The eleven trees that our classes are named after represent growth, transformation, and a solid base from which to reach for the skies. There are no better symbols for raising and educating our children. And the imagery has inspired a remarkable embroidery project, as well as numerous middle school designed T-shirts.
You may have noticed the enhanced school logo above, of all the leaves of our classes arrayed around the traditional logo, popping up here and there: mugs, tote bags, on the side of our van, a very limited edition T-shirt, as well as on our website. This is a years-long effort to lean into the imagery of the trees and their leaves that our classes are named after.
The Artist
The watercolors of the leaves were made by Atik, an Indonesian artist. “My town is located near Mount Ciremai, and the community here is predominantly made up of farmers. The area is known for its stunning mountain views and beautiful farmland. Nature, especially flowers, is my biggest source of inspiration. Their beauty, intricacy, and unique shapes constantly pique my curiosity.”
Before the Trees
Formerly, MST’s classes were named after the directions based on where they were in the building––Sunshine South and Elementary North, for example.
“We were running out of compass points, so we chose trees,” recalls Head of School James Moore. “I think trees were chosen as it felt a bit more scientific and cultured than the other options.” So for the 2012-13 school year, the six classes renamed themselves.
In an alternate timeline, Ginkgo may have been Elementary South by Southeast. Thankfully, we live in the greener reality.
Origins of the Class Names
Teachers led the naming process for their own classes. Little People teacher Akane Katsube chose Pine “because it sounded cute” and was easy for her toddlers to pronounce. Librarian Elizabeth Ogiyama, who taught Pine at the time, said it was an apt symbol because pines “grow fast and seem younger.” The most recent class tree, Banyan, was named by Sayuri Sonoda, who had similarly chosen it in part for the ease of pronunciation by children just learning to talk, as well the simple shape of the leaf that her students could draw.
Naoko Kikkawa, Sustainability Lead, had a hand in naming two classes, Cedar and later Hazel in 2014. For Cedar, “I liked the shape of the tree.” When it was time to name Hazel, Naoko was drawn to the sensorial experience of the tree. “I liked the shape of the leaf, and that it had a delicious nut. And also the sound of the word was satisfying.”
Former Sunshine teacher Tomoko Funada chose Sequoia, “because it is the largest tree in the world.” And the newest Sunshine class, Olive, was named by Miho Hamaji in 2019 because “it symbolizes peace.”
Support Coordinator Shukuko Takeda, who was our first elementary teacher, remembered that she took suggestions from her class. Eugenie, a standout student, raised her hand and suggested maple. “Not only was it beautiful but there was something Japanese about the tree,” said Shukuko. The class overwhelmingly voted for Maple.
Oak was named by former elementary teacher Russ. Shukuko observed “the tree really fit him because Russ was a big solid person.”
The newest lower elementary class, Ginkgo, was named by Kei Shirakawa who adopted it from the Timeline of Life, an iconic Montessori material. She also chose it because the ginkgo tree also holds rich meaning among the Japanese.
Former MSTer Patrick Snyder named the upper elementary class Willow because it offered “a sense of peaceful shelter when under them. It can represent a solid, positive place to meet friends or simply read a book. It was that kind of peaceful sensation I wanted the children to associate with the classroom.”
When the middle school class was created in 2014, the adolescents chose Eucalyptus. Elizabeth recalls that the name may have come from the graphic novel Drama, which was widely read among the students. The story features a theater kid who attends a fictional Eucalyptus Middle School.
An Interconnected Community
Incorporating the imagery of a community of trees was cemented when faculty and students brainstormed and voted for naming the Forest, Grove and Orchard campuses in 2021. Though some still refer to the buildings as their older utilitarian names, the richer symbolism of the imagery of life encourages us to visualize our community as an interconnected ecosystem.
–Wind Edward Kim