Our School at a Glance

8:45-8:55am Arrival

The teachers welcome each child individually as they arrive at the front gate. A quick goodbye works best for the child.

8:45-9:30am Playtime and Snack 

Outdoor play and exploration - Pre-Primary students start their day outside on our beautiful natural playscape — climbing, digging, running, and riding bikes.

Snack - A nourishing morning snack of protein, carbs, and fruit is available daily. Children help set the tables outside (weather permitting) and serve themselves. 

9:30-9:40am Transition Inside

Children help clean up outside and transition inside to use the bathroom if toilet trained and to put on their classroom slippers.

9:45-11:20am Classroom Time

Morning Circle - Songs are sung and group lessons are given before the children are excused to work with the classroom materials.

Work time - The Head Teacher guides and gives lessons or help when needed. Children choose activities from the shelves, and have the freedom to work with a material until they are ready to put it away.

The morning work period ends with a second group time  with songs, books, felt stories, finger plays or puppets. Children remove their slippers in preparation for lunch.

11:20-11:30am Diapering and Toileting

Diapering and toileting occur before the children transition to lunch.

11:30-11:55am Lunch

All Pre-Primary students have lunch at school. Children sit together at the child-sized picnic tables on the fenced Pre-Primary patio. They practice lunchtime manners and conversation.

12:00pm Dismissal for Half Day Students 

Children are dismissed one at a time by their Head Teacher. Parents and caregivers wait at the front gate to greet their children.

12:45-2:30pm Nap

Children who stay for the full day take a nap in the afternoon. The Pre-Primary classroom is converted to the nap room, and each child has a designated cot and a blanket from home. 

2:30-3:00pm Wake Up and Dismissal 

Children take their time waking up, putting their shoes on and gathering their belonging to go home. Sometimes a story is read aloud or a small snack is served, depending on the needs of the group.

Comments about our schedule:

• This schedule is a general guide. We are sensitive and responsive to the rhythms of the children.
• Some days we take walks to identify the flowers and trees surrounding our school. We also visit the school garden to harvest fruits and vegetables.
• On rainy days, we start class inside with gross motor activities.

8:20-8:30am Arrival and Morning Greetings

During arrivals, the Head Teacher gives her full attention to warmly welcoming children after they have said goodbye and separated from their caregiver at the classroom door. 

8:30am Morning Work Period and Group Time

Orienting - During the first few weeks of a new school year, the teacher may begin the day by gathering the group for a variety of activities such as singing, name games, finger plays, or a Grace and Courtesy Lesson. 

Once the class is established, sometime within the first or second month, the children arrive at school and freely choose how to begin their day, instead of starting the day as a group. 

Independent Choice - The children may always choose from any materials they have been presented, working in the outdoor vegetable and flower gardens, and plein-air painting. They might also be invited to work alongside MdTL’s Naturalist in Residence in the Community Garden.

Lessons - The Head Teacher presents carefully-planned lessons to an individual or a small group. To support the development of concentration, we strive to provide an uninterrupted three-hour work period. 

Snack - A nourishing morning snack of protein, carbs, and fruit is available daily for every child as soon as he or she feels hungry.

Time as a Community - Children are given the option to come together once more and participate in movement games, singing, oral storytelling, poetry recitation, art appreciation, and Grace and Courtesy Lessons with the Head Teacher.

Outdoor Play and Exploration - All 1st year students and children who go home at noon are invited to enjoy a half hour of outdoor play on the beautiful, natural playscape just outside their classroom. 

12:00pm Dismissal for Half-Day Students

Children with a noon dismissal line up and prepare to go home. From their class bench, children are dismissed one at a time by their Head Teacher. Parents and caregivers wait at their classroom’s designated gate to greet their children.

11:30am-1:00pm Lunch and Outdoor Play

The 2nd and 3rd year children who stay for the afternoon eat lunch and participate in cleaning up their classroom. Each child receives a lunchtime responsibility that rotates every week. After lunch, the children enjoy outdoor play. Nappers transition to the Pine Room for an afternoon nap.

1:00pm Afternoon Work Period

Children who are enrolled in full days of school return indoors for a brief relaxation activity, such as a chapter book or soft music, with the Head Teacher.

The afternoon work period provides these older children ample time to follow through with and dig deeper into the more sophisticated concepts and projects they have grown capable of taking on. 

2:50-3:00pm Clean Up

All children prepare the classroom so it is orderly for the next day and often close the afternoon with a brief group time.

3:00pm Dismissal

Children sit on their designated class bench, waiting to be dismissed one at a time by their Head Teacher. Parents and caregivers wait outside their classroom’s designated gate to pick up their children.

3:00-5:00pm Aftercare

For children who stay at school beyond 3pm, Aftercare takes place in the Pine Room and offers art projects, music, nature walks, open-ended toys, classic games, special equipment for gross-motor activities, as well as ample time to enjoy the outdoor playscape. A snack is served around 3:30pm.

8:10-8:20am Arrival and Morning Greetings

Morning Work Period

This is a busy and active time with students immersed in all subject areas and a variety of work settings. Upon arriving, the children are free to dive straight into their first work choice. On occasion, the class might gather for a morning meeting if there is special information to discuss for that day. 

The Head Teacher presents lessons, a child might give a presentation, small groups collaborate, and individuals can pursue their academic interests independently.

All children record their work choices throughout the morning and afternoon work periods in their Daily Journals.

Spanish - Our Spanish teacher  spends one morning a week in each Elementary classroom, working with children in small groups. Children learn new vocabulary, simple grammatical structures, and how to talk about themselves and their surroundings. 

Art - Elementary students may utilize the Cedar Art Room to follow up on their lessons and extension projects during “open studio”. Our Artist-in-Residence conducts studio time and is available for consultation on individual/group projects of particular interest. Multicultural, relevant art units are introduced to children on a regular basis.

11:30am Lunch

Two students work together as lunch leaders to direct the lunchtime procedures, from setting up tables with place mats to thoroughly cleaning up afterwards.

12:15pm P.E., Free Play, and Music

Our school utilizes the Terra Linda Recreation Center field and playground daily.

Free play - Every day, children head to the Rec Center for unstructured time climbing play structures, designing their own games, or assembling themselves into teams for a game on the field or basketball court.  Our PE teacher runs daily organized games during free play for students who choose to participate.

P.E. - With a focus on sportsmanship, all Lower Elementary students have a formal PE class once a week with our PE teacher. Students are introduced to new organized games and sports, as well as the precise skills that correspond to these activities.

Hikes - Occasionally, classes hike the hillside behind MdTL. This is a memorable experience for the group as they exercise and experience the natural beauty of Marin together.

Music - Our music teacher works with each Elementary class one day a week. Students explore sound, play, sing, compose and create. They begin to progressively learn rhythmic and harmonic structure and discover instruments from around the world.

1:00pm Afternoon Work Period

Students follow through with work from the morning. The Head Teacher continues to present lessons in all subject areas and support students on their academic endeavors.

3:00pm Clean Up

All children put away their work and ensure the classroom is orderly before leaving for the day. Each classroom has rotating responsibilities that the students take turns fulfilling.

3:00-3:15pm Afternoon Read Aloud and Dismissal

The day draws to a close with children gathered in a circle, listening to the Head Teacher reading aloud from a book. Students are dismissed to their parent or caregiver from the outside classroom door.

3:15-5:00pm Elementary Aftercare

Aftercare is provided on a contracted or drop-in basis. Aftercare allows students the chance to unwind as well as participate in games, crafting, cooking, and gross motor activities.

8:10-8:20am Arrival and Morning Greetings

Morning Work Period

The Head Teacher opens the day with a class meeting for announcements, reminders, and directions for special activities occurring that day.

This is a busy and active time with students immersed in all subject areas and a variety of work settings.  The children are free to dive straight into their first work choice, and they diligently track their work progress in their personal record books.

The Head Teacher presents lessons, a child might give a presentation, small groups collaborate, and individuals can pursue their academic interests independently.

The Upper Elementary garden serves as an outdoor extension of the classrooms. Students regularly work at the outdoor tables and tend to the garden, especially in times of harvest.

Spanish - Our Spanish teacher  spends one morning a week in each Elementary classroom, working with children in small groups. Upper Elementary students learn new vocabulary and focus on the practical use of Spanish as they learn useful phrases. Reading in Spanish is introduced through the use of fun and easily understood material.

Art - Elementary students may utilize the Cedar Art Room to follow up on their lessons and extension projects during “open studio”. Our Artist-in-Residence conducts studio time and is available for consultation on individual/group projects of particular interest. Multicultural, relevant art units are introduced to children on a regular basis.

11:30am Lunch

Students choose between enjoying lunch inside or at picnic tables in the Upper Elementary garden. When lunch is finished, the students participate in wiping tables, sweeping, composting and washing dishes. 

12:15pm Free Play

Children head to the park for unstructured time climbing play structures, designing their own games, or assembling themselves into teams for a game on the field or basketball court.  Occasionally, classes hike the hillside behind MdTL. This is a memorable experience for the group as they exercise and experience the natural beauty of Marin together.

1:00pm Afternoon Work Period

Students follow through with work from the morning. The Head Teacher continues to present lessons in all subject areas and support students on their academic endeavors.

P.E. - Two days a week, children are introduced to new organized games and sports, as well as the precise skills that correspond to these activities while focusing on sportsmanship. Our P.E. program utilizes the Terra Linda Recreation Center field and playground.

Music - Our music teacher works with each Elementary class one afternoon a week. Students explore sound, play, sing, compose and create. They begin to progressively learn rhythmic and harmonic structure and discover instruments from around the world.

3:00pm Clean Up, Jobs, Gardening

All children put away their work and ensure the classroom is orderly before leaving for the day. Each classroom has rotating responsibilities that the students take turns fulfilling. Once indoor jobs are completed, students begin the outdoor jobs, which include composting and taking care of an assigned garden area.

3:00-3:15pm Afternoon Read Aloud and Dismissal

The Head Teacher reads a book aloud as the children relax or draw. At 3:15 students are dismissed once their caregiver is present. Some students have permission to independently walk or bike home.

3:15-5:00pm Elementary Aftercare

Aftercare is provided on a contracted or drop-in basis. Aftercare allows students the chance to unwind as well as participate in games, crafting, cooking, and gross motor activities.