Our team
The Arcadia Montessori team
The people who accompany your child every day, with Montessori training and the patience to observe them.
Founders and leadership
Alina Umbreș
Founder and Managing Director
Alina Umbreș graduated from the Faculty of Finance and Banking in 2000 and has 11 years of experience in banking, in financial analysis, risk management and team coordination. Since 2015, she has led Arcadia Montessori.
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The story of Arcadia began, however, before the kindergarten was founded, with a question that occupied Alina during her years in the corporate world: why do some people have the confidence to try, to make mistakes and to learn, while others, despite having the same opportunities and resources, stay blocked by the fear that they will not succeed?
In the professional training programmes she coordinated, she noticed that some colleagues quickly understood information and applied it with enthusiasm, while others, despite explanations and support, hesitated to act. She began to wonder how much of the way we relate to our own abilities is formed long before working life.
Later, as a mother, she attended a presentation of Montessori materials. There, experiencing learning through handling, trying and discovering for herself, she understood how important it is for a child to have the freedom to explore, to meet difficulties and to find their own solutions.
She discovered that autonomy is built through direct experience, and that the satisfaction of success comes from one's own effort, without depending on the adult's praise or approval.
Just as important to her became the role of the adult: to prepare the environment, to observe, to offer support when the child needs it and to know when to step back. To accompany the child without taking away the joy of discovery and without turning mistakes into a reason for fear.
From this understanding, Arcadia Montessori was born in 2015, founded by Alina together with Ileana Mușetescu, out of the conviction that every child carries a natural confidence in their own ability to discover the world, and that this confidence is something precious that adults have a responsibility to protect.
Today, Alina together with Ioana coordinates the strategy and development of Arcadia Montessori, keeping at the centre of their vision the same concern that led Alina to change her career: to give children an environment in which they grow up free to explore, to learn from their own experiences and to gain confidence in what they can do on their own.
Ioana Maruneac
Founding Member and Educational Director
Ioana Maruneac graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures and the Faculty of Psychology and has 10 years of experience in education, working with typically developing and gifted children, and supporting children and families through different stages of development.
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Her professional path includes working with typically developing children, as well as with gifted children of different ages, and two years of volunteering in international schools abroad.
Ioana was first part of the Arcadia Montessori team between 2016 and 2018 as Educational Director, and in 2020 she became a founding member of the kindergarten, alongside Alina Umbreș.
Today, Ioana coordinates the teaching team and accompanies children and families through the process of settling in at the kindergarten. Her training in psychology and her experience with children help her understand each child's individual needs and support the teachers in finding the best ways to respond to them.
An important part of her role is the relationship with parents. Ioana is there for families during settling-in periods, but also when difficulties, questions or situations arise that need more attention and understanding.
In her work, she emphasises relationships based on trust, respect for the child's individual pace and collaboration between the family and the teaching team. For Ioana, an environment in which the child feels safe, listened to and understood is the starting point for exploration, learning and the development of autonomy.
Teachers
AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) and AMS (American Montessori Society) are the best-known international Montessori training bodies.
Group 1.8–3 years · Curcubeu Group
Gabriela Tudor
Teacher · Curcubeu Group
4 years of experience in the 0–3 years environment
Gabriela finds her greatest joy in children's small successes: the moment they manage on their own something they have tried many times, when they gain confidence in their own abilities or begin to express their emotions.
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She believes autonomy is built gradually, in an environment where the child feels safe and trusts the adult accompanying them. She loves observing each child's progress and giving them the time and support they need to discover that they can do more and more on their own.
Beyond the kindergarten, Gabriela enjoys time with her family and cooking, with a passion for cakes and cozonac.
Gina Tănase
Teaching assistant · Curcubeu Group
2 years of experience in the 0–3 years environment
Gina appreciates the energy, curiosity and spontaneity of young children. She loves following their development and being with them during the period when they develop language, autonomy and confidence in their own abilities.
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She believes the attachment relationship between child and adult is essential for the child's development. When they feel loved, accepted and safe, children gain the courage to explore the world around them.
In everyday work, Gina pays attention to each child's needs and emotions, offering the patience, closeness and support they need.
Group 3–6 years · Raze de Soare Group
Cristina Barcan
Lead teacher · Raze de Soare Group
6 years of experience in the 3–6 years environment
A passion for child psychology brought Cristina into the world of Montessori education, where she discovered a pedagogy that respects each child's pace and developmental stages.
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Cristina sees the teacher's role as that of a "coach for life". She wants to help children discover their own resources, gain confidence, learn from mistakes and not give up when they meet difficulties.
One of her greatest satisfactions is seeing a child overcome a limit that previously stopped them from trying or succeeding on their own. She values the role of Montessori materials in developing perseverance and inner motivation, and in moving from concrete to abstract learning.
With children, she combines closeness and understanding of emotions with clear limits. Beyond the kindergarten, she is passionate about nutrition, art and creative activities; she attends craft workshops and loves animals, especially cats.
Nicoleta Leahu
Teacher · Raze de Soare Group
5 years of experience in the 3–6 years environment
After 11 years of experience in the corporate world, Nicoleta chose to move towards Montessori education, starting from the conviction that understanding and managing emotions is built from the very first years of life.
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For her, the teacher's role means being present in difficult moments, helping the child recognise their emotions and staying with them until they find their calm again. She pays attention to mediating conflicts and respecting each child's pace.
Her favourite moments are when children spontaneously express affection and trust, through hugs, conversations or gestures of closeness. In her free time, Nicoleta loves movement, dancing and walks in nature.
“I hold the child with both hands when things are hard, and I see the child especially when they don't know it.”About the 3–6 years group
Group 3–6 years · Lotus Group
Cristina Nicolescu
Lead teacher · Lotus Group
Cristina discovered Montessori pedagogy through direct experience working with children and recognised herself in its values: respect for the child, simplicity and the freedom to learn at one's own pace.
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She believes the teacher is a guide who in turn learns and grows alongside the children. In her work, she emphasises observing and understanding individual needs, adapting the support offered to each child.
She believes that behind a refusal or a difficulty there is something the adult must try to understand. Sometimes the child needs closeness, sometimes space, time or a new way of discovering an activity.
Being a mother also gives her the perspective of a parent who entrusts their child to another adult. In her free time, Cristina loves nature, bike rides, time with her family and a good coffee.
“I see each child not only as a child in the group, but as a child who is important to someone.”About the 3–6 years group
Raluca Gortoescu
Teaching assistant · Lotus Group
Raluca discovered Montessori pedagogy during university, drawn by the way it combines the child's autonomy with social and emotional development.
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She enjoys guiding children as they explore the areas of learning, but also as they discover the relationships and rules of living together in the group community. For Raluca, the relationship between teacher and child is built through trust, respect and authenticity.
She considers it important to understand what lies behind a refusal or a difficulty, without forcing the child into an activity they are not ready for. Her greatest satisfactions come from moments when children discover a new idea or achieve something that at first seemed impossible.
She describes herself as a cheerful person who loves to play, but who is also persistent in reaching her goals. In her free time she reads and spends time with her family.
English
Andrei Popa
English teacher · Lotus and Raze de Soare groups (3–6 years)
10 years of experience in education
Andrei has been passionate about English since childhood and has 10 years of experience in education. He has been part of the Arcadia Montessori team for more than four years.
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He has adapted his teaching method to the principles of Montessori pedagogy, starting from the conviction that young children learn a foreign language through direct experience, exploration and interaction.
In his activities, English is integrated into work with Montessori materials, practical life exercises, exploring pictures and the conversations that accompany the children's actions. He does not aim for memorising word lists, but for understanding the language in familiar contexts and using it spontaneously.
He works in small groups, usually 3–5 children, to encourage participation, interaction and learning between peers. He respects each child's pace and does not push them to speak English before they feel ready.
One of his greatest satisfactions is hearing from parents that the little ones use words and expressions learned at kindergarten at home. For Andrei, teaching English is also an opportunity to cultivate autonomy, courage, respect and self-confidence.
Administrative staff
Cristina Popa
Caretaker
Cristina Popa is part of the administrative staff and looks after the cleaning and upkeep of the kindergarten's spaces.
Meet the team at a visit
Book a visit and come see the environment, meet the team and get a feel for the rhythm of a day with us.
or call 0724 557 667