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"Once
I saw my first oak tree, I knew I belonged here. I'm living in it, I'm
a part of it."
--Megan S, 2008
Facilities
The academic classrooms clustered in Midland's "Middle Yard"
are simple and rustic. There are four classrooms, two science labs,
one three-walled classroom, a library, a computer lab, music practice
rooms, and an art studio with ceramic wheels and kilns, areas for painting,
and photography. The barn houses the equestrian, carpentry, and metals
programs, along with a pair of owls living in its roof.
Midland is fortunate to have a setting that speaks to the heart through
its beauty and solitude and does not distinguish the land from the school's
academic facilities. While our facilities are certainly not modern,
they do give our students the sense of tradition. The school's buildings
adhere to the Midland philosophy that less can be more, and that one
not need the newest and latest in order to be successful. As our society
continues to exploit and expend natural resources, our campus gives
students the opportunity to see how to live simply.
All Midland students board at the school and live with a roommate in
small wood cabins clustered in quadrangles by class and supervised by
seniors serving as prefects. The cabins, heated by wood burning stoves,
are by no means luxurious. Their simplicity speaks of strength and character.
Building shower fires is a long-standing tradition in Midland culture,
and is a trait students cling to strongly.
At the heart of Midland
is Stillman Hall, where the community meets twice daily for assemblies
and eats most meals. Meals are served family-style with resident faculty
heading each table of eight, and underclass students serving as waiters.
Also at the campus's center is Main House, site of administrative services;
there is a student lounge, a post office, and a non-denominational chapel.
Renovation
of Stillman Hall
2007
Setting
We are blessed with 2,860 acres on our
campus, a large percentage of which is relatively untouched. Our property
neighbors the Los Padres National Forest, the largest national forest
in the state, and we are also adjacent to the San Rafael Wilderness
Area, home of the Manzana River and its tributaries. More than just
a backdrop, our campus becomes part of the classroom. Science classes
camp and learn orienteering as part of the curriculum, English classes
search out secluded meadows in which to write, read, and discuss, and
the fine arts classes include the landscape and natural materials in
countless projects.
Meadows, creeks, cliffs,
canyons, and ridgelines; yucca, sycamores, oaks, sage, and poppies;
coyotes, wild pigs, wild turkeys, owls, hawks, and eagles. A student
at Midland makes a connection with the natural world, something that
too many young people across the country do not do. While knowing the
difference between a live oak and a valley oak might not get someone
into college, the sense of place a student develops at Midland is invaluable
and enduring. |
