Our Team
Susan (Sue) Wernhoff
I was born in Nottingham, England in 1966. After leaving school in 1984, I went to university in Salford and Manchester to study primary teaching. I did my placement year at a primary school in Derbyshire, where I then spent another year teaching a class of 5-6 year olds. I then moved to London where I worked as a teacher of a pre-school class (4-5 year olds) in Ealing. After meeting my husband, who is German, I moved to Germany where I continued to work as a teacher, both with adults and children. Here I taught English as a foreign language as well as Business English. Before joining Pelita's Kindergarten, I worked as a substitute teacher at the primary school in Arnum (Hemmingen) for 5 years, teaching all subjects of the primary curriculum. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with young children again in my mother tongue and in a pre-school environment. It is very fulfilling to teach children a foreign language when they are at a very receptive age.
Kerstin Thrift
My name is Kerstin Thrift and I was born in Hannover in 1963. After my A-Levels I studied psychology in Trier, Manchester and Bielefeld. After graduating I worked as a research assistant at the university of Manchester and later in the psychosomatic department of Hannover Medical School.
After that I lived in England for several years and returned to Germany in 1990. My husband is English and our three sons grew up bilingual. Back in Germany I worked in adult education and for a translation agency. My children are grown up now but I still enjoy working with young children and I also had further education in training and teaching young children. Pelita‘s Kindergarten is a wonderful opportunity to work with young children and I love contributing to the implementation of this special pre-school concept.
Bayram Ekinci
My name is Bayram Ekinci. I was born and raised in Walsrode in 2004. In 2013, I moved to Hanover, where I now live and work.
I realized early on how much I enjoyed working with children. Through several internships in the social sector, I was able to deepen and expand this interest.
After graduating from high school, I successfully completed my training as a social worker. I really enjoy working with children, especially because I can support and encourage them in their development. Empathy, patience, and a passion for my work are what set me apart.
Pelita Roberts
I was born in 1961 in Akrotiri, Cyprus. I spent my school years in a private boarding school in the south of England because my parents were in Africa on business. I then went to beauty school in London and worked in Bahrain, Dubai and on cruise ships. In 1987 I moved to Hanover where I worked as an au pair for a year to learn the German language. From 1988 to 1995 I worked as a beautician.
I had my two sons in 1995 and 1999, and with bilingual education I quickly realised the advantages this offers children in life. In 2001 I started a language school for children. Working with children in English gave me a lot of new experiences. This gave me the idea and motivation to open Pelita's English Kindergarten in Hemmingen in 2007.
