Mission & Philosophy

 Strategic Plan

 Dunn at A Glance

 Dunn History

 Dunn Video Retrospective

 Maps & Directions


Dunn at a Glance

 
Class Size

    * Student to Faculty ratio is 5:1
    * Average 12 students per class (middle and upper school)

Campus Facilities

    * 55 rural acres with views of the foothills
    * 4 residence halls (3 boys, 1 girls)
    * 25 on campus faculty residences
    * 40 classrooms, fine arts center, library, computer lab, performing arts theater, science center with labs, learning skills center, 2 day student lounges, infirmary, dining hall, school store, campus student cafe, organic garden
    * 4 athletic fields, gymnasium, pool, tennis courts, volleyball courts (indoor and outdoor), basketball court (indoor and outdoor), running track, ping pong facility

Student Body

Upper School

    * 63 male & 43 female boarding students
    * 28 male & 33 female day students
    * 20% international students
    * 18% multi-racial

Middle School

    * 25 male & 35 female day students

Faculty and Staff

    * 31 teaching faculty
    * 5 full time Learning Strategies faculty
    * 97 employees in total

Academics

Upper School

    * 58 college preparatory courses
    * 11 A.P. courses and 7 honors courses

Middle School

    * In addition to typical course offerings of Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts, Community Service, Shop classes, Spanish, Outdoor Education and Arts and Enrichment are offered.
    * Hands on and workshop style teaching and learning are emphasized.

Advisor Program

    * Maximum 7 students per advisor
    * Advisees meet 6x per week with advisor plus periodic other meetings
    * Advisor serves as an advocate for the advisee and ensures communication and partnership with families

Athletics

    * 2 sports/activities per year required
    * 25 sports/activities on offer including baseball, football, golf, volleyball, swimming, lacrosse, cross country, soccer, basketball and tennis.

Collins Library

    * All students trained in library science, Internet research and library networks
    * One to one instruction for class projects

Outdoor Education
 
Objectives: To experience physical and mental challenges during which students feel risk and reward and stretch boundaries of comfort; To experience group decision making; To experience student and teacher bonding, peer to peer bonding and self-leadership; To increase an appreciation of the outdoors and to develop an environmental consciousness; To learn basic outdoor skills.

Examples include:

6th grade experience: Will again visit Camp Ocean Pines which provides Environmental Education and a basic camping experience for the 6th graders. The Middle School teachers will run this 4 day trip bringing a comfort to the students as they experience the wilderness.

7th grade experience: Will visit the Pinnacles area for their outdoor experience. This 5 day trip staffed by hired instructors and the middle school teachers will give the 7th graders a personal challenge as they learn to work together as a group

8th grade experience: Will visit the Joshua Tree area for a backpacking experience in the back country. Together with hired instructors and the Middle School teachers, this 6 day trip will challenge the 8th graders as they learn to be leaders in the outdoors.

9th grade experience: Will visit Montana de Oro State Park in Morro Bay to give these 9th graders a trip which includes sea-kayaking, rock climbing and hiking. The 4 day trip in the fall staffed by the High School teachers will give these students a bonding and team building experience.

10th grade experience: Will visit the Los Padres National Forest for a 5 day back-packing trip focusing on learning about working with others in the woods. This 5 day trip will be staffed by 4 hired Instructors and 4 Wilderness First Aid Dunn teachers.

11th grade experience: Will visit the Los Padres National Forest for a challenging 5 day back-packing trip focusing on more leadership skills that are necessary for the back country. This 5 day trip will be staffed by 4 hired Instructors and 4 Wilderness First Aid Dunn teachers.

12th grade experience: Will have two experiences: the first will be an overnight trip in the fall to help them focus on their goals for the year and their leadership expectation. The second is the spring experience focusing on the final bonding of the class through a service project, a solo experience and a white water rafting trip. This will be staffed with hired instructors and Dunn faculty members.


Performing & Fine Arts

    * The Sinclaire Fine Arts Center includes ceramics, photography, multimedia, painting, drawing and sculpture studios
    * Music classes, band, dance and drama offered

Learning Strategies Program

    * Established over 25 years ago
    * 5 full time faculty
    * Students have 4 or 5 individual sessions each week with their Learning Strategies teacher
    * Emphasis is on learning strategies, organizational skills, time management and study skills
    * Up to 25% of student body can enroll

Community Service

    * Community service is offered as a winter sport alternative
    * Several ongoing volunteer programs are offered each year including gardening, kitchen crew and Toys for Tots.

College Counseling

    * Curriculum meets UC requirements
    * Advisors & College Placement counselor work closely with students
 
Board of Trustees 2011-2012
 
                                       Mike Beck
                                   Head of School
 
Board Chair                                               Vice Chair
Debbie Jones  (P'09, P'11, P'14)                    Mark Rawlins '67
Gaviota, CA                                                 Menlo Park, CA
 
Treasurer                                                   Secretary
Bill DuBois ('80)                                           Dean Davidge (P'98)
Santa Ynez, CA                                            Santa Ynez, CA
 
Mary Bianco                                                Mike Boone ('79)
Paso Robles, CA                                          Laguana Beach, CA
 
Cynthia Bronfman (P'12)                              Jim Dehlsen ('85)
Park City, UT                                              Santa Barbara, CA
 
Michael Dunn (P'06, P'09)                            Jim Gaskin ('71)
Los Olivos, CA                                            Carpinteria, CA
 
Wes Gibson                                                 Jim Little (P'10)
Santa Barbara, CA                                        Agoura Hills, CA
 
Dave Nelson (P'11, P'15)                              Cheryl Stauffer (P'04, P'07)
Santa Ynez, CA                                            Solvang, CA
 
Bruce Thacher ('73)                                      Gladdys Uribe '98)
Laguna Beach, CA                                        Los Angeles, CA
 
Chris Wesselman ('65)                                  Larry Worcchell (P'08)
Fremont, CA                                                Pasadena, CA