Talofa lava,
Kia ora, koutou nga kaiako me nga tauira o BCIS. Greetings everyone, my name is Sione Mulipola, and I am thrilled to embark on a new adventure as a middle school PE teacher here at BCIS. This journey will bring new challenges and experiences, but I am confident that it will be filled with learning, fun, and exciting moments.
My teaching career began by following in my mother's footsteps, who had over 30 years of teaching experience. I started with voluntary teaching work at Saint Bernadette Primary School and then worked as a teacher's aide at Punavai o le Atamai Kindergarten School. During my time at Punavai, I completed my Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood at Otago Teachers College. Recently, I have been accepted at AUT in New Zealand to pursue my Masters of Sports, Exercise, and Health on a part-time basis, which I am extremely excited about.
I hail from Dunedin, Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. My parents, who migrated from Samoa in search of better opportunities, raised me along with my three brothers and one sister. Growing up, I was heavily involved in various competitive sports, ranging from rugby, cricket, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, to netball. I even had the privilege of representing Otago at a professional level in some of these sports.
Living in China for the past five years has brought significant changes to my life journey. It was here in Beijing that I met my wife, Sasha, who hails from Russia. Like me, she has a strong background in sports and was an international alpine skier. Recently, she had the opportunity to work at the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing. As I embark on my new journey at BCIS, my wife and I are also entering a new chapter in our lives as we prepare to become parents to our first-born daughter, Anna Leilani. Additionally, we have started a new social rugby club called Phoenix. When I'm not at BCIS, you can find me either spending time with my family or coaching the Phoenix Women's team on Wednesday nights, as well as the men's team on Thursdays and Saturdays for game days.