Lower School
(Grades K-4)
Hello!
At Marin Horizon, the Lower School years are the essential building blocks of a child's education, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of learning.
Our Lower School students build self-confidence and moral courage, develop communication skills, and practice how to work cooperatively in a joyful, safe, and academically engaging classroom setting.
A Journey of Self-Discovery and Intellectual Growth
Our young scholars are embarking on a journey of self-discovery and intellectual growth. They learn to see the world with inquisitive eyes, asking questions and seeking answers that fuel their understanding. They begin to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. And they begin to appreciate the beauty of different cultures, the logic of mathematics, and the creativity of literature.
Embracing challenges with resilience and collaborating with empathy, our students grow into confident thinkers, caring classmates, and responsible community members. They are not only absorbing information but gaining a deeper understanding of self, community, and the world. They are shaping their personalities and developing the skills and values that will guide them throughout their lives.
A Deep Sense of Belonging
Marin Horizon recognizes that children benefit from an environment where social and emotional growth is intentionally nurtured and developed. Our Lower School endeavors to create an environment for our students that allows them to feel comfortable, safe, and confident, creating a sense of deep belonging. We celebrate our differences, share our perspectives, and cultivate a vibrant community.
Warmly
Victoria
Victoria Huerta-Miller
Director, Lower School
Explore Our Curriculum
At Marin Horizon School, our expectations are high, so our students are challenged academically from a young age. We believe in meeting students at their academic frontier.
Our project-based curriculum means that students are grappling with complex, multi-layered questions, exercising their creativity, and pursuing their individual curiosities and passions. Our intentionally designed scope and sequence, along with our thoughtfully selected core curriculum, results in deep learning and cognitive engagement. And our ability to differentiate instruction supports students' interests and ambitions as well as learning styles.
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 Upper 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.
A Parent Perspective
A school can be viewed from many perspectives but none more powerful than from the perspective of a child. Children are investigators, truth-seekers, connectors, and emanate the vibration of the environment in which they exist. The students at Marin Horizon thrive every day. They are deeply supported by the faculty and staff and the culture of connection here. Our son has been a part of the MHS family for four years and it's one of his favorite places to spend his time. If you are interested in Marin Horizon I encourage you to take a tour. Be sure to ask questions and truly observe the environment. Connect with families and ask about their personal experiences. You will find so much joy.
Current parent of 2nd grader