About Us

Our Location

In August 2018, we opened the doors to Harmony’s new home — the historic and breathtaking Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary in Tiburon. Today, our programs are housed within two beautifully renovated buildings: Rosie’s Cottage, home to our Montessori classroom, and The Willow Classroom, where our Young Child Community blossoms. Together they rest on the Audubon’s ten-acre waterfront property, overlooking the San Francisco skyline and adjacent to the 900-acre protected bay — a sanctuary for countless species of birds and marine life.

Through our partnership with Harmony Land Caretakers, we have lovingly restored portions of the property, clearing areas once overgrown with invasive wild plum and poison oak with the goal of protecting and nurturing our precious California coastal live Oaks, in so doing we have also created a beautiful basecamp for our Forest School.

From here, children begin their daily journeys along winding trails that lead through redwoods and coastal oaks, down to our sandy shore and rocky “Barnacle Beach.” Along the way, they pass through the homes, hunting and nesting grounds of hawks, great horned owls, pelicans, quail, and mallards visiting the seasonal pond, and the quiet rhythms of the Bay.

As a school, we aim to cultivate in our children a deep connection to the planet and a desire to protect it. Our shared home with the Audubon — whose mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems for the benefit of humanity and biodiversity — allows us to live this purpose each day. The sanctuary is both a classroom and a teacher, inviting children to learn in harmony with the land, the water, and all living things.

Our Philosophy

At Harmony, we believe childhood is sacred — a time to unfold gently, explore freely, and grow in connection with the world around us. Our philosophy honors the natural rhythms of development and the innate wisdom that lives within every child. We see education not as a race to a destination, but as a journey of discovery guided by curiosity, independence, and joy.

Our three programs — the Young Child Community, Harmony Montessori, and Harmony Forest School — each reflect this belief in their own way.

In the Young Child Community, our youngest learners begin to find their footing beyond the home. Here, they learn to care for themselves, contribute to their environment, and trust in the rhythms of their day. These early experiences offer a gentle introduction to community life and lay the foundation for independence and confidence.

In our Montessori program, children are guided by respect and purpose within a carefully prepared environment. Through meaningful work and self-directed exploration, they build concentration, coordination, and an authentic love of learning. The Montessori classroom provides the roots of focus and responsibility that allow a child’s potential to grow strong and steady.

Our Forest School extends this same respect for the child into the wider world. Among the oaks, mud puddles, and open sky, children move, play, and imagine — developing resilience, problem-solving, and a deep sense of belonging to the earth. These outdoor experiences cultivate curiosity and courage that carry children into the next stage of life.

Though each environment is unique, all are woven together by a single intention: to nurture the whole child — body, mind, and spirit — and to help each one discover their own harmony within.

Our History

Wilana Anderson started harmony in 2004 out of her home in Sausalito when her daughter Paige was 9 months old. In 2005, Montessori teacher Rania Bassous joined Wilana and the school moved to Shell Road in Mill Valley, where it flourished for the next thirteen years. Together, they nurtured a thriving community of families who shared a deep commitment to child-led learning and respect for the natural world.

After a lengthy search for a new home that would ensure the school’s future and allow for continued growth, Harmony was able to enter into an agreement with the Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary to renovate Rosie’s Cottage and the Willow Classroom, while securing a 25-year lease.

Nature education, exploration, and discovery have always been a very big part of our program, so to be given the opportunity to share these beautiful eleven acres with the Audubon Society was a dream come true.

We began the 2018–2019 school year in our newly renovated classrooms and welcomed two new teachers to our team: Kevin Anderson, Wilana’s husband, who supports the classroom, maintains our facilities, and brings a spirit of creativity and collaboration to all he does, and Lensi Jimenez, who completed her Montessori training and became our lead teacher in 2023. While Lensi has since left the classroom, we have been fortunate to continue collaborating with her in meaningful ways, keeping her connection to Harmony alive. Rania Bassous, who played a foundational role in building Harmony has retired, but her contributions are woven into the fabric of Harmony and will forever remain part of who we are.

In 2024, when the opportunity arose to absorb a local forest program, created by Evelyn Nichols, it felt like a natural progression of our philosophy — and thus Harmony Forest School was born, led by Mia Ciccarelli.

In 2025, we added the Young Child Community, led by Alyssa Conklin-Moore, to serve our youngest learners.

Today, Harmony’s three programs — the Young Child Community, Harmony Montessori, and Harmony Forest School — each offer unique environments that complement and enrich one another.

Our Team

At Harmony, our teaching team brings together a vibrant mix of expertise, from AMI Montessori and Waldorf Early Childhood training, to advanced degrees at the Bachelor’s and Master’s level. There are also herbalists, outdoor educators, musicians, and artists, grounding their teaching in real-world craft and creativity. All staff meet the required licensing criteria for Livescan (background check,) CPR and Mandated Reporter training.