My name is Alejandro Belardinelli and this is my family. We live in Westchester. My mom Alejandra was born in Venezuela. She is a teacher but she is not working right now. She loves going to the gym, being outdoor and enjoying nature. My dad was also born in Venezuela. He is a composer and he loves running and playing piano. We have a pet named Sanchez.  He is very lazy and silly. He likes to play with me, especially when I am playing with bubbles and with my soccer ball. As a family we love to go out for a walk, run or bike at the beach and going to the park. Our favorite park is Griffith Park. Our family is special because we take care of each other.

Lawson Holland

My name is Lawson Friedman Holland and this is my family.  We live in Venice, CA. I love blocks, red airplanes, my friends, cookies and garbage trucks (not necessarily in that order). My mom, Kay, was born and raised in Los Angeles.  She works as a writer and loves to read, write, bake, tell me stories and play ‘monsters’ with me and my brother.  My dad, Grant, was born in Atlanta, GA, and went to school at University of North Carolina (Go Heels!)  He works as a creative director in advertising and loves to play and watch sports (especially basketball), take walks with us and wrestle with me and my little brother. He is also great at assisting me with my construction projects.  My brother, Andrew McLeod, is 15 months old and loves to drool, smile, scream, eat, poop, run and laugh.  He will go to New School West someday, we hope!  We have a pet dog named Ernie and pet cat named Ella.  As a family, we love to visit grandparents, skype with Ama who lives in Atlanta, take walks, take naps and go on adventures.  Our favorite place to go is Papa and Gramma’s  house and our favorite outing is to the Santa Monica Airport to watch the planes.  Our family is special because we are a team.  We all take care of each other and try to bring out the best in each other and forgive the worst in each other.  We love to travel and meet new people.  And we try to laugh as much as possible. 
 

 

Margot Afman

My name is Margot, and this is my family.  We live in Mar Vista.  My mama, Jacki, was born in San Francisco and grew up in Marin County.  She works as an interior designer and loves to be crafty. My papa, Yonni, was born in Amsterdam and grew up in Naarden (suburb of Amsterdam).  He works as a producer and loves to play sports. My twin sister Stella, is 3 years old and loves to draw & sing & splash in the waves.  My brother, Hopper, is 16 months and he loves to do whatever my sister and I are doing.  As a family, we love to ride our bike to the beach and the farmers market on weekends.  Our favorite place to visit is our Nana’s house in Napa Valley/Tahoe and our Oma & Opa’s house in the Netherlands.  Our favorite park is in Venice on the beach.  Our family is special because we spend most of our time together riding our “fiets” (bike) around town and to the beach.  We also speak Dutch, which is really special because not many people speak Dutch anymore!

 

Max Ritger

My name is Max, and this is my family.  We live in Mar Vista very close to NSW.  My mom, Marina, is from the great state of Texas and my dad, Rob, is from CT.  When my mom isn’t working as a freelance reality tv producer, we love to go to the Aquarium in Long Beach, spend time with friends at the farmer’s market/park, sing songs in the car, and read stories at night.  Even if I wipe them off, her kisses are permanent.  My dad works at home as a screenwriter – he is silly and takes me to the hill park to run around and play rough.  My dad cooks me healthy dinners and is always around to kiss boo-boos.  Skippy is our pet turtle who lives in Daddy’s office.  As a family, we love to take walks, eat at restaurants and relax.   Our family is special because we are always together.

 

Ryan Schatzow

My name is Ryan and this is my family. We live in Santa Monica.  My mom, Jaclyn, was born in Chicago and grew up in San Francisco.  She used to be a Pilates instructor. She loves to run, cook and spend time with me—especially reading me stories, making cookies and tickling me.  My dad, Aaron, was born in Ottawa and grew up in Washington, DC.  He works as a stockbroker and loves to run, read and do puzzles with me. He is very good at making “towers” with me out of my blocks. My brother, Bryce, is 1.5 years old. He runs all over the place and loves to do everything I do. Sometimes it is very hard for me to share my toys but I love playing with him too. As a family, we love to go to the farmers market and ride bikes around our neighborhood on weekends.  Our favorite places to visit are the horses and trains at Griffith Park and our favorite park is Douglas.  We like to feed the ducks there. Our family is special because we are always trying new things and love to be together.

Sadie Bernstein

My name is Sadie Tanner Rose Bernstein and this is my family.  We live on Wade Street, right next to New School West.  My mom, Talia Botone, was born in Cleveland, OH, and grew up in Beachwood, OH and Tucson, AZ.  She works as an aesthetician (waxing) and she loves to fly on the trapeze, snowboard and hoop, as well as do art and throw theme parties. My dad, Daniel Bernstein, was born in Huntington Woods, MI and grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and Israel.  He works as a publicist (PR & entertainment) and loves to read and make music (guitar & sing).  We have a new puppy named dikembe (I call him bones), but one may hear my dad call him fabritzio because it is so fun to say with a heavy Italian accent. We also have two very large red-eared slider turtles named Mackena and Smertle along with visiting New School West mascot Willie. .  As a family, we love to go to the farmer’s market, pet store & library on weekends.  Our favorite place to visit is our cousins in Topanga and our favorite park is Venice Beach Park (next to the police station).  Our family is special because we don’t have a tv in our home, grow many of our own fruits, and we study sign language even though we don’t have any friends, just yet, or family that are hearing impaired. 

 

Stella Afman

My name is Stella, and this is my family.  We live in Mar Vista.  My mama, Jacki, was born in San Francisco and grew up in Marin County.  She works as an interior designer and loves to be crafty. My papa, Yonni, was born in Amsterdam and grew up in Naarden (suburb of Amsterdam).  He works as a producer and loves to play sports. My twin sister Margot, is 3.5 years old and loves to draw & sing & splash in the waves.  My brother, Hopper, is two years old and he loves to do whatever my sister and I are doing.  As a family, we love to ride our bike to the beach and the farmers market on weekends.  Our favorite place to visit is our Nana’s house in Napa Valley/Tahoe and our Oma & Opa’s house in the Netherlands.  Our favorite park is in Venice on the beach.  Our family is special because we spend most of our time together riding our “fiets” (bike) around town and to the beach.  We also speak Dutch, which is really special because not many people speak Dutch anymore