Tag archives: Laguna Blanca

Out of the Limelight: Local Stages Launch Shows
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 20, 2026

With the major local theater companies at rest in January, three smaller organizations are opening productions this weekend with wildly divergent genres. The newly-formed HappySad Theatre Company – from Santa Barbara-raised, SBCC-acting educated Robert Rodarte and his wife, Riley, who met at Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway in New York – launches […]

Annual Graduation Coverage Week 2:
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 17, 2025

Laguna Blanca  Lower School The Laguna Blanca Lower School 2025 Graduation, “Go Owls!” was held on Friday, June 6 at 9am, outside at the Lower Campus Pavilion. The graduates processed in to “Little Prelude in E minor” by Bach and took their places on bleachers in the front facing their families and friends seated in […]

Laguna Blanca’s Golden Oak Gala
By Joanne A Calitri   |   March 18, 2025

Laguna Blanca School is announcing their annual Golden Oak Gala on Saturday, March 15 at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito. The event has tickets for sale for 300 to attend and be part of their annual giving for the school. The theme this year to dress for is “Miami Nights.” Event Co-Chairs are Nicholas Miller […]

Our Town’s 22nd Annual Graduation Part 1
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 18, 2024

Cold Spring School Graduation The Cold Spring School Sixth Grade 2024 Graduation – “Go Dolphins!”– was held on Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 am in the school’s auditorium. Students processioned to the stage and sang, “Time of Your Life” by Green Day, accompanied by Music Specialist Sara DiSalvo, on piano.  CSS Superintendent and Principal Amy […]

Laguna Blanca Lower School Citizenship Breakfast 
By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 7, 2024

The Laguna Blanca Lower School fourth grade students annually hold a Citizenship Breakfast on the school’s Montecito campus to acknowledge their choices of good community citizens in our town. At the breakfast celebration, each student introduces and briefly talks about the citizen they chose. Their speeches honor their citizen and present that person’s qualities to […]

Our Town’s 21st Annual Graduation Issue 3 of 3 
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 20, 2023

This graduation issue has, in order of occurrence: the YMCA Preschool, Cold Spring School, Laguna Blanca Lower School, Montecito Union School, the El Montecito Early School, and Crane Country Day School. The Montecito Journal wishes much success and congratulations to our graduates, school faculty, staff, and parents! YMCA Preschool 2023 Graduation The YMCA Preschool 2023 […]

Brooke Green New Head of Laguna Blanca Lower School
By Joanne A Calitri   |   May 30, 2023

Laguna Blanca School has announced that Brooke Green M.Ed. will be taking on the role of Head of the Lower School Montecito commencing July 1, 2023. Green is an alumnus of Laguna Blanca School 1997, has been the Lower School’s third grade instructor and their Learning Specialist grades two through four since 2013; and taught […]

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 […]

Latest Match at the Field
By Richard Mineards   |   May 24, 2022

Prince Harry may not be appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his actress wife Meghan Markle after the Trooping of the Color ceremony next month, but he was definitely front and center at the Santa Barbara Polo Club playing in the final of the Folded Hills Pope Challenge final on Sunday. The closely […]

Laguna Blanca School Opens New Science Center
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 5, 2021

It’s open – and it’s beautiful. On Monday, September 27, there was a ribbon cutting and VIP guest reception for the new 5,500-square-foot Center for Science and Innovation at Laguna Blanca School’s Hope Ranch campus, which houses the Nakamura STEM Research and Innovation Lab, the updated Jackson Physics Labs, the Mosher Foundation Outdoor classroom, Gainey […]

Filling in the Gap: Laguna Blanca Product Takes a Year Away
By Stella Haffner   |   August 12, 2021

I was a straight-A student through middle school and high school. That is, a straight-A student except for one class: physical education. How dastardly that my pristine GPA should be sullied by such a subject! Or so I thought then. What I had yet to learn was that academics are a balancing act between both […]

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 […]

Dear Montecito: Maxx Christal
By Stella Haffner   |   February 4, 2021

Today’s letter is a guided tour of Santa Barbara from Maxx Christal. Maxx is a Crane and Laguna Blanca alum who was known as something of an adrenaline junkie back in our high school days – almost certainly a reputation he earned after volunteering to go first on every climb and zip line during class […]

Dear Montecito: Isabelle Davenport
By Stella Haffner   |   January 28, 2021

My mom, Carrie Haffner, has two stickers on her car. One is a harbor pass that expired six years ago, the other is a Bucket Brigade magnet. She likes both and says she keeps them because they “show other people that we’re locals.” This week we’re hearing from an old classmate of mine, Laguna Blanca […]

Dear Montecito: Sierra Willard
By Stella Haffner   |   November 12, 2020

Much to my disgust, this week’s letter is from yet another wonderfully gifted visual artist. Meet Sierra Willard, current student at University of the Arts London and Laguna Blanca alum.  High ranking on the list of things I’m not good at is drawing. Any type of drawing. My freshman year of college, I was in […]

Laguna Blanca Student Raises Funds for Foodbank
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 13, 2020

Sydney Hlavaty, class of 2020, was honored with Laguna Blanca’s 2020 Senior Project Award at Laguna Blanca’s 86th Commencement Ceremony, which was held virtually on July 31. Sydney’s heartfelt project was especially personal, as she chose to honor her classmates through her artistic talent. She tirelessly devoted sixty-one hours over the course of three weeks and […]

Kindergarten Instructor Honored
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 2, 2020

“Creative. Passionate. Dedicated.” These are the words most frequently used to describe Laguna Blanca’s Kindergarten Instructor and 2020 Faculty Excellence Award winner, Mieke Delwiche. Since 2009, Delwiche has ushered in scores of youngsters to Laguna while opening their hearts and minds to a love of learning. Always holding herself to the highest expectations, Delwiche has […]

Bucket Brigade Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 11, 2020

On Tuesday, June 2, fourth graders at Laguna Blanca Lower School held their Citizenship Event via Zoom. Usually held as a special breakfast on campus, the event is a culmination of curriculum taught in the fourth grade, focusing on good citizenship and leadership. Each year, students choose members of the community who exhibit the Six […]

TEDxLagunaBlanca
By Paige Levinson   |   January 23, 2020

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, Laguna Blanca School will host its third annual TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool event. With this year’s theme set as RE.IMAGINE, speakers and attendees will be encouraged to re-think what they know, rebel against what’s been done before, and re-discover truths about society and the world around them. Members of the student team have […]

Laguna Blanca School’s Library Dances Program
By Joanne A Calitri   |   March 14, 2019

As part of their Advanced Placement English studies, the students in Laguna Blanca English teacher Charles Donelan‘s class integrate the art of dance into their study of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in an annual program titled, Library Dances. The students study with the State Street Ballet, various musicians, and newly added this year, artist-practitioner from Shakespeare’s […]