School Spotlight: Guidepost Montessori at Brushy Creek

Guidepost Montessori at Brushy Creek is nestled in the northern region of Austin, Texas. Known for its scenic beauty and strong sense of community, the Brushy Creek area offers a blend of suburban charm, lush green spaces, picturesque parks, and winding trails that meander along Brushy Creek itself. The Guidepost at Brushy Creek campus opened in 2019 and serves children from 6 weeks through 12 years old.

“We have a very special, very close-knit community here,” explained Emily Sullivan who is serving as Interim Head of School while Head of School, Marina Guindy-Mikhael, is on maternity leave. Emily was a part of the school’s founding team, initially serving as an Assistant Guide in a Nido classroom before stepping into the Assistant Head of School role in 2021.

A Space that Fosters Independence and Personal Growth

Like all of our campuses, Guidepost at Brushy Creek emphasizes the principles of independence and personal growth. The school provides a carefully prepared environment where children are encouraged to explore, make choices, and take responsibility for their learning. "Our classrooms are designed to promote independence,” Emily explained. “We have child-sized furniture, Montessori materials, and open spaces that allow for movement and self-directed learning.”

The school’s multi-age classrooms foster a sense of community, collaboration, and mentorship among students; younger children learn from the older ones, and older children reinforce their knowledge by teaching and guiding younger peers. The curriculum covers various areas of learning, including practical life skills, sensorial experiences, language development, mathematics, cultural studies, and the arts. And the guides (teachers) at Guidepost at Brushy Creek are trained to provide each child with lessons that promote independent thinking and problem-solving.

Passionate, Inspired Guides

“We have an amazing team,” said Emily. “We’re really invested in our guides and making sure that they've got the training and mentoring they need to help each child be successful in the classroom.”

Anushiya Kaliyaperumal, who is a lead guide in one of Brushy Creek’s toddler classrooms, says she feels deeply engaged in her work and is grateful to be a part of such a collaborative and positive team. “The children I work with inspire me every day with the purest form of love, and they ignite my creativity and imagination,” Anushiya shared.

Parent Communication & Engagement

“As a parent myself, I know how important it is to have frequent communication and to know what my child is experiencing during the school day,” Emily explained. “We try to connect with the families at the front desk during drop off and pick up, sharing little tidbits of what we noticed with their children that day. Between that and photos that are sent to parents regularly, our weekly newsletters, and regular check-ins, we’re very intentional about making sure that parents have a clear and ongoing understanding of how their children are doing.”

This is most certainly appreciated by Brushy Creek parents, as is the notable growth and development that their children experience. As one parent recently shared, “My two year old, who had always been home with me, has been [at the Brushy Creek campus] for only a couple months and is already so happy to go to school. We notice how much his social skills, concentration and vocabulary grow every day. We are very happy to be part of this community and look forward to seeing our child continue to grow here.”

The school also holds a wide variety of events that help to foster a sense of community amongst Guidepost at Brushy Creek families. One of the most popular is a big event to kick-off the school year that, in previous years, has included a bounce house, a petting zoo, face painting and food trucks.

School Expansion: New Elementary Campus

The Guidepost at Brushy Creek community is excited to be growing into a new dedicated space for its elementary program this fall. The new elementary campus, which is about a 5-minute walk from the main campus is over 4,000 square feet and is designed to serve up to 76 elementary students. It also includes a state-of-the-art Makerspace, where students will be able to unleash their creativity and engage in hands-on exploration of various materials and tools to bring their ideas to life.

Rosie, the School Tarantula!

Rosie, the school's pet tarantula, brings lots of joy to the Brushy Creek community! Every morning, children gather around her habitat to greet her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her scuttling across her enclosure. “We really love her,” Emily explained. “The children all say hello and goodbye to her every day – it's a whole thing!”

Robotics, Chess and Other Extracurriculars

The school offers a diverse range of extracurricular activities designed to enrich the learning experience of its students. There's a robotics class, where students get hands-on experience with building and programming robots while developing problem-solving and logical thinking skills. And the chess program cultivates strategic thinking, concentration, and sportsmanship. These extracurricular activities, along with several others like cooking, dance and soccer, create a dynamic learning environment where the children are able to explore diverse interests and acquire new skills.

Guidepost Montessori at Brushy Creek is a strong school community united by a commitment to cultivating independence and confidence in the children it is privileged to serve every day. To learn more about our Brushy Creek campus or to book a tour, visit the school webpage.