Upper School World Language Teacher Amandine Nelaton will leave the school after a decade to move back to France. Since arriving at the school, she has taught sophomores, juniors and seniors in her French II, French II Honors, French III, French III Honors, French IV and AP French classes. Nelaton also worked as an advisor for Babel, the school's foreign...

Community Council collaborated with the Make-A-Wish foundation to host a beach-themed wish reveal for River, a 5-year-old with retinoblastoma, in Taper Gym on April 24. Community Council Member Sophie Shabani ’24 said Community Council placed a higher emphasis on serving outside organizations such as Make-A-Wish this year.“This year, Community Council has focused on emphasizing serving communities outside our campus while...

Playwright Will Arbery spoke to students in the American Playwrights class in Ahmanson Hall on May 10. In 2020, Arbery was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for writing Heroes of the Fourth Turning. The class, taught by Dean Adam Howard ’93 and Performing Arts Teacher Sabrina Washburn, read and discussed the play before reaching out to Arbery to reflect on his...

NASAahh ">ahh " class="inline-comment collapsed"> Moon to Mars Mission Directorate Andres Martinez spoke to Chinese IV and V classes over Zoom on May 1. Martinez was named one of the top 20 most influential Latinos in technology in 2015, according to CNET. He is currently working on how plants sense gravity in space at the Moon to Mars Program Office....

Marlo Beckman ’25, Gideon Evans ’25, Rex Grube ’25 and Victor Suh ’25 were elected to be Senior Prefects for the 2024-2025 school year. After 19 candidates gave speeches in Rugby Auditorium on April 22, an online election ballot was emailed to juniors to vote for their top four candidates. Evans and Suh were elected in the first round of...

The Upper School Jazz program hosted its Spring Jazz Concert in Rugby Auditorium on April 26. In its annual "Big Band" Concert, where the Lower School Jazz Band is also invited to play a set, each band performed repertoire, ranging from traditional, older arrangements to featured student compositions. The program is a part of the larger “Lights Up!” arts festival,...

The English Department sent work from several students taking English IV: Criminal Minds to author Dennis Lehane. Lehane is the author of "Mystic River," a book read by the students in Criminal Minds. The students being honored are Aldo Ayala ’24, Caroline Riemer ’24, Victor Lowe ’24, Shuby Iriafen ’24, Paul Song ’24, Ava Seib ’24, Muskaan Schievink ’24, Chris...

The University of Southern California (USC) Thornton Jazz Orchestra performed in Rugby Auditorium as a part of the Jazz Lunch Concert Series on April 18. Following his employment at Thornton in 2008, saxophonist and composer Bob Mintzer began conducting the band while teaching the Jazz Studies program. Minzter will be retiring from his directorship, and he performed with the group...

The Bear Boxes club is hosting a book drive from April 15 to April 26 to donate children's and young adult books to the nonprofit organization Book Pickup LA. Students who donate will be rewarded with an hour of community Bear Boxes leader Sophie Shabani ’24 said she has high hopes for donations this year.“I am excited to see the...

Areas of the United States experienced a total solar eclipse April 8. While Los Angeles (L. A.) did not witness a total eclipse, a partial eclipse was visible. The last time a total solar eclipse was observable in L. A. was September 1923, and the next time a total eclipse will be visible from L. A. will be in 2045,...