Midland School

Midland’s trails are open to HIKERS ONLY! (Equestrian access available later this week) Thank you for helping us maintain the trails by staying away during last week’s rain enjoy the beautiful green beginning to grow this week!

The recent bout of stormy weather has us craving hot fires and cozy blankets. And while we can't easily share the wood-burning stove experience with you, we CAN send you a Midland blanket! Our most recent batch of Midland blankets -- generously donated by the Featherstone Family (Stephen '78 & Rachel '11) in support of the Annual Fund -- are now up in the Gear Store (link below). For shipping information, reach out to [email protected] and we'll send you... a quote. https://midland-school-109680.square.site//lands-end-em/9 Have a Midland blanket keeping you warm and cozy this winter season already? Send us a picture for a chance to be featured!

All this rain calls for the ultimate comfort food: Gloria's *famous* grilled cheese (featuring cream cheese, jalapeños AND cheddar) and tomato soup, and some delicious homegrown kale & butternut squash salad. If only photos could do the delectable smell & taste justice!

Got questions? We've got answers! With applications due in just a few weeks, we know that you all are hard at work on your applications. In this Virtual Conversation, we invite you to bring all of your unanswered Midland questions on the admissions process or Midland as a whole in preparation of our February 15 deadline. We are delighted to offer this opportunity to connect with our office and other potential students and families in... this pivotal point of the application cycle. Head to the link in bio or go to midland-school.org/midland-on-the-road to RSVP. We can't wait to see you there! See more

There’s a 50/50 (maybe even higher?) chance at any given moment that there’s a Midlander in a tree. Can’t blame them when there are SO many good ones to climb across our 2,860 acres!

Sometimes, the joy is in the details! Keen-eyed photography by Charis Derbyshire, Director of Advancement & Alumni Relations

Midland’s trails are closed due to rain until further notice. Please help us keep maintain our trails by respecting the trail closure until muddy conditions abate and we re-open the trailheads. Thank you & enjoy the stormy weather!

In partnership with Santa Barbara County Fire, Midland is planning for a prescribed burn next week on the Spaulding Ranch side of our property. Midland's trail system (including the Lover's Loop and Green Gate trailheads) will be closed from Monday, December 7th at 12am until Saturday, December 11th at 12am for the prescribed burn. Though the burn area does not include Midland's trail system, trails will be closed as a precautionary measure. For further information, please contact Midland's Director of Rangeland Management and Conservation, Gina Butala, at [email protected].

As we wrap up the fall edition of our Virtual Conversation series, we invite you to sit down with Christopher Barnes, our Head of School, and our two student Head Prefects, Melia and Raymond next Wednesday, December 9th at 5pm. Ask them the "tough" questions you've been holding onto, gain Christopher's perspective on what it's like watching his two children grow up at Midland, and hear Melia & Raymond's stories of their experience on campus. All together, they'll dive into the leadership structure at Midland, and so much more. RSVP at the link in bio or head to midland-school.org/midland-on-the-road.

Prospective Students & Families: Meet Midland's Academic and Experiential Learning Deans this coming Wednesday, November 4th at 5pm! Join us to chat with Ellie Moore, our Dean of Academics, and Dan Susman, our Dean of Experiential Learning, to hear more about Midland’s rigorous place-based and experiential education. Link in bio to RSVP, or head to midalnd-school.org/midland-on-the-road. We hope to see you there!

Today, we celebrate All Saints' Day by heading outside, hitting Midland's trails, going out on an adventure with friends, teachers and peers, and enjoying the beautiful land upon which we live! What is (or was) your favorite All Saints' Day activity or adventure? Where would you head off to if you had a whole day free to explore Midland's campus?

Midland Monopoly! Scroll through to see the meticulous designs and incredible creativity of this Monopoly board and accessories, created by Melia '21, one of this year's Head Prefects.

In this detailed Q&A, we shared all about Midland, our program and community with Noozhawk, a local news organization. We hope you'll enjoy!

A few scenes from our fantastically fun, socially-distanced field activities during our new student welcome.

Congratulations to Midland staff member, Alex, for his nomination, we are so proud! "Nineteen-year-old Alexander Murkison the youngest person to run for Lompoc Unified School District school board has been recognized as the fourth nominee for the 11th annual Lompoc Valley of the Flowers Peace Prize because of his advocacy in mental health."

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the candidacy of long-time Midlander, Dean of Students and Athletic Director, José Juan Ibarra '87 for Santa Ynez Valley Union High School School Board. José Juan is an integral part of our Midland community and the proud parent of two incredible graduates (daughters Deyanira ‘16 and Zoraida ‘19). We wish him the best of luck in the upcoming election! [Swipe right to see José Juan's passion for the Dodgers, whom we also celebrate today as World Series Champions in his honor!]

Prospective students and families: we're thrilled to kick off our Virtual Open Houses Series this week and hope you'll join us! On Mondays at 4:30PM PST and Fridays 12:15PM PST from October 26 to December 14 , join us for a virtual Open House to hear what makes Midland a truly exceptional place to live your education. You'll learn about Midland's unique model, experiential and place-based education, 2860-acre property, and tight-knit community, with a Q&A to dive deeper into your curiosities. We look forward to sharing more of our beautiful campus and exceptional program with you. Link in bio to RSVP or go to midland-school.org/midland-on-the-road

Join Midland and our fellow California Boarding Schools for a virtual information event hosted by Teebie Suanders a week from tomorrow, Wednesday, November 4th at 5pm PST -- click the link below to register. We hope to see you there! https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSd0AIcZjYUwsY2xvB/viewform

They’re HERE! We love all of our students and families, but new ones hold an extra special place in our hearts and we are so incredibly thrilled to have welcomed them home to Midland yesterday!

A few photos from Senior move-in day as we anticipate the arrival of new students today!

"How should comments look in the time of COVID? Especially with classes online and parents spending more time with their children than teachers, how can teachers create a narrative describing work from a student they never see except on a screen? The answer lies in concrete examples and stories." Read more from faculty member Alison Nikitopoulos' article, "What Stories do Grades and Comments Tell?" for Well-Schooled via the link in bio or at the link below: https://well-schooled.com//what-stories-do-grades-and-com/

Join us for a California Boarding School Fair in partnership with McMillan Education on Wednesday, October 28th at 4PM PDT. We'll be joining a group of other fantastic California boarding schools to discuss why you might consider boarding, the perks of going to school in California, and all the things that make Midland the perfect place to live your high school education! Go to https://mcmillanvirtualschoolfairs.org/ to RSVP, we hope to see you there!

Here at Midland we have around 50 (and counting) chickens who provide our community with fresh eggs. Our recently constructed chicken palace is located within the Midland Farm and Garden area. The chickens have a large yard with plenty of shade from surrounding trees, and get daily snacks of fresh organic produce that’s just not quite pretty enough to go to our kitchen. During the academic year, student have the opportunity to take charge of caring for the chickens and collecting eggs. Until students' arrival, Ami Adams, Learning Support Specials and Midland 101 teacher, had been taking up the chicken-care mantel (pictured here).