Our Team
At Platanus Schule Berlin, we are proud to have created a place where people from all over the world meet. Our employees come from 11 different countries and speak 15 different languages in total. Since the challenges at a bilingual school are greater than normal and our colleagues are above-average competent and committed due to the diverse prerequisites and requirements, this is accompanied by a certain fluctuation. These people love change and challenges. In the modern world of work, it is timely and necessary to develop further through professional reorientation and relocation. The induction and integration of new colleagues into our team is a very important part of our work, which we increasingly appreciate. For us, newcomers mean professional input and new ideas. We admire and respect the different CVs, educational qualifications and competencies. For us, school as a place of lifelong learning means learning from and with one another as a team. We respect and admire the different and invaluable life experiences, educational qualifications and skills that each member contributes to our school. Being such a place also means that we learn from and work with one another as a team.
We are aware and have been working for years since our school’s existence that a common understanding of education, genuine cooperation and good collaboration in a multi-professional team is a continuous process of negotiation and further development, both in the general principles and in the details of practical implementation. We are proud of the new paths we have taken, the experiences we have had and the results we have achieved as a result, and we exchange ideas with other schools about this.
At the moment, 23 Erzieher*innen care for 109 Kindergarten children. Our 540 school children and young adults are in the best hands of 66 educators, including a school psychologist, a school social worker, an integration educator, a learning therapist and a SENCO coordinator. Platanus owes its success to their commitment and pedagogical talent.
Dr. Karen Krüger
Managing Director
Karen Krüger is one of the directors of Platanus Bildungs gGmbH, and is primarily responsible for the Primary and Secondary School. Following her Abitur, which she completed in 1992 at the 3. Gymnasium Berlin-Treptow, Karen Krüger spent many months in Indonesia in order to gain experience overseas as well as to learn the language. Following this, she studied Psychology at the Humboldt University with a focus on occupational, industrial and organisational psychology. She spent a semester abroad in New York at City College and also used her summer to undertake an internship in Human Resources at the New York University. After her studies, Frau Krüger moved to Stuttgart and worked there for almost 10 years in research and development for Daimler AG along with short stages in marketing and design. During this time she also completed her doctorate with a theme of engineering psychology. She moved back to Berlin in 2009 in order to found the Platanus Bildungs gGmbH with her friends Kristin Wendorf and Sabine Schoenermark. She lives with her husband and child in Pankow.
Sabine Schoenermark
Finances and Real Estate
Sabine Schoenermark is the commercial manager and is responsible for the area of finance. She completed her Abitur in 1992 at the 3. Gymnasium Berlin-Treptow. From early on, she placed a high value on personal and financial independence. During her studies in Education at the Humboldt University Berlin, which she completed in 1999, Sabine Schoenermark was working as a social worker for the Jugendamt Pankow. Before and during her studies, she also lived in London on multiple occasions. In 1999 she founded the family assistance agency ‘lara.berlin’ with her school friend Kristin Wendorf. Due to the constant growth of the company, to which now many kindergartens belong, she shifted the focus of her area of responsibility to management and financial planning. In 2009 she founded the Platanus Bildungs gGmbH along with her partners. Sabine Schoenermark lives with her husband and three daughters in Pankow.
Sylke Mouroum-Ebeler
Education, German, DaZ (German as Second Language), English, EAL (English as an Additional Language), WAT (Economy/Work/Technology)
Sylke Mouroum–Ebeler has pedagogical and conceptual responsibility for the organisation. After completing her Abitur at the „Geschwister Scholl“ school in Bernau, she began her teacher training in 1979 in German and English at the Humboldt University. She started working in 1983 at the Grete-Walter-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee. Her ideas for an open minded approach to English teaching were unfortunately not fully realised there and in May 1990, she founded her own language school, ‘Sprachcenter Mouroum’. Her son and daughter were born in 1990 and 1992 respectively. Inspired by her children, the idea arose to develop a concept for early years English learning. Among her customers were Kristin Wendorf and Sabine Schoenermark and it was from this business relationship that the idea came to found a bilingual kindergarten and school. Frau Mouroum-Ebeler lives with her husband and dog in Wandlitz. Her children are now grown up and speak multiple languages.
Kristin Wendorf
Founder and Associate
Kristin Wendorf is one of the directors of Platanus Bildungs gGmbH, and is primarily responsible for the kindergarten. After completing her Abitur at the 3. Gymnasium Berlin-Treptow in 1992, she undertook studies in Education at the Humboldt University. In connection with her studies, she spent many months in Central America in order to learn Spanish. Due to her work as an individual caseworker with the Jugendamt Pankow during her studies as well as the decision from the state of Berlin to privatise social work and family help with private agencies, a decision was made in 1999, together with her school friend Sabine Schoenermark, to found the the family assistance agency ‘lara.berlin’. In 2003, the first lara.kita was opened on Hermann-Hesse Straße and was followed in 2009 with the opening of the first bilingual lara.kita on Schulstraße in Berlin, Pankow. Here, along with Sylke Mouroum-Ebeler and her language school, she developed a concept for early years bilingual education. In 2009, she and her partners founded the Platanus Bildungs gGmbH. Kristin Wendorf lives with her partner in Prenzlauer Berg.
Susanne Hofer
Head of Kindergarten
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Annett Hildenbrand
Deputy Head of Kindergarten, Bezugserzieherin Preschool Group Astronauts
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Corinna Domnick
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Racoons
Arne Düsterhöft
Bezugserzieher Pre-Kindergarten Group Ravens
Hanna Hildenbrand
Bezugserzieherin Preschool Group Astronauts
Shwetha Kodihalli Ramakrishna
Bezugserzieherin Kindergarten Group Globetrotters
Esther Kroll
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Racoons
Bonita Löwe
Bezugserzieherin Kindergarten Group Painters
Jona Castaneda Maywald
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Ravens
Catrin Orgel
Bezugserzieher Kindergarten Group Globetrotterss, Sport Coordinator
Priyanka Raghuvir Gaonkar
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Racoons
Laura Rankin
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Ravens
Irene Scorcelletti
Bezugserzieherin Kindergarten Group Painters
Angie Stöbener
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Ravens
Liza Theron
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Ravens
Sandra Thiele
Bezugserzieherin Pre-Kindergarten Group Racoons
Akua Timm
Bezugserzieherin Preschool Group Astronauts
Jennifer Vater
Bezugserzieherin Kindergarten Group Painters
Our school leadership team – Together we are strong!
The change in values in today’s society and the advancing modernization of the working world require a rethinking towards agile leadership concepts. According to our systemic understanding of leadership, we have redesigned the leadership structure of our school. Through shared responsibility, flat hierarchies, versatile competences and experience as well as mutual support, we work together with the students and colleagues closely, efficiently and trustingly.
In the following section, we will introduce ourselves with our clearly defined areas of responsibility.
Brianna Sejnoha
Head of School – Primary Level 1 to 3, Subject Teacher Art
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Simon Gaunt
Head of School – Primary Level 4-6, Subject Teacher English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
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Joana Kappes
Head of School – Secondary Level I (7-10), Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Head of STEM Department 5-13
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Robin Zeh
Head of School – Secondary Level II (11-13), History, Ethics, Philosophy, Political Education, Geography
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Jonas Lühmann
Head of School Co-Curricular Enrichment Program – Years 1 to 13
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Annika Klemke
Head of School Co-Curricular Enrichment Program – Years 1 to 13
Our pedagogical team – Cooperation on an equal footing!
The joint and equal cooperation of educators and teachers is particularly important to us. In the primary school from grade 1 to 6, class leadership teams consisting of class teacher and class educator share the responsibility for the pupils. In addition, there are many different tasks, topics, projects and events in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities throughout the day and in all classes, which are organised and carried out together and on par with each other.
In the following you will get to know our pedagogical team.
Dr. Stephanie Bachorz
Classroom Teacher 10b, German, English
Joel Barrett
Subject Teacher Physical Education, Head of Sport Department 1-13
Femke Becker
Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry
Rebecca Bernhardt
Class Teacher 3a, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Can Caylakoglu
Class Erzieher 5b
Sherlyn Chew
Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry
Romy Clauß
Classroom Teacher 6a, German, DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Kyle Daley
Class Teacher 6b, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Social Sciences, History, Economics
Marta Delgado
Class Teacher 9a, Spanish, Englisch, International Exchange Program Coordinator
Alice De Mont
Subject Teacher Art, Head of Art Department 1-13
Christoph Diekhaus
Classroom Teacher 5b, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Natural Sciences
Jonathan Down
Subject Teacher Mathematics
Lindsey Evans
Classroom Teacher 1a, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Emma Folan
Klassenlehrerin 10a, Englisch, EAL (Englisch als Zweitsprache)
Katy Förster Olson
Elective Course Ceramics
Liane Försterling
Class Erzieherin 2a
Melanie Geier
Erzieherin
Marla Hansen
Subject Teacher Music, Head of Music Department 1-13
Maximilian Hayner
Class Erzieher 2b
Dieter Jacob
Subject Teacher Physics, Mathematics
Christopher Kaminski
Class Teacher 7a, Physical Education
Osas Kessington
Class Erzieher 5a
Inken Kölle-Bork
Child and Youth Psychotherapist (VT), Counselling & Diagnostics, Child Protection Specialist
Pierre Lacasé
Class Erzieher 3a, Coordinator Substitution and Timetable
Louise Lenssen
Subject Teacher, German, Social Sciences, Political Education, Ethics, Head of German Department 7-13
Megan Leong
Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Head of Math Department 5-13, SENCO
Tu Queen Ly
Upper Secondary Coordinator, Class Teacher 11, French, History, Political Education, Geography, Head of Social Science
Scott McBane
Class Teacher 9b, English, EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Rachel McCaulley
Class Teacher 8a, Art
Manuel Meyer
Class Teacher 4b, German, Physical Education, Swimming, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Bryanne Minnella
Subject Teacher Music
Sylke Mouroum-Ebeler
Subject Teacher German, DaZ (German as a Second Language), English, EAL (English as an Additional Language), WAT (Economy/Work/Technology), Cofounder of Platanus Schule Berlin
Alicia Navarro
Subject Teacher Spanish
Katherine Newport-Forbes
Subject Teacher Computer Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Dr. Rueben Okine
Class Erzieher 6a
Theresa Parr
Classroom Teacher 2a, German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Head of English Department 1-6
Anne Pelzer
Class Erzieherin 4b, Inclusion Specialist
Matthew Perlmutter
Subject Teacher Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Biologie, Chemistry, Physics
Sarah Qavi
Classroom Teacher 4a, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Physical Education, Head of Science and Social Studies Department 1-4
Ray Rabe
Integrative learning therapist, Support for Dyscalculia and Dyslexia
Jana Richter
School Social Worker
Neema Sahebi
Class Teacher 7b, Social Sciences, History, Political Education, Ethics, English
Andrea Schätzchen
Class Teacher 5a, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Social Sciences
Anneke Schmidt
Subject Teacher German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Quirin Schnack
Subject Teacher German, DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Dr. Jeremy Stahl
Subject Teacher Social Sciences, History, Geography
Thomas Thieben
Subject Teacher Social Science, Ethics, History, Philosophy
Timo Twachtmann
Subject Teacher Sport, Swimming and Assistent Teacher History, Social Sciences
Linn Udich
Class Teacher 2b, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Head of German Department 1-6
Laura Underdown
Subject Teacher German, English, EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Alexander Ulyet
Class Teacher 8b, English, EAL (English as an Additional Language), Head of English Department 7-13
Neslihan Üzdiyen
Erzieherin
Chester Veazie
Class Erzieher 6b
Stefanie Wachholz
Assistant Teacher German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Nathalie Weidner
Class Erzieherin 4a, Holiday Program Coordinator
Ulrike Wernst
Class Teacher 3b, German, DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Stefanie Wieschalla
Classroom Teacher 1b, German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
We create the framework!
For all administrative and organizational processes and questions, we are available to our students, colleagues, parents, business partners and interested parties.
Anja Thieme
Authorized Signatory – Human Resources, Finance, Administration and IT
Ulrike Herzog
School Secretary
Luisa Junicke
Administration (Finances & Human Resources)
Nadin Prüske-Strutz
Admission Primary & Secondary School, Public Relations
Miriam Schwalenberg
School Secretary, Admission Primary & Secondary School, Coordinator Substitution and Timetable
Nothing works without us!
We prepare meals, go shopping, keep things clean and tidy, repair, build, work, garden, have everything in view and always have a friendly word on our lips.
Olaf Becker
Platanus School Caretaker
Elliot Corr
Platanus School Caretaker
Annett Gebert
Housekeeping in Platanus Kindergarten Berlin
Marc Gericke
Platanus School and Kindergarten Caretaker
Antje Krause
Housekeeping in Platanus Schule Berlin
Robert Thomas
Chef in Platanus Kindergarten