Transcript Introduction of EC/ES New Faculty

Introduction of New Faculty
2010 – 2011 School Year
Diana Kincaid – EC3
• Diana Kincaid will be
joining the EC3 team,
taking over the duties
from Laura Biella, who
will return to being a
full time mom and part
time student. Diana is
currently teaching the
Early Years classroom at
Vientiane International
School. She and her
husband, Tad, will be
relocating to HCMC this
summer.
Tina Ratliff – EC4
• Tina Ratliff will be joining the EC4 team as
Kerry Loosmore is returning to Australia to
be closer to her family and to reconnect with
her Australian ‘roots’! She plans to resume
teaching with the Queensland Education
Department. Tina and her husband, Jeff
(Technology Resource Facilitator for HS), are
currently teaching at the American
International School Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tina
has most recently served as a literacy
support teacher at AISD, including work with
their early childhood classes.
Kree Barrus - Kindergarten
• Kree Barrus will be
joining the
Kindergarten team,
taking over for Dyana
Wilson. Dyana will be
returning to Canada
to be closer to her
father who is under
treatment for cancer.
Kree is just coming off
of maternity leave
after the birth of her
second daughter,
Kendra (9 months).
Her first daughter is
Cassidy and she’s
three years old. Kree’s
husband, Steve Poole,
will be teaching math
in the high school.
Mike Jackson – Grade Two
• Mike Jackson will be joining
the second grade team,
taking over for Graham Tait.
Graham will be returning to
HCMC in the fall to take up a
teaching position at The
British International School.
Mike J. is currently teaching
at an independent school in
Seattle. He and his wife,
Lauren, and their two sons,
Trevor and Colin, are
returning to the world of
international schools after a
few years back in the USA.
Lauren will be teaching
English in the high school.
Mike Gallagher – Grade Two
• Mike Gallagher will be
joining the second grade
team, taking over for Steve
Campbell. Steve is off to
the Philippines to teach at
Brent International School.
Mike G. is currently
teaching fourth grade at
Singapore American
School. He and his wife,
Anita, and two sons, Sean
and Kyle, have been
overseas at a variety of
international schools across
the world!
Anita Gallagher – Grade Three
• Anita Gallagher will be
joining the third grade team,
taking over for Ann
Yoshizuka. Ann is planning
her second retirement and
looks forward to being back
closer to family, friends, and
her dog! Anita is also coming
from Singapore American
School where she has been
teaching third grade. In
addition to looking after
Mike, Sean, and Kyle, Anita
also keeps an eye on their
puppy, Pumpkin.
Suzyn Kelley – ES Art
•
Suzyn Kelley will be joining SSIS
as our elementary art teacher,
taking over for Helen Campbell.
Helen will be returning to
Singapore to pursue her art
there and to be closer to her
family. Suzyn is currently
teaching art in Richmond,
Virginia. She has a split
schedule, meaning she teaches
art in two different schools and
she reports that one of her art
rooms is in a gymnasium that
she shares with some other
specialists! I suspect she’s going
to be very happy with her art
room here at SSIS. Suzyn has
three young-adult children who
hope to visit her in Vietnam.
Barbara Wilson – Learning Support
• Barbara Wilson will be
stepping into our position of
learning support teacher,
taking up part of Noel Simon’s
caseload in this area. Noel will
be staying in Saigon to do
private practice work in
speech and language therapy.
Barbara and her husband,
Ron, and ‘child’, Kelsey, are
currently teaching at the
American School of Doha.
Barb has recently been a
classroom teacher but she has
extensive experience as a
learning support specialist.
Ron Wilson – EC/ES Counselor
• Ron Wilson will join SSIS as
elementary school counselor,
taking over that portion of Dan
Hahn’s counseling work. Dan
will be staying in Saigon,
consulting with SSIS, and is
planning to pursue
opportunities to utilize his
expertise in the area of school
psychology. Ron is currently
teaching fourth grade at ASD.
He has a BA in Social Work and
is completing his MEd in
counseling.
Bob Johnston – HS Music
Bob Johnston comes to SSIS from International
Schools in Beijing where he has taught IB music
and conducted a range of choral and
instrumental ensembles. His principal
instruments are piano and clarinet and he has
been involved in many theatrical productions at
professional, amateur and school levels in his
more than twenty year career in education.
Bob will be teaching all high school music
classes next year including Orchestra, Choral
Music, Instrumental Music (Band), and IB Music.
Bob will be taking over for Darren Morley who is
departing SSIS after this school year. Stephen
Ada will be teaching MS music classes next
school year.
Steve Poole – HS Mathematics
• Steve Poole will be
joining the Math
Department in the
high school. This is a
new position at SSIS
due to growth. Steve
will be teaching
Geometry, IB Math
SL, Pre-Calculus, and
AP Statistics (grade
12). Steve and his
wife, Kree
(previouslymentioned EC
teacher), are
experienced
international school
teachers and have
taught in the United
Arab Emirates,
Paraguay, and Bolivia.
Danielle Richert – MS Humanities
Danielle is currently teaching MS
Humanities at Interamericano
Academy in Guayaqil, Ecuador. Prior
to that, she was a teacher and team
leader of Grade 8 at a middle school
in her home of Boise, Idaho. She has
extensive experience in the teaching
of writing in grades 7-10
Danielle brings solid experience in
teaching middle school students and
she loves it! She will be teaching
Grade 8 Humanities and one section
of grade 9 English next school year
and will be joined by her husband,
David.
Siqin Taoli – MS Mandarin
Siqin will be joining our middle school next year as a
teacher of Mandarin in grade 6 and 7. Siqin is
married to the Elementary Music teacher, Stephen
Thompson. She has experience teaching students
of this level both Mandarin and Music.
Lauren Jackson – HS English
Lauren Jackson will be joining the
high school English department,
taking over for Rob White. Rob will
be leaving SSIS at the end of this
school year. Lauren is currently
teaching at an independent school
in Seattle. Lauren and Mike (new
elementary teacher) worked at Hong
Kong International School before
they went back to the US for a few
years to raise their children.
Lauren will be teaching English 10,
AP Literature (grade 12), and IB
TOK (Theory of Knowledge). She
will also work with high school
students in developing a literary
magazine of which she has
considerable experience doing.
Regina Katz – HS Science
Regina Katz will be joining us from Fairmont
Schools in Anaheim, California. Regi has taught
for 12 years and is experienced in teaching both
the AP and IB curricula for Biology. In fact, Dr.
Katz has served as both an AP and IB examiner
in the subjects her career. At her current school,
she has worked closely with high school students
interested in pursuing careers in life science and
health and medicine.
Regi will be taking the position of Mal White who
will be leaving SSIS at the end of this school year
to take a teaching position in Germany. Regi will
be teaching integrated science 10, IB Biology,
Biology, and AP Biology (for grade 12). Mike
Williams, Gregg Cottrell, and Brett MacRury,
returning SSIS faculty, will be teaching our
chemistry, physics, and environmental science
classes next year.
Jeff Ratliff – Technology Facilitator
Jeff Ratliff will be assuming the position
of HS technology facilitator. This is a
new position in support of our 1:1
laptop initiative in the high school next
year. Jeff, a seasoned international
educator (IB, AP experience), will work
with teachers in integrating technology
into the curriculum.
Jeff and Tina (EC teacher) have taught
in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and
Bangladesh.
Katie Rigney‐Zimmermann
My name is Katie Rigney‐Zimmermann yes, I
know it is long, I figure it is a short person’s
compensation thing. ☺
I am originally from Rochester, NY but have not
lived in the US since 1989. I went to Heidelberg,
Germany to do my MBA and never returned. I
married Stefan and we now have 5 children. After
10 years in Germany, and another 10 in Malaysia,
my husband’s company moved our family to
HCMC. In January 2010, we enrolled our children
in SSIS. My eldest is in high school and my
youngest in early childhood. We are very pleased
with our school choice and I am very excited about
being given the opportunity, as Admissions and
Marketing Director, to share this with others in the
community.
I love to read but, currently find myself only reading textbooks as I am completing a M. Ed. online. Otherwise, most of
my free time is spent with my family doing the normal stuff of playing, cooking and just having fun. I greatly appreciate
all the efforts that the SSIS community, teachers, administrators, and parents have been put into helping our family
transition and look forward to joining the staff in July.