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 13 different countries and speak 17 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.
At the moment, 18 Erzieher*innen care for 108 Kindergarten children. Our 366 school children and young adults are in the best hands of 40 teachers, 12 Erzieher*innen and two volunteers completing their social year. Platanus owes its success to their commitment and pedagogical talent.
Kristin Wendorf
Managing Director
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.
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
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, Classroom Teacher 9a, German, DaZ (German as Second Language), English
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.
Susanne Hofer
Head of Platanus Kindergarten
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Wilja Richter
Deputy Head of Kindergarten at Benjamin-Vogelsdorff-Straße 1, Educator “The Internationals”
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Andrew Ashdown
Educator in the “Sailors” Preschool Group
Maria Bergander
Educator in the “Firefighters” Kindergarten Group
Giel Brosens
Educator in the “Explorers” Nursery Group
Juliane Eigner
Educator in the “Sailors” Preschool Group
Lindsey Evans
Educator in the “Internationals” Kindergarten Group
Gwendolyn Farrow
Educator in “Dragonflies” Nursery Group
Nadia Froese
Educator in the “Rescue Rangers” Preschool Group
Maximilian Hayner
Educator in the “Internationals” Kindergarten Group
Annett Hildenbrand
Educator in the “Rescue Rangers” Preschool Group
Katharina Mizovski
Educator in the “Explorers” Nursery Group
Akilah Moxam
Educator in the “Explorers” Nursery Group
Lars Reichstein
Educator in the “Explorers” and “Dragon Flies” Nursery Group
Alice Richings
Educator in the “Dragonflies” Nursery Group
Ann-Cathrine Signetzki
Educator in the “Explorers” Nursery Group
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.
Whitney Morris-Lange
Head of School Co-Curricular Enrichment Program – Years 1 to 10
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Brianna Hecht
Head of School Lessons – Years 1 and 2, Subject Teacher Art
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Simon Gaunt
Head of School Lessons – Years 3 and 4, Subject Teacher English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
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Joana Kappes
Head of School Lessons – Years 5 and 6, Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry
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Robin Zeh
Head of School Lessons – Years 7 to 10, Subject Teacher Social Sciences, History, Political Education, Geography, Ethics
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Lars Lüer
Deputy Head of Co-Curricular Enrichment Program – Years 1 to 10, Club Coordinator, Class Erzieher 4a
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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 7b, German, English
Marie Becker
Voluntary Social Year
Rebecca Bernhardt
Classroom Teacher 2a, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Sean Breen
Classroom Teacher 1b, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Music
Patricia Collins
Subject Teacher Music, EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Kyle Daley
Classroom Teacher 6b, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Social Sciences, History
Dr. Robert Dennhardt
Subject Teacher Ethics, WAT (Economy/Work/Technology)
Christoph Diekhaus
Subject Teacher German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Natural Sciences
Daniela Dufft
Subject Teacher Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Physics
Elli Gaabs
Voluntary Social Year
André Galhardo
Subject Teacher Physical Education
Carla Gianatelli
Subject Teacher Spanish
Nicole Hinz
Classroom Teacher 6a, German, English
Daniel Howell
Subject Teacher English
Anne Johannsen
Classroom Teacher 4a, German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Caroline Johansson Wübben
Subject Teacher Music, Social Sciences, Political Education, EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Erman Jones
Classroom Teacher 4b, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Annabelle Kemish
Subject Teacher Music
Jennifer Konradt
Subject Teacher German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Nicole Konradt
Classromm Teacher 5a, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Physics
Inken Kölle-Bork
Child and Youth Psychotherapist (VT), Counselling & Diagnostics, Child Protection Specialist
Pierre Lacasé
Class Erzieher 6a, Coordinator Substitution Erzieher*innen
Louise Lenssen
Classroom Teacher 8a, German, Social Sciences, Political Education, Ethik
Shannon Leonard
Subject Teacher Music
Megan Leong
Classroom Teacher 5b, Natural Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics
Annika Litschke
Class Erzieherin 2a
Rachel McCaulley
Class Erzieherin 1a
Anna McCrary
Class Erzieherin 6b, Subject Teacher Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics
Manuel Meyer
Subject Teacher German, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Physical Education
Sylke Mouroum-Ebeler
Classroom Teacher 9a, German, DaZ (German as a Second Language), English, Cofounder of Platanus Schule Berlin
James Nagel
Subject Teacher Spanish, English
Tatjana Nikolovska
Subject Teacher Deutsch, DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Rueben Okine
Class Erzieher 5b
Amber Norris
Class Erzieherin 2b
Theresa Parr
Classroom Teacher 1a, German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Sofia Passaro Lorenzo
Class Erzieherin 3a
Anne Pelzer
Class Erzieherin 1b
Sarah Qavi
Classroom Teacher 3a, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, Physical Education
Stefan Rubly
Subject Teacher Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Chemistry
Amy Schäfer
Subject Teacher English, Art
Dr. Jeremy Stahl
Classroom Teacher 10a, Social Sciences, History, Geography
Laura Sohre
Subject Teacher Art, English, EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Lindsay Turner
Classroom Teacher 3b, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Chester Veazie
Class Erzieher 5a
Livia Warrington
Erzieherin
Allison Weber
Class Erzieherin 4b
Nathalie Weidner
Class Erzieherin 3b, Coordinator Holiday Program
Ulrike Wernst
Classroom Teacher 7a, German, DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Stefanie Wieschalla
Classroom Teacher 2b, German, English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies
Michael Woythe
Subject Teacher Physical Education
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
Assistant to the Managing Directors
Silke Ameti
School Secretary
Nadin Prüske-Strutz
Public Relations
Luisa Junicke
Team Assistant School Office, Coordinator Substitution Teachers
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.
Antje Krause
Housekeeping in Platanus Schule Berlin
Cordula Planitzer
Housekeeping in the Platanus Kindergarten, Benjamin-Vogelsdorff-Str. 1
Manfred Gehrke
Platanus Kindergarten Groundskeeper
Olaf Becker
Platanus Schule Caretaker and Groundskeeper