Flannel, Fleece and Wool: Kindergarteners Celebrate Pajama Day and Craft Felted Pumpkins
On a recent autumn day, Mount Madonna School (MMS) kindergarten students, dressed in their favorite flannel, fleece or knit pajamas, and with faces reflecting concentrated effort, made felted pumpkin “stuffies” […]
Voices for Change: Student Government Representatives Elected
While there were no mail-in ballots, ballot collection boxes, or extended in-person voting, last week Mount Madonna School (MMS) middle and high school students participated in the democratic process, by […]
Students Explore Creative Constraints in Creative Writing and Artistic Expression
Earlier this week, ninth grade students explored creative constraints in their Creative Writing and Artistic Expression class by writing six-word stories, timed haikus, and drawing self-portraits with their non-dominant hands […]
Poetry, Art and Monsters, Oh Yes!
Integrating seasonal elements – with generous measures of creativity and imagination – into first grade curriculum One delightful, learning-filled way to spark the engagement of young students includes incorporating a […]
Seaweed Ecology: Learning About the Essential Role of Algae
When you can’t go to the beach for marine biology lab in situ, you can bring the lab specimens – in this case, seaweed gathered along a local beach – […]
Navigating the Complexities: Students Create a “Friendly” Guide to California’s Ballot Propositions
In every election, California citizens are challenged with understanding and voting on the array of state ballot measures put before them. There are a dozen propositions included in the upcoming […]
Outdoors and Engaged: Campus Environment Offers Real-World Study of Ecological Principles
Recently Mount Madonna School (MMS) ninth grade biology students spent some time sitting quietly alongside a campus pond observing various ecological principles. Students noticed and described abiotic and biotic factors, […]
Inspiring Inclusivity: Shannon Kelly to be Honored at the Queer Youth Leadership Awards Celebration
Update, 10/8/2020: While Upper School Director Shannon Kelly (’92) is not the recipient of the 2020 Ally to Queer Youth Award, she and the other nominees will be honored as […]
Everything We Needed to Hear: Students’ 2018 Interview with Congressman John Lewis
“Our interview with Congressman John Lewis in 2018 was, without our knowing it, the last for the Mount Madonna School students,” shares teacher Sadanand Ward Mailliard. “Over the years, our […]
Growing Up in Santa Cruz, Behind the Teacher’s Desk: “Rebirth” by Lisa Catterall
Growing Up in Santa Cruz, October 2020, Behind the Teacher’s Desk, “Rebirth,” by Lisa Catterall. Every particle in the universe was once contained in an infinitesimal speck…a theoretical point in […]
