Skip to Main Content
The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

A tiger representing a top competitor in the metaphorical jungle of high school growls while holding an A+ paper.

Survival of the Fittest: The Dangers and Benefits of Academic Competition

Faculty and students speak on competition over college applications amid the recent unprecedented admissions season.
Ava Fattahi
June 1, 2021

Casey Weisman ’22 felt the blue fluorescent glow of his laptop screen on his face as he logged onto his fifth virtual college panel in mid-April. He immediately began worrying about the upcoming college...

Nia Kilgore: Upper School Dean

Kyra Hudson
August 31, 2017

Nia Kilgore landed the position of Upper School Dean after years of experience as a college counselor at various independent schools in the Los Angeles area. Kilgore worked as the Interim Director of College...

Cairns to retire after 32 years

Noa Schwartz
March 10, 2017

Upper School Dean Vanna Cairns announced her retirement to her students today via email. Cairns has worked at the school for 32 years, serving initially as a French teacher and eventually as both a...

Dean Maude Bond. Credit: Pavan Tauh/Chronicle

Maude Bond: Dean

August 31, 2016

Maude Bond replaced Rose-Ellen Racanelli as an upper school dean, bringing ten years of experience from both a high school counseling and a college admissions perspective. Previously, Bond was the associate...

Printed with permission of Nathanson's

Racanelli to retire after 13 years of student counseling

Maddy Daum
April 27, 2016

Upper School Dean Rose-Ellen Racanelli will retire this upcoming summer after 13 years of leading and guiding her students. “I think deep down in my heart, I will miss the kids the most,” Racanelli...

Mastin to become principal of Laurence School

Nick Settelmayer
May 27, 2015

Assistant Head of Middle School Paul Mastin is leaving at the end of the year to become the principal at the Laurence School in Valley Glen. After 23 years at Harvard-Westlake, Mastin has decided that...

Faculty, staff re-elect Schuhl to 2nd term

Angela Chon
April 29, 2015

Science teacher Dietrich Schuhl will begin a second term as Dean of Faculty and Staff next year. Schuhl was first elected by upper school faculty and staff in 2013 for the two-year term and was re-elected...

Carroll to become 7th grade dean

Claudia Wong
March 18, 2015

Although he will miss the competition and measureable progress of being a swim coach, Carroll said he is excited about becoming a dean next year. "I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to take...

Adegbile to direct counseling at Cate School

Kelly Riopelle
January 14, 2015

Upper School Dean Tamar Adegbile will not return to school next year, she announced Jan. 7 in emails to students and parents. Adegbile will become the Director of College Counseling at the Cate School...

Adegbile to direct college counseling at Cate School

Kelly Riopelle
January 7, 2015

Upper school dean Tamar Adegbile will not return to school next year, she announced Wednesday in an email to students and parents. Adegbile will become the Director of College Counseling at the Cate School...

Howard to become new dean

Lauren Sonnenberg
April 30, 2014

English teacher Adam Howard ’93 will join the dean team next year, replacing Jim Patterson, Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts announced in an email to faculty and staff Monday morning. Next year, Howard...

Patterson to serve as new Director of External Learning

Enya Huang
April 30, 2014

Dean Jim Patterson will assume the new position of Director of External Learning next year. The job entails “leading and overseeing all the portions of the Harvard-Westlake program that are outside of...

Load More Stories
Activate Search
The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School
dean