Anacapa Welcomes Two New Teachers
Two new teachers will be part of the Anacapa faculty beginning in the fall, as they join us for the 2015-2016 academic year. Emily Regan will head up the English Department, and Emily de Moor will be our new science expert.
Emily Regan joins us after recently earning her M.A. in teaching at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Emily taught in an outdoor school in Southern California for three years after completing her undergraduate studies in English at Franklin … Read more
Anacapa Graduation Says It Loud and Clear: We’re a Small School with a Big Heart!
As much as any Anacapa tradition, Anacapa School’s annual commencement and all-school awards ceremony speaks volumes about the small school with a big heart. Almost every student—from grades 7 through 12—comes to wish the graduates good luck and bid them farewell while parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends “pack the house” each year.
This year’s graduation on Friday, June 12 moved to a new venue, Casa de la Guerra. “We were delighted to be holding our … Read more
Anacapa Students are Going Beyond Borders
This year’s Synthesis Unit focused on the Middle East
“This unit helped me see beyond the black-and-white stereotypes that are often portrayed by the media, and better understand the many ways different people are connected.”
-9th grade student
2014-2015 Synthesis Unit Schedule • Facebook photo album • Synthesis Unit Responses 2015
Students from Anacapa School became scholars of the Middle East recently as part of a week-long intensive study of the cultures, conflicts, and complexities of this region of the … Read more
End-of-the-Year Trip: San Francisco
Teachers: Bryan Anderson, Paula Campanelli, Hugo Macario, Megan Nesland, Gordon Sichi, Suzie Sichi, and Dillon Yuhasz
We left promptly at 6:00 am for San Francisco with our long-term, veteran Santa Barbara Airbus driver, David Harkness, at the wheel. Our goal was to arrive in San Francisco in time for Sunday Swing Dancing in Golden Gate Park. Traffic was so congested getting to Golden Gate Park that we ended up getting off the bus … Read more
Anacapa Student Reports on Talk by Author Blaine Harden
By Nike Cosmides (11th Grade)
Blaine Harden, author of international bestseller Escape from Camp 14, addressed the Channel City Club last week about his newest book, The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot.
Harden spoke about of the origin of North Korea’s endurance as an oppressive and secretive nation, and the nature of its relationship with America. He described his book as “an attempt to make North Korea comprehensible to Americans, and give an adventure story at the … Read more
The Performing Arts Class Presents: “Once on This Island”!
The Performing Arts Class was a hit in their presentation of Once on This Island on May 8th and 9th at the Center Stage Theater in Paseo Nuevo.
Once on This Island is a captivating legend of romance between a peasant girl and a rich city boy whom she saves from death. This calypso-flavored story opens on a Caribbean island where villagers comfort a little girl with the story of the orphan Ti Moune, destined to love too … Read more
Record-Breaking Balloonist Shares His Passion for Adventure
As Alan Eustace parachuted from a helium balloon at 135,890 feet above the Earth’s surface, it was the engineering prowess of Julian Nott that he was relying on. Eustace’s team, including Julian as senior balloon consultant, broke the world altitude record on October 24, 2014.
Julian returned to Breakfast Club to share this latest adventure and some other insights with Anacapa. Julian’s personal journey includes a lifelong passion for adventure, thrill and challenge.
“It is a real joy to come … Read more
A Word From the English Department
Lower School Literature
The Lower School Literature class has had a very busy semester reading a lot, learning new vocabulary, studying grammar, and writing often. One of their favorite activities was keeping a journal in the voice of one of the characters in Lord of the Flies. Seeing the events of the novel through the eyes of one of the characters was fun for the student and offered many insights into the story. After they wrote character analyses, the students … Read more
Literature Society Luncheon
The students in the AP Literature class once again had the wonderful experience of attending a gathering of the Santa Barbara Literary Society luncheon. It is the eleventh time Anacapa students have been hosted by the Literary Society. Along with their teacher, Peggy Lauer, the students had the invaluable experience and honor of meeting privately with Hector Tobar, the author of Deep Down Dark, the true story of thirty-three Chilean miners who were trapped in a collapsed mine for sixty-nine … Read more
From the Anacapa School Science Department
MARINE BIOLOGY
The Upper School Marine Biology class kicked off the year with an investigation of Nanotechnology. This unit was a culmination of my work in a nanotechnology lab at UCSB. The students in my Upper School classes got to be guinea pigs of sorts, testing out a new curriculum that will hopefully help students understand the immense possibilities in the realm of nanotechnology as well as how some of these seemingly miraculous innovations work. Just ask your Upper School … Read more
Anacapa Students Report on Talk by Polar Expert Kristin Larson
By Elena Alcerro (grade 10) and Morgan Lamberti (grade 10)
On December 10, 2014, Kristin Larson spoke at the Channel City Club’s Festive Annual Holiday Luncheon Program. Her talk was titled “Our Polar Regions in Transition: Emerging Issues and Opportunities in a Time of Thaw.” Kristin Larson is an experienced scientist, explorer, and attorney. In addition to having graduate degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, and bioengineering, she also has her J.D. from George Washington University Law School. Ever the explorer, she … Read more
Anacapa Volunteers Plant at El Presidio Garden
Hello, we are Sam, Lottie, and Elise, the new Presidio Heritage Garden Interns from the Anacapa School. We started our work here on September 22nd with a tour around the presidio grounds from Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Archaeologist Mike Imwalle to see what our semester at the gardens would hold, and were introduced to the dedicated employees working diligently here in the Presidio offices. We have been coming here to work every Monday and Wednesday afternoon since then. … Read more
Beginning-of-the-Year Trip: Santa Cruz Island
September 15-18, 2014
Teachers Attending the Trip: Bryan Anderson, Hugo Macario, Megan Nesland, Gordon Sichi, Suzie Sichi, and Dillon Yuhasz.
Pre-Trip Orientation Activities
Students prepared for the Santa Cruz Island Trip with a number of pre-trip orientation activities during the afternoons of the first week of school:
- On Friday, September 5, our new school year orientation program included kayaking sessions at Leadbetter Beach to let the students practice their kayaking skills. Channel Islands Outfitters provided the kayaks and
The Importance of the Trips at Anacapa School
Upper School Boston Trip | Lower School Sacramento Trip
There is no doubt that Anacapa trips are some of the most positive long-term memories students take away from their Anacapa years. A comment often heard over the years from our alumni is that they appreciate the fact that they went to places they would never have gone otherwise. As we have maintained the annual scheduling established early on for the Beginning-of-the-Year and End-of-the-Year Trips with many of the same venues, … Read more
Anacapa Students Honor The Boys Who Stormed Normandy
Anacapa School has a long history of honoring veterans. On every Veterans Day, our school is in session to take advantage of community events honoring veterans and to be able to invite speakers onto our campus to share their experiences as veterans with our students and teachers. Two men who have made numerous appearances at Anacapa in the past were recently honored on May 8 by the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, in collaboration with The Channel City Club, for their … Read more
Lower School End-of-the-Year Trip: Sacramento
March 31 – April 3, 2014
Teachers: Megan Nesland and Suzie and Gordon Sichi
Media release | Facebook photos
Monday, March 31
Students arrived on campus at 6:00 AM for a 6:30 departure. With 20 students and an entire Santa Barbara Airbus to ourselves, the packing went very easily. Once again, veteran Anacapa bus driver David Harkness was our careful and courteous driver.
With our trip’s special focus on California water issues, our first stop at 11:30 was the San … Read more
Anacapa Students Are Exploring Life’s Big Questions
Annual Synthesis Unit focuses on world religions
… Read more“The most powerful part of the unit was the way we had a variety of beliefs and gods as well as points of view. It felt almost as if we were traveling around the world getting to know the people and their religion along the way. Occasionally, it even felt as if we were traveling through time. It was an incredible week filled with lots of learning, experiences, and fun.”
-7th grade student
Grassroots Performers Bring Motown to Our Town
On Friday and Saturday, January 10th and 11th, Anacapa’s Grassroots performers from the Performing Arts and Ensemble Music classes put on two performances of “Motown Magic” at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. The performers have been working all semester to perfect songs from the Motown collection—memorable hits such as “”Sugar Pie, Honeybunch,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Mister Postman.” By showtime, the classic two- and three-part singing techniques and iconic dance moves were ready for primetime!
“It was … Read more
A Look at Athletics at Anacapa School
At Anacapa School, students and faculty alike are pushed to establish and maintain healthy, active lifestyles. From Breakfast Club speakers to club offerings to elective classes, Anacapa makes sure that every student finds an activity that fits their personal interests while encouraging us all to be physically fit. During this first semester, students have a variety of opportunities to get muscles working and hearts pumping, including elective classes such as Basketball, Soccer, Rock Climbing and SB Trails, as well as … Read more
Neeva & Pica Are Presidio Heritage Garden Interns
A short piece from Neeva and Pica about their internship at the Presidio Heritage Garden originally published in Dispatches from the Presidio Neighborhood, a blog produced by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
We are the new Presidio Heritage Garden interns at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, Neeva and Pica. We come from Anacapa Schoolevery Monday and Wednesday afternoon to work with Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Archaeologist Michael Imwalle on taking … Read more
Anacapa School Opens Its Doors to Prospective Students
Independent school is now enrolling new students for 2014-2015 school year
November 11, 2013 — Santa Barbara, Calif.
As Anacapa School approaches its admittance cap for the 2013-2014 school year, the independent school has announced a full schedule of open house events for applicants for the fall 2014 semester. The school will also consider applications for a limited number of mid-year enrollments for the current school year.
“We have a great group of new and returning students this year,” said … Read more
From The Anacapa School Science & Mathematics Departments
Lower School Physical Science (Megan Nesland)
Physical Science offers Lower School students a chance to appreciate the scientific concepts at work in the world around us. Students use weekly lab assignments to investigate everyday phenomena, with an emphasis on the ongoing question: why do things work the way that they do? Students have many activities and projects to look forward to throughout the year, including a culminating project in which they design their own roller coasters based on their knowledge … Read more
Mayor Schneider Wins in Anacapa School’s Student Poll
Anacapa students pick winners for Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor
If it were up to Anacapa School’s seventh and eighth graders, Helene Schneider would keep her post as Santa Barbara’s mayor. After hearing from eight of the 12 candidates for Santa Barbara Mayor and City Council, Anacapa School students held a mock election.
For the past two decades, Gordon Sichi, Anacapa’s founding headmaster and teacher of the American Society course, has invited candidates for Santa Barbara City Council to … Read more
New STEM Initiatives Take Shape at Anacapa
FROM THE ANACAPA SCHOOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT . . .
The Anacapa Science and Technology Department is expanding in some exciting ways this year. In addition to this semester’s more traditional science classes (Physical Science in the Lower School and Chemistry and Conceptual Physics in the Upper School), students also have an opportunity to apply new concepts in two new innovative class offerings—Lower School Robotics and the Upper School STEAM Lab. Hands-on activities are a very popular part of … Read more