Tag archives: graduation

Our Town’s 20th Annual Graduation Issue: Part 2
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 21, 2022

Our town’s schools held their 2022 graduation ceremonies from May 29 through June 10. The eight school graduations are covered in order of occurrence with part one in the previous issue (Vol. 28, Iss. 23, June 9) and this issue including El Montecito Early School with 20 grads, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School with […]

Our Town’s 20th Annual Graduation Issue: Part 1
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 14, 2022

Our town’s schools held their 2022 graduation ceremonies from May 29 through June 10. The eight local school graduations are covered in order of occurrence, in two news reports, part one today and part two on June 16. This issue has Cate School with 66 grads, Montecito YMCA Preschool with 14 grads, Cold Spring School […]

Celebrating the Class of 2022
By Scott Craig   |   May 17, 2022

Commencement speaker Michael Shasberger, between stints of conducting the Westmont Orchestra, told the 2022 graduates they’d attain their greatest happiness when they discovered how to give away what they valued most. Coincidentally, President Gayle D. Beebe introduced Shasberger with news about the newly created Michael Shasberger Student Scholarship Fund for Music.  “It’s a fitting tribute […]

Retiring Shasberger to Address Grads
By Scott Craig   |   May 10, 2022

Michael Shasberger, who retires as the inaugural Adams professor of music and worship, delivers the address at Commencement Saturday, May 7, at 9 am on Westmont’s Thorrington Field. Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe presents Westmont Medals to Steven A. and Denice D. Fellows for their tireless service and dedicated leadership in improving the delivery of […]

Finally, Class of 2020 to Celebrate with an In-Person Graduation
By Scott Craig   |   October 19, 2021

Graduates of the Westmont class of 2020 will finally be able to walk across the stage on Carr Field to get their diplomas during Commencement. It’s not easy to turn back the hands of time, but Westmont will be welcoming back to campus more than 180 Westmont graduates (of the 298 who are eligible) from […]

Our Town’s 19th Annual Graduation Issue: Part II
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 24, 2021

The total local student graduates for this week are 120 — with 74 at Cate School, 11 at Laguna Blanca Lower School, and 35 at Crane Country Day School. For the year, there were 246 graduates at all Montecito schools. We at the Montecito Journal wish all the 2021 graduates success going forward and congratulations […]

The 19th Annual Graduation Issue: Part I
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 17, 2021

Our community of schools held their 2021 graduation ceremonies through a mix of family-only, in-person bubbles at the school’s open-field areas and via live virtual for all attendees. The total number of local student graduates for this week was 126 students, including 24 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 13 at Montecito YMCA Preschool, […]

In the National Spotlight
By Richard Mineards   |   June 10, 2021

Laura Flores, a Girls Inc. of Carpinteria member and high school senior, was one of 100 students across the U.S. invited to participate in a virtual graduation ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris, a primetime special that aired on CNN. Laura was one of three Girls Inc. seniors — all Teen Advocacy Council members — […]

Hats Off to the Gritty Graduating Class of 2021!
By Gwyn Lurie   |   June 2, 2021

They say the most important quality a student can have is “grit.” You want grit? I’ll show you grit — the class of 2021 began its freshman year with the onset of the Thomas Fire, which turned into the subsequent Montecito debris flow causing hundreds of students and their families to evacuate their homes — […]

Honoring the Persevering Class of 2021
By Scott Craig   |   May 13, 2021

Westmont’s determined and resilient class of 2021 will walk across the stage and celebrate Commencement in person on May 8, at 9:30 am on Thorrington Field in a special, socially distanced layout.  Sandra Richter, Westmont’s Robert H. Gundry professor of biblical studies, delivers the address, while President Gayle D. Beebe will present the Westmont Medal […]

Letters to the Editor
By Montecito Journal   |   July 2, 2020

Happy 4th of July Even though COVID means we are unable to celebrate the 4th of July at the traditional firehouse pancake breakfast, we can still stop by this month and donate the price of our meal tickets to show our support for the firefighters and staff who keep our community safe. Our family and […]

Class of 2020, the Quarantine Class
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 18, 2020

As we mark the end of the 2019/2020 school year and head into summer break, we want to honor the graduates of the Class of 2020, all of whom celebrated their commencements without the normal pomp and circumstance of a traditional graduation ceremony. Instead, our local high schools celebrated their seniors in unique ways: from […]

Our Town’s 18th Annual Graduation Issue: Part 1
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 11, 2020

Our community of schools held their 2020 graduation ceremonies through online Zoom graduations, school drive by parades with their teachers, one in-person ceremony with directives from the health department and two schools opted to postpone an in-person ceremony till later this year. The number of graduates are 186: Montecito Union 58, Cold Spring 20, Crane […]

“Plastics, Benjamin”: A Letter to the Class of 2020
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   June 4, 2020

Mike Nichols’ 1967 iconic and classic film, for which he received the Best Director Award among four other Academy Awards, was The Graduate. The film is a masterful exploration of the malaise of college graduation at a time of great social turmoil. A promotional poster captured the tension brilliantly: “This is Benjamin. He’s a little […]

Crane Country Day School Eighth Grade Graduation
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 27, 2019

The Crane Country Day School (CCDS) 2019 eighth grade graduation was held on Wednesday, June 19 at 10 am in the school center courtyard. Opening the ceremony was headmaster Joel J. Weiss. He talked about the educational standards at the school, and how well these 8th grade students will excel in academic, athletic and the […]

YMCA Preschool Graduation
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 20, 2019

The Montecito Family YMCA Pre-School 2019 Graduation took place on Tuesday June 4 at 6:15 pm in their Program Center. The grads, with handmade caps on, performed three songs and recited nursery rhymes for their families in the audience.  They received diplomas from their teacher, Annie Fischer, Preschool Director, who said, “This is my twenty-eighth […]

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Graduation
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 13, 2019

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) 2019 Eight Grade Graduation was held on Friday, May 31 at 5 pm at the OLMC Church. The grads processional into the church was followed by principal Tracie Simolon, 8th grade teacher Mrs. Denise Jackson,and Pastor Fr. Lawrence Seyer,for their traditional Mass and the graduation ceremony. The graduates were […]

Grads Urged to Choose Paths of Love, Friendship
By Scott Craig   |   May 9, 2019

Despite gray skies and a light drizzle, thousands of family members and friends celebrated and cheered the 291 Westmont graduates, who received their diplomas at Commencement May 4.  President Gayle D. Beebe gave the Westmont Medals to Rev. Dr. Katherine Wiebe and Lindsay and Laurie Parton. Wiebe, a Christian pastoral psychotherapist at the Santa Barbara-based […]

Scholar and Writer to Speak at Commencement
By Scott Craig   |   May 2, 2019

G. Walter Hansen, a Westmont Trustee since 2002 and professor emeritus of New Testament at Fuller Seminary, speaks at Westmont Commencement on Saturday, May 4, from 9:30-11:30 am on Russell Carr Field at Westmont. President Gayle D. Beebe presents Westmont Medals to Rev. Dr. Katherine Wiebe and Lindsay and Laurie Parton. About 291 students will […]

Crane Country Day School Eighth Grade Graduation
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 21, 2018

The Crane Country Day School (CCDS) 2018 eighth-grade graduation was held June 15 in the school center courtyard. Headmaster Joel Weiss welcomed the guests, honored the grandparents and parents. In this, the 90th year of the school, his speech poignantly and succinctly pointed out the key facets of an education at CCDS, among which include […]