Our People

22 years experience teaching from Prep to Year 7 in a variety of educational settings in Australia and Singapore Passionate about ensuring that every child in her care has the opportunity to reach their full potential in a supportive, caring, diverse and stimulating environment where they feel safe and have a deep sense of self worth Aims to create learning environments that are of a colourful and creative nature that stimulate learning, promote happiness and offer many opportunities to succeed throughout the learning journey

Rachael started her career at Education Queensland and taught in schools on the Sunshine Coast, Gympie and Bundaberg. She then moved into the Private Sector and taught predominately at Sunshine Coast Grammar and Matthew Flinders Anglican College; two elite private schools on the Sunshine Coast. Throughout her career she has held leadership positions such as Year Level Coordinator and Head of Year.

Rachael and her family moved from the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Queensland, to Singapore in 2013. After having taught in private schools in Australia for nearly 20 years the timing was right to relocate to Singapore. Rachael and her husband Stuart have a son in Secondary School at AIS and believe that the opportunities and experiences that he has been given here in Singapore have been amazing and life changing. Rachael and her family love living a healthy lifestyle, traveling and making friends all over the world.

Early Childhood Educator for 18 years Passionate about creating an inclusive learning environment 10 years of PYP IB experience

Eromie has worked as an early childhood educator for the past 18 years in four different countries. She joined AIS three years ago. Eromie is passionate about teaching children and embraces opportunities to scaffold students’ learning in a constructive and caring environment.

Eromie is from Sri Lanka and she loves to travel to exotic locations with her son and husband. Eromie enjoys reading, baking, dancing, interior decorating and hiking.

Ann’s quest in life has always been to help children to be successful learners. Passion is what has driven her career Ann has been a classroom teacher, Reading Recovery teacher and Special Education teacher as well as supporting children through Expressive Therapies counselling Early intervention is Ann's specific area of expertise. She has a wealth of experience in ensuring that students get off to a good start with their literacy and numeracy skills

Ann has previously held the position of Director of Support Services at Woodleigh School, Junior Campus Minimbah on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. She devised highly successful early intervention programs which focussed on phonological awareness and oral language skills, as well as providing effective numeracy intervention. Having seen the impact that these programs had on students’ learning, she subsequently developed her own resources which are currently being used by Prep teachers in a number of classrooms in Australia.

Having spent most of her teaching career at private schools in Australia, Ann is relishing the experience of being part of the dynamic team here at AIS. On the weekends, she enjoys doing yoga and tai chi as well as exploring the local landmarks, immersing herself in the unique cultural experiences of Singapore. Health and fitness are integral to Ann's lifestyle.

Six years in Elementary Teaching Previously worked in Melbourne, Australia in an IB PYP School Passion for golf, horse racing, Australian Rules Football, photography and anything automotive related

James has worked in schools for nearly 10 years and developed a passion for teaching and learning through this involvement. He has been teaching for six years in Elementary School education. James holds a Bachelor of Psychology degree through the Australian Catholic University and a Master of Teaching (Primary) from the University of New England. He has lived in Singapore for three years, teaching in Prep, whilst also being in the role of Head of Year Welfare and Administration.  James is passionate about working with children in a dynamic and inspiring environment. He firmly believes that children have enormous potential and curiosity. By facilitating their learning in a child-centered caring and engaging environment, James believes they have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

James is originally from Melbourne, Australia. He has lived in Singapore for three years and enjoys the lifestyle that this country has to offer. James loves to travel and has a passion for photography and exploring new places. He also enjoys playing as much golf as possible and has a keen interest in football and anything to do with cars.

Passionate about the Early Years Learning Framework as the focus is on the image of the child as a competent and confident learner and the importance of reciprocal relationships that develop through respectful interactions between the educator and the child.

Laura has worked in Early Childhood education for the last five years. Laura relishes working in partnership with families and strongly values being part of a teaching team. She prides herself in her ability to work in a multicultural setting and has worked with children where English is their second language.

Laura is a New Zealander of European and Samoan decent. She has traveled around South America, Europe and America and these experiences have enriched her teaching practice and emphasised the importance of being a global citizen.

• Growing up with children in Infant Care since March 2018.
• Loves to observe children develop into their personalities and character
• Enjoys helping children understand their emotional intelligence so they feel safe and supported in their learning

New Zealand trained in Early Childhood with experience working in both New Zealand and Australia. Has over 10 years’ experience and was recently working with children aged 6 weeks to 5 years of age as Teaching Director, before relocating to Singapore and accepting the position of Infant Care Educarer at AIS, then moving into PreNursery

Originally from Auckland, moved to Singapore to follow her partner. Has a family of four, three of them are semi detached. Enjoys cooking. Willing to give new things a go.

• 9 years of experience working with children of various age groups. Strongly value establishing a reciprocal, respectful relationship with each individual child as a foundation for their learning. Passionate about allowing children to develop and explore at their own pace.
• Views each child as an individual, adapting her teaching to best support and encourage the development and learning of each child.

Tori is from New Zealand where she has spent 7 years working alongside children and their families. Before making the move to Singapore, Tori found a passion for the RIE philosophy which focuses on establishing respectful, reciprocal, trusting relationships between herself and the individual child to develop a sense of belonging and security within the learning environment; from which children feel confident and comfortable to explore, discover and learn. Through sensitive, mindful observations of each individual child, she is able to set the environment and allow uninterrupted, child initiated free-play with the use of open-ended resources to encourage and support children's development and learning. Tori strives to celebrate and invite each child's individual qualities, cultures and heritages into the learning environment and incorporates this knowledge of the child into their learning and care.  Tori loves being with children and inspiring their natural curiosity to explore everything our world has to offer. She hopes to encourage each child to become passionate explorers who have a love for life long learning.

Tori is from Auckland New Zealand where she grew up on the country side surrounded by farmland and surf beaches. In her spare time she loves being around all her family and friends, going for walks through the forest or enjoying some time beside the ocean. Tori is beyond excited to begin her journey in Singapore, immersing herself in the beautiful culture and falling in love with everything Singapore has to offer.

Early Years Teacher for the past 8 years  Passionate in touching the lives of the children under her care through creating fun, valuable and memorable learning experiences  Enjoys incorporating Music, Cooking activities and Science Experiments in her lessons

Andrea has been an Early Years teacher for the past eight years. She believes in the importance of providing a nurturing and engaging learning environment. She strongly promotes the significance of play-based learning in her teaching practice through varied open ended and hands on activities. With her passion and commitment as an Early Years educator, Andrea aspires to touch the lives of the children under her care through creating fun, memorable and life-long learning experiences

Originally from Manila, Philippines, Andrea moved to Singapore for a supposedly brief, two-year stint. She easily fell in love with the country that she fondly describes as 'closest to utopia.' Now, it has been eight years since she decided to stay on and call it her home. When she isn't singing or dancing with the children in the classroom, Andrea is out exploring and scratching places off her bucket list.

• Currently working at AIS as an early childhood teacher in the Early Learning Village.
• Seven years teaching experience.
• Started teaching career in New Zealand working in a nursery classroom within a small private preschool, as well as working in Australia as a kindergarten teacher for 3 years.

Teaching within New Zealand and Australia has provided an opportunity for me to work with three Early Childhood Curriculums. All three documents support the philosophy of children being confident and capable learner's who can acquire new knowledge, skills and dispostions through a mix of intentional teaching and inquiry base learning. Where children are naturally driven to learn through there interactions, interests and curiosity to learn how the world works around them. I believe in order for young children to learn and grow, they must first form trusting relationships with their teachers based on respect. Once children feel safe and secure within their environment they will develop a life time love of learning.

In my spare time I enjoy riding bikes, swimming and going to the movies. Growing up and living in New Zealand provided opportunities to ski and snow board during weekends and the winter school holidays with my son. My son James is finishing his last year at university in Christchurch where he has been studying graphic design. Next year he is relocate to Japan. I have a twin brother who also currently lives in New Zealand.

Cara values reciprocal, respectful relationships with each individual child as the foundation in supporting their learning and development. She has been teaching in Melbourne for the past four years as an Early Childhood Teacher and Educational Leader. Prior to that she taught for three years in Christchurch as an Early Childhood Teacher.

Cara is nurturing and understands the importance of social and emotional development in children. She encourages children to develop positive dispositions towards learning to support confident and competent learners. She values the child as an individual and enjoys planning for their individual interests and goals through play-based learning. Cara is passionate about the importance of teaching children about sustainability and caring for our natural environment.

Cara is originally from New Zealand and enjoys going back home to see family and friends. She enjoys travelling and exploring new places, cultures and food. She can’t wait to experience all that Singapore has to offer and show all her friends and family around too. In her spare time Cara enjoys being active and staying fit.

Claire has extensive classroom and leadership experience in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.  She is a passionate early years educator and is a play-based education advocate for all age groups!

Claire has extensive teaching and leadership experience in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.  She has taught in all age groups from toddlers through to Year 7 (age 12) and also worked as a teacher-librarian, technology support teacher and physical education specialist.  Claire has over 15 years experience as a PYP educator, and has worked in a leadership capacity as a PYP coordinator.  She is a trained IB PYP workshop leader, school visitor and consultant.  Claire is a passionate and knowledgeable educator, with particular interest in the early years.

Claire has lived in Asia for over 18 years, based in Singapore for more than 11 of those.  Claire and her husband have two primary school aged children.  As a family, they spend much of their time enjoying plenty of sport - horseriding, rugby, cricket and netball.  They enjoy opportunities for regional travel and are particularly passionate about animal rescue.  

• 10 years of experience as an Early Years Teacher
• Passionate about nurturing the interests and talents in young children
• Takes pride in creating provocative learning spaces that will engage children in deep thinking

Anita has been in the early childhood industry for the last 15 years and has nurtured children from 2  months to 6 years of age. She believes that every child is an unique individual with different learning needs and gifted with a certain talent and skill. The role of the educator is to take every step possible to understand and accept each child and work towards developing them to their fullest potential in collaboration with their parents.

Anita takes pride in creating provocative learning spaces in the learning environment that will develop children's natural curiosity, engage them in deep thinking and encourage them to ask questions.

Anita is a Singaporean and is married with a four year old daughter. She spends her spare time engaging in outdoor play experiences with her daughter, cooking for the family and at the gym.

• Early Years Educator for 12 years
• Passionate about working with student’s strengths and abilities and guiding them towards being confident and critical thinkers
• Experienced in both Australian and EYFS Curriculum

Flo started her teaching career at Southville International School in Manila, Philippines. After 2 years, she wanted to see best practice internationally, so she moved to Singapore and taught in Stamford American International School as a Co-teacher in Pre-K. An opportunity came for her to join Avondale Grammar School as a Preschool / Foundation teacher where she gained experience in the Australian Curriculum and the EYLF as well as the EYFS curriculum. After 2 years as a classroom teacher, Flo was appointed as the Year Leader in the Early Years Department in Avondale. She was given the responsibility of running the day-to-day duties in preschool as well as coordinating and supporting the development and implementation of the Early Years Curriculum and Assessment Tracking. After 6 years in Avondale Grammar, she joined the Australian International School and is currently the Multi-Classroom Leader for the 3-4 Year old children.

Mrs. Dulce is a passionate teacher who has more than 10 years of teaching experience both in Singapore and in the Philippines. She is adept at working with student’s strengths and abilities guiding them towards being confident and critical thinkers.   She has lived in Singapore for 9 years and is enjoying the multi-cultural community that this country has to offer. She is currently studying towards her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education at Philippine Women's University. She is happily married and enjoys spending time with her son and husband.

Sarah has had over 6 years of teaching experience teaching in the Early Years. She has a passion to provide a classroom environment that is warm, nurturing and accepting of all students.

Sarah has taught in a variety of different schools in both remote and urban Australia. She has had experience working with a vast multicultural demographic with a number of children coming from families that speak English as a Second Language.

Sarah is originally from Perth, Western Australia. She loves travelling with her friends and family and discovering new places. Sarah enjoys going to the beach, hiking, camping and meeting new people.

• Degrees obtained internationally in Poland and United States of America.
• Previous experience with Polish, American, and Australian curricula, including IB PYP.
• Reggio Emilia trained with experience in working with students whose mother tongue is not English.

Anna has been a teacher for over 15 years. Prior to working with toddlers and infants she held an English as Second Language teacher position in Poland and Indonesia. She then moved to Thailand where she found her calling as an early Years teacher. Subsequently, Anna relocated to Singapore to experience the Reggio Emilia approach in practice and was promoted to Center Manager of an Infant and Toddler Atelier. She worked closely with parents and professionals in the field, making family involvement and developmentally appropriate practices in Early Years her passion. In 2016, Anna took the Nursery teacher position with AIS and has since worked with a variety of age groups. Anna comes from Poland, however most of her adult life she has lived and worked mostly in South-East Asia.

A member of a large family, she grew up being a mentor and a teacher to five younger sisters. Caring for others and supporting families is not only her passion, but nearly an inborn trait. Her interest in culture and tradition, as well as respect for diversity, can be seen through her long involvement with International schools in Asia and Europe. Anna enjoys travelling and learning about new and exciting cultures. She is constantly looking for opportunities to further her professional competencies and bring about a positive change in the field of ECE.

• Experienced in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework [EYLF], National Quality Framework and Standards [NQS and NQF], Australia Curriculum [ACARA], Western Australian Curriculum [K10 Outline], Nurturing Early Learners [NEL] Curriculum (Singapore).
• Worked in primary schools catering to pre-primary to year 2 students, worked in a childcare centers for 3 years catering to children aged below 5 years old in Singapore and in Australia.
• Believe in a play-based approach within the curriculum that allows children to make their learning experience into a practical one, using playful hands-on interactions.
• Children are digital natives, using technology within a classroom setting is crucial for them to investigate and explore their world using devices that they are familiar with.

Each and every child is a unique individual, different in various aspects and development. It is important for Nicole to know her students. She believes in developing a positive relationship with her students’ families, as it gives them the opportunity to be involved in their children’s learning and create a safe and secure environment for the children. It is important to Nicole that she is fully aware of her students’ interest, readiness, and capabilities to help plan instructions and programming that suits all of their learning needs. As an early childhood teacher, it is important for Nicole that she creates a learning environment that allows her students to be given the freedom and joy to explore and play without pressure.

Nicole lived in 3 countries at different stages of her life. She completed her primary education in Singapore, her secondary education in Malaysia, and her tertiary education in Australia. She has a proficient understanding of the Chinese language in Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as the Malay language of Bahasa Melayu. She had recently moved back to Singapore from Perth, Western Australia, after living there for 9 years, to be closer with family.

Clare is passionate about providing a dynamic, stimulating and vibrant program. She recognises that quality play based learning environments and experiences are the way that young children engage and learn best.

Clare has been a teacher for over ten years. Before moving to Singapore, she taught at an independent school in Perth, Australia. Clare's career has been focused on the Early Years and her aim is to provide children with experiences and opportunities that encourage them to acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes that will allow them to make the most of their potential. Her students are seen as individuals and are respected and responded to accordingly. Clare uses a variety of methods and approaches, taking into account each child’s needs and interests. She strives to provide a rich program that has a balance between teacher directed and child initiated learning.

Clare is originally from Perth, Australia. She moved to Singapore at the end of 2018 with her husband David and daughter Emma. She enjoys living in a new, vibrant country and exploring everything Singapore has to offer. In her spare time Clare enjoys spending time with her family, doing yoga, pilates and traveling.  She loves when her family visit from Perth and showing them her favorite spots around Singapore.

• Early Years Teacher at AIS for over two years
• Early Years Teacher in Brazilian Schools for 4 years 
• English Teacher in Brazilian Bilingual School for 2 years 
• Lower Primary Teacher in a British School for 10 years

Flavia has been a teacher for nearly 20 years.  Before arriving in Singapore, she has taught in some primary schools in Brazil. From 2007 to 2017 she taught Lower Primary classes at The British School, Rio de Janeiro; Reception, Infant 1 (Year 1) and Infant 2 (Year 2) classes. Flavia believes a happy and positive learning environment are key elements to a successful learning journey!  Flavia thinks that children need to be nurtured towards reaching their full potential, and every child is unique, the reason why she believes differentiation is one of the most important aspects in class. She also enjoys children's natural curiosity of the world around them and helps them by fostering inquiry based experiences in the learning process. Flavia is also keen on using a range of technologies in class to enhance children's engagement and deeper levels of thinking.

Flavia is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and loves working at AIS in the Early Years section. She is enchanted about living in Singapore, its weather, diversity of cultures and great food. In her spare time she enjoys going to the movies, keeping active (such as outdoor activities) and travelling. She loves visiting her family and friends.

• Teaching is Cheryl’s passion and it brings her “unmeasurable joy”.
• Cheryl believes strongly that all children are unique and that their differences should be valued and celebrated.
• She also believes in a holistic approach to education and in creating a learning environment in which her students can follow their own lines of inquiry, see meaningful connections between their education and the world, and where opportunities are provided for them to harness their strengths and build on their critical and creative thinking skills.
• She believes in fostering “a love of learning” and she strives to create an inclusive and empathetic classroom climate where her students feel safe and confident to express their individuality and can develop responsibility for their own learning.

Cheryl has been a teacher for over 10 years. She trained and worked with toddlers and infants in England before immigrating to Australia. Whilst living in Australia, Cheryl completed a Masters in Teaching and worked with children aged 3 months to 12 years in Queensland and New South Wales. Cheryl has experience in teaching all children from nursery to upper elementary as a classroom teacher but also in other capacities such as ESL, Learning Support, Gifted & Talented and School Librarian. Therefore she has a strong understanding of the needs of Early Years Education as well as Elementary Education from many different perspectives.

Cheryl was born and raised in South Africa. After completing her schooling she worked and travelled around Europe. Cheryl continued to work in England until she married and relocated to Australia to complete her Masters in Teaching. Cheryl and her husband lived and worked in different states in Australia before settling down on the beautiful Northern Beaches of Sydney. Cheryl considers herself to be “a global child” having lived and worked in many countries around the world. She loves to travel and explore new places and cultures.

• Early Childhood Teacher 
• Passionate about delivery a holistic curriculum that promote learning based on the child's interests
• Strong advocate of instilling a life long love of learning in children

I have been teaching for 3+ years in Australia and Sri Lanka in a variety of early childhood settings. I believe the foundation of learning and interaction that a child receives at a young age greatly impacts their behaviours and learning in the future. In order to truly learn to love learning, I believe it is crucial to be in a positive, inviting, secure, caring learning environment that promotes a child to grow emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially.  I believe a curriculum should encapsulate a child’s interest combined with intentional teaching based on the children’s natural curiosity.  One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students as I share my own passion for learning with them.

I’ve lived in Australia for majority of my life, and have recently moved to Singapore. I enjoy travelling to a variety of different countries to explore their culture, food and tourist attractions. In my spare time, I enjoy staying fit, cooking and baking. For matters close to heart, there is nothing like spending time with family, friends and having a good laugh!

Early Childhood Teacher for 10 years Enjoys discovering concepts and experiences with the children Recognizes art as a tool for expression and creativity

Ollie has been teaching for 10 years in an International school setting in Singapore. She has demonstrated the ability to create fun and interactive learning activities for children aged 3 years to 6 years. Ollie believes that a teacher should be knowledgeable and conscious of a student's development, nurturing each child’s potential.  She has a passion for the arts and enjoys incorporating them into the variety of activities to inspire and motivate children.

Ollie has been living in Singapore for 11 years and enjoys discovering new places in the country. She is interested in health and wellness and likes to walk around parks and museums. During her spare time, Ollie loves to visit new cafes, try out new restaurants and other places of interest. She has a 4 year old daughter that keeps her really busy after work and the weekends.

Linda values play-based learning in the early years and believes in providing a supportive and inclusive classroom environment.  She finds joy in nurturing the growth and development of each child's innate sense of wonder, curiosity and creativity.  Linda believes that children learn best when they are active agents in their own learning.

Linda has over twenty-five years teaching experience from Preschool to Year 7, and has worked as a Preschool Director.  She is also a qualified and experienced Teacher Librarian, and brings this passion for books and reading to her classroom practice.  Linda exemplifies a lifelong love of learning and continues to study and learn from educational research and innovative practices.

Linda has lived in many beautiful and remote areas of Australia and has a love of long distance hiking and camping.  She has walked over a thousand kilometres through Europe and loves to experience new foods and cultures.  Linda regularly visits her four children and extended family in Australia.

Hannah is a passionate early years teacher and has experience teaching within the UK before recently moving to Singapore. Hannah has leadership and subject leader experience and is now developing her skills teaching within an international setting.

Hannah has been a teacher for a total of 6 years and began her teaching in the UK. During her time teaching in the UK she taught a range of ages across the 3-7 age group. Hannah was also given the opportunity to become year group leader and Early Years coordinator before joining us here at AIS. Since joining AIS in term 3, Hannah has taught in P4 and is looking forward to a full year in P4 next year.

Hannah recently moved to Singapore in June 2019 to join the Early Learning Village here at AIS. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys traveling and discovering new countries and cultures. Hannah also enjoys walking and photography. 

A strong background in Early Years for 7 years An advocate of Reggio Emilia Approach Passionate in providing a  rich and engaging environment  for the children.

Katherine has been an Early Childhood Educator for 7 years. Her perspective about pedagogy change when she learned a different approach known as Reggio Emilia. She discovered that children are capable and competent individual and have the right to feel valued for their opinion and ideas. Katherine has a strong background in Reggio Emilia, and this led her to understand the importance of providing a rich environment for the children that will encourage their natural curiosity and to explore, engage and questions. Katherine believes that to be able to provide a quality education for the children it is important to understand the changes in society, educational reform and the latest research into child development. With this in mind, she took a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching to underpin her knowledge in pedagogy.

Katherine is married and is a mother of two beautiful children. She has been leaving in Singapore for 8 years. She enjoys traveling to new places and meeting new people. She loves reading and relaxing on the beach.

Early Years specialist for 4 years Believes in learning through play and uses an inquiry based approach. Enjoys incorporating her passion for health and fitness into teaching.

Aleesha has been teaching in a variety of schools in Ireland, The UAE and Malaysia over the past 4 years.  Specialising in the Early Years she is passionate in providing a nourishing and enriching environment for her students. Aleesha creates an environment where children feel comfortable and confident, to give each child the opportunity to explore their own imagination and curiosity. She understands that every child is unique and has individual needs and so she differentiates the learning environment so that each child can explore their own interests and develop their love of learning. Aleesha believes in a play based approach to learning and loves to use arts and crafts to develop children's creativity.

Aleesha is originally from Dublin, Ireland and in 2016 moved abroad to develop her international teaching experience. Apart from her teaching career, she is also very passionate about health and fitness. Aleesha holds a personal training qualification and has previously instructed hundreds of group exercise classes. She enjoys travelling and exploring different cultures, reading novels and keeping herself fit and healthy.

Has been teaching Chinese for 23 years in both China and Singapore. Delivers stimulating and engaging lessons for younger children by using a range of teaching methods such as singing, dancing, stories and games.

Faye has been a teacher for the past 23 years, 14 of which were spent teaching at local and international schools in Singapore. Teaching is her passion. She believes that every single child is very unique and that successful teaching should suit all the children's learning needs. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages in June last year. Her major research in this course is to develop the students’ phonological awareness in Mandarin for the native English-speaking children. This research has given her insight to help students’ pronunciation which should eventually give them confidence to express themselves in Mandarin.

Faye is originally from Jilin, China. She has been living in Singapore for 14 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, music, exercise and travelling.

Elementary teacher for 6 years Engages students through teaching physical and mental wellbeing Incorporates a range of ICT learning techniques to enhance understanding and reflection by students

Anita has been a teacher in Shanghai for 6 years Before arriving in Singapore she taught at Shanghai United International school and YCIS international school. She promotes healthy and balanced lifestyles whilst ensuring students explore and experience a wide range of different learning techniques. Anita makes sure that each student is catered for through applying differentiated learning environments.

Anita is starting AIS along with her husband who is teaching Year 3. Accompanying them both are their two sons, Xavier and Fletcher. She enjoys playing any team sport, particularly touch rugby, netball and cricket and exercising whenever possible. Anita also loves to travel and is excited about the different destinations that are available on Singapore's doorstep.

Teaching at AIS since 2014 Enjoys using stories and books as tools to engage children, develop strong language and communication skills and encouraging them to use their imagination Believes we need to create a safe classroom environment where children feel comfortable to take risks and make mistakes, as it is through these experiences that many of us do most of our learning.

Having already established a successful career in Banking and Wealth Management in NZ, UK, Australia and Singapore Raquel came to teaching later in her career. She has been teaching at AIS since 2014 in the Early Years Centre and the lower elementary school. She has been a relief teacher across these year groups and has also worked part time as a specialist teacher in the Library and Inquiry Centre.

Raquel is from New Zealand and has lived and work in several countries. Her family moved to Singapore six years ago. In this time her family has expanded and they now have two very patriotic sons waving the Singaporean, Australian, NZ and United Kingdom flags whenever the opportunity arises! In her spare time she enjoys reading, movies, catching up with friends and family, swimming and camping. One of the highlights of living in Singapore is the opportunity to experience the delicious food on offer; they simply cannot resist taking their visitors out for chili crab and rojak!

Early Years teacher in Singapore preschool for 8 years  
Curriculum specialist for 3 years
Passionate about bringing creative ideas into the classroom
Values creating a positive and healthy relationship with the student

Cheryl has been in the Early Years setting for the past 11 years. She has had the experience of implementing curriculum, working with children with special needs, teaching PE and mandarin. She has transitioned from a Singapore private preschool to International Schools. She believes in creating a fun, positive and inclusive learning environment and strives to cater to the different learning needs of every child. Cheryl is looking forward to her new role as a PE/Mandarin Specialist.

Cheryl is born and raised in Singapore. She enjoys keeping active with Muay Thai, Crossfit and yoga. She has a love for books and is a huge animal lover. You can find her in the kitchen trying out a new recipe or embarking on new adventures in foreign lands during the holidays.

Started career in Early Childhood since December 2006.
A member of the Cognita Outdoor Education Committee.

Started as a Teaching Assistant in a local Kindergarten. Taught Arabic for Preschoolers which was part of the curriculum.
Been working and studying since then.
Became lead teacher in a classroom since 2007. Had to be the cook, cleaner, teacher and manage a whole centre of 80 students per session (3 sessions) for a whole month before the school went bankrupt.
Taught in a local for about 8 years before coming to AIS.
Started working as a Teaching Assistant in AIS in 2014.
Teaching Music and Smart Steps (PE) in AIS since October 2019.

Grew up loving being in outdoors and anything to do with nature.
Love learning languages and therefore able to speak 5 languages (Malay / Bahasa. English, Arabic (basic), Mandarin (basic) and Japanese (basic)).
Loves music and animals and gardening.

Worked in education for 15 years in England, France and Singapore. Passionate about Primary and Early Childhood Education. Strongly believes the foundation years are vital for later success

Catherine has been an educator for 15 years and has worked in various teaching positions in Early Childhood and Lower Elementary settings. She has worked in three countries; England, France and Singapore. During her time in England, Catherine worked in the independent school sector at Blackheath Preparatory school in London and Orwell Park in Suffolk. In France, she worked in the British Section of the Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Catherine is committed to challenge and motivate every student so that they reach their full potential. This is Catherine's 6th year working at AIS. She spent the first three years teaching the Kookaburra class, the next two years teaching Year 1 and she is now working with the youngest students in the EYC as the Arts teacher.

Catherine is originally from the UK and is here in Singapore with her two daughters and her husband. Catherine enjoys visiting art galleries, attending theatre productions, playing netball, reading and yoga in her spare time.

Believes that children learn best through purposeful play, exploration and inquiry. 12 years PYP experience. Has worked with children for 28 years.

Jenny has worked in early childhood since 1990, mainly in Singapore. She spent the first 10 years of her teaching career working in local schools and the last 17 years here at AIS. Jenny is passionate about working with young children and believes in allowing children to develop to the best of their abilities through exploration, inquiry and purposeful play.

Jenny is from Singapore. She loves to travel, hike, bake and read.

3-6 Year Old Mandarin teacher having designed and implemented courses such as speech and drama, art and craft, Chinese Dance for 5 years. Develop school Mandarin curriculum and Mandarin PYP planner. Head of Mandarin department for 5 years and Early Years Centre Chinese specialist for 4 years.

Faith is passionate about sharing her mother tongue Mandarin with young learners. She has been teaching for 17 years in both local and international schools including nine years PYP experience. Faith has worked as a language specialist at AIS for the past five years. She takes pride in sharing her language skills with the young learners and differentiates her instructions to suite the need of the children. Faith endeavors to teach Mandarin in a fun and creative way and believes all children are special individuals and they possess the capacity to learn Mandarin well.

Faith moved from China to Singapore 15 years ago and is a citizen of Singapore. She enjoys traveling, meeting people from all around the world and experiencing new cultures. She believes that travel and meeting people helps her widen her horizons. Faith is passionate about helping people and is dedicated to be a lifelong leaner. She strongly supports the Reggio Emilio philosophy where the environment acts as the third teacher.

Believes that an effective partnership between school and home is the recipe for success. Has the best job in the world as he gets to share in a child’s first experiences of school.

Adam joins us from the British School, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil where he was the Head of Lower Primary. Adam has over 25 years experience in teaching and leadership roles in a range of countries and settings. Before moving to Brazil he was the founding Head of Early Years at the International School at Parkcity (ISP), a start up school in Kuala Lumpur. ISP was his second start up school having been a founding teacher and Deputy Head of Kindergarten at Dulwich College Shanghai.

In his spare time Adam enjoys cooking and has developed an unhealthy addiction to T.V chefs. He enjoys most sports and still plays rugby and cricket when he can, although somewhat slower than in previous years. Adam and his family enjoy traveling and look forward to re-visiting some of their favourite places in SE Asia and also discovering some new ones. Adam’s wife Amanda and two children Daisy and Alex join him in Singapore, Alex and Daisy will be attending AIS.

Educational Leadership Positions in P-12 Context. Cultivates learning environments which promote personal excellence, curiosity, inquiry, and collaboration. Passionate about using and analysing data to drive curriculum design and development

Ms McAulay is a highly experienced teacher and educational leader. Before arriving in Singapore, she was IB PYP Coordinator at a leading Independent school in Sydney. Emma has also held the role of Special Education Coordinator across different regions of Sydney and has International education experience teaching in schools across the UK.

Emma is originally from Sydney, Australia. She is looking forward to working and living in Singapore with her husband, Hector, and two daughters, Ava 7 and Molly 5, who will also attend AIS. She is an avid reader and seizes opportunities to further her learning. Emma thrives on staying fit, runs daily and enters various fun runs, half and full marathons. She enjoys travel adventures with family and friends.

Nine years experience of teaching in primary education Teaching within the IB PYP and International School setting in Australia

Angela has been teaching for nine years in IB PYP schools. Throughout her time she has developed her leadership skills as a year level coordinator and student wellbeing member. She has experience across a range of year levels from early, middle and upper years. Angela received her Bachelor of Education at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne for which she was awarded the Deans scholar in 2007 and 2009.

Angela is married to fellow AIS teacher Mr Winters and together they have two young children. When she is not chasing them around or planning for her students, Ms O’Connell enjoys staying active by running, swimming, walking and playing netball. She also loves to get lost in books, one of her favourites being the Harry Potter series. She partakes in cooking from time to time, but does not enjoy cleaning up the dishes!

Elementary teacher for 10 years Passionate about teaching children in their Early Years and catering for individual learning needs Appreciates and embraces diversity

Lauren taught in three different schools in Australia for a total of 10 years before moving to Singapore. Lauren’s career has mainly been focussed on the Early years, teaching Prep, Year 1 and Year 2. She has also taught Year 3, 4 and 5 for a few years during her career. Lauren’s passion is helping children reach their potential and to believe in themselves. Catering to all learning needs is an integral part of her classroom.

After completing University, Lauren taught for a year in Melbourne before moving back to teach in Adelaide where she then had a baby girl. She then moved to Singapore with her husband’s work, where she began relief teaching at AIS while her daughter was young and then later had another child. Lauren has now been in Singapore for nearly 6 years and enjoys the lifestyle that living here provides. In her spare time she likes to relax and spend time with her family, travel and exercise (especially Yoga).

Teaching for 6 years
Passionate about teaching through an inquiry approach to learning
Strives to ignite a love of learning and wonder within her students

Emma has been teaching for 6 years. During her teaching career she has taught Prep, Year 1, and Year 4. She has a passion for igniting student’s curiosity and engaging them in a range of open-ended inquiry based learning experiences. At her previous school, Emma led Mathematics, working closely with other members of the school to develop rich Units of Inquiry that engage students and allow them to view themselves as confident and capable learners. Emma is committed to creating differentiated learning programmes allowing for each child to reach their full potential. Within her classroom, Emma facilitates opportunities that assist her students to question, wonder and take action. She encourages them to act with kindness and respect when making decisions as informed global citizens. Emma prides herself on her ability to build strong relationships with both students and families.

Emma is originally from Canberra, Australia. She moved to Singapore at the beginning of 2019 and is excited to experience a new country and culture. In her spare time Emma enjoys travelling, relaxing at home, reading and spending time at the beach.

Lower Elementary Teacher for 9 years Passionate about supporting students to become independent life learners Enjoys providing opportunity for higher-order thinking skills to be developed with the use of visible thinking routines from the Project Zero's Visible Thinking approach

Julianne has been a teacher for 9 years. Before arriving in Singapore, she taught at a number of schools in Canberra, Australia. Over the years, Julianne has taught students in Preschool, Year 1 and Year 4. She is passionate about supporting students to think deeply and to flourish within a PYP and Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. Julianne enjoys assisting students to engage in authentic inquiry based learning opportunities where they are able to draw on skills and knowledge from a diverse range of subject areas. She is an IB workshop leader and school visit team member. Julianne particularly enjoys supporting educators to creatively improve their own practice, in order for improved student outcomes to be achieved.

Julianne is from Canberra, Australia. This is her first year living and working in Singapore. She is married with two teenage children. Julianne considers herself to be a life-long learner who always enjoys taking on the challenge of additional study. She enjoys swimming, going to the beach and following her children's sporting pursuits. Julianne values time with her family.

Over 12 years experience across the Elementary age range
Experience with the IB PYP and Australian Curriculum 
Taught in Australia, Japan, South Africa and at AIS!

Mrs Price is an Australian Registered Teacher with over 12 years teaching experience.  Her experiences have included teaching in Preschool, Prep, 1, 2, 6 and 7 as well as learning support and curriculum development roles. She has taught in a variety of school settings within Australia, Japan and South Africa; and has worked part time an English tutor in Singapore, all of which will serve her well at AIS.

Mrs Price has taught the Australian National Curriculum, AUSVELS and was involved in the implementation of the PYP in her previous school, completing a course on her understanding of the programme.  Mrs Price has been keen to reignite her teaching career and is excited about her role as Prep teacher. 

She is well aligned with AIS, being experienced with great ICT skills, leadership experience and a good understanding of inquiry.  She is also well versed in the use of assessment to benefit learning. She prides herself on being professional, approachable, supportive and committed. 

Mrs Price arrived in Singapore early 2011 from Toowoomba QLD.  Her husband’s career opportunity bought her here with two small children in tow.  They resided on the East Coast and had a third son, all of which attended AIS. Mid 2015, a work transfer took them to Paarl, in South Africa where they lived and adventured for the next 3 years.  This year has seen them return to Singapore with all three children back attending AIS. 
 
Mrs Price enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading and keeping fit. Her passions include the environment, wellness and early education.

Over 8 years of teaching experience in Australia and abroad, in multiple Primary school settings
A student- centered approach to teaching and learning with a focus on student voice, risk taking and collaboration
A love for inquiry and play-based learning with the use of technologies across all curriculum areas

I have taught in Australia since 2012, teaching children from Prep to Year 7. I am competent with the Australian Curriculum and TfEL framework, and through short term contracts, I was involved in the implementation of the PYP.

I work closely with families to support a wrap-around approach to their child’s literacy and numeracy learning. Children are capable and competent learners and I work to differentiate the curriculum to meet the students’ varied learning needs. I use, amongst others, the inquiry approach, digital technologies and play to link curriculum areas and, most importantly, to allow for individuals to reach their potential.

I have arrived in Singapore from Adelaide but I am originally from Germany. I moved to Australia in 2005 as an Au Pair and fell in love with the country. I love travelling and visited Singapore in 2018, sparking the beginning of a new adventure. I am very much looking forward to teaching a Prep class in 2020.
In my free time and holidays, I like to travel, spend time with family and friends, cook and bake healthy meals, run, sew, and explore new ideas. When visiting new places, I love exploring the local cuisine, visit art galleries and local schools.

• With over 20 years in Elementary teaching experience of New Zealand, England and PYP Curricula.
• Enjoys coaching many different sports and creating new solutions to problems in art, science and technology.

Mr Bird has over 20 years of teaching experience in Elementary School education. He has taught in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, across a range of levels with many positions of management, using both National Curriculums and the PYP. Mr Bird has been involved in leading many different co-curricular activities including sport, art and eLearning. He holds a Bachelor of Education from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Practice with a focus on digital and collaborative learning through Mind Lab and Unitech in Auckland, New Zealand.

Aaron and his wife, Jude Griffiths who is our Elementary Literacy Coach, moved to Singapore AIS at the beginning of 2016. In 2019, baby Charlotte was welcomed with open arms into his family. He loves traveling and sharing the sights of the world with Jude and Charlotte, trying new adventures and watching his beloved Kiwi sports teams.

• 8 years of teaching experience within the Early Years of Elementary School .
• Passionate about the IB Primary Years Programme and inquiry play based learning. 
• Head of Year (Curriculum) - Year 1

Amy has had 8 years teaching experience within an IB PYP school. She obtained a Bachelor of Education from Victoria University, Australia and has continued her professional development through the IB PYP organization. Her passion lies within the Early Years and she demonstrates a caring and safe environment for the children to learn in an authentic inquiry-based program. She caters for a range of learning styles while ensuring each individual student is challenged and extended through a differentiated curriculum. Amy enjoys getting to know her students interests and personalities and creates a strong and positive relationship with each child.

Amy is originally from Melbourne, Australia. She moved to Singapore in 2015 and is thoroughly enjoying this fabulous country! She enjoys travelling the world and experiencing different cultures. Amy enjoys reading, playing tennis and socialising with friends.

• Primary teacher for 10 years
• Passionate about inquiry learning and creating opportunities to spark curiosity

Before coming to Singapore, Angela  enjoyed working in an independent PYP school in Melbourne. Angela is committed to knowing her students' interests and strengths and to personalising the teaching and learning program to cater for these. She is particularly passionate about supporting students to develop a love of literacy through using Readers' and Writers' Notebooks. She embraces opportunities to learn and implement new ideas in the classroom.

Angela is from Melbourne, Australia. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling and being outdoors. Angela likes to cook and to keep fit by running and doing pilates.

• Elementary teacher across a variety of roles.
• Passionate about helping all students achieve their potential.
• Builds strong relationships and a collaborative learning environment.

Ms Jacinta Matheson has experience  teaching in a variety of roles. She has been teaching at AIS for the past 2 years in Year 1. Prior to moving to Singapore, Jacinta taught in a variety of schools on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia. She has experience in teaching a multi-age classroom of students from Prep to Year 2 and has also taught Year 5.  Jacinta has also worked part-time as a Visual and Performing Arts teacher. She enjoys working in PYP schools and is passionate about using the inquiry approach to help create and develop responsible, global citizens. Jacinta creates a collaborative and safe classroom environment, where all students feel respected and valued, and are encouraged to reach their potential.

Before moving to the Mornington Peninsula to complete her University degree, Jacinta grew up in country Victoria. She moved to Singapore with her husband, Pete and son, William.  In her spare time, Jacinta loves to sing, play basketball and spend time with family and friends.

• Teacher of 30 years experience
• Passionate about creativity and equality
• Enjoys the uniqueness that each student possesses

Sharonlee has been an enthusiastic and dedicated educator for many years and still loves creating new ways for students to access and enjoy their learning journey. She has been in Singapore since 2000 and worked at several international schools as a Lower Elementary classroom teacher and in leadership positions. She believes strongly in the equal rights of all people according to gender, race and religion. Using a wide range of differentiated activities, Sharonlee teaches to cater for a variety of learning styles and mixed abilities. She believes that children must have both resilience and a growth mindset in order to achieve their full potential.

Sharonlee was born in Australia; however, she has lived more of her life overseas and has now been abroad for 30 years. Prior to Singapore she lived and taught in Japan for nine years and Kuwait for one year. Sharonlee is married to Richard and has two fabulous sons. In her spare time, Sharonlee enjoys watching rugby union and relaxes by doing art, yoga and swimming. Her favourite foods include: sashimi, laksa, chilli crab and BBQ.

• Over 10 years working within education.
• Passionate about teaching and learning.
• Believes each child is an individual.

I have worked with children in education for over 10 years. I began my career working in nurseries with children aged 0-5 years. I then moved on to continue my career as a teaching assistant within lower elementary. It was during this time that I developed a real passion for teaching, inspiring children daily and watching them explore and develop. It was because of my time as a teaching assistant that I decided to train as a teacher.  I have taught in the UK and Singapore. I love to see children explore and learn each day; watching children have those ‘lightbulb’ moments and grow with confidence.

I am originally from Manchester in the UK. I love to travel and visit new places; experiencing different cultures. I also enjoy going for long walks with our cocker spaniel, Molly, who has joined us on our journey to Singapore.

• An IB PYP and Australian Curriculum trained teacher
• Over 10 years teaching experience Australia, UAE and Singapore
• Strives in creating an engaging and positive environment that respects and caters for each child’s needs.
   

Mrs Ninnes is a dedicated teacher with over ten years experience teaching in Australia and abroad.  She believes in fostering a warm and positive classroom environment where children enjoy learning and can maximise their potential. Originally from Perth, before joining AIS Mrs Ninnes previously taught in Dubai and Melbourne. She is particularly passionate about establishing early years language and learning through inquiry.

Mrs Ninnes arrived in Singapore in 2015. She feels at home wherever there is sun, warm weather and the beach. She enjoys weekend family outings with her husband and two sons, Billy and Lenny. Mrs Ninnes loves reading, yoga and spending holiday time with her mother and siblings back in Australia, and with her father who resides in Bali. Mrs Ninnes commenced at AIS as a Year One teacher for two years and then took on the role of Head of Year Release for Prep. She is excited about her return to Year One!

• Experience with the IB PYP and Australian Curriculum
• Over 10 years experience across the Elementary age range
• Highly experienced in behavioural management
   

Mrs Natalie Austin is an Australian Registered Teacher with over ten years teaching experience.  Her experiences have included teaching in Prep, Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Mrs Austin has taught the Australian National Curriculum, and was involved in the implementation of a whole school math’s programme. This included traveling to other schools across Queensland to help introduce and support the new programme.

She is well aligned with AIS and has had experience on how the school works. Mrs Ausitn in a fast learner and always willing to give new things a go.

Mrs Natalie Austin arrived in Singapore at the start of the 2018 with her family from Far North Queensland (Cairns).  Her three sons Brock, Nate & Lakyn, are in the lower Elementary and Upper Elementary years.  Mrs Austin has been working as Head of Year release in Year 4 over the past 12 months at AIS. Mrs Austin is very excited to be back full time and it looking forward to having her own class. Mrs Austin believes that children’s learning is enhanced when there is flexible, supportive and challenging environment, where the conditions for learning are well established. The school curriculum provides an environment where children are valued as contributing members of the learning community. Children take part in participation and feel empowered to make their own choices and take responsibility for such choices with secure, yet changeling limits.  

• Over 7 years full time experience across the elementary age range
• Experienced with the Australian Curriculum
• Skilled in adapting to students’ diverse learning needs
   

Mrs Jeffrey is a proficient Australian Registered Teacher with over seven years of full time teaching experience. Her experiences have included teaching in Kindergarten and Year 6 on a full time basis and supply teaching across all elementary grades.

Mrs Jeffrey has taught using the Australian National Curriculum and was the ICT Reference Teacher at her previous school, exploring different ways to allow for technology in the classrooms.  The role included consulting with Apple to implement ‘Bring Your Own Device’ within the school.

She is well aligned with AIS, being an experienced teacher with a focus in the early years, great creativity and use of ICT skills, leadership experience and a terrific understanding of the Australian Curriculum. She is passionate about holistic education and extra curricular activities, in particular sports and drama.

Mrs Jeffrey will arrive in Singapore at the end of December 2020 from Sydney. Her husband Mark, who works in the Financial Sector, will be accompanying her. Their two Burmese cats, Leo and Rex, will be making the journey to Singapore when they have settled in at the start of the 2020.

She enjoys playing netball, reading, swimming, exploring outdoors and creative projects. Mrs Jeffrey and her husband love to travel together and have visited many places enjoying the cuisine and local sights.

Mrs Jeffrey is very excited to be joining the Elementary School and the AIS community in 2020.

Over 6 years of experience across the Elementary and upper Early Years age range Passionate about supporting learning through hands-on experiences Enjoys celebrating student successes at all ability levels

Jodie is an Australian-trained teacher with over 6 years teaching experience. Her experiences have included teaching in international Early Years and Elementary settings, with a focus on lower elementary. Jodie has taught a number of different curriculums in international settings. At a previous school, she was a key collaborator in the development of the school-wide EYFS mathematics scheme of work. As this student-led, inquiry based approach was new for her colleagues, she subsequently supported them in understanding and implementing this pedagogical approach in their own classrooms. She is a great fit for AIS given her genuine love for learning and ability to create happy and stimulating learning environments where children feel safe to explore and take risks. She also enjoys being part of the wider school community and celebrates the successes of students at all ability levels.

Jodie is originally from the Wide Bay region in Queensland, Australia. This is her second time living and working in Singapore, with her most recent stint beginning in 2017. She lives in Singapore with her husband and 2 year old son. She enjoys lazy days with her family, growing her own organic edibles, and exploring foreign cultures and languages. An intrepid traveler, she has lived and worked in many different countries around the world, including Turkey, the Philippines, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

5 years experience in an international school setting. Committed to cultivating confidence, fostering a growth mindset and making learning enjoyable. Lifelong learner dedicated to effective teaching and learning.

Shaheera is an educator with experience in early years and lower elementary. She began working with children while in Australia. Shaheera strongly believes that instilling confidence in students and building positive relationships with them are important for them to maximise their learning potential. She uses differentiation to engage a wide range of learners and strives to make learning enjoyable.

Shaheera lived and studied in Australia before returning to Singapore. She looks forward to visiting friends in Melbourne as often as she can. When time permits, she enjoys travelling, swimming and drawing.

Ten years of teaching experience and 13 years of coaching sports. Passionate about holistic education Believes that learning should be both fun and challenging.

Aaron has been teaching elementary students since 2009. His professional experience was established and enhanced at Somerset College on Australia’s Gold Coast. Here he taught Year 3 and Year 4. Aaron strongly believes that education is a holistic endeavour, where students can develop, not only academically, but also physically, socially and emotionally. He considers learning as a journey that should be both fun and challenging at the same time, and he applies this philosophy through his teaching. He is passionate about empowering students to achieve the most out of available opportunities.

Aaron is originally from Queensland, Australia. 2019 will be his fourth year in Singapore, and he enjoys exploring his new home country. In his spare time Aaron is involved with the Bucks Rugby Football Club and enjoys nothing more than a relaxing day spent with a good novel.

Primary school teacher for seven years. PYP trained with a passion for teaching and learning through inquiry. Committed to building strong relationships and fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Ms Darlington has been a Primary School teacher for the past seven years. Prior to arriving in Singapore she taught in schools in remote Indigenous communities in far North Queensland, and on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Australia. Her teaching career has ranged from Year levels 6-10 and Years 2-3. She has a strong belief in motivating students to strive and achieve their best potential. She has enjoyed working in a PYP school and is passionate about using the inquiry approach to help create and develop responsible, global citizens. She enjoys creating a sense of connectedness with students by making teaching relevant and applicable to their everyday lives.

Hayley was originally born in Chester in the UK, but her family emigrated to Brisbane, Australia, where she then spent most of her life. She now calls the Sunshine Coast in Queensland home. She is loving the opportunities that living and teaching in Singapore brings especially the travel and being able to experience the different cultures within the world.

Has been teaching for over 15 years in Upper and Lower Elementary classes. Strongly believes in developing a safe learning environment where students are encouraged to take risks. Passionate about implementing inquiry learning in the classroom

Manju has been a teacher for over 15 years, teaching various year levels. Before coming to Singapore, she taught in various schools in Auckland. In Singapore, she taught in another international school before joining AIS. She is passionate about developing a 'can do' attitude in her class where students are not afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. Manju believes in using a wide range of rich and meaningful learning experiences that are aimed at catering to a variety of learning styles, needs and mixed abilities. She is a passionate about learning and hopes that her students will learn that one should never stop learning.

Manju is originally from India, but migrated to New Zealand 25 years ago. Before moving there, she lived in Sabah, Malaysia where she started a playschool with other expatriate mothers. This is what ignited her love for teaching and chose it as her career. Her husband's work brought them to Singapore 11 years ago. She has two daughters, both are married and settled in UK. She’s an avid traveler and loves to learn about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys painting, reading and going for long walks.

Teacher at AIS since 2004 Has taught in Australia and UK Enjoys using ICT and Visible Thinking Routines to enhance learning for students

Paul has been a primary school educator since 1999. He commenced his career as an instrumental music teacher in Gladstone, Queensland. He then spent two years teaching in London before moving to Singapore in 2004. Paul enjoys the inquiry-based approach the PYP offers, and makes frequent use of visible thinking routines in his classroom to promote and enhance this.

Paul spends his spare time with his family, who all enjoy getting out and about in Singapore. He plays a number of musical instruments and is currently the drummer for the popular staff group, Saturday Detention.

14 years experience teaching in elementary schools across the world. Promotes meaningful inquiry learning in the classroom through, thinking, questioning, making connections and reflection. Passionate about challenging her thinking and implementing innovative and new ideas into the classroom.

Rebecca has been teaching in elementary schools across the world for the past 14 years. She has worked within schools in New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and now Singapore. Her focus is to promote growth and to challenge students to achieve through their own personal experiences; questioning, thinking and self-reflection. She thrives on challenging her thinking and implementing innovative and new ideas into her classroom. Rebecca is passionate about teaching in an international setting and enjoys the dynamic, supportive and collaborative environment that AIS has to offer.

Rebecca moved to Singapore in 2014 with her husband Simon. She originates from New Zealand’s South Island. Rebecca is a keen sportsperson who has competed at a representative level in both athletics and netball. She has a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures.

14 years in Elementary Teaching Experience in the Australian Curriculum in Australia and Singapore

Miss Houston has 14 years experience in Elementary School education. She has taught in Australia, in Queensland and Victoria, for seven years. She has spent the last six years in Singapore. Before working at AIS, where she has been for the last three years, she worked at an international school teaching the Australian Curriculum. She holds a bachelor degree in Education from Griffith University, Australia. She has taken on a number of leadership roles during her teaching career and enjoys sharing her love of reading, writing and the arts with her students.

Miss Houston has lived in Singapore for over six years (and loves it). She enjoys traveling and exploring new countries. She is passionate about reading, making time every day to read, and enjoys drawing and running.

International Educator originally from Finland 15+ years of experience in international schools around the world, and in in inquiry-based learning communities Passionate about the learning environment and how it can enhance self-directed learning and the learning experience for all students

Maija has been teaching in international schools for over 15 years. Originally she is from the Arctic Circle in Finland but has lived and worked in several Asian countries and Australia as well. Maija has experience from various positions in schools; in teaching, leadership and consulting. She believes in the role of a teacher as a facilitator of learning; igniting passion and curiosity for life-long learning that empowers and activates agency and creates reflective and caring self-directed learners. Maija is passionate about the learning environment and how learning space design can enhance the learning experience for all learners.

Maija loves living in Asia and she has worked in Vietnam, Thailand, India and now Singapore. She has also lived in Paris, New York, Adelaide and Melbourne and is clearly passionate about traveling, learning about new cultures, languages and traditions. In addition to education, Maija loves Art and Design and has recently acquired Diploma in Interior Design. When consulting on Innovative Learning Environments, she gets to combine both of her passions, Education & Design. Still, no matter how Cosmopolitan she likes to sound, at heart she is a small town girl from the Arctic Circle in Finland and proud of it!

Experience with the IB PYP and the British National Curriculum Eight years experience across the Elementary age range Four years experience as a Year Level Coordinator

Nathalia is a British Registered Teacher with eight years teaching experience. Her experiences have included teaching in Prep, Year 1 and Year 4. During this time she has lead the Year Level as a Coordinator for Prep and Year 1. Nathalia has taught the English National Curriculum for three years and has worked with the IB PYP program for five years where she has deepened her understanding of the program whilst sharing her passion about an inquiry based teaching and learning approach. She has enjoyed being part of AIS in the Prep team for the past two terms whilst assigned a maternity cover class and looks forward to continuing her own professional learning journey where she will learn more about the Australian National Curriculum and work collaboratively with her team towards common goals. Her enthusiasm to learn, previous leadership experience and good understanding of inquiry demonstrates she is well aligned with AIS.

Nathalia has been living in Singapore with her husband for the past four years where she has taught a Year 1 Bilingual Class. She is passionate about language learners as she too has experienced learning English as an additional language at a young age. Originally from Colombia she is fluent in English and Spanish. She enjoys living on the East Coast where she likes the outdoors and being active on her bike. She also loves learning about new cultures during her travels and trying new foods. Being part and contributing to different communities is very important to her and her husband as they attend and serve weekly at a Christian church. Also described as a ‘social butterfly’ she likes arranging events and including newcomers to Singapore to be part of fun experiences.

3 years teaching experience, including Year 2 and Year 3
Has lived in South Africa, USA and Australia
Has her family living in Singapore

Ms G is a South African Registered Teacher with three years’ teaching experience.  Her experiences have included teaching in Years 2 and 3.  
 
Ms G was promoted to Assistant Principal in 2019. In this position, she led the Foundation Phase and was the lead for English in her network, which involved training teachers on the British curriculum.  
 
Ms G loves being in the middle of the energy and joy that children radiate, and it inspires her to keep evolving and growing.  
 

Ms G will be moving from Johannesburg, South Africa. She has previously lived in California, U.S.A. and Sydney, Australia. She has family in Singapore and has made many visits over the past 12 years.  
 
She enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa and pottery.  An avid traveller, she has been to many countries, her favorites being Vietnam, for its unique culture and way of life, and Italy for the delicious pasta and gelato.   
 

4 years of teaching experience.
Experience with Key Stage 2 of the English National Curriculum and the Singapore curriculum.
Passionate about creating an inclusive classroom environment.

Miss Yap began teaching in 2016 in Singapore after obtaining her teaching license. Desiring greater exposure, she moved to France and taught English at an international school in Strasbourg for a year. In 2019, she returned to Singapore and is over the moon to receive an offer to teach at AIS.

During her years of teaching, Miss Yap has taught the Singapore national primary curriculum as well as the English National Curriculum (Stage 2). 

She is passionate about teaching and enjoys combining inquiry-based tasks with collaborative learning so that her students have fun learning together. Miss Yap believes in creating an inclusive classroom culture where everybody’s opinion is valued.

Clare is a Singaporean who has lived for ten years in Perth, Western Australia and some time in Strasbourg, France. Clare is passionate about marine conservation and animal welfare. In her spare time, she enjoys playing boardgames, cooking or planning her next travel destination / diving trip.

Rowan is excited to be continuing her teaching in Year 2 next year at AIS. She is passionate about supporting children to achieve their potential in all areas of the curriculum and values the differing interests and capabilities of each child. She believes in building curiosity in her students by creating stimulating learning engagements which encourage student questioning. Rowan fosters a supportive and caring environment where students feel comfortable to take risks by challenging their thinking. She is enthusiastic in her approach to teaching and learning and values being part of the wonderful AIS community.

Rowan is originally from London, England and has lived in Singapore since 2016. Rowan is passionate about environmental sustainability and enjoys keeping fit and active whether it be running, yoga, swimming or rollerblading. 

Teaching more than 15 years in Elementary School Education. Including experience in Singapore, the UK and Australia. I have spent several years teaching the IB PYP and the International Primary Curriculum. I am a sport fanatic, especially AFL, cricket and surfing.

Mr Winters is a teacher with more than 15 years experience . Including time taught in Singapore, three and a half years in the UK and seven years in Melbourne in both a Primary and P.E. setting. He is heavily involved with the AUSKICK program here at AIS and successfully developed his own sports business in Melbourne.

Mr Winters is married with two children who both attend AIS. When not busy teaching, he enjoys keeping fit by going to the gym, attending crossfit, swimming, running and surfing. He loves anything to do with sport, especially the AFL! Mr Winters enjoys travelling and has been to much of Europe, Asia and the States and is looking forward to exploring the rest of SE Asia.

• Experienced IB PYP educator who has 20 years of teaching experience both in Australia and in Singapore.
• Enthusiastic and caring teacher with a love of learning. 

Mrs Thompson is an experienced IB PYP educator who has over 20 years of teaching experience both in Australia and Singapore. She has worked in a variety of PYP schools across a range of the Elementary year levels. She is passionate about teaching within the PYP framework and strives to develop and nurture independent, responsible students who are able to think critically about their learning and set attainable goals. She is an enthusiastic and caring teacher whose love of learning and outgoing, friendly personality have a direct impact on the ability of her student's learning. She nurtures her students to reach their full potential as well-balanced, knowledgeable and caring global citizens. Mrs Thompson has taught across many year levels in the Elementary school at AIS and is also the Head of Year for Curriculum for her current year level.

Kylie Thompson is originally from the Gold Coast, Australia. She has been living in Singapore with her husband and two sons for over 5 years. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and enjoying new adventures together. 

• Elementary Teacher for 10 years
• Experience teaching the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program
• Passionate about teaching through inquiry based and conceptual learning

Lauren has been teaching for 10 years. Prior to moving to Singapore she was working at a PYP school in Melbourne. Lauren is passionate about meeting the individual needs of children and their differing capabilities, whilst giving each student a voice. She aims for students to reach their full potential in all areas of the curriculum, to be open-minded and have a wide understanding of our interconnected world. Lauren encourages initiative, responsibility and inquiry in students learning, implementing innovative and new ideas into her classroom, enabling students to take ownership of their curiosity and learning.

Lauren is from Melbourne, Australia and moved to Singapore in 2015. She loves traveling, reading and yoga. She has traveled to many parts of the world and intends on discovering many new destinations whilst living in Singapore. She lives an active lifestyle, enjoys being outdoors as often as possible and trying new experiences.

• More than 20 years of teaching experience
• Has worked in the UK and Brunei
• Passionate about inquiry-based learning

Mr Gardiner is an enthusiastic, experienced and skilled teacher with over 20 years of experience. After starting his career in the UK, he enjoyed ten years working at an international school in Brunei, Darussalam. He holds an honours degree in English Literature and History and a Post Graduate qualification in Primary Education. Mr Gardiner is passionate about inquiry-based learning and is committed to providing all of the children in his care with every opportunity to discover and develop their strengths and talents in order that they achieve their full potential in all areas. He is always keen to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents and colleagues.

Mr Gardiner is married to Justine, who also works at AIS as a Senior School Counsellor. Their son, Daniel, is in Year 11 at AIS. He loves reading, especially detective and thriller novels.  He likes cooking (and eating!) and is looking forward to experiencing the culinary delights of Singapore. To counterbalance the eating, he also enjoys keeping active and is a keen squash player.

• Middle-Upper Elementary teacher for nearly 10 years 
• Committed to fostering each student’s independence and curiosity for the world around them 
• Passionate about children’s literature and incorporating books into all areas of the curriculum

Alison has been a teacher for nearly 10 years and has taught in schools in both Melbourne and Ballarat, a regional city in Victoria. Her teaching career has been in the middle to upper elementary years, having taught Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. She believes that every student has the right to achieve success and make a contribution, and through the use of inquiry based learning, fosters children’s natural curiosity and strengthens their willingness to take risks. Open-ended tasks and flexible learning spaces enable Alison to differentiate her lessons and encourage students to be more self-directed in their individual learning journeys. Whenever possible, Alison uses I.C.T. and children’s literature to support, extend and engage students.

Alison is originally from South Australia, but after living in New Zealand, Canada and the UK, made the move to Melbourne where she lived for 12 years. She loves to travel and explore, and spends much of her holidays walking as she thinks it is the best way to experience a place. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going for bike rides, watching live theatre and music performances and making new outfits on her sewing machine.

• Accomplished Classroom Teacher with over 10 ten years teaching experience.
• Passionate about ensuring that every child feels safe and secure and incorporating children's individual interests within the classroom.
• Aims to create a learning environment that promotes enjoyment and offers many opportunities to succeed throughout the learning journey.

Emma started teaching in 2007 and gained experience teaching at a number of London schools. She has worked with many different curriculums and has over five years experience working with the Primary Years Program and in the education management industry. Before moving to Singapore, Emma taught at Churchfields Junior School where she was Head of Year 6 and Literacy Co-ordinator. 

Emma lives in Singapore with her husband Graham and their two children, Amelia and Ethan. She enjoys outdoor activities and running. She likes to travel and visit friends and family all over the world.

• 16 years teaching experience 
• extensive experience in the primary middle school years
• caters for the individual needs of students
• passionate about inquiry based learning

Melinda is a passionate teacher with over 17 years of experience. She has taught at a number of prestigious independent schools in Melbourne and Singapore, with extensive experience in the middle primary school years. Her teaching practice focuses on developing the individual strengths of her students to promote the skills, attitudes and knowledge they will need to lead happy and fulfilling lives in the future. Through an inquiry based approach to teaching and learning and using current best teaching practice, she aims to support each individual to achieve their fullest potential.

Melinda has lived in Melbourne most of her life but worked in Singapore from 2011-2015. She enjoyed working and living in Singapore so much that after 3 years is excited to be returning. Dance has always been an importance part of her life. For many years she was a contemporary dancer and now embraces opportunities to share her passion with students when the opportunity arises. She loves being active and seeking out new experiences with her husband and son, both locally and internationally.

• Megan moved to Singapore in January 2018, along with her husband and two children, Charlotte (7) and Harvey (4).
• Megan has been teaching for over 10 years across a number of different grade levels from Grade 1 – Grade 6.

Megan has been teaching for over 10 years across a number of different grade levels from Grade 1 – Grade 6. Prior to arriving to AIS, Megan spend her teaching career in Melbourne, Australia undertaking a variety of classroom teaching roles. Megan is committed to providing a range of learning tasks to cater to student’s various needs. She believes in creating a classroom culture of respect and engagement.

Megan moved to Singapore in January 2018, along with her husband and two children, Charlotte (7) and Harvey (4). When not teaching, Megan loves to travel and experience different cultures and all they have to offer, in particular food. Even though Megan has travelled across many continents, she still has many more places on her bucket list to experience.

• Highly experienced with the Australian Curriculum
• Over 8 years of experience across the Elementary age range
• Vey experienced in teaching English as an Additional Language 

Ms. Gomez has over eight years of teaching experience across Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

She is trained in Literacy Intervention and a number of Writer’s and Reader’s Workshops.

Ms Gomez is well aligned with AIS and is experienced in designing units of inquiry and tailoring and differentiating Mathematics and Literacy lessons to include open-ended questioning, problem solving and critical thinking.  She is highly experienced in incorporating strategies for teaching English as an additional language. 

Ms Gomez believes in promoting an inquiry-led environment, where all children can develop into self-motivated learners, capable of joy and wonder, critical thought, inventiveness, and emotional resilience. She recognises and strives to develop children as truly whole beings so as to cultivate a balance of positive character traits, a robust and inquiring mind, and the fluency to work restoratively and collaboratively to transform ideas into achievable goals. 

Ms. Gomez has lived and worked in Singapore, Germany, Australia and Indonesia.  She speaks Malay, Bahasa Indonesia and German.

She arrived in Singapore at the start of the year from Jakarta, Indonesia where she had been teaching in an international school. 

She enjoys spending time with family and friends, sailing and travelling extensively. She’s an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, particularly on the topics of mindfulness and wellbeing. She’s also a yoga enthusiast.

Ms Gomez is passionate about art and the paintings of the European masters such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Da Vinci.

Elementary teacher at AIS since 2018. Passionate about building strong relationships with students that allow for mutual trust and respect. Enjoys implementing sustainable classroom practices and teaching students to take action.

Mr Quon has been at AIS since 2018. Previously to this he was Year 5 teacher at an IB PYP school in Melbourne, Australia. As a passionate teacher, he motivates his students by determining their strengths and abilities, and inspiring and engaging them in their studies. Paul aims to provide a stimulating learning environment that encourages young people to develop confidence and trust their own opinions on their paths to realising their true potential. Paul has a keen interest in sustainability having completed a Bachelor Degree in the field. He enjoys finding new ways to educate his students on taking action and understanding the changes they can make in their own lives to benefit the environment.

Paul was born in Melbourne and has lived there his entire life. Since moving to Singapore in 2018 he has thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the world. Paul is an avid Australian Rules Football follower and plays basketball in his spare time. He also works as a basketball coach at AIS as he enjoys developing students outside of the classroom as well.

13 years teaching experience in different countries. Passionate teacher who enjoys providing rich learning experiences. Establishes a supportive and friendly classroom environment.

Most of Su-Lin's experience has come from working in International Schools. Su-Lin's first degree was in Asian Studies and Marketing. After she completed her degree she went to Taiwan to teach English. She really enjoyed her experience so when she returned to Australia she completed a Diploma in Education at Murdoch University in Perth. Su-Lin's teaching career began at the International School of Brunei where she taught for four years, followed by seven years at AIS where she has taught in Prep, Year 1 and Year 2. She has also taught in Perth and London. Su-Lin is dedicated to providing a differentiated curriculum to cater for a range of learning styles.

Su-Lin is from Perth, Australia. She enjoys travelling the world and experiencing different cultures as she herself is from a multicultural family. Some of her favourite places are Rio De Janeiro, Iceland and Cambodia. Su-Lin also enjoys going to the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Upper Elementary Teacher for 20 years. Endeavours to foster a love of learning, a spirit of inquiry and enthusiasm for life. Very interested in student mental health and well being.

Prior to relocating to Singapore, Julie taught in a number of schools in Melbourne, specialising in middle and upper elementary. She is an energetic, creative and empathetic teacher with over two decades of experience who strives to equip and inspire students to reach their full potential both personally and academically. One of her greatest strengths is creating a classroom culture where each child feels nurtured, valued and excited to come to school each day.

She enjoys catering for individual differences by supporting students with learning challenges while inspiring and engaging students who require enrichment.

Julie is originally from Melbourne and has just recently moved to Singapore. She enjoys spending time with her family including three teenage children. She has has a passion for healthy food and enjoys cooking new foods from different parts of the world. In her spare time you might find Julie on a walk, catching up with friends, or perusing new recipe books.

Over 10 years PYP teaching experience in lower and upper elementary year levels. 5 years in middle leadership. Passionate about supporting students and teachers to learn through inquiry by collaborating, innovating, questioning and reflecting.

Erin has over ten years of teaching experience, and has taught the PYP exclusively. She has taught both lower and upper elementary and has enjoyed the challenges and rewards of the various age groups. Erin is an advocate for lifelong learning and instills this in the students that she teaches and the teams that she leads. She has two Masters degrees and enjoys that challenges and opportunities that further education offers. Erin is passionate about teaching children in a way that enables them to reach their full potential, however that may look. She fosters the sense of belonging in her classroom buy valuing all members of the learning community and allowing them to have agency with how, what, why and where they are learning. Erin enjoys teaching in an international school setting and sees daily, the difference it makes to her students: the growth in perspective, resilience and tolerance being three of the most valuable attributes that her students possess and develop. Erin is also a Head of Year in Teaching and Learning. This role allows her to help build the innate capacity of each member of the teaching team through curriculum development and implementation.

Erin is originally from Adelaide and moved to Singapore at the end of 2015. She has been with AIS for 4 years. Erin values the opportunities and experiences that she is exposed to by living in Singapore. Travel is a passion of hers and she enjoys being able to see new cities and countries whilst immersing herself in the local culture. Snowboarding and basketball have always been a hobbies of Erin’s, as well as cooking. Travelling has exposed Erin to new foods and cooking techniques, which she loves to try when she returns home to Singapore.

16 Years’ experience teaching in an Elementary setting. Believes in embracing individual student experiences and learning styles within a safe and secure learning environment. Passionate about Inquiry based learning.

Hayley has been teaching since 2003 and at AIS since 2016. The majority of her teaching experience has been based in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. In recent years, Hayley has spent her time teaching abroad, creating opportunities to further develop herself as an educator. In 2009, she moved to Dubai where she worked in an international school for three years. In 2011, Hayley volunteered her time working in Samoa at a local school running a Holiday Program. Hayley believes all of these opportunities have been a privilege to be part of and she looks forward to continuing to develop her experience as an educator at AIS.

Hayley loves to travel and experience new cultures. She is fortunate enough to have travelled to many wonderful places in the world. One of her favourites being Africa where she was able to go on Safari. Hayley is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, embracing every opportunity and making the most of every day.

Lower/Upper Elementary teacher for over 10 years. Passionate about ensuring students are prepared for an ever changing global world. Enjoys engaging with new technology and sharing these with students.

James has been an elementary teacher for over 10 years. Previously spent 7 years at Dulwich College Shanghai. Before that spent 12 months living in London, playing semi professional rugby and teaching at a variety of schools in South East London. Taught for two years at a small catholic school in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Enjoys stimulating students through interactive lessons that promote thinking outside of the box. Passionate about STEM mathematics and empowering students to put contextual relevance to their learning. Identifying and using relevant technological developments in the classroom.

Originally from New Zealand, James has moved to Singapore with wife, Anita who is teaching EAL and PE and his two small children Xavier(3) and Fletcher(2). In his spare time, James loves all sports particularly rugby, cricket and golf. He enjoys supporting the All Blacks and any team sporting the silver fern!

Over 10 years teaching in international schools in Singapore. Experienced teaching year levels Prep to 6.

After relocating to Singapore in 2006, Juan completed a postgraduate teaching qualification and began teaching in Avondale Grammar School. After three years he commenced working with the Australian International School and worked as a supply teacher for Prep to Year 5. Since 2014, Juan has undertaken three separate semester-long cover posts in Lower Elementary School and has been a permanent member of the Year 1 teaching team since 2016.

Juan enjoys travel with his family and have lived and worked in Singapore over the last 10 years.

Bachelor of Arts- Lakehead University

Bachelor of Current Education- Lakehead University

Katie has been a teacher for 10 years. Before arriving to Singapore, she taught Year 4 at the American International School of Abu Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Katie’s teaching career has been focused in the Upper Elementary years, having taught in Year 5 and presently in Year 3. She believes strongly in promoting confidence in all her students to achieve their full potential. Katie is committed to providing a range of learning tasks to cater to students various needs. She enjoys challenging students with open-ended problem solving tasks and inquiry based learning. Katie has an interest in Drama and ICT and uses a range of skills in the classroom to enhance students confidence and growth as a learner.

Katie is originally from Belleville, Ontario, Canada. She has lived in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for two years and eight years in Singapore. She is married and has two young girls. She loves all forms of sports and the Arts. Katie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, travelling and tasting different cuisines.

Elementary teacher at AIS since 2011. Passionate about providing a learning environment where all students can achieve their personal best. Believes children can flourish when they are happy and willing to take risks in their learning.

Peter has been a teacher at AIS for 8 years. While in Australia he taught in New South Wales and the Northern Territory where he gained invaluable experience in classroom management. Peter believes strongly in the Primary Years Programme and is committed to providing all students with attributes that will enable them to grow into successful adults.

Peter lives in Singapore with his wife Kate and daughter Eliza. He enjoys outdoor activities and traveling to new places. He is a keen (although slowing) sportsman who regularly participates in social tennis, touch football and boxing. Peter was born and educated in Wauchope, NSW, Australia. Peter and Kate are expecting their second child in April 2019.

• Year 3 teacher for three years.
• Year 6 teacher and Team Operations Manager for two years.
• Year 5 teachers for two years.
• Facilitator of the IB PYP Exhibition. Passionate about inclusive and innovative education that reflects the world around us.

Emma has been a teacher for seven years, previously at Mount View Primary School in Glen Waverley, Victoria, a large, diverse and multicultural IB PYP school. Emma is a believer in the PYP and inquiry-based pedagogy, as it harnesses the intrinsic motivation of students and empowers them to take meaningful action from their learning. A professional highlight for Emma has been facilitating the IB PYP Exhibition for the last four years. Watching her students embrace a growth mindset to gain such incredible conceptual knowledge, understanding and skills during the exhibition has been very fulfilling. Emma's strength as a teacher is her innovation. She is highly reflective and modifies her lessons to ensure all students are engaged, involved and can achieve. Emma is excited to continue working in the Year 5 team at AIS so that she can learn and grow as a teacher, whilst also delivering a differentiated, international education to her students.

Emma Wrigley is originally from the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Australia. Consequently she is a lover of the outdoors and the ocean. Together with her husband Paul Quon, Emma moved to Singapore in 2018 to continue teaching the IB PYP in an international context. She is excited to escape Melbourne's weather, eat all the food and broaden her personal and professional experiences. In her spare time, Emma enjoys exploring new places, boogie boarding and lazy barbecues with friends and family.

• Teacher for over 15 Years in Australia, England, Thailand and Singapore.
• Previous experience as Head of Year Curriculum in Year 3 and Year 1

Felicity has global experience teaching the Australian, British and PYP Curriculums. She has been teaching at AIS since 2010. Felicity has led teaching teams to develop the curriculum and implement best practice teaching strategies that align with the latest educational research. Felicity planned lessons and taught collaboratively with Professional Peter Sullivan, as part of the School's Mathematics Project. She believes in encouraging students to play an active part in their learning by voicing their ideas, being part of classroom decision-making and taking ownership of their personal and academic goals.

Felicity is originally from Perth, Australia. She lived in England for three years and has been residing in Asia since 2006. Felicity is an avid traveller who splits her holiday time between visiting family in Australia and Denmark. She enjoy spending time with her husband and young child, exploring the parks and beaches of Singapore.

• Experienced teacher with over 17 years of experience
• More than 10 years of experience in educational leadership
• Passionate about collaboration, differentiation and student welfare

Jennifer began teaching in Melbourne, working at Sandringham Primary School where she taught a range of different year levels from Prep to Year 6. Jennifer has worked in a range of leadership positions over the course of her career in the areas of student welfare and curriculum. She also briefly taught as a Casual Relief Teacher at the Australian International School in Vietnam. Jennifer moved to Singapore in 2014 and has worked across various lower and upper Elementary year levels. She enjoys collaborating with others and building strong relationships with the school community including students, teachers and parents. Jennifer is currently a Head of Year in the area of Teaching and Learning.

In her spare time Jennifer loves to travel, experiencing new adventures, cultures and meeting new people. She loves to cook, read and watch movies. Jennifer has lived in three countries; Australia, Vietnam and Singapore. She lives with her husband Irfan and stays in regular contact with her mum, dad and brother in Bentleigh, Melbourne.

• Upper Elementary teacher for more than 15 years.
• Experienced in specialist ICT and PE teaching roles.
• Committed to developing balanced, internationally minded learners.

Mr Degenkamp has had over ten years experience in Singapore teaching the PYP in an international school setting. Prior to accepting the role in Singapore he taught at a number of schools in Victoria, Australia, where he held a range of classroom and leadership positions. Mr Degenkamp gained a double degree in Primary Teaching and Arts from Monash University in Australia, after which he furthered his studies to obtain a Master of Education. He believes that the student-teacher-family relationship is paramount in developing happy, successful and holistic learners. Mr Degenkamp has continued his professional development in the PYP by completing a number of courses to support his inquiry-based approach to teaching. As a result, he creates a caring, safe environment in which students can fulfill their potential. Previously, Mr Degenkamp has demonstrated his commitment to the wider school community through his involvement in cricket, swimming, athletics and cross-country teams and is excited by the range of opportunities provided to students at AIS.

Mr Degenkamp is from Melbourne, Australia and although he has spent ten years in Singapore, maintains his passion for Australian sport and travel.  He enjoys following his AFL team, the Richmond Tigers from afar and enjoys attempting to convince his 2 year old son Mitchell to do the same. Mr Degenkamp is a lifelong swimmer and also prides himself as a self-taught Master Chef! He enjoys spending time at home, both in Singapore and Australia, with family and friends.

• Upper Primary Teaching for 8 years and Middle Primary Teaching for 3 years.
• Specialist in Physical Education for 3 years.
• Ross is looking forward to new challenges and working with an exciting, inquiring group of students and staff.

Ross has been teaching for 14 years during which he has enjoyed a vast array of experiences across all levels. He has taught at three different schools in Melbourne, Australia, the most current being Melbourne Grammar School. No matter which level he is teaching Ross enjoys developing strong relationships with his students as well as peers. Ross believes that the key to success, both in and out of the classroom, is establishing and maintaining healthy positive relationships.

Ross is looking forward to the move from Melbourne, Australia, to Singapore with wife and two children. Ross enjoys keeping fit and active however can often be found lying in his hammock in the backyard. Travelling and experiencing different cultures is very important to him and he has many European and Asian countries still to experience.

• Primary School Teacher (15+ years)
• Enjoys Inquiry Based Learning and being able to create exciting, awe-inspiring learning opportunities.

Stephanie has taught at 3 different international schools in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. She is passionate about inquiry teaching and learning and her goal is to provide students with a safe and welcoming environment where they feel confident to take risks with their learning solve problems and reach their full potential. Stephanie believes in educating the whole student and nurturing their areas of strength and interest, whilst developing a sense of identity and independence.

Stephanie is an avid traveler and continues to add to her ‘to do list’ each day. She loves to cook, eat and sample new and exciting restaurants whenever possible. Reading, music, swimming and spending quality time with her family and friends are also some things she considers her passions.

• PYP teaching since 2006
• Passionate about students finding success and enjoyment of learning Triathlon Coach

Trent has been teaching delightful students since 2006, moving to Singapore and AIS in 2009. Before Singapore, he taught at one of the leading independent schools in Queensland, Somerset College; an IB World School from P to 12. Within Trent's classroom practice, he views technology integration as an important step toward developing 21st century skills while also assisting the students to be motivated, engaged and productive learners. Treating students as individuals, who all have needs of their own, is integral to his practice as is approaching situations fairly and equitably. He strives to develop students' natural curiosity, creativity and confidence in all pursuits that his students are engaged in. Trent coaches a number of sports including Triathlon, Cross Country, Cricket, Football and Athletics.

Trent was born and grew up on the sunny Gold Coast in Australia. He was based there until making the big move to Singapore in 2009 to experience living in a different cultural region. During 2019, Trent and his partner Nina welcomed their first child, daughter Teia to the world.

Prior to teaching future leaders of industry and the world, Trent had the pleasure of bodyboarding in somewhat of a professional way while between university degrees and working nights in theatre, amongst other things. In his spare time, Trent competes in triathlons around the world and often qualifies for Ironman World Championship events. He also enjoys traveling to go surfing at exotic surf destinations and back home.

• Five years teaching Year 7 and 8 in New Zealand
• One year teaching Year 5 in the United Kingdom
• One year teaching Year 5 at AIS
• Passionate about developing self confidence in all students
• Enjoys building rapport with students and the wider school community

Alice has been teaching for seven years. She spent the first four years of her career working at an intermediate school in New Zealand, teaching Year 7 and 8 students. In this role she developed a passion for engaging students in their learning, developing lifelong learners, and encouraging students to involve themselves in the wide range of opportunities on offer at her school. Alice led a variety of extra-curricular activities, including; Netball, Touch Rugby, Dance and Drama. In 2017, Alice spent a year teaching Year 5 students in England, before returning to teach back in New Zealand in 2018. This one year excursion helped build Alice’s experience in a different education system and she enjoyed being able to interact with a diverse range of pupils. Alice joined the AIS family at the start of 2019, teaching in Year 5. Alice was also involved in directing the Upper Elementary Production. Throughout all experiences, Alice’s highlight of teaching is building robust connections with students.

Alice is originally from Masterton, New Zealand, where she grew up on a farm. After enjoying teaching so much in New Zealand, she wanted to share her passion around the world. Alice spent a year working in England and traveling Europe, before deciding to move to Singapore. Other than traveling, Alice enjoys spending time at the beach and taking her dog Kora for walks.

• Dedicated and enthusiastic educator with extensive experience of IBPYP and the Australian Curriculum.
• 22 years teaching experience within the elementary age range.
• Dynamic and responsive with a passion for developing the whole learner

Kate is a registered Australian teacher with 14 years recent experience teaching at St Leonard's College in Melbourne. Whilst there she was a driving force in the implementation and development of the IBPYP.  Kate was a leading teacher and mentor to colleagues in the appropriate use of digital technologies to support and enhance the teaching and learning at the college. Kate started her teaching career in Hong Kong at Yew Chung International School. She then relocated to England and took up a teaching role with Surrey County Council, before moving to Australia in 2002. Kate brings to AIS a wealth of experience throughout the elementary years with a particular passion for student advocacy and the development of the whole learner at their particular level and need.

Kate was born in England, raised and educated in Hong Kong, married an Australian and now finds herself in Singapore with her family. She has 2 children, aged 11 and 15 who are both enjoying AIS. Kate enjoys a wide range of activities including rugby, horse riding, running and reading. She is passionate about the environment and has an interest in following the Singapore otters.

• Primary teacher for over 12 years
• Experience teaching in IBPYP
• Enjoys coaching a range of sports

Brad has been a primary school teacher for over 12 years. Before arriving in Singapore, he taught on the Gold Coast at Somerset College, a leading independent school in Australia. Here he taught Year 4 and Year 5. He has also taught in Sydney, Australia as well as in Auckland, New Zealand. Brad has experience teaching in most primary year levels. Brad has a strong interest in being involved in and promoting, inquiry based learning, critical thinking, differentiation teaching and encouraging creativity in the classroom. He involves himself in the life of any school he works - from coaching sports teams, being involved in school musicals and taking on extra responsibilities that benefit the students in his care.

Brad was originally from Auckland, New Zealand. He is married with two young children. Brad loves spending his spare time with his family, going on walks and exploring his surroundings. He enjoys playing and following many sports especially cricket and rugby league. Brad is a mad Gold Coast Titans supporter!

My undergraduate study was a Bachelor of Arts/Education(Primary). In my Arts component I majored in International and Global Studies knowing I wanted to learn more about the world around me. In that experience I was provided amazing opportunities such participating in the Australian Model United Nations in Sydney. I also minored in Japanese after studying since I was in primary school.
During my Education degree I experienced life in a rural setting and completed a 4-week practicum 6 hours west of Brisbane in a town called St George.

I completed my Masters of Education majoring in International education in 2016 at the University of Melbourne. During that experience had in a live-in experience at Prem International School in Chiang Mai, which really drove my decision to teach internationally.

I have been teaching in catholic education since 2009. I have taught in a range of settings in Brisbane, Melbourne and London. The most recent within the PYP Framework at Xavier College, Melbourne. I have enjoyed the age and stage of Upper Elementary teaching across Year 3-6 co-educational and single sex environments. I love being involved in the life of the school and have hosted Science Clubs and Talent Shows. I love hands-on experiences to drive and enthuse my students.

Hello my name is Louise Quinn. I was born in Ireland and moved to Brisbane, Australia when I was 7 years old. I knew from an early age I wanted to be a teacher. I had a love of learning and wanted to instil that passion as my career. I love conversation with others and learning about their experiences. In my downtime, I love heading to the cinema and theatre, dancing, travelling and skiing (which I know I won't get much of in Singapore!). I look forward to experiencing the cultural diversity of Singapore and putting into practice cultural and international mindedness that I taught through my own IB PYP journey.

AIS staff member since 1997 Passionate about the role of art in education IB educator, developer, presenter and school assessor role - Full-Time

Theo has been a teacher with AIS since 1997. His current role is the Elementary Visual Arts Coordinator. Supporting Theo's teaching in his role in Arts education, is his training in painting and printmaking (Sydney College of the Arts) and sculpting (apprenticeship with Australian sculptor, May Barrie). Theo is well versed in the IBO Primary Years Programme and bases his inquiry approach teaching pedagogy on its philosophy. Theo’s experience and understanding of the IBO frameworks led to his appointment, in 2008, as a workshop leader in the role of the Arts in the PYP. From that time he has developed and led in-school and regional workshops, has presented at IBO Asia Pacific region annual conferences and has been the team lead for school verification and accreditation visits in the Asia Pacific region.

Theo is a practicing artist and painter who has conducted many successful solo and group exhibition in Australia, Greece, Singapore, Beijing, Seoul and Kuala Lumpar. Theo paints colourful, vibrant figurative works on a large scale. Theo is also a passionate motorcyclist who enjoys touring and riding within the region and internationally.

Teaching for 20 years across all Elementary Year levels and all curriculum areas. Strongly believes that every student should be given an equal opportunity to learn and become the best that they can be. Enjoys working with students to help them unlock their full potential.

Bronwyn has been in the teaching profession since 1996 and, prior to working in Singapore, taught in a number of schools in rural Queensland. She has taught in a variety of school settings, including in mainstream Elementary classrooms, in Distance Education and in Learning Support and Reading Recovery. Bronwyn strongly believes that every student should have an equal opportunity to learn and grow and that differentiation is key to developing a thriving learning environment. She is passionate about teaching children to read and helping them to discover the wonder of the English language.

Bronwyn is originally from Queensland but has lived in many places in Australia, including Adelaide, Western Queensland and in mining communities in Central Queensland. She has lived in Singapore for the last three years with her family and has three daughters. Bronwyn enjoys spending time with her family, reading and running. She loves to travel and experience new places and cultures and looks forward to using her stay in Singapore to continue to do this.

I have been teaching Music and Singing for many years in various countries and love teaching all aspects of the subject, including: singing, performance, interpretation, theory, harmony, counterpoint, composition and history. I have taught pupils and students from age 2 to post-16. I am a pianist, organist, digital keyboard player, violinist and violist; I also play all the instruments in the recorder family. In Singapore, I was Director of Music at a long-established international school for eleven years. I was Head of Music at Avondale Grammar School. At AIS, I teach principally in the Secondary School and enjoy my involvement in musical CCAs, recitals and the joint musical production with the Drama Dept. I have lived and taught in Singapore since 2002. I worked on stage as a professional accompanist in UK, UAE, Oman and Yemen.

Private music teacher - Piano, Violin, Theory of Music. Taught Piano, Keyboards, Violin and Theory with Kirklees Music School and Calderdale Music Service, Yorkshire, England. Prepared many students for practical Grade Exams and Theory. Official accompanist for ABRSM and Trinity College exams in UK - all instruments, all grades. Director of Music - Dover Court International School, Singapore. Head of Music - PPMAS-SINGAPORE International School, Thailand. Head of Music - Avondale Grammar School, Singapore. I have regularly conducted, accompanied and arranged music for all school concerts, choirs, orchestras, assemblies, formal carol concerts and full-scale musical productions.

I currently teach Music to students in Y9 to Y12. At these levels, Music includes solo performance, interpretation, ensemble performance, theory, composition, analysis, world music and special projects. I accompany the Y6-8 Choir and am responsible for the Secondary Recorder Ensemble. I am also involved with certain other musical CCAs and the preparations for the Ensemble Evenings in Term 2. In Term 3, I shall be accompanying instrumental recitalists and singers for their performances in the Music Department and Theatre.

I was born in UK into a musical family. My brother, two sisters and I each studied two musical instruments. My father attended university in Switzerland and adored listening to classical music, including Opera and German Lieder; my mother was a pianist. I began playing the piano at the age of three and the violin at six. Music has always been a vital part of my life. At Grammar School, I was good at maths, physics, Latin and French; however, I thrived on music and all the live concerts; I sang in the Choir and led the School Orchestra for years. At University, I conducted a choir and enjoyed exploring the Arts in the City of Manchester, including especially musical concerts and the theatre. I learnt my performance skills early in my career. I thrive in a multi-cultural environment and shall never tire of teaching music.

Believes that students’ interest is the key to their success. Success is achieved through consistent perseverance. Learning throughout the process is equivalently important. 6 years of PYP Experience

Lily Zhang has extensive teaching experience and has worked as a teacher for 26 years. She has taught Mandarin in the Singapore Government School, Shanghai, The Singapore International School and Singapore American School. This is her 7th year at AIS and her passion is to have all her students develop an interest in Mandarin and to excel. Apart from teaching, Lily Zhang has also worked as a school counsellor at East China Normal University in Shanghai and in Singapore at Nanyang Girls’ School.

Lily loves children. She has a pair of beautiful twin daughters. Both her daughters are in the national rhythmic gymnastics team of Singapore and have represented the country many times. In her spare time, Lily loves traveling, hiking and listening to music.

Elementary and Secondary Music teacher for 19 years Member of the Elementary School Leadership team for eight years Passionate about providing opportunities for students to explore their creativity.

Wayne has been teaching Elementary and Secondary School Music for 19 years and is passionate about providing opportunities for young musicians to explore and develop their creative and artistic potential.

Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Wayne has taught and led music departments in many schools across Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Wayne and his family have been in Singapore for eight years and love being a part of this vibrant community.

6+ years experience teaching art Experienced in working with children with learning differences Enjoy teaching a wide variety of mediums including soft pastels, watercolours, printmaking, sculpting, textiles and design software

I have worked as a school art teacher teaching Key Stage 2 & 3. I worked in an art studio teaching fine arts to primary aged students. Most recently, I have taught an arts - based curriculum in a school for children with learning differences. With all my students, I aim to encourage their curiosity and to instill a growth mindset. Mistakes are to be celebrated and reflected upon, amazing things happen when you have a go.

Originally from North Wales, UK. I moved to South East Asia 2012. I first taught in Thailand then Vietnam and have now been in Singapore for 3 1/2 years. My passion beside art is the great outdoors. I love to go cycling, hiking and exploring new places.

Pre-school teacher for 12 years Every child is unique and deserves individualised teaching Passionate about incorporating dance and movement into the classroom

Ms Hearn has been teaching for 12 years. Crystal moved to Singapore three years ago where she taught at Avondale Grammar School in both Pre School and Foundation classes. Prior to arriving in Singapore, she had been teaching for nine years at a country Pre School in Australia. Crystal believes in nurturing every child’s development. Her teaching pedagogy and her key role as an educator is based on the benefits of explorative play, age appropriate experiences and a safe learning environment where students feel confident to take risks. She also enjoys the creative arts and dance and regularly incorporates these into her classes.

Crystal is originally from Country Victoria, Australia. She has lived in Singapore for the past three years and loves this incredible city. Crystal enjoys travelling and spending time with her friends and family.

In the last 20 years I have taught students in South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and America. 
I enjoy helping to motivate students in their language learning journey so that they can communicate easily and effectively with their peers and succeed in their studies. 

Ms. Lisa started her teaching career as an IT Lecturer at Port Elizabeth Technikon in South Africa before moving to Hong Kong and then to Singapore. She taught English at a Bilingual Kindergarten, a private language school and a Japanese Senior High School before joining AIS.

My family and I have been in Singapore and made it our home for more than 10 years. In our free time we enjoy water sports, traveling and eating! Our favourite places are the beach, Wake Park and Botanical Gardens. 

Six years teaching experience from Foundation to Year 8 Promotes a child centred and holistic approach to teaching and learning Strengths in teaching Visual Arts

Ms Payne has six years teaching experience from Foundation to Year 8. Before teaching in Singapore she spent six years teaching in Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand. She is a passionate and energetic teacher who strives to create a positive and engaging classroom environment for all children. Lydia believes strongly in maximising all children's potential through an inquiry, holistic and learner centred program that caters for the diverse needs of her students. She has a passion for the Visual Arts and creativity and she enjoys immersing children in a range of artistic practices that link to rich inquiry learning and provide a positive platform for self-expression.

Lydia is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand. She has spent many years living in different parts of New Zealand and has enjoyed travelling abroad. She moved to Singapore in 2017 and has enjoyed embracing the new culture and opportunities. Lydia is creative by nature and in her spare time she enjoys creating art and DIY projects. She also enjoys the simple pleasures of life from great home cooking to the outdoors, running, tramping, netball, yoga, travelling and spending time with close friends and family.

Mandarin teacher for fourteen years Enjoys incorporating performance arts into her lessons. Creates effective lessons for students.

Fu Wenjuan has been a teacher for the past fourteen years, thirteen years of which were spent teaching at local and international schools in Singapore. Therefore, her varied experiences help her to design classes to suit different students needs, whether they are English native speakers or non-native speakers. She believes every child has the potential to learn and use his or her own strengths to shine. She has a great passion for pedagogical excellence, and she gets along well with children of all ages, as well as understanding the child's psychological background.

Fu Wenjuan is originally from Jilin, China. She has been living in Singapore for over a decade. In her free time she likes to play piano, read and travel during the holidays.

Has 5 years PYP experience

Guangli has been a teacher for 15 years. She has worked in China and Singapore. In Singapore, she worked at UWCSEA East campus. Guangli possesses good teaching skills.

Guangli lives in Singapore with her husband and two children.

5 years of experience working in an Elementary setting in Ypres, Belgium Believes Physical Education is about providing students with the means and knowledge for living a healthy, active, lifestyle Believes every child is unique both physically and emotionally

Maxim has worked in education for 5 years in an Elementary setting as well as a Youth Care Centre. The majority of his teaching experience has been based in Ypers, Belgium as a Physical and Outdoor Education teacher. In recent years, Maxim has spent his time travelling abroad, creating opportunities to further develop himself as a lifelong learner. He was fortunate enough to have spent 2015/16 travelling through Australia and South East Asia. He is grateful to have met so many wonderful people whilst on this journey which has been a major influence in his decision to now teach and live abroad. Maxim is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, embracing every opportunity and making the most of every day.

Maxim is from Ypres in Belgium. He moved to Singapore in 2016 to explore the world of International teaching. He is a passionate Physical Education teacher who started his career in Belgium working in an Elementary setting. From this experience, he decided to work in a Youth Centre. He is an avid soccer fan and enjoys coaching soccer. Maxim believes Physical Education is about providing students with the means and knowledge for living a healthy, active, lifestyle both physically and emotionally.

Worked as a language teacher for 15 years in China and Singapore, five years of experience in international schools in Singapore Passionate about teaching through inquiry based learning Enjoys teaching Chinese language and culture to students from various backgrounds through an immersion approach

Xiao Wang has been teaching for 15 years. Prior to moving to Singapore, she was lecturing in a University in the Fujian Province of China. In this role she taught Chinese nationals English language and literature and international students the Chinese language. She has experience in teaching students of various age groups. Xiao Wang believes that culture is an essential part of foreign language teaching and learning. Her experience enables her to perceive the differences and challenges in teaching languages and create enjoyable immersed environments for students.

Xiao Wang is happily married with two young children aged three and five. She enjoys living in Singapore with her family. She is passionate about Chinese cookery. Xiao Wang loves traveling and communicating with people from various cultures.

Believes that when children feel confident, learning comes naturally 35 years of teaching experience across all grade levels in the Primary sector. These include the teaching of different grade levels - Prep to 6 and in different class combinations including composite and multi-aged classes. Primary School teacher librarian for many of these years, teaching grades prep to 6 information literacy skills and developing a love and appreciation of literature.

Ms Cox has a Diploma of Teaching from Phillip Institute of Technology, Australia as well as a Graduate Diploma of Library and Information Studies, Melbourne College of Advanced Education. I am passionate about my teaching and I strongly believe in providing students with a learning environment that they not only feel safe and comfortable in, but one that will support them in becoming global, internationally minded students. Through positive feedback and praise, students enjoy their learning and therefore achieve well. My classroom provides opportunities for students to inquire not only about the world around them, but also about their own learning. I enjoy teaching students about having a Growth Mindset and helping them to set their own goals and challenges. I have been teaching IB PYP for 15 years here in Singapore. My own professional development within the PYP is extensive and includes Reading, Writing and Assessment through Inquiry and Action through the PYP. I also recently attended an International Conference on Differentiation. Every child is unique!

My husband and I are from Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. We moved to Singapore 17 years ago to begin our journey of working in International Schools. Our two adult daughters study, work and reside in Melbourne. My husband and I consider Singapore to be our home. We have traveled extensively since being here. We enjoy exploring new places and we look forward to one day becoming ‘Grey Nomads’ and traveling Australia.

Worked in music education for 8 years in South Africa, Namibia and Singapore Passionate about the important role music education plays in the holistic development of every child Believes in providing all children with the opportunity to learn about and appreciate music

Marilize has been a Music teacher for 8 years, 6 of those at AIS. She has worked in 3 countries: South Africa, Namibia and Singapore. Marilize believes strongly in the importance of a sequenced music programme as part of any school curriculum, because Music impacts on a child’s physical, emotional, intellectual, social and personal development and growth.

Marilize was born and educated in South Africa. She is married to Theunis, a pilot, and they have two children: Ayla and Daniel who both attend AIS. The family has been in Singapore for just over 10 years. Marilize is passionate about all music, plays the piano and guitar, loves children, is a huge Springbok rugby supporter, she enjoys playing bridge, traveling, hiking, cooking, eating out and visiting the theatre.

12 years teaching experience 4 years PYP experience Enjoys Chinese traditional dance, Piano, Chinese calligraphy

Yanan has been a teacher for 12 years. She has worked in two countries: China and Singapore. While in China, Yanan worked in a state primary school in Shenyang city. She moved to Singapore in 2004 as a Chinese teacher. Yanan believes that interest is the best teacher of learning. A language teacher has to make learning engaging and fun. She also believes that students can be motivated to learn without stress in a student-centered classroom with an open-minded learning environment.

Yanan has been in Singapore for 10 years. She lives with her parents, husband and son. In her spare time, Yanan plays the piano. She also enjoys reading and traveling.

School counsellor with experience in Singapore and Australia Passionate about positive education practices Works collaboratively with students, parents and teacher

Susan has had the pleasure and privilege to have worked along side a huge variety of students and their parents from many different environments and socio-economic backgrounds. She is passionate about working with educational professionals that use positive education practices in their work with all their students. Working collaboratively with students, parents and their teachers ensures the optimum outcomes for all parties. Susan is currently School Counsellor in the Elementary School at AIS. She has previously worked as School Counsellor in schools in rural NSW and Sydney, and prior to that taught Geography and Economics.

Susan has been married to Robert for over 30 years. They have one daughter who is currently studying Engineering Science and living on campus at Macquarie Uni in Sydney. She lived in Cronulla, Sydney for many years and before that in country NSW in Bathurst. She enjoys walking and discovering new and interesting sites, the company of friends and taking on positive adventures during travels overseas.

21 Years teaching experience Believes that unique learners need differentiated teaching Creates a lively classroom atmosphere for students

Gao Jie has worked in both China and Singapore. Her most recent experience was with Avondale Grammar School, where she taught mandarin to a wide range of classes. She has also taught in Singapore Pre Schools and language centres. In China she taught Mandarin to Secondary School students. Her 21 years of teaching experience has equipped her with a wide variety of teaching approaches and skills to meet the needs of each child’s different character and learning style. Gao Jie enjoy teaching Mandarin through fun yet meaningful activities such as remixing songs, rhymes, stories and creative hands-on projects.

Gao Jie has been Singapore for 17 years. Her whole family enjoys the life in Singapore.

PYP trained and passionate about teaching and learning through inquiry  
Relishes in opportunities to engage meaningfully with information communication technologies  Strives to actively engage students to become lifelong, intrinsically motivated learners by creating and fostering a caring and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable to take risks and meet challenges.  She is Current House Patron of Fitzroy and has been since 2017.

Michaela has taught in both Australia and Singapore. Previous leadership positions have allowed Michaela to develop effective working relationships with all levels of staff, parents and students. Michaela continuously evaluates and modifies planning in line with changing needs, using a variety of teaching, learning and assessment techniques to meet individual needs, which aim to stimulate learning and promote excellence. She prides herself on her high attention to detail, keeping abreast of knowledge and curriculum development as well as current advances in educational thinking particularly in the area of ICTs. Michaela strives to actively engage students to become lifelong, intrinsically motivated learners by creating and fostering a caring and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable to take risks and meet challenges. She likes to be viewed as a mentor and a facilitator of learning whose main aim is to provide rich learning tasks that allow students opportunities to experience and discover, enquire, question, rationalize, critique and reflect on all areas of learning. In 2015, she had an article published in the Red Dot Singapore PYP Network Blog relating to her use of iPads in the classroom. In 2018, she had an article published in the Red Dot Singapore PYP Network Blog highlighting the power of provocations.

Michaela loves to travel the world having visited over 37 countries! She has lived in four different states in Australia, as well as in three countries, USA, Australia and here in Singapore. Sports and fitness are of high interest to her, especially basketball having played since she was eight years old. Before coming to AIS, she was a Professional Basketball Player and two-time WNBL Champion with the Canberra Capitals in the Australian Women’s National Basketball League. She has represented Basketball Australia competing internationally in 1998 and 2000 for Australian School Girls Team and was a part of the Gold Medal 2001 Australian Oceania Tournament Team. Her father is a dual Olympian for Basketball and both her mother and sister have played professionally representing Australia in basketball too. However, by far her greatest achievement to date is her 2 year old daughter, Harlow who attends school here at AIS’s Early Learning Village.

Worked in education for 14 years in China and Singapore Passionate about teaching and enjoys working with students from multiple backgrounds Believes that a communicative approach encourages students to acquire a second language in a low anxiety environment

Crystal (Yu Li) has been a teacher for 14 years. She has worked in two countries, China and Singapore. While in Shanghai, China, Crystal worked in a senior high school. In Singapore she worked at the Chinese International School and Stamford American International School. Crystal believes that students will get the most out of their language learning experience when it is made relevant to their lives. She understands that every student has different goals, as well as different learning styles and strategies. Speaking in a new language can be intimidating, but it is also a very rewarding experience. As such, Crystal aims to build confidence in her students through lots of interaction and practice. Moreover, she hopes to open new doors for her students and trigger the excitement of learning a new language.

Crystal is an energetic and enthusiastic person who enjoys a challenge and achieving personal goals. She is very outgoing and friendly. In her spare time, Crystal loves to watch movies of different genres, read various books, and above all she loves anything that triggers excitement. She is from Shanghai but now lives alone in Singapore. The opportunity to learn new skills and work with new technology is particularly attractive to her.

Has been teaching for 10 years Passionate about teaching language Loves working with young learners

Susanne has been a teacher for 10 years. Prior to working at AIS, she taught in local schools. Susanne is passionate about language teaching as it enables students to express themselves and become part of the school community.

In her free time, Susanne enjoys balcony gardening and cooking.

23 years of teaching Chinese in Pre Schools and Elementary Schools Passionate in helping students to explore the Chinese language and culture. Believes that every student is unique and has the potential to excel in their learning.

Mingxia has twenty-two years of teaching experience in Chinese in both China and Singapore. She has previously worked at Singapore’s EtonHouse International School and UWCSEA International School. She loves teaching and enjoys working with students. Mingxia moved from China to Singapore with her husband and started her family here. She has worked at a local school before joining Singapore’s EtonHouse International School and later, UWCSEA International School for a total of six years and is proud to teach at the Australian International School which she joined in 2014.

Mingxia enjoys playing badminton and table tennis, listening to music and spending time with her family.

I have been teaching for over 12 years in various different countries, including France, Japan and Singapore. I believe language learning should be fun and engaging in order to help students flourish in their new environment. I enjoy seeing a student's confidence grow as s/he gains new skills in an additional language.

Ms Holland started her teaching career in Valencia, Spain where she taught a range of students who were learning English as an additional language. After Spain, she taught English in Southern France to Early Years and Elementary students. She finds it particularly rewarding to see the students' enthusiasm with their Early Years language successes and has since focussed her teaching on this age group. She enjoys seeing the growth in a student’s confidence as their language ability develops and she supports individual learner needs by providing differentiated lessons in the classroom.

Jo has lived in Singapore for the last seven years and enjoys all the delights that South East Asia has to offer. She particularly enjoys the hot weather and delicious food that Singapore has to offer as well as the wonderful travel opportunities. In her free time, she likes to hike and practise yoga.

More than 12 years teaching languages in Australia and Singapore, including Mandarin, Indonesian and French. Passionate about languages and a quality approach to language teaching and learning methodologies and pedagogy. Excited about the intersection between information technology and language learning.

Rodney taught at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar in Melbourne Victoria prior to joining AIS. He has also taught a variety of different languages in the adult education and private sectors.

Rodney has travelled widely and lived in numerous countries.