Founded on August 15, 1978, the Montessori School for Young Children began with just 22 students in morning classes at Vine Congregational Church, taught by our founder Lynette Kohles. As the school grew, Kohles—unable to manage both teaching and administration alone—worked with a group of dedicated parents to incorporate MSYC as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With support from a newly formed Board of Directors, a second teacher, Maria Schoch of Colombia, was hired, and Kohles generously donated her teaching materials—helping shape the future of our school.
In 1979, the Board identified five primary goals:
-
Secure a permanent location
-
Acquire additional Montessori materials
-
Strengthen outreach and recruitment
-
Increase fundraising efforts
-
Foster parent involvement
We’re proud of how much MSYC has grown over the years. In 1985, the school moved into its permanent home at 4727 A Street, and in 1996, a 1,500-square-foot addition made it possible to expand to five classrooms. In 2020, MSYC grew once again with the construction of a second building at 4719 A Street, located just west of the original campus. This expansion added a second toddler classroom and a third preschool classroom, while the outdoor spaces of both properties were combined to create a 15,500+ square-foot outdoor classroom.
Recent Developments
During the 2022–2023 school year, MSYC was awarded a $60,000+ grant to transform its outdoor classroom into a Nature Explore-certified space. New features include a wooden bridge, two sand/water tables, a “mud kitchen,” sorting table, student wheelbarrows, outdoor drums, a climbing turtle, and more—many of which were gifts from graduating classes from 2016 to 2023.
Our Mission
The Montessori School for Young Children’s staff and Board of Directors strive to honor our mission statement: To promote and encourage the intellectual, social, and physical development of children through education according to the Montessori method.
