Primary team

Ms. Lisa Ellery is an educator originally from Wales who began her career within multicultural schools in London over 25 years ago. After initially studying Engineering, she gained a Bachelor of Education Primary (Honours) at the University of Gloucestershire, UK. Lisa gained vast experience teaching within Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education; developing a passion and expertise for linguistics and language teaching. She worked as a School Improvement Advisor in the UK and has lived and worked internationally since 2003 within numerous contexts and countries across Asia. She moved with her family to Shanghai in 2011 and studied for a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and Management. Lisa is proud to be a WISS parent and to share her pedagogical expertise through rich inter-cultural dialogue and relationships at WISS.

Mr. Gavin Jack has been living and teaching in China for seven years. He originally came to China to teach English and quickly realised that teaching and learning was a passion he wished to pursue further. Gavin holds a degree with distinctions in IT and a PGCE in primary education. He is currently completing an MA in International Education. Gavin is delighted to be joining the WISS community along with his two daughters who will enter nursery and grade 1 classes. Gavin especially enjoys spending time with his family and having family days out. His hobbies are hiking, cooking, reading/writing and learning.

Ms. Karin Tellis is originally from the United States, but has spent the last 20 years teaching internationally in Asia, Africa and Europe. She holds a Masters of Science in Curriculum, Instruction & Technology and an International Teaching Certificate from Cambridge University and the European Council of International Schools. As an educator, Karin has been a teacher, workshop leader, curriculum coordinator, Elementary Principal and professional development consultant. Karin is passionate about learning, and loves to explore the world and new cultures. Having traveled to 91 countries so far, Karin is probably planning her next adventure!

Mr. Stacy Doyle is from Canada, but has spent the last eighteen years living abroad. Stacy has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and taught English in South Korea for five years before moving to Australia to attain his Postgraduate Diploma of Education with his wife, Lana. He has worked for the past eight years in Australia teaching lower primary classes. His hobbies include rugby, scuba diving, and walking with his son, Cullen. They have walked over 2,500 kilometers since Cullen’s birth. Stacy strives to be a creator of a calm and compassionate classroom atmosphere, as he believes safety and a sense of community are paramount in learning for young students.

Ms. Miya is originally from Shanghai. She graduated from Donghua University with a major in English. She also holds a teaching degree from East China Normal University. She is a passionate teacher and enjoys working with young students. During her college life, she learned about language teaching and has put these skills to use as an individual English teacher and a volunteer teaching assistant in a summer school program. Ms. Miya is pleased to be a part of the WISS community.

Ms. Nirada is pleased to be a part of WISS community. She grew up in Chicago and received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She began working in the design field before receiving an Elementary Credential with an endorsement in Special Education and Linguistically Diverse Education. She also received a Master’s in Educational Equity from University of Colorado at Boulder. She believes that embracing an individual’s differences is the key to understanding their thinking and how it influences their learning style. Her teaching philosophy is centered on the belief that meeting the needs of these students requires scaffolded learning which allows them to think critically, even if their expression of thoughts takes different forms.

Sharon is from Auckland, New Zealand, and gained her Bachelor of Education at Auckland’s AUT University, specializing in Steiner Education. She has traveled extensively and enjoyed seven years living in the United Kingdom. Sharon, her husband Tony and their children, Liam and Evelyn love to explore new cultures and will find any opportunity to hit the nearest ski slopes. Sharon has experience teaching grades 1, 2 and 3 and is excited to be a part of the WISS community.

Anne has been in Shanghai after earning her Bachelor degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Zhejiang University. Anne has over ten years of teaching experience in Chinese language and four-years of experience in an international school. Her hobbies include reading, Chinese traditional medicine and visiting new places to learn more about different cultures. She enjoys working with children and is very pleased to be a part of the WISS community.

Ms. Megan Comervelle is from the United States of America but has lived in Asia for the past 8 years. She has 11 years of experience as a teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master’s of Elementary and Special Education from Wilmington University in her home state of Delaware. Megan is passionate about student agency and differentiation. Her hobbies are travel, learning Chinese, and being an eco-warrior. Megan is excited to be a part if the WISS community.

Pamela is from Hong Kong and has been living in Beijing for the past ten years. She has a Bachelor’s degree and a Teacher Certificate in Education. She has been a full time teacher in Hong Kong for sixteen years. While living in Beijing, she worked as a part time relief teacher in an IB school. She trusts that all students have their strengths. Teachers are facilitators in helping them to develop the attitudes and skills for both academic and personal success. Her hobbies are hiking and cooking. She enjoys exploring new places and sharing good food with others.

Ruth is from Virginia in the United States, which she called home until she moved to Spain to study. She graduated with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and went on to further her Spanish ability in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps volunteer. She was placed in the education sector, and it was there that she fell in love with teaching. Ruth moved to Shanghai in 2012 where she taught at a bilingual pre-school while completing her teaching certificate and Masters in Elementary Education. Ruth enjoys running, socializing, and traveling. She believes her profession is the most fun one there is!

Mrs. Bethany Bollman is from the US but has also lived in Indonesia.  She has a degree in Elementary Education and additional ELL certification.  Bethany has been teaching since 2002 and has worked with children since 1994. Previous to teaching she worked in the business and sales sector.  She is married and has two sons, who are adults and live in the US.  Bethany enjoys cooking, cake decorating, and photography.  She likes traveling and meeting new people.  Bethany is happy to be part of the WISS community

Ms. Tian graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a major in English and received her teaching qualification for early years and primary school. Before coming to WISS, she worked as an English teacher in a bilingual school for 3 years. She enjoyed the time with children and was very proud of them when they made progress. She is very excited to become a member of our WISS family and she hopes to learn and share with her students and the wider WISS community. In her spare time she likes reading, drawing and handicrafts.

Mr. Gavin Jack has been living and teaching in China for seven years. He originally came to China to teach English and quickly realised that teaching and learning was a passion he wished to pursue further. Gavin holds a degree with distinctions in IT and a PGCE in primary education. He is currently completing an MA in International Education. Gavin is delighted to be joining the WISS community along with his two daughters who will enter nursery and grade 1 classes. Gavin especially enjoys spending time with his family and having family days out. His hobbies are hiking, cooking, reading/writing and learning.

Nadya is originally from Mozambique but has lived in many different countries. She received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York and a Master’s in Education from Jones International University, in Colorado. Nadya is currently finalizing her second Master’s degree in Education – Elementary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment and pursuing an online graduate Certificate in Advanced IB Studies at George Mason University. Before WISS she worked in an IB world school in Tanzania as a primary class teacher for two years. Her two daughters are with her at WISS.

Christine graduated from Shanghai Normal University, major in teaching Chinese as second language. After 10 years teaching at the other Shanghai International schools, Christine joined WISS. Interests and hobbies include ICT, Maths and travelling

Mrs. Kiri Grimwood is from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. She has 20 years of experience teaching in England, Thailand and New Zealand. Kiri holds a Diploma of Teaching and Bachelor of Education from Massey University, NZ. She has leadership experience as a Head of Year at an international school in Bangkok and as a Gifted and Talented primary coordinator. She loves to travel, explore the outdoors and cheer on the All Blacks in rugby. Kiri, her husband Peter, and their 3 boys are excited to be a part of the WISS community.

Ms. Dee Zhang is from Henan province, China. She graduated from Central China Normal University with a master’s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Language. She has experience of teaching students of different grade levels in Indonesia and the UK. In her spare time she enjoys reading and listening to a variety of music genres. She is happy and excited to a member of WISS.

Mrs. Shanna Comervelle is from New Zealand but has spent the last 12 years living and teaching abroad. She has worked in New Zealand, The United Kingdom, Qatar, China, Egypt and Vietnam. She has 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Education from Dunedin Teachers College, New Zealand. She loves travelling and experiencing new cultures. She also enjoys playing sports and spending time with her two dogs. Shanna her wife Megan are really excited to be a part of the WISS community.

Linnea McCully is originally from the Washington, DC area. She attended college in Minnesota, where she studied Elementary Education. She taught first grade in Cartagena, Colombia for two years before moving to China. Before joining WISS, Linnea taught the PYP curriculum at Rainbow Bridge here in Shanghai. Linnea enjoys teaching through inquiry, and she is excited to be teaching second grade at WISS.

Ms. Emily Fraser is originally from California, USA. Formerly a social worker, Emily began pursuing a teaching career in 2007, while working as an English instructor in South Korea. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Portland, Oregon, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Southern Oregon University. Emily has a decade of experience teaching in Korea, Thailand, Mexico, and most recently in the USA. She enjoys playing various stringed instruments, cooking, outdoor recreation, and travel.

Ms. Kyra Springer is from Ottawa, Canada. She has an Honor’s Bachelor degree from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. With a passion for experiencing other cultures, she decided to move abroad and began her career by teaching at a school in Taiwan. She also has experience teaching at a PYP school in Italy. She is enthusiastic about IB education and the opportunities it provides for students. She loves reading, writing, learning languages, and traveling. Kyra is so happy to be part of the WISS community.

Mr. Todd Hurst, a Canadian teacher, joined WISS from Sao Paulo, Brazil. An experienced PYP educator who has previously taught in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before his PYP experience Todd taught in Canada, Wales and South Korea. His first degree was a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor in Canada. His Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) came from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Todd is joined by his wife, Laura Guay, a Secondary School art teacher and their two children Miles and Ella – the whole family is excited to be back in Asia!

Ms. Libby Cotter is thrilled to be part of the WISS community. She is from Melbourne, Australia. Whilst achieving her Bachelor of Education from Deakin University, Libby completed a one-year study abroad program to Clemson University, USA. She is passionate about helping students reach their individual potential and develop a life-long love of learning. Libby has more than ten years’ experience working with children in diverse settings, including as a Camp Counselor USA, volunteer English teacher in Honduras, and Swimming Instructor. She values the opportunity to meet and work with educators, parents and students from different parts of the world.

Originally from Shanghai, Ms. Wang received a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. She had an internship experience in one of the international schools in Shanghai and did her student teaching at a California state public school. During the days of her college life, she also had been an individual English teacher, assistant, and volunteer. She is passionate about the field of education and wishes to be a dedicated educator to inspire students.

Mr. Pritchard received his Bachelor of Education (Honours) at Westhill College, Birmingham University. After three years of primary school teaching in the UK, Nigel headed overseas. During the six years previous to his tenure at WISS, he worked at two other international schools in China. Receiving ongoing PYP training, Nigel is excited by this opportunity to teach in the programme for which he feels a great affinity as a teacher.

Ms. Sun graduated from Xi’an Translators University in 2002, and she has been teaching for 6 years in local colleges, primary schools and international kindergartens. She loves teaching and is always trying to improve her teaching skills. She won the 2nd prize in the Teachers’ Skills Competition of Shanghai in 2004. She believes that learning is fun and she is happy to learn and explore with her students. We welcome her to the WISS team!

José is from Spain. He has worked for 20 years in school counseling and special education in a variety of environments, from public and private schools in Spain to international schools in the Middle East.  Jose has a Master’s degree in Education and PhD in Social Psychology. He is married and has two sons at WISS. His love for falconry, as the bond of brotherhood between peoples and intangible heritage of humanity, led him to use falconry as an educational resource for students with socio-emotional problems.

Miss Shellyann O’Meally hails from the state of New York. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Since obtaining her degree, she has spent time living abroad in Europe and Asia. She has previously taught students in the United States, China and Saudi Arabia. Shellyann loves to read, explore, travel, learn languages and cultures, and cook. She is excited to join the WISS community where she can apply her love of EAL teaching to students from around the world.

Ms. Arina Mei was born in Anhui province, China. She loves being a part of the WISS family. Arina earned her master degree in Applied Psychology in Nanjing. There she gained her certification of National Psychological Consultant and restarted her journey as an educator. She has worked with students of different ages ranging from preschooler to undergraduate. With a wish to help more students with psychological work. She carried out a psychological service project for Left-behind children in Nanjing for almost a year. Before joining WISS, she worked in a bilingual school in Shanghai. Arina enjoys learning about different cultures and is pleased to be in the WISS community.

Magnus was born in Sweden, where he grew up participating in various competitive sports. His sports teaching career started over 20 years ago with coaching a variety of sports, following that he moved into outdoor ED facilitation and finally into teaching at schools. Magnus has taught in Sweden, Malaysia, Micronesia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. His education includes a Post Graduate Diploma in Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Health from Hong Kong University as well as other certifications.  Physical activity and an active lifestyle have always played a large part in his life and he enjoys participating in various sports.

Mr. Mark Caulfield was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. He is married to his beautiful wife Lexie, and have three amazing girls. He holds a Bachelor in Exercise Science and Health Management as well as a Diploma in Education. He has been teaching PE for well over 10 years and love it! He is so pleased to be part of the WISS community, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in teaching and learning in Physical Education.

Ms Lu is a former Olympic swimmer and has represented China at many international games around the world, including taking the silver medal at the Swimming World Cup. Ms Lu has been an educator, swimming teacher, and pool manager for 12 years and wants to use her expertise to help the young people at WISS to unlock their sporting potential.

Mr. Bruno comes from the beautiful Madeira Island in Portugal. From a very early age he knew that his life would be connected to art. He holds a degree in Architecture and a Master in Visual Arts Education and finds teaching art really exciting. He loves to learn with his students and wishes that they will enjoy art and understand how much it affects their lives. In his free time, he likes to explore new places and look for unusual things. Mr. Bruno is very happy to be part of the WISS community.

Daisy Tian graduated from Shanghai International Studies University and majored in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. She taught in another international school in Shanghai for six years before she joined WISS. She is looking forward to having an exciting journey with the WISS community this year.

Mr. Nicolas Elguea is from Spain and has been passionate about music all his life. He obtained his music teaching degree in his home country, later moving to Chicago where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s in orchestral studies at the Chicago College of Performing Arts in the specialty of clarinet. He has extensive international experience performing in symphonic orchestras and bands touring in the US, Spain, France, Italy, and Japan. In 2010, he joined the British School of Navarra, Spain as a primary music teacher; this gave him a remarkable perspective in international education. Nicolas joined WISS in August 2012; he loves being involved in all musical projects supporting students all across school; encouraging young performers and instilling appreciation and love for music

Annika Chen is a passionate educator from Shanghai, China. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from East China Normal University and a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Edinburgh. She has over five years of experience in teaching both Chinese and English to a wide range of learners with different backgrounds. She enjoys working with children, and previously she has taught in an international school in Shanghai as well as a local primary school in the U.K.

Ms. Zhu has been working in International schools for since 2007. Her major is teaching Chinese as a second language and she loves working with young children; seeing them learn and grow. In her spare time she enjoys reading books, listening to the music, and travelling.

Ms. Rebecca Hu is originally from He Nan Province, which is located in the central part of China. She holds a Master degree majored in TCSOL from The University of Nottingham and a bachelor degree majored in TCFL from Qu Fu Normal University. Before joining WISS, Rebecca used to work as a Mandarin teacher in other International schools and Universities in Shanghai. She is very excited to be a part of WISS. She is passionate about teaching and enjoys working with children. She believes that as an educator it is her job to inspire and help children to find their interest in learning. She loves reading, travelling and watching ballet performances.

Ms. Zheng graduated from Tianjin Normal University with a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. She has experience of teaching Chinese in both primary and secondary schools in Thailand and Scotland. It gives her a lot of pleasure to work with children.

Ms. Zheng believes that every child is unique and intelligent in different ways and has the ability to fulfill their dreams as long as they utilize their potential and believe in themselves. She would love to help them develop the skills and understandings they need for their futures.

Since graduating from Anhui Chi Zhou College, Ms. Tessie has taught in different schools, most recently, as a kindergarten Chinese teacher in Shanghai.  She is passionate and enthusiastic about teaching and is continuing her studies towards a bachelor’s degree in preschool education from East China Normal University.