Middle School Update
The middle school has been buzzing with excitement and collaboration this week! Students are putting the finishing touches on their Animal Mysteries projects, preparing to showcase the surprising secrets, adaptations, and unanswered questions behind the creatures they’ve researched. They’ve been working hard to bring science, storytelling, and curiosity together in engaging presentations we can’t wait to see.
Our literature circles held their second meeting, and it’s clear that students are becoming more confident discussion leaders — asking more profound questions, debating theories, and connecting clues as they uncover twists in their mystery novels. The enthusiasm in each group is contagious!
One of the most unforgettable moments this week was solving a mystery of our own. The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Forensics Team visited campus and set up an elaborate crime scene complete with evidence to collect, fingerprints to analyze, and suspects to evaluate. Students stepped into the shoes of real investigators, using teamwork and critical thinking to crack the case.
We also held our first Middle School Appreciation Circle, where students took time to recognize each other’s strengths and the unique ways everyone contributes to our community. It was a powerful reminder of how much we grow when we lift each other up. And to top it all off, we are thrilled to welcome Connor into our amazing middle school community. His kindness and enthusiasm are already adding to the fun — we’re so happy he’s here! It’s been a week filled with learning, teamwork, mystery, and celebration — and we’re looking forward to even more adventures ahead!
High School Update
This week, the biology class began exploring the details of the human body. They started by learning about the tissue types that make up our organs, using an online library to examine the cell structures of these tissues, and making educated guesses about which organs contain which tissue types. They then looked through the major bone structures of the human body to learn about the skeletal system before beginning research on their presentations on one of the other organ systems that make up our bodies.
In Mari's Global Studies class, students have been learning about the five dynasties of Medieval China: Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming. They've drawn maps; completed graphic organizers; watched animated films that put key figures such as Genghis Khan on "trial;" given presentations on major Chinese inventions; and debated the impacts, both positive and negative, of each dynasty on the world. Students have also learned about the Network of Connections that spanned Afro-Eurasia during this time—the Silk Road, Sand Roads, and Sea Roads—creating an interdependent web that allowed trade and the transfer of knowledge to flourish. Students even "traveled" along the Silk Road themselves, stopping at various cities to describe in their travel logs, both through text and drawings, the geography, climate, and significant contributions of each area.
New Trimester of Electives!
Our kiln is officially fixed!
This week, our ceramics students — and even those who didn’t finish their pieces in the last elective trimester — finally got to start glazing their artwork. The studio has been full of color, creativity, and excited energy as everyone brings their projects to life. We can’t wait to see the finished pieces come out of the kiln!
Baking elective was pure joy this week!
Students made delicious gluten-free raspberry thumbprint cookies, all while listening to holiday music and filling the kitchen with cozy winter vibes. The teamwork, laughter, and warm conversations made the space feel extra special. Watching everyone collaborate and cheer each other on was the highlight — and the cookies were pretty amazing too.
Volunteerism:
This week, a group of students went to the Santa Barbara Zoo to participate in its Zoo Shine program! Armed with trash pickers, cloths, and spray, students traversed the winding paths of the zoo to clean guardrails, seats, benches, and tables, as well as picking up piles of rubbish.
