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 17 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.
At the moment, 18 Erzieher*innen care for 108 Kindergarten children. Our 304 school children and young adults are in the best hands of 34 teachers, 14 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 young son 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 and German Teacher
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 Schönermark 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, Group Leader “The Internationals”
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Ilja Oostenenk
Deputy Head of Kindergarten at Kissingenstraße 48, Group Leader “Dragonflies”
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Andrew Ashdown
Educator in the “Navigators” Preschool Group
Maria Bergander
Educator in the “Incredibles” Kindergarten Group
Giel Brosens
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Theresa Ebert
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Juliane Eigner
Educator in the “Navigators” Preschool Group
Gwendolyn Farrow
Educator in “Dragonflies” Nursery Group
Nadia Froese
Educator in the “Rescue Rangers” Kindergarten Group
Maximilian Hayner
Educator in the “Internationals” Preschool Group
Grit Henrichmann
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Annett Hildenbrand
Educator in the “Rescue Rangers” Kindergarten Group
Alex Hovan
Educator in the “Internationals” Preschool Group
Annelie Krause
Educator in “Dragonflies” Nursery Group
Akilah Moxam
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Amber Norris
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Ian Porter
Educator in the “Incredibles” Kindergarten Group
Lars Reichstein
Educator in the “Power Pandas” and “Dragon Flies” Group
Alice Richings
Educator in the “Dragonflies” Nursery Group
Sabine Schindler
Educator
Lea Troska
Educator in the “Power Pandas” Nursery Group
Zoia Grüning
Head of Primary and Secondary School
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Whitney Morris-Lange
Head of Co-Curricular Enrichment Primary and Secondary School
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Simon Gaunt
Team Leader Teachers 3-4; Classroom Teacher 3b; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
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Robin Zeh
Team Leader Teachers 5-10; Subject Leader Social Sciences (History, Social Studies and Geography) 5-10; Classroom Teacher 7a; Ethics and WAT (Economy, Work and Technology);IT Administrator
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Lars Lüer
Deputy Head in Absence of the Co-Curricular Enrichment Program, Clubs Coordinator, Class Erzieher 2a
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Dr. Stephanie Bachorz
Subject Leader English 1-10; Classroom Teacher 5b; German
Rebecca Bernhardt
Team Teaching German, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Kyle Daley
Classroom Teacher 4b; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Janett Dähne
Bezugserzieherin
Leanne Deffew
Bezugserzieherin; Child Protection Specialist
Christoph Diekhaus
Classroom Teacher 3a; German, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies; Wood Workshop
Dr. Robert Dennhardt
Classroom Teacher 9a; Ethics and WAT (Economy/Work/Technology); Schulweb Administrator; Work&Travel
Daniela Dufft
Classroom Teacher 5a; Mathematics, Natural Sciences (Biology, Physics and Chemistry); School Yard and School Garden
Eoghan Dunne
Bezugserzieher 1a, Coordinator Schedules and Substitution, School Yard and School Garden
Alexandra Elmali
Classroom Teacher 2b; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Rebekah Eckard
Bezugserzieherin 2b
Oliver Feldmann
Volontary Social Year
André Galhardo
Subject Leader Physical Education 1-10
Carla Gianatelli
Spanish
James Harris
Classroom Teacher 4a; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Lara Havelock
Classroom Teacher 2a; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Brianna Hecht
Subject Leader Art 1-10
Mette Jakobsen
Berzugserzieherin
Anne Johannsen
Subject Leader German and DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Caroline Johansson Wübben
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Erman Jones
Coordinator School Events; Bezugserzieher 6a; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies; Scholastic Books Orders
Joana Kappes
Subject Leader Natural Sciences (Biology, Physics and Chemistry)
Annabelle Kemish
Subject Leader Music 1-10
Shannon Leonard
Music
Pierre Lacasé
Bezugserzieher 4a
Anna McCrary
Bezugserzieherin 5b
Tatjana Nikolovska
German and DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Sofia Passaro Lorenzo
Bezugserzieherin 5a
Rosemary Peel
Coordinator Class Schedules and Substitution; Classroom Teacher 6a; English
Anne Pelzer
Bezugserzieherin 3a; Students’ Reprensentives Support
Sarah Qavi
Classroom Teacher 1a; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Rosanna Ralston
English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Stefan Rubly
Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
Amy Schäfer
Learning Support Coordinator 5-10; English
Clara Schirmacher
Volontary Social Year
Olivia Shelton
English
Dr. Jeremy Stahl
Social Sciences (History, Social Studies and Geography); Work&Travel
Mara Thomele
Mathematics and German
Lindsay Turner
Classroom Teacher 1b; English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies; School Library
Chester Veazie
Erzieher; Choice of Lunch
Livia Warrington
Bezugserzieherin 3b; School Library
Nathalie Weidner
Bezugserzieherin 1b, Coordinator Holiday Program
Ulrike Wernst
German and DaZ (German as a Second Language)
Michael Woythe
Classroom Teacher 8a; Physical Education
Anja Thieme
Assistant to the Managing Director
Silke Ameti
School Secretary
Nadin Prüske-Strutz
Public Relations
Luisa Schadock
Team Assistant School Office
Antje Krause
Housekeeping in Platanus Schule Berlin
Cordula Planitzer
Housekeeping in the Platanus Kindergarten, Benjamin-Vogelsdorff-Str. 1
Regina Scholz
Housekeeping in the Platanus Kindergarten, Kissingenstr. 48
Henry Stamm
House Technician in Platanus Kindergarten
Manfred Gehrke
Platanus Kindergarten Groundskeeper
Olaf Becker
Platanus Schule Caretaker and Groundskeeper