• Our Story

In January of 1991 Parkside Community School was just a dream. This dream began to come to fruition, however, when two teachers, Joe and Claire Bruno, along with some investors, toured an abandoned meat packing plant at 1701 Toomey Road in Austin, Texas. Through the efforts of a committed team, this dilapidated, abandoned industrial warehouse in the backyard of Zilker Park was transformed with love and sweat into a beautiful garden of learning. The project was serendipitous from the start.

The school opened with 75 children from toddler level through sixth grade. Today, Parkside has an enrollment of 138 students, serving three-year-olds to twelve-year-olds, Primary through Upper Elementary. Parkside offers quality Montessori education while cultivating social skills and a strong sense of community through school-wide activities and outdoor experiences. From group movement and cultural celebrations to swimming in Barton Creek, Parkside Community School is committed to providing academic excellence and rich social experiences to nurture the child, family and community.

Parkside is pleased to have been the host site for the Texas Montessori Education Center's 1999-2000 AMI (Association Montessori International) Primary teacher training program. Our tradition of excellence in education continues.

• Our Goal/Mission

At Parkside Community School our goal is for each child to become an independent, self-reliant person with the skills necessary to achieve their own goals, the ability to make a positive contribution to society, and to have an awareness of the interrelated nature of all life. To achieve this goal, we base our educational approach on the developmental philosophy and educational methods of Dr. Maria Montessori.

Parkside Community School is a Federal 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of children's and parent's education and community outreach. We fundraise every year and accept tax-deductible donations, especially oriented towards families who may need tuition assistance. This helps to ensure economic and cultural diversity in our programs.

• Classroom Structure

Montessori classrooms encompass an age span of three years, allowing younger students to learn from older role models and older students to test and reinforce their knowledge by helping younger classmates. Working in one class for three years, children are able to develop a strong sense of community with classmates and teachers. This gives them the foundation on which they build their future interactions with others and the world in general. The experience of success after an initial difficulty is the essence of effort. This simple concept facilitates self confidence and tremendous interest in learning.

• Curriculum

The Montessori curriculum is organized into a mosaic of integrated studies, in contrast with the traditional education methods in which the curriculum is compartmentalized into subjects which are treated separately.

Our course of study implements a thematic approach that ties the various disciplines of the curriculum together into studies of the physical universe, the natural world, and the human experience.

Our curriculum includes language arts (elements of reading, spelling, handwriting and Spanish language), mathematics and geometry, history, science, art, music and physical education. Each classroom has access to our campus library. We also have frequent assemblies featuring visiting artists, musicians, spiritual and cultural speakers, and career professionals. Parents are welcome to attend.