School’s draw is personalized education with rigorous
curriculum
Watsonville – Nestled among the hills west of Morgan Hill, Mount Madonna School is a small but special private academic institution that not too many know about.
Others assume it is in some way connected with the Kim-Son Monastery which shares the sprawling 350-acre property.
The school’s philosophy, which has no religious affiliation, is based on academics and personal development.
“We stress positive character development, academic excellence and creative self-expression,” said Sarada Diffenbaugh, head of school, which serves children from pre-k to 12th grade. “We want all of our students to leave the school fully prepared for college as well-rounded adults.”
Tuition for a Mount Madonna student is approximately $10,000 a year, Diffenbaugh said. Costs, however, differ by grade and transportation needs. The school bus picks up students at various stops in Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
“We offer scholarships and there are also volunteer programs for families, we’ll offer some reductions if the parents are able to offer some time at the school,” she added.
With its small population, students say the school feels more like a family than a group of classmates.
“I really like that I know everyone,” said Paul Carlsen, 12, who will be an eighth grader in the fall. “When I walk around school, I might see some of the little guys, the kinders, and I know them, I can help them if they get lost or need something. It’s a good feeling that we all can help each other.”
Last year, the school had 175 pre-kinder through 12th grade students, with most classes averaging 12 students.
“Our staff to child ratio is four to one,” Diffenbaugh said. “We really believe in giving that caring, giving individual attention. No child falls through the cracks here.”
The small size doesn’t mean the students, especially at the high school level, don’t have a lot of choices in their education.
“There are so many different electives they can choose from,” said Beate Carlsen, Paul’s mother. “They have music and the arts, they have languages. All kinds of different computer classes, photography. I think if you compared course by course, with most high schools in the area, you’d find students have similar opportunities at Mount Madonna.”
Although she said she cannot draw comparisons to local schools, Diffenbaugh tells parents considering sending their students to Mount Madonna that besides the small class size, there are other important features of the school.
“We provide a very safe environment for students to take intellectual, creative and emotional risks,” she said. “We focus on the fostering of positive human values and work closely with our families. We have a very involved parent body. If a family is looking for a unique educational opportunity that they can be really involved in the education of their children, this is a perfect place for their children.”
People commonly get confused about the school, Beate said, because it shares the property with the Buddhist center.
“There is no religious instruction, nothing like that at all,” she said. “The only thing they do incorporate from next door is the breathing exercises. It helps the students in many ways, whether it’s test-taking, studying, performing or a sports activity.”
Diffenbaugh confirmed that the school has no official affiliation with the monastery, but agreed that the breathing techniques are valuable for the students.
“We do teach breathing exercise and peace of the mind,” she said. “It really helps with concentration. Studying is harder to do with a distracted mind.”
Students at the secondary level, such as Paul, have demanding college-preparatory courses that they need to concentrate on.
“All of our students are prepared to enter the highest-level, four-year university in the country,” Diffenbaugh said. “They have four years of math. four years of science, four years of social studies and English. Everything is done in relation to that, a very rigorous college prep course. In addition, they all take classes in the arts, performing art, music. We call these our enrichment classes. We offer computer science, robotics and a very strong Spanish curriculum.
While the curriculum may be outstanding, students praise other aspects of the school.
“The teachers are really great,” said 10-year-old Lilli. “They’re funny, they joke around with us, and they’re really involved with every student.”
LIlli is Paul’s younger sister and will be going into sixth grade in the fall. She, Paul and their younger brother, Yoni, 8, have been attending Mount Madonna since they started school.
“I like playing with all my friends,” said Yoni, who will be going into third grade.
The interaction between the students is important to the parents as well.
“There is a buddy program, the kids are all connected with each other,” said Beate. “It’s very common that families will hire older students to baby-sit for their younger ones when they need a baby-sitter, because the kids know each other and feel comfortable together.”
Encouraging parents to be a part of the educational process is also a plus for most parents, she added. Diffenbaugh said Beate conducted poetry workshops for the students at all grade levels and helped them to create a school poetry book.
“We like to use a truly intergenerational model,” she said. “We have grandparents day, we like to encourage people to be on our campus. We get people together to learn together, to learn what it takes to lead a meaningful life. We learn from each other, not from a textbook.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@mo*************.com.
