It's not too late! Purchase your Prom Tickets HERE by Monday, May 17.

We are gearing up for many special end-of-year events and need to remain responsible to ensure we can hold these milestone events in-person. Please do not send your child to school with ANY COVID symptom on the list below; do not send your child to school if anyone in the household is symptomatic or awaiting COVID test results; and limit contact with other households who are not fully vaccinated. Please notify Laguna Health Coordinator Kathryn Mayfield and/or your Division Head immediately if your child tests positive for COVID.

VACCINATION REMINDER: Students who are vaccinated should email a copy of their COVID vaccine cards to Health Coordinator Kathryn Mayfield, if they haven’t done so already.

Best of luck to ninth graders Jake Gidney and Lucas Acosta as they compete in the live remote VEX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP on Friday, May 21!

In March, the duo competed in the VEX State Championship and came in fourth place in all of Southern California for the skills competition and also received the Think Award! This award is presented to a team with the most effective and consistent programming strategies and solutions to solve the game challenge.

GO OWLS!

As we head into the final weeks of the school year, it’s a race to the finish line to see which division will achieve 100% family participation in the Laguna Fund! Historically, the Lower School has a record of the highest participation rate and even hit 100% in 2019, but it’s anyone’s game right now!

The Laguna Fund is a critical component of Laguna Blanca’s operating budget and supports every teacher and student every day. JOIN US TODAY to help your class, division, and the school to meet the goal of 100% participation from every family!

Click here to make your 2020-21 Laguna Fund contribution. If you have any questions, please contact Laguna Fund Chair Kristen Blabey ’95 or Associate Director of Development Danielle Sekurski.

On My Mind by Jade Silva '23

Students in the Humanities Foundation class have been working with the education department of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on a curriculum unit inspired by the Chinese-American artist Hung Liu and a self-portrait of hers that the museum owns called The Third World. The class Zoomed with the artist on April 27 and wrote about her life and career. Now the students are finishing up self-portraits of their own!

The Third World by Hung Liu

Ninth grade Biology students dissect earthworms, crayfish, and finally fetal pigs over the course of a dissection unit. Last week, students dissected pigs and are preparing a comparative anatomy analysis of the organ systems of each and how they have evolved. This student—who has aspirations to become a doctor—went above and beyond to carefully remove and dissect the brain of her pig.

Students in the brand new Intro to AR/VR class are exploring the many capabilities of the Oculus VR Headset. In this Upper School class, students learn how new technology can transport them to far away lands, teach them how to assemble complex devices, or as seen here play ping pong with a virtual player!

Upper School students in Ms. Finck’s Spanish classes enjoyed a delicious feast this week in class!

The students researched the history and origin of a dish from any Spanish speaking country from the Caribbean, Central and South America, Spain, and the United States.

They presented their dish to their classmates and instructed them on how to make it using the grammar structure of informal tú commands.

This culminated in their on-campus celebratory “Almuerzo internacional” where each student brought their dish. The impressive spread included pozole, tamales, pupusas, alfajores, and horchata and more! They also listened to a playlist of Latin music the students made and ended the afternoon with some bachata and salsa dancing.

Each year, Laguna's Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) Club learns what it takes to build a model rocket with the goal of getting a spot in the National TARC Competition. Students learn how to design model rockets using the software Rocksim, research techniques to find optimal rocket construction methods, and build model rockets while working as a team. The students have regular meetings with their mentor, Mike Swanson, who works at Jet Propulsion Laboratories and loves to help out the club in his spare time.

Join past, new, and current families as they tee off, putt, and serve to benefit the tuition assistance program.

Join us for the reception at 4PM. Food, beverages, raffle prizes, and a grand raffle drawing for seven nights at Brasada Ranch in Bend, OR.

Due to space limitations and health guidelines, RSVPs are required by end of day on Monday, May 17. Kindly RSVP here.

For the sixth year in a row and in honor of Red Nose Day, our fifth graders' canned food drive is making a difference in the lives of those in need. Locally, 25% of children suffer from food insecurity. To help end child hunger, fifth graders will give all canned donations to the SB Foodbank, which provides support for children and families in difficult situations. Every donation makes a difference!

Red Nose Day is a campaign started by a group of comedians with the mission to end child poverty by funding programs that keep children safe, healthy, educated, and empowered. Check out www.rednoseday.org for more information. And thank you for your support!

FILMING TIPS

This week's Gratitude Gram is dedicated to Grounds Crew Member Dave Childers! Dave's cheerful demeanor and big heart have a way of brightening up our campus. He is always willing and able to assist with a myriad of tasks, no matter the request, and does a fantastic job while he’s at it. Dave is friendly, kind, and generous...and always making us laugh! We appreciate you, Dave!

Read what his colleagues have to say about him below!

"Dave Childers' simple acts of kindness, big and small, always make my days brighter and better. Cheers to you, good sir!"

"'Diamond' Dave Childers - thanks for always greeting me (and others) with warmth and a smile. I love those days when we get to chat a bit before getting to the daily grind :)"

"Dave, thank you for always going above and beyond when an issue presents itself. You are always positive and willing to help!"

"I always enjoy being in Dave's presence. He's one of the kindest and hardest working people I know. He always makes me smile, especially when he's telling me a new joke!"