School Spotlights

From AP student presentations and food tastings, to dance performances and display tables, Viewpoint School held school-wide Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations this week.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival in Chinese tradition, following the Spring Festival, and can be compared to Thanksgiving in some ways. The Moon Festival occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which falls on different dates in the Gregorian calendar. This year, the Moon Festival was celebrated on September 17.

On September 16, the Chinese III and AP Chinese classes combined to celebrate the festival. Each AP Chinese student gave an oral presentation on the Moon Festival, accompanied by vivid and creative visual aids. Then, each student appreciated and recited a famous ancient Chinese poem “Jingyesi” by Li Bai. The two classes together made ice cream mooncakes and tasted traditional Chinese snacks such as fresh dates, sunflower seeds, and rice crackers etc. Finally, the class concluded by evaluating the students' cultural knowledge about the festival through a fun Kahoot game.

Our Middle School marked the occasion with special lunchtime activities, including a performance by the local Chinese group PPMA featuring traditional music and dance. Chinese class students led riddle-solving games, a festival tradition, and parent volunteers served mooncakes. 

In the Primary and Lower School divisions, parent volunteers hosted display tables with giveaways during lunchtime and provided video presentations and crossword puzzles for use in the classroom. Display tables educated and inspired the students over a two-day period:

• Monday, September 16: Chuseok display table

  • Chuseok is a three-day harvest festival celebrated as a significant holiday in Korean culture. Chuseok (pronounced chu-sock) translates to “Autumn Eve, " also known as Korean Thanksgiving. Chuseok is a time to return home to family, celebrate and show gratitude for the harvest, and honor ancestors. An essential aspect of the holiday is cleaning ancestors' tombs and paying respects by offering them the Chuseok feast. 

• Tuesday, September 17: Mid-Autumn Festival Display Table

  • Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon(cake) Festival, marks the full moon at its brightest and most total size, coinciding with harvest time. 

What began as a creative outlet for Sam Green during the pandemic has evolved into a serious passion for storytelling. Now a Senior at Viewpoint School, Sam has created a range of impressive films, earning recognition at prominent festivals, including the Calabasas Film Festival which takes place September 18-22.

Sam’s filmmaking journey began in Middle School when he started sharing his artwork on Instagram. It was during this time that he discovered his love for the editing process and how video could bring his creations to life.

“I was doing a lot of drawing, posting my art on Instagram, and I started to develop a little bit of a following,” Green shared. “Then I saw people were making videos of the behind-the-scenes process of their art, so I started doing that. Soon, I realized I enjoyed the editing process more, which led me to film.”

"Even from his early days in Film 1, Sam was dedicated, passionate, and infinitely talented," said Catherine Dunn, Film Department Chair. "He elevates any project he’s part of, always striving to make it the best it can be."

One of Sam’s most personal projects is “You're Dead Already, Bro,” a documentary about his friend and neighbor, Emilio Morgenstern ’25, and his journey with organ donation. Sam began working on this film in his junior-year Documentary Film class, taking on the roles of director, producer, and editor. 

"I wanted to create something that says something important," Green explained. “Emilio had such a powerful story, so I wanted to share that."

Sam’s documentary has earned recognition at several prestigious festivals, including the L.A. Shorts International Film Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Future Filmmakers Festival, and the Flatland Film Festival. He is now preparing to submit “You're Dead Already, Bro” to the highly competitive YoungArts competition.

“It felt really rewarding because it’s a film I worked on for a year, and I feel like I’ve reached a new level in filmmaking that connects with audiences,” Green said. “Additionally, being part of the panel at L.A. Shorts and interacting with other student filmmakers, some of whom are going to USC’s film program, was an incredible opportunity.”

Last year, while working on “You're Dead Already, Bro,” Sam also was creating a fictional film titled “Minus Daisy” in his Film 3 class. The narrative follows a young boy searching for his stuffed animal, with the audience slowly uncovering the father’s struggles, including his recent unemployment. “Minus Daisy” will be screened at the Calabasas Film Festival on Sunday, September 22, where Sam also will participate in a student panel discussion. It also has been accepted into the Mill Valley Film Festival in October, where it will be screened several times throughout the week.

“One theme that carries over between both films is recognizing the challenges people face, even if they aren’t immediately visible,” he explained. “I think it’s important to acknowledge what others might be dealing with beneath the surface."

Sam plans to continue pursuing his passion for filmmaking throughout his final year at Viewpoint. He’s currently working on a documentary about his grandfather in Australia, capturing the bond between him and his personal trainer as they navigate his degenerative condition.

Congratulations to Sam Green ’25 on his outstanding achievements in filmmaking and his upcoming participation in the Calabasas Film Festival. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you!

Twenty of our Upper School Students united as parade participants on Saturday, September 14 at the annual Hidden Hills Fiesta. A long-standing community tradition that brings people together and celebrates the spirit of unity in Hidden Hills, the Fiesta kicked off with a parade in the morning, featuring floats, marching bands, horses, and much more. 

The theme for the 2024 Fiesta was “Sports and the Arts Unite Us All." From athletes, cheerleaders, and singers to filmmakers, journalists, and leaders, our Viewpoint group of world-ready students demonstrated their spirit along the parade route.

Powered by our parent volunteers in the VSSA, this year’s float saluted the Class of 2025 as they embark on their Senior year. Spirits were high as the students shouted Patriot cheers, performed routines, and threw out candy to the spectators. Special thanks to the Tajyar Family for providing our float vehicle.

Thank you to our student participants: Bella Adamski ’25, Jake Alderson ’25, Sheraz Ali ’25, Trease Baker ’25, Nathan Danese ’25, Lily Davis ’25, Jordan DeMaria ’25, Natalia Garcias ’26, Vivienne Grigorovich ’26, Lola Kirsch ’25, Taylor Luciano Novo ’25, Imena Miles ’26, Layla Nassab ’25, Sana Navale ’26, Elie Netzah ’25, Carly Nelson ’25, Karson Papotta ’25, Catherine Wu ’27, and Sara Wynn ’25. 

As we approach the presidential election on November 5, Viewpoint School is reigniting its nonpartisan voting initiative, Viewpoint Votes, originally launched in 2020. The student-led program, supported by faculty advisors, aims to educate the community on civic activism, election history, and the voting process. 

Viewpoint Votes is offering a series of events and resources to drive pre-registration and registration, and encourage informed voting across the community.

“We want to promote voting as a civic duty,” said Sam Green ’25, Student Body President and member of Viewpoint Votes. “Our goal is to have all eligible voters in the Viewpoint community register and vote,and to encourage 16-year-olds to pre-register.”

On Friday, September 4, we kicked off Viewpoint Votes 2024 at a special assembly for Upper School students. The students involved highlighted several upcoming events, such as a voter registration drive and a Mock Election on Election Day, November 5, fostering early participation in the democratic process.

Shortly after introductions, Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, and a Viewpoint parent, took the stage to talk to our students about the significance of voting. 

“Local elections matter as much as national ones,” Blumenfield said. “The candidates you vote for determine everything from public safety to taxes, and whether environmental issues like global warming get addressed. Your vote has the power to shape the decisions that impact your life.”

To get involved, students are encouraged to reach out to Sam Green ’25 or follow Viewpoint Votes on Instagram for more updates. Stay tuned for more details about upcoming events and ways to participate in this important initiative.

For many of today’s students, the events of September 11, 2001, are considered a distant moment in history. To help them grasp its lasting significance, one Viewpoint teacher crafted a lesson focused on the unity and compassion that emerged in its aftermath, encouraging students to make a positive impact in their communities. 

This lesson aligns with the National Day of Service and Remembrance, established by President Barack Obama in 2009, which recognizes September 11 as an opportunity for people to come together through acts of service.

“My students don’t have firsthand memories of 9/11, so I now teach through the lens of the National Day of Service, highlighting how people came together in the aftermath,” shared Amanda Vanek, Fifth Grade Teacher at Viewpoint.

The class began with a reading of “Fireboat” by Maira Kalman, a story that illustrates how ordinary people became heroes during the tragic events of September 11.

"I wanted my students to understand that in times of hardship, people come together to help one another,” said Ms. Vanek.

Following the reading, students learned about the importance of giving back, with the lesson culminating in a hands-on project supporting Hank’s Legacy Foundation, a local animal rescue organization. Ms. Vanek encouraged students to speak with their families about how they could contribute, whether through monetary donations or by bringing toys for the animals.

“On this Day of Service, it’s important to show that even small acts can have a big impact,” she concluded. “I want my students to understand that service isn’t just about one day—it’s a mindset they can carry throughout their lives.”