Lower School Pavilion

Friday, June 10 at 4PM 

Friday, June 10 at 10AM (US Awards Assembly)

May 31 - June 3: Week 3

June 6 - 9: Senior Project Rehearsals

June 13: Senior Project Presentations (3-5:30PM)

June 14: Senior Project Presentations (9-11:30AM)

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS ASSEMBLY

10-11:30AM

Ruston Amphitheatre

11:30AM

Merritt Patio

12:30-2:30PM

Merritt Patio

Senior Class Photo: 3-3:30PM next to Library

88th Commencement Ceremony: 4-7PM in Ruston Amphitheater

Our partner testing company, Aptitude, is located at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Testing hours are 9AM-4:45PM Monday-Friday and 9AM-1:45PM Saturday and Sunday. Please note that Memorial Day weekend hours (Saturday, May 28 - Monday, May 30) are 9AM - 2PM.

dmcdavid@lagunablanca.org (Lower School students) health@lagunablanca.org (Middle/Upper School students)

Enjoy our afternoon camps as an add-on to morning camps or as a stand-alone activity.

Jack Andrews '22 and Katherine Ball '22 were named the 2022-23 Student Council President and Vice-President in an Upper School Election earlier this week. Congratulations to this talented duo! We can't wait to see how you lead the Upper School next year.

The Middle School Talent Show and Fundraiser was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came and performed, to all those who cheered, and a huge thanks to all who purchased food and made donations. With your help, we are able to send $1,323 to Hope for Ukraine!

On Wednesday, the Eighth Grade showcased their transformation-themed work from Quarter 4. Student docents lead groups though their Museum of Transformation, featuring an interactive showroom, an activist chalk art walk with QR codes to scan to learn about various activists and movements, LARPing (watching the elements from the periodic table come to life and battle one another), an Interactive Glow-in-the-Dark Room which showed how the pursuit of justice translates into neon colors, and a wide range of exhibitions and demonstrations. What an inspiring event to see how Laguna eighth graders plan to change our world! 

Fourth Estate students recently received the results of the California Press Women Statewide High School Communications Contest, which is part of a nationwide competition endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The contest is open to all high schools, public and private. The CPW contest inspires students to do outstanding work in their quest for excellence. Dow Jones announces first-place national winners and promotes the competition in its publication giving students and their teachers/advisers local and nationwide recognition.

First Place: Single Page Layout — “á la mode”

Third Place: Review Writing — ”Wanda Vision

Claire Tolles '22 & Luca D’Agruma '23

Third Place: Opinion Writing —"Our Democracy Is Threatened”

Second Place: Opinion Writing —"Is It Critical”

Second Place: Feature Writing —“Wellness on Campus”

Hanna Masri '22 & Madeleine Nicks '22

Second Place: Feature Writing — “Taylor’s Version”

Second Place: Feature Writing — “Is the SAT Outdated”

Join us for this free event in Spaulding Theatre! Open to all Middle and Upper School students.

RSVP at this link. Questions? Reach out to Ms. Chan. Hope to see you there!

Poster artwork by Olivia Davenport '22

Doors open at 6:30PM; music starts at 7:30PM. Families are encouraged to make dinner reservations by calling (805) 962-7776 anytime before the show, but the sooner the better.

Tickets are $7 and will be sold at the door. Please note that tickets are cash only.

We hope to see you there!

Our sixth grade PAF students will gather in Spaulding Theater from 11:20-12:20 (E block) on Thursday, June 2 for a final performance with their bands. Families are invited to attend, and we are happy to share video footage of your child's performance upon request. More details to follow. We look forward to showcasing our sixth grade students' hard work and progress in music!

Chess Club meetings will take place on Fridays from 3:30-4:30PM in the Library (or feel free to Zoom in from home).

Pizza and snacks will be served at the first meeting tomorrow, 5/27!

Instruction will take place over Zoom with National Master Jason Garfield. All levels are welcome!

For questions or the Zoom link, please email Jason Garfield.

Edison has scheduled another power outage Friday, May 27th from 7AM to 4PM on the HOPE RANCH CAMPUS. During that time, some of our services, including internet and email on both the Montecito and Hope Ranch campuses, may be down.

Second Grade Teachers Lisa Vance and Reagan Anderson collaborate on their second grade publishing project. Lisa and Reagan’s students transform into authors, editors, and publishers in this powerful Project-Based Learning unit.

Middle and Upper School STEM Teacher John Pagano and Middle and Upper School Drama Teacher Dana Caldwell combine STEM, drama, and humanities in the classroom and on the stage. They are partnering with Jenn Carney and our fifth graders, who are writing, directing, and performing original skits to demonstrate their understanding of their science and history units.     

Relive this magical night with us at the link below! Congratulations to these talented students and to Music Teacher Molly Markstrum and Art Teacher Courtney Guay for an amazing arts showcase!

First graders in Ms. Clifford's class finished an exciting collaboration with a Stanford University writing class this week. The students Zoomed with the college class several times to offer their inspiration, expertise, and feedback on Stanford students' picture books project. Laguna students shared input about what they liked, if anything was confusing, and ideas for improving the books—e.g., to make them more suspenseful, exciting, entertaining, or meaningful. After taking the first graders' feedback to heart, combined with feedback from a guest editor, Stanford students finalized their illustrations and worked on their final drafts. They held a read-aloud session over Zoom on Wednesday to share their final three colorful picture books—The Alien and the Astronaut, Bailey the Birthday Cake, and Cloud Nine—with their first grade collaborators. Each first grader will receive hard copies of the books as a keepsake. According to Ms. Clifford, this project got our students excited about literacy in a meaningful way. "It inspired them to write their own stories during recess, aftercare, and any choice time during class," she explains. "The first graders were thrilled to share their stories with the college students, who were quite impressed with their writing and drawings."

We hope that you will join us on the Hope Ranch campus on Tuesday, June 7 from 3:15-4:30PM for our annual FLY UP TO FIFTH: Meet & Greet. This informal event will be an opportunity for rising fifth grade students and families (new and returning to Laguna) to meet fifth grade teachers and fellow families, preview our classrooms, enjoy snacks, and have some fun in the Middle School quad. 

Kindly RSVP to Kim Valentine (Middle School Advisory Coordinator) if you and your child plan to attend. 

Additionally, click here to access the recording of our recent EK-12 New Family Information Connection event that details a range of topics for new families looking ahead to the fall.

Student-athletes in Grades 6-12 are required to complete an Athletic Exam and Physical Health form each year. Please click here to download the form. Once completed, please email or drop off form to Director of Athletics Matt Steinhaus.

Note that Cottage Health Care is offering a special promotion of $35 sports physicals beginning on June 1. This is a great option for those who otherwise may need to wait to get an appointment with their primary care physician. Click here to make your appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are strongly recommended.