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Community and events at South Coast Montessori

School news, the events that shape our year, and what the local press has written about us.

A group of children stand together in a field at the edge of the campus.

News, events, and press

A school its families built

When you choose a school, you also choose the people around it: the families whose children become your child's friends, and the parents you'll see at drop-off, at pickup, and at every event in between, for years. It is fair to want to know what that community is like before you join it. The best way to find out is to look at what it has done.

Built by its families

South Coast Montessori was founded in 2017 by parents and teachers working side by side, and it is a nonprofit. How the school began is told on our About page.

That beginning still shapes the school. Families and teachers have a say in how it is run, events through the year bring parents together as well as children, and when something on campus needs building or fixing, it is often families who raise the money to do it. In 2022, a Move-A-Thon paid for our infant yard's new fence, lawn, and landscaping.

The school year, together

Several gatherings mark the school year, each bringing families together outside the classroom day — here are some examples:

  • Back to School Waffle Brunch, as the year begins.
  • Halloween Trunk or Treat, in the fall.
  • The Move-A-Thon, our yearly fundraiser.
  • End of School Year Picnic, as the year closes.

Dates for each are on the school calendar.

Giving you can see

You can walk through some of what our families have given. In 2022, money raised at the Move-A-Thon paid for the infant yard's new fence, lawn, and landscaping. The 2022/2023 Giving Campaign and Move-A-Thon then renovated the toddler yard. What our donors have made possible shows the full list.

A smiling toddler with curly hair reaches up to a leafy branch in the school garden, beside tall variegated grasses.

Beyond the gate

The community the children belong to doesn't end at the school gate. Elementary students help plan Going Out trips, researching where to go and why, and then seeing in the world what they studied in class. Read Noozhawk's story about Going Out.

Younger children find their own ways in. In Primary, a simple idea to make class treats grew into a project to help others. Read Noozhawk's story about the community-service recipe.

In the local press

Noozhawk and the Santa Barbara Independent have both written about South Coast Montessori, covering our guides, our classrooms, our students' trips, and how the school works. Every story is listed in the articles above, with a link to read it in full.

Staying in touch

The school calendar has the year ahead. For news and new articles, sign up for our newsletter just below.

Questions about school life and events

What events does the school hold during the year?

The school year includes the Back to School Waffle Brunch, Halloween Trunk or Treat, the Move-A-Thon, and the End of School Year Picnic. Each brings families together outside the school day. The dates are on the school calendar.

How can families get involved?

Families join in through the year's community events, and families and educators have a voice in school decisions. Families also support the Move-A-Thon and the annual Giving Campaign, which have paid for real changes on campus, including the infant and toddler yards.

What is the Move-A-Thon?

It is one of the school's yearly events and one of its fundraisers. Like the jog-a-thon you did as a child but since we have infants in strollers we call ours a Move-a-thon.

How do I keep up with school news?

This page collects school news and press coverage as it is published. For dates, see the school calendar. To hear about new articles and school news by email, sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of this page.

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