Video Conference with filmmaker Robert Greenwald

Students in The Marin School's Politics & Media class spoke with filmmaker Robert Greenwald via Skype on Thursday. Greenwald is the founder and president of Brave New Films, and is the director/producer of several documentaries including "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" (2006), "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" (2005), and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" (2004).

You can view a short video clip of the video conference or listen to the entire conversation below:

Robert Greenwald Clip from The Marin School on Vimeo.

Video Conference with Robert Greenwald from The Marin School on Vimeo.

TMS Presents Granta magazine's launch of "Best Young Writers in the Spanish Language" Dec. 6th

On December 6, 2010, TMS Presents is co-sponsoring the Granta authors' tour of the Bay Area in partnership with UC Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies. Celebrating Granta magazine's launch of "Best Young Writers in the Spanish Language", guests will include Andres Solano (Colombia), Carlos Yushimoto del Valle (Peru), Carlos Labbe (Chile) and Daniel Alarcon (Peru/USA).

Authors will read and discuss their work in an interactive discussion with TMS students. The program will be streamed live at www.ustream.tv/channel/tms-presents.

More information on Granta and the writers can be found at www.granta.com/Magazine/113

Video Conference with Filmmaker Taki Oldham

TMS students in Matt O'Donnell's Politics and Media class participated in a video conference with Australian filmmaker Taki Oldham via Skype today. The students watched Taki Oldham's new film Astro-Turf Wars: How Corporate America is Faking a Grassroots Revolution in class last week. You can watch the trailer for Astro-Turf Wars and the video conference below.

Video Conference with Taki Oldham from The Marin School on Vimeo.

Award-winning French film director visits TMS

Eleonore Faucher, award-winning French film director, visited TMS this week to meet with students from the film class taught by Kieran Ridge. The visit was arranged by Kieran and Keith Zwolfer, Education Program Manager for the San Francisco Film Society. Scenes from two of her films, Sequins and Sisters, the latter of which was just released in the US and the former being the winner of the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes film festival, were shown and Ms. Faucher answered questions from the students.

Clips from Sisters can be viewed below.

Students Visit Mother Jones Magazine

Students in Matt O'Donnell's Politics and Media Class were treated to an inside look at Mother Jones Magazine in San Francisco today. Mother Jones President and CEO Madeleine Buckingham welcomed the class and gave them an overview of the magazine and answered questions. The group then heard from research editor Celia Perry and discussed the development of a story that appears in the current issue of the magazine. After a tour of the offices, the students had a Q & A with publisher Steve Katz on how Mother Jones approaches social media. The trip gave TMS students a unique behind-the-scenes view of how the print media operates.

TMS Presents, in partnership with Book Passage, an evening with Summi Kaipa

Celebrating ten years of partnering with Book Passage, The Marin Sschool is c0-hosting with Book Passage an event featuring the author of "Indivisible", the first ever anthology of poetry by American authors of South Asian background.

Summi Kaipa & Contributors - Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian American Poetry

October 29, 2010 @ 7:00 pm

Book Passage in Corte Madera

For more information visit Book Passage or TMS Presents

The Marin School students observe raptors and count sand crabs

Hawk Hill Raptor Observation - though the road to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands is closed for construction, the TMS SF Bay Area Ecology class went up to the closest overlook to do their class raptor presentations and look for raptors. The class ran into Alan Fish, the director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, who was thrilled that the students were doing the project he had proposed a few years ago, where each student researched a different raptor presenting their findings to the class. Additional photos can be viewed here.

Sand Crab Monitoring - The TMS biology students worked diligently at Muir Beach to collect and count sand crabs as part of the LiMPETS program administered by the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association. Classes from TMS have been monitoring the sand crab population at Muir Beach for years and have witnessed a drastic decline in their population ever since the beach was closed due to the Cosco Busan oil spill. In fact the students did not find any crabs there this year (and for the past few years). Even though they did not find a single crab, that data is still significant. Additional photos can be viewed here.

Taegan Goddard, Political Wire speaks with students via Skype

Taegan Goddard, founder and publisher of Political Wire joined TMS' Matt O'Donnell's Politics and Media class via Skype. Political Wire is one of the earliest and most influential p0litical web sites. You can watch the video below:

Video Conference with Taegan Goddard from The Marin School on Vimeo.

The Marin School Student Photo Exhibit Premieres at SFO

TMS student photo exhibit has been chosen by the San Francisco Airport Museum for display in its Children's Art Gallery at SFO during October and November.

The exhibit, titled "Concrete, Glass, Metal and Sky: Images of San Francisco Bay Area Architecture", is representative of the diversity of architectural styles and landmarks found in the SF Bay Area. Many are well-known and much photographed icons - but what is different and makes these photos unique is the way they are seen through the students' perspective.

The 22 photos in the exhibit were taken by the students on various field trips scheduled throughout the year that supplement their classroom learning. Photography, taught by Marianne Owens, has always been a popular elective for students; with classes ranging from black-and-white to digital photography.

The Marin School exhibit can found in the gallery located in the lower level of Terminal 1, near the baggage claim. The exhibit can also be view online at www.themarinschool.org/academics/student-portfolios/index.aspx (under photo)

London-based literary magazine, Granta and leading Pakistani novelist, Uzma Aslam Khan will appear at TMS Oct. 11th

The world-renowned, London-based literary magazine, Granta, will make The Marin School the site of the Marin County launch for its brand new, timely issue focusing on Pakistan, next Monday, October 11 at 7pm. Leading Pakistani novelist, Uzma Aslam Khan, will be here in person, reading from her work and discussing the Granta anthology's overall take on the relationship between Pakistan and the West, which is so prominent in today's news headlines. Many of Pakistan's leading novelists, poets and journalists are contributors to the new Granta, so this will be a fantastic opportunity for the TMS community to be part of a vital dialog about today's world.

The event will run from 7-8pm, with Uzma reading from her work and an audience Q&A. Doors open at 6:30pm and the event is free of charge. Our friends and partners from Book Passage will bring books for sale and signing.

To reserve seats for the event, please send an email to kridge@themarinschool.org.

For a preview of the new Granta, please check the links below:

Granta Magazine

NYT review

Wall Street Journal review

Advanced TMS Drama Students meet with actors from Marin Theatre Company

The advanced drama students attended a special, sold-out matinee performance of Tarell Alvin McCraney's In the Red and Brown Water last Tuesday, Sept. 28th at Marin Theatre Company. The play is the first in a cycle of plays entitled The Brother/Sister Plays. Though set in a fictional Louisiana town, In the Red and Brown Water intriguingly combines a number of disparate elements including West African regligious deities, Greek-like choral recitation and spoken stage directions to remarkable effect. The students prepared for the play by work shopping several scenes from it in advance of the show. Comparing MTC's version with the students' own production ideas proved to be a highlight, as did the Q and A session with the plays actors that immediately followed MTC's production. The day's events were such a great success that the students plan to attend the second and third plays in McCraney's Louisana cycle, which are to be shown in an unique partnership this season later at The Magic and ACT.

Photo: Advanced drama students with actors from Marin Theatre Company's production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's In the Red and Brown Water.

TMS Senior Matthew Mills receives commendation in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program

Head of school, Peter Esty of The Marin School announced today that Matthew Mills has been named a Commended Student in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Corporation which conducts the program.

Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2011 competition by taking the 2009 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"Recognition of high-achieving students is essential to advancing educational excellence in our nation," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country."

Update from TMS Director of Admissions

As I'm getting ready for our Information Open House on October 3, I can turn to look out my office window and across campus to a gorgeous fall day in the Marin Headlands. Independent school admissions follow a seasonal cycle more or less beginning this time of year as families and students get to know us in the fall. It continues through the winter when much of the behind-the-scenes work is done as applications, transcripts, and recommendations are read and reread, then into spring -- which often comes too soon in our field -- as decision letters are mailed and contracts are returned. After a quick pause to breathe, the cycle starts all over again!

One of the many benefits of doing admission work for The Marin School is that our small-by-design environment allows admissions to be ongoing, despite where in the season the traditional admission process happens to be. Mid-year relocations and students finding themselves not well placed in the school they currently attend typically have few options for quality independent school education. The Marin School, however, is an option, and a wonderful one at that. We love to meet potential applicants any time of year for consideration any time of year. parents are often a school's best advocates: Please spread the word about this possibility for mid-year enrollment, and let me know how I can work with you to make The Marin School as known and admired as it deserves to be.

Thank you!

Margarita Rhodes

Director of Admissions

Ph: 415 339-9336 ext. 104

mrhodes@themarinschool.org

http://www.themarinschool.org/

"Race to Nowhere" - October 4th Screening at the Lark Theater

The film Race to Nowhere will be shown at the Lark Theater, Monday, October 4th at 7:30 pm, including a discussion hosted by Kieran Ridge, English Deptartment Chair at The Marin School.

Race to Nowhere is a close-up look at the pressures on today's students, offering an intimate view of lives packed with activities, leaving little room for down-time or family time. It explores the reprecussions of our over-burdened scheduled world on our young people.

For more information on the film and to purchase tickets click here

TMS Participates in Peace One Day

September 21 was declared International Day of Peace by the United Nations in 2001. This year the Sausalito Woman's Club partnered with the international organization, Peace One Day, inviting the community to get involved by joining community members and local schools for an interactive experience using the film and educational materials of Peace One Day founder, Jeremy Gilley.

The TMS photography students, led by Marianne Owens, submitted art posters of what peace meant to them. TMS students displayed their art at the evening reception attended by community leaders. More photos here

Frequent "TMS Presents" guest in the News

Niels Mueller, who has twice been a guest at TMS Presents, is the producer/writer behind the new CBS series The Defenders. The series starts tonight - so don't miss it! More information and a preview of the show can be found at www.cbs.com/primetime/the_defenders.

TMS Board of Trustees announce extension of Peter Esty's tenure as Head of School

The Marin School Board of Trustees announced yesterday that Peter Esty has agreed to extend his tenure as Head of School through the 2011-2012 academic year.

Earlier in the week, the Board unanimously endorsed the recommendation of the Search Committee to defer the search for a Head of School, and to extend Peter's tenure effective immediately.

In making the announcement, Merrill Boyce, chair of the Search Committee and Ted West, chair of the Board of Trustees, said that the Board believes strongly that Peter's leadership experience and optimistic approach to our mission will lead TMS to realize the goals we have set in our strategic plan.

More information can be found at:

Letter from the Board of Trustees
Peter Esty's profile
TMS Strategic Plan

TMS Senior Matt Mills spent his summer "working" the birds

TMS Senior Matt Mills spent his summer volunteering at The Chula Vista Nature Center in San Diego. The CVN Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing environmental education on coastal resource conservation, and instilling a respect for nature and wildlife in people of all ages.

Rescued birds; including owls, pelicans, gnatcatchers and eagles, are just a few of the NCV Center's resident native birds. Matt took all manner of care of the birds, particularly the raptors. He spent many hours being the guy standing and talking with visitors at the Center. They call it "working" the birds.

More pictures of Matt and friends can be viewed on TMS' website

TMS Filmbridge 2010 Guest in the News

TMS Filmbridge Festival 2010 guest, Jennifer Lawrence of "Winter's Bone" has just been named one of The 10 Breakout Female Stars of 2010.

As part of the Filmbridge program, Jennifer, along with director Debra Granik, came to campus last April to talk with students about their Sundance Grand Jury prize winner "Winter's Bone", complete with a screening of the film prior to its release at the SF Film Festival. It's anticipated that Jennifer will receive an Oscar nomination for her role as an Ozark teenager tracking down her bail-jumping father.

The TMS Filmbridge program is directed by Kirean Ridge, TMS English department head and film instructor.

TMS Announces Fall Information Open House Dates

The Marin School Information Open House events will be held this fall. Dates are:

1. October 3, 2010; 2 to 3:30 pm
2. October 24, 2010; 2 to 3:30 pm
3. November 10, 2010; 6:30 to 8 pm
4. December 2, 2010; 6:30 to 8 pm

If you would like to attend or would like more information please call Elizabeth Hawley at (415) 339-9336 or email: ehawley@themarinschool.org.

TMS Photography Students Honored at the Marin County Fair

Congratulations to Marianne Owens, TMS Photography teacher, and to all her students who received numerous awards at the Junior Photography exhibition at the Marin County Fair:

BEST OF SHOW - Robert Little
First Place - Jesse Vad, Erik Wikman, Reid Oakander, Robert Little (3), Hannah Turner-Hart, Shannon Ryan, Jacob Jackson, Diana Bartle, and Emma George
Second Place - Charlie Ebey, Dustin Whitehouge, Naseme Halloum, Kellee Taylor, and Shannon Ryan
Third Place - Kellee Taylor, Naseme Halloum, and Rebecca Klum

The winning photographs are available for viewing at The Marin School campus in Sausalito.

Update from France

Dear Families:

On top of their regular morning classes, the students added an optional class to their load, on Tuesdays and Fridays. We can't be surprised that they selected slang over literature.

Every day, we discover a new beach and a new small town. So far, the students' favorite town is Cassis and their favorite beach is on the island of Porquerolles; a wonderful way to celebrate 4th of July.

The students are developing new friendships with the students from the school who, for the most part right now, are from the German speaking part of Switzerland. Yesterday afternoon, Carmen, Mme Valle's new student, arrived by the Geneva-Toulon TGV (bullet train). The students were very excited to have a new roommate.

We will say good-bye to our friends on Friday because on Saturday, we will take the road to Nice. Sunday we will visit the Principality of Monaco.

Monday in a week, the California girls will be ready for "Home, Sweet Home."

Marie France

Update from France

Dear Families,

Our few days in Paris were packed with visits, laughters, and wrapped in heavy fatigue with jet lag and WALKING (a new word in our vocabulary).

We arrived safely and happily in the town of Hyeres in the south of France. The travelers already tasted the clement waters of the Mediterranean Sea and enjoyed the delicious food prepared by their host families.

Let's tan!

Marie France

TMS Presents Guest in the News This Week

Ginger Cassady of the Rainforest Action Network was in the news today as she and others in the "Change Chevron Campaign " staged a protest at the U.S. House of Representatives Oil Hearings in Washington.

"Ginger Cassady of the Change Chevron Campaign was escorted out of the House Oil Hearings in DC while confronting Chevron CEO John Watson about his company's toxic legacy of oil dumping in the Ecuadorean Rainforest"

Ginger Cassady attempted to deliver a bottle of oil-contaminated water from Ecuador to Chevron’s CEO John Watson. While being escorted out Cassady said: “Chevron is responsible for dumping 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste in Ecuador, Chevron is no better than BP."

Cassady spoke at The Marin School after a screening of the film Crude last month.

TMS 'Authors Series' 2010 guest, Yiyun Li, named one of nation's top young fiction writers.

Yiyun Li, who visited The Marin School on March 24, 2010, has been named one of the nation's best young ficiton wrtiers by editors of The New Yorker. She was among 20 writers under age 40 whom The New Yorker's editors selected as the best and most promising of their generation. The New Yorker interview can be found at http://bit.ly/9BI2rF

William Archbold, former TMS student, graduates from West Point

Cadet William Spencer Allan Archbold, son of Ms. Catherine Jones of Greenbrae, CA and Mr. Guy Archbold of El Dorado Hills, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on Sunday, May 22.

William graduated from The Marin School in 2006. While at West Point, he concentrated his studies in Systems Engineering. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army within the Field Artillery branch and will report to Fort Carson, CO for his first assignment.

TMS Presents Guests in the News this Week

TMS Presents guest Vicki Abeles was featured on Oprah.com for her film "Race to Nowhere." Vicki has visited TMS several times in the past year and participated in a Q & A with the student body and staff after a screening of her film.

"People are tired of being alone on these issues," she says. "They want community. They want to be together." Parents are forming online groups, meeting in person and committing to work toward change for the health of their students after coming together to screen the documentary. The film has empowered school districts to initiate change in areas like reducing or eliminating homework for elementary kids, setting later start times for tired high schoolers and limiting the number of AP courses a student can take in one semester. "Systemic change will happen when parents trust their instincts. And educators trust their instincts. It's too difficult to do by yourself," Vicki says.

USA Today included a glowing review for TMS Presents guests Debra Granik, director of Winter's Bone, and actress Jennifer Lawrence, in their paper today. Granik and Lawrence visited The Marin School last April.

Every so often a film gets under our skin with its haunting authenticity, reinforcing our faith in the wonderfully transporting power of cinematic storytelling.

Winter's Bone is unquestionably that film.

France Trip Update

On June 22, the Marin School group will fly to Paris, France and begin a three week adventure that will take the students on a 3 day exploration of the city of lights and a two week homestay/study in Hyeres, in the south of France. We will conclude our linguistic journey by a visit to "le Rocher de Monaco" and Nice.

Consult this website for more details: http://www.passports.com/weregoing/secure/login/groups/gpst/grpmain.cfm

Stay tuned!

-Marie-France

Green Team Update

Over the last couple of months, the Green Team and the city of Sausalito have been working together to carry through with a recycling project. The city needed the containers in back of buildings 1 through 6 painted and labeled in such a way that non residents would think twice before depositing their trash into the campus containers.

Last week, Kevin Hill, a senior, met with Joe Burns, Greg Smith, and another representative from the city and they all agreed on a plan to start the project.

The Green Team is very proud of Kevin for volunteering and helping with the campus at large recycling.

-Marie France Patterson

John Avildsen, Director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, comes to The Marin School

Film students spent their Saturday (June 5) on campus. As part of the TMS Filmbridge Festival 2010, they filmed scenes from the original Karate Kid aptly titled "The Karate Kid in Marin" with direction provided by John Avildsen, Oscar winning director.

John Avildsen is best known for directing the orignal "Rocky", "Save the Tiger" and "The Karate Kid" and its first two sequels.

(John is pictured third from left in the back row)

Alumni Reunion

Come join us on June 5th from 11-3 for a fun afternoon at our beautiful Sausalito campus for lunch and reconnect with old friends and teachers.

You'll enjoy

• BBQ including hamburgers (veggie burgers), hot dogs, beverages and snacks ($10 per person - children are free). Click here to pay.
• Music from DJ Jazzy Joel with your favorite hits from the 80's, 90's and 00's!
• Take a Tour of the New School and Expanded Campus
• See The Performing Arts Theater
• Experience The Fab Lab
• Take Photos of The New Photography Studio
• Play in the Alumni Basketball Game. (If you'd like to play, contact Nicole Cosand).

For those of you traveling from out of town, click here to view a list of hotels in the area.

Pre-Paid RSVP's are greatly appreciated as we must secure catering for the event. You can RSVP by clicking here.

If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Cosand, Director of Development at 415-339-9336 X 131 or at ncosand@themarinschool.org

Students Interview Rep. Lynn Woolsey

Students Shannon Ryan and Ashley Vidal along with teacher Matt O'Donnell interviewed Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey yesterday at her office in San Rafael. The interview focused on U.S. immigration policy and was a follow up to the "Outside the Walls Week" immigration documentary project.

TMS Event Honoring Director John Avildsen

The Marin School Presents

A Tribute to John Avildsen: Oscar-winning Film Director


(Rocky, The Karate Kid,The Power of One, Save the Tiger)

John Avildsen in person
reviewing key scenes from his classic films, with audience Q & A

JUNE 5th 7PM (Reception 6.15PM)
at Kerner Optical Film Studio
3210 Kerner Boulevard, San Rafael

Suggested Donation $20
In support of TMS Filmbridge Outreach:
Bringing Human Rights Film Events to Bay Area High School Students

To reserve seats RSVP to kridge@themarinschool.org
Supported by TMS Board of Trustees, Kerner Optical & the Sausalito Film Festival

Film Screening and Q & A at TMS

The student body viewed the film Crude this morning in the Hawk's Nest. After the film they participated in a Q & A with Ginger Cassady of the Rainforest Action Network and with Brian Parker, a law student currently working on the case against Chevron/Texaco in Ecuador. The film is drawing new interest this month due to a court decision involving First Amendment rights.

Drama Production Announcement

The TMS Drama Department presents...

A theatrical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in
Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Friday and Saturday, May 21st and 22nd
7:30 p.m.
in the TMS Theater

Tickets: $10 ($5 for students)
Reserve seats with Elizabeth
415-339-9336, ext. 102 or
ehawley@themarinschool.org

Cinco de Mayo at TMS

Cinco de Mayo marks the coming together of the Mexican people when they were threatened by French invasion. On May 5th 1862, the Mexican identity was born. The TMS World Language Department celebrated the event on the basketball court with a piñata that the students tried to break in less than three blows. As the “New Village” students were working in the garden, one of our ninth graders, Jake Miskelley, grabbed the opportunity and invited them to help us in “quebrar la piñata.” Students from The Marin School and New Village School were very happy to join forces and celebrate together this auspicious moment in Mexican history. All is well! Our Spanish speaking students have forgiven the French, and are happy to celebrate both cultures.
- Marie-France Patterson

Totalitarian High

Sophomores in Modern World History at TMS recently designed their own high schools -- as totalitarian institutions. The purpose of the exercise was to give them a concrete sense of what life might be like in a totalitarian state, with all of the propaganda, terror and indoctrination techniques such states have used to control of all aspects of a society.



One student, Nicholas Howes, worked hard and fast to produce a short video as his submission, which you can view below.

Chairman's Gala Info

Chairman's Gala - An Evening in the South Pacific - May 1, 2010

Corinthian Yacht Club
43 Main St
Belvedere Tibrn, CA 94920-2507
(415) 435-4771

The attire is for the Chairman's Gala tomorrow night and it's all about the South Pacific theme! Aloha shirts and festive Polynesian attire or cocktail attire is fine.

Also, we have a fantastic RAFFLE ready for tomorrow night! It's a GREEN raffle and tickets are $20 each - the items are:

#1: T67S TRIKKE (http://www.goldengatetrikke.com/)

#2: THE DARBY GREEN BED & BREAKFAST IN DARBY, MONTANA - THREE NIGHT ‘LONG WEEKENDER’ STAY (http://thedarbybedandbreakfast.com/)

#3: 2010 TESLA ROADSTER SPORT (Electric) - 100 MILE/DAY RENTAL (http://www.teslamotors.com/)

The Gala is The Marin School’s spring fundraiser and major party! At this annual event, the TMS community comes together with friends and associates to celebrate our good fortune, to acknowledge our staff, parents and students, and to raise money for our school.

Director Debra Granik and actress Jennifer Lawrence visit The Marin School

Juniors and seniors at The Marin School watched the film Winter's Bone in the school theater this morning before the film was released to theaters nationwide. Students and teachers also participated in a Q&A with the film's director Debra Granik and leading actress Jennifer Lawrence. Winter's Bone won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Zoology Students at the San Francisco Zoo

The zoology classes spent the day (4/28/10) at the SF Zoo. While at the zoo, the students took plenty of still pictures for their next project. They also participated in a scavenger hunt. Some of the students had mixed feelings about the zoo - for their last project they made videos exploring different ethical issues surrounding animals - and some chose the ethics of having animals in zoos. They were quick to diagnose pacing disorders (and that was just with me before we left as I was the only chaperone with 30 students!) and depression in the animals. In the end, everything went well and we all enjoyed the day!

-Jeff

College Planning for the Week of 4/26

They may be smart but they forget to bathe - Evidently, the 24 hour reading room at MIT gets a bit, shall we say, fragrant, the week prior to final exams. This year, the student government has stepped in to help students who forget to take a shower break by providing hygiene products. Read more...

Landmark College Summer Programs - Landmark College has partnered with Southern Oregon University and the University of San Francisco to host West Coast versions of their famous summer programs for students with learning difficulties. Landmark has developed and hosted these programs on its Putney, Vermont, campus for a number of years. Due to increased demand, beginning summer 2010, students and their families will have the choice of attending a program on the Landmark College campus in Putney or a program on the West Coast. Landmark's Summer Programs build the skills of high school students and graduates with learning difficulties or AD/HD through coursework, experiential learning and the development of self-understanding and self-advocacy skills. Two of the programs that are available include:

• 3 Week Program for Rising High School Juniors and Seniors from June 27-July 17 in Putney, Vermont, and at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.
• 2 Week Program for Graduated Seniors who are Going to College in the Fall from July 18-July 31 in Putney, Vermont, or at the University of San Francisco.

Where were the seniors accepted? Check out the attached list to see where our seniors were accepted. Most have made their decisions about where to attend but a few are still making up their minds.

My Schedule this Week - I will be visiting Bard, Vassar, Colgate, Rensselaer, Skidmore, Syracuse, Hamilton, Union, University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology this week. I will check email while I am traveling. I will be back at school on Monday, May 3rd.

FOR JUNIORS

Marin County College Fair is May 5th from 6-8 at Dominican University in San Rafael Save yourself time and aggravation and register for the Marin County College fair online at http://wacaccollegefair.com. Registering before the fair will allow you to electronically exchange your contact information with colleges that you're interested in and that's a time saver and an excellent way to show you attended and were interested. Note that The Marin School is not listed on the drop down menu (no idea why) of high schools so you'll have to select "other" and add it.

Upcoming SAT and ACT Registration Dates - The registration deadline for the June 5th SAT is April 29th (the late registration deadline is May 13th). Register for the June 12th ACT before May 7th. I recommend students take the SAT in May or June, the ACT in April or June and, if the student has over a 3.0 GPA, 2 subject tests in May or June.

FOR SENIORS

Bring your computers on Monday if you can!

Susan

TMS Student Photography on Display

College Planning Information for the Week of 3/29/10

Did you know? Half of all college students attend a college that is less than 100 miles from their home. 88% are within 500 miles of home cooking.

College of the Week - If you are among the 22% that want to venture further from home, read on! Founded in 1888 in Boston MA, Wheelock College is a private, coeducational college with the public mission of improving the lives of children and families - and society, in general. Wheelock is known regionally as a premier institution for those seeking an undergraduate education in Education, Social Work, Juvenile Justice, Liberal Arts or Child Life/ At Wheelock, they value the importance of an intimate learning community where students are challenged and supported by faculty members who are practitioners in their fields and who are committed to teaching, learning, and mentoring.

My Schedule this Week - I will be on campus Monday 10-4, Tuesday 10-4 and Wednesday 10-5. I will not be on campus during Spring Break or Intersession but I check email regularly on days when I am not at school.

FOR JUNIORS

SAT/ACT Practice Test at TMS on Saturday 4/17 at 8:00 AM - Sign up on my door this week and indicate which test you'd like to take. If you are taking the Eureka SAT prep class here at school, you are expected to take this practice test.

Register for College Fairs - Save yourself time and agrivation and register for either the SF or Marin County College fair online. Registering before the fair will allow you to electronically exchange your contact information with colleges that you're interested in and that's a time saver and an excellent way to show you attended and were interested. Follow these links and note that The Marin School is not listed on the drop down menu (no idea why!) of high schools so you'll have to select "other" and add it.

• San Francisco Fair - Gotomyncf.com
  
• Marin County Fair - Wacaccollegefair.com
  

Upcoming SAT and ACT Registration Dates - The next SAT will be given on 5/1 (late registration deadline is 4/8) Register for the 6/12 ACT before 5/7. I recommend students take the SAT in May or June, the ACT in April or June and, if the student has over a 3.0 GPA, 2 subject tests in May or June.

FOR SENIORS

What do you have in common with titans, moguls and news makers? Well, some of them didn't get into their first choice colleges either. Here are a few things they had to say about the experience, with the benefit of hindsight, excerpted from a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

Warren Buffet - “The truth is, everything that has happened in my life ... that I thought was a crushing event at the time, has turned out for the better,” Mr. Buffett says. With the exception of health problems, he says, setbacks teach “lessons that carry you along. You learn that a temporary defeat is not a permanent one. In the end, it can be an opportunity.”

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger wasn't accepted to his first choice college either. His advice: Don’t let rejections control your life. To “allow other people’s assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake,” he says. “The question really is, who at the end of the day is going to make the determination about what your talents are, and what your interests are? That has to be you.”

Susan
--
Susan Gotshall-Maxon
College Counselor

School Send-Off for Rites of Passage Team

Early Saturday morning eight TMS seniors will be heading to Death Valley for a week-long introspective quest. These seniors have been engaged in a preparatory process for the last two months. The trip itself builds up through a variety of group activities to a culminating 48-hour, fasting solo in the desert for each student.

The program was created to fill a gap in our modern culture, in which most of us no longer have the opportunity to mark the passage from childhood into adulthood in any guided, formal way.

This morning juniors, seniors and faculty members gathered for a send-off ceremony. The "questers" stated some of their feelings about the trip, and members of the community offered warm words of support for their up-coming experience. We look forward to their return and hope to share in some of what they learned.

Students Visit the Rainforest Action Network

Students in Matt O'Donnell's Revolution, Resistance, and Rebellion class visited the Rainforest Action Network's headquarters in San Francisco today to find out about the group's "Change Chevron" campaign. The RRR class had screened the film Crude earlier in the semester and was interested in finding out more about the issue. The students were shown how R.A.N. uses the media and social networking to hold corporations accountable for their environmental policies. The field trip inspired students in the class to plan a community-wide screening of the film Crude for the local community in the near future. You can view the trailer below.

Renowned Author Yiyun Li Visits The Marin School

Author Yiyun Li spent the afternoon speaking to students at The Marin School about her books and the writing process. Li is the author The Vagrants, a book that was read by the senior English class this year. There will also be and evening program tonight at 7 pm for parents and the school community.

Nighthawk Basketball Dinner

Thank you to all parents and players for attending the 2009-10 TMS basketball dinner.

Players were recognized for all their hard work and improvement this season.

Here's to an even stronger 1010-11 season!