The Middle School Spanish Program at Clairbourn focuses on both written and oral Spanish, along with the culture and geography of regions where Spanish is spoken. Language is one of the most important parts of any culture and we embrace the diversity and love for languages among our students and faculty at Clairbourn.
Middle School students recently completed a Reader’s Theater activity in Mrs. Drazic’s Spanish classes. Students were grouped and assigned a story to read aloud for the class. They first read the story to themselves and were asked to think about how many characters and narrators they would need. Once they selected their roles, they planned how their play would be presented. Students asked themselves: What staging should be used? What props should be incorporated? Students decided which role they would feel the most comfortable interpreting and no memorization was required. They completed a dress rehearsal to put the final touches on their performance before presenting it to the class.
Through the Reader’s Theater, our students developed fluency, increased reading comprehension, and integrated reading, writing, speaking and listening in an authentic context. Working collaboratively also allowed the students to engage in skills that are essential for interpreting information, evaluating and solving problems, and developing management skills to create a final product. At Clairbourn, we continue to create scholars and leaders geared toward life-long learning and equipped with problem-solving skills they will need to thrive in their future endeavors.
In 1931, when Clairbourn first moved to its current location on Huntington Drive, the dominant feature hovering over the 8.5 acres was a large eucalyptus tree. Planted around 1870, this 120 foot tall blue gum eucalyptus stood as a campus landmark. The tree measured 46 feet in circumference and 12 feet in diameter at knee-level. The enormous tree was planted by Mr. D.J. Rose, an early resident who owned Sunnyslope Ranch, including the property on which Clairbourn School is now located. The eucalyptus tree was named the Clairbourn Tree and became the symbol of Clairbourn School. Students enjoyed playing around the tree at recess and enjoyed its distinct scent.
A windstorm took down the mighty 120 year old eucalyptus tree in 1988. It started to lean over throughout the night and by four in the morning, it had laid itself down between the buildings on campus without causing any damage. Portions of its branches were cut into rounds and turned into keepsakes for students and alumni to remember.
With the loss of the beloved eucalyptus came a new set of friends – the ginkgo trees! Along with a few trees in a small grove, a large ginkgo tree was planted right in the center of our quad in 1989. Our large ginkgo tree is now 33 years old and we have a total of six ginkgo trees around the campus.
Our JPK teacher Mrs. Rankin recalled she started taking students out to play in the ginkgo leaves around 1998. The Clairbourn tree legacy continued with a new tradition. Just like those students 80 years ago, Clairbourn students continue to enjoy playing around the trees. Children of all ages romping through piles of leaves and chasing after their friends has become one of the most cherished memories for our Cougars.
Next time you walk by the quad, make sure to look up at our big, friendly, giant ginkgo tree and remember the eucalyptus tree that stood before. Everyone is part of our growing Clairbourn tradition!
What’s the fastest you have gone? Seventy miles per hour on the freeway? Five hundred miles per hour on a plane? For spacecraft heading to Mars, the speed can go up to 13,000 miles per hour. It can even go as fast as 24,000 miles per hour for a spacecraft heading to the moon! Soon, the United States is going to send astronauts to land on the moon for the first time in fifty years. The program is called Artemis. In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, which was the name of our first crewed missions to the moon. The astronauts on the Artemis missions will have to slow way down in order to land safely on the surface to protect themselves and their spacecraft!
For this year’s Engineering Design Challenge, students from first through eighth grade were challenged to turn on their engineering minds to design and build a shock-absorbing system to protect two astronauts when they land. Of course, it would be tricky to build life-size spacecraft, so they used marshmallow astronauts. Just like the engineers who develop solutions to design different landing vehicles, our Cougars followed the same engineering design process to brainstorm, design, build, improve and test for this design challenge.
When building the landers, students were provided with a paper cup to use as the spacecraft and two marshmallow astronauts who had to stay in the cup when the lander was dropped. The rules were: you can’t strap the marshmallows down, nothing else was allowed inside the cup, and no covering of the cup. Our Cougars needed to think about gravity, stability, and shock-absorbing materials. How can you make sure the landers don’t tip over during landing? What kind of shock absorber can you make to soften the landing?
This Tuesday was day one when students designed and built their first attempt and tested during class. On Wednesday, we had a visit from engineer Juan Gutierrez, who spoke to the students about his inspiration to become an engineer and the projects he has worked on over the course of his career. Mr. Gutierrez encouraged the students to work on learning more than one language, including the language of math, programming and engineering, and to find opportunities to learn to lead and communicate with groups of people. As the students built their final marshmallow landers, Mr. Gutierrez visited the classrooms and gave advice about stabilizing the spacecraft, adding springs and other shock absorbers, and reducing mass to reduce force. Students then took the input and designed and built their final attempt. On Thursday, final builds were formally tested to identity the top three builds from each grade level. Friday is our last day, and students with top-scoring builds will participate in the final!
Special thank you to our Middle School science teacher Ms. Vinnedge for leading the Engineering Week! Our Clairbourn students were able to use their creativity and come up with many unique designs. They asked many questions, worked as a team and cheered for other teams. What a great week for our Cougars to demonstrate their SCHOLARSHIP and LEADERSHIP qualities with HEART!
Students prepared for our Virtual Holiday Concert by rehearsing outdoors under the trees and practicing the choreography with great enthusiasm and joy! Music curriculum was incorporated into grade-specific lessons to teach musical concepts including melody, harmony, tempo, and dynamics. Older students in band and orchestra were able to learn various instrumental techniques on percussion, violins, mallet instruments, and recorders.
2021 Clairbourn Virtual Holiday Concert (28 mins)
Our dedicated teachers spent countless hours in video production, audio recording, special effects, filming and editing. They made 117 videos and edited 92 recordings. Thank you to Mrs. Kiertzner, Ms. Mize and everyone’s tireless efforts in making this concert possible!
We hope you enjoy our 2021 Virtual Holiday Concert as much as we do! From all of us at Clairbourn School to you and yours this holiday season, we wish you Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Clairbourn School is committed to providing the best educational environment for our children. We love every moment from inspiring young minds, teaching the fundamentals, and strengthening social skills, to preparing young adults as they step into their next chapter in high school. We have accomplished so much this quarter, and here are some highlights!
While the youngest group of students in junior pre-kindergarten enjoyed imaginary play in a medieval castle and learned how to count the advent calendar, our pre-kindergarten dragonflies were engaged with sensory development activities such as making snowmen out of flour and shaving cream. In both of our kindergarten classes, the students completed their first unit of Writer’s Workshop! They wrote and revised their best story while expanding their writing skills. As authors, they got to sit in the teacher’s chair to read their story aloud to the class! At Clairbourn, public speaking is a big part of learning and it starts at a young age. Well done, Cougars!
Everyday there were a lot of exciting learning opportunities in our Lower School. First graders progressed in their reading, math and writing skills. They even discovered geography and the world around them. In second grade, our engineers put their learning into action! After studying animal adaptations, students designed and built bird feeders to attract a bird of their choice. Students shared, collaborated and supported each other by giving feedback. There was a buzz of creative energy as they decided which materials to use to make their prototypes!
Third graders completed their science unit on Forces & Motion. They had a great time with slides (friction) and magnets, andthey made paper clips “float” and opened a door using only a magnet. Our fourth and fifth graders led the Santa Paws all-school service learning project. Students collected items to support the local shelters and the animals in need.
In Middle School, fifteen math enthusiasts formed a Clairbourn Math Team. They have been coming to school early to learn problem-solving strategies and advanced math problems. Good luck on the upcoming AMC8 and Mathcount Competitions! In our Middle School science classroom, this quarter was full of hands-on labs from testing acids and bases to creating exothermic reactions that glowed in the dark! Seventh graders studied genetics and even took on the role of tRNA to string together amino acids beads to make a protein, and sixth graders studied atmosphere and climate change.
Last but not least, students enjoyed another robust quarter with many enriching extra-curricular classes. In art, students produced festive paper mache snowmen and 3D art. They worked on their shading techniques and the use of pastels, and created beautiful winter mandalas.
What a quarter it has been!Onward and upward, Cougars!
Clairbourn offers an enriching and robust language program and for the past few weeks students learned about the Dia De Los Muertos.
Our lower school students in Mrs. Rubio’s kindergarten to fifth grade classes started this unit by listening to Dia de los Muertos stories, and making flash cards of vocabulary such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and galleta (cookies). Students also learned new words through songs, explored the colorful Hispanic culture, and created papel picado (cut paper) to decorate their classroom. At the end of the learning journey, Lower School students got to taste the pan de muerto and decorate the skeleton cookies while calling out each color in Spanish! A third grader said, “This pan de muerto is too good! Can I have some more?”
Middle School students in Mrs. Drazic’s class read the book Tumba which takes place in Mexico during the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Students engaged with the literature through listening, reading, writing and speaking activities, such as recording a scary ghost story and illustrating a storyboard of a traditional ‘calavera’ poem. Students also learned about the Mexican Revolution and they enjoyed drawing parallels between the colonial influence of Spain in Mexico and that of the U.S. colonial past. Students learned about the significance of calaveras (skulls), esqueletos (skeletons) and cempasúchil (marigold flowers) as they constructed an altar in the classroom using paper flowers and papel picado banners they made, and added personal elements like stuffed animals, and our favorite, Mexican candies. The best part was having Lower School students visiting the middle school altar they built!
It is wonderful to see students make their own cultural connections while learning about this tradition. At Clairbourn, we continue to celebrate the rich culture of diverse traditions!
It’s hard to believe quarter one of this new school year is complete. Our teachers were busy planning a rigorous curriculum, making sure the classrooms were ready and welcoming, while finding new ways to engage and motivate the students. Our Cougars can certainly feel the energetic vibes from our staff because, “I can’t wait for school, EVERYDAY!” quoted a second grader. Here are a few highlights from quarter one!
Preschoolers went on a Fall Scavenger Hunt with Ms. Strong and Mrs. Rankin exploring our Clairbourn campus in search of signs for Fall. They enjoyed locating all the classrooms and quickly realized there were so many beautiful areas that they didn’t know about. Mrs. Thorne’s and Mrs. Shoemake’s kindergarten classes finished their first unit in science learning about forces created by pushing and pulling. Students brainstormed different ways to move objects and discussed if objects can move on their own. They experimented, investigated, did multiple tests, and made various sketches. The conclusion is: You can accomplish surprisingly big things by playing with and thinking about forces!
First graders explored reading, writing and math centers with Ms. Dezutter and Ms. Aniszewski. They investigated light and sound during science and learned about what it means to be in a community. They explored citizenship and being a scholar and leader with heart. In second grade, students enjoyed their poetry. Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. Hung worked with their students on memorizing and reciting poems. It’s important for children at this age to learn about social interactions so that is another big part of their learning journey this fall! In lower school Spanish classes, the highlight of the first quarter was learning La Araña Pequeñita (The Itsy-bitsy spider) and practicing the language through class activities.
The Economy Unit culminating with Market Day was certainly the highlight in Mrs. Ward’s third grade class! Students learned what an economy is; about resources, supply and demand. Market Day was an opportunity for the third grader to put what they learned into practice. They developed a market plan for a product they manufactured, determined the price of their product, and created their advertising posters. Final products were sold to our second grade consumers at Market Day. The students were very creative and it was a lot of fun!
Ms. Edwards’ fourth graders completed a science unit studying fungi. They discovered the role fungi play in decomposing materials and in creating soil. In the activity called Mold Terrarium, students planned and conducted an investigation to discover the factors affecting decomposition. Students observed how different variables can affect mold growth. In Mrs. Gier’s fifth grade, students were busy applying their knowledge of perimeter and area, creating presentations for their history research projects, and discovering ground water and aquifers. Learning figurative language was the highlight this quarter! Fifth graders explored using hyperboles, metaphors, alliteration, similes, idioms, and personification in their writing.
You can find Middle Schoolers getting into the Halloween spirit with a creative pencil shading jack-o-lantern project in Mrs. Ball’s 7th grade art class. Students learned about value and shading techniques with graphite to create realistic looking artwork that pops off the paper. They produced many stunning pieces of art! Academically, Middle Schoolers are also being challenged in Mrs. Messler’s math classes. Six graders used virtual fruit manipulatives to play out algebraic scenarios where they needed to combine like terms and create fruit baskets. Some students engaged in the Transformations Logo Project in which they researched, studied and created graphic marks using geometric transformations. Students who were selected to join the math competition team began their bi-weekly meetings to prepare for the two upcoming national competitions that will take place in early 2022!
So much has been accomplished in two months and Clairbourn students and staff have a lot to look forward to in the next quarter! Keep up the good work! Onward and upward, Cougars!
Clairbourn football and volleyball teams competed this season against various private schools in the area including Chandler, High Point, and Poly. Our teams were excited to put all of their hard work into action!
Our flag football players made many great throws at the quarterback position helping move the ball down field, hiked the ball, blocked, and scored many touchdown by running downfield cutting hard and spinning around defenders. Our team coordinated the offense from the quarterback position, helped each other move downfield by throwing the ball through the air and driving to get the first touchdown. The highlight of the season was putting up 20 points on the score board! Each athlete on the team played their position well which gave us an opportunity to score many points. On defense, Clairbourn athletes were quick and agile pulling flags and knocking the ball out of the air. Here is what the players shared about the season:
What was the highlight from the last game against Poly? The A team made many amazing throws, catches and runs throughout the game while the B team scored multiple touchdowns!
How did players impact the games? Joshua from 8th grade impacted the game by being the quarterback with great catches and even runs. Mauricio and Aramis’ scoring touchdowns were exciting to watch!
What’s the most memorable play? At the beginning of the game, the A team was able to quickly move the ball down the field and make several touchdowns. Players from the B team stayed sharp and reacted fast when defenders came upon them and successfully passed the ball to each other.
What was the best part of this season? The game against High Point in which the A team was tied at 20/20, and the successful touchdowns for our B team from the last game were the best parts of the season.
Our Cougars from the volleyball teams showed great spirit, teamwork, and effort. Each player made rapid progress, further developed their skill, and continued to encourage teammates. Each player made many incredible serves, spikes, countless great tips at the net, and many of them dove to the balls without any hesitation to avoid letting the ball hit the ground, and had a long rally lasting several rounds. Here are what the volleyball teams wanted to share about the season!
Has the team made any improvements since the first game? Everyone was cheering for each other and we all dove for the ball trying our best. Some of us even fell on the floor a couple of times. The energy was amazing at each game.
What were some highlights you remember in the game? There were many highlights from our last game against Poly. We started out with great serves that earned us many points. Most importantly, everyone showed up with the best attitude and great sportsmanship!
What play do you remember the most? The games against Westridge and Poly were the two memorable games. As a team, we performed so strong at those two games in particular.
In what way did you use teamwork? During the game, we double clapped and cheered for each other. We were always together. Even at moments when we lost a point, we never let ourselves down and continued to support each other. We are definitely going to miss volleyball!
The seasons for both flag football and volleyball were a great success! Clairbourn teams played with energy and excitement and they did their best at each game. It is so great to see our Cougars’ dedication and commitment! We are proud of you, Cougars!
Special thank you to our biggest cheerleaders — Our Clairbourn Parents!!
Middle School Student Council planned a special week for the community to honor Red Ribbon Week. Clairbourn students came together and filled the campus with lots of red to raise the awareness of drug abuse prevention. Along with Student Council adviser, Ms. Vinnedge, students wrote, recorded and produced daily skits to teach students the importance of making good choices!
2021-2022 Student Council and adviser Ms. Vinnedge
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. It began in 1985 and is the nation’s largest and longest running drug awareness and prevention program. It has helped millions of children across the globe!
Student Council wrote, recorded and produced skits for the week to show the community about making good choices.
Student Council discussed what drugs are and how to stay safe and healthy. Students from across the grades learned drugs are chemical substances which can cause a change in the body either in a helpful way or a negative way. Cougars also learned the difference between safe drugs at home, such as medication, and illegal drugs that can harm the body and mind.
Council members also talked about how good it feels when a good choice is made. Whether it is saying no to drug abuse, making a good nutrition choice at Halloween, or saying no to unhealthy suggestions from strangers online, we know our Cougars will try their best to do what’s right!
Thank you Student Council for your leadership, showing us how to be brave, use our voices, and make good choices! Clairbourn students are scholars and leaders with HEART!
The physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of our Middle School students was the focus of our Wellness Focus Talk last week.
The Middle School years can be difficult for many children who are going through physical, emotional and developmental changes. The pressure, stress and expectations for their academic performance from home and school, and the unanticipated challenges of the pandemic can be additional anxieties our Middle Schoolers must process. So much has happened in the world since last year. This group of Middle Schoolers have a lot on their plate besides growing up! How can we as adults help our students navigate these times?
Clairbourn Middle School students
Clairbourn’s small class sizes allow us to provide individualized learning and wellness coaching. Our faculty can focus and work with each individual child and provide specific support. Learning to process stress in a positive way is a skill we help our students develop. Teachers talk to students about their wellness on a daily basis, and also practice activities that help the students release their anxiety and stimulate their personal wellness at the same time.
7th grade “Pass the Cup” wellness activity
In Mrs. Drazic’s Middle Schoollanguage class, students did a wellness activity called “Passing the Cup” to build connections with their peers. Students sat in circles of 10 and each group received a cup of water filled to within ½ inch of the brim. They needed to pass the almost-filled cup to one another without spilling the water, with and without their eyes closed. Mrs. Drazic then asked, “What do we have to pay attention to so the water does not spill? Was it harder to pass around the cup without spilling with eyes closed rather than open? Did you want to peek? Did you giggle?” The observation from the students was: When we could see, we looked at the cup and made sure the next person was ready and we needed to move slowly and carefully. Passing around the cup with eyes closed required us to pay much closer attention to the task. We had to monitor ourselves to ensure we were ready, but also pay attention to one another much more closely.
Students discussed what they should be monitoring in themselves, such as attitudes, nonverbal behaviors, frustrations. They also discovered what they should be “tuning into” with others, such as openness, emotions, attitudes, and behavior. Students learned how to be more aware of each other and understood themselves a bit better. In order to work cooperatively in any relationship – with friends, classmates, parents – we have to monitor ourselves and “tune in” to another person’s experience. It’s a balancing act!
Wellness Focus sessions for Middle School students
Clairbourn arranged a two-day Wellness Focus session for our Middle School students with Dr. Marguery Lyvers . Students from six to eighth grades talked freely with Dr. Lyvers about their anxiety. One student shared that not doing well for exams caused the most stress, and another student described pressure as “thunders pounding on the chest.” After several successful rounds of discussions, students wrote down their biggest worries on a piece of paper and were then asked to toss it away. There was no need to think about their worries anymore. Dr. Lyvers concluded by discussing different strategies to manage the pressure to do well at school and home.
We understand raising a healthy child is a team effort between family and school. Dr. Patzlaff, Head of School, and Mrs. Taylor, Assistant Head of School, joined Dr. Lyvers and met with parents virtually. The parents learned how to detect different emotional states of the child and how to give them the support they need. Important take aways for the parents were, “How your child responds to stress determines your response” and “If you see stress in your child, check your own feelings before responding”.
Middle School parents Wellness Focus Talk with Dr. Lyvers
Besides physical health, Clairbourn cares deeply for the other vital aspects of wellness — social, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional. We are committed to nurturing well-rounded children. We know growing up is not always easy and Middle School can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. After all, Middle Schoolers are “Learning everyday who they are, how to engage in their world, and how to grow into their best selves”, says Dr. Amy Patzlaff, the Head of School at Clairbourn. In our Clairbourn family, the caring and experienced faculty coaches each student; our school creates a supportive environment where each student can grow and develop to their full potential. We hear each of your voices and we are here for you. Together, we are stronger. Together, we are Clairbourn!
