A new mission statement, “Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart,” was established in 2018. Since then, updating the logo has been on our agenda. The Clairbourn team made it a summer goal to complete this branding project, and we are so excited to reveal the new look and the idea behind it!
We started with a question, “Who is Clairbourn and what do we stand for?” We are dedicated to creating scholars and leaders with heart. We believe in the ability of every child and we support not only their academic success, but we are also committed to nurturing well-rounded students. We looked into our code of ethics and asked how we could connect those qualities with our branding. With the usage of a strong visual color palette along with the input from our faculty and staff, we began the rebranding journey.
The Journey
The shape of the shield represents Clairbourn’s long history, and the vine symbolizes our continuous growth.
First update: The Mission Statement. “Scholars, Leaders, Heart” is adapted into the shield. It is powerful, simple, and communicates the essence of our statement.
Second update: The Growing Vine. What if the growing vine includes five hearts and each heart represents a quality from our code of ethics? We went through different variations and successfully incorporated five hearts into the vine. Can you find all five of them?
Third update: Books and Pen. To give a sense of scholarship in our mission, we decided to use two books to represent knowledge. The two books allow us to convey the idea of our students consuming knowledge from multiple sources. The pen next to the books represents our students creating as well as consuming knowledge. We are committed to our mission of creating scholars, and leaders with heart.
Last update: Logo Type. We made a few modifications to clean up the curves for easier readability.
Justin graduated from Clairbourn in 2017 and attended Flintridge Preparatory School. He will be going to Boston College to study Business Entrepreneurship after taking a gap year.
He is very interested in a mission-driven approach to business, where business models are built around social responsibility, improving the lives of their constituents, and positively impacting human welfare.
One of Justin’s well-known characteristics at Clairbourn was his eagerness to try new things. This eagerness certainly continued throughout his high school years as well. He was able to try his hand at several different jobs over the summers such as fruit packing in the fruit district of downtown LA at 5 in the morning, running a high-traffic lego booth at the largest LEGO convention in Pasadena twice a year, researching design materials and building scale models while interning with an architect, and perfecting his excel skills as a business analyst for an online advertising firm. The Covid school year made classwork tough for a lot of seniors, but Justin also experienced it from the teacher’s point of view when he developed and taught a couple of 8-hour courses to middle schoolers, via Zoom, on the History of War.
Justin also explored a variety of study programs over the summers. The NC State Design Camp exposed him to five different facets of design (architecture, graphic design, art & design, landscape, and industrial design). The University of Chicago introduced him to innovation through the interdisciplinary study of economics, entrepreneurship, and the sciences. He was able to further his interest in global citizenship when he studied present-day issues through the lenses of economic, legal, and political theory as a Young Yale Global Scholar.
It’s no surprise that Justin continued to play goalie for Prep during his 4 years there. But he also picked up some other interests that have stuck with him, such as heading to the nearest climbing gym to practice his bouldering and sewing his own clothes.
Left: Participating in Design Challenge / Right: Buddy reading with a lower school student
Justin already knew 4 years ago that he would take a gap year. There were just so many more things he wanted to do. In the fall of his gap year, he will road-trip across the US exploring Americana and visiting his friends in college. For the ski season, he will become a snowboarding bum and work for SkiCo. He’s not sure yet what job they will give him – ski lift operator, ticket sales, restaurant work, etc – but he’s hoping for retail sales. In the spring he will get his Wilderness First Responder certification, and then head to Peru for 2 months to build houses. And when summer comes back around, he’s looking forward to catching up with all his friends home from college once again.
When we asked Justin about some of his favorite memories, he responded, “I loved the Design Challenges in middle school. Those were great. PE was always super fun. And I’ll always remember Mrs. Wreede’s ticket reward system and bidding on the gumball machines.”
Left: Justin was no. 11 on the school basketball team. / Right: Participating at a sports meet
New Clairbourn Board Member – Mr. Martin Espinoza, Alumni Parent and Trustee
The Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome Clairbourn alumni parent, Martin Michel Espinoza to the Board. The Espinoza family’s history with Clairbourn School began in 2004. Martin’s daughter, Ivahnna attended Clairbourn from 2004 through 2012, and his son Thomas attended Clairbourn from 2012 through 2020. He was a Clairbourn parent for a total of 16 consecutive years.
Ivahnna attended Maranatha High School and then graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. During her years at Whitworth University, Ivahnna had the opportunity to play soccer for the university where she contributed to the university’s many wins. Ivahnna is currently preparing to take the LSAT and will continue to pursue her dream of becoming an attorney.
Thomas graduated from Clairbourn in 2020 and is currently attending La Salle High School in Pasadena. Despite the unfortunate pandemic the world has to endure, including online learning, Thomas continues to excel academically, spiritually and athletically. He participated in the La Salle varsity soccer program and his team earned the honor of participating in the Southern California CIF playoffs.
Ivahnna ’12 and Thomas ’20
Martin attributes his children’s academic success to the incredible teachers, rigorous curriculum and the unparalleled academic foundation provided by Clairbourn School.
In addition to his years as a Clairbourn parent, Martin’s additional contribution to the Board is his 27 years of law enforcement experience. Martin is a Sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department where he has worked a variety of assignments including Patrol, Narcotics, Criminal Street Gangs, Homicide and his current assignment with Internal Affairs. The Los Angeles Police Department is proud of its 21st Century policing and the emphasis it places on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Espinoza family
Martin’s overall private school and law enforcement experience brings a unique perspective to the Board. Clairbourn is excited to have Martin on the Board and we believe Martin’s commitment to the community will bring valuable input. Please join us in celebrating Martin Espinoza’s new appointment to the Board of Trustees.
Bennett was part of the Clairbourn class of 2017. He knew music was his passion and followed it at a young age. Over the years, Bennett has performed as an artist at the Whiskey A GoGo, the Troubadour, the Federal, and Universal Studios, as well as in Europe. He has also worked with many well known artists and producers.
Left: Bennett with The California Jet Club / Right: Bennett with El DeBarge
His most recent project was co-producing an album called “Union” with Tyler Brown for an up-and-coming teenage artist from New York named Matilda Marigolds. The album debuted this month and Bennett produced, edited, recorded, wrote, mixed and even played the main guitar part. He collaborated with artists Mike Garson (David Bowie’s pianist), Guy Erez (from Alan Parsons), and violinist Meena (from Smashing Pumpkins). Union was mastered by Howie Weinberg who also worked on albums for Madonna, Prince, Aerosmith, and Nirvana. It was an exciting experience! Here is a music video of one of the songs in the album called “Leroy.” (Bennett is one of the guitarists.)
Last month, Bennett worked with the legendary El DeBarge and prepared his entire set for his show in Atlanta. It was hard work but a huge success! He was also part of a team to work on a Dio cancer fundraiser which will live stream in July via Rolling Live Studios.
Bennett with Joey Belladonna from Anthrax
Bennett was hired by Rolling Live Studios as a head audio engineer. RLS is an art and entertainment production company run by the industry giants — Kerry Brown (music) and Stacey Sher (film). One of Bennett’s first jobs was to work on this year’s Oscars. He had the pleasure to work with amazing artists and producers such as Sheila E., Macy Gray, Guy Erez, Mike Garson, Howie Weinberg and others.
Currently, he’s working on a short film called “You’re Something Else” as the head sound and audio engineer. He will also assist on the the soundtrack production. Bennett looks forward to the exciting projects lined up for him for the rest of the year.
Bennett is grateful for the time at Clairbourn that provided many opportunities for chapel reading. It gave him a foundation for public speaking and the confidence needed to be on stage. He has fond memories of Mrs. Stahmer and Dr. Nafie, as well as Mrs. Wreede, Mrs. Corwin, Mr. Guyer, Mrs. Barker, and Coach Paciorek.
Nicole Lam was a part of the Clairbourn Class of 2017. She recently graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) as valedictorian. This fall, she will be attending Yale University, majoring in applied mathematics while continuing her piano studies.
In her senior year at LACHSA, Nicole was named a California Scholarship Federation South Central Seymour Award recipient, Equitable Excellence Scholar, National Merit Scholar, USC Trustee Scholar with a full-tuition scholarship, and UC Berkeley’s Regent and Chancellor’s Scholar, totaling over $350,000 in merit-based scholarships.
Nicole is a concert pianist and a mezzo-soprano opera singer. She has performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Concert Hall, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Carnegie Hall, La Mirada Theatre, and concert halls in Vienna and Romania. She also won first prize at the Houston International Music Competition, Steinway Junior Piano Competition Regionals, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, MTAC VOCE Competition Senior Ensemble, Lansum International Music Competition, Dan Stover Music Competition, and was recently named a finalist in the Spotlight International Piano Competition.
During high school, Nicole took on several jobs: she was the apprentice and intermediate choir director for the San Gabriel Valley Children’s Chorus, the president of LACHSA’s California Scholarship Federation, a teacher at the Saturday Conservatory of Music, and also worked as a bilingual translator, interviewer, and host for US National TV. At the TV station, she has interviewed renowned figures on live television and has hosted several live shows broadcasted internationally to over 20,000 audience viewers.
Additionally, Nicole is the founder of her own 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Love Through Music, which shares music with underserved communities. With six organization branches in the US, her nonprofit organization has hosted over 50 concerts with 500+ student performers at local retirement homes, veterans hospitals, and orphanages. The nonprofit has also donated musical instruments to several Title I schools to supplement their music programs. Remotely through Zoom, she has taught music fundamentals to over 100 Nepalese orphans, and has also traveled in person to Kathmandu, Nepal annually to donate school supplies and rebuild school buildings after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.
At Clairbourn, some of Nicole’s favorite memories were the 8th grade Shakespeare play Midsummer Night’s Dream, playing piano during chapel, and singing in the annual Christmas shows! She would like to thank all her teachers at Clairbourn for making her childhood experience so memorable and incredibly special.
It has been a long Clairbourn tradition to invite the alumni class graduating from high school back to campus for a reunion breakfast the morning of our graduation. It’s not only a celebration before sending them off to college, but it also gives the alumni a chance to make Clairbourn connections with current students and share their insights. This year is no exception!
We reached out to our class of 2017 and asked for their reflections! Let’s see what they have to say!
Class of 2017 are going to the following cities for colleges: Boston, Chicago, Claremont, Columbia, Eugene, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Haven, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Shanghai, St. Louis, Tucson, and Washington D.C.
At Clairbourn, we believe in the essential capacity of every student to master academic content and develop intellectual habits, leadership skills, and social awareness necessary for success. Our students develop a growth mindset along with essential 21st-century skills and intellectual habits that lead to success in school and in life. For over 75 years, we have been dedicated to excellence in education and creating scholars and leaders with heart.
This past year was a challenging time for all, and Clairbourn is so grateful to our community for the continued support during these critical times. Our school was once again voted Best Private School in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition, Clairbourn won honors for being a top Favorite Non-Catholic / Christian School. It was announced this past weekend in many magazines and newspapers across the San Gabriel Valley!
Together, we show perseverance, passion, dedication and courage. It is humbling to see we have been recognized for our quality education for the past three years, and we want to thank our wonderful community for all of your support.
"Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart"
To view the post in the San Gabriel Valley Readers’ Choice Webpage, click here. To view our Graduate Success, click here.
Clairbourn School congratulates its eighth grade graduates, the Class of 2021! In order to properly honor our graduates while complying with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for the pandemic of 2020, Clairbourn School held its Graduation Ceremony outdoors, and masked.
Sarah I.
The celebration began with Student Council President Sarah I. giving a warm welcome to all in attendance of the Graduation Ceremony. She expressed the gratitude the Class of 2021 feels for all the wonderful opportunities Clairbourn families have made possible as their Clairbourn experience comes to a close and they move on to their high school experience.
Natalie A.
Next, Natalie A. introduced three specific groups the Clairbourn graduating Class of 2021 wanted to thank for helping to make their individual journeys so successful. She thanked our Clairbourn parents and families for providing her class with excellent opportunities, tremendous support, and love at school and as CFA volunteers who made special events unforgettable.
Evan B.
Evan B. continued to give a special thanks to the second group, the Clairbourn faculty. Evan expressed thanks to all faculty members who have touched and shaped their experiences at Clairbourn. He thanked them for the challenges, the encouragement, the skills and the strategies that helped shape the successful graduates they have become.
Vanessa H.
Lastly, Vanessa H. expressed thanks to the final group, the Clairbourn Board of Trustees for their leadership, guidance, and behind the scenes support of the Clairbourn experience that her class has cherished during their time here.
8th Grade Speeches
Clairbourn Class of 2021
Eighth-grade students shared their remembrance speeches. Read their heart-felt speeches about the growth they have experienced, the memories they have made, and the overall impact Clairbourn has had in their lives.
Mikey F.
Good morning!My name is Mikey F. and I have been attending Clairbourn since Junior Pre-Kindergarten. Along the way I’ve learned a thing or two about being selfless and giving back. What makes someone selfless? Simple, just doing things to be nice, right? Well, yes and no. Being nice is part of it, but not the entire thing. Webster’s dictionary defines the word selfless as “having no concern for one’s self; unselfish.” What did you take away from that? Usually people we believe to be selfless are those such as police and firefighters. They risk their own lives in order to help others. Now, this doesn’t mean the next time you see a burning building that you need to join the firemen and run in and try to save the people inside. But you can try to help people in ways that you specifically can. Read Mikey F.’s Full Speech
Ashby Z.
Good morning, Clairbourn students, parents, and faculty. Thank you for being here, for being PRESENT. Being present means we are mindful of what is happening at this very moment. So I’m going to ask you all to look around and soak it all in! As a 2021 graduate of Clairbourn, for me, right now, in this moment, I realize it may be the last time I speak to you as Clairbourn students. It may be the last time I am in the presence of all my teachers. It may be the last time I roam this beautiful campus. And that’s all after walking through the entrance of Clairbourn as a curious 3-year-old on my first day of Jr-PK 11 years ago. So, I’m going to soak up this moment and enjoy being “present.” None of us can turn back the clock and the future doesn’t exist yet, so we need to remind ourselves to always be present without distractions, for living in the moment is the key to being happy. Read Ashby Z.’s Full Speech
Anthony C.
Hello and welcome, my name is Anthony C. and the first question I want to ask is how many of you like to work hard? You don’t have to raise your hands, but I’m guessing many of you would prefer to take it easy if you could. But what if I told you I have learned that working hard is a great thing and is a very important thing to do? As a student I can say that when I work hard I reap the rewards for my efforts. A very common example would be studying. When I work hard by studying before a test or quiz I give myself a higher chance to do better. The effort I use to study beforehand can be applied to everything and can be used in daily life scenarios. By giving my all in everything I do, I can make that slight difference between success and failure. I’ve learned many lessons so far in my 10 years at Clairbourn, and I think the most important are to always do my best, to work hard, and to never give up. Read Anthony C.’s Full Speech
Parisa B.
Hello students, faculty, and parents. My name is Parisa B. and I have attended Clairbourn for 10 years. I would like to start by saying that I have learned and gained so much from my time at Clairbourn and I am so grateful for the wonderful years that I have spent here. I would like to say a special thank you to my fellow classmates, for they have taught me so much about myself and who I want to be. Whether it was a kind remark, an encouraging word, or even simply a smile, you may not have realized it at the time, but every one of those small but very impactful gestures contributed to making my harder days not as bad, and my good days so much better. Read Parisa B.’s Full Speech
The Class of 2021 Graduation Address
Head of School, Dr. Patzlaff
The Class of 2021 is unique. You have been through a pandemic, experienced remote learning, participated in hybrid learning, sheltered in place, and learned to reemerge safely. You participated in a virtual concert, put on a Shakespear production remotely, recorded math videos in TikTok, and participated in a modified cardboard boat regatta. Through all of this you learned new skills and strengthened existing ones. You maintained connection with each other even when you couldn’t be physically together whether meeting for study groups in Discord, having class parties on Zoom, or joining watch parties on Netflix. You developed your grit, perseverance, flexibility, creativity, compassion, and patience. It was an opportunity for a lot of growth, and grow you did!
I was thinking about why you did so well, and I think it has a lot to do with how you responded to the challenges. The news kept saying these are unprecedented times. True, we hadn’t seen this combination of events before, but you have been practicing how to respond to challenges for years. Even though there was no playbook or roadmap for a pandemic, I believe you actually do have a solid guide for how to respond to any challenge you face. The guide can be summed up in three questions. The three questions are: 1. Do your actions help you to grow and learn? 2. Do your actions build others up, helping them progress? 3. Do your actions show compassion, respect, and love? Read The Full Speech
High School Acceptances
Clairbourn Class of 2021
Our students will be attending the following schools in the Fall: Flintridge Preparatory School, Maranatha High School, Westridge School, Mayfield Senior School, Webb School, La Salle College Preparatory High School, Loyola High School, South Pasadena High School, St. Francis High School, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, San Marino High School.
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.
Jada ’16
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.
Gritton family then and now.
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.
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.
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.Continue reading “Pooh Play Tradition Goes Virtual for 2020”
