Forest's Kita Alte departing leadership: Susanne Witte-Siegfried steps down from her role
In a heartwarming celebration filled with music, food, and around 100 guests, Susanne Witte-Siegfried, the long-standing director of the Pestalozzi-Kita at the School in the Old Forest, bid farewell to her beloved kindergarten after 33 years of dedicated service.
Susi, as she is affectionately known, founded the parents' association in 1988 to run a kindergarten in two rented rooms on the school grounds. Over the years, her vision for a holistic, child-centered kindergarten, inspired by Swiss pedagogue Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, transformed the Pestalozzi-Kita into a beacon of early childhood education.
The celebration, organised by the school principal, Andreas Wiedemann, and her successor, Patrick Voß, featured performances by several artists, including Harburger Ohnsorg star Sandra Keck and pianist Stefan Hiller. Susi was surprised by her own farewell on Thursday in the school's auditorium.
Thomas, Susanne Witte-Siegfried's husband, was expected to take her out to dinner on Thursday evening, unaware of the special event that was unfolding. The handover of leadership from Susi to Patrick Voß will occur this summer.
Patrick Voß, who will take over as the director of the Kita, expressed his gratitude for Susi's dedication and her openness to new ideas and approaches. Under her leadership, the Kita was equipped with new, modern rooms and expanded to include a nursery. The Pestalozzi Foundation Hamburg was sought and found as a competent partner for the long-term operation of the Kita.
Susanne Witte-Siegfried has been the heart and soul of the Kita Alte Forst, steering it through turbulent times into new waters. Her team, always coming up with new ideas, has brought her vision of a good kindergarten to life.
As Susi embarks on a new adventure with her husband on a sailing ship, the Pestalozzi-Kita at the School in the Old Forest looks forward to continuing its successful work under the guidance of Patrick Voß. The legacy of Susanne Witte-Siegfried, however, will undoubtedly live on in the lives of the countless children who have benefited from her dedication to early childhood education.
Susi's legacy, rooted in a holistic, child-centered education inspired by Pestalozzi, extends beyond the Pestalozzi-Kita, influencing the lifestyle and education-and-self-development of countless children. As Susi navigates a new home-and-garden adventure on a sailing ship, the Kita's other lifestyle transformation – with modern rooms and a nursery – continues under Patrick Voß, maintaining its status as a beacon of early childhood education.
