Raymond Loo teaches DP/MYP Business Management and MYP Mathematics. Born and educated in Toronto, Raymond received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, specializing in Accounting. He attained the Chartered Professional Accountant designation and worked as a tax professional with The Toronto-Dominion Bank, KPMG, and the Canada Revenue Agency prior to teaching. Raymond is passionate about teaching and helping his students to think critically and accept responsibility for the outcomes and consequences of their decisions. Raymond looks forward to sharing his own work experiences to help his students understand real life application of the concepts and assist them in developing their applicable skills to reach their potential in this challenging curriculum. Raymond sees the importance of applying math in everyday real life. He hopes to help the students realize this by connecting the lessons to the real world and by instilling confidence and making it an enjoyable experience. He has tremendous patience and endeavours to spend as much time as necessary to help his students learn the fundamentals as well as the extended math.

Rachel Kirchner is from California. She earned a degree in Environmental Science at UC Berkeley and received her teaching credentials and Master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of San Francisco. She has worked with students in Grades 3-10 throughout her 13 years in education, but her first passion is teaching Math to middle school students. Prior to coming to CDNIS she taught in California, Bangkok, and London. She has written online lessons and a Grade 6 instructional unit in Math. In her spare time she loves swimming, yoga, playing volleyball, and spending time with her three young children.

Brent MacEachern is from New Brunswick, Canada. He graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a BA and a B.Ed. He has been teaching Humanities and Science to students in Grades 6 to 12 for more than 10 years. He is passionate about working with our youth and sparking their curiosity about our world.

Joshua Lee was born in Hong Kong but spent most of his childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia. He graduated with a BA in English and B.Ed. in middle school education from the University of British Columbia. He is passionate about using a variety of media to tell stories. As an avid photographer and moviegoer, Joshua endeavours to connect visual storytelling to written and help students build a voice for themselves. 

Robert Holtet is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and is the Grade 7 and 8 Humanities teacher. He received his Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina before pursuing his MA in Educational Leadership at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C. Prior to joining CDNIS, he and his family lived and worked in Canada, Korea, Malta, China, United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, and Malaysia over the last 20 years. He is a self-proclaimed 'life-long learner' whose focus includes extending student learning outside of the classroom through technology and integrating learning, experience and civic responsibility. His interests outside the classroom include playing ice hockey, baseball, golf, and travelling the globe. He is married and has two boys in the Upper School section.

Blair is a Canadian with 17 years teaching experience across all three IB programmes including the PYP, mathematics and sciences in the MYP and DP Environmental Systems and Societies. He has worked in Toronto, Zurich, Bali and is now proud to call CDNIS and Hong Kong home. Blair holds three degrees from Queen’s University in Canada and is currently studying for his Master’s degree in Educational Technology from State University New York. Blair supervises green-thumb students in the horticulture club and has coached varied teams from soccer and volleyball to rock climbing and downhill skiing. Blair enjoys adventure sports and time spent relaxing with his family.

Lu Chen is from Xi’an, China. She has a BA (Hons) degree in Education and MA degree in Linguistics. Before joining CDNIS in 2010, she worked in China and Hong Kong as a college English teacher and also as an elementary and high school Chinese teacher. She is passionate about teaching Chinese and promoting Chinese culture, and being able to cultivate a love of learning in students. Her interests outside the classroom include travelling, reading and baking.

Irene Gu is from Shanghai China and is the Upper School MYP and DP Chinese teacher. She has a Master‘s degree from The State University Of New York and BA degree from Shanghai Normal University. After graduating, she worked in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and HK. She has been teaching Chinese as a second language for 18 years. She joined CDNIS in 2012. As an IB educator, she strives to encourage students to gain competence in an additional language with the long-term goal of multilingualism.

Cissy Li is from Shanghai, China and she teaches MYP and DP Mandarin at CDNIS. She holds a BA from Shaanxi Teacher’s University, China and an MA in Education, majoring in teaching Chinese as a Second Language from Hong Kong University. She has served as a Mandarin Department Head of Dulwich College International School in Shanghai for three years, a Coordinator/Grade Head for two years in ISF in Hong Kong, and a co-department Head of the Upper School Chinese Department at CDNIS for two years. She has also taught children ranging in age from Preschool to Grade 12 for more than 25 years. Her interests outside the classroom include reading, hiking, keeping fit, singing, swimming and travelling. She is very passionate about teaching and enjoys cultivating a love of learning in students.

Boris Wong is from Hong Kong. He has a teaching certificate from the College of Education in Hong Kong and an MA in Putonghua Education from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He joined CDNIS in 2006 and has been teaching Chinese language for more than 20 years. As an IB educator, his goals include fostering students’ curiosity, inquiry and a lifelong interest in, and enjoyment of, language learning.

Kristen Pearson is an Ontario teacher who loves teaching and learning in both the English and Drama departments at CDNIS. She landed in Hong Kong after teaching at schools in Morocco, South Korea, and Indonesia. Kristen attended McMaster University where she received her honours BA in English and Theatre&Film Studies, followed by a post-graduate teaching certificate in Adolescence Education at Canisius College. She is passionate about teaching and strives to create spaces and lessons that spark the critical thinking, creativity, and assertiveness of her students. Kristen's interests outside the classroom include spending time outdoors, cooking, and trying to find the best Hong Kong-style milk tea.

Marie hails from Canada, but feels privileged to have lived and worked as well in Swaziland, Vietnam, Thailand, China and now Hong Kong. Originally an English teacher on Canada's west coast (BA University of Saskatchewan; DipEd UBC), she developed an interest in First Nations culture and language, returning to University of Victoria to obtain a Master's degree (MA) in Linguistics, with a focus on aboriginal languages of the Pacific Northwest. She has taught IB English for many years and enjoys working with new teachers as an IB workshop facilitator, sharing a passion for language and literature, and exploring ways to make our teaching meaningful in a 21st century context. Her favourite teachers are her students and her own children. Travelling, reading, novelty, the ocean, good conversation - these are some of her favourite things.

David Craig began teaching English literature at l'Université Laval in 1992, after successive careers as a symphonic musician, a soldier and forester. Since then, he has taught literature, drama, filmmaking and philosophy in Turkey, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. He returns to Hong Kong after an eight-year absence. Home is Chiang Mai where he - with his wife Nat (an agricultural professional) - rehabilitates spent farmland, transforming exhausted land into gardens, forests and farms. While at CDNIS, he'll be revisiting Hong Kong’s country park trails with the AYP students. Also, he's the owner of a saxophone, and dreams of playing jazz with the students. Everyone who hears David play the saxophone agrees: It is only a dream. Yet, he continues to play.

Anthony Jackson, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2006 with an Advanced Major in History and a double minor in English and Sociology. Anthony received his Bachelor of Education degree from St. Francis Xavier University and obtained his teaching certification. His teacher-training focus lies within the Middle School and Secondary streams of education and his concentrations are Social Studies and English. Anthony also completed an intensive program in Middle Years Education as an addition to his current Bachelor of Education degree.

Cinder Merritt is a fourth-generation teacher from California, currently loving her 24th year of teaching. Her Bachelor of Arts degree (English) and teacher training are from California State University, Stanislaus; her Master of Arts degree (International Education) is from the University of Bath. She spent her first 10 years of teaching at the California high school from which she graduated. As an international teacher, she relished her time at International School of Beijing (eight years) and Overseas Family School in Singapore (three years), before having the great fortune to come to CDNIS (now in her 3rd year). She is passionate about debate (team coach, club advisor) and animal causes (PAWS co-advisor) and has found it rewarding to work with the UNICEF Club.

Charlotte Charny Nielsen graduated with a B.Sc. in Biology from Yale University and an M.Sc. in Environmental Science from University of Maryland. After running her own environmental consulting firm in the United States for 10 years and working in the environmental sector on projects in Denmark and Jordan, she discovered her new career as an international school teacher. Charlotte has worked in international schools in Hungary, Qatar and Sweden. This is her fourth year at CDNIS where she teaches Grade 7 Science and English as well as Theory of Knowledge. She is also the Coordinator of the Student Advisory Programme in the Upper School. Her great passions include writing poetry and environmental advocacy.

Nikolai Joyce is from New Zealand. He graduated from high school in Malaysia and attended university in Australia. He holds a Master’s Degree in education and has recently begun further studies in screenwriting. For many years, he worked professionally as a photographer and then as a videographer. He worked in marketing, publications and development while teaching media related courses at international schools in Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. Nikolai was last team-teaching MYP Design in Nanjing International School’s purpose-built design centre with a product and a systems specialist. His area is digital/media design.

Rob Aldridge is from Oxford in the UK and holds B.Sc. (Hons) from Oxford Brookes University in Education and Sociology. He spent a decade in the UK Higher Education Sector as an admissions and recruitment officer. He worked at Brookes, UWIC, the University of Bristol and also served as the Head of International Recruitment at the University of Reading. Rob was a University Hall Warden where he gained substantial pastoral experience. He spent six years with the British Army and loves outdoor activities. He is a Duke of Edinburgh Award (HKAYP) instructor and supports the school's AYP programme. Rob joined CDNIS in 2011.

Maegan Robichaud is from Kapuskasing, a very small town in northern Ontario, Canada. She has a BA (Hons) and B.Ed. from Brock University, a graduate certificate in Educational Technology from Michigan State University, and is completing a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Management from University of Bristol. Maegan has worked as a classroom teacher, IT integrator, and head teacher before joining the Upper School guidance team at CDNIS in 2016.

My Thanh Mac received her Bachelor of Arts in English at UCLA and her Master of Science in Counselling at San Francisco State University. In her undergrad and graduate programmes, My Thanh discovered her passion for youth work and community service. She has served as Head of College Counselling in a private secondary school in San Francisco, and most recently worked as a primary counsellor at Chinese International School. Currently, she helps coach the Hong Kong national team for the World Individuals Debate and Public Speaking Competition, and lectures Psychology at HKU Space. My Thanh is fluent in Cantonese and enjoys any opportunity to improve her Mandarin or Spanish. Her other interests include discussing growth mindsets, scrapbooking and discovering delicious local joints in Hong Kong.

Neil Anderson is from Caledon, Ontario, which is generally considered “farm country” just north of Toronto. He has an undergraduate degree in International Development from the University of Guelph, and earned his teaching certificate from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Mr. Anderson’s previous teaching experiences include working in Dubai for two years and Beijing for four. Most recently, he taught MYP Humanities, DP Economics, and was the CAS coordinator at the Canadian International School of Beijing. If you see Mr. Anderson around, feel free to strike up a conversation with him about camping, Margaret Atwood, or the future impact of your favourite economic policies.

Heather Jablonowski is from many cities in Canada. She is an Upper School Humanities teacher and the Librarian's sidekick. She has her BA, PGDE, M.Ed., and is an IB examiner. She has lived and worked in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong and has been teaching abroad for more than 15 years. She is also an enthusiastic coach; believing that maintaining balance is key to a happy and successful life. Her interests outside the classroom include running marathons and ultra-marathons, reading, spending time with friends and travelling the world for new adventures.

Gregg Lee is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the CAS coordinator. Gregg also teaches Business and Economics in the Upper School. He attended Ryerson University in Ontario where he received his BComm. Mr. Lee has also received his Masters of Science in Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He has subsequently lived and worked in Canada, Dubai and Hong Kong and has been teaching for more than 18 years. To promote the love of learning he is committed to delivering the curriculum in engaging and innovative ways. His interests outside the classroom include giving back to the community, travelling, DJ'ing, exercising and spending time with his family.

Dave Perry is from Tamworth, England. He has a BA (Hons) degree in History and Politics (Durham University), a Master’s degree in Education (University of Western Australia) as well as a PGDE (Hong Kong University). Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked as a policeman in Scotland for 12 years. After arriving in Hong Kong in 2006, he worked at HKIS before joining CDNIS. Outside of the classroom he is a football coach who has been successfully involved with many school and local teams.

Stephen Smeed in from Vancouver, Canada. He has a BA in Geography from Simon Fraser University and Bachelors of Education from the University of British Columbia. After graduating, Stephen worked in Korea before moving to Hong Kong where he has been teaching for the past 11 years. In his years at CDNIS, he has taught all grades in the Upper School in courses ranging from Humanities to DP Geography. He is also heavily involved in the planning and implementation of the Model United Nations. His interests outside of the classroom include performing improvisational theatre, playing hockey and raising his two girls.

Christopher Tyrrell is from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and is the TOK Coordinator and a Geography teacher at CDNIS. He graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Education and is qualified to teach Geography and Philosophy. He completed his Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at HKU. He has taught for the past 12 years in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. He joined CDNIS in 2015. He is passionate about his subjects and continues to develop professionally as an IB examining team-leader for TOK and as an examiner for DP Geography. He enjoys outdoor pursuits, travel, and learning languages.

Anthony Jackson, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2006 with an Advanced Major in History and a double minor in English and Sociology. Anthony received his Bachelor of Education degree from St. Francis Xavier University and obtained his teaching certification. His teacher-training focus lies within the Middle School and Secondary streams of education and his concentrations are Social Studies and English. Anthony also completed an intensive program in Middle Years Education as an addition to his current Bachelor of Education degree.

Davis Chan obtained his BA from the School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his MA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is currently working on his Doctorate in Education (EdD) at Northeastern University. He had served as a Visual Arts Teacher and Visual Arts Panel Head in different schools around Hong Kong for 20 years before joining CDNIS. As an avid artist himself and in his work as an art educator, Davis has built a strong network among the local and international art communities. He collaboratively joined efforts with other art educators and enthusiasts to create and launch the first ever Outstanding Student Artist Award of Hong Kong in 2015.

Aaron Metz serves as the Upper School Learning and Teaching Technologies Convenor. He is originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand and has over 12 years international teaching experience with a Master’s degree in Information Technology in Education. Aaron is passionate about progressive education and performance support in schools. He strives to foster deep curiosity in students and help them create the story of who they are as a learner and global citizen. He relishes the opportunity to help educators and administrators embrace new pedagogies for the digital age leveraging technology for transformative learning and development. When not teaching and learning with technology, Aaron enjoys spending time with his family, photography/videography, cooking and traveling. A keen sailor, mountain biker and board rider, he finds balance through adventure sports in the great outdoors.

Norma Jean Adair is from New Brunswick, Canada. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a B.Sc. and a B.Ed. She has been teaching abroad for more than 10 years. She has taught mathematics and science to students ranging from Grades 6 to 12. Norma Jean is passionate about helping our youth to reach their full academic potential so that they can make positive differences in our world.

Mikel has a mission to instill a passion for lifelong learning in students by implementing an energetic and varied teaching methodology. He has experience of teaching in the public and private sector in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. He studied Chemistry at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, then gained a Ph.D in Chemistry and a post-graduate certificate in Education. He is active in the local Hong Kong music scene, playing in a few bands, and enjoys surfing.

Aaron Ho is from Vancouver, British Columbia. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Education degrees at the University of British Columbia and received his M.Ed. in mathematics from the University of Hong Kong. Aaron joins CDNIS from Renaissance College, where he taught PYP grade 3 and MYP/DP mathematics for seven years. As a committed educator who strives for continuous professional development, Aaron also works as an assessment author and examiner for the IB and a part-time lecturer for HKU. He is excited to continue learning from the CDNIS community and grow from the amazing experiences to come!

Raymond Loo teaches DP/MYP Business Management and MYP Mathematics. Born and educated in Toronto, Raymond received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, specializing in Accounting. He attained the Chartered Professional Accountant designation and worked as a tax professional with The Toronto-Dominion Bank, KPMG, and the Canada Revenue Agency prior to teaching. Raymond is passionate about teaching and helping his students to think critically and accept responsibility for the outcomes and consequences of their decisions. Raymond looks forward to sharing his own work experiences to help his students understand real life application of the concepts and assist them in developing their applicable skills to reach their potential in this challenging curriculum. Raymond sees the importance of applying math in everyday real life. He hopes to help the students realize this by connecting the lessons to the real world and by instilling confidence and making it an enjoyable experience. He has tremendous patience and endeavours to spend as much time as necessary to help his students learn the fundamentals as well as the extended math.

Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Justin Underhill joins CDNIS as a math and science teacher. Mr. Underhill has spent much of his seven-year teaching career working at different schools around the world. Previously teaching at a boarding school in Quebec, he has also spent time teaching in Ontario, South Korea, and Belgium. In addition to these teaching positions, Mr. Underhill also spent a year living abroad in New Zealand, where he worked as a fitness trainer and played rugby, a sport he is quite fond of.

Kathryn Clouthier hails from the booming metropolis of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Her Kinesiology and Education degrees are from Lakehead University, where she was fortunate enough to play for the university volleyball team. Ms. Clouthier then relocated to Ottawa in order to obtain her Masters of Sports Administration, with a focus on marketing and grassroots development. She began her teaching career as a homeroom teacher at a French school in Ottawa, Ontario for five years before starting her international adventures in Shanghai teaching Upper School HPE at Shanghai Community International School. Ms. Clouthier is looking forward to sharing her passion for sport with her students, and to having plenty of laughs along the way.

Blair Schmalenberg is from Ontario, Canada. He graduated from Queen’s University with a Physical and Health Education (Hons) degree and a minor degree in Biochemistry. He stayed at Queen’s to complete his teaching certification. He has been a teacher of Grade 4, Grade 8, elementary and high school Physical and Health Education, Mathematics and Science. He taught in public and private schools in Canada, a college and an international school in China before coming to CDNIS in 2010. Blair’s professional goal is to continue finding new ways of teaching P.E. and motivating students to enjoy being active. Blair loves coaching but is also a music lover who wishes he had more time to play guitar.

Anne Boyle was born and grew up in Ireland but spent many years working on the west coast of Canada. She is fiercely proud of and strongly identifies with her Irish roots. She completed her BA (Hons) in German Language and Literature with a minor in French at Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland. She found her first teaching job in England teaching French and German before moving to BC, Canada. Anne has taught almost every level from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and currently teaches MYP French and DP French Ab Initio. When she is not teaching, she likes to stay fit and loves to hike, cycle or run. If Anne were asked to describe herself, she would use three words; firm, fun and feisty.

Denise Berry is from Toronto, Canada, and teaches DP Chemistry in the Upper School. After graduating from Queen's University (Kingston, Canada) with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Life Sciences and a B.Ed., she worked in microbiology and cancer research labs before moving to full time teaching in Toronto, France, India and Hong Kong.

Julie Cook is from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and is the MYP Coordinator and a Science teacher. She first attended the University of Guelph where she received his B.Sc. (Human Kinetics) before completing a Bachelor of Education at York University. Later, she completed a M.Sc. (Interdisciplinary Studies in Education). Julie has taught high school science in Ontario as well as Sofia, Bulgaria and Bangkok, Thailand for grades 9-12. She has been teaching for over 17 years. Julie is a Middle Years Programme curriculum reviewer for the IBO as a part of the Building Quality Curriculum team. Julie is passionate about facilitating the learning of all students with the goal of making the world a better place. Her professional interests involve curriculum development and the use of data to improve education.

Ryan loves inspiring students, exploring how the universe works and helping students become reflective, focused learners. He has 15 years of experience across three continents in public, private and international schools teaching students to think like scientists. Ryan studied Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California - Berkeley, earned a post-graduate teaching certificate and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. He enjoys participating in physical activities, coaching, and spending time with his family.

Tracie Liu is from Mississauga, Ontario. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a BSc (Hons) before completing her B.Ed. at the University of Toronto. She joins CDNIS after four years at the Canadian International School of Beijing, where she taught MYP Science and DP Biology.  Her role as Science Department Head gave her the opportunity to help develop an MYP Science Fair framework. She presented this initiative at the 2016 IB Regional Conference in Spain, indulging in both her love of science and delicious tapas. Prior to teaching internationally, she spent six years teaching Biology in Ontario. Now abroad, she returns home in the summers to enjoy time with her family and watch the Toronto Blue Jays in action.

Lesia Pringle is from Toronto. Although most of her family lives in Ontario, her heart is in Vancouver where she picked up her first dragon boat paddle and spent eight years teaching at St. George’s School. She has always known science was her passion and completed her B.Sc. at the University of Toronto, followed by a B.Ed. from Queen’s, and then a M.Ed. from the University of Calgary. Over her 22 years of teaching she has enjoyed the opportunities of being a Head of Department, Head of Grade, and Director of Academics but is now happiest back in the classroom full-time, sharing the fascinating world of science with her students. The classroom is where the magic happens!

Anthony Jackson, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2006 with an Advanced Major in History and a double minor in English and Sociology. Anthony received his Bachelor of Education degree from St. Francis Xavier University and obtained his teaching certification. His teacher-training focus lies within the Middle School and Secondary streams of education and his concentrations are Social Studies and English. Anthony also completed an intensive program in Middle Years Education as an addition to his current Bachelor of Education degree.

Dean Krawchuk joins CDNIS from Dubai where he previously taught MYP Theatre, DP Theatre Arts and TOK for two years at Dubai International Academy. Prior to that, he was living in Kelowna, BC having completed a BFA in Interdisciplinary Performance. There he focused on devising theatre, clowning, contact improvisation, photography, sculpture, theatre tech and more. Before living in Kelowna, Mr. Krawchuk was teaching Drama and Social Studies in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta at Victoria School of the Arts. His first teaching job was in Barking, Essex. He has recently started working with ISTA, and is looking forward to continuing his relationship with them.

Danielle Van de Broucke is from the U.K. She loves the literary arts and hopes to engender this same passion within her students. Danielle has a MFA in Creative Writing, a M.Ed. in Practitioner Inquiry and a PGCE, from Newcastle University. Previous teaching roles have included Head of English at Hanoi International School and Lead Teacher of Critical Thinking in the UK. In her spare time, Danielle is a Yoga Alliance certificated Yoga instructor, a keen wakeboarder and a writer.

Davis Chan obtained his BA from the School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his MA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is currently working on his Doctorate in Education (EdD) at Northeastern University. He had served as a Visual Arts Teacher and Visual Arts Panel Head in different schools around Hong Kong for 20 years before joining CDNIS. As an avid artist himself and in his work as an art educator, Davis has built a strong network among the local and international art communities. He collaboratively joined efforts with other art educators and enthusiasts to create and launch the first ever Outstanding Student Artist Award of Hong Kong in 2015.

Iris Chang joined CDNIS in 2002 and is an Upper School Visual Art Assistant and Yearbook Coordinator. She graduated from Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, majoring in Graphic Design. Iris has a Postgraduate diploma in Education focusing on Early Childhood from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Previously, she taught English and Art to high school students with special needs. Leading the Yearbook club, she trains editors and members in graphic design and desktop publishing and is proud that CDNIS won Hong Kong’s Print Awards 2016 for the best school yearbook. She is delighted to work with such talented professional colleagues and creative students. She loves animals especially dogs and enjoys doing arts and crafts and calligraphy.