Head of School Update
Thoughts on Our First Week
Dear Clairbourn Family,
This week is our first full week of school, and I am hearing great things. I got to pop into the kindergarten classes and talk about the Gingerbread Man. It was so fun to see their little faces excited, engaged, and happy.
I love seeing the vibrant photos that you have posted in Vidigami showing your students holding the coloring signs. I am thrilled to see the students already engaged in real learning and to see them share their excitement and joy while in their classes. That is what school is all about!
We have been getting feedback from you about what is working and what could be improved. We know there will be a learning curve for some things, and technology can have occasional glitches, but with patience and calm it will work out. I know Zoom had some challenges yesterday, but we know how to make the best of situations when we can.
One of the things that we teach our students to focus on are the things we can control, not the things outside of our control. I am certainly proud of the problem-solving efforts of both the teachers and the students. Keep up the good work and the great attitude of growth and learning.
A lot has happened this week related to school regulations for handling the pandemic. The new framework for reopening gives us a clear sense of the targets required for bringing students back to campus. For Los Angeles, we are in the purple tier at this point, and I am watching the numbers inch closer in the right direction.
My big hope is that everyone does their best to maintain their vigilance in wearing masks and social distancing over the long holiday weekend. If the county does a good job with this, we may be on a path to bring students back to campus during the second quarter.
However, if there are a lot of big gatherings that result in a spike or uptick in numbers, we will be delayed. So I ask that all Clairbourn families do their best to maintain the efforts that have helped with the improvement in COVID numbers.
Have a wonderful long weekend (socially distanced).
Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.
Head of School
Sign Up For Online Enrichment Classes
Sign Up By Sept. 10 for Parker-Anderson After-School Classes & Virtual Care!
Registration is open now! The deadline is September 10. Clairbourn is partnered with Parker-Anderson to offer our students Online Enrichment Classes and Virtual Aftercare Programs. See the attached flyers for details. All sign-ups and payments are handled by Parker-Anderson. Download these flyers to learn more:
CFA - Clairbourn Families Association News
#ClairbournRocks! See What Students Have Created & Add Your Own Rock!
Check out these amazing painted-rock creations posted on our Facebook Cougar Corner group page! Let’s continue to paint rocks and post them online with the hashtag #clairbournrocks. Thank you for participating and bringing joy, kindness, and school spirit into our community.
 Please help support the CFA and our school by participating in the Scrip program. The Scrip Program allows you to purchase physical gift cards, at face value, from some of your favorite retailers such as Amazon, Target, Nordstrom and many more. The school will get a percentage of all Scrip gift card purchases. The CFA encourages every family to participate by purchasing at least $500 in gift cards. A link to the Scrip order form will be available next week in the eCourier.
Thank you for your continued participation and support of the CFA.
Catch up On Morning Assembly Messages
Good Ideas
Productivity and Focus Apps - All Ages
 Tick Tick: Thanks to a handy voice feature, you can create multiple to-do lists with ease. The majority of features are free and there is schedule integration.  Forest: Boost your concentration and task-accomplishment ability, without cell phone distraction, using this app. Forest tells you to plant a virtual tree and set a length of time to stay focused. The tree will grow bigger the longer you work but will die if you leave the app. If you quit a task, your forest will include a withered stump, but the harder you work, the more you will produce a lush forest in the app over time.  WheelOfNames: Make anything fun by adding lists to the wheel and then spinning it for a random choice. Let it help you and your kids decide on snacks, exercise, games, and more!
 Treat your ears to these ambient audio tools designed for productivity while working from home shared by MorningBrew.com.
Alumni News
Great Tips for Applying to College
Clairbourn School's Alumni Office held a virtual panel, in July of 2020, featuring alums offering advice on the college application process.
About the Panelists:
Panelists included Kristofer Chang, now at Harvey Mudd College, Jada Gritton, attending the University of Pennsylvania, and Salvatore Rego at the College of William and Mary. The moderator was Mina Kasama who attended Dalhousie University for her undergrad and is currently pursuing an MA in International Relations at American University.
Sal’s Key Advice:1. Be yourself - be yourself on the essays. Start the college essays early (Sophomore year).2. Relax, you are going to end up where you belong. You will be happy wherever you go.3. Try to enjoy it, because it’s where you will spend the next four years. Find somewhere you’ll be happy.Jada’s Key Advice:1. Try to have one place in your house where you don’t talk about college because it can take over everything!2. Try not to preoccupy yourself with what others are doing. Everyone’s journey is different.3. Be yourself, try to make your voice shine through, especially in the college essays, and make sure you represent who you are in the applications. Kristofer’s Key Advice:1. Don’t feel you have to force yourself into a school's mould. Be you and choose the school(s) that fit you, as opposed to a brand name. It's all about fit.2. Have some sort of planner or schedule-keeper to track all of the deadlines for early action, early decision, early decision 2, financial aid, and scholarships. Be able to budget your time. Start the college essays early.3. Find people you can trust and talk to about reviewing your essays and about tours.Their Recommended Resources:1. Fastweb.com: This website selects scholarships and internships tailored to your interests, major, and preference once you fill out your desired parameters.2. CollegeBoard.org: Helpful website with sections on college planning, AP testing, SAT/ACT testing, and scholarships.3. Khan Academy: Helps with SAT/ACT prep and with researching potential majors.4. SAT and ACT websites: Helpful in learning what, how, and when you need to submit documentation for testing accommodations.5. Pinterest: A surprising but helpful resource. You can make a board dedicated to study tips/hacks, dorm room ideas, note taking tips, and other college-relevant things6. College KickStart7. Understanding Common Application Youtube Video
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Computer Support
If you need technical help with CougarNet or device help, please email Computer Specialist Paul Barker pbarker@clairbourn.org
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Subcribing to School Calendars:
Method 1
From Clairbourn.org's Calendar page, click "Grid View" of calendar. Scroll down and click the green button with arcs. We've circled it in red in the image below.
Next, you will get a blank browser page. The next step is to copy the calendar address shown in your browser's URL window and paste it into your calendaring program where they ask for the subscription address.
Method 2
Log into CougarNet and click "Calendar." Click button above calendar with arcs on it. Choose appropriate options from pop up window. Watch a how-to video. |
Virtual Cougar Corner for Parents
Parents, please join the new Facebook group Cougar Corner to stay connected with current Clairbourn parents. This virtual and private Facebook group is a way for parents to get to know each other, share helpful tips and ideas on home-learning, post inspiring updates about themselves and their children, and share anything else that encourages each other. Let’s keep our community vibrant!
Join Cougar Corner on Facebook
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What Does it Mean to Have Heart?
It means you have courage, determination, and hope in addition to compassion!
“Everytime we accomplish something we didn’t think we could, that’s like mental push-ups for the soul. You’ve then had that experience and your perception of your new normal shifts.”
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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!
with the details including a photo or video if you have one.
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Health & Safety
Clairbourn's Health Office Attendant, Nick Jubilado, recently completed a Pandemic Training Course with Joffe Emergency Services to ensure that Clairbourn has the most recent updates and best insights into the CDC's requirements for pandemic management at schools operating with an on-campus learning format.
The training has given Clairbourn additional ways to prepare for on-campus safety, proper classroom protocols, health screenings, campus disinfection, hygiene practices, response team structure, chain of command, as well as protocols for handling symptomatic community members and contact tracing. |
Community Support
Check out our COVID-19 Resources Page designed to help kids keep busy, families stay healthy, and parents be supported. |
Stay Connected
Follow us on these social media accounts.
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Review Us Online
Word-of-mouth counts! Write a review about Clairbourn on these sites today.
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