Middle School (5-8)
Welcome!
At Marin Horizon, the middle school years are a time of exploration and development, both academically, socially, and as a citizen of the world. It’s a time of extraordinary learning and growth.
Students are encouraged to work on self-advocacy and academic resilience as they develop critical thinking skills. And they are encouraged to celebrate differences and share their perspectives in an expanding community.
Every morning, students gather in homeroom groups, grounding their experience with an advisor and a group of peers. Longer advisory meetings happen weekly and create a sense of belonging within the larger community. Our student-led Middle School Meeting is a gathering time to feel a sense of commonality while also celebrating the unique talents and interests of the student presenters.
Above all, the Middle School endeavors to help students take ownership of their own education and graduate with a strong sense of self and a desire to contribute positively to the world.
Regards,
Ben
Ben Fussiner
Director, Middle School
Ben joined Marin Horizon in 2021. Prior to his arrival, he served as Head of Middle School at Friends Seminary in New York, Assistant Head of School at Turning Point in Los Angeles, and as Assistant Director of Elementary School at Wildwood School in Los Angeles.
Ben earned a B.S. in Liberal Studies from Southern Connecticut State University, and an Ed.M. in Education from Harvard University.
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How do we prepare our students to be critical thinkers in a world of unlimited information?
We balance academic rigor and structure with imaginative, student-driven learning.
When students leave Marin Horizon, they walk away with a strong academic foundation and the confidence to think critically and use what they’ve learned in real life. We see creativity and academic discipline not as opposites, but as partners in great learning. Here, students are encouraged to think outside the proverbial box while mastering the fundamentals. Our approach involves students in hands-on, interdisciplinary projects grounded in solid academics. They learn to explore, create, and problem-solve in their own ways, supported by a solid structure. The result is deeper, more meaningful learning that lasts long after the lesson has ended.
We push students to venture outside their comfort zones, while surrounding them with unwavering support.
We believe that students do best when they are both challenged and supported. Marin Horizon sets high academic expectations and encourages risk-taking, but does so in a nurturing environment, meeting each child where they are in their learning journey.
We encourage our students to try hard things and view setbacks as part of the learning process. Many students often hold back in traditional classrooms, afraid of looking bad or getting a poor grade—but at MHS, trial and error is celebrated. Whether our middle schoolers are repeatedly launching and redesigning pumpkin catapults or tackling complex projects, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, driven by curiosity rather than being spoon-fed information. Ultimately most of the kids, through tenacity and determination, go on to produce winning products or solutions.
80% of Marin Horizon students are performing at or above grade level among independents schools.
95% of Marin Horizon graduates will enroll at their 1st or 2nd choice high school.
100% of our accelerated-track math students will enter high school on track to reach a Caculus AB class or higher. And non-accelerated track math students will cover two thirds of typical freshman year curriculum in 8th grade.
Marin Horizon graduates consistently place into second and third level Spanish classes their freshman year in high school.
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Curriculum At-A-Glance
Watch our students in motion
Watch us build Rube Goldberg machines
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Join us for a hike!
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Additional Program Highlights
From concrete thinking into the abstract.
At the culmination of our program, seventh and eighth grades focus on developing the ability to engage in abstract thinking and synthesize and analyze complex issues. Students build on the beginning research skills they have acquired and apply them to long-term projects in science and the humanities.
Inquiry-based curriculum develops confident voices.
The Middle School curriculum is inquiry-based, and Essential Questions are introduced throughout the students’ experience. Major projects, based on these questions, help students become skilled and confident public speakers.
Interdisciplinary projects foster deeper learning.
The Middle School program is strongly project-based, with a focus on integrated, hands-on learning. There are also many touchpoints for integrating the curriculum across disciplines.
Deep teacher-student connections.
Our middle school teachers build meaningful relationships with students, ensuring each one feels personally supported and truly known. Students view their teachers as partners in their education.
Differentiation supports learning styles.
All classes offer some level of differentiation, depending on the range of skills of the students in the classroom. The curriculum is designed to help students develop new skills as they work towards mastering content.
Mixed-grade groupings expand collaborative learning.
Science and Social Studies classes are taught in mixed grade groupings, opening up opportunities for academic interactions with a larger number of students and providing deeper levels of collaborative learning experiences.
Social & Emotional Learning
When families visit Marin Horizon, they often comment, “It feels so friendly and warm.”
At Marin Horizon School, social and emotional learning is part of the fabric of our school. In addition to an academic focus, our faculty and staff work with students – intentionally and proactively – to cultivate self awareness, self management, healthy relationships, and accountability to one another.
Our teaching teams subscribe to both the Responsive Classrooms program and restorative justice practices to create an environment for these human to human interactions to thrive. In addition, both Lower School and Middle School teaching teams meet regularly to discuss the mood and pulse of each classroom, as well as individual students, with the intent of providing support where needed, often in collaboration with families.
“We prioritize the size and composition of our classes and intentionally design our campus layout to create conditions for kids to grow into amazing young people!” says Anna Varnay-Truong, Director, Curriculum & Instruction.
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Parent Perspective
"As advocates for public education, we were hesitant to explore alternatives. But when our youngest child asked for a kinder, more academically-focused middle school, Marin Horizon exceeded our expectations. Having visited over 800 schools in my education policy career, I can confidently say Marin Horizon ranks at the top."