FIS would like to welcome all the new teachers who will be joining the teaching team this year !
They started their online induction programme on August 9th for the teachers recruited abroad and August 16th for the teachers recruited locally.
They have been learning everything there is to know about the school and its two streams.
Here are some of their portraits, welcome to all!
#6 Darren Barker, History & Geography Teacher, French Stream – BPR & TKO Secondary
#5 Elise Rickford, University Guidance Counsellor/ IBDP Core Specialist – BPR Campus Secondary
#4 Rebecca Boss, Year 6 Teacher, International Stream – JL Campus Primary
#3 Carolyn Day, English Teacher, International Stream – BPR Campus Secondary
#2 Alexander Tuffill, Teaching Assistant Y4, International Stream – TKO Campus Primary
#1 Alexandra Cabrit , CM1/CM2 Teacher, French Stream – TKO Campus Primary
Darren Barker, History & Geography Teacher, French Stream – BPR & TKO Secondary
“I come from Canada. In the past, I have taught in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary in Canada, North Carolina in the USA and London in the UK. My last school was Harrow International School in Hong Kong.
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I truly love Hong Kong. I have no intention of leaving the city. It offers so much – culture, cuisine, hiking, just to name a few.
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After teaching at amazing schools across three continents over the past 25 years, FIS truly stands out for its diversity, global perspective and academic excellence.”
Elise Rickford, University Guidance Counsellor/ IBDP Core Specialist – BPR Campus Secondary
“I was born in Toulouse then moved to Reading in Berkshire where I lived and worked as an MFL teacher for 15 years.
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I have taught in Nord Anglia International School in HK and spent 6 years in Shanghai and Beijing working in British International schools as a MFL teacher, University Counsellor and pastoral leader.
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I felt that the school was very much in my image: French with international traits and opened to the world. Having worked in the IB academy for a number of years in the past, I was also really attracted by the multifaceted aspects of my role.
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A very warm welcome! I have been impressed by the kindness and warmth of my new colleagues.
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I am an incorrigible optimist who is solution-focused approach to challenges, most of the time anyway!”
Rebecca Boss, Year 6 Teacher, International Stream – JL Campus Primary
“My husband and I first visited Hong Kong in 2005 as tourists and we knew then that we wanted to make it our home! We moved to HK permanently in 2007 from Australia and we have been very fortunate to have raised two boys in this wonderful city.
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My journey to being a teacher is very different to most in that I spent my ‘first career’ as a Logistic Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. It was whilst I was deployed on overseas operations that I came to understand that children are my passion and would be an integral part of my future. I completed my teacher training in 2014 and have worked at ESF and most recently at Wycombe Abbey School.
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As a teacher at FIS, my aim is to ensure my Year 6 students reach their full potential, both academically and as leaders of the Primary school and have a fabulous year at the same time.
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The FIS staff and parents have been extremely welcoming and supportive and I feel very grateful to be part of this wonderful community.
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Outside of school I am a very busy mum driving my boys to cricket and rugby and I enjoy hiking, swimming, eating out and travelling when we can. I am also the co-chair of the Sunbeam Children’s Foundation – a wonderful charity that provides a home, healthcare and career guidance to orphans and disadvantaged children at our Sunbeam Children’s Village in Baiwan, Guangdong, China.”
Carolyn Day, English Teacher, International Stream – BPR Campus Secondary
“I am from a cold little village in the North of England located between Manchester and Liverpool. Having taught in a diverse range of schools in the UK, I decided to relocate to Hong Kong to teach, and this has been my home for the last nine years. During this time, I have taught secondary English in CKY School and Yew Chung International School. This is my first year at FIS, and I’m very excited to be involved in such a dynamic and forward-thinking school.
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I originally wanted to work in Hong Kong because of its unrivalled reputation within education. I thought that teaching in a different culture would be an exciting opportunity and something to develop my pedagogy. It really has. And I enjoy it here so much I have stayed despite the humidity.
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FIS has a fantastic reputation, and since I’ve been here, I can say that it is well-deserved. The students are incredible and have such an enthusiastic work ethic. The staff have also been extremely welcoming, and I have witnessed so much passion for teaching already. The school culture here is something any educator wishes to be a part of.”
Alexander Tuffill, Teaching Assistant Y4, International Stream – TKO Campus Primary
FIS would like to welcome all the new teachers, including Alexander Tuffill, Teaching Assistant on TKO’s campus :
“I am originally from the UK, but I have been living in Hong Kong since September 2019. Prior to the move, I was based in the South West of England and spent 10 years working in the Real Estate Industry.
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I have been working in the Education Sector alongside my studies since January 2020, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.
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I choose to move to Hong Kong because of the opportunities to explore Asia whilst living in a bustling cosmopolitan City.
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My first impressions of FIS are very positive. Everyone has been very welcoming and the facilities are brilliant. We have just started our joint project which combines the French and International Streams which I think is a fantastic opportunity for the students to mix and broaden their horizons.
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I enjoy playing and watching most sports and try to find time for sport or exercise a several times a week. I love to laugh; I think it is very important to have a good sense of humour!”
Alexandra Cabrit, CM1/CM2 Teacher, French Stream – TKO Campus Primary
“I have worked with children from 3 to 16 years old in many different countries such as France, Qatar, Ukraine and the Dominican Republic.
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I come from Tokyo where I have been teaching to Petite Section for one year before implementing flexible classes in CM2, a concept that promotes differentiated and active instructions. The adaptative furniture which can be moved and adjusted to different body postures encourage children to work in autonomy, promoting the transmission of knowledge between peers.
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Integrating FIS allows me to work closely with the International Stream and to improve my knowledge about this concept which is developed widely in TKO. LFI managed to welcome me warmly and did everything possible to make its new staff members feel comfortable despite the quarantine.
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The school year has just begun, and I already have many projects in mind: a back-to-school choreography, a song in sign language, a crazy Olympic and Paralympic week, etc.”