Marin Montessori Jr High - San Rafael, California

Shree S.

I've had countless conversations with parents outside of the Marin Montessori School community about how challenging middle school can be. I feel incredibly fortunate that I can't relate to their experiences at all!

We feel so supported by the MMS faculty and administration who generously share their expertise in early adolescent development through various avenues, including parent education events, teacher conferences, and one-on-one conversations. Our son is met with compassion by both his teachers and peers as he learns to take big leaps, learns from his mistakes, and explores new social and academic horizons.

Navigating the complexities of these early teen years is made more manageable by the presence of thoughtful, open, and generous families around us. I have absolute confidence that the parents at MMS have my back and will respond to any situation with kindness and compassion as we journey down this path together.

Andrew K.

Our son is thriving at MMS Jr High! In the supportive academic environment of the faculty, our son has flourished beyond what we could have imagined. The nurturing culture of MMS has enabled our son to grow as an independent and critical learner, and provided numerous opportunities for him to take on key leadership roles within the student community. He has been able to start new student clubs and facilitate learning experiences for his peers - in math and chess. Perhaps what surprised us the most was when he decided to try out for the school play and ended up in a lead role. For a young student who has never been shy, but also never wanted to be the center of attention, he knew that he could take on a new risk because the culture of the school is so committed to fostering his growth.

Pia D.

Attending the Junior High at Marin Montessori School has been one of the best choices we have made with our eldest child. We truly could not recommend the school enough.

The faculty and administration are experienced and engaged. Our child has felt academically challenged and personally supported. She has been encouraged to dive deeper into her interests, integrate her hobbies into her studies, and explore subjects and activities around which she has been hesitant. This year, she is participating in Montessori Model UN, and it is quickly becoming a highlight of her year. The facilities have recently been renovated, and the environment is even more reflective of the warmth and openness of the school.

The community at MMS - the faculty, administration, students, and parents - has been an incredible resource as we all move through our years at the school. Whether it be questions about the Montessori pedagogy, childhood and adolescent development, navigating the tricky technology landscape, or just appreciating the challenges that come with these ages, we have been grateful to have such support as we each take part in raising these young people to be active participants in the world we want to see.

As our eldest looks to graduate this spring, we know she will navigate through life with great curiosity, drive, and compassion that is in large part due to her time at MMS. Our youngest, a person with a very different personality and interests than our eldest, cannot wait to join the Junior High next year, and we are just as excited for the growth we will see in him.

Glenn M.

Marin Montessori Junior High Program has the highest quality Montessori education can provide. Highly trained/dedicated teachers/faculty who focus and guides the growth and independence of each child individually. They really create an environment of enthusiasm for learning, appreciation for growing and room for making mistake a long the way. Our son graduated from the Junior High Program this year. We have seen the positive advances in him during his time at MMS. The Junior High program also has a beautiful campus with a wonderful garden and farm.

Kristin M.

The MMS Junior High experience has been life-changing for our family and especially transformative for our son, who started MMS in 7th grade after spending 6th grade in a large public middle school.

We watched our son go from enduring routine Sunday night stomachaches, frequent bullying, out of control campus behavior and a lot of generic busy work to finding a safe and caring community of other engaged learners who inspire and challenge him. Now, he can't wait to go to school--we all can relax Sunday night! We have to pinch ourselves that this is the same young man, now glowing with self-confidence, new friendships and excitement about his future. He is comfortable being himself in a community he trusts and that is in no small part due to MMS.

There are a lot of great schools in Marin and academics are probably the easiest thing to find or fix. It's all the other stuff that can get in the way of learning. For us, MMS was the best fit because it was a smaller environment where our son could feel connected without sacrificing an expansive education. We aren't experts yet about the Montessori philosophy, but I've come to think of it like the wild geese of Mary Oliver's famous poem--it aims to show students "how the world offers itself to (y)our imagination" -- and that's been incredible to witness in practice for our son.

In a nutshell, this school is special because...
...the teachers and staff spend time getting to know each student and build an authentic relationship with them; I am always impressed by how well they know our son and the insights they offer specific to his growth.
...the values and culture are real; MMS staff and parents are inclusive and committed to understanding the issues facing teens today and keeping MMS a safe place to navigate them.
...the curriculum is student-centered, richly varied, hands-on and FUN!
...the beautiful campus and working farm connect students with nature and the joy and responsibility of caring for living things, of working the land and seeing the fruits of their labor--not to mention the empowerment that comes from utilizing the world as your classroom.
...the students love to learn and aren't afraid to show it.

Middle school doesn't have to be miserable. We're almost through 8th grade and it just keeps getting better. Our younger son can't wait to join in a few years and we're so relieved MMS will be there for him when the time comes.

M D.

It is without hesitation that I highly recommend Marin Montessori School’s Junior High program. Having had one of our sons graduate and seamlessly transition to one of the top private high schools in the area, we could not be more pleased with the administration, (especially under the exceptional leadership of Bill Sneed), staff and educators for providing a solid foundation for him. I can emphatically state that he is better prepared than his peers that attended some of the other private elementary and middle schools in the area and his grades are reflective of that. My husband and I are often asked by current and prospective parents whether the Montessori curriculum is robust in math. Our son’s assessment scores speak for themselves. As a freshman, he tested into Honors Geometry. Because his scores were in the top percentile, he was also placed into a Physics class with a more advanced math focus. In both courses, he has found the material engaging but “sort of easy.”
While our older son was tackling the high school admission process, our younger son asked if he could compare MMS to the other local junior high programs. After many discussions with faculty and several visits to the other private junior high schools, we all chose this school, MMS, for him. The main reason we chose MMS was that we all felt and knew firsthand that the administration and educators would see him as his own person; an individual with opinions, hopes and goals. We knew they would listen to him and challenge him accordingly. Sadly, at the other schools, when asked the same question, we received the same programmed responses, but assured us that they knew what they were doing. We were not convinced then and now we see at the high school level that there was nothing special about their schools and certainly not worth the cost.
Because of our experiences, I can say that MMS offers the best junior high school program in Marin County. It offers an individualized experience for students from a supportive, engaged and highly skilled faculty. Many thanks to the MMS community for all that they do.

V B.

What a disappointing year at MMS Jr. High - overall the program has gone downhill (our oldest attended and did fine). He said it was too cliquey for him but mostly enjoyed the programs/trips available back then. Academically he was fine when he graduated.

Our 2nd child had an okay 7th, 8th grade despite difficulties with turnover in Directors and the school not informing us he was seriously behind in math until Spring of 7th grade. He stayed for the optional 3rd year - a mistake. The school was too small and ill-equipped to deal with a group of older, spirited teen boys.
Our son continued to fall behind in math -he said he was only taught geometry the entire year. He math boring as it was mostly online software instruction. He began to hate school and lost his self-esteem because they had labelled him as a trouble-maker and wouldn't let him move beyond his mistakes. When his new school found out what he had gotten in trouble for - they couldn't believe it. Typical teen boy behavior they said - not a big deal - nothing they couldn't deal with.

There were double standards at MMS Jr High - To our son, it appeared that some students were favored and got special treatment and their mistakes overlooked. He felt that as hard as he tried, he just wasn't good enough. The school admitted they blamed our son for an incident for which he wasn't even present. This made it hard for our son to trust the administration.

It was such a relief to pull him out in March and put an end to all the drama. We transferred him to public middle school where he thrived - teachers said he was kind, engaged, and a pleasure to have in their classes - his grades went up. He loved his new math teacher and started to like math because he said, "I finally have a math teacher who actually teaches math!" Without the stifling small school environment and constant negativity (where every tiny mistake was seen under a microscope), and with the immediate feedback from teachers/grades, he was a completely different child. He had many more choices for friends. He was finally happy after a miserable year. MMS was a toxic environment for him.

Some of the teachers were burnt out (toward the end of the year, students were put in detention and had to stare at a wall without clear explanation). Others do care deeply, and I do have to say our son's advisor was amazing in her support of our son. The farm program used to be great but my son said it was incorporated less and less. Facilities and technology were run-down.

We do not feel that the high tuition was justified. We feel our son is doing well academically and socially, not because of the school but because he is a full year ahead of his peers. Plus, we've spent a lot of money for math, writing tutoring etc. on top of the private school tuition. In public middle school our son got a lot of experiences you can't get at MMS Jr. High: 8th grade dance, 8th grade pool party, outing to a local University, learning about modern world history, and he got to meet a whole bunch of kids from different socio-economic backgrounds. He had excellent teachers who helped him become more independent.
MMS Jr. High has potential - they used to have Washington DC, Model United Nations and research trips but those fell off towards the end. A program overhaul and additional training for burnt out staff would really help.

Update: (Initial rating was 2 and edited original post due to length limits). I received a call from Sam, the Head of School and was impressed that he saw my comments and had taken them to heart. He told me the school has updated some furniture and the kitchen, and staff had summer training. Model United Nations is back for some students, and no more detentions! Sounds like some other changes are planned. Sounds promising for future students and I appreciate him making the effort to reach out to me.

Our experience was not great, but there are others who had a good experience. The most important thing is to listen to your child and pay attention to what is going on with them.

Meika R.

MMJH is the best kept secret in Marin. Our daughter is dyslexic and struggled in public school even with support and an IEP. We decided to transfer to a private school in 6th grade expecting her to thrive in a smaller school environment. Instead she was overwhelmed by the intense academics and competitive nature of the students.
We were thinking of sending her to a 1:1 school just to get her confidence back but decided to tour MMJH after hearing that the campus had a farm (my daughter is an animal lover). What we discovered on the tour was what we had been looking for all along; a nurturing academic environment that truly sees each student for who they are and fosters their strengths.
My daughter was drawn to MMJH's hands on learning program that allows students to pick their classes. She has beekeeping for science and cooking for PE. The teachers are brilliant at meeting kids where they are at and supporting a curriculum that isn't one size fits all. In a few short months she has gone from being a reluctant learner who hated school, to an engaged student who feels a part of her community.
As a parent, the MMJH community has been very welcoming and inclusive. I felt at home from day one. I've also been so impressed by the Grounded and Soaring podcast/website the school produces. It's a valuable resource for insightful interviews and parenting strategies. We are thrilled we found this amazing school and community and only wish we had discovered the beauty of Montessori learning earlier.