be smart academy

I am a native South African who grew up in the  beautiful  city of Cape Town. I grew up loving the sounds my Xhosa speaking aunt made when she spoke, remember my mouth watering at the smell of my Muslim uncles homemade curries and admired the headdress of  my mother’s Zulu colleague. My childhood was characterized by cultural diversity and bilingualism within my family. 

 My immense interest in Childhood development motivated me to study social work. After completing my Diploma(masters) in Social work at the university of the Western Cape I worked in the field of Child Protection and Community Development in underprivileged communities on the Cape Flats in South Africa. Thereafter I went to work at social services in England in pursuit of my dream to travel and see the world. It was during this time that I met my German husband. Adventurous as we were we moved to Montreal, Canada where our daughter was born. In Montreal I worked in  College administration. 

Seven years ago I settled in Berlin with my family. I started working as a native speaker in Kindergartens whilst getting my social work qualification verified. During this time I was once again reminded of my love of working with children. I knew be Smart Academy as my own daughter attended the Villa and started working there as soon as I got the” Staatliche Anerkennung”.

 Having worked as a Kindergarten teacher has reaffirmed my view that Child Care Centers employ special people who offers a safe, supportive environment  for children to develop social skills, explore their environment and make positive learning experiences. It is exactly these people, the teachers that I wish to support, nurture and humor in a profession that at times can be stressful and devalued. As principal I would like with the help of my team to provide your family with high quality personalized pedagogical Care.

My family and I spend our spare time outside in nature either going for hikes, paddling or camping. I enjoy cooking for family and friends often to the tune of good jazz music.

Ich bin eine der tatsächlich nur noch selten anzutreffenden waschechten Berliner Pflanzen und lebe zusammen mit meinem Sohn derzeit im beschaulichen und turbulenten Friedrichshain.

Zur be smart academy stieß ich vor einigen Jahren über meinen Spross, der damals (nach eigener Aussage) zusammen mit seinem Papa dort arbeitete.

Nach meinem Abitur, diversen Medienpraktika und der anschließenden kaufmännischen Ausbildung im Bereich Medien habe ich zunächst in diversen Firmen und Metiers der Branche gearbeitet und bin mittlerweile sehr glücklich, meinen Platz im Office einer bezaubernden Kita, umgeben von kleinen heranwachsenden Menschen und dementsprechend viel Freude und Lebhaftigkeit, gefunden zu haben. 

Meinen Tätigkeitsbereich als Assistenz der Leitung und Geschäftsführung erlebe als sehr vielseitig und bunt. Ich möchte fachlich, aber auch durch meine eigene persönliche Note, erreichen, dass sich Alle im Haus sowohl organisatorisch, pädagogisch und nicht zuletzt zwischenmenschlich gut aufgehoben und unterstützt fühlen - jedes Teammitglied, die Eltern und Familienmitglieder und vor allem natürlich unsere Kinder.

Meine Freizeit verbringe ich gerne mit meiner Familie oder meinen Freunden. Aber auch die seltenen Momente nur für mich allein sind mir wichtig und wertvoll – dann lese ich ein schönes Buch, vertiefe mich auch mal in eine Rätselzeitschrift oder hänge einfach nur meinen Gedanken nach.

Anne is our first trainee that became a officially qualified “Erzieherin”. She realized her true calling as “Erzieher” after finishing a work experience period in the Seifenfabrik. Working with children has sparked her interest in learning more about children. How they move, how they perceive their surroundings and how to attract their interest and keep them fascinated is what interests Anne most. Anne has shown us many situations, where she yearns for more information on dealing with children. She has paved her way and completes her work conscientiously. The beautiful decorations within our Villa are a direct reflection of her creativity. Thank you Anne and welcome!