How You Make a Difference

Back-to-school means back-to-wellness as Viewpoint’s faculty and staff prepare its curriculum for the new 2024-25 academic year.

Inspired by Head of School Mark McKee’s dedication to a wellness curriculum, the Schuman Family Foundation demonstrated its support with a major multi-year gift to further bolster the School’s program. With a close eye on this country’s wellness crisis among young people, and the need to more proactively address the mental health and well-being of its students, Viewpoint developed a comprehensive TK-12 program in 2021. Its pioneering approach in the independent school community has attracted the attention of private and family foundations, including the Edward E. Ford Foundation and now the Schuman Family Foundation.

“At Viewpoint, we focus on the whole child and by fostering a culture of wellness, we ensure they can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially while they’re on our campus, and when they graduate,” said Mark McKee, President and Head of School at Viewpoint. “I am overjoyed that forward-thinking foundations have prioritized student wellness in their philanthropy and have chosen to invest in Viewpoint’s successful approach.”

Led by Rebecca Heller, Director of Student Wellness, the programming includes daily emotional check-ins for lower grades, called Responsive Classroom; human development discussion groups in the Upper School covering topics such as body positivity, active listening, resilience, and more; access to caring counselors; the implementation of the Authentic Connections Student Survey; and the creation of a highly successful Student Wellness Ambassador Group in the Upper School.

"Our curriculum was informed by concerning data showing increased levels of anxiety and depression among young people during and after the pandemic,” said Heller. “We're so happy to see these numbers have dropped for our students over the past two years.”

With this major gift from the Schuman Family Foundation, the program will receive significant funds for the next three years to underwrite its essential components and expand its reach and impact.

“We believe that taking care of the world around us means inspiring people, by nurturing what inspires them,” said Laura Schuman, President, Schuman Family Foundation. “Investing in programs that embody this cycle of hope and well-being has the potential to make a positive impact on every generation. Since a mindful approach to student success is a core part of the culture at Viewpoint, their Wellness initiative is essential to support.”

The Schuman Family Foundation’s vision is to engage humanity in creating a collective harmonious future. Their work spans several key philanthropic pillars that range from the natural world to human connection. The foundation’s support of Viewpoint’s program, alongside UCLA’s Semel Institute of Neuroscience & Human Behavior, is part of their ongoing commitment to promote wellness by amplifying the importance of mental health. When people understand themselves and each other, they also believe in and seek out possibilities. The natural and promising result is a school community that grows and thrives.

"We're incredibly grateful for the generous support from the Schuman Family Foundation. This commitment will allow us to build upon the success of our wellness program, which was initially kick-started by a grant we received in 2021 from the Edward E. Ford Foundation,” shared Heller. “With this new funding, we'll be able to continue our initiatives, reach more students, and make an even greater impact on their mental health and overall wellness."

We are deeply appreciative of the Foundation's commitment to advancing student well-being, bringing us one step closer to our vision of Viewpoint becoming a national leader in TK-12 student wellness.

Tune in Now to “On Point: Words of Wellness”

In the latest episode of “On Point,” sponsored by the Schuman Family Foundation, Head of School Mark McKee and Director of Student Wellness Rebecca Heller talk one-on-one about why wellness programs in schools matter. Hear about how educators are addressing the mental health and well-being of their students, and why it’s capturing the attention of private and family foundations. Mark and Rebecca reflect on the evolution of Viewpoint’s comprehensive TK-12 wellness program, and share trends they’re seeing in this space, especially among students in high-achieving schools. You don’t want to miss their “words of wellness” and vision for the future of student wellness at Viewpoint, thanks to the generous support from the Schuman Family Foundation.

You also can find the On Point podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the Viewpoint School channel on YouTube, and at viewpoint.org/onpoint.

On Saturday, May 11, the Viewpoint Community gathered for our 41st Annual Benefit at the Skirball Cultural Center, to give back to our school while honoring the Carlson Family.

“The Carlsons are a family of builders, but they don’t just build buildings,” said Mark McKee, Head of School. “They also are passionate about building people up for the future, and investing in the next generation of builders and leaders.

The Carlson Family’s passion and commitment is demonstrated by their ongoing generosity in the creation of the Carlson Family Theater and the establishment of the Carlson Family Endowment For Financial Aid for Upper School students.

This year, in honor of the Carlson family, funds were raised for endowed financial aid for Upper School students, so we can remove barriers to success and launch the best and brightest students into college as world-ready citizens.

In this spirit, Viewpoint spotlighted the musical talents of its Upper School students throughout the evening. During the cocktail reception, guests were treated to a special performance by the Upper School Jazz Ensemble, and following dinner, Mark McKee introduced a very special set of music.

“Over the years, we’ve brought many headliners to the Benefit stage, from Stevie Wonder, to John Fogerty and his family, to last year’s Gavin Degraw,” said Mark McKee. “But this year I was thinking: every headliner started as a high school student.”

Led by Viewpoint Music Teacher Bill Brendle, an award-winning composer, orchestrator, arranger, and producer, three students from the Voices Now singing group performed solos to a captivated audience: Jasper Crenshaw ’24, Carly Nelson ’25, and Jake Roth ’26.

Following an enthusiastic Live Auction to further support the School, guests danced the night away to a live band provided by de Bois Entertainment.

Since Viewpoint’s first Benefit 41 years ago, Viewpoint’s student body has grown significantly, but the school’s values and commitment to philanthropy have stood the test of time.

On Saturday, May 13, 2023, the Viewpoint community came together for our 40th Annual Benefit at the Skirball Cultural Center with hundreds of guests  gathering to celebrate the creation of the Cathy Adelman Endowment Fund for Financial Aid, the first-ever endowment to provide tuition assistance specifically to students in our Primary and Lower Schools. Guests were treated to a live acoustic performance by Gavin DeGraw, as well as hours of incredible music from The De-Bois All-Stars, a 12-piece band provided by de Bois Entertainment. 

The event netted a record-breaking $1.2 million, surpassing last year’s record breaking Diamond Jubilee by $200,000. This stunning success is a testament to the philanthropic heart of our community and to our shared commitment to Viewpoint’s World Ready Promise. We are so grateful to our Benefit leadership, donors, and volunteers for making the creation of this new endowment possible. 

In Cathy’s words, “…I really believe we’re going to change lives with the generosity of our community. That just means everything to me. What more could you want in your life but to feel like you’ve made a difference. And we will, and we are making a difference in every child that’s here. I really truly believe that with all my heart, but now children that would not have been able to come are going to be here.”

On May 7, the Viewpoint community gathered together at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the School’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of achievement by our students, alumni, teachers, administrators, parents, and volunteers. Guests also were treated to a live acoustic performance by GRAMMY-award-winning band Train.

Our 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee netted $1 million, the most in the School’s history, for athletic and wellness initiatives including the Peak Performance Center.The community’s extraordinary philanthropy is a signal to the bright future and infinite possibilities of Viewpoint School.

We want to express our heartfelt thanks to the 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee leadership, all of our supporters and volunteers, and our entire community for helping us make history.