Administration

Ms. Koehler brings a wealth of experience to Rosenthal Montessori, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary and Special Education in 2002 from Louisiana College, a Montessori Certification for ages 9-12, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2009 from Northwestern State University. Over the course of 23 years in education, the principal has held various roles, including Teacher of 4-6 grade and Special Education, District Curriculum Specialist, and Assistant Principal before taking on the role of Principal, which has now spanned 7.5 years.

My educational philosophy emphasizes that students should never settle for less than their best, as every child has the ability to learn and succeed. Each student is encouraged to progress toward their goals. To facilitate this, the school employs WIN Time, a dedicated period designed to help students accomplish their learning objectives, as part of its ongoing effort to evolve from good to great.

Dr. Ramona Melder serves as the Assistant Principal at Rosenthal Montessori School, bringing a rich educational background and 20 years of experience in the field. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2009 and her Masters in the Art of Teaching in 2010, both from Louisiana Christian University. In 2017, she completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Melder began her career as a paraprofessional in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten for four years before teaching first grade for five years at J.B. Nachman Elementary. She then spent six years teaching third-grade ELA at Phoenix Magnet Elementary, followed by three years as a librarian and one year as an instructional coach.

This year marks Dr. Melder's first year as Assistant Principal at Rosenthal Montessori. In her capacity as Assistant Principal, she is committed to the school’s mission of increasing student proficiency in all reportable categories by 10%. To help students excel and achieve this goal, she provides essential support to classroom teachers by disaggregating data, identifying individual student needs, and offering strategies and interventions when necessary.