Clairbourn football and volleyball teams competed this season against various private schools in the area including Chandler, High Point, and Poly. Our teams were excited to put all of their hard work into action!
Our flag football players made many great throws at the quarterback position helping move the ball down field, hiked the ball, blocked, and scored many touchdown by running downfield cutting hard and spinning around defenders. Our team coordinated the offense from the quarterback position, helped each other move downfield by throwing the ball through the air and driving to get the first touchdown. The highlight of the season was putting up 20 points on the score board! Each athlete on the team played their position well which gave us an opportunity to score many points. On defense, Clairbourn athletes were quick and agile pulling flags and knocking the ball out of the air. Here is what the players shared about the season:
What was the highlight from the last game against Poly? The A team made many amazing throws, catches and runs throughout the game while the B team scored multiple touchdowns!
How did players impact the games? Joshua from 8th grade impacted the game by being the quarterback with great catches and even runs. Mauricio and Aramis’ scoring touchdowns were exciting to watch!
What’s the most memorable play? At the beginning of the game, the A team was able to quickly move the ball down the field and make several touchdowns. Players from the B team stayed sharp and reacted fast when defenders came upon them and successfully passed the ball to each other.
What was the best part of this season? The game against High Point in which the A team was tied at 20/20, and the successful touchdowns for our B team from the last game were the best parts of the season.
Our Cougars from the volleyball teams showed great spirit, teamwork, and effort. Each player made rapid progress, further developed their skill, and continued to encourage teammates. Each player made many incredible serves, spikes, countless great tips at the net, and many of them dove to the balls without any hesitation to avoid letting the ball hit the ground, and had a long rally lasting several rounds. Here are what the volleyball teams wanted to share about the season!
Has the team made any improvements since the first game? Everyone was cheering for each other and we all dove for the ball trying our best. Some of us even fell on the floor a couple of times. The energy was amazing at each game.
What were some highlights you remember in the game? There were many highlights from our last game against Poly. We started out with great serves that earned us many points. Most importantly, everyone showed up with the best attitude and great sportsmanship!
What play do you remember the most? The games against Westridge and Poly were the two memorable games. As a team, we performed so strong at those two games in particular.
In what way did you use teamwork? During the game, we double clapped and cheered for each other. We were always together. Even at moments when we lost a point, we never let ourselves down and continued to support each other. We are definitely going to miss volleyball!
The seasons for both flag football and volleyball were a great success! Clairbourn teams played with energy and excitement and they did their best at each game. It is so great to see our Cougars’ dedication and commitment! We are proud of you, Cougars!
Special thank you to our biggest cheerleaders — Our Clairbourn Parents!!
Middle School Student Council planned a special week for the community to honor Red Ribbon Week. Clairbourn students came together and filled the campus with lots of red to raise the awareness of drug abuse prevention. Along with Student Council adviser, Ms. Vinnedge, students wrote, recorded and produced daily skits to teach students the importance of making good choices!
2021-2022 Student Council and adviser Ms. Vinnedge
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. It began in 1985 and is the nation’s largest and longest running drug awareness and prevention program. It has helped millions of children across the globe!
Student Council wrote, recorded and produced skits for the week to show the community about making good choices.
Student Council discussed what drugs are and how to stay safe and healthy. Students from across the grades learned drugs are chemical substances which can cause a change in the body either in a helpful way or a negative way. Cougars also learned the difference between safe drugs at home, such as medication, and illegal drugs that can harm the body and mind.
Council members also talked about how good it feels when a good choice is made. Whether it is saying no to drug abuse, making a good nutrition choice at Halloween, or saying no to unhealthy suggestions from strangers online, we know our Cougars will try their best to do what’s right!
Thank you Student Council for your leadership, showing us how to be brave, use our voices, and make good choices! Clairbourn students are scholars and leaders with HEART!
The physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of our Middle School students was the focus of our Wellness Focus Talk last week.
The Middle School years can be difficult for many children who are going through physical, emotional and developmental changes. The pressure, stress and expectations for their academic performance from home and school, and the unanticipated challenges of the pandemic can be additional anxieties our Middle Schoolers must process. So much has happened in the world since last year. This group of Middle Schoolers have a lot on their plate besides growing up! How can we as adults help our students navigate these times?
Clairbourn Middle School students
Clairbourn’s small class sizes allow us to provide individualized learning and wellness coaching. Our faculty can focus and work with each individual child and provide specific support. Learning to process stress in a positive way is a skill we help our students develop. Teachers talk to students about their wellness on a daily basis, and also practice activities that help the students release their anxiety and stimulate their personal wellness at the same time.
7th grade “Pass the Cup” wellness activity
In Mrs. Drazic’s Middle Schoollanguage class, students did a wellness activity called “Passing the Cup” to build connections with their peers. Students sat in circles of 10 and each group received a cup of water filled to within ½ inch of the brim. They needed to pass the almost-filled cup to one another without spilling the water, with and without their eyes closed. Mrs. Drazic then asked, “What do we have to pay attention to so the water does not spill? Was it harder to pass around the cup without spilling with eyes closed rather than open? Did you want to peek? Did you giggle?” The observation from the students was: When we could see, we looked at the cup and made sure the next person was ready and we needed to move slowly and carefully. Passing around the cup with eyes closed required us to pay much closer attention to the task. We had to monitor ourselves to ensure we were ready, but also pay attention to one another much more closely.
Students discussed what they should be monitoring in themselves, such as attitudes, nonverbal behaviors, frustrations. They also discovered what they should be “tuning into” with others, such as openness, emotions, attitudes, and behavior. Students learned how to be more aware of each other and understood themselves a bit better. In order to work cooperatively in any relationship – with friends, classmates, parents – we have to monitor ourselves and “tune in” to another person’s experience. It’s a balancing act!
Wellness Focus sessions for Middle School students
Clairbourn arranged a two-day Wellness Focus session for our Middle School students with Dr. Marguery Lyvers . Students from six to eighth grades talked freely with Dr. Lyvers about their anxiety. One student shared that not doing well for exams caused the most stress, and another student described pressure as “thunders pounding on the chest.” After several successful rounds of discussions, students wrote down their biggest worries on a piece of paper and were then asked to toss it away. There was no need to think about their worries anymore. Dr. Lyvers concluded by discussing different strategies to manage the pressure to do well at school and home.
We understand raising a healthy child is a team effort between family and school. Dr. Patzlaff, Head of School, and Mrs. Taylor, Assistant Head of School, joined Dr. Lyvers and met with parents virtually. The parents learned how to detect different emotional states of the child and how to give them the support they need. Important take aways for the parents were, “How your child responds to stress determines your response” and “If you see stress in your child, check your own feelings before responding”.
Middle School parents Wellness Focus Talk with Dr. Lyvers
Besides physical health, Clairbourn cares deeply for the other vital aspects of wellness — social, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional. We are committed to nurturing well-rounded children. We know growing up is not always easy and Middle School can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. After all, Middle Schoolers are “Learning everyday who they are, how to engage in their world, and how to grow into their best selves”, says Dr. Amy Patzlaff, the Head of School at Clairbourn. In our Clairbourn family, the caring and experienced faculty coaches each student; our school creates a supportive environment where each student can grow and develop to their full potential. We hear each of your voices and we are here for you. Together, we are stronger. Together, we are Clairbourn!
Last week in Mrs. Messler’s Middle School algebra class, students used their linear regression skills to design something fun — the Barbie Bungee experiment! Students worked in small groups of 3-5 students. The groups then were given a worksheet and packet containing materials for the activity such as rubber bands, a yardstick, a Barbie doll and a ruler.
Students were challenged to create a bungee line for Barbie that would give her the most thrilling, yet safe, fall from a height of 2 meters. What’s the relation between the number or rubber bands and the distance Barbie dropped? Middle Schoolers collected data, learned how to plot the data on a coordinate plane, wrote linear equations to approximate the relationship, looked for the best fit linear equation, and discussed what slope and y-intercept mean in this context.
Finally, students used their equations to predict how many rubber bands they would need to tie to Barbie for a big 200 cm jump and tested it out to make sure their math successfully kept her safe while enjoying the most thrilling bungee jump possible!
Middle schoolers were engaged, having fun being creative while learning the concepts of math and practicing it with a hands-on experiment! Well done, Clairbourn Cougars!
“It’s not that I am so smart. It’s just that I stay with problems longer!” Albert Einstein
Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart
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. Click here to request information.
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
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.
