EK-12 FIELD DAY IS TOMORROW! |
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SUMMER @ LAGUNA IS ALMOST FULL! |
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Limited space is available in a number of camps.
Check out our newest Gr. EK-3 Camp—Laguna Explorers and our flagship Middle School Camp—SOAR!
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Thank you to the following donors for their generous support to underwrite this important event.
It's not too late to sponsor! Sponsorship confirmed by Friday, April 8 will be recognized on the event website and in the program.
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Many thanks to those who have donated items and experiences! We couldn't have a successful event without your support. If you have not already done so, please consider making a donation today!
We will offer a sneak peek of some of our fabulous auction items when we return from spring break.
ONLINE AUCTION OPENS APRIL 20!
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POST-SPRING BREAK TESTING
Using the test kits that were distributed to students this Wednesday, please test your child at home on Sunday night or Monday morning before sending them back to school on Monday, April 4. Report any positive results to the school via health@lagunablanca.org. You do not need to report a negative result. As an additional precaution, we encourage you to test your child again on April 6 or 7.
LAGUNA’S INDOOR MASKING UPDATE
This was our first week with our updated indoor masking policy, and it has been a joy to see so many smiling faces in and out of the classroom! We remain committed to the health and safety of our community and to supporting individual choices under the current policy.
Protocols regarding COVID symptoms, infections, and quarantining remain unchanged. Thank you for swiftly reporting positive COVID test results to health@lagunablanca.org.
TESTING
We encourage all families to utilize the free testing services through Aptitude at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Aptitude test results will now be available at 9PM on the date tested if submitted by the cut-off time (2:30PM for Santa Barbara site). The samples collected after the cut-off time will yield results by 2PM the next day.
If you are not able to test through Aptitude, we still require PCR-level tests.
COVID SYMPTOM MONITORING
Thank you for monitoring your child for the following COVID-like symptoms and swiftly reporting positive COVID test results to health@lagunablanca.org.
COVID SYMPTOMS
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea
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AFTER-SCHOOL DERBY BUILDS ARE IN FULL SWING! |
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LBS SOAPBOX DERBY
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
PALOMA DRIVE, HOPE RANCH
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Need help building your ride? Mr. Pagano is opening the Innovation Lab for after-school Derby Builds! Email him to reserve a spot.
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PLEASE NOTE NEW CALENDAR DATES |
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LUNCH & LEARN
Thursday, April 14
11:45AM
PARENT APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
Tuesday, May 17
11AM
Both events will take place underneath the cypress trees by the Hope Ranch Gymnasium.
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All families are invited to join in on the next Trail Adventure!
Thursday, April 7
San Ysidro Trailhead at 9:30AM
Distance: 3-4 mile loop
Difficulty: moderate
Route: Girard and McMenemy Trail
Be sure to bring water, hiking shoes, and sun protection.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL LOST & FOUND |
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Middle School Families, please retrieve items from the Lost & Found by tomorrow, March 18. All items remaining will be donated during spring break. The Middle School Lost & Found bin is located in the MS Lot. Thank you! |
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LAGUNA'S YOUTH FOR DIRECT RELIEF RAISING MONEY FOR UKRAINE WITH FLOWER DRIVE |
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Youth for Direct Relief, including Laguna's chapter that operates as a student club, is raising money to benefit Direct Relief in its mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. Recently, Direct Relief has been donating medical supplies to Ukraine. So far, they have donated more than $3 million in aid.
For a suggested donation of $75, you can honor two people or organizations of your choice with flowers and handmade cards. The flowers and cards will be delivered by teen volunteers from Youth for Direct Relief to the recipients in the Santa Barbara area on two separate days in the month of April.
The Laguna chapter of Youth For Direct Relief will also hold a bake sale after spring break to raise funds for Ukraine.
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SIXTH GRADE EXPLORES THE GETTY VILLA |
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Sixth graders were one of the first school groups to visit the Getty Villa last week after it reopened for field trips for the first time in two years! Students experienced the grand architecture and antiquities of the Greco-Roman era as part of their ancient civilizations curriculum. |
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THE FOURTH ESTATE STAFF MEMBERS AWARDED CSPA CERTIFICATE OF MERIT |
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Congratulations to The Fourth Estate editors Madeleine Nicks '22, Hanna Masri '22, and Dare Fitzpatrick '22 who were recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and received a Certificate of Merit (honorable mention) in the Entertainment Reviews category for their story titled "Truly the Most Dramatic Season Yet." The piece is a review of America's favorite reality TV series, The Bachelor.
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association announced the winners from its 38th Gold Circle Awards program, which recognizes superior work by student journalists working with either print or online media. This year, 4,744 news and magazine entries were submitted in 86 categories. Judges cited a total of 638 winners for either First, Second, or Third Place or for Certificates of Merit (honorable mention) in a category.
Entries come from publications produced by students at colleges, universities, and secondary schools through the United States and overseas who follow an American education plan.
Entries were accepted from student print news and magazines published from June 13, 2020 through June 12, 2021. Student journalists working on these print or electronic media chose from 51 news categories and 35 magazines.
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MAURA JAYE '22 RELEASES SINGLE ON SPOTIFY |
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Senior Maura Jaye, singer in Laguna Blanca's Stage Band, has just released her first single off her upcoming EP. Wait For Me is now available on all platforms! To support Maura, consider streaming her song, following her Spotify artist profile, and/or following her Instagram @maurajayemusic.
Way to go, Maura!
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WELCOME TO LAGUNA, DR. PETERSON! |
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This week, we welcomed Dr. Kristina Peterson to campus to begin shadowing Mr. Bairzin in preparation for taking over as his long-term substitute teacher/advisor while he is on paternity leave. Dr. Peterson is a creative, analytical teacher, and an invested educator who will be a great fit for Mr. Bairzin’s classes. She enters the Laguna community with 24 years of successful, science teaching experience and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Most recently, Dr. Peterson taught Middle and High School science at Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL) and Lakeside School in Seattle. Dr. Peterson’s resume also includes Department Chair, Lead Teacher, Faculty Mentor, and expertise in Project-Based Learning and Differentiation.
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O.W.L. TEACHER HIGHLIGHTS |
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Science and STEM Department Chair Staci Richard brings the world into her classrooms, and her students into the world. Staci breaks down her classroom walls by hosting expert guest speakers, and by connecting her students with subject-specific mentors.
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Upper School Social Science Teacher Kevin Guay embeds broadcast journalism challenges into his Civilizations class, combining journalism, public speaking, research, and transfer skills.
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Middle and Upper School Art Teacher Dug Uyesaka connects art and storytelling in his classroom. Within all of Dug’s classes on drawing, painting, and filmmaking, the through line is a focus on narrative within various artistic mediums.
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We want to extend a special thank you to all of our Grandfriends who attended our virtual Lower School Grandfriends’ Day last Friday. It was wonderful to see you all on Zoom and we hope to see ALL of our Grandfriends in person next year! |
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SB ORCHESTRA'S MUSIC VAN MAKES A SPECIAL STOP AT THE LOWER SCHOOL |
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The SB Symphony Van visited the third and fourth graders this week, sharing stories of the symphony and explaining the different instrument families. They also provided an instrument petting zoo in a COVID safe way (no mouth pieces). Students were enamored with live music and the joy of sound. |
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STUDENTS CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT FESTIVE TECOLOTE TUESDAY ASSEMBLY |
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In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Lower School held a special Tecolote Tuesday with a visiting harpist and Irish dancers, including our very own Catherine '32! |
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THIRD GRADE TAKES THE STAGE |
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The third grade class presented the much-loved play, The Greatest Americans of the 20th Century, on Thursday morning to a captivated audience. Click the arrow above to watch the grand finale!
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FOURTH GRADE STUDENT COUNCIL WRAPS UP A SUCCESSFUL TERM |
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Fourth graders Alexander, Aurora, Blakely, Katharina, and J.P. just completed their term as Lower School Student Council leaders. "This group of students did a fantastic job serving as leaders for our Lower School," says Director of Teaching & Learning Anna Alldredge.
They shouldered the significant task of formulating questions and interviewing some of the candidates for our Lower School Head position. They also visited each classroom to support younger students with learning the weekly Lower School cheer. In addition, they created proposals to launch their own student-led clubs, and are hoping to launch a gardening club, a chicken club, and a book club.
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FIRST GRADERS FLY INTO BIRD UNIT |
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This week, the first grade class kicked off their cross-curricular bird unit with a visit from the Santa Barbara Audubon Society "Eyes In The Sky" and met Athena, the barn owl, and Ivan, the red-tailed hawk. First graders will research bird nests, identify a few local birds, learn about adaptations with beaks, and dissect owl pellets. They will also make two bird feeders, one with mealworms and another with seeds to determine which one the birds prefer.
Ms. Markstrum led a call and response at Manning Park this week with a variety of instruments. They were tasked to locate their "bird friend" by listening to sounds and finding their same instrument. In art class, students will create ceramic bird sculptures, including nests out of raffia, and in music they will sing bird songs.
With Ms. Clifford, students will study birds through their online library collection on Epic. They will read books about emus and barn owls, starting with an emu reading passage after spring break. They will partner read during their daily five reading block, create an "Enchanting Emu" book and focus on vocabulary such as omnivore, incubate, predators, and flightless.
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LAGUNA BLANCA, SANTA YNEZ SWEEP ON SAND |
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By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor
Thomas Couvillion '23 led a balanced Laguna Blanca attack in a non-league boys volleyball sweep over Santa Ynez last Friday, 3/11. The scores were 25-15, 25-17, 25-22.
Couvillion put away 11 kills, had four digs and three serve aces to pace the Owls. Ganden Walker '24 had seven kills and Drew Levinson '24 added five as the Owls were productive from the outside.
"Our pin hitters had a great night tonight putting the ball away on both the right and left sides," says assistant coach Kat Niksto. "It was a fun competitive match, with both sides playing all-out volleyball."
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NEW SPORTS PHOTOS ARE HERE! |
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TIP FROM THE COLLEGE COUNSELOR |
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What does “liberal arts education” even mean? At Laguna, we tell students that it’s sometimes unwise to specialize too soon, especially when technology and the job market are evolving rapidly. The best college education broadens the mind and enables it to quickly adapt to changing circumstances. This is why, possibly, Harvard offers no undergraduate business major, despite the majority of its graduates entering the world of business in one form or other.
In a nutshell, a liberal arts education—whether one’s major is English, economics, or psychology—is still the best preparation for an uncertain future, one where job-specific skills can always be learned if one has the broadest toolkit for how to learn.
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BOSTON UNIVERSITY'S ACADEMY OF MUSIC PRODUCTION IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS |
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Creative high school students develop their cinematic and journalistic storytelling skills producing films, videos, visual effects, webcasts and more at Boston University's Academy of Media Production.
Program Dates: July 5 - 29, 2022
The application deadline is March 31, 2022.
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Classes will resume on Monday, April 4. We hope you have a restful and FUN break! |
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LOOKING AHEAD
IMPORTANT DATES FOR ALL DIVISIONS
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LOWER SCHOOL
March 18
EK-12 Field Day at Hope Ranch; half-day for students
No After School Care
March 21 - April 1
Spring Break; Classes Resume on April 4
April 14
PA Lunch & Learn
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
March 18
EK-12 Field Day at Hope Ranch; half-day for students
March 21 - April 1
Spring Break; Classes Resume on April 4
April 7
Soapbox Derby
PA San Ysidro Hike
April 8
Gr. 5-8 Student-Led Conferences
April 14
PA Lunch & Learn
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UPPER SCHOOL
March 18
EK-12 Field Day at Hope Ranch; half-day for students
March 21 - April 1
Spring Break; Classes Resume on April 4
March 28 - April 1
LBS Los Padres Club Spring Trip
April 7
Soapbox Derby
PA San Ysidro Hike
April 8
Gr. 9-11 Student-Led Conferences
April 14
PA Lunch & Learn
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