School principal and teacher class 1 and 2: Nicole Maasland

My name is Nicole Maasland and I have been teaching at De Madelief since September 2017.

I have also been a school leader since January 2018. I do this with great pleasure and passion for the profession. This together with a strong team of teachers at my side.

I have been working in education for a while now. In the Netherlands I have mainly been a teacher of lower and middle grades. That is where my expertise lies.

In the meantime I have been living in Dublin for 8 years with my husband and 3 daughters. We are very happy with this.

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Teacher class junior and senior infants: Gettje Nieuwenhuis

My name is Gettje Nieuwenhuis. I have been a nursery school teacher at De Madelief since the 2022/’23 school year. I really enjoy doing this! I have always had an affinity with younger children. For example, during my student days I worked at campsites as an activity leader for the little ones.

Before I started as a teacher at De Madelief, I occasionally helped out as a volunteer with the toddlers, with special activities. My own son has just outgrown the toddler phase, so the experience (as a mother) with a bilingual toddler is still fresh in my memory 🙂

In the summer of 2016 I moved to Ireland with my husband and son. We like it very much!

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Deputy principal and teacher class 3 and 4: Bertine Stuart

My name is Bertine Stuart and I have been involved with the school since De Madelief was founded (in 2015). I started as a teacher of group 1 & 2, taught group 7 & 8 and VO1 and 2 for a number of years, but now teach group 5 and 6. I do this with great pleasure.

Since this school year, I have been supporting school leader Nicole as an assistant school leader and I supervise the teachers in secondary education.

In the Netherlands, I completed the PABO and have worked in primary education in the Netherlands for a number of years, mainly in the middle and upper grades.

In the meantime, I have been living in Ireland, Wicklow Town, for 16 years, together with my husband and 2 children. In addition to working at the Dutch school, I have worked for a number of years as a group leader and manager at various daycare centers.

I enjoy my work at De Madelief and it is also great to be part of the Dutch community in Ireland through the school, together with my colleagues, the children and their parents.

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Teacher class 5 and 6: John Bekema

My name is John Bekema. I have been living in Dublin for 19 years with my Irish wife, whom I met during a backpacking trip through Australia and New Zealand. My daughter Maebh, started at De Madelief with great enthusiasm in May 2023.

During the week I work as a coach at a software company. In the Netherlands I have completed a teacher training course that focuses on the vmbo green (a broad education, where students learn in a context of plants, animals and food).

In my spare time I am busy as a supervisor at a local scouting club and for many years I have enjoyed volunteering at Dublin Zoo, where I acted as a point of contact for visitors and where I have provided birthday parties and guided tours. Hiking in nature is one of my other favorite activities, something that Ireland is ideally suited for! In the past I have also participated in long-distance hikes such as the Moylagh JFK 50 Mile Challenge in County Meath (1-day of 80 km).

I am very much looking forward to making a positive and valuable contribution to De Madelief in the coming period. A special school in the heart of Dublin where students learn the Dutch language in a professional and enjoyable way.

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Class assistent class 1 and 2; Marlou Boheemen

My name is Marlou van Boheemen, and since June 2024 I live in Dublin with my husband and two daughters. This school year I will start as a classroom assistant for group 3/4 and a substitute teacher at De Madelief. I get a lot of pleasure from working with children and have gained experience as a hockey trainer/coach for many years. In addition, I have previously worked at a NOB school.

I was born and raised in Delft, but studied at the VU in Amsterdam. After working in HR for several years and spending time caring for my children, I have decided to start a teacher training course in September. I am very much looking forward to starting this new chapter and meeting everyone.

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Hi, my name is Meredith Plug. I have been teaching in higher education (Philosophy) for many years and I have enjoyed this. I do this mainly in Dublin (UCD, DCU), but I have also taught in the Netherlands (in Leiden). My research area is philosophy of language with an interdisciplinary approach (for example, I also look a lot at psychological research on language acquisition, e.g. in children with autism). I also have experience teaching younger students through the CTYI (Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland) and as a substitute teacher in an English school.

Niall and I have lived in Dublin for over 10 years. Our daughter is nine years old and she goes to a Gaelscoil. The school has Irish as the main language, but of course I speak Dutch to her at home. I am looking forward to teaching through the Madelief and also to being more in touch with the Dutch community in Dublin through the Madelief.

Secondary teacher; Meredith Plug

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Teacher Secondary Education 2 and 3; Yannick Peters

Hi! My name is Yannick and I am the new teacher for VO2 and VO3.

I moved to Dublin in August 2024 for fun work opportunities for my partner and myself, and for my love of mountains and nature (and sheep). In the Netherlands I graduated in both the bachelor’s and the research master’s in Linguistics, which I hope to start working on in Dublin.

My passion for language goes hand in hand with my passion for teaching, which I have been able to do in the Netherlands for seven years under various circumstances, from homework guidance in secondary education to teaching in higher education.

I don’t have many selfies/formal passport photos. I will send two photos for you to choose from. If you are looking for something more similar to the others, I will continue looking.