Voula
Marantou
Position: Kindergarten Director
School Level: Kindergarten
Employed Since: 2005
I am the Kindergarten Director and Head of Curriculum Design at "RODION PAIDEIA." I have been part of the school since its third year of operation. I studied at the Athens School of Early Childhood Education and earned a second degree from the Department of Preschool Education and Educational Planning at the University of the Aegean.
From my school years, I realized how much I was captivated by the free spirit of young children and their boundless curiosity to explore the world. This is why I chose Early Childhood Education among other educational fields.
Education excited me from the beginning, as evident when I presented a puppet show I wrote during one of my teaching practices at a public kindergarten in the Municipality of Peristeri, Athens. I not only received joy and eagerness for learning from the young audience, but I also felt the satisfaction of teaching in a creative and original way that resonates with children.
Throughout my educational journey, driven by my belief in alternative, creative learning methods and the need to explore children's interests through school, I have participated with my classes in activities and competitions that stimulate children's curiosity, inviting them to learn about social, environmental, and other phenomena. Among these, the First Prize from the European School Radio for the song "Me, You… All Together" stands out, as well as the Award from the Rhodes Translators and Writers Center for Creative Writing for Kindergarten Children, where the students created the character "George the Little Monster."
In collaboration with the first-grade teachers, we participated in the "Adventure in the Museum" project, where parents and children explored the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, creating routes and games with the exhibits. Additionally, the "Group Art Exhibition" of first-grade and kindergarten children at the Museum of Modern Greek Art in the "Nestorideion Melathron" – New Wing, is one of my favorite activities because the children created their own paintings inspired by Impressionist artists.
My passion is literature, theater, writing, and storytelling. In general, I am fascinated by narratives that ignite the imagination in any form, conveying emotion and transporting the audience to other worlds. I often write the scripts for the kindergarten performances or adapt beloved fairy tales. I am equally interested in psychology, as it provides me with the right tools to "unlock" the wonderful world of children and approach them in an honest and friendly way while also rediscovering myself.
I also love painting because it offers me a non-verbal way of expression, which ultimately leads to creation. In recent years, with the art group "VanGeNs," I have participated in three art exhibitions in Rhodes and Athens. As for my other love, theater, I am a founding member of the theater group "Praxis," actively involved behind the scenes.
I believe the world will be much brighter if we help children maintain their curiosity and enthusiasm for the world, their optimism, and their sincere belief that they can achieve their dreams.
I am married and have two children: Chrysanthi, an Art Historian, and Vasilis, who is studying Architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
