Meet the School Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Janine Bonadimann

Principal and ADHD specialist

Janine is an experienced educator and school leader with over 20 years in Swiss kindergarten and primary education. She holds a Kindergarten Teaching Diploma from KGS St. Gallen, a CAS in School Leadership from the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, and is a certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator. Having served as both classroom teacher and Co-Schulleiterin, Janine brings a rare combination of teaching warmth and strategic leadership to her role. She is passionate about creating playful, structured learning environments where every child can find their place.

Barbara Eichenberger

Special education teacher and ADHD expert

Barbara is a specialist in special needs education with over two decades of experience supporting children with diverse learning profiles. She holds a Kindergarten Teaching Diploma from the Kantonales Seminar Brugg, a Diploma in Schulische Heilpädagogik, and a Master of Arts in Special Needs Education from the Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik Zürich. Her expertise spans the assessment and support of children with learning differences, and she is dedicated to building inclusive, nurturing environments where every learner can flourish.

Ceanna Madden

Award-winning Sek I teacher, gifted and 2e specialist

Ceanna is an award-winning educator and neurodiversity advocate with a background spanning geography, teaching, and technology. She holds a BSc in Physical Geography from Durham University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education Leadership from Northumbria University (Teach First), and is a UK Qualified Teacher. Rated Outstanding by Teach First, Ceanna has a particular passion for supporting students with invisible disabilities and special educational needs, and brings creative, evidence-based approaches to every classroom.

Fabienne Seunig

Primary Teacher (German)

Fabienne is a Swiss-trained primary school teacher with a Bachelor of Arts from the Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen, where she also completed a qualification in Musikalische Grundschule (MGS). She has taught across a range of primary year groups in both state and bilingual school settings, including Lakeside School Horgen, and brings a warm, child-centred approach to her classroom. Fabienne believes deeply in accompanying each child individually on their learning journey, creating a space where curiosity is celebrated, strengths are made visible, and every child feels safe, accepted, and heard.

Michael Sutton

Primary Teacher (English)

Michael is a British-born primary and EAL educator with over 25 years of international teaching experience across the UK and Switzerland. He holds a BA in Linguistics and Sociology from the University of Manchester, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Wolverhampton, and a Cambridge/RSA TEFL certificate. Having taught at bilingual schools in Switzerland for nearly two decades, Michael brings a deep understanding of language acquisition and intercultural learning, with a particular gift for storytelling and making literacy come alive for young learners.

Elizabete "Betty" Smildzin

Assistant Teacher, gifted and 2e specialist

Elizabete (Betty) is a researcher, educator, and movement specialist whose work sits at the intersection of anthropology, wellbeing, and inclusive education. She holds a First-Class BA and a Distinction-level MA in Social Anthropology from Durham University, and is currently completing an ESRC-funded PhD exploring how young people navigate professional employment. A certified Yoga Alliance teacher and aerial circus instructor, Betty brings a holistic perspective to learning, specialising in supporting neurodivergent children through movement, creativity, and individualised mentoring.

Arisa Meli

Subject Teacher

Arisa is a qualified pharmacist and licensed natural sciences teacher whose career spans Japan, New Zealand, the UK, France, and Switzerland. She holds a dual degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Education from KINDAI University, Osaka, including a Japanese state licence as a pharmacist and a Gymnasiallehrerdiplom in Natural Sciences. With over a decade of academic coaching experience in Switzerland — and a 100% pass rate for students she has prepared for Matura and university entrance exams — Arisa brings strong MINT expertise, multilingual fluency, and a structured yet empathetic teaching style to every learner she supports.

Sebastian Meli

Subject Teacher

Sebastian is a future secondary school teacher currently completing his Bachelor's in Secondary Education at the Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern, with a strong foundation in the natural sciences from his studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zürich. A native speaker of both Swiss German and Japanese, he has already gained practical classroom experience as a substitute teacher at Sek1March in Lachen. Sebastian brings intellectual curiosity, multilingual versatility, and a calm, structured approach to supporting students on their learning journey.

Meet the In-house Expert

Med. Dr. Christine Kuhn

Specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

Dr. Christine Kuhn is a specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy with more than 20 years of experience supporting gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) learners. She combines deep clinical and diagnostic expertise with an understanding of the unique emotional and cognitive needs of high-potential and 2e children.

Before joining Swiss Open Leaf Academy, Dr. Kuhn led diagnostic and therapeutic programmes at the University Psychiatric Clinics Zurich (KJPP/PUK) and co-founded YouthinMind, a digital platform for evidence-based child mental-health diagnostics. She is trained in several evidence-based therapeutic methods and teaches at the University of Zurich on intelligence diagnostics, psychotherapy, and digital mental-health innovation.

At SOLA, Dr. Kuhn brings together research, therapy, and education to ensure that gifted learners receive the understanding and support they need to thrive intellectually, emotionally, and socially.

Jobs: join us on this journey

Swiss Open Leaf Academy is taking shape, and we are seeking dedicated teachers to help us bring our vision to life.

Who We Are

Swiss Open Leaf Academy (SOLA) is a newly founded private school in Pfäffikon SZ, opening its doors in August 2026. We are built on the conviction that gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) children deserve an education that truly fits them — one that challenges them intellectually, supports them emotionally, and sees them as whole people.

Our school is designed for cognitively exceptional learners, including those who are profoundly gifted, twice-exceptional, or who have gone unseen or underserved in mainstream education. We create small, intentional learning environments where high-potential children can finally thrive — not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.

Our Educational Philosophy

· Strength-based: We build on what each child does well, not just what needs fixing
· Holistic: We value cognitive, emotional, social, and creative development equally
· Inquiry-led: Learning is driven by curiosity, depth, and real questions
· Relational: Strong, trusting relationships between teachers and students are the foundation of everything we do
· Individual: Every child has a unique learning profile and deserves an education that reflects that

What We Offer

· The rare opportunity to be a founding teacher and genuinely shape a school's identity, culture, and curriculum
· Small classes that allow for real individual attention and meaningful relationships
· A motivated, collaborative team of people who take education seriously and support each other
· An open, innovative environment where good pedagogical ideas are welcomed and put into practice

How to Apply

If this sounds like the role you have been looking for, we would love to hear from you. Please send your application (cover letter, CV, diplomas, and employment references) to:

Contact: Kim Borsboom
Email: kborsboom@gmail.com
Phone: +41 76 307 85 71

Primary Class Teacher Cycle 2 — Native English Speaker (20–30%)

Your Responsibilities

· Leading a Cycle 2 class (approximately grades 3–6), with instruction delivered in English
· Designing and delivering differentiated, project-based and inquiry-led lessons that genuinely challenge gifted learners
· Close collaboration with our specialist support team to meet the full range of each child's needs
· Co-creating teaching materials, routines, and learning environments suited to high-potential learners
· Building open, trusting relationships with students, families, colleagues, and school leadership
· Actively contributing to the development of our school culture and pedagogical identity from day one

What You Bring

· A teaching diploma recognised in Switzerland (or by the EDK) for primary education (Cycle 2)
· Native English speaker; working knowledge of German is an asset for team and parent communication
· Genuine enthusiasm for gifted and twice-exceptional education, whether through formal training, experience, or deep personal conviction
· Experience with inquiry-based and project-based learning approaches
· The flexibility and creativity to thrive in a school that is still being built and to enjoy that process
· Empathy, resilience, and the ability to meet children where they are, including when where they are is complicated

Secondary Teacher Sek I Type A — Native German Speaker (20–40%)

Your Responsibilities

· Teaching your specialist subjects at Sek I level (Type A) to gifted and 2e learners
· Designing challenging, inquiry-based lessons that go well beyond surface-level coverage
· Close collaboration with our specialist support team to address the full range of each student's needs
· Supporting adolescents in their personal development, with sensitivity to the particular social and emotional complexity that often accompanies giftedness
· Contributing actively to the school's curriculum development, culture, and pedagogical direction
· Building honest, open relationships with students, families, colleagues, and school leadership

What You Bring

· A teaching diploma recognised in Switzerland (or by the EDK) for Sek I, with your relevant subject qualifications
· Native in German
· Genuine interest in or experience with gifted and twice-exceptional education
· Comfort with ambiguity and an appetite for building: you are joining a school mid-construction and you find that energising
· Warmth, groundedness, and the ability to connect with teenagers who are often simultaneously exceptional and emotionally complex

French Teacher (flexible workload)

Your Responsibilities

· Teaching French across one or more year groups to gifted and 2e learners
· Designing lessons with real intellectual depth — going beyond the textbook for students who grasp basics quickly and crave more
· Close collaboration with our specialist support team to meet the full range of each child's needs
· Contributing to the development of our language programme and school culture
· Building genuine, trusting relationships with students, families, colleagues, and school leadership

What You Bring

· A teaching diploma recognised in Switzerland (or by the EDK), with French as a subject qualification
· Native or near-native French speaker; good German and/or English for day-to-day communication with the team and parents
· Genuine enthusiasm for or experience with gifted and twice-exceptional learners
· Creativity and flexibility in your teaching approach as gifted learners often need a completely different kind of language lesson
· Openness to being part of a school that is still taking shape, and genuine interest in contributing to that process