STAFF

One of the many beauties of Montessori education is that it provides the child with a foundation that evolves into a life-long love of learning. What many parents do not know is that for a teacher, Montessori is a life-long learning experience. Through professional development programmes, seminars and conferences, Montessori guides are continuously expanding their knowledge and learning new ways of guiding the children in their classroom.

It is this openness to new information that creates the wonderfully supportive atmosphere in a Montessori classroom, where teachers are guides and observers who recognise that the classroom is a scientific laboratory filled with love for the child, and that learning happens through a respect for new as well as old knowledge and proven facts. As the children mature, and because of their Montessori experience, they too will be open to learning new information. They will be able to weigh up that information with an open mind and to determine whether it is fact or fantasy.

Our teachers at Montessori House Brussels are fundamental to creating the right environment for your children. Find out who they are below.

Marcel van Ratingen

Marcel van Ratingen is the director of Montessori House Brussels. He combines management of the school with teaching and is able to create learning experiences for the children, for the staff and for himself.

Marcel graduated from the Pedagogical Academy of Maastricht (The Netherlands) in 1976 as an elementary teacher. The same year he started his teaching career in a small Dutch town called Ede. He became head of a state-owned primary school in 1988, which he in time transformed into a Montesssori school. He graduated as a Montessori teacher (Casa dei Bambini and Elementary) in 1996 from the ‘Nederlandse Montessori Vereniging’.

Looking for new horizons he moved to London to gain experience in the English educational system. In 2001 he moved to Brussels, working in several Montessori schools. In 2006 he co-founded Montessori House Brussels close to the current address of the school. Seeing the need to expand, the school moved into the current building in 2016. It is with great pleasure that Marcel guides children and teachers, in order to create a wonderful environment at Montessori House Brussels.

“I don’t need to teach anything to the children; it is they who placed in a favourable environment, teach me.” Dr. M. Montessori

Amra Haseljic

Amra Haseljic is from Bosnia and Herzegovina but has spent most of her adult life in Rome where the Montessori method was born. She holds a degree in Modern Foreign Languages and has specialised in early childhood education, completing a master’s degree in education from the University of Roma Tre and the Centre for Montessori Studies. Her proficiency in child education was recognised by MoMo, an Italian quarterly Montessori magazine: in 2015 she authored an article titled ‘Introducing cultural differences to children through a variety of Montessori activities’.

Amra has worked in various childcare settings, including caring and educating young infants in Montessori creches and assisting immigrant children with leukaemia. In September 2016, she joined Montessori House Brussels becoming a valued member of the teaching staff.

In 2020, after more than twenty years of building experience in early childhood education, Amra was asked to become part of management, thus strengthening the governing body of the school. To deepen her expertise in Montessori education, Amra pursued the AMI course for Montessori guide in early childhood education, which she completed in July 2022.

Currently, alongside being a teacher, she actively participates in managing Montessori House Brussels, sharing her extensive knowledge and experience with colleagues and children. In her free time Amra enjoys cooking, music, cinema, and travelling. Amra firmly believes that ‘The hand is the instrument of the intelligence’ (M. Montessori).

Marion Vauclin

Marion Vauclin grew up in France in a large family where she was the oldest child. She studied management at ESSEC business school and came to Belgium in 2010 to start a career in digital communications. During about 12 years spent on corporate projects she learnt a lot about herself: her passion to lead project teams, with ambition but also care and justice, and her love to see people grow and blossom in their professional environment.

Destiny made her cross Maria Montessori’s work and as from that moment, she considered a profound carrier change: to work on children’s development rather than digital platforms’ development. She is convinced that the positive impact on society will be bigger!

She joined the AMI 3-6 course that started in 2020 in Brussels at the International Montessori Training Center. Diving into Montessori’s pedagogy just reinforced her will to reorientate herself towards a Montessori guide position. She graduated in July 2022 and happily joined Montessori House Brussels in September 2022.

Marion is also a great musician, with a passion for classical music. Since the age of 6, she has been regularly involved in amateur and professional opera spectacles. But you may hear her voice in other circumstances: to celebrate life, nature, God’s love… and of course you will see her singing with the children!

Iva Petrova

Iva Petrova was born in Bulgaria and raised in Spain. While studying Business at university, a student exchange in Beijing unexpectedly introduced her to teaching English to children—a role she found immediately rewarding. What began as a short-term experience evolved into two enriching years working with young learners.

Back in Europe, Iva earned a degree in International Business Management from ICHEC Brussels Management School and entered the field of international trade. Yet, her passion for education and working with children remained a constant. She continued teaching private English lessons and volunteered with associations supporting children from challenging family or social backgrounds.

Motherhood deepened her interest in child development and led her to the Montessori approach, which deeply resonated with her both as a parent and educator. This discovery marked a turning point, inspiring a full career shift. She became an AMI-certified Montessori guide for the 3–6 age group, embracing the joy, creativity, and purpose the work brings.

Iva is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment where children feel safe, confident, and free to learn at their own pace. She is committed to her ongoing growth within the Montessori community and to supporting each child’s unique development with care and respect.

Chiara Simonini

Chiara Simonini was born in Italy and moved to the UK at age nine. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Development Studies at the London School of Economics in London, she moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she worked for several years for an international organisation set up to oversee the post-war institutional reconstruction of the country. A highly fulfilling experience she will treasure forever.

In 2006, she moved to Brussels and chose to devote her time to raising her three children. While doing that, she nurtured her life-long interest in photography by taking a degree course in it. She also indulged her creativity in old crafts such as stained-glass window making, needle felting and crochet.

Through her children’s early school years, she experienced different education methods. Through friends, she then became acquainted with Maria Montessori’s philosophy, which really appealed to her. She thus decided to take the AMI 3-6 Assistants course in London to learn more about it. The course was an eye-opener. She was fascinated by the way Montessori’s philosophy revolved around supporting the development of independence in children. Physical independence initially, followed by independence of thought, needed to become confident, self-sufficient, and altruistic adults who are ready to give back to the world. Wanting to follow Montessori’s thought on the further development of the child, she then joined London’s AMI 6 to 12 Assistants course. Fascinated by the theory and eager to delve into the detail, she finally decided to take the full AMI 3 to 6 diploma course in Delft in 2021-2022. With that degree in hand, and armed with her love for early childhood, she now looks forward to continuing her work with our children at Montessori House Brussels.

Megan Rosiek

Megan Rosiek is a trained teacher from the United States, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and an AMI diploma, which she completed in December 2023. She discovered Montessori while student teaching during university and was immediately drawn to the respect, autonomy, and hands-on learning at the heart of the Montessori approach.

Since then, Megan has taught in a variety of international and bilingual schools, working with culturally diverse student populations. In alignment with the Montessori quote, “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed,” Megan focuses on fostering student agency, emotional wellbeing, and a love of learning. She finds true joy in celebrating her students’ discoveries alongside them.

Committed to creating an inclusive and empowering environment, Megan aims to guide children as they grow into confident, compassionate, and capable individuals.

Marie-Mai El Hadj-Rondreux

Marie-Mai El Hadj-Rondreux is of French origin and moved to Brussels in 2012. She is married and a mom of a little girl born in 2016. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a diploma in foreign languages (English and Spanish). She worked as a nanny in the USA for 1 year; back in Europe she worked in the tourism field. A few years later she went back to the States to volunteer for an NGO based in the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York. After that wonderful human experience, she realised she wanted to dedicate her life to children.

She discovered the Montessori pedagogy in the USA. Its respectful approach to children, the way it allows them to work freely and develop their skills and curiosity for the world autonomously immediately seduced her. She says, “Through this pedagogy we really learn to respect the pace and personality of each child and help them to gain self-esteem and confidence”.

She decided to follow the 3-6 Montessori training course at AMI centre in Paris in 2011 after which she had her first experience as a Montessori teacher in a school near Paris. She joined Montessori House Brussels in September 2012. She has been greatly enjoying working as a Montessori teacher ever since. Marie-Mai loves arts, especially drawing and painting. She enjoys travelling and is involved in a volunteering project in Africa that promotes education through arts, reading and playful activities.

Cherine Burgess

Cherine Burgess, originally from South Africa, moved to Belgium in 2008. She is married and a proud mother of three children who have started their own families, blessing her with four wonderful grandchildren.

Cherine was first introduced to Montessori pedagogy in South Africa for her oldest son. Holding a bachelor’s degree in education and an International Marketing diploma, she dedicated her first two years in Belgium to guiding her children as they integrated and studied in a new language. In 2010, she decided to follow her passion for early years education and completed the 3-6 Montessori course at AMI London.

In 2012, Cherine joined Montessori House Brussels while still completing her studies. After qualifying, she remained with us until February 2020. During her short absence, she spent valuable time with her grandchildren. However, by November 2023, Cherine could not stay away any longer and rejoined Montessori House Brussels.

Cherine looks forward to guiding each child’s unique strengths and interests, assisting them in taking responsibility for their own learning.

Sébastien Doligé

Sébastien Doligé grew up in France and settled in Brussels in 2008. He lives with his wife and their son and daughter. After studying History and Political Science at university in France and at the College of Europe, he worked for 12 years in the field of energy and environment at the European Commission and for an international trade association.

While wondering about his role as a parent before the birth of his son, Sébastien discovered active pedagogies and the writings of Maria Montessori. He was seduced by the importance given to respecting the child’s natural rhythms. This decisive encounter, coupled with an old desire for teaching, convinced him to make a career change and embark on a series of training courses in pedagogy. Sébastien studied at Sophie Rabhi’s Children’s Farm and at the Maria Montessori training center in France, where he obtained the AMI assistant diploma for the Children’s House (3-6 years) in 2018 and the AMI Teacher diploma in 2021. In parallel, he also trained in Non-Violent Communication.

Sébastien joined Montessori House Brussels as a guide in September 2020. Since then, he has been supporting children as best as he can in their experiences, their questions and their discoveries.

Sébastien is passionate about music – he is a drummer and percussionist.

Ornella Riesen

Originally from France and raised in a Franco-Peruvian family, Ornella is passionate about active pedagogies and the creation of meaningful learning environments. She entered the field of education through pedagogical innovation in business schools in Brittany and Paris, where she helped design and support new ways of learning for international students.

Her interest gradually shifted toward childhood education. She trained in practical philosophy for children and began working in a public elementary school in Paris, where she facilitated spaces for expression, dialogue, and critical thinking.

Deeply inspired by the Montessori approach, she completed the AMI 6–12 assistant training (2022) and later pursued the AMI 3–6 guide training (2023) from the Institut Supérieur Maria Montessori in Paris. She has since worked in bilingual Montessori environments in Rennes, Paris, and Copenhagen, as well as volunteered in a Montessori school in northern Peru.

In 2023, she co-founded Le Cercle des Professionnels Montessori, a Francophone association dedicated to peer learning among Montessori educators.

A long-time yoga practitioner, she completed a yoga teacher training in Thailand in 2024. She integrates movement, breath, and mindfulness into her daily practice with children, supporting emotional regulation, body awareness, and inner balance.

Guided by Montessori’s vision of education as “an aid to life,” Ornella adopts a posture of attentive observation and trust in the child’s inner guide, nurturing their development with presence, patience, and joy.
She looks forward to joining Montessori House Brussels and contributing her passion and experience to the development of the children.

Françoise Ral-Kesler

Brussels-born Françoise Ral-Kesler finished her study in psycho-pedagogy in the early eighties, after which she worked for several years in Belgian state schools. Later, combining this with working in the police force, she has raised three children. Because of her kind, gentle and caring character she was asked to look after people who were in need of care, which she did with great compassion. Throughout the years, while working in retail, Françoise enjoyed tutoring children after their school hours, and when she became part of Montessori House Brussels in 2016, she rediscovered her desire to be with children and to guide them.

It didn’t take her long to decide to follow the Montessori course for children of 3 to 6 years in Luxembourg, and she now enjoys every minute being a Montessori guide in our school.  Working in an environment totally dedicated to the needs of the child and helping them to become independent human beings, is Françoise’s ultimate wish.

Bhu Venkatesan

Bhu Venkatesan is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, serving the school as a consultant since 2013 and offers school observations, clinical assessments, therapy, parent-teacher support and in-house workshops. She has a Masters in Occupational Therapy (with a specialization in Paediatrics) and professional certifications as Remedial Teacher for Dyslexia, Vedic maths teacher and Children’s Yoga Teacher. Apart from her private practice (Flowerpots, one of the first Sensory clinics in Brussels), she also liaises with many schools on different platforms, to help kids in their school settings. In her 15+ years of clinical experience, her core principles have always been Early intervention and Holistic therapy, where she successfully treats the ‘whole’ child!

“Paediatrics is my Passion and that’s what I invest in my occupassional therapy when I work with my kids,” says Bhu.

Ollie

On 10^th June 2018 Ollie Wheatenheaven was born in Argelès-sur-Mer, daughter to mother Havane and father Irwing. She is one of five puppies who grew up blissfully in the French countryside. When she was 12 weeks old, she moved to Brussels, becoming part of Marcel’s household and school. Undergoing Montessori education and otherwise she turned into a wonderful companion, respectful, always hungry and trying her best to defend her environment at home and at school. She has learned plenty of words in different languages and likes to be challenged using her incredible nose. She enjoys making her own choices (age appropriate) and receiving cuddles and careful caresses. Marcel takes her to school every day, where she spends time in his office and school garden after having greeted the children and parents during morning drop-off; adorable!