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Education
Santa Ynez High senior Elle Arvisen, the Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge October Student of the Month, receives her $100 check from Exalted Ruler Robert Ramirez. Photo Courtesy of Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge
Elle Arvesen Named October Student of the Month
From the Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge
The Santa Ynez Valley Elks are proud to honor Elle Arvesen as our October Student of the Month. Elle was chosen by the teachers and staff at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.
Since her freshman year, Elle has been active in several clubs and activities at the high school, and this year is the co-president of the Theatre Group, president of the Journalism Club, senior class vice president in the Associated Student Body, and a member of the CLEAR Environmental Club. Since 2020, Elle has been a member of the National Honors Society and the California Scholarship Federation. She received a $100 scholarship for her leadership experience from the Global Leadership Connection.
Since 2013, Elle has been very active in the Los Olivos Lucky Clover 4-H Club in a variety of leadership and community service roles as the club’s reporter, vice president, and president. Since 2017, Elle has been active in Arts Outreach Youth Community Theatre. Elle is also a teen columnist and writes a monthly column for the Santa Ynez Valley News.
Elle is considering careers in theater and English. She wants to attend a four-year college, double-majoring in theater arts and English. Elle is a young scholar with a bright future and the Elks are proud to award her this honor and $100.
Dunn Middle School students pause during a hike on an outdoor education trip to Pinnacles National Park this past fall. Photo Courtesy of Dunn School Dunn Middle School Holds Open House To Showcase To Prospective New Families
‘Unicorn of middle schools’ welcomes students entering grades six through eight
Staff Report
In describing the value of the sixth- to eighth-grade experience at Dunn School, one current family called it “the unicorn of middle schools.”
The Dunn School Admissions Department is poised to demonstrate exactly what that experience feels like in the second of two open house events for local families — the first was held on Dec. 1, and the second Open House will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Both events will be held on campus at the Cindy Bronfman Leadership Center.
Visitors will receive information on the admissions process and financial aid, will meet with teachers and take a campus tour led by current students.
“Some eighth-graders will act as ambassadors, be the tour guides and be the voices of the school,” said Christy Nordgren, Dunn’s Middle School dean. “They’ll be able to answer visiting families’ questions and share their own experiences at the school.”
The experiential nature of student-led tours and learning by doing is in line with the school’s mission to deliver Whole Student Education — a foundation dating back 65 years to its founder Tony Dunn — and the philosophy is built to allow middle schoolers the unique opportunity to discover the person they are becoming in a supportive environment.
“Whole student education is relationship-based teaching and learning through a variety of contexts,” said Nordgren. “It’s us being responsive to students’ adolescent development. It’s important really knowing the age group of the students we serve and know that they grow and change through challenging circumstances.”
To RSVP to attend an open house, please call (805) 686-0650 or email admissions@ dunnschool.org.
