On Campus: Volume 2, 2021/2022

Academic Year 2021/22 • Volume Two

OnCAMPUS CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

A Newsletter for Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and Alumni

Project UCRANE

For the Benefit of Children of Ukraine Just as spring was blossoming, so was the interest of our students to find ways to support the children of Ukraine. With a committee made up of different adult constituents, a blending of ideas came together and June 2 and 3 were chosen as our designated days of fundraising.

The third graders invited Mr. Weiss and Mrs. Williams to hear their persuasive speeches as to why they should be able to host a school wide bake sale. Since that was the very first part of our fundraising efforts, clearly they did their job. The Upper School participated as well in this worthy cause by contributing all their earnings from their weekly Snack Shack.

We even took our “show on the road” and joined in the First Thursday events downtown where our Spotlight performers shared their talents and the number of donors grew! And, with thanks to a generous parent who tripled our monies raised, the students felt proud that they could donate $7,500 to Maya’s Hope, our choice non-profit to support Ukrainian children.

Inside Visual Arts

2 Leading the Way 3 Virtual Grandparents 4 Virtual Visits 5 20 Years / Past Parent Reunion 6 100 Days / Egg Drop 7 Spring Study Week / Teaching Fellows 8-9 Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant 10 Spanish Awards / Memoriam 11 Spring Benefit / Upper School 12-13 Alumni News 14-21 Class of 2022 Graduation 16-19 Cronshaw Alumni Award 22 Sports / Eighth Grade Speeches 23-24 Adiós a Ms. Sandell 25 Theater Arts 26-27 I Madonnari Back Cover

5th Grade

visual arts

SEWN PORTRAITS INSPIRED BY BISA BUTLER Bisa Butler is a contemporary American fabric artist who has transformed quilting into something entirely new. The Art Institute of Chicago describes her unique process beautifully: “Bisa Butler creates arresting portraits — composed entirely of vibrantly colored and patterned fabrics — that reimagine and celebrate narratives of Black life . . . she layers fabrics as a painter might layer glazes, and she uses thread to draw, adding detail and texture. ” Our 5th and 8th grade students were challenged to create their own sewn self-portrait after studying Butler’s masterpieces.

Students learned to recreate their likeness by using thoughtful and expressive shapes along with subtle value changes to build form.

8th Grade

Leading the Way Learning to Dance Again For decades, Crane has been known as a highly active, experiential community school with many opportunities for celebration, socialization and parent participation. Two and-ahalf years of Covid restrictions, however, can certainly challenge traditions, and this spring has been a wonderful opportunity for us to emerge from our solitude. Just like the flowers blooming,

Suggestion #1 – Initially don’t expect everything to be perfect We’ve all gotten out of the habit of socializing at Crane, both the planners and the participants, so we won’t return to all of our former “social selves” instantly, so give it time.

Suggestion # 2 - Go at your own pace

there has been a slow but steady return to on-

Each one of us has navigated the pandemic in

campus events, bringing introductions and

our own unique way, with our own collection of

even re-introductions to friends new and old.

insights and struggles. Some are eager to dive

With three years having passed, we were thrilled to bring back our Lower School Spring Study Week this year. This is an educational adventure just for the younger students, in

back in, while others are more reluctant. Just remember to do what works for you. We don’t all have to bounce back in exactly the same way.

which regular classes are suspended, and

Suggestion # 3 – Small doses at first

teachers develop creative workshops based

If you’re out of shape, either in dancing

upon an overall theme which this year was Mapping Our World. Students are placed in groups of varying ages so that they can make friends from every grade (see page 8 for a list of workshops and photos).

or socializing, it can be disheartening to compare yourself to your previous patterns.

Start with the easy stuff, such as short visits to the campus to pick up your kids from After Care or by having a cup of coffee at the Crane

During Covid we continued to have our

Café. Consider these smaller communal

assemblies outside as well as some of our

forays to be the social equivalent of a dancer

theatrical productions under the big oak

stretching.

tree, but this spring marked the return of

And speaking of dancing, we actually

a full-blown Upper School musical taking place in Cate Hall. During one of the early performances, director Shana Arthurs walked onto the stage, welcomed the audience, and balancing joy and tears, proclaimed that this was the very first production in our beloved theater in three years. The energy from the students was palpable and we all enjoyed seeing the unfolding of a fun and complex rendition of High School Musical (see photos on page 27).

returned to the time-honored Crane event of a spring dance. For many years this was called the Father-Daughter Dance and it has been reimagined as the Lower School Parent-Student Dance. Approximately 100 people attended this year. Starting at 6:30 in the Mulberry Tree Quad, the setting was beautiful, with the quad decorated with a dance floor, lights, and disco balls. And just like any great party, the right leaders up front can get almost anyone on their feet. So

We also managed to break from the cycle of a virtual Spring Benefit

huge thanks go out to sixth graders Lilly-Bee Butler as the DJ

with a wonderful parent and staffulty tailgate party on the Crane field.

and Johnny Hills as the emcee, both of whom provided all

A relatively straightforward concept, each grade level was anchored

the fun and games.

by a classic truck, and this provided just the right structure for our

Lastly, thank you all for sticking with us during this difficult

parents to meet each other, enjoy good drink and food, and share the common experience of all working together for the betterment of the students, while having fun (see photos on page 12).

period in our world. As we return to a more fully activated Crane School, do your best to meet new people, engage with everyone in your class, thank the teachers, and probably

The title of this piece, “Learning to Dance Again,” was prompted

most important, continue to be grateful and appreciative

by an article I stumbled upon that was acknowledging the return of

that we have these wonderful opportunities with each other

many social activities that had gone dormant in our urban areas, such

and with our children.

as exercise and dance classes, and musical performances. I realized

Have a fabulous summer and I look forward to the next dance!

that some of the lessons that would help dancers to return to the studio, are probably similar to the lessons for the Crane community as we return to a much more fully populated and active campus.

Joel Weiss Head of School

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Virtual Grandparent Gathering

For the second year in a row, our traditional inperson Grandparent Tea became a virtual gathering where students of all ages were able to both voice and demonstrate Crane’s five values: Doing Deepens Discovery, Find Joy in the Pursuit, Value Your Voice, Cultivate Kindness, Put We Before Me. As with last year, the silver lining was the ability of grandparents from all over the globe could join us.

One tradition we have kept, whether in-person or virtual, is a speech from a Crane graduate whose next adventure is college:

Juliette Calderon ’18 • February 25, 2022

through Crane’s community service class. This year, I

Hi! My name is Juliette Calderon, and I graduated

am playing the lead in Cate’s musical Mamma Mia and

from Crane in 2018. I was a lifer, meaning I spent 9 years learning, experiencing, and creating at Crane, from kindergarten all the way to eighth grade.

To me, Crane was not just a school, but a playground where I could explore the world and grow my passions in a community that provided and cared for me.

Even though almost four years have passed since I was last considered a Crane student, I feel that the classic values ingrained in me by my years at Crane still govern my attitude towards school and life. I walked off the campus as a courageous, curious, and interested student, which is thanks to the impactful education that I received there.

I am now a senior at Cate School, and throughout my years here, I can’t help but feel that I owe much of my preparedness to face whatever challenges are thrown my way to Crane. In my time there, I built up my confidence both inside and outside of the classroom, which helped a lot entering high school. I felt prepared academically for my classes, appropriately challenged by outdoors trips, and excited to meet new people and make friends.

At Cate, I was able to continue participating in extracurricular activities that I discovered through Crane, like singing or community service. I still have such fond memories of practicing for the 4th grade musical School House Rock, or volunteering with my friends at Unity Shoppe in downtown Santa Barbara

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am a head of the Public Service program. If it weren’t for the opportunities I was given as a Crane student all those years ago, I wouldn’t have discovered many of the things I am interested in now.

Another skill that I developed at Crane was public speaking, which came in handy recently when I delivered my Servons talk, an optional speech given by seniors of the school often focusing on personal topics.

I chose to explain the importance of community in my life and how I discovered it at Cate. While I was writing my speech, I found myself reflecting on my time at Crane just as much as my time at Cate. I think that attending Crane for as long as I did instilled in me a desire to attend a school that supports, strengthens, and stimulates each and every member of the community. Even in my college search, the Crane sense of togetherness was something that I looked for on every campus.

At Crane, my curiosity was nourished and expanded by the incredible community of teachers, students, and mentors that surrounded me. I was able to build up and develop the skills that I need to succeed in the world from a young age. My nine years of education at Crane were the greatest gift that I could have possibly received, and have endowed me with knowledge that I have used and will continue to use for the rest of my life. I will always be grateful for Crane, and feel immensely fortunate for the years I spent there.

Thank you!

Virtual Visits Even though Crane was “in person” this year, we continued the new Covid tradition of providing entertainment one Friday evening a month in the comfort of one’s own home. The convenience of being in your jammies and being entertained says it all.

Here is a recap: (images (clockwise from top) October Storyteller: Kirk Waller Wove music into his stories from long ago November Storyteller: Antonio Sacre Stories celebrating the Day of the Dead December (scheduled for outdoors, cancelled due to rain) A local bell choir with a holiday Mr. Kono sing-along January Guest speaker: alumna Gabriella Campbell ’14 Presented and explained the world of archeology and what it means to be an archeologist (see page 21 for Gabriella's alumni spotlight) February Valentine card making for our local non-profit Meals on Wheels Accompanied by the watching of Crane’s past Upper School Musical, Shrek March Storyteller: Ethnotec Stories from Asia and Asian America April Guest speaker: parent Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant Presented the Secret Life of Bears (see her interview on page 10) May (rescheduled for the fall) Storyteller: Joseph Velasco Co-founder of BOXTALES Theatre Company and is the former Artistic Director for City at Peace Santa Barbara

Debbie Williams Director of Development

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20 Year Celebrations Three teachers celebrated their 20th Crane anniversaries this year on three different dates:

Carrie Althoff • April 11 She joined Crane as an Upper School English teacher in 2002 and then switched to teaching fifth grade in 2008. Her 5th grade co-teacher for many years was Chris Caretto and they put the stamp on the teaching of American History with their famous American unit and the recitation of poetry – two traditions which have stood the test of time!

Alexis Fischer • February 7 She started Crane in the spring of 2002 as Joel Weiss’s assistant, and then moved to the position of Upper School Spanish teacher in the fall of that year. Alexis is known for immersing her students with experiential activities while learning the Spanish language — cooking, creating videos, and of course, sugar skulls for Dia de los

Gretel Huglin Ridge • April 25 She began at Crane as the Lower School art teacher until she switched to Upper School art in 2013. She is known for many wonderful art projects, but probably most impressive are the end-ofthe-year 8th grade i@pp projects.

PAST PARENT REUNION April 12, 2022

Muertos.

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL

EGG DROP

Spring Study Week ­­­– Mapping Our World After a two year break due to Covid 19, the students were beyond excited for Spring Study Week to return! Each year there is a theme that drives the learning during this special week and this year was no different. Students dove deep into the theme: Mapping Our World. The creative and imaginative staff were able to take the students on learning journeys mapping their memories, their favorite rooms, dances around the world, the inner layers of the earth and more! The fifth graders were tremendous as they took on leadership roles, guiding the younger students throughout the week. Watching the older students support the younger students' academic and emotional growth while they also grew their leadership and empathy skills was a sight to see.

Kristi Diechard Interim Head of Lower School

Mapping Our World Workshops BREAD AROUND THE WORLD MAPPING DANCES AROUND THE WORLD LASTING LANDFORMS MAP OF MY HEART GET IN THE MOOD FOR LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH: MAPPING THE INNER LAYERS OF OUR PLANET

BRAIN GEOGRAPHY HIKING ENNISBROOK TRAIL GAMES AROUND THE GLOBE FINGERPRINT DETECTIVES CRACKING THE CODE – TREASURE MAPS! SEEING STARS MAPPING MY DREAM ROOM

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Teaching Fellows

A look at Experiential Learning Through the Eyes of the Crane Fellows Written by the Crane Teaching Fellows

When the fellows first applied

watching someone else do it, but by

to

term

working with materials and testing

experiential learning was front and

work

at

Crane,

the

their ideas. They experimented,

center. It came up in their interviews,

took risks, indulged curiosity, and

it was on the website, and it was

made mistakes. Matt said, “The

written in the description for the

beauty

Teaching Fellows program. Amelia

is that it allows past mistakes to

DeFrancis admits, “I wondered, is

inform

this just a slogan or is it a true value,

than simulating a hypothetical

practiced and cultivated in each

situation,

school day at Crane?” Within her

learners dive into the content and

first few days, she would see quite

solve real problems with real-world

clearly that the experiential learning she was hearing about was a reality,

Front row: Amelia DeFrancis, Tia Hannah Back row: Sara Gillis, Matt Martino, Olivia Jones

more so than she could have ever imagined. When she talked with the other teaching fellows they shared similar stories of seeing examples of “learning by doing” that they would come to discover in every corner they looked at during their time at Crane.

In the second grade classroom, Tia Hannah’s students began the year with cheerful posters on the walls, but quickly the room was transformed into the world’s biomes – from polar ice caps to lush forests and mountain landscapes. The second graders were learning about endangered animals and inspiration had struck: they wanted to bring these animals' habitats to life. “We introduced authentic dilemmas, encouraged student reflection, and incorporated emerging ideas and reactions from our students,” said Tia. Experiential learning drove student discovery throughout their academic year.

In the Design & Engineering Center, Matt Martino helped the sixth through eighth grade students make projects not by

of

experiential

future he

actions.” saw

learning Rather

experiential

applications, leading to a deeper understanding of and connection to the material.

When working in an Upper School English classroom Olivia Jones saw her students inspired through water play while learning about The Tempest. Her mentor teacher, Elizabeth Teare knew that the best way to get students to understand Shakespeare’s work as a theater experience was to recreate its scenes.

A favorite moment for Sara Gillis happened when the sixth graders were deep in their native plant unit in science class. They took a hike on a local trail, examined the plants and collected samples.

In class they dried and pressed the plants, created a plant ID label, and mounted the finished product on the wall. “Getting to actually see these plants in nature helped to make the unit feel like real world ecology,” said Sara. Her students were able to get a feeling for the prevalence of their plant species and see how they fit into the larger ecosystem.

Although there have been countless moments of experiential learning this year, a favorite took place for Amelia during what might be considered the pinnacle of experiential learning in the Crane Lower School: Spring Study Week. She partnered with Joel Weiss and transformed the third grade classroom into Max’s bedroom from Where the Wild Things Are, turning desks into a bed and hanging jungle plants from the ceiling. They took the students on a magical journey to design their own imaginary bedrooms.

In experiential classrooms, the fellows saw that students of all ages were given the opportunity to model their learning in the way that engages and inspires them most; this is a lesson learned from Crane that they can take with them wherever they teach.

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Interview with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and mathematics). It still seems unbelievable to her that she was chosen. She talks about how important a statue is in our American culture and how honored she is to have one herself, “I can’t imagine receiving a bigger honor in my life and it’s amazing that it’s already happened.” These statues have probably inspired many young women who want to pursue careers in STEM and Dr. Wynn-Grant also has hope for the future of young women, “I really hope that today’s generation of young women will truly feel like they have every opportunity available.” She doesn’t want women to feel like they can’t do something because “of all the barriers that society puts up; she wants young women to know that they can do anything and choose any career path that they want and if they work for it, they can be successful.”

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is dedicated to keeping wildlife safe, inspiring others, and studying the amazing lives of bears. She is

This May interview of Dr. Rae WynnGrant was conducted by eighth grade student Rosita Power on the Crane School campus: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is an ecologist that studies carnivores and works for National Geographic. She has a special love for bears. She lived in San Francisco and didn’t grow up around nature. She says, “What got me interested in studying wild animals was actually watching TV as a kid.” She watched nature shows and said she wanted to be a nature show host when she grew up. Those shows were her only exposure to nature or any kind of job in nature, so she didn’t realize until her college years that there were more ways to be out in the wild.

In college, she discovered her passion for protecting and studying animals and chose to become a wildlife biologist. However, she did not start off by studying bears. First, she studied African wildlife but when she started working towards her PhD, she began studying bears. She says, “It wasn’t as if I always loved bears; I just knew I wanted to study bears.” But once she started exploring the world of bears, she was captivated. While studying for her PhD, Dr. Wynn-Grant examined bears’ reactions to humans’ actions.

In particular, she wants to spread the message about how humans and bears can coexist peacefully. She wants people to know that humans and bears have been living together for a very long time.

Bears have lived in North America longer than humans have, so humans in North America have never lived without bears. She thinks it is very important to remind people that bears are not dangerous animals towards humans.

Dr. Wynn-Grant’s hard work has paid off, and she now has her own statue in Washington D.C. along with 119 other women who work in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering,

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an accomplished scientist and Crane School is very lucky that she is the parent of first grader Zuri, so that we can follow her adventures and learn more about her work.

Rae standing alongside her Smithsonian statue with her two daughters and her father.

National Spanish Award

¡Felicidades a los estudiantes que participaron en el National Spanish Exam!

Congratulations to the students who participated in the National Spanish Exam!

This is Crane’s sixth year participating in this competition. Students competed in varying levels and categories based on past experience with the language. Our 7th and 8th graders earned a total of 16 honorable mentions, 5 bronze medals and 1 silver medal.

The competition included over 73,000 students this year.

In Memoriam Lindsay Dahlgren

Lindsay Dahlgren ’93 Ashburn passed away at her home in Squaw Valley, CA on February 1, 2022 after a courageous battle with signet ring cell carcinoma of the colon.

A Crane lifer, Lindsay was able to light up a room with her smile from the time she was in kindergarten (pre-first) to adulthood. She was passionate about training horses and teaching people how to ride. She enjoyed all the moments she had with her family, friends, students, and horses. The Clovis Rodeo Grounds has a plaque in her honor describing what a true wonder woman she was, and her memory lives on through a horse show series at the Paso Robles Showgrounds named the Lindsay Ashburn Memorial Green Rider Medal class.

Lindsay is survived by her husband Stephen and their 17-year old daughter Alaina; as well as her parents Susie and Joe Dahlgren who were very involved Crane parents and volunteers.

Jesse Alexander

Jesse Alexander (1929-2021) was a famed photographer and former Crane parent. After growing up in Santa Barbara, his family moved to the East Coast, but he returned to UCSB to study photography. From the 1950s to 1970s, Jesse was the photojournalist who documented the international motor races and was able to capture “the human element of the motorsport.” His photographs have been used in numerous publications.

His youngest child Jess attended Crane from 1979-1981. During that time, Jesse helped Crane with photography for its marketing efforts. In addition, he was a huge contributor to Crane’s inaugural fundraiser, the Concours d’Elegance.

This car show began in 1976 and with Jesse’s assistance, Crane was connected to many of the great “car show people” which helped launch this event to be the second largest car show on the West Coast, second only to Pebble Beach.

Spring Benefit

Looking for a new idea this year, a tailgating party took the place of Crane’s traditional dinner/dance gala, and it seems to have pleased all! Nine trucks, one for each grade, provided plenty of drink choices, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well as three food trucks who helped satisfy any hunger pangs.

The overall goal of providing an informal venue where people could chat with an old friend and certainly meet new friends was definitely accomplished during the three hours. Even the dress was casual – wear Crane gear or the school’s colors of green and white. Though the fundraising needed a bit of a boost post-event, Crane Celebrates! did reach its goal; stay tune for when the new play structure will be installed!

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COYOTE CARES

Helping individuals or doing something kind for the greater Santa Barbara community has been the driving force behind this year’s elective Coyote Cares. Their last project of the year was to make kits for the homeless.

This involved raising funds by having a lemonade stand and bake sale outside of Vons, purchasing all the products with the earnings, packing the bags with both the essentials and handwritten encouraging notes, and then the satisfaction of having the representative from Rescue Mission pick-up the kits to deliver to the homeless population. A huge thank you for each and every one of the Coyote Care projects this year!

QED QED or Quests, Exploration and Discovery was created by Crane former teacher Janey Cohen in 2002 to give seventh grade students a chance to spend time working with a mentor about a particular subject/interest of their choice. This year, the resulting QED projects were celebrated on May 22.

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alumni news Congratulations Class of 2018 and be sure to come back and visit us!

Class of 2018 Cooper Adams

Elise Guerrand-Hermès

Evan Aitcheson

Parker Gumins

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: Southern Methodist University Founders’ Scholarship National Honor Society

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: University of California at Berkeley California Scholarship Federation Golden State Seal Merit Diploma National Honor Society

Audrey Biles

Attended: St. Paul’s School (NH) Attending: Georgetown University

Will Bouma

Attended: Cate School Attending: Harvard University Senior Captain Award - volleyball Spanish Award

Attended: Mammoth High School Attending: UCLA US National Ski Team

Xander Haddock

Attended: Washusett Regional High School Attending: Clark University (MA) Boys’ Swim Team Captain MVP award Robert Goddard Scholarship

Attended: Cate School Attending: Carnegie-Mellon (Tepper School of Business) Most Inspirational Athlete Cup Most Valuable Player 2021 ALL-CIF Division 1 (8-man football)

Ian Harvey

Juliette Calderon

Myles Hazen

Attended: Cate School Attending: University of Virginia Class Agent 2 distinctions in Community Service 1 distinction in Global Affairs

Quinton Cohen

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: Gap Year – Great White Internship (S. Africa); Western Washington University ’23 Community Service Excellence Award CTE Pathway Completer Golden State Seal Merit Diploma

Will Dunaway

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: New York University (Stern School of Business) Community Service Excellence Award Golden State Seal Merit Diploma National Honors Society

Nico Gaggero

Attended: Community School (ID); graduated 2021 Attending: Gap Year

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: Syracuse University AP Scholar Community Service Excellence Award Golden State Seal Merit Diploma

Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Brandeis University Justice Brandeis Scholarship LBS Head of School Award

Jack Hirsch

Luke Marlow

Attended: Wood River High School Attending: Santa Barbara City College Sports School Spirit Award

Kai Morphy

Attended: Bishop Diego High School Attending: Brewster Academy (NH) Ferrari Award Sportsmanship & Spirit in Sports Outstanding Athlete, MVP (volleyball) Tri-Country Athletic Assoc Player of the Year (basketball)

Jada Olayemi

Attended: Dos Pueblos High School Attending: University of California at Irvine

Camilla Petote

Attended: San Marcos High School Attending: New York University Community Service Award

Mikey Reyes

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: Northeastern University California Scholarship Federation National Honors Society

Boo Ridge

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: Santa Barbara City College Golden State Seal Merit Diploma National Honor Society

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: University of California at Berkeley AP Scholar / National Honor Society Ben Rodgers Partners in Education: Center Tech Education Attended: Laguna Blanca School Excellence Award Attending: University of Michigan

Ella Jones

Attended: Cate School Attending: Tulane University Academic Recognition Award Merit Scholarship

Sofia Schuster

Attended: Interlochen Arts Academy Attending: Columbia University

Kate Sheldon

Attended: Carpinteria High School Attending: Santa Barbara City College

Attended: San Marcos High School Attending: Princeton University Captain, Soccer Team Science Excellence Award

Zoe Lozano Stephens

Foster Smith

Jason Lemere Frias

Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Scripps College

Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Loyola Marymount University

Class of 2018 Jaeda Spence

alumni news

class of 2018 reunion

Attended: Santa Barbara High School and Appleby College (Ontario, Canada) Attending: Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada) Phil Womble Award Winner

Boz Stephens

Attended: Santa Barbara High School Attending: University of Colorado at Boulder CTE Pathway Completer Golden State Seal Merit Diploma

Diego Velazquez Jimenez

Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Lehigh University (mechanical engineering) Headmaster Pin #1 squash player (LBS) Mission Scholars Program

Ami Wallmark

Attended: Thacher School Attending: Stockholm School of Economics fall ’22; University of Virginia fall ’23

Charlotte Weis

Attended: Cate School Attending: Davidson College Cate Cum Laude Society Peter Cate Athletic Award – top female History Prize

Dorothy Yaqub

Attended: Dos Pueblos High School; graduation speaker Attending: Kenyon College Alice Tweed Tuohy Merit Scholarship President’s Scholarship from Kenyon

Rhys Zemeckis

Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Gap Year; University of Southern California ’23

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CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL CLASS OF 2022

front row Peyton Gimbel *, Z Kuria, Sindy Zavala, Jack Alzina, Sebastian Brine, Lila Foster, Mason Copus *, Gwen McTigue *, Charlie Brand, Chloe Doherty, Rosita Power

back row Madeline Rick *, Meena Abhati, Luke Eliassen *, Addie Pidduck, Adrian Caleel *, Beckett Arthurs *, Emrys Smith, Tristan Maigret, AJ Scarborough *, Jack Eliassen *, Aidan Free, Vitoria Seidler, Stella Purdy *, Lila Westmacott, Zoe Wolf *, Elle McMahon, Massimo Bonilla-Zabosek, Ian Sheshunoff, Daisy Pidduck, William Scribner, Phoebe Siegel, Kira Rameson

* K-8 Crane "Lifer"

All names in order from left to right

The Crane faculty and staff are very proud of the accomplishments of the eighth grade class of 2022 and wish them the best of luck in their high school adventures.

Besant Hill School (Ojai)

Dos Pueblos High School

Putney School (VT)

Addie Pidduck

Emrys Smith

Daisy Pidduck

Bishop Diego High School

Dunn School (Los Olivos)

St. Paul’s School (NH)

Charlie Brand Mason Copus Chloe Doherty Jack Eliassen Luke Eliassen Elle McMahon William Scribner Sindy Zavala

Peyton Gimbel Vitoria Seidler

Madeline Rick

Cate School

Loomis Chaffee School (CT)

Sebastian Brine Aidan Free Tristan Maigret Gweneth McTigue Rosita Power Ian Sheshunoff

Stella Purdy

Carpinteria High School Massimo Bonilla-Zakosek

Laguna Blanca School Lila Foster Kira Rameson Zoe Wolf

Midland School (Los Olivos) Z Kuria Nordhoff High School (Ojai) Phoebe Siegel

San Marcos High School AJ Scarborough Lila Westmacott Santa Barbara High School Jack Alzina Beckett Arthurs Taft School (CT) Adrian Caleel Undecided Meena Abtahi

Awards

Class of 2022

Headmaster’s Prize

description Awarded to the student who, through leadership, participation, and consideration of others, has served best as an example for us all

recipient

Ian Sheshunoff

Amiability Award

description Awarded to the student who showed the greatest cooperation with congeniality toward all

recipient

Beckett Arthurs

Lejeune Teaching Fellowship

description An annual award for an inspirational teacher recipient

Izabela Santos

upper school math Teacher

Lejeune Language Award (Spanish Cup)

description Given in memory of founding Head of School Arnold Lejeune for outstanding achievement, effort, and enthusiasm in the study of the Spanish language and culture

recipient

Rosita Power

Art Cup

Library Award

that consistently highlights original thought and creativity

appetite for books and reading, who uses the library resources well, and is an avid participant in the summer reading program

description Given for exellence in studio art or design recipient

Gweneth McTigue

Dan McCaslin History Cup

description Given in honor of retired teacher Dan McCaslin to the student that demonstrates outstanding effort, achievement, curiosity, and consistent participation in the study and discussion of history

recipient

Daisy Pidduck

David Echols Math Cup

description Given in honor of former Crane teacher David Echols to the student with outstanding performance in mathematics

recipients Aidan Free

Rosita Power

Design & Engineering Award

description Given to recognize the student whose designs have exhibited social consciousness, outstanding skill in fabrication, and technical innovation

recipient

Ian Sheshunoff

Drama Cup

description Awarded for outstanding participation and memorable performance on the stage

recipients

Beckett Arthurs Phoebe Siegel

Julia Brown English Cup

description Given in honor of former English teacher Julia Brown to the student who has demonstrated the highest achievement and greatest love of learning English

recipient

Peyton Gimbel

description Given to the student who shows a voracious

recipient

Addie Pidduck

Music Cup

description Awarded for diligent study and accomplishment in the realm of music

recipient

Sebastian Brine

Rose Bowl

description Given in honor of former Crane teacher Cathy Rose, to an unmistakably unconventional eighth grader

recipient

Daisy Pidduck

Science Cup description Awarded to the student who most closely embodies, through outstanding effort and achievement, the popular sentiment at Crane that “science is everywhere”

recipient

Ian Sheshunoff

Sheila Davidson Cup description Given in honor of former Crane Coach Sheila Davidson, to the athlete who best exemplifies commitment, teamwork, passion, and sportsmanship

recipient

Beckett Arthurs

Sports Cup

description Awarded for outstanding performance and participation in athletics

recipients Lila Foster

William Scribner

Talia S. Klein Award

description Given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, has been an unassuming force for good

recipients Rosita Power

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Madeline Rick

Congratulations Graduates

Class of 2022

Awards

Technical Theater Award

description Given to the student who has excelled in the mastery of all electronic systems used in the theater

recipient

Ian Sheshunoff

Tower Achievement Award

description Awarded to the student who showed greatest academic improvement through effort and application

recipient

Luke Eliassen

Award Recipients (left-right) Beckett Arthurs Amiability Award Drama Cup Sheila Davidson Cup Sebastian Brine Music Cup Luke Eliassen Tower Achievement Award Lila Foster Sports Cup Aidan Free David Echols Math Cup Peyton Gimbel Julia Brown English Cup Gweneth McTigue Art Cup Addie Pidduck Library Award Daisy Pidduck Dan McCaslin History Cup Rose Bowl Rosita Power David Echols Math Cup Lejeune Language Award Talia S. Klein Award Madeline Rick Talia S. Klein Award William Scribner Sports Cup Ian Sheshunoff Design & Engineering Award Headmaster’s Prize Science Cup Theater Tech Award Phoebe Siegel Drama Cup Izabela Santos Lejeune Teaching Fellowship

Award Recipients!

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alumni news Mike Duca ’96;

Santa Barbara High School

’00; Stanford University BA and MA in 2004.

He spent several years working in the film industry, including creating/producing a

few weeks of family life. They’re looking forward to being back in Montecito over the summer and showing Sophie around the Crane campus!

documentary on teenage scientists, before

Courtney McGowan ’01 Hamner; Santa

returning to grad school at Stanford where

Barbara High School ’05; University

he received his MBA and master in education

of San Diego ’09. She married

in 2011. He is the founder of a digital art and

husband

collectibles company, NeonMob, and recently

ceremony at Lotusland. The couple

joined the Investment Group of Santa Barbara.

moved to Montecito and welcomed

He is excited to be back in Santa Barbara after

twins, Daphne and Parker in April

many years – this time along with his husband

2021. Parenthood is keeping them

Shawn, a video game designer, and their two

busy! Courtney spent the last 6 years

children.

building the sales team for tech startup Samsara. After

Adam Duvendeck ’96

Devin

in

an

intimate

Samsara’s IPO in December, Courtney joined Okta as After graduating from

San Marcos high school, Adam competed for

Area Vice President of Corporate Sales.

the US National Cycling Team for 10 years

Olivia Mohler-Masclet ’03;

highlighted by racing in the 2004 and 2008

’07, Smith College ’11, École du

Olympics.

Louvre

He currently works for AEG as

’13,

and

her

Madeira husband,

the Vice President of Operations for Dignity

Sébastien, welcomed their second

Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. Adam and

child, Albert Masclet, in November

his wife Claire were married in Santa Barbara

2021. While grateful to have been

in 2019. Claire worked for the Los Angeles

able to take a long maternity leave,

Dodgers for 8 years before recently joining

Olivia is looking forward to easing

Angel City Football Club where she oversees

back into her art consulting business,

marketing. Claire and Adam welcomed their

OAM Fine Art. She and her family are

son Owen Micah Duvendeck on October 22,

currently living in Santa Barbara.

2021. The Duvendecks reside in Long Beach, CA and enjoy hiking, camping, fishing,

Lucas Shapiro ’03;

boating, and cooking.

Academy

’07,

Greens Farms

Evergreen

State

College ’11, married Megan Benner

A.Tianna Scozzaro ’99 and her family welcomed

on May 1 in Santa Paula, CA, where

a new addition, Athena Rose McGlashan on

they reside in a tiny house on Wilson

January 30. The sweet baby girl was born in

Ranch. They have just moved back

Amman, Jordan, where currently A.Tianna

to Southern California after Lucas

and her husband Andre both work at the U.S.

spent the last three years as the field

Embassy. Their two-year-old son, Lionel, is

manager of Dharma Ridge Farm in

delighted to be a big brother.

Quilcene, WA. They met volunteering at Rio Gozo Farm in Ojai, CA and have lived up and down the west coast

Emily Cheetham ’00; Northfield Mount Hermon ’04, Skidmore College ’08, is living and working in London. Emily is a director in BlackRock’s Corporate Strategy and Development team.

Last summer, Emily married William Warren at the San Ysidro Ranch after a few COVID ‘postponements’ with Natalie Noone, Hayley Bridges and Vanessa Bagdasarian serving as her bridesmaids (all Crane class of 2000)!

Emily and William welcomed their first child, Sophie on March 30, and are enjoying the first

20

together for the last 10 years managing organic farms and orchards ever since. Megan and Lucas enjoy backpacking in wild places, birdwatching, and hunting for wildflowers.

alumni news ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS Leah Martin ’14

(SB High School ’18,

Gabriella Campbell ’14

(Buena High School

College of Charleston ’22) graduated

’18; UC Santa Barbara ’22) is a graduate of

with a B.S. in Marketing and will be

UCSB’s anthropology program, and plans

starting her career as an account

to attend graduate school in the fall at

manager at Amazon. At 15, Leah

George Mason University. She has had her

was diagnosed with Reverse Slope

own podcast, That Anthro Podcast for two

Hearing Loss, a rare form of hearing

years, interviewing prominent students

impairment, which impacts her ability

and scholars across the world working in

to hear low-frequency sounds. She noticed a major issue

anthropology. She has spoken at Crane twice

while attending the College of Charleston: American Sign

about her work in archaeology, and explained to students and

Language (ASL) wasn't recognized as a language distinct

parents what it means to be an archaeologist. She has spent

from English, therefore disallowing language courses to

a great deal of time working with the skeletal collections at

satisfy the foreign language requirements. Leah applied her

UCSB, and specializes in studying ancient human remains, a

creativity and marketing skills to educate the faculty about

field called bioarchaeology.

ASL and Deaf culture, and why all students should have the opportunity to learn. Working alongside fellow students and faculty, she convinced the college to create a faculty committee to examine how ASL courses could satisfy the proper requirements. Leah won the Alexander Chambliss Connelly Award for her selfless work; one of the top honors a senior can earn. Plus, the opportunity to deliver a speech at her graduation ceremony in May.

Gabrielle loves to spend time with her dog Daisy, whether at the beach, in a hammock, or hanging around the UCSB campus. She is passionate about pursuing a career in museums, where she can make exhibits more accessible to people of all ages, disabilities, and backgrounds. She is excited to start a new chapter in Virginia, and as a lifelong resident of the West Coast, to enjoy the new scenery. In particular, she is excited to take her dog for adventures in

Aside from activism, Leah has a passion for marketing and

the snow. She is honored to join the GMU lab working with

brand strategy and was an associate product, marketing

Dr. Temple who focuses his research on hunter-gatherer

manager (APMM) intern at Google last summer. A member

populations. The program is a two year master’s of science,

of Google’s Naming Team, Leah researched how to improve

and her goal is to pursue museum internships in the hopes of

one of Google’s key naming strategies. Now, she is taking her

subsequent job opportunities.

marketing strategy skills to the next level at Amazon. Leah dedicates her creativity skills (e.g. film-making/editing) and her drive to manifest her passions from her experience as a Crane student.

Best Friends After All These Years Graduates from 1997, from left Kristen MacMurray Peralta, Olivia Sanders and Hannah Harte get together to celebrate birthdays and have family playdates whenever possible Emily Cheetham ’00 with her 2000 classmates and bridesmaids (l-r) Natalie Noone, Hayley Bridges and Vanessa Bagdasarian

High School Grad Speakers Graduates from 2018 off to Santa Barbara High School’s prom: l-r: Kai Morphy, Will Dunaway, Ian Harvey, Evan Aitchenson, Rockwood Foster and Parker Gumins

Class of 2022 "Lifers"

Dorothy Yaqub – Dos Pueblos High School; President’s Scholarship; attending Kenyon College

Noah Silverberg – San Marcos High School; National Merit Scholar; attending Yale University

alumni news 2022 Cronshaw Family Distinguished Alumni Award

Kate Pincus-Whitney ʼ08 We are proud to announce that the 2022 Cronshaw Family Distinguished Alumni Award goes to Kate PincusWhitney. Kate started Crane as a sixth grader. Always a person who loved art and the making of art, she debuted her first solo show last year, “Feast in the Neon Jungle,” in New York. Her work is now being sought after both domestically and internationally. In the fall, Kate was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2022.

Stay tuned for the fall date when Kate will be presented with her alumni award at Crane. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating her on this award, which to quote the Cronshaws: We believe that Kate Pincus-Whitney deserves the 2022 Cronshaw Family Distinguished Alumni Award for all of her talents and creativity. Kate expresses herself through her artwork. She paints vivid table scapes, the theater of the dinner table, using objects as a way of telling personal stories. She underscores how her own identity is embedded in her experiences with food, mythology, books, and travel.

22

3-4-5 Track Meet

Field Day

Flag Football After a two-year hiatus, the flag football teams returned to Crane. This year I played quarterback on the fifth and sixth grade team along with many others. We had so many close games putting us in third place for the entire season. Then came our playoff game. We were playing against Riviera Ridge, the fourth place team and a team we had played twice and beat twice, though both times the games came down to the final seconds. We knew going into this final that it was bound to be a tough one.

Both teams played great. Once one team would score and then the other would too. We ended up losing in the last 2 seconds, which ended our amazing season where we took fourth place. We had such a fun season and it was such an awesome experience. I can't wait to do it again next year.

Johnny Hills, 6th grader

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Eighth Grade Eighth Grade Speeches A tradition that began decades ago still continues when an 8th grader is responsible for an Assembly speech, reinforcing Crane’s commitment to the value of public speaking. Here are the topics presented during the 2021-2022 school year:

24

After 34 years, Gayle Sandell is retiring.

Here she recaps her career both personally and professionally: briefly tell how you ended up at Crane It’s funny, but I’m not really sure. There weren’t many teaching positions available in the late 80’s, and I think it was divine intervention that led me to Crane. During my interview with Debbie Williams and Connie Ennis (and later Selden Edwards), the two of them asked me questions while making paper flowers for their Renaissance Faire. I should have noticed then that Crane was a place that had so much going on that multi-tasking was a part of the skill set they were looking for! I knew I was replacing a much-loved teacher and it was a bit intimidating to step into her classroom.

what is the one thing you are most proud of accomplishing and/or bringing to Crane?

I have always felt that teaching should be about making connections with students. Helping young people find their voice, feel confident, be willing to take risks, handling disappointment, and showing grace to others are life skills that are just as important to their success as their academic skills. To be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged . . . if I have been able to do that for my students, then what could make me more proud?

What has it meant to have your family as part of the Crane Community?

It is difficult to separate my family being a part of Crane and Crane being a part of my family. I loved that my colleagues taught my children, and I was thrilled that I had the opportunity to teach theirs. Things are even coming full circle with my grandchildren. Jaiden lived with me last year and attended Crane. Camille celebrated her first birthday under the Mulberry tree and now she is making her own path here as a Teaching Fellow next fall. It is all family.

Adiós a Ms. Sandell

if you had to choose just one favorite Crane memory to share what would it be?

There are so many! Dancing on desks in the morning (the students, not me!), Anacapa Island, camping out on the soccer field with 120 students, borrowing a hundred Indian antiques to fill the school during Spring Study Week, just Spring Study Week alone . . . the list goes on and on. Though it sounded crazy at the time, I think one of my favorite memories was taking the fifth graders to Boston. The trip was the perfect culmination for the fifth grade curriculum and for the students’ time in the Lower School.

We visited so many historical sights and the students were able to impress our tour guides with their knowledge, but watching the students grow through the experience was wonderful. To overcome the fear of being away from home, learning how to cut vegetables for the first time, being responsible with their money, learning to live together in a hotel room . . . the students came back changed for the better. Connecting with them during that time was so very special and it created a bond that is still there today.

what is your favorite place on campus and why?

I don’t know that I have one favorite place on campus, but whenever I think of Crane, I think of the trees. I remember decades ago when the oak tree in the front of the school was a play area for students during pick-up. It was the place where weddings and graduations took place. The tree outside of the music room is Barbara’s tree (our former beloved receptionist) and the memory of her stays with me. I loved picking leaves from our Mulberry tree to feed our silkworms, and the redwood tree was always a special place to take students. There is one thing Crane does well, and that is to create a beautiful space that embraces the natural setting.

What is your hope for Crane going forward?

Crane means many things to many different people. My hope for the school moving forward is that compassion, honesty and keeping students at the center of all things will be the guiding principles for all decisions about the future. Valuing the faculty and giving them the appreciation and respect they so deserve.

Crane has made a difference in many lives, and I hope that it will continue to do so.

kindergarten | Where the Wild Things Are

second grade | Rumpus in the Rainforest

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CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 1795 San Leandro Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93108 www.craneschool.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OnCAMPUS

Jim Copus ’92 President Christina Stoney Vice President Rick Banks ’62 Treasurer Paul Gauthier Secretary

A Newsletter for Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and Alumni Academic Year 2021/2022 • Volume Two

CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

I Madonnari 2022

Jen Abed Tamar Adegbile Andrea Alfano Stephen Blass Kevin Brine Todd Eliassen Will Freeland ’00 Chris Gogong Robert Ingersoll Annie Kaiser Susan McMillan Clay Murdy ’93 Sarah Muzzy Guille Gil-Reynoso Allan Rogers Sarah Sheshunoff Courtney Smith Carrie Towbes Honorary Lifetime Trustee Scott C. Brittingham EDITOR Debbie Williams DESIGN & PRODUCTION Lorie Bacon SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER Teresa Pietsch COPY EDITOR Rhoda Lauten