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In the Perennial’s newest column, read Creative Director Skylar Chui’s latest comic strip

Read about sophomore Avery Wilson’s efforts to raise awareness about PANS in Lara Parikh’s latest article

Read about Pinewood art teacher Sasha Vu’s life as an artist in Aretha Liu’s latest article

Read about the impact of recent rainstorms on the Pinewood community in Annabelle Eaton’s latest article

READ MORE ON PAGE 8

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

INSTAGRAM: @PINEWOODPERENNIAL

PINEWOOD SCHOOL, LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA

Audrey Nelson Runs Stuffed Animals Drive To Support Hospitalized Youth P.S.P. Fosters Next Generation’s Social Entrepreneurs CHRISTINA TANASE Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of AUDREY NELSON

Originating in 2018, the Pinewood Scholars Program started as a committee led by Head of Upper Campus Gabriel Lemmon and Head of School Scott Riches, calling for a diverse group of faculty from different disciplines to come together and create a class. P.S.P. is a flagship program for juniors and seniors in which students are invited to engage in design thinking, project-based learning, and community partnerships. Over the course of junior year, P.S.P. students work together in groups of three to four students to create a mission-inspired project. In the process, they research social issues by watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, and exploring local nonprofits –– a process P.S.P. and literature teacher Michelle Gannon calls identity discovery. “Throughout a teenager’s life, there are lots of things that they feel passionate about, but the question is what will they do with that energy — and this class gives them the beautiful opportunity to do something with it,” Gannon said. During senior year, students have the op-

Illustration by SKYLAR CHUI

portunity to build upon what they learned the previous year, educate others, engage in socially conscious activities, and drive initiatives to affect genuine change through an individual project. One such senior attempting to create change through P.S.P. is senior Audrey Nelson, who is particularly passionate about comforting children who live in the hospital long-term. Hospitalized herself for a month when she was young, Nelson was inspired by her experiences with hospital care packages, of which many she found lacking in personalization and comfort. To solve this issue, Nelson has launched a stuffed animals drive in order to provide the supplies necessary to create custom bundles. With those supplies, Nelson plans to create bundles based off of hospital patients’ hobbies and interests to improve their hospital stay. Hoping to partner with Fisher House Foundation, a home for children who are frequently hospitalized, the Veteran Affairs Hospital (VA Hospital) is fond of Nelson’s idea and expressed their need for customized care baskets to make their patients feel more at home. “After interviewing a nurse who works at the VA Hospital, they made it clear that comfort is an issue in hospitals,” Nelson said. Nelson hopes that her current efforts and future aspirations for partnering with larger organizations, like the Ronald McDonald House Charities, will lead to a greater impact in smaller communities. At its core, Gannon hopes P.S.P. inspires and empowers students to become changemakers in the world outside of Pinewood. “I would like them to realize that they can actually make a difference. That even though they may be only 16, 17, or 18 years old, they can truly walk away from this class having made an impact,” Gannon said.

VOLUME VII, ISSUE III

THEPERENNIAL.ORG

The Baby Briefing: Pinewood Welcomes New Infants MAILEY WANG Staff Writer

constantly learning what is the best fit for the kid, then realizing she’s Sleep deprivation. Changing dirty grown up a bit, and what wasn’t diapers. Balancing school and home working yesterday, suddenly is tolife. For the past few months, this day,” Kim said. is how two teachers here at PineMcRobbie is going through a wood School — high school phys- similar experience, but with her ics teacher Yong Kim and musical fourth child rather than her first. theater and teachJude McRobbie er director Carrie was born on Sep. McRobbie — have 16, 2022. He been living. just turned four Kim’s baby, Jomonths old, and sephine Kim, was is quite a strong born on Oct. 20, baby. He is always 2022. At three holding his head months old, she up high, rollis already smiling, ing around, and cooing, and having jumping. Jude is fun with tummy a smiley baby and time. She loves the is adored by his thrill of sitting in a three older siscar, especially the ters, who are old feeling of speed. enough to help Kim thanks the with little Jude. Pinewood commuMcRobbie’s husnity, friends, famband is excited to ily, and especially have his first child his wife for helping and a little boy. A him through this soccer coach, he difficult experience. is already ready “I knew [my wife] BABY MADNESS Both Pine- for them to play was strong, smart, wood teachers Yong-Chan Kim soccer together. and kind-hearted, (top) and Carrie McRobbie (botLike Kim, but the past [two- tom) are taking care of newborns McRobbie is also YONG-CHAN KIM plus] months of see- Photos courtesyandofCARRIE challenged while MCROBBIE ing her as a mother balancing her two have taken those characteristics to a lives. Even though her job is very whole new stratosphere,” Kim said. time-consuming, she believes in Having an infant at home can carving out time for herself as well. be tiring, and so much harder than She tries to spend as much time Kim could have ever imagined. with family as possible, savoring However, he feels there are so many every moment with her little son. rewarding aspects of raising a child “I have an entirely different perand that all the work and time is spective on life these days. When I worth it. look at his sleeping face, it reminds “The intensity and joy of being me of why all the tough days are a parent to a newborn is... 24/7... worth it,” McRobbie said.