private nursery school – Page 5 – Clairbourn School News

June 21, 2021June 22, 2021

Graduation Ceremony for the Mighty Class of 2021

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.

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.

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. 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 14, 2021January 23, 2021

Exploring Mobile App Design: Clairbourn Alumnae Caroline Kwan & Nina Luo “Dishcover” a Great Idea

For elementary school students, early technology training, a growth mindset, and teamwork skills can help them make the most of opportunities that come later in life. Former Clairbourn School students Nina Luo and Caroline Kwan, from the Class of 2018, exemplify this perfectly. The following article describes their new app, “Dishcovery,” and how Clairbourn School provided early educational advantages that helped them to take on this later technology challenge.

Nina Luo and Caroline Kwan, creators of the Dishcovery app. Both young women are Clairbourn School alumnae.

Anytime an interactive tool or device is created, there is a lot to learn and accomplish. Having an ability to think conceptually as well analytically is key to generating the initial idea, the plan, and the steps for development and deployment. When busy high school students Nina Luo and Caroline Kwan set out to create an app for their summer computer class at Coding Minds Academy, they didn’t flinch when faced with the mountain of work involved. They chose to invest their precious free time, both in and outside of class, to make an app that had meaning and value for their everyday life.

As food enthusiasts who frequently eat out and enjoy discovering new dishes, Nina and Caroline realized they wanted a way to quickly identify the customers’ favorite items on restaurant menus. Both of them were aware of Yelp.com but felt that reading through multiple posts and clarifying what was worth ordering was too time consuming. So they decided to build an app that could determine the preferred items mentioned in user reviews and then list the top ten dishes at restaurants.

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: Public Speaking Matters

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

As many people soon find out, having a great point of view, idea, or service is only as good as one’s ability to effectively get the word out. There has to be consideration for compelling messaging combined with finding one’s audience and engaging them to respond with their time, attention, and money.

Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Tiffany Chang, and Kathryn Huang – Clairbourn alumae & founders of Madhatter Knits.

Those abilities are in evidence among the Clairbourn alumnae who started the Madhatter Knits foundation in 2014 when a fourth grade knitting lesson led them to create a nonprofit for making premature baby hats to donate to hospitals.

Except for Tiffany Chang and Sara Lowin who were in the same grade together, the other executive directors of the foundation, including Kimberly Chang and Christie & Kathryn Huang, were in different grades ranging from first up to high school freshman. But all of them had early exposure in finding their voice as a result of Clairbourn’s public speaking program.

December 1, 2020December 16, 2020

Your Student Can Do Great Things: Leadership Opportunities Matter

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

Clairbourn alumnae Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Tiffany Chang, and Kathryn Huang are the founders of Madhatter Knits which makes and donates preemie hats to the NICU departments of hospitals both locally and across the world.

Leadership opportunities need not wait for high school or college-level programs. Leadership lessons, such as the ones taught at Clairbourn, begin as early as preschool and extend through Grade 8—and exciting things can happen when children learn to lead at a young age. Take for example Madhatter Knits, an organization which makes and donates hats for premature babies in the NICU and also works to protect expectant mothers and infants from COVID-19.

This nonprofit was founded by Tiffany Chang in 2014 while still a student in the fourth grade at Clairbourn School. The organization is run by a large executive team which includes Clairbourn alumnae Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Kathryn Huang, and Sara Lowin. After only six years, they have expanded across the U.S. and have chapters in Germany, Italy, England, Uganda, Costa Rica, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, India, and Ecuador .

Sara Lowin, Kimberly Chang, and Tiffany Chang (shown above) all started at Clairbourn in preschool.

Madhatter Knits executive directors Tiffany, Christie, Kimberly, and Sara all started in Clairbourn’s preschool, with Kathryn starting in Kindergarten. And while there, they experienced age-appropriate exposure to leadership opportunities. They were taught ethical concepts combined with opportunities for social and emotional development, growth-mindset acquisition, and problem-solving skills.

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.