Cate School

After the first full day of classes, students gathered with their advisory groups for dinner—whether in faculty homes or off the Mesa. It was a chance to reconnect, share stories, and enjoy good food together after the break!

And we’re back!! The campus dogs are excited for their favorite people (the students) to return to the Mesa for 2025! So wonderful to have the campus and classrooms filled again!

After the final Formal Dinner of the year, the community gathered in the Chapel for the annual Winter by Candlelight performance. An incredible evening filled beautiful music, singing, dancing, and readings! Kudos to all the performers! Thank you for the joyful evening together as we depart for break!

Cate’s climbing team competed on some new bouldering and top rope challenges today! Nice job working out all the different challenges!

At the Winter Fair students organized and participated in tree decorating, a cake walk, building gingerbread houses, and a pie eating contest!

On Friday, we welcomed local artist Arturo Tello to campus, where he shared the story behind his painting “Fields and Foothills” and its connection to the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. This stunning piece, recently acquired from the .arts.center, now hangs in our newly renovated Inquiry Collaborative Building, which opened this fall.

The painting captures an inland view from the Carpinteria Bluffs towards the Mesa. It was previously purchased to support the preservation efforts of our local bluffs.

Thank you, Arturo, for sharing your art, passion, and your dedication to preserving our natural world!

Kudos to all our student performers at the Merry & Bright Holiday Festival at the Carpinteria Arts Center! .arts.center thank you for allowing us to join!

Join us tonight for the Winter by Candlelight Community Show! Sunday at 7pm in the Chapel.

Congratulations to Cate Boys Basketball for winning the Ojai Classic Tournament this weekend!! Great team performance in the 64-53 win against Orcutt Academy to claim the championship!

Girls Varsity Basketball played great basketball this evening as they defeated Santa Clara! Shout outs to Sam '25 and Josie '28 who both finishing the game with 14 points!

Cate Boys Soccer is off to a terrific start to the season! Another resounding victory on the Mesa as they won 8-2 over Foothill Tech yesterday in their first home league game!

Students enjoyed a break from study hours this week for cookies and cocoa at Mesa House! Thank you to Head of School Alex Lockett for welcoming us!

On December 9, Frank Huerta ‘85 returned to the Mesa to accept the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award and deliver a convocation speech. As part of his day, Frank visited Dr. Kellogg’s physics class and even stepped onto the basketball court, where he took a few jump shots with Dr. Moore’s girls varsity basketball team.

After enjoying dinner at Booth Commons with his family, Frank delivered a convocation speech to the Cate community, followed by a Q&A session with students. We would like to once again congratulate Frank on his distinguished career in entrepreneurship and cybersecurity, his service to our communities, and his unwavering dedication to Cate School.

This weekend, our SCUBA certification group will have their first dive out on the water! They’ve completed practice sessions in the campus pools and we are excited to find out what they see on their first adventures!

Today, our Sophomore Seminar class embodied the spirit of Servons by helping move part of the iconic oak tree that once stood outside the chapel. This beloved tree was sadly brought down by high winds last month.

Advisory Brunch! This morning, advisors and advisees gathered at faculty homes and at favorite local brunch spots to reconnect after the break!

We are profoundly thankful—for the Mesa, for the sense of place it gives us. For our students and faculty, to our alumni and every member of the extended Cate community. Each of you make up “the spirit of this place.” Thank you! To all those who celebrate: Happy Thanksgiving!

The Fall Bulletin is out now! Read all about the latest from the Mesa while celebrating the end of the For Cate and Forever campaign. Click the link in our bio to view the digital issue!

After Monday’s Formal Dinner, the Cate community gathered in the chapel for the Giving Thanks Ceremony. This cherished tradition offered a moment to pause, reflect, and share gratitude. Thank you to all who shared!