Completely self-guided, the Inquiry Project allows seniors to delve into a topic of personal or academic interest while achieving the School’s broader aim of creating a “culture of inquiry” across campus. Peter Arango, English teacher and Inquiry Team member, describes the process of developing these curricular changes as an inquiry project in itself. “The more we thought about options for alternative programs, the more we realized that what we were talking about was this process of inquiry,” he says. “We also realized that inquiry does not belong to any particular class or endeavor. What we really wanted was to create a culture of inquiry.”

Completely self-guided, the Inquiry Project allows seniors to delve into a topic of personal or academic interest while achieving the School’s broader aim of creating a “culture of inquiry” across campus. Peter Arango, English teacher and Inquiry Team member, describes the process of developing these curricular changes as an inquiry project in itself. “The more we thought about options for alternative programs, the more we realized that what we were talking about was this process of inquiry,” he says. “We also realized that inquiry does not belong to any particular class or endeavor. What we really wanted was to create a culture of inquiry.”

The individual projects in this first year vary widely. While Eliza Giles conducted original interviews and research focusing on gay rights in the United States and the implications at Cate, Chris Wilkinson studied the evolution of safety technology in NASCAR vehicles. Meanwhile, Ethan Chan re-created some of the most influential photographs of the 20th century in contemporary terms as a way of exploring the impact of these images on American culture. A relative newcomer to the United States, Ethan was interested in finding a common thread of influence, and used a survey to help determine which images formed the visual zeitgeist of the last century. For Susan Kim, the project made it possible to delve into a topic that has long interested her – dysfunctional societies – but for which she didn’t have an outlet until now. “I think the greatest benefit of the project is the fact that I get to read so many books from so many different time periods,” she says. “It also is a great exercise in attempting to draw connections between different time periods and ways of thinking.”

According to Art Department Chair and Curriculum Committee Chair Patrick Collins, “We envisioned a senior year that would be truly transformational and in which students would become, in [headmaster] Ben Williams’ characterization, ‘architects of their own learning.’ At most schools, teachers worry about ‘senioritis’ and describe the year as being somehow ‘over’ and students ‘done’ long before graduation, and we wanted Cate to be a school where students continue to learn and grow – because they want to – every day.”

Cate School would like to thank each of our generous donors who help us foster this culture of inquiry on the Mesa each and every day!

Last weekend, hundreds of Cate parents flocked to Carpinteria to enjoy a weekend on the Mesa. It was a wonderful weekend all around–parents attended classes with their students, watched sporting events, enjoyed student theatrical and musical productions, and more! At assembly on Friday, the School announced that 77% of underclassman parents have supported the Parent Fund! Thank you parents for your generosity!

If you are a current parent who has not yet made a gift to the Parent Fund, consider donating now, and help us reach 100% parent participation by June 30th!

Losing is never easy.  Losing to Thacher stings a bit more.  But in order to achieve the extraordinary, we have to be willing, from time to time, to come just short of success.  And despite losing a battle with Thacher, over the past month Cate’s young alumni inspired an entire community. Over half of our GOLD alumni (Graduates Of the Last Decade) made a gift in March, which solidifies Cate alumni as some of the most supportive alumni in country.

Why are folks on the Mesa so proud of our GOLD alumni?

• More than 50% of our youngest alumni, gave back in March.
• Cate received support from alumni living/travelling in more than 10 countries and alumni donated from every continent but Antarctica.  A truly global effort!
• More than 50 class volunteers led a volunteer-driven campaign.
• Together, our GOLD alumni have raised more than $12,000 this year for Cate–that’s more than in the past two years combined!

So on behalf of all of us at Cate, we want to thank everyone who was a part of this month’s efforts! It was a good run, and next year, you can bet we’ll be back and ready to Squash Them Toads!

Tuesday’s phonathon yielded more than 40 gifts! Faculty members, trustees, and parent volunteers got in touch with recent graduates, asking them to help us reach 100% participation by March 31. The buzz was palpable, and aside from a banner night of giving, it was a real show of community spirit.

We are so grateful to those who have given and to those who have helped during the month, and we intend to keep this momentum going until March 31 and beyond – because, ultimately, it’s about fostering the stimulating, supportive environment that is Cate.

Headmaster Ben Williams catches up with a recent alum at the March Magic phonathon.

From March 1 to March 31, Cate School and Thacher are competing to see who has the most loyal young alumni by encouraging Graduates of the Last Decade (our GOLD alumni), to make gifts to their respective schools in a competition we call “March Magic”. At the end of the month, whichever school boasts the highest percent participation from their GOLD base is crowned the winner.

In 2011, the March Magic inaugural year, the Cate Rams took the prize, but last year the Toads stole away the crown. So this year’s March Magic competition will truly settle the score. Gifts of each and every size count! The great part about this competition is that the size of the gift doesn’t matter — just that our young alumni participate in making a gift.

So if you are a Cate GOLD alumni help us “Squash them Toads!” and make a gift today at www.cate.org/donate!

To learn more about the competition or to see the current leader, check out www.catevsthacher.org.

On February 1, 27 members of the International Club and Chinese Club along with Chinese Teachers Sufen Yen and Zai Li, mathematics teacher/photographer Mary Arango, and History/Science teacher Jim Masker attended a Chinese New Year Celebration at the home of International Parent Advisor/Advancement faculty member Meg Bradley and her husband George Choquette.

A week-long observation of Chinese New Year culminated with this special dinner celebrating the New Year prepared by eight Cate students. After dinner, everyone shared stories about how their families commemorate this important cultural event. This annual event is a wonderful way for our international students to get a taste of home!

In Hong Kong, Mimi Brown ’92 hosted 28 families at her art space, Sebastian Man hosted an intimate alumni dinner, and Vin and Esther Narain, parents of Marina ’13, hosted an admission reception. In South Korea, parents of eleven current students gathered for dinner while Jeeyeon In arranged an admission reception; and in Taipai, Chien-Ping and Leslie Wei, parents of Vivian ’11 and Jeffrey ’13, hosted an alumni dinner and arranged an admission reception.

Meeting with Cate families always provides such important information about what they value in a Cate education, so thank you to our hosts and guests for sharing your time and views with us!

The Holiday Season is over, Auld Lang Syne has been sung, and most of us are back in our regular routines. Here at Cate, students are slowly making their way back to the dorms and reconnecting with their friends. There’s a sense of quiet excitement as they anticipate the upcoming launch of classes and a return to normalcy.

Of course with the new year, come resolutions–vows to lose ten pounds, travel more, finish that draft of the great American novel… We decided that since everyone else is trimming down and focusing on improving themselves, our very own Giving Page could use a little facelift, too! So if you have a few moments today, please take a look at our newly updated Giving Page!

We’d love to hear what you think. Please e-mail me with any feedback. Happy New Year!