On April 6 to 7, the annual All School Read took place during English classes across all grade levels. Each class examined different works relating to Jane Goodall, the late primatologist and anthropologist who died last year. Some classes read an essay by Jane Goodall, others watched a video, but the works all possessed something in common: Jane Goodall and her legacy. 

All School Read is an annual event, with each year focusing on a different piece of literature. In past years, a school-wide assembly was typically held to welcome an author and their work. Last year, Westridge welcomed Marla Frazee to read her book In Every Life. This year, the English Department chose a different approach for the annual All School Read.

Instead of the usual assembly held in the gym, students learned about Jane Goodall through either reading or watching a video about her in their English classes. The English Department aimed to create an “intimate kind of conversation within classrooms,” said Upper School English Department Chair Dr. Jessica Bremmer. “We thought we could just kind of simplify a little bit this year, and reevaluate what we’ve been doing and then plan for future years.”

Teachers were able to choose their own work of Jane Goodall to share with their classes. Upper School English Teacher Ms. Molly Yurchak decided to have her 10th grade students read a personal essay titled “Dr. Jane Goodall: Being a Woman Was Crucial to My Success in a Male-Dominated Field.” She was “attracted to [the essay] because it talked about the way her identity as a woman played into the work that she did.”

Fia A. ’27 read the same essay in her Perspectives in Literature class. “Her work is just really inspiring,” said Fia. “She was such a pioneer, especially in her field, and not even a pioneer for just women, a pioneer overall.” Students reading similar works across grade levels in their English classes demonstrates the strong sense of connection that All School Read promotes. 

However, in Upper School English Teacher Ms. Katie Wei’s English II class, students watched a conversation between Margaret Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale and other pieces of literature, and Jane Goodall. “I learned a lot about Jane Goodall’s efforts to help improve the environment and help the animals,” said Mira C. ’28, a sophomore in Ms. Wei’s class.

In Middle School, students read the same essay as Ms. Yurchak’s class and viewed an accompanying presentation. 35 minutes of their morning meeting were dedicated to reading Jane Goodall’s essay and learning about her legacy. The two Middle School English Teachers, Ms. Kara Ramirez and Mr. John Cross, also used this time to share their experiences as children learning about Jane Goodall and growing up under her influence. Ms. Ramirez also gave a presentation with background information tailored to middle schoolers, highlighting Jane Goodall’s legacy and the impact she has had on others. 

From giving students the opportunity to explore various authors and their stories to inspiring students to draw from these writers in their own work, All School Read is an undeniably important event at Westridge. Ms. Ramirez sees it as “a vehicle for learning about the world, learning about conservation, [and] learning about role models.”