Alicia is a passionate teacher from Madrid, Spain. She loves working with children and believes that the quality of education a person receives in early life is critical in bringing out that person’s potential, and that all children should have access to quality learning and care.

Alicia gained her Bachelor of Early Years Education at the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2002. She completed her degree with an internship in a Spanish school in Paris, France, which she was awarded with honors.

After finishing her degree, Alicia moved to London, England, where she worked as an Early Years teacher for four years and obtained her Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). After experiencing working with native children, she moved back to Madrid, Spain, where she taught four more years as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher in a bilingual school.

As a passionate traveler, Alicia and her husband, Jorge, decided to travel around Asia in 2011. They visited many different countries and had many great experiences. While traveling, they were attracted to the Chinese culture and people. This led to a decision to stay in Beijing, China.

Since arriving in Beijing, Alicia worked at an international kindergarten for one year before receiving the opportunity to join BCIS. She is very happy and grateful for this opportunity and really enjoys working at BCIS.

When Alicia is not working, she loves to plan her next trip with her husband and daughters, have long chats with friends and family, cook, and read.

Cathy is from Beijing, China. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Literature and a Master's in Linguistics of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Beijing Normal University. She has been working at Beijing City International School for ten years. This is her fifth year working at the Early Childhood Center (ECC) as a Chinese teacher. She is honored to be a part of the BCIS family and is thrilled to guide her students.

Before joining BCIS, Cathy worked at the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. She has edited a series of English learning books, which have subsequently been published. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her daughter, reading, baking, swimming, and traveling with family and friends.

Reidun comes from Washington State in the United States of America.She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and her master’s degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reidun has taught two years in Washington State, two years in South Korea, and twelve years in Kuwait, and this will be her seventeenth year of teaching.

Reidun started her teaching career in upper elementary (Grades 4 and 5) and loved it!However, she was asked to teach early childhood in South Korea, and found her true passion with the little ones. Ever since she has been learning and improving her play-based teaching & learning skills. Reidun is excited and honored to be joining the ECC family.

Reidun and her husband (Mr. Stephen McCurdy-Grade 1, 2, and 3 Learning Support at BCIS) are looking forward to experiencing the wonderful Chinese culture & feel privileged to be part of the BCIS community.In her spare time, Reidun loves to read books, knit, watch TV, play card games, running & biking, and going on new adventures.

Connie comes from Fujian Province, southeast of China. She gained her Bachelor’s degree in English from China and then decided to study Early Childhood Education in Melbourne, Australia. After she finished her postgraduate degree from Monash University, she continued to stay in Melbourne and worked in early childhood centers as a Kindergarten Teacher for ten years.

Connie truly believes in play-based learning for young children and enjoys every minute she spends with them. She finds joy in listening to children's voices, playing with them, and sharing wonderful moments with them. She is also very excited to be part of the BCIS community, to teach, to learn, and to grow in the new family.

Outside of Connie's working hours, she likes to spend time with her family, watch romantic movies, play badminton, go for walks, and explore interesting places in Beijing.

Crystal comes from the northern part of China. She graduated from Capital Normal University with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. She has been working at BCIS since 2008.

She appreciates the opportunities to work with students at both the Elementary School (ES) and ECC. She has always believed that children learn best when the learning environment is designed to meet the developmental needs of each child, one that encourages exploration, creativity, and independence. She thinks an environment that provokes the understanding of new concepts and encourages children to interact in ways that develop language, thinking skills, and a love of nature is key. She loves being in the classroom with children and seeing their happy smiling faces as they explore their learning environments.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, swimming, and spending time with family and friends. She feels very blessed to be part of the BCIS family.

Dan graduated from New York University with a Master of Teaching English as a Second Language and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

She has worked with students from Toddler to Grade 12. She has been a part of the ECC team for four years. Learning new things in education, especially in the early years, excites her. She is happy to be able to integrate play-based learning into her teaching and is excited to begin all the exploring, learning, and fun with the children.

In her spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves reading and hiking. She feels very blessed to be part of the warm BCIS community!

Wai is from a small town called Nicoya in Costa Rica. He moved to the United States, where he graduated from high school and later moved back to Costa Rica to get his bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Costa Rica. He also holds a PGCEi in international education from Nottingham University, United Kingdom and became TESOL certified. He brings with him 11 years of experience working with children from newborn to 8 years old in an early childhood environment.

Wai has been living in Beijing for 11 years, he has worked in early childhood centers for six years as a leading teacher implementing a play-based teaching method and a couple of years as an art teacher in an art academy. He also had the excellent opportunity to work for one year in a Montessori kindergarten and three years in an IB kindergarten implementing the PYP as a homeroom teacher. Working for many years and implementing various international curriculums has provided Wai with phenomenal experiences, and the right tools and understanding to lead children to become lifelong and global learners.

Working for a long time in China has given Wai a fantastic chance to understand more about the culture, traditions and language, which makes it easier to work with young learners.

Wai has a beautiful Beijinger wife and two gorgeous daughters. In his free time, he loves spending time with his family and friends. Going to the park, to the amusement park, shopping, eating out, playing the drums, playing basketball and soccer, dancing and traveling with his family.

Wai is so happy and excited to be a member of the BCIS community and looking forward to a wonderful year.

Emma is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. She has a degree in Special Education with Mention in Learning Disabilities. She has 25 years of experience in Education, most of those years working at a local school in her country. She had the opportunity to work at different levels: as a teacher, as a team leader, and as a learning support teacher, mostly within Early Childhood.

Since 2015, she has been working in the international school setting. She enjoys being part of an international environment, where she is able to continue developing her professional skills and sharing experiences with people from different cultures.

Emma feels happy and proud to be part of the BCIS community. In her free time, she enjoys running and chatting with her friends. She loves animals and likes to walk her dog Lupe every day. She is also excited to have the opportunity to explore China with her husband Daniel.

Emma is from Jiangxi province in the South of China. She has been working with early childhood children since 2006, when she graduated from university specializing in education. After graduating, she spent four years in Guangzhou where she worked as a bilingual teacher and academic director. Following this, she then moved to the capital, Beijing, with her husband. She has a great passion for early childhood and believes teaching and learning should be differentiated and personalized according to a child’s interests and learning style.

Emma is honored to be a part of the BCIS family and is very excited to explore new learning experiences with children.

In her spare time, Emma enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Grace Chen graduated from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, with a Master’s in Marketing. She also attained an Early Childhood Education Teaching Certificate. In 2019, she volunteered in a local Australian kindergarten to deepen her knowledge and understanding of early childhood education.

Since working at the ECC, from 2014, Grace has found that early childhood education is what she is passionate about. She enjoys watching children develop new knowledge and acquire new skills through a play-based learning environment.

Hope is from the north of China. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language and a Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education from Education Ministry of China. Now she is studying for a Masters certification through Beijing Foreign Studies University. She has been working at Beijing City International School for five years.

She is so fascinated with teaching and happy to be able to integrate play-based learning into her teaching and is excited to begin all the exploring, learning and fun with the children.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves reading, drawing and traveling. She enjoys working at the ECC and is very happy to be a member of the BCIS Community.

Fei is originally from Durban, South Africa, and hails from Chinese heritage; hence her name “Fei” meaning “Africa” in Mandarin. Born and raised in the richly diverse Rainbow Nation, Fei has fostered a strong appeal for people and experiences.

At the University of Cape Town, Fei gained a Bachelor of Social Science in 2015, double majoring in Media & Writing and Psychology. Shortly after graduating Fei decided to indulge in the university of life, working internationally from 2016, as Chief Stewardess aboard superyachts in the hospitality industry, acquiring much about people and communication through matchless experiences. During these years Fei continued to work with children and adults with varying needs whenever she returned to South Africa, at Philakade Care Home which she co-established.

Fei removed her epaulettes to root herself. COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise. With the loving BCIS family, Fei found a nourishing ground in 2020. Fei seized the moment by completing her PGCEi from the University of Nottingham in 2021.

Multilingual in English, Mandarin, French, Afrikaans, and Zulu, Fei loves to connect with people, wildlife and share food and travel experiences - lounging, running, or sailing. In 2022, Fei is thrilled to share and be a part of the Early Childhood Center in Kindergarten.

Janice, or Jan for short, is from the sunny island of Singapore. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood studies which she obtained from Monash University, Melbourne Australia and is currently completing her Master's in Inclusive and Special Education from Monash University. Janice began her journey as an assistant teacher where she got to observe and learn from experienced teachers both locally and internationally in her home country. Her passion for teaching grew; she did not want to be behind the scenes but to be able to nurture and be an influence to little ones. This would be Janice’s 14th year in this field and her 9th year being a homeroom teacher. She is excited to be part of the BCIS team.

Before joining BCIS, Janice worked at an international school in Turkey where she gained great insights working with the children there. It was there, where her children pushed her to have the desire to do her masters for her curiosity around ‘Third Culture Kids’ and understanding how to work with children of various needs arise.

Janice is keen in learning a variety of things. She did a basic certificate in Media studies and would challenge herself with working on simple video editing software. She also loves cooking, baking, cycling, exploring nature, and listening to stories especially on culture. Should you have an interesting fact about your country, stop by and share it with her. She would love to know more about it!

JieYuan believes that teaching is about inspiration, not just information. Knowing the importance of early childhood development, she respects children as individuals with positive attitude, and always learns and improves the way of supporting them to bring out their full potential.

With broad training and teaching experience in multi-culture environments, JieYuan holds an Early Childhood Credential from American Montessori Society and a Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education from Education Ministry of China. Before joining BCIS, she worked for an international Montessori school and then a China-Finland joint kindergarten in Beijing. She enjoys being part of the lively BCIS community!

JieYuan came to Beijing for her university from Hanzhong, Shaanxi province in 2004. She gained a Bachelor's degree in English from North China Electric Power University, and then a Master's degree in Public Administration from Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Social Science. Before becoming a teacher, she had years of project management experience in prestigious multinational companies.

Outside the classroom, she loves reading, listening to different kinds of music, doing simple indoor exercise, and spending time with her son, family and friends.

This year is Jo-Ann’s 16th year of teaching children and her 7th year in BCIS. She strives to create a nurturing and purposeful environment that caters to different learning styles. She provides opportunities for children to become independent thinkers and doers through play-based learning and inquiry and encourages them to be caring and respectful of others and their environment.

She was a certified Secondary Education teacher in Physical Science before switching to early childhood teaching. She completed a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Years Montessori Diploma from North American Montessori Center and has extensive training and experience in Early Childhood Education. She recently completed her certification for Early Childhood Leadership from Harvard University. Jo-Ann has a strong focus on personalized learning and child centered inquiry and utilizes the best practice in teaching children.

Jo-Ann loves traveling with her husband Michael and daughter Beryll. Every year, they spend the summer in Wisconsin, USA to be with family and friends. She also enjoys cooking and creating new recipes. Jo-Ann and her family feel very privileged to be a part of BCIS.

Kanako is from Hyogo, Japan. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching Japanese as a Second Language from Kobe Shoin Women’s University. In 2006, she moved to Sydney, Australia and taught Japanese in a Montessori Pre & Primary school for two years. She also completed an Advanced Diploma in Children’s Services and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Years) from Southern Cross University in New South Wales, Australia. She has worked in early childhood centers in Sydney, Australia for six years as a Room Leader and a nominated Supervisor for a year and a half.

Kanako and her husband moved to Beijing in 2014. She was working at an international school as a Kindergarten homeroom teacher for three years before joining the BCIS community. This is her second year in BCIS, she taught Nursery class last year and is very excited to have a new class this year. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her two daughters who were born in Beijing, playing tennis, shopping, cooking, eating out, and traveling with her family.

Kelly is originally from Manchester in the North West of England. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood studies, she went on to attain a Post Graduate Qualification of Early Years Teacher Status at Manchester Metropolitan University with a specialism in working with 0-5 year old children. Since gaining her Early Years Teacher Status in 2014, Kelly has been teaching in Switzerland. She is passionate about early years education and initially worked in a bilingual early years nursery. In 2015, she took the opportunity to work in a bilingual IB candidate international school as the Lead Pre-School Teacher.

Outside the classroom, Kelly enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She is looking forward to continuing to work internationally at BCIS and is excited to be part of the BCIS team.

Laura is a firm believer in young children learning through play and this is at the heart of her teaching philosophy. She believes character building and mindfulness to be an important tool in a child’s development. Laura inspires her students to be risk takers and supports them in becoming globally competent and compassionate.

Laura completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Education at Swansea University. Previous to this, Laura lived in South Korea where she taught English as a Second Language, this is where she fell in love with Asia and teaching.

Laura is from the UK and taught in the city of Cardiff for many years. Over those years, she helped set-up a new school and was a large part of the school community, becoming a Governor and ICT Coordinator at the school.

When first meeting her partner at Swansea University, the first thing they discussed was teaching internationally. After gaining lots of experience in Cardiff, they fulfilled this dream in 2019 and moved to Beijing to teach at a bilingual school, working as a Grade One Teacher and Coordinator.

In her spare time, Laura loves to travel, read, run and watch Welsh rugby.

Lily is originally from Liaoning province, China. She graduated from Beijing Normal University and holds a master’s degree in Primary Education. She also has a bachelor’s degree major in Chinese Language Arts from Capital Normal University. Working at an IB World international school has allowed her to develop professionally and she feels very warm in this community. She has 8 years of Chinese teacher experience including Early Childhood to G3 at BCIS. She values and is passionate about building in students’ interest, ability and strength to stimulate their thinking and to extend their learning through play-based exploration.

In her spare time, Lily likes listening to the music, reading, meeting friends and doing sports.

Linda has taught at Beijing international schools since 2011. She got her Bachelor’s in Child Development from Michigan State University with a language arts specialization and an early childhood endorsement. Throughout the years, she has been the lead teacher in Nursery and Grades 1-6 classrooms.

Linda grew up in a bilingual and bicultural household and attended international school in Taiwan. Because of her personal experience as a student in the international school system, she is especially passionate about her work here at BCIS. She really enjoys learning more about multilingualism and language acquisition.

In the summer of 2016, she married her husband Romer, whom she met in Beijing. In her free time, she enjoys bike rides, trying new restaurants, and cooking with friends.

Mary is from the south of China. She graduated with a BA in Pre-school Education, and also holds a teacher certificate in Pre-school Education. She has three years of experience as a homeroom teacher and a Kindergarten Chinese teacher before joining BCIS. She has learned much through these experiences about real teaching and real children beyond what is found in textbooks.

Mary has been working at BCIS since 2010. She is very excited to be working with people from around the world and really appreciates the opportunities to learn from others. She loves to share Chinese culture with her students, and not just through language, but in other interesting and engaging ways as well. In Mary’s class, she likes her students to learn Chinese naturally and happily. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, swimming, reading, singing, and spending time with family and friends.

Matthew is an early childhood educator who has taught in the Beijing Municipality for over 9 years. Matthew is from the United States where he completed much of his education. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition, Matthew studied abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Matthew loves working with children and helping them reach their full potential. He is committed to creating an engaging classroom environment that nurtures children’s intellectual, social, and emotional needs and growth. Matthew believes in a personalized approach to education to help all his students reach their full potential. Matthew is licensed in Early Childhood Education by the District of Columbia (Washington, DC, USA). In addition, Matthew is TESOL Certified which he completed at Villanova University through Oxford Seminars.

In his personal life, Matthew enjoys spending time with his wife Coco. His passions outside the classroom extend to travel, world and business news, and investing. Matthew is a proud member of the BCIS education community and is looking forward to a wonderful year.

Hello! My name is Megan Reinders. I started my teaching career as a teacher assistant in 2011 and have been a homeroom teacher since 2016. I am very excited to be teaching at BCIS in 2022. This year will be my 5th year teaching in China, celebrating diversity and encouraging students to succeed in their learning, creating meaningful hands-on experiences through play, promoting a love of learning, and bringing out the best in every student.

I am looking forward to working together in partnership with parents and the community to provide an engaging and supportive classroom environment.

I am a South African early childhood teacher with a Bachelor of Education from the University of South Africa. I have worked closely with children ages 2-6 during my 12 years of experience. I believe that every child is unique in their way. I will do my best to reach a child’s full potential in a play-based learning environment.

I am a person with lots of energy who enjoys sports and loves travel, and I’m pretty adventurous too. I am an enthusiastic educator who is passionate, friendly, and caring.

It is a great opportunity for me to join BCIS this year. As we continue to adapt to change, I know we will make the best of the 2022-2023 school year. It will be a productive school year with many new adventures, challenges, friends, and discoveries.

Mubanga, known to friends as Muby, hails from Zambia. She has also lived in Tanzania and Canada. Muby has a Master of Science in Innovative Education and Teaching, a Bachelor's in Education, a Diploma in Special Education, a Teacher’s Diploma in Montessori Studies, and a Certificate in Multiple Intelligences in Early Childhood Education.

She has 16 years of international teaching experience, having worked in many International Schools in China. She loves living in China and has yet to experience all that China has to offer.

In her spare time, she volunteers in various charitable organizations, enjoys traveling, reading, meditating, swimming, experimenting on recipes, and being a mother to her three wonderful children. She is excited to be part of the BCIS family.

Natalie grew up in New Zealand and has been living overseas since 2012. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Måori Studies from Massey University, and as a mature student, studied her Post Graduate Certificate in Education with Nottingham University.

After she obtained her Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), Natalie was introduced to teaching at a language school in Bangkok where she taught English to elementary aged children. She has also spent a short period supply teaching at BCIS, which cemented her interest in education, love of the BCIS community, and desire to teach.

Prior to moving to Beijing in 2016, Natalie and her husband Steve, a Grade 1 Teacher at the BCIS Elementary School, lived in Bangkok for four years where their daughter was born in 2015. She enjoys exploring Beijing and China with her family, as well as traveling, reading, and spending time with friends.

Nicole Wright is a graduate of the world-renowned Norland college in England, where she received her BA (Hons) in Early Years Education and Learning, as well as the prestigious Norland Diploma in which she developed advanced skills in early years communication, health, wellbeing and play. Nicole has since gone on to complete her TEFL certificate and her PGCE in International Early Years, all while working as an early year’s teacher in China. She is a firm believer in lifelong learning and is looking forward to starting her Master’s in Education.

Born in the UK, Nicole has spent over a decade living internationally across Spain, Thailand and now China. As a result of her international upbringing Nicole is able to speak fluent Spanish and uses her past experiences to help develop young learners into global citizens.

Nicole is very passionate about the philosophy of the school, fostering international mindedness and compassion in her students, while allowing them to take ownership of their learning.

Nina is from Beijing, China. She holds a Bachelor of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Beijing Language and Culture University. She also has a teaching certificate in kindergarten education.

Nina has over twelve years of experience in early childhood education, from toddler to kindergarten in the international school setting. She has worked in an international kindergarten from 2007. She has also volunteered in the Académie Montessori du Grand Montreal in Canada where she developed professional skills and received much valuable teaching experience. She joined BCIS in 2011 and worked with Pre-Kindergarten children for one year. She then moved to Moscow, Russia with her husband for four years. As she fully identifies with the mission and philosophy of BCIS and is willing to put it into action, Nina decided to rejoin BCIS in 2016 after she returned from abroad.

Nina likes traveling and spending time with her family and dog.

Rina is a native Beijinger who graduated from the Beijing Language and Culture University with a Bachelor's degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. She also holds a teaching certificate in Kindergarten Education. She has more than ten years of experience working in international education and two years in a local kindergarten as a homeroom teacher during her early teaching days. She is excited to be teaching here at the ECC in an IB World School that fosters inquiry based learning and learning through play.

Rina’s interests include painting, cooking, and traveling.

Sissi Qi is from Hubei Province of China. She started her teaching career in Beijing in 2007 and received a Master’s Degree in Preschool Education from Capital Normal University.

Sissi’s mom is a primary school teacher in her hometown. Inspired, her dream was to become a teacher. Before joining BCIS in 2014, Sissi worked in an Educational Consultant Company that provides services to different kinds of early childhood centers around Beijing. Since joining the BCIS community, Sissi has embraced the BCIS mission and philosophy in her everyday work. In 2017, she volunteered in a local Australian kindergarten to deepen her knowledge and understanding of early childhood education. Working with the children at BCIS, she has enjoyed how much they learn and grow through play based learning and looks forward to continuing this into the future.

During her spare time, she likes to read, sing, exercise, and travel. She feels honored to be part of the BCIS community!

Suzanne is originally from the United States where she received her Elementary Teaching Degree from Ball State University in Indiana. She has taught in schools in Indiana and Oregon, as well as the Antwerp International School in Belgium. Her teaching experience ranges from Pre-kindergarten through Grade 6. She is passionate about children’s literature and enjoys sharing her love of reading as the Teacher Librarian in the ECC. She is very happy to be a member of the BCIS Community and a member of the Early Childhood team.

Uriah hails from her nation’s capital Washington D.C. She gained her Bachelor of Arts at Georgia State University and holds a certification specializing in Early Childhood Education from Washington D.C. She has been teaching for 7 years and is looking forward to continuing her journey with BCIS.

Uriah loves working with children and expanding their minds, helping them explore new things. She believes that children learn most when they are in a loving and nurturing environment, so she focuses on keeping socio-emotional development at the center of her teaching. She is a big proponent of being a lifelong learner and believes that the teacher is learning from the students just as much as the students are learning from the teacher.

Uriah has been in China for 5 years and has loved every minute of it. From the interesting culture to the delightful foods, there is always something new to experience. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys traveling, writing, live music, and hanging out with friends. Uriah is elated to join BCIS and looking forward to a wonderful school year.

Winnie is from Qinghai Province in northwest of China. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Beijing Language University. She has been working at BCIS for twelve years and during this academic school year, Winnie continues her role as an Integrated Specialist Teacher in the Kindergarten.

Winnie loves working with children and expanding their minds and helping them to explore new things. She believes that children learn best when they are in a loving and nurturing environment, so she focuses on keeping socio-emotional development at the center of her teaching. She is a strong advocate of being a lifelong learner and believes that the teacher is learning from the students just as much as the students are learning from the teacher.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her boys, reading, baking, cooking, and travelling with family and friends.