Burlingame Montessori: A Family Affair for Generations of Preschoolers

Nestled on the corner of California Drive and Floribunda Avenue is a cozy English cottage that houses , a private preschool and kindergarten. Pass through the gate and you enter the playground and garden and the path leading to the front door of the school. Inside, where preschool and kindergarten-age children put on their “indoor shoes,” a world of exploration awaits.

There are areas for science, language, art, math and the senses. Outdoors, kids can get their hands dirty in the garden, scoot through a bright yellow tunnel, climb on the play structure, shoot hoops, ride tricycles and play in the playhouse.

Under the direction of Lynette Muhic (“Miss Lynette” to her students), the school has been an institution in Burlingame for 28 years. It’s also a family affair. Muhic's daughter Megan, who grew up in Burlingame and started out helping her mom at the school, is now director of their sister school, Glen Oaks Montessori, in Millbrae. Lynette’s husband Paul did much of the remodeling of the building, converting a garage into a classroom, and building the playground.

“The children feel like they are part of a family here, too,” said Muhic. “Many of them don’t want to go home at the end of the day.”

Muhic  got her start teaching special education in Seattle, but once she visited a Montessori school, where she saw children in a peaceful environment excited about learning, she knew she had found her calling. She came back to the Bay Area, got her master’s degree in Montessori education and began teaching. In 1984 she founded Burlingame Montessori. What keeps her going year after year?

“I get that same feeling that I did the first time I walked into a Montessori classroom," she said. "I love seeing children at peace, absorbed in learning. What I do is a small, positive thing and it’s a way of giving back to our community.”

Now she’s starting to see the children of children she taught years ago. She estimates about 600 children have passed through the gates of Burlingame Montessori.

“I can’t go anywhere in Burlingame without seeing someone I know from the school, and they still call me ‘Miss Lynette,'” she said.

Her daughter Megan agreed. “I learned the hard way I can’t go out in my pajamas!”

The school serves children ages 2 1/2 to 6 years of age. The curriculum follows the Montessori philosophy, with a focus on developing the whole child. A typical day starts with playtime for a half hour where you’ll often see  children gathering in mixed age groups. Then children are free to follow their interests through the different areas, including math, science, language, art and the senses.

Montessori, as well as teacher-created curriculum and tactile materials  abound. The school also offers instruction in music, gardening, art, yoga and cooking.

“The Montessori method works for all kinds of kids,” said Muhic. “It’s a multi-sensory approach, very hands-on. Children learn by doing.”

By the time children are ready to leave Burlingame Montessori for kindergarten, they are well prepared. Muhic believes they have a solid foundation in academics and also know how to take turns and be courteous. Most learn to read before they leave.

One type of learning you won’t find at Burlingame Montessori is technology.

“Most students have computers in their homes now," Muhic said. "It’s OK for them to be without them here and explore all the other areas we have to offer.”

Burlingame Montessori will be offering a six-week summer program from June 27-August 5. Applications are now being accepted.