LET'S CELEBRATE 85 YEARS OF LAGUNA!
A NIGHT AT THE RANCH WILL HONOR LAGUNA’S LEGACY, ITS TODAY, AND ITS INNOVATIVE FUTURE!


ROUND UP FRIENDS TO SIT TOGETHER
 
JOIN THE POSSE AND SPONSOR THE EVENT!
 
WRANGLE UP SOME ITEMS TO DONATE BY 4/12
Ranch themed donations, event tickets, wine, vacations, etc.
 
 BE A RANCH HAND THE DAY OF THE EVENT AND VOLUNTEER
 
Thank you to our event chairs Stacey Fell and Kendra Sabino for being our trail blazers and leading a great group of volunteers.

"We have been Laguna parents for many years and throughout this time, the school has demonstrated strength, resilience, and steadfast commitment to our children. We look forward to honoring Laguna with you!"
~ Stacey Fell & Kendra Sabino
BEST OF LIVE RAFFLE
WIN YOUR CHOICE OF ANY OF THE EXCITING LIVE AUCTION ITEMS

  • Luxury Ranch Resorts
  • Exclusive Art
  • Unique Wine Experiences
  • and more!
$100 PER RAFFLE TICKET
  • Each Best of Live Raffle ticket is entered into the Best of Live drawing.
  • One ticket will be drawn at the start of Live Auction on 4/27.
  • The lucky winner gets their choice of any Live Auction item!
  • There are only 300 tickets available; get yours today before they sell out!
TICKET SALES
4/18 and 4/25
Volunteers will be selling tickets on both campuses at drop-off & pick-up each Thursday until the event. Cash, check, & credit cards accepted.
You may also contact Blaire Ridge at 805.687.4620 or stop by the Braun House with cash, check, or credit card.
 
TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD ONLINE.
MUST BE PRESENT AT EVENT TO WIN.
 
If you cannot attend, you must provide the name of a proxy who will be present at the event on 4/27.
PISCI ABREGO HONORED AS LAGUNA BLANCA'S PHIL WOMBLE AWARD RECIPIENT
By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor

The energy and dedication Pisci Abrego '20 puts into school and sports at Laguna Blanca School carries over into her community involvement.

Abrego on Monday was honored as Laguna Blanca’s recipient of the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award.

One of the qualities of a Phil Womble Award winner is putting others before self.

That quality fits Abrego perfectly.

Besides being a member of the cross country and soccer teams, she is co-president of the SOCK Club, an outreach organization that provides aid to the homeless, with the goal of improving homeless conditions both short- and long-term.

SMART FARM PROJECT SOWS TOP GIRL SCOUT AWARD FOR NATALIE MCCAFFERY
Reprinted from Noozhawk

Natalie McCaffery '20, of Troop 50886, recently earned a Girl Scout Gold Award (the highest achievement in Girl Scouting) with her project Smart Farm, a program she created at Laguna Blanca School to teach sustainable agriculture, with emphasis on how the agricultural world is changing with the emergence of technology.

McCaffery said she was naturally drawn to the world of STEM that uses real-life application. She recognized the lack of healthy food choices among young students and their unawareness of where the food they put in their bodies comes from.

REVOLUTION PREP TO OFFER FREE MOCK SAT NEXT SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Revolution Prep is offering a FREE full length SAT at Laguna Blanca!
 
Practice SAT – Saturday, April 20
  Time: 9AM-1PM
Location: Laguna Blanca Library
Cost: FREE!
Bring: pencils, calculator, water, and a snack
 

Contact Jean Stroud, Revolution Prep Academic Advisor, at 818-217-0951 or [email protected] with questions.
 
Students will be able to score their exams via their smart phones before they leave. The essay can be taken at home and submitted for a score and feedback.
 
All registrations come with a complimentary score report review. Click here to schedule the review now.
WEEKLY TIP FROM THE COLLEGE COUNSELOR
NEW! Timely, informative, and actionable tips from our Director of College Counseling Matt Struckmeyer to help provide insight into the sometimes confusing college admissions process. 

Look out for new words of wisdom each week. We hope you enjoy!

Tip #1:  Go to classes on a Friday and spend the night in a dorm. For seniors contemplating multiple schools, it's best to sample college life in a realistic way. Enterprising juniors may want to do the same thing—it's far better to visit a college when the students are present! 
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTICITY IN COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
By Matt Struckmeyer, Laguna Blanca Director of College Counseling

The recent college admissions scandal has proven that it’s more important now than ever for applicants to possess actual skills rather than the appearance of them. This is especially true when it comes to the college essay—the part of the application that gives colleges the best sense of the applicant as a real person, and not just a collection of numbers and accolades.

At Laguna Blanca School, I’ve always valued the true learning and authenticity that should reside at the core of the admissions process. Helping students to acquire the skill and, more importantly, the confidence to write about themselves in the first person, empowers them to take risks and show the flair that sets dynamic applicants apart.

JOIN US ON APRIL 23 FOR "THE INTRUSION OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY" FEATURING DEBORAH ALLEN
The Parents Auxiliary invites all parents to our last Lunch and Learn meeting of the year on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:45AM in the Rugg Room on the MS campus ( please note location change ). At this session, presenter Debbie Allen will use case illustrations to examine both the positive and negative impact of social media and technology, explore common sense interventions, share how to help children to be advocates rather than bystanders online, and learn more about how to protect adolescents from the “dark web.” Relevant online resources and articles that address these issues will be discussed and shared.

About the Speaker
Debbie Allen has 30+ years of community and private practice experience, including inpatient hospitals, outpatient treatment programs, residential treatment, and school based therapy. She is a senior clinician with Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara and is Adjunct Faculty at Antioch University of Santa Barbara in the MA Counseling Psychology department. She is committed to addressing issues of social justice that impact families and enhancing social and emotional learning from Pre-K into high school.
THE FOURTH ESTATE'S MARCH ISSUE IS HERE!
WINDY CITY MEMORIES
We were so happy to welcome our student travelers home from their Urban Studies trip to Chicago.

Click here to enjoy some snapshots from their amazing learning adventure over spring break!
SAVE THE DATE: 5/8
URBAN STUDIES EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION NIGHT
Ninth grade parents are invited to attend the Sixth Annual student-organized Experiential Education Night on Wednesday, May 8 from 6-7:30PM in the Library.

Join us for this casual evening as ninth grade students & Chicago trip-goers share their projects, photos, and trip experiences. Each of Laguna’s urban studies, interdisciplinary, cross-grade-level trips—NYC 2014 and 2017, London 2015, New Orleans 2016, and Paris 2018—has culminated in a trip-sharing/project-sharing evening.
 
In addition to the trip-goers sharing select stories, photos, and videos, the entire ninth grade class will display the research-based creative projects they have been working on for weeks.

Pizza will be served for students on Merritt Patio beginning at 5:30PM.

QUESTIONS? Please contact Ashley Tidey .
UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS GET BREATH OF FRESH AIR ON LOS PADRES BACKPACKING TRIP
Over Spring Break, nine Upper School students traveled to the Los Padres Forest for an action-packed, five-day community service trip. Led by Director of College Counseling Mr. Struckmeyer along with a volunteer from the Los Padres Forest Association, Laguna students backpacked into a remote part of the forest to perform trail maintenance and other duties.

The five-day community service trip taught vital skills in outdoor living, ecology, and sustainability for all who attended, as well as provided an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful springtime setting.

"I hugely enjoyed getting to know all of these students better, the fun we had, the work we did, and the incredible beauty of it all," says Struckmeyer.

LAGUNA MATH TEACHERS EXPLORE NEW IDEAS AT SAN DIEGO CONFERENCE
Over spring break, six teachers from Laguna Blanca's Math Department attended the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in San Diego. They attended numerous workshops on a variety of topics including trends in mathematics curriculum, research on neurodiversity and its role in math education, and the importance of algebraic thinking at all grade levels.

Middle School and Upper School math teachers had the opportunity to meet with many different textbook publishers, get their questions answered about upcoming editions, and preview new and exciting changes in how mathematics is presented, taught, and supported with technology. Everyone left the conference excited and inspired with fresh ideas!
LAGUNA'S IoT SUMMER INSTITUTE RETURNS IN AUGUST
SIGN UP TODAY!
AUGUST 19-22
9AM - 4PM
HOPE RANCH CAMPUS

Take your computer projects to the next level at Laguna Blanca’s IoT Summer Institute where you will extend your knowledge of applying the C++ programming language. The Institute focuses on a Wi-Fi communication protocol via the Photon microprocessor to communicate with iPhone, email, and/or PC. This project-based course will involve wiring a breadboard, which will lead to prototyping a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Students will program, wire up, solder, and fasten their device into a 3D-printed enclosure made for that purpose.

All required materials will be provided during class and students will take home the IoT project they build. Some experience with computer programming is necessary, internet capable PC or MAC required for this course.

For students entering Grades 9-12 in Fall of 2019 .
$500 Registration Fee

Click on the video above to get an inside look at Laguna's IoT program!

Please contact Dan Ary with questions and to register.
PERFORMING ARTS CORNER
IT'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL TIME!
LAGUNA BLANCA PRESENTS
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
MAY 2-4
Excerpt from SB Independent (photo by Jack Stein '19)

At Laguna Blanca, Theatre Director Dana Caldwell and her student actors are producing another classic: Once Upon a Mattress, the quirky musical take on The Princess and the Pea. Laguna Blanca is in its second year of partnership with Ensemble Theatre Company, so these students get personal mentorship from area professionals. While West Side Story tackles serious social issues, Once Upon a Mattress offers an equally important, albeit lighter, life lesson. “Life is too short to take too seriously all the time!” said Caldwell. Beau Glazier, who will be portraying the wacky Princess Winnifred, offers a profound take on the importance of this show’s comedic characters.

LAGUNA STUDENTS HENRY CHALLEN AND SAM PILLOW TO PERFORM IN "FUN HOME" AT CENTER STAGE THEATER THIS WEEKEND
Sixth grader Henry Challen (second from left) as John, and seventh grader Sam Pillow (second from right) as Christian in the musical "Fun Home" at Center Stage Theater. Photo by David Bazemore
Henry Challen '25 and Sam Pillow '24 will play brothers again this weekend in Fun Home , the latest production from Out Of The Box Theatre Company .

Based on Alison Bechdel's 2006 memoir of the same name, with brilliant songs by Jeanine Tesori, Fun Home tells a comedic yet tragic coming-out and coming-of-age story (note: mature themes and language). The show received five Tony Awards in 2015, including Best Musical.

Fun Home opened at Center Stage last weekend to rave reviews and high attendance. Henry, who plays John, and Sam, as his older brother Christian , join an outstanding cast, including veteran stage and film actor Rob Grayson ( Bruce ), and VeeCee Award Winner Aileen Marie Scott ( grown-up Alison .)

Performances will take place at Center Stage Theater in Paseo Nuevo on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 at 8PM and Sunday, April 13 at 2PM.

LAGUNA STUDENTS TO PERFORM IN BIG FISH!
Three Laguna students will star in Lights Up! Theatre Company's inaugural production of Big Fish! This fully-staged musical theatre performance at the Marjorie Luke Theatre takes place on Wednesday, April 24 at 7PM, Friday, April 26 at 7PM, and Saturday, April 27 at 1PM and 7PM. Read more about these Owls and their roles in the show below.
Luca D'Agruma '23

Luca is a Santa Barbara-based actor, singer, and writer with an intense love for learning. His past shows have included Les Misérables, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Orpheus in the Berkshires at the Williamstown Theater Festival, Mary Poppins, and more. Luca is so thankful for his friends and family and is super excited to be performing in West Side Story and Big Fish this year.

Luca plays Karl the Giant.

Katherine Ball '23

Katherine is honored to perform with Lights Up! Theatre Company. She played Psyche in  Cupid and Psyche with Boxtales Theatre Camp during the summer. Katherine has performed with SBYET and Adderley for years, in roles such as Cosette in  Les Misérables, Cinderella in  Into the Woods, Galinda in  Wicked, Ms. Honey in  Matilda, and Anna in  Frozen. She enjoys caroling during the holidays with the Young Singers Club, and she danced for seven years with Goleta School of Ballet. Katherine enjoys playing clarinet and tennis, reading books, and petting her cat.

Katherine plays t he Witch.
Noah Dehli ’24

Noah is an aspiring writer, musician, and singer. At thirteen, he has found that these things bring him joy. In his spare time, he likes to swim, hike, read, climb, do handstands, and procrastinate (especially the last one). Noah often works better when it’s raining, so the world is louder than everything else. He has written four songs,is writing two books, and has completed the majority of pages while the sky was pouring. Acting has always held a passion for him, and he has played roles all over the board, including a clock, an ogre, and a grandmother. Behind all of it, the driving force for Noah has always been his imagination, which is constantly running off and finding odd things to throw at other people. Ideas, ideas, ideas.

Noah plays Zacky Price and Red Fang .
LAGUNA STUDENTS TO TAKE THE STAGE IN WEST SIDE STORY PERFORMANCES
Magdalena Amezaga '24
Luca D'Agruma '23
Sam Pillow '24
Three Laguna students will take to the stage at the historic Lobero Theatre on the first weekend in May in The Adderley Conservatory's musical West Side Story. You will not want to miss Luca D'Agruma '23 , Magdalena Amezaga '24 , and Sam Pillow '24 enthrall as part of the ensemble cast in this timeless Broadway hit! Janet Adderley, director, says, " West Side Story was groundbreaking when it opened 62 years ago and is considered a masterpiece of musical theater. When we assembled our cast, I knew they would captivate local audiences."

Thirty Conservatory students will perform in four shows at the Lobero, taking turns in lead roles and ensemble numbers. Luca will play the role of Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, in both evening performances. Magdalena will perform as Anita in the opening matinee on May 4 and with the ensemble in the other performances. Sam will play Baby John, member of the Jets, in all four performances. Shows are Saturday, May 4 at 2PM and 7:30PM and Sunday, May 5 at 2PM and 7:30PM.

THE PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD FORMS ARE DUE ON MONDAY, 4/15
Click here to learn more about this award. Late forms will not be accepted. Please return your form to Trish McHale, Tina Braniff, or Chris Davis.
LAGUNA'S MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASS ENTREPRENEURSHIP NEEDS YOUR INPUT
Our Middle School entrepreneurs are currently consulting with The Habit on improvements to their ordering process. Please take a moment to fill out this survey .  Thank you for your input!
WHOOO ARE YOU?
NAME: Kate
GRADE: 4

What ONE word would others use to describe you?
Nice

What is one fact about you that people don't know?
I play five sports!
Where is your favorite place in the world?
The Bahamas

PARENTS' ULTIMATE GUIDE TO INSTAGRAM
Is Instagram safe? How does it work? And what's a "finsta?"

Click here for everything you need to know about this popular image-sharing app.
UPCOMING DATES
LOWER SCHOOL

FRI 4/12
Auction donations appreciated by today

MON 4/15
Gr. K & 3 to Sea Landing for Whale Watching (8:30AM)

WED 4/17
Spring Benefit Planning Meeting in HR Gym Foyer (1:30PM)

THURS 4/18
Best of Live Raffle tickets for sale during drop-off and pick-up

FRI 4/19
Passover Begins

SUN 4/21
Easter

MIDDLE SCHOOL

FRI 4/12
Auction donations appreciated by today

MON 4/15
The President's Volunteer Service Award Form Deadline

TUES 4/16
MS Robotics to Battlebots Studios (8:45AM)

WED 4/17
Spring Benefit Planning Meeting in HR Gym Foyer (1:30PM)

THURS 4/18
Best of Live Raffle tickets for sale during drop-off and pick-up

FRI 4/19
Gr. 8 to UCSB Grad Slam (1:30PM)

Passover Begins

SUN 4/21
Easter
UPPER SCHOOL

FRI 4/12
Auction donations appreciated by today

US Course Registration Assembly in Spaulding (10:15AM)

US Course Registration Advising on Merritt Patio (12:10PM)

SAT 4/13
ACT

MON 4/15
US Advisory for Course Registration Forms (10:15AM)

Senior Project Form Deadline

The President's Volunteer Service Award Form Deadline

WED 4/17
Spring Benefit Planning Meeting in HR Gym Foyer (1:30PM)

THURS 4/18
Best of Live Raffle tickets for sale during drop-off and pick-up

FRI 4/19
Passover Begins

SAT 4/20
Practice SAT in Isham Library (9AM)

SUN 4/21
Easter