The
Stampede BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2026-2027
2026-2027 School Year IMPORTANT FALL DATES: September 10 - Parent Association Meeting and Parent Engagement Fair 9:00 a.m. at the Lower Campus All Pre-K–12 parents are invited for campus updates, PA news, and ways to get involved. September 10 - Lower School Football Night 5:30 p.m. at the SC Stadium Lower School festivities start at 5:30 p.m. SC Football vs. Saint Louis kick off is at 7:00 p.m. September 17 - Back-to-School Night, Grades 7 - 12 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Upper Campus This event will provide an in-depth glimpse into your student's Upper Campus experience. September 24 - Back-to-School Night, Grades Pre-K – 6 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Lower Campus Visit your child's classroom, learn about the academic year, and socialize with fellow parents beginning at 5:30 p.m. October 2 - Homecoming Football Game 7:00 p.m. at the SC Stadium Show your school spirit and cheer on the Trailblazers as SC Football takes on Loyola High School. October 3 - Homecoming Dance, Grades 9 - 12 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. at the Lower Campus Upper School students are invited to celebrate Homecoming with a night of dancing and fun. October 10 - Fall Pep Rally and Firework Show 6:00 p.m. at the SC Stadium Celebrate Trailblazer spirit with an all-school pep rally and spectacular fireworks show. October 15 - Sibling, Faculty, and Staff Admission Application Deadline Admission applications for the 2027-2028 school year are now available. November 24 - Grandparents and Friends Day 8:00 a.m. at the Lower Campus Celebrate a beloved Lower School tradition with grandparents and friends.
Welcome Back, Trailblazers! HEAD OF SCHOOL MESSAGE
Dear Sierra Canyon Families, There is a particular kind of energy that returns to our campuses the moment students walk back through the gates. This year, after eleven years working at this school in one role or another, that feeling hit me differently. Being back on campus with our students this week, watching hallways come alive, classrooms fill, and lunch lines form again, with backpacks, laughter, and a little bit of nervous energy everywhere, has been completely reenergizing. It is the best part of this job, and it reminded me exactly why I love working at a school. I have spent my career around students because there is nowhere else you get to watch growth happen in real time quite like you do here. A student who once dreaded raising a hand in class becomes a confident public speaker. A student overwhelmed by their first big project is, a few years later, celebrating a college acceptance built on the confidence they found along the way. That kind of transformation does not happen in most workplaces, and getting to witness it, year after year, is a genuine privilege. Even in a year full of new responsibilities as Head of School, the moments that have stayed with me most are still the small ones on campus with students. Those moments have also shaped how I think about this year's theme, Rooted and Reaching, Grounded and Growing. When I spoke with our Upper Campus students at our opening assembly on Tuesday, I challenged them to be rooted enough by their support systems that reaching feels possible. Their support system is everyone around them, the friendships, the coaches, and the teachers who know them well, and I wanted them to see that this is exactly what makes it safe to take a real risk this year, whether that means taking a challenging class, joining a new club, sports team, or the Arts Academy, or simply reaching for something new. I shared something similar, in a way built for younger learners, with our Lower Campus students at their first assembly on Wednesday. I asked them to picture a tree: roots planted deep into the ground, and branches reaching and stretching up and out toward the sky. Their roots, I told them, are their teachers, coaches, and friends, the people who hold them steady and help them grow. I asked every student to pick one thing this year they want to reach for, and to trust that their roots would be there to support them the whole way. I am as excited about this school year as I have been about anything in my career. Thank you for trusting us with your students, for being part of this community, and for being rooted and reaching right alongside us this year. Warmly, Stephanie Rubin Head of School
Welcome to the SC Family! MEET OUR NEW FACULTY AND STAFF Listed Left to Right (Back Row): Gwendolyn Atenor, Athletic Trainer; Dr. Candy Navarro, Associate Director of College Counseling; Alise Westbrook, 2nd Grade Associate Teacher; Samantha Atkinson, Director of Advancement; Rob Sitomer, Wellness Director; Emily Ciabuca, Advancement Database Administrator; Drew Killeen, Science Listed Left to Right (Front Row): Jenni Barber, Performing Arts; Isabella Phillips, Pre-Kindergarten Associate Teacher; Marigail Bentz, 5th Grade Associate Teacher; Olga Barahona, Math Department Chair; Prudence Gemmel, Mathematics; Vernice Grajeda, World Languages; Paige Scharite, History; Regina Jorgenson, Library Supervisor; Stefanie Wigfall, Wellness Faculty Not Pictured: Marzy Manahan, Lower School Assistant Art Specialist and MichaelTore Smith, Girls Flag Football Coach
Faculty Mixtape
Every teacher remembers the year they first stepped into the classroom, but what was playing on the radio when they did? We asked our Upper Campus faculty to share a song that was popular the year they began their careers in education. From '90s favorites to 2010s hits, take a look at our SC Faculty Mixtape.
'90s What is Love - 1993 Norm Brennan (10 years at SC)
Semi-Charmed Life - 1997 Alice Kessler (7 years at SC)
No One - 2008 Katie Fox (5 years at SC) Low - 2008 Gabe Bitto (2 years at SC) Hey, Soul Sister - 2009 Ray Riley (11 years at SC)
'00s
'10s
Just a Girl - 1995 Andrea Klemmer (2 years at SC)
Bye, Bye, Bye - 2000 Jenny Hernandez (26 years at SC) Doesn't Really Matter - 2000 Olga Barahona (1st year at SC) Hanging by a Moment - 2001 Lindsay Koss (9 years at SC) So Fresh, So Clean - 2001 Leo Glazé (4 years at SC) It's Five O'Clock Somewhere - 2003 Ines du Cos de la Hitte (20 years at SC) Drop It Like It's Hot - 2004 Bruce Buenaventura (27 years at SC) Hollaback Girl - 2004 Melanie Salter (8 years at SC) Daft Punk is Playing at My House - 2005 Gideon Webster (3 years at SC) Umbrella - 2007 Lilia Kibarska (19 years at SC) Oksana Krotov (1 year at SC)
Teenage Dream - 2010 Veronica Li (2 years at SC) Firework - 2010 Laura Connor (7 years at SC) Gangam Style - 2012 Thomas MIsek (1 year at SC) Thrift Shop - 2012 Drew Killeen (1st year at SC) Happy - 2014 Hannah Karmin (2 years at SC) Work - 2016 Cristhy Galvez (3 years at SC) Closer - 2016 Nicole Montejo (2 years at SC) In My Feelings - 2018 Alex Machock (1 year at SC) Sunflower - 2018 Devanshi Shah (1 year at SC)
EXPANDING THE SC EXPERIENCE New programs are creating even more opportunities for Sierra Canyon students to explore their interests, discover new talents, and challenge themselves. From the arts and athletics to academics and STEM, see what is new across our campuses this year.
Arts Academy Sierra Canyon launched the Arts Academy this fall, a new after-school program designed to expand creative opportunities for students in Grades 7–12. The Academy allows student artists to work with exceptional faculty, pursue elevated performance opportunities, and earn Arts Academy certification on their transcripts. Initial offerings include Musical Theater, Step Dance, and private music instruction, with visual arts, media arts, and dance planned as the program grows. The Arts Academy will present its first musical, Really Rosie, December 4–6, and will soon call the new Everest Center for the Arts home.
Girls Flag Football Sierra Canyon launched its first Girls Flag Football program starting with the fall 2026 season. Led by Head Coach MichaelTore Smith, the Trailblazers' Varsity Team debuted at No. 10 in the national rankings and won their first game, 25-13, against Long Beach Poly at the Chargers x Oakley Invitational in Costa Mesa. Girls Flag Football is the fastest-growing sport in California, where participation increased by 84 percent in 2025 and includes 600+ high schools statewide.
Mock Trial Sierra Canyon has brought the Middle School Mock Trial program back to campus this fall. Led by Sierra Canyon parent Amena Mebane, Esq. (Mahailey '32 and Malia '38), the team includes 16 seventh and eighth-grade students who will take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, court clerks, and bailiffs while developing skills in public speaking, critical thinking, and persuasive communication. The Trailblazers will put those skills to the test this November at the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition, arguing a criminal case at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse before a real judge and practicing attorneys.
Robotics Fifth-grade students are putting creativity and problemsolving into action through a new Robotics course. Using the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime platform, students work in small teams to design and build robots, program motors and sensors, and put their creations to the test through 11 hands-on challenges. Along the way, students learn that innovation rarely happens on the first try. By building prototypes, testing designs, debugging programs, and making improvements, they develop skills in coding, engineering, critical thinking, collaboration, and perseverance.
SC Spirit from Coast to Coast THE SC FAMILY SOCIAL AND WATCH PARTY Sierra Canyon kicked off the new school year with the SC Family Social and Football Watch Party, bringing Trailblazer families together for an evening of school spirit, connection, and fun. Held at Dave & Buster's in Northridge, the event gave families an opportunity to connect and cheer on Sierra Canyon Football as the Trailblazers took on Chaminade-Madonna in Florida. While the team competed across the country, school spirit was on full display back home. Families gathered to watch and celebrate as the Trailblazers earned an impressive 24–7 victory. Students enjoyed arcade games, visits with Blaze, photos, and raffles, while cheerleaders brought the energy of game day to the celebration. The SC Family Social and Football Watch Party was a memorable way to begin the school year together, celebrating the school spirit and sense of connection that define Sierra Canyon's strong and thriving community.
Welcome, New Trailblazers! NEW BEGINNINGS CELEBRATED THROUGH ENGAGING STUDENT ORIENTATIONS
Back-to-School Moments LOWER CAMPUS
Trailblazers Back on Campus UPPER CAMPUS
The Everest Family Center for the Arts CONSTRUCTION UPDATE This summer brought exciting and expansive progress on the Everest Family Center for the Arts, as the building continued to take shape on the Upper Campus. Approximately 90% of the walls and framing are now complete, providing a clear sense of the scale and form of the future facility. Crews also completed the bridge connecting the Everest Family Center for the Arts to the plaza, marking another important milestone in the project. With each phase of construction, the vision for this transformative new space is becoming increasingly visible across campus. Looking ahead, crews will begin plumbing and electrical installation while continuing work on interior walls and exterior sheeting. Over the next several months, the community will see some of the building's most visible changes yet, as the exterior walls and roof take shape and the Center moves closer to its finished form. Construction is currently anticipated to be completed in March 2027. Once complete, the Everest Family Center for the Arts will provide a new home for creativity and artistic expression, supporting and elevating the arts at Sierra Canyon for generations to come.
Save the Date! FALL PEP RALLY AND FIREWORK SHOW October 10 | 4:00 p.m. | SC Stadium
THE SC FIREWORK SHOW IS THE MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALL-SCHOOL EVENT OF THE FALL. At Sierra Canyon, we are more than a school— we are a close-knit community of families and friends. This exciting event brings us all together to celebrate the shared pride and spirit that define every Trailblazer. Enjoy an evening with the Sierra Canyon community featuring food trucks, time with family and friends, and a special opportunity for our youngest Trailblazers to meet and collect autographs from varsity athletes. Then, come together to cheer on our students in the Parade of Athletes and Fall Pep Rally before ending the night with a spectacular fireworks show. Should you have any questions, please contact Christina Ellinghouse at cellinghouse@sierracanyonschool.org.
Lower Campus, Pre-K – 6 11052 Independence Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
Upper Campus, 7 – 12 20801 Rinaldi St. Chatsworth, CA 91311