Cal-ISBOA News

August 19, 2025

A huge thank you to Buckley School CFO and 2025 MACI Award Recipient Lisa Turchan for hosting a So Long Summer Soirée in Los Angeles last week to bring Cal-ISBOA colleagues together! Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi was delighted to be able to join the many members who were in attendance to welcome NBOA President & CEO Jeff Shields and Executive Vice President James Palmieri, who were visiting from the East Coast.

Guests were transported into an enchanted garden when they passed through the tall doors to Lisa’s beautiful patio where our gracious hostess offered delicious homemade refreshments. The Soirée was the perfect opportunity for SoCal members to reconnect and share stories of their summer vacations and projects. Thank you to Lisa for her kind hospitality!

Regional gatherings like this provide casual and memorable opportunities to connect in person and nurture our special Cal-ISBOA community spirit throughout the year. Please let us know if you’d like to host a regional gathering in your city!

August 12, 2025

We are pleased to present our first-ever Back-to-School Service Provider Directory for Indy School professionals in California, just in time for any vendor decisions you need to make as the school year starts this fall.

These Cal-ISBOA sponsors and partners can be counted upon to provide top-notch service, and many offer discounts or other special deals to Cal-ISBOA members. They understand the independent school industry and the California reality, and some of your friends and colleagues are already doing business with them.

Check out the Back-to-School Service Provider Directory, and see what our trusted service providers can do for you! Be sure to tell them you are a Cal-ISBOA member.

July 29, 2025

Earlier this month, Emily Hilldore (DOFO) gave the Cal-ISBOA staff a wonderful tour of the San Francisco Waldorf School, where every inch of class space is used every hour of the day during the academic year. A lushly forested respite just steps away from the concrete landscape of the big city, the High School campus features gardening spaces and its own small hive of bees for hands-on student learning with nature. Integrating art, math, and science at every opportunity, the Waldorf School has its own weaving studio full of looms and partially finished student textile projects, whose patterns were devised using the geometric patterns and formulas students learn in their math classes.

We thank Emily and the San Francisco Waldorf School for hosting us at your beautiful campus! 

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July 24, 2025

A couple weeks ago, the Cal-ISBOA board and staff was graciously hosted at the Silicon Valley International School (INTL) in Palo Alto, which generously lent its quadra-lingual Media Hub to our Board Orientation. Erik Paxman (CFO at INTL and a VP of the Cal-ISBOA Board) treated Board members and staff to a fantastic tour of the K-5 campus, where we were all impressed by the modern classrooms full of natural light and the interactive signage and art to engage students. Offering immersive bilingual programs in French, German, and Chinese (PK-12), INTL is an International Baccalaureate World School authorized to provide the full continuum of IB education.

Thanks again to Erik and to INTL for hosting us at your amazing campus!

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July 17, 2025

Last week, the Cal-ISBOA staff was graciously hosted by Susan Sun (Business Officer) and Amy Chang (Payroll & HR Supervisor) for a fascinating tour of Chinese American International School (CAIS) at their still-new location in San Francisco. We learned about the extensive renovations (including significant seismic reinforcements!) done on several school buildings, and how happy the staff, faculty, and students are to be housed on a single campus. Serving a culturally diverse community, CAIS offers a continuum of educational experiences, from full Chinese immersion for its youngest students to Chinese as a second language for middle schoolers, and its rigorous academic program consistently produces students with a very high level of language proficiency and cultural understanding.

Thank you again to Susan, Amy, and CAIS for sharing your wonderful school with us! 

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July 14, 2025

Each year, Cal-ISBOA hosts a Board Orientation to welcome new Board members and provide a governance refresher for continuing Board members. This year's orientation was led by President Nicole Pennington and Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi in collaboration with other Board leaders on July 9 as a hybrid meeting at Silicon Valley International School (VP Erik Paxman's school in Palo Alto) and online.

The gathering provided an excellent opportunity for new and continuing Board members to deepen their understanding of Cal-ISBOA's objectives and operations and get to know one another better. Participants left with a clear understanding of the association's history and strategic direction, policies and procedures, and roles and responsibilities, which laid a solid foundation for the important and collaborative work the Board will undertake over the next year.

We look forward to working with this talented Board of Directors to achieve our collective goals and vision for Cal-ISBOA!

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July 7, 2025

In mid-June, the Cal-ISBOA Southern California Facilities Workshop was hosted at the scenic Marlborough School campus in Los Angeles, and Matt Riddle, Director of Facilities and Capital Planning, kindly toured our group around their facilities to cap off our day of professional learning and networking. Throughout the day and our tour, we were impressed by Marlborough’s incredible staff, their state-of-the-art facilities, and the breathtaking view of the Hollywood Hills from its 110,000-square-foot campus.

Thanks again to Matt and to Marlborough School for hosting us at your beautiful campus!

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July 3, 2025

Cal-ISBOA member schools are the heart of our organization, and visiting them in person is a true privilege. While in Los Angeles for the Southern California Facilities Workshop, Membership Engagement Manager Peggy Marshall was treated to a tour of The Oaks School from Aaron Fielding, Business Manager. Located on the campus of a renovated historic church, The Oaks School is a lush, green oasis in the urban heart of Los Angeles, where things are remarkably peaceful despite bustling surroundings. And remember this tidbit for your next Trivia Night: the unforgettable school dance scene in Back to the Future was filmed in The Oaks School’s gym!

Thanks again to Aaron and The Oaks School for the tour!

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July 1, 2025

Cal-ISBOA staff are grateful any time we can see our incredible member schools in action! Last month, we were graciously hosted by Jeanne Jacobs-Gaffney, Director of Finance and Operations at Children's Day School in San Francisco, where Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi learned about their signature on-campus farm in the middle of the city and met the newest CDS “students.” Children’s Day is located just across the street from the historic Misión San Francisco de Asís, or “Mission Dolores,” and the school’s beautiful campus features unique repurposed structures like the iconic San Francisco three-story rowhouses (full of staff offices now!) and Catholic school buildings.

Thanks again to Jeanne and to Children's Day School for sharing their special school with us!

June 23, 2025

Thank You for helping to make our Southern California Facilities Workshop a success! We shared an invigorating day of professional learning and networking, topped off with a tour of the incomparable Marlborough School in Los Angeles from Matt Riddle. Your active participation, insightful discussions, and unwavering support truly made this event memorable.

Our small but mighty group had a blast together! Please enjoy some photos from the event below.

We are so grateful to our Facilities Subcommittee, chaired by Matt Riddle (Marlborough School) and Vice-Chaired by Pamela Connor (Campbell Hall). Your committed leadership throughout planning and hosting the workshop was essential, enabling Cal-ISBOA to deliver a high-quality experience in support of Facilities Directors, CFOs, and others who handle the unique work of Facilities at their independent schools.

Special thanks go out to our generous Sponsor Building Solutions for supporting the Southern California Facilities Workshop!

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