A Committed Community
A message from Board Chair Serita Young
Dear Waverly community members,
Though this annual report recognizes contributions made in the prior fiscal year (2023-2024), its publication comes on the heels of the devastating Eaton Fire and in the early stages of what will be a long-term recovery – physically, fiscally, and psychically. In this year of Waverly’s strategic planning work, I want to take this moment to reflect on community support as a forecast of Waverly’s ability to progress while meeting the needs of significant, unexpected challenges and events.
As noted in these pages, our community gave generously in last year’s “normal” times to support daily operating expenses through the Waverly Fund, to develop the outdoor spaces for the Middle School, and to start the Middle School/High School library. This fiscal year, which became extraordinary as of January 7, support has redoubled. Waverly’s prospects are solid and its sustainability sound, in good times and hard, because ours is a committed community in both good and hard times.
We tend to focus on the community of people who are here today in times like these, but schools are the ultimate model for paying it forward. Speaking again in terms of strategic planning, the school has seen growth and change, staying constant to progressive education and weathering surprise circumstances, because of the groundwork laid by earlier Waverly communities. Waverly is a community of 531 alumni and thousands of families and students whose times here created and sustain our school. I encourage you to take part in our Strategic Plan Design Day on Sunday, March 9, a great opportunity to pay it forward.
As Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am honored to help guide Waverly’s current and future path. The Board recognizes that the attainments of 2023-2024 would have been impossible without the ongoing participation and generous financial support of Waverly families. Your support and care, in all forms, sustain our school and allow it to flourish. Thank you, on behalf of the Board.
Serita Young
Chair, Board of Trustees
2023-2024
Board of Trustees
Anthony Alvarado
Yvette Bonaparte
Jessica Clements
Lorne Green
Harry Kidd ‘13
Elizabeth Lawrence
Debbie Lennon
Wendy Lopata
Noah Mayer
Keseh Morgan
Vijay Natraj
Monti Olson
Michael Pinto
Stephen Rountree
Melanie Schiff
Nadine Tanio
Joanne Toll
Serita Young
WPO: Helping to Keep the School Humming
The Waverly Parent Organization is every parent or guardian at Waverly! Our Waverly parents and guardians volunteered their time to support the school in a myriad of ways this year. From organizing community events and fundraisers to chaperoning field trips, working at the Farm, serving lunch to students, providing refreshments for events, and showing Waverly teachers their caring through faculty/staff appreciation events, volunteers help keep the school humming.
Room parents/grade-level coordinators assist teachers with organizing field trips and communications with parents. The Halloween Party committee once again held a massive all-school bash — a longtime Waverly School tradition. Our Literary Festival committee managed not only the traditional book fair, but many events related to promoting literacy and a love of the written word.
The Winter Fair offered not only an opportunity for our talented students, families, and friends to share their talents with the community but also raised funds to support Waverly’s operations. The Jog-A-Thon is a fun day of running, games, and a chance for our students to have fun at school. The year will wind down with our Spring Event, an inclusive parent/guardian event on the High School campus.
Finally, in this unprecedented year of the Eaton and Palisades fires, our whole community stepped in to donate items and offer a helping hand, be it housing or just a ride to school, to those impacted by these devastating fires. Volunteers held a successful drive for items to donate to victims of the fires and continue to monitor needs through a mutual aid program.
Waverly is grateful for its families and their incredible support for our people and programs through volunteering.
2024-2025 Lead Organizers
Halloween: Bill Griffith
Waverly Literary Festival: Chequet Ching, Tamara Barnett-Herrin
Winter Fair: Lauren Randolph, Stacy Downey
Jog-A-Thon: Liz Craig
Teacher Appreciation Week: Pam Moeck, Nicole Porche Rosenthal
Spring Event: Nicole Porche Rosenthal
