When it came to identifying the perfect pre-school for our daughter, we kissed a number of frogs before we were fortunate to discover Robin Hood Montessori (RHM).  We had two hard requirements for pre-school: (1) Provide an open social environment for our daughter to grow and flourish to develop and strengthen positive social interactions with her peers and (2) Provide a challenging learning environment to guide our daughter through her early learning years and help develop her growing brain.  The pre-school age for children is critical as these years lay the foundation for emotional, social and intellectual development for years to come.  She has not only developed as an intellect but also as a humanitarian.  Robin Hood’s nurturing and worldwide approach to education has helped mold our daughter into a loving yet inspirational little voice that inspires us and makes us look forward to the future generations to come.

Through word of mouth, we found our way to RHM.  Right off the bat it became clear to us, that we had found the right place that would allow our daughter to blossom.  It is always a difficult transition into preschool for both child and parent.  As parents, we want to know that we are entrusting our children to a loving and safe environment that will allow them to grow and learn in every way possible.  As parents, we look for an extension of ourselves in the pre-school to guide our children the right way.  RHM offers a caring yet structured environment that has given our daughter the basic building blocks to be successful for the remainder of the duration of her educational career.  RHM’s curriculum offers a dynamic perspective of the community and world that our children are a part of.  The people that make up the staff of RHM are what separate RHM from other Montessori schools by providing the proper level of empathy and attention to each child to allow them to develop to the best of their ability at their own pace.

Now that our daughter’s time at RHM has come to an end, we can say with the utmost certainty that RHM met and exceeded our expectations for pre-school.  We are saddened that she will no longer get to enjoy and benefit from all that RHM has to offer on a daily basis.  But we leave feeling very confident that our daughter is ready to tackle the challenges of elementary school and beyond.  We are very proud of the person who she has grown into with guidance and love that RHM has provided.

We feel very blessed that RHM has now become a permanent part of our family.

The Nash Family

 
One of the best thing that has happened to us was finding Ramona at Robinhood Montessori for our daughter, Tuva-Helene.  It is not easy for us to trust anyone, even a teacher, because she is extremely shy and our only precious child. Needless to say we are very over protective. But, Ramona changed all that for us.  From the first time Tuva met her she sensed the love, kindness and respect that Ramona and her wonderful staff has for all her students.  Under her patient tutelage, Tuva not only excelled in academic growth and developement beyond our expectations, she also learned about respect, manners, compassion and the importance of being a good person. We are confident the lessons learned at Robinhood Montessori will provide the springboard for success for Tuva.  I would recommend Robinhood Montessori to anyone that wants the absolute best for their child in a safe, secure, loving, caring and patient surrounding. Thank you Ramona and Robinhood! You changed all our lives! 

Jean and Espen Kateraas
 

2 ½  years ago my wife Heidi and I searched for a preschool for our daughter Lilly who had just turned 3. We met with Ramona and Friedhelm at Robin Hood Montessori and we where immediately impressed with the cleanliness and organized manor in which they ran their school. Now our daughter is 51/2 years old and Ramona, Friedhelm and the entire staff seem as if they are part of our family. Our daughter is reading and writing well beyond our expectations. My wife and I feel very lucky that our daughter’s first experiences in learning came from such a loving environment that Robin Hood has provided. Thanks Robin Hood you will forever have a place in our families hearts.

Michael & Heidi Marrin
 

Everything we value and want our children to posess is seemlessly imparted to the children. At the end of the school year they come not only with academic success but also with an appreciation for books, good comprehension and manners, awareness of eating healthy good and an excellent vocabulary. We drove 40 minutes so that our daughter would continue to get the quality education at Robin Hood Montessori School. I have volunteered and observed Mrs. Klymko at work. She is very passionate about reading. Her instructions and presentations are very clear. She is very knowledgeable about the topics that she covers. I volunteered to teach children yoga. Before handing over the children, Mrs. Klymko gave an introduction to yoga and she conveyed big concepts in such a simple, child friendly way ant topped them with a song.

Raj Packiam and Sendhivel Anandhajothi

 

Our son Skyler has attended Robin Hood Montessori for the last two years and we could not be more pleased with the education and life skills he has acquired.   My son has been nurtured both academically and emotionally while he attended Robin Hood Montessori.  I have been impressed with the gentle love and kindness of the staff.  I also admire Ramona’s passion for teaching and her meticulous attention to details. I feel very privileged that Skyler has had the opportunity to be part of this amazing school. I recommend this school because it goes above and beyond.

Janiva and Richard Corcuera
 

" We only wish that Robin Hood could expand through high school... We are so grateful to have found Robin Hood for our daughter's education and know that she has received a solid academic foundation on which the coming educational years will be built.  Most importantly, she was also loved and cared for and cherished as a person, which was always reflected by the joy with which she attended school all three years she was here.  We are so happy to say that our new baby boy will also be a Robin Hood Montessori student..."

Claudia and Manuel Del Valle

 

Prior to choosing to work with Ramona, we visited and researched eight other local Montessori schools. Our daughter is now completing her third year under the Klymko tutelage, and her academic growth and development have been nothing short of remarkable; vastly exceeding our expectations of where we thought our five year old would be when she began kindergarten. But for us, that is only part of the story. In addition to the strong academic focus, Robin Hood Montessori offered our daughter so much more. Every month the children had a new master artist to study, a role model to learn from, a composer to listen to, a continent to discover and many many other programs that developed the whole person, something we saw at no other school we visited. Ramona has that rare combination of qualities of truly caring for the children while at the same time demanding excellence without pressure, and, perhaps most importantly, at their own pace. Every child is nurtured to develop their full potential in numerous areas, from gross and fine motor skills, to awareness and respect for the world around them, to manners and compassionate values in a non-religious environment. Ramona is very passionate about teaching and developing young minds, and the results speak for themselves. The true test at the end of the day for any parent is, all things being equal, did we make the right decision and would we do this again in hindsight. For us the answer is an unequivocal yes. Our only regret is that the school does not go through grade twelve.

- Ole and Michele Nielsen, Laguna Beach

 

As parents of a 5 years old daughter and 3 ½ years old son, one of the luckiest turn of events was finding Ramona Klymko to nurture and teach our children once they started school.  One of the best decisions we made for our kids was following Ramona when she and Friedhelm decided to open Robin Hood Montessori School.  Having looked at many schools in the area, the love, compassion, and healthy environment that exists at Robin Hood doesn’t compare.  Ramona’s tireless dedication to each and every student demonstrates her commitment to excellence and personal pledge to each and every parent that entrusts her with our children. Our children love their school, love to learn, love their friends and love their teachers.  We know there is no better place for our children than Robin Hood Montessori School.  Any parent interested in providing the best possible environment for their children to learn and grow must consider Robin Hood Montessori School.  

Callie and Mike Wray, Laguna Niguel
 

As a parent, you strive to teach your children the virtues you believe will serve them best in life such as strength, discipline, intelligence, tolerance, compassion and understanding. If we are lucky, our children will be involved in cutting the path for the next generation. The Montessori system in general, and Robin Hood Montessori specifically, provide the building blocks and tools necessary for our children to become good students, but more importantly, good people. We are comforted with the knowledge that Ramona and Friedhelm treat our children with respect, patience and love. With tenacious determination, Ramona refuses to let any child lose his or her way. Her passion and attention show with each new letter, with each new sound, with each new problem solved. We are confident the lessons learned will provide the springboard for success. Thank you Ramona and Friedhelm!

Yvette and Deron Colby

 

We are the parents of twin girls (now almost 4). We first met Ramona Klymko when we began our girls' Montessori education as they turned 2-1/2. Our daughters have blossomed with Ramona's direction and expertise in so many ways: confidence, speech, academics, artistry and awareness of our world. Ramona teaches with a big heart, and a gentle manner, but always with authority (which we think is important - the children respect her - and she respects each child). She understands each student's level and strives to develop their strengths and character with a nurturing approach. We have complete trust in her methods and her teaching environment, which encompasses safety, incredible tidiness, organization and comfort. She and her husband, Friedhelm, have done an amazing job of starting this wonderful school and providing the best Montessori materials (and best teacher!) and we feel extremely blessed that our children will benefit for a lifetime!

 ~Donna and Paul Pfanner
My daughter Carmella has been learning with Mrs. Klymko since she was just two and a half years old. She was very shy and was afraid for me to leave her. I, of course, was sad to see my baby getting so upset, but every morning Ramona would hold and comfort her all, while not losing concentration for the rest of her class. That was how Ramona first amazed me. Then I was able to watch over time her compassion not just for the children, but the families of her children. Carmella was truly having a wonderful time and learning skills that will last her a lifetime. All with genuine love and care. Ramona and Friedhelm are two of the most ambitious, hardworking, wonderful and kind people you would ever be so lucky to meet. Keeping within the traditional Montessori teaching, Ramona's progressive style is outstanding. I always know Carmella is learning new things, in a fun and productive way. She is four now and has grown in leaps and bounds. I know that this is in part from her teacher.  We will always be grateful to the Klymkos for the hard work, love, and friendship.

Stephanie Shaffer

 

I asked Remy what he thought of you and he told me, "I love her. She is my Favorite". As a parent, no other words could ring louder than those. A sense of peace and security. You are a true inspiration for all the children you touched. We are blessed with being able to be in your presence and have you give your "whole" self to my little Remy. Jim and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Much love,

The Mackels

 

My children, Kieran and Connor first worked with Miss Ramona and Mr. Friedhelm in preschool. Not only did they learn much from Ramona, they LOVED learning! When one of my children began to struggle with reading in the public school a few years later, I brought them back to work with her. Her rigor, consistent discipline, and absolute love for children and learning enabled my son to get back on track. His confidence has improved dramatically, and I've never been more thrilled. If all educators were as good as Miss Ramona, all the world's children would be lovers of learning, of humanity, and of life."

Tara Sayre
 

Ramona Klymko ran a warm, nurturing, hospitable and well-organized Montessori classroom for our then four-year old daughter, Sylvana.  As a teacher, Ramona is very perceptive of each child's needs and potentials.  Sylvana needed to stop looking to other children for her cues and become more independent.  Also, she is very talkative and was interested in things like science and math, so that she sometimes had difficulty connecting with others.  Ramona stepped right in and smoothed things over socially so that Sylvana became a leader and, academically, she recognized her potential and pushed her in reading and math which greatly helped her self-confidence.  Sylvana received all of this attention and yet in talking with other parents, we realized that each and every other child in that classroom was receiving the same level of individual attention.  At the same time, the class was well structured and organized with a progressive curriculum.  Do not mistake superior organization for rigidity, since Ramona proved to be remarkably flexible.  All in all we highly recommend her.  

Rina Palumbo, PhD. and Michael Schaffer, PhD. 
 

When my son began at the Laguna Beach Montessori School I was nervous.  Zack is a high energy child who is full of life and joy.  However, his tantrums were also, shall we say, spirited.  Mrs Klymko assured me that she was ready and willing to accept the challenge of my soon-to-be three year old.  My concern was completely unfounded.  Not only did Zack thrive in this structured and loving environment, but Mrs. Kymko's patience, professionalism, no nonsense style, and adoration for the children nourished his little soul.  Because of her guidance, Zack became a perfect poster child, walking with hands behind his back, singing songs in different languages, and relating stories about the monthly role models (such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Vincent Van Gogh). Mrs. Klymko is full of love and warmth and has a teaching style that embraces and consumes the children.  Although Mrs. Klymko is no longer Zack's teacher, he speaks of her often and with fond memories. 

John and Winter Bonin
 

Ramona Klymko is a splendid teacher and we appreciate her enthusiasm. Mrs. Klymko has looked for our little Josie in her short time at Montessori. Thank you for being so warm and making her feel so secure and comfortable. We will refer to you often!

Maryane and Gavin Larkin 
 

We just wanted to show our appreciation to Ms. Ramona. She has done so much for the children and especially for our Joseph. Ms. Ramona is kind and loving always. We will make sure that he always remembers her and how much time she devoted to caring and teaching him. I'm sure it's not always easy being a teacher especially when you have a challenging one like Joseph. But Ms. Ramona has done her job so well and she always looks like she is enjoying her work. Thank you again for everything you've done for Joseph. You are special to us and Joseph.

David and Bobbie Katrowski