About us – East – Mi Casita Montessori

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“Education is not something the teacher does, but a natural process that develops spontaneously in the human being.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

Welcome to Mi Casita!

I am Dana, the Director for Mi Casita. I am very excited to welcome our new and returning families!

I was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and moved to Austin, TX, when I was four. I was raised in Austin and am a proud Austinite. I am the oldest of four children- two sisters and a brother. I enjoy nature walks, listening to music, and spending time with my dog, Tsuki.

When I started my career in Montessori education, I began as an assistant in the toddler environment. After receiving so much love from the little ones, I transitioned to working in a primary environment. I am thankful to have experienced both environments, as it has helped me understand the transition that primary children go through. The Montessori philosophy resonated with me, and from that point on, I knew that it was what I wanted to dedicate my time to.

I completed my Montessori training at the Houston Montessori Center for Early Childhood (2.5-6 years) and continue loving it more daily. Over the summer, I began my transition onto the admin team, and I am grateful to have been a part of this compassionate and nurturing community for the past six years. I look forward to welcoming you and your child to Mi Casita Montessori!

Danna

Director of East

Mision

It is our goal to provide a loving, diverse, bilingual, educational environment for young children built on a foundation of compassion, gratitude and service.

Vision

We aspire to attain our mission through the leadership of a dedicated administrative team and the guidance of trained Montessori guides, all committed to continuous personal and professional development. We seek to build community for the extended family of Mi Casita Montessori through family events, parent workshops, and service opportunities.

Our Happy Parents

What a wonderful daycare/school that Mi Casita has brought to East Austin. The level of care and education for my son has surpassed anything I could have expected at such a young age.

Baby boy is absolutely thriving at this school and the guidance and Montessori principles have been a big reason why. I cannot imagine sending him anywhere else. The community we found at Mi Casita has been wonderful.

Edgar Barguiarena
Our child is absolutely thriving at Mi Casita! We have attended since the East campus opened in early 2024 and have been so impressed with the care they provide our child.

The owner, director, and guides all work hard to foster a loving and appropriately challenging environment and the results we see in our child speak for themselves: curiosity, language (fully bilingual), focus, independence, emotional development & security.

I’m thankful we found a school where our teachers are an extension of our household and where we can work together to guide our child through all the fun & new experiences of toddlerhood.

Mi Casita is a relatively small school, with low student to teacher ratios which has helped develop a close community. That’s something I didn’t know to look for as a first time parent but has been lovely for our family to experience.

Marissa Javaid
I am so happy we found Mi Casita! The Austin daycare scene is so competitive and I was overwhelmed with where to start. We were so lucky to get our 2 year old into the school – from day one I have had 100% confidence not just in the level of care they provide, but also in their commitment to my Childs education.

She is thriving, learning, and so happy to go to school every day. It’s a wonderful, tight-knit community of families with plenty of opportunities for us to connect with other parents and staff throughout the year. We’ve been so amazed by the immense impact the Montessori approach has made in our child’s independence, language skills (both Spanish and English) and compassion.

Bridget Hildebrandt
My son has been attending Mi Casita Montessori since he was 18 months old and I couldn’t be happier with his time there. I love the small community and they’ve truly become a second family to us over the last year. The staff has great communication about everything from what the children are learning each week to changes in procedures etc.

Ashley Fenrick
My son goes here and we’ve absolutely loved being a part of Mi Casita. His teachers are caring and wonderful and we wholely trust them. He loves going to see the “nice ladies” and all of his friends and we’re constantly amazed with the new things he learns and all of the things he is capable of that Mi Casita helps him and us to realize.

Even during Covid, we feel that they are doing a great job to keep everyone safe and also keep everyone enriched and growing

Philip Matson
We feel so lucky to be a part of the Mi Casita family. The care, individual attention and emotional support the kids get here is truly extraordinary, above and beyond any other school we considered.

The Loverich family
Mi Casita Montessori school has been such a blessing for our family! We have seen our 18 month old son flourish with his growth and development since becoming a student at Mi Casita a few months ago.

He gets so excited to go to school and clearly loves his teachers and classmates! Enrolling him there is the best decision we could have made and we feel so thankful for the nurturing learning environment that is offered at Mi Casita!

Sarah Rice
We love Mi Casita! The staff is incredibly loving and kind with our daughter, and the teaching methodology has been very amazing for our daughters development. Highly recommend!!

Scott Briton