Staffing News 01.05.2021

Staffing 2021-22

As with all schools around the world, approaching the end of the school year we say goodbye to some of our staff members. This year we wish the following staff all the best for their new adventures and thank them for their hard work and for all they have brought to our KIS community. Ruth Mullan and family will be relocating to Thailand, Victor Ricardo and Amy Bater are starting a new journey to work in Brazil, Fiona and Robin White are returning home to Ireland, Grace Wong is looking for new experiences overseas and Stuart Burrows and Rebecca Holmes will be popping down the road to live in Brunei. We wish them all the very best for their future ventures and new roles.

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the new staff who will be joining us in the new school year.

What an exciting opportunity to soon be joining the KIS family. Having spent the last two years teaching in Mongolia, I am very much looking forward to the warmer climates of Kota Kinabalu. This will be my second international teaching experience and I can’t believe that it will be my 7^th year in education. I am passionate about the provision of exciting and engaging learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom. When not in school, I enjoy running, swimming and relaxing with friends and family. I will be coming to Kota Kinabalu with my wife Hannah, who will be joining the science department at KIS. I can’t wait to explore a new and beautiful part of the world and look forward to getting to know everyone in the KIS community soon.

Hello everyone, I can’t wait to join the KIS team in August. I am from the UK and in my 14 years’ teaching experience I have worked in all year groups at one time or another and have enjoyed every one of them. I have mostly worked in the UK but have also worked in Shanghai, which was a fantastic experience and is what inspired me to once again work internationally. I will be bringing with me my husband and my three children, who will be attending KIS. I am looking forward to the beautiful sunsets and the brilliant combination of city, sea and jungle. We have been to Malaysia before, though it was ten years ago, and we love the people and the culture. We also love the outdoors so will definitely be out exploring our new home. I look forward to meeting you and your families and working with your children.

I come from a family of teachers, and inspired by my parents’ love of learning. For the past eleven years I have been a teacher within the Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2, as well as supporting students with additional needs in the UK, Shanghai and Houston, Texas. Previously, for six years, I worked as a professional actress and tour manager for ‘Theatre in Education’, performing interactive musicals in over a hundred primary schools in the UK. I am really excited to be heading back to Asia to join you in Kota Kinabalu. I have developed my teaching style to use exciting and fun ways to learn. I have always raised awareness of global matters and sustainability (about which I am passionate) through Eco Schools. There are so many things I’m looking forward to about living in KK – the opportunity for scuba diving, trekking through the rain forest and climbing Mount Kinabalu are at the top of my list! Having been brought up in a coastal resort in the South West of England, I feel peaceful when I’m close to the sea and look forward to admiring some breath-taking sunsets. I am so much looking forward to meeting you and your children to start them on the first step of their academic career.

Hi everyone, I cannot wait to join KIS as a teacher in KS2. I am from a town called Huntingdon in the United Kingdom but I have spent the last five years living in the United Arab Emirates. I am moving to Kota Kinabalu with my family. My daughter is also really excited to join the school! I am most looking forward to the green grass and the incredible landscape. Having been living in the desert, I really miss the feel of grass under my feet and also the rain! I really love sports, both playing and watching, and my two favourites are football and cricket. I support my local football club, Peterborough United, who I used to watch every week in the stadium and now every week on TV. I also love to travel. I have visited almost 50 countries and I really hope that soon I can visit even more. My ambition is to visit over 100 countries in my life, experiencing different cultures and lifestyles. My favourite subject is History. I think that having knowledge of the past, and understanding why and how things happen, helps us to make the future a better place. My favourite quote is, “Failure is a part of success,” because I believe that sometimes you have to fail to learn something new or do something incredible. I look forward to meeting you soon!

Originally from Canada, I am looking forward to coming to Kota Kinabalu. I am currently teaching in Switzerland and have also lived and worked in Toronto, UK, Singapore, Thailand, Mozambique, and Japan, and have been teaching for over 13 years. My Bachelor of Music with Honours in Theory and Composition and Vocal Performance was completed at The University of Western Ontario, after which I moved to England to further study composition and earned a Master of Music from the University of Leeds. I have a passion for inspiring young musicians which led me to complete a Bachelor of Education from The University of Ottawa. During my time in England, I was able to perform with a music ensemble and toured during school holidays through Poland, Czech Republic, and the UK. As a musician, I have also performed live in Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, France, and Mozambique. I am excited to be coming to KK to explore the beautiful nature and meet friendly people, and to be near the ocean as I am a certified SDI and PADI scuba dive instructor. I also enjoy reading, sewing, travelling, and, of course, listening to music. I am looking forward to meeting my new students and being part of the KIS community.