By Katherine Zehnder, Santa Barbara News-Press

High school students at Laguna Blanca hosted 18 speakers on Wednesday, 2/2 during a TEDx event that dived “Beneath the Surface,” the theme for the private Santa Barbara school’s 16 talks. (A ceramics session had three speakers.)

Students in charge of the event said the program was about the students challenging themselves to go “beneath the surface” of emotion, thought, and understanding. The theme was embodied by the event’s logo: an iceberg.

Popular speakers at the TEDx event included student Molly Morouse '23, who spoke on how she overcame her stuttering and how everyone has their own version of a stutter to overcome. Also popular with the audience was Maura Jaye '22, who performed two songs from her EP that will be released in the upcoming months, and discussed the recording process of music.

If you are interested in joining the Spring Benefit Committee, please sign up here or contact the event chairs Sara Loncki or Katy Powers.

We are proud of our students for adapting quickly to outdoor masking during the recent COVID surge. After closely monitoring our COVID data on campus and in the larger Santa Barbara community, we will update our outdoor masking policy effective Monday, February 7. Students, faculty, and staff are not required to mask outdoors unless in crowded outdoor settings, and for activities where there is prolonged close contact with others, ie: gatherings in Ruston Amphitheatre or playing on the playground in close proximity to others at the Lower School. Please note, if we see an increase in COVID numbers on campus, we may need to transition back to mandatory outdoor masking.

The U.S. Postal Service has made it possible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests per address. The tests are completely free and should ship within 7 to 12 days. Ordering is simple. Please click here.

Thank you for monitoring your child for the following COVID-like symptoms and swiftly reporting positive COVID test results to [email protected]. Contact your healthcare provider if you have any additional medical questions.

Thank you so much to our generous Parents' Auxiliary (PA) for providing delicious Jeannine's scones, fruit, chocolate, and coffee for our faculty and staff on both campuses on Thursday! Jeannine's at the Shore donated the yummy breakfast. We are grateful for our thoughtful PA Chairs below!

We are thrilled that the production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) will light up the stage next weekend!

Please note that audience capacity will be limited. Each student actor will be permitted to invite up to 10 guests per performance, and COVID protocols will be in place.

Best of luck to our dedicated students as they prepare for these upcoming performances!

Invite a friend to join us at one of the following admissions events!

Monday, February 7 (9-10AM)

Wednesday, February 9 (5:30-6:30PM)

Thursday, February 10 (5:30-6:30PM)

Wednesday, February 23 (5:30-6:30PM)

Healing Justice Santa Barbara has created a historical exhibit at the Melanin Gallery located at 833 State Street. "Santa Barbara Black History: For the Love of Our People" will be on display for the month of February.

Check out HJSB's website for more events you may be interested in. Be mindful that there are events that are exclusively for the Black community, and there are events that are open for everyone to participate in. I hope you can get engaged!

Presented by Girls Leadership

Girls often feel an expectation to be happy, content, and confident, but in COVID they tell us they’re actually feeling anxiety, disappointment, and loneliness.

In this 75-minute webinar, Girls Leadership will look at the gender expectations of girls and how living through a pandemic makes them more problematic than ever. Then they'll invite families to reflect on how we might take advantage of this moment to model new habits that are the foundation of wellness, resilience, and voice.

Check today's email from Mrs. McDavid for scheduler instructions!

In Mrs. Surber's EK classroom, students have fun with a Hands-on Challenge Box. There are challenge cards that the students can use for playdough, LEGOs, or for drawing on a Mini Magna-Doodle. The cards change each month to keep the students interested. "It is fascinating to see how much their work changes as their fine motor skills improve throughout the year!" says Mrs. Surber.

Last week, fourth graders enjoyed the fruits of their labor as they harvested delicious veggies from the beautiful new Lower School garden! Each student took home a small bag of produce to enjoy.

Thursday, February 10, 5:30PM

A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants prior to the event

If you have any questions, please contact Lower School Admissions Associate Jueun Steinhaus.

1PM at Laguna (Senior Recognition Day). There will be limited attendance for this indoor event.

Application links and information about program types, FAQs, course descriptions, fees, and dates can be found here.