The clubs’ activities begin every October and they provide an ideal environment in which children can nurture their social skills and confidence.

The educational material is adapted to experiential learning, play, discovery, and differentiation which make learning enjoyable for the children! The enriched learning, the modern pedagogical methods based on the “International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme”, the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” (H. Gardner, Harvard University), and the advanced methods of knowledge transfer, create a learning environment that increases the children’s abilities and skills.
Entertaining activities, experiments, and role-playing, help the children discover and cultivate their multiple intelligences and talents. STEM, physical education, music, foreign languages, emotional education, philosophy, science, mathematics and art, compose our programme.
And all this in the bilingual environment of an IB World School!
The clubs’ activities begin every October and they provide an ideal environment in which children can nurture their social skills and confidence.
Maria Sanozidou, affectionately known to the children as Frau Maria, is an experienced educator whose journey in teaching began in Germany, where she pursued her passion for education and the arts. For her, children’s learning and the world of art are inseparable. Over the years, she has participated in numerous seminars and courses, continually enriching her knowledge and teaching practice.
Her philosophy centers on infusing the magic of art into education — introducing young minds to inspiring artists, diverse techniques, and the captivating history of art movements. This approach nurtures creativity, sharpens skills, and encourages children to express themselves with confidence and imagination.
This year marks an exciting new chapter, as Miss Annie continues her Ph.D. studies in Fine Arts in London. Frau Maria will continue the after-school art programme, working closely with Miss Annie to design an engaging and innovative curriculum that sparks each child’s artistic curiosity.
Through the “Be an ARTist” Lab, students will explore a wide range of art activities such as drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and mixed media. They will learn about the fundamental elements of art — line, shape, color, texture, space, and value — and how to combine them to create expressive, imaginative works.
By the end of the course, our young artists will have built a vibrant portfolio of their own creations — artworks they will be proud to sign, display, and share. Together, they will embark on a joyful and inspiring artistic journey, exploring the endless possibilities of creativity.
Evan Chinis, the Coding & STEM Coordinator, has been teaching at DES for many years, inspiring young minds through coding and LEGO-STE(A)M.
As coordinator of the DES Elite STEM Class, he has led DES teams to the STEM Olympiad finals in The Hague and Barcelona, where our school proudly won world medals.
Evan believes in the power of early science learning, helping children explore real-world problems, model constructions, and investigate phenomena. His hands-on approach goes beyond the curriculum, fostering creativity, teamwork, and innovation.
Frau Maria Sanozidou was born in Germany and from a very young age she knew the profession that suited her! She wanted to be with children, to share their magical world… a world full of laughter and joy. She studied pedagogy and worked for several years in Germany before she moved to Greece and the colorful world of DES. With advanced students and beginners Frau Maria will embark on an interesting journey of knowledge full of fun.
Mania Armeniliou graduated from the Greek French School “Jeanne & Arc” and then completed her university studies with a scholarship, obtaining her degree from the Department of French Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
She continued her studies by obtaining the Higher Diploma of French Studies Paris-Sorbonne C3. She continues to this day her further training with the aim of continuous improvement.
Mania has been working at DES for the last 12 years at all levels of education. For the last 2 years she is part of the group of certified IB teachers. The goal of the lesson is the experiential learning of French through educational and fun activities. Children come into contact with the sound of a foreign language and acquire knowledge through a playful process while strengthening their concentration and memory.
Tatiana Kutskova graduated from the State University of Saint Petersburg in Russia and taught Russian at the University of Birmingham in England. With extensive experience teaching the language in Greece, she has written and published her own original Russian language learning book. Tatiana offers engaging lessons for all levels, from beginners to bilingual children, filled with
laughter, fairy tale readings, and games in a vibrant and positive atmosphere!
Athanasios is a graduate of the European Taekwondo Union’s Training School, a C class taekwondo trainer, and holds a black belt 4th DAN WT.
Athanasios has attended seminars regarding nutrition, pedagogical approach and first aid (Lifeguard Hellas), champion’s techniques and
competitive WT.
His love for this sport began at the age of 8 and with persistence he soon became a championship level athlete with many Panhellenic and International medals. His experience as a trainer began in 2007. He had the opportunity to build strong foundations as he worked with renowned taekwondo coaches and later moved on to create the Taekwondo Athletic Club of Vari in 2014, of which he is head coach.
Athanasios has worked with children for many years, he is aware of a child’s needs and the primary goal is for the child to have a pleasant time during the lesson through the appropriate games and exercise adapted according to their age, thus giving him them necessary stimuli that will help them in their development as a person and as an athlete. Self-confidence and self-esteem, always combined with self-control, respect and discipline, are virtues necessary for today’s society, which makes Taekwondo a sport suitable for everyone!
Machi Doriza is a graduate with a first prize in a piano diploma. She is a soloist and an A piano teacher and teaches “introduction to music” to our little friends for the last 20 years taking part in concerts in Greece and abroad.
She works at the National Conservatory and other music schools. She is a member of the Greek Pianists and EEMAPE. She organises concerts, choral performances as well as performances of small groups and also takes part in concerts at the Athens Concert Hall.
The aim of the lesson is for the children to discover the music within them.
Kathy Tsoga graduated from the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Patras, also participating in an Erasmus programme at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. She recently completed her Master’s degree at the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Ioannina, specializing in Social and Emotional Learning. In addition, Kathy is a trained musician, holding degrees in piano and harmony, as well as a ballet diploma.
With over ten years of experience in education, Kathy has developed a strong passion for theatrical play. She has gained extensive knowledge and expertise through numerous seminars on theatre, dramatic play, improvisation, movement and rhythm pedagogy, and dramatization, as well as by directing many school performances.
The many benefits of theatrical play — fostering cognitive, emotional, social, aesthetic, and educational development — combined with her love for theatre, inspire Kathy to share this experience with children. There is nothing more magical for a child than bringing a drawing to life, flying across a sheet of paper, or piloting a paper airplane — all without winners or losers, grades or competition, right or wrong — traveling together through familiar, unknown, and magical worlds.
Evangelia Kamnioti is a Physical Education teacher, graduate of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has also completed a professional development programme at the University of the Aegean, focusing on Special Education.
Since 2010, Evangelia has been working as a Physical Education teacher, and for the past eight years, she has been teaching gymnastics at the nursery and kindergarten of DES.
In our Mini Tennis programme, children will enjoy a fun and engaging sport while learning the many benefits of physical activity in early childhood. Through the lessons, they will develop motor skills, practice teamwork, and build social skills, all while having lots of fun and enjoying the excitement of movement.
Stories for children, written by children themselves! The “Miles and Soul” creative writing and illustration programme invites young minds to journey through magical worlds, sharpening their imagination, enhancing oral expression, and expanding vocabulary in the most fun and engaging way.
Through story reading, drawing, crafts, puppet theatre, and dramatization, children explore important values and life lessons, which are then discussed within the group. This process encourages freedom of expression, both in words and emotions, while fostering creativity and collaboration.
The ultimate result of this journey is a printed story, written and illustrated by the children themselves — a keepsake that will remain forever in our library, and most importantly, in our hearts.
The programme is led by Mania Armeliniou, an educator at DES for 17 years, children’s book author, and founder of the program, which also takes place in remote islands across Greece, supporting schools in hard-to-reach areas.
We believe that the youngest authors often have the biggest ideas, and we invite all children to join our creative writing group. After all, every story starts with a single idea…
Alexandra Liapi has been a dedicated kindergarten teacher at our school for the past 19 years. From an early age, she knew that her true calling was to work with children — a passion that guided her studies in Early Childhood Education. With years of experience and deep commitment to her work, she strives every day to build relationships of trust, love, and respect, encouraging children to discover the world around them in creative and meaningful ways.
This year, she is delighted to also take on the role of Instructor for Messy Play, an exciting new activity that offers children the opportunity for free expression, creativity, and sensory exploration through play with a variety of materials. At the same time, she continues to enrich her expertise by attending seminars and professional development courses, ensuring that each session provides children with high-quality, thoughtfully designed sensory experiences.
Ivi is a dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer. She studied at the Rallou Manou Professional Dance School and has attended numerous specialized seminars. Her choreographic and performance work spans dance, theatre, and puppetry, with performances presented at festivals both in Greece and abroad.
Her Modern Dance class begins in a circle, where rhythm exercises help students connect with their bodies and with one another as a group. Through imaginative stories and a wide range of musical styles, students explore diverse dance forms such as hip-hop, musical theatre, and contemporary dance.
Play is an essential part of each lesson — a powerful tool for expanding movement possibilities and fostering creativity. The goal is to help children develop their motor skills while connecting the body with emotion, imagination, space, music, objects, and teamwork.
I was born in Germany. My father was a mechanical engineer, and my mother an interpreter of languages. From a young age, I loved to learn! I finished school in Kastella and university in Thessaloniki and Germany, where I completed my thesis at the Department of Psychology at Otto Friedrich Universität Bamberg. I have worked in the field of education since 1989. During my career, I developed an intense activity in research activities, assignments, seminars and conferences in pedagogy and psychology with a specialization in emotional and multiple intelligences. DES is the result of this long and arduous journey. DES is the school where children love to be themselves and love to learn!
Regulations are important as they help a school establish rules and procedures and create standards of quality for learning and safety. Rules provide a sense of predictability and consistency for children, thereby promoting physical and emotional safety. Rules help guide actions toward desired results
Policy for the prevention and combating of violence and harassment at work