Clairbourn’s Willy Wonka Jr. Carnival

Fond family memories were formed at the Willy Wonka Jr. themed Carnival held at Clairbourn School in early May. The weather was perfect for getting drenched in the dunk tank or sampling the super-soaker maze, running the inflatable obstacle course, or winning prizes in the games-of-skill booths that lined the field. Lots of girls and guys found their way to the Beauty Bar booth to spray fun colors in their hair, others enjoyed the Willy Wonka photo booth, and the smallest children took delight in the simple pleasure of rolling down the hill adjacent to the field with their friends.

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Spring Program 2019 – Willy Wonka Jr.

Clairbourn students in preschool through fifth grade put on a spectacular performance of Willy Wonka Jr. on May 4, 2019. Music Director Rosemary Kiertzner, along with a helpful group of teachers and parent volunteers, provided a wonderful musical learning experience for the children and a delightful show for the audience. A special thanks goes out to parents Jason Nava and Ken Hong who helped trouble shoot sound issues with the show and helped backstage as well!

Watch the full show here

Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information. 


Middle School Band Disneyland Music Workshop

Clairbourn Band (left), and String Ensemble (right)

On Thursday, May 16, students in the Clairbourn Symphony, which is made-up of students in the Clairbourn Band and String Ensemble, took a field trip to California Adventure to have a professional music workshop experience inside a real Disney recording studio. A Disney conductor-composer worked with the students. He taught them what it is like to be a professional studio musician. He gave them music to a scene from The Lion King movie, and gave the students only three minutes to learn it. Then, he rehearsed the Clairbourn Symphony, teaching as he went.

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Preschoolers at Clairbourn Release Butterflies

The Pre-Kindergarten class Butterfly Unit included watching caterpillars spin a cocoon and change into butterflies, making butterfly wings that each student could wear, and a release of the insects in the butterfly garden.


Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information. 

Farmscape Spring Harvest Class – Making Pesto with Fresh Ingredients

Junior Pre-K through Grade 5 students experienced the culinary joy of using fresh raw ingredients from the garden to make a healthy and tasty snack.  Dan Allen from Farmscape showed them how to make a nut and dairy free version of pesto with basil, garlic, and olive oil, seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper. Students smashed garlic and fresh-picked basil using a mortar and pestle and then added in the other ingredients.  They tasted the pesto on carrots and peas to round out the experience.

Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.

Middle School Drop ‘N Build Challenge – Wind-Powered Cars

As part of their STEM studies on Friday, middle school students were challenged to design a sail car, powered by wind from a large fan. Students designed a variety of sails – ranging from traditional sails to inventive sails with wings.  Some groups were so successful that the cars rolled over 12 meters. The overall winning team that made it the farthest with the fastest time was Barbie Z. , Jenny C., and Cyanne J. . Great work!

The following teams had the best score in their grades: 6th Jake & Anthony C. – 1180 cm. 7th Barbie Z., Jenny C., & Cyanne J. – 1257 cm. 8th Brandon O., Blake W., & Jason L. – 1257 cm.

Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.

Instrumental Concert at Clairbourn

The Annual Instrumental Concert (Grades 4 to 8), is Clairbourn’s student showcase for demonstrating knowledge of and progress with playing a string or wind instrument. On Thursday May 23, the beginning, intermediate, and advanced groups for strings and winds presented three songs apiece to a packed house filled with younger students, parents, and staff. Each group that performed demonstrated the students’ learning journey through Clairbourn’s music program. Students in the beginning levels presented simple folksongs like “Mary Ann” and “Polly Wolly Doodle,” while advanced students played more complex and harmonized pieces like, “Apollo 13” and “Jurassic Park.” Thanks go to Clairbourn music teachers Rosemary Kiertzner and Ann Mize for organizing this memorable and moving concert.

Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.

Fourth Grade Explorer Museum Exhibit

Fourth-graders put on a live show in the Clairbourn Multi-Purpose Building dressed as famous explorers on Wednesday, May 29. Parent and student visitors were free to choose from a circle of student exhibits and could listen to memorized 30-second biography speeches activated by pressing the “on buttons.” Dressed in hand-made costumes, each student shared fascinating highlights from the lives of their explorer, made great eye-contact, and practiced their speech projection skills so everyone could hear them in the room buzzing with exciting explorer tales.

Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) | Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.