I first learned about Miquon while doing research for a paper in graduate school in Cambridge. I was intrigued by the description of a school where the adults trusted children to play independently and to learn passionately. That article traveled with me for ten years. When I moved to the Philadelphia area and discovered that…READ MORE »
I first learned of Miquon while in graduate school in Oakland, CA, more than a decade before I found my way out east and set foot on campus. In the years that followed the school dotted my radar twice more and never through any effort of my own. Then, circumstance brought my family east and…READ MORE »
I am so grateful to be a part of The Miquon School community for this year. I will be working as a social work intern, learning from Miquon Social Worker Miranda Featherstone and working within the Child Guidance Team. I am a first year graduate student in Bryn Mawr College's social work program and I…READ MORE »
I’m delighted to be returning to the Nursery in the fall as a co-teacher, after several years working in a support role, and spending the last year and a half as an assistant teacher. Before moving to Philadelphia and discovering Miquon, I spent time in France working with middle and high school students teaching English.…READ MORE »
I'm excited to be helping to support families, staff, and children at this lovely school in the woods. I grew up in Germantown attending our local public school and wishing for something programmatically closer Miquon. When my family relocated back to the Philadelphia area from Maine, my daughter enrolled here, graduating in 2016. I have…READ MORE »
So much of my childhood was filled with writing and illustrating stapled storybooks, most of which involved weathering winter storms with my family and doing hefty chores. It was mostly fiction! I really like that every day at Miquon our learners tell stories during play and exploration built upon their identity and experiences. Their thinking…READ MORE »
I learned about Miquon from Marisa Campbell, who teaches in the Miquon Nursery, when we and our young daughters became friends. I feel so lucky to be part of the Miquon community after hearing so many wonderful things about it, and happy that I can help support the creativity and learning I see on campus…READ MORE »
I have over 20 years of experience in independent education. I am currently head of the Roxborough Christian School, and in the past I have served in various roles in education: that of a teacher, a fundraiser, a human resources leader, a manager, and an administrator.READ MORE »
From the moment I stepped out of my car, I sensed that Miquon would be my next home. After teaching for years in Egypt and Morocco, I wanted to return home to magic. The day that the Miquon School appeared in my job search a spark was reignited. Choice time, boundaries, and mixed age classrooms…READ MORE »
When I first met my husband, Josh McIlvain '82, he used to talk about an amazing little school he went to called Miquon. I had a hard time understanding how an elementary school could have such an impact on a person – until I came to Miquon myself. I am happy to have the opportunity…READ MORE »
I enjoy the intellectual challenge and growth that is possible and encouraged at Miquon, for the adults in the community as well as the children. I find almost endless reasons to read, research, and follow threads of inquiry as I develop curriculum with and for children, and many like spirits among my colleagues. It's an…READ MORE »
At Miquon, my personal emphasis has been on music as a group experience. Along with the staples of general music (singing and dancing as the first and most spontaneous response to music), instrumental skills are refined through the use of xylophones, glockenspiels, and recorders as a first ensemble exploration. The message I want to convey…READ MORE »
I believe the best way to learn how to teach and connect with children is through working with all ages. I have been at Miquon since November of 2011, and it has been wonderful to work with Miquon children for many years. I have enjoyed each moment on campus with students, other teachers, and parents.…READ MORE »
One of my favorite things about Miquon is when our whole community comes together on Friday mornings for assembly. Each group sits with their buddy group and everyone is sincerely excited to see each other! It's a time when we will gather to sing songs, tell stories, or perform plays. Every month or so, we…READ MORE »
I have always felt that school should be a place where students have the freedom to explore and play outdoors, where they experience autonomy and democracy in learning, and where wonder and curiosity are celebrated. I am so grateful to be a part of the vibrant and unique community of Miquon in which we work…READ MORE »
I first fell in love with Miquon when I attended as camper over thirty years ago. I was growing up in Cheltenham and this hidden-away treasure in the woods was a retreat from my suburban childhood. When I arrived 8 years ago to work as an in-house reading tutor, I found the campus very much…READ MORE »
I first became acquainted with Progressive education when in 2010 we enrolled our oldest child at a similar progressive pre-K through 6 school, The School in Rose Valley (SRV), near our home in Delaware County. Following this,, I have served on SRV’s Board of Trustees for several years and I am a huge proponent of…READ MORE »
I have been an Assistant Teacher at Miquon since 1995. During that time, I have taught in age groups from 1st through 6th grade (though never 3rd), and for the last 16 years, exclusively in the 5th/6th. I have several years of prior experience in Special Education with both adults and children. I have a…READ MORE »
I grew up exploring the woods surrounding Miquon and spent my summers here as a camper. As a child, I delighted in the rippling creek, tall trees and the seemingly infinite supply of delicious wineberries. My experiences nurtured a deep affection and appreciation for the natural world. After thirty years, this hasn't changed. I'm extremely…READ MORE »
Miquon brought me to Philadelphia from Los Angeles in 2013, both for my professional role and for my children. Previously, I ran the alumni program at the USC Price School of Public Policy and served as communications director for the USC Alumni Association. Originally from Boston, I am busy getting back to my east coast…READ MORE »
I believe that physical education is a vital part of the total education of an individual. Through physical education, an individual has the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. Physical education allows children to develop skills for use during leisure time and lifetime sports, engage in activities that are conducive to healthful living,…READ MORE »
I have taught many subjects in my 11 years as a teacher including Upper and Middle School Social Studies, Sixth Grade Math, and Physical Education. I have also served as an Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School. I began teaching at United Friends School in 2006 and also worked as their Athletic Director, After…READ MORE »
Before coming to the east coast and to Miquon, I taught 2nd grade at Corpus Christi School in Oakland, California for eight years, and completed a vast amount of graduate work in education within the California State University system and at University of San Diego. A former Progressive school student myself, I believe in helping…READ MORE »
The first time I pulled into the driveway at Miquon, it immediately reminded me of the many camp driveways across the country that I'd come down for every summer of my childhood (and a few beyond that). It was during these summers at Girl Scout Camp I grew from an enthusiastic camper into a thoughtful…READ MORE »
What do I enjoy most about being at Miquon? Right off the bat, three things come to mind. I really like the musical scene here on campus, my Miquon colleagues are top notch, and the campus is beautiful year round. I also love teaching at the same school my child attends. Before coming to Miquon,…READ MORE »
I do lots of things. When I'm not working at Miquon, I am usually with my family, doing…well…anything! I play music and freelance as a photographer; I have produced and engineered several records; I have traveled all around the country with my awesome wife (and then with our awesome kids); I am a potter, a…READ MORE »
I bring a background in clinical social work to my approach to school-based counseling and social work. Some of the many wonderful things about social work are that it takes an approach to mental health and wellness that meets clients (adults and children!) where they are, honors their self-determination, and emphasizes the importance and value…READ MORE »
Initially I came to Miquon to enroll my children, following the closing of Oak Lane School where I was art teacher. Teaching art at Miquon is wonderful: the children, the community, and the campus all inspire so much creativity. I believe that every child is an artist, and that the world needs artists in order…READ MORE »
I am the mother of Miquon graduates Eric '98, Laura '01 and Anna '09. Staff and parents alike know me as the “go to” person for almost any question, and I manage the school database, arrange parent-teacher events, coordinate transportation, and most importantly, oversee the classroom snack program. Before coming to Miquon, I worked in…READ MORE »
When I was a senior in high school, my guidance counselor gave our graduating class one of those tests that connect interests into potential career paths. While in homeroom, one by one, my friends’ names were called to receive their results. They started to open their letters – Doctor; Lawyer; Architect; smiles grew over their…READ MORE »
I have vivid memories of the playroom my sister and I shared when we were little: our beloved kitchen set, a tiny desk, magnetic letters, a surplus of art supplies, lots of dolls, a mini piano and a typewriter I inherited to practice writing. In this sacred space I especially loved playing school. So it's…READ MORE »
As a child my parents often found me up in my favorite tree, reading a book. So when I saw the opportunity to join the staff at the Miquon School in a dreamy little library in the woods, at a school where children’s independence and creativity are nourished, my attention was piqued. After earning my…READ MORE »
I was delighted when a friend told me about Miquon two years ago. I spent my first year at Miquon working alongside Diane, and I am excited to return to the 5/6 this year as a Group Teacher with Louis. I grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and I've lived in Philadelphia since 2015.…READ MORE »
I am delighted to be back at Miquon as it is one of my favorite places in the world. I remember the freedom and joy I felt to be learning and playing at Miquon as a child. I always felt so known by all my teachers – each engaged with me distinctly, challenging me to…READ MORE »
I will never forget the first time I ventured onto Miquon’s campus. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon in October ’82. The sugar maples were ablaze with brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. A lone turkey vulture circled overhead. The creek babbled merrily as it slid over the rocks. A chipmunk darted through a…READ MORE »
I have the pleasure of working at Miquon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through my employer Kyle & Associates. I love to see the outdoor play that happens here in various forms; it ranges from peaceful and serene to joyous and loud when the children are enjoying the space. In a business and finance role,…READ MORE »
I came to Miquon to teach in the fourth grade during the 2014-15 school year, looking forward to learning alongside children who are curious and immersed in the world around them. I love the freedom that we have at Miquon to delve deeply into topics of interest and to support the growth of child as…READ MORE »