“Ms. Sibel is passionate, knowledgeable, creative, deeply caring, and above all an exceptional teacher of young children.

She works with both parents and children to understand their needs and she individualizes learning plans effectively. She is both fair and insightful in her assessments and is communicative with parents.

We were truly fortunate to have had Ms. Sibel teach our son for more than a year. He will benefit from her instruction for the rest of his life.”

— Cameron Day, Senior Deputy City Attorney at City of San José - 2020

“I love Ms. Sibel! My son has been attending the pre-school where Ms. Sibel teaches for 3 years. He once said, 'I looooove Ms. Sibel! I will love her even when I'm 9!' I'm not surprised that my son made such comment because Ms. Sible is definitely the most caring and loving pre-school teacher I've ever known. I wish my older one has had a great teacher like her.

When Ms. Sibel talks about early education, I could see the sparks in her eyes. She's a true believer of Montessori education. She said that kids at this age are like sponge, it's such a shame to waste their talent at this age if they are not taught well and correctly. She had tears in her eyes when she said that, which deeply touched me. Ms. Sibel cares about the kids at the level you would never expect. She knows more about my son than I do. When she told me about the things my son does at school and what he's good at, I'm amazed at the details she pays attention to. She also taught me a lot of ways to stimulate the kid at home and make him love learning even more.

My son is in Kindergarten now. When we were choosing afterschool for him, we decided to attend the pre-school's Transitioning K program in the afternoon for Ms. Sibel is the leading teacher. Now my son refers to the pre-school 'Ms. Sibel school.' :)

It would be any child's fortune to have a teacher like Ms. Sibel. As a mother of two, I highly recommend her because of her education knowledge and how caring and loving she is as a teacher. Simply exceptional!!”

— Kitty Zhao, Retired from Tech - 2015

“I met Ms. Sibel through a Montessori Preschool that my child is attending. She is a wonderful teacher that has a mastery of all of the ingredients that make an educator great -- from classroom management, getting to really know students and parents on a personal level, to social/emotional education, Montessori principles, and all of the subjects, with emphasis on language, mathematics, and science. As soon as my child joined Ms. Sibel's class, his enthusiasm for school sky-rocketed. He developed a growing set of mathematical awareness, his vocabulary exploded, and he immedidately started to teach us new things on a regular basis. Ms. Sibel developed a keen understanding of my child's personality, skills, and challenge areas; and she worked with my child and us to adjust/develop plans to further his education and his abilities. Simply put, she is an excellent teacher, an excellent mentor, and she has a strong grasp on a WIDE variety of subject areas and principles.”

— Jason Agron, Principal Engineer at Intel Corporation - 2024

“Ms. Sibel or rather 'Missibell!' like my son so fondly calls her has been an invaluable part of his life since he was 3 years old. She personifies everything that a Montessori stands for. The children trust her and adore her because she is kind, encouraging, supportive, empathetic ,firm when required and most importantly genuine in her efforts to mold these tiny citizens of the world. Her teaching methods are engaging, creative and most importantly cement the learning. All in all, I know I speak for every child and parent in the Blue class when I say we lovvvve Missibell! and are truly grateful and thankful for being such an outstanding teacher!”

— Sruti Ramnath, Internal & Executive Communications - 2018

“Sibel Debruyn was my son’s English teacher over this summer. She is an excellent teacher; careful and attentive. She has always the right words to manage student groups. She can inspire and motivate students towards success. Her guidance has been invaluable for my son.”

— Melek Inozu Acikbas, Chemical Engineer/Economist/Certified Translator - 2011

“Mrs. Sibel has been an incredible influence on my son’s early development. With her vast experience and understanding of young children, she creates a warm, nurturing environment where kids can grow, learn, and build confidence. Her patience and dedication have had a lasting impact on my son, and I am so grateful for the strong foundation she helped provide. I highly recommend her to any family looking for a dedicated and skilled educator.”

— Mariola Lechuga Fernández - 2025

“Ms. Sibel is a great preschool teacher who blends Montessori philosophy with traditional approaches in the best way possible. She gives kids the freedom to explore their interests while making sure they develop the reading and math fundamentals they'll need for kindergarten.

What really makes her special is her dedication to art instruction. Under her guidance, my twins developed wonderful fine motor skills, better self-expression, and stronger critical thinking. She recognized each of my children as an individual by understanding where each excelled and where they needed extra support.

Ms. Sibel's balanced teaching style ensures that children are academically prepared while nurturing their natural curiosity and creativity.”

— Lizzie Nolan - 2025

“Ms. Sibel Debruyn has brought her extensive understanding of the Montessori Method to Calaveras Montessori. Her strength in organization, eye for detail, and ability to be creative has been an asset to our school. She has a passion for teaching and loves to work with people. Her ability to observe and motivate the children and staff has added to the success and growth of our school. Ms. Sibel treats each person with great respect and kindness, regardless of how stressful the circumstance becomes. She has an abundance of energy that she utilizes to make material, repair damaged material, and organize the classroom. Her creative background allows her to offer innovative ideas that aid the development of the children and the classroom as a whole. She has a heart of servitude for the children and her co-workers. I have an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for the she has completed at Calaveras Montessori.”

— Karen Perez, Lead Teacher at Growing Tree Bilingual Montessori Learning Center in Saratoga - 2012

“I enrolled my daughter in Ms Sibel’s class for 2 years and I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher.

Ms. Sibel has been a wonderful teacher to my daughter. She's my daughter's idol.
Ms. Sibel creates interesting and fun curriculum that challenge the children and help them to develop a love of learning. She shows enormous patient with kids and is passionate about making education fun to learn. With her help, my daughter's reading, writing and math skills have really grown.

My daughter is a very shy girl and Ms. Sibel has been helping and encouraging her to involve in more activities in the classroom that make her feel important. She works closely with the kids to capitalize their strengths and help them to build those up.”

— Minh Hoang, Computer System Analyst - 2018

“I' have been sending my son to PABM now for 15 months. Ever since we took a quick tour of the school, We immediately fell in-love with Ms. Sibel. She is passionate and invested with what she does and you can always see the excitement from her because it is for the kids. She knows how to praise and encourage each kid to reach their highest potential. She is very caring and nurturing to the kids. I highly recommend her for she is absolutely a rare gem in the work place and the people around her.”

— Monnette Tan, Inbound Calls & Lead Generation at Enginefish - 2016

“Miss Sibel has been teaching my oldest son for 2.5 years now, and my 2nd son for 6 months.

With many years of Montessori teaching under her belt, Miss Sibel definitely knows how to keep the lessons interesting and always comes to class well-prepared and organized. She knows how to engage the students and ask them questions that challenge them to think outside the box. She sets high but realistic expectations and works with the students until they reach their fullest potential. And when they do reach their milestones, Miss Sibel cannot be happier! All these are evident when she talks about her job, her students and the little milestones that each kid has achieved that day (i.e. finally mastering the pencil-grip, counting all the way from 1-10, then to 15 and son on...). I am amazed at how she is able to remember little stories of what my two sons did earlier during the day.

If you have any questions or concerns about your kid, or you need any tips, she is always willing to set aside time to listen, talk or exchange ideas with you. Fluid communication, genuine care, hardworking, trustworthiness, experience and with her own incessant love for learning are just some of the things that I look for (and admire) in someone who my kids spend 8 hours a day with. Our family is definitely happy and thankful to find these qualifications, and more, in Miss Sibel!”

— Joy L, Communication and Career Consultant / Program Management / Finance Professional - 2016

“My daughter was lucky enough to have Ms Sibel when she was three and four years old in preschool. We loved being greeted with Ms. Sibel’s warm, enthusiastic greetings each morning. And my daughter excelled academically and personally while she was. Ms Sibel’s student. My daughter came home each day so proud of herself for what she learned and understood from her teacher. And one of the things I will always be grateful for is that Ms Sibel apparently taught my daughter to just stop, look me right in my eyes, and tell me “ You are so lovely “! I wholeheartedly believe that you and your child will love being in Ms Sibel’s care.”

— Jennifer Mullen - 2025

“Sibel is an extraordinary teacher—creative, intuitive, and remarkably skilled at recognizing each child's strengths and areas for growth. She tailors her teaching to support them in becoming the best version of themselves.

What truly sets Sibel apart is her innate ability to see children for who they are and respect them as individuals. She treats each little human with understanding and care, a quality her students deeply appreciate.

I can't say enough about Sibel and her almost superhuman talents. From the kindness, respect, and trust she instills in her students to her ability to remain calm and organized in a classroom full of young minds, she is truly exceptional. Her intelligence and keen insight allow her to pinpoint exactly who your child is, working with both their strengths and challenges to create a learning environment where they feel comfortable, valued, and empowered.

Sibel is simply the best, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have met her and witnessed the impact she has had on my daughter’s growth and education.”

— Alison Hobbs - 2025

“We had a great pleasure to have met Ms. Sibel in the preschool my son went to. We can tell that she was so passionate about being a teacher and a guide for the little ones. She cares and knows techniques that can get the kids excited to learn, whether it was learning how to read, mixing colors in art class, or being a good citizen! She’s the kind of teacher who you’d remember even when your kids had moved on to the next grade. We recommend her highly!”

— Lydia Ngo - 2025