Our Town’s Graduations: Crane Country Day Schools

Crane Country Day School’s graduation – “Go Coyotes!” – ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 11. It was also the 25th anniversary of Joel Weiss as Head of Crane Country Day School. 

In covering the graduation ceremony annually, I meet up with the school photographer to do the traditional pre-ceremony formal photograph of the graduates in the interior courtyard. This year I had the opportunity to meet with Weiss at this photo session and asked him if he would sit in with the grads for my photo. I am delighted to say he agreed! Weiss sitting in the front row center with the students was a special moment for them as well.

The graduation program commenced with Weiss taking his place at the podium, while the grads processed in to “Pomp and Circumstance” and took their place on the steps behind him. 

Weiss began, “This is my 25th year as Head of Crane Country Day School. The 12-acre campus is on Chumash Native American Land which we acknowledge, study, and appreciate. Please look around at all this nature around us, these magnificent trees and mountains. As many of you have traveled far to come to this ceremony, let us take a deep breath to relax and de-stress.” He then led the guests and grads to take a few deep breaths and smile. Weiss continued, “The Class of 2025 is an exceptionally strong group of students who have accomplished so much during their time at Crane Country Day School. These are capable, smart, talented young adults, ready to enter this next chapter in high school and beyond. As we celebrate their graduation from Crane and wish them well in their next adventure, I look forward to seeing all that they achieve in the months and years to come, and the positive impact they make on our world.” He thanked the parents for their partnership with Crane as part of their children’s education. With that, Weiss directed the students to sit with their parents.

He presented the awards as follows:

Rose Bowl Award: Dylan Brews

Tower Achievement Award: Adelaide Rush Root

Talia S. Klein Award: Lauren Kenny and Levi Murdy

Headmaster Award: Elle Harris

Next, each graduate was called up to the podium where vignettes about them were read by one of their teachers: 

Adam Yates, Alexa Hughes, Alexis Fischer, Andrea Elias, Elizabeth Teare, Emma Goldin (Teaching Fellow), Gretel Huglin-Ridge, Izabela Santos, John Pagano, Jonthan Mitchell, Kate Tannous, Kathryn Gray, Konrad Kono, Louis Caron, Matt DeGroot, Sarah Lopez, Shana Arthurs, Sophie Rasura (Teaching Fellow), Terri Willis, and Traci Cope.

After each vignette was read, Weiss presented the student with their diploma. The ceremony concluded with Weiss officially declaring the class as graduated. 

The Crane Country Day School 2025 eighth grade graduates are:

Noah Olutayo Adegbile, Elliott Charles AuBuchon, Colton Scott Bellamy, Bianca Stampe Bing, Emma Brand, Riley Elizabeth Bratcher, Dylan Brews, Indigo Caleel, Nicholas Gates Cetrulo, Isadora Marian Chandler, Hudson Ever Chossek, West Collins, Van Werner Connor, Teddy Lilly Cronin, Ellen Jeffie Daly, Seraphina Gioia Du Bourdieu, Katherine Grace Duncan, Charlotte Eliassen, Julian Daniel Gellert, Galoe Charles Henry Genuardi, Fiona Mary Louise Guerra, Elle Harris, Jackson Lawrence Harter, Micah Christopher Hecht, Samuel Verdun Hilton-Webster, Gianna Blue Hochevar-Perez, Lauren Elizabeth Kenny, Natalie Rose Klan, Ashton Knecht, Maximilian Aria Mehrabi, Levi Clayton Murdy, Oliver Flash Murray, Mikah Jin Narva, Jade Rosemarie Ornelas, James Kade Rameson, Adelaide Rush Root, and Oliver Wiman White.

Montecito Union School

The Montecito Union School (MUS) Sixth Grade 2025 Graduation – “Go Mustangs!” – was held on Friday, June 13, in the school auditorium. The soon-to-be grads sat on the floor in the front while the traditional slide show of their years at MUS played to selected music. At the conclusion, they exited to formally re-enter to the song, “Simple Gifts” by Joseph Brackett Jr., taking their places up front on risers and standing for the entire ceremony. 

The welcome and Pledge of Allegiance were led by students Bronco McBroom and Cody Hatchett, and attendees were invited to sing with the graduates, “America the Beautiful,” led by music teacher Pamela Herzog.

Student addresses were by Sorcha Fornara and Cosima Joffrey. They shared respectively, “We are told it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Our journey at MUS really was special, school is full of people who care, we never felt alone, and MUS prepared us for our lives. We have kindness and integrity because we are Mustangs forever.” Joffrey following with, “Our MUS 2025 class is stronger and we faced more than adults do in their lifetime. There were the mudslides, the lockdowns, and we didn’t survive – we adapted. We learned how to stay friends. Strength is something we will take with us.”

The students sang, “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. The Strings Ensemble of students Genevieve Bragg, Gwyneth Carty, Arian Entezan, and Katrine Willey led by Music Teacher Ron Zecher on piano, performed “Pax.” This is Zecher’s last ensemble work with MUS as he will retire at the end of the school year. 

Principal Nick Bruski provided his message for the graduates, “As you culminate your time at Montecito Union School, we send you off with great pride and even greater hope. Our mission has always been to launch inspired thinkers who will positively impact the world — and we have every confidence that each of you will rise to that calling in your own unique way. You’ve left your mark on our school, and now it’s time to leave your mark on the world. We can’t wait to see all that you accomplish. We wish you the very best in all your future endeavors.”

Additional commencement messages were by board members and parents Mitchell Bragg and A.C. Hernandez.

Next, Herzog led the students in the song, “We’re All Made of Stars” by Eliot Kennedy and Gary Barlow. The song was followed by the presentation of diplomas led by Bruski who called the names of the students to receive their diploma from Rusty Ito, Assistant Principal. The grads were congratulated by the MUS Board President Susannah Osley and her board members Mitchell Bragg, A.C. Hernandez,and Jessica Smith, Chief Business Officer Virginia Alvarez, and teachers Kim Berman and Danielle Weill for a congratulatory hug. The ceremony concluded with the students singing the “MUS Graduation Song” by Kenny & Eva Loggins. A reception followed at the school’s Nature Lab.

The 2025 sixth grade MUS graduates are: 

Chase Alker, Gray Arno Anderson, Elliot Ankarberg, Claire Anne Bermudez, Genevieve Bragg, James Thomas Calcagno, Asher Ford Carrington, Gwyneth Gail Carty, Nolan Conlin, Abigail Dilbeck, Arian Entezari, Sorcha B Fornara, Cate Frey, Charlotte Friedman, Sienna Rose Funk, Elsa Ann Gray, Cody James Hatchett, Mila Paloma Hernandez, Selma Bay Jenkins, Cosima Annabel Joffrey, Halston Georgina Kear, Christopher Robert LoMonaco, Benjamin Loya, Bronco McBroom, Madison Rose McClellan, Micah Thomas Meadth, Mila Soleil Murray, Jaimeson Rivera, Rhys Robertson, Ricardo Robledo, Dazavid Roque-Sierra, Elle Royce, Devon Schmoller, Kenneth Smith, Wilson Spieker, William Alexander Sweeney, Greysen Scott Tenold, Angelee Titus, Kyla Tomasi, George Robert Tyler, Edward van Rest, Alexander von Holzhausen, Oliver Wass, Ozzy Whitworth,
and Katrine Willey.