Welcome to Spring Hill!

As we all embark on a new year of learning, discovery, and growth, our students aren’t the only ones feeling some butterflies; as your new Head of School, I’m feeling some as well! After 27 years serving three public school districts in Marin County as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, I felt an immediate affinity with Spring Hill’s clear focus on fostering student success and well-being in a warm, supportive environment. I am thrilled to be here with you!

At Spring Hill, our mission drives our shared purpose: helping every child fulfill their unique potential to succeed with confidence and joy. Since our beginnings in 1975, Spring Hill has remained rooted in creating educational experiences that inspire and transform. Serving students from 18 months to 14 years of age, Spring Hill’s unique model focuses on both individual excellence and making a positive difference in the community. This 12.5 year developmental arc sets our students on a lifelong journey of continuous learning, civic engagement, and the confidence to be the changemakers our world needs.

As we celebrate our 50th year, we are proud to be Petaluma’s only preschool-8th grade independent school–honoring our rich past while also charting a course towards new horizons. The world is a dynamic and changing place–and so are we!

During my visit to the school in March, I asked parents what they value most about their child’s experience at Spring Hill. Some themes that consistently emerged included:

Child-teacher connection.
Excellent teachers that differentiate based on each child’s learning style.
Warm, safe, supportive environment.
Small class size.
Global education.
Strong community.
Continued joy of learning through 8th grade.

Founder Tom Sipes shared the following thought when he retired as Head of School in 2010: “Preparing children for an uncertain future is a very important task. A task that includes all of us.” These words ring just as true 15 years later–an invitation for us to continue partnering with each other to ensure that every child can navigate a complex world with confidence, creativity, and courage.

On behalf of the entire Spring Hill team, we eagerly await a year full of new landscapes in learning for our students–and new opportunities to collaborate more closely with our amazing parent community.

In Partnership,

Eric Saibel
Head of School

An Education that Matters

At the heart of Spring Hill is a hands-on education that fosters joyful learning and passionate engagement in our diverse, global society. This is a place where our children can ask questions, explore, create, and receive individualized guidance within a cooperative community. With this strong and resilient foundation, they build bridges to people and landscapes around the world, discovering their own roles as courageous change-makers for a better future.

We invite you to walk through our beautiful campuses and experience the vitality of our school. Words alone cannot convey the exhilaration parents feel when we see our children flourishing and growing into collaborative, empathetic leaders.

With strong roots and a passion for learning, our children can branch out and flourish in our dynamic, changing world. We are delighted to share our school with you. Please contact us to schedule a tour.