A Community of Passionate Educators and Learners in Geneva and French border area.
Olivia Gollain
Director, 3-6 educator
Olivia arrives at Mésanges in September 2023 following a vibrant and passionate journey. Olivia brings her joy, management skills and desire to accompany the team and the children in this new endeavor. After a wonderful 9 year experience in the creation and co-direction of the collège Montessori des Aiglons in Cruseilles , Olivia, passionate for all themes in education, returns to her original love for younger children as a freshly trained AMI 3-6 teacher. Olivia brings to Mésanges her diverse experiences with children and adults in various settings (sports, education, business, business start-up, non-profit management). Her additional diplomas in non-violent communication according to Thomas Gordon and science of education allows her to contribute to the fabric of Mésanges. Naturally passionate and passionate for nature, the mountains offer her and her family a frequent peaceful haven
Chantal Detournay
Founder/Pedagogical coordinator/3-6,6-12 Montessori teacher/Coach
The school is founded and managed by Chantal Detournay since 2009. She has a 3-6 diploma from IFMM, 6-12 diploma from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, a Master in Education from Duquesne University in the United States.
Chantal has 15 years of experience in international sales and marketing, and non-profit development. Passionate about yoga, she completes a 200 HTT ShivaShakti yoga in June 2019 with Charlotte Saint Jean and continues another 200 HTT with Julien Levy, is convinced by its well being impact on the children through movement, meditation, breathing techniques and connection to the self. She is also a professional coach and master NLP pratitioner to better support the children, the staff and parents.
Chantal is married and mother of two. She has lived in Belgium, France, and the United States.
Christine Vallée
6-12 educator
Christine is an AMI trained Elementary Assistant and a 6-12 Guide in training. An American who grew up on the beaches of Florida, she has worked in France for over 15 years as an English teacher. After having her two children she became interested in Montessori education and the philosophy of following the rhythm of the child. She decided to explore a whole new direction in teaching and fell in love with the pedagogy of Maria Montessori. Her passion for learning and observing the children’s development is combined with a love for creativity in the classroom. The peaceful philosophy of Montessori education brings great joy and pleasure to her daily life and she enjoys transferring this joy to the children through the work and play of the classroom.
Mathilde Genet
6-12 francophone educator
Mathilde is a French Montessori educator for the 6-12. After studying Cultural Animation, she went on to do a Masters in Education. A few years at UNESCO headquarters, working on international programmes, strengthened her passion for education but also reinforced her need to be as close as possible to children. She has now been working with them on a daily basis for 7 years, supporting their development. Amazed by her surroundings, Mathilde tries to share this enthusiasm by offering an education in which creativity and nature play a central role. Passionate about reading and writing, she likes to combine pleasure and discovery.
If she's not at school, you'll probably find her in the mountains, enjoying the beautiful region where she's been blossoming for the last 10 years.
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Samira Chelli
3-6 anglophone educator
Samira is a 3-6 AMI Guide. She graduated from the "Institut de Formation Maria Montessori" in Geneva.
She also has a Trilingual Assistant diploma and has worked as a Restaurant Manager all over the world.
She loves discovering new languages and cultures and has lived in a number of countries including the UK, Argentina, Australia and Uruguay.
Today she has decided to help build a better world and believes the Montessori Pedagogy is an ideal tool for this endeavour. As a guide she believes the key to education is to help guide and support each child in his/her natural development.
Maryline Dubois
3-6 Francophone educator
Maryline trained at the Indian Montessori Training Center Of Bangalore, where she resided for about 5 years. Prior to her Montessori diploma, Maryline has a master's in Management and Communication and has more than 10 years of experience in marketing and communication as director of marketing in different French and International companies.
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Passionate and invested, Maryline has always considered children's well being and Non-Violent Communication as essential. While in India, she volunteered in an NGO working with disadvantaged children, which has reinforced her choice to reorient her career and train to the Montessori pedagogy.
Mother of two, Maryline likes to travel and the openness of new experiences and meeting people. She also appreciates nature and being in the mountains.
Valentina Perri
3-6 assistant
Valentina discovers her passion for children while taking care of her little sister and playing with her mother's collegues' children.
In 2012, She obtains her high school diploma at the Small Children's Institute (Sociopsychopedagogical high school) . She pursues her bachelor's in communication, then completes with a master's in marketing. Valentina's passion and love for the children brings her closer to the Montessori Method as she completes the AMI Montessori assistant diploma. She continues to read and explore children's development. Valentina is full of joy, energy and patience that she puts at the service of Mésanges.