Staffing News 27.05.2023

You will be aware that this is my last year as KIS Principal and as with all schools at this time of year we say goodbye to some of our teachers as they choose to return home or look for new adventures in different locations. This year we wish the following staff all the best and thank them for all their hard work and for all the wonderful experiences they have brought to our KIS community.

Ms Karen Hitchen, our Head of Primary will be moving to Thailand and will be handing over the reins to Mr Mark Beresford. Mrs Amy Garrick (DSL and Head of EYFS & KS1) will be relocating to Thailand with her family and her roles will be continued by Ms Roberta Young as our new Designated Safeguard Lead (DSL) and Ms Anna Gibbons as our new Head of EYFS & KS1. Ms Emily Colley (Head of KS3) is also relocating to Thailand and she will be succeeded in her role by Ms Hannah Beresford. Ms Indar Iskandar (Teacher of BM) will be staying in Sabah and starting some new projects. Mr Tom Adams and Mrs Sarah Adams, both Primary Teachers, will be taking up new positions as they return to Hong Kong. Mr Liam Watson, whole school PE, is moving with his family to Thailand and Mr Sam Ghanbari will take on his role as the Secondary House Coordinator. Mrs Sharon Fulat, Primary Teacher, will be returning to the UK with her family, and Mr Edward Shaw, Primary Teacher, is starting a new adventure with his family in Bali.

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the new teachers who will be joining us in the new school year. We are all very excited for their arrival in August.

I am incredibly excited to be joining the KIS community next academic year as Principal. Having travelled through KK and Sabah and having the privilege to visit KIS a number of times, I know what a wonderful place it is. Having spent the last eight years in Manila , most recently in the role as Head of Secondary, I am very much looking forward to swapping the concrete jungle for the actual jungle. My wife and two young girls will be joining me at KIS and we can’t wait to meet everyone. As the world around us continues to change, I believe that schools such as KIS will hold an ever greater importance in ensuring that the young people of today are equipped to be impactful, constructive, global citizens in the world of tomorrow. I am very looking forward to working with the whole community at KIS to take what is already a wonderful school to the next level. Beyond school, I very much enjoy playing sports and being a part of community sports clubs. I have been a long term member of the Philippine Australian Football League administration and look forward to finding out what opportunities there are in KK for football and rugby as well to explore the islands and jungles of Sabah with my family.

I’m very much looking forward to joining the primary team in August. I’m originally from the UK, but I’ve spent the last nine years in the Philippines, working in international schools in Manila. At school, my favourite subjects to teach are English and Art as I enjoy encouraging my students’ creativity! Having visited KK and other parts of Malaysia several times, I already know what a beautiful place it is and so I’m excited to arrive! I’m especially looking forward to eating lots of delicious Malaysian food and exploring the beaches. I’ll be joined by my husband and our two daughters (aka The Cheeky Monkeys); our eldest, Esme, will also be joining KIS’s reception class. We can’t wait for this new adventure and meeting you all.

I am thrilled to be joining the KIS PE Department in the upcoming school year. I am originally from the South-East of England but spent most of my younger years living in Wales. At 22 years old I moved to Malaysia and worked in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur for 2 years and 6 years respectively. I have been working in Madrid, Spain for the last 3 years but we have called time on our stint in Europe as my wife and I feel a longing to return to Malaysia. I enjoy playing a variety of sports in my free time as well as playing the bass guitar and exploring the great outdoors. I am especially looking forward to exploring all the islands, lowlands and mountains that Sabah has to offer.

I was born and raised in Kuching, Sarawak. I moved abroad at the age of 18 and the years have since been filled with education, work and travels. I enjoy singing, dancing and making music in my free time. I also enjoy participating in a variety of sports, but netball and badminton would have to be at the top of my list. I have worked in 2 international schools in KL, and I currently work in a British school in Madrid, Spain alongside my husband, Ellis. During our 3 years living in Spain, I have thoroughly enjoyed travelling around Europe and learning to speak Spanish. Ultimately, I am very excited to be moving back to Malaysia and I am particularly looking forward to reconnecting with my roots and exploring the beauty that is the Land Below the Wind

Hello everyone! I am really excited to be working at such an interesting and unique school! I come from Dublin, Ireland and I have taught in a number of countries including Thailand, Ireland, the U.K., Switzerland and Luxembourg. My hobbies include anything to do with the beach, watersports, running and reading. I love every minute of being a teacher and meeting children from all over the world, learning about their cultures and traditions and sharing my own in return. In my classroom, noise is good! I love to hear my students chatting and engaging with each other, learning in groups and from each other. I encourage all my pupils to bring their unique cultures and experiences into the classroom so that we can all learn from each other and grow into multicultural global citizens.

Originally from the UK, where I studied and taught for several years, I have also been fortunate in my career to live and work in Europe, Asia, Australasia, The Caribbean, and, most recently Vietnam, where I am currently teaching in Ho Chi Minh City. In the classroom, I love to encourage students to be curious about their world; one of the beauties of Literature is that it allows us to access places and mindsets we might not otherwise engage with. Similarly, exploring language as a tool through which we can express ideas and feelings provides an enlightening and rewarding experience. I am delighted to be joining the warm and welcoming KIS community, and I am excited to be moving to Sabah, not least because Borneo offers opportunities to combine my passions of scuba diving, conservation, and hiking, as well as hopefully some yoga!

I am very excited to become a part of the KIS community and meet my lovely students this new academic year. I was born in the UK and am currently living and teaching here in a seaside town called Brighton. This will be my eighth year teaching and I have experience teaching in schools around the world. There are many things I’m looking forward to doing once I arrive in Sabah such as scuba diving, meeting the orangutans and quite possibly climbing Mt Kinabalu! I enjoy spending my free time with family and friends, going for runs, playing guitar and gardening. I love teaching KS1 students and it’s going to be a fun year full of lots of learning and new adventures.