Our History

LGSONS was founded in the spring of 1956 by Betty Peck, a long-time resident and kindergarten teacher from Saratoga. For the first few years, the school met at Easterbrook Farm on Bainter Avenue.

It began with the philosophy that training parents in understanding children is education's most important job. Therefore, parents came to the farm school once a week with their children to observe and learn parenting skills.

Through the years, Mountain School has had many “homes” in the Santa Cruz Mountains and partnerships with beautiful outdoor locations like Saratoga Springs, Savannah Channel, and our county parks. In 1973, the program’s basecamp became the Little Red Schoolhouse at Lakeside School on Black Road during the winter months. Children still spent most of the year in various outdoor classrooms painting with mud, wading in the creek, and riding homemade stick horses through the woods. Our Saturday classes were added in 1977 so that working parents could have an opportunity to participate in the school.

Today, Mountain School still utilizes the fabulous outdoor classrooms of our Black Road location, spends time at local creeks and area parks, and teaches both parents and children. The needs of young children to choose their activities, explore the natural world, and learn through first-hand experience and play are as real today as when Betty Peck began her program. Sixty-Eight years later, the philosophy has not changed.