at the Fillmore. We’ve celebrated many artists, writers, and all kinds of creators among our extensive parent/guardian body, as well as among our teachers and students. Despite such celebrated moments, we have eschewed partisan divide in our acceptance of all in our community, and we still do. “Progressive” at PHS is not a political tag, but
rather connotes commitment to a set of values we embrace: child-centered learning, handson education, investigation in nature and our surroundings, collaborative and inclusive decision making, commitment to diversity and to social justice, and a pledge of endorsing respect and responsibility. You experienced that commitment. You are not just the past of Presidio Hill School. You are part of our future. This is well exemplified by the extraordinary leadership of Lisa Jeli, our Head of School. Well aware of our extensive history, Lisa has been a Presidio Hill classroom teacher, a librarian who founded our current library expansion, an Assistant Head of School, an Interim Head, and now our incredibly experienced and talented leader, through the pandemic and out of it. You can share your own news with Adrienne at Adrienne@presidiohill.org and with me at Susan.d.andrews@icloud.com. Stay engaged and in the know! You embody the Presidio Hill School alumni community. Love to all, Susan
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Where Are They Now?
ALUMNI
JOEL ZAIN RIVERS ‘82 is currently working towards his Secondary Teaching Certification in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He hopes to teach art, English, and history classes. “Going to PHS on a scholarship opened the future for me and my brother in too many ways to count,” Joel says. “I was able, despite my Dyslexia and my family’s economic challenges, to blossom at PHS. This was instrumental [to] finish high school at Ruth Asawa SOTA and go on to college, all while holding a 4.0 or close to it. My dreams of being a famous cartoonist and filmmaker may not have totally panned out, but I pursued them nonetheless for more than two decades and was rewarded by the attempt and was able to make somewhat of a living. I met many amazing people at PHS that I still regard as life-long friends. My teachers, Erainya and Gilbert, brought me out of my shell and challenged me to be a rigorous and voracious learner. Thank you, PHS!”
NIKKI DEWALD ‘84 Nikki now owns Blondie’s Bar in San Francisco’s Mission District and is celebrating 30 years in business!
WEI MING DARIOTIS ‘83 and her husband, Hussain, recently became adoptive parents to a lovely 8-year-old girl. “For work,” Wei Ming says, “I am currently the Faculty Director of SF State’s Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and a full professor of Asian American Studies. I also am an affiliate faculty with SF State’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program. The best way to describe what I do is that I support other faculty in their teaching skills, especially around Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). My two books are Fight the Tower: Asian American Women’s Resistance and Renewal in the Academy (Rutgers, 2020) and War Baby | Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art (University of Washington, 2013).” Her favorite PHS memory is learning water ballet to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” at Valley of the Moon Camp. If she could give any advice to her childhood self, she would say, “Keep offering classes during your free time. You are going to love being a teacher!”
JOCELYN WAGNER RIVERA ‘84 reports
REBEKAH DAVIS REED ‘84 was named
“I remarried in early 2021 and my husband and I just bought our dream home and blended our families - we now have five teenage boys!”
Associate Director of Exploration Integration and Science at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Congratulations, Rebekah!
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AUDI THOELE ‘84 now lives in Arcata, CA. His daughter just graduated from high school and is headed to UC Davis. “Of course, I loved Valley of the Moon camp the most at PHS,” Audi says!
ELIZABETH OLDS ‘00 After growing up around PHS teachers, Elizabeth has embarked on a teaching journey of her own. “My mom, Patrice Petry, worked at PHS for many years. I grew up toddling around everyone’s classrooms and spinning as fast as I could on the old tire swing,” she says. “All the teachers had toys for me in their classrooms and the campus was like my second home. I want to say thank you to all the teachers and staff of the early 90’s. It took a village to raise me and now I’m a teacher too.”
MICAH FLOCK ‘06 just moved back to the west coast after 10 “long (cold)” years in the Northeast. He’s “so happy that my favorite 4th and 5th grade teacher and librarian is now Head of School. Congrats everyone!”
FROM THE ARCHIVES This Apple Computer advertisement is from the 1980s and all of the kids pictured were PHS students. Though its origins are unknown, it is presumed a parent at the time worked at Apple. 15 minutes of fame for lucky PHS students!
FRANKIE PUERZER ‘07
ISABELLA ANGEL ‘14
ILISE ANGEL ‘16
is excited to be continuing her career in Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara!
will be graduating next year from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She’s currently interning at Sephora, editing and creating animations for their in-house and external marketing. She misses teachers Steve Manseau and Emily Koch, and fondly remembers Mayfest and our dragon dance!
just completed her freshman year at Northwestern University. She’s interning this summer with a talent management agency managing social media platforms. Her favorite PHS teacher was Robyn Moss, and her favorite memories are dancing the Virginia Reel at Mayfest and winning cakes at Fall Gathering!
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DENNIS KIM shares the following: “After leaving PHS in 2001, I taught for a few more years in the Bay Area and then decided to go to medical school. Two Masters degrees, an MD, residency and fellowship training, and 5 cross country moves later, I’m finally done with training and am a board certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon. My beautiful wife Amrita, son Kiran, pup Tipsy, and I currently reside in upstate New York. Other than that, not much has changed. I still love spending time outdoors hiking and climbing around on rocks.”
ESO ROMERO shares the following: “After 24 years in education, I’m currently making a career change to the healthcare field. I’m working towards my certification as a Child Life Specialist, where I’ll be supporting the psychosocial needs of children in hospitals through therapeutic play. I’m currently living in NYC with my partner, Rey, and our two children, Anaís, age 17, and Aleia, age 13 (former TK student at PHS). We hope to move back to the Bay Area someday soon. Big hugs to all my former students and families!”
After many years as “the face of PHS,”
MARTIN GROSS, our front office administrator, will be retiring this fall. He has bought a home in the Southwest and looks forward to enjoying the heat!
STEVE MANSEAU joined PHS in 1990 as a kindergarten teacher. He is still our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) teacher, welcoming and caring for PHS’s youngest students.
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ERAINYA NEIRRO says “I feel very very fortunate that I am fully vaccinated, and I have been able to live through this surreal Covid year with my husband and PHS alumni, Dennis Thoele, as well as nearby family and wonderfully generous neighbors and friends. I thoroughly enjoy living on the North Coast where I can hike in the extensive forests, or on the beach, or on trails surrounding lovely Humboldt Bay. I am hoping, as restrictions continue to be lifted, that I can get back to my volunteer work of tutoring in the after school program in a nearby elementary school and managing, with other docents, “The Humboldt Room,” the gorgeous room housing the historical records of the county in our County Library.” Photo: Erainya with fellow former PHS teacher Christopher Warner
PATTY BRIGGS JEPSON shares “After retiring from teaching 32 years at Presidio Hill School I moved to sunny Petaluma to create a colorful garden, make new friends and enjoy its “Butter & Eggs Days” small town fun. My husband & I are joined in Petaluma by my mother from Texas, my daughter, Annie Briggs (a PHS alumni & now a first grade teacher) & my 7 year old grandson, Liam. I love my life here however I miss the joy of being part of the PHS community. I try to keep in touch with many of my friends from PHS & love coming back for celebrations. I can’t wait to hear how all of you are doing.”
LISA JELI joined PHS as a teacher in 1990 and taught 3rd5th grades, often co-teaching with Beth Perry, before becoming the PHS librarian and then Middle School Director. Lisa has been our Head of School since 2018 and just completed her 31st year at Presidio Hill. Her son, Isam, graduated from PHS in 2013 and Lewis & Clark College in 2021.
KELLY McDONOUGH SANDOVAL reports “First things first- you will be glad to know that Mr. Cool Cat is alive and well, albeit incarnated- he is a sheep now, but still, of course, believes he is a cat. (He also has a small buddy now, named Baby Cool Cat). The Mr. Cool Cat you know and love met an untimely end when the bag he was in was mistaken for trash at the Mills College Lab School, where I went to teach the year after PHS. After Mills I went to Brandeis where I taught first grade for five years, and then fifth grade for two. I started to feel itchy for some new learning of my own, and so I went to graduate school, to study Curriculum Theory, at UBC in Vancouver, Canada. During that time I met my now-husband, Simon. We took some time off after I finished graduate school and we traveled around the US, Europe, India, the Philippines, Laos, and more. At the end of all that, we got married in Yosemite in June 2019. A month later we moved to Kathmandu, Nepal, where I went back to first grade to teach at an international school. The pandemic cut those plans short, and we came to Canada in March 2020, and eventually decided to live in Squamish, BC. This past year I started a tutoring practice and also earned my Orton Gilingham practitioner license, which is special training to work 1:1 with students with language-based learning differences, like Dyslexia. And just this week I accepted a teaching position at a lovely school here in Squamish. I will be teaching middle school and high school French and Spanish next fall. I have such wonderful memories of my time at PHS, and of all of you. I am wishing you health, love, and so much joy!”
TASHA ELSBACH writes: “Hello dear PHS friends! I am currently Middle School Head at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York - a 40-minute train ride up the Hudson River from Grand Central Station in NYC. I live on campus with my 6 year old daughter Astrid. I love my PHS family and am so happy when I get to connect with my former students and colleagues.” SARA ANDERSON has taught and coached at PHS since the 1990s. She is currently PHS’s administrative associate and high school placement assistant. She still enjoys working with, and occasionally lovingly pranking, PHS middle school students.
Where Are They Now? FACULTY & STAFF MICHELLE DONAHOE reports “I live in Redwood City and I’m entering my third year as the Math Enrichment Coordinator at Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park. I have really loved the opportunity to serve as a curriculum leader, work closely with students, and support teachers in their professional growth as math educators. On a personal level, my husband Thomas and I welcomed our 3rd child to the family in November. We have 3 daughters - Maya (5), Neve (2.5) and Tess (6 months). Most of my free time is spent exploring outdoors, building and creating, playing or having disco-light dance parties with my kids (a weekly Friday tradition that began with my PHS 5th graders!).”
KIAH ROBYN SEBASTIAN JEFFRIES ‘97 MANDEL ‘06 BATES ‘09 Kiah, Robyn and Sebastian all work at PHS as Lower School PE teacher, Admissions Associate, and Yard Teacher/After-school Supervisor, respectively! Kiah has been teaching since 2000, Robyn re-joined PHS in 2017, and Sebastian returned in 2020.
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The members of Presidio Hill School’s Class of 2021 will be attending the following high schools:
Welcome Class of 2021 to the
ALUMNI COMMUNITY! Presidio Hill students attend a broad range of high schools, reflecting the diversity and individual interests of the student body. As a full community, we celebrate the many and varied accomplishments of the Class of 2021 and congratulate them on their high school acceptances. We are so proud of our graduates and are looking forward to hearing about their experiences in high school.
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Archbishop Riordan High School The Bay School Bishop’s School (San Diego, CA) Branson Brightworks The Drew School Headwaters (Austin, TX) International High School Lick-Wilmerding High School St. Ignatius College Preparatory San Mateo Co. Public University High School The Urban School Washington High School
Congratulations
CLASS OF 2021
Arianna Krieger
Aster Nathan
Aydin Levy
Ben Moss
Benjamin Romero
Capri Rosedale
Desmond Johnson
Devin Fogler
Elijah Marshall
Elliot Asher
Evan Kuo
Ginger Oldmixon
Jack Zeifman
Jake Wicke
Justin Zack
Katie Muir
Leia Kruger
Leila Kremer
Lilah Higgins
Madeleine Chee
Maia Winston
Marco Drago
Marivi Sorani
Max Rudow
Mia Fessel
Natalie Cavander
Riva Hecht
Robel Kumsa
Ruthie Weiss
Ryan Munkh-Orgil
Victor Nolasco
William Innes
A look at yesterday . . .
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. . . and today
The Legacy of the PHS Mission Presidio Hill School was founded in 1918 upon progressive and inclusive principles including those of student-centered teaching, social justice, academics that foster curiosity and critical thinking, cooperative learning, global stewardship, and an emphasis on community collaboration and connection. Presidio Hill School has refined and rearticulated the words of our mission throughout the years but the heart of the school– our community–and our shared philosophies and values have remained constant. In the recent past, Presidio Hill School used our mission statement to answer the question “what do we want for our students”: “a school in which our children will be happy”, “teachers who call forth their capacity to imagine, inquire and care”, “caring connections throughout the fabric of community life that ensure that all children are known and appreciated for their unique traits”, “a school that mirrors and embraces the mosaic that is San Francisco”, “a place where children permanently fall in love with learning”, and more. In 2017, our mission statement was redesigned to clarify and distill our hopes for Presidio Hill School students: “Dedicated to progressive education since 1918, Presidio Hill School challenges young people to imagine, inquire, and create. Our students engage San Francisco and The Presidio as an extended classroom and become empowered learners who are responsible, committed to justice, and optimistic about the future.”
This past year, spearheaded by the longstanding PHS Multicultural Leadership Team, Presidio Hill School created a mission statement specific to our commitments, philosophies, and values regarding equity, inclusion, and justice, and which coexists with our current school mission. A school priority since our founding, the DEI mission statement serves to highlight the intentions and actions of our school as they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the curriculum and to set a strong foundation for future initiatives: “Presidio Hill School celebrates the care and mutual respect we have for one another as a diverse community of learners. We commit to the active practices of anti-racism, facilitating inclusion and belonging, and working toward social and environmental justice, both at school and in our own lives. We embrace critical conversations and opportunities for action and we will continue to support and uplift each other as we work together to build solidarity and create a more just and equitable world.” A clear articulation of, and commitment to, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice–as well as other founding progressive principles–strengthens our full community and facilitates true belonging for all Presidio Hill School students, alumni, faculty and staff, and families.
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Recent ALUMNI EVENTS
MAY SPEAKER EVENTS In May, we welcomed alumni to two special events in one day! On May 5th, Elizabeth Eckford joined us to speak about her experience as a member of the Little Rock Nine and her extensive work in the civil rights movement. Students, teachers, families, and alumni had the opportunity to hear from Elizabeth and ask questions about her incredible story. Later that evening, PHS also hosted a reading by Kelly Yang, author of the beloved YA novel Front Desk. After Kelly’s reading, she stayed on for a Q&A moderated by PHS 6th grader Maria! We are thankful to everyone who was able to join us for one or both speaker events.
BROWNIE BAKING WITH LISA
SHORT STORIES WITH SIAMAK We welcomed alumni and current families to a special Zoom reading with beloved community member Siamak Vossoughi on February 18, 2021. Siamak first joined PHS in the 1990s as a yard teacher; since then he’s also served as a sports coach, tutor, substitute teacher, and dear friend. While Siamak and his wife now live in Washington State, where they both teach at University of Washington and are expecting their first child this August, he was able to join us for a virtual reading from his new short story collection, A Sense of the Whole. Even better, several of his stories are inspired by his time at PHS! You can purchase a copy of Siamak’s book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local independent bookstore (if you’re in the Bay Area, we love Books, Inc.). 14 | ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Presidio Hill School | Summer 2021
Alumni gathered for a winter baking event over Zoom on December 29, 2020. We tried out a new brownie recipe together (complete with a bit of experimentation in vegan and glutenfree substitutes!), shared updates, and enjoyed connecting during the holiday season. It was a wonderful way to spread some cheer and warm up everyone’s kitchens! If you’d like to try out Lisa’s special brownie recipe, we’ve included it below.
Make Your VOICE HEARD ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT SURVEY Please take a few minutes to complete a short PHS Alumni Survey. As we build our alumni engagement program, this survey is an important tool for us to understand the diverse perspectives of our alumni community so that we can best serve you and your needs. Plus, if you complete the survey by August 15th, you will be entered into a raffle for a special prize! As always, all responses are completely confidential. If you would like to provide more in-depth feedback than the survey allows, please feel free to contact Director of Development Adrienne Moon at adrienne@presidiohill.org or 415.213.8606.
KEEP IN TOUCH SHARE YOUR STORY We love hearing from our alumni. Send your news and contact information updates to Stephanie Kastner, Annual Giving and Database Manager, at stephanie@presidiohill.org. JOIN US ONLINE Join PHS’s Alumni Facebook group! www.facebook.com/ groups/presidiohillalumni/ See what we are up to and share your throwback photos with us on Instagram! www.instagram.com/presidiohillschool Join the Presidio Hill School Alumni Network on LinkedIn! List Presidio Hill School as your alma mater to unlock networking opportunities and resources.
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Get INVOLVED Alumni are the custodians of Presidio Hill School’s history, invaluable contributors to the School’s future, dedicated mentors to students and one another, and ambassadors to the world at large. There are many ways to get involved no matter your age, stage in life, or geographic location.
EVENTS Based on your feedback to the Alumni Survey on page 15, we will be building out a robust calendar of alumni events. Please join PHS’s Alumni Facebook group or visit www.presidiohill. org/alumni for the most up-to-date alumni event listings and RSVP information.
VOLUNTEER There are a variety of ways for you to volunteer your time to support current PHS students or our alumni community. We are always looking for alumni to inspire our students by speaking at an assembly, volunteering at a school event, or mentoring our students. You can help support your fellow alumni by becoming a Class Representative, or planning an event or activity for alumni in your area. To learn more about the Alumni Engagement Advisory Group, volunteer opportunities, or events, contact Adrienne Moon, Director of Development, at adrienne@presidiohill.org or 415.213.8606.
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Introducing Members of the Alumni Engagement Advisory Group Miranda Gardiner ‘93 In Miranda’s opinion, being a part of the PHS community means continually learning and growing. In fact, when she undergoes reviews in the workplace, she thinks back to selfevaluations at PHS. “As a kid, it is very powerful to talk through how to be a better student and a better version of yourself,” she says and notes that her supervisors have been impressed by her reflection and self-awareness - skills she built during her time at Presidio Hill.
Lara Klemens ‘84 Lara is thrilled to remain connected to PHS 35 years after graduation. “PHS taught me to be a person,” she says. Lara’s ideas of success are based on whether what she’s doing feels consistent with who she is, and this selfawareness has enabled her to embrace transitions and changes. She is proud to enjoy many different hobbies and remain curious about the world as an adult, crediting this to “the support of just ‘being me’” that she received at PHS.
Alumni SPOTLIGHTS
Jordan Auleb ‘03 Q: What years did you attend PHS and for which grades? A: I attended PHS kindergarten-8th grade. I graduated in 2003. I think I started in 1994 – Steve was one of my two kindergarten teachers (the other was the wonderful Ann Meissner). It was very special that my daughter Eloise had Steve as her TK teacher this year. One sweet upside of the pandemic was that during the distance learning part of the year I could hear Steve interacting with the kids. Hearing him read certain stories, like Anansi the Spider, triggered so many lovely childhood memories. Q: Where did you go to high school and/or college? A: I went to the Urban School of San Francisco and then I withdrew after my junior year because I wanted to study abroad, which at that time was not something Urban offered. I spent my senior year living in Argentina. I went to college at Guilford College, a small Quaker liberal arts school with a legacy of social justice and civil rights involvement in Greensboro, NC. During the pandemic I decided to take some classes through
Harvard’s continuing education program and am now working toward a Master’s degree in psychology. PHS definitely ignited within me a lifelong love of learning! Q: What is your career? What are your interests? A: I am interested in the intersection of social justice and the music industry. I like helping artists use their platforms to create positive social and environmental change. I have worked with wonderful organizations like the Plastic Pollution Coalition, Camp Winnarainbow, Headcount, The Grammy Foundation, The Rex Foundation, and the Seva Foundation. I am currently on the board of Blue Bear School of Music, which has spent the last 50 years providing incredible music education to kids and adults around the Bay Area! Q: What is your favorite PHS memory? A: I have so many fond PHS memories—I loved my time at PHS and I still feel close to my teachers, classmates and their families. Whenever I run into someone it is such a warm and pleasant reunion. I have very sweet memories of reading with 1st grade teacher Karen Angier, of cuddling and creating with after school teacher Michelle Rajotte, née Rounds, who has in my adult life become a very close friend and honorary auntie to Eloise! I would be remiss not to mention the music I was exposed to by Dan Goldensohn—I remember the first time I heard “We Shall Overcome”, the first time I heard the Beatles “She Loves You”, and the first time I heard “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. When I tell my friends in the music industry about the music education I received at PHS their minds are always blown! Q: If you could give any advice to your childhood self, what would you say? A: Enjoy it all! Take the risks! Develop all of the relationships! The stuff outside of academics is just as educational and important! Photos: Jordan with her daughter Eloise (PHS Class of 2030) / A kindergarten photo of Jordan with Sarah McKenzie ‘03
enjoyed producing recordings for myself and others. I became known mainly as a Blues, R&B, Soul guitarist, and have toured and recorded with some of the top names in those genres. Some of my recordings are still available on YouTube and Spotify, etc. I currently live in San Rafael, CA.
Steve Edmondson ‘68 Q: What years did you attend PHS and for which grades? A: I attended Presidio Hill from 1962 through 1968, second through eighth grade. Q: Where did you go to high school and/or college? A: I went to Tamalpais High School (’73) in Mill Valley, CA, and majored in Music at The College of Marin in Kentfield, CA. Q: Tell me about your career path. A: I have worked many jobs, from Bartending to Accounting, but I have always been a musician. Since 1980, I have just played music for a living, and have performed all over the U.S., Europe and Asia. I owned a vintage guitar store for several years in the 90’s, but it got in the way of my music, so I went back to touring. I owned a record label for a while, and
Q: What is your favorite PHS memory? Why? A: I have so many great memories of Presidio Hill. I think some of my favorite memories are of Forest Farms Camp in Forest Knolls, CA, which we went to every year. In addition to hiking and swimming, we did a lot of crafts, like basket weaving and bead work, along with playing music and singing. Music was always a big thing at PHS, and we were always singing folk songs. I can still remember the entire school at “Assembly,” singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” For a short time, our music teacher at PHS was a very young Calvin Simmons, who later became the conductor of the Oakland Symphony. Katherine Fromer (who taught Second Grade, and was PHS “Head Teacher”) had a son Jon who was a well-known musician and political activist. He marched in Selma, Alabama with John Lewis and others as a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Though my father was a very famous musician, it was Johnny who first taught me to play the guitar. That started a journey that may not be over yet. I certainly owe Johnny a debt that can never be repaid for introducing me to the guitar! Q: If you could give any advice to your childhood self, what would you say? A: I guess it would be not to change a thing, but to hang on, because it’s going to be a hell of a ride!
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Alumni
HAPPENINGS PHS PUBLISHED AUTHORS SIAMAK VOSSOUGHI We recommend a new short story collection for adults from PHS’s very own Siamak Vossoughi! Siamak taught and subbed at PHS for years before moving to the Seattle area, and is known and loved by many of our students, staff, and alumni. The New York Times reviewed Siamak’s A Sense of the Whole recently. “Vossoughi’s prose is laconic,” writes Jane Hu. “His elliptical sentences isolate English words and sayings so as to make them newly strange . . . Each lights on a minor encounter — between strangers, neighbors, lovers — and what emerges is the sense that anyone you meet has a story.” Wow!
GARY KAMIYA P’10 LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI This year, the Bay Area lost an iconic figure in Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In addition to founding City Lights Booksellers in North Beach, Lawrence was a past Poet Laureate of San Francisco, an accomplished painter, a member and staunch supporter of the Beat Generation, and an involved parent at Presidio Hill School. Lawrence’s son, Lorenzo, attended PHS in the 1970s. Lawrence helped arrange for Lorenzo and his classmates to take a bus trip from San Francisco down to Mexico, which Lorenzo counts among his happiest memories and which many other alumni from the time remember vividly. In recent years, Lorenzo devoted himself to caring for Lawrence at his home in San Francisco. Photo By Cmichel67, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
We have more exciting literary updates from a member of our PHS alumni community! Gary Kamiya, parent of PHS graduate Celeste Kamiya ‘10, collaborated with illustrator Paul Madonna to produce his new book, Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City. As the SF Chronicle writes, “Kamiya’s prose is a love letter to San Francisco... It would make a lovely gift for Bay Area residents looking to explore the city as the pandemic nudges us to spend more time outside.”
ALYSSA SIMPSON ROCHWERGER ‘02 We have another newly published author in the PHS community! Alyssa Simpson Rochwerger, class of 2002, has co-authored Real World AI: A Practical Guide for Responsible Machine Learning with her colleague, Wilson Pang. Real World AI shares stories from professionals, startups, and global enterprises to make the case for accessible and “human-first” strategies. In addition to her new book, Alyssa devotes most of her time these days to California vaccine rollout efforts. In her words: “I’m working on the Blue Shield task force helping the state of California roll out the vaccine. All educators are currently eligible using myturn.ca.gov to make an appointment.” Thank you for your important work, Alyssa!
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H.M.S. PINAFORE 1943 Check out this handmade program for a PHS production of the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore, all the way from 1943!! Barbara Heil Stevens recently sent us this amazing piece. Barbara describes her time at Presidio Open Air School as “my happy years—til ‘44 when I graduated (2 of us!) and went to Burke’s, then known as ‘Miss Burke’s.’” Thank you for sharing, Barbara!
COMPTON’S COFFEE HOUSE Looking to try a new spot for your morning coffee? Compton’s Coffee House, owned and operated by Aidan Compton ‘99, is now open for business! Located at 1910 Fillmore Street, Compton’s offers a variety of coffee and tea beverages, pastries from Starter Bakery, and whole beans to take home. Susan Andrews visited the café recently and reports that the coffee is delicious!
IN MEMORIAM BILL BONHAM
ANNA HALPRIN
Bill Bonham, father of Chris Bonham ‘08, husband of Louise Fong, and a beloved member of the PHS community, passed away on April 8. Bill was a well-respected improv artist, actor, and comedian who is probably best known to those in the Bay Area as “the Round Table Pizza guy”. At PHS, he was frequently seen cheering on the sidelines during Chris’s games, volunteering in the classroom, and entertaining his fellow parents and guardians curbside at drop off and pick up with his unique observations and quizzical expressions. Bill will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
PHS was saddened to hear of the passing of legendary dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin at age 100. Halprin, a Bay Area resident since the 1950s, was at the forefront of the postmodern dance movement and co-founded the San Francisco Dancers’ Workshop in 1955. She also choreographed the beloved PHS Dragon Dance, a version of which we perform every year at May Festival! The Dragon Dance was first choreographed to celebrate PHS’s return to our Washington Street building following a damaging fire in the 1970s, and has become a beloved school tradition. Check out the images of A School Comes Home, which describes the original procession.
To watch Bill’s Celebration of Life, scan the QR code.
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