The wonderful Teacher Appreciation Luncheon that we all enjoyed last Thursday was unlike anything that teachers could dream of consuming in their entire careers! The tables in our sunny courtyard, perfectly cooled by gentle breezes, were fit for kings and queens, and the delicious assortment of salads, desserts, and candy treats were superb. Thank you to the Chairpersons, Susan Ferrari and Rosemary Campbell, and all the elves who assisted in creating this special event. The guest comedian had everyone laughing and laughing – so much so that even the children came to peek around the corner to see why we were so audibly happy. Thanks to all the moms and dads who carefully watched the children during the luncheon, taking time out of their busy days. A surprise for each member of the faculty, administration, and staff was the personal gift bag, complete with a book of cartoons and tickets for two to the Comedy and Magic Club – to carry out the laughter theme – plus a gorgeous book of lovely quotes, all of them very positive and uplifting. No school is lucky enough to have wonderful parents such as these, who are so kind, thoughtful, and generous. Thanks again to each of you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to ALL the parents who made our 50th Anniversary GALA such a smashing success! From the members of the Steering Committee, through all the members of each GALA Committee, to the generous auction donors, and to each of you parents attending the event and bidding on auction items, thank you for ALL that you did!
The weeks of meetings, conversations, and planning came together in such a beautiful fashion on Friday evening. Each parent is to be congratulated for taking a particular GALA responsibility and then going way beyond what was ever envisioned to make the evening truly memorable. And it was such a joy to see so many of you in such a beautiful setting chatting with each other, enjoying your dinner, and dancing up a storm! Hooray for PHS and its 50th Birthday!
Some GALA tidbits: Balloon Surprises sold out in a flash! Wendy Nguyen said that next year she’ll have to make many more! The check-in and check-out volunteers, including Robin Mearns, Zita Macdonald, Jennifer Beindorf, and Elaine Covarrubias were welcoming and totally profesh with their computers and printouts, with all the data entry previously completed by Elisabeth Lesser and Lynette Cheney. Sheri Lietzow and Melissa Bradley had previously taste-tested the menu, and their choices were perfect! Thanks to Greg Popovich and his generosity in providing Castle Rock wines at each table. Yum-oh with the cake from Lido Bakery in MB; gorgeous to look at and melt-in-your mouth delicious to the taste – thank you Lessers! And the cupcakes for the Teacher Wishes looked equally delish – thank you, Cindy Waldman.
From Frank Sinatra to rap, the music was perfect, thanks to Jeanna Martinez, who joined with Javier and so many other parents and faculty on the dance floor. Everyone wants to know Maria Auerbach’s secrets of bow-making on the gorgeous centerpieces – matched only by the beautiful printed invitations we all received – thanks to Bridget Vetterlein and Dee Edler. Kudos to Karen Olson for all of her help with set-up and to Michelle Kim, Patty Mayfield, and Kathy Mallon among MANY others, for procuring auction items.
Thanks to David Lesser for arranging the one-of-a-kind commendation certificate from LA County Supervisor Don Knabe’s office, and thanks to the members of our Board of Trustees for being such a big part of the celebration! Our Steering Committee, including Christine Pearson, gallantly took on multiple tasks and exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The photos of our PHS children were beautifully prepared as a gift for each parent by Jeanna Martinez and Bridget Vetterlein – thanks so much! And the gift-wrapped auction items were the talented handiwork of Jill Robb. Thanks to each and every parent for donating the amazing silent and live auction items, including the open-cockpit bi-plane ride, compliments of Jill Smith and her dad, and the dinner cruise aboard Will and Lisa Rehrig’s vintage ChrisCraft yacht.
Encouraging, complimenting, and seeing to all the details plus the overall plan of GALA was our very own Megan Tilles – thank you, thank you, Megan, and thank you, wonderful PHS parents! Proceeds from this birthday evening will be prudently used to further enhance our Theater Arts and Fine Arts Departments here at PHS!

Our Fifth Grade class presented their “History Comes Alive” play at the Norris Theatre in Rolling Hills Estates last week. Mrs. Kat Banales, our language arts enrichment teacher, took it upon herself this past winter break to basically rewrite the play – it was immensely innovative and a smashing success! Mrs. Banales shares with us her view of the process:
“The purpose of performing ‘History Comes Alive’ is to integrate ‘living history’ into the Fifth Grade curriculum while building social/emotional skills driven through the arts. By combining disciplines, our PHS students create life-long memories throughout the process.” “Nine years ago, Mrs. Lynn purchased the musical script from Bad Wolf Press and performed the original musical at the Norris. Each year hence, we have augmented the script by removing and adding new scenes and enhanced others to give each new performance a distinct flavor. In keeping many of the original songs, we have provided continuity for our alumni who continue to support the play and relive their own magical moment.”
“Although I have been kindly credited for the consecutive revisions, it is really a collaborative effort involving Mrs. Lynn, Mrs. Wilcox, and myself. Each year our process begins with a production meeting to discuss our content direction and what we would like to explore further. This is where our individual personalities really shine through. We all have unique ideas to bring to the table. After much deliberation and laughter over fond memories, I set to my task of incorporating these raw concepts into workable dialogue that supports our curriculum accompanied by a healthy dose of humor. Creating a script that showcases the individual strengths and talents of each student is a major consideration when I sit down to make revisions and this year’s “overhaul” is no exception.” “Music is of itself, a universal storyteller and I would be remiss if I didn’t capitalize on that fact. Writing “piggy-back” songs such as “Philly PA” was a blast! Honestly, once I got started, I found it difficult to rein myself in. Including varied genres of music, and having them taught to the children by Mr. Charlie Miller, dramatically added to the overall enjoyment and success of the show. I believe that everyone heard at least one song that they could relate to on an emotional level.”
“There are also so many others who contribute to the show in so many amazing ways including (and not limited to) Mrs. Terry Metzenbaum with all the props and details, Mrs. Kim Nygaard and Mrs. Bridget Vetterlein with their beautiful photographs, Mr. Dave Cullum with his rehearsal assistance, the parents with all their wonderful help and generosity, the faculty and staff who expertly assist backstage, and of course you, the enthusiastic audience, who comes to enjoy the presentation.”
“Over the years the play has evolved into a living, breathing entity that continues to challenge our children and delight audiences of all ages. It has been a pleasure and privilege to be part of such a dynamic team.”