On a recent day in The Factory, Mount Madonna School third grade students created small robot designs and added lights with small circuits made from an LED, a button-cell battery and conductive paint.
Next, using their original designs as circuit diagrams, students make larger scale versions of their robots on paper, and used copper tape, colored LEDs, button-cell batteries and on-off switches.
On Tuesday, Mount Madonna School (MMS) Pre/K, fifth and ninth grade students trekked quite far to reach the mouth of the Pajaro River. The group spent nearly two hours cleaning up along the river mouth and nearby beach, and collected 44 pounds of trash, including a tire and an old TV! 
On February 20, the fifth grade class presented to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. They asked the council to consider changing the current “recommendation” of a 50-yard boating distance from whales in the Monterey Bay to a 100-yard law.
Today the fifth grade class presented to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. They asked the council to consider changing the current “recommendation” of a 50-yard boating distance from whales in the Monterey Bay to a 100-yard law. Students were well-spoken, educated and mature! Great job!
Pre/K and second grade buddies enjoy hiking forest and meadow trails around campus. Together students explore nature, learn about ecology and build friendships!
Photos by Jenni Leach
Mount Madonna School (MMS) first graders can tell you a lot about some of the animals native to Santa Cruz County, including wild turkeys, barn owls and rattlesnakes, following several weeks of research and presentations to their peers, parents and teachers.
Photos by Cassia Laffin and Leigh Ann Clifton
My religion is very simple; my religion is kindness — His Holiness, the XIV Dalai Lama This statement by the Dalai Lama is a favorite of Mount Madonna School (MMS) second grade teacher Jenni Leach, who draws inspiration from its simple, powerful…
Mount Madonna School fifth grader Simone McIntyre has entered her mixed-media work, The Ocean of Stars , in an art contest organized by the California Coastal Commission. 
Snapshots of Second Grade Learning:
