From Head of School
Happy Holidays!
Dear Clairbourn Families,
I wish you each joy, peace, comfort, and rejuvenation during this holiday season. I hope you find time to relax and enjoy your time with your family so you can start the new year with energy and renewed purpose. I look forward to seeing you all in the new year!
Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.
Head of School
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Exploring Literature Through Creativity in Middle School
Middle school students ended the quarter strong showcasing their literary skills through creative and analytical projects designed to deepen their understanding of novels! Sixth graders focused on plot by transforming their novels into illustrated children’s books, simplifying storylines while demonstrating their grasp of narrative structure. Seventh graders combined their
knowledge of English and social studies in a character analysis project, imagining their novel’s main character running for elected office.
They wrote persuasive campaign speeches, outlining their candidate’s platform and qualifications with evidence from the text. Eighth graders also explored character analysis, but with a unique twist—they pretended their characters were applying to high school and answered mock interview questions, supporting their responses with text-based details.
In addition to these character-driven assignments, students brought creativity to their novel projects. Seventh graders, inspired by Treasure Island, wrote shipwreck journals, blending adventure and imagination as they described life after being stranded. Eighth graders completed one-page projects alongside their reading of Chains, using artwork, quotes and analysis to visually represent their key takeaways from the novel. These engaging projects enriched the students' understanding of literature and honed their critical thinking, writing and creative expression. Well done, Cougars!
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Clairbourn Life
Tomorrow is the last day of quarter two. Along with final assessments and project wrap-ups, the air is filled with anticipation for the new challenges and adventures the next year will bring. We are proud of all the achievements and growth our students have made this year. You are all scholars and leaders who show a big heart every day! |
Labs, Curiosity and More!
Engaging Minds Through Exploration
Check out how science comes alive with hands-on activities that connect concepts to real-world applications in middle school! Through interactive projects, students explore the natural world, fostering curiosity and critical thinking at every grade level. In science class, sixth graders have been exploring the rock cycle and learning how metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks are formed. To model the differences between intrusive and extrusive rocks, they poured a liquid onto cold and warm surfaces, timing how long it took to cool and solidify. Through this activity, students observed how the texture and crystal size differed, illustrating the formation of intrusive versus extrusive rocks.
 Students in eighth grade made good use of the tiled floor in the science classroom to create oversized distance-time graphs as part of their study of matter in motion. After reviewing crucial graph labels, they constructed line graphs to represent scenarios such as constant speed, acceleration and deceleration. Working on a large scale helped students better understand the relationship between speed and the slope of distance-time graphs.
Meanwhile, seventh graders have been studying how adaptations increase an organism’s chances of survival, particularly in changing ecosystems. Using the well-known example of peppered moths in England during the Industrial Revolution, they investigated the process often called "survival of the fittest" by placing paper moths of various colors on different backgrounds! |
Thank you for Supporting Operation Santa Paws!
Thank you for supporting our fifth grade Operation Santa Paws! Students collected bedding and blankets, dog and cat food, and various toys which were delivered to the shelters in the San Gabriel Valley. We appreciate the generosity of the Clairbourn community!
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Did you get to see the artwork displayed in the Robert Nafie Administration Building? It showcases seventh grade works inspired by Joan Miró, a pioneer in the surrealist art movement. Miró was one of the first artists to explore automatic drawing, creating art by tapping into his subconscious and allowing his work to emerge spontaneously. His approach was heavily influenced by the ideas of Carl Jung, a psychologist who expanded on the study of the unconscious initially developed by Sigmund Freud. Make sure you stop by to support our artists and celebrate their creativity!
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Sugar Plum Thanks You!
Dear Clairbourn Community,
The three of us, Lucy Balikian, Betty Campana, and Victoria Masuta, are honored to have served as chairs for this year's Sugar Plum event. We deeply appreciate everyone who joined us at our gathering and feel so fortunate to be part of a community and school that make hosting such an incredible event possible.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ryan Morehouse, Director of Facilities and Security, and his outstanding team for their invaluable assistance in making this event a success. A special thank you goes to Maria Magdaleno and Vanessa Hernandez for their constant support and unwavering assistance throughout the planning and execution of the event.
We are also incredibly grateful to our volunteers, who so generously gave their time and effort: Connie Kim, Tung Sung, Leidy Nijjar, Ting Sung, Alice Sung, Lysa Lui, Dana Wong, and Maggie Chu. Lastly, we would like to express our thanks to Bhart Manwani, Diana Balimori, Ryan Liu and Shirly Zhang for their generous donation of beautiful blankets. A special acknowledgment also goes to our dedicated CFA parent volunteers, whose hard work and commitment bring Clairbourn traditions to life year after
year.
It’s heartwarming to see these traditions continue to be honored and passed down to new generations
of families.
With gratitude,
Clairbourn Families Association & Lucy Balikian, Betty Campana and Victoria Masuta
Sugar Plum Chairs
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See you tomorrow at the "Winter Lights" Concert!
Friday, December 20
from 10 - 11 a.m. in Clairbourn MPB
We look forward to celebrating our 2024 Clairbourn Holiday Concert with you. Come and see what JPK to fifth grade students and our Clairbourn Band have prepared for us. Please have your child wear holiday festive attire. No pajamas or costumes please.
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| Late start day on Monday 1/6. Students may not arrive before 9:30 a.m. School opens at 9:30 a.m., the doors open at 9:40 a.m. and school begins at 10:00 a.m. |
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Tomorrow, Friday, December 20 is the last day of school with a noon dismissal for all students from JPK - 8th grade. Please wear holiday festive dress.
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12/20 Half Day with noon dismissal and Holiday Festive Dress (no pajamas)
12/23 - 1/3 Winter Break
1/6 Late Start
1/7 Panda Lunch Day
1/9 Taco Lunch Day
1/10 Free Dress
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Quarter Two: Sports Awards
The girls soccer team was full of progress, determination and growth. Cougar athletes demonstrated perseverance and resilience, never giving up while developing their skills, having fun and supporting each other. The boys soccer teams should be very proud of their hard work this season. They showed tremendous willingness to take on any position without hesitation. We are proud of everyone's school spirit and hard work.
It was also exciting to watch our middle school tennis team hustling at matches on the court as a team!
Congratulations to all the award recipients:
Boys A Basktball — MVP Award: Darren; Coaches Award: Matty; Most Improved: Lennon
Boys B Basketball — MVP Award: Ethan C.; Most Improved: Austin; Most Improved: Victor
Girls Soccer — MVP Award: Ruby; MVP Award: Naveen; Best Defensive Player Award: Bella
Thank you to our coaches for teaching with heart and supporting our athletes every step of the way!
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Clairbourn's Clarity Financial Aid application for the 2025 / 2026 school year is now available.
Clarity offers a streamlined and user-friendly application process and the application is available now. Please click here to review the details and follow instructions that fit your family's circumstances. Questions? Please contact Clarity support or call 206-210-3752. Feel free to reach out to Clairbourn Director of Business and Finance, Ms. Berge, at any time with questions. |
Clairbourn Athletic Sideline Store
Check out the new Clairbourn Athletic Sideline Store! Show your Cougar spirit on and off the field with custom apparel and accessories for students, parents and fans. Be sure to check it out to stock up on your favorite Clairbourn gear!
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Q3 Parker-Anderson and Lango Classes
Sign up for Parker-Anderson and Lango third quarter enrichment classes and extended care. The deadline for class enrollment is January 2. Classes begin Monday, January 6.
Please see the attached flyers for details:
Lango JPK - K After School Language Classes
(click on the flyer)
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Clairbourn Gift Policy
Gratitude is always welcome, but a gift is
never necessary. A kind note, a genuine thank you or a word of gratitude is always meaningful.
Clairbourn has a stated gift policy for all employees:
• Employees may only accept gifts and/or gift cards that have a value of $100 or less.
• Employees may accept a gift and/or gift card of over $100 only if it is a collective gift and each individual’s contribution is $100 or less (i.e. the Scrip Gift at the holidays and end of the year).
Please help us by following this policy. If you feel you must do more than the note or word of thanks, please consider contributing to the group Scrip gifts at the holidays and at the end of the year. Please do not put any employees in an awkward situation by ignoring the policy.
If an employee receives something of higher value, it must be returned or given to the CFA for the auction. Thank you for your support!
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