Chandler School

This special episode of Chandler Chats brings our story full circle as we wrap our 75th Anniversary festivities. Head of School Emily Brown sits down with Toby Harder ’59 and Jay Harder ’96, a father and son duo whose shared Chandler experience spans generations. Together, they reflect on what it was like to be a student in two very different eras—from Toby’s days in the very first campus in Altad...

In this special episode of Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown sits down with Jeff Stephens, Chandler’s third Head of School, as part of our 75th anniversary celebration. Serving from 1979 to 2001, Jeff reflects on more than two decades of leadership and the people, traditions and values that helped shape Chandler into the school we know today. From his early days as a headmaster in San Fr...

We’re excited to share the latest episode of Chandler Chats with Emily Brown , featuring special guest Dave Edwards, founder of Gender Inclusive Schools, alongside our own Hilary Blunt, Director of Belonging and Strategic Engagement. Many of our families may remember Dave’s visit to campus in March of 2026, where he led a Learning Together Community Education session and worked closely with our fa...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown sits down with two cherished members of our faculty,  Mr. Donny Kincey  and  Mr. Robert Calderon , known to generations of students as Mr. Donny and Mr. Cal. Both were recently honored with Faculty Awards: Mr. Cal received  The Durairaj Family Endowed Faculty Award in Memory of Mr. Vernon L. Hill , and Mr. Donny was awarded the  Max &...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Emily Brown sits down with  Director of Athletics Bill Anderson  and  Spanish Department Chair (and multi-sport coach) Oscar Lugo  for a dynamic conversation about the heart behind Chandler athletics. From Run Club mornings to the Paul Korn Invitational, and the Five-Sport Award to our upcoming Sports-A-Thon, we explore how athletics at Chandler is about so muc...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Emily Brown is joined by  Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Campaign Jenny Seto  and  Vice President of Villa Esperanza Services Gioia Pastre for  a conversation centered on service, connection and the partnerships that help our community thrive. We are happy to share this episode ahead of Big Service Day, our annual, cherished tradition where students...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Emily Brown is joined by  Eric Hudson  and  Kim Edwards  for a timely and thoughtful conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in education and what it means for our students, families and educators. As AI becomes more present in classrooms and daily life, this episode invites us to slow down and consider not just the tools themselves, but the huma...

In this episode of Chandler Chats , Emily Brown reflected on the lasting impact of the Eaton Fire one year later and the powerful ways communities come together in moments of loss and recovery. Through thoughtful conversation with Altadena Town Council Vice Chair Nic Arnzen at the Eaton Fire Collaborative , this episode explores remembrance, resilience and the collaborative efforts that help commu...

In this week’s episode of Chandler Chats , I am  joined by Learning Together speaker Jason Craige Harris for a timely and thought-provoking conversation about conflict - what it is, why it’s unavoidable and how we can learn to engage conflict more skillfully within our school and broader community.  Drawing from his work with educators, parents and organizations, Jason reframes conflict as a natur...

In this week’s episode of Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown sits down with two beloved members of our community and Chandler Spirit Award recipients: longtime art teacher Travis Chatham and alumna-turned-educator Catherine Pearson ’06 . Together, they reflect on the joy, gratitude and optimism that shape their work every day, whether it’s guiding K-8 artists through creative exploration,...

In this latest episode, Head of School Emily Brown sits down with  Director of Learning Resources Scott Nancarrow  and  Kindergarten Teacher Kacie Chaney  to talk about how Chandler’s commitment to differentiated instruction helps every child grow with confidence. Scott and Kacie share how the School collaborates to support students’ diverse learning needs, whether through small group instruction,...

In this latest episode of Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown sits down with Hillary Blunt , Director of Belonging and Strategic Engagement, and Julie Mendoza , School Counselor, for a heartfelt conversation about what it means for every student to feel known, supported and connected. Together, they explore how belonging and well-being are intertwined with academic success and how Chandler...

We're thrilled to welcome two voices who help bring melody, rhythm and meaning into everyday life at Chandler -  Brandi Williams-Moore , our Creative Director and Performing Arts Chair, and  Vidie Williams , who inspires our youngest learners as the Lower School Music Teacher. Together, they walk us through the evolving role of music across all grade levels, their philosophies for engaging stu...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown sits down with two of Chandler’s newer faculty members:  Cynthia Hernandez , 1st Grade Teacher, and  Joe Alexander , Lower School Science Teacher. Cynthia, who joined Chandler in 2022, shares her journey from a career in mental health to the joyful energy of the first-grade classroom. Joe, who has been at Chandler since 2023, reflects...

In this episode of  Chandler Chats , Head of School Emily Brown is joined by two special guests,  Interim Middle School Director Mateo Reyes  and  Lower School Director Laura Reardon . Together, they reflect on the excitement of launching the 2025-2026 school year and celebrating Chandler’s 75th anniversary. Mateo and Laura share insights about welcoming new faculty, building strong connections wi...

We’re kicking off the 2025-2026 school year with an energizing conversation about AI and its role in education, art and culture. Joining Emily are two special guests - Kim Edwards , EdTech consultant and founder of Innovative Teaching Solutions , who brings expertise in helping schools harness AI-powered tools for teaching and learning and Steve Chung , Chandler parent and COO of Azuki , who share...

​In the latest episode of Chandler Chats , we’re thrilled to spotlight the vibrant offerings of our Summer@Chandler program. Head of School Emily Brown sits down with Summer@Chandler Director Diana Moore and 2nd Grade Teacher Ashley Weideman to discuss how Chandler’s summer camp blend fun, creativity and learning.​ Diana and Ashley share how the program is designed to keep students engaged through...

In the episode of Chandler Chats , we’re excited to welcome members of our Admissions Team! Head of School Emily Brown is joined by Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Hillary Blunt and Director of Admissions Gretchen Lurie. They share insights into Chandler’s personalized admissions process, the importance of belonging and inclusion and how families can experience our campus through eve...

In this week’s episode of Chandler Chats, we’re excited to welcome members of our Advancement Team!  Director of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives Joan Bravo  is joined by two new faces— Assistant Director of Alumni Relations & Campaign Jenny Seto '01  and  Assistant Director of Annual Giving Lynde Tomori Trussell . They share insights into fostering community connections, Chandler’s rich...

In this episode, we are excited to feature  Cheryl Mang ,  Young-Gi Harabedian  and  Jeremy Baker , three parents who are active volunteers at Chandler School. Fresh off the excitement of this past weekend's open house, they have contributed in various capacities and shared insights about their children’s experiences, volunteer work on campus and the new shuttle from the Rose Bowl. Tune in to hear...

In this week’s episode, we are excited to highlight  Kindergarten Teacher Katie Villanueva  and  1st Grade Teacher Megan Collins . They share their experiences with both phases of the  Student-Centered Campus Redesign  project and how their new classrooms were thoughtfully created with kid-friendly features and flexible learning spaces. Hear firsthand how these environments are fostering creativit...

In this first episode of the new school year, we're excited to welcome Rob Evans, Director of Middle School, and Laura Reardon, Director of Lower School. They share the latest updates for their respective divisions and what they’re most looking forward to in the new school year.

In this special summer episode of  Chandler Chats , we are delighted to welcome Dr. Jessica Perez Del Toro, Executive Director of  Partnership for Success (PFS)  and Chandler's own PFS Site Director, Paul Camargo . In this engaging session, Dr. Perez Del Toro and Mr. Camargo discuss the transformative work of PFS, which harnesses the power of education to uplift Pasadena Unified School Distric...

In this episode of Chandler Chats, we welcomed  School Librarian Stacey May . Join us as Mrs. May shares her expertise in recommending the best books, coordinating author visits and keeping everything running smoothly in our K-8 Community Library. Additionally, Mrs. May will be sharing her top summer reading picks for our families. Her insightful discussion underscores the vital role our library p...

In this episode of Chandler Chats, we are thrilled to welcome three esteemed guests from our Middle School Science department— Mr. Cal ,  Arpa Ghazarian  and  Kyle Rubalcava . Join us as they delve into the intricacies of our science curriculum, discuss the importance of staying current in their field, and share their favorite electives, among other topics. Their insightful conversation highlights...