Celebrating 45 Years of Outdoor Education & STEAM

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Our Mission At Marin Primary & Middle School we make education meaningful, while encouraging pride in self, respect for others, and enthusiasm for learning.

Our Belief

At Marin Primary & Middle School, we believe that it's deep connections–between students, with teachers, and with ideas–that help kids know themselves and push through boundaries in school and in life. Every day, we strengthen these connections so our students are able to tackle new ideas and challenges, pursue their goals with optimism and courage, and apply all they learn to the world they'll inherit.

We treasure childhood.

We honor and enjoy children's natural curiosity, competence, and exuberance.

We teach to reach children.

Using teams of teachers and educational methods tailored to how children learn best, we connect with our students, build trusting relationships, and make learning relevant, memorable, and fun.

We teach children to reach.

Asking not "how smart is the child" but "how is the child smart," we guide our students to see their full potential, and we equip them to pursue it with passion and purpose.

We inspire children to make a difference.

We value academic excellence, personal integrity, and community action and encourage our students to become informed, engaged, and ethical global citizens.

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The MP&MS Learning Journey: Social Emotional Strength Leads to Success

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Note From the MP&MS Board of Trustees

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Meet Phil Gutierrez, Incoming Head of School

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Why Field Trips Matter: Bringing Learning to Life

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The Joy of Tree School

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The David Heath Outdoor Education: More Than A Garden

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STEAM: Instilling Confidence & Critical Thinking Through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math

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editorial staff Ruth McDaniels, Editor-in-Chief Trisha Fontan, Content Editor Ledlie Pastor, Design Editor

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The world's educational community has learned through the challenges of the pandemic how vitally important social emotional strength is for our children’s success. SEL learning cannot be just an add-on, but has to provide the basic foundation of success in school, and by extension, in high school, college, and the workplace. MP&MS has understood and acted upon this truth since the school’s founding.

Outdoor education, robotics, and coding not only teach content and knowledge, but almost always require students to stretch outside of their comfort zones, to work in teams, to collaborate, to accept and bounce back from failure, and to combine strengths to find solutions. All these skills come under the larger umbrella of Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

At MP&MS

it is our priority to boost these programs that develop character through courage, inspire curiosity, and foster a connected community. By celebrating, supporting, and growing these programs, we instill a passion for inquiry and empathy in our students on their journey to becoming...

Empowered Learners Authentic Advocates Confident Contributors Playful Innovators Empathetic Leaders 1

Active, engaged learning leads to lasting understanding and empowers growing minds Outdoor education and STEAM initiatives bring social emotional learning to life.

Our preschool students explore and discover, learning through play as they build self-confidence, gain independence, and develop critical social skills through their interactions with teachers and other children.

Students in our primary school connect to the people and ideas around them in the context of a joyous, creative, and challenging learning atmosphere. They go on to middle school as kind, grounded, and inquisitive learners.

In middle school, students rise to the challenge of a strong academic program and become leaders, independent thinkers, self-advocates, and engaged citizens.

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our legacy of Outdoor Education, our pioneering work to integrate SEL into the curriculum, and our implementation of STEAM initiatives.

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We are proud of

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A Note from the MP&MS Board of Trustees Dear MP&MS community and friends, It is our honor to welcome Phil Gutierrez as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2021. This unanimous appointment came after a national search and was the result of united and enthusiastic support from the head search committee and broader MP&MS community.

In Phil, we have found a dynamic leader who will bring a strong array of experience to MP&MS. Throughout his work in advancement, admissions, and school administration, Phil has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within school communities. These themes are central to the MP&MS mission and strategic goals.

Phil graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in English and from Stanford University with an M.A. in English. He brings a wealth of experience to MP&MS, including his recent leadership role as Head of School at Mid-Peninsula High School, where he successfully increased enrollment, annual giving, and improved faculty compensation and professional development. Prior to joining Mid-Peninsula, Phil spent twenty-three years at the Branson School. Initially an English teacher, Phil moved on to become Admissions Director and later Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Affairs, where he spent time getting to know MP&MS and appreciates our unique environment, dedicated faculty, and the kind, thoughtful, and well-rounded students who attend our school.

Phil’s many personal interests and experiences enhance his unique passion as an educator. From dancing in the Stapleton Ballet’s Nutcracker, to volunteering as a writing tutor at San Quentin State Prison, to playing lead guitar in a band, Phil is deeply engaged and contributes to his community on many fronts. Phil has served as a Director on the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Board, a trustee at several Bay Area independent schools, and a regular presenter at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference.

We want to thank the MP&MS community for your commitment to this search process and your invaluable feedback. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to interim Head of School Peter McCormack, who has provided leadership and vision during this transition.

We look forward to welcoming Phil and his family to our community this summer and are confident that MP&MS will thrive under his leadership.

Sincerely, The MP&MS Board of Trustees

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Meet Phil Gutierrez, Incoming Head of School Dear MP&MS community,

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I look forward to making MP&MS my new home later this summer. I know that a warm welcome awaits me, and I promise to be the school’s biggest cheerleader and advocate as soon as I arrive. Go Panthers!

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I want to thank the Search Committee, the Board, the faculty and staff, parents, and students for a thoughtful, honest, and enjoyable search process. At every meeting and in every conversation, I felt everyone’s love for the school, and I gained a sense of the collective optimism for the school’s future. In particular, the community’s desire to engage more deeply with equity and social justice drew my attention. I also want to acknowledge the faculty’s resilience through a difficult year. Like them, I am optimistic for a new school year that also marks a return to school as it should be.

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I am honored to accept the offer to become Marin Primary & Middle School’s next head of school. For many years as a high school educator, I have had the pleasure of working with MP&MS alumni. MP&MS nurtures students’ compassion for others, fosters academic growth, and celebrates each individual journey through school and life. MP&MS students leave their primary and middle school years ready to take on any challenge. They are eager to make a positive impact on those around them. In the classroom, on the stage, and on the fields, MP&MS students distinguish themselves beautifully.

Warm regards, Phil

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Phil Gutierrez & his family gr at it u

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Pictured: Phil, his wife Robbie, their daughter Katherine (19), their son Max (16), and Randy, their black Labrador Retriever (3).

why field trips matter MP&MS has an extensive outdoor education program using our own campus and the vast natural and cultural resources of the Bay Area. Students travel throughout California and beyond to destinations that enhance their learning about geography, science, the environment, history and culture, and the arts. Overnight trips integrate classroom learning with teamwork and community building. authe

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In primary school, field trips are important integrated elements within each grade’s curriculum. Students from various grades can be found hiking in nearby Baltimore Canyon to understand the cycle of water or touring the local recycling center. In addition, third and fourth graders take part in overnight field trips which provide an immersion experience that brings the content of their studies to life. These immersive experiences allow students to explore the ecology of Marin County and other destinations and provide clear, real world opportunities to explore and observe. Students visit the Marin Headlands, Safari West, Gold Country, and other robust natural environments in our local region.

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learning comes to life In middle school, field trips bring depth and breadth to the program and are integrated into our academics, providing culminating activities relevant to student learning. The expertise of outside naturalists such as Nature Bridge and Naturalists-at-Large adds value to single day trips and overnight excursions. Fifth graders travel east to Yosemite National Park where they study the natural and cultural history of the region, focusing on Native American history. Sixth graders travel west to Mendocino Woodlands Camp where they sleep in rustic cabins, travel to the Ecological Staircase where they apply their knowledge of natural systems, and go tide-pooling along the coast where they study natural formations and form and function of invertebrates. Seventh graders travel south to El Capitan Canyon where they camp in tents, participate in physical and team-building challenges such as a ropes course and ocean kayaking. Our eighth graders travel to the far north, spending their time in the Olympic Rain Forest where they study ecosystems and geology while also celebrating their time together as a class community. Overall the class trips are often the highlight of a great year in school as well as the highlight of a students time at Marin Primary & Middle School.

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nature based learning adventures Tree school was launched this year to extend our preschool program into the outdoors in a mission-centered way. Dylan Turner, former Forest teacher, is leading our exciting new outdoor program, Tree School for preschoolers. Every other week, each class embarks on a morning of outdoor, nature-based, learning adventures. An abundance of research suggests that young children today can benefit from spending more time outdoors. Even before the onset of the pandemic, families were facing intense schedules and inviting screens that made it increasingly difficult to find time to wander and wonder in nature. In addition to venturing out into nature, we are also fortunate to be able to offer wonderful outdoor spaces right here on campus.

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celebrating the joy of tree school With the introduction of Tree School into the preschool program this year, students have taken advantage of the richness of Marin’s local environment. The opportunity to find both stimulation and calmness in the woods, or in the open spaces, has allowed our youngest students to find a pace that is often quite different from what is afforded by a traditional school setting.

Tree School has been an exceptionally popular and successful program, and the experiences shared by each class contribute to their academic and social emotional education as well as their cohesiveness as a small group.

the David Heath outdoor education center & garden

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The David Heath Outdoor Education Center, our school garden, allows students to learn from the multi-ecosystems flourishing there, to see the interconnectedness and impact all living and nonliving things have on each other. The garden also teaches problem solving and patience, as students plant, tend to, and wait for plants to grow, working as a team to create success. The school garden is a living lab where students study math, science, and the basic processes that sustain life: the life cycle of plants, the process of natural decomposition, the water cycle, the effect of insects, bacteria, weather and pollutants on soil and the environment. Through gardening, students become responsible caretakers who engage in agricultural practices on a small scale, learning about the impacts of land cultivation and sustainability.

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Every year, the October Harvest Festival celebrates the Outdoor Education Center and promotes MP&MS’s mission of making a difference through community action, sustainability, and global citizenship. The community gathers in our unique outdoor classroom and living lab to enjoy and appreciate its beautiful bounty. In the weeks and months leading up to Harvest Festival, students grow and craft goodies to present, trade, and share at the festival.

The excitement of this event is always palpable, and everyone looks forward to celebrating together in the garden. Students from preschool through eighth grade attend the festival, which features music, face painting, games, leaf rubbing, poetry, and a pie walk.

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S T E A M

Facilitating the integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (commonly known as STEAM) is key to supporting a forward-looking curriculum that is both innovative and transformative. With dedicated space and time to explore as learners, using the most advanced tools and resources, students are encouraged and supported in reaching their limitless potential. When students lean into a growth mindset and challenge themselves to expand what they thought possible, academic and personal learning becomes exponentially more impactful.

From coding, to robotics, to computer science, to a maker space, providing an immersive academic experience in 21st century learning is central to the technology and innovation program. Weaving together multiple disciplines into one project based learning model allows students to think creatively and to solve problems with a sense of understanding that brings the real world into the classroom.

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Instilling confidence and critical thinking through the application of tangible skills can inspire children to soar to new heights of learning and to reach beyond what they thought possible. By seeking out new ideas and meaningful projects to integrate into existing programs, students can take a deep dive into science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The integration of STEAM education stimulates students to become empowered learners, confident contributors, playful innovators, and insightful problem solvers. Having a background in STEAM education, MP&MS graduates know how to think critically, persist when faced with challenges, and take risks on their learning journey.

celebrate ~ support ~ grow Register for the 45th Anniversary Celebration & Paddle Raise here Wednesday, May 26, 2021 5:30-6:30 pm In Person Cocktail Hour 6:30-7:30 pm Virtual (watch from home or on campus) 45th Year Celebration & Paddle Raise