Santa Cruz Sentinel, 4/3/2012, “Dalai Lama talks with Mount Madonna School students,” photos by Shmuel Thaler. Read more: http://photos.santacruzsentinel.com/2013/04/04/photos-dalai-lama-talks-with-mount-madonna-school-students/#1
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 3/29/2013, “Mount Madonna students assist Elkhorn field study.” Read more: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/education/ci_22895591/mount-madonna-school-students-assist-elkhorn-field-study
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 3/28/2013, “Mount Madonna students visit Pardada Pardadi School,” story and photos by Shmuel Thaler. Copyright Shmuel Thaler. Read and see more: http://photos.santacruzsentinel.com/2013/03/28/photos-mount-madonna-school-pasdadia-pardadi-school-anupshahr-india/#28
On a recent sunny morning, marine biology students from Mount Madonna School (MMS) met researchers at Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing to help count shorebirds, including Snowy Egrets, Short-billed Dowitchers, Greater Yellowlegs, Willets, Spotted Sandpipers, Marbled Godwits, Killdeer, Black-bellied Plovers, Western Grebes, gulls, and many ducks, including Mallards, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Buffleheads.
Whether you come to walk in support of your favorite nonprofit organization or for ensuing fun, the 7th annual Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration offers something for all ages. The celebration will feature solar vehicle races, ‘eco-carnival’ games, live animals, community networking, ‘green’ businesses, live music, and delicious, organic foods!
By Ward ‘SN’ Mailliard, MMS faculty
On March 22, thirteen Mount Madonna School (MMS) seniors will depart on an adventure that will take them half way around the world to New Delhi, India. For the students it will be a significant journey to another culture, where they will experience a society that is far older and quite different from what they are used to: different in language, history, food, religion and social customs. At the same time, it will also be a unique inner journey for each student to discover something about themselves as they engage in the many distinctive experiences and people they will meet on the journey. The students have chosen the name Bodhicitta Project for this journey, meaning “awakening the mind for the good of all beings.”
A new senior honors science course asks students to consider Bioethics as they learn new technology
By Lisa Catterall
Eighth Grade and High School Science Instructor
Last year, I was in the middle of taking a small group of seniors though the College Board AP Biology curriculum. One day, our Biotechnology unit turned into a discussion of Monsanto’s lawsuit against a canola farmer in Canada. The farmer used his own heirloom seeds, but pollen from the farm next-door containing Monsanto’s patented round-up-ready genetic technology blew into his field. Monsanto lawyers successfully put him out of business, claiming he stole their technology.
CASTING REFLECTIONS:
Congratulations to all for completing the audition process. You’ve done your part; hopefully you can acknowledge your growth and successes within the process. Now comes the next step: casting of the play. Casting is challenging for both performers and directors. For some, this will not be a big issue, while others may experience disappointment. The key is finding a way to move forward positively. Most have heard the statement before – every role is pivotally important – and while a bit of a cliché, it is proven true.
By Supriya McDonald, Head of Lower School
Academic Excellence is one of the three main pillars of our School, together with Positive Character Development and Creative Self-Expression . Academic achievement is one of the five core values of an MMS education. These words are found in the mission statements of most schools, and also heard in political speeches during election season. But what does academic achievement and excellence look like at MMS? How do we demonstrate it and how do we measure it?
Dr. Yong Zhao, an internationally known scholar, author and speaker, will be the featured presenter at an upcoming public lecture in Aptos. Dr. Zhao, author of more than 100 articles and 20 books, including Catching Up or Leading the Way ; American Education in the Age of Globalization and World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students will be addressing an audience of parents, educators and others interested in the topic of education trends and innovations.
