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Natalie Aguilar-Picazo opened Star City Montessori Preschool to share her passion for Montessori and its benefits with this young and growing community in Brisbane and the peninsula.  The Montessori method has enriched her life as a mother and an early childhood educator.  She has also watched it transform the lives of her students and their families throughout her teaching years.   

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Natalie grew up in the peninsula and attended elementary, middle, and high school in the South San Francisco Unified School District.  She became interested in early childhood education after high school graduation.  She began taking Early Childhood Education classes at Skyline College, where she learned about the Montessori philosophy and began to explore how children acquire skills in a child-centered, hands-on, collaborative, and mixed-aged learning environment. 

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When she began working as a Montessori preschool assistant teacher, she saw firsthand how the Montessori method helped young children as early as 2 ½ years old develop independent skills, concentration, eye-hand coordination, and order.  She observed children use the Montessori materials respectfully and return them to their proper place when they were finished.  She observed young children develop math and language skills using hands-on, tactile learning materials that captured their interest.  She also saw the importance of creating an environment that allows children to engage in open-ended dramatic play and use their creativity while developing their imagination.  The love and passion she developed teaching young children and observing their growth and development inspired Natalie to further her education in Montessori and early childhood education.

 

Natalie graduated from Skyline College with an Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education.  She also attended Mills College, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Child Development and a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education.  She also earned an (AMS) Early Childhood Montessori Credential from Montessori Teacher Education Center (MTEC) in Sunnyvale, California. 

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In addition to Natalie’s education, she has over ten years of teaching experience working in both private and public Montessori settings in the Bay Area.  Having the opportunity to have worked in different Montessori settings and complete her student teaching at Mills College Children’s Laboratory School, Natalie has gained a wealth of knowledge and different theoretical lenses through which she applies theory to her practice.  She carefully observes each child to understand their developmental stage and behavior, so she can best support them and meet their needs.  Natalie is also fluent in Spanish and believes teaching young children a second language is a great asset.

 

Natalie is grateful and honored to have the opportunity to open a bilingual (English/Spanish) and traditional Montessori preschool in Brisbane, California. Natalie’s educational goal is to foster a love for learning in her students so that they can blossom into strong, confident, productive citizens in their community.