footsteps winter 2012

Footsteps

Letter from Julie Elam 2

Our Progress is Building 3

Around Campus 4

Out of Curiosity 6

Book Fair Brings Out Our Best 7

In Our Halls and . . . 8

. . . Around the Community 9

Making Home Sweet 10

Hey! I Can Read! 12

Building 21s t Century Learners 14

Time Out with Lizzie Salzfass and Arturo Cuevas 16

Thanks for Making Good Things Happen! 18

MP&MS Alum 31

The Magazine of Marin PriMary & Middle SchoolVol. 10 winter 2012

Marin Primary & Middle School Treasuring childhood—learning for life

2

Greetings to all from Marin Primary & Middle School! Several months ago, when we began to think about the topics that would be most interesting for this edition of Footsteps, we were still in the beginning months of the school year. in what feels like the blink of an eye, we’re fully immersed in the second semester, with the end of the school year on the horizon. the stories in this edition describe many new learning initiatives and activities. we also take a fresh look at the way the hallmarks of our school help students hone the skills needed to take on the complex challenges and opportuni-ties of our ever-changing world.

Footsteps editor Judy Zimola’s thoughtful article about the “Four C’s and the three r’s”, both necessary components in a school filled with today’s 21st century learners, provides glimpses into just a few of the ways in which we are prepar-ing our students to become critical thinkers, creative and innovative problem solvers, effective collaborators, and fluent communicators.

we learn about a new community program that provides opportunities for students and teachers to get to know each other (Panther Pals, page 5), and how involvement in drama fosters poise, creativity, and budding theatrical skills (Did i Dream that? Page 8). Acquiring the critical skill of reading (“Hey! i Can read!, pages 13-14) shows how our teachers weave communications skills through their students’ entire day. eighth graders step into their community with compas-sion and creativity (Making Home Sweet, pages 11-12). From preschool to eighth grade, MP&MS students are evolving as true 21st century citizens.

nAiS President Pat Bassett adds another “C” to this list, the development of “global cosmopolitans”—students fully equipped with the cultural competencies to be part of our global community. MP&MS strives to meet this goal in a va-riety of ways. Second graders communicate both electronically and on paper with their penpals at the williams School in Cuernevaca, the visiting lion Dance troupe celebrated the lunar new Year right here on campus, and recently, a group of MP&MS families and teachers embarked on a two-tiered trip to ecuador. Half environmental discovery, half service learning trip, they explored the rain forest and and visited the school whose classrooms we’ve helped equip over the years we’ve been visiting.

our very own “C” could be “construction”. we’re incredibly excited about the Magnolia Access project, which will kick off Phase ii of our master plan, beginning this spring and summer. Until that begins, enjoy the remainder of the school year. i know it’ll be creative, connected, and most of all, captivating.

investigating and growing

Julie Elam, Head of School

footsteps • Spring 2012 3

the MP&MS board has been working tirelessly on our Master Plan, “Building for their Future”, which will transform our existing blacktop and create a multipurpose gathering space. while we have not yet raised enough money to build everything immediately, we’re able to proceed with the Magnolia Access Project this summer.

the Magnolia Access Project is a part of our plan for a new sustainable schoolyard. it will create an attractive, inclusive and fully accessible connection between the middle and primary school buildings, and our outdoor spaces. right now, this area is currently served by a makeshift ramp and several steep stairways, and is not fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with physical challenges currently make their way around campus through a cobbled-together series of half-solutions and workarounds. we’re an inclusive community with an inclusive curriculum, and this project will create an inclusive campus to match our mission. we’re excited that we can improve access for our students, staff and visitors and continue our progress on the Master Plan.

the construction work is planned for this summer, with no disruption to the school year. we continue to work towards our $8.5 million fundraising goal, which will allow us to break ground on the remainder of the sustainable schoolyard and the new multipurpose room. the timing of these projects will depend on our fundraising. three things are affect-ing that timing:

• the economic environment, while improving, is stilldifficult and uncertain, which is affecting all charitable giving;

• despite tough times, MP&MS is thriving, with record enrollment, a healthy budget, wonderful faculty and community, and Julie elam’s remarkable leadership;

• the MP&MS administration board is careful and prudent about borrowing and spending.

the support of our community is transforming the physical school, and i want to thank all of our incred-ibly generous donors and volunteers working to make this happen. our students deserve a campus that reflects MP&MS values.

Mark Slavonia, Board Chair

our Progess is Building

4

around campus

Thirteen a Lucky Number for First Graders’ FamiliesChatter and late-november sunlight filled the first grade classroom as Jennifer ingrassia and Jesse Swagerty’s students filed in and took their places. the thirteenth annual Family Day program, “a sort of follow-up to Grandparents and Special Friends Day,” as Jennifer de-scribed it, began with a recitation and visual interpretation of “the Happiness tree” by Andrea Alban Gosline. next up was “School Daze rap”, a hip-hop song that tells of a student’s efforts to get dressed and organized, eat a decent breakfast, and arrive at school in the nick of time, only to remember it’s Saturday. the show-stopper, however, was “when i Get Angry, i . . .” Using the iPad’s video feature, each student created a clip that described how they expressed anger. Voiceovers provided the narration as students acted out the various outlets for their emotion: throwing a pillow, drawing with passion, or fiercely squeezing a squishy toy. the morning wrapped up with students and family members sitting shoulder to shoulder at the child-sized tables, poring over math teasers, puzzles, and word games. Judging from the happy din, there was nothing but delight this Family Day.

Research Shows “Crepuscular. it means, like, twilight,” said fourth grader Jonah Glasser, from his seat in library sci-ence class, focus barely shifting from his iPad. His absorption in the study process proved several points: 1) learning new stuff is exciting; 2) it’s easier than ever to obtain good information; 3) the MP&MS library staff is jazzed about showing students how to learn. Assistant librarian Junia Ziblay

has developed a method for better guiding students to the right resource to help with research projects, seamlessly blending students’ love of technology with their natural curiosity. For instance, after showing the fourth graders various reference tools, a survey is posted on their wiki asking questions such as: “where would you turn to find out about antonyms and synonyms? what source is going to be of most help when researching biology? would it be the same source as chemistry?” Students completed the survey on their iPads, Junia distilled the answers, and the results revealed the learning gaps: confusion between a thesaurus and a dictionary, for example. the class then got another quick refer-ence lesson to clear up uncertainties. “this has made a huge difference in their research process. they find information much faster now,” said fourth grade teacher Susan Humphrey. no kidding. Crepuscular? really?

Showing Seventh and Eighth Graders the Ropesthere’s a right time for middle schoolers to take risks, and occidental’s ropes course provides the perfect environment for gaining confidence through testing one’s limits. At the beginning of this school year our seventh and eighth grade students learned teamwork and confidence-building by navigating a 20-foot high obstacle course while being spotted by earthbound classmates, or scaling a tall tree for the sole purpose of letting go, allowing classmates to belay them safely to the ground. “they leave for the ropes course as individuals, but return with a deeper sense of friendship and how to be a collaborative community. it is a perfect way to start off a school year,!”said Middle School Director Dave DeMartini.


Shake Hands With Your New Panther Palthanks to the efforts of first grade teacher Jennifer ingrassia and helped by an enthusiastic planning committee, MP&MS has a fun new way of building connections within the community. Panther PAlS—twenty groups of students, faculty, and staff—will meet four times this school year. each group was tasked with creating their own handshake, and named after fruits. why fruits? “Because we wanted something non-hierarchical, something that’s easy to draw and remember,” Jennifer

said. “then we thought about a name for the whole operation. “PAlS” is actually an acronym that stands for Promot-ing Acceptance, laughter and Support.”

Providing support and enhancing children’s sense of feeling known, valued, and accepted is the goal of Panther PAlS. the idea came partly from MP&MS’s two year involvement with Stanford University’s Challenge Success program. “Part of Challenge Success’s message is that it’s important for children to feel connected and known. this is an ideal way for children to feel connected to their own class and school division, as well as to all the adults in the school.” Jennifer said. Groups will remain intact throughout the students’ MP&MS careers, adding new members as the eighth graders peel out. “once a persimmon, always a persimmon,” Jennifer laughed.

Preschoolers Keep the Dream Alivein January, the Jungle class explored the idea of “same but different” as they were intro-duced to the life and work of Dr. Martin luther King, Jr. teachers Johanna Hall and raquel Carrillo distilled Dr. King’s ideals of equality down to its essentials: Dr. King was treated unfairly because he looked different, and he wanted people to understand that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of appearance. “we talked about who he was, and what he wanted for the world. we discussed how people were separated based upon the color of their skin.” Johanna said. to illustrate, they drew faces on brown and white eggs, then discussed how the eggs were different on the outside.

After the students drew their own parallels between the eggshells and human skins, Johanna and raquel cracked open the eggs to reveal how, despite their outward differences, the eggs were pretty much the same on the inside. “we might look different on the outside,” began raquel, “but . . .”“. . . it’s the same!” finished several young students. By giving kids a fresh perspective at an early age—for example, appreciating differences through examining eggs—the dream lives.

A Table By the Hallway, Pleasethe best lunchtime reservation in early January was the front office at 20 Magnolia, and seating was reserved for a select few. over lunch in her office, Julie elam hosted a series of get-togethers with new students. “i’ve done these lunches in the past at other schools, and i enjoy this as a way to touch base with stu-dents. it’s a great to collect feedback regarding the experience of being new at our school and i like hearing what these students like best about MP&MS. the report was a good one—each student said they didn’t feel lonely or new because the kids and teachers were so friendly and welcoming.” with the head of school treating you to lunch, who wouldn’t feel heard, comfortable, and happy?

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out of curiosity . .

a veterinarian. We have a big backyard.

Frida, first grade

a video game designer. i’ve already made some games, and i’d like to sell one.

Lucas, sixth grade

an inventor.

Liam, second grade

what do you want to be when you grow up?

Well, i’m thinking of a couple of options. i’d like to be an actress, or a doctor.

Zoe, fourth grade

a writer. or a comedian. Will ferrell is my favorite. Landon, left, sixth grade. an interior designer. i’m always designing the space in my room. i get

an idea, then go on the internet to find pricing and measurements. Violet, right, sixth grade.

a policeman.

Charlie, seventh grade

a marine biologist because i like animals and the outdoors.

Rose, seventh grade


Book fair Brings out our Best

nothing beats the David Hale library stuffed with great books for sale, but this year, MP&MS decided to take the annual Book Fair up a notch by making opening night “family night”. Besides shopping, there were crafts for the kids facilitated by our middle schoolers, and professional photographer Abigayle tarsches took portraits of MP&MS fami-lies. the book fair kicked off a delightful holiday season, and MP&MS enjoyed two days of thriving sales and community spirit.

all photos by Abigayle Tarsches

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in our halls and . . .

Did I Dream That?

Played within a lush forest twinkling with fairy dust, MP&MS primary schoolers brought so much whimsy, sparkle, and charm to this winter’s production of the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that even the Multipurpose room was transformed. Ava Coven (Hermia) and Anna Albinson (Snug the Joiner), took time from their studies to reflect on life

in the theater and the hazards of spirit gum.

What was your method for memorizing lines?

Ava: it was kind of hard, but every night before bed i practiced my lines be-cause i heard that they would be easier to remember that way.

Anna: i looked at them a lot, then i got them down.

Was learning the language of Shakespeare hard?

Anna: A little bit. it’s kind of hard to play to.

Ava: i liked the language they used. it’s kind of confusing, but i think it’s cool. they use weird words.

Did it feel different rehearsing once you switched to costumes?

Ava: well yeah. You couldn’t eat in your costumes.

Anna: i think it really affected Bottom [trevor Canton] because he had that big donkey head and he had to talk really loudly and it was hot.

Ava: the makeup is a part i didn’t really like because you have to put it on with sticky stuff, and the elf ears weren’t sticking on the way they were supposed to.

Anna: And the horns didn’t stick on, so she went on, and there were these big circles on her forehead.

Ava: we used this stuff to put it on, it was like nail polish sort of, but it was glue and it was supposed to stick.

Spirit gum?

Ava: Yeah!

It doesn’t always work terrifically well.

Anna: especially when it’s mixed up in people’s hair.


. . . around the community

Traditional Chinese Lion Dance Brings Luck and Smiles

if the faces of the student body was any indicataion, the coming year of the dragon will be filled with smiles and delight. the Marin Chinese Cultural Association, ably assisted by MP&MS eighth grader Sophie Jonak, gave a live performance on the MP&MS blacktop of the traditional lion Dance to honor Chinese new Year in February.

the dance depicts a lion that faces a series of obstacles in order to reach a lettuce leaf, perched on a difficult to reach location. Playing the front half of the lion, Sophie and her partner deftly hopped on metal piles ap-proximately two feet high. the script has the lion at times easily jumping, at times hesitating, ears twitching and eyes blinking in consternation, until he finally reaches his goal. when the lion reaches the green he eats it, removes the liscee or traditional new Year’s red envelope, then throws the shredded green back out, spread-ing the prosperity and luck through the audience. the lion Dance ends with a message of good luck unfolding from the lion’s mouth. A dragon dance followed, with about a dozen members holding aloft the dragon’s tail while snaking around the schoolyard, twisting and undulating as the dragon chased a runner holding a bright orange ball on a pole, the ball representing wisdom.

After the performance, Sophie fielded audience questions with ease despite being hot and winded from her athletic performance. Students learned that the troupe rehearsed the lion Dance for about three hours straight every Saturday since last autumn; the mirrors on the dragon’s eyes reflected back bad luck and the ball he chases represents wisdom. Members of the Marin Chinese Cultural Association range in age from eight to eighteen years old.

the performers received a warm round of applause before packing up their instruments and magical costumes. two other schools were waiting for their lucky lion Dance, and the troupe couldn’t keep them waiting.

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Making home Sweet

our eighth graders learn through doing that community service enriches everyone involved.

ottoman-sized terra cotta planters brimming with pansies, lavender, and trailing greens, and jewel-colored step stones will be part of the landscapes at two new Habitat for Humanity homes, thanks to the efforts of the MP&MS class of 2012.

the project took shape last october. “Students were eager to get involved in a project outside of the school,” said eighth grade teacher Steve Fanfelle. “they were really into the notion of doing something to help out the commu-nity.” they bounced around ideas ranging from clearing trails to raising money for a good cause. “the idea of doing something hands-on appealed to them,” he added. “they’re a proactive group.”

Doing something with Habitat for Humanity had been on eighth grade homeroom parent Pam Bohner’s mind for a few years. “i kept thinking that Habitat would be a great way to help the kids invest their time in something that was meaningful, where they could make a difference in their community.” She and fellow homeroom parent Vesa Becom began a dialog with Habitat Volunteer Coordinator Christine Gibson. After a few exchanges, a Habitat representa-tive visited campus to speak to the students.

the presentation focused on the many benefits of home ownership and how meaningful it is for a family to feel secure in their living space. Habitat for Humanity presented their position in a matter-of-fact way, explaining to students that families spending the majority of their paychecks on a place to live are also probably having trouble paying for food, clothing, medical care and transportation. Students were surprised to learn that families in which


both parents work full time at jobs vital to the community—teachers, police-men, and health care workers—find it difficult to put a roof over their heads without severely limiting other important basics. “i thought firemen made a lot of money,” murmured one student.

A list of suggested projects, provided by Habitat for Humanity, was dis-cussed until the class landed on projects that fit the students’ talents. “After they figured out what they wanted to contribute, there was no holding them back,” Pam remarked. Some students dove into the project by painting the large planters and selecting plants that would grow successfully together as well as give color throughout the year. other students set tile in a mosaic pattern for stepping stones. Still another group made baked goods for the opening ceremony.

on the morning of october 24, the gifts were presented by eighth grades representatives during a ceremony at one of the Habitat homes, presided by novato mayor Madeline Kellner and Habitat for Humanity regional executive Director Phillip Kilbridge. Afterwards, students had a chance to tour the home and meet the families who received their gifts. the families — Alexandr, Yelena and their college-age daughter, plus Heather, Hector and their twelve-year-old daughter — beamed with pride. Alexandr, who speaks russian and very little english, was asked how it felt to be a home-owner. Putting his hand to his chest he said, “spaciba,” russian for “thanks,” as a huge smile encircled his face.

At the ceremony’s conclusion, Habitat’s Christine Gibson said, “we were all touched by the MP&MS students’ generosity, and our families were thrilled to be welcomed home with treats and beautiful flowers. it’s because of people like your eighth graders that these families will feel right at home.”

this project was so fulfilling for the eighth graders, another Habitat for Humanity project is in their scopes. on the way back to the campus, erika Mott remarked, “that felt good. it made me feel like i’m part of their new lives. Something pretty at their new house came from us.”

“We were all touched by the MP&MS students’ generosity, and our families were thrilled to be welcomed home with treats and beautiful flowers. It’s because of

people like your eighth graders that these families will feel right at home.“Christine Gibson, Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator

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hey! i can read! how going to the market, talking about the cat, and hopping in place creates successful readers.

A child’s job is to play. Games, stories, singing, and drawing teach kids how to talk, listen, read and write. “emerging literacy” describes the gradual, ongoing process of learning to understand and use language that begins at birth and continues through the early childhood years. interaction with family, caregivers, even a teddy bear, forms the basis of a child’s communication and literacy skills. By the time a child is eighteen months old, he or she is adding a new word to their vocabulary at the rate of one every two hours!

introducing books to children starts them on a game of literacy connect-the-dots. By junior kindergarten, MP&MS students are fully immersed in learning about reading. what may appear as informal fun is a very carefully con-structed program that weaves reading through all facets of the curriculum, including play and exercise. For example, January is “the Body Project” for Mia Munson and Camille roth’s JK students. they learn about their bod-ies through a variety of activities that encompass nutrition (a trip to a local market to find items from each food group), health (exercise and activity), and biology (identifying internal and external body parts). As “the Body Project” becomes more in-depth, students are engaged in a variety of writing and reading lessons. they start the section by making outlines of their bodies. During writing workshop, they draw and label organs, and create journal en-tries related to their own body and how to take care of it. “they’ll continue to label things, and begin to make sentences, like ‘i have blue eyes,’ Mia said. “the unit continues long after it’s completed because the kids are so into it.”

By kindergarten, reading has become a way of life. Students start each day by reviewing the large paper tablet placed on an easel that says what day it is and the special events taking place. with teachers Mario Moran and Paige Missamore leading, the kids read the page by associating what they know with what’s written. “For example,” said Paige, “they may know that today is Monday, and ‘Monday’ begins with an ‘M’. By connecting knowledge and recognition with sounds, they’re on the path to reading.”


Fully briefed on the day to come, students continue exploring literacy by taking turns sharing what’s on their minds: did something exciting happen, or is it about to happen? Did they see something unusual? As the students relate their thoughts, Paige and Mario write them on large-format ruled paper, which the kids will illustrate before the sheets are bound into a book. By doing this, students are learning the word associated with its sound, and the letters associated with the word. “it’s a huge process, learning to read,” said Paige. “Creating a literacy-rich environment immerses the kids in reading through storytelling, drawing and labeling, and even movement.”

Movement? it’s true. After a morning of readers’ or writers’ workshop, learning Spanish, or discussing the parts of a tooth, they’re ready for a “body break.” “that’s when we shake it out and jump around, while making “M” sounds or “o” sounds,” Paige said. “Come in at any moment of any day, and the students will be into something that’s teaching them to read. when it’s integrated like that, they’re having fun learning.”

early reading is a whole-child process that combines their observations, gifts of story-telling, and home experience with books. “we’ll start with this,” Mario explained, pulling out a copy of How Does a Tree Help? the top of each page reads “How does a tree help?” Underneath is written, “it is a [bug’s, raccoon’s, etc.] home.” the opposite page features an endearing photo of the animal. “these books are great for early readers because kids learn first by the repetition of the first sentence. in the second sentence, they can associate the animal with the letter it begins with. For instance,” he says, pointing at a picture of a cardinal perched on a tree branch, “see how the second sentence says ‘it is a home for birds?’ A child might look at the picture and say, ‘that’s a cardinal.’ i’d say, ‘yes, but look at the word, what does it begin with?’ we’d see that it’s a ‘B’, which leads the reader to connect the word ‘bird’ with the letter ‘B’. the pieces fall into place, and then it’s ‘Hey! i can read!’”

“it’s all about comprehension, not just saying words,” says Primary School Director and reading Specialist erin Murphy. “For me, there is nothing like the sound of a first grader learning to read. it starts with the child reading patterned text: ‘Here is a red ball. Here is a blue shirt.’ the hope is that the child will turn and look at the picture so he or she will be able to ‘read’ the word ‘shirt,’ may-be needing a small prompt to remember the “sh” sound. the reward comes when the child stops and notices the pattern change. that’s a clear indication that the child is not simply memorizing the pattern, but that reading has begun.”

Success with reading can be measured in many ways, but the goal of the read-ing program is for our students to enjoy the process. “we want them to leave kindergarten as confident readers who have fun with books and words,” Mario said. “that’s when they love school.”

Tips for parents of early

readers:

Start reading to them as

early in their lives as possible,

and keep reading! no one is

too old to be read to.

Share books every day.

reread favorites. Most chil-

dren love to hear their

favorite stories over and

over.

Be creative and read with

expression! Show the

pictures. or, use wordless

books and make up your

own story.

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creating 21st century learnersMove over, three rs. The four cs are quickly gaining headway.

Commotion bubbled from the Multipurpose room. the voices of what sounded like a hundred kids poured out the double doors in a hopped-up tangle of enthusiasm and inspiration: “now put a couple of chairs over there!” “what can we use for the steering wheel?” “i want to be the big brother!” A peek inside revealed about twelve students cre-ating an on-the-spot scenario. Drama specialist Charlie Queary watched as the scene unfolded, allowing the students to work the scene out themselves. Chairs were arranged like bus seats with the back row on a small platform. A table made the hood of the vehicle. Kids were bouncing as they “rode”, making up dialog to match a scene that evolved and got more complex with every line, changing the vehicle from a bus to a jalopy to an SUV. one thing, though, was clear: wherever they were headed, the journey was a blast! “they did this themselves,” Charlie chuckled. “All of a sudden, there was a bus in the Multipurpose room, and we’re all headed to lA!”

they didn’t know it, but the students were demonstrating the new skills necessary for success in the twenty-first century. the “three rs,” reading, writing, and arithmetic, must now share their long-held educational throne with the “four Cs”: critical thinking, creative problem solving, communication, and collaboration.

the “four Cs, three rs” model is quickly being embraced by leaders in education and business. Daniel Pink argues in his bestselling book A Whole New Mind (summer reading for our faculty and staff two years ago) that right-brain thinkers, those more in touch with their creative and intuitive instincts, will be the leaders of the twenty-first century workplace. Apple Computer, Dell Computer, and Microsoft feel so strongly about fostering innovative thinkers they’ve founded Partnership for 21st Century Skills, dedicated to aligning classroom and real world environments by interweaving the three rs with the four Cs. For MP&MS students, a fifth C is added: community.

the Cs, in some form, have been woven into MP&MS culture from the moment founder roberta Heath opened the school in 1975. today, students putting the Cs to work, in any combination of ways, can be witnessed any time, any place on campus.


“As we think about the

qualities our students will

need as learners and

leaders in the 21st

century, the school’s focus

on “treasuring childhood”

remains a helpful guide.

Our teaching structure and

core program are designed

to provide the time and

space for children to

experience a range of

learning opportunities, to

become skillful collabora-

tors and creative thinkers,

and to think critically about

the information presented

to them.

The pace of children’s

lives is as much a priority

as their educations.”

—Julie Elam

• in third grade, Character education teaches students the importance of communicating with others not only by speaking, but by listening and picking up on non-verbal messages—body language. “we talk about what a closed-off person looks like,” teacher Sarah Abbey said as she demonstrated by crossing her arms. “then we explore how we might draw that person out.” listening skills are practiced through progressive storytelling, where each student adds a sentence to the previous person’s story.

• when a student actor rushed Charlie Queary backstage during a perform-ance to ask how to deal with a missing crucial prop, Charlie gave sage advice for any situation: “Figure it out!” After a beat, the student disappeared to quietly confer with castmates. She made a timely entrance with a wand fashioned from a wooden spoon and sparkly fabric, the ends flowing in true princess style. Agile critical thinking skills enabled her to solve the problem.

• Producing a newspaper requires the collaborative talents of many, as staff of the Panther Press will tell you—when they’re not busy looking for stories, that is. Conceived by eighth grader william Brandon, the idea of a student-run and edited paper quickly gained popularity. A community service, writers work on their own time to put the school paper together, and the photography elective class contributes pictures.

• technology and creativity go hand-in-hand in the classroom. in sixth grade, students are using wikis to respond to each others’ writing. this also employs developing skills in anaylsis (critical thinking) and constructive criticism (communication).

these examples vividly illustrate key conditions for student success: a learning environment geared towards teaching students to trust their ideas as well as providing a solid foundation of the fundamentals; giving them room to make and learn from mistakes; and encouragement to share their views.

the skills developed through the Cs will be essential for navigating the jobs of the future, say researchers who have studied the rapidly-evolving twenty-first century workplace. Communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, a sense of community will be as valuable as technical skills and savvy. And in that case, the students driving the make-believe bus are charting the course to a successful future.

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Time out Witharturo cuevas and lizzie Salzfass

As a middle schooler, what did you think you were going to be as an adult?

Arturo: i was thinking i’d be an engineer in something related with computers. i loved computers back then and we hardly used them, so they were very interesting to me. My access to computers was limited though. later i realized i liked to be with others and work in a group, and i decided to become a teacher. Lizzie: i had a wide range of ideas. At one point i wanted to be a hand glider so i could fly around and deliver messages, but mostly i wanted to be a veterinarian. i also remember taking a career test and optometry came up as one of the major options, which is funny because there are a lot of optom-etrists in my family. turns out math and science weren’t my favorite, so being a vet or optometrist wasn’t in the cards for me.

What was middle school like for you?

Arturo: Mine was a public school in a small town in Mexico. we had a

lot of outdoor activities, like a small farm that we’d work on during the week. it was fun to feed the cows. they also had beehives. they had options for different groups to work on.Lizzie: My midde school experi-ence was not an overall positive one. it was a public school in a suburban town, about 400 kids in the school. the building had a sort of coldness to it, and my sixth grade class was the first elementary school to move up to middle school., and i felt kind of yanked, it was a tumultuous time for me and that’s why i wanted to teach middle school. i wanted to be an adult to notice social dynamics and make things better for kids who might be having trouble.

What do you think are some issues students deal with today that are the same as when you were in middle school?

Arturo: i’ve noticed that considera-tion for one’s peers is one of the issues that continues through the years. we want to work on esteem in both public and independent schools. i think that’s one of the


Being a middle school teacher comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. new MP&MS teachers lizzie Salzfass (seventh grade) and Arturo Cuevas (Spanish) talk about what’s changed and what’s the same with today’s young adults.

most important issues that students face and that we face as teachers.Lizzie: i found this to be a more inclusive, welcoming environment than my middle school was. i think that part of it is being a small school and part of it is great efforts on eve-rybody’s part to make it a welcoming place. there are also opportunities for students to explore multiple intel-ligences and have different experi-ences where they can connect with each other, like buddies. But i think social cruelty is a common problem among adolescents, so we’re trying a curriculum i brought called “owning Up.” it’s about looking at more subtle forms of bullying and social exclusion, and the roles that kids play. there’s a girls’ and boys’ curriculum, and i’ve been impressed and amazed by how much students want to stand up for others, and are willing to speak out.

the Allies group has been a huge success. it’s an elective that encour-ages peope to speak up when they see or hear unfair treatment of anybody. the turnout was much big-ger than we’d planned. we got about fifteen kids, and we had several

subcommittees, a couple parent visi-tors, even some alumni. we’ve done a lot of different things around the school already, and we’re going to do some more next elective period, so that makes me feel really positive about the school. the students are really willing to be champions.

How do you think students learn best?

Arturo: they pick up the language best when i give them a project, and while they’re working on it they can only speak Spanish. it helps them learn the rhythms and think in the language, instead of about the words.Lizzie: Students learn best when they’re working on the subject and interacting with the other students. when they study medevial town, for example, they’re so into it and talking about it all the time. i’ll also have them read and teach chapters to each other, so they’re not just reading and trying to absorb it from a book. when they’re trying to teach it to others it makes a big difference in how they learn it.

18

MP&MS 2010-2011annual report

Thanks for Making good Things happen!Meredith Clark, Director of Development and Communications

My message of introduction for Marin Primary & Middle School’s 2010-11 Annual report is a simple one: thank YoU for a wonderful year!

i’m delighted to share the chart on the bottom of the page, which details fundraising growth for our school over the last six fiscal years. As you can see, MP&MS’s 35th Anniversary school year was a banner year for us. From great success for our Building for their Future capital campaign, a strong annual fund campaign to a record-break-ing auction, i am proud of the tradition of giving that continues to develop and strengthen at MP&MS.

Hundreds of donors need to step forward and give meaningfully for us to achieve this success. we are ever grateful for your generosity. we are also thankful for the tireless efforts of many volunteers who helped last year with our fundraising efforts, including Annual Fund chair Mark Slavonia and the classroom Annual Fund reps, the Building for their Future campaign committee, chaired by Sue whitaker and John Stobo, and our 35th Anniversary Annual Auc-tion committee, led by PA President leAnn wanninger.

Again, thanks to each and every donor listed on the following pages. Your investment in our program en-sures that MP&MS remains the place that our students don’t want to leave at the end of the day. Year

Six-Year Summary of Funds Raised for Three Biggest Annual Campaigns


MP&MS Annual Fund and the MP&MS Annual AuctionFunds Raised for: General operating SupportFrequency: AnnualPurpose: to fill the gap between the actual cost to educate each child and tuition paid. Annual Fund and Auc-tion support keep MP&MS vibrant by supporting teachers, curriculum, and our great programs, from tuition Assistance to the outdoor education Center.

Building for Their Future Capital CampaignFunds Raised For: the MP&MS Master PlanFrequency: Defined Period of timePurpose: to raise funds for the next phases of the campus Master Plan, which will include transforming our current blacktop into a lush sustainable schoolyard and a new spacious and flexible multipurpose room. Con-struction on the Magnolia Access Project, Phase iiA of the Master Plan, will take place in Summer 2012.

Fund-in-NeedFunds Raised for: Special ProjectsFrequency: AnnualPurpose: to meet a pressing need for the educational program. this year’s Fund-in-need drive, which happened at the MP&MS Auction on March 31, wraised funds for three new school vans to be used during field trips, after-school sports and for other transportation needs. Past Fund-in-need drives have benefited educational technol-ogy and the music program.

Restricted Major Gifts and Foundation GrantsFunds Raised for: MP&MS Programs and ProjectsFrequency: AnnualPurpose: to fund specific programs, projects and the school’s endowment. Connects donors passionate about a particular area of the school directly to the cause.

Annual Fund donations can be made online at www.mpms.org/donate. For information about supporting an-other area of the development program, please contact Meredith A. Clark, Director of Development & Com-munications, at (415) 413-9046 or [email protected].

opportunities for SupportMP&MS depends on the generosity of our community to keep our program great.

20

Board of Trustees 2010-2011

Officers

Chair

therese lawless

Vice Chair

John Stobo

treasurer

laura tauber

Secretary

Mark Slavonia

Board Members

Chris Albinson

Scott Bohner

Phil Bronstein

Craig Burton

George Carver

thomas Dietz

Kathy Fields-rayant

Cathy Hunter

Kevin Johnson

Kim Kihara

Sloan Klein

rory little

Stephanie Mellin

tanya Peterson

liz ranieri Kuth

tom restaino

leAnn wanninger

Susan Kan whitaker

Donna wiggins, M.D.

Julie elam, Head of School

Parents association 2010-2011

Officers

President

leAnn wanninger

Vice President

Sam Cross

treasurer

louAnn Micucci

Secretary

Adriana rabkin

PA Director of Communications

Julie rootes

MP&MS Director of Development and

Communications

Meredith Clark


annual fund 2010-2011

Founder’s Circle$25,000+

Mark and Catherine Slavonia

Head’s Council

$10,000 to $24,999

Phil and Chris Bronstein

Bob and Myra Fairchild

laurie and rachel lehman

rory and Jan little

Garry rayant and Kathy Fields-rayant

tom restaino and Jan Becker

MP&MS Magnolia SocietyMP&MS’s Magnolia Society recognizes sustain-ing donors who have given for eight or more consecutive years, from 2002 to 2011.

Chris and Deb Albinson

Mark and Susan Anderson

Clint Bajakian and Deniz ince

Jacob Bastacky and laurie roth

John and Michelle Battelle

wendy Bolker

Jayme and Gayle Canton

George and Kathy Carver

rick and Paula Coven

tom Dietz and leslie Ferguson-Dietz

Jim and larie Flaherty

Claire Haggin

Jeff Haggin

Mark Henderson and laura tauber

eliot and Margot Holtzman

Joe Keene and Susan Andrus

rory and Jan little

Brian and nicole Mott

Paul and Melanie nichols

tom and Cristy norian

liz Palacios

Jim Parton and Maureen Brown Parton

Garry rayant and Kathy Fields-rayant

tom restaino and Jan Becker

Joe rusbarsky and Margaret warner

Dan Schlager and Donna wiggins

John and Diana Stobo

Jim Sturdevant and therese lawless

Guardians

$5,000 to $9,999

Jeff and Kirby Burke

ed and Susan Catmull

Julie Chaiken

Clara Jeffery Charitable trust

Shawn and Samantha Cross

Christian Fair and Kelli limm Fair

Chris and Allison Fragakis

Goldman, Sachs & Co Matching Gift

Program

Claire Haggin

Jeff Haggin

Donald and Donna Kelleher

Byron Kuth and liz ranieri Kuth

Vishal Makhijani

Bill and Stephanie Mellin

Adam and Karen Murphy

John and Diana Stobo

Sharon Stone

Jim Sturdevant and therese lawless

the Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation

the leF Foundation

lars Ulrich and Connie nielsen

Patrons

$2,500 to $4,999

Anonymous

John and Michelle Battelle

Blackrock Matching Gift Program

Craig and Vida Campbell

Alex Cobb and Melissa norris

Jonathan and Stacey Cohen

Chris and nancy Connery

Dick and lorin Costolo

leonard and Margaret DeSomma

tom Dietz and leslie Ferguson-Dietz

Adam elsesser and Martha Siegel

Mark and Maria Forney

eliot and Margot Holtzman

Jewish Federation of St. louis

lorin and Becky Kaplan

walter and Karen Kieckhefer

Hilary King

rob and Sloan Klein

Aaron and Marilyn levinson

Gail Marentette

Jeremy and Amy noblin

edwin ong and Aleksandra Vikati

liz Palacios

rich and tanya Peterson

Mr. Samuel riezman

Greg Schilz and Kim Kihara

Dan Schlager and Donna wiggins

Jon Myers and Bonnie Seto

Arkady Shirin

George and lisa Shumny

roman Stanek and romana Stankova

Frances Stroh

Marc watrous and

Kimberly Kraemer watrous

Gideon and Jacquelyn weil

erik and Ali witte

Benefactors

$1,000 to $2,499

Chris and Deb Albinson

Jason and negissa Araghi

Clint Bajakian and Deniz ince

Sudeep Balain

Sunaina Balain

Vinit and Hilarey Bhatt

Kurt Birkhahn and

Christienne Detournay Birkhahn

Scott and Pam Bohner

James Bowbliss and laurie Smith

robert and Anne Brooks

ned and Catherine Brown

william and Sue Butler

Jayme and Gayle Canton

George and Kathy Carver

Peter and Jeanne Conklin

Stuart and lois Coven

Adam Cummings

James and Catherine eddy

Julie and Jon elam

Jim and larie Flaherty

22

Andrew and Michelle Foster

william and Kathryn Freeman

Gap Foundation Gift Match Program

warren and risa George

Paul and Maria Giordano

robert and Jennifer Hamill

roberta Heath Bradshaw and whitt

Bradshaw

institute for Global Futures

Kevin Johnson and Karen Jenkins-Johnson

Joe Keene and Susan Andrus

Kurt Klimenko and Kate Jaquet

Cortland and elizabeth larned

ed and Carol lehrman

Daniel lentz and Caryn tantilla-lentz

roger levy and lynn Kanter-levy

Jon lotter and Jami Coulter

robert and Maribeth Marchi

Marin Software

Bill and Krista Martin

Paul and Victoria Masterson

McDonald’s

robert and Karen McHugh

Michael and louAnn Micucci

Peter and Amanda Mortimer

tom and Cristy norian

PG&e

Philip and Cynthia Pillsbury

John and lourdes reed

todd and Alison regenold

Stewart and elisa reubens

Kurt and elizabeth rieke

Joe rusbarsky and Margaret warner

John ryan and Sue Stott-ryan

Salesforce.com Foundation

Jason and Molly Salzettí

todd Schneider and Devin Dixon

Michael and tara Schon

Chris and eileen Sheldon

Alexei and elena Sorokine

the Joseph r. McMicking Foundation

Dennis and nancy thompson

Daniel and elizabeth traub

timothy waddy and indira Guerrieri

Craig and Gia wallace

Jimmy and leAnn wanninger

wells Fargo Foundation

John whitaker and Susan Kan-whitaker

Greg and Gay wilcox

David wilson and Belle Cole

Adam wolfson and Dana oliver

Heroes

$500 to $999

Christopher and Maryam Barrett

nicholas and Jennifer Bartle

eric and Cristina Brandon

Susan and Jim Burns

Craig Burton and Marjorie Maloney

Sean and robin Carew

robert and Kimberlee Chase

Jeremy and wendy Coon

David and lara Corey

lassa and Kristel Frank

Barry and elaine Gilbert

Jonathan and Kirsten Goff

Mark Goodrich and Heather Ainsworth

Alan and elsie Gregson

Steven and Margo Hays

Kurt and Julie Houtkooper

Cathy Hunter

leon lepyansky and Mary Hope McQuiston

Donna Maier

luke Moix and Andrea Derochi

Mario Moran and Skylar Ulrich

richard Moss and Sonia Bolaños

Brian and nicole Mott

Brian and Shari Mueller

Steve and Cindy Patrizi

George and Susy Pfau

David and Mary Phillips

Jeffrey and rakel reed

David rutgers

Frank and tricia Saul

Charles Schaefer

Peter and liz Schumacher

Ken and tarja Settles

Jordan and Margaret Silber

erik and rachel Steinman

ross and rebecca Sullivan

Patrick Summe and Christa Butler

Brian and Alison Sung

Mark and Samara toole

Barbara and John treat

Craig and Stacey tupper

Patrick and Caroline wabl

Sean williams

Friends

$1 to $499

raymond Ahearn

Mark and Susan Anderson

Anonymous

Autodesk

Khalid and Aelish Baig

Knud and lynda Balslev

Jacob Bastacky and laurie roth

richard Battelle

Kirsten Bauer

tim Bauer

Gwenael and Vesa Becam

Steve and Christine Berkley

George and Sheila Bertram

Ari and Mead Blum

wendy Bolker

Holly and larry Bragman

Dini Brown

owsley and Victoire Brown

Brian and Vanessa Calder

Michael and Judith Calder

Stephanie Cannell

Bob Cassinelli and Stacey lavender

roy and renee Chernus

Clif Bar Family Foundation

Charles and Sandi Cohen

Fannie and Jessie Coleman

Kevin and Katherine Cope

rick and Paula Coven

Drew and Amy Curby

David DeCotis and Paige Missamore-DeCotis

Jess and Ymke Dioquino

Cristi Drake

Steve and elizabeth Dveris

Joe estus and Veronica Skelton

Douglas and Julia evans


Donna Firenzi

Geoff and Karyn Flynn

Marco and Julie Garbarino

Scott and Kiffany Gibbs

John and Anne Gilchrist

David Goray and Jana wondriska

Jason and Johanna Hall

tim and Carolyn Harrington

Mark Henderson and laura tauber

Sam and Frances Hinckley

Paul and Victoria Hinks

Mike and laura Hislop

Matthew Hoevet and tal Klein

Michiko Holliday

elaine Holtzman

Paul and nicole Howard

eric and Heather Johnson

eric and Kimberly Johnson

Jonathan and Carrie Kaufman

roger and Sally Kirk

Jerry and M’liss Klein

Sarah lamb

Charlie and Helen lambert

Harrison lazarus and Christy Smith

Don lesser and Maria whitaker

Jerry and Kathy lewis

Don and else limm

Susana lua

Paul and Jennifer Maes

Jonathan and Jane Maier

Virginia Mann

nancy Matthews

Phillip Mcnall

robert and Missy McQuiston

Mitzi Medrud

Medtronic Foundation

robert Mellett and nessa Brady

Dan and elizabeth Mendoza

richard Mogan

Dennis and irene Mosblech

David and Mia Munson

Jaime nisenbaum and Alyssa levy

nikolas and Debbie novograd

James and Katja o’Brien

oracle Corporation Matching Gifts Program

Jim Parton and Maureen Brown Parton

Michael Stortz and Valerie Pierce

Carol Pott

Peter and leila Poutiatine

Jeff and Kristen Powell

Jeff and Kim Qvale

Mark and Amy rabe

Jeffrey and Adriana rabkin

lisa ramezzano

Violet ramezzano

Cathy reed

lori rifkin

edward and elyse robinson

John and Julie rootes

todd and Camille roth

ethan russell and Shannon Mong

ed and Bonnie russo

Peter and Diana ryan

tom and nan ryan

Bank of Marin

Brad and Amy Scelfo

Kurt Schottstaedt and Daryn Sperling

Matthew and tove Sharp

Peter Shumar and raquel Carrillo

renny and lisa Slatkin

John and Barry Smeltzer

eric Stafford and robin Smiley

John Stein and Janet rapport

Joshua Steinhauer and Patty Glatt

Douglas Styles and Deborah Pearl-Styles

Jw and Mary Sullivan

Jeff and Amy taylor

Carol thomas

Christine Virk

Suzanne warren

warren watkins

Jeremy and Heather wenner

Stephen wilson and Corinne wong

ted wilson and Darcy Sears

eric and tia wu

Jeong-Ae Yoon

Bradford and lisa Zampa

Faculty/Staff Gifts to the Annual Fund

Sarah Abbey

Joy Abesamis

ellen Abrams

nora Bailetti

Daydra Bell

Derek Berka

David Brown

liz Brown

Claire Charbonneau

Meredith Clark

David DeCotis and Paige Missamore-DeCotis

Mark Derango

Kristi Durst

Julie and Jon elam

Andrew eldredge

Peter eldredge

Mia elsberg

Yolanda escandon

Steve and Donna Fanfelle

Alexandra Fox

linda Franco

David and Dana Gottlieb

Celine Hamel

Dan Harrison

Jennifer Henzi

tika Hick

Darinee Hoonsuwan

Jon Hull

Susan Humphrey

Jennifer ingrassia

Jason and Angela Jones

rhonda Jones

Jennifer Klem-Clarke

Margot Koch

Angela layton

Michael lorusso

Joan lynch

Paul and Jennifer Maes

Al Mayberry

Joe McGovern

Mitzi Medrud

Madeline Mendelsohn and Steve Shakin

Stephanie Mink

Mario Moran and Skylar Ulrich

David and Mia Munson

erin Murphy

24

Molly Myerson

Peter and leila Poutiatine

Charlie Queary

lisa ramezzano

tom and irene rosko

todd and Camille roth

Peter Shumar and raquel Carrillo

Missy Silver

Julia Smith

luzMaria and Jeffrey Strohm

whitney Sutak

Jesse Swagerty

Claudine taillac

Jeff and Amy taylor

Julie terry

Marianne thomas

Meike wanberg

Sarah westmoreland

Michael wray

rebecca wunderlich

Judy Zimola

Julieta Zuniga

endowment, capital, and other restricted gifts 2010-2011

Endowment robert and Kimberlee Chase

Gifts in Kind Scott and Pam BohnerPhil and Chris Bronsteined and Susan CatmullMichele FieldMark and Maria ForneyKathryn and Bill FreemanClaire HagginJeff Haggineliot and Margot Holtzmaned and Carol lehrmanAlex and Aimee MandossianAndrea and lee MarshallJeremy and Amy noblinJeff and Kristen PowellKurt Schottstaedt and Daryn SperlingJon Myers and Bonnie Seto Myers

David SheetsleAnn and Jimmy wanninger

Fund-in-Need Chris and Deb AlbinsonKnud and lynda Balslevnicholas and Jennifer BartleJohn and Michelle BattelleDaydra BellSteve and Christine BerkleyVinit and Hilarey BhattScott and Pam BohnerJames Bowbliss and laurie SmithPhil and Chris BronsteinSusan and Jim BurnsBrian and Vanessa CalderJayme and Gayle CantonJulie ChaikenDel and lisa ChristensenAlex Cobb and Melissa norrisJonathan and Stacey CohenChris and nancy ConneryDick and lorin Costolorick and Paula CovenShawn and Samantha CrossJames and Catherine eddyJulie and Jon elamAdam elsesser and Martha SiegelFidelity Charitable FundJim and larie Flahertywilliam and Kathryn FreemanChristopher and nerida GallagherMark and Molly Gamblewarren and risa GeorgePaul and Maria GiordanoDavid Goray and Jana wondriskaJason and Johanna HallDan Harrisonroberta Heath Bradshaw and whitt BradshawPaul and Victoria Hinkslorin and Becky KaplanHilary KingStacy King and David Gladroger and Sally Kirkrob and Sloan KleinByron Kuth and liz ranieri Kuthlaurie and rachel lehmaned and Carol lehrmanJonathan and Jane Maier

Vishal MakhijaniAlex and Aimee MandossianBill and Stephanie MellinMichael and louAnn Micucciravi and Christy MohanMario Moran and Skylar UlrichBrian and nicole MottDavid and Mia MunsonAdam and Karen MurphyJeremy and Amy noblinPhilip and Cynthia PillsburyCarol PottMark and Amy rabeGarry rayant and Kathy Fields-rayanttodd and Alison regenoldtom restaino and Jan BeckerKurt and elizabeth riekeGreg Schilz and Kim KiharaDan Schlager and Donna wigginsMatthew and tove Sharprenny and lisa SlatkinMark and Catherine SlavoniaJohn and Diana StoboSharon StoneFrances StrohJim Sturdevant and therese lawlessDaniel and elizabeth traublars Ulrich and Connie nielsenPatrick and Caroline wablJimmy and leAnn wanningerMarc watrous and Kimberly Kraemer watrousJohn whitaker and Susan Kan-whitakerStephen wilson and Corinne wongAdam wolfson and Dana oliverJeong-Ae YoonBradford and lisa Zampa

Building for Their Future Capital CampaignChris and Deb AlbinsonAnonymous (2)Jacob Bastacky and laurie rothScott and Pam BohnerPhil and Chris Bronsteinowsley and Victoire BrownCraig Burton and Marjorie MaloneyCraig and Vida CampbellJayme and Gayle Canton


George and Kathy Carvered and Susan CatmullJulie ChaikenJeremy and wendy Coonwill Costa and Kitty KingShawn and Samantha Crosstom Dietz and leslie Ferguson-DietzJess and Ymke DioquinoJulie and Jon elamAdam elsesser and Martha SiegelChristian Fair and Kelli limm FairFidelity Charitable FundJim and larie FlahertyGap Foundation Gift Match Programeliot and Margot HoltzmanCathy HunterKevin Johnson and Karen Jenkins-Johnsonlorin and Becky KaplanJoe Keene and Susan Andrusrob and Sloan KleinByron Kuth and liz ranieri KuthCortland and elizabeth larnedrory and Jan littleGail MarentetteBill and Stephanie MellinPaul and Melanie nicholstom and Cristy norianJoseph and eda Pellrich and tanya PetersonPhil and nina PillsburyPhilip and Cynthia PillsburyJeff and Kristen PowellGarry rayant and Kathy Fields-rayantGreg Schilz and Kim Kihara

Dan Schlager and Donna wigginsSchwab Charitable FundMatthew and tove SharpMark and Catherine SlavoniaJoshua Steinhauer and Patty GlattJohn and Diana StoboFrances Strohthe Don G. Powell Foundationthe Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundationthe Funger Foundation inc.the leF Foundationthe Minneapolis FoundationDennis and nancy thompsonJimmy and leAnn wanningerted wilson and Darcy Sears

Tuition Assistance ProgramS. Mark taper Foundation

auction donors 2010-2011

a child’s delighta.g. ferrari foodSarah abbeyJoy abesamisellen abramschris and deb albinsonJason and negissa araghiarkady yogaB.r. cohn WineryKhalid and aelish Baigclint Bajakian and deniz ince

christopher and Maryam Barrettnicholas and Jennifer BartleJohn and Michelle BattelleBay area discovery MuseumBear hugs Unlimiteddaydra Bellgordon BellisBenissimo ristorante and BarBerkeley repertory TheatreSteve and christine BerkleyBlue & gold fleetBluemercuryari and Mead BlumBody image Personal fitnessScott and Pam BohnerWendy BolkerJames Bowbliss and laurie SmithSarah BrightwoodPhil and chris Bronsteinrobert and anne Brooksdavid Brownliz Brownned and catherine BrownBuckeye roadhouseBuoncristiani PhotographyJeff and Kirby BurkeSusan and Jim Burnsca classicscafe of life chiropracticBrian and Vanessa calderMichael and renee caldwellcamp doodlescamp edmoStephanie cannell

26

Jayme and gayle cantonSean and robin carewraquel carrillogeorge and Kathy carverBob cassinelli and Stacey lavendered and Susan catmullJulie chaikenchaiken and capone clothingchampagne french Bakeryclaire charbonneaucharles M. Schulz Museumrobert and Kimberlee chasecheeky Monkey Portrait Photographydel and lisa christensenMeredith clarkclassic Kids Photographycline cellarsalex cobb and Melissa norrisJonathan and Stacey cohenKevin and leené colemancolumbinePeter and Jeanne conklinchris and nancy connerydavid and lara coreydick and lorin costolorick and Paula covenchad and Melissa cristoShawn and Samantha crossadam cummingsMollie cummingsdanko Tennisdeeply organizeddave and chris deMartiniTom dietz and leslie ferguson-dietzdinglestickschristian diordish restaurantdoodlebugMaya durieJames and catherine eddyeditorial girlJulie and Jon elamandrew eldredgePeter eldredgeadam elsesser and Martha Siegelyolanda escandonJudith eslerewald Tajbaksh architecturechristian fair and Kelli limm fair

ada famulariSteve and donna fanfelleJim and larie flahertyfortunati Vineyardsalexandra foxdeborah foxchris and allison fragakislassa and Kristel frankcully fredricksenWilliam and Kathryn freemanMark and Molly gambleMarco and Julie garbarinoWarren and risa georgePaul and Maria giordanogold’s gymgolden gate fencing centerMark goodrich and heather ainsworthdavid goray and Jana Wondriskadavid and dana gottliebgreenPlay Sustainable Summer campgym Worldclaire hagginJeff hagginhalf day cafeJason and Johanna hallrobert and Jennifer hamillTim and carolyn harringtonfrancesca harrisdan harrisonroberta heath Bradshaw and Whitt Bradshawhellman familyJennifer henziSam and frances hinckleyPaul and Victoria hinksMatthew hoevet and Tal Kleineliot and Margot holtzmanharris holzbergdarinee hoonsuwanhotShot Portraits, llcPaul and nicole howardhypnotherapy of Marinil fornaioJennifer ingrassiairon Springs Pub and BreweryJason JonesJoominycJoseph cozza SalonJoshua ets-hokin Photography

Beverly JovaisJulieWatsonStyleJumpStart MedicineKai fragrancelorin and Becky KaplanKate SpadeJonathan and carrie KaufmanJoe Keene and Susan andrusKentfield fitnessKilham farmhilary KingSandy KingStacy King and david gladroger and Sally Kirkrob and Sloan KleinKurt Klimenko and Kate JaquetKevin and renee KneeByron Kuth and liz ranieri Kuthla Petite Baleen Swim Schoollambert Bridge Winerylark Theatercortland and elizabeth larnedlas camelias Mexican restaurantlaser center of MarinBill lawrenceharrison lazarus and christy Smithlaurie and rachel lehmaned and carol lehrmandaniel lentz and caryn Tantilla-lentzaaron and Marilyn levinsonrory and Jan littleJeff lucerolulu designsStephanie lyleJoan lynchM clothingPaul MaesBob Maierdonna MaierJonathan and Jane MaierVishal Makhijanialex and aimee MandossianMargaret o’learyMarin Brewing co.Marin country MartMarin dance TheatreMarin JccMarin Primary & Middle SchoolMarin Primary & Middle School


Preschool Summer campMarin rowing associationMarin Shakespeare companyMarin Tennis clublee and andrea MarshallBill and Krista MartinMary Small Photographyal Mayberryarbor Mccauleyrobert and Karen MchughMitzi MedrudMega gymnasticsrobert Mellett and nessa BradyBill and Stephanie MellinMichael StarsMichael and louann MicucciMilvali Salon and cosmeticsStephanie MinkPaige Missamoreravi and christy Mohanluke Moix and andrea derochiMario Moran and Skylar UlrichPeter and amanda MortimerBrian and nicole Mottzee zee MottMountain campMoylan’s Brewery and restaurantMt. Tam racquet clubBrian and Shari Muellerdana Muise and leigh Beisch

Mia Munsonadam and Karen Murphyerin MurphyMolly MyersonnBc newsJeremy and amy noblinTom and cristy norianKatherine novaknovato PilatesJames and Katja o’Brienoakland a’s community fundobagi Medical SkincareSue odaone King’s laneedwin ong and aleksandra Vikatiliz PalaciosPandora’s BoxPaper SourceSteve and cindy PatriziMarcy PattinsonPatxi’s Pizzacarl PearlPeek...aren’t you curiousPeggy Parks PhotographyPeju WineryPeter olivetti Photographyrich and Tanya PetersonPeter Pfau and Kimberly StarrPier 39Michael Stortz and Valerie Pierce

Philip and cynthia PillsburyPixarPlanet granitecarol PottPott Wineleila PoutiatinePyramid gymnasticscharlie QuearyMark and amy rabelisa ramezzanorancho la Puertagarry rayant and Kathy fields-rayantred robin caterersJohn and lourdes reedTodd and alison regenolddan and Jen reidyrent-a-ParentTom restaino and Jan BeckerMike retzerhugh and leela rhoadsrick’s Wine cellarKurt and elizabeth riekelori rifkinJohn and Julie rootesTom roskolinda rossethan russell and Shannon MongPeter and diana ryanSan francisco rock Project

28

San francisco zoological SocietySandboxelizabeth SaulSay it in frenchgreg Schilz and Kim Kiharadan Schlager and donna WigginsTodd Schneider and devin dixonMichael and Tara SchonPeter and liz SchumacherJon Myers and Bonnie SetoSf Bay adventuresMatthew and Tove Sharparkady ShirinPeter Shumar and raquel carrillogeorge and lisa ShumnySilk nail SalonMissy Silverrenny and lisa SlatkinMark and catherine SlavoniaJulia SmithMatthew and Shannon Spotswoodannie St. JohnStamper family optometryleonard Stecklow and Karen SteinerJohn Stein and Janet rapporterik and rachel SteinmanJohn and diana StoboJohn and Mary ann StoboSharon Stonefrances StrohluzMaria StrohmJim Sturdevant and Therese lawlessdouglas Styles and deborah Pearl-StylesPatrick Summe and christa Butler

SusiecakesWhitney SutakJesse SwagertySynergy fitness StudiosJeff and amy TaylorTeacake Bake ShopTerroir Wine MerchantsThe Bar MethodThe Kleid design groupThe Melting PotThe Painter’s PlaceThe Peninsula new yorkMarianne ThomasThundering grace MassageMark and Samara Tooledaniel and elizabeth TraubBarbara and John Treatcraig and Stacey TupperSteve TurnerTutu Schoollars Ulrich and connie nielsenUncorked eventsrobindira Unsworthdave and Vendela VidaVintner’s collectivePatrick and caroline WablTimothy Waddy and indira guerrieriMark Walsh and Sabrina eliasophMeike WanbergJimmy and leann WanningerWasabi by Jill PearsonMarc Watrous and Kimberly Kraemer Watrousgideon and Jacquelyn Weil

Wendy Mink Jewelry, inc.Jeremy and heather WennerWest end nurseryStephen Whatmore and Jane rodgerJohn Whitaker and Susan Kan-Whitakerwhole Child tutor and educational therapyStephen wilson and Corinne wongwipeout Bar & Grillerik and Ali witteAdam wolfson and Dana oliverMichael wrayrebecca wunderlichJeong-Ae YoonBradford and lisa Zampa


exhibit i1i: gifts to Marin Primary & Middle Schoolfiscal year ending June 30, 2011

Unrestricted funds $546,876 includes funds raised by annual fund and Parents association

Temporarily restricted funds $1,366,125 includes capital campaign donations and other restricted gifts

Permanently restricted funds $5,000 includes endowment donations

Total gifts $1,813,499

financials

exhibit 1: 2010-2011 School revenues

Tuition 90.9% fundraising 8.3%interest and other 0.8%

exhibit i1: 2010-2011 School expenditures

1. Salaries and Benefits: 68%2. Building and grounds 9%3. Tuition assistance Program 11% 4. educational Supplies and field Trips 7% 5. other (fundraising, Marketing, insurance, Telephones, Postage, Printing) 3%6. Professional Services 1%7. Parents association 1%

30

demographics 2010-2011

founded May 1975incorporated not-for-profit, coeducational, non-sectarian.

Student enrollment 361Preschool 113JK-4 1355-8 113Student:Teacher ratioPreschool 5:1JK-8 7:1

Total number of Staff 75

disclaimerMP&MS has made every effort to check the accuracy of the lists in this report. acknowledgment lists include gifts received during the 2010-2011 fiscal year and names appear as listed on school forms. We sincerely regret any errors or omissions. MP&MS values every contribution and greatly appreciates your support. Thank you.

faculty and Staff2010-2011

Administrative DirectorsHead of School Julie elamDirector of Admission donna fanfelleDirector of Development and CommunicationsMeredith clarkDirector of Finance and Human resourcesdavid BrownPreschool Director Marianne ThomasPrimary School Director erin MurphyMiddle School Directordave deMartinilearning resources Center Director david gottlieb

Administrative OfficeAdmission office Coordinatorceline hamelCommunications Manager Judy zimola Development Associate alexandra fox Facilities Managerdavid MunsonFinance Associate Sarah Westmoreland Maintenance Assistant carl hawknetwork Administrator Michael lorussonurse Stephanie Mink

office Manager

lisa ramezzano

David Hale Library Media Centerlibrarian ellen abrams library AssistantJunia ziblay

Physical educationJon hull, Whitney SutakSocial CurriculumJoe Mcgoverm

Learning Resources Centerlearning Specialists: Mia elsberg, Madeline Mendelsohn, Tom rosko, amy Taylor

After-School Program Manager Matt Penwell After-School Staff: dan harrison, Will Brubaker, alexandra Kalia, Kendra Pollock

PreschoolMeadowclaire charbonneau, Joan lynchForestStephanie lyle, Mitzi MedrudSeashoreJulia Smith, gayanne fambriniJungleraquel carrillo, amy curby, Tika hickZoorhonda Jones, leila Poutiatine, BarnJoy abesamis, Mark derango

Primary SchoolJunior KindergartenMia Munson, camille rothKindergartendarinee hoonsuwan, Mario MoranFirst GradeJennifer ingrassia, Jesse Swagerty Second GradePeter eldredge, Jennifer henzi third GradeSarah abbey, Kristi durst,Fourth Gradeliz Brown, Susan humphreyMissy Silver, inclusion Specialist

Middle SchoolFifth GradeMeike Wanberg, rebecca WunderlichSixth Gradedaydra Bell, andrew eldredgeSeventh Gradederek Berka, Jennifer Klemeighth GradeSteve fanfelle, linda franco

SpecialistsArtMargot Koch, Paul MaesDramacharlie Quearyeducation technology yolanda escandonSpanishnora Bailetti, luzMaria Strohm, Julieta zuniga MusicJason Jones, Michael Wrayoutdoor education CenterMolly Myerson, angela laytonProjects labal Mayberry

articles in Footsteps, unless indicated other-wise, are written by Judy zimola, MP&MS communications Manager. Questions and comments are welcome. contact Judy by email: [email protected], or phone: (415) 413-9048.


MP&MS alumni report

in the summer of 2011, Marissa Lambert ‘04 received the George P. Cuttino Scholarship, offered by the history department of emory University. She spent a month in england, at both the British library in london and the national Archives in Kew, then a month in Paris, with time split between the Archives de la Comédie Française, the Bibli-othèque national de France, and the Archives nationales de France, Paris branch.

Her time was spent looking up original documents, decrees, and manu-scripts relating to her honors thesis topic: the relationship between the state and the stage in the last few years of the seventeenth century, and the beginning of the eighteenth. the research will be put into a sixty-page honors thesis over the course of this coming school year, and in April she’ll orally defend it before the thesis committee, after which they’ll determine the level of honors she’ll receive at graduation.

“it was a very long summer, and not at all what i was expecting. i missed the carefree feeling of more ‘normal’ summers, but i’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to do this,” Marissa said. “experiencing europe bal-anced out the many many hours spent slogging through outdated catalogues and archaic handwriting. it was an eye-opening experience, to say the least, getting to live and work in a foreign country for that long, figuring out the bureaucracies as well as the academic parts, but i’m certainly a stronger student for it.”

Seventh grade had a huge influence on Marissa, particularly Marilyn englander’s social studies—from units on islam, to Asia, to enlightenment europe. “Academically, Marilyn’s social studies class was probably one of the most eye-opening classes i took at Marin Primary, not only based on the history we were leaning, but also the high standards to which she held our writing and how difficult the tests could be,” she remembers. “i thought it was really good to be handed back essays with red pen all over them, especially in preperation for high school and college: the teachers don’t go easy on you. i adored every class i had with the other seventh grade teacher, Mark Biglieri, too,” she adds quickly. She “absolutely loved art with Paul Maes, even though i never felt like i was a great artist. i still have several of my art projects, and when visiting art museums like the louvre, i get a special thrill remembering some of the pieces we studied, or the Delacroix i copied in eighth grade as part of my final project. in fact, i would be remiss not to mention so many of my teachers. in a way i think the people themselves were what influenced me and my studies more than particular classes.”

MP&MS alums are always doing something interesting!

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Marin Primary & Middle School20 Magnolia AvenueLarkspur, CA 94939

footsteps winter 2012

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