Walden School Honors Teacher; Welcomes Director, Breaks Ground
The Walden School recently celebrated both history and new beginnings at a reception under the stars, as the school honored teacher Mark Sonnenburg for 20 years of service and welcomed new Director Matt Allio to the school.
Sonnenburg, who currently teaches fourth grade at Walden, noted that he began teaching there when the school had just 60 students. As the school has grown, so has Sonnenburg’s links to it; his wife, Anna, teaches third grade at Walden and his sons, Nicolas and Noah, both attend the school.
As part of the evening, Walden parents, teachers and community members welcomed Allio as the new director. Previously, Allio served as the head of Live Oak School, a K-8 school in San Francisco; was the Upper School Head at the Crane School in Santa Barbara; and taught middle school mathematics at schools in San Francisco and Santa Barbara.
The Walden School also celebrated the ground breaking for the renovation of their north playground. With input from students, staff, and parents, the Sense of Place Committee worked with Toby Hayward Construction Company and Ronnie Siegel, landscape architect, to create a unique outdoor learning environment for the students. Parents of the school have committed their Annual Fund dollars to making this beautiful new playground a reality. The playground is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2006.
The Walden School is located at 74 S. San Gabriel Blvd., Pasadena. Additional information is available at www.waldenschool.net.
Tours for prospective parents are in progress and there is a Prospective Parents Open House on Thursday, Jan. 12. Call the school for details at (626) 792-6166. HONORED -- The Walden School honored teacher Mark Sonnenburg, left, for 20 years of service and welcomed new Director Matt Allio, right, at an evening celebration. Congratulating the pair is, Lynne Doll, left, president of the Walden Board of Trustees and Anna Sonnenburg, right, Walden teacher and wife of Mark Sonnenburg. 20060105isjdnunc(LA)