OUR STAFF:

The school employs the equivalent of two full-time preschool teachers and two part time teachers.

All are native or fully bilingual German speakers, are fluent in English and have extensive credentials in Early Childhood Education. BAKS is administered by the director under the guidance of a volunteer board of directors made up of parents.

Sybille Cohen is the Director at BAKS. She grew up in Cuxhaven and Hamburg. She taught children from infants to preschool age and has taken many ECE classes over years. Before moving to the Bay Area in 2001 she worked at a dentist office specializing in pediatric care for 7 years. She has been with BAKS since September 2007. Sybille also teaches the Kindergarten class at the BAKS+ program. She lives in Marin with her husband David and her stepson Anders. She is delighted to be part of the BAKS team.

Sarah Schneider works as Head Teacher at Kinderstube. Sarah moved to CA from Landsberg, Germany and started working at BAKS in November 2008. Sarah was trained in Child Development in Germany and she has been teaching there for several years. During her studies she did many internships and worked with children of different age levels as well as children with special needs. Sarah's education and professional experience are equivalent to the requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in Early Childhood Education. Sarah is happy and excited to be part of the BAKS community.

Caroline Robinson has been with BAKS since November 2006. She grew up in the Bay Area but spent many summers and a few years in Switzerland, with cousins and family visiting and working. She attended San Francisco State University and majored in Art Education with a minor in Child Development. She has worked with children for 20 years in various preschools, taking breaks to go to the Peace Crops in Niger, Africa, and to start her own family. Caroline lives with her husband Vincent and her three children Shashoni, Maya and Dylan in El Cerrito. Dylan is attending the BAKS program.

Marietta Gelfort
started working at BAKS in 2008. She has been a German Speech Therapist since 2001. She completed her education at the School of Speech Therapy at the University Hospital of Saarland 2001. She has worked at an Interdisciplinary Office of Therapy for 2.5 years and after that at a Private Office of Speech Therapy for further 4.5 years. During her work as a speech therapist she practiced various therapy concepts in the field of child’s language development and the integration of musical aspects were an important part. Additionally, she managed workshops for bands and a vocal ensemble in terms of voice Training. Since October 2008 she has taught the Speech Melody Formation Class at BAKS and also worked as a Substitute Teacher. Marietta is currently taking ECE classes in California to become a certified preschool teacher.

Birgit Rulofs-Jones
was born in Munich and spent the first 7 1/2 years in Vancouver, Canada. After living in Munich for 15 years and earning her Bachelor in Economics, she came to California. As one of Bay Area Kinderstube's original founders, she is thrilled to be part of the preschool, whose teaching staff she joined in 2004. Birgit has assisted at various preschools in the past, including helping to set up the BAKS preschool in its early stages.  Birgit, who holds a child development permit, lives in Berkeley with her husband Carlton and her three sons, Myles, Julian and Finn. Her two youngest also attend the BAKS+ program.

Beatrix Lehmann
joined the BAKS staff in 2005 as a Teacher's Aid. In her native Austria she worked frequently as a camp counselor while attending the University of Economics. She also enjoys volunteering in the classroom of her older child. Beatrix lives with her husband John, and two children in Berkeley. Her son Kealan is a graduate of BAKS and is now enrolled in BAKS+. Her daughter Hayley graduated from BAKS this year and will also be attending BAKS+.

Heidi Gabriel Meyer
is a native of Germany who has lived in Berkeley for the past 25 years. Heidi has been with BAKS since the spring of 2005. She has had a varied professional career, including HVAC engineering and accounting. She has always enjoyed being with and caring for children, which she often did in Germany. She has been a Teacher's Aid at another local preschool for several years. Heidi enjoys the open atmosphere at BAKS, not to mention being able to use her mother tongue.