About
Marin Horizon School
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Fast Facts

Mission

Our mission is to challenge students to be self-reliant thinkers and lifelong learners. We inspire academic excellence, nurture students' natural love of learning, and encourage them to be confident individuals who are responsible to each other, the community, and the world.

Campus

Our 2-acre campus in Mill Valley, CA is set in a safe, quiet, and friendly residential neighborhood surrounded by the redwoods of Mt. Tamalpais. Our primary and lower elementary building houses large, light-filled classrooms. Our upper elementary and middle schools are located in the historic Presidio this year and, in 2007, will move back to a new state-of-the art facility on the Mill Valley campus. We also lease a range of nearby athletic fields for our interscholastic sports programs. MHS serves families throughout Marin County, San Francisco and the North and East Bay areas.

Founding

Parents and teachers founded Marin Horizon School (MHS) in 1977. MHS is a non-profit, independent, Montessori-inspired, coeducational day school serving students from 2 years old through 8th grade.

Faculty

  • Total faculty: 36 including assistants
  • Average teaching experience: 15 years
  • Average MHS tenure: 10 years (head teachers); 8 years (assistants)
  • Education: 33 teachers with Bachelor degrees including all head teachers; 13 teachers with Master's degrees
  • Faculty specialists in Art, Spanish, Music, PE, Library Sciences, Technology, and Learning Support
  • Adjunct faculty in Arts, Music, and Drama

Enrollment and students

  • Total 2006-07 enrollment: 262
  • 20-24 students per grade level
  • Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
  • Diversity (students of color): 22%
  • Multi-age classrooms: Toddler; Primary (3-6 years old); 1st; 2nd-3rd; 4th-5th; and Middle School (6th-8th)

Academics and Curriculum Features

  • Montessori-inspired, student-centered experiential learning
  • Integrated and Inter-disciplinary curriculum with a multicultural and global focus
  • Spiral curriculum introduces advanced topics at early ages
  • Spanish classes, Toddler-8th grade
  • Integrated Technology curriculum with high computer-to-student ratios and laptop carts for classroom use
  • Media Literacy Program
  • Artist-in-Residence Program
  • Music and performing arts program, including 4 major performances a year
  • Outdoor Education camp, 1st-8th grades
  • Leadership Development, K-8th grades
  • Strong emphasis on writing, public speaking, time-management, conflict resolution and research skills
  • High school placement counseling and SSAT test preparation
  • Self and peer assessment promote independence and critical thinking

Extra-Curricular and Enrichment Programs

  • Student Council
  • Active interscholastic athletics program, including cross-country, track and field, flag football, basketball and soccer
  • Strong after-school programs include drama, culminating in several school plays, a Middle School Jam Band and Sketch Comedy performances
  • Enrichment classes in sports, chess, Mandarin, martial arts, drama, dance, music and more are offered for Primary and Elementary students on a fee-basis.

High School Placement

In a highly competitive placement environment, where acceptance rates run from 1-in-3 to 1-in-7, MHS students fare extremely well. Out of 24 students who applied to independent high schools in 2006, 21 received acceptances. Of 18 students who applied to more than one school, 13 received multiple acceptances. See Life After MHS in the School Life section for more about high schools and colleges.

Enrichment Program, Horizon Center and Summer Camp

See Beyond the School Day in the School Life section.

Parent Community

A highly active and deeply committed parent community engages in the MHS educational experience by supporting teachers in classrooms, on field and overnight trips, and by serving on school committees. The Parent Association sponsors fundraising events, including a highly successful annual auction, our Fall Book Fair, and eScrip program.

Annual Giving

  • Horizon Fund 2005-06: $300,000 (100% participation of parents, faculty, staff and trustees for past 7 years)
  • Auction 2005-06: $150,000
  • eScrip and Other: $20,000

Tuition Assistance

  • 12% of total tuition income
  • Number of Recipients 2006-07: 39

Operating Budget

  • 2006-07: $4.4 million

Endowment and Reserves

  • As of June 2006: $2,425,536

Community Participation

Service Learning is integral to the MHS curriculum. MHS serves its local and global communities with a variety of initiatives and programs. See Whole Child Developement in the School Life section.

Emergency Preparedness

The safety of students, faculty, and staff at the school site is of the highest priority. Every faculty and staff member is trained extensively in current emergency preparedness procedures.

Governance

MHS is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees comprised of elected community members, parents, alumni, faculty representatives and the Head of School.

Accreditation and Affiliations

MHS is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). MHS is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and Bay Area Montessori Association (BAMA). The preschool is licensed by the State of California.