Staff Biographies

Ms Susanna Auster was born in Germany and moved to the UK with her family when she was a child. She attended primary and secondary school in the UK and completed a Joint Honours bachelor´s degree in German and French at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Ms Auster completed a PGCE at Southampton University and began her teaching career in Southampton. Since then she has taught in British and bilingual schools in Norway, Italy, Germany and Spain.

auster@is-va.com

Mrs Burisch teaches in Early Years. She grew up in Oxfordshire, England and qualified as a nurse at the Radcliff Infirmary, Oxford. Thirty years ago, she married and moved to Berlin, where she initially worked at the US military hospital in Dahlem. After a number of years in nursing, she moved into the educational field where she taught English for eight years. Over For the last five years she has worked at ISVA helping young children develop many of the life skills they need before beginning the first grade. Ms Burisch has three grown children; she and her husband enjoy spending holidays as a family in their caravan.

burisch@is-va.com

Mr. Everett Darling has joined ISVA after working as a Head of English and Music at the Familienserviceschule in Berlin, where he had also co-ordinated a successful after school programme. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida and Washington State, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in ESL Education and Performance Art from Pennsylvania State University and The Evergreen College. Before relocating to Berlin, Mr. Darling had worked as a project co-ordinator and translator at Tartu University in Estonia, while preparing students for University entrance exams at a high school in Estonia's remote countryside. He has worked as a youth co-ordinator on-board tall-ships and remains an avid sailor. Mr. Darling's hobbies include gardening, reading, and playing music in his bands which have toured all over Europe and the USA. He is currently at work on his Master's degree in Curriculum and Education Design. darling@is-va.com

Dr. Carlos Fehr was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised between the Caribbean Sea and the tropical rainforest, where he got his degree in Physics and also studied to become a teacher. He later moved to Montpellier in the south of France, where he got his PhD in Material Science. But he was longing for colder weather and thus he moved closer to his roots: his great-great-grandfather emigrated from the Black Forest to Venezuela in 1843. Dr. Fehr moved to Berlin where he worked as a researcher in the Hahn Meitner Institute. After three years he became a part-time consultant in radiation protection as well as a part-time teacher. Dr. Fehr enjoys teaching and also doing funny physics experiments in schools and universities in the so called “the Physics Circus”. Dr Fehr is married and has two daughters; in his free time, he likes biking and playing basketball, but spends most of his time repairing broken things at home.

fehr@is-va.com

Miss Georgina Greenham was born in Germany and grew up with a bilingual German/English background. She completed a BA (Hons) degree in German and European Studies at the University of the West of England (Bristol) and has lived in England for the last 10 years, working in banking and investment management, which included looking after German and European Clients. After deciding on a career change with a view to becoming a teacher, she spent 2011 working as a Special Needs Support Assistant in Reception at a primary school in North East London. She is finding working with children very rewarding and is especially happy that she can use her bilingual language skills in a teaching environment here at ISVA. In 2011 she qualified as an LTA Assistant Tennis Coach and spent several months teaching children tennis after school. Her main interests are playing tennis, reading and films. greenham@is-va.com

Miss Kathrina Hinz was born in Brandenburg and graduated from high school in Falkensee, near Berlin. During her schooldays, she spent a year at Hastings-High-School in Michigan, USA. She studied Education in Berlin at the Freie Universität and earned her Master´s degree in Secondary Education in 2008. During her studies, she undertook an internship at the Berlin British School. After graduating from university, Miss Hinz completed her two years teacher training at the well-known Martin-Buber-Oberschule, an Integrierte Sekundarschule in Berlin Spandau. During this time she gave birth to two boys, supported the Debating Club and attended several vocational training courses, e.g. Heterogeneity in the English classroom. In her spare time, Miss Hinz enjoys spending time with her family and singing in the double-quartet “Polyvox”. hinz@is-va.com

Mrs Ashley Kirsch recently moved to Berlin from Idaho in the western half of the United States. She lives here with her husband, a Berlin native. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.A. in Foreign Languages, focusing on German and ESL studies. She also received a B.S. in Secondary Education. During her studies she took a semester to study abroad at Philips Universität in Marburg, Hessen. In her early twenties she lived in Munich as an Au-Pair. Mrs. Kirsch loves to travel and explore various parts of the world. She discovered her passion for traveling after spending a year in Argentina during her Year 10 in High School. Mrs. Kirsch loves to be in the classroom. Her goal as a teacher here at IS-VA is to brighten the horizons and opportunities of her pupils’ young minds by sharing her knowledge of the world and bringing new and positive experiences to their education.

kirsch@is-va.com

Mr. Christian Lloyd has a BSc honours degree in French and European Studies from Aston University (Birmingham) and has spent several years teaching English as a foreign language in Japan, Greece and France. He has also worked as a Head of Sales for 6 years at a European event management company based in London. Christian qualified as a primary school teacher with a masters level PGCE from Goldsmiths University (London), specialising in the teaching of languages and has spent the last 2 years teaching Year 4 classes and coordinating modern foreign languages at Goose Green Primary School in South East London. He is married with a daughter, loves music and cooking and is also an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club. lloyd@is-va.com

Ms Tamara Mohs, who teaches in Early Years, has worked at ISVA since 2006. She grew up in a German-British bilingual home in the Berlin borough of Spandau. Ms Mohs has numerous years experience working with young children and loves her work. She is particularly pleased to be working in an international environment where she can use her language skills in English and German to help the children learn. The children respond to her patient attitude, sparkling eyes and smile.

mohs@is-va.com

Mr Daniel Oakes was born in Ireland. He gained his Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Environmental Biology at Queens University Belfast. Following his graduation Mr Oakes completed his Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at Exeter University after which he spent two years teaching at Frogmore Community College in Hampshire. In his spare time Mr Oakes enjoys watching and participating in many sports, including Football, Rugby, Gaelic Football and Fishing. He also enjoys live music, nature, walking, reading and travelling. Mr Oakes likes living and working in Berlin and experiencing the many cultural and social activities available. He hopes his German will improve while he is here. oakes@is-va.com

Ms Stefanie Stadler was born in Freyung. She passed her A-Levels in Passau where she also did a Masters degree in German and French Literature and Linguistics. At the same time she studied to be a secondary school teacher with German and French as main subjects. During her studies she spent 2 months in New Zealand to work in a primary school and nine months in France to teach in a secondary school. In 2006, Ms Stadler completed her studies with a Master certificate in German Literature, German Linguistics and French Linguistics. One year later she passed the First State Examination and began working as a research assistant at the Department of Medieval Literature at the University of Passau where she also started a PhD in German didactics about teaching secondary school students in medieval German literature. Before moving to Berlin Ms Stadler taught German, French, English and Latin in Bavaria. Being a freelancer gave her the opportunity to develop her didactic skills in one on one teaching as well as in adult teaching. In 2011 she accepted the offer of a public “Gymnasium” in Berlin-Lichtenberg where she worked as a secondary school German and French teacher again. In June 2012, Ms. Stadler started teaching at ISVA. In view of the different cultural backgrounds of our students she has the chance to put her motto into practice: “Languages are the key to discover the world!” stadler@is-va.com

Miss Anita Stubbe was born and raised in Kuwait before moving to Berlin in 2003. She graduated from the John F. Kennedy High School in Berlin and studied graphic media and illustration at the University for the Creative Arts in Maidstone. After graduating from university Miss Stubbe undertook an internship at a contemporary art centre in Copenhagen before returning to Berlin. She speaks English and German, as well as fragments of French, Arabic, and Hindi. She has been working as a Primary teaching assistant at ISVA since 2010. As well asassisting in Year 2, she teaches Art in Years 1, 2, and 3.

a.stubbe@is-va.com

Mr Steven Sumner joined ISVA as a secondary English teacher. Having grown up in Manchester and St Albans, he received a joint honours degree in English Literature and Philosophy from Keele University, and completed his Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at Oxford University (St Hugh’s College). Mr Sumner is also a seasoned EFL teacher, with experience teaching all age groups in both Germany and the UK. After three years leading ISVA’s ‘First Steps in English’ Summer Camp class, he was delighted to join the school full time. In his spare time Mr Sumner enjoys playing guitar and singing, as well as amateur theatre. sumner@is-va.com

Ms Eimear Walsh is originally from Ireland but she has been living abroad for the past ten years in England, Australia and America. She has a BA in Film and Media Studies from the University of London and a certificate in IT Skills from South Thames College. Ms Walsh has just completed a post-graduate diploma in Early Childhood Education and by mid-2013, she will have completed an MA in Education. Ms Walsh has been working in childcare for several years and really enjoys working with children - especially the very little ones. Ms Walsh has travelled extensively over the years and is very excited to be working in an international school in Berlin. In her spare time, Ms Walsh is interested in music, reading, writing, film, theatre and travel. walsh@is-va.com

Ms Julia Wiedmann was born near Stuttgart in Baden Württemberg. During her school years she spent some time at an American high school and after finishing school, Ms Wiedmann who has wanted to be a teacher since she was a child, studied to be a teacher for English, German and Religious Education in Ludwigsburg. While studying, Ms Wiedmann worked at a fashion company. Spending a year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte USA and an internship at an international school in Stuttgart confirmed her wish to work in an English speaking environment. Ms Wiedmann absolved her first “Staatsexamen” in 2010 and then completed her traineeship at a secondary school near Rottweil. In order to be closer to her sister and niece and to develop herself professionally at an international school, Ms Wiedmann moved to Berlin in August 2012. In her spare time Ms Wiedmann likes to do sports, spend time with her family and friends and read. wiedmann@is-va.com

Ms Claudia Bednarzik was born in Nordhausen where she attended a grammar school and passed her A levels. She then studied Primary school education with British studies and early foreign language learning as a major subject at the University of Leipzig. During her studies she spent 2 months in York (UK) and six months on a Canadian Indian reserve in British Columbia where she gained valuable teaching experience at TsiDelDel School. In 2006, Ms Bednarzik completed her studies with the First State Exam and began working as a research assistant at the Department of Primary Education at the University of Leipzig. Later, she completed her teaching practice at a primary school in Leipzig. After that Ms. Bednarzik moved to Bavaria and became a class teacher at the International School of Regensburg. In 2011 Ms Bednarzik studied art at the University of Regensburg and obtained an additional qualification for teaching art. Now she is looking forward to exploring Berlin and to specializing in teaching German at the ISVA. Ms Bednarzik devotes her free time to her love of nature, literature, photography and painting.

bednarzik@is-va.com

Ms. Kimberley Conway was born in West Yorkshire and first came to Berlin in 1992 as part of a university programme between Cambridge and Berlin. After graduating in European Business Administration in 1995, she moved to Berlin to work in industry - predominantly PR, marketing and sales. In 1998 she took the opportunity to teach ESL in Japan which gave her a first insight into teaching. On her return to Europe, she completed a PGCE at the University of Sheffield and 3 years later a Masters degree specialising in Education. During this time she worked for almost 7 years at a secondary school in Barnsley. Her love for Berlin brought her back to the city at the end of 2011. Since then she has been teaching Business Studies at ISVA. In her free time, she enjoys the great outdoors, cinema and exhibitions and travelling to far away lands. She also has a love of languages, so the school’s multicultural environment is second nature to her.

conway@is-va.com

Mr Jerome Tenaille d`Estais, our French language teacher, comes from Paris, where he studied and received a Master’s Degree in French literature and pedagogy. He came to Berlin in 1995 where he taught in different schools and at the university level. He began teaching at our school in 2001. Mr Tenaille d’Estais loves to share his interest in cinema and culture with his students.

destais@is-va.com

Mr. Malachy Gill was born in London, but spent his formative years in Donegal, Northwest Ireland from where his parents originate. Upon leaving school, he attended the University of Liverpool to further his interest in geography & sport completing a BSc in Geography & Sport Studies. He then completed his teacher training at the University of Middlesex; after this he taught at a state school in London for three years. gill@is-va.com

Mrs Daniela Henschel has joined ISVA as German teacher in Secondary School after having worked at SEK El Castillo in Madrid for the past five years. She is originally from Germany – born in Berlin, grown up in Brandenburg – with a university degree as a fully qualified teacher of German and English from Free University Berlin and an Erasmus year spent studying English Literature and Teaching Methodology of EFL at Trinity College, Dublin. After leaving university, Mrs Henschel undertook Graduate Teacher Training at Trinity and All Saints in Leeds. In England she then taught German to students aged 11 to 18, first at a state school in Hull, Yorkshire, later at Oakham School, Rutland, covering GCSE and A-levels but also teaching German native and non-native students preparing for the International Baccalaureate. Mrs Henschel is particulary interested in bilingual education, especially now that she is bringing up her own daugther with Spanish and German, and loves reading (naturally!), languages and salsa dancing.

henschel@is-va.com

Mrs Elizabeth Kang, our secondary art teacher, was born in Seoul, Korea and raised in the United States. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 from Clark University in Massachusetts (US). Mrs Kang is certified by the University of Cambridge International Examinations to undertake assessment of candidates’ Coursework for the IGCSE Art and Design exams. She has had several international exhibitions as an artist, both in Europe and in the United States. Since 1999, following her post-graduate studies at the Sotheby´s Art Institute in New York, she has been dedicating herself to promoting emerging international artists and developing young students to excel in the arts.

kang@is-va.com

Mrs Carola Köhler-Schmidt, who teaches in Early Years, was born and raised in Berlin-Reinickendorf. After receiving a vocational diploma in Social Pedagogy and qualifying as a Nursery teacher, Mrs Köhler-Schmidt worked in several Nurseries. She qualified as pre-school teacher in 1990 and worked at primary schools in Berlin-Charlottenburg. She was pre-school class teacher at the Wald Primary School in Berlin-Westend for over ten years. After the abolition of pre-school classes in 2005, Mrs Köhler-Schmidt led a bilingual English/German nursery in Potsdam. Besides being an enthusiastic grandmother, Mrs Köhler-Schmidt enjoys gardening, travelling and experiencing different cultures and photography.

koehler-schmidt@is-va.com

Mrs Susie Mathias has been living in Germany for 11 years now and enjoys the bilingual life here with her husband and four daughters. She studied Music, Dance and Drama in London, and then trained as a primary school teacher in Oxford. Before joining ISVA Ms Mathias ran English courses for all age groups starting with Kindergarten to old age pensioners. She is thrilled to be reunited with the British education system. Her favourite children (aside from her own, of course) are those in year 1.

mathias@is-va.com

Ms Ellie Nicholas graduated with a BA (Hons) Politics from University of Essex in England and then undertook her PGCE teacher training in England. She has experience teaching in international English-speaking schools in Quebec, Brussels and Riga. Ms Nicholas is committed to ensuring children have the best opportunities to achieve their potential. To do this, she is keen to promote children’s inquisitiveness and creativity across the curriculum, encouraging each child to become a happy, independent and responsible learner. She completed her MA Education by distance-learning in the summer of 2012.

nicholas@is-va.com

Mrs Sabine Palm was born in Berlin. After finishing Secondary school she qualified as a nursery teacher at the "2. Staatlichen Fachoberschule für Erzieher Berlin" and then proceeded to work in a day care centre where she supervised Year 1 pupils who came to the centre after school. She worked with pre-school children and was responsible for the toddler gymnastics. In addition to working, Mrs Palm completed a vocational diploma in Social Studies. Following this, Mrs Palm changed direction career wise and studied cartography at the "Technischen Fachhochschule Berlin" and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. While she was working on her thesis, she secured a position at Falk publishers as a brand manager. After the arrival of her first son, she realised that she wanted to return to working with children and continued her professional development, gaining qualifications as a specialised teacher for integration and PSE. Mrs Palm then led a Nursery, and with her team successfully set up a nursery group for 0-3 year olds. During this time, as part of a European project, she visited ISVA and was impressed with the facilities. In order to spend more time with her own children, Mrs Palm resigned as leader of her team and went on to work in a Nursery with 0 – 3 year olds. Mrs Palm began working at ISVA in 2012. palm@is-va.com

Mr. Christopher Stringman was born in Bristol and educated at Swansea University. He then went on to study for his PGCE in Plymouth. As well as teaching in England Mr Stringman has also taught in Slovakia where he worked for an international educational charity. He then spent a short time teaching English as a foreign language in Italy. He has also taught in international schools in Spain and Germany as a primary school teacher. In his spare time Mr Stringman enjoys golf, reading and writing and hopes to improve his German this year.

stringman@is-va.com

Ms Maria Stubbe has been a primary teaching assistant since January 2005 and since 2009 she teaches ESL to all primary students. She was born in Bombay and lived in Kuwait, where she graduated from Carmel School and went on to secretarial school. She lived in Kuwait from 1977 to 2003, where she worked as a secretary in a number of well-known firms. In 2003 she moved to Berlin, with her husband and teenage daughter, when there was another war threat from Iraq. Ms Stubbe speaks many languages and helps the young children, especially those from an international background, adapt to life in school.

stubbe@is-va.com

Dr. Götz Vollweiler has been teaching science at ISVA since 2006. He was born in Karlsruhe, but was educated in Central America. He returned to Germany and studied in Berlin where he received his doctorate in physical chemistry. This was followed by a number of years of applied research at the Fraunhofer Institut in Bremen and the Hahn-Meitner-Institut in Berlin. Dr. Vollweiler then decided to go into teaching and has spent the last ten years teaching at different schools. During this time he was also involved in the making of a teaching video for chemistry. His motto is "Science must be comprehensible. It is not magic!" vollweiler@is-va.com

Ms Agnieszka Warechowicz comes from Poland. She studied Education in Krakow. During her studies she went to England and worked as a teaching assistant at the Primary School in Kingston upon Thames. In 2007 she earned her Master’s Degree in Education at University of Pegagogy in Krakow and decided to gather more of the international teaching experience and moved to Holland where she joined the international School in Hilversum. She worked with teenagers, leading workshops with the focus on young learners with dyslexia needs. She moved to Berlin in 2008 and took few German language courses whilst working with young children. She is particularly interested in methods which support the natural development of children, including their individual learning styles, e.g. the Montessori Education and recently Fröbel pedagogy.

warechowicz@is-va.com

Marielle Wittwer was born and grew up in Switzerland. After qualifying as a teacher she taught for three years. Following this Ms Wittwer worked for three years as a social worker and then began a Bachelor programme in Filmmaking in Zurich and Berlin which she successfully completed in the autumn of 2011. Ms Wittwer has worked for several television channels, such as ZDF, Kabel1 and Swiss television as an editorial and production assistant. Ms Wittwer brings the dual experience of teaching in a classroom and working in the media to ISVA and it is her aim to ensure a good use of the new media in the classroom. wittwer@is-va.com