Thursday Bulletin | February 25, 2021 Message from Head of School Dear FIRSTNAME,
I remember well a conversation I had with an MMS parent whose children were in a very demanding local high school. He shared that one of the things that made his wife and him so happy--and grateful for their children's Marin Montessori education, Primary through Junior High--was that they never had to monitor their children's homework or grades. Their children had developed a level of inner discipline that made this wholly unnecessary. They completed their work and studies with focus and thoroughness and they continued to enjoy personal passions (specifically, one of his children was deeply into long-distance running, and the other music).
I highly encourage you to read this article on the topic by AMI Primary Trainer, Sarah Werner-Andrews. It is comprehensive and will help you better understand your children's and adolescent's education here and it will likely support you in your parenting. It's a profound and incredibly beneficial concept and tool.
Cheers,
Calendar Friday, February 26, 2021
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Friday, March 5, 2021
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Friday, March 12, 2021
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Friday, March 19, 2021
Parent Conferences Our spring conferences are coming up soon and are required for all parents. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to sign up now using the MMS Online Scheduler. Conferences will take place via Zoom and your child's teacher will reach out with the link.
If you have questions about scheduling a conference for your Junior High student, please reach out to Robin Stallard. All School Event Marin Montessori School Presents an Edible Education Series In the months leading up to The Gather, we hope you will enjoy this series of community events designed to inspire, inform, and strengthen our commitment to food equity and sustainable agriculture. Part 1: Sowing our Future Join us Sunday, February 28 at 3 PM, for an interactive, virtual, afternoon on the MMS farm with Kate Stout, MMS Farm Manager, & Junior High student performers.
Invite the whole family to learn how to plant a garden from seed and watch the plants grow! The program and performances are designed to engage our younger audience members. All are welcome to join.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GATHER AND THE EVENTS IN THE GATHER FOR GOOD EDIBLE EDUCATION SERIES, PLEASE VISIT OUR EVENT WEBSITE. MMS in the Community Help with Junior High Marketplace Website
Are you handy with WIX Marketplace? The Junior High students have developed a wonderful marketplace for micro-economy, and they need some help with the accounting details post-sale. Please contact Kate Stout for details. DEI In Honor of Black History Month
We highly recommend this tremendously impactful infographic created by Ross Valley Charter. Families of MMS: Celebrating Our Vibrant Community The purpose of Families of MMS is to learn about and celebrate the special qualities of our families--to connect, learn, and enjoy. This week features Gabe, Finn, and Niamh Nolan.
We are a pretty "Marin Normal" family with a little more travel lust than most. We use our passports about four times a year. Niamh was raised in rural Ireland and has seven siblings that span four continents. She moved to CA for biotech work in her early 20s, visits her Irish home about 3 times a year, and enjoys visiting other European countries on route. Gabe was raised in a Russian community (Washington, DC) with a German mom and has visited 48 countries. We hope to give Finn the education, joy, and humility that travel brings. He's already visited Australia, Croatia, and Ireland five times (pre-Covid). Gabe once read about a classmate in Mill Valley who celebrated Shabbat with her family by turning off all electronics. We similarly continue to look for family traditions. Each morning we have "coffee hour" before MMS drop-off. We celebrate the middle of the busy work week with family dinner together ("Hump day") to make sure we have a common meal. On the 8th of each month, we celebrate the day we met in SF (our "Luniversary"), and on the 11th of each month, we celebrate the day Finn was born. The Bay Area is a special place to share diverse cultural narratives. We make a special effort to pass on our family stories. Niamh's family has a long history in Co. Carlow, Ireland. She named Finn after the Fionn McCool from Irish mythology (with a relationship to her own Gaelic name and Finnegan's Wake). We are raising Finn bilingual. Gabe has translated many of his paternal grandfather's 500 poems about pre-Revolutionary Russia. His maternal grandmother left her memoirs from post-Nazi Germany, which he translated and shared with Unity in Marin (on YouTube).
We love that MMS has philanthropic outreach. With privilege comes enormous responsibility. Niamh practices the Irish word "flaithiúlacht" (flaw-lukt which means "over-generous") to describe the Irish traditions of hospitality and giving. Every time we read the news, we are reminded to prioritize ethics and empathy in raising Finn. We plan to have Finn volunteer as soon as he is able. Before Finn was born, Gabe often took his nephews to the Tenderloin to distribute socks to the homeless. He recently joined the Larkspur City Council and Marin Wildfire Prevention Agency to work on disaster prevention, housing, and equity issues in Marin. Important Health & Safety Updates
Crew Connection We couldn't do what we do without each amazing member of our team. This space is dedicated to highlighting a member (or two!) of our Crew. Everyone on our team will be featured throughout the year, and our hope is that we all feel connected even though we are unable to connect in person. Jamie Stone, Teacher (School Biography here) Who is the most influential person in your life and why?
My Montessori trainer, Kay Baker, is probably the most influential person in my life. She took great care and time to shape my understanding of the Montessori practice, and in doing so gave me new eyes, not just for the world but for my own experiences. My work is deeply rooted in honoring her memory. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to and why?
I would love to go back in time to when the first symbol was written and recognized. People spoke for over 100,000 years before anything was written. What was talked about so much that just a simple symbol could hold all the complexity of its meaning?
What inspires you the most about working at MMS?
The environments- outdoors and in! These Montessori environments resting right on the bay are so special. We get to experience the dynamic beauty of nature all day every day, and that inspires so many questions from the children and so many stories to tell. This is the perfect setting for a community of learning like ours! Links & Resources School Calendar
Parent Handbook
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