Tag archives: Montecito Union School
“There’s something refreshingly human about making music together.” – Liz Caruso MUS Music Montecito Union School has a long history of a strong music department headed by top tier music faculty. When I started covering local news in 2002 for the Montecito Journal, I met the multitalented Pamela McClendon (MUS, 1971-2012). Under her expertise and […]
The Montecito Union School Foundation (MUSF) held its annual fundraiser gala at the Rosewood Miramar Resort on Friday, May 1. The guests arrived in the gala theme of “An Evening in Olympia,” women arriving in stunning gowns adorned with a gold floral headpiece, men arriving in suits topped with a toga scarf and Caesar-head piece. […]
The Montecito community gathered on January 9 for Raising Our Light, the annual remembrance ceremony honoring the 23 lives lost in the 1/9 Debris Flow. The crowd assembled outside Montecito Union School, where speakers offered personal reflections and the names of the victims were read aloud. Twenty-three bells rang across local churches and schools, and […]
As the eighth anniversary of the 1/9 Debris Flow approaches, the January storms served as a stark reminder of the power of natural weather events and the lasting impact they have had on the area. The Montecito community will gather on Friday, January 9, at 6 pm for Raising Our Light, the annual remembrance ceremony […]
The Montecito community will come together on January 9, 2026, for Raising Our Light, an annual ceremony honoring the 23 community members lost in the 1/9 Debris Flow. The event begins at 6 pm outside Montecito Union School, where attendees will hear brief remarks and a solemn reading of the names of those who died. […]
The Montecito Union School (MUS) Board of Trustees has announced the approval of a $7.5 million settlement to resolve litigation stemming from alleged sexual abuse by a former staff member between 1972 and 1978. The settlement, which includes no admission of liability, was reached after careful consideration of the financial risks posed by continued litigation. […]
With the #metoo movement born out of sexual harassment and sexual assault charges made against a slew of well-known media heavyweights, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 218, known as the California Child Victims Act. This bill significantly extended the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits related to childhood sexual assault, allowing individuals to […]
Dear MUS Staff and Families, In March 2023, we shared with our community that MUS had been served with a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse from 1972-1976 by a former employee. While we are limited in what we can discuss due to the ongoing litigation, the Montecito Union School District Board has asked me to communicate […]
The Montecito Union School Foundation Annual Gala was held elegantly at the Rosewood Miramar Beach on Friday, May 30. This year hit a record high of over 262 guests, noting women in their flowing ball gowns and floral hair adornments to match the gala theme, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The theme pays tribute to last […]
For the 7th year, the lives of the 23 Montecito residents who lost their lives in the 2018 mudslides were honored in a solemn ceremony, Raising Our Light, on Thursday, January 9, outside in the Montecito Union School parking lot. There, with the Montecito Fire Department Engine as backdrop, was the podium for the speakers […]
The completion of several anticipated renovation projects – some a decade in the making – brought together Montecito Union School students, parents, and educators for a ribbon-cutting celebration. Using a set of giant ceremonial scissors, MUS Principal Nick Bruski cut the ribbon leading to the school’s newly refurbished Towbes Library and Innovation Laboratory – a […]
Bustling laughter and a sense of nostalgia filled Lower Manning Park on May 30th, as Montecito Union School alumni and their families reunited after six years, amidst an array of parent-provided sweet treats. The class of 2018 MUS graduates, now the class of 2024 high school graduates, woke up bright and early on a school […]
Crane Country Day School Graduation The Crane Country Day School 2024 Eight Grade Graduation – “Go Coyotes!” – was held on Wednesday, June 12, at 10:30 am. The walkway to the graduation setting on the sports lawn showcased pencil drawing portraits of the graduates on easels. Parents and families sat at round tables with formal […]
Students in Montecito Union School’s second-grade art class were recently taught about using neon in sculpture by local neon multimedia artist and theater mainstay Rod Lathim. MUS K-6 Art Specialist Alyssa Gonzalez requested that the Montecito Journal report on the project. For the annual art project, the students create an art collage using their music […]
The Montecito Union School Foundation (MUSF) annual gala fundraiser was held on Friday, April 12 at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito. This year’s formal affair – Côte d’Azur: A night in the French Riviera. The important fundraising gala assures that the resources of MUS will continue and be added to. It awards grants towards the […]
This week I met up with Emily Stone, an MUS alumna and current graduate student at the University of Oxford. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Barnard College, Columbia University studying Environment Sustainability and Human Rights, Emily made the move to the U.K. to pursue her passion for conservation science. In our conversation, Emily introduced […]
The Montecito Association held its monthly Board meeting March 12th in person at the Montecito Library and via zoom. Community Reports began with Police Chief Lt. Ugo Peter “Butch” Arnoldi on the resolution of investigations and reported crime in the area. Montecito Fire Chief David Neels reported on the last storm, stating the area did […]
In last week’s edition we briefly reported on the proposed plans by the Rosewood Miramar Resort to expand its offerings. Reps of the property, owned by Rick Caruso, were due to be in front of the Montecito Association Board of Directors earlier this week, but had to cancel due to illness. A brief conversation was […]
As MUS superintendent Anthony Ranii mentioned to the Montecito Association earlier this month, AHA!, a local nonprofit serving teens, families, and educators in Santa Barbara County, is now utilizing MUS’s Nature Lab for its Littlest Little Farm. The Littlest Little Farm, launched in fall 2019, is one of the nonprofit’s afterschool programs, teaching participants about […]
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 […]
