School Activities

Anacapa School to Go ‘Beyond Borders’ with Middle East Synthesis Unit

From art to music to politics, Anacapa students will get an in-depth look at the complexities of the region

January 6, 2015 — Santa Barbara, Calif.

This month, students at Anacapa School will have the honor of hearing from an impressive array of experts during the school’s annual Synthesis Unit, which will explore the topic “Beyond Borders: Cultures and Conflicts in the Middle East.” A well-rounded panel of professionals will make individual 45-minute presentations and then answer students’ questions on … Read more


An Evening of Diverse Music From UCSB Middle East Ensemble

Join us on January 27, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library

As part of Anacapa’s 2015 Synthesis Unit, “Beyond Borders: Cultures and Conflicts in the Middle East,” we present an evening of diverse music from the region. UCSB Middle East Ensemble performs music and dance from Arab, Turkish, Persian, Armenian, Greek, Sephardic and Oriental Jewish, Kurdish, Assyrian cultures.

This free event is open to the public.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.

Facebook photos

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
Read more

Commencement 2014

Facebook photos

Anacapa’s graduation celebrated the six members of the Class of 2014 at a commencement ceremony on June 13th at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club (Rockwood), but the graduating seniors were not the only ones in the spotlight. Following tradition, Anacapa recognized the accomplishments of the entire student body during the all-school awards ceremony.

After an outdoor patio reception for friends and families, guests moved indoors where Suzie Sichi, head of faculty, presided over the program. Anacapa parents, grandparents, … Read more


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 Report on Talk about American Security in a Post-Snowden Era

by Grace Strelich

On May 20th at the Channel City Club and Committee on Foreign Relations luncheon, speaker Frederick Fleitz touched on the relevant topic of a post-Snowden era for American security. Fleitz has served in United States national security areas for twenty-five years, holding positions in the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of State, and the House Intelligence Committee. He also served as the Chief of Staff for John Bolton, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Fleitz … 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


Anacapa Students Cover Former Pakistan Ambassador at Channel City Club

By Anacapa Students Nike Cosmides (grade 10) & Genevieve Hatfield (grade 12)

To provide insight into Pakistani-American relations, Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistan ambassador to the United States from 2008-2011, spoke to the Channel City Club this week about his newest book Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding. Mr Haqqani shared at the outset of his presentation that he has been charged with treason, is now living in exile, and is currently teaching international … Read more


‘Talking the Talk’ in Foreign Language Classes

From the Anacapa School Foreign Language Department …

While there are many challenging and complex components to learning a foreign language, (to be able to comprehend, read, translate, and write, etc.), one of the greatest and most important challenges can be pronunciation. Consider for a moment the language of English and some of its confusing pronunciation details. For example, the letter “h” in “hat” is pronounced, but not in “ghost”; the same goes for the letter “k” in “kitten” and … Read more


Anacapa School Troupe to Present ‘Seussical The Musical’

Independent school’s theater group will revisit the humor and wisdom of Dr. Seuss in its performance next month

April 23, 2014 — Santa Barbara, Calif.

Anacapa School’s performing arts department will present “Seussical the Musical” with performances on May 16 and 17 at 7:00 pm at the Center Stage Theater in Paseo Nuevo shopping center in downtown Santa Barbara.

Tony Award-winning musicians Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including … Read more


Anacapa Students Cover Bipartisan Foreign Policy Talk at Channel City Club

By Grace Strelich (grade 11) and Lia Milar (grade 11)

This week at the Channel City Club the topic presented was the sustainability of democracy in the Middle East and post-Arab Spring status reports. The discussion on Monday was made in tandem by a team consisting of Leslie Campbell of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for International Affairs and Scott Mastic of the International Republican Institute (IRI).

Campbell is the director of the Middle East and North African division of … Read more


Dr. Sung Won Sohn Speaks on the U.S. Economy

By Shayna Smith (grade 12)

The Channel City Club and Committee on Foreign Relations welcomed well-known economist, Sung Won Sohn, Ph.D., to a luncheon held on Monday at the Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara. Before introducing Dr. Sohn, Channel City Club member Brian Robertson awarded Betty Rosness a certificate from the Maritime Museum in honor of her dedication to local non-profit organizations.

Dr. Sohn graduated from both the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Business School. He has experience serving … Read more


The 30th Annual Anacapa School Auction

Buy tickets online | Live auction preview

 … Read more


From the Anacapa Visual Arts Department

Photography
I’m writing on a Tuesday night, having taught Photography today. Our class looked like this: the students who are new to Photography this semester got a lecture on the elements of design and composition. Then they looked at an Henri Cartier Bresson book to spot those elements in his work. Meanwhile, at the other side of the classroom, the students who have taken Photography before set up a light kit and used Key, Fill and Background lights to create … Read more


Anacapa Students Are Exploring Life’s Big Questions

Annual Synthesis Unit focuses on world religions

“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

Read more

A Word from the Anacapa English Department

Lower School Literature: 7th Grade
The most recent project for Peggy’s 7th grade Literature class had students engaged in creating their own nations with both political and economic systems. The project is a follow-up to the students’ reading of Animal Farm by George Orwell. After we read the novel, we discussed how the rebellion and new society conceived by the animals of Manor Farm is an analogy for the Russian Revolution. A short lesson in the history of the revolution … Read more


PBS’s Bonnie Erbé Speaks on Birth Tourism

By Rufus O’Dea and Elena Alcerro, Anacapa School Students

Bonnie Erbé, journalist and host of the PBS news program “To The Contrary,” now in its 23rd season, spoke to members of the Channel City Club on Monday about her views on birth tourism, the term used for foreign nationals who come to the United States with the intention of giving birth on American soil to grant their children U.S. citizenship under terms of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.… Read more


Christian Whiton on Diplomacy and War

By Anacapa School 11th Grade Students Grace Strelich and Lia Milar

Christian Whiton, a former U.S. State Department official and author of the book Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War, spoke at a luncheon on Wednesday at the Montecito Country Club as part of the Channel City Club and Committee on Foreign Relations speaker series.

Whiton served in the U.S. State Department under President George W. Bush as a special advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Global … Read more


Anacapans Take Pride in Their Campus

Anacapa School’s historic campus, located in the heart of the Santa Barbara civic center, is a source of pride for the Anacapa community, and everyone works together to keep it shipshape. Students share in the responsibility to care for the campus with both five-minute jobs and the work study program.

At the end of each school day, every student is responsible for a five-minute job which ranges from erasing the boards to taking out the trash. With all 59 students … Read more


Grassroots Performers Bring Motown to Our Town

Facebook photos

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


From the Performing Arts Department

Motown Magic
Friday, January 10, at 7:30 P.M. (NOTE EARLY TIME)
Saturday, January 11, at 7:30 P.M. (NOTE EARLY TIME)
TICKETS: $10 general, $5 students, Anacapa students free with ID

PERFORMING ARTS
This semester, students in the Performing Arts elective class are busy preparing for their January performance, “Motown Magic,” which will be presented at Center Stage Theater in Paseo Nuevo on Friday and Saturday evenings, January 10th and 11th. In collaboration with the Ensemble Music class, the students are … Read more