Matthew brings more than 30 years’ experience of school leadership to ISA having led a series of world class, premium schools in China, Singapore, East Africa, Europe as well as in the UK. Matthew has led large and successful schools in Guangzhou, having previously lived and worked in China for six years. He was also Elementary School Principal of Antwerp International School and Principal of Middle School at the world- renowned United World College of South-East Asia.
Matthew is a strong academic leader with creativity and wisdom. He is excited to join ISA and aims to offer exceptional academic opportunities, care and individual attention to ISA students, and to play a part in maintaining our wonderful relationships throughout the entire school community.
Annie Chew
Deputy Primary Principal & PYP Coordinator
Annie is the Deputy Primary Principal and PYP coordinator at ISA Science City International School. She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instructional Design. Her native country is Malaysia and she is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, and several dialects, including Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, and some Russian. Annie is a certified International Baccalaureate Educators (IBEN) school consultant, school visiting team leader, and IB PYP workshop leader. She began her IB PYP journey at Kazakhstan International School, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 15 years ago. In 2011, she became a PYP Coordinator at a bilingual international school in Beijing. To date, she has successfully assisted three international schools, including ISASC, in obtaining IB PYP authorizations.
Andrew Davidson
Homeroom Teacher
Andrew graduated from University College, London in 2000 and after working in finance for several years decided to retrain as a teacher, completing his Post Graduate Degree in Education from Middlesex University, London in 2010. He has been a primary years homeroom teacher ever since and has worked at some of London’s most prestigious private schools, including Hampstead Hill School and City of London School for Girls. He started his International Baccalaureate journey five years ago, when he joined the Primary Years team of an IB school in Kunming. Andrew has completed many IB training courses and workshops and strongly believes in the strength of the IB’s holistic approach to education. Andrew has a particular passion for promoting reading in the classroom, agreeing with Barack Obama’s words that “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible”. In his free time Andrew particularly enjoys travelling to different cities and provinces in China in order to explore and appreciate this hugely diverse and ancient country.
Angelica Lu
Homeroom Teacher
Angelica teaches grade 1 at ISA Science City. She studied in Singapore and achieved her teaching qualification in Beijing after graduating from Jiaotong University in Xi’an. Her passion for teaching and desire to explore new and interesting places led Angelica to pursue a career in international education. She has taught in Asia for over 15 years. During these years, she has taught English as an additional language and served as a homeroom teacher to students from primary to secondary school. Having taught at Korea International School in Seoul for two years, she moved to Thailand to teach at The British International School in Phuket and at Saint Andrews International School in Bangkok for six years. Her next professional experience was at the British International School of Guangzhou followed by four years at ISA Tianhe.
Ben Lepp
Homeroom Teacher
Ben is excited to be joining the Primary team at ISA Science City as a homeroom teacher. He graduated with an Education degree in 2005 from Oregon State University, and has been teaching abroad ever since. His journey has taken him to Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, China and Canada, with experience teaching K-8 students in public, private and international school settings. He has experience with three different national/provincial curriculums, the IPC, various EAL programs, and is looking forward to adding PYP to his repertoire. Ben’s teaching philosophy revolves around showing students that learning is fun and can last a lifetime. Getting to know them and being an example of a lifelong learner being key in this endeavor, as well as collaborating with grade teams to prepare rich learning experiences
Bonny Brahmi
Homeroom Teacher
Bonny graduated from the University of Johsburg with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Major in English. She has been a primary teacher for eight years and has taught both public and private schools in China and South Korea. Bonny has previously has experience using the IPC program and is excited to be joining a successful International Baccalaureate school. She also has leadership experience after recently working as the Lower Primary Coordinator for her previous school. Bonny is a strong believer in holistic teaching. She has a true passion for helping young learners progress in all areas of their development. Bonny strives to make her classroom into a nurturing, fun environment where students will feel confident to challenge themselves and learn how to help others. Her lessons are hands-on and student-centred: the children should be leading and facilitating their own learning. Coming from the ‘Rainbow Nation’ of South Africa, Bonny is excited to add to a diverse, forward-thinking campus. A compatriot of hers, Desmond Tutu, inspired Bonny when he said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” She hopes that she can inspire her students with the same ethos.
Hendrik De Beer
Homeroom Teacher
Hein joins ISA Science City as Primary Homeroom Teacher. He holds PGCE and PGCEi from Nottingham University, as well as a Registered Teacher qualification from South Africa, and is about to receive a Master's Degree in educational leadership and management from Buckingham University. Hein began his teaching career in a public school in Thailand, and after a year there, he moved to China to continue teaching at a public school in Tianjin, and joined an International School in 2018, where he has been on an international education journey ever since. In his most recent school, he gained experience teaching the IPC program and served as the IPC coordinator. He is excited to work in a school that uses the IB program. Hein prides himself on being able to connect to his students on a personal level and take care of their emotional and personal well-being. He is a fun, energetic and levelheaded teacher that maximized learning time with well structured, interactive lessons.
Jasmine Ramkeeson
Homeroom Teacher
Primary Homeroom Teacher Jasmine has enjoyed a long a varied career in teaching. She studied for a BA Hons, PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in London. She has been a teacher for over nineteen years in the UK, the UAE and China. Before joining ISASC, she worked at Yew Wah International School in Beijing for four years, teaching a variety of grades from 2-5. She also held the post of Primary English Coordinator at Yew Wah Beijing, a role which enabled her to mentor teachers who were new to primary teaching. Jasmine has been undergoing continual professional development throughout her teaching career. One of her main passions is to motivate students to become independent life-long learners and creative and analytical thinkers. Jasmine aims to foster an environment in which all students thrive and develop a love of learning.
Kyle Wong
Homeroom Teacher
Kyle is a Primary Years Homeroom Teacher at ISA Science City International School. This will be his eighth year teaching. Before ISA, he taught in America and China, with his last position teaching at an International school in Wuxi. Kyle graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. He has collaborated with other educators all across the world continually sharing ideas about teaching and learning and taking his wealth of knowledge to form best teaching practices to meet the academic and social emotional needs of his students. He is passionate about building resilient learning communities based on academic rigor and mutual respect, knowing that learners can always achieve more in a team. He greatly values the importance of stories and how they can connect us all together and inspire us to become better people. He is excited about being a member of the ISA family and cultivate a culture of excellence. He is passionate about self-improvement and encourages all students to set goals to improve.
Melissa Miles
Homeroom Teacher
Melissa (Mel) is thrilled to be joining the team at ISA Science City as a Primary Years Homeroom teacher. Mel was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand where she obtained a Bachelor of Education with Honours. Her teaching journey over the past seventeen years has taken her to Bahrain, Chengdu, Indonesia and back to New Zealand, teaching all primary levels. Equity, honesty and inclusivity are values Mel strongly believes in and having a sense of belonging is at the core of her teaching philosophy. Mel has an inquiry based approach to teaching whereby she places a strong emphasis on evoking curiosity and encouraging ownership of learning. With a particular passion for literacy, Mel uses quotes, books and picture prompts to inspire and enhance learning concepts. Mel is looking forward to being back in China to catch up with old friends, make new connections, and to get to know new students in a job she loves.
Nicci Muir
Homeroom Teacher
Teaching for over 20 years in New Zealand and China, Nicci has taught in IB schools in Beijing and Guangzhou and brings her knowledge of inquiry learning from New Zealand’s education system. Nicci has worked in a variety of schools and grade levels but enjoys the bustle and energy of the lower primary classes of primary school the most. Some things Nicci loves about teaching are being able to see students develop their curiosity and knowledge for the world they live in, and the feeling of accomplishment seeing students grow in their knowledge, confidence, and skills as global citizens.
Priscilla De Beer
Homeroom Teacher
Priscilla joins ISA Science City School as a Primary Homeroom Teacher. She is a PGCE certified teacher and a registered teacher in South Africa. Priscilla graduated from university with a bachelor’s degree in photography, prior to her graduation, she built and managed her own photography studio where she specialized in wedding and fashion photography and videography. After graduating she left South Africa to teach in a Thai public school for a year before moving to China, where she taught for three years in a public school in Tianjin. After this period, she entered International Education. She has been working in international schools since 2020. She has experience using the IPC program and is looking forward to joining a school that successfully uses the IB program. Priscilla is a strong supporter of holistic education and places emphasis on students' emotional support and development. She strives to make her classroom a welcoming, fun, and interactive learning environment where all students can feel like they are being taught at their own level. Priscilla prides herself on being able to identify and teach each student's strengths to assist them to reach their potential.
Spomenka Dakovic
ELA Teacher
Spomenka is a founding member of the ISA Science City team, where she teaches ELA lesson in the primary years now. Spomenka holds a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and a Master of Education in Leadership and Administration from Australian universities. Her teaching experience includes primary and secondary schools in Australia, Europe, and China, namely Xi’an and Suzhou. As a result of her experience working with students, she has learned the importance of differentiation and inclusion. She sees her role as a facilitator of learning and well-being as creating an environment that values students and facilitates inquiry. Spomenka has a wealth of teaching experience, but she is most interested in the IB Primary Programme and has guided students in organising the IB PYP results exhibition.
Timothy Duncan
Homeroom Teacher
Timothy brings a wealth of training and 25 years of teaching experience with him to ISA Science City. With degrees in Special Education and Education Administration, he possesses a solid understanding of pedagogy and an excitement for collaboration. He has a solid understanding of pedagogy developed from teaching every grade level of homeroom in the elementary. With years of special education experience, he is adept at helping students with learning challenges succeed. Having taught in the United States, Indonesia, Qatar, and China, he fully embraces the “citizen of the world” concept that PYP promotes. He is passionate about teaching writing because each voice is unique. In his free time, he enjoys walking, golf, reading, and cooking.
Alex Lv
Chinese Language Teacher
Alex joins ISA Science City with more than 20 years experience in Chinese language teaching. Alex worked at an international school in Hangzhou, Zhejiang as the head teacher and leader of the language preparation team before joining ISA Science City. Prior to that, she served as a Chinese teacher and HSK examiner at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, George Washington Elementary School and other schools in the United States, Myanmar, and Cambodia as a government-sponsored teacher. She has developed and maintained good relationships with the schools, colleagues, and parents she has worked for in the past. Alex is a teacher who is willing to devote love to the growth of children. She loves every child she teaches and has been loved by students since she began teaching. Among Alex’s qualifications are Chinese, English, bilingual, and cross-cultural coursework. Her undergraduate and master’s degrees are both in Chinese International Education, and she holds the China International Chinese Teacher Qualification Certificate and the Tennessee Chinese Teacher Qualification Certificate. She is also actively involved in the IB teacher training program and has extensive experience teaching and organizing cultural activities at the elementary, middle and university levels.
Aisha Perez
Visual Arts Teacher
Aisha is a Visual Arts Specialist with over 11 years of experience in education. A personal passion of hers is “Total Learning”, an approach to teaching that focuses on the whole child. She believes that each child is capable of expressing their creativity through art in a way that is unique to them. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Her undergraduate degrees include those in Art Education, Studio Art, and Fashion Design & Merchandising. Additionally, she is a certified teacher of ESOL, Gifted and Talented, Special Needs, and Art Therapy. Aisha has a fashion design background and is proud of her accomplishments in the industry, which include working as a fashion consultant for “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard, competing on television shows including “Project Runway” and having her own clothing line. As an art educator in the United States, Aisha was nominated for a “Teacher of the Year” award by her district and chosen as an exceptional teacher by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She served as the Head of Specialist Department and Lead Art Teacher at Abu Dhabi schools before becoming the Art Curriculum Coordinator for the PYP and IB programs in China.
Catcher Deng
Chinese Language Teacher
Catcher has taught in international schools for more than eight years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Sichuan International Studies University. Likewise, she also earned IB related certificates, a teaching certificate, a Mandarin certificate, a PM reading teaching certificate, an Apple teacher certificate, and a child protection course certificate. She guided students to excel in various competitions including calligraphy, essay writing, and internal class competitions. Moreover, she excels at inquiry-based teaching, participated in the IB International Certification interview sessions, and contributed to developing the school’s Chinese language curriculum framework.
Debika Chattopadhyay
PSPE Teacher
Debika has over 17 years of experience teaching PE at the PYP and MYP level, coordinating after-school activities, and leading classes. She has coached volleyball, badminton, soccer, kickball, cross country, and cricket in different international schools and assisted teams to win championships. Debika is also a certified ACC level-I cricket coach with Cricket Australia. Her master’s degree in Health & Physical Education was earned from one of India’s most prestigious schools of physical education (LNUPE). Currently, she has completed the PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) from Essex University in the UK. Throughout her life, she has always wanted to associate healthy living with fun and physical activities. Debika has developed her passion for PE through working with children and teaching them lifelong sport skills.
Ivan Dragic
PSPE Teacher
Ivan joined ISA Science City as a PSPE teacher. A graduate of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education in Belgrade, Serbia, he specialized in strength and conditioning. He taught Physical Education at the Affiliated Foreign Language School of South China Normal University for the last 3 years. In addition to promoting the importance of decision making and goal setting as life skills, he will educate students on the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind through positive behavior. He believes in equipping kids with practical, lifelong health skills, which cross over subject matter to develop character. His philosophy of education is that every child is unique and needs an educational environment where they can grow physically, socially, mentally, and emotionally. He strives to create an environment in which students can reach their full potential.
Millie Wang
Chinese Language Teacher
Millie graduated from Moreland University, completed Teacher Preparation Certificate program and earned her master’s degree in Education. She has more than 10 years’ experience in the field of language teaching. She also obtained both English and Chinese Teacher certificate. She approaches education with passion, paying meticulous attention to details. She has participated in a variety of trainings and is currently studying for a IB PYP Teacher Certificate program from University of Windsor in Canada. She began working at ISA Tianhe in 2017, joined ISA Science City International school in 2020. She believes education is the most powerful weapon which can change the world and is willing to explore together with students in ISA Science city.
Sue Zhang
Chinese Language Teacher
Sue Zhang has experience in teaching IB curriculum and CNC （Chinese Nation Curriculum）.Now she work as a Chinese teacher in ISA. She volunteered to work as a Chinese teacher in Cambodia during the internship. And selected by China National Office for Teaching Chinese of Foreign Language, she taught Chinese in Thailand. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai university and she is working on her Master’s degree at People’s University. Sue Zhang believes that a positive approach towards learning is important. She focus on creating the most engaging environment where students “learning through playing”. She loves to inquiry into language learning with students.
Wincy Li
Chinese Language Teacher
Wincy teaches Chinese at ISA Science City International School. Her teaching career began in Singapore. After that, she worked as a Chinese teacher and Chinese subject level representative in Thailand for three years. In addition to her BA in Chinese Language and Literature and MA in Chinese teaching, she received her National Qualification Certificate for Primary Chinese Teacher and Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. She is passionate about learning new teaching methods and pedagogies, including using ICT-assisted Chinese teaching to engage students in class. Wincy places emphasis on inquiry, exploration, and critical thinking when teaching. She encourages students to embrace challenges, persevere, develop their potential, adopt a growth-mindset, and become lifelong learners. Moreover, she recognizes that teachers are not only "guides" to the learning process of a student, but also "promoters" and "supporters", forming a "teacher-student community", thereby fostering a mutually inclusive atmosphere.
Aimee Huang
Teaching Assistant
Aimee is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School, working in Grade 2. She graduated from Shaoguan University with a BA degree in Education. During her college years, she immersed herself in the education sector in various roles; a voluntary teacher, teaching assistant, and tutor. She has worked in the education industry for more than two years, mainly teaching Early and Primary Years students English. Aimee is passionate about teaching. She feels a sense of fulfillment with working in education. She enjoys spending time with students, seeing them progress and enjoys sharing moments of surprise with them. Every child is unique; each has talent. At ISA Science City, Aimee is excited about discovering and nurturing students’ talents. Aimee believes life-long learning is essential to happiness. She models this in her own life.
Erin Zhai
Teaching Assistant
Erin is an energetic, caring and responsible Teaching Assistant. After graduating from college, she chose to pursue her passion in education. For the past three years, Erin has devoted herself to English teaching, mainly teaching Early and Primary Years students English, and providing tutoring services for Korean students who study in international schools. Her teaching philosophy is to let children be more confident and happier in learning English. Erin is also a “child” and she enjoys getting along with children and often becomes their good friend. Erin believes that teachers have a subtle influence on students. A good teacher should be able to understand children, be a positive role model for them, and grow with them. Erin is ready to take on new challenges at ISA Science City, and she is on her way to become an excellent teacher and providing better education for children.
Gaby He
Teaching Assistant
Graduating from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with a bachelor’s degree in law, Gaby started her career in an English training center followed by nine years working closely with the academic team at The British School of Guangzhou, exploring across all the phases from Early Years, Primary to Secondary, witnessing the most thrilling life stages of many children growing from an ankle biter to an energetic teenager. This fantastic journey inspires her how education shapes a life formatively and she is eager to stay involved and be more contributive to the shaping process form as many children as possible with her ongoing passion.
Harper Li
Teaching Assistant
Harper is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School, working in Grade 3. She acquired a Master’s degree at the University Of York in the UK, with a major in TESOL (Teaching English to the speaker of other language). Her educational and overseas study has provided academic support for her career. Harper prioritises relationships; students, families and colleagues. She is passionate about working in the education sector and is committed to international curriculum development. Harper has previously worked as an English teacher for K12 students and was nominated as “Star Teacher of the Year” during the annual regional teaching quality assessment in Guangzhou from the educational institution. Moreover, she has provided peer-evaluation and been appointed by the academic manager as the in-center coordinator for some activities. Harper is enthusiastically cooperates with the homeroom teacher and gives children the best educational experiences possible. Harper is committed to helping students face challenges in our multi-cultural learning environment and enjoys helping students become critical international learners.
Ivy Luo
Teaching Assistant
Ivy is a primary school teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School.
She has got the National Teacher Certificate and Business English Certificate.
During her college years, she joined volunteer activities inside and outside the campus and was responsible for volunteer association. The public welfare projects that she and her team planned and organized for children and community gained funding from government. Those valuable experiences offered her opportunities to get along with different kinds of kids. She is awarded the title of three-star Volunteer of Guangdong Province. She has been an English teacher for more than three years, mainly teaching kids from three to twelve years old. She enjoys the time being with kids, and is keen on observing the subtle changes in their growths. Ivy always shows her enthusiasm, respect, patience and curiosity to the kids. In her spare time, she spends time reading books about educational psychology, applying the theoretical knowledge to her actual teaching. She believes that teaching and learning always go hand in hand and is ready to start her new journey of teaching and learning in ISA.
Jenny Lin
Teaching Assistant
Jenny works as a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School. She has ten years of experience in education. Before joining ISA Science City, she had worked as a primary teaching assistant in ISA Tianhe for more than 6 years. She also had language teaching experience in Thailand and some other bilingual schools in Guangzhou. Her experience in education helps her understand the characteristics of students of different ages and give them appropriate support. She enjoys spending time with her students and believes it is the best way to get to know them and give them appropriate support. She had the IB courses training, ACAMIS training and is currently studying for a Master's degree in Languages and Literature. She has a strong affinity and team spirit.
Karen Li
World Languages Teaching Assistant
Karen is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School, working in the World Languages team. She holds a BA in Elementary Education and Language Acquisition. Her experience includes language training and teaching English as an Additional Language for both Government and International Schools. Karen is an educator who believes in the importance of instilling a strong growth mindset in students in order to empower them to take charge of their own learning. She is also passionate about reading and libraries, as demonstrated by her love of reading. Karen specializes in the acquisition of reading comprehension skills. As well as understanding the challenges of diverse classroom learning environments, Karen is committed to improving her students’ academic abilities as well as empowering them to be confident and authentic learners in both academics and everyday life at school. Karen is a firm believer in the power of education and its ability to open doors for people of all ages.
Lok Guo
Teaching Assistant
Lok is a Physical Education Teacher Assistant at ISA Science City. He acquired a master’s degree at The Education University of Hong Kong, majoring in social sciences in sports coaching and managements. He is a certified social sports instructor, specializing in swimming, and has four years of experience as a swimming instructor. He has also worked for the SF&OC (Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China) and is committed to promoting the Olympic spirit. His teaching philosophy focuses on developing students' independence and autonomy. Inspiring students to take exercise as a hobby and motivates them to exercise. Respecting each student as an individual, he matches the most suitable sports programs according to individual physical qualities, to help students develop their personality and all-round development into a sunnier version of themselves.
Nancy Qin
Teaching Assistant
Nancy works as a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School. She teaches Grade 4. In 2011, she graduated with a BA degree in Management from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. When she was young, she wanted to be a teacher because she loved teaching. After graduation, she became an English Teacher in WSE and EF. Sharing is something she enjoys and she thinks sharing brings people closer together. She is excited to see all of the students in ISA succeed.
Shadow Guo
Teaching Assistant
Shadow is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School, working in Grade 5. She assists the Homeroom Teacher in 5B. Before joining ISA Science City, she attained a BA of English at Hunan International Economic University. Shadow has spent time working at Changsha where she supported students in their studies. She believes that love and warmth are important in order to bond with children so that they can experience the joy of learning. Shadow treats her students with the same respect as her family and hopes they can feel at home in ISA Science City. “Life is happy, study is happy, too.” This is the most important thing that she wants the students to learn. In her free time, Shadow enjoys writing and dancing. She looks forward to be given the opportunity to spread Chinese culture to the world. Shadow is proud of her handwriting and calligraphy abilities, a skill she has developed since she was a child and has improved through years of practice and determination. Shadow sees dancing as a way for her to connect with the world. She has learnt Ballet, Latin, Modern, and even Yoga, all of which helped her understand different ways of thinking and understanding the world around her. Shadow is proud to be part of ISA Science City, collaborative working to build a positive environment and looks forward to supporting its growth. She looks forward to seeing students that graduate from ISA Science City becoming global citizens.
Tess Shen
Teaching Assistant
Tess acquired a bachelor's degree in English. She passed TEM 8 and had senior high school teaching certificate. Before joining ISA Science City, she had two years of experience as a teaching assistant in ISA Tianhe. She enjoys learning with students, cares about every student, and witnessing their growth is the most enjoyable things in education. Working at ISA, she has gradually deepened her understanding of the IB curriculum and opened her international mind. She also hopes that through her own efforts, she can help students enjoy learning better and make continuous progress.
Iris Zhou
Teaching Assistant
Iris is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and an English teaching certificate. With a comprehensive study of pedagogy, she has mastered various concepts and methods of teaching. She loves spending time with children and helping them learn better. In college, she worked as an English tutor for Korean students from international schools. She hopes that her efforts can help children build their confidence and develop their interest in learning.
Yulia Wang
Teaching Assistant
Yulia is a teaching assistant at ISA Science City International School. She acquired a bachelor’s degree in English, holding TEM 8 and Senior High School Teaching Certificate. With a strong passion for teaching, Yulia has been preparing herself for the career as a teacher during her campus life, and has been engaged in English teaching since graduation. She believes in the importance of education and its impact on students' growth and development. Her teaching philosophy centers on exploring children's potential and guiding them positively to help them enjoy learning.
