School News
Vote Now For Clairbourn - Let's Win Again For 2020!
Clairbourn won Best Private School in the San Gabriel Valley last year and we’d like to win again.
You can vote more than once using unique email addresses. This contest measures enthusiasm! Now through March 22, votes are being counted for the Best Private School in the San Gabriel Valley. Help Clairbourn win this important distinction for the second year in a row. Your vote counts!
Instructions:
Use the link below and enter your email address. They will send you an email confirmation notice to your email inbox with a clickable link so you can vote. Once you click the link in the email, choose the “Places” category. Scroll down to Preschool and Private School and enter the name Clairbourn School. Then submit your vote.
Link for Voting:
Clairbourn Welcomes New Trustee Debbie Chen
Current Clairbourn parent Debbie Chen has been an important presence on campus for all of the years her son and daughter, Matthew and Natalie, have attended. This is her 13th year as a Clairbourn parent. Natalie is currently in Grade 11 at Westridge and Matthew is in Grade 8 at Clairbourn. And now, Debbie has stepped into a whole different role as the school's newest Trustee. In order to properly introduce her to the school community, we asked her to share the following information about her life, family, and qualifications.
Help The Scouts And Save Money!
Cub Scout Pack 364 is fundraising to earn money for camping supplies and patches for their pack. They are selling $5 Camp Cards that have a $100 value in savings to places like Dave & Busters, Six Flags, Subway, Legoland, Great Clips haircuts, Carl's Jr., Pizza Hut, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick's Sporting Goods, Smart & Final, and more! The Scouts are selling the Camp Cards at transportation. Thank you for your support of Scouting! To preview the discounts, click here.
Sign Up For Summer School
The Clairbourn Summer Academy Program is offered by the well-respected organization Parker-Anderson. This company provides summer learning opportunities on our campus where students are able to explore their interests, develop skills, and prepare for the next level of academic challenges in the fall. Be sure to sign up!
Come To The Middle School Shakespeare Play!
Treat yourself and the whole family to an unforgettable production of As You Like It performed by C.A.S.T. (Clairbourn After-School Thespians) in the MPB. Experience the talents of our amazing Middle School students!
The play is 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission. Treats will be sold at intermission.
Show dates: Tuesday, March 17 at 4 pm, Wednesday, March 18 at 7 pm, Thursday, March 19 at 7 pm.
Ticket Sales: Tickets are $12, and children 13 and under are $5. Tickets are sold at the door at 3:30 pm on Tuesday and 6:30 pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
Who can come: We encourage families to bring their children, friends and family! Recommended ages are first grade and older.
 Shakespeare Play Promo - As You Like It
Coronavirus Update - Spring Break:
Dear Clairbourn Community,
With spring break approaching and possible travel plans pending, I am reaching out to provide a status update on new developments related to coronavirus, and share some additional details about the actions we are taking and planning to protect our school community.
The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is our priority. While the total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. remains relatively small, experts expect this number to grow as testing increases and more individuals seek care. Currently, the key recommendations from public health agencies to prevent the spread of coronavirus are regular, thorough, handwashing and that symptomatic individuals remain home rather than going to work or school. We echo this recommendation and ask that students with any signs of respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms be kept home.
We are in contact with our local Department of Public Health to stay updated on the situation and take actions as needed. Our custodial staff continues to focus on regularly cleaning surfaces like doorknobs, countertops, and desks.
Our administration continues to discuss how student learning can continue should our school be temporarily closed. We are developing strategies for providing age-appropriate, remote lessons to students, taking accessibility into consideration, as well as tools for staying connected as a community should it become necessary. We will communicate more details around what this will look like as it becomes necessary.
Travel
Many of you have reached out with questions and concerns regarding school and community travel. We understand that there is additional anxiety around travel that families have planned for this time of year. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended against nonessential travel to South Korea, Italy, Iran and China, but there are no other restrictions or recommendations against other international or domestic travel. We will all continue to monitor the situation for additional travel updates. If you are experiencing respiratory or flu-like symptoms following travel, please do not come to campus. If you or anyone in your home travels to one of the countries listed above, the CDC asks travelers to stay home and monitor their health during travel and for 14 days after returning to the United States. We ask the Clairbourn community to follow these guidelines to protect the school community.
Finally, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the psychological impact of this situation. The organized worldwide response to coronavirus has been robust and generally encouraging. However, it has also been a challenge for students (and really our entire community) to process. This New York Times article gives some good strategies on how to talk to children about coronavirus without raising the anxiety of anyone involved.
I have been impressed by the patience, support, and resilience I’ve already seen in our community as we tackle these challenges. You are our greatest resource. Should our school need to close or if the situation changes quickly, we will notify you directly via email, phone, and text.
Sincerely,
Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.
Head of School
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CFA News
Last Chance To Get Auction Items
We are offering a last-chance to purchase select auction items! Please check out the 2020 auction section of the Clairbourn Store to see which items are still available for purchase.
Reminder: CFA Meeting Canceled March 10
The CFA is canceling the meeting on March 10. See you at the next meeting on April 21 to hear about high school placement.
What a Night - The Lights Camera Auction Fundraising Gala Was an Epic Success!
Clairbourn families never hesitate to gather in support of their children’s education and to celebrate community, and they turned out in style this weekend for the school’s most recent fundraising gala. Despite the event being entirely coordinated by three dads, who volunteered to shoulder the responsibility, the Spring Benefit auction, themed “Lights, Camera, Auction” was a shining success! The event was held at Noor in Pasadena, on February 29, and 150 parents, staff members, and friends of the school were in attendance.
Benefit Co-Chairs Jason Nava and Morgan King, along with procurement chair Che Wang, have been planning this event for well over a year, and they built an active team of volunteers to coordinate auction patronage, décor, entertainment, and delightful food. Hundreds of items were procured including a Malibu Wine Safari “Giraffe Tour,” a choose-your-own Viking River Cruise, sideline seats to a Los Angeles Football Club game, Magic Castle private-party tickets, and much, much more. The show-stopper of the night was the heavy competition among parents to win the coveted parking spot on campus to use for the next school year.
The event included world-class, live entertainment from Peking Opera artist Bo Guan, jinghu performer and Peking Opera composer James Zhang, and their opera-singing son, Jack Zhang. Ballroom dance enthusiasts, former Pro-Am competitors, and current Clairbourn parents Dr. John Shieh and his wife Floy Shieh dazzled the attendees with a sizzling dance number to Justin Timberlake’s song “Senorita.”
Additionally, Jason Nava, Morgan King, and Che Wang brought some genuine hilarity to the event with a 15-minute comedic movie, starring themselves, as three dads (in over their heads) on a journey to find a theme for the benefit auction. Even former Head of School Dr. Nafie turned up in the movie for a cameo appearance! This exciting evening of socializing, bidding, winning, dining, and dancing created some amazing feel-good memories that will burn bright in the hearts of all who attended, and additionally it raised over $100,000 to benefit the students at Clairbourn.
Reflecting on the fabulous festivities and the overflowing generosity expressed by the parent community, Head of School Dr. Patzlaff remarked that “Amazing things happen when parents come together to share their time, talents, and energies, and that’s part of the magic of Clairbourn.”
Warmest thanks also go to Benefit Committee members:
Benefit Co-Chairs Jason Nava and Morgan King; Benefit Procurement Chair – Che Wang; Writers - Charis Alzona-Hsu, Melissa Nijjar, Buzzy Waite, and Cynthia White; Decorations – Lucy Balikian and Jessie Zhang; Patrons – Morgan King, Jason Nava, Fiona Zhang, and Siyi Zhao; Seating and Reservations – Connie Kim, Eliany King, and Dana Wong; Treasurers – Linh Banh, Lin-Shan Chin, Miwa Takayanagi, and Fiona Zhang; Procurement – Heather Jones, Connie Kim, Victoria Masuta, Stephanie Nava, and Ting Sung; Mobile Bidding – Lucy Balikian and Edgar Espinoza; Signage – Lucy Balikian and Miriam Cruz; Class Auction Representatives – Lucy Balikian, Diana Balmori, Lin-Shan Chin, Taryn Johnson, Claudia Jubilado, Tekoah Kler, Chenxu Lisa Li, Amber Pollard, Melissa Nijjar, and Dana Wong.
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Student Accomplishments
Send In Your Student Updates!
Did your student win an award, learn a new skill, make something cool, have an adventure, or do a service project? We'd love to post it in the eCourier! Email Noelle Shoemake at nshoemake@clairbourn.org with the details including a photo or video if you have one.
Malena Z. Trains With A Riding Legend!
Third-grader Malena Z. had an exciting opportunity to train with French showjumping champion and Olympic gold medalist Pierre Durand for three days. Malena was inspired by Pierre and the movie "Jappeloup" which is based on his life. While training with Pierre, Malena asked many questions, learned a lot of valuable information, and gained many life lessons. She can’t wait to get back on her horse and apply all she learned.
Malena also competed over Presidents' Day weekend at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank. This was her first showing in the .80 meter jumper class. Malena competed in four .80m classes along with other middle school and high school riders, and she earned two second place awards and two fifth place awards. Keep on riding, Malena!
Ashby Z. Starts A New Chapter Of Best Buddies
 Seventh-grader Ashby Z. has started a new chapter of the nonprofit organization Best Buddies at Clairbourn. Often, people with intellectual disabilities are not always invited or included in activities and social interactions, but Best Buddies is changing all of this. This organization creates opportunities for new friendships with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Across the globe, schools and communities are participating in Best Buddies programs to build friendships, erase stigmas, and promote social inclusion.
The month of March is Best Buddies Month, which represents a time for participants to celebrate their friendships and spread awareness about Best Buddies. This March, Clairbourn's group will be working with Student Council to help support mutual respect and kindness throughout all grades. Clairbourn is very excited to be a part of this new chapter.
During the Morning Assembly, Ashby shared a special message from actress Lauren Potter, who was so happy Clairbourn is starting a Best Buddies club! Also during the Morning Assembly, the club's advisor, Ms. Corwin, announced the new Best Buddies Club officers. The President is Ashby Z., the Vice President is Marcos I., the Secretary is Zaria E. and the Treasurer is Nick N. A big thank you goes to everyone who ran!
Clairbourn Students Perform With The LA Philharmonic Orchestra
Three Clairbourn students, Annabelle C., Mark C., and Madeleine K., along with two alums Kennedy King (class of 2019) and Kristin Haeglin (class of 2017), and Mrs. Roberts' daughter Gabby Roberts, all performed with the LA Phil at The Walt Disney Concert Hall.
They performed Benjamin Britten’s holiday classic, A Ceremony of Carols. They were invited by the LA Phil to present the annual winter concert as part of its Sounds About Town concert series.
Watch the video below to see one of their performances.
Michael Y. Is The National Science Bee's Regional Champion
Last Saturday, sixth-grader Michael Y. competed in The National Science Bee's regional competition and won the first place title, Regional Champion. The National Science Bee is a science-themed and buzzer-based academic quiz competition where students in the same age division compete over their science knowledge. To qualify for the competition, students must first pass the difficult Online Regional Qualifying Exam. Only 16 sixth-grade students from all over Southern California were selected to attend The National Science Bee Regional Finals which were located in San Diego. In the regional finals, each student competed in three rounds, and only six of them could move onto the next and final round to win the Regional Champion title.
In the first round of competing, Michael was ranked in second place. As Michael become more accustomed with the rules, he was able to focus more on his knowledge of biology, chemistry, and physics. In doing so, Michael moved into first place for the next two rounds.
In the final round, the scores between Michael and other competitors were close. However, Michael remained calm and was able to make better judgements when he answered questions. For the final question, Michael was the first competitor to give the correct answer, which gave him the lead and fulfilled the requirement for six correct answers. Michael was crowned the Regional Champion, and is now qualified to attend The National Science Bee competition in Chicago this summer.
Michael wants his championship to be in commemoration of Mr. Millard, who supported Michael with kind guidance and direction.
Yu-Hong C. Wins Third Place In National Tennis Event
Clairbourn seventh-grade student Yu-Hong C. won third place in 2020 USTA National Spring Team Championships Tennis Tournament in Tucson, Arizona.
The 2020 USTA National Spring Team Championships Tennis Tournament was a 4-day event from February 29 to March 3 held in Tucson, AZ. There was a total of 96 tennis players with high national rankings who qualified for the event. There were 48 boys and 48 girls from all over the nation competing. Each gender group consisted of six players and each player was required to compete in one doubles match and one 3-set singles match per day. Yu-Hong won all of his doubles matches and lost only one singles match which helped his team get third place in the tournament. Congratulations Yu-Hong!
Middle School & First Grade Art Display
Located on the first level of the Robert W. Nafie Building (administration building) is an art display that features art work from middle school and first-grade students. Middle school students in the 3D Art Elective have been working on projects that involve building, making, and creating. Every project involves a 3D sculpture or building. At the beginning of the quarter, students made paper mache hot air balloons using balloons, glue, water solution, acrylic paint, and several pages of newspaper. The next project students worked on was a cardboard city. Each student was tasked with creating a building out of only cardboard, glue, and masking tape. Students ended up making a library, a castle, and even an Apple Store!
First-grade students worked on two projects where they made bees and flowers. These two projects combined many important skills for the first-graders to practice. First, students had to closely follow the instructions to make a bee collage out of construction paper. The students were encouraged to problem solve independently as they practiced their fine motor skills while cutting and gluing. Next, the students created a flower out of oil pastel. They learned about the properties of oil pastel and about color combination and proper usage. Students were free to use colors and patterns of their choice to design their beautiful flowers.
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New Photos and Videos
Parents, please post your pictures in Vidigami!
Photos - You Must Have A Vidigami Account To View Them
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eCourier Archive
Access our previous eCourier issues:
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| | Passion Talks
Learn why Clairbourn's P.E. teacher Mr. Ball is passionate about water sports. Watch the video below.
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