Episodes

  • Introduction to The Motherbird Podcast

    Introduction to The Motherbird Podcast
    Nov 15 2020
    Welcome to The Motherbird Podcast. This is a brief introduction to me, your host -Mia Sable Hays. I'll share a little of my early motherhood experience, how Motherbird started, and what led me to launch this podcast during the pandemic. Season One is a collection of Los Angeles preschool and elementary school interviews to help local moms discover and connect with the right program for them. Follow along for our exclusive conversations with school owners, admissions directors, and experts in the field. Please subscribe, rate, and review the show, and reach out with your feedback and ideas for future episodes @motherbirdla on social media or email mia@motherbirdla.com Support this podcast
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    13 mins
  • Explaining Public, Magnet, & Charter schools in LA - Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide

    Explaining Public, Magnet, & Charter schools in LA - Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide
    Nov 15 2020
    Today our guest is Tanya Anton, founder of the GoMamaGuide demystifying LA PUBLIC schools! Get ready to take notes because we are going to dive deep into untangling the key differences between public, magnet, and charter schools here in Los Angeles. This episode is a bit longer but super informative, as we cover some details that might surprise you about the history, politics, money, real estate, and acceptance processes behind the choices for free education. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • LA Nature Kids Preschool - Christopher Pierre, Shelayna Kennedy (Santa Monica)

    LA Nature Kids Preschool - Christopher Pierre, Shelayna Kennedy (Santa Monica)
    Nov 15 2020
    Today our guests are Christopher Pierre and Shelayna Kennedy of LA Nature Kids Preschool, an all-outdoors “forest school” based in Santa Monica. I don’t know about you, I have been simultaneously fascinated and skeptical of how this sort of thing really works. Coming up, you’ll find out the answers to questions every LA mom would have before sending their little one into the great outdoors - from transportation, to safety, to how they transition back to a classroom, and you might just find yourself feeling convinced this truly unique educational experience could be right for your child. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Beyond The Brochure with Christina Simon

    Beyond The Brochure with Christina Simon
    Nov 17 2020
    Today our guest is Christina Simon, author and editor of the Beyond the Brochure book and blog which have been featured on NPR, The Hollywood Reporter, and many more publications of note. If you’re the kind of mom that deep dive googles the schools you are interested in, you have probably found yourself on her website, which, like the name suggests, is all about getting beyond the glossy presentation and catching some honest takes on the LA private school admissions “experience” from parent to parent, including personal stories about specific schools. Coming up, we’ll get a little deeper with Christina and chat about her daring to start this blog, realizing she wanted to switch after her first year at what she thought would be her family’s dream school, and her insider thoughts as a mom of color on evaluating a private school’s diversity claims. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    51 mins
  • The Little Garden Preschool - Jolene Doucette (Marina Del Rey)

    The Little Garden Preschool - Jolene Doucette (Marina Del Rey)
    Nov 17 2020
    *Update: As of December 2020 we have learned that unfortunately The Little Garden has decided to close its doors at the end of the year, with hopes to reopen in the future.* Today our guest is Jolene Doucette, owner of The Little Garden Preschool in Marina del Rey. This is a full-day, year-round preschool with a - low 1:6 ratio- that is fairly new (established in 2017), but as you will hear, Jolene’s lifelong passion and preparation to start her own school have been many years in the making. Coming up, you’ll find out a little about her backstory, what The Little Garden is up to now in the fall of 2020, and of course the answers to super important questions about how they approach everything from separation, to nap time, to conflict resolution, and what qualities she looks for in her staff.  https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC. Support this podcast
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    48 mins
  • K-12 Admissions Consultant, Camille de Mondesir, The Placing Method

    K-12 Admissions Consultant, Camille de Mondesir, The Placing Method
    Nov 18 2020
    Today our guest is Camille de Mondesir, founder of The Placing Method. Camille is an educational consultant and admissions strategist for K-12 private school admissions. For the uninitiated, that means she helps families find schools that match their needs, and navigates them through the in-depth process of applying, keeping you on track for what to do, when to do it, and how to not get flagged as that crazy one. Coming up, you’ll get to know her and hear some of her insider takes on applying to schools during the age of covid, and beyond. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    36 mins
  • Piper Preschool - Crystal Free, Helen, & Nicole (Santa Monica & Los Angeles)

    Piper Preschool - Crystal Free, Helen, & Nicole (Santa Monica & Los Angeles)
    Nov 19 2020
    Today our guest is Crystal Free, owner of Piper Preschool in Santa Monica, and in LA (Pico-Robertson). We’re also joined by the admissions directors for both campuses, Helen and Nicole. They’re a little fancy, a little cheeky, and also deeply intentional. Coming up, you’ll get to hear how a passionate visionary with the right connections is pioneering an LA preschool vibe. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    53 mins
  • Branches Atelier Preschool - Patricia Hunter McGrath (Culver City)

    Branches Atelier Preschool - Patricia Hunter McGrath (Culver City)
    Nov 20 2020
    Today our guest is Patricia Hunter McGrath, owner of Branches Atelier preschool in west Culver City. This quaint Reggio Emilia inspired preschool has massive dreams, and an impressive track record of rallying their community to make them real. Coming up, you’ll find out how Patricia challenges her staff and families to fully engage, beyond the Reggio aesthetics, and unite with a passion to make the world a better place through education. https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes *All episodes are lightly edited for time and flow with prior understanding from the participants. Music is fully licensed from Premium Beat. The Motherbird Podcast is written and produced by Motherbird, LLC.  Support this podcast
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    46 mins