Mission and More
Mount Tamalpais School believes in the joy of learning. We know that a happy student is a successful student. So we strive, every day, to give each child an opportunity to shine, to learn about others, to contribute to a community that cares, and be the best that he or she can be. Whether in the classroom, on stage, or on the athletic field, MTS students gain confidence and self-knowledge—tools they will need to take on the challenges of life.
Our Mission
MTS is committed to the development of knowledge and goodness within children in an inclusive, nurturing, and academically inspiring environment. An MTS education, vigorous, creative and process-driven, develops children who are well prepared for their future while remaining young at heart. We infuse the academic, artistic, and athletic programs with the values of kindness, integrity, respect, and self-reliance so that all students can fully realize their human potential.
Over 40 Years of Learning & Engagement
Founded in 1976, Mount Tamalpais School provides students with a solid academic foundation, and fosters a genuine enthusiasm for learning through a departmentalized, integrated curriculum. Rather than a teacher assigned to teach an entire grade level with students glued to their seats all day, our instructors teach a single subject, and students move from classroom to classroom. With educators practicing their passion, and students on the move every 40 minutes, energy levels remain high, and everyone—students and teachers alike—feels refreshed and eager to take on the next challenge. Social emotional learning starts in Morning Meeting and Advisory and continues throughout the day. We know that by understanding and having tools to identify students' own desires, needs, and feelings, they can better support one another and everyone in our community.
Access to the outdoors is paramount at MTS; students travel from class to class through all kinds of weather and participate in recess and PE daily on grass fields and play structures. Our outdoor learning spaces, a cypress grove, and nearby trails become an extension of the classroom throughout a student's time at MTS. Field trips to local museums, the Exploratorium, Slide Ranch, the Marin Headlands, the Academy of Sciences, and other locations extend the curriculum. Our older students participate in week-long Outdoor Education trips to Westminster Woods, the American River, and Yosemite. Bus service is offered between the school and local communities, including San Francisco.
Diversity Vision Statement
Mount Tamalpais School is dedicated to nourishing and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community in which each person can be their truest self, knowing all perspectives, identities, and voices are welcomed and valued. It is our responsibility to create a school community where all members can thrive and where students are encouraged to be engaged and growth-minded citizens.