LOWER SCHOOL CELEBRATES THE END OF THE YEAR & HONORS FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS

Congratulations to our Fourth Grade students who celebrated their last day at the Lower School campus on Thursday. "This special fourth grade class is made up of athletes, performers, problem solvers, creative thinkers, and overall amazing people," says Head of Lower School Dr. Surber. "They are leaving a lasting impact on our campus with their sense of humor, grit, and persistence. We wish them the best as they continue their Laguna Blanca education on the Hope Ranch Campus.” We are proud of your growth, fourth graders, and can't wait to welcome you to the Middle School this fall! Ceremony photos coming soon.

THE COMMUNITY HONORS MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS AT AWARD CEREMONIES

Congratulations for your outstanding achievements in 2018-19!

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARD RECIPIENTS CEREMONY PHOTOS UPPER SCHOOL AWARD RECIPIENTS CEREMONY PHOTOS

EIGHTH GRADERS CELEBRATE A MILESTONE AT MIDDLE SCHOOL CLOSING CEREMONY

Parents and faculty beamed with pride this afternoon as they celebrated the many accomplishments of the Eighth Grade class. Head of Middle School Shane Lopes praised the Class of 2023 for the joy they exuded during their time as Middle Schoolers, and he encouraged them to continue sharing their joy as they move forward in their journey. The ceremony featured student speaker Grace Hoffacker '23 who described the special bond that exists between Laguna students and teachers, followed by powerful performances by the Middle School band —first with Luna Martinez '23 crooning At Last and then with a toe-tapping rendition of Country Roads. A special highlight was the recognition of Middle School faculty member and Laguna alumnus Blake Dorfman '02 who was honored with the prestigious Faculty Excellence Award. The intimate ceremony ended by honoring each eighth grader with a personalized vignette read by teachers Rob Moreno, Anna Alldredge, or Zack Moore. Congratulations, Eighth Graders — w e're so proud of you! Ceremony photos coming soon!

LAGUNA'S 85TH COMMENCEMENT IS NEXT WEEK!

Welcome: Andrew Tolles '19 Student Address: Izzy Sabino '19 Faculty Address: Erik Faust Vignettes: Staci Richard & Bojana Hill Senior class photo outside of Library at 3PM 85th Commencement in Ruston Amphitheater at 4PM Commencement Reception in the Upper School Quad immediately following ceremony

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ANNOUNCING BLAKE DORFMAN AS NEW DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE

Congratulations to Blake Dorfman '02, Laguna's newly appointed Director of Student Life. In this new role (formerly Dean of Students), Blake will help build and support a positive student culture in the Upper School. He will oversee Upper School discipline as well as student activities—including US Advisory, Clubs, and Student Council. In addition, Blake will continue teaching two classes— English 7 and Yearbook— in the 2019-20 year. Congratulations, Blake! We look forward to watching you bring your boundless owl spirit to this role.

FROM MOMENTS TO MEMORIES: THE 2019 LA HONDA YEARBOOK IS UNVEILED THIS WEEK

The 2019 La Honda “From Moments to Memories” is dedicated to Ms. Pointer! She is pictured here with La Honda co-editors Hayley Bankhead ’19 and Sophie Henderson ’19. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Congratulations to Ms. Pointer and to the 2019 Yearbook staff and Faculty Advisor Blake Dorfman for publishing such a beautiful Laguna keepsake!

LAGUNA'S CROSS-DIVISIONAL MAGAZINE, THE OWLERY , MAKES ITS DEBUT!

The Owlery is a year-long cross-divisional journalism project which joins Lower and Middle School students with the staff of The Fourth Estate. Congratulations to editors Frances Carlson '22, Catie Fristoe '22, Madeleine Nicks '22, Amara Murphy '22, and Ava Rice '22, as well as faculty advisors Brooke Green (Lower School), Anna Alldredge (Middle School), and Trish McHale (Upper School) for a fantastic publication! CLICK TO READ

CHECK OUT THE 2019 PORTFOLIO !

Congratulations to the Laguna Humanities class for curating a beautiful and inspiring issue of Laguna art and literature! Pisci Abrego '20 Brando Cairone '21 Bella Cairone '21 Emily Donelan '21 Daisy Finefrock '21 Annie Gabler '21 Beau Glazier '20 Phoebe Stein '29 Sophia Webster '21 CLICK TO READ

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY-ELECTED 2019-20 STUDENT COUNCIL

GRADE 9 Eva Davies Jaleya Calloway Kent Dunn GRADE 10 Lauren Neubauer Nicole Khodabandehlou Catie Fristoe

GRADE 11 Bea Lujan Sophia Webster GRADE 12 Cicy Niu Charlie Jacobs Paige Levinson

SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM STUDENTS IMPRESS AS THEY PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS

On Wednesday afternoon, second-year students in Laguna's now three-year-old Science Research Program presented their projects to parents, fellow students, and their mentors. Their research focused on topics such as anthropological studies of Indigenous people; the ways that computers can understand, interpret, and manipulate human language; and the convergence of agriculture and technology.   Laguna’s Science Research Program is a two-year course that empowers students to delve into chemistry, physics, or engineering through their own research in a field of their choosing. “The program helps them to understand what science actually is, and expands their idea of what a career in science can be,” explains their Science Teacher Staci Richard. In the first year of the program, students immerse themselves in the scientific community, participating in excursions, listening to speakers, and determining what their research focus will be. In their second year, they are thoughtfully paired with a personal mentor and begin their research journey. "The Science Research Program is truly a unique experience that allows our students to take full advantage of the rich resources and world-class science happening in and around the Santa Barbara community," remarks Ms. Richard.   "Our students showed such passion, insight, and confidence as they shared their research and findings with our community," says Head of School Rob Hereford. Congratulations to these dedicated students for presenting such thoughtful and well-researched projects!   Click here for the full presentation line-up and project overviews. (Warning: this large file takes a few minutes to download) Presentation photos coming soon.

LAGUNA EIGHTH GRADERS PRESENT POWERFUL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS

Watch out, world: Laguna eighth graders are out to make a difference! As one of their culminating assignments, the students presented their Transformation Projects in Spaulding Theatre on Wednesday, 6/5. Mr. Moore, Mrs. Alldredge, Mr. Zailik, and Mr. Shertzer asked the students — How can you transform the world for the better? In this project, each student sought to develop a solution to a local, regional, national, or international problem. They researched their topics, envisioned solutions, and presented their work in three ways: (1) a research essay, (2) a creative presentation, and (3) a STEM component. Students passionately presented their solutions to real-world issues, such as microplastics in the ocean, the foster care system, utility fires, and the intersection of virtual reality and healthcare. Well done, Class of 2023!

CLOSING OUT THE YEAR WITH SENIOR PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Each year, Laguna seniors gain valuable real-world experience as part of the school's longstanding Senior Project program. Soon-to-be graduates take two weeks to pursue an interest or gain hands-on experience in new areas. Students are guided through the process by both on- and off-campus advisors. At the culmination of the project, seniors deliver formal presentations to classmates, faculty, and their families. They also write and submit a Senior Project final assessment paper, which reflects upon the experiences and insights they may have gained during their projects.  Presentations will take place in Spaulding Theatre on Monday, 6/10 and Tuesday, 6/11. The winning senior project will be announced and awarded at the commencement ceremony on Wednesday, June 13. MONDAY PRESENTATION SCHEDULE June10 | 3-5:30PM | Spaulding Theatre TUESDAY PRESENTATION SCHEDULE June 11 | 9-11:30AM | Spaulding Theatre

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RESULTS ARE IN!

Congratulations to the Class of 2019 as they head off to the following colleges and universities this fall:

Babson College Barnard College Bentley University Brown University Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo College University of the Arts, London Cornell University Georgetown University Johns Hopkins University Pepperdine University (2) Pitzer College Santa Barbara City College Santa Clara University (4) Texas Christian University

University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles (3) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign University of Incarnate Word University of Miami University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of San Diego (2) University of San Francisco University of Southern California (5) University of Washington Yale University

Click here for the full list of colleges and universities that accepted our students!

WEEKLY TIP FROM THE COLLEGE COUNSELOR

Tuesday Tip from the College Counselor  #9 : Consider creating a basic webpage to feature your accomplishments, particularly artistic ones such as photos, articles, paintings, videos of performances, or musical recordings. The URL to your page can easily be included in your application.

SENIOR TO ALUMNI LUNCHEON IS NEXT TUESDAY 6/11

Kindly RSVP to Rachel Tracy.

LAGUNA FRENCH STUDENTS UNVEIL MICHELIN GUIDE FOR SANTA BARBARA

In need of some local restaurant inspiration? As part of its study of French culinary distinctions, Laguna's French 5 class has created its own version of ‘Le Guide Michelin’ for Santa Barbara!  Le Guide Chouette (chouette means both “owl” and “cool”) features a guide to local dining, whether you are in the mood for breakfast pastries, cafés, vegetarian options, California cuisine, Asian, or a quick student lunch.  Click here to check out the website. Bon appétit!

LAGUNA STUDENTS SCREEN SHORT FILMS ABOUT RECENT BORDER TRIP AT FIRST THURSDAY EVENT

On Thursday, June 6, Laguna students Jack Stein '19 , Jordan Bollag '19 and Pisci Abrego '20 screened short films they created based on interviews and first-hand experiences on a recent Peace Works Travel Program to San Diego and Tijuana. The screening took place at Santa Barbara Youth Interactive across from the Granada, as part of First Thursday, an evening of art and culture in downtown Santa Barbara each month. They held a Q&A for anyone interested in learning more about their digital storytelling process, the impacts of U.S. foreign policy in Central America on migration issues, deported veterans, and even a transborder binational church service.

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS CELEBRATE THEIR DADS

Last Friday, May 31, the Kindergarten class held their annual Dads and (Hot) Dogs celebration at the Lower School campus. Students made picture frames, a special baseball bat, and wrote a memory book for their loved one. They also enjoyed lunch and a game of baseball...plus delicious cookies. What a fun way to end the year! Click here for more pictures!

LBS AFTER SCHOOL THEATER PRESENTS DISNEY'S THE JUNGLE BOOK

Bravo to the Lower School students who took us to the jungle last Sunday, 6/2! "I am so impressed with how much fun our students had on stage with their amazing costumes, strong singing voices, and confident dialogue. It is a unique opportunity to see our students shine in so many different ways," says Head of Lower School Andy Surber. Special thanks to Ms. Markstrum for making this fun and spirit-filled production possible!

Click here for the step by step guide of how to sell textbooks for MyLaguna.

FLY INTO SUMMER READING!

Take advantage of the longer days and dive into a great book (or two) this summer. At Laguna, there is suggested summer reading for students in Grades EK-4 and  required reading for students in Grades 5-12.   SIX BENEFITS TO SUMMER READING Improve Reading Skills. Increase Desire to Read. Improve Self-Esteem. Neutralize Summer Learning Loss. Improve Comprehension. Improve Memory Skills. CLICK HERE for a list of summer reading by grade level.

WHOOO ARE YOU?

NAME: Sully Israel GRADE: 12 What ONE word would others use to describe you? Bodacious Which emoji do you overuse? I have never used an emoji before. I knew I wanted to attend Laguna when... I visited and saw how well everyone, including the students and teachers, knew each other, especially across grade levels. READ MORE

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPPER SCHOOL SAT 6/8 ACT MON 6/10 Senior Project Presentations in Spaulding Theatre(3-5:30PM) TUES 6/11 Senior Project Presentations in Spaulding Theatre (9-11:30AM) Senior to Alumni Lunch Under the Cypress Trees (11:30AM) Commencement Rehearsal on Merritt Patio (12:30PM) WED 6/12 Senior Class Photo (3PM) 85th Commencement in Ruston (4PM) Reception in Upper School Courtyard (5:30PM)

P H O T O S |  V I D E O  |  W E B S I T E   C A L E N D A R  | S P O R T S | F O R M S

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