Marin Horizon School

Faculty Spotlight: Kelley Gallardo

1/20/2021

Name: Kelley Gallardo

Preferred Pronouns: She/her

Title: Primary Teacher (Main Campus), and Faculty Representative on the Board of Trustees

Grade(s) Taught: Ages 3-6

What year did you start working at Marin Horizon/HCS? 2017 is when I started my MHS journey.

What school(s) did you attend? I graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education, with minors in math, science, and integrated creative arts. I then pursued a Montessori certification at the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota. Upon completion of my AMI Montessori certification, I received my Masters in Education from Loyola University Maryland. I hold both a California and Michigan Teaching Credential.

Why did you want to become a teacher? When I was in 4th grade, my teacher, Mr. Sommers, told me I would make a great teacher someday. I was presenting a problem on the chalkboard and apparently showed promise. This stuck with me throughout my life. I have also always adored children and find myself observing and watching them to see what they need in order to succeed. Teaching is my passion—I have found my happy place!

RSVP for the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Family Night!

1/20/2021

Date: Friday, January 22, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Click here to RSVP
Click here for Chandi's recipes, which will require some prep if you want to cook along. More details in Community Corner. We hope to see you there!

New Faculty Spotlight: Olivia Thomas

1/13/2021

Name: Olivia Thomas
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
Title: Preschool Teacher associate, Horizon Community School
Grade(s) Taught: Preschool
Where did you grow up? All over but mostly in Marin.
Where do you live now? Marin
What school(s) did you attend? Whitman College
Who do you live with? Partner, progeny, pet, plants? Pets and plants.
Why did you want to become a teacher? My dad was a teacher and he was my role model.
What continues to inspire and drive you to teach? I love the children that I work with every day.
What’s your favorite thing about being a teacher/working at a school? My kids, they are just so curious about the world and that curiosity inspires me every day.
Do you have any hobbies? Baking and art.
Is there any book that has had a particular impact on you? I would have to say that my favorite book is Split the Difference. It has inspired me to be confident no matter the situation, big or small.
Why Marin Horizon/HCS? I feel like I’ve joined a family here. I feel like this is a place of growth. I feel lucky to have found such a beautiful place for both the teachers and the students.
What has been your experience at Marin Horizon so far? It’s been amazing, not to say there hasn't been hard parts but those moments have pushed me out of my comfort zone and have really made me grow not only as a teacher but as a human being.
Which of our Pillars resonates with you the most and why? (We are insatiably curious, We are complex thinkers, We embrace challenge, We are active community members, We have a voice) Honestly being here for a short time I have seen each of these pillars in action but I feel most connected to "insatiably curious."

New Faculty Spotlight: Katelyn Wellnitz

1/6/2021

Name: Katelyn Wellnitz
Preferred Pronouns: She/her
Title: Middle School Math Teacher
Where did you grow up? Philadelphia area
Where do you live now? San Francisco—Inner Sunset
What school(s) did you attend? Arcadia University
Who do you live with? Partner, progeny, pet, plants? Partner, Alex, and my dog Koopa (and several unhappy plants who aren't getting enough attention)
Why did you want to become a teacher? I realized how much I enjoy working with kids during my years working at a summer camp in college. It was an incredibly rewarding experience.
What continues to inspire and drive you to teach? I enjoy the fact that the job changes every day, that I can help students become critical thinkers and engaged citizens, and that I can help students build confidence in their math work.
What’s your favorite thing about being a teacher/working at a school? My favorite thing about being a teacher is building relationships with my students.
Do you have any hobbies? I enjoy playing soccer, running, hiking, rock climbing, and reading.
Why Marin Horizon? I enjoy the small size and the community feel.
What has been your experience at Marin Horizon so far? It has been great—I feel like teacher voices are heard, teams support each other, and students are enthusiastic and friendly.
Which of our Pillars resonates with you the most and why? (We are insatiably curious, We are complex thinkers, We embrace challenge, We are active community members, We have a voice) We are complex thinkers—it is a complex world right now and teaching students to look at things from multiple perspectives is important.

Jesse Pearson Published by NAIS Blog

12/16/2020

Congrats to Middle School Humanities teacher and Marin Horizon alum Jesse Pearson, whose piece "Seeking a Pandemic Alternative to Tough Love" was just published by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Independent Ideas blog. As Jesse writes, "How am I—or any of us—supposed to know how to get through this?"

Click here to check it out.

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