Leonie grew up in a German-American household in Berlin where she attended the bilingual John F. Kennedy School from K – 12 (it was magical!). She has been living in New York for almost 15 years, working as a theater artist and teaching afterschool theater to children of all ages. She holds a BA in Theater from Bard College and a  MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College.

Ruth grew up in Bavaria and completed her secondary education at a Gymnasium focused on art in Salzburg, Austria. She then studied education, specializing in art, history, and political education, while also being active in a student theater group. After teaching in Austrian middle and high schools, she is now excited to bring her passion for creativity, critical thinking, and cultural exchange to the German School Manhattan. She is especially looking forward to teaching with the IB approach and becoming part of the school’s diverse community.

Wiebke, originally from Northern Germany, holds a Master of Education from the University of Hamburg, specializing in German and Geography for elementary and middle school students. With experience teaching in Hamburg’s elementary schools and internationally, she relocated to New York in 2022, where she earned her Green Diploma in teaching German as a Foreign Language from the Goethe Institute. Since then, she has been educating both children and adults at the Goethe Institute. Wiebke joined GSM in the fall of 2023, where she focuses on teaching German, Math, and Inquiry. As a teacher, she is deeply committed to fostering curiosity and takes great joy in guiding young minds on their educational journeys.

Lijin has over 10 years of teaching experience including as a lead teacher in Mandarin immersion schools in Brooklyn and New Jersey. She has a Bachelors in teaching Chinese as a foreign Language and Master of Curriculum and Instruction in Foreign and Second language teaching. She loves to use project-based skills to teach a new language in a fun and relaxed environment.

Born in Chicago and raised in Zurich, Lydia grew up in a bilingual home filled with music, dance and art. After graduating from a specialized music high school, Lydia moved to Vermont to study dance and voice at Bennington College. Lydia moved to NYC in 2012 and has been teaching music and movement in public and private schools grades PreK – 4th grade through Third Street Music School and Turtle Bay Music School. Lydia is excited to broaden the curriculum to include German songs.

Martina is originally from Graz, Austria, where she studied at the University of Graz and earned her degree in German and History. Following her studies she taught fundamental and advanced German, history, social studies and political education at a Gymnasium (Middle and High School) in Graz. Furthermore, she was responsible for the German placement tests in DaF and DaZ, and was an active member in the school’s bullying prevention team.

Jonas Esser is a performing artist and teacher from Freiburg, Germany based in New York City. 

Primarily working as a drummer, he is an in-demand sideman for many different projects. You can hear him perform at venues all over New York City and he has toured in Europe, the US, India and South America.

In 2021 he received the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship, which helped him complete his Masters degree in Music at the City College of New York.

Since graduating in 2022 he has been dedicating a large portion of his time to teaching and expanding his music studio at GSM.

His wide-ranging interest in different realms of Jazz and improvised music has led him to record and perform with a diverse pool of established artists such as Ben Solomon, Emmanuel Michael, Grammy Winner Mike Rodriguez, Grammy nominee Gilad Hekselman, Lukas Derungs, Simón Willson, Pablo Held, Jeremy Corren, Ben Tiberio, Kevin Sun among many others.

Born in Iran and raised in Austria since early childhood. Maryam grew up in a bilingual and multicultural environment that enriched her understanding of diverse perspectives. Transitioning from a diverse educational background. She has embraced the role of a PreK Lead Teacher, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to support young children’s environment.  This is Maryam’s fourth year at GSM, where she is working passionately to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where each child is encouraged to reach their full potential. She is expanding her expertise through further education in child therapy to better support children’s emotional and developmental needs.”As a passionate Pre-K teacher, I believe that each child brings a unique perspective, and with patience, care, and support, they can be empowered to grow and thrive in their learning and development.”

Julie received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University in 2018 and her Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in 2023 from CUNY Hunter College. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to NYC in 2018 and has been teaching in the city since. Having undergraduate experience teaching English in The Netherlands and receiving her International Baccalaureate PYP certificate, Julie values inquiry-based learning while fostering children’s natural curiosities. She is excited to be working as the IB PYP Coordinator and teaching at GSM where a child-centered, bilingual, inquiry-focused curriculum helps shape future global citizens.

Hailing from Vienna, Austria, David is an experienced and passionate educator. With a background in elementary education, he spent six years at a Viennese elementary school. He holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Science from the University of Vienna and gained valuable cross-cultural insights teaching at a primary school in Denmark.

David also contributed as an educator at the Viennese teacher college, Pädagogische Hochschule Wien, and in early childhood education, developing a holistic understanding of educational development. Currently pursuing a second Master’s in Educational Leadership at the International University of Applied Sciences in Germany, David’s philosophy centers on nurturing each child’s growth at their own pace.

He eagerly joins the GSM community, committed to creating an environment where every student can flourish.

Anja started teaching at German School Manhattan in September 2024.The last two years she taught at Bank Street School for Children and before that at the Children’s Workshop School. Anja worked many years at The City College of New York developing hands-on curricula for teaching physical science & engineering in combination with Art . She implemented the project-based learning in underserved public schools throughout the five boroughs. Anja has been an instructor at Professional Development conferences nationwide. Anja loves art, hiking with her 110lb Golden Retriever, sports, and reading in a coffee shop. Anja has built her own multicultural and- linguistic family with two children who grew up trilingual. She is very excited to start a new journey at GSM and get inspired by all the wonderful colleagues, families, and most importantly children around her.

Sandra Kluge is a tap percussionist/composer/producer/entrepreneur born in Bremen (Germany), based in Brooklyn (NY), and performing and teaching internationally. She writes, records, and performs her own original music, in which Tap is the exclusive percussive instrument, both solo and with a band. Sandra is deconstructing the classic Tap vocabulary in order to be a full band member, rather than just the cherry on top. Her performance highlights include various collaborations with Thomas Marek, the tap ahead festival, Swiss Tap Days, Düsseldorf Photo Weekend, Symphony Space, Judson Church, Festival de Musique Improvisée de Lausanne, Basilica Hudson, and many more.

Sandra has been invited to teach at renowned institutions such as the legendary tap ahead festival, tap club Cologne, and Soundspace Philadelphia, and to be a teaching artist in residence at Thomas Marek’s Studio Footprints. She is currently on faculty at the American Tap Dance Foundation and Mark Morris Dance Center. In addition, Sandra teaches private lessons in person and virtually, working with students from around the world. Her work has been featured on the Tap Love Tour Podcast, German Tap Magazine, Dance Advantage, Dance Writer Australia, Canvas Rebel, Vocalo Radio, and others. Sandra is the only Tap Percussionist to be an alumna of the Art Omi Music Fellowship Program has been an artist in residence at the American Tap Dance Foundation, and has been commissioned to compose for the International Contemporary Ensemble as part of its “Call For” program.

She was first introduced to Tap at the age of 10 by her Mom. In the following years, she studied with greats such as Barbara Duffy, Sebastian Weber, Pia Neises, Derick Grant, and Heather Cornell, to only name a few, as well as forming a deep relationship with the art form through endless hours of historic video footage and daily self-study. She has been part of Tap City’s Pre-Professional Program twice, once with Michelle Dorrance, and once with Sarah Petronio, and graduated from Daniel Luka’s tap apprenticeship S.O.N.T.I. with magna cum laude.

Aurelia Ott was born and raised in Switzerland and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Primary Education. Early in her career she was a Lower School teacher in a small Swiss village for 9 years where she also shared her joy of teaching by training future teachers.

Later, she was a teacher at the German International School in White Plains, NY and a substitute teacher at over 25 schools in Zurich.

She is excited to help build the young and thriving German School Manhattan with her professional knowledge and to work closely with the staff and families.

Aurelia feels that successful learning happens through personal connection and individual coaching for each and every child. Her classroom is cheerful and playful, with the right amount of structure and rules to ensure a safe and homey atmosphere for everyone.

As an educator passionate about fostering curiosity and creativity, I strive to maintain an inclusive and engaging classroom environment. With a background in Adolescent English Education and currently finishing my TESOL (teaching English to students of other languages) graduate program for grades K-12, I aim to inspire my students to become enthusiastic, independent learners. I was born and raised in the vibrant borough of Queens, NY, where I was surrounded by diverse cultures and ideas, shaping my love for learning and teaching. Outside of teaching, I enjoy being active or playing sports, such as finding running trails, hiking, or kicking soccer balls.

Ina has been the director of the Deutsche Sprachschule since 2016, a German Saturday school that teaches kids as young as 3 all the way to adults. Ina is an experienced German teacher, you might have met her during camp Wunderbar (she’s run the summer camp at GSM for the past two years). Ina lives in Queens and is the mother of two teenagers.