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About Us

Our History

Mill Valley Nursery School was established as a cooperative nursery school in 1941 by six Mill Valley mothers. On February 14, 1957, the school was incorporated as a non-profit organization. The school grew and in 1967 it moved to its present location at 51 Shell Road. The membership acquired the building and property and continues to manage it as part of the school cooperative.

Over time, MVNS has evolved with its changing membership. Each year the membership, together with the Director, gives shape to our school and our program.

MVNS keeps its operating expenses down by membership doing as much as it can for the school. For the rest, we reach out to our community for support. We have several fundraising events every year to help subsidize our costs, for more information please contact fundraising@mullvalleynurseryschool.org.

MVNS is part of the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools. The CCPPNS is a state-wide community of parents and educators committed to teaching and inspiring families through parent involvement and mutual support. Parent participation nursery schools and preschools are founded on the principle that the best education will result from an active partnership among parents, teachers, and children.

Teaching Team

Miranda Webster

Director

Our director and lead teacher, Miranda Webster (she/her), brings extensive experience in early childhood education, expertise in child development, a passion for inquiry and play-based learning, and pedagogy inspired by the schools for young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Most recently, Miranda worked at the Bay Area Discovery Museum (BADM), where she designed and taught original, child-led educational programs that included play-based STEAM learning and socio-emotional curricula. This included lead teacher/interim director positions at The Discovery School, BADM’s licensed onsite preschool, and implementing/teaching parent-toddler engagement classes. Prior to her tenure at the museum, Miranda completed her master’s in Education, emphasis on early childhood, and bachelor’s in Child Development from Mills College.

Having attended a cooperative nursery school as a child, Miranda knows first-hand the magic of a parent-participation preschool. She sees immense value in this unique way of building a home-to-school connection and parents having the opportunity to observe their child’s learning, growth, and development while assisting in the classroom.

Miranda is particularly excited to share her craft and knowledge with adult learners, during day-to-day interactions and through a research-backed parent education curriculum. Miranda approaches behavior using compassionate tools and strategies developed through neurobiology and whole-child lenses. She is delighted to have this opportunity to closely partner with families, together seeking out the “why” behind behavior (the observable responses to our internal and external experiences).

Backed by current research on child development, the brain and nervous system, culturally-responsive education, and supportive social learning, Miranda brings a curiosity-driven approach to her work with young children, focusing on supporting the development of self-efficacy, a growth mindset, and a life-long love for learning.

An advocate for the rights of all children, Miranda’s teaching is centered around empowering the voice of the child through child-directed play and participation in our community as seen, heard, and valued citizens. Miranda expands the traditional definition of teaching to consider the role of the child as co-creator in our emergent, contextual curriculum, intentionally built upon the unique questions, interests, stories, and experiences of the individuals that make up the fabric of our community.

Libby Reyff

Teacher

Libby Reyff (they/them) is a dedicated early childhood educator, with a passion for creating opportunities for children to experience the beauty of the natural world and cultivate a sense of stewardship of the land.

Libby brings a curiosity-driven approach to working with children, with a focus on growing their inner resiliency, self-respect, and sense of confidence through exploratory play. Libby’s teaching style orbits around centering and uplifting the whole child, the belief that children are their own best teachers, garden-based curriculum, and the Reggio-Emilia approach.

In 2017, Libby graduated from Scripps College with a degree in Environmental Analysis and a focus of study on how and why humans interact with the environment as we do. This background greatly contributes to the holistic, relational approach they employ while working with the youngest members of our community. While at Scripps, they worked to develop outdoor education curriculum at an urban farm & community garden, and love finding that sweet spot where emergent curriculum meets outdoor education for young children.

Having worked in libraries for nearly a decade, Libby loves sharing stories with children, particularly those that build upon interests arising in the classroom or tackle complex topics in developmentally appropriate (and fun!) ways. Libby is also a musician, and loves to play the guitar for circles, parades, and dance parties. When not teaching, you can find them exploring trails in Marin County or planning backpacking trips across the country.

Libby is currently enrolled in a Master's program in Innovative Early Childhood Education, with a focus on Reggio Emilia-inspired practice. They are excited to bring what they learn into the classroom at MVNS!