Clairbourn Insights
Our Mathletes continue to thrive with lots of motivating activities and engaging projects. Algebra students spent a week studying catapults in math class. They began by learning about the history of catapults and medieval math, followed by the science of projectile motion and energy conversions.
Then, they put principles of engineering into practice as they designed and built their own unique mini catapults in the I-Lab. Afterward, they applied their algebra skills by collecting launch data to write equations modeling their catapults' trajectories. On the final day, they took to the field in groups to launch various fruits from a full-sized trebuchet built by Mr. Morehouse and his wonderful team. Each group was given an equation representing the trajectory of their object and used the quadratic formula to calculate their launch placement to knock down the target castle!
Pre-algebra and sixth grade math students were challenged to design a unique carnival game. They calculated expected value and the theoretical probability of winning. They built their games in the I-Lab and collected data at the Probability Carnival, where everyone got to play each other's games. Finally, they analyzed the data to compare experimental probability with theoretical probability and reflected on whether their games were fair.
 Geometry students learned about angles of incidence and reflection as they created a mini golf course. The goal was to include several obstacles and calculate a way to successfully score a hole-in-one after the ball bounced and reflected at least twice. To ensure their designs were mathematically sound, they worked backward from the hole to construct reflections in order to create the angles of incidence and determine where to hit the ball from the starting point. Mathletes, we are proud of your creativity and mathematical skills throughout the year. Bravo, everyone!
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Clairbourn Life
A Week of Spirit and Milestones
This week, everyone joined in for class color day and it was so fun to see the school spirit on full display. We also celebrated our preschoolers moving up to kindergarten. The campus continues to buzz with excitement and great positive energy as we wrap up a busy year and look forward to summer break!
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Student Council Appreciation
The members of the 2024–2025 Clairbourn School Student Council were presented with certificates by their advisor, Ms. Vinnedge.
Our Student Council is composed of creative, caring, and adaptable scholars and leaders with heart. Throughout both semesters, the members worked collaboratively to carry out numerous special activities and events.
Some of the year's highlights include Socktober, during which students donated over 900 pairs of socks to local homeless shelters such as The Door of Hope and Elizabeth House. They also hosted various snack shops and donut sales to raise money for fire relief following the Eaton fire. A particularly memorable effort involved creating posters to thank the firefighters, along with collecting and donating lip balm and eye drops to support their wellbeing. In addition, the Student Council contributed to hurricane relief efforts and made a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. School spirit was also on full display with themed dress-up days such as Mismatch Day and Class Color Day, bringing energy and fun to campus life.
 Thank you for working on a truly impressive variety of projects. To celebrate Student Council's work and their creative ideas for connecting buddies across the school, each member received a Buddy the Elf snack pack—composed, of course, of the elves’ four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. We hope they always stay sweet, whether or not every idea worked out in the end. Ms. Vinnedge recognized and thanked the following members:
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Action Item Highlights
 Preschool students loved their Camping Under the Stars experience with friends and teachers. They enjoyed an afternoon of camping while watching a movie, eating pizza and making s'mores.
Students from kindergarten to second grade enjoyed their auction class party hanging out with friends and teachers. They even got to play with Ms. Dezutter's dog, Brigitte, who added joy to their afternoon!
Vanessa-Mei (4th) enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Cogswell and learning about the responsibilities of the Reception Office. She greeted the students in the morning, worked with Mrs. Cogswell and answered some calls!
 Maveric (4th) enjoyed being the Maintenance Director for the day. He worked closely with Mr. Morehouse and even called for an all-school fire drill! Thank you, Maverick, for helping keep our campus safe and running smoothly as the Director!
Nilia (5th) enjoyed teaching volleyball as the P.E. teacher for the day. She made special assembly announcements, spoke about fitness and wellness, and even shared a treat to end the day on a sweet note. Thank you, Coach Nilia! |
Bring History to Life
Students from fourth and fifth grades had an exciting experience last week bringing California and American history to life! Fourth graders actively participated in a lively retelling of California’s rich history. Students focused on major events that shaped our great state of California. Drama, dance, games and music supported students’ vocabulary development and enriched their learning experience. They enjoyed dressing up to represent the different eras of California, presenting their vocabulary words and answering trivia questions to earn points for their team in a friendly jeopardy style game.
 Fifth grade students explored the famous events, historical figures and relevant vocabulary of this pivotal point in America’s history. Students received character cards featuring a famous figure from the American Revolution to portray for the day. Flags, maps, re-enactments, music and games helped the students explore and understand the importance of American liberty and patriotism. |
Special Thank you From the CFA Presidents
 Dear Clairbourn Families,
It has been an honor to serve as your 2024–2025 CFA Co-Presidents. This year, the CFA set an ambitious goal of raising $119,000, and thanks to the incredible efforts and generous contributions from our community, we not only met that goal—we surpassed it, raising $196,000! We couldn’t have achieved this without the dedication and hard work of our talented and selfless volunteers. Whether you chaired an event, served lunches, attended CFA activities, or contributed as a sponsor, you made a lasting impact. We are incredibly grateful for your support.
The funds raised this year will go toward enriching our students’ experiences, including field trips, school plays, specialists, enhancing I-Lab programs, supporting the library, and so much more. Your generosity directly benefits our children and strengthens the Clairbourn experience.
 We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the 2024–2025 CFA board for making it all possible. Your commitment of time and energy made our CFA events and activities truly unforgettable. We are deeply appreciative of everything you’ve done.
Looking ahead, you are all in for an amazing year with Brian Chung, 2025–2026 CFA President, leading the way. His passion for bringing our community together is truly unmatched, and we are excited to see the wonderful things he has planned.
This past year has been an incredible experience for both Lucy and me. We are so grateful for another successful year for CFA—but even more than that, we are thankful for the friendships that have grown and the new connections we’ve made. Those are the things that will stay with us long after the events have ended.
Thank you for your support and dedication to our school. We can’t wait to see all the great things next year will bring!
With heartfelt gratitude,
Connie Kim and Lucy Balikian
2024–2025 CFA Co-Presidents
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Message From the Incoming CFA President
 Dear Clairbourn Families,For the last nine years, it has been a privilege to be a part of the Clairbourn family. As we move into our 100th year of Clairbourn, I am tremendously honored to serve our community as the CFA President. 2026 promises to be a monumental and incredibly memorable year. CFA is already hard at work in planning events such as the Centennial Fall Social, Book Fair, Entrepreneurial Fair, and Centennial Benefit Gala. Our strong community is what sets Clairbourn apart from other schools. We will continue to build and strengthen our connections within our new families and returning families. Without our dedicated supporters and volunteers, CFA would not be able to create and enhance enjoyable experiences for our children and families.
We would like to welcome the new 2025-2026 CFA Board, organized by Dana Wong and her nominating committee. We have 11 new board members, some of whom will hold multiple positions. We look forward to your new ideas, enthusiasm and most importantly, your tireless energy! Click here to view the list for the 2025-2026 CFA Board!
In closing, I would like to thank our outgoing CFA Presidents, Lucy Balikian and Connie Kim. With their efforts and leadership, CFA hosted successful events this past year that brought our community even closer together. They worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that every event and activity was a success. CFA plays an important role in the positive mindset and development for our children during their time at Clairbourn. Thank you, Lucy and Connie, for the dedication and commitment you put forth in making CFA and our school an amazing place to be a part of.
2025-2026 CFA President,
Brian Chung, dad of Kaitlin (6th) and Bradley (3rd)
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| | 2025-2026 Student Council Election Results
Student Council candidates for 2025-2026 school year gave their election speeches to the 4th through 7th grades this week. It is always great to see so many who want to serve the school they love. They made posters, wrote and presented speeches to their peers. Thank you for your hard work!
The races were very close this year and we are proud to announce the election results —
President: Victor
Vice President: Austin
Secretary: Daniel
Treasurer: Eric
Historian/Curator: Emma
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NO SCHOOL
MONDAY MAY 26
& FRIDAY MAY 30
(due to Memorial Day and teacher grading day) |
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Reminder for Middle School:
Wednesday, May 28
and Thursday, May 29
are middle school exams and free dress. Half Day for middle school only. |
5/23 Free Dress
5/26 No School
(Memorial Day)
5/27 Panda Lunch Day
5/28 - 5/29 Middle School Exams (Half Day for Middle School only)
5/29 Free Dress, KFC Lunch Day
5/30 No School
(Teacher In-Service Day)
6/2 Talent Show
6/3 Award Assembly, Middle School Quarter 4 Honors, Last Day of School
6/4 Graduation
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Important message from
the library:
All library books must be returned no later than tomorrow, Friday, May 23. |
Q4 Sports Awards
The girls flag football team had a winning season this year and demonstrated outstanding teamwork and effort. By the end of the season, they were running the plays to perfection and also began to read the defense and improvise to make appropriate adjustments. Everyone contributed and it was a fun, successful season.
Girls Flag Football Awards:
MVP: Ruby
Coach’s Awards:
Melody and Bella
This year’s boys volleyball season was filled with exhilarating moments, lots of progress, and dedication to working hard. The boys demonstrated a high level of unity and effort. As coaches, we are proud of the skills the team focused on improving like serving, passing, and hitting. Each practice and game they were able to elevate their play. It was a joy to coach everyone this season. We definitely had fun together.
Boys Volleyball Awards:
A Team —
MVP: Jerry
Coach’s Awards: Matthew B.
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Firefighters Teach and Inspire Our Preschoolers
Preschoolers had a special visit from the firefighters this week! They learned how firefighters get ready when they receive a call (they have to get dressed in under one minute!), saw how the hose works (and actually tried it!), and asked lots of insightful questions.
Thank you to our local firefighters for giving us such a memorable experience! |
Parker-Anderson Summer Camp
Parker-Anderson is offering summer camp on our campus for students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Please check the flyer below or visit our summer camp webpage. For questions, please call Parker-Anderson at (818) 650-8676 or reach out to our after-school coordinator Mrs. Cogswell.
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Winnie the Pooh
Check out the Winne-the-Pooh video from our eighth graders, cast one. |
Join us in our end-of-the-year talent show on Monday, June 2 at 1 p.m. in MPB! Performers need to be in place ready to go by 12:45 p.m.
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Great Evening Welcoming New Families!
We had a wonderful evening full of positive and uplifting energy at the New Family Welcome event. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped us welcome the new incoming families. It’s great to see our Clairbourn family grow, and we can't wait to have these new families join us in the fall!
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Calling All Young Artists!
Get ready to show off your creativity in the 2025 E-Fair Flyer Contest!Students are invited to design a colorful, original flyer that captures the spirit of the Clairbourn Entrepreneurial Fair.
The winning design will be featured as the official event flyer and the artist will receive a $25 prize to spend at the fair! Submit your hand-drawn or digital artwork by September 15. Don’t miss your chance to be the face of this year’s event—that winner could be YOU! Scan the QR code on the flyer or reach out for more info.
Let your imagination shine and get creative!
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration
This month, we continue to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. One inspiring figure is Suni Lee, the first Hmong-American Olympian. Born in Minnesota in 2003, she showed early talent in gymnastics. Despite a leg injury, she won medals at the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Championships.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won multiple medals for Team USA. She later joined Auburn University, where she became the NCAA balance beam champion.
In 2023, Lee was diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease that forced her to retire. After receiving treatment, she made a remarkable comeback. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she helped the U.S. win team gold and earned bronze in the all-around and uneven bars.
Beyond gymnastics, Suni supports the American Kidney Fund and the Voice in Sport Foundation, using her platform to inspire and help others. Her perseverance shows that she is a true leader with heart.
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