Middle School
(Grades 5-8)
Welcome!
At Marin Horizon, the middle school years are a time of exploration and development, both academically, socially, and as a citizen of the world. It’s a time of extraordinary learning and growth.
Students are encouraged to work on self-advocacy and academic resilience as they develop critical thinking skills. And they are encouraged to celebrate differences and share their perspectives in an expanding community.
Every morning, students gather in homeroom groups, grounding their experience with an advisor and a group of peers. Longer advisory meetings happen weekly and create a sense of belonging within the larger community. Our student-led Middle School Meeting is a gathering time to feel a sense of commonality while also celebrating the unique talents and interests of the student presenters.
Above all, the Middle School endeavors to help students take ownership of their own education and graduate with a strong sense of self and a desire to contribute positively to the world.
Regards,
Ben
Ben Fussiner
Director, Middle School
Ben joined Marin Horizon in 2019. Prior to his arrival, he served in a number of school leadership roles including as Head of Middle School at Friends Seminary in New York, Assistant Head of School at Turning Point in Los Angeles, and as Assistant Director of Elementary School at Wildwood School in Los Angeles. Ben began his career as a teacher, first at Foote School in New Haven, CT, and then at Wildwood School in Los Angeles.
Ben earned a B.S. in Liberal Studies from Southern Connecticut State University, and an Ed.M. in Education from Harvard University.
Explore Our Curriculum
Our curriculum challenges students to achieve their academic
potential during a time of extraordinary growth.
Program Highlights
From concrete thinking into the abstract.
At the culmination of our program, seventh and eighth grades focus on developing the ability to engage in abstract thinking and synthesize and analyze complex issues. Students build on the beginning research skills they have acquired and apply them to long-term projects in science and the humanities.
Inquiry-based curriculum develops confident voices.
The Middle School curriculum is inquiry-based, and Essential Questions are introduced throughout the students’ experience. Major projects, based on these questions, help students become skilled and confident public speakers.
Differentiation supports learning styles.
All classes offer some level of differentiation, depending on the range of skills of the students in the classroom. The curriculum is designed to help students develop new skills as they work towards mastering content.
Deep teacher-student connections.
Our middle school teachers build meaningful relationships with students, ensuring each one feels personally supported and truly known. Students view their teachers as partners in their education.
A project-based approach fosters deeper learning.
The Middle School program is strongly project-based, with a focus on integrated, hands-on learning. There are also many touchpoints for integrating the curriculum across disciplines.
Mixed grade groupings expand collaborative learning.
Science and Social Studies classes are taught in mixed grade groupings, opening up opportunities for academic interactions with a larger number of students and providing deeper levels of collaborative learning experiences.
Social & Emotional Learning
When families visit Marin Horizon, they often comment, “It feels so friendly and warm.”
At Marin Horizon School, social and emotional learning is part of the fabric of our school. In addition to an academic focus, our faculty and staff work with students – intentionally and proactively – to cultivate self awareness, self management, healthy relationships, and accountability to one another.
Our teaching teams subscribe to both the Responsive Classrooms program and restorative justice practices to create an environment for these human to human interactions to thrive. In addition, both Lower School and Middle School teaching teams meet regularly to discuss the mood and pulse of each classroom, as well as individual students, with the intent of providing support where needed, often in collaboration with families.
“We prioritize the size and composition of our classes and intentionally design our campus layout to create conditions for kids to grow into amazing young people!” says Anna Varnay-Truong, Director, Curriculum & Instruction.
A Parent Perspective
As advocates for public education, we were hesitant to explore alternatives. But when our youngest child asked for a kinder, more academically-focused middle school, Marin Horizon exceeded our expectations. Having visited over 800 schools in my education policy career, I can confidently say Marin Horizon ranks at the top.
Current parent of 8th grader
Get in Touch.
Reach out to us at any time to learn more about our Middle School program.
415-388-8408 x.224