Mr Phillip Brisley
Dr Khoong-Lim Chooi Peng
Ms Lee Mei Yeng
Mr Fang Kiam Hui
Chief Executive Crescendo International College
Professor Dato’Dr Zakaria Ahmad
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
HELP University
Mr Chow Kok Hiang
Board of Directors
Crescendo Education Sdn Bhd
DR D Gerard Joseph Louis
Chairman of Board of Governors
Crescendo-HELP International School
Beth Lovelady
Head of Science
Mrs. Beth joined Crescendo-HELP International School as Head of Science from an outstanding school in Dubai, bringing with her over 20 years of teaching and leadership experience in Science and during this time has been developing new teachers from various parts of the world.
Mrs. Beth has been in Science leadership positions in outstanding schools in the UK, Spain and the UAE. She has also been able to share her enthusiasm for climbing by teaching GCSE and A level rock climbing. Whilst Mrs. Beth’s specialism is Biology she has also taught Chemistry to A level and been an examiner across all 3 Sciences and Key Stages in the UK.
She particularly enjoys the practical investigative aspect of teaching Science and thrives on watching students develop their own hypotheses to then test experimentally in the lab or field. She has led practical field-trips for students across the UK, Sweden and Spain and is looking forward to doing this in Malaysia.
Mrs. Beth fell in love with Malaysia whilst volunteering at a Children’s home in Kuching when she was 18, where she taught music and English and got her first real taste of teaching. Mrs. Beth is looking forward to exploring Malaysia with her family once this is allowed. She also enjoys running, climbing and skiing.
Gabrie Supra
Head of Design & Technology
Mr Gabrie obtained his bachelor’s degree from North-West University Potchefstroom in South Africa. In South Africa, he taught Engineer’s, Graphics and Design and Mechanical Technology for six years before moving abroad. While teaching in Shanghai, Mr Gabrie completed a TESOL course that helped him understand his students’ difficulties while learning.
During his free time, Mr Gabrie enjoys playing and coaching rugby. According to Mr Gabrie, sport and learning go hand in hand. In sport, you need to respect your teammate, equipment, coach and opponent. The same goes for the classroom.
Nuala Frances Power
Head of Humanities
Ms Nuala obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Southampton University and her Masters degree from Winchester University. She has taught History, Geography at IGCSE Level and Philosophy to A-Level. In the UK she gained a variety of leadership roles in a top Grammar school which she taught at for 15 years before moving to Asia. She has taught in another school in Malaysia and also in Shanghai.
Ms Nuala gained her Trinity College Cert Tesol in India during the summer holidays three years ago. Ms Nuala loves learning as much as she does teaching and is currently working for her level two Bahasa Malaysia. She enjoys learning Malaysian cooking, and exploring the culture and History of Malaysia. She also likes swimming and yoga.
Abdul Wafi
Head of Arts
Mr Abdul Wafi is a secondary Arts teacher at Crescendo-HELP International School. He is a Johorian and graduated from Cosmopoint College of Technology in Computer Arts & Graphic Design. He has been awarded ‘Anugerah Bestari’ for being the Top 10 students in Malaysia and Top Student in Johor Campus. He has also completed his Cambridge International Certificate for Teaching and Learning. He is now pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies.
With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Mr. Wafi continues to bring out the artsy talent in our future generations. In his free time, he enjoys doodling, water-colour painting and anything artsy. Mr Wafi believes that “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain as an artist once we grow up” – Pablo Picasso.
Tang Siu Kiong
Head of Mathematics
Ms Tang Siu Kiong is a secondary Mathematics teacher at Crescendo-HELP International School. She began teaching in various Malaysian national schools in 1983 after completing a teacher training course at Batu Lintang Teachers’ Training College, Kuching, Sarawak.
She also has experience in teaching various levels of mathematics in the United States, having migrated there in 2001. She received her BA (Mathematics with Education) in 2009 and Masters in Applied Statistics in 2013 from University of North Texas and University Malaya respectively.
With close to four decades of teaching experience, Ms Tang brings a wealth of knowledge and strategies to the classroom. In her leisure time, she enjoys travelling, researching and window-shopping.
Grace Sylviarani
IPC Coordinator
Ms Grace graduated from University of Hertfordshire, UK and obtained her MBA from Asia Metropolitan University. She also pursued a Diploma in Educational Studies from College of Teachers in UK. Prior to teaching at international schools, she has been lecturing at colleges in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru.
She has extensive experience working with children of all ages and enjoys supporting her students as they learn through an inquiry approach. She is very dedicated, resourceful and goal-driven professional educator with a solid commitment to the social and academic growth and development of every child. She abides by the principle that a happy teacher creates a happy school.
During her free time, she loves reading, enjoying nature and watching movies with her two children.
Shalini Prabakaran
Milepost 1 Coordinator / Acting Head of Year 2
An enthusiastic child squeals excitedly, “Oh, I get it now!” It is for moments like these that Ms Shalini Prabakaran decided to become a primary school teacher. Ms Shalini started teaching in 2011, after graduating from UNISEL with a B.Ed(Hons)degree specializing in TESL.
Prior to joining CHIS, she has worked with two other international schools in Johor Bahru, which gave her numerous opportunities to work with both secondary and primary students. She believes that a positive attitude and a little smile goes a long way.
Lalitambika A/P G/ Palaniesamy
Head of Year 3
Ms Lalita stated teaching in 2011, after graduating from UNISEL with B.Ed.TESL(Hons) and continued her Masters (M.Ed TESL) in University Teknologi Malaysia. She has been working in the teaching field for the past 11 years.
Teaching isn’t her job, it’s her passion. Her great passion in teaching has become the main motivating factor in making it her career. Besides that, she is a well-trained Indian classical dancer as she loves dancing.
Casey Volden
Head of Year 6
Mr Casey was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. He has been living in Asia for more than 15 years, with many of those years spent in the field of education. After obtaining an ESL Diploma in Canada, Mr Casey taught English as a Second Language in Northern China for 7 years, where he also learned to speak Mandarin fluently.
After moving to Malaysia with his wife in 2016, he decided to join the international school circuit. Mr Casey holds a Diploma in Advanced Teaching from John University in the UK and is currently studying a Teaching Diploma course from Cambridge University.
Kang Kah Yee
Mandarin Primary Coordinator
Ms Kang obtained her Bachelor Degree in Chinese Language Studies from University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur. She joined CHIS on September 2018 as primary Mandarin teacher.
Prior to CHIS, she has been working in education sector and in international schools. She is a qualified HSK and YCT examination coordinator.
During her leisure time, she enjoys travelling and listening to music.
Siti Sholehah
Bahasa Malaysia Primary Coordinator
Ms Siti joined CHIS on September 2018 as primary BM teacher. She obtained her Master’s Degree and Bachelor Degree in Science (Material Physics) from University Technology of Malaysia, Skudai Johor.
Prior to CHIS, she has been teaching Bahasa Malaysia for both primary and secondary level in an international school for 4 years. During her leisure time, she enjoys doing outdoor activities and watching movies.
Aainaa Haizun
Head of Key Stage 3
Ms Aainaa graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with a Masters of Educational Psychology (2012) and Science and Computer with Education (Chemistry) (2009).
Since 2009, she has been involved in teaching Malaysian and Cambridge Curriculum in other government and international schools. She has a passion in bringing the future leaders to their greatest potential by empowering their education.
Winny Wong Kai Li
Head of Key Stage 5
Ms Winny obtained her Master’s Degree in Chemistry and has taught Chemistry and Science for many years. Prior to teaching at CHIS, she had taught A-Levels and Foundation Programmes at universities and colleges since year 2010.
She is a trained Cambridge A-Levels Chemistry teacher and also has experience as a University Placement advisor who gives guidance and advice on university applications. She is a passionate teacher who wants to make a difference in her students’ lives.
During her free time, she enjoys watching movie with her family.
Maria Gabriela Marinescu
Head of Year 7
Ms Maria has earned a BA in Psychology from the Faculty of Sociology-Psychology from Bucharest. She obtained her Master’s degree in Teaching Spanish from the University of Lleida, Spain. She is also a qualified DELE (Spanish as a Foreign Language) examiner by the Instituto Cervantes, sanctioned by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
She is currently working on her PGCE international certificate from the Liverpool John Moores University, England. She has had the opportunity to live in Spain before moving to South Carolina, USA, where she worked for four years at a Montessori Elementary School. She enjoys the challenge of experiencing other cultures and their languages, as well as travelling and seeing new places.
Tan Woen Tian
Head of Year 9
Mr Tan joined CHIS as a Secondary Mandarin teacher. He earned his Bachelor Degree (Hons) from University of Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), majoring in Chinese Studies. He enjoys teaching, and has taught in Chinese Independent school and International school in Kuala Lumpur.
During his leisure time, he enjoys playing badminton, jogging and philosophizing. His next life challenge is to experience the way of St. James.
Artem Firstkin
Head of Year 10
Mr Artem Firstkin graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) with a Master’s degree in Engineering (Mathematical Modeling) and a Master’s degree in Economics (Data Management). He then completed his military service in Serpukhov Academy of the Rocket Forces in the rank of lieutenant.
After starting his teaching career in Malaysia, Mr Artem obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning with distinction. He achieved his Qualified Teacher Standard (Russia) as a Mathematics teacher. He has experience teaching KS1 – KS5, Checkpoint, IGCSE and A-Levels students. His teaching philosophy is that ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN!
Mr Artem creates a classroom where students can flourish and explore to reach their full potential. His main goal as an educator is to make the learning process inclusive, engaging and fascinating. He had participated in a co-curricular life of the school as the Student Council coordinator for two years, and now he joins our pastoral team as the Head of Year 10. He is looking forward to working closely with all the members of our CHIS community: students, parents and his colleagues.
Hazila Asni
Head of Year 11
Ms. Hazila has a Master’s degree in Physics granted by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Before joining CHIS, Ms Hazila has taught Physics and Mathematics for more than 10 years at a private college and several international schools in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Johor Bahru.
During her career, Ms Hazila has contributed significantly as a Physics Team Leader, Expedition Campus Leader as well as a supervisor for many successful students’ project. She believes by being a proactive and caring teacher, she can help students to find their true potential. Ms Hazila loves spending time with her kids and always finds time to go picnic and camping together.
Paul Starkie
Principal
Mr Paul Starkie has almost 40 years in teaching and educational leadership in the UK and within high performing international schools around the world including Jakarta, Brussels, St Helena and Dubai. Other than being recognised by CIS (Council of International Schools) for his outstanding contribution to international education, Paul also completed his National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in the UK government) training. He is an avid participant and coach in various competitive sports. Paul joins the CHIS family, accompanied by his wife and son.
Tammy Cyngier
Deputy Principal, Head of Primary
Ms Tammy Cyngier graduated from the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff with a degree in Primary Education. She has since worked in various educational positions in primary classes in England and internationally with her most recent post in China. After establishing a successful language training centre in China, the call of the classroom and school life beckoned. She decided to join Crescendo-HELP International School and further her interest in English as a Second Language within the school context. Tammy and her husband are keen to discover more about their area in Southern Malaysia.
Joanne Ong Kee Ling
Assistant Principal Primary
Ms Joanne graduated from Multimedia University with a Bachelor (Hons) in Multimedia. Her education includes CIDTT which she obtained in the year 2010 and has recently completed her Masters in Education, specialising in Education Psychology. Ms Joanne brings 17 years of experience teaching English, Maths, IPC and Character Education in various international schools in Malaysia. She has held several middle leadership positions including Students Affair Supervisor, Head of Fine Arts and most recently Milepost 2 Coordinator. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano and spending time with her family.
Ian Lovelady
Deputy Principal, Head of Secondary
Mr Ian joins CHIS as Head of Secondary and brings a wealth of experience. Having a first-class degree in mathematics, he started teaching mathematics, PE and ICT subjects. Mr Ian quickly progressed to the Head of Mathematics in an outstanding mixed comprehensive school of 1600 students and eventually onto a Senior in the UK.
Mr Ian was also previously Head of Secondary in Spain. He also held a position as a Deputy Head Teacher of a school with 1000 students and was instrumental in the improvement of the school to be judged as outstanding by OfSTED. He was also the Head of Sixth of 400 students in a large comprehensive school. In his previous role, Mr Ian is responsible for the curriculum as an Assistant Principal in a 3-19 school of 3600 students in Dubai.
Mr Ian is a qualified Mountain Leader and has led groups of students on expeditions to various parts of the world. He has a passion for climbing and arrives with his wife, Beth, a Biology teacher and his young daughter.
Khoyes Miah
Assistant Principal Secondary
Mr Khoyes has a Master’s degree in Chemistry and has taught Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths. He was recognised as an Advanced Skills Teacher in the UK and also previously worked with schools across the UK focusing on improving the quality of teaching and learning and school improvement.
It was an assignment in a school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and his impact on the school that he was appointed as Head of Secondary. Whilst at CHIS as Key Stage Coordinator, Mr Khoyes has contributed significantly to the Secondary and whole school initiatives.
He is very much looking forward to his new role as Assistant Principal, Secondary. In his spare time, Mr Khoyes enjoys travelling, reading and spending time with his family.
Kathryn Sutherland
Assistant Principal Whole School
Ms Kathryn comes from Australia and has a wealth of experience in education management and teaching. She holds a Master of Contemporary Asian Analysis, Postgraduate Diploma in Arts, Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary), Bachelor of Science and Diploma in Modern Languages.
As part of her Master’s degree at the University of Melbourne, Ms Kathryn worked as a volunteer in East Timor for 12 months on sustainable development projects in education, health and micro-finance. Inspired by these experiences, Kathryn obtained a Bachelor of Education and started her teaching career at Kormilda College, Northern Territory, Australia. Ms Kathryn held various leadership roles at Kormilda College, including Deputy Principal Academic. She also worked for the Northern Territory Department of Education as the Manager of Non-Government Schools.
For the last six years, Ms Kathryn has been in leadership roles at international schools in Malaysia and China. She has worked with the Australian, International Baccalaureate and US curriculums. She is passionate about global education, in particular working with staff to provide equal opportunities for all students to embrace learning, and to support wellbeing. Ms Kathryn believes in education that equips students with the skills and capabilities they will need to be successful global citizens with a high level of self-awareness and intercultural understanding, as well as the motivation to support sustainable development. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, learning about new cultures and trying new cuisine.
Rayne Chow Wan Sean
Assistant Principal Secondary
Ms Rayne is a Mandarin teacher at Crescendo-HELP International School. Her love for teaching and flair for the Chinese language led her to attain a BA in Chinese (majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) and Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and East China Normal University respectively.
Ms Rayne has six years of teaching experience based in China, Thailand and Malaysia and she is excited to be a part of CHIS. She has extensive experience in international education as a teacher with IGCSE Mandarin, YCT and HSK, and is a qualified HSK and YCT examination coordinator.
Qistina Binti Mohamed Helmi
Inclusion Teacher - Secondary
Ms. Qistina completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at The University of Queensland. Before she joined CHIS, Ms Qistina was trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), a therapy based on the science of learning and behaviour for children with autism and other developmental disorder.
She then worked as a behavior therapist for 2 years with children on the ASD spectrum ranging from 2 to 19 years old. She is passionate to teach children especially those who require extra support and attention as she believes that with the right guidance, anybody could succeed and be what they aspire to be.
Pamela A/P Govindasamy
IGCSE ESL Secondary Teacher / EAL Support For Year 9
Ms Pamela has 15 years of experience as an English Teacher. Prior to joining CHIS, she has extensive experience teaching English at international schools in Kuala Lumpur.
Ms Pamela joined CHIS in the year 2017 where she started her career as an EAL teacher. After a year at CHIS, she began teaching IGCSE English as a First Language (FLE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) for Secondary students. She also provided support in teaching English As Additional Language (EAL) for Year 9 students.
Ms Pamela believes that every student has great potential to succeed and be what they aspire to be in the future.
S.Uvana Jothi A/P Sri Ramulu
IGCSE ESL Secondary Teacher / EAL Support For Year 7 & 8
Ms Uvana completed her Bachelor of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and prior to joining CHIS, she has two years of teaching English for vocational and diploma students
Ms Uvana also is experienced in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) for Checkpoint exams. She also provides support in teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) for Year 7 and Year 8 students at CHIS.
Lee Le Yon
Year 8 English Teacher / EAL Support For Year 9
Prior to joining CHIS, Ms Lee is a TESL-trained national school teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience. A short period after retirement, she began to miss the joy of engaging learners in learning and character building. In 2019, she was given the timely opportunity to join CHIS.
Ms Lee is eager to once again have the opportunity to touch the students lives, helping them to improve their English proficiency and inculcate good values in them. As as a teacher in CHIS, Ms Lee always gives her utmost best.
Lim Pui Hiar
EAL Secondary Teacher
Ms Lim completed her Bachelor’s Degree from National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Prior to joining CHIS, she has extensive experience holding various positions such as a support teacher, tutor, editor for publications and also as an educational administrator.
At CHIS, Ms Lim provides support in teaching EAL for Year 7 and Year 8 students.
Her engaging personality and desire to support the students in their language learning do help a lot along the journey of teaching, as well as learning.
Vimala A/P Krishnan Moorthi
EAL Primary Teacher
Ms Vimala completed her Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) majoring in Economics.
She has obtained her Cambridge Teaching Certificate (CICTL) and has four years of experience teaching English to students of various age groups.
Ms Vimala joined CHIS in 2019 teaching English as Additional Language (EAL) for Primary students.
Interested to know more about CHIS? Get in touch with us and we’d be happy to answer your questions.
Location
PTD 204446, Jalan Lebuh
Cemerlang, Taman Desa Cemerlang,
81800 Ulu Tiram, Johor.