SCV35 NEWS
Picture credit: Calabasas School Facebook
By Emily Van Hassel
Love was in the air, and so was the school spirit! Students and staff celebrated a week full of festive fun, showcasing friendship, kindness, and plenty of heart-shaped cheer. Each day brought creative outfits and joyful moments, making this Valentine’s Spirit Week one to remember. Check out the highlights from this sweet celebration!
By Emily Van Hassel
Calabasas School recently celebrated student success with its unique Honor Roll System, featuring the "Mark Your Paw" and "Rockin' It" traditions. These events recognize students who have demonstrated academic growth or proficiency in meeting grade-level expectations.
Mark Your Paw honors K-5 students, inviting them and their families to participate in a special tradition—painting their handprint on a ceiling tile, complete with their name and graduation year, as a lasting symbol of their achievement.
Rockin’ It celebrates 6th-8th grade students, giving them the opportunity to decorate a rock of their choice with their name and graduation year. With the support of their families, students place their personalized rocks in the school's garden area, creating a lasting tribute to their hard work.
These meaningful celebrations not only highlight academic achievement but also foster a sense of pride and community among students, families, and staff. Congratulations students on all of your hard work and dedication!
By Uma Gupta
A group of students from Ms. Ruchi Chhabra's English 1 class at Coatimundi recently participated in an international Inter-School Virtual Connect initiative, where students exchanged ideas and showcased their enthusiasm during the session “Cultural Odyssey: Journeying Through the Heart of Diversity.” Students from our school and Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, in New Delhi, India, shared cultural traditions with each other via a virtual meeting, exchanging information about Diwali and Halloween. Students enjoyed learning about different traditions.
Saori Rocha and Katrina Pina felt the experience made them realize that "both cultures have different ways of expressing themselves. Although they are both different and unique, they are also similar. Diwali and Halloween are both similar because they are about keeping away evil. They both make people happy, and they bring people together. They both bring out creativity as well. During Diwali, people make rangoli and decorate buildings. During Halloween, people also decorate buildings, and some make their own costumes".
The second virtual meeting was an Environmental Summit centered on an in-depth dialogue between schools about the most pressing environmental challenges confronting both nations. With a specific emphasis on perspectives and potential solutions, the aim was to create an opportunity for young people to explore innovative approaches to addressing critical environmental issues in their communities. "I learned that the students at Bal Bharati School have several programs and routines to help combat pollution, such as making furniture from trash," commented Ayslin Estrada. Samantha Arellano found it interesting that students used to help recycle at school to make handmade paper.
The key takeaway was that festivals, with all their differences, were about celebrating family traditions and relationships. We hope to continue the dialogue where students can develop collaborative strategies and action steps.
