Clairbourn students wrapped up 2021 strong!

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, and they 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 Students Are Resilient And Thrive For A Successful Start To The New School Year!

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!

The Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome Clairbourn alumni parent Manuel G. Grace to the Board. 

New Clairbourn Board Member – Mr. Manny Grace, Alumni Parent and Trustee

Manny and Casey’s two children, Alex and Zoe, attended Clairbourn from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade graduation, in 2013 and 2017. Given their 14 years of experience and engagement with the Clairbourn community, the Grace’s are a true Clairbourn family. Manny brings to the Board his knowledge and experience of private school education, particularly as it relates to issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Manny is an enthusiastic supporter of Clairbourn. He credits the nurturing and rigorous education his children received at Clairbourn as providing the foundation for their subsequent successes in high school, college and beyond.

Manny’s oldest child, Alexander, was a stellar student and respected class comedian at Clairbourn. Alex developed strong writing skills at Clairbourn, culminating in a poignant and hilarious speech which he delivered at his 8th grade graduation. Alex went on to attend Flintridge Prep, where he performed in the Comedy Sportz Improv team for four years. Alex continued doing improv comedy, during an otherwise studious undergraduate career at Columbia University. In May 2021, Alex graduated from Columbia with a BA in American History, focusing on the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. He is currently living and working in New York City, working in documentary film production.  Alex appreciates the unique privilege of his Clairbourn experience. He maintains close ties with many of his Pre-K pals from Clairbourn.

Alex ’13 from Clairbourn on the left and ’21 from Columbia University on the right

Zoe, four years younger than Alex, blossomed as a student at Clairbourn, particularly in Middle School, where she consistently made the Dean’s List. Zoe participated in a number of theatre productions (Winnie the Pooh and Midsummer Night’s Dream), and was active in almost every sport offered at Clairbourn, most notably, soccer, softball and volleyball. After Clairbourn, Zoe attended Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, where she continued her athletic career on both school and club volleyball teams, and served as a member and leader of the Black Student Union. Zoe excelled academically at FSHA, and also won a number of honors for her creative efforts in ceramic arts.  In August 2021, Zoe entered her freshman year at Washington University in St. Louis, with fellow Clairbourn classmate, Natalie Chen, whose mother, Debbie Chen also serves on the Clairbourn Board of Trustees.

Zoe ’17. Winnie the Pooh play on the left and on Clairbourn Sports Team on the right.

Manny attended the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a degree in Psychology. He then went on to obtain a law degree from the Columbia University Law School in 1982, and clerked for the Hon. Lawrence W. Pierce, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. After practicing corporate environmental law for several years in New York City, Manny moved to California to work as in-house Environmental Health and Safety counsel for The Walt Disney Company in Burbank. During his 29-year tenure at Disney, Manny has covered issues ranging from consumer product liability, environmental compliance and occupational safety. He has also served on numerous committees addressing issues of diversity and inclusion within the workplace. In his current capacity as Associate General Counsel, Manny has had a key role in shaping Disney’s compliance strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Grace Family

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Manny has always been civically engaged in the wider community. Manny is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Notre Dame University Alumni Association and a current board member of the California State Parks Foundation. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Earthshot, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring climate action through video games and virtual and immersive experiences. He is also a former Chairman of the Board of the Society of Product Licensor’s Committed to Excellence (SPLiCE). Manny is also a member of the Environmental Law Committee of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

At Clairbourn, Manny and his wife Casey (also an attorney) served as the Annual Fund chairs for their children’s classes for two years. Manny also served as Cub Scout Master when Alex was young, and participated in many carnivals and other event committees over the years.  He is excited to be joining the Clairbourn Board of Trustees at this important time in the future development of the school.

Clairbourn is launching a new logo!

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!

The Background

Faculty input describing
Clairbourn student characteristics

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.

We hope you like this new crest as much as we do!

Together, we are Clairbourn!

Clairbourn graduates are LEADERS who are not afraid to speak up, listen, question and make a difference in the world.

Justin will be attending Boston College.

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

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.

Clairbourn graduates have HEART, full of compassion, resilience, and gratitude. They are lifelong learners with a growth mindset. 

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.

Clairbourn graduates are SCHOLARS who are grounded in the values of honesty, respect, responsibility, spirituality, and citizenship.

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.

Clairbourn Connections: Class of 2017

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.

Clairbourn was voted Best Private School!

Our Strong Community Support Shows!

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.