New 2017-2018 Lower School Teaching Staff (Bio provided by the new teachers)

Bénédicte Benoit - Grade 3A Bénédicte Benoit joins CDNIS this August, but has taught in Hong Kong for 14 years. Originally from Belgium, she now considers Hong Kong home. She has been living in Sai Kung for a while now, which she loves for its closeness to nature and laidback lifestyle. “Ms. B”, as she likes to be called, is passionate about inquiry and concept-based learning, and has been an IB PYP workshop leader since 2012. She received a BA in Political Sciences, majoring in International Relations, and a Post Graduate diploma in English Language Education. Fiona Bradley-Barnard - Grade Leader/Reception B Fiona Bradley-Barnard attended Leeds Metropolitan University and gained a BA (Hons) degree in Childhood Studies and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Her first teaching post in 2009 was at Thomas' London Day School in Kensington, London where she taught Year 3 and was appointed PSHCE Coordinator. After two years in London, she moved to Bangkok and joined St. Andrews International School (Nord Anglia Education) where she worked for six years across the Primary School and held the position of Head of House. Outside school, Ms. Bradley-Barnard and her husband are kept busy by their two young children. She is very excited about the outdoor opportunities that will be available to her family in Hong Kong and can't wait to explore. Tim Brown – Visual Arts Tim Brown is from Hong Kong. After completing a BA (Business and Marketing) from the University of Hull and a PGCE from the University of Sunderland, Tim discovered a passion for education working as an after-school English teacher across Hong Kong, before joining CDNIS as an Educational Assistant. Tim has been at CDNIS for over five years, and strives to develop a sense of wonder and a love of learning in students. He is excited to take on his new role in the Visual Arts Department. Happiest when he’s creating, you’ll find Tim writing or crafting when he isn’t teaching.

Bonnie Calanchini - LST Learning Leader & Learning Support Bonnie Calanchini is from sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. She attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona for her undergraduate studies, and Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, for post-graduate studies. Ms. Calanchini has been teaching internationally since 2001: Taiwan (Kaohsiung American School), Venezuela (Colegio International de Carabobo), UAE (American Community School of Abu Dhabi), and Italy (Marymount International School). She has taught regular class education, special education, and English language acquisition in both Middle and Elementary School. Esther Ip – Prep C Esther Ip is from London, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Western Ontario where she received her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Childhood and Social Institutions and Psychology. Subsequently, she obtained her Bachelor of Education with Distinction in Primary and Junior divisions, with a specialization in Early Years. After earning her teacher certification, Esther lived and worked in Macao and Toronto for several years before moving to Hong Kong. She has taught a range of different grades including Kindergarten, Grade One and Grade Two. As well as being a committed PYP classroom teacher who is currently teaching at CDNIS, she has a wide variety of professional experience including inquiry and play-based learning, inclusive education and dance. As an educator, Esther’s aim is to foster a calm and welcoming environment where students take risks, develop confidence and engage in meaningful learning opportunities. Navaz Khory – Grade 4A Navaz Khory is a Third Culture Kid who has spent the majority of her life living and teaching overseas. Ms. Khory has a BA in Health Sciences from the University of Western Ontario and a MA in Inclusive Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She has taught various grades from Grade 1-8 at Dhahran Elementary and Middle School in Saudi Arabia, Gems World Academy, Dubai, UAE and Istanbul International Community School in Turkey. Aside from her passion in healthy living, cooking/food and travel, Ms. Khory also enjoys all kinds of sports, especially volleyball, softball, yoga and dance. She constantly encourages her students to take on an active lifestyle to become more balanced and well-rounded individuals.

Chloe Lam – Visual Arts/Math Education Assistant Chloe Lam is an artist and teacher living and working in Hong Kong. Besides her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication (Graphic Design), she is also a holder of a Master’s degree in Art and Education from Birmingham City University. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education in Visual Art at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. After graduating she worked in a variety of educational setting using innovative art activities to elicit student’s talent. Sandra Middleton – Grade 3D Sandra Middleton is from Victoria, Canada and she completed her BA at the University of Victoria, specializing in Early Childhood and Primary Education, as well as a MA in Educational Psychology. While in Canada, Ms. Middleton worked as a Learning Support teacher at a leading independent school. She also moved to Hawaii and taught Grade 1 on the beautiful island of Maui. That experience started her international teaching career and since then she has taught in Japan, the UAE, and Singapore. While in Singapore, Ms. Middleton began teaching the PYP and loved how it deepened students’ learning. Three years ago, she returned to Canada to work in an IB school before making the move back to Asia to join the CDNIS family! Braedon Sharp – Pre Reception A Originally from Toronto, Canada, Braedon Sharp received his BA and B.Ed. from the University of New Brunswick. Mr. Sharp has taught in Taipei, Toronto, Hsinchu, Bangalore and Singapore. This will be his first year teaching Pre Reception in Hong Kong. He has been teaching in the early years for over 10 years and believes that this is where he belongs. He feels that he is always learning when he is in the classroom and tries to play as much as his students. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Sharp is an avid triathlete and in Canada he swam nationally and internationally. He hopes to be involved with the T-Wolves swim team at CDNIS. Jacky Chan – Grade 4 Education Assistant Jacky Chan was born and raised in Hong Kong. In his senior year of high school, he went to the US for further education. In 2015, he graduated with honours from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s degree in education. Prior to joining CDNIS, Mr.

Chan was hired as a cross-culture specialist at Stevenson Elementary School in Seattle where he worked with teachers to create an educational environment in which every child’s uniqueness was valued and used as an asset for learning. Karen Chau – Learning Services Team Education Assistant Karen Chau was born in Canada but grew up in Hong Kong. After completing her secondary schooling in the UK, Ms. Chau returned to Hong Kong where she began to study law in the University of Hong Kong. Her interest in teaching first developed when she worked as an intern at an international kindergarten and she is currently volunteering as an English teacher. Ms. Chau is excited to join CDNIS while completing her PGDE at the University of Hong Kong. Sid Dewan – Visual Arts Education Assistant Born in Scotland to parents of Nepalese and part Maoli descent, Sid Dewan was raised in multiple places before settling down in Hong Kong. Realising his passion for the arts at an early age, Mr. Dewan pursued further studies in Graphic Design and Interior Architecture, eventually earning a degree in the latter course from Raffles International College (Hong Kong). Having attained a TEFL/TESOL certification, Mr. Dewan lead his own Saturday programme classes at the Kindergarten Level) at Quarry Bay School. Helen Ho – Prep E Education Assistant Helen Ho was born and raised in Hong Kong and is currently studying Early Childhood Education at the Open University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining CDNIS, Ms. Ho worked in the Lower School at Harrow International School Hong Kong and a Montessori school. Ms. Ho has always seen teaching as a fulfilling and rewarding job. She enjoys working with children because they are full of energy and curiosity. Her main goal is to always support children both academically and behaviourally in order that they make positive contributions to the community. Ms. Ho has a dog, Buzz that has been her loyal partner. As an outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys spending her free time surfing, sunbathing, hiking, cycling and skating. Indoor activities include cooking, reading and home decorating.

Y Yvonne Hung – Pre Reception B Education Assistant Yvonne Hung holds a BA in Psychology and a postgraduate diploma in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Hung is a very passionate Early Childhood educator and enjoys playing and working with children. Her other interests include travelling, dancing, paddling for a local dragon boat team and singing. Jackson Lam – Grade 3E Education Assistant Jackson Lam is from Birmingham, UK. He was educated at King Edward’s School and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Genetics. He started his career working in various educational settings including STEM workshops, English language centres and most recently at a private mixed curriculum primary school. Outside of work, he enjoys various other hobbies including photography, hiking and sports. Kevin Mirchandani – Grade 3C Education Assistant Kevin Mirchandani is of mixed ethnicity and is a third culture child as he has lived in several different countries throughout his life. He received his English language degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and also took a programme in communications and media at Korea University, one of South Korea's top universities. He believes that creativity, performance and attitude, combined with hard work, are essential parts in the learning process especially in terms of communicative effectiveness and proficiency. Mr. Mirchandani has taught mainly in Hong Kong but has also taught elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The past few years, he has taught children from kindergarten to secondary school, and also worked at a local primary school as the native English teacher (NET). Apart from education, Kevin is also a performing arts enthusiast with a strong passion for singing and dancing.

Sunny Yeung – Chinese & Performance Arts Education Assistant Sunny Yeung is from Taiwan. She has a BA and an MA from National Chengchi University in Taiwan and an MA degree in Educational Studies from Sheffield University, England. After graduating, she worked at Chinese International School in Hong Kong and Shanghai American School as a Chinese Teacher for 13 years. She took some time off to become a full-time mom and after a few years she began working as a substitute teacher. When her family moved to Hong Kong from Shanghai, she joined CDNIS and has been very happy to be part of the CDNIS community ever since. Rachel Lee – Lower School Chinese Rachel Lee is very excited to be joining the Canadian International School family. She attended The Education University of Hong Kong where she received a Master of Arts in Chinese Studies (Language Education), a Bachelor of Special Needs Degree in Education (Primary and Secondary) and her Kindergarten Teaching Certification. In 2008, she started teaching Chinese through the PYP to native and non-native students at an IB school. Rachel develops lesson plans to meet the needs of individual students, using games and multi-sensory learning activities to make Chinese learning more engaging and helping students become better, stronger learners. Kerina Ji – Lower School Chinese Kerina Ji is from Shandong, China, the hometown of Confucius, where she received her BA in English. Before moving to Hong Kong, she studied translation at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. Kerina joined CDNIS in 2014 after receiving her Master’s degree in Literary and Cultural Studies at The University of Hong Kong. Her interest lies in integrating technology, games, songs and role-play in Chinese class to create the authentic learning experience for students. In addition, she has been actively involved in the Chinese orchestra, Hainan Exchange Programme, Summer School Programme and Chinese e-book project. Sherry Gao – Lower School Chinese Education Assistant Sherry Gao is originally from Nanjing, China where she pursued her undergraduate degree in Chinese Language and Literature at Jiangsu University. Ms. Gao also holds a postgraduate degree specialising in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Ms. Gao previously worked as a Chinese teacher in Zhenjiang No.3 Middle School during the fourth year of her undergraduate studies. During her time at Polytechnic University, she took part in a programme which saw her teach Chinese to French students through the Internet. Ms. Gao enjoys playing the piano, running and watching movies. She is also an accomplished pianist with over 10 years of playing experience. Cindy Tsoi – Lower School Chinese Education Assistant Cindy Tsoi was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Guangdong. After completing her undergraduate studies in Chinese and English Interpretation at Wuhan University, she received a Masters in Drama Education and English Language Teaching from the University of Warwick, UK. Ms. Tsoi began teaching Mandarin and Cantonese to students of all ages while completing her undergraduate studies. While studying for her Master’s degree, she worked as a classroom assistant at Hearsall Common Primary and Stivichall Primary School in the UK. Besides her passion for teaching and language learning, Ms. Tsoi also enjoys playing squash, practicing yoga and volunteering at various schools and hospitals. Jaye Zau – Grade 3B Education Assistant Jaye was born in Hong Kong but went to high school in Palo Alto, California. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley in Environmental Design and worked in Hong Kong architecture firms as an architectural designer. She is also a CELTA certified teacher taught English as a second language in Beijing and Chengdu for 10 years training people from Olympic athletes to interior designers. She joined CDNIS in 2016 as supply teacher, shadow teacher in Grade 6 and currently an educational assistant in Grade 3. She loves cooking and traveling with her husband and hiking with their dog, Dot.