Head of School Update
Dear Clairbourn Families,
This has been a remarkable year! At this point we have a half day for yearbook signing, class celebrations, and other festivities on Tuesday. Wednesday is our last event of the year with our Awards Ceremony and Graduation. Wow! This year’s ceremonies on Wednesday are only for the invited guests to comply with COVID restrictions, but I am so happy to be able to have a ceremony this year where we can recognize the achievements of the grads and other students with at least a small audience. There is much to celebrate with this group! A special edition eCourier will go out following the events with information and video from each, so you can join in the celebration with virtual cheers.
I know you haven’t seen the yearbook yet, but I got a sneak preview when they were delivered. I was so grateful to see the year presented in such a perfect way. It couldn’t be traditional since it wasn’t a traditional year. Mrs. Ball put her creative energies in overdrive and made sure the yearbook captured the unique ways that joy was displayed, connections were formed, and learning took place. She really did a great job. As I closed the book, I was left with the feeling we had a great year, different, but great! I know you will enjoy it too. Thanks, Mrs. Ball!
 I am also grateful for the CFA and all of their work to keep the community spirit alive in these strange times. A huge thank you to the Executive Board: President Connie Kim, Lucy Balikian, Ting Sung, Miwa Takayanagi, Dana Lee, Lisa Li, and Miriam Cruz. These ladies worked hard this year behind the scenes and it paid off! Well done, one and all.
I continue to be grateful for our amazing faculty and staff who have made this year such a success. A thriving school is a team sport, and this is a fantastic team.
Lastly, I am filled with gratitude for our students and families. You have no idea how much my soul is fed each morning when I see happy students getting out of the car to come to school. The little conversations, the fun stories, the small smiles all make such a difference. The quick conversations with the parents to share good news, highlights from the day, or even working through a concern make a difference. Thanks for being a vital part of the Clairbourn Family. To all of our families, happy summer! I hope you all do something that feeds your soul as much as you have fed mine. To all of our graduating 8th graders, CONGRATULATIONS!
Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.
Head of School
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Student Council Appreciation
It is our pleasure to recognize and applaud the members of the 2020-2021 Clairbourn School Student Council. Your Student Council is composed of tireless, creative, caring, and motivated scholars and leaders with heart. This year, they worked together to create a sense of school community even as we have been separated for so long.
Student Council Activities:
It has been a busy and unpredictable year and we would like to thank the Student Council for their contribution to the Clairbourn community. Ms. Vinnedge would also like to thank the members of Student Council for welcoming her with kindness and warmth, even over the Zoom screen.
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8th Grade Speeches
 Eighth-grade students have been sharing their remembrance speeches during Morning Assembly messages this week.Watch their heart-felt speeches about the growth they have experienced, the memories they have made, and the overall impact Clairbourn has had in their lives.
Good morning to my fellow graduates, parents, teachers, administrators, and Dr. Patzlaff. My name is Faith Chang and I have been at Clairbourn since 6th grade. It is almost Graduation day for the class of 2021. The day the 8th graders have been waiting for. The day when we all say goodbye to our childhood friends and begin to start a new part of our life. The day when we continue to work for the big dreams that we all have. But we can’t accomplish those dreams without believing in ourselves. And we can’t begin to believe in ourselves until we overcome our doubts and fears.
For example, I started dancing when I was 2½ years old. I did it until I was 11, but then I gave it up because I thought I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t the best in the class and I doubted myself because of that. I later regretted giving up dance because I lost my flexibility and some of my technique. Luckily when I started dancing again a year later, I picked it back up pretty quickly. Now that I’ve put in the hard work, I would say that I’m a pretty good dancer, but I couldn’t have done it without my positive mindset.
Good morning faculty, parents, class of 2021, and everyone else watching. Have you ever had a big dream and wanted it to come true? Well, let me just say that you’re not the only one. I am sure everyone in the world has had this feeling. When we want to achieve something and make our dreams come true, we start dreaming about it and lose awareness of the hard work we have to put into it to achieve our goals because we start thinking about how our success can change our lives, that we don’t realize how much work it will take and how we are going to turn those dreams into reality.
Well after you listen to me speak, I hope you learn that nothing is automatic and magic doesn’t exist. Yes, there are those birthday parties where parents invite a magician and we were all manipulated into believing it’s real, but this isn’t that type of magic. You actually have to work hard to achieve something. If you have a dream and all you do is dream about it, you will never achieve it because goals and dreams require action to be able to be realized and all dreams are built by hard work.
Hello students, parents, and faculty. I’ve gone to school at Clairbourn for quite a while and I’ve learned that anything is possible, but only if you truly think you can. Setting a good mindset is vital for success. If you think you can, you can, but if you think you can’t, you can’t. I mean, even if you think you’re garbage, it’s “garbage can”, not “garbage cannot”.
For the longest time, I didn’t think I was going to be anything. I had no ideas for my future career, no thoughts for life in 20 years. I actually became quite worried at one point in 7th grade. I was thinking, “Wow, hold up. Next year I’m gonna be in 8th grade, then I’m going to graduate, then I spend four more years in high school, during which I’ll be sixteen, which will mean I can drive, then I’ll go to college and I’ll legally be an adult at a whopping 18 years, and most of the colleges are, like, out of state, and just with my luck? I’m gonna get into one out of state.” Just watch.
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Special Thank You From The CFA President
 Dear Clairbourn Families,It’s hard to believe that this school year is coming to an end. It was unlike any other school year and a challenging year for everyone. However, with the help of our wonderful community, the CFA was able to accomplish more than we anticipated. Thank you, Clairbourn community for your continued support of the CFA.
Thank you to the 2020-2021 CFA Board
I would like to recognize and thank our CFA Board members who volunteered their valuable time this year. They took on the added challenges that this year presented and put on successful fundraisers and community-building activities for our school. The CFA Board was able to raise $35,000, all of which will go directly to our school and ultimately benefit our children. We are so grateful for your hard work and commitment to our school. None of this would be possible without your help. Thank you!
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Book Fair Chairs –
Lisa Li, Siyi Zhao
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Holiday Giving Chairs – Lucy Balikian, Georgia Grigsby |
| :Scrip Chairs – Ting Ting Chien, Jun Lau, Sherry Sasahara, Levina Subrata |
Teacher Group Scrip Chairs – Moongshi Chan, Nancy H., Laura Yeghnazar, Tiffany Zhang |
Sugar Plum Chairs –
Lucy Balikian, Diana Balmori Manwani, Rani Manwani, Ting Sung
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Teacher Appreciation Chair – Diana Balmori Manwani
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Fitness Fun-Raiser Chair – Taryn Johnson
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Virtual Parties – Lucy Balikian, Miriam Cruz, Lisa Li, Ting Sung, Miwa Takayanagi, Dana Wong
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Restaurant Fundraisers – Lucy Balikian, Miriam Cruz, Lisa Li, Ting Sung, Miwa Takayanagi, Dana Wong
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Webmaster –
Edgar Espinoza
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Thank you to the CFA Executive Board
I would also like to thank the CFA Executive Board for their contributions to the CFA this school year. They are a dedicated, thoughtful and talented group of women who are always willing to help whenever and wherever needed. I am forever grateful for all your support, dedication and friendship.
Vice President - Lucy Balikian
Treasurer – Miwa Takayanagi
Room Parent Officer – Dana Lee Wong
Special Lunch Officer - Miriam Cruz
Secretary – Ting Sung
Parliamentarian – Lisa Li
I leave the position of president in good hands. Ting Sung will serve as CFA President for the 2021-2022 school year. Ting has served on many CFA committees and has been a member of the executive board for the last 3 years. She is prepared and ready to lead. I want to wish Ting and her executive board the best. I know she and her team are already hard at work, planning fun and exciting events for our community.
Thank you, again, for the opportunity to serve as CFA President. Although we were unable to be together in the traditional sense, we came together in different ways to support our school. I am so grateful to be part of the Clairbourn Family. I look forward to being together again and working with you to make the next school year another fun and exciting year. Have a safe and happy summer. We’ll see you all next year.
Sincerely,
Connie Kim
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Message From Incoming CFA President
 Hello Clairbourn Families, Staff, and Trustees! My name is Ting Sung, and I am honored to be the next CFA President for the 2021-2022 school year. To the current families, I look forward to reconnecting with you in person, hopefully in the fall. To the new families, welcome to Clairbourn, and I know you will love the school as much as our family does! We have been at Clairbourn now for 6 years, and each day, stepping into school feels like being welcomed into a family.
This past year has been a difficult and challenging year for everyone, and I am sure parents are happy to have their children return back to the classroom in the fall. We have such an incredible and resilient community at Clairbourn. The CFA is already hard at work planning a host of fun events, such as the Annual Book Fair, Entrepreneurial Fair, Family BBQ, Spring Carnival, and an Online Auction for our upcoming school year. We cannot wait for everyone to
experience all the exciting activities we have planned for our school and families!
For the 2021-2022 school year, our goal is to raise $75,000 from all our activities. To do this, the CFA needs everyone’s support. If not for the tireless dedication of all our volunteers, we would not be able to successfully accomplish such memorable events for our children. Parents are so
important to a school’s success. I would like to use this opportunity to thank those parents that have volunteered for CFA positions for next year and for their commitment to the school.
 A big thank you to Lisa Li and her nominating committee for a job well done filling all these positions. Let me introduce our 2021-2022 CFA Board. We have 13 new board members, and many who hold multiple positions. In addition, we have an incredible number of new board members from our preschool and kindergarten classes. We all look forward to your new ideas, enthusiasm, and talent you will bring!
Last, but of course not least, on behalf of Clairbourn and the CFA Board, I would like to thank Connie Kim, our CFA President. Connie had a lot of pressure this year as she pivoted our fundraising and family friendly activities online during the pandemic. Connie was successful in coming up with new and creative fundraisers and activities that we had never done before. She worked tirelessly and endured many sleepless nights to get us through the school year. She did not give up despite the adversity and zoom fatigue. She persevered and came up with ingenious fundraising methods like our 1st Jog-a-Thon and zoom parties for our children. So from all of the Clairbourn families, staff, and Board of Trustees, thank you for everything! As incoming president, I look forward to a year of exciting and fun activities next year, reconnecting with current families, and welcoming new families.
Sincerely,
Ting Sung
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School News
There is no school on Friday 5/28 due to teacher in service day and Monday 5/31 for Memorial Day. Tuesday 6/1 is the last day of school and it's a half day. For Zoomies, please return your supplies and pick up the yearbook on Tuesday 6/1 between 9am - 2:30pm.
8th Grade Graduation rehearsal is on 6/1 from 8:45am - 9:15am. Awards Ceremony is on 6/2 from 8am - 9am followed by Graduation Ceremony from 10am - 11am. Both ceremonies are for invited guests only due to CDC graduation guidelines.
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Middle School English Summer Reading Resource
Summer is around the corner and here is the Middle School English Summer Reading Resource. Happy reading, everyone!
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Clairbourn Insights: JPK Nature Unit
Our JPK Bumblebees have been learning about arthropods. Children watched butterflies emerge and had the joy to release them in the school garden. They also loved watching ants making tunnels and collecting the isopods. It is a great example of our hands-on biology learning! Check out JPK's awesome photos and discoveries!
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8th Grade Science Tradition: Cardboard Regatta
A Clairbourn 8th grade tradition is the Cardboard Regatta, which has been modified this year into the Small-Scale Socially Distanced 8th Grade Cardboard Regatta. Teams of Roomies and Zoomies brainstormed and planned ideas for building self-propelled cardboard boats that would not sink. Then, Zoomies supervised and offered suggestions and encouragement as the Roomies built the boats from cardboard, plastic sheeting, duct tape, and rubber bands.
To maintain social distancing, the 8th graders launched their self-propelled boats in the pool without getting in, and then competed to see whose boat could go the farthest and the straightest.
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Alumni News
Nicole L., Class of 2017, is the CSF (California Scholarship Federation) South Central Region Recipient of the 2020-2021 Seymour Award. Nicole attended Westridge for 9th grade before she transferred to Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where she is currently president of Chapter 1075 - L.A. County H.S. for the Arts. She will be attending Yale University in the fall. Congratulations for your accomplishments and bright future ahead!
Clairbourn is "Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart!"
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Piano Superstar!
Gwen Z. (3rd) started learning piano at the age of 5 at Ms. Lai's Music Studio. In March, she participated in the Southern California Junior Bach Festival and successfully passed the level four piano exam with Honorable Mention. Please enjoy Gwen's March in G Major, Anh 124 from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach by J. S. Bach here!
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Clairbourn Middle School Biology Team
On May 29, Clairbourn students will compete in the National Biology Bowl, a nationwide academic competition that tests middle school students’ knowledge in biology. Over the last couple of months 7th graders Annie, Kiri, Marcel, James, and team Captain Michael have taken part in intensive weekly drills with high school volunteers, under the guidance of volunteer coach Dr. Patrick Toche, and the support of their dedicated parents.
Each team will take part in a sequence of round robin matches with other
schools from around the country. Facing off over zoom, competitors must
press the buzzer first and answer the question correctly! How many embryonic seed leaves does a bean seedling have? Oh, I know that, buzzer! Yes, the correct answer was two. Now on to the bonus question! Are you ready for the challenge? Yes we are! Go Cougars!
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Baseball League Champion Team
Akira T. from 5th grade has been a baseball fan. He started playing in the Sierra Madre Little League five years ago. Last night, his team, the Brewers, won the championship against the Twins. The Brewers are moving up to the city tournament next week. Congratulations!! |
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!
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School Photos
Check out our exciting new school photos!
You must be a Vidigami member to view the school photo album. Please email Jeanette Zamora at jzamora@clairbourn.org if you need help accessing your Vidigami account. |
Morning Assembly
Monday 05-24
Tuesday 05-25
Wednesday 05-26
Thursday 05-27
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Community Support
Check out our COVID-19 Resources Page designed to help kids keep busy, families stay healthy, and parents be supported. |
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