School News – Page 6 – Clairbourn School News

May 17, 2021July 19, 2021

New Clairbourn Board Member – Dr. Liva Gritton, Alumni Parent and Trustee

The Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome Clairbourn alumni parent Dr. Liva Gritton to the Board. Her three children, Jada, Jasmine and Raymond, all graduated from Clairbourn School. The Gritton family’s long history with Clairbourn began in 2008 and they were here for nine consecutive years. Liva will not only bring an extensive knowledge about private school education and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) from both the parent and student side, she will also bring her passion for helping others. Liva believes Clairbourn was a wonderful foundation for her children and helped them each grow in different ways.

Liva graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Biological Sciences. She received her Medical Doctorate degree from the University of California, San Diego, and completed her internship at Harvard Medical School. She was an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UC Irvine, and also the Medical Director in Acute Rehabilitation Services. Liva assisted in opening the Rehabilitation Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital and also functions as the Medical Director of their Wound Care Services Department and Hyperbaric Center.

Jasmine, jersey #31 on Clairbourn Soccer Team in 2012 / Boston College Volleyball Team in 2020

Liva’s oldest child, Jasmine, was a National elite track and field youth athlete. Liva loved that Clairbourn gave Jasmine the opportunity to have fun and explore other sports and activities. She was a member of the Student Council and graduated in 2012. Jasmine went on to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks and played volleyball at Boston College, where she graduated in 2020. Jasmine is currently working as a Creative Strategist for a digital marketing company, and recently launched her own clothing line.

Raymond is the family’s middle child, and he was also a huge fan of Clairbourn sports. He graduated from Clairbourn in 2015 and from Don Bosco Technical Institute in 2019, where he led their baseball team to CIF for the first time in over a decade. Liva feels that Clairbourn’s balanced approach helped Ray on and off the sports field. Clairbourn was instrumental in Ray’s decision to become a teacher. He just completed his sophomore year at the University of San Diego, and is a member of their club golf team.

Jada ’16 and Raymond ’15 / Raymond on the high jump at a league track meet.

Liva’s youngest child, Jada, developed her love of writing at Clairbourn, where she also enjoyed participating in sports and pottery. She graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School in 2020 and just completed her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a staff writer for the school publication, HerCampus UPenn.

Liva lives in San Marino with her husband Raymond who is also a physician. Clairbourn is excited to have her on the Board. We strongly believe Liva’s unwavering commitment to serve the community will bring valuable input as a Clairbourn Trustee. Please join us in celebrating Dr. Liva Gritton’s new appointment to our Board of Trustees.

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.

Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021

Pillow Forts: Adapting the Annual Engineering Design Challenge for 2021

Students at Clairbourn are on an exciting journey of self-discovery and risk-taking made possible by a team of supportive teachers, a kind community, and an inspiring and safe environment. Children learn to discover their abilities in math, science, art, drama, music, and sports thanks to the cultivation of a growth mindset which keeps them motivated and moving forward in the face of setbacks encountered along their learning journey.

Clairbourn Students build pillow forts at home for the annual Engineering Design Challenge.

STEM activities like those found in Clairbourn’s annual Engineering Design Challenge are a big part of that journey. It is where students learn to believe in their abilities as designers and problem-solvers, and self-identify as engineers. To continue this school-wide activity during the Pandemic, with learning taking place at home, called for some serious re-imagining on the part of the school to make sure students didn’t miss out on this important learning milestone.

December 8, 2020December 14, 2020

Pooh Play Tradition Goes Virtual for 2020

Thanks to some clever video editing by drama teacher Paul Barker and lots of creativity and heart, middle school students at Clairbourn found a new way to perform their annual Pooh Play while in remote-learning mode.

This year’s play featured a fresh story concept developed by Mr. Barker inspired by A. A. Milne’s characters from the Winnie the Pooh series. In the play, Roo and Tigger get into lots of trouble, including becoming stuck in the tree-tops, while other characters have crossed-path adventures throughout the Hundred Acre Wood.

Pooh Play Tradition Goes Virtual – 30 Second Clip
Clairbourn middle school students in the drama elective found a way to perform their annual Pooh Play for the younger students, while in remote-learning mode, thanks to clever coordination and editing of filmed clips by drama and computer teacher Paul Barker. Here is a 30 second teaser of the 20 minute play from December of 2020.

Watch this teaser clip from the full 20-minute play shown in December of 2020. Cast Members: Sarah I. as Winnie the Pooh, Vanessa H. as Piglet, Jake J. as Owl, Parisa B. as Rabbit, Anthony C. Eeyore, Faith C. as Kanga, Natalie A. as Roo and Mikey F. as Tigger.

December 1, 2020December 16, 2020

Your Student Can Do Great Things: Giving Matters

Part six of this six-part series offers insights into Clairbourn’s educational philosophy and the elements of the program which have led to noteworthy accomplishments by its alums.

Clairbourn alumnae Christie and Kathryn Huang raising funds for Children’s Hospital through their foundation Madhatter Knits.

When people are inspired to give, it flows from their conviction that such acts will be worth their time, attention, and investment. Cultivating that kind of conviction in others is no easy task, and it is often determined by the quality of the messages imparted combined with the skills and influence of the messenger. Consequently, fundraisers or leaders of causes need to be fearless, passionate, articulate, and well informed. They need social awareness to adapt their message to a wide variety of audiences and they need to know how to offer fluid methods of giving, donating, or participating.

Although that skillset sounds complicated, it’s quite naturally acquired when it is a part of a student’s early educational experience. In developing the whole child, Clairbourn combines academic rigor with social skills, community activities, and public speaking. All of these necessary elements to rally a community can be seen in the work of Clairbourn alumnae Tiffany and Kimberly Chang, Christie and Kathryn Huang, and Sara Lowin who serve as executive directors of Madhatter Knits.

Sara Lowin and Tiffany Chang (center), shown here in third grade at Clairbourn School, went on to found the nonprofit foundation Madhatter Knits to benefit premature infants.

December 1, 2020December 16, 2020

Your Student Can Do Great Things: Heart and Service Matter

Part three of this six-part series offers insights into Clairbourn’s educational philosophy and the elements of the program which have led to noteworthy accomplishments by its alums.

Confidence in one’s ability to make a difference in the world can be challenging for adults, let alone young people. But that confidence was naturally acquired in grade school at Clairbourn as explained by Madhatter Knits founder Tiffany Chang along with fellow alumna and executive director Christie Huang. When asked the question during a recent radio interview, “What was your first impression of philanthropy and how did it start?,” these young women were ready with compelling answers.

*Clairbourn alumnae Christie Huang and Tiffany Chang were interviewed on KAZN Radio about philanthropy.*

They both recounted an impactful experience they shared in second grade at Clairbourn School where the whole class held a Pocket Change Drive to benefit the Door of Hope homeless shelter serving families in Pasadena, California. Tiffany remembers their first collection seemed pretty insignificant, but after adding up the donations from several consecutive days, she realized their small efforts had the potential to make a real impact in the lives of others—especially children living at the shelter. Christie also recalled how nervous she was to ask grown-ups on campus to donate to their cause. But, she quickly realized that fear shouldn’t hold you back from approaching potential donors, because when people see you doing something positive they are often happy to listen and contribute.

December 1, 2020December 16, 2020

Your Student Can Do Great Things: Teaching Approach Matters

Part two of this six-part series offers insights into Clairbourn’s educational philosophy and the elements of the program which have led to noteworthy accomplishments by its alums.

Clairbourn alumnae *Christie Huang and Tiffany Chang as interview guests at KAZN* 1300 AM radio.

On a warm fall day at the KAZN AM 1300 broadcasting studios in Pasadena, California, Clairbourn alums, Tiffany Chang and her cousin Christie Huang, were the special guests of a radio program called, “Heart visitors: The Transmission of Love.” They were invited to talk about their philanthropic foundation Madhatter Knits. When asked how it all started, Tiffany explained that, in 2014 her Clairbourn School fourth grade teacher Mary-Kaye Halferty spent her break time meeting with Tiffany at recess to teach her how to knit. After gaining some of the skills involved, Tiffany produced a small little hat and excitedly demonstrated the process to her sister and two cousins the next day.

Noticing the size, warmth, and softness of the hat, her cousin Christie, from Clairbourn’s class of 2013, immediately connected it with being useful to the preemie babies she saw in the NICU at the San Gabriel Medical Center where she served as a volunteer.

Clairbourn teacher Mary-Kaye Halferty taught Tiffany Chang and her fourth grade classmates how to knit during recess. When Tiffany founded Madhatter Knits later that year, many of her classmates joined as volunteers.

November 30, 2020December 16, 2020

Your Student Can Do Great Things: Foundations Matter

Part one of this six-part series offers insights into Clairbourn’s educational philosophy and the elements of the program which have led to noteworthy accomplishments by its alums.

How does a child experience remarkable success? Is such an outcome based on advantages, brain power, or fortuitous timing? Clairbourn believes a substantial contributor is the child’s educational environment – one that is designed to encourage a growth mindset and risk-taking combined with a student’s sense of community support and belonging. Take, for instance, the example of alumna Tiffany Chang from the Class of 2018.

Tiffany Chang is a Clairbourn Class of 2018 alumna and the founding president of the Madhatter Knits nonprofit organization which she started while at the school.

She took the elements of her Clairbourn education and used them to inspire and build a non-profit organization which is making a real difference. Tiffany, along with a group of former Clairbourn students and current high school classmates, runs Madhatter Knits, a nonprofit that makes hats for premature infants.

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020

Can a Code of Ethics Guide Political Discussion?

As we launch into election season, educators and parents need to be aware of our roles in maintaining civility in student discourse, cultivating critical thinking, and maintaining our ethical standards. This is a challenging task in any election year, but even more so now as the country seems to be quite polarized and divided. As you know, the challenge of maintaining respectful discourse is heightened in the discussion of topics that are highly emotional or charged in some way. As you navigate these waters in your homes, it might be helpful to keep the Clairbourn Code of Ethics in mind and help the children do the same.

Let respect, responsibility, honesty, citizenship, and spirituality lead the way. Each individual has political views, informed by personal experiences, information gathered from a variety of sources, and our own visceral responses to what we see. There are certain topics that illicit a strong response in each of us, sometimes a highly emotional response. This is completely normal for people who care.

I challenge you to express these views and feel things passionately while maintaining a language of respect and civility as you share your personal views in your homes. Your children are watching, listening, and learning from you. Help them to understand WHY you take a certain position. Help them understand WHY others may feel differently. Help them understand WHY you value your sources for election information rather than social medial posts. Help them to support their opinions with facts. Help them examine comments they hear with a discerning ear. Help them understand the benefits of having conversations to understand multiple perspectives.

In class, we endeavor to have our students express themselves clearly and thoughtfully. We want them to think critically and work to understand each other. We honor the diverse views of our families, and challenge the students to express these views with respect. When parents consistently model this at home, it makes it much easier for the students to carry this style of discourse to the classroom.

We know that the conversations will not be perfect, but we will work to maintain civility and respect in our classes. To me, the Clairbourn Code of Ethics is a great filter for the whole political scene. If we all express our thoughts with RESPECT, share only that which is HONEST, act in ways that are RESPONSIBLE, behave as good CITIZENS, and ground ourselves in SPIRITUALITY, we will all be better for it!

The Clairbourn family is not affiliated with a political party, but we stand firmly for the principles in our Code of Ethics! It is nice to have something that we can all agree on and support together.

Clairbourn’s Code of Ethics – Five Core Values

Clairbourn School values honesty, respect, responsibility, spirituality, and citizenship. These five values reflect different facets of a single virtue: character.

Honesty

Honesty is being truthful with yourself and others. Honesty results in fairness for each member of the Clairbourn community and makes for a life of integrity. It means that we adhere to our values when alone or in the presence of others. An honest person is genuine, sincere, honorable, and trustworthy.

Respect

Respect is treating others as we would like to be treated. Respect is the cornerstone for developing and maintaining a harmonious and productive working relationship with all members of the Clairbourn community. It requires, in both words and actions, a recognition and understanding of the essential being and background of others. Characteristics central to respect include empathy, fairness, open-mindedness, patience, and inclusiveness.

Responsibility

Responsibility is being accountable for our actions and accepting the consequences of our actions. Responsibility is the foundation for taking charge of our lives. Responsible people stand behind what they say and do even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient to do so. Characteristics central to responsibility include accountability, reliability, perseverance, and self-control.

Spirituality

Spirituality is believing in a purpose and power higher than ourselves and in the innate goodness of humankind. Spirituality results in a peaceful and empathetic environment for members of the Clairbourn community. It requires us to look for the best in every person and situation. It means that we think well of ourselves and others and proclaim this fact to the world through noble and quiet deeds. Qualities associated with spirituality include compassion, forgiveness, generosity, gratitude, humility, kindness, and a genuine love for mankind.

Citizenship

Citizenship is the value which calls for every member of a community to work to better that community with their actions and attitudes. It is essential for a strong, vibrant, and productive school environment. It means setting aside exclusive self-interest and striving to improve life for all citizens through public service, volunteer work, knowledge, tolerance, and cooperation. Characteristics central to good citizenship include respect for others, adherence to rules and laws, commitment to the principles of democracy and justice, and loyalty to community, country, and purpose.

Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart

October 1, 2020October 2, 2020

How You Can Help Others Get Stronger from Stress

As Head of School for Clairbourn, which provides private education for Preschool to Grade 8 students, I read a few interesting studies recently that talked about cultivating resilience and the difficulty of unrelenting stress.

In one of the studies, the author discussed the notion that stress is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, you need a little stress in your experience to encourage you to make changes. The tension or discomfort of not doing one’s best is what makes us try harder the next time. This is the way stress can actually help us come out stronger or more resilient from challenges. The struggle makes us stronger.

However, when the stress is unrelenting, it can wear on a person (child or adult). This kind of scenario tends not to strengthen, but to weaken the person involved. But there is a way to ensure the stress is not unrelenting. There are very simple ways to interrupt the stress and give a moment to have the growth and rejuvenation that we all need after a time of struggle.

In one study, they found clear evidence that the best way to counteract or interrupt stress is with love. I know, it sounds a little sentimental, but the act of hugging, or snuggling on the couch, or having your arm around your child when you read them a story actually makes a physical difference. That hug gives you a physical break from stress. (For those who are interested, the hormone oxytocin that is released during these times of social bonding is sometimes called the “cuddle hormone” or the “love hormone.” This is a biological signal to the body that it is safe and can relax.)

So even in times of prolonged difficulty, taking a minute to hug your child actually helps both you and your child release some of the tension or stress that may be stockpiling. For those of you who are not feeling stressed, the hugs and cuddling will help maintain your equilibrium.

When your child is acting “prickly” hug them, because they NEED it. When they are frustrated or irritable hug them, because they need it. When you are at your wit’s end, hug them because YOU need it! Apparently the Beatles knew what they were talking about “All You Need is Love!”

I am sending each and every one of you a big virtual hug from Clairbourn, because we ALL need it! (This concept comes mainly from a short book called Childhood, Interrupted by Sanjay Gupta MD)

Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.Head of School

Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020

Nine Things that Matter – But Only One that Truly Counts!

Head of School Dr. Amy Patzlaff with Clairbourn students from the Fall of 2019

As the Head of School for Clairbourn, caring for our parents, in addition to students and staff, is always on my mind. Recently, an in-depth article from DevelopmentalScience.com caught my eye called, “Pandemic 2020: Will the Kids Be All Right? Lessons on Parenting from 100 Years of Crises.” It contains a lot of helpful explanations and advice for parents dealing with their fears about how to raise children successfully in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Can children go on to lead successful lives and flourish in the face of educational disruptions and great adversity? Research shows that, while there are nine important elements that offer full coverage for children’s wellbeing, the real key to favorable outcomes boils down to one thing, and the good news is, it’s you!