Our Vision
At Srim Academy, we envision a peaceful, values-based learning community rooted in Montessori philosophy. We nurture each child’s natural curiosity, independence, and sense of purpose through a carefully prepared environment that supports individualized learning and fosters deep respect for self, others, and the natural world. Blending Montessori education with Waldorf-inspired storytelling, music, and nature exploration, we cultivate academic excellence, emotional intelligence, and global awareness—preparing children not just for school, but for life.
Both Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, deeply recognized the spiritual nature of the child and viewed education as a sacred journey of inner development. Montessori believed that the child is inherently good and carries within them a divine spark, which unfolds through purposeful work, inner discipline, and a connection to the world around them. She emphasized the importance of preparing not only the environment but also the adult, so that they may guide the child with humility, reverence, and respect for their spiritual growth. Similarly, Rudolf Steiner saw education as a means to nurture the soul and awaken the child’s consciousness in harmony with the rhythms of nature and the human spirit. At Srim Academy, we honor this shared vision by integrating mindfulness, reverence for life, and spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, and storytelling, creating a learning environment that supports the unfolding of each child’s full human potential—body, mind, and spirit.
Fee Schedule:
**Ask about our small business and sibling discounts**
School Hours: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM (full day)
8:00 AM to 12 PM (half day)
Before and aftercare available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for an extra $150 a month. We know working parents' schedules can be busy so we will work with you to make sure we can accommodate your child. Call to inquire about our extended hours.
Toddlers (ages 13 months to 3 years):
Full day: $1200/month
Half day: $700/month
Preschool (ages 3-6):
Full day: $1000/month
Half day: $600/month
Summer camp available!
Location: Chinmaya Niketan, 5511 Williams Rd., Norcross, GA 30093. We are easily accessible from Norcross, Lilburn, Snellville, Tucker and Duluth.
Our Team
Manasa (Ildiko) Kumaran is the director of Srim Academy. Manasa is a dedicated Montessori educator originally from Hungary who moved to Atlanta in 1997 to pursue her Montessori teacher training. She has spent the past 25 years teaching in the 3 to 6 age group, bringing the Montessori philosophy to life through child-centered learning, fostering independence, and nurturing a lifelong love of discovery.
Now based in Johns Creek, Georgia, Manasa has expanded her role in education over the last few years as a teacher coach, advisor, and pedagogical coordinator. In this capacity, she supported fellow educators in refining their instructional practices, enhancing classroom management, and aligning educational programs with the core principles of Montessori education. She is very excited to use all her experience at Srim Academy.
A strong advocate for values-based education, Manasa believes in the importance of nurturing a child’s inner development alongside their academic growth. She emphasizes the need to lay a strong moral and spiritual foundation during the early years, which she sees as essential to shaping compassionate, grounded, and resilient individuals.
Outside of her professional work, Ildiko volunteers with Embracing the World, a global humanitarian organization, dedicating much of her free time to service. She is also the proud mother of twin boys who attended Montessori school through middle school—an experience that further deepened her belief in the transformative power of Montessori education.
Christine Merritt is the lead toddler class teacher at Srim Academy. Her passion in Montessori education stems from a family history of running successful childcare centers that focused on leaving an imprint of love with the children enrolled and their families. It was this leadership experience that taught her that the emotional aspect of the child and their development was just as (if not more) important than their academic development and support. Even after exploring different career avenues, Christine found that her true passion has continuously led her back to working with children and playing a significant role in their most important developmental stages. She started out as an Assistant Teacher for the City Schools of Decatur before transitioning to The Montessori School at Emory, where she experienced not only working in the classroom with children from all age groups (15 months – 14 years), but also, she gained experience in administration from assisting in managing the day-to-day operations to managing the kitchen and more. She has worked with the Montessori pedagogy for 11 years in different normalized Montessori environments and gained the opportunity to focus on supporting those children. She eventually worked with Atlanta Montessori school as a lead toddler teacher for 4 years.
Lila Cleveland is a curriculum development expert for Srim Academy. Lila has been a Waldorf teacher for over a decade and is a yoga teacher who has been steeped in both Eastern values and Western educational philosophies her whole life. She helped create Srim Academy's unique curriculum, which merges all these wisdoms together in a way that encourages hands-on, creative learning, taking the best of Montessori, Waldorf and Eastern educational philosophies. Lila is also a teacher training expert, gardening enthusiast and mother.
Ms. Nadia is our lead Montessori teacher for the primary classroom. She is committed to nurturing independent, confident, and capable learners. She believes that fostering independence, creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking prepares children to thrive in an ever-changing world.
With a strong commitment to the Montessori philosophy, Ms. Nadia creates a warm, respectful, and engaging learning environment where each child is encouraged to explore, discover, and reach their full potential. She is dedicated to supporting the development of the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and morally.
Ms. Nadia holds a Montessori certification from the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) and is currently completing her Montessori teaching credential through the American Montessori Society (AMS). She brings valuable experience working with young children and is passionate about creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that inspire curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.
Fluent in English, Hindi, Sindhi, Urdu, and Gujarati, Ms. Nadia enjoys connecting with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds and helping create an inclusive and welcoming school community.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Nadia is actively involved in her community, where she enjoys teaching and supporting educational programs for children. In her free time, she loves music, spending time in nature, and continuing her own personal and professional growth.
Ms. Nadia is excited to be part of the Srim Academy family and looks forward to guiding and inspiring each child on their Montessori journey.
Bhoomika Chachad is an assistant teacher at Srim Academy. Bhoomika has been learning classical dancing for more than 15 years and enjoys choreographing dances for kids and adults for school and public events and competitions. Bhoomika holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computers from Mumbai University, India. Her passion for dance is contagious and she loves helping kids find their rhythm and confidence on the dance floor and in life.
Ms. Darveshwari is thrilled to be a part of the Srim Academy community as an Aftercare Teacher. She holds a Master of Arts in Hindi, a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, and a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Hindi. She is also certified in Adult, Child, and Infant First Aid and has completed Health and Safety Orientation Training.
With over six years of teaching experience in India, Ms. Darveshwari brings a strong educational background and a genuine passion for working with children. She is deeply inspired by the Montessori philosophy and appreciates how it nurtures independence, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning in every child.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Darveshwari enjoys interior decorating, cooking, caring for her indoor plants, and spending quality time with her family. She also has a special passion for creativity, arts, and crafts, which she enjoys incorporating into her interactions with children whenever possible.
Ms. Darveshwari is excited to support and guide the children at Srim Academy as they learn, grow, and discover the world around them.
Ms. Anupallavi Ganesan is the assistant teacher in the toddler class at SRIM Academy. She holds a Master of Commerce and brings a rich and diverse background in education. Her previous experience includes working as a Lecturer at an arts college in India and serving as a Center Head at the preschool Kidzee, where she supported both academic programming and school operations.
Anu is also actively involved in her community. She volunteers at a regional language school and serves as a class parent at a local elementary school in her school zone, supporting students, teachers, and school activities.
At Srim Academy, Anu is known for being a warm, loving, and nurturing teacher who truly enjoys working with children of all ages. She has a natural ability to connect with children and create a welcoming, joyful learning environment. She also supports our Tamil language immersion program, sharing language and culture with the children in a meaningful and engaging way.
Her hobbies and interests include arts and crafts and storytelling, which she loves to weave into learning experiences, making them creative, engaging, and developmentally enriching for the children.
Sankari Krishnamoorthy is in her third year as a Primary Assistant at SRIM and has over two years of previous Montessori experience. She is also currently pursuing Montessori training to deepen her understanding of the Montessori philosophy and better support the children in her care.
Her love for Montessori began when both of her children attended Montessori during their primary years. Watching them grow into confident, independent learners inspired her to become part of the Montessori community.
Sankari has been a dedicated volunteer with Chinmaya Balavihar for over 18 years, where she enjoys nurturing young children and helping instill strong moral values through stories, activities, and positive guidance. She feels truly blessed to be part of the Srim family and is passionate about creating a warm, caring environment where every child feels valued, encouraged, and inspired to learn.
Kishore Ramachandran, the founder of Srim Academy, has been a computer science professor at Georgia Tech since 1986 after receiving his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is the recipient of several research and education awards and helped pioneer Georgia Tech's online MS program in Computer Science (OMSCS), which is currently providing an opportunity for students world-wide to pursue a low-cost graduate education in computer science. A lifelong educator and community leader, Kishore has also taught Chinmaya Mission Balavihar and has helped raise his three grandchildren in recent years.
Family-owned, family values
A lot of Montessori schools and preschools these days are owned by large corporations focused on the bottom line. We are different. We're family-owned and operated, created by Georgia Tech professor Kishore Ramachandran. Two of his grandchildren attend the school. We want parents to feel like they are entrusting their children's care to family members who will be focused on cultivating strong inner values.
Ramachandran founded Srim Academy as a community service. Every dollar brought in by the school will be reinvested in the school -- paying its teachers well and up-to-date supplies and amenities --and any additional funds will be used for financial aid to children who need it for a Srim Academy education.
"Let us give [the child] a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions. We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. This idea helps the mind of the child to become fixed, to stop wandering in an aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied, having found the universal centre of himself with all things."
Maria Montessori
"We need all students to be like role models to do seva (selfless service) to the human race. A lot of children in our world have so many challenges in their lives, suffering from depression, anxiety, and mental pressures. They need a center for them to have spiritual practices, a center for good thinking power and with lots of sweet conversations, positive conversations, to build powerful zeal in students. We have to think about our future generations."
Amma Sri Karunamayi
"Education is nothing if it does not train our faculties to capture all our opportunities to be useful to others but stay happy always in ourselves."