Gooden Blog
Blog
Be the Light: A Wonderful Start to the 2026–27 School Year
September 11, 2026
What a wonderful start we have had to the 2026–27 school year! It has been such a joy to see our campus full again, with students reconnecting with friends, teachers welcoming their classes, and new families quickly becoming part of the Gooden community. There is an energy at the beginning of a school year that is hard to describe, and this year feels especially exciting.
Our schoolwide theme this year is “Be the Light.” Throughout the year, we will encourage our students to think about the many ways they can be a light for others through their words, their choices, their actions, and the way they treat the people around them. Sometimes being the light means doing something big, but more often, it is found in the small, everyday moments: including someone, offering encouragement, standing up for what is right, helping without being asked, or simply showing kindness.
This year, our theme takes on special meaning as we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11. As we remember the lives lost that day, we also remember the extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness shown by first responders and by ordinary people who stepped forward to help others. Fred Rogers famously encouraged children, in frightening times, to “look for the helpers.” Twenty-five years later, that message still resonates. At Gooden, we want our students to recognize the helpers, but we also want to teach them to become the helpers. To “Be the Light” means noticing when someone needs you, choosing kindness and courage, serving others, and finding ways, both big and small, to make the world around you a little brighter.
That message connects beautifully with Gooden’s long-standing commitment to Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Respect for the World. Throughout the year, we will continue our focus on monthly character traits that help our students explore what those values look like in their everyday lives.
We begin September with Respect & the Golden Rule, followed by Authenticity in October, Service in November, Perseverance in January, Kindness in February, Courage in March, Integrity in April, and Community in May. These traits will be woven into chapel, classroom conversations, and our life together as a school. Our hope is that students will not simply understand these values, but recognize the many opportunities they have each day to live them out and, in doing so, “Be the Light” for others.
And, of course, one of the brightest parts of Gooden is our community. We are looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at our Welcome Back BBQ! It is always a fun way to kick off the year, reconnect with old friends, welcome new ones, and simply enjoy being together.
Thank you to our families, faculty, staff, and students for helping make these first weeks so positive. We have a wonderful year ahead of us, and we cannot wait to see all the ways our Gooden Knights will Be the Light.
Chalk for Peace: A Gooden Tradition of Creativity and Reflection
May 29, 2026
For more than 20 years, The Gooden School community has gathered for one of our most beloved traditions: Chalk for Peace Chapel. Inspired by the global CHALK4PEACE movement founded in 2003 by John Aaron, this special service invites students to reflect on the importance of peace, kindness, and community through art and self-expression.
In its early years, Gooden's Chalk for Peace celebration was held each September in conjunction with the International Day of Peace. Mr. Aaron often visited campus to participate in the service and create chalk art alongside students. Over time, the tradition moved to May, providing our community with a meaningful and peaceful way to conclude the school year.
What began as a simple sidewalk chalk project for children in Arlington, Virginia, has grown into a worldwide movement embraced by schools, libraries, arts organizations, and communities across the globe. CHALK4PEACE encourages participants of all ages to share positive messages of peace through creativity and artistic expression.
Gooden is proud to be part of this international community. In fact, our students are featured on the official CHALK4PEACE website alongside participants from around the world who use art to promote hope, understanding, and connection.
As another school year comes to a close, our Chalk for Peace Chapel reminds us that peace begins with each of us. Through colorful artwork, thoughtful messages, and shared reflection, Gooden students continue a tradition that not only unites our campus but also connects us to a global movement dedicated to building a more peaceful world.
A Year of Celebration, Service, and Community at The Gooden School
May 15, 2026
This year has been one of reflection, growth, and celebration at The Gooden School as the community proudly honored its 50th Anniversary. Throughout the year, students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni came together to celebrate Gooden’s rich history and bright future through special events, alumni gatherings, memorable chapels, decade-themed celebrations, and a spectacular Anniversary Gala that highlighted the spirit and strength of the Gooden community.
At the heart of this milestone year was Gooden’s guiding theme: “Service – the Key to a Gooden Heart.” From Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade, students embraced opportunities to serve others both on campus and throughout the community. Younger students learned responsibility and kindness through caring for classrooms, gardens, and campus spaces, while older students expanded their impact through environmental projects, partnerships with Friends In Deed, community clean-ups, and more than 1,000 hours of middle school community service. These experiences brought Gooden’s core values, the 3Rs: Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Respect for the World, to life in meaningful ways.
The year also marked exciting growth for the school with the successful launch of Gooden’s new Transitional Kindergarten program under the leadership of Ms. Wiley. The program has provided the school’s youngest learners with a joyful and nurturing start to their educational journey while already instilling the values of kindness, curiosity, and community.
As Gooden celebrated new beginnings, the school also honored significant milestones within its faculty and leadership. After 35 years of extraordinary dedication, beloved Music Director Mrs. Ewen announced her retirement, leaving behind a lasting legacy that has shaped generations of students through music, creativity, and performance. The community also welcomed new music educators Ms. Jessi Livermore and Ms. Sheila Nicholls, ensuring the continued strength of Gooden’s arts program for years to come.
This year also marked an important transition within the spiritual life of the school community. After years of meaningful leadership and service, Chaplain David shared reflections on Gooden’s culture, Episcopal identity, and sacred commitment to nurturing the whole child. The school community also warmly welcomed Rev. Annie Thornberg as Gooden’s new chaplain. Her arrival marks an exciting new chapter as she continues the tradition of fostering connection, compassion, service, and spiritual growth within the Gooden community.
Leadership transitions were also celebrated within the Board of Trustees. The Gooden community extends heartfelt gratitude to David Lee for his dedicated service as Board Chair and for the many ways he has helped guide and support the school. Looking ahead with excitement, the school proudly announced that John Carlson will serve as the new Board Chair. Gooden also welcomed three new members to the Board of Trustees: alumni parent Amy Zimmerman, alumna Maggie Sabbag, and community member Tam Ly. Their leadership and commitment will help continue to strengthen and support the school’s mission for years to come.
The school community also celebrated the accomplishments of the graduating 8th-grade class, whose acceptances to a wide range of prestigious high schools reflected both academic achievement and personal growth. Our 8th-grade speakers thoughtfully reflected on their time at Gooden, sharing memories, lessons learned, and gratitude for the relationships and experiences that shaped their journey.
Another exciting milestone, made possible through the generosity and support shown during the 50th Anniversary Gala, was the successful funding of the North Side Playground renovation project. This transformation represents an investment in spaces where students can build friendships, explore, play, and continue growing together as a community.
Throughout the evening’s reflections, one message remained clear: Gooden is far more than a school; it is a place of belonging, compassion, service, and connection. Rooted in Episcopal values and strengthened by generations of families, educators, and students, The Gooden School continues to cultivate not only strong learners but caring, thoughtful individuals prepared to make a positive difference in the world.
The “Secret Sauce” of Middle School, and Where It Leads
April 30, 2026
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When Chaplain David finds himself in a room full of people who don’t know each other very well, he has a simple way of getting conversation going. He offers a neutral topic and invites everyone to share a one-sentence response. It might be something like “something that makes you smile,” “your first driving experience,” or even “tater tots.” It’s a small exercise he picked up years ago while leading communication workshops, and it still works every time.
Recently, at a Chamber of Commerce gathering in another town, he was seated with a group of civic leaders of all ages. After some initial conversation, he introduced the exercise. They went around the table a couple of times, and then he offered a prompt that always changes the tone of the room: “middle school.”
For more than twenty years, he has used that prompt, and the pattern is almost always the same. Out of ten people, maybe one will share something positive. Most responses lean negative, sometimes strongly so, while a smaller group is just sort of indifferent. When he follows up and asks if anyone has ever gone back to visit their middle school, nearly everyone says no. Often, the reaction is more like, “Why would I?”
It’s not surprising. Middle school has a reputation. For many, it’s remembered as one of the most difficult times growing up.
And yet, something very different happens here at Gooden.
Every year, our students come back.
Not because they have to, and not just because they are picking up a younger sibling. They come back on their own to visit teachers, to stop by classrooms, to see younger students they once mentored, and to walk around campus remembering. This happens with students who were here for many years and with those who joined us for a shorter time. It even happened during the pandemic. Before and after lockdowns, students still made the effort to return.
They come back to their middle school.
That says something. In a time of life that is often described as awkward or difficult, our students leave with something different. They leave feeling known, supported, and connected. That is what we think of as the Gooden “secret sauce.” It’s not one single thing, but a combination of parent partnerships, strong relationships, care, and a community that takes middle school seriously in all the right ways.
And you can see the impact of that as our students take their next steps.
We are genuinely proud of this year’s 8th-grade class. They were accepted to multiple high schools, and most are heading to one of their top choices. That is no small thing. They earned spots at an impressive range of schools, including La Salle High School, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, St. Francis High School, Westridge, California School of the Arts, Flintridge Preparatory School, EF Academy, Don Bosco Tech, Mayfield Senior School, Maranatha High School, Sequoyah School, Waverly School, and Campbell Hall. Many of them were also awarded merit scholarships, which speaks to both their accomplishments and who they are as students.
We celebrate where they are going, but we also recognize what got them there. Their success reflects years of growth, encouragement, and the kind of middle school experience that builds both confidence and character.
So the next time you’re in a group and want to get people talking, try bringing up “middle school.” Listen to what people say. Then ask if anyone would ever go back to visit.
If there’s a Gooden graduate in the room, there’s a good chance the answer will be yes.