Application

Enrollment

Now enrolling! As of November 1st, 2019 applications for the 2020-2021 school year are available. All applications received from November 1, 2019 to 4:00 pm on March 1, 2020 will be entered into a random drawing (lottery) on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 2:00 pm. Offers of enrollments will commence immediately after the random drawing. Prospective parents are encouraged to sign up for a tour of the Kindergarten-1st grade campus and/or the 2nd-8th grades campus.

Applications

Application Form

Immunization Requirements

California state law requires that children receive a course of immunizations to attend school or day care in California. Personal Belief Exemptions are no longer accepted. In addition, exemptions are not valid upon entering 7th grade.

Kindergarten Entry: Students must be fully immunized according to State requirements.
7th Grade Entry: A Tdap booster for whooping cough is required by the State in addition to all other previously required immunizations. A student must be fully immunized or he/she will not be admitted to school.

Open House

Annual Open House:
The Open House includes open classrooms, talk with teachers and parents, review curriculum, subjects taught, and extra-curricular program. Kindergarten teachers are also on site with classroom materials and available to answer questions.

Tours & Classroom Observations:
Each one-half hour tour provides time to ask questions and see classes in session, by appointment only. Call 831-655-4638 to reserve a place on one of these by appointment only observation tours. Prospective parents are encouraged to sign up for a tour of the Kindergarten and/or the Grades campus.

Tour Schedule

Kindergarten/First on Thursdays starting at 10:30am:
1540 Elm Ave, Seaside, CA 93955 (Directions)
November 14
December 5 and 12
January 9, 16, and 23
February 6, 27
March 5, 26
April 9
May 7

Grades 2-8 Campus on Tuesdays starting at 10:00am:
1004 David Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 (Directions)
November 12, 19
December 10
January 14, 21, and 28
February 4, 11, and 25
March 3
April 21
May 5

Faculty/Staff

Curriculum

Subject Classes

Prospective Families‎

Program

Curriculum
MBCS’s curriculum and approach to teaching reflects the developmental stages of childhood. The school participates in Common Core State testing and uses benchmark testing to determine and track academic proficiency and fluency. All class teachers hold a California teaching credential and receive Waldorf training.

Methods derive from an instructional model that recognizes the specific developmental stages of the child. The educational philosophy views education as an art, so each subject, whether math, biology or English, is presented in a way that addresses the child’s developmental stage. Each subject is presented through direct experience and is often augmented with art, poetry, music, or drama.

In the early grades, the curriculum provides an unhurried way of learning that protects childhood while encouraging children’s creative expression and fostering their imagination. As children mature, the learning process accelerates and provides a program that meets students where they are developmentally.

The teacher’s aim is to draw out the child’s inherent capacities by creating an atmosphere in the classroom that fills the children with interest, wonder and enthusiasm.

Class Size
The school has three Kindergarten classes, two classes in each of the 2nd-8th grades. Class sizes are 24 students for each Kindergarten, 26 students for each class in grades one through four, and 27 students for each class in grades 5th-8th class. Class teachers typically stay with the same class through the course of several grade levels, enabling a strong understanding of the students and their progress.
Class Teacher
Each elementary school child (grades 1-8) begins and ends the school day with an individual greeting and a firm handshake from the Class Teacher. Teachers often say with students for several years.

This continuity enables a deep understanding of each student’s strengths and challenges and supports the development of a rich social dynamic in the class. The class teacher is also able to bring continuity to the curriculum as well, unifying the various disciplines over the years. At the same time, working with new subject matter at every grade level inspires class teachers with enthusiasm.

The morning Main Lesson immerses the students in a particular academic subject of the curriculum over three or four weeks, and each child produces a hand written and illustrated Main Lesson book for each subject. The class teacher works with each child to draw out the child’s strengths and focus on areas in need of improvement.

Waldorf-Inspired Method
With the Waldorf-Inspired method, the class teacher involves the children in the subject through the following methods:

  • Presentation
  • Story Telling
  • Writing
  • Reading
  • Recitation
  • Dramatic Acting
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Movement

Throughout the lesson, the teacher amplifies the subject matter and the students add to their Main Lesson books. The involvement of the students in the Main Lesson develops active listening, imagination, memory and verbal skills.

Student Evaluation & Reporting
Students are evaluated through comprehensive written reports sent to parents at the end of the school year. Grades and traditional report cards are not given, however, formal parent/teacher conferences are held twice in the school year providing a detailed progress report for each student. Benchmark testing is administered in each grade and students take the California standardized test each spring.

Teaching methods include:

  • Teacher-led explicit instruction.
  • Student discovery.
  • Group work and independent practice.
  • Peer study groups.
  • Structured and guided practice.
  • Regular assessment and re-teaching as necessary.

Assessment Tools:

  • Benchmark tests
  • Standardized tests
  • In class tests and quizzes
  • Portfolios
  • Observation/evaluation
  • Self-evaluation
  • Group projects

Special points of interest:

  • Teachers may stay with their class from grade to grade, however, most loop up only with the lower grades or upper grades.
  • Handwork and Spanish instruction begins in grade one.
  • Norm referenced state standardized tests are administered in compliance with state law.
  • The curriculum and deep learning approach prepares students well for high school. Students attend their local high school, a private high school such as York, or a program such as MAOS at Monterey High School.

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