MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 6-8) @ MARIN HEADLANDS
  Middle School had an amazing trip to the Marin Headlands and Naturebridge’s Bluff campus. We hiked our first day to old military barracks and did a night hike where we saw the San Francisco city lights and the Golden Gate Bridge.
   The next morning, the weather took us all by surprise with heavy fog and a downpour. Mother Nature challenged our students to hike down a steep cliff in a cloud full of rain. We did our best and ended up on Rodeo Beach with some pounding waves. The rain didn’t let up and we arrived, muddy and wet, to our indoor lunch site! After lunch, the sun broke through the clouds and nature sparkled for us all the way back. While damp clothing was in the dryers, students enjoyed a wonderful spaghetti dinner and had fun making new memories with fast friends during our dorm time.
  Our last morning we all went down to historic Point Bonita lighthouse for an art project, saw harbor seals bobbing in the water, and took in some fantastic views. Our students were tired but in good spirits, thankful for our time in nature and with our friends.
– Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division Lead

Our Thanks to You!

ELEMENTARY
It's time to to give thanks for our loving teachers, staff collaboration, family support, school maintenance, opportunities to explore, and our hardworking students. Each day students are learning, growing, and exploring the world around them. This week we had a couple reflection times and just 'paused' to be collectively in the moment with nothing to distract us. I am so grateful I can share joyful moments with them.
– Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division Lead

MIDDLE  SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL
(Tasha is heading back from the Marin Headlands with Middle School today.)
   As Tasha & I reflect back on Q1, we are filled with gratitude. The amazing experiential trips we went on and all the memories we created bring a smile (& playful groan) to our faces. All the constructions, labs and activities the students crushed in our Science classes were great to witness. The pumpkins we carved and the brilliant Halloween costumes made October inspiring. What a phenomenal three months we have had!
   But what we are most grateful for is the trust and support the families have given us. Trusting us with your children and partnering with us to help unlock their full potential makes this endeavor magical. Yes, this is our job, but it's also our fuel. Watching a shy student speak out in class, witnessing an "aha" moment, and working with a student to sculpt their idea into a masterpiece is unique to the field of teaching and especially singular here at Stanbridge. We are so lucky to be here and your child helps make Stanbridge a safe, welcoming, and transformative place.
   Thank you for allowing us to get to know your children, grow with them, and be a part of your lives!
Sincerely,
– Jay Huston, Head of High School
– Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division Lead

SAVE THE DATE!

The Book Fair is finally here and what a successful day we had! On opening day, all classes walked through to view and make purchases. Today alone our families purchased nearly $2,000 in books and merchandise! (That's $500 in Scholastic credit for the Stanbridge Library!)

If you are coming in to look at the book fair or to buy your child's books, please plan to park in marked spaces and walk in. (Construction on Claremont is finally done, too!) Cars left without drivers in the drop-off/pick-up line, even "for just a few minutes," can cause lengthy traffic jams in the paring lot. Appropriate parking will help our arrival and dismissal times to run more smoothly. Thank you for your consideration.

The eWallet option is very helpful for students and families. It is important to let your child know if you have set up an eWallet for them as some students may erroneously think they have money available. CLICK HERE to get started with eWallet (especially important for shuttle riders)! Anyone can contribute to your child's eWallet, just share the link with family members far and wide for easy gift giving for the holidays – we still get the credit if purchased online by Nov 21. And there's a warehouse full of books online, too! Just create an account so we still get the 25% credit from your purchase before November 21.

Finally, we know how exciting the Annual Book Fair is (we are excited, too!). Middle Schoolers may have big feelings that they will be missing part of it due to the awesome Nature Bridge overnight to the Marin Headlands this Wednesday (Nov 13)-Friday (Nov 15). We’ve got great news – they will get additional class time in the Book Fair! MS students can shop the Book Fair during the entire 1st Period on Wednesday morning before they leave on their trip. They can buy a book or two to bring with them (we suggest writing their name in it). Or they can store purchases at school until they return, if they are worried about it getting lost.

Dear Stanbridge Parents,
     Thank you to all the families, alumni, and friends who showed up last Sunday at the Burlingame Community Center park for our annual picnic and Annual Fund Kick-off. We were very successful and are at 60% of our goal of 100% participation from parents. If you haven’t had a chance to make your Annual Fund gift, please click here to help us meet our goal. If you are giving through a platform such as Bright Funds, Benevity, Cybergrants or Front Door, please send Arielle Hendel, Advancement Director, an email to be on the look out for your gift. Giving through these platforms often triggers a matching gift which amplifies your gift and is very much appreciated!
     The Annual Fund bridges the gap between our expenses and the costs to run the school. Every gift helps! When we look for outside funding from foundations and community partners, they want to know that our community believes in itself enough to provide as much of its own support. Thank you to the families who have already made their gift or pledge. We appreciate you very much!
     Thank you as well to all the Middle School families that joined us over the last few weeks for our Transitioning to High School meetings. If you missed the meetings, you can view the slide deck here. If you have any questions about your 8th grader transitioning next year, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

Dear Stanbridge Community,
​   We have had another eventful week at school with our 10th-12th graders on experiential trips. The pictures we have seen show engaged, and happy students – check some of them out below and stay tuned to social media channels for more. These overnight trips help our students practice independence and responsibility as well as work on their executive functioning skills. A huge thank you to our faculty chaperones for providing the guidance and support that make these trips successful. 
   Overnight experientials always kick-off a busy time in the Stanbridge calendar leading up to the all-important Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. This week, you should have received instruction to sign up for conferences on consecutive Mondays, November 4th and November 11th. Most core faculty members are available to meet with you during these conference days. Please be sure to sign up for your chosen time/s by the Friday prior to conferences. See Tuesday's email for the link to sign up for Middle School, High School, and Specialists. Email your K-5 teacher to sign up for core Elementary conferences. All conferences will be on Google Meet.
   We are holding an Open House for High School on October 22 for prospective families interested in enrolling their child at Stanbridge. We are also holding a Special High School Open House for our current 7th and 8th grade families the following Tuesday on October 29. Both of these open houses are on campus from 9:00- 11:00 a.m. and will include time to hear about our program and to tour the classrooms in session.
   Our Bridges class is co-hosting a Preparing for College Zoom session with the Landmark Success Center on Wednesday, October 23, at 5:00 p.m. High Schoolers and their families can join us to see “What Comes Next: an overview of post-secondary options.” This session will include educational and vocational options as well as what supports are available and should be requested. Zoom link to be shared early this coming week.
   This coming Friday, October 25, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. will be our first High School Dance of the school year! Appropriately Fall-themed for Halloween, the entire High School is invited to attend. So, get your costumes ready and RSVP for this fun, social event. 
   Lastly before Halloween, we have over 125 people signed up to attend our annual community Back to School Picnic on October 27 from noon- 2:00 p.m. If you have not yet signed up, it is not too late – RSVPs are due this Monday. This event is for our Stanbridge community – past and present – and their family members, too! We will provide food and snacks, all you need to do is come enjoy lunch and games with other Stanbridge families!

Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
Julie Smith
Head of School

Dear Stanbridge Community,
   This week our Ninth graders went on the first experiential trip of the year! It's always very exciting to see our students leave and come back from these trips. (See this week's collage post for select pictures.) The students come back a little more self-assured, much closer to each other and the staff that accompanies them. This trip to Camp SEA Lab in Aptos gave our students a taste of marine research and the ocean ecosystem – they even participated in a sandcrab counting study. Experiential trips are essential because they allow our students to learn outside of the classroom, seeing the world outside themselves. Experientials are unique to Stanbridge, both for the individualization of their 'outdoors' curriculum and because it is part of the students' overall school experience.
   For Eighth grade parents wondering if your child will go on this or other experientials in High School, we will be holding a special session for our families to talk about High School at Stanbridge. In fact, we will be holding several open houses over the next few months welcoming current and prospective families alike.
   Stanbridge families are welcome to attend the sessions that relate to their children's needs. Admissions Open Houses are being held at 9:00 am on the following Fall Tuesdays:

• Open House for High School: October 22
• SPECIAL High School Open House for Stanbridge 8th Grade families: October 29
• Open House for Middle School: November 19
• Open House for Elementary School: December 10

   Please share this information with other families who may benefit from the Stanbridge Academy experience. Emily Mitchell, our Director of Admissions, will contact current Stanbridge families directly for their RSVP. Prospective families can RSVP through the Google Form on our website. If you have any questions about which session to attend, please feel free to connect with me or Emily Mitchell.
Have a great weekend!
Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
– Danny Martin, Principal