Finding the right educational environment for a child is extremely important for many parents. For Margo Rossano, that quest became a lifestyle for both she and her family.
Rossano opened the first Montessori school on the Eastside in 1966. Her granddaughter, Jayme Thorton, is now the director for the new Lakeview Montessori in Kirkland, continuing a family tradition.
Rossano’s daughter, Renee Thornton, owns three Montessori schools in the Issaquah/Sammamish area, with the oldest celebrating its 25th anniversary last year.
“What I did was bring Montessori education to the Eastside,” said Rossano on a recent afternoon at the new Lakeview Montessori. Two students – who are also Rossano’s great grandchildren – squeezed water from sponges in a play room nearby.
The large family has always put education first, with many family members earning multiple masters and doctorate degrees in everything from science to education and law.
But educating other people’s children has become a legacy.
Rossano took classes on the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori and got hooked on the philosophy, which is based on the idea of having children learn with more hands-on projects and finding their own ways of learning.
“It was so inspirational,” said Rossano. “If you get the children early, their ability to learn is magnificent. There is nothing more wonderful than working with children.”
The Bellevue Montessori she founded in 1966 also afforded Rossano the opportunity to spend more time with the last of her eight children.
“It was nice to go to school together,” said her youngest daughter, Teresa Bikhazi, who is a stay-at-home mother with two masters degrees. “It is great training for being a mother.”
Renee opened her first Montessori so she and daughter, Jayme, could also spend time together at school.
The teaching also goes beyond the women in the family, as Jayme’s grandfather taught her science during her years at the Bellevue Montessori school.
Rossano’s start was modest but grew exponentially.
“I started in a house with two classrooms and moved into the (Bellevue) Congressional Church the next year with six classrooms.”
The Bellevue Montessori, which offers extended learning through sixth grade, now has two campuses with 300 students graduating each year.
“The major goal is for kids to develop their independence,” said Renee.
The new Kirkland school, which opened just a few weeks ago and is located at 420 Sixth Street St., has just nine kids enrolled, but has the capacity for 80 full-time equivalent spaces. But the family is expecting the space to fill quickly as it is the smallest of the group.
“It is the worst dilemma to outgrow your space because it is not always cost effective to expand,” said Renee, who owns the Sammamish, Pine Lake and Highland campuses of the Lakeside Montessori schools. “It is one of the most difficult dilemmas.”
But expanding to Kirkland was not a difficult decision.
“I started hearing people talk about needing a Montessori in Kirkland,” said Jayme, who along with her family began looking for a site three years ago.
The search for the right place ended with the location that is directly in the center of Kirkland, just down the street from the Google campus and blocks from the downtown core.
Most may think the economy is challenging for the new school, but the family is not worried.
“We have confidence that we have a great service for the community,” said Renee. “We will be here for those working families too.”
The family of teachers has also got into the business of making educators in the mold of the Montessori philosophy, including former students.
“When they come back they always say, ‘that room seemed bigger,'” joked Renee. “It is incredible to have a new generation of kids come back and become teachers.”
The Lakeview School in Kirkland sits on one acre and has four classrooms. Some of the amenities include a “tree” inside for the kids to decorate, a saltwater aquarium with fishes in the likes of Disney’s “Finding Nemo” characters Nemo and Dori. The school also has cameras in every classroom for parents to watch on-line, a movement room with play gym equipment and field turf in the outside playground area.
The Kirkland school takes kids up to age six and then for extended Montessori education kids can transfer to Bellevue.
For Jayme, who has a masters in Montessori teaching, the opportunity to be the director of the new Kirkland school is a dream come true.
“I have loved every second so far, even helping the children with their poopy accidents. It is very exciting. After the first week, the handshakes turn into hugs.”
More information
Lakeview Montessori school offers full and part time schedules and is open from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. For more information, call 425-889-0900 or visit www.lakeviewmontessorischool.com
