Clairbourn Magazine Spring 2012

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Wise Use of Technology

Bring Your Own Device A Middle School pilot program to advance writing, workflow, and communication.

How ethics can help students make good decisions in the digital world.

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Clairbourn’s Supper Club

Celebrating Real Beauty

The 15 th annual gala benefit is celebrated Sinatra-style at the Jonathan Club.

Kindergarteners spread messages about valuing inner beauty.

DEPARTMENTS 13

Words of Wisdom

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Spotlight on Success

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CFA Activities

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VIP Visitors on Campus

35 Alumni News

On the cover: Fourth-grader Sarah Wong

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Bring Your Own Device THE MIDDLE SCHOOL’S PILOT PROGRAM TO HELP STUDENTS WRITE BETTER AND WORK SMARTER IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Why a laptop program for the Middle School, and why now? The vision for our students at Clairbourn is to create skilled writers, communicators, and learners who are ready to meet the approaching demands of high school and college curriculums. And in today’s educational environment, it makes sense that we equip students with the right tools they need to compete, progress, and be effective. As one-to-one laptop initiatives in schools have rolled out nationwide, with some programs starting as young as Kindergarten, Clairbourn has been analyzing the results, researching the costs, and forming conclusions as to what works and what doesn’t for a K-8 school. Putting Internet connected tools in the hands of young people requires a great deal of thought, planning, and impact analysis to make sure they are helpful and safe for students and that the school stays on the leading edge, but not the bleeding edge of technology. By monitoring the experiences of other schools that are early adopters of tech tools, Clairbourn has avoided the costly missteps

and backtracking that inevitably come with blazing a trail. This approach also allows the school to focus its energies on the learning experience and not expend its energies on experimentation. According to extensive research compiled by Middle School Director Amy Patzlaff, the majority of one-to-one school-owned laptop programs have a downside that often exceeds the benefits. Many schools report their property is frequently mistreated, the equipment requires continual replacement, and laptop carts need a lot of software updates and maintenance. Also, laptop carts have limited availability and can only be used in one classroom at a time. But, studies show that when the student owns the device, they have it ready when they need it, they usually take good care of it, and they learn responsibility in the process. So, after two years of careful consideration, the school’s Technology Committee decided to implement a “Bring Your Own Device” pilot program that required Middle School students to bring a laptop or netbook to

Opposite: Seventh-grader Delilah Martin in history class.

class starting in the Fall of 2011. The results? Students can now take notes faster, edit documents more efficiently, collaborate on group projects, submit work digitally, and access their work from anywhere because it is stored in the “cloud” in their own Google Apps account. They can also research topics within the security of the school’s topically-restricted wireless network. In language class, their device can be used as a portable, personal language lab. There is no longer competition to use school desktops or software programs in the classroom. Plus, there is backup technology if a student’s device isn’t working! Classroom computers and loaner devices are always on hand for students to use allowing them to access their work stored online. The decision to go with studentowned devices was also guided by results from a fifth through eighth grade parent survey which showed that 77% of them already owned a laptop or a mobile device that met the minimal requirements, and 85% already had WiFi and Internet in their homes. With numbers that high, it made sense to use what

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BRING YOUR Own DEVICE

Casey Uebelhack, Madison Wetzel, and Lauren Montgomery write an essay in class.

families already owned. Parents were also asked about their cost tolerance and were asked to evaluate the responsibility of their children to bring their own device to school. When the decision to move forward took place, the remaining 23% of families had about six months to acquire a device to meet the new Middle School requirement. Also, to accommodate tighter budgets, a device rental program was offered as well as a netbook purchase program with payments. To support these devices, the school supplied the necessary elements such as WiFi in all the classrooms, wireless printers, and software licences for student devices. Additionally, to allow the teachers oversight and control of the work being done on devices,

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“LAN School” software will soon be implemented. This software allows teachers to administer group quizzes, show student work from a device to the group, monitor if students are on task, and blank all screens at once to regain the attention of the room. Also, the school is now an official “Google Apps for Education School” with its own domain. One would imagine that the “Bring Your Own Device” program would cause a significant change in the Middle School’s educational activities. Actually, it has only changed how a limited number of tasks are accomplished in certain classes, and there are still physical books, paper, and pens used for the majority of time spent in the classroom. Plus, students are not allowed to use their device unless

Jack Bartlett and Mason Ning take notes.

the teacher directs them to use it for their classwork. This helps to control the potential distraction factor. Currently, four Middle School classes, Spanish, history, science, and English, are using the devices when appropriate, however English teacher Janet Taylor still has her students hand write many of their assignments because she is preparing them for the high school entrance exams that they’ll have to complete later. Math class is not using the devices at all since it is too cumbersome to write equations on the screen. As Amy Patzlaff explains, “These are tools, so when it is the right tool for the job, the teacher will use it. When it is not the right tool, the teacher will have them put it away.” In this program’s first year, the school found there were initial


BRING YOUR Own DEVICE

Sixth-grader Spencer Zahabizadeh gets a homework assignment checked by science teacher Jennai Hufstader.

challenges with getting everyone connected to the system and understanding the requirements. But once connected, it was easy for students to use the devices and store their work in the “cloud.” Overall, teachers noticed increased productivity and willingness from students to revise and edit documents and noticed a bigger buy-in on note taking in class. There are also savings in paper and printing costs, and there could be further savings on Spanish textbooks next year. The program has also proved to be flexible for those who prefer other methods of working and allows for opt-outs for certain tasks where students have already demonstrated they can use the digital tool successfully. But with these new tools, parents

are now finding themselves reaching out for guidance to oversee the home usage of the devices. Some parents, who previously did not have a laptop for their child by choice, still have a strong desire to protect their children from unwanted distractions, social interactions, and general technology misuse. Those concerns won’t go away easily, and part of the school’s job is to help parents be well-informed and proactive so they possess the tools and systems needed to keep technology in its proper place in their children’s lives. (See the resource list provided in the next article, “Wise Use of Technology.”) These concerns are addressed in grade level coffee meetings for parents at the beginning of

each school year. Also, for the past several years, Internet Safety Expert Lori Getz has spoken on campus to parents and middleschoolers regarding the safe and wise use of technology. It is very important that parents make a point of attending these talks, whenever possible, so they receive the information and training the school is offering. The school is aware that there is always more that can be done and will find ways to support the parent community as new tools are adopted. According to Amy Patzlaff, “We’re not facing a technology issue, the issue is really about teaching our students to make good decisions in all circumstances.”

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Wise Use of TECHNOLOGY

Spanish teacher Gerson Bonaparte leads an eighth grade language exercise while students use their laptops to follow along online.

Wise Use of TECHNOLOGY HOW ETHICS CAN BE OF PRACTICAL HELP Anyone involved in the raising or educating of children wants to give them every possible advantage, and this often means providing them with the latest technological tools. But the same tools that create advantages can also create a world of challenges. Having an ethical guidance system in place, that can be applied to technology at home and at school, can help students meet challenges and make wise choices on the Internet, in the classroom, and in social situations. With this guidance, we have a better chance of avoiding the hazards commonly associated with many technologies.

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Consider the changes to educational tools over the last ten years. Students can instantly access information from all corners of the world through the Internet, and they can collaborate on projects over great distances. Also, elementary grade teachers can now provide immediate and comprehensive information to their students about the subjects they teach—for example, when teaching habitat units, there are literally thousands of video clips available to show, and the teacher can pause and rewind, to allow for discussion, questioning, and predicting.

In Clairbourn’s Middle School, technology helps students watch science experiments online that are too dangerous, costly, or time consuming to do in person. They take virtual field trips to ancient sites and see the ruins via live video rather than still pictures in a text book. In their foreign language classes, they listen to native speakers and learn vocabulary through educational websites. Their online research is faster, deeper, and wider, and computer-based writing allows for them to enjoy a greater focus on content, now that the labor of longhand editing is greatly reduced. Plus, students are more account-


Wise Use of TECHNOLOGY CLAIRBOURN: A SCHOOL HOME WE CARE ABOUT that’s what we really need to focus on.” Getz also cautions that, “Our students are wired for distraction and therefore we must consider how we use the technology. If we continue to only practice our multitasking skills, we will forget how to concentrate and focus. If we only text, we will forget how to have a phone conversation. It’s about balance and behavior, not technology.”

From 2010, Internet Safety Expert Lori Getz talks to eighth-graders Carly Kessel, Samantha Pearson, and Joey Steele about best practices for staying safe online.

able now that grades are posted on Clairbourn’s intranet and homework is posted to the Google Docs “cloud.” In evaluating the recent changes, Headmaster Dr. Robert Nafie feels that above all, “The significant advancements at school have been the use of Internet-connected SMART Boards®, the campus-wide installation of WiFi, and the “Bring Your Own Device” program in Middle School where certain books, assignments, and classwork is accessed via “cloud” computing. These systemic changes have altered how teachers gather information and disseminate it to students. Other technologies, while convenient, have had less impact on the teacher-student relationship, and we now have the time and tools to more effectively distill the lessons of our human experience.”

Clearly the educational landscape is changing fast. And with these changes has come the urgent need for students to learn wisdom when it comes to technology so they can avoid serious missteps. Internet Safety Expert Lori Getz explains, “We have moved from stand alone software and mono-directional interaction to full blown socialization on the net. This socialization has brought to the world online safety and privacy concerns, cyber-bullying, “sexting,” gaming obsessions, and the loss of concentration and balance in personal lives.” Getz continues, “We should care about these issues because they are part of our everyday lives, and to ignore them from an educational standpoint means our students will learn about them on their own—sometimes through mistakes that can affect their entire future. It’s our behavior that is changing, and

As parents and educators, there is a lot we can do to help students navigate these technology issues safely. In addition to following the school’s Internet Use Policy for technology published in the Student Parent Handbook and staying informed through knowledgeable speakers brought on campus, we can focus on what Dr. Nafie calls “old fashioned ethics applied to a new setting.” As explained by Middle School Director Amy Patzlaff, “This is the new world and it isn’t going back, so we can either help the kids to be good citizens in the new world or try to talk them into doing things the old way. The principles in Clairbourn’s Code of Ethics are applicable in the cyber world, and it is important to care about the way technology is being used and be sure that any action, cyber or otherwise, matches with our values.” Assistant Head of School Gloria Stahmer adds, “It’s an issue of technology ethics, and it’s a facet of the school’s overall emphasis on helping our students learn core ethical values. Whether we’re teaching them not to take another’s backpack or how not

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Wise Use of TECHNOLOGY to plagiarize another’s work from the Internet, it’s still all about honesty.” As we brave this digital frontier, it’s clear that parents and teacher are in this together. In addition to teaching the ethical principles that can guide technology use, it is wise to take practical steps like keeping computers in the common areas of the home, limiting or monitoring cell phone and Internet access, and keeping the lines of communication open to talk about issues—cyber or otherwise. Getz advises that, “Parents need to make sure they understand how the technology works before handing it over to their children, and they need to take their general parenting skills and translate them to the cyber-world.” Reflecting on the bigger vision for Clairbourn students into the future, Gloria Stahmer says, “Educational institutions seem to be reaching the point where dedicated technology instruction in isolation is no more useful than having a paper and pencil lab. In the next few years more and more schools will move to tablet or laptop technologies for each student. But, technologies should be used to further the educational program and student learning rather than be an end in itself. Vision is about what we want our kids to learn, to know, what kind of people we want them to be, and how we can best achieve that. Technology is one part of that discussion, and that discussion must involve ethics as it applies to the wise use of technology in the home and in an educational setting.”

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Richard Dong, in sixth grade science class, watches a video of an experiment online.

Resource List FOR TECHNOLOGY USE: Internet Site Blocking Software www.netnanny.com

Promoting Concentration In Children http://tinyurl.com/Tips4Concentration

Monitoring Software www.screenretriever.com

Limiting Distractions For Children http://tinyurl.com/LimitDistractions

Cybersafety Tools & News www.connectsafely.org www.netsmartz.org www.lorigetz.com

Limit Computer & Cell Phone Time www.phonesheriff.com www.softwaretime.com

Choosing Child-Friendly Media www.commonsensemedia.org


Wise Use of TECHNOLOGY CLAIRBOURN: A SCHOOL HOME WE CARE ABOUT

ETHICAL MODEL FOR TECHNOLOGY USE As Interpreted Through The Clairbourn Code Of Ethics

Caring. Take care of devices. Keep them neat, safe, and charged. Remember to bring what you need to school or home. Balance. For older students, learn to turn off tech when you need to focus. For preschool children, parents can limit their use of technology and encourage face-to-face interactions with peers. Diligence. Learn correct spelling even though spell-checker does it for you. Develop penmanship even though it is easier to type. Respect the dangers. It isn’t safe to share personal information or talk to strangers in the online world. Always put your safety and security first and use only trusted and secure Internet sites. Respect others. Never be unkind or ridicule others–especially online. Not only does an online attack reach a much wider audience, but it also intensifies the suffering of the victim and leaves a permanent digital record. Respect yourself. Present yourself in the best light online. Posting provocative photos or messages, also known as “sexting,” is illegal, highly unsafe, and it leaves a permanent record. Do original work and thinking. Learn to restate or rework information you’ve learned from other sources to avoid stealing another’s ideas and risking copyright infringement. Honor the investment in your education. When technology is misused to socialize in class, students are really stealing from themselves and wasting the educational opportunity provided by their parents. Have quiet time. Allow yourself time for reflection to find wisdom, guidance, and inspiration. Know when to unplug, to turn off devices, step away from the computer, and turn off the TV. This is especially important during homework time. Be there. Spirituality includes listening and being present. If we’re multitasking, we’re not giving our best to each project or person that requires attention and love. Engage in normal social activity. Don’t allow technology, like video games, to take over and cut into time for developing friendships, spending time with family, or playing outside. Obey technology laws and unwritten rules. This covers illegal technology use in the car or on airplanes as well as social courtesies like turning off cell phones in meetings and movie theatres. Practice good time management. It’s good citizenship to have yourself and your daily habits under control. Parents should provide direct supervision of computer use at home and model good time management.

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Kindergarteners from Mrs. Denison’s class appreciating each other’s inner beauty with a group hug: Olivia Christovich, Zaria Echemendia, Ethan Jones, Matthew Chen, Christian Oberon, Christian Marks, and Kelly Tsao.

CELEBRATING

Real Beauty

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What do we value in ourselves and others? Should our impressions be based on external factors such as appearance, possessions, or status? What counts when it comes to being valued and loved?

chapel in the classroom. We were reading books from the library on the topic, and students were having breakthroughs where they were able to move past external value to see inner beauty.

These types of questions have been at work in the hearts and minds of Clairbourn’s kindergartners thanks to the “Real Beauty” project going on in their classroom. Teacher Heather Denison explains, “The project originated when my students and I began discussing inner beauty during

After several uplifting discussions, I started thinking about how wonderful it would be to promote this message school-wide. I contacted Middle School Director Amy Patzlaff to see if the Student Council would be interested in helping out, and they jumped on board.”

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The following week, Student Council members came to the Kindergarten classroom to watch an informative video called “Dove Photoshop Effect.” This video displays, through time-lapse photography, how the beauty images that we see aren’t real. The group discussed how people mistakenly compare themselves to these images and emphasize these physical ideals. A natural outcome from these talks was a desire by students to encourage the rest of the student body to look for the internal value in others and even themselves.


Ashlee Notley displays her “Real Beauty” message card that she decorated in class.

Kelly Tsao and Wendy Waite post their message cards in the girls’ bathroom.

Eighth-grader Bhav Patel helps Aidan Chiu post his message card on the mirror of the boys’ bathroom where it will be easily seen.

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CELEBRATING REAL BEAUTY

Pearly Wong carefully copies an inspiring quote onto her decorative card.

Student Council members Electra Williams and Julia McMullan display the message cards they decorated while working on the “Real Beauty” project in the Kindergarten classroom.

Then, inspired by the example of a nationwide movement called “The Dressing Room Project,” where people make affirmative notes and post them in dressing rooms, kindergarteners and middleschoolers decided to decorate cards with messages about identity, selfworth, and inner beauty. Together, they posted the cards on the mirrors in the bathrooms around campus. They also made a special announcement at Chapel to make sure everyone would look for the signs and appreciate their meaning.

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Mrs. Denison explains, “It was so inspiring to see how much they wanted to share these uplifting ideas with their fellow students. When reading books on inner beauty, we would flag quotes to put on the message cards. Some of the messages are similar, but no two cards are alike. They’ve really made this project their own, and their enthusiasm has carried it to a place I never imagined. It has been incredibly inspirational to see this evolve into a campaign—a campaign that their ideas started. It was also fun to hear the student

Teacher Heather Denison shows the students how to write out the messages.

body’s reaction to their efforts. Clearly they are as moved by the truth about beauty as we have all been.” STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE PROJECT: “The cards made me feel really, really happy.”– Andrea Ma “They made me think differently about myself….in a good way.”– Henry Fogel “It made me feel happy about myself. I really loved the drawings.”– Piper Kibbe “It has helped me, and I know it will help others.” – Electra Williams


Words of

Wisdom

AUTHORS, EDUCATORS, & EXPERTS SPEAK ON CAMPUS

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WORDS OF WISDOM MELISSA LOWRY Parenting Consultant Melissa Lowry spoke to Clairbourn parents on the topic of “Stop Parenting and Start Coaching.” She is a former K-8 school principal, former teacher, and now founder of Melissa Lowry Educational Coaching and Smartypantz Education. Her parenting advice is inspired by coach John Wooden’s famous “Pyramid of Success.”

Coaching Strategies For Parents: 1. Words like stop, don’t, shhh, and no, are useless for parents. Instead, give direction and instruction such as, “I would really like to see you put your shoes in the bin by the door.” 2. Good coaches motivate with “carrots” or rewards. Find out what toys or treats your child cares about. 3. Look at your child’s potential and help them feel successful. Kids should always feel good enough at home. 4. Failure is such a good thing for kids. We learn best when we fail, not when we win.

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PEGINE GRAYSON Pegine Grayson, Vice President of Philanthropic Services at the Whittier Trust Company, was the guest speaker at the March CFA meeting. She spoke to parents about the power of philanthropy to ensure the successful handling of wealth by children and how philanthropy teaches them to make a difference, enhances self-esteem, correlates to better performance in school, and develops empathy.

Tips for Raising Philanthropic Kids: 1. Develop philanthropic habits and values in children early on. Have a child bake cookies for someone who is sick or donate used clothing or toys. 2. As parents, be visible with your own philanthropy. Involve your kids. Let them know what you’re doing and why. Demonstrate that giving truly is receiving. Seeing that you enjoy philanthropy is the best way to ensure that they will too.

5. Give your children age-appropriate responsibility and set up consequences. When disciplining, do it with love.

3. Form a family foundation or donor-advised fund. It will teach money management, and instill charitable values, thus unifying the family on a common mission. Helpful websites include: youthgive.org and dosomething.org.

6. Treat your family like a team, and let kids contribute to the running of the household.

4. Send your teens on service learning trips: rusticpathways.com and globalworkstravel.com

7. Small victories lead to progress. Have patience when teaching your child responsibility. Be persistent and age-appropriate. It will pay off.

5. Give your child an allowance every week and show them how to divide their money into categories to spend, share, and save.

8. Decisions for your family will be easier if you have a family mission statement and value system in place.

6. Incorporate philanthropy and volunteering into your family traditions for Christmas, Chanukah or Thanksgiving.

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FROSTIG CENTER A team from the Frostig Center, which specializes in learning disabilities, spoke with Clairbourn teachers about how “Developing Success Attributes” can help all children become more successful learners.

Success Attributes: There are certain qualities which can lead to the educational attainments, employment status, social and family relationships, and psychological health desired by most individuals. The top six factors that predict success are: SELF AWARENESS— Help students to

face their difficulties by being open and specific about them. Show them how to focus on their talents and match jobs with their abilities. PROACTIVITY— Teach students to engage the world, take responsibility, make decisions, and believe they can shape their own destiny. PERSEVERANCE— Teach them how to

pick up and try again, learn from hardships, but also demonstrate flexibility by knowing when to change course and try something else. GOAL SETTING— Teach them to set

specific goals in all areas of their life, not just academics. Recognize and honor progress. Be sure to make the goals realistic and attainable. SUPPORT SYSTEMS— Put students in

touch with supporters who can help positively shape their lives and who will hold clear expectations for them. COPING STRATEGIES—Develop effec-

tive means of coping with a disability, and maintain a positive outlook.


SPOTLIGHT on sUCCESS! CLAIRBOURN STUDENTS ARE COMING UP ROSES!

Brownies Carissa Coane and Claire Combs along with Girl Scouts Mary Farley and Stephanie Seitz celebrating the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts at a special booth by transportation.

Two of Clairbourn’s students, Carissa Coane and Mary Farley, were selected to represent the Brownies and Girl Scouts in the 2012 Rose Parade. Carissa rode on the Girl Scouts’ 100th Anniversary Float next to the CEO of Girl Scouts USA, and Mary got to walk next to the float as it moved along the parade route. Trish Coane, Carissa’s mother, shared that Carissa, “...was selected out of nearly 500 girls who each had to write an essay about how they showed courage, confidence, or character as a Girl Scout. Then, the pool was narrowed down to 50 for personal interviews. Finally, 10 girls were selected to represent the six different levels of Girl Scouts. The executives who interviewed Carissa sent her a personal note of congratulations, and commented on how poised and confident she seemed in her public speaking. As part of the interview process, she had to talk to several adults about her involvement and contributions to the organization. I attribute this quality to her weekly poem recitals in front of Mrs. Wreede’s second grade class and, of course, her yearly presentations in Chapel.” Mary Farley also went through a long and involved selection process that included writing an essay, submitting a letter of recommendation, and then finally going through an interview process with a panel of Girl Scout officials. In the end, she was chosen to be one of 60 girls to walk next to the float and carry a representation of the Girl Scout Badges made entirely out of flowers and seeds. Mary also achieved her Silver Award in Girl Scouting by doing a community service project that took over a year to complete, and included numerous service project hours. Now she is working toward the Gold Award—the highest level of Girl Scouts (equal to Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts). BAYNE BOSSOM CONTRIBUTES TO LIBRARY

Fourth-grader Bayne Bossom helped to expand Clairbourn’s library this year. He participated in a horse competition where prizes consisted of monies towards the winners’ school libraries. Bayne earned $136 and helped Librarian Anita Knight choose the books purchased with the money. A special donor plate with his name on it was added to the inside cover of each book. Bayne Bossom won $136 in new books for the library.

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SPOTLIGHT on sUCCESS! COACH PACIOREK AUTHORS BOOK

Our very own athletic coach, John Paciorek, has authored a book called The Principles of Baseball: All There is to Know About Hitting. The book contains illustrated descriptions on the mechanics and techniques of hitting and throwing a baseball as well as base running, stealing bases, bunting, and more. Also covered are the mental, philosophical, and metaphysical aspects of the game that lead to success. View the book on Amazon.com, but you can get an autographed copy by ordering it from John Paciorek at jpaciorek@clairbourn.org. C.A.S.T. PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The annual Shakespeare play at Clairbourn is a highlight for middle-schoolers who participate. Students were involved at all levels and were responsible for costuming, staging, lighting, and prop-making, as well as learning their individual acting roles in the play. This year drama teachers Paul and Cara Barker chose one of Shakespeare’s best known comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and gave it a special twist by having a “steampunk” aesthetic for the costumes. The cast performed for an appreciative audience of parents and friends in March, and it was a true showcase of the months of hard work they have been doing in English class to learn the play, understand the dialogue, and memorize their parts.

Coach Paciorek with his new book on baseball.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Those elected to the Student Council have the opportunity to represent their fellow students, learn leadership skills, serve the school at events, and cultivate studentgenerated ideas. This year’s council includes: Shea Corwin (President), Electra Williams (Vice President), Nathan Cory (2nd Vice President), Jasmine Gritton (Secretary), Albert Chu (Treasurer), Sarah Montgomery (Parliamentarian), Christian Yeghnazar (Historian), Julia McMullan (8th Grade Senator), Lauren Montgomery (7th Grade Senator), Will Steele (6th Grade Senator), Julia McMullan, Max Vasquez, Ivahnna Espinoza, and Bhav Patel (8th Grade Representatives), Alex Grace, Jacob Dietle, Danielle Lee, and Cade Moffatt (7th Grade Representatives), Xian Shively, Chris Myers, and Alex Smith (6th Grade Representatives).

Bhav Patel, Christian Yeghnazar, Nathan Cory, Daniel Erdody, Shea Corwin, and Tylor Heltsley performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Members of the 2011-2012 Student Council.

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SPOTLIGHT on sUCCESS! POOH PLAY

“Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees” was the title of the winter drama production performed by C.A.S.T. (Clairbourn’s After School Thespians) for preschool through fifth grade students. Play author and director Paul Barker, inspired by A. A. Milne’s characters from the Winnie the Pooh series, crafted the fun and whimsical 15 minute show. The actors flawlessly delivered their lines with high energy and plenty of comedic wit to the delight of all in the audience. DOOR OF HOPE

Pooh Play cast: Bhav Patel, Spencer Raines, Jack Trager, Audrey Vu, Erin Price, Jessie Miller, Paul Callahan, and Thea McKay.

The second grade’s annual Pocket Change Drive to benefit the Door of Hope homeless facility in Pasadena, was an outstanding success this year—raising more money than in any year prior. Under Mrs. Wreede’s and Ms. Messman’s guidance, students rallied the children from other grades, the teachers, and the parents on campus to give. At the end of their campaign, students were able to present a check in the amount of $8,400 to Door of Hope Director Tim Peters at Chapel. Of the money donated, $2,100 came from pocket change, and the rest came from three parent donors who were inspired by their children’s enthusiasm for the project. WAX MUSEUM

Students performed a 30 second speech while dressed as a famous explorer as part of this year’s fourth grade Wax Museum Show. The event was well attended by parents and students from other grades. The passing crowds kept the fourth-graders busy by frequently pushing the “activator” buttons on the display boards that brought each explorer to life.

Second-graders Aidan Tran and Tiffany Chang present a check from the Pocket Change Drive to Door of Hope Director Tim Peters on behalf of their class.

Fourth-graders dressed as famous explorers.

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SPOTLIGHT on sUCCESS! PROJECT:STAR AND THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

Clairbourn’s Project:STAR, designed to promote science, technology, and math, opened with an array of student projects focused on math ideas and famous mathematicians. The week-long focus also included an engineering design challenge for third through eighth grade students. The challenge for this year, inspired by the popular game “Angry Birds,” required students to build a device capable of launching a ping-pong ball into a tower of stacked cups (decorated with pigs of course). With only two hours of build time, and a school-supplied kit of materials, students produced a wide range of creative designs that included sling shots, batting devices, and even tension-sprung spoon flingers. The overall winners were eighth-graders Bradley Horowitz and Bhav Patel. During the final trials, the audience was also treated to a math-focused presentation by Dr. Francis Su, a mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont (author of the hugely popular ‘”Math Fun Facts’” website). His talk focused on the mathematics of card shuffling and demonstrated card tricks that rely on mathematical ideas.

Design Challenge winners Bradley Horowitz and Bhav Patel.

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

Thanks to the showmanship and enthusiasm of the junior Pre-K through first grade students, Clairbourn kicked off the holidays with a delightfully entertaining Christmas show for families and friends. Each class performed two Christmas-themed songs on their own and then sang three carols as a group. The first grade also performed in a Nativity play complete with wisemen, shepherds, stable animals, hosts of angels, and a mighty king. For the second grade through middle school Christmas show, a student choir sang many holiday favorites such as “We Three Kings,” “Hello to all the Children of the World,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Students also played the part of angels, Santa and his elves, and storytellers of the Nativity and the miracle of Chanukah. Festive musical performances were also provided by the Clairbourn Band and the Clairbourn String Ensemble. Music Director Rosemary Kiertzner and Violin teacher Ann Mize put on a truly wonderful show that delighted all in attendance and successfully conveyed the joy and spirit of the season.

First-graders Aaron Chang, Luca Yeghnazar, and Lula Duda performing in the Nativity play.

Second-graders Tiffany Chang, Jamie-lynn Notley, and Sara Lowin as angels.

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SPOTLIGHT on sUCCESS! TRACK MEET WINNERS Clairbourn’s track team placed second overall at the league meet. Some highlight performances include: 1st Place Girls 80 Hurdles: Jasmine Gritton Girls 4x100 Relay: Jasmine Gritton, Ivahnna Espinoza, Emily Serhan, Jade Bryant Girls 4x400 Relay: Jasmine Gritton, Emily Serhan, Casey Uebelhack, Delilah Martin 2nd Place Girls 100: Miriam Searcy Girls Shot Put: Jasmine Gritton Boys Long Jump: David Harvey Boys Shuttle Relay: David Harvey, Andres Arciniega, Max Vasquez, Spencer Raines, Jack Welsh, Alex Montgomery Girls Shuttle Relay: G abby Foreman, Jade Bryant, Julia McMullan, Ivahnna Espinoza, Electra Williams, Gillian Hanna 3rd Place Girls 200: Emily Serhan Boys 200: Max Vasquez Girls 100: Ivahnna Espinoza Boys 100: David Harvey

Andres Arciniega at the track meet competing in hurdles.

SPORTS MVPS Boys Basketball MVPs: A Team: David Harvey, Max Vasquez, Bradley Horowitz B Team: Will Steele, Cade Moffatt, Ryan Kim 6th Grade “Gold” Team: Chris Stamos, Andrew Cheng 6th Grade “Blue” Team: Xian Shively, Brennan Graves Boys Soccer MVPs: 8th Grade: Max Vasquez, David Harvey 7th Grade: Cade Moffatt, Ryan Kim 6th Grade: Brennan Graves, Chris Stamos Girls A Team Soccer MVPs: Emily Serhan, Ivahnna Espinoza, Electra Williams Tennis MVP: Daniel Erdody Girls Volleyball MVPs: 8th Grade: Gabby Foreman, Gillian Hanna, Jasmine Gritton 7th Grade: Sarah and Lauren Montgomery, Tian Griffin 6th Grade: Mercedes De La Torre, Jillian Willis Girls Basketball MVPs: 8th Grade: Ivahnna Espinoza, Electra Williams, Jade Bryant 7th Grade: Sarah and Lauren Montgomery, Delilah Martin 6th Grade: Mercedes De La Torre

Ivahnna Espinoza on the girls’ soccer team.

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CFA ACTIVITIES THE FALL SOCIAL The County Fair themed Fall Social delivered up the best of country-style entertainment, food, and flair for Clairbourn Families to enjoy. Event Co-Chairs Susan Pereira-Ito and Annie Teng worked hard with their team of volunteers to provide activities like the pony rides, a petting zoo, a Bluegrass music stage show from the Fair Market Band (complete with emcees Ma and Pa Barker), plenty of arts and crafts, face painting, a pieeating contest, a pumpkin decorating contest, a bake-off judged by a panel of expert chefs, and food from Pie ‘N Burger and Jamba Juice.

Fall Social Chairs Annie Teng and Susan Pereira-Ito.

Connie Stamos and Ann Tumlin-Carnes at the Craft Barn.

Cara Wilson, Rachel McCarley, and Ava Teng enjoying hula hoop games on the field at the Fall Social.

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CFA ACTIVITIES THE book fair The annual Book Fair is a week-long activity designed to help Clairbourn students fall in love with reading by setting up an on-campus store that carries all the latest titles. Not only can students find books covering every imaginable interest, but they also enjoy a spectacularly decorated MPB fully merchandised from the carpet to the rafters. This year’s “Read Acres” theme harmonized perfectly with the Fall Social Country Fair, and the event was coordinated by Librarian Anita Knight, Assistant Librarian Ann Mize, Book Fair Chair Deena Willis, her hard-working stand-in Julie Erdody, and Assistant Book Fair Chair Laura Unanue. Students also enjoyed an array of visiting authors that included Tad Hills, Ridley Pearson, and Pseunonymous Bosch, with an additional talk for parents by Lisa Yee. Special thanks also go to the army of parent volunteers who helped with cash register sales, gift wrapping, decorating, display maintenance, and the teacher and library wish list tables. Thanks to the generosity of the parent community, the students’ home libraries and their school library is refreshed with new titles to keep our students engaged and reading!

Volunteers Tami Brown, Juli Khoe, May Low, and Andrea Falabella.

Colin McIlvery and Andrew Heltsley browse the book selections.

Librarian Anita Knight, Stand-in Chair Julie Erdody, Book Fair Chair Deena Willis, and Assistant Chair Laura Unanue.

Volunteers Sue Codiga and Brenda O’Neil.

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CFA ACTIVITIES Sugar Plums In addition to being an important fundraiser for the CFA, the Sugar Plum Breakfast party is a touching and elegant way to honor each family’s participation in the Clairbourn community. The heart of this event is the wrapping of a keepsake Clairbourn ornament for each child to remind them of their years at the school. Held at the festive and elegant Welsh family home, the parent community was treated to a gourmet breakfast, enjoyed shopping at the holiday boutique, and were put to work wrapping sugar plums. The school sincerely thanks Co-Chairs Jill Fung and Michelle Welsh for putting on this delightful event. CFA President Cynthy Moffatt with Sugar Plum Co-Chairs Michelle Welsh and Jill Fung.

Margarita Ductoc and Natasha Mahone

On hand, to help wrap sugar plums, were Clairbourn Trustees Donna Ballenger, Audrey Werner, and Margaret Breazeal.

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Sandy Myers, Mimi Christensen, and Connie Iriarte wrap treats for the fourth grade.


CFA ACTIVITIES SPECIAL LUNCH DAYS Thursdays at Clairbourn are special, not just for the food vendors that come on campus to feed our students, but also because of the parent volunteers that help to staff the lunch. These Shakey’s, Wienerschnitzel, KFC, and In-n-Out meals are coordinated by CFA Special Lunch Co-chairs Suzana Roclord, Juli Khoe, Natasha Mahone, Dana Hendrix, Kim Elsesser, Elise Wetzel, Buzzy Waite, Sandy Myers and the grade-level parent volunteers. They all deserve our thanks for their ongoing efforts.

UNIFORM SALES Have you heard? There is a dazzling and fresh new line of Spirit Wear for sale on campus thanks to Clairbourn parent Linda Horowitz, Uniform Chairs Ann Farley and Kerry Reiling, and current and former CFA Presidents Cynthy Moffatt and Brenda O’Neil. Children and adults can now buy knitted hats and scarves, long and short-sleeved t-shirts, and cinch-packs, all emblazoned with a variety of exciting designs. Special care has been taken to ensure these Spirit Wear items not only have an exciting look, but are quality products as well. Spirit wear sales occur periodically throughout the year at a special booth by Transportation and Cougar Corner. Watch for future sale announcements to get your Spirit Wear!

Carolyn Seitz, Brenda O’Neil, and Yolanda Hernandez

Mona Sosa chills waters for the students.

Spirit Wear clothing vendor and eighth grade parent Linda Horowitz and Uniform Co-Chairs Kerry Reiling and Ann Farley at the Spirit Wear booth.

Penny Frick, Natasha Mahone, Snow Dong, and Tannis Douglass

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vip visitors on campus mothers’ visiting day Smiles are wider, eyes are brighter, and hearts overflow with pride as Clairbourn students host for a day the best thing to ever come on campus—their mothers! The V.I.P. visitors enjoyed a special welcome at Chapel from the headmaster who wrote and performed a song in their honor. Later in the classrooms, the moms enjoyed an array of presentations, plays, and projects put on by the students who were eager to demonstrate what they have been learning.

Rocio Ramos and Deijah Bradley

Nina and Nicholas Polen

Jack and Jennifer Bartlett

Cathy and Breanna Malik

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Seungheon and Inhwa Choo

Mary and Ann Farley


vip visitors on campus

Kelsey and Eunice Au

Michelle Wang and Charlene Mao

Lisa Arciniega with her son Andres

Owen Calvin-Smith and Loran Calvin

Samira and Connor Mallinger

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vip visitors on campus fathers’ visiting day Taking time off from work is not easy. But each year, Clairbourn dads cancel meetings, hold their calls, and choose to spend a glorious half-day visiting with their children in the classroom. Not only do they get to sit in on lessons, but they also enjoy sports, art, music classes, and—best of all—recess! A highlight of Fathers’ Visiting Day is a trip to the Book Fair where dads can help their children pick out the perfect book for their at-home libraries.

Andrew and Greg Heltsley

Kaitlyn and Thomas Nguyen

Bill and Alexander Chui

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Madison and Octave Barreau


vip visitors on campus

David and Owen Timoner

Sevag and William Balikian

William and Albert Chu

Isabelle Lin with her uncle Jay Liu

Jada and Raymond Gritton

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vip visitors on campus Grandparents’ Visiting Day Clairbourn’s best attributes were put on display for a host of grandparents and special friends who traveled far and wide to participate in this year’s Grandparents’ Visiting Day. Students were prepped well in advance to make sure their special guests felt right at home, were well fed, entertained, and especially felt loved and appreciated.

Henry Shattuck and Alicia Noyes

Alex Su and Grace Hsu

Max Garrison and Sandra Goldsmith

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Hin Lau and Alicia Wong


vip visitors on campus

Emily Zhou and Zhen Xiang Li

Olivia Douglass with grandparents Patty and Edward Turrentine

Margaret and Linus Jen

Jack Pursell and Jaegar Ehrgott

Grayson and Paula Gooden

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Clairbourn’s Supper Club with

The Rat Pack

ANNUAL SPRING BENEFIT

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spring benefit

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spring benefit

Kaylee Garofalo, Carmen Montgomery-Castañeda, Stephanie Flagg, Michael Montgomery, Carole Marshall, Lakeiya Payne, and Michele Telis.

Andres and Andrea Falabella

Jin Hong and Shelly Wu

Matt Palmer

Grace and Jason Fan

Bill Price, Julianna Erdody, Steven Erdody, and Beth Price

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Cara and Paul Barker


spring benefit

Annie and Allen Teng

Annie and Bill Chui and Emmy Yoshida and Andy Gooden

David and Sue Codiga

Elic and Natasha Mahone

Art and Liz Silveri

Eric and Terri Mozilo

John Desjarlais and Christine Brown

Debbie and Chris Chen

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spring benefit

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Charis Alzona-Hsu and Joseph Hsu

Dave Yeh and Susie Lee-Yeh

Susan Pereira-Ito and Robert Ito

Back Row: Ash Tadros, Sevag Balikian, Sebastian Hagopian, and Bhart Manwani. Front Row: Lucy Balikian, Shewak Manwani, and Michel Bougasse.

Harry Tsao and Carol Chen

John Brown won the $5,000 tuition credit from the Opportunity Drawing.

CLAIRBOURN MAGAZINE • SPRING 2012

Jennifer and Raymond Rindone


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

1948 Mike Pickett, from Colville, Washington, who attended in the 40s with his brother, Nelson, wrote in to say, “It has been 64 years now since I was at Clairbourn. I remember the Egetters and Mrs. Burris. Thank you all for the service. I have your web page on my bookmarks, and I did take the Google car trip around the campus and look down on it from above...looks wonderful as always.”

1967 Valerie (Koutnik) O’Connor* is living in Minnetrista, Minnesota, where she is self-employed as a horse trainer, riding instructor, and writer. She was apprenticed to Francis Coppola as a screenwriter in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, and in 2008 was a writer and producer for an animated video starring Lucas Grabeel and Roma Downey called At Jesus’ Side about Jesus’ last week on earth. Her other film credits, from 1979, include working as a staff member on the film Apocalypse Now and The Black Stallion where she worked as a production assistant and a consultant for horse sounds. In addition to helping others with their screenplays, Valerie is working on a live-action feature, about the game of international polo, and working on another animated feature about the life of Paul the Apostle.

Emily (Gertner) Sabako* ‘74, at the Class of 1974-75 reunion, holds up the yearbook cover she drew.

1970 Jeremy Taylor* is living with his wife, Colleen, in Waynesboro, Virginia. He works as a Senior Attorney with the National Legal Research Group, Inc. in Charlottesville.

1974 Emily (Gertner) Sabako* is living in San Marcos, California, with her husband, Steve, and two children (a nine-year-old boy and a 15 year-old daughter). In October, she and Steve attended the Clairbourn Class of 1974 & 1975 reunion. While there, after catching up with her former classmates, she found an old yearbook cover that she had illustrated.

1975 Kym Alexander-Niergarth shared with her Clairbourn class reunion group, “I have been in the San Diego area since ‘83 and am a nurse. My husband has recently retired

Rod Snyder and Randy Berkowitz, at the Class of 1975 reunion.

from the DOD after 37 years of service. We have been married for 12 years (not our first marriage). We each have two children, he has two girls 36 and 29, and I have a son 29, and a daughter 25.” R andy Berkowitz is living in Canyon Lake, California. He restores cars and frequents car shows. Cindy (Devine) Fox* shared with her Clairbourn class reunion group, “I’m married with two kids. My daughter, Heather, is a freshman in college back in Colorado, and my son is a sophomore in high school. I am still riding and have 3 horses. One is retired in Temecula and the other two I keep at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Lisa Howell ‘75 and I still keep in touch and see each other about once a year.

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Gilbert Fry attended the Class of 1974 and 1975 reunion at Clairbourn in October with his his wife, Alice, and two children, Haley and Chloe. Chloe is the lead singer in an all girl band called Chixx Rule which opened recently for the 80’s new wave band, Bow Wow Wow (I Want Candy), at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. K aren (Gilmore) Garrety is now living in Oxnard,California where she has her own optometry practice. Craig Martin is living in Desert Hot Springs, California, and has a blog devoted to “Stampless Folded Letters and Stampless Covers” at http://munchstamps.blogspot.com.

1978 John Brown is serving as a new trustee on the board of Flintridge Prep school where his son Brody Brown ‘10* currently attends high school.

1989 Jessica Morgan recently wrote and published a new novel for young adults called Spoiled with co-author Heather Cocks in June of 2011. The book is about a sixteen year old girl named Molly who is drawn by family ties into the extremities of a Beverly Hills celebrity lifestyle. In addition to their work together as authors, Jessica and Heather also write a widely-popular and acclaimed celebrity “fashion crime” blog. Jessica has also produced several well known reality shows that include Growing Up Gotti, 30 Days with Morgan Spurlock, and Sell This House: Extreme. Ed Keiper lives in Mission Viejo, and he and his wife have a nine-year-old son. Ed has worked at Standard Register for twenty years.

1993 Jeff Seeker* and his wife Jamie have added two more children to their family for a total of four kids. He now works for CBS college sports as their senior managing editor.

1994 Robb Rutledge* is working at University College London on neuroscience research. K ris Van Cleave racked up a new set of awards for his work as a reporter for WJLA-TV/ABC7 News. He received

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Gilbert Fry attended the Class of 1975 Reunion with his wife Alice and his daughters Haley and Chloe.

three regional Emmys. One for a military series he did in Afghanistan, the second for his “7 On Your Side” local consumer reports, and the third as a general assignment reporter. He was also named the “Best Reporter for 2010” in the Washington D.C. area by the local Associated Press Broadcast Association.

1997 K ate (Rutledge) Schiappa* married Gene Schiappa at the Athenaeum in Pasadena on June 6, 2010. They now live in New York where Kate is working as an internal medicine intern at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. She studied medicine at Albany Medical College, Pharmacology at Tulane University, and Chemistry at Williams College. Gene also attended Albany Medical College and now is an emergency medicine resident at Mount Sinai Hospital. Anna Sayre’s father, Scott Sayre ‘70, shared with us that Anna is still in London, working for the Financial Services Authority. After completing the required work experience and examination, she recently obtained the title of Solicitor of England and Wales (allowing her to practice law in the UK, as well). Her goal is to move to a law firm specializing in international litigation.

1998 Matthew Mihlon* just moved to Seattle from Chicago.


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Librarian Anita Knight and author Jon Klassen with Annie Bigelow ’03.

Kevin Chow ’04 on his study abroad trip to Europe in the Summer of 2010.

“I graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis in 2005 and the University of Chicago Law School in 2008. I now practice law in Seattle at Karr Tuttle Campbell.”

national environmental consulting firm, making sure new development doesn’t impact California’s native species. Before starting my job, I did some travelling and met up with some former classmates, including former Clairbourn alumna Deborah Van ‘03* in New York City.”

1999 Matt Gozdecki is living in Alhambra and works for Sun America Retirement Markets as an Internal Wholesaler. Previously, he worked as a home equity consultant for Wells Fargo in their Monrovia, California branch. Matt attended Cal State University, Los Angeles where he majored in Finance and Economics. He also became engaged to Jessica Mungia in February.

2003 Annie Bigelow has a new job working as the interim event coordinator for Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Bookshop. In April, she came on Clairbourn’s campus with children’s book author Jon Klassen to coordinate his classroom visits and a book signing in the library. Jessica Elmore moved to Kansas and is now teaching fourth grade at the Mize Elementary School in Shawnee. L auren Phillips* shared with the alumni office, “I graduated in May with degrees in environmental studies, marketing, and geology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. After receiving several job offers, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Southern California, and am now working in the biology department of an inter-

2004 Kevin Chow graduated from UCLA recently and he is now applying to law school. Josh Elmore is a senior and music education major at Cal State Fullerton. He sings with the choir and is a member of the Mu Phi Epsilon fraternity. Allison Ficht’s mother, Jacqueline, shared that Allison, “…will graduate in May from Occidental College as a history major, with a concentration in modern European history, and with a minor in urban and environmental policy. She has earned a place on the Dean’s List. Allison loves to travel, and she spent her 2011 spring semester in a study abroad program at Charles University in Prague. While there, she explored the Czech Republic and visited Spain, Italy, London, Warsaw, Krakow, Munich, Dublin, Paris, Vienna, and Salzburg. Her other activities include an internship in Los Angeles at the Holocaust Museum and at Mending Kids International, which provides life changing surgeries for children from developing nations, and an internship in Chicago at Open Books, which promotes literacy programs for children. At Oxy she has

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

been a member of Delta Omicron Tau Sorority, holding various offices and raising funds for the Downtown Women’s Shelter and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. After graduation, Allison plans to work for a year—hopefully in Chicago—and then attend graduate school to earn a master’s in public health, with a career goal of working in international relief.” Rmax Goodwin, as reported by teacher Denise Wreede, performed recently at the Magic Castle’s close-up gallery for seven days doing three magic shows a night.

Hunter Simmons ’05 (center) playing football for USC.

Brittany Nakatani* is currently helping her mother, Michelle Dollase, a certified Acuscope therapist, with her horse therapy business that operates out of Simpsonville, Kentucky.

2005 Lizzie Calvert is a junior at Cornell dual majoring in life science and communications. One of her photographs was published in the Cornell magazine last year. She was also recently promoted to the manager position for the Cornell Parents’ Fund. Jacob Davich is working for an online rewards site called PeopleString.com. He is also promoting PeopleDeals.com which increases the value of online coupons and deals the more they are shared with friends. Robert DeWitt is a Junior at Northwestern where he is a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He is majoring in economics and Chinese. Hunter Simmons is in his third year of playing on the USC football team as their second string fullback (#48), and he is earning his varsity letter. He is also a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

2006 Corinne Botsford, at The University of Arizona, is now a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. She is loving college and hopes to travel abroad in the fall.

Robert DeWitt ’05 playing football as a cornerback and tight end his senior year at Thatcher School in 2009.

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Paige Dyrek , a sophomore at Lehigh University, was the recipient of the 2011 Lehigh Scholar Athlete Award. During her freshman year on the soccer team, she was their second leading scorer. She also made the school’s


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and the Dean’s List. Caley Moffatt is working towards a global studies major and political science minor at UCLA. She also has membership in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, Alpha Iota Chapter, and the Hui ‘O Imiloa Hawai’i Club, and works for two UCLA undergraduate student government offices. Matthew Nakatani,* as a college sophomore, is a kicker for the University of Louisville’s football team. Before college, while at Shelby County High School, he made his mark on their football team as well with 14 consecutive field goals leading the team in scoring. He was also given Honorable Mention All-State by the Louisville CourierJournal and the Associated Press. In academics, he was at the top of his class graduating in the top ten percent. His brother Austin Nakatani ‘08* currently attends Shelby County High School as a senior and also plays football.

Alejandra Vasquez ‘06 and Caley Moffatt ’06 at Clairbourn’s Sugar Plum Breakfast party held in December.

2007 K risten Clark wrote in to share, “I’m a freshman at Arizona State University (ASU) and I’m a member of the club tennis team on campus and will join the travel team this semester.” Jake Elmore is on the basketball and baseball teams at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout this year. Alec Shumate, at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film, is in the Honors Program and will be rushing for a fraternity soon. He is studying film production and has produced several short films including “The Son Light Murder,” “Land of Opportunity,” and “My Heart, It Rattles,” both viewable on his YouTube channel “ShumateProductions.” On his channel are other films he made while at La Salle, some of which include Clairbourn alums Morgan Little ‘07, Andy Medina ‘07, and Kenny Caldwell ‘07. Tamara Thomas and her roommate, Devon Baggs, won third place in the annual Principia College cardboard boat race on the Mississippi River. She also entered the Photographer’s Forum 32nd Annual College and High School Photography Contest and became a finalist out of 11,000 entries. Her photo will be published in the book, Best of College and High School Photography 2012.

Paige Dyrek ’06 playing soccer for Lehigh University as a forward and midfielder.

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Tamara Thomas ’07 racing her cardboard boat in the Mississippi river.

Jake Elmore ’07 earned his Eagle Scout Rank.

2008 Arman Aivazian is the co-founder and president of a new Internet start-up called TopLine. The company offers a downloadable browser add-on for surfing the web. TopLine advertising revenue is then shared with users through a rewards program based on how much time they and their referred friends spend online. http://www.jointopline.com. Miles Brenninkmeijer was a member of this year’s La Salle High School Homecoming Royal Court. Jeff Garavaglia’s mother, Paula, reports that Jeff is now a senior at Saint Francis High School and is taking a challenging course schedule, but continues to achieve even with all the demands on his time. He has competed in four years of high school football and three seasons of baseball (and is slated as a starter for the fourth consecutive year). As a junior, he also was named to the All Mission League Second Team and was named by the La Canada Press to the All Area First Team. His stats were an impressive .489 batting average, 13 doubles and 25 RBIs (runs batted in). Academically, he has flourished. He made the

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Mission League All Academic Team and the Honor Roll, received the St. Francis Scholar Award, and was accepted into the National Honor Society and the Link Leader programs for his junior and senior years. He also represents St. Francis at many on and off-campus functions. As a volunteer, Jeff has also supported the “Buddy Walk” for Down syndrome research, the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for juvenile diabetes research, provided event assistance for a Paramount Studios charitable function, and has worked with the Los Angeles Rescue Mission by preparing and delivering packages to low income families. Additionally, he is also a strong supporter of his church and has enjoyed ushering (a role usually reserved for adults) and attends religious retreats each year with his high school classmates. Alisha Jain has accomplished a lot in her four years of high school at Mayfield Senior. She was the LA Brain Bee, Neuroscience Competition Honoree in 2011, a two-time National Spanish Exam Silver Medalist in 2009 and 2010, a California Scholarship Federation Member from 2008 to 2012, and an admissions ambassador and representative for Mayfield from 2008 to 2012. Her senior year, she became the founder and president of Club:Science at Mayfield, vice president of the CSF Council (academic honors society), an Advanced Placement Studio Art Portfolio Student, and, as of the Fall of 2011, she received a College Board recognized AP Scholar Award. In addition to reporting for the school newspaper “The Crier,” she


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Angus McKay ’08 with friends in Beijing just outside the Forbidden City.

has received her GCP (Good Clinical Practice) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) certifications which she needs for her studies at the LAC + USC Medical Center. Last summer she also took a service trip abroad to Costa Rica where she lived with a host family, worked on farms, at local schools, and at a turtle research station. She also did an independent project over the summer working as a Caltech Developmental Biology and Embryology researcher. Serendi L au* received National Merit Semifinalist recognition at Flintridge Prep this fall for her academic achievements. Jordan Marks’ parents, Jerry and Jane, report that Jordan “…is doing amazing academically and creatively. He is in AP Calculus and AP Physics and loving it! He was just awarded First Honors for last semester and received an award for his film in LTV class. He plays classical piano and would like to minor in music. After being accepted at Loyola Marymount, Fordham, Santa Clara, Chapman, and other schools, he has chosen to attend NYU. We are so proud and excited for him!” Angus McK ay’s mom, Nikki, shared with the school that Angus took two fabulous trips—one to Spain over Thanksgiving and one to China and Hong Kong where he visited for a month. “Angus will be attending the Universidad de Salamanca next fall as a freshman to obtain

Kevin Chan ’09 was a semifinalist for the 2012 Music Center Spotlight Awards.

a diploma in Hispanic Studies. He is not doing sports this year, but was in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek as he had done at Clairbourn. He plans on being in two additional plays later this year and is in rehearsal for one now. After graduation in May, he plans to head back to Spain and take a month to do the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James. It is a 500 mile walk from the French/Spanish border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-dePort to Santiago de Compostela. Following completion of the walk he’ll stay in Europe for the London Olympics and then head to Salamanca to start his year in school there. His first two choices for U.S. universities are Washington State University (Go Cougs) and the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). He went to Pullman, Washington, in early November to visit WSU and he loved the campus and the area. He hasn’t been to Tuscaloosa yet, but is interested in the school because of their emphasis on Civil War history, which he wants to study. He’s been accepted to both schools and will decide on where to attend either later this year or while he’s spending his year in Salamanca.” Connell Studenmund* was the 2012 recipient of the ACL Student Athlete of the Year Award at Flintridge Prep. She

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Harrison Jung ‘09 was selected to carry a banner for the Tournament of Roses Parade Troop 2012.

Caroline Simmons’09 (back row, far left) is a co-captain of the Maranatha varsity softball team.

also helped her varsity soccer team win the league championship this year.

Harrison Jung’s mom Lynn reports that Harrison, “… still loves basketball and played in San Jose, Las Vegas, and Hawaii, as well as locally last summer. He now plays varsity at Flintridge Prep and they won their fifth consecutive Prep League Championship this winter. He is also part of the Speech and Debate Team (with Kelly Yu ‘09), the Leo Club (with Cassidy Jung ‘09) and serves as VP of the Hip Hop Club which placed third in the Prep Talent Show. In November, Harrison choreographed two of three dances he performed for the Junior Parent Dinner, one of which was all boys (with Arnesh Nagavalli ‘09). He also volunteers with the Pasadena Dance Outreach Company, teaching movement classes to teens with Down’s Syndrome and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. He keeps in touch with Clairbourn friends, including Courteney Case ‘09*, who visited in October while touring colleges. Most recently, Harrison had the honor of marching as a banner carrier for the Tournament of Roses Parade Troop 2012.

Payton Wakimoto, is a drummer for the St. Francis varsity drumline. They performed this year at the Anaheim Convention Center for a Youth Day 2012 rally.

2009 Kevin Chan, a junior at La Salle High School, was recently named as one of fifteen semifinalists in the classical instrumental category of the 2012 Music Center Spotlight Awards. The Music Center Spotlight Awards is one of the nation’s most acclaimed performing and visual arts education programs for high school students across Southern California, offering training in the arts and awarding more than $100,000 in scholarships annually. 1,194 Southern California high school students auditioned in six categories. This year, Kevin was also awarded first place in the Alice Frazier Kitchen Memorial Scholarship Competition that is open to students of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC)-West Los Angeles members, and is geared towards the most advanced and gifted students. In addition, Kevin was awarded an honorable mention in the Glendale Piano competition, a scholarship program funded by the Elvin Samuel McGaughey Music Foundation. Kevin also entertains La Salle High School students and families by accompanying the school’s choir and playing in the jazz band.

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Amanda Matthiessen* and her sister Julia ‘10* attended the November 2011 Zest Gala event at the Pasadena Senior Center. Dorothy Matthiessen, their grandmother, was the guest of honor celebrated for her “zestful” lifestyle as an eight-time world champion tennis player (and the world’s top tennis player for her age group), a successful career woman in the interior design field, and a regular community volunteer.


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Brianna Chu* ’10 playing for Clairbourn’s Chapel with teachers Shirley Bonaparte and Sharon Sinclair.

Carly Kessel ’10, Raymond Barry ’11, and Jack Steele ’11 visiting with teacher Gerson Bonaparte over spring break.

Caroline Simmons was elected to the National Honor Society this year and co-captained the Maranatha varsity softball team. Amanda Wilson is playing on the Mayfield Senior JV volleyball team this year.

2010 Brody Brown* was in the school musical 42nd Street at Flintridge Prep this year. Elizabeth Chang, and her brother Arthur ‘12*, visited Clairbourn’s Chapel in January to see their friends and former teachers. Earlier in the year, Elizabeth took an exciting trip to Thailand and enjoyed the sights and sounds of that country—especially an elephant ride through a forest and a boat ride through a floating market outside of Bangkok. Closer to home, Elizabeth was a runway model in the National Charity League’s, Pasadena Chapter, Modelette Program which includes a fashion show and dinner—all designed to develop the presentation skills and confidence of participants. Former classmates, Samantha Pearson ‘10, Arin Phillips ‘10*, and Haley Phillps ‘10* also attended and walked the runway. Brianna Chu* returned to Claibourn this winter to give a much-appreciated Chapel piano performance for the student body. Her mother, May Chu, came along to enjoy the show.

Emily Gifford ’10 (second from right) on the cross country varsity team at Poly. Photo courtesy of Robert Caughron.

Carly Kessel played #2 on the Mayfield Varsity Golf Team this fall, and received the Coach’s Award. She loves Mayfield and is now on the swim team. Besides school and sports, she has done some wonderful volunteering for a fundraiser at Children’s Hospital and at the Cleft Palate Christmas Party helping with the kids at the White Memorial Hospital. She and Sarah Lundegard ’10 also helped with Mayfield Senior‘s community service project. Carly did garden work while Sarah cleaned trails at the Arroyo Seco. Emily Gifford’s mother Meg reports that “…Emily’s cross country varsity team at Poly made it to CIF State (Division 5) this past November for the first time in about 10 years.

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Emily was also a walker alongside the Girl Scout 100th Anniversary float in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade along with two other current Clairbourn students. Finally, she qualified for the 2012 Junior Olympics in fencing in Salt Lake City in several events: Junior and Cadet Women’s Epee and Cadet Women’s Foil.” A aron Han and Nathan Han partnered this summer with an organization called VNTP (the Vietnam Tooth Project www.vietnamtoothproject.org) whose work promotes oral hygiene and health for school children. Their mother, Michelle Han, explains that under the umbrella of their family’s charity “Han for Hope,” she recruits students, selects a project, and does the fundraising. In 2011, they decided to co-partner with UC Berkeley, the East Meets West Foundation, and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy to support VNTP. As part of this three-year research and service venture, Aaron and Nathan, along with former classmates A aron Samuelson ‘10, R aymond Chung ’10*, and several other students from their high school, traveled overseas last summer to six Vietnam preschools bringing with them equipment and tools along with a group of dentists, hygienists, and dental students. The boys prepared, packed, and transported the supplies by bus from the Vietnam office to the school sites during a period of intense humidity and hot weather. They also learned how to give flouride treatments to the children and taught them how to brush and care for their teeth. Before the trip, the boys also collected tooth brushes, sold wristbands and raffle tickets, and held golf tournaments to raise funds toward UC Berkeley’s research project. The boys were advised in their work by Eric and Michelle Han and Dong Chung and Hui-Zhen Feng. Watch the YouTube video at http://tinyurl.com/vietnamproject.

Sierra Bononi ’11 on La Salle’s varsity basketball team.

Garrett Mak , at La Salle, plays tennis and helped his team earn a CIF Academic Championship, second place status, in the Del Rey League, and top seed at the CIF-SS Div. 5 Championship. He also played in the CIF-SS Individual Tournament and made it to Sectionals reaching the second round. Finally, Garrett was selected for the Pasadena Star News All-Area Boys Tennis Team. Brad Shanks* played on Polytechnic’s varsity basketball team this year.

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CLAIRBOURN MAGAZINE • SPRING 2012

Grace Fraser ’11 at the Ohio Star Ball in November 2011 where she won in Silver Latin.


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Cassidy Jung ‘11 is a Level 8 gymnast and will now compete at the state and regional levels.

Nick Merritt ’11, with Middle School Director Amy Patzlaff, on a visit to campus in March.

Jiayi Xiong, at Polytechnic, played on the junior varsity girls’ basketball team this year.

Silver at the Ohio Star Ball, and numerous first places at the Palm Desert Classic. Grace started dancing in 2009 and currently partners with Russian dancer Boris Rudenko. She also receives instruction from Paul Killick who specializes in Latin dance, and she puts in about 1 ½ hours of practice a day, four days a week.

2011 Sierra Bononi’s mother, Lisa, reports that Sierra, “… is really enjoying her freshman year at La Salle High School. She played on the varsity volleyball and varsity basketball teams. She was also named to the First Team All League for the Camino Real League for basketball.” Ronni Carbajal-Cuccia* was a Flinridge Prep homecoming princess representing the ninth grade class this fall. Jackson Codiga* is playing JV boys’ soccer for Flintridge Prep this year. Grace Fraser is still competing in the National Ballroom Dance Circuit and has captured over 180 first place awards at nine competitions within two years. Her specialty is International Latin, and her accomplishments in 2011 include: 60 first places at the Emerald Ball, 12 first places at the California Open Dancesport Championships, first place in Full Bronze at the Hollywood Dancesport Championships, first place in Open Bronze and Open

Ally Graves* is playing on the Flintridge Prep freshman volleyball team. Jacqueline Hwang made the San Marino High School freshman volleyball team. She was honored with the Most Improved Player Award at the end of season. Cassidy Jung’s mother, Lynn, reports Cassidy “…is loving life as a freshman at Flintridge Prep where she is active in the Leo Club, recently participating in the “Together is Better” walk-a-thon benefiting Club 21 which provides programs for children with Down’s Syndrome. She continues her gymnastics training, and her Level 8 vault will be a Yurchenko back tuck. She looks forward to a full competition season beginning in January, including two meets in Las Vegas! As a Level 8 gymnast, she now has the opportunity to qualify for competition at both State and Regional levels. She keeps in touch with Clairbourn pals

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ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

Jim Miller, according to his father, Mark, “…is loving all aspects of Loyola! He played center on the 7-4 freshman football team this year and is currently conditioning (6 a.m. daily at Loyola) for next year’s sophomore team. He is also trying out for the Loyola golf team and plays informal weekly matches at area clubs with his Loyola golf mates. He is well on track for straight A’s his first semester at Loyola. He is a student mentor, in a leadership and training role, in his second year with the Pasadena Independent Schools Foundation and was the top fundraiser for all 200 students in 2011 (raising $5,000). He is also working to bring PISF to Loyola as a new community service organization. As part of a community service project last fall, he tutored eighthgraders at Loyola as part of their preparation for the HSPT entrance exam. Jim is still finding time to fly fish, hunt, and go to college and high school football games and really enjoys the Loyola dances. He has lots of new friends who live in places ranging from Upland to Pacific Palisades to Palos Verdes, and he is friends with Nicholas Merritt ’11 who also attends Loyola.”

Jim Miller ‘11 (on right) fly fishing in Alaska with a friend last August.

Mallory Myers ‘11, Crystal Wu ‘11, and many others, and recently played in the same piano recital as buddies, Taylor Marks ‘11, Christian Marks ‘20, Jordan Marks ‘08, Harrison Jung ‘09, and Solina Beringer ‘10. She is hoping to see everyone at Clairbourn’s Spring Carnival. Taylor Marks’ mother, Jane Marks, reports that Taylor “… is really enjoying cheerleading at La Salle. At the Sharp Cheer Competition, in January, her junior varsity squad won their division. Also, several Clairbourn alums, Jamie Kwong ‘10, Solina Beringer ‘10, Kylie Salkin ‘10, and Madi Blaney ‘10, who are on La Salle’s varsity cheer squad, competed, and they placed first in their division and also won the Sportsmanship Award. The La Salle Cheer Squad also won first place for the Overall High School Award.” Nick Merritt made the Varsity Swim Team at Loyola—the only freshman on the team! He also visited Clairbourn in March with Corey Jung ‘08 to see former teachers and friends.

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Tillie Pederson, a freshman at Immaculate Heart in Los Feliz, is continuing with her acting interests. She performed in the Greek tragedy “Antigone” and in “The Birds,” and she volunteered this winter at Clairbourn to help teacher Cara Barker make costumes for the Shakespeare play. Tillie is also still studying Broadway and tap-style dancing at the RDC studio in Montrose and tutors in her spare time. Jack Steele, R aymond Barry, and Carly Kessel ’10 met up on campus over the April spring break to attend Chapel and later visited some classrooms to see their former teachers. Sarah Vail, as reported by her mother, Meg, is loving FSHA. “She is playing on both the JV and varsity soccer teams which has been a great experience for her to play with such high level players. Academically, she is doing well—Clairbourn definitely prepared her for high school!!” Cameron Wen* is playing on the junior varsity football team for Flintridge Prep. He also performed in the school musical 42nd Street. Sophy Zhao* is on the Flintridge Prep cheerleading squad this year.


ALUMNI NEWS NEWS UPDATES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND SHOULD BE SENT TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR NANCY WARD AT ALUMNI@CLAIRBOURN.ORG.

2012

2015

Arthur Chang* visited Clairbourn’s Chapel in January, with his sister Elizabeth ‘10 and former classmate Jonathan Ting ‘12*, to see friends and former teachers. Afterwards, their mother Elaine Hung reported to teacher Denise Wreede, “I am really amazed by what impact Clairbourn has on our kids: They had a week of midterms and yesterday was the first day of term break, [but] they woke up bright and early to go to Chapel!!!” At Flintridge Prep, Arthur is part of the middle school band this year, participates in a jazz ensemble at the Colburn school of Music, and plays in a youth worship band. In addition to playing the keyboard , drums, and saxophone, he is also learning to play the ukulele and bass guitar. His Prep Community Impact Project will be music-themed and will involve him teaching young cancer patients at the City of Hope to play instruments. He will also hold a fundraiser for them.

K aitlin Zareno is playing on the AYSO 214 regional soccer team for South Pasadena and San Marino. Their team won the Area C League Playthrough Championship in January.

Ross Chase*, at Flintridge Prep, performed in an eighth grade drama class play called, “It Got Ugly.” In addition to performing, the students also directed, cast, and produced the comedic play. Sharon Chow* and Scott Johnson* represented their eighth grade class at Flintridge Prep as a homecoming princess and prince. Angela Fung* is a student participant this year in the Pasadena Independent School Foundation (PISF).

2014 Anyssa Pederson* is enjoying her experience at Immaculate Heart school in Los Feliz. In addition to making their honor roll, she performed in the school’s Jungle Book play called “Wolf Cub.” She also competes on the Monrovia swim team specializing in the breast stroke and front crawl.

ENGAGEMENT NEWS Allison K night ’98* is engaged to Duncan Morrissey. Matt Gozdecki ’99 is engaged to Jessica Mungia. Jay Moser ‘03* is engaged to Kristy Kropff. They met at work and plan to wed in 2013. Brittany Baggs, a first grade teacher at Clairbourn, is engaged to Christopher Watts. They plan to marry in June.

MARRIAGE NEWS K ate (Rutledge) Schiappa ’97* married Gene Schiappa at the Athenaeum in Pasadena in June of 2010.

BABY NEWS Pete Paciorek ’90 and former faculty Sara Snyders Paciorek had a daughter, Sophie Elizabeth Paciorek, born in April.

IN MEMORIUM Roger Gozdecki, former Clairbourn parent, husband of Mary Ellen Gozdecki, and father of Matt Gozdecki ‘99. R ay McCullough, former Clairbourn parent and father of Alice ’04, Thomas ’00*, and Joseph ’98* McCullough.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR ALUMNI FRIENDS:

Log on to our website: http://alumni.clairbourn.org.

Once you

are registered, you can check out the latest * a n

asterisk next to a class year means that the alum

news on all of your Clairbourn friends!

attended but did not graduate from clairbourn.

CLAIRBOURN MAGAZINE • SPRING 2012

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REUNION UPDATE THE CLASS OF 1974 & 1975 Back in the mid 1970s, Clairbourn had a smaller student body, there were no uniforms, and the campus looked completely different. A big eucalyptus tree stood by the front entrance, the hexagonal-shaped Gardner building was in use for the elementary grades, and there were many cottage-type buildings scattered around campus. So when alums from the Classes of 1974 & 1975 returned after 35-plus years for their reunion last October, they had to get their bearings from only a handful of places left from that era—The Administration Building, The Manor House, Robertson Field, and The Jungle. But, thanks to Heather (Thayer) Taylor ‘75 who suggested the reunion, everyone got a chance to renew their old connections with classmates and get to know the school as it is today. Many people brought their spouses and children to the party, and Heather, who is a professional photographer, took studio portraits of each guest. A ‘70s D.J. played classic songs while people enjoyed socializing, looking at the yearbooks and photo albums, and touring the campus.

Sue Lamont Meismer

Class of 1974 Attendees: Mark Hathaway with wife Beate and daughter Sophia, Emily (Gertner) Sabako* with husband Steve, and Lance Stewart. Class of 1975 Attendees: Randy Berkowitz, Sue Anne (Sharman) Burkle, Gilbert Fry with wife Alice and daughters Chloe and Haley, Thomas Kemp, Sue (Lamont) Meismer, Erin Lownes-Santos with husband Bernie and daughters Alicia and Martha, William McCully with wife Lena, Peter Post, Steven Robin, Rod Snyder with son Erick and family friend Rachel Miller, Richard Stewart and wife Heather, and Heather (Thayer) Taylor.

Lance Stewart and Steve Robin

Class of 1976 Attendees: Janice (McAloney) Elmore with husband John.

Tom Kemp, Rod Snyder, Sue Lamont Meismer, Heather (Thayer) Taylor, and Alicia Santos who helped take photographs at the event.

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REUNION UPDATE

Peter Post with teacher Sharon Sinclair

Mark Hathaway with Sue Anne (Sharman) Burkle

Gilbert Fry and Tom Kemp

William and Lena McCully with Randy Berkowitz

Randy Berkowitz and Erin Lownes-Santos

Heather and Richard Stewart with Janice (McAloney) Elmore and John Elmore

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REUNION UPDATE YOUNG ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY A favorite holiday highlight is the Young Alumni Party where former students are invited back to visit with their classmates. This year was so much fun! We had great attendance with alumni, past parents, and teachers dropping in throughout the evening. As usual, party guests had a great time exploring the campus, hanging out on the playground, and enjoying hot chocolate and yearbooks in the Manor House.

Meredith Myers ‘08, Caitlyn Emslie ‘08, Laura Santoro ‘08, and Krupa Patel ’08

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Gibson ‘02 and Cornell ‘07 Banta with Alumni Director Nancy Ward

Raymond Barry ‘11, Zibo Gong ‘11, Cameron Wen ‘11, and Matt Soulanille ’11

Alex Johnson ‘07 and Daniel Beringer ’07

Librarian Anita Knight, Kristin Gunther ‘07, Alejandra Vasquez ‘06, Rachel Wilson ‘07, and Caley Moffatt ’06

CLAIRBOURN MAGAZINE • SPRING 2012


REUNION UPDATE REUNION ATTENDEES: Past Parents, Faculty, and Staff Donna Barry Mr. and Mrs. Carson Brummett Cynthy Moffatt May Chu Meg Vail 2011 Raymond Barry Chris Brummett Jackson Codiga Grace Fraser Zibo Gong Jacqueline Hwang Michael Ibarra Mina Kasama-Araiza Devin Lu Taylor Marks Nick Merritt Jim Miller Mallory Myers Tillie Pederson Noelle Shoemake Colin Shumate Matt Soulanille Alex Stamos Jack Steele Michael Torres Cameron Wen Sarah Vail Crystal Wu

Kelly Yu Malcolm Zeger

Miranda Stein Jennifer Torres

2010 Brianna Chu Raymond Chung Nick Demetriades Sarah Grandalski Aaron Han Nathan Han Jamie Kwong Laura Lundegard Sarah Lundegard Ebony Martin Luke Palmer Arin Phillips Ashley Portillo Kris Ruonala-Perez Kylie Salkin Aaron Samuelson Joey Steele

2007 Cornell Banta Daniel Beringer Kristin Gunther Alex Johnson Morgan Little Jasmine Manwani Anna Ramirez Kendall Shoemake Alec Shumate Nicole Stathatos Brandon Wen Rachel Wilson

2008 Madison Corwin Caitlin Emslie Sara Khan Jonathan Kwong Gina Manwani Jordan Marks Meredith Myers Krupa Patel Laura Santoro Erick Snyder

2006 Caley Moffatt Alejandra Vasquez 2005 John Cleary Cameron Raidy Chris Raidy Stephen Sicilliano 2002 Gibson Banta 1997 Bill Wang

NEW ALUMNI WEBSITE REGISTRATIONS: Valerie (Koutnik) O’Conor ‘67*

Deanna Berkowitz ‘78

Raymond Barry ‘11

Jeremy Taylor ‘70*

Evan Constantz ‘99*

Jacqueline Hwang ‘11

Sue (Sharman) Burkle ‘75

Brittany Berryman ‘01*

Sophy Zhao ‘11*

Karen Gilmore ‘75

Ashley Whitney ’02*

Arthur Chang ‘12*

Craig Martin ‘75

Samuel Pun ‘06*

Sharon Chow ‘12*

Steven Robin ‘75*

Steven Ho ‘08*

Jonathan Barner (faculty)

SIGN UP ONLINE TODAY! http://alumni.clairbourn.org

CLAIRBOURN MAGAZINE • SPRING 2012

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take note SAVE THE DATE! CLASS OF 2008 REUNION FOR ALUMS & PARENTS Clairbourn School is celebrating your high school graduation with a college send-off breakfast on Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Moms and dads are invited too! After plenty of time for visiting with classmates, we will then proceed into the Awards Ceremony where we will honor you with a small gift. The breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. and the Awards Ceremony lasts until 10:00 a.m.

GARDNER SOCIETY MEMBERS Remember Clairbourn in your estate plans. Call 626.286.3108 ext. 121.

Herbert A. Alejo Nellie Platt Bailey Joann and Bruce Baker Donna Ballenger Marion E. Beck Lynda Beckstrom Kristin and George Bennett Jane A. Cheatham Robert T. Cheatham James Coburn Paula Coburn Edwin L. Gardner Ethel M. Gardner

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Lonny Jacobs Sally Taylor King Leanna Leonard Walter Leonard Frank M. McKee Robert W. and Leslie A. Nafie Pearl M. Ott Amy Patzlaff, Class of 1985 Claire Louise Bourne ‘Deede’ Phillips Eleanor Powell Sharon and Woodrow Sinclair Gloria Stahmer Carol S. Thompson

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: Clairbourn School has a fan page. Come check us out and join our fan club.

For alumni: www.facebook.com/ ClairbournAlumni For parents and friends: www.facebook.com/Clairbourn




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