Tomorrow is the CFA Parent Meeting
Our next CFA Parent Meeting will be on Friday, October 9, after Morning Assembly in the Manor House. Please join us for a light breakfast, coffee, and good company as we continue to support our school events.
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All Volunteers
Must Be Fingerprinted
 A new law requires all school volunteers who interact with children to be fingerprinted. Parents who were not able to complete fingerprinting on campus can do so at the Live Scan office. The school has an account at 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (inside Mailbox & Postal, across from the Sierra Madre Playhouse) for this purpose, and parents can complete the process at a time that is convenient for them. Please fill out the form ahead of time.
NO PARENTS CAN VOLUNTEER
UNTIL LIVE SCAN HAS BEEN DONE. |
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Please join us after school on Friday, October 16, to celebrate our community at our Family Social event. Please sign up if you’d like to volunteer and help at this amazing event. |
Clairbourn Insights
During the first weeks of school, artists in grades 2–8 worked hard to design yearbook and specialist classes cover pages  for consideration for the 2027 yearbook. Each artist brought their own ideas, creativity, and craftsmanship to the project, making every design truly special. While not every artist could be featured in the yearbook as a winner, each student worked carefully to express their unique ideas!
Congratulations to the winner, Junyou H., and the runners-up, Ariel H., Priscilla S., and Olivia H. Come by the Nafie Admin Building to see the 33 other featured artists in the display case!
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Clairbourn Life
This Monday, October 5, was World Teachers’ Day. At Clairbourn, we celebrate the incredible educators who bring learning to life each day. Their dedication, care, creativity, and commitment shape not only what our students learn, but who they become. We are grateful for our entire faculty and staff community and the many ways they support, inspire, and care for our students every day. Thank you for all you do! |
Innovation • Problem-Solving • Engineering
Second Graders Take a Hands-On Approach to Engineering with Bird Feeder Project
After learning how different birds prefer to eat at different kinds of bird feeders, our second-grade engineers designed prototypes that would make a good bird feeder for a finch, jay, woodpecker, or cardinal. They planned ways to keep the birds that visited their bird feeders safe from predators (in this case, cats). Prototypes were built with simple and inexpensive materials that are easy to cut, fold, and bend. The students displayed great focus and creativity during this project. Every prototype was a little bit different! |
2026 Book Fair: Dive In! Adventure Begins!
Our much-anticipated Book Fair is just around the corner! The 2026 Clairbourn Book Fair will take place Friday, October 16 through Thursday, October 22.
Book Fair Sponsorship 2026
 Book Fair sponsorships are available at three levels. All sponsorships and donations are 100% tax-deductible. Sponsorships can be purchased online or in person. Thank you to our sponsors who have already contributed!
Book Fair T-Shirt Sponsor: Enrui Zhang & Siyi Zhao
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Gold Sponsors
Brian Chung Family
Nijjar Family
Debra & Wayne Mah Family
Shirley Zhang &
Ryan Liu Family
Fiona Zhang Family
Leidy & Michael Nijjar
Dana Lee Wong Family
Betty Zhang Family
Rachel Cao Family
Jean Choi Family
Cherry Chen Family
Jasmine Li Family
Cindy & Andrew Liu Family
John Storr Family
Lori Zhang & Jianzhong Li
Tiffany Huang Family
Maryann Jiang Family
Zhao & Wu Family
Mandy Jia Family
Betty Xu Family
Christina Huang Family
Yolanda Liu Family
Hernandez-Stark Family
Manwani Family
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Halona Art Studio
Alethea Yuan Family
Yang Family
Michael Shao &
Eva Jiang Family
Cindy Cao &
Sean Luo Family
Yi Lu Family
Silver Sponsors
Sergio Salas Family
Claire & Yen Family
Jin Weng Family
Cindy Tsai
Lydia Lin &
Ronald Liu Family
Scott Nguyen &
Cherry Dam
Vicky Liu & Joe Zhou
Bronze Sponsors
Chakameh Ganji
Joshua & Vanessa Miranda
Miao Yu
Chen & Yuan Family
Wu & Jiang Family
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Key Dates
Book Fair Scholastic eWallet
 Parents may set up a Scholastic eWallet (a secure digital payment option) if they would like their child to choose and purchase books easily.
Donuts and Discussion
Middle School students who read five or more books written by Stuart Gibbs are invited to join the author for Donuts and Discussion on the morning of the October 20 visit.
Parent Read-Alouds
 Parents are invited to read aloud in the classrooms from Tuesday, October 13, through Thursday, October 15. The read-aloud books were delivered to classrooms this Wednesday. Simply sign up with your child’s class, choose a book, and take a little time to prepare.
Book Fair T-Shirts
 Book Fair T-shirts can be purchased online or at school. We will have them available at the Transportation Table during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup. Wear yours on Book Fair Shirt Days, October 13 and 16!
We're also looking for volunteers who would like to support the Book Fair in other ways.
Your support helps make our Book Fair a success. Let’s dive in together—the adventure begins!
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| | Calling All Clairbourn Siblings!
We love seeing our Clairbourn community grow! If you have a child who will be applying for admission for the 2027–28 school year, please note the sibling application deadline is Wednesday, October 14, 2026. We encourage you to get started soon by filling out an Inquiry Form. |
Student Safety
To help students participate safely in all school activities, we are updating our expectations for fingernails effective immediately. Students’ fingernails must be kept short and neatly trimmed, and press-on or other artificial nails are not permitted. This statement will be added to next year’s student handbook, but the expectation is in effect now. Thank you for helping your child come to school ready to participate. |
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No School on Monday, October 12, due to a federal holiday. |
Reading Challenge from the Library:
October Bingo
This year, the library is introducing monthly challenges to encourage students to read outside their comfort zones. Ms. Evarts believes there is a book out there for everyone and hopes this challenge will help each student find a favorite. The challenge is posted on the bulletin board outside the library each month.
October is National Book Month, so the challenge is a little different. Instead of reading just one book, students are trying to win October Bingo. If they can reach BINGO within one book, that still counts, but they may have to read a couple of books to get five in a row.
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Important Dates
October 9:
• Clairbourn T-Shirt Day
• CFA Parent Meeting
October 12:
• No School (Federal Holiday)
October 13:
• Hotdog on a Stick Lunch Day
• Book Fair Shirt (or Under the Sea theme) Dress Day
October 14:
• Picture Make-Up Day
October 15:
• Habit Lunch Day
October 16:
• Book Fair Shirt (or Under the Sea theme) Dress Day
October 19–22:
• Book Fair
October 20:
• Pasta Lunch Day
• Book Fair Shirt (or Under the Sea theme) Dress Day
October 22:
• Taco Lunch Day
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Eighth Graders Examine History through Mock Trial
The eighth graders held a mock trial of Columbus vs. the Taino. They were split into groups representing the Taino Council, the defense of Columbus, the defense of the crew, the defense of the king and queen of Spain, and the defense of the System of Empire.
The Taino Council charged them with crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The students had to use their higher-level thinking skills to explain why they thought each group was or was not guilty and then develop reasons for their innocence. They created questions for each group and then determined each group’s percentage of responsibility for the treatment of Native Americans. |
Hispanic
Heritage Month Presentation
from the Student Council
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15, we recognize María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, the first Mexican American woman to publish a novel in English.
Born in Baja California in 1832, she lived through significant moments in California and American history. She later traveled to the East Coast, where she attended President Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861. After her husband’s death, she fought to protect her family’s land, a struggle that helped shape her novel, The Squatter and the Don. Through her writing, she gave voice to the challenges Mexican American communities faced as California changed. Her creativity, determination, and perseverance reflect the qualities of a scholar and leader with heart.
Selena Quintanilla is a legendary Mexican American singer who became one of the most influential stars in Tejano music. Known for her powerful voice, energetic performances, and songs such as “Como La Flor” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” Selena helped bring Tejano music and Mexican American culture to a wider audience. In 1994, she won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American album. Her talent, hard work, and pride in her heritage continue to inspire people around the world.
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Picture Retake Day Is October 14 in the Manor House
Please visit JostensPix order and use event code FE68026 (all numbers) to order your photos. If your student needs a retake, they will go to the Manor House on October 14, following Morning Assembly. All original and retake photos will be accessible and can be ordered online. However, please note the retake photo will always be the one included in the yearbook. If anyone prefers to have the original image instead of the retake in the yearbook, they can contact the JostensPix customer care team to request a change. |
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