Montessori School of the Epiphany

Our family has been a part of MSTE for 9 years! Two of my children have attended through Kindergarten and have graduated, and my youngest daughter is currently there in Kindergarten and will graduate in May. I am sad anticipating the day we have to leave this school that has been a part of our family life for almost a decade!

We have LOVED this school. And, I don’t just mean that I have loved this school. My children LOVE this school. Both of my older children (6th grade & 2nd grade now) have commented recently that they would love to go back to MSTE. My youngest was giddy with excitement one morning last week over all the things she couldn’t wait to do during classroom time!!
So, with that, I think it extremely important to begin that Montessori School of the Epiphany IS a school, a place where instruction is given. It is NOT a daycare. Everyone who attends this school should enter with that firmly in their mind. It's calm, tranquil, focused, and a cozy breeding ground for learning. This school WILL instill a love of learning in your child, if you are willing to work with Annie & Emily (the teachers or guides as they are called in Montessori lingo) and heed their advice.

So here are some highlights:

1) Everything your young child does when he starts at the school is getting him ready for something else along the way. Every activity or lesson builds on another to culminate in the Kindergarten year.

2) My children can focus. My children have found an appreciation for quiet work time. The classroom provides ample opportunity for these young children to focus on good, challenging work.
3) The school puts emphasis on work with a positive connotation. It’s brilliant!! Every activity that they do is work that they have chosen because they love it or because they are now ready for it. It’s very empowering and confidence-building.
4) The environment of the classroom is so cozy and natural. There are many windows to allow in natural light and also to allow the children to see the trees and nature outside. Just this week, my daughter was enthralled with the walking stick insect they saw on the window. The entire property is natural, in fact. It is surrounded my trees, natural grasses, and wildflowers. The nature walks to see the plentiful wildflower varieties, of which they learned from pictures in the classroom, in real life has been a highlight of our years at this amazing school.
5) All of my children have learned to read during their 4-year-old year. Annie observes your child, and she knows when to introduce these critical skills…writing, reading, math, etc. I highly value reading at an early age because I find that it empowers the child. Annie sees that your child is capable of so much more than society and normal educational practices think they are, and she gives your child the tools to be an avid learner.

Sending my children to MSTE has given them the BEST foundation for a full and interesting life. I do NOT exaggerate. This was one of the greatest choices that my husband and I ever made.

We were a family at this school for 6 years. We made a huge sacrifice driving 45 minutes each way to/from school for 5 of those years because that is how much we believed in the school's mission and ability to serve our girls in their educational and developmental needs from age 2-6. Our girls were happy to be there every day and they "graduated" with an incredible foundation that we believe will serve them for the rest of their lives. They truly received a gift during the 4 years they each spent there. Now in 1st and 3rd grades at a different school, they are absolutely flourishing and are consistently at or above their grade levels in spelling, reading, and math. We highly recommend Montessori School of the Epiphany to anyone looking for a truly special place for their child. Their focus is on the children and what Maria Montessori believed each child needs and deserves. It's incredible to observe the children working in such peace and with such focus. The classroom happily hums along as the needs of the children are beautifully fulfilled in their special classroom environment. Take a tour and discover what a gem this school is!

One-of-a-kind Montessori school education! My husband and I visited several other 'Montessori schools' in the Austin area and there is nothing like MSTE. First of all, they are the oldest Montessori school in the Lake Travis Area and their director has been working in the Montessori classroom with preschool children for over 30 years. Her experience is outstanding and it shows! Secondly, this is the only school founded by AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) certified teachers and the only school in the area with an AMI certified teacher currently in the classroom - where it counts. When I was a child I attended Montessori schools with AMI-certified staff for many years. I can't say enough good about my early education and the ways in which it set me up for higher education and work ethic.

During our observation, we were blown away by the children and their work. The focus that these children had and the enjoyment we observed while these small children did their activities was incredible. They were patient, they worked together, the atmosphere was calm, inviting and positive. It was easy to see the confidence and independence these children were gaining all while learning and having the freedom to express their individuality. Once we saw MSTE, our decision was easy! By the way, few other schools encourage a sit-down observation by prospective parents. At MSTE they not only invite this, they require it!

We have two of our children at MSTE now and have been so pleased by what they have accomplished so far. My oldest began writing all her numbers at 3.5 years old. She creates beautiful embroidery (sewing) work with tiny, consistent stitches. She brings home beautiful paintings and other works of art. Her love for learning and growth in her independence and confidence has been a true joy to witness. It is so endearing to watch the older children help the younger children and to see them work together in their village. We now witness our oldest daughter being able to help the younger children in the same way she was helped by her elders.

Since the school is on acreage, the children also go on nature walks and learn to identify and observe native plants and animals. It is a breath of fresh air to see them stopping to appreciate nature in such a fast paced, technological world. We love that they are keeping the focus on these important things in life.

The school also has a wonderful community of parents that work together. The director, Annie Spade, does a great job of responding to any concerns via email or immediately after school via a phone call each day. There are also a few parent meetings each semester which provide an open opportunity for the parents to share, problem solve and learn together. Annie also conducts a personal parent/teacher conference each semester that is so informative and enjoyable. While we do often ask questions throughout the semester and get to see the work our children bring home, it is nice to have a long sit down and go through it all with Annie. Her advice and guidance is always much appreciated!

I cannot say enough about this 'children's house.' You will not be disappointed!!

When you walk in to Montessori School of the Epiphany you can immediately feel the warm, peaceful, and calm atmosphere that true Montessori education provides your child. I didn't think my high energy child with separation anxiety was going to fit in with the other children who were doing their work with such peace and grace, and it has been truly amazing to watch her transform and develop a sense of community and belonging at her school.

Annie has a passion for children and meeting the needs of the child on multiple levels not just academically. Not only is my daughter learning her letters, sounds and numbers; more importantly she is learning, patience, concentration, care for her community and environment, independence and more! We are very happy with our choice for our child and our next daughter will be starting this year as well!

We feel so blessed that our kids (and ourselves) have had the opportunity to learn and experience the support and community this school has to offer children and parents one on one. Just as one example, long story short, my youngest son would now be labeled in a special needs class, not learning to his potential, had it not been for the teachers’ caring, compassion, and concern.

After several years of testing, state employees, audiologists, and therapists, I was at my wits end mentally and financially. Even though all my research didn’t support “the professionals” suspicions. I was about to give in to the conclusion something must be terribly wrong with my little boy. When the therapist told me that my son would never be “capable” of attending any normal school, especially a Montessori school, I was in tears. Knowing and seeing what my oldest had graduated with from this school, it crushed me to think that my youngest wouldn’t have the same opportunity to flourish. I phoned Montessori School of the Epiphany after being told this and their immediate response was so comforting. They explained that all these professionals were only able to observe my child, at best, for an hour. They asked if it would be okay to discuss his situation with others that included a top child neurologist. So they offered to observe and evaluate him over a few weeks even though their curriculum didn’t normally accept children this young. Within 15 minutes of dropping him off I received a call that changed my life and his. “There is nothing wrong with this child,” she said. I was speechless and in tears, again. They then relayed obvious information from the neurologist no one had paid any attention to, which explained the possible root of the problem. They said not only was he fine, but instead of dumbing everything down for him, I needed to do the opposite. I needed to raise the bar, expect more and they gave me very specific examples on how to do this at home.

They have always been there to help and consult. When they told me four months before Christmas that he would be talking soon, I thought, this time, sadly they’re wrong. I was glad they thought so much of him. That was sweet. But honestly, as his mother this was going to be impossible, and completely out of the realm of possibility . And not only did they say he’d be talking, but also that he would go from not a spoken word straight into a chatter box. They were right. He went from no words to talking clearly and articulately like a 6 year old! Still very weird, how did they know that?

I continue to be amazed, even after years of being at this school, what children are capable of. Social manners, courtesies, mathematics, and reading, just to mention a few that I would never have thought possible had I not seen it with my own eyes. There is no doubt that our family has a richer, deeper, and stronger foundation having been nurtured at this school by these dedicated teachers, and that we’ve been given something we wouldn’t have found at a different school.