From Monday, June 2 to Tuesday, June 3, the Primary and Lower School campus buzzed with excitement as students from TK through Fifth Grade came together for the third annual Spirit Games. This end-of-year tradition brings together students, teachers, and administrators for school spirit, friendly competition, and community connection.

The festivities began Monday afternoon with the Spirit Games Opening Ceremony, where students were grouped into color teams and received their official Spirit Games T-shirts to wear the following day.

On Tuesday, the energy ramped up as students arrived in their Spirit Games T-shirts and colorful accessories to show off their team pride. The day was packed with games and activities, including an obstacle course, hoop challenge, scooter relay, and a target toss, giving students the chance to demonstrate teamwork and sportsmanship.

“Spirit Games is one of our most joyful traditions. It’s incredible to see TK through Fifth Grade students working together across grade levels—cheering each other on, showing resilience, and truly embodying our values of teamwork and kindness,” shared Vanessa Harrington, Assistant Head of Primary School.

This year’s Spirit Games carried a deeper meaning, as the event was dedicated to Claudia Antoine, Head of Lower School, who is retiring at the end of this year. A passionate advocate for the event since its inception, Ms. Antoine played a key role in bringing the Spirit Games to life and ensuring its continued success.

“Her heart was on our sleeves, on the shirts, and on the medals. Without her, there wouldn’t be a Spirit Games,” shared Viewpoint Parent and Chair of Spirit Games Lizzie Harari. “She championed it from the beginning, and I’m so grateful for the way she pushed to make sure it happened.”

The event concluded with a medal ceremony where each team was celebrated for their participation. All students received medals to honor their efforts and enthusiasm. The results were as follows:

• First place (gold): Orange team
• Second place (silver): Green team
• Third place (bronze): Purple team

The Spirit Games continue to be a beloved tradition, marking the end of the school year with fun-filled memories and a strong sense of community.

The spirit of creativity was alive across campus on Saturday, May 31, as Viewpoint welcomed families, friends, and community members to Arts Fest 2025. This annual celebration showcased the artistic achievements of students in Grades TK–12 through music, film, visual art, theater, and dance.

Founded in 2018 by Music Department Chair Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Arts Fest was envisioned as a school-wide event that brings together every artistic discipline under one creative umbrella. Now in its seventh year, the festival continues to provide a vibrant platform for students to share their work with the wider community.

“The Arts at Viewpoint are thriving, and this past weekend’s Arts Fest was a wonderful reflection of that. From our youngest singers to our most advanced artists, the Viewpoint community came together to celebrate everything we do in the arts. One of my favorite parts of the event is the opportunity for combined musical performances. This year, the Primary, Lower, and Upper School Choirs sang 'You Are My Best Friend' by Queen. The Middle School Jazz Lab and Upper School Jazz Ensemble performed 'Work Song' by Nat Adderley, and the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Grade Strings shared 'String Explosion' by Frank Rodgers. These moments are especially meaningful for our younger students, who gain so much by performing alongside older students,” said Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Chair of the Music Department and organizer of the event.

Held throughout the Middle and Upper School indoor and outdoor spaces, the event featured an array of experiences: music performances in the canyon, visual art exhibitions and live demos, scenes from this year’s Upper School musical, award-winning student film screenings, and a showcase from the school’s dance program.

Highlights included a spirited performance by the combined Primary, Lower, and Upper School Choirs, dynamic sets from Fifth Grade Strings and Primo Orchestra, and engaging panel discussions with student filmmakers following documentary and short film screenings. In the Visual Arts, guests admired student-created pieces across all grade levels and enjoyed a live ceramics demonstration by Upper School students.

As the school year winds down, Arts Fest shines as a hallmark event that celebrates student passion, growth, and artistic expression, and reflects the strength of Viewpoint’s thriving arts community.

Springtime at Viewpoint brings with it a timeless tradition of Primary School student performances in our Carlson Family Theater and Blaney Patio. From March through the beginning of May, these beloved shows featured delightful renditions of The Little Red Hen, performed by our students in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Little Engine, presented by our Kindergarten classes, our First Grade production of Peter Rabbit, and Wizard of Oz performed by our Second Grade students.

The festivities kicked off in March with all three Kindergarten classes presenting Little Engine in the Carlson Family Theater. Adapted from Watty Piper's childhood classic The Little Engine That Could, the play has been a cherished tradition at Viewpoint for more than 20 years. Through this adaptation, children learn the value of optimism and hard work as the determined Little Blue Train saves the day for the stranded Birthday Train and its eager passengers.

Meanwhile, the children in the Second Grade’s production of the Wizard of Oz celebrated the power of friendship when faced with adversity and the joy of a shared journey. The stage of the Carlson Family Theater was transformed into the wonderful Land of Oz – complete with Munchkin Land and the Emerald City—as well as Dorothy’s humble, but beloved Kansas. Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and other characters that live over the rainbow, delighted the audience with classic songs of wistfulness, hope, and joy. This year, audiences were delighted by the addition of “Defying Gravity” to the show, further contemporizing this production.

In April, Blaney Patio transformed into a magical English garden for the three First Grade productions of Beatrix Potter’s beloved classic, Peter Rabbit. This performance, a cherished tradition since 1967, captivated the audience, filled with parents, grandparents, and siblings, who were charmed and impressed by the students' performances.

The performances concluded in May as our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) students walked across the Blaney Patio stage for their performance of The Little Red Hen. Dressed as cats, pigs, ducks, cows, chicks, and one Red Hen, Viewpoint’s youngest students confidently took their turns at the microphone to tell the classic story of the Little Red Hen and her unhelpful farmyard friends. Laughter and audible "awws" from the audience filled the air as our very youngest students took the stage.

From the determined Little Blue Train to the mischievous Peter Rabbit and the industrious Little Red Hen, our youngest stars not only showcased their talents but also learned valuable lessons of perseverance, teamwork, and creativity. As the curtains close on another season of heartwarming performances, anticipation for next year's shows is already building, ensuring that the magic of childhood continues to thrive at Viewpoint School.

In a joyful blend of service, science, and school spirit, Viewpoint’s Primary School students took part in the first-ever Cereal Box Domino Challenge on Thursday afternoon, transforming the courtyard into a celebration of community and creativity.

The initiative was inspired by a viral Instagram post and brought to life by Second Grade teacher Elisa Wain, who saw an opportunity to turn a simple idea into a powerful learning experience. 

“It fits perfectly with our philosophy on service learning,” said Wain. “It’s educational, fun, and rooted in helping others.”

Throughout the past few weeks, students from all grades in Primary School collected cereal boxes for West Valley Food Pantry, a local organization dedicated to feeding those in need. The donations were lined up like dominoes in the Primary School Courtyard. Second Graders started setting them up at 1:00 p.m., and by 1:45, all of Primary School came together to watch the boxes topple, celebrating the impact of their donations.

“We worked to make this a cross-curricular event,” said Wain. “In science, we explored perimeter and chain reactions. In math, students estimated, graphed, and totaled the donations. They used art and technology to make posters, and most importantly, they worked together to turn compassion into action.”

Although this was the first time the event took place, plans are already in motion for next year, with hopes to rebrand it as the Serial Cereal Challenge and extend the domino path across the entire campus.