Come dressed cozy and warm with blankets, and enjoy complimentary hot cocoa, sweet treats, and festive tunes under twinkling lights!

Festive Dress Your Best (please bring your masks for when not on stage)

5th Grade Performing Arts Foundations

6th Grade Performing Arts Foundations

Gr. 7-12 Vocal Ensemble

Gr. 7-12 Pop & Rock Ensemble

Upper School Stage Band

A Special Performance by the Winners of the Sixth Grade Battle of the Bands!

RSVPs Appreciated & Drop-ins Welcomed! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Santa Barbara Club today for the Parents' Auxiliary Holiday Luncheon! It was a joy to be together again after a two-year hiatus.

Guests were treated to a cheerful performance by Laguna's talented Vocal Ensemble and enjoyed a delicious meal together amidst dazzling decor.

A special thank you to Yumi Bollag for organizing such a festive event!

Senior Nicole Khodabandehlou’s seventh and last bake sale to benefit the Unity Shoppe happens this Saturday, December 11 from 10AM-4PM in front of Santa Barbara Design Center (410 Olive Street.) Nicole will donate the funds raised to the Unity Shoppe at their annual telethon on December 12.

Nicole began this bake sale effort in sixth grade and has since raised over $16,000 for Unity. She and her mother bake all of the treats in their home kitchen—including chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, banana bread, coffee cake, and more.

Proud Owl Moment!

Congratulations to STEM & Science Instructor John Pagano who recently received his Masters in Education Learning and Technology from Western Governor’s University. In addition to this exciting achievement that was earned while working full-time at Laguna, John is now the STEM and Innovation Space Coordinator at Laguna. In this role, he drives the development of our STEM programs and supports students and faculty in integrating STEM into their courses.

Way to go, John!

Last week, TEDx faculty co-leads Allison Armstrong and Anna Alldredge traveled to Palm Springs to attend TEDWomen 2021 as representatives of TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool. TEDWomen is a conference about the power of women and girls to be creators and change-makers. The program of speakers, workshops, events — and daring discussions — has sparked some of TED's most iconic moments yet. This year’s conference focused on the theme, What Now? This question was addressed in the areas of climate, health, humanitarianism, equity, gender, work and play, sustainability, invention, innovation, and futurism.

Stay tuned for more information about TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool, coming on 2/2/22!

Stay tuned for more details!

Laguna is fortunate to have so many talented alumni who continue to play active roles in the life of our school. Special thanks to longtime Laguna alumni family Claire ’03, Marshall ’96, and Nicholas ’98 Miller for offering discounted holiday shopping for our Laguna community with 15% of proceeds to Laguna. Go Owls!

Due to holiday events on Friday afternoon, there will be no after-care provided. We apologize for the inconvenience!

The second grade class recently took a trip around the globe as part of their global studies curriculum. Students listened to The Legend of the Poinsettia by featured author Tomie DePaola and created beautiful watercolor poinsettia paintings—pictured above.

Laguna Hiking Group has one more hike scheduled this month. Dogs on leash are welcome!

Please complete this form to receive more information about these hikes or to be added to mailing list.

For the first time ever, Laguna's Parents' Auxiliary is offering a store-wide discount of 20% off all Laguna-themed clothing and items. Order from the Spiritwear Store by Wednesday, December 15th and pick up from the Hope Ranch main office on December 16th or 17th. Enter coupon code "DECEMBER20" at checkout to redeem discount. 

Need to pick up from Montecito campus or have questions? Contact Wilma Barker. 

On Tuesday, December 7, both the boys and girls varsity soccer teams hosted Coast Union, each earning their first win. It was the season opener for the boys soccer team, and the defense was dominant in the 2-0 triumph. Read more. 

The girls offensive attack vs. Coast Union was formidable after falling behind early 2-0 and then netting six goals in the 6-2 Owl win – which now equals their record at 1-1. Read more.

Way to go, Owls!

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor

The Athlete of the Week honors went to a pair of high school basketball players at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table at Harry's Plaza Cafe on Monday, December 6.

Freshman Carson Stewart of Laguna Blanca and junior Michelle Arellanes of San Marcos were presented the awards for their performances on the court.

Stewart had a great start to his high school career. He poured in 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Laguna Blanca’s season-opening 60-45 win over Orcutt Academy.

Click here to read more about his standout performance and the team's impressive win against Orcutt during the season-opener last week!

Congratulations, Carson!

At this time of year, Laguna receives a slew of notices about summer programs at colleges, which we post outside of Head of Upper School Ms. Alkire’s office. How should Laguna students think about the summer as they plan for college? Is a class or program necessary as college admission grows ever more competitive?

While definitely not required, an intentional approach to summer activities can make a difference in where one ultimately gets in. The key is enthusiasm and authentic engagement. Simply going to Harvard or Stanford’s summer camps doesn’t create an edge. But if a student learns new material, gains sophistication, skills, or a new outlook, that definitely can make a difference!

Colleges quickly see through any activity undertaken just to check a box. To stand out, successful applicants often explore areas off the beaten track and go far deeper into subjects they love. Colleges pick up on this too, and it makes a difference!

What is “fit” and why does it matter?

Are students who attend higher-ranked colleges better off later in life?

What do college rankings really measure?

Once your child has been vaccinated, please remember to email your child's vaccination record to Matt Miller. Below is a list of vaccine provider pharmacies in SB County. If you have questions regarding this list, please reach out to Jan Chytilo at Santa Barbara Country Public Health Department.

Everyone should have received an email from Aptitude Clinical Diagnostics to register for free COVID testing through Laguna Blanca. If you have not received the email yet, please email Health Coordinator Matt Miller with your preferred email and telephone number and he will get you set up!

Thank you for continuing to monitor your child for the following COVID-like symptoms and swiftly report positive COVID test results to our Health Coordinator Matt Miller. Contact your healthcare provider if you have any additional medical questions.

•      Fever or chills

•      Cough

•      Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

•      Fatigue

•      Muscle or body aches

•      Headache

•      New loss of taste or smell

•      Sore throat

•      Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea