Academic Year 2017/18• Volume Two
OnCAMPUS CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
A Newsletter for Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and Alumni
Inside 2 Visual Arts 1, 3-4 Leading the Way 5 Satellite Campuses 6 Spring Benefit 7 Past Parent Reunion 8-12 Alumni News 13 i@pp 14-17 Graduation 2017 18 Farewell to Mr. Ingersoll 19 Service Learning 20-21 Literary Contest 22-23 Fourth Grade Highlight 24 Eighth Grade Highlight 25 National Student Walkout 26-27 Theater Arts Back Cover I Madonnari
CHALLENGE • COMPASSION • COMMUNITY Each year Crane is host to numerous events that celebrate our close-knit community. Registration Days bring us together as we gear up for each school year; the Country Fair celebrates old-fashioned family fun; the Open House/Art Show highlights the artistic accomplishments of every student; the Spring Benefit encapsulates the extraordinary parent support in our community. We celebrate our community in so many ways, but this past year has emphasized the boundless support Crane community members are capable of giving in times of need. Reflecting on the past few months, I revisited many of my written correspondences with the Crane community following the January 9 debris flows. These writings, five of which are excerpted below, provide insight into the month-long chronicle the Crane community experienced before finally returning to campus February 12. The Montecito community continues to heal, but I am inspired by the resilience and compassion of every individual at Crane—the people make our school the strong place it is today. Continued on page 3
lower school
Crane’s fifth grade artists studied the great works of Hokusai and other Ukiyo-e masters before designing their own unique Japanese woodblock prints. Students first created a sketch using large simple shapes and bold lines that were then transferred to a linoleum block. Key shapes and lines were carved away to create these stunning designs. Artists learned how to apply ink with a brayer and how to respond to test prints in order to create the best possible result.
all school
visual arts
Mixed ages at the temporary Carpinteria site worked together to create multimedia artworks. Older students helped younger students string beaded bells that tinkled in the wind when they were finally hung upon return to the Crane campus. Mixed media tree paintings began by working in pairs and tracing hands. Learning about masking off areas, stamping, and wet-on-wet techniques with watercolor made this a rich lesson and a visually stunning collaboration.
Leading the Way Challenge • Compassion • Community (continued)
[Excerpt from January 14, 2018 ParentSquare post]
you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t
For me, the early morning hours have been the most difficult.
walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving
I go to sleep exhausted wanting respite, but I snap awake in
forward.”
the wee hours, and emotionally it feels very dark. So much to do—so much loss—it is almost overwhelming. I know we all
This is the time to step up. This is the time to dig deep. I need
are in unique situations, but I assume many of you have had
you—Crane needs you. You are not going to have enough hours
similar anxieties. What I most crave are the little things, the
to do it all. Things are going to feel rushed and maybe a little
rituals and patterns of my normal life at Crane … Assembly at
scary, but we are a strong team. You guys know how to teach, you
9:45, having a student Spotlight on Fridays, and I even miss
know how to make magic in the classroom, and you know how
parking lot duty at the end of the day.
to craft lessons that inspire. And, you are not alone. Crane’s administration, trustees, and parent body are right there with
In times of crisis, it is important to remember our core
you. Roll up your sleeves, remind yourself that despite all the
values. Crane is a community that shines brightly when our
work ahead we have much to be thankful for, and let’s get our
students and teachers are together experiencing learning.
school running again.
Our goal right now is to create classrooms that function similarly to the ones we have left at Crane … Finding a single
[Excerpt from January 17 Granada Assembly speech to Crane
space for the entire school proved impossible. Nevertheless,
community]
we have secured four wonderful locations that already have
Hello Crane School! It is incredible to stand up here and see all
considerable infrastructure for classroom teaching. To be
of you. I have missed that privilege … I’ve missed all of you, but
honest, the task of re-forming our school seemed almost
especially the students. I have missed your noise, I have missed
insurmountable, but only five days after the flood we have a
your energy, and I have missed your smiling faces … There are
great plan.
some special moments in life, and I sense this is one of those special moments for me. Beginning anew this journey as Crane
[Excerpt from January 16 Staffulty meeting, prior to
Country Day School …
opening off-campus sites] I’d like to start off with a huge welcome back to the entire
These disruptions, on top of all our other worries, can take a toll
Staffulty. These last few days and weeks have merged and
on us. So if you are feeling unsettled, not quite like yourself,
blurred, and have taken on some nightmarish qualities. To
remember that it’s a normal thing to be feeling right now! It’s
figure it out, last night I busted out my trusty calendar and
harder to be optimistic these days, but I want to acknowledge
determined that our last normal school day together was
that this experience we are sharing is also an opportunity. It
Friday, January 5. That was just ten days ago, but in some ways
is an opportunity for each of us to try new ways of thinking; to
it feels like an entirely different world ...
see our own strength and the strength of others; to refocus our connection to one another …
It was in this state that I was trying to figure out what to do at this faculty meeting—what to say, how to help make sense of
Continued on page 4
all that has happened. So, last night I decided to take a walk, to clear my head, and I suddenly realized that it was MLK day and using his words could help us process this disaster. “If
3
One thing that is difficult about this meeting is that we aren’t
in transitioning to these new classrooms. We are a cohesive
all here together physically. A number of people from our
team that is capable of making magic happen!
community — classmates, teachers, parents, even my own family — are separated from us by the highway closure. We are
[Excerpt of February 8 speech to Staffulty at Crane prior to
live streaming this presentation to them. To really welcome
students returning to campus the following week]
the rest of our community, please turn around. Please wave to
I am thrilled to be back at Crane today, and for all of us to
your friends, blow them a kiss, and send them your very best
be gathered together. Our excitement is tangible, but our
wishes.
joy must be tempered by the deep loss our community has suffered. This has been a trying time for all of us — a time
[Excerpt from January 19 ParentSquare post, two days after
that has tested our endurance, and a time that has tested our
four off-campus locations began]
commitment to our purpose …
Right now I’m riding a huge wave of positivity. Between our inspiring evening Assembly at the Granada Theater and the
From my perspective, what I have seen from all of you has
much awaited re-opening of school, it finally feels like we have
been nothing short of astounding. Our little school has shown
some momentum and we’re moving forward once again. In the
flexibility, resolve, generosity, and persistence. We will
past two days, I have visited all four locations that our students
continue to draw on these strengths in the coming months as
and teachers are currently occupying. I am amazed by what I
we continue to face challenges caused by this displacement and
have seen, and could not be prouder of our community. I am still
what the future holds. For this moment here today, I simply
trying to process everything I have witnessed … I believe that
want us to focus on what we have accomplished together.
this experience has given me a much greater understanding about the strength and resilience of our Crane community …
Our trustees are volunteers, yet they have met for countless hours, planning, refining, and responding to each new
When someone mentions Crane, it is natural and easy to think
obstacle. Crane’s faculty has adapted our traditional
of the campus. But what I’ve learned this past week is that
programs to take place in new locations, often working with
Crane’s true power is its very distinct, well-honed, durable
different configurations of students and limited resources.
culture. When we put Crane culture into a new and different
Our administration and staff have kept us afloat—they have
box, that box quickly becomes Crane. Each of our current
supported the off-campus sites, and have helped ready our
sites have daily Assembly, each location has its adult leaders
beloved campus for our return. And, several of our parents
greeting students in the morning, all four locations have
have stepped up to help us meet some of the scary financial
groups of students that vary in age, and all four campuses
challenges posed by this crisis.
have a joyful spirit at the same time as a seriousness about the curriculum …
Thank you all for your faith, for your hard work, but mostly for your ability to manifest Crane’s culture and values. I have
I’ve also come to realize that Crane has a unique aptitude for
been humbled countless times over the last four weeks by our
turning our ideas into realities. We often see this when a new
community. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say what
play is launched, and it is the same ability to implement that
a privilege it has been to lead Crane School during this period
allows us to materialize Spring Study Week, generate E-Block
in our school’s history.
classes, and support QED, to name just a few. Our capacity to be creative and set projects in motion has aided us tremendously
4
Joel Weiss Head of School
THANK YOU, MCCORMICK HOUSE! THANK YOU, CRANE@CARP! I love you Crane@Carp and I will never forget you. On two days we went to two parks and did art using nature. (Edie) We had combo classes, kindergarten with first grade, the second with third. It was very fun because we got to learn more about the second graders and they learned more about us. Each morning we learned more ways to say “good morning” in different languages. (Astrid)
Some Trees (at Alice Keck Park) A poem by Ruby Campbell Some trees keep their impressions of lime and fir, Consistently vibrant when the cold stings our flesh Others evolve bleak and bare To reflect the panorama surrounding them, Their bark shivering in the crunch of snow, The icy punch and batter of the wind Some trees, When the moment is true, Adorn themselves with blossoms of magenta and white,
Offering the most fragrant aromas To the famined noses of the passerby Sometimes, plump fruits emerge from the flowering arms, To clothe the otherwise naked bark of their mothers Some others Prefer to resume their quest For sunlight, earth, and rain, A contest for nourishment and size Some trees Get all the love Some trees Find none.
THANK YOU, COTA STREET! Growing up in two extremely large and crowded cities, I have always been used to going to school in buildings similar to that on Cota Street ... We were extremely lucky to have [downtown] State Street and all of its resources available to us, and I’m glad to say my few weeks at the Cota campus were ones I will never forget. − Sofia Schuster One favorite memory was our homeroom. It was so small. I think it made the class interact more like a community. (Teke) The pride of third graders (the eldest students) setting a good example for the little kids. (Andrew) We got invited to go to the preschoolers and have a Tu BiShvat celebration with challah bread. Teke and I read a book [to them] about this celebration. (Jamie)
Being at Cota tested our flexibility as a community and allowed us to have new experiences. My favorite part was being in a different setting than what we’re used to ... I gained a deeper appreciation for our campus and teachers. They showed so much flexibility and helpfulness during the tougher times. It was new and exciting and made coming home to our beloved school much more special! − Charlotte Weis What was most unique about our new location was its proximity to places such as The Habit, where the eighth graders would eat as a substitute for [Crane] Pizza Wednesdays. Another plus is that every P.E. class we would walk to a nearby gym and do a cycle of exercises ... The journey to the gym provided a welcome escape from the stuffy classrooms back on Cota. − Ian Harvey Cota had its ups and downs, but overall it was a fun experience I will never forget. It was such a relief to be with my classmates and to know we were all safe ... Our teachers are the ones that made Cota so fantastic. On the outside, it didn’t look like much ... but on the inside, [the teachers] had turned it into something truly extraordinary. − Kate Sheldon
Spring Event
Gama Hot Lunch
CraneTogether MAY 12, 2018
APRIL 20, 2018
alumni news
past parent reunioin
Jane Spiller, Patty MacFarlane
Nancy Burgner, Ted Simmons, Bill Cuttler, Danny Burgner
Mary Anne Weiss, Mark Winnikoff
Kelly Samuels, Ann Pieramici, Meryl Winnikoff
Chris Kleveland, Pat Aoyama, Mary Bremner, Guy Gniadek
Ginny Kuhn, Fran Lewbel
Janey Cohen, Mary Bremner
Jon Samuels, Lisa & Mike Moore
Carrie Towbes, Melissa & Ron Brooks, Joel Weiss
Wendy & Tim MacMurray, Geoff Crane, Gary Saint Denis, Kim Crane
Elizabeth Storm-McGovern, Mark Chaconas, Tricia Koenig
Guy Gniadek, Tom Cusack
alumni news
Class of 2014 Gabriella Campbell
Congratulations to the Class of 2014 on all your high school accomplishments. Crane wishes you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Come back and visit us!
Attended: Buena High School Attending: University of California at Santa Barbara California State Seal of Biliteracy CSF Seal Bearer UCSB Scholarship
Charlie Corman Attended: Cate School Attending: Brandeis University History Department Prize Noah W. Hotchkiss Memorial Award Sportsmanship Award
Kaleigh Flores Attended: San Marcos High Attending: University of California at Santa Cruz
Sienna Gonzalez Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: Santa Barbara City College 3.5 GPA and Above CSF Seal Bearer & National Honor Society Golden State Seal of Merit
Isabel Gonzalez Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: SBCC study abroad program in Spain 3.5 GPA and Above Community Service Star Award
Olivia Gordon Attended: Bishop Garcia Diego High Attending: Saint Mary’s College of California ASB President Assisteens of Santa Barbara, President National Spanish Honors Society
Sean Hoerl Attended: Brooks School (MA) Attending: Northeastern University (Computer Science) Magna Cum Laude
Adam Hogue Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: University of San Diego 3.5 GPA and Above Golden State Seal of Merit Merit Scholarship to USD
Grace Johnson
8
Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: University of Southern California 3.5 GPA and Above CSF Seal Bearer & National Honor Society Golden State Seal of Merit
Camila Lemere Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film
Jonathan Lindsey Attended: Bishop Garcia Diego High Attending: Santa Barbara City College Academic Achievement Commitment to cross-country and volleyball
Mia Lomeli Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: SBCC study abroad program in Spain Distinguished Don Fleischmann Scholarship SBHS Alumni Association – Class of 1953 Scholarship
Ian MacFarlane Attended: Cate School Attending: Stanford University National Merit Scholar Rensellaer Polytechnic Medal Santa Barbara Scholar Athlete of the Year
Anna Martin Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: College of Charleston 3.5 GPA and Above Golden State Seal of Merit
Leah Martin Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: College of Charleston 3.5 GPA and Above Santa Barbara Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Top Department Don – Theater
Zane Mazor-Brown Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo
Miles McGovern Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Southern Methodist University
Brynkly Meyer Attended: Cate School Attending: Boston University
Ryan Mikles Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: Southern Methodist University 3.5 GPA and Above Golden State Seal of Merit SBHS Varsity Scholar Athlete Award
alumni news
Class of 2014 Shelagh Morphy
Isabel Tarafa
Attended: Cate School Attending: Northeastern University Class Agent Photography Prize
Attended: Cate School Attending: University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland
Zoe Padilla Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: Santa Barbara City College SBHS Prom Queen Starring roles in SBHS musical performances
Arin Pieramici Attended: San Marcos High Attending: University of Wisconsin, Madison Community Service Award National Honor Society Yellow Rosebud Award from National Charity League
Diarra Pouye Attended: Cate School Attending: Kalamazoo College First place: Santa Barbara Waterwise video contest Lead role in Fame, Cate's Spring Musical
Clay Rodgers Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Wesleyan University Jazz Festival Excellence in Solo Performance Award Laguna Blanca History Award Laguna Blanca Music Award
Merith Velazquez Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: Lehigh University Bridgman Spanish Award Laguna Blanca Honor Roll Whittier Scholarship
Laura Vences Attended: Cate School Attending: Claremont McKenna College 6 Varsity Letters Varsity Sports Senior Captain Award: Girls’ Basketball
Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: University of California at Davis 3.5 GPA and Above CSF Seal Bearer & National Honor Society AP Scholar of Distinction
Chloe Schwartz Attended: Bishop Garcia Diego High Attending: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Whit Shelburne Attended: Episcopal High School Attending: Southern Methodist University
Orlando Soriano Attended: Pacifica High School Attending: Ventura College
Lizzy Spiller Attended: Villanova Preparatory School Attending: Occidental College Clare Booth Luce Scholar Mention Honorifica pava Español
Isabel Tarafa, Kaleigh Flores, Laura Vences
Soren Walker Attended: San Marcos High Attending: Westmont College Assisteen’s President Coach’s Award : Volleyball Westmont’s Wallace L. Emerson Merit Scholarship
Clay Rodgers, Bob Ingersoll
Gordon Wren Attended: Dos Pueblos High Attending: Northeastern University Community Service Award FIRST Competition World Finalists - Riviera Robotics Northeastern Achievement Scholarship Award Three 2015 Crane alumni graduating early:
Ava Samuels
class of 2014 reunion
Stella Haffner
Merith Velazquez, Lizzy Spiller, Brynkly Meyer, Shelagh Morphy
Attended: Laguna Blanca School Attending: University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland
KiSea Katikka Attended: Cedar Springs Academy Attending: Santa Barbara City College/Acting
Charlie MacNeil Attended: Santa Barbara High Attending: Santa Barbara City College (sophomore) CSf Seal Bearer & National Honor Society Varsity Volleyball
Ava Samuels, Olivia Gordon Pat Bixler, Debbie Williams (l-r) Gordon Wren, Olivia Gordon, Arin Pieramici, Kaleigh Flores, Ava Samuels, Shelagh Morphy, Lizzy Spiller, Laura Vences, Merith Velazquez, Brynkly Meyer, Isabel Tarafa
alumni news Morgan Neville ’81, known best for
Courtland Smith ’97 recently moved back to
his Oscar-winning directorship
Santa Barbara after 10 years living in San
of
Feet
Francisco. It’s been a big year for him since
from Stardom, now has a new
in addition to the move, he got married,
film Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,
bought a house, started a new job, and had
which opened on June 8. This
a baby girl! Rydia was born May 2 and her
the
documentary
20
documentary is about Mr. Rogers
parents couldn’t be happier. As they adjust
Neighborhood, the TV show that was one of the first to explore
to less sleep and diaper changing, they
children’s programming beyond cartoons. Released on what would
are very thankful for their family, all of
have been Fred Rogers’s 90th birthday, Morgan’s documentary
whom have visited and helped make the
explores Rogers’s message of love and compassion.
transition into parenthood a little easier. Courtland works remotely for GitLab, a San Francisco based software startup, where he manages
Whitney Abbott ’86,
former Crane teacher
sales and marketing teams as a senior leader at the company.
and current parent to Gwen ’22 and Aggie ’24, celebrated her new exhibit at Sullivan Goss
Allison Decker ’98
Gallery with an artist talk about her work and
Department with the costuming for all Crane productions.
continues to help Crane’s Performing Arts
process on April 15. She and her three children (Forrest, age 3 in addition to the girls) love to
Megan MacMurray ’99 Flannery and her husband Tommy welcomed
make artistic creations, often painting on the
their second son, Hunter Rogers, on
same canvas for fun.
January 24, 2018. After graduating from Vanderbilt University where she studied
Laura Sanchez ’89
attended Cate School and Middlebury College.
elementary education, Megan returned
Some of her favorite Crane moments took place on the Baja trip as a
to Santa Barbara in 2009 and has been
student and later as a faculty member. Today she is the editor of two
teaching Kindergarten at Crane. Megan
technology publications: Distributed Energy and Water Efficiency.
and Tommy were married in Carpinteria
When she’s not traveling for work or indulging her inner nerd, she
in July 2013. Their first son, Henry
can be found playing outdoors—hiking, paddle boarding, running,
George, was born on March 25, 2015.
or camping—and grinning her face off.
Megan and Tommy are raising their boys on an avocado ranch in Carpinteria, and
Kristen MacMurray ’96 Peralta
and her
husband Carlos welcomed Vai Malia
enjoy being a part of the Crane community again.
into their family. Mahana (3.5 years
Katie Zwick ’99 Norton
old) is thrilled to have a baby sister.
Dan welcomed their daughter Chloe
The Peraltas are grateful to be living in
Elizabeth on May 19.
and her husband
Carpinteria near family, and Kristen continues to work at Crane School as
Kellie Cuttrell ’01 married Donny Stevens
the Assistant Director of Admission.
on November 3, 2017 at Flora Farms in San Jose Del Cabo witnessed by a small
Chris Cohen ’97 and his wife Nellie welcomed their first child, Dean
group of family and friends. Kellie works
Campbell, on January 9. Chris and Nellie met during their freshman
at Kopari Beauty as their Senior Brand
year at UC San Diego. They continued to live in Solana Beach while
and Content Manager and Donny is the
Chris worked for, and Nellie attended, Scripps Institution of
Art Director at Surfer Magazine. In their free time, they enjoy
Oceanography. After moving to Ojai in 2009, Chris attended the
surfing, hiking, and traveling. Currently,
night program at Ventura College of Law. He is now an attorney
they live in Encinitas, CA but would love
with Sustainable Law Group, P.C., and focuses
to get back to Santa Barbara one day soon.
his work on advising businesses, nonprofits, and estates that are committed to social and
George Sanders ’02,
environmental responsibility. Nellie works for
School ’06, Bard College ’10, UCSB ’16, is
Patagonia in Ventura and runs their Worn Wear
an artist and office manager for a Santa
program.
Barbara-based
real
Santa Barbara High
estate
investment
alumni news company. After completing his bachelor’s degree, George lived in
getting married in September at Heartstone Ranch in Carpinteria
New York City for four years working in the interior decorating and
to Sam Monaco, who is an NYC based art-dealer and musician. They
fine art industries. In 2014, George moved back to Santa Barbara to
are looking forward to spending time with family and friends in
pursue his Master of Fine Arts in painting and sculpture at UCSB.
Carpinteria for the wedding!
His work has been exhibited locally at UCSB’s AD&A Museum, the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, the Arts Fund, as well
Jake Klentner ’13, Bishop Diego ’17, helped
as galleries and institutions in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New
his Southern Methodist University (SMU)
York, and Berlin. George shares a studio in Santa Barbara with his
team reach the finals for the U.S. Polo
mother, Ro Snell, who is an artist as well. Examples of his work can
Association’s
be seen at www.georgeleosanders.com
Jonny Zwick ’03
Intercollegiate at
the
Santa
is currently on a
Camila Lemere ’14 and Jack Stein ’15 came in first place at Santa Barbara
Rivers Ingersoll ’04, SBHS ’08, Georgia ’12,
played
Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in April.
wildlife photo shoot in Africa.
Tech
National
Championship
MS Stanford ’14,
International Film Festival’s 10-10-
PhD
10 high school competition where 10
Stanford ’18. For his PhD research
directors and 10 writers have 10 days
project in the Mechanical Engineering
to create a 10-minute film. The title of
Department, Rivers developed a super
their film is Seven Hours.
sensitive ‘aerodynamic scale’ to measure how hummingbirds and bats generate lift during each wing beat to stay afloat. By applying engineering methods to study these biological organisms, he found how hummingbirds could use an elastic mechanism to hover more efficiently and that nectar bats generate significantly more upstroke lift than their fruit bat relatives. Rivers will soon be joining Apple as a hardware engineer on the haptics team.
Grace Williams ’06 is working as a customer success manager in the software industry, Laserfiche in Redondo Beach. She is also happily engaged to Kevin Miller, whom she met living in the South Bay. Kevin is a structural design engineer for a firm in El Segundo. They were engaged on Christmas Eve 2017 in beautiful snowy Montana surrounded by family. They live in Redondo Beach with their black Labrador, Olaf, and are looking forward to getting married in Southern California in September.
Melanie Thomas ’08
was named Spirit of
Fiesta runner-up in April.
Katie Ohrn ’16, a student at San Marcos High School, participated in a photo shoot for the new book, Be the Change: The future is in your hands by Eunice Moyle and Sabrina Moyle. Katie was selected along with a few other local junior high and high school students to help with the project. It was recently published and has more than sixteen creative ideas
to
encourage
young
people to get involved in civic and community action.
Kerick Walker ’16, a sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy, was awarded a prize for the Study of History at the Introductory Level for attitude and approach.
is living in New York City, currently working
in theater and teaching yoga. She is the founder / director of The Daughters Collective, an interdisciplinary women's artist collective that
Mia Lomeli ’14
produces
work
rooted
William Deardorff ’17 received the Redington Cup Award from Cate for demonstrating exemplary sportsmanship.
in
ritual and mythology. Her original show, The Cave: A Folk Opera, was produced this May. Melanie is also
Celebrate Craneʼs 90th Anniversary May 3 and 4, 2019
alumni news Events involving Crane Alumni: KiSea Katikka ’15
Louis Caron ’97 was on campus in a different capacity than his normal
played Arabella in Ojai Art Center Theater’s
Animal Crackers in December.
tutoring or substitute teacher. He applied for and was hired to replace Mr. Ingersoll upon his retirement. Louis will be teaching American History starting in fall 2018.
Neil Simon’s comedy Rumors was performed at Laguna Blanca in January 2018 which included the following alumni: Royce Blevins ’17,
Camila Lemere ’14, Ava Morouse ’15, and Juliana Slater ’16. Assistant Stage Manager was Merith Velazquez-Jimenez ’14. Sofia Schuster ’18
Gabe McCaslin ’96
sings “The Soul of Man Never Dies” with his
former fifth grade teacher Chris Caretto (mandolin) and former Crane teacher/dad Dan McCaslin at Assembly on January 3. Gabe won
has had a busy winter
participating in Teen Star, singing with Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre, and two
Music
Prize
at
Stan Woodworth Prize
Loggins and the Ash Bash that included Katy
Alexander Fell ’15
Instrumental
graduation, Cate School's
local benefits — Teen Sing for SB with Kenny Perry.
Crane's
for
foreign
languages
ʼ00, and earned a German M.A. in musicology from the University of
was the Narrator in San Marcos High School’s
production of Into the Woods.
Munich ʼ11. He plays fiddle, guitar, and sings with various European bluegrass bands from his home in Munich, especially The Munich String Band. Here The McCaslin Brothers, as this trio is called, is
Fame was performed by Cate School students including the following Crane Alumni: Mark Huerta ’16, Dylan MacFarlane ’16, Ian MacFarlane
available for performing locally whenever Gabe is in town with his partner and twin sons.
’14, Aida Pouye ’17, Diarra Pouye ’14. In addition, Daniela Wood ’16 helped with costuming and Owen Jones ’16 played guitar in the pit
Sofia Martin-Fouroohi ’15 spoke at Assembly
band.
popular SB Strong t-shirts following the
Laguna Blanca’s spring production, Grease, featured the following Crane Alumni in their cast: Camila Lemere ’14, Stella Haffner ’15, Ava
Morouse ’15, Juliana Slater ’16, and Jack Stein ’15 . The band included Clay Rodgers ’14; Stella Haffner ’15 was both actor and assistant director; Merith Velazquez-Jimenez ’14 was assistant stage manager, and Sofia Fouroohi-Martin ’15 was part of the stage crew. Les Miserables was performed by the Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theater and included these current Crane students:
Isabella Ochoa ’19, Hiro Phillips ’21, and Sofia Schuster ’18.
about her experience of designing the Thomas fire and subsequent debris flows. Tibetan monk Geshe Lobsang Tseten was a guest speaker at a May Assembly and was introduced by his kindergarten friend
Tennyson Brine ’26. His Assembly featured kindness and compassion and was enjoyed by all.
Camila Lemere ’14
was a guest Assembly
speaker in May. She spoke about how she became passionate about film, her
sightings Board
Kopeikin
experience of participating in the 10-10-10 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Robin
competition for the last two years, and her
gave Richard Downey’s sixth
current senior project focusing on Latina
member
and
parent
and eighth grade classes an introduction
women in the film industry.
to investing. She talked about stocks, bonds, compound interest, and what an enormous difference it makes to start saving when you are young.
Matthew Cunningham ’17 and Ty Trosky ’16 came back on campus as assistant flag football coaches to Coach Anthony Prieto ’75.
Santa Barbara High School 2018 MAD Academy graduates: Adam Hogue, Grace Johnson , Ryan Mikles
i@pp
upper school
Independent Art Project & Presentation (i@pp) was birthed in 2013 after I returned from sabbatical as the new Upper School art teacher. I had taught in the Lower
honors. Suddenly, failing while trying really hard and exploring many different options could be honored! This gave students freedom and the ability to own their learning.
School for many years and was newly focused on
The i@pp has also been through many iterations
what I wanted every eighth grade student to leave
over the last five years. It has grown and morphed.
the Crane art department with. I knew, first and
In the summer of 2017, Ms. Teare and I received
foremost, that I wanted kids to develop a unique
a grant to refine and develop the program at
voice that acknowledged both the skills they
the Smithsonian American Art Museum in
had learned over the years and their extensive
Washington D.C. There we created a curriculum
exposure to a variety of media. I wanted them to
that tied art and English together for eighth
be able not only to receive knowledge but also to
graders, centering on the exploration of identity
question it, to connect it to other areas of study,
through literature, art history, and portraiture.
and to make it their own.
We also conceived the idea of teaching the grant-
At Crane, we value experiential education. These meaningful learning opportunities require curiosity, deep engagement, reflection,
writing process for students to plan and propose their semester of individual study.
struggle, and problem-solving. Giving students the freedom to drive
Another development to the program is
their own learning helps manifest these critical traits. Seventh graders
this year’s introduction of a mini i@pp in
get their first introduction to individual study in the QED program.
the fifth grade. In collaboration with our
The eighth-grade i@pp had to take this idea one step further, and that
Lower School Art Teacher Tray London the
meant more independence. Having a choice in their project, learning
fifth graders were given similar guidelines
from each other, and also serving as their own mentors became the
as the 8th graders; however, their charge
logical next move. In addition, there had to be a mechanism to honor
was to create a self-portrait in the media
the process, risk-taking, and the possibility of failure. I set up two
and manner of their choice. They too were
things to make this a viable possibility.
required to show the work to the public in an The
first
was
the
creation of a blog that, in
collaboration
with
English Teacher Elizabeth
exhibition and to write about their findings in the form of an artist statement. This capstone project paved the way for their entry into the Upper School.
Teare, would document
As the recent June 12 exhibition revealed,
trials
tribulations,
we had a huge variety of work that traversed
show the artist’s path,
from sculpture and sound, printmaking
and
of
and photography, ceramics and time-based
multiple iterations and
work, to painting and drawing. We even had
explorations.
wanted
a student teach herself to paint with Kool-
to encourage students to
Aid! Giving students the agency to explore,
develop a dialogue with their work and their process, with the ultimate
teach themselves and others, and learn
outcome of creating something that was original and authentic,
from perceived “mistakes” creates flexible,
something that acknowledged the journey as more important than
imaginative, and risk-taking innovators. Just what the world needs!
and share
photos I
the final outcome. Another factor that helped to promote risk-taking was a nontraditional grading system. Instead of A-F, students were introduced to the idea of passing, passing with honors, and also failing with
Gretel Huglin Ridge Upper School Art Teacher 13
CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL CLASS OF 2018
FRONT ROW Rhys Zemeckis* Ben Rodgers* Zoë Lozano Stephens Kate Sheldon Will Bouma Sofia Schuster Kai Morphy* Charlotte Weis* Ami Wallmark Jaeda Spence Boz Stephens Juliette Calderon* Audrey Biles Parker Gumins* Cooper Adams*
MIDDLE ROW Diego Velazquez Foster Smith Camilla Petote Quinton Cohen Jada Olayemi William Dunaway Dorothy Yaqub Myles Hazen Ella Jones* Ian Harvey* Jason Lemere Mikey Reyes Jack Hirsch
BACK ROW Nico Gaggero Boo Ridge* Xander Haddock* Elise Guerrand-Hermès Luke Marlow* Evan Aitcheson
* K-8 Crane "Lifer"
All names in order from left to right
The Crane faculty and staff are very proud of the accomplishments of the Eighth Grade class of 2018 and wish them the best of luck in their high school adventures.
Bishop Diego High School
Dos Pueblos High School
Santa Barbara High School
Jason Lemere Kai Morphy
Myles Hazen Jada Olayemi Dorothy Yaqub
Zoë Lozano Stephens Ben Rodgers Foster Smith Diego Velazquez Rhys Zemeckis
Cooper Adams Evan Aitcheson Quinton Cohen William Dunaway Xander Haddock Ian Harvey Jack Hirsch Mikey Reyes Boo Ridge Jaeda Spence Boz Stephens
Mammoth High School
The Thacher School
Parker Gumins
Ami Wallmark
San Marcos High School
Wood River High School (Idaho)
Cate School Will Bouma Juliette Calderon Elise Guerrand-Hermès Ella Jones Charlotte Weis Community School (Idaho) Nico Gaggero The Dallas Conservatory Audrey Biles
Laguna Blanca School
Camilla Petote Sofia Schuster Kate Sheldon
Luke Marlow
Awards
Class of 2018
Headmaster’s Prize
Julia Brown English Cup
description Awarded to the student who, through leadership,
description Given in honor of former English teacher
participation, and consideration of others, has served best as an example for us all
recipient Charlotte Weis
recipient
Academic Achievement Awards description Given to eighth graders with the highest GPA recipient Cooper Adams
Audrey Biles Will Bouma Juliette Calderon Elise Guerrand-Hermès Zoë Lozano Stephens
Kate Sheldon Jaeda Spence Ami Wallmark Charlotte Weis Dorothy Yaqub
Art Cup consistently highlights original thought and creativity
Ami Wallmark
Amiability Award description Awarded to the student who showed the greatest cooperation with congeniality toward all
recipient Kate Sheldon
Dan McCaslin History Cup description Given in honor of retired teacher Dan McCaslin to the student that demonstrates outstanding effort, achievement, curiosity, and consistent participation in the study and discussion of history
recipient
Ami Wallmark
David Echols Math Cup description Given in honor of former Crane teacher David Echols to the student with outstanding performance in mathematics
recipient
Dorothy Yaqub
Dean Smith Perfect Attendance Award description Given in honor of Dean Smith to the students who have no tardies or absences during his/her three Upper School years at Crane
recipient
Jaeda Spence Dorothy Yaqub
Drama Cup
Charlotte Weis
Lejeune Teaching Fellowship description An annual award for an inspirational teacher recipient Tray London Lower School Art Teacher
Lejeune Language Award (Spanish Cup) description Given in memory of founding Head of School Arnold Lejeune for outstanding achievement, effort, and enthusiasm in the study of the Spanish language and culture
recipient
description Given for exellence in studio art or design that recipient
Julia Brown to the student who has demonstrated the highest achievement and greatest love of learning English
Jaeda Spence
Library Award description Given to the student who shows a voracious appetite for books and reading, who uses the library resources well, and is an avid participant in the summer reading program
recipient Jaeda Spence Dorothy Yaqub
Music Cup description Awarded for diligent study and accomplishment in the realm of music
recipient
Sofia Schuster
Nagle Memorial Award description Awarded in memory of Frank Nagle, to the student who showed outstanding enthusiasm in community service
recipient
Audrey Biles
Rose Bowl description Given in honor of former Crane teacher Cathy Rose, to an unmistakably unconventional eighth grader
recipient
Myles Hazen
Science Cup description Awarded to the student who most closely embodies, through outstanding effort and achievement, the popular sentiment at Crane that “science is everywhere”
recipient Kate Sheldon
description Awarded for outstanding participation and
Sheila Davidson Cup
memorable performance on the stage
description Given in honor of former Crane Coach Sheila
recipient Rhys Zemeckis
Davidson, to the athlete who best exemplifies commitment, teamwork, passion, and sportsmanship
recipient
Charlotte Weis
Congratulations Graduates
Awards
Class of 2018 Award Recipients (left to right) Cooper Adams Academic Achievement Award Audrey Biles Academic Achievement Award Nagle Memorial Award Will Bouma Academic Achievement Award Juliette Calderon Academic Achievement Award Elise Guerrand-Hermès Academic Achievement Award Writing Award Myles Hazen Rose Bowl
Zoë Lozano Stephens Academic Achievement Award Talia S. Klein Award Tech Award Luke Marlow Tower Improvement Award Kai Morphy Sports Cup Sofia Schuster Music Cup Kate Sheldon Academic Achievement Award Amiability Award Science Cup
Jaeda Spence Academic Achievement Award Dean Smith Attendance Award Lejeune Language Award Library Award Sports Cup Ami Wallmark Academic Achievement Award Art Cup Dan McCaslin History Cup Charlotte Weis Academic Achievement Award Headmaster’s Prize Julia Brown English Cup Sheila Davidson Cup
Sports Cup
Tech Award
description Awarded for outstanding
description Given to the student who has
performance and participation in athletics
Kai Morphy Jaeda Spence recipient
Talia S. Klein Award description Given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, has been an unassuming force for good
recipient
Dorothy Yaqub Academic Achievement Award David Echols Math Cup Dean Smith Attendance Award Library Award Rhys Zemeckis Drama Cup Tray London Lejeune Teaching Fellowship
excelled in the mastery of all electronic systems used in the theater
recipient
Zoë Lozano Stephens
Tower Improvement Award description Awarded to the student who showed greatest academic improvement through effort and application
Zoë Lozano Stephens
recipient
Luke Marlow
Writing Award description Given to a student who has demonstrated significant interest in continual excellence in writing
recipient Elise Guerrand-Hermès
Award Recipients!
17
Farewell to Mr. Ingersoll
What do you enjoy on a day-to-day basis about teaching? Each child is different and every day those children are different, which equates to teaching never being a boring profession. I always looked forward to each and every class, and each and every day. I cherished the freedom to create lessons, and looking back on the lessons that were most successful came because I listened to the students. Be sure to not only raise the academic bar, but make sure the bar is wide enough so that all students can experience success. I have always loved that Crane is a community of learners and that the information does
Upon the impending retirement of Bob Ingersoll, who taught at Crane from 1978 – 1984 in fourth and fifth grades and Upper School from 1992 - 2018, we sat down for an interview:
not flow from the top down. We don’t tell the students how to think, but do ask them to question/critique/voice their own opinions.
What is your hope for Crane going forward? How did a Philly boy such as yourself get to California and then to Crane? Growing up I must have listened to too many Beach Boy albums and the song “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and Papas. All I ever wanted was to have a job that I love, a place I Iove to live, and people I love to work with so that, in the end, I never would have to say, “I hate my job, I hate where I live, and I can’t wait for retirement and move to Florida.” So after college, three college buddies and I rebuilt a van and drove across country to California where we visited all the coastal towns and decided that Santa Barbara and Carpinteria were the best . . . first goal: found the place. Enrolled in the UCSB Graduate School of Education and was hired at Crane . . . second and third goals: found
I hope that Crane continues to encourage kids to find a voice and to take an active role in social justice. Always be aware that we are blessed with living in a beautiful community, but also know that we are isolated from circumstances that are experienced in other parts of the country. Our community just faced some horrific environmental challenges and we got through it. My hope is that we can now use that same energy to be more active in social justice. We want our students to be able to take knowledge with them – stand up to injustice, become part of a bigger project, and know what it feels like to have individual empowerment.
the job and the people. The jackpot was being able to have our two boys,
What advice would you have for alumni as they come back on campus for Crane’s 90th Anniversary?
Rivers and Dawson, attend Crane, for which Whitney and I are forever
Yes, you will see changes to the physical plant, but the building upgrades
grateful.
are really beautiful. Crane is under strong leadership with Joel Weiss, an amazing board of trustees, as well as supportive parents, and, most
What is one of the first lessons you learned as a new teacher? I was fresh out of graduate school when I was hired at Crane to be the new fourth grade teacher. I was not married and didn’t have kids, but I had my degree in the latest methodology under my belt. I tried my best during that first year to be what the textbooks told me to be. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel it worked as well as it should have because I wasn’t being genuine. I came to discover that the only way to teach is to be real and develop relationships with each and every student. Once these relationships are formed, the students feel comfortable in
importantly, a strong faculty. Despite the changes to the campus, just know that the relationships are still robust and joyful. My guess is that your best memories stem from those you shared experiences with rather than any particular building. Come back to campus, embrace the new buildings, experience for yourself the strong relationships that still exist, and be proud of being Crane alumni! Having known Bob for over 40 years, I am honored to have been his colleague, and will forever consider him to be a true and loyal friend.
— Debbie Williams
their learning environment, the teaching of the content is easy, and the academics will flow.
18
Bob Ingersoll and Debbie Williams with former alumnus Peter O'Brien ’84 who was in Bob’s first 4th grade class and in Debbie's first 1st grade class.
Service Learning Five. Four. Three. Two. One!
And they’re off. Under a showering
of white and green confetti, Crane students sprinted from the starting line, running through the parking lot and the basketball courts in a pack before finding the pace that each individual would keep for the next half hour. The gray storm clouds and pounding rain that had caused the school to evacuate for the three days prior to the event gave way to blue sky and hundreds of smiles as the Crane community came together to raise money for five local organizations that responded during the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslide. Named “Respond-A-Thon” by the students in the Service Learning Club who developed the event, the goal was to raise $5,000 for Bucket Brigade, Direct Relief, Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue, Santa Barbara County Animal Services, and Unity Shoppe. A generous donor reached out and offered to match the funds raised, up to $10,000, if the students met their goal. Led by eighth grade co-chairs Sofia Schuster and Audrey Biles, Crane’s Service Learning Club, a group of students who are passionate about giving back to the community, started the school year strong. Unbeknownst to us, the work we would do after returning to campus in February would supersede our support of a Teddy Bear Cancer family during the holidays, our food drive for the Unity Shoppe, and our frenzy of gift wrapping for families supported through the Carpinteria Women’s Club. These deeds were completed days before the Thomas Fire brought its fury to our community, before winter break began – sooner than expected. As the service learning coordinator, I looked forward to meeting with the students as soon as we got back to school in January – to have our lunchtime meeting to start thinking about who and how we would help in the wake of the fire. When the deluge came, everything changed and the Respond-A-Thon was born. Students ran, and laps were tallied. Individuals pushed themselves physically, motivated to run as many laps as possible in the half hour to bring in donations. Others had done the majority of the work during the weeks before, asking friends, families, and neighbors to support them in their fundraising efforts. Seventh grader Malia Alzina asked and received sponsorship from over 20 people. In the weeks that followed the events, envelopes of money steadily streamed into the office. These envelopes contained extra allowance donated by siblings, checks from grandparents, aunts, and uncles; they contained $5, $40, $378 dollars, and a few contained thousands of dollars. Together, we exceeded our $5,000 goal by $20,000, and with the matching donation, our event raised $35,293! Thank you to everyone for your generous support!
Hayward Kwit Service Learning Coordinator
Celebration of Words
literary contest (left-right) Elise Guerrand-Hermès, Dorothy Yaqub, Owen Block, Kendall Kopeikin, Jasmine Powell, Graham Rogers
Ambition Once it was easier to find freedom in falling. We held the rope of time taut, passing it from hungry fingertip to hungry fingertip, our appetites for existence never satisfied. We danced in the light of Life’s vacancy signs,
Santa Barbara Strong A thousand nights, a thousand days. A scratchy throat, the sun ablaze. Waiting, waiting for the rain To fall and fall and fall.
unfolding limb by limb, petal by petal, to be remade, an artifact of existence, a body to fill Space. In shallow gaps we dreamt
The land is barren, arid, cursed,
of being spoken words and sentences,
A world of craving, a world of thirst
not smudges or blanks left to fill in,
Just waiting for the sky to burst
Expected to be seen,
And at last heal them all.
more than the reflection of an era,
Another year passes, then two, then four. The people cry, “No more, no more!” And suddenly they hear a roar. The whole world is on fire. It burns, tirelessly, day and night. A biting foe, a scorching fight Setting homes and hearts alight. The situation’s dire. And then, in a lightning flash, The rain washes away the ash. All sounds are drowned in the thunder’s crash. The devastation has begun. The people have to flee their homes As torrents soak them to the bone. They gaze into the bleak unknown. What’s left when the rain is done?
from afar, a daydream inside, a rebellion. A metropolis of emotions where the lights never went off, “Like Paris or Rome,” we said, paper cities unfolding beneath our mortal feet. We were the conquerors, never looking back when our blindfolded hearts collided, Watching the dew of the present Be parched by the rising suns of Tomorrow, We converted inches into miles of untouched pavement, To linger in the place between what Is and what Could Be,
The storm has stopped, and life goes on.
Merely the substance,
So many homes and buildings gone,
Sinking in the waters of our coming storm.
but on they persevere; they’re strong, And so they will survive. The time has come to start anew. So much to fix, so much to do. Everything will be okay soon. We’re strong and brave. We’ll thrive.
by Dorothy Yaqub 8th grade
third place poetry
Gambling with our cards folded, Our love affair with illusions would meet its end, The cardboard castles we built soon to crumble. We would be today, tomorrow would be forever, Could-be empires must fall.
by Elise Guerrand-Hermès 8th grade
second place poetry
Celebration of Words
literary contest Morning Jonathan woke earlier than normal and looked out his small circular window towards the eastern sky. The sun was just beginning to peek over the looming snow-capped mountains, filling his small town with a rosy glow of reddish orange. The shadows of the mountains painted a picture on the ground of the town square. He slowly got out of bed, rubbing his eyes and dressing slowly, thinking of the day to come, then going down from his small, quiet room to the kitchen and fixing himself and his father a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs, for there was much work to be done around the forge. His father came out of his room still half asleep and growling like a bear about the ruckus. “If you made any more noise you would wake the village,” he complained practically illegibly, still rubbing away the cobwebs of sleep from his eyes and brain. “The village is already teeming with life. It is you who needed to be wakened,” Jonathan said, laughing and handing his father a large plate of bacon and eggs.
by Owen Block (7th grade)
first place prose
An Overlooked Paradise Their petals twist and turn As if to follow the elegant feet of ballroom dancers as they effortlessly swing with such a refined grace. An arrangement of such tints to bring moments of rich nostalgia, The pink reminiscent of a pair of heels Your teen self so daringly stole from your sister’s closet, As you surreptitiously click clacked out the front door. The yellow suggestive of the time toddler-you ate a whole lemon, Thinking it would taste of sweet summer lemonade. A whiff of an ambrosial fragrance grabs your attention, Threatening to replace the Air Wick Air Freshener That sits so arrogantly in your living room, Pumping its joke of an impression. You pass this wonderland of sensory refreshment On your stroll to the frozen food aisle, As the Vons flower section waits for its next inquisitive mind to approach.
by Kendall Kopeikin 7th grade
first place poetry
The Book Crush List Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, Maxon Schreave, Aspen Leger, Fitz Vacker, Keefe Sencen. Do any of these names ring a bell? For some of you, these are just names of main characters in three book series: The Heroes of Olympus, The Selection, and Keeper of the Lost Cities. But to me, they are different. I call this list the “Book Crush List.” Yes. Those six names are boys I have fallen in love with while reading books. What? It isn’t my fault the authors made these boys so darn funny and nice and … I don’t know… great? So, after reading a book that just happens to have Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, Maxon Schreave, Aspen Leger, Fitz Vacker, or Keefe Sencen in it, I go crazy. Everything I say revolves around them. For example, the time I stayed up until midnight talking to my sisters about how amazingly amazing Fitz was from Keeper of the Lost Cities. Or when I didn’t even say a word to my mother in the car because I was fixated on re-reading every single word Maxon said in The Selection. But after all that fan-girl-giddiness comes the heartbreak. Of course, all the girls in the books are also in love with these boys. And there is nothing I can do about that. So instead of confronting the author about what a big mistake they made, I have outbursts. Very loud outbursts. Just to give you a taste, you could find me yelling at a poor book, “DANG IT, ANNABETH! I LOVE PERCY! NOT YOU!” or “COME ON, SOPHIE! SINCE WHEN WERE YOU ALLOWED TO LIKE FITZ?”
A Walk Through the Woods Slowly my bare feet crunch into the dry leaves, submerging themselves in a choppy sea of red and orange. I catch a glimpse of a cascading leaf, drifting through the air, back and forth, back and forth. The trees stand tall. Tall like soldiers, standing with nothing but the bark on their backs to keep them from falling to the treachery of wind in the ongoing fight for superiority. A white buck stands in my path, its horns draped with dew, its hazelnut eyes locked with mine. I stop and marvel at how a creature like this can be so enormous and so majestic, yet so gentle. I’m deep in the forest now, nothing left of my log cabin except the slow, continuous rise of smoke from my fire. Rays of sunlight burst through the dense foliage, lighting up the dawn. Birdsong surrounds me. I spot a finch, perched merrily on a small twig overlooking a stream. This finch is special. Its red chest is puffing with pride as it sings its tune for all around to hear. I step into the stream, and my feet are immediately overwhelmed with cold. As I stand there, I think of the stream, its waters pushing on steadily, persisting. I think of nature, the true extent of its beauty unbeknownst to most, but willing to reveal itself to anyone who dares step into its depths. As I stand there, I think of all I’ve experienced in my
It’s not that I try to give books earaches. It just … happens.
walk through the woods and feel at peace.
All because of the Book Crush List.
by Jasmine Powell (6th grade)
by Graham Rogers 6th grade
third place prose
second place prose 21
Mountain Man Simulation
Who’d ever guess that the fur trade in America would engage and fire up the imagination of ten year-olds? During the early 1800’s, mountain men roamed the Rockies and unexplored western territories to trap a variety of animals and make a living off the burgeoning fur trade that supplied Europe’s royalty and upper class with fine furs, especially the most prized of pelts, the beaver. Our fourth grade delves into this exciting era of American history by participating in an educational simulation for several weeks. We start our simulation by grouping our students into “trapping parties” that look at the economics, ecology, folk tales, and survival skills during these early days in American history. In order to better understand this period, our students take on the persona of mountain folk and read, cook, calculate, dress, write, sing, and hike to really experience life during those times. During the simulation, the student groups can earn “pelt points.” One way to earn points is by choosing mini-projects that relate to the mountain man era. Some children create their own lean-to’s in their backyards, make food of the era, research the animals that were hunted, make dioramas of beaver dams, or diagrams of caches, and even write and perform songs about the mountain men. One aspect of our studies involves presenting the children with a series of dire dilemmas that pose ethical and material conundrums which force their trapping party to debate possible choices and make decisions. They must consider the pros and cons of their choices, and then justify their decisions. For instance, in one dilemma, a member of their party becomes “sick” and they must decide whether to turn back and lose time in their quest for fur, or trust a Native American shaman to help cure their compatriot. After declaring their final decision, they are given the consequences to their choices. These dilemmas call on children to use higher order thinking skills, to work collaboratively with their peers, and also gives them a deeper and more personal perspective of what life must have been like for these trailblazers that opened California to the world. In their mountain man journals, students write observations and draw detailed sketches of various animals borrowed from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Having actual specimens to observe firsthand provides a realistic perspective on the relative size and physical features of the animals.
fourth grade
fourth grade
Mountain Main Simulation
Beaver, fox, badger, red-shouldered hawks, and various pelts gave students the opportunity to touch and observe why certain animals would be prized for their fur. Students also make “one-pagers,” a highly detailed and illustrated summary of information focused on a particular subject. For the mountain man unit, they can choose from a variety of topics, including: a famous mountain man, an animal, a fur trading company, tools of the trade, or perhaps, camp life. This project allows the students to develop their research skills and demonstrate their expertise in a chosen area. The one-pagers include diagrams, detailed illustrations, expository paragraphs, and even short poems. To further immerse our students in the means of survival during the nineteenth century, the students learn about the history and science of food preservation and make their own batches of beef jerky. Another survival tactic was the use of caches, a secret hiding place for provisions and pelts created by mountain men in order to sustain themselves as they spent many months in the woods. One such cache was built for the children to find on the school grounds. Our mountain man unit culminates with a celebratory Rendezvous. During the mountain man era, the trappers would have a Rendezvous during spring in order to sell pelts, trade goods, play music, and tell tall tales. The highlight of our festive gathering begins with meeting two “mountain men” who play their fiddle and mandolin as they regale us with tall tales that weave throughout their tunes and often inspire the students to stand up and do a jig or two. Our young mountain men and women continue the dancing when they next gather on the green to do some folk dancing. This is followed by a series of physical challenges called “The Gauntlet,” and then finally we settle down to a feast of homemade grub prepared by our families. After eating, students stitch detailed patterns and designs using muslin and embroidery floss; they also play card games, and design their own leather and beaded bracelets. Ultimately, when students are given the opportunity to imagine themselves as someone else, it gives students buy-in and makes them active participants in their own education. This is why Crane constantly strives to make our lessons experiential. Being immersed in numerous ways makes learning tangible, relevant, and personal, and that is what children care about and remember.
Stephanie Bagish Fourth Grade Teacher
23
Current Events
eighth grade Kai told you about basketball’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, While Audrey talked to you about an inspirational ballet star. Cooper showed you Jamie O’Brien’s surfing fun, And Boo talked to you about how he likes to run. Myles talked to you about cycling, his favorite sport, And Jason shared his love of baseball cards, which you have to sort. Ami talked to you about Ikea and her favorite Swedish dishes.
Current Events Wrap-up Poem 2018 Every year Ms. Teare gets to teach The eighth grade how to give a good speech. We all speak to you from the Cate Hall stage. It’s a great challenge, a coming of age. Today we’ll remind you of all our ideas. We’ll go in order. We’ll start with Sofia’s! She shared her dreams of singing, which she likes a lot. Then Kate explained fanfiction, where you take a book and change the plot. Juliette described the charities around our town. Parker talked about Candide Thovex, a skier of renown. Zoë introduced Maureen Shea, the boxer who’s never scared. Then Charlotte spoke about famous influencers and what they wear.
Quinton told you all about Santa Barbara’s local fishes. Luke talked about Pelé, a Brazilian soccer legend. Next came Will Bouma on how concussions are worse than we imagined. Xander explained doodling, which teachers should not find troubling, And Diego talked about the dangerous job that is stunt doubling. Rhys said action movies are so thrilling and quick, Just like Will D’.s hero Ronaldo, who has scored many goals off a corner kick. Mikey talked to you about Lamborghini, the best sports car. While Boz introduced Tim Howard, his favorite soccer star. Foster talked to you about looking for the helpers. Evan spoke about Twitch and Ninja, who builds Fortnite shelters. Jack talked about Family Guy, a TV show that’s really fun. Nico described Fortnite, a game he’s hardly ever won.
Ella told you about Siri, who helps people in a hurry. Dorothy talked about political candidates who are furry. Ian informed you about people who think the earth is flat,
Camilla spoke about Audrey Hepburn, an iconic star, Elise told us how Olympic women athletes are going far, And Jada O. showed us how cool light painting photos really are.
Jaeda S. talked about Candace Parker and her favorite coach, Pat. That was the recap from the class of two oh one eight. This year was tough, but the speeches were great!
IN MEMORIAM Gerardo Hernández (1999-2017) Gerardo was a proud Crane student who
24
love of animals and nature, spending most
came into our community in second grade.
of his time outdoors skateboarding, surfing,
He had a kind and loyal heart. Gerardo
hiking, and fishing. For 18 years, Gerardo
graduated from Dos Pueblos High School and
brought joy and happiness to his mother
continued his education at Santa Barbara
Maria, sister Estefany, and many friends and
City College where he studied astronomy and
family who will greatly miss him and forever
anthropology. Gerardo showed a profound
cherish every memory of him.
upper school
#enough: national school walkout
On March 14, at 10:00, most of the Upper School students got
one of our own classmates? And once we walked out, where were we
up, joined together, and walked to the school entrance. They streamed
supposed to go? Crane’s secluded location is great for many reasons,
out of classrooms, off of the basketball courts, and forward into the
but it also means that it’s hard to deliver a message.
future. A crowd of students and teachers spent seventeen minutes together in silence, just outside the parking lot. Some students carried
Still, we were determined to make this happen. Working with Mrs.
signs, some posters.
Smith, we planned out what we were going to do. We shortened classes slightly on Wednesday so that the walkout wouldn’t disrupt
This type of event occurred all over the country that day, of course.
Jason’s Current Event speech. We decorated posters, displaying
It’s not surprising to see teenagers stepping up, tired of a society that
our anger and sadness and hope in neon marker. We also planned
hasn’t taken care of them. But how does that happen exactly? How
a Tuesday Upper-School-only Assembly where we would show
can a group of thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds plan a walkout? The
everyone a heart-wrenching video about school shootings.
answer is dedication. Of course, something had to go wrong. School was rained out on After seeing the events in Parkland and witnessing the way that the
the day we were going to show the video, so we didn’t get a chance
survivors advocated for sensible gun laws, the eighth grade girls
to explain all our ideas. But we recovered and reshaped our plans.
were inspired. We wanted to show solidarity and support change.
And we walked out. It wasn’t perfect. Not very many people saw us.
We marched into our Seminar class with a mission: plan a walkout.
The world didn’t drastically change. But looking around at the many
The only problem was how. Planning the event was challenging: how
faces at the walkout, seeing how many of us were ready to fight for
could we talk about gun violence at a school that is mostly elementary
what we believe in, that made it all worth it.
school students? How could we walk out of an Assembly performed by
Dorothy Yaqub 8th Grader
kindergarten | swamped
second grade | 101 dalmations
Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Santa Barbara, CA Permit No. 430
CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 1795 San Leandro Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93108 www.craneschool.org
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OnCAMPUS
Tom Kenny President Jill Levinson Vice President Robin Kopeikin Treasurer Winifred Lloyds Lender Secretary
A Newsletter for Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and Alumni Academic Year 2017/18 • Volume Two
CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL I Madonnari 2018
Jen Abed Beth Collins Jim Copus ’92 Cyndee Howard Hector Lujan Patty MacFarlane Bino Marsetti Mike McCarthy Gavin Moores Hikaru Phillips Allan Rogers Missy Ryan Nancy Sheldon Christine Smigel Erin Eberhardt Spence Christina Stoney Melissa White Honorary Lifetime Trustee Scott C. Brittingham EDITOR Debbie Williams DESIGN & PRODUCTION Lorie Bacon PHOTOGRAPHER Teresa Pietsch COPY EDITOR Elizabeth Keadle Rhoda Lauten PRINTER Boone Printing