The school was founded in 1956 by Barbara Mendenhall along with Dorothy McWilliams Cousins, sister of chef, Julia Child.

Facilities used by all students included an Assembly Room, Library, blacktop, playing field, riding ring and the Art and Music buildings.

Eighth graders graduated on "Step-Up" day by moving up one tier on a set of wooden pilings built into a hillside between the Art and Music buildings.

Students, parents and friends of the school picnic and fly kites on the hillsides overlooking the main campus.

In 1970, a boulder on an adjacent hillside had to be removed because of a crack that, during an earthquake, might have caused a large piece to fall on a building.

In the early 1990s, they began programs such as Beyond Borders and a science and technology initiative, securing their place as a large and influential member of the area's community for years to come.

The restoration focused on removing the concrete lining, dropping the elevation of the channel to hold the 100-year flood volume, and planting native riparian and wetland vegetation in the creek and along its banks.