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September 12, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook
I often marvel at the spontaneous moments of magic that characterize life on the Mesa. Such as seeing a senior holding the arm of a younger student on her way to the health center or the happenstance conversation I had at the Amazon Locker Hub with sophomores minutes after their return from Yosemite, packs on …
September 9, 2024
Grading for Equity
History Instructor Clair Dahm and English & Humanities Instructor Michael Szanyi were thrilled to represent Cate at the National Association of Independent Schools’ Equity Design Lab: Grading for Equity held July 10–12, 2024 at the NAIS Headquarters in Washington, DC. Through the support of Elana Stone, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cate, …
May 10, 2024
This Week in Athletics
As May unfolds, so does Mental Health Awareness Month, shedding light on the importance of resilience, support, and perseverance in the face of adversity. Against the backdrop of this crucial awareness campaign, we delve into a spectrum of sporting narratives that encapsulate the essence of determination and unity within the Cate School community. From heart-stopping …
May 10, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook: In Loco Parentis – How are the Kids?
Whenever someone asks me, “How are the kids?” I hesitate and often respond by saying, “Which ones?” I don’t know what this says about me as a mother, but my first instinct is to think about the “kids” at Cate. As we approach Mother’s Day, I’ve been reflecting on what in loco parentis means for …
April 26, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook: First and Forever
As I endeavor to learn all I can about Cate, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed examining artifacts from our archives. Each photograph, article, or set of meeting minutes lends me some clue about how who we are today was informed by our past. Most recently, I asked our archivist, Judy Savage, to help me find documents related …
March 22, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook
The vernal equinox has long been my most favorite day of the year as it marks the exact moment when the light and dark are in equal proportion and heralds the official arrival of my favorite season, spring. Of course I love the longer days, warmer weather, and flowering growth. However, what I love even …
February 15, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook: Joyful
A few weeks into my arrival at Cate, Frank Griffin left this note on my desk, and it has been pinned to my wall since then. I look at it as a reminder to pause and gauge my own sense of being settled and present to all the magic here. This week has felt especially …
February 2, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook: How Can We Thrive in the Face of Adversity?
My career has been driven by a quest to help our young people feel at home in themselves so they can bring their distinct expression of excellence to serve our changing world. My journey to Cate follows the same trajectory as I’ve heard so many of you express – our yearning for something healthier, more …
January 18, 2024
Head of School’s Notebook
Last year, after accepting the job at Cate, my family and I visited the Mesa during MLK weekend. We attended all of the festivities that day and I remember thinking to myself how powerful and unusual it felt to see a community collectively taking ownership of building a beloved community. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. …
November 10, 2023
This Week in Athletics
Embracing the spirit of competition, our student-athletes have ignited a flame that dispels any doubts, delivering remarkable performances that have left an indelible mark. While these brief summaries capture the essence, the excitement continues. Please have a look at the link provided for more detailed accounts, headlines, highlights, and captivating photos. As the Winter Season …
October 27, 2023
Head of School’s Notebook
I had the pleasure of meeting a former Cate parent this week who said something to me that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind: “Dream big, start small, go deep.” This resonated as I feel that this is exactly what I’ve been trying to do as I move through this first …
October 13, 2023
Head of School’s Notebook: A Home for Inquiry
Last month, the Board of Trustees visited Cate for the first Board Meeting of the year. Among the various exciting updates from all aspects of Cate life, I was able to tour the site of the ongoing construction project on campus, the Inquiry Collaborative. This new facility is a testament to our dual commitment to …
September 15, 2023
Head of School’s Notebook: Beginnings
After the excitement of the start of the year, we are more fully back into the routine of the school and students are settling into the rhythm of their lives on the Mesa. Part of what makes this transition into regularity so seamless is that last week, we all spent time away from Cate in …
April 6, 2023
Cate Students Attend Performance of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
On March 28, students from English 11, Staging Activism, and Theatre Performance classes traveled to the Mark Taper Forum in Downtown LA to attend a performance of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Originally performed as a one-woman show by playwright and scholar Anna Deavere Smith, Twilight is a work of verbatim theatre that uses first-person accounts …
February 17, 2022
Keeping it Local: Ocean Ranch Organics and Cate Dining
From Lucky Llama açaí bowls to the aisles of Pacific Health Foods and now Booth Commons, if you have had breakfast in Carpinteria in recent years, chances are you’ve encountered Ocean Ranch Organics granola. A local woman-owned and operated business founded by Kim Redman, Ocean Ranch Organics is dedicated to creating nutritious products with organic and …
February 2, 2022
Super Bowl-Bound Von Miller Visits Cate School
Less than 48 hours after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game and punching a ticket to Super Bowl LVI, Los Angeles Rams linebacker Von Miller made a special appearance at Cate School to kick off its celebration for Black History Month. The eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable …
May 20, 2021
Introducing the Jack Ballard Recording Studio
The Cate School music department is proud to unveil the brand-new Jack Ballard Recording Studio. Located in Booth Commons, the state-of-the-art studio includes equipment used by professional musicians and features a 32-channel SSL console, Warm-Audio compressors, EQ, Shure, and Neumann microphones, and more. “Since my arrival nine years ago, more and more students have arrived …
June 1, 2018
Commencement 2018
Cate School held its traditional Commencement exercises Sunday, May 27, 2018, marking the School’s 105th graduation ceremony. With the assistance of the school’s President of the Board of Trustees, J. Wyatt Gruber ’93, Head of School Ben Williams conferred diplomas upon the 72 members of the Class of 2018. In true Cate fashion, Williams recognized …
May 14, 2018
Inquiry Day 2018: From Bigfoot to Big Data
| A deep dive for Inquiry Day. |
April 9, 2018
Convocation | Hon. Colleen Sterne
“The truth will out,” said Judge Sterne, holding her audience silently entranced as she brought her presentation to a close. Colleen Sterne, Superior Court judge, Episcopal priest, and humanist, spoke to the Cate community on Monday evening. Bringing to the occasion her years on the bench and in the pulpit, Judge Sterne addressed this year’s …