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Raising Healthy Kids in a Too-Often Unhealthy World

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RAISING HEALTHY KIDS IN A TOO-OFTEN UNHEALTHY WORLD

By: Sam Shapiro | May 4, 2023

The stakes for a child’s education are always high, but something is different now.

We all feel it.

The Crier interviews Sam Shapiro, Marin Montessori’s Head of School, about their efforts to help parents navigate these difficult times.

What is your biggest concern for children today?

The world our children will inherit is filled with promise and peril. They will have unparalleled opportunities to create, to build, to fulfill their potential, and they will have to navigate just as many distractions and shifting tides.

What is Marin Montessori doing to help?

We created Grounded & Soaring, a space where parents and educators meet to explore how we can raise healthy kids in a too-often unhealthy world.

This new site is a group project from the faculty and administrators of Marin Montessori School where we wade into the challenges and promises of parenting and educating in today’s world.

We built this site because parents need help, and we have years of experience that we want to share. We also believe the Montessori approach is a century-old solution to the challenges we confront today.

What resources are available to SMMC members?

We want to extend our reach and to help families far and wide. Whether or not you’re an MMS family, this site is designed to help you. Some examples:

Blog posts like “How to Navigate this Digital Revolution” and “The Power of Wonder.”
Podcast episodes like “Want a Healthy College Kid? Start Now.” “A Healthy Path to High School” and “How to Build Healthy Communication Skills in the Age of the Screen.”
White papers like “Vital Questions & Trends in Education.”

This is a site built for you: Come here to get easy access to exciting content to support you in raising your kids. We’ll be updating it regularly with new content and sharing it through dedicated social media channels:

And if you like podcasts, we publish new episodes every two weeks or so. They're short, informative, and sometimes even amusing. You can subscribe wherever you listen:

How can SMMC members contact your team?

We hope the site helps parents and children in our community and beyond. In a dizzying time, we hope to offer some steady and useful help. Questions, comments, or suggestions? Just send us a note!

As Head of School since 2015, Sam Shapiro is responsible for ensuring that Marin Montessori flourishes and that the School's mission is brought to life each and every day. Educated on both coasts, Sam received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz, and his Master’s degree in the study of World Religions and Massachusetts secondary education teaching credential in Social Studies from Harvard University. Before coming to Marin Montessori, Sam studied and taught in Sumatra, Indonesia; Canberra, Australia; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Makawao, Hawaii. He spent fifteen years at the Athenian School in Danville, California where he served in a variety of roles, including teacher, dorm parent, dean, and admissions.

Sam has served on the Board of Trustees at the Aurora School in Oakland, California, on the Family Council at Spirit Rock Center, and currently serves as an interviewer for the Gate's Foundation's Gate's Scholarship program. Sam’s professional interests include mindfulness in education, curriculum design, and the neuroscience of learning. Sam lives in Marin with his wife and two teenage sons. In his free time he enjoys cycling, hiking, and camping, as well as cooking large meals with his family while listening to jazz.