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Head of School’s Notebook – This Must Be The Place
During the Sunset Ceremony this fall, senior Henry Koepp delivered a beautiful and clever speech referencing the Talking Heads lyrics “Home is where I want to be” as he welcomed us all back to the Mesa. Not only is that song one of my personal favorites, but its title This Must Be The Place so …
Cate Competes at Ethics Bowl
By Andrew Peng ’26 A team of six students from Ewe Speaks, the Cate speech and debate club, represented Cate at the Regional National High School Ethics Bowl competition in Los Angeles at Chapman University on Saturday, Feb 8. We had a great time competing and collaborating with teams from other schools on addressing various ethical dilemmas. …
2025 Dance Convocation
By Colette Chang ’25 and Tori Kim ’27 Journey Through Time was certainly timeless. Featuring pieces that explored decades of dance, this year’s convocation interwove dance history and universal human experiences through flashbacks, time travel, moments in life, and emotions—grief, nostalgia, romance, and sorrow. The journey began with “Solitude” by Michael Szanyi—an introspective piece dealing …
Head of School’s Notebook – It’s About Time
Our dancers put on the most remarkable Dance Convocation this week centered on the theme of time and all its dimensions. Like the seasons, the various qualities of time have their own rhythm inviting us into a fuller experience into the cyclical nature of our inner lives. Many cultural and religious traditions speak to the …
Head of School’s Notebook
I welcome the opportunity to pause and reflect at the end of the week as it is my strong belief that the story we tell and the meaning we make from our life experiences is what shapes how we see ourselves and the world. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Multicultural Programming Coordinator Kadeine Peterson, …
MLK Day at Cate: Breaking Bread in Community
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Cate community explored the power of food as a unifying tool and a means to address systemic inequities through the theme Breaking Bread in Community. Monday’s celebration highlighted the intersection of food insecurity and civil rights, reflecting Dr. King’s vision of a world where everyone has …
Cate Students Organize Fundraiser for LA Wildfire Relief
A group of Cate students organized a successful fundraiser last Saturday, raising more than $1,000 in less than two hours to support those affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles. The event, held at the Carpinteria Arts Center, featured live performances in a benefit concert coordinated and performed entirely by Cate students. Quinn Vanasco …
Cate Delegates Travel to New York for Columbia Model UN
By Pari Malik ’27 It takes three sugar cane to make one piece of paper. Confused? I was too. That was until I experienced the first trading session at the Minecraft Village Council meeting during Columbia’s Model United National Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE). Columbia University has one of the top Model United Nations programs in …
Head of School’s Notebook: Service in Spirit
As we head into the final days of the year where giving and receiving gifts is central to many cultural practices, I find myself reflecting on the adage, “It is better to give than receive.” Here at Cate, our ethos of Servons codifies our shared belief that life is made meaningful through regular and generous …
Hiking Club Treks to Sulphur Mountain
By Ian Sheshunoff ’26 On November 9, Hiking Club led the first of hopefully many bike trips to Sulphur Mountain in Ojai. In the days leading up to the planned departure, the nearby Mountain Fire led to fears of unsafe conditions, but after receiving a go-ahead from the Ventura County Fire Department, the expedition proceeded …
Head of School’s Notebook
Happy Fall Break! Today, our students are in various stages of travel on their way to their loved ones. We can already feel their absence here, yet we know how excited they are for this break and for the chance to reconnect with the people and places they know and love. As we all prepare …
Head of School’s Notebook
Fall Family Weekend is an important milestone marking the halfway point between the start of school and Winter Break. Like the start to a story, this first chapter of the year holds clues and emerging themes that foreshadow what we might expect in the months to come. From my perspective, the level of engagement, high …
Head of School’s Notebook
During my visits to 9th grade Humanities classes this week, I saw students simultaneously at ease and engaged as they wrestled to make meaning of a passage from Oedipus. Every time I get the opportunity to spend time in classrooms, I see the power of our inquiry method on display as students lean more into …
Round Square International Conference: Colombia
At the end of September, Cate School sent six students and two faculty members to the 56th Round Square International Conference (RSIC) in Bogotá, Colombia. This annual event, designed for students aged 16-18, rotates around the globe, with different schools hosting each year. This year’s conference was hosted by Colegio Anglo Colombiano, Colegio Gran Bretaña, …
Desi Student Union Celebrates Holi
The Desi Student Union hosted a vibrant Holi celebration on Friday, March 22, 2024, featuring a dynamic two-hour dance workshop led by Aakansha Maheshwari, Founder and Artistic Director of BollyPop in Los Angeles. The workshop, filled with energetic music, movement, and celebration, brought the spirit of Holi to campus. Open to the entire school community, …
New Inquiry Collaborative Fosters Community and Curiosity
At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Cate opened the doors to its new hub for learning and inquiry, the Inquiry Collaborative (CoLab). Housed in the CoLab is the Wykoff Library run by Director of Libraries Carolyn LaMontagne and Librarian Alesia Aceves. Both new to the Cate community, they bring a fresh and revitalized …
2024 BIPOC Community Reception
Prior to the 2024 Sunset Ceremony, students, faculty, staff, and community members of the Mesa attended the largest-ever community reception, with over 100 guests in attendance. With desserts, yard games, and a curated playlist of music spanning cultures, the event offered space for students and adults to come together in community for meaningful connection and …
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 …
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, …
Head of School’s Notebook: A Look Back at 2023-2024
A Look Back at 2023-2024 Today marks the official end of the academic year and after the last student drives down the hill towards home tomorrow, the dorms, classrooms, and hallways will stand empty. With this quiet comes an invitation to look back at some of the many highlights of the year. Here’s a little …