Dive Into Your Mesa Experience
March 26, 2020
A Note from the Admission Office
We hope you enjoyed your Cate School virtual tour and interview! As we continue to be socially distant, we’d love for you to explore the School, hear from students and teachers, and learn more about the spirit of Cate from the comfort of your home. This website is designed to help you dive deeper into life on the Mesa.
Here you’ll find an in-depth look into five aspects of the Cate experience: academics, the arts, athletics, the outdoors, and student life. Through this site, along with your virtual tour and interview, we hope you understand something that we truly believe; Cate School is an incredible place to spend your high school years!
Navigation: Select a section to explore further
Academics
Cate’s student-centered, discussion-based classes are the perfect complement to our culture of inquiry. In a world where information is at our fingertips, we strive to support our students in becoming deep thinkers and question creators. Cate’s faculty are masters of their subject areas as well as kind and compassionate people who care deeply for all aspects of each student’s growth.
Adult Participants: Tamar Adegbile, Annalee Salcedo, Alicia Hammond
Student Participants: Daniel Lee ‘23, Sarah Ruelas ‘21, Jackson Weinberger ‘20, Bella Lucente ‘21
Arts
At any given time, two-thirds of Cate students are participating in the arts. From our recent dance convocation to the staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the fall, our arts program is fun, vibrant, and ambitious. Whether you are already an accomplished artist or someone ready to be challenged in a new medium, Cate’s arts program has a ton to offer.
Moderator: Kyle Mason
Cate Faculty: Lydian Blossom ’07, John Knecht, Joy Doyle
Student Participants: Alex Kim ’20, Dylan MacFarlane ‘20, Frankie Nieman ‘21, Brenda Martinez Ruiz ‘21, Natasha Weiss ‘20
Athletics
Sports are an essential means by which we build community, push out of our comfort zones, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are an accomplished athlete or desirous of starting a brand new sport, Cate’s athletic offerings are flush with opportunity for everyone.
Moderator: Dave Soto ’08
Adult Participants: Wade Ransom, Dr. Laura Moore
Student Participants: Maya Blattberg ’20, John Endres ’22, Ted Pham ’23, Jolea Moes ’21
Outdoors
The best of east coast boarding made even better by our west coast spirit, Cate is a place where exploration soars. The Pacific Ocean is our playground and the Santa Ynez Mountains create the perfect backdrop for our picturesque Mesa. Wherever you stand, you are surrounded by immense natural beauty. It’s not enough though to simply live in such beauty; we strive to get out and be active in the outdoors as much as possible.
Adult Participants: Peter Bonning, Tracey Calhoun
Student Participants: Dana Huston-Chen ’20, Ian Mabon ’20, Jonathan Yoo ’22, Aliana Istanbullu ’22
Student Life
Why Cate? For most, the answer is community, so much of which is developed in the rich lives that students lead here, and the connections they are able to build with each other as well as the adults that live and work on the Mesa. The strength of Cate truly lies in its people and the love, care, and joy we experience with each other.
Moderator: Kyle Mason
Cate Faculty: Bryan Rodriguez, Faimie Kingsley
Student Participants: Lina Infante ’20, Emily Calkins ’20, Grace Johnson ’21, Carlo Jacobson ’20, Oscar Vasquez ’20
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Booth Commons
If you have walked the Mesa in the last year, you no doubt have seen some phase of the construction of Booth Commons. Upon completion, it will house our dining commons, student center, school store, recording studio, and a theater set construction room. Set in beautiful Kirby Quad, Booth Commons will be an essential gathering point, with the breathtaking Santa Ynez Mountains as the backdrop.