School Spotlights

Recent Spotlights

Varsity Lacrosse Team Named CIF Southern Section Academic Champions and Viewpoint Hosts First Round of CIFSS Division 3 Playoffs Today at 4:30 p.m.

April 29, 2025

It’s a proud moment for our Varsity Lacrosse team as they head into the postseason, excelling both on and off the field.

With an outstanding 3.769 GPA, the team was named the 2025 CIF Southern Section FORD Team Academic Champion, earning the top spot among all small schools (under 1,500 students) in the Southern Section.

The team was honored at the CIF Academic Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 24, at Angel Stadium of Anaheim and received a championship banner during a special pre-game celebration.

"Being named CIF Academic Champions is the icing on the cake for a Senior class that has been part of every 10-win season in our program’s history," said Head Lacrosse Coach Brendan Smith. "Over the past four years, this group has set a new standard with consistent success, including four straight seasons of nine or more wins and playoff appearances. Now, they have the chance to achieve another milestone—and I’m fired up to watch them chase it!"

With a 9-3 regular season record and a second-place finish in the Gold Coast League, the team now turns its attention to playoffs.

Patriot Fans: Come out and cheer on the Varsity Lacrosse team as they take on Damien for the first round of CIFSS Division 3 Playoffs on Ring Family Field at 4:30 p.m.

Primary School Hosts First-Ever Cereal Box Domino Challenge

April 24, 2025

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 Elise 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.

Viewpoint Celebrates 57 New Inductees into Spanish and French Honor Societies

April 24, 2025

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.

Behind the Curtain of the Upper School Conservatory of Theatre’s Nearly Sold-Out Production of Mamma Mia!

April 24, 2025

As the Upper School Conservatory of Theatre prepares for opening night of Mamma Mia!, we went behind the curtain with the cast and crew for a sneak peek at the magic in the making. From final rehearsals to set and costume prep, excitement is building for this unforgettable show full of ABBA hits, heartfelt moments, and high-energy fun.

Mamma Mia! opens tomorrow night in the Carlson Family Theater and runs April 25–27. Tickets are close to selling out—don’t miss your chance to join us on the Greek island where the music never stops and surprises await around every corner!

Very limited tickets are available for Sunday's show. Click here to purchase.

Head of School Mark McKee Honored with the Courage to Educate in Holocaust Education Award at the David Labkovski Project’s Ninth Annual Scholars Event

April 17, 2025

On March 23, the David Labkovski Project (DLP) proudly celebrated its Ninth Annual Scholars Event, honoring Head of School Mark McKee with the Courage to Educate in Holocaust Education Award. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that exemplify leadership in proactively educating and engaging audiences about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and the dangers of antisemitism through the DLP.

In 2019, in support of Viewpoint’s partnership with the DLP, Mark traveled with students, teachers, and families to Vilnius, Lithuania, to walk in David Labkovski’s footsteps and to attend an exhibition of Labkovski’s artworks curated by Upper School and Lithuanian students. In summer 2023, Mark was honored to be part of the first delegation of ten independent heads of school to take part in Project Interchange, an initiative of the American Jewish Committee to connect global leaders to Israel.

Surrounded by his wife Cathy Shelburne, daughters Emily McKee and Antonia Bliznets, son-in-law Stanislav Bliznets, and one-year-old grandson Konstanstin Mark Bliznets, and members of the Viewpoint community, Mark was well celebrated at the event. Family members, colleagues, trustees, students, and alumni were deeply moved by heartfelt tributes recognizing Mark’s dedication to the DLP and his inspiring work encouraging students to bear witness to history.

“So many from our Viewpoint community are here today, and this award reflects

back the values of our school's community and of its education, its authentic core values of love, of honor, of excellence, of imagination and of optimism,” said McKee. “These values come together in the work of the David Labkovski Project, as they do in the work of Viewpoint School, and each of them, and especially love and especially optimism, are needed urgently today.”

Associate Head of School Robert Bryan presented Mark with the Courage to Educate in Holocaust Education award, and had this to say:

“Mark understands well the importance of Holocaust education, more now than ever. As a creative thinker and visionary educational leader, he knows that it is only through engagement that students learn deeply. The David Labkovski Project allows students this kind of engagement, a window through art into a world students may otherwise not know, lessons they may otherwise not learn. The commitment to Holocaust education and to any means of bringing people together for a higher educational purpose has always been close to Mark’s heart.”

Later in the program, Viewpoint alum Weston Bell-Geddes ’19, who created a Virtual Reality experience that gave people yet another way to interact with David Labkovski’s work, made heartwarming remarks about Mark and his time at the school.

In his closing remarks, Mark expressed his gratitude, and delivered an important call-to-action:

“So many things distract us today. I'm very grateful to all of you for giving your attention to the David Labkovski Project and to our shared work as allies in Holocaust education and in the power and significance of connecting across differences. I thank you for this honor, which belongs to each of you as a part of this community. And I thank you for your allyship. I am, in fact, a testament to the power of your work to make a difference. We've had many words today, but of course, we all know what matters most, our actions. And so, I encourage you to go out into the world and put that courage to educate, to take action in your communities and your lives for this next generation.”