Meet the Team
Séverine – Pedagogical Lead
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“The journey is the destination” for Séverine, who follows nature paths - through the forests or along gurgling streams. When not exploring such paths on foot, you will find her pedalling her bicycle in similar environments, albeit at greater speed! The great outdoors has lots to offer, and spending time in nature helps Séverine wind down and re-charge her energy. Between Spring and Autumn she also spends much time in the garden, tending to plants and observing their growth. It is also in the garden where Séverine observes her beloved tortoises enjoy basking in the sunshine and munching dandelion leaves. Sometimes her cats watch them too!
Séverine’s wild side also emerges in form of commitment and persistence when she is convinced of a project or calling, such as with the Wild.Kind. Playschool. Seemingly limitless energy appears on tap to achieve the very best she can, and to never stand still.
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As a childcare professional it is of utmost importance to Séverine to allow children to be children. Childhood, in her opinion, is an exceptionally important phase, during which body and spirit should be allowed to develop with as little pressure as possible.
By allowing children to be children and to play freely, children learn important life skills and therewith lay the foundations for their later life. With the freedom to discover their preferences, to pursue them, and through spending time in a familiar, warm-hearted and safe care environment, children are enabled in their development to healthy, resilient individuals.
At Wild.Kind.
Under her care, Séverine’s priority is to provide children with such an environment, and to build individual relationships with each child. As the pedagogical lead at the playschool, Séverine’s set focus is on creating an environment - with the entire team - where the children can grow, develop and keep on the move. She always has an open ear and open eyes for the children, the team, and of course the parents.
Her compassionate nature is key to her ability to build strong relationships with the children, which in turn helps her care competently and warm-heartedly for them during their time with us at the playschool. She greatly appreciates and takes seriously her responsibility in accompanying the kids through their individual stages of life.
Growing up.
Séverine grew up in Augst, in the canton of Basel-Land, where she still lives today. After two internships she completed her official three-year childcare qualification with commendation. She spent several years working as a group leader and trainer of apprentices at another nursery in Riehen, before her path led to Wild.Kind. Playschool at its inception.
Katia - Childcare Specialist
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Katia is fun-loving - in the truest sense of the word, a joyful bundle of energy. Walks in the great outdoors or just breathing in the fresh air brings Katia's freedom-striving nature into bloom. At the thought of being able to let off steam and move about freely in nature, she gets a warm and fuzzy feeling.
The childlike and adventurous spirit of Katia, which is deep rooted inside her, is expressed when amongst nature. Be it balancing on the curb, hunting for sticks or baking snake bread with her daughter in the forest.
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“Most people put off their childhood like an old hat. You forget them like a phone number that is no longer valid. They used to be children, then they became adults, but what are they now? Only someone who grows up and remains a child is a person ”.
This quote from Erich Kästner describes Katia's philosophy of life. In order to be able to lead a happy life, she follows the maxim of always remaining a child at heart.
As a cheerful, spirited and adventurous child, she was able to enjoy her childhood to the fullest. Her creative streak runs like a red thread through her development. She remembers the painting and handicrafts in her nursery, which she shared with her older sister. With the keyword “sharing” an important characteristic of Katia is addressed, which describes a crucial part of her values. She fondly remembers when she shared a picnic with her sister and leafed through magazines or went out into nature after a day at school. Whether with friends or alone, Katia loves to explore and feel the nature with all her senses. To feel the cold, slightly damp earth under your feet during a football game on the meadow, to smell the fresh and flowery scent of the spring wind, still invigorates her mind today.
At Wild.Kind.
Grateful for a carefree childhood, Katia would like to accompany the children in the playschool in this incredibly valuable phase of life and to pass this sense of being carefree onto the children as best as she can.
Together with the team, she would like to offer the children at Wild.Kind an atmosphere in which they feel comfortable. It is particularly important for her to focus on the uniqueness of each child and that the team at the playschool can respond individually to the development of them. She regards this individuality as an enrichment for life. Katia empathetically pays her attention to the children, but also the parents and team members. She is happy to support them from the bottom of her heart.
Thanks to her in-depth training, Katia has a wide range of specialist knowledge, which she integrates into everyday life and her work with the children. Amongst all the other qualities that the children like about her, they particularly appreciate her sensitivity.
Growing up.
Katia was born and raised in Möhlin (AG) and is used to life in nature and in the country. Later, she decided to move to Riehen and gain her first experience in childcare (forest playgroup). She then completed her training as a Childcare Specialist in Basel and has worked in various daycare centres. She is investing her heart and soul into Wild.Kind. Playschool.
Irene - Childcare Specialist
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Irene spent her childhood almost exclusively outdoors in nature. With the neighbourhood children, she passionately jumped across wild little streams, climbed trees, played hide-and-seek and always brought home one or two little animals.
This «Bullerbü» childhood has shaped her to this day. She still spends as much time as possible outdoors hiking, cycling, working in the garden or reading and relaxing.
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Children have always been very important to Irene. She is enthusiastic about their honest attitudes. Her fundamentally open and curious nature and her approach to discovering the world are exemplary. All of us, at some point in our lives should revert back to a child like state, embodying the innocence and imagination that each child holds, which provides us the tools to communicate on a deeper level with them.
At Wild. Kind.
With her training, Irene embarked on an exciting journey to understanding children right from the beginning. Because children are very important to her, Irene would like to contribute to Wild.Kind. to promote and preserve this valuable treasure.
Growing up.
Irene grew up in a small village in Wiesental (D) with her three brothers. After completing her training, Irene traveled our impressive world with her backpack for a year and met wonderful people from different cultures, who never ceased to amaze her.
"Every beginning has its own magic", according to Herman Hesse - this has become a life paradigm for her.
Milena - Childcare Specialist
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Milena doesn't have a driver's license and can be found everywhere on her bike - not an e-bike, but a muscle bike ;)!
As a teenager, she took a trip with her sister from Basel over the Brünig Pass to Bern. She also rode her bike in Portland, Oregon (West Coast USA), where she lived for over 15 years. One reason why Portland became her heart's home is because of the population’s enthusiasm for cycling.
She likes to travel with her husband and son from time to time: simply on foot to the Chrischona, with a day ticket to the Rigi or to Ticino.
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"Connection before correction" is a training topic that has always worked for Milena in her relationship with children. Empathy comes first. It's not always about agreeing, but above all about understanding what's behind different situations and reactions that arise every day, at work and in relationships with children. Connecting with children with humor, laughing together, chatting and learning about the world together are all important building blocks of a good relationship for Milena. Of course, this and much more also helps in the relationship and in raising of her own young son.
At Wild.Kind.
Milena has been working as a childcare specialist in the group since September 2022. She completed her education in Portland (Bachelor in Early Childhood Education and Child Family Studies) and has mainly worked as an English-speaking educator in Portland, as well as in Basel. She looks forward to continuing to form closer relationships with the children, and also to discovering and learning to respect nature together with them. It is also important to her that the children learn to treat other children with kindness and to appreciate one another. For Milena, at Wild. Child. the children and the carers form a team that goes through life together and finds solutions together.
Growing up.
Milena was born in Basel and grew up in Riehen as the eldest of 4 children. Her family took care of some foster children during her childhood and adolescence and from an early age she was a little mother/big sister to all siblings and foster siblings. After a gap year in California, where she learnt American English, she settled in Oregon, began her education and eventually completed it before meeting and later marrying her husband. Her son was also born in Oregon and speaks fluent Swiss German and English. To this day, Milena's sense of home is divided in love between Portland and Basel - her family settled in Riehen in 2021.
Cornelia - Paedagogical Assistant / Childcare Specialist
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Cornelia loves to spend her time by the water, in the water or in nature. One of her favorite pastimes is camping. In summer you can often find her at Lake Thun in one of the beautiful cafés right on the lake with a view of the mountains. She believes that strength is found in serenity.
Since she is also very interested in other cultures, she likes to travel. She would also like to experience paragliding soon - this is at the top of her bucket list.
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In an ever-changing world, it is becoming increasingly important to stop and live in the moment. Children should feel comfortable, which is why it is very important to Cornelia to take time for the children and to recognize their needs at an early stage of their development. Cornelia strongly believes that children should be allowed to be children, play, learn, be amazed, so that their individual interests can also be encouraged.
“Listen with ears of tolerance. See through the eyes of compassion. Speak the language of love” Rumi
Growing up.
Cornelia grew up in the beautiful town of Thun as the older of two children (she has a younger brother). After school, she lived in different places like Fribourg, Geneva, Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Frutigen and Heiligenschwendi, and at the age of 20 traveled to London as an au pair for 1.5 years. Her love of travel and adventure took her to New Zealand for a few years, then to Heidelberg in Germany, where she worked with young children in an daycare centre of an international institute.
After 9 years she moved to Melbourne, Australia, where her two children went to school. When her son proudly said after only three days at school “Look what I found on the playground today, Mom“ and then held a snake in his hand, she had to breathe deeply three times. Luckily it wasn't poisonous!
Cornelia later moved from Australia to Basel, where she worked in a bilingual daycare/primary school for a few years before she found her way to the Wild.Kind playschool.
Raluca - Paedagogical Assistant / Childcare Specialist in formation
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Playing in the rain, walking around barefoot, singing and laughing are the cornerstones of Raluca’s childhood. She spent almost all summer holidays with her grandparents. Picking fruit from the trees, planting vegetables and plants- seeing them grow and thrive are wonderful memories for Raluca to this day. She likes to remember the times when she did a lot of nonsense with her younger brother and the many cousins. She believes that every child should also be allowed to be "wild".
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"Every child is unique" - Raluca remains true to this motto. She herself was a bit shy and reserved as a child. That is why she thinks very highly of individual supervision of children. She strongly believes that children should develop their own personality, be allowed to express their own wishes and should also be allowed to be angry, defiant and sad. Children first have to learn how to deal with these feelings, and she is happy to offer loving support. As the mother of a daughter, she has also become much more aware of how important social contact are for children - both with other children and other loving caregivers.
At Wild.Kind.
Raluca joined Wild.Kind. because she noticed right away how well the concept and the team fit with her very own values and beliefs. She appreciates the well thought-out rituals, joint excursions in nature, healthy diet, and daily routines. Respectful interaction with each other and the family environment are also very important to her, which is why she is so happy to be at Wild.Kind. as part of the team.
Raluca has been supporting the team as a pedagogical employee for a year and feels comfortable in the team. She would like to grow her skillset and knowledge and is therefore completing a qualification as a specialist caregiver, as she has already worked as a childminder for a number of years and has also been active in other areas of education.
Raluca works with alot of joy and dedication. It is important for her to look after the children in a loving way and to offer them a framework that gives them structure. She is very sensitive when working with parents and looking after the children.
Growing up.
Raluca was born and raised in Romania. There she completed her high school diploma and pedagogical training in the field of music. She then emigrated to Spain with her family and lived and worked there for two years. Love then led her to Germany, and she is now happily married with one daughter. Family happiness felt complete with the additional of Luna, a golden retriever who joined the family just over year ago.