Each month, our kindergarteners bake muffins for the children at Westwood Transitional Village, a family shelter that they also visit during the school year. This fall’s orange-cranberry muffins filled the building with a delicious smell, and the students lit up knowing that the treats they made would be enjoyed by the children at the shelter.

Maddi D. ’29 and Ryan H. ’30 recently performed at the Winners' Showcase of the Magnum Opus International Speech and Drama Competition, at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall. They earned their spots after winning 1st place in Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation at last spring’s Southern California Junior Forensics League's SoCal Championships. Ryan presented two rousing Amanda Gorman poems addressing the climate crisis, taking 1st Place in Poetry Interpretation! 

In honor of Veterans Day, leftover Halloween candy donated by families, along with students’ handwritten cards, were delivered to several VA locations, including Home for Heroes, a Community Living Center; the VA’s Peer Center; New Directions for Veterans; and The Domiciliary. Said Director of Veteran Education Dr. Susie Lyons: “It was a heartfelt gesture to thank Veterans for their service, and I was truly impressed by the students’ thoughtful messages of gratitude and care.”

The annual Turkey Count invites students to search for turkeys around the Lower School library. As they explore shelves and reading spaces, they try to spot every turkey, then can submit a guess for the total number of turkeys. At the end of the activity, the librarian, Dana LaPar, announces which students guessed closest to the correct number! This festive challenge encourages careful observation, number sense, and a bit of friendly competition. 

Brentwood School cheer teams competed at the USA Southern California Regional I cheer competition at Summit High School in Fontana, a repeat performance for varsity and a first for the JV squad. "Since I started coaching here eight years ago — and since Assistant Coach Molly (Sullivan) was on my team — we've both loved competing,” said Coach Hasani Sinclair. “We were excited to be competing and we're proud of the girls."

Coco Robotics visited 2nd graders for a special presentation featuring their self-driving delivery robots — the same colorful vehicles often seen zipping through the streets of Los Angeles. The visit complemented the 2nd grade transportation unit and inspired students to consider the ways that technology is shaping the future of deliveries. Coco was a charming and engaging robot!

Fourth grade students visited Mission San Juan Capistrano for the educational program “Remembering the Builders,” where they learned about the lives of the Ajachemen people, who faced dramatic changes with the arrival of Spanish missionaries. Through a docent-led tour of the historic mission grounds and a hands-on, adobe-brick building workshop, students explored the roles indigenous people played — including construction, farming, and cattle-raising — long before and during mission times.

During a field trip to the Living Desert Zoo, 3rd graders fed a giraffe, met a desert tortoise, and visited the animal hospital to see how baby tortoises are cared for before being released into the wild. They learned how conservationists track tortoises by numbering their shells, saw wallabies in the Australian habitat, and discovered how people worldwide protect desert animals. Along the way, they spotted snakes, rhinos, and other animals! 

Congratulations to the Upper School students who delighted audiences with a hilarious rendition of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, the comedy follows enthusiastic amateur actors who are trying to put on a 1920s murder mystery, when everything goes wrong, from collapsing sets and missing props to forgotten lines and actors fainting — pure chaos from start to finish!

After student votes were tallied, the winner of the Middle School pumpkin-carving contest was “PumpCan Bot,” a creation of ed tech specialist Bob Kahn.”PumpCan Bot” had tri-color LED eyes and a distance sensor nose. Waving a hand changed the eyes from green to flashing purple and elicited spooky sounds. The “brains” were created with HummingbirdBit robotics and the bot was programmed using Snap!, the system used in the Middle School elective, Introduction to Robotics and Engineering.

In an assembly for the Middle and Upper Schools, students interviewed Michael Johnson, the Upper School chef and an Army Veteran, and Ryan Rubio, an Air Force Veteran. Michael served in Afghanistan and said the military taught him resilience and that he can accomplish anything. Ryan was inspired to enlist after 9/11. Injured in Iraq, he said the military provided purpose, compassion, and perspective.

Lower School students learned about Veterans Day and wrote cards of gratitude to those who have served. They also donated Halloween leftovers, contributing about 7,500 pieces; 1st and 3rd graders packed the candy into gift bags that were delivered to Veterans on Veterans Day. And in a special Crayon Club, 2nd grader Noah A.’s father Chris shared his experience working in air traffic control for the Air Force.

Eric G. ‘26, our orchestra’s principal on flute and piccolo and the winds section leader, has been selected for the All-State Orchestra for the fourth consecutive year. The California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) considered thousands of applicants and announced the All-State Orchestra on October 28. Eric will solo at the November 20 winter music concert, and the CODA Honor Orchestras perform December 5-6 at University of the Pacific in Stockton.

Students in 3rd-5th grades enjoyed a special visit from author, educator, dancer, and storyteller Violet Duncan. A member of the Plains Cree and Taino nations, Duncan entertained and shared lessons through stories, providing students with insight into the importance of traditional storytelling within Indigenous communities. 

The Lower School celebrated Diwali during First Friday with Friends. Parents handed out mango popsicles, and buddy pairs enjoyed recess activities, including temporary tattoos and bindis. Then everyone gathered in the gym for a presentation by the South Asian Family Association on the meaning of Diwali, the Festival of Lights celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Students in colorful costumes acted out the traditional story of Diwali.