The Mentor of Mt. Carmel
By Sigrid Toye   |   October 18, 2018

Fall is in the air! Summer’s over and “Back to School” shopping days are gone. Books and school supplies have made their way into the classroom, and the 2018-19 school year is well underway. I’m ready to begin the new school year too, visiting some of the talented teachers and administrators in Montecito and Santa […]

Dr. Surber of Laguna Blanca Lower School
By Sigrid Toye   |   May 31, 2018

As I entered the parking area on the Laguna Blanca Lower School campus, everything looked as I remembered it at the end of the 2016-17 school year. Children were happily playing, staff were all present and accounted for, spring flowers could be seen placed artistically in the carefully pruned landscaping that surrounds the perimeter of […]

Kindergarten Bird House Project
By Sigrid Toye   |   April 26, 2018

It seems spring is in the air. Hopefully, this is a sign that this year’s unpredictable, chaotic winter will have waved goodbye to us forever. The hard work continues unabated, and slowly Montecito is finding its footing once again – and our community’s schools are no exception. I recently drove to Cold Spring School to […]

A Tale of Two Schools
By Sigrid Toye   |   March 8, 2018

The last couple of months have been, well, to put it mildly, a massive challenge. As a result of the Thomas Fire, some of us have been impacted by loss, many others by smoke inhalation or voluntary and mandatory evacuations, along with ensuing respiratory issues. Then, within a few days, tragedy struck again with the […]