Scholar Programs & Honor Societies

The Ceramics Studio is typically filled with students immersed in a wide range of creative projects throughout the school year. On Tuesday, January 27, that creative energy extended beyond the classroom, as faculty, staff, and students gathered for the annual Empty Bowls Open Studio to craft ceramic bowls in support of a meaningful cause.

“Empty Bowls is a worldwide community event that different art studios and organizations host,” said Nell Yates, ceramics teacher and visual arts department chair. “The whole mission is using local art to support food banks and to support this idea of outreach for hunger and for people who are food insecure.”

Empty Bowls is a global grassroots movement of artists addressing hunger, with events hosted by schools, potters’ guilds, and studios around the world. Yates brought the initiative to Viewpoint eight years ago, weaving it into the ceramics curriculum as a service-learning project. Each ceramics student creates at least one bowl, and often several, as part of their coursework, while also reflecting on what it means to use art as a form of service.

“It’s not just about their ability to make a bowl,” Yates said. “They do a reflection and think about what it means to give art in a different way. To have art benefit people they haven’t even met and to understand this idea of art for service is a whole new concept for them.”

In addition to ceramics students, the school’s CORE (Community OutReach for Everyone) program plays a key role in bringing the event to life. CORE students earn service hours by helping sell tickets, scoop ice cream, and support event logistics, while also gaining exposure to service in a creative context.

“Service can look all different ways,” Yates said. “Making art isn’t necessarily something students would link to being an act of service, so it’s powerful for them to see that connection.”

Sadie Kieffer ’26, a board leader of CORE, said the Open Studio highlights how widely the event brings people together.

“I think this aspect of the open studio is so wonderful to see, everybody from the community coming together,” Kieffer said. “Alumni, parents, faculty, usually some admin will come. And also people who aren’t necessarily super involved in the arts get a chance to do something fun for an afternoon. And it’s for a good cause.”

The Empty Bowls project culminates in a campus-wide ice cream social and fundraiser, scheduled for March 17. Tickets will be sold in the two weeks leading up to the event, with all proceeds benefiting West Valley Food Pantry. 

For those who were unable to attend the Open Studio on January 27, Yates encourages community members to reach out.

“It’s all I want in the world for people to come and feel like they can try it,” she said. “Especially if they come with a student who does ceramics, it’s so meaningful to have that role reversal and let students teach something they care about.”

Each year, Viewpoint’s Upper School musicians are recognized at the national level for their commitment to excellence in both music and academics. In December, 11 juniors and seniors earned induction into the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

Tri-M is the only national honor society dedicated to middle and high school musicians and focuses on developing student leaders through music education, service, and advocacy. The students recognized this year include:

• David Wang ’27
• Jamey Tsugawa ’27
• Jasper Hughes ’27
• JP Walker ’27
• Kayla Paschall ’27
• Kian Tabandeh ’27
• Niya Lal ’27
• Noah Fournier ’26
• Racheal Chun ’27
• Samson Harrington ’27
• Winston Ge ’27

Selection for Tri-M is based on a comprehensive audition and review process that evaluates students’ musical growth, technical proficiency, and overall musicianship. Auditions assess students across three areas: sight reading, technical elements such as scales and arpeggios, and a prepared solo performance.

Students are also expected to showcase excellence in academics and active participation in community service. According to the NAfME, student members across the nation collectively contribute over 750,000 service hours to their school and local communities annually, raising nearly $1 million for causes close to their hearts.

Congratulations to the students who have earned induction into the Tri-M Music Honor Society. More information on the program can be found here.

This spring, Viewpoint School honored the academic and cultural accomplishments of its world language students with the induction of new members into two esteemed national organizations: the Société Honoraire de Français (French Honor Society) and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish Honor Society). These societies recognize students for their mastery of French or Spanish, along with their continued interest in international cultures and global citizenship.

The Spanish Honor Society held its ceremony on Tuesday, March 11 in the Fletcher Family Library. Led by Corey Henderson, World Languages Co-Chair, the event brought together students and faculty to celebrate this meaningful milestone.

“The Spanish Honor Society honors students not just for their academic success, but for their ongoing involvement in promoting language and culture on campus,” said Henderson. “From Día de Muertos to World Languages Week and student-led field trips, our members help bring Hispanic culture to life at Viewpoint and beyond.”

The 2025 Spanish Honor Society inductees are:

Jordan Aaronson ’26, Joe Abdou ’26, Collen Altmann ’26, Sophia Cruz ’27, Cedar Cummins ’25, Harry Ding ’25, Anya Emerson ’28, Chloe Figueroa ’26, Isabella Fillipakis ’26, Noah Fournier ’26, Ollie Frampton ’27, Natalia Garcias ’26, Erin Geving ’28, Jack Goldsmith ’27, Prerit Gore ’26, Megan Greenberg ’27, Shivan Haridas ’27, Thomas Hemmens ’26, Daphne Huffman ’26, Julia Jett ’26, Luca Karapetian ’26, Shai Klier ’26, Niya Lal ’27, Cameron Lasman ’27, Nick Lazaroff’ 26, Anna Lee ’26, Lucy Lee ’27, Magnus Merriman ’27, Shya Minkow ’27, Andrew Neville ’26, Emjay Peck ’26, Sebastian Safahi ’26, Jolie Samuel ’26, Amiya Shah ’28, Vyom Shah ’26, Marissa Shurgot ’26, Kian Tabandeh ’27, Ella Wright ’28, Mason Wymer ’25, and Sebastian Yanez ’26.

On Thursday, March 20, the French Honor Society held its ceremony in Room 763, led by Jessica Jones, World Languages Co-Chair. Students were recognized for their outstanding performance in French, receiving certificates and learning they will wear a special cord in the colors of the French flag at graduation. In addition to academic achievement, members engage in campus and community events such as Francophone festivals, Multicultural Day, World Languages Week, and various cultural outings and fundraisers.

The 2025 French Honor Society inductees are:

Julia Jett ’26, Sadie Kieffer ’26, Nofar Tzvi ’26, Riley Brown ’26, William Bradway ’28, Eden Katz ’27, Olivia Lakhani ’26, Davis Lee ’27, Racheal Chun ’27, Boyang (Kevin) Li ’26, Miles Goodman ’27, Ela Seker ’26, Luka Amari ’26, Isabella Wang ’28, Brooke Harpoothian ’28, Daisy Bradway ’28, and Xavier Manthripragada ’28.

Congratulations to the newest members of the Spanish and French Honor Societies, whose dedication to language learning, cultural engagement, and academic excellence exemplifies what it means to be World Ready.

The day before Thanksgiving, more than half of our Upper School students participated in meaningful service projects, demonstrating inspired leadership and global citizenship. Every year during this season of giving, Upper School students in CORE (Community OutReach for Everyone) organize this impactful day of volunteering to support local nonprofit organizations, and those in need.

On November 27, CORE student leaders organized six different projects to support non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles area. The activities ranged from an annual beach cleanup in support of the Surfrider Foundation, crafting letters of gratitude for first responders with Operation Gratitude, to packaging canned goods and non-perishable food items for the West Valley Food Pantry. A total of 228 Upper School students, accompanied by 19 faculty chaperones, generously volunteered their time to contribute to these meaningful causes.

“For nearly 25 years, Community Service Day has been an integral part of my Thanksgiving tradition,” said Pam Oseransky, Viewpoint’s Coordinator of Service Learning. “After spending about 18 years volunteering as a chaperone, I transitioned to coordinating the event with the support of hundreds of CORE students over the years. It’s incredibly inspiring to see dedicated faculty members arrive early on a non-official school day, and knowing that hundreds of Upper School students are spreading across LA County to make a positive impact fills me with so much hope.”

This year, students participated in a new pilot initiative, Wood Turning Pens for the Troops, led by Lance Argano-Rush, Physical Science Teacher. In this project, students handcrafted beautiful pens to honor retired military personnel. The initiative was met with enthusiasm, and plans are already in place to expand it next year.

The Sack Lunch Challenge also achieved a record-breaking milestone this year, with students preparing nearly 900 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—surpassing the previous record of 700. These lunches were donated to Hope the Mission, providing nourishment to unhoused community members.

Community Service Day embodies the spirit of giving and unity, inspiring Viewpoint’s CORE students and faculty to come together and make a lasting difference for those in need.