Read, Relax, Dream . . . and Learn!

Learning in the Library!

The Willows library is certainly a place to read and relax—but it’s also most definitely a place to learn.

Willows librarian Cathy Leverkus loves the fact that the library has enough table space to accommodate an entire class of students for research and project work. “I love incorporating art into the library lessons I teach,” she says. “We have ample space for all kinds of hands-on activities.”



This is no accident. From the very beginning, Cathy explains, her passion has been to ensure that Willows students have the library and research skills necessary to be successful learners.

“When The Willows first opened, I was just a consultant,” she says. “My job was to automate the library. But almost immediately, I became excited about the opportunities to educate students to make the most of the library. Luckily, I convinced Lisa Rosenstein that we needed to have classes that dealt with library skills and research.”

The result? Weekly library classes for DK and up! In the library, students explore new literature and experience the joy of reading, but also learn to use the library’s resources to answer their questions regarding the world around them.

This process, called the I-Search, has become an integral part of learning at every grade level at The Willows. Cathy explains the principle behind the I-Search, which focuses on the student’s own questions about a topic (hence, the “I” in the title):

“Traditional research projects, like the ones we did as children, involved opening an encyclopedia, copying down facts without regard for whether or not they were interesting or relevant, and regurgitating them in an essay or an oral report.”

“With the I-Search, the first step for the student is to identify the specific questions that he or she has about the topic. Then, the student seeks out resources to answer those questions, with a focus on evaluating the resources themselves: Are they credible? Are they useful? Are they relevant?”

“This is possibly one of the most important lessons students take away from the I-Search process. In today’s world, with access to an unlimited range of information from the Internet, students must know how to separate the good resources from the bad.”

An additional step of the I-Search involves taking the time to reflect on the research process as a whole: What did the student learn about the topic? Also, what did he or she learn from the process?

Cathy points out that the I-Search appears different depending on the age group involved. Second graders who study ocean creatures, for example, identify a few questions they have about a specific animal and then use picture books and simple nonfiction books to find the answers.

On the other end of the spectrum, eighth graders spend a trimester and extra classes doing an I-Search project on a topic of their own choosing that culminates in a 5-7 page paper with citations, a hands-on project, and a presentation to the class. Topics and presentations have run the gamut over the years, from a project on neuroscience with a presentation featuring a dissection of a sheep’s brain, to a project on the history of chocolate, with a presentation that included tasty treats for audience members.

“Our main goal,” says Cathy, “is for the research process to be meaningful. The I-Search can be a powerful tool for feeding students’ passion for learning.”

2000: A World of Books!

How many books does it take to make a library?

That was the big question back in 1994, when The Willows was faced with the challenge of assembling a school library – from scratch.

“Our first library consisted entirely of donated books,” remembers librarian Cathy Leverkus. “We started with 2,400 volumes—and most of them were fantasy! This was just prior to when the Harry Potter books were first being published and the fantasy genre was coming into its own. As a result, the collection was a little lopsided at first, but over time we were able to even things out.”

Building and stewarding The Willows’ library became Cathy’s challenge. She witnessed the collection grow dramatically over the years - literally tenfold - to the current count of 24,663 volumes. Today, the Willows library is so much more than printed books; the library now includes audio, video, and online resources.

 Coordinating with Curriculum

One of Cathy’s challenges over the years has been seeking out resources that dovetail with the thematic units in each grade. From picture books about insects for first graders to Civil War primary resources for eighth graders, Cathy strives to select items that will be both relevant and accessible for every age group. “It has been a true collaboration with the faculty,” notes Cathy. “I rely on them for information about what they need and what works best with the students.”

Have books, will travel!

While many librarians might be jealous of Cathy’s role in building The Willows’ library, most certainly would not envy the accompanying growing pains: Cathy has moved the entire library five times over the past 15 years. The library started in the current DK classroom, then moved to various rooms in Willows I and even to a trailer on the yard!

“To be honest, I don’t even remember all the places the library has been,” laughs Cathy. “I don’t think I would have survived the moves without the help of the parent volunteers, who packed and unpacked box after box.”

The library has remained in its current locale in Willows III since the building opened in the fall of 2000. After ten years, Cathy is still appreciative of all the space has to offer.

“I love the fact that the library is large enough for the kids to come in, and lounge and be comfortable reading,” Cathy says. “We can fit an entire class of Lower School students on the floor for a read aloud, but it still feels like a cozy, intimate space.”

Community Service Learning - All Year Long!

School-Wide and Individual Class Community Service Learning!

In addition to ongoing school-wide projects, each class at The Willows participates in a year-long community service project. Teachers partner with parent volunteers from the Community Service Committee to identify appropriate and meaningful projects for the students. “We try to be very thoughtful about the projects that we choose,” explains Lower School Director Terri Baird. “We want the community service to be developmentally appropriate, so children can feel like they’re helping out and having an impact.”

In many cases, classes seek projects connected directly to their curricular learning. Fourth graders, for example, learn about California’s native species and endangered animals – so it makes perfect sense for them to fundraise for Wildworks, a local organization caring for injured or homeless animals.

“It’s great when the projects themselves are fun, rewarding, and meaningful,” says Terri. “But really, our biggest goal of all is to foster a lifelong commitment to service. If we can get our kids in the habit of helping others now, we’re halfway there.”

Take a closer look at some of the grade-level service projects that Willows students have participated in over the years:

DK: Cleaning out the Closets! Clothing Drives for Operation USA
DK students collaborate with Operation USA, an aid organization that provides assistance to grassroots organizations around the world. DK students have visited Operation USA’s office just down the street on Hayden Avenue and continue to conduct clothing drives on their behalf.

Kindergarten: Baked Goods become Backpacks for St. Joseph’s
Kindergarteners partner with St. Joseph’s Center, which provides aid and resources to needy families in the Los Angeles area. Each year, the children hold a fundraiser, selling items ranging from smoothies to baked goods, using the money they earn to buy backpacks and blankets for the center.

First Grade: Spreading the Love of Reading - from your library to theirs!
Over the years, Willows first graders have collected thousands of books from Willows families for donation to charities that redistribute them to needy readers. This year, students collected gently used books for BookEnds, an organization that recycles children’s books through student-run book drives and places them in schools and youth organizations in need of books.

Second Grade: Saving the Oceans

Second graders traditionally seek service projects that tie into their thematic study of the oceans. Last year, students raised money to support Meals for Seals, an organization that is a part of the Pacific Marine Life Foundation and focuses on rehabilitating injured seals on the Southern California coast.

Third Grade: Trailblazing for PATH
Third graders are the standard-bearers for the PATH lunch program, a Willows service tradition. Every Wednesday morning, students collect the lunches Willows students are donating to PATH; these lunches are delivered later in the day to the PATH facility and distributed to PATH residents, who use them when going out for job interviews.

Fourth Grade: Working for Wildlife
In conjunction with their study of California’s native plants and wildlife, fourth graders support Wildworks, a local organization that cares for injured or homeless animals. Each year, students welcome a Wildworks representative who explains the organization’s mission and brings animals for the children to meet.

Fifth Grade: Each Penny Counts!

In previous years, the fifth grade has partnered with Pennies for Peace, a nonprofit organization that creates educational opportunities for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Students placed containers throughout the school so classmates can bring in their own pennies to donate.

 
Middle Schoolers: Buddying Up at the West Side Children’s Center








For many years, The Willows’ sixth graders have volunteered their time at the Westside Children’s Center, a full-service care center for vulnerable preschool-aged children. Sixth graders visit the center once a month to work and play with the children. In recent years, middle schoolers have increased their commitment to the center with other student groups, such as the Middle School Choir and the drama elective, visiting regularly for special performances and presentations.

1999 - The Willows Reaches Out!

It’s Tuesday night. Across Los Angeles, Willows students are packing not one, but two lunches for the next day. First a sandwich! Then an apple! Maybe a cookie for dessert! The next morning, both lunches make their way to The Willows. One lunch stays in the backpack for lunchtime; the extra goes in a bin just outside the classroom door.

This Tuesday night “extra lunch” routine is a tradition for many Willows students. They’re packing the extra lunches for PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), a non-profit organization that The Willows has partnered with since 1996. The lunches are delivered every Wednesday to the PATH facility in West Los Angeles, and PATH employees distribute them to individuals living at the facility, who are going out on job interviews and gradually working their way out of homelessness.

“Community service and service learning have always been integral parts of The Willows experience,” explains Head of School Lisa Rosenstein. “In The Willows’ early days, we wanted to find an ongoing project that offered kids a regular opportunity to do something tangible to help others. Every child can make a lunch – and we’ve found it to be a great way for kids to learn that there are many different ways to reach out.”

Every Thanksgiving, The Willows community also comes together at their annual Community Day to help PATH. Students bring in donations of travel-size personal care items – soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste – and the children gather with their book buddies in every classroom to assemble toiletry bags that are delivered to the PATH residents.

“There’s a great vibe in the building on the morning of our Community Day,” notes Lower School Director Terri Baird. “The kids love getting together with their book buddies, and as they decorate and assemble the toiletry bags, they can see the results of their hard work. It’s also a great reminder to the kids to be grateful for all the day-to-day routines that they may take for granted, like being able to take a shower or brush their teeth.”

Over the years, The Willows has reached out to the community with a number of school-wide projects. The Willows has partnered with Magnolia School, a nearby public elementary school, on many occasions. Service projects have included a “dictionary drive” to supply new classroom dictionaries, mural-painting for exterior building walls on the Magnolia campus, and establishing a garden. “The focus on hands-on activities has been a great way to bring together current students, parents, and alumni, with projects where everyone can contribute,” says Lisa.

The Willows has also made a concerted effort to reach out to nearby Culver City. “From our very earliest days, Willows kids were participating in the annual Ballona Creek cleanup,” remembers Terri. More recently, The Willows has joined with Culver City to support the Police Department’s Juvenile Diversion program, an innovative, highly successful, hands-on program that helps mentor at-risk teenagers. The Willows’ Tech Department is also helping to coordinate donations of old laptops to the Culver City Police Department, who distributes them to needy families in the area, to the Culver City Youth Center, and to nearby Farragut Elementary School, which is part of the Culver City School District.

Community service is personal at The Willows, even when the school is reaching out internationally. In response to this winter’s tragic earthquake in Haiti, two Willows parents helped to coordinate the “Ten Things for Haiti,” project, in which Willows families brought in staples and essential supplies to be transported to Haiti, including rice, beans, and baby formula. “Watching The Willows community come together to help others is both inspiring and gratifying,” says Lisa Rosenstein. “It sets an incredible example for our children in terms of what it means to be a citizen in our global community.”

Growing by Leaps and Bounds: Willows II

A typical 15 year-old looks strikingly different from his or her infant self – and The Willows is no exception.

Visit The Willows’ campus today and you see the art, science, and tech rooms in Willows II, the library in Willows III, the gym and the theater in Willows IV. These all play a vital role in each current student’s day – however, none of these existed in The Willows’ earliest days.

“It (The Willows) was small, but it was cozy!” remembers Lower School Director Terri Baird. “Our first year, we started with 92 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. There were individual classes for DK, kindergarten, first, second, and third grades, and a combined fourth/fifth grade class.”

From the School’s founding in 1994 until the fall of 1998, Willows I (which currently houses DK-2nd grade, plus administrative offices) was all the campus there was: six classrooms, the library, administrative offices, a staff lounge and the atrium. That was it!

“We had our all school meetings and our holiday singalong in the atrium,” recalls curriculum coordinator Carol DeNardo. “We also held our ‘museums’ in there, when we put together displays for the parents at the end of our thematic units.”

In the next couple of years, enrollment grew. Beginning in the 1996-97 school year, each fall, The Willows welcomed two classes of kindergarteners – which meant that as each year progressed, one of the grades added a whole new section of students.

“It was a tricky proposition,” says Lisa Rosenstein. “In year two, we added a kindergarten section. In year three, we added a first grade section; in year four, a second grade section, and so on. The danger with such fast growth is that in hiring so many new teachers, you can lose the essence of the school’s culture and mission.”

The Willows’ model for two teachers per classroom evolved as an answer. “With two teachers in one classroom,” explains Lisa, “they would have at least one year to work together closely, establish the curriculum, and build a collaborative rapport. Then, when it was time to add a section, the two teachers could split off into their own classrooms but still know each other and the program well enough to hold onto the team teaching model.”

The growth of the student body was outstanding news; where to put all the students was the question. “Before the end of our first year, we were searching for extra space” notes Lisa. “We knew that before long The Willows would be bursting at the seams.”

And the seams were bursting!
By the fall of 1997, The Willows parked two trailers on the playground: one to house the brand-new middle school (which consisted of 34 students in grades six and seven) and the other for the School’s library and first tech lab.

“The trailers were leaky,” Terri remembers, “and got crowded, but we made the best of what we had.”

Hope was on the horizon!

In 1996, The Willows leased a property just behind Willows I on Warner Avenue. Architects drew up plans, and The Willows embarked on the arduous process of building out the old warehouse on the site. “I remember that groundbreaking,” recalls Greg Blum ’98, one of the first students in the middle school. “All the kids got to take turns hitting the side of the old warehouse with a sledgehammer!”

Space at last!

In the fall of 1998, Willows II opened, boasting seven new classrooms, a huge multi-purpose room, a tech lab, a science lab, and an art room with a specially designed sink. “Once the art room was built, I loved being able to put up displays and create an atmosphere for the students to walk into,” says art teacher Susannah Funnell. “Our tradition of starting each semester with a still life celebrates the space we have for exciting installations and construction.”

Back then, Willows II was home to 3rd-5th grade down one hallway, and the middle school down the other hallway. “We were so excited to be in the new space,” remembers Jane Lewine, who taught 3rd grade with Erin Sullivan that year.

Chess anyone?

When they first set up their room, Jane noticed a 3 foot-by-3 foot cement square in the center of the classroom floor – an odd remnant from the construction process. Rather than trying to mask it, they repainted as an oversize chess board, and that fall, all their third graders learned how to play chess, using game pieces they created with Susannah in the beautiful new art room.

Twelve years later, you can still find that checkerboard on the floor (it’s now a middle school classroom) – a fun reminder of Willows II in its earliest incarnation!

Walking in Paul Revere’s Footsteps: The Fifth Grade Visits Boston

In the spring of 2008, The Willows’ 5th grade embarked on a brand-new adventure: a five-day trip to Boston, Massachusetts.

The brainchild of the fifth grade teachers, the trip fit perfectly with the 5th grade study of the European settlement of North America, the Colonial period, and the American Revolution.

Every fall for years, The Willows’ fifth grade had welcomed a “Guest Pilgrim” to their classroom. A costumed historical interpreter from Plimoth Planation, a living museum in Massachusetts that recreates the village of Plimoth in the late 17th century, visited and talked with the children about life during his time period.

“The students loved the Pilgrim visits,” says fifth grade teacher Jane Lewine, “but we always imagined how wonderful it would be if our classes could see Plimoth Plantation for themselves and have a much deeper understand of colonial life in New England.”

With the assistance of a former Willows faculty member now living in Massachusetts, the team planned a trip to Boston that dovetailed with their yearlong curriculum. The journey included a walking tour of the Freedom Trail; a kayak trip down the Concord River past the Old North Bridge; a visit to Old Sturbridge Village, a living museum depicting American life in the 1840’s; and, of course, a trip to Plimoth Plantation.

“The kids loved it,” says Jane. “One of the absolute highlights was the kayak trip. It took forever, but with aching arms and huge smiles we arrived feeling strong, brave, and incredibly accomplished.”



Seventh grader Louie G., ’08, who went on the first trip, agrees. “ I loved the Boston trip! It was great that we were studying the pioneers of our country, and we were like the pioneers for the trip. I especially liked Sturbridge Village, with all the old buildings - it was just like a cool rendering of an old New England village. It felt like I was actually there, back in the time period.”