HAPPY FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!
We're so glad you're here! Click the link below to view photos from our first few days back together. Stay tuned for class trip photos next week!
A NOTE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL RON CINO
What a joy it was to personally greet all of our students on both campuses this week! I know that my smile was a little bigger than usual because I felt the happiness exuded by the Laguna staff, students, and families. Whether opening a car door in Montecito so that one of our youngest Owls could hop out of the car to begin their academic journey, speaking with Middle School students while music and friends’ voices added to their excitement, or observing the combination of experience and enthusiasm from our most veteran Upper Schoolers, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences as a parent at each stage of my children’s lives—including our recent drop-off day at college. Their carefully selected first-day outfits, the increasing difficulty of having them pose for a picture as they got older, the emotions that often bubbled up for all of us the night before and in the moment when we released them to their teachers and friends. These sentimental moments are etched into our memories, whether the children are more reticent and reluctant or whether they are independent and out the door before saying goodbye. 
 
My own reflections made me think it would be fun to share this year’s experiences with one another. How did drop-off go from your perspective? Click here to share your experience, pictures, or tips! (We will figure out a good way to share them without creating any embarrassing moments for anyone.)
LOOKING AHEAD TO FALL OF 2021
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
Drop-off and Pick-up Locations for Middle and Upper School

Grades 5-7
Middle School Lot

Grades 8-12
Gym Lot

*During morning drop-off, please have your QR codes ready to keep the line moving.

School Start and End Times

Lower School (M-F)
8:15AM - 3PM
(morning care available at 7:30AM; aftercare available until 5:30PM)

Middle and Upper School (MWF)
8:15AM - 2:50PM

Middle and Upper School (TTH)
9:00AM - 2:50PM

Estrella Drive
Please help us to be good Hope Ranch neighbors by not using Estrella Drive, which is a private road in Hope Ranch. Las Palmas is a public road and the preferred route to take to and from Laguna Blanca. Thank you!
COVID SAFETY REMINDERS
MASK POLICY
Indoors: Masks required for all
Outdoors: We ask that you wear masks when you are not able to social distance (congested areas, sitting close to someone, etc.)

MORNING HEALTH SCREENING & ATTENDANCE
  • Each morning complete the Ruvna Health Screening, which is emailed and texted to you.
  • If your student has a COVID symptom and will remain home, the Ruvna app will prompt families to notify the school by either emailing attendance@lagunablanca.org or calling the Main Office at (805) 687-2461 and following the instructions to the attendance hotline. 
  • Our Health Coordinator will be in contact with the family following the reported absence and review the below sick leave protocol.

SICK LEAVE PROTOCOL
If a student (regardless of vaccination status) has ANY COVID-like symptom (*answers yes to a health screening question or has a temp of 100.4 or above) they are to do ONE of the following before they are cleared to return to campus:
  • OPTION #1: If a student does not get evaluated by a healthcare provider, they are to be isolated at home for at least 10 days from symptom onset, AND until symptoms improve, AND there is no fever without fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours. 
  • OPTION #2: Student receives a COVID test (antigen or the preferred PCR) and the result is NEGATIVE
         May return to school after symptoms improve and no fever for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
  • OPTION #3: Student sees a pediatrician/medical provider who diagnoses another cause of symptoms. (i.e. Streptococcal pharyngitis, Coxsackie virus, influenza, norovirus, etc.). Medical provider issues a note with instructions for when a student can return to school, following guidelines for the specific illness.  
 
COVID SYMPTOMS
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea 
**Note: These are symptoms only when NEW to the individual and unrelated to a chronic condition (ie. migraines, GI issues).

REPORTING A POSITIVE CASE OF COVID
In order to complete contact tracing in a timely manner, it is critical for families to notify the health coordinator or division head ASAP if their child has been on campus within 48 hours of testing positive.

QUARANTINE TIMELINE PROTOCOL
JOIN US FOR A PARENT WELCOME COFFEE
NEXT TUESDAY, 9/14!
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Welcome Coffee! We will say hello to new Head of School Ron Cino and hear exciting news about the school year from your PA Leaders as well as school happenings from the various administration teams.

Please remember, all visitors, including parents/guardians, must be masked at all times even when outside on campus during the school day.
SAVE THE DATE FOR PICNIC ON THE GREEN
NEXT FRIDAY, 9/17!
Stay tuned for more details coming next week!
SPIRIT OF LAGUNA
SAVE THE DATE & ORDER T-SHIRTS!
STUDENTS & FACULTY:
ORDER YOUR T-SHIRT SIZES!
Soft and comfortable tie dye t-shirt!
BUS SERVICE START DATES & SERVICE FORM
Hope Ranch bus service begins Monday, September 13, and Montecito bus service began Thursday, September 9.
CELEBRATE LATINX/HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
A great way to celebrate and acknowledge Latinx/Hispanic heritage month is by reading literature with Latinx/Hispanic representation and learning about some notable people with Latinx/Hispanic heritage. We are using the terms Latinx and Hispanic for this month to recognize multiple racial and ethnic identities. Latinx is a gender-neutral term to describe a person who is from Latin America, and Hispanic is a term used to describe someone with Spanish heritage, originating from Spain. Not all people who are from Latin America have Spanish heritage. 

We have chosen four books to recommend for each division. We hope you can either check them out from our school library or purchase them and add them to your own library. Diversifying our libraries and literature are important when we are learning about the world we live in, where we come from, and different people and cultures we will interact with. 

Happy reading! 

Ursula Chan and Anna Alldredge 

Below are links to Chaucer’s Books and Amazon.
LOWER SCHOOL
Be Bold! Be Brave! ¡Sé Audaz, Sé Valiente!: 11 Latinas que hicieron historia en Estados Unidos, Naibe Reynoso

Where Are You From?, Yamile Saied Méndez

Abuela, Arthur Dorros

Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist, Julio C. Tello, Monica Brown
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Efrén Divided, Ernesto Cisneros

The First Rule of Punk, Celia C. Pérez Chaucer's Books Amazon

Lupe Wong Won’t Dance, Donna Barba Higuera

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, Adrianna Cuevas
UPPER SCHOOL
The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo

Aristotle and Dante Discover Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Under the Mesquite, Guadalupe Garcia Mccall

The Book of Lost Saints, Daniel José Older
NEXT WEEK'S COLLEGE REP SCHEDULE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Skidmore College
10:15AM in College Counseling Office

Syracuse University
10:15AM in Senior Quad

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
12:10PM in Senior Quad

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Bates College
10:15AM in College Counseling Office

University of Miami
12:10PM in College Counseling Office

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Washington & Lee University
10:15AM in College Counseling Office

UCSB
12:10PM in College Counseling Office
MIDDLE SCHOOL FALL SPORTS PRACTICES BEGIN THIS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
We are excited to remind everyone that the first official day of school (Monday, September 13) also marks the start of practice for our MS Fall Sports teams. Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball will both begin practice on Monday, 3-4PM. Those needing to catch the 4PM bus will be dismissed a few minutes earlier. Practices occur Monday–Thursday. Competitions occur on Tuesday and Thursday and will begin as soon as September 28. If you have any questions or if you'd like to sign up, please email Director of Athletics Matt Steinhaus.
NEW THIS YEAR: GIRL VARSITY GOLF!
Girls Varsity Golf is set to begin on Wednesday, September 15 and will practice every Wednesday and Friday through mid-November. If anyone is seriously interested in joining the team, please email Director of Athletics Matt Steinhaus.
UPPER SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL INTEREST
In an effort to field an Upper School Girls Basketball team this winter, the Athletic Department is asking all with a serious interest to please contact Director of Athletics Mr. Steinhaus to sign up or ask any questions. 
LAST PARENT CONNECTION WITH SCHOOL COUNSELOR KIM VALENTINE IS ON MONDAY 9/13
What to Expect in the Social and Emotional Lives of Your Fifth & Sixth Grader
Monday, September 13, 8:15AM
(after morning drop off)

We will gather in the MS parking lot and walk to Ruston Theater for coffee, connection, and conversation. Join us as we connect with fellow parents, learn about typical social and emotional needs of fifth and sixth graders, and where to find connection and support. Q & A to follow.
CHECK OUT OUR MYLAGUNA VIDEO TUTORIALS!
CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP DAY IS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
September is Coastal Cleanup Month! Join Ms. Svedlund and Ms. Armstrong on Saturday, September 18 from 9AM-noon at Miramar/Hammonds Beach for California Coastal Cleanup Day.

Help remove the trash and plastic pollution at beaches and waterways throughout the state. In 2019, more than 74,000 volunteers picked up more than 900,000 pounds of trash from beaches and waterways throughout California.

If you can't join us in person, you can participate in a self-guided neighborhood cleanup by picking up trash in your neighborhood, local park, and other areas. Trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up neighborhood trash prevents marine debris. Gather cleanup supplies from home, download the CleanSwell app (to count your trash, and to have your trash counted!), and clean on your own time throughout September. Close to 17,000 Californians participated in a neighborhood cleanup during September 2020, preventing over 150,000 pounds of trash from entering our stormwater systems and potentially polluting our coast and ocean.
FOLLOW LAGUNA ON INSTAGRAM!
Stay in the know of Laguna happenings by following us on our Instagram page!