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.

Alex was born and raised right here in New York City. He holds an MS.Ed in Early Childhood Education and has over 12 years of teaching experience. From a young age, Alex has had a passion for working with children and supporting their growth and maturation through the years. Alex has worked with children ages 2 – 5th grade in educational contexts and is excited to bring his experiences to the GSM community. In his personal life, Alex is an avid musician and animal lover. Alex lives in Manhattan with his two cats, fish, and tortoise.

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.

Adam was born and raised just outside York in the UK. After a short time living and working in London, he relocated to a small town near Barcelona, Spain where he discovered his passion for teaching. Adam spent the first 6 years teaching English as an additional language in a language academy as well as running exam sessions for Cambridge English Assessment. Adam spent the remainder of his time in Spain at an international British school, working mainly with Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes. Adam relocated to New York in the summer of 2024. He loves walking around the city exploring different neighborhoods, catching as many Broadway shows as possible. Adam is also a lover of languages, as well as English he speaks Spanish, Catalan and some Italian and he’s hoping to pick up some German whilst at GSM.

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 Switzerland, Lydia grew up in a bilingual home filled with music, dance and art. After studying music and dance at Bennington College, Lydia moved to NYC and has been teaching music and movement in public and private schools since.

Lydia has been teaching at GSM since 2019 and teaches every student every year! In addition to her work at GSM she directs a children’s choir at Third Street Music School and coaches PreK teachers in the DOE in adding more music to their classrooms. Lydia is also a certified Alexander Technique teacher.

Lydia speaks Swiss German, German, English, French and some Hebrew.

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Kimberlee is an experienced and engaging educator with experience in the General Education classroom for six years and working in Special Education for two years as a reading specialist. In her role as a reading specialist, she focused on solidifying students’ phonics foundations to boost their reading comprehension data. Kimberlee brings a professional yet fun approach to teaching, using data-driven strategies to support each student’s progress.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a focus on the Civil Rights history of the American South. Her teaching philosophy centers on fostering critical thinking and helping students define their values and set personal boundaries.

Kimberlee is excited to be part of the GSM community, where she aims to create an environment where students feel safe, supported, and confident in taking academic risks.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and staying active at the gym.

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.”

Matthew grew up in Vermont and earned his undergraduate degree from NYU in English and film, before completing a Master of Arts in Teaching. He has previously taught fifth grade and kindergarten in both Vermont and New York. Matt values creativity, project-based learning, and building strong classroom communities. In his free time, Matt enjoys hiking, reading and writing, and spending time outdoors.

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.

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.

Wendy Rivera holds a degree in Adolescent English Education and is currently completing her graduate degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) for grades K–12. Wendy values watching her students grow into thoughtful, independent learners. Born and raised in Queens with Latino roots, Wendy has been surrounded by diverse cultures and languages, which inspired her passion for teaching and her commitment to celebrating inclusivity in the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys staying active through a variety of sports and contributing to community-centered projects in her neighborhood.

Originally from Austria, Sabine Heubusch came to New York in 1993 on a scholarship to study Contemporary Dance. She earned her B.A. in Dalcroze Eurhythmics (Music and Movement Education) from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in 1992, and holds several teaching certifications, including Pre-School Education, Special Needs Education, Alexander Technique, Yoga, and Pilates Mat.

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Sabine has worked with adults, children of all ages, and children with special needs in public schools, music and art schools, colleges, and private settings across New York. She also leads dance projects in Austrian public schools in collaboration with OeAD.

Sabine is dedicated to sharing her expertise and creativity, and deeply values the lessons she learns from her students. Her playful and compassionate approach invites exploration, expression, and the discovery of the artist within each student.

Barbara Remus is the Managing Director of the Galli Theater New York, a theater that is located within the German School Manhattan. Barbara, born and raised in Germany, has been living in the US for 20 years, and calls New York City her home. She and her team are excited to be hosting theater classes not only as part of the school’s afterschool program as well as camps and workshops for kids and adults in German as well as English and Spanish. The Galli Theater NY is also offering live fairytale-  and educational performances for families as well as shows for adults on their stage within the GSM. Please see their website for further details: www.gallitheaternyc.com