Mother‘s Day Out
Single day events for educators to meet new people and explore the riches of a Mason education.
Encouragement for Local Groups
Connect with others to help form or grow your group and learn from other communities.
Educational Retreats
Overnight retreats to help educators delve more deeply into Mason’s principles and practices.
About us
CM NorCal was formerly called CM West. Given the growth of the CM Community on the West Coast, we decided it was time for a new name and a smaller regional focus. Our commitment to encouraging growth and fostering community continues and we look forward to meeting you at an event in the near future.
Who we are
Amber and Adrienne met through a CM West online Zoom discussion of one of Mason’s volumes in 2017, long before everything was on Zoom. After CM West went on a hiatus in 2019, Adrienne periodically would check in with Amber to see if the time was ripe to bring CM West back to life… and now it is!
Amber Vanderpol
Amber is one of the original founders of CM West. She lives in Nevada County, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Two of her seven children have graduated from her homeschool, but with a new baby, she’s most likely only at the halfway mark in her time as a home educator. She’s in her 18th year of homeschooling, largely using Mason’s practices. She has been studying Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy of Education and Classical Education for over 20 years. To further her growth as an educator, she joined the CiRCE Apprenticeship in 2021 and graduated in 2024.
Adrienne Maher
Adrienne lives in Marin County with her husband and their three children, ages 8, 10, and 11. She was introduced to the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education shortly after the birth of her first child, and it rapidly began to shape and guide her views on parenting and education. After more than a decade of study, Adrienne is confidently and imperfectly in the midst of educating her children at home. She loves spreading the feast of ideas for her children while learning alongside them. She is active in her local homeschool community and leads Mason inspired classes and activities.
We Want to Meet You!
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