Hi everyone I am back again and am looking forward to another great year at BCCIS. It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the future of Egypt. The young people at our school will be the future leaders of this country. I am entering my fifth year as the principal of the school and each year the parents and the children are a terrific group of teachers and continue to help me get to know more about this great country and its people. Thank you.
George Biggs
g.biggs@bccis.net
I graduated from the University of Victoria in 1976, and later Gonzaga University in the USA in 1986. I have 34 years experience in British Columbia as a teacher, administrator, and district director of gifted and language arts education. I was the marking chair for English 12 and vice-chair for English 10, was on the English 12 exam development team for 10 years, and wrote the book "The Key" for Castle Rock (how to succeed on the English 12 exam). My two children are both university graduates, and I'm twice a grandfather. I've also coached ski racing and volleyball and basketball for many years. I love the challenge of teaching, and enjoy helping students discover the power of words
I am very excited to be moving to Egypt to teach kindergarten at BCCIS. My Bachelor of Education is from University of British Columbia in Vancouver and I have a BA Honours in Third World Development from Middlesex University in London. My previous teaching experience consists of teaching ESL in Japan and Taiwan and substitute teaching in Metro Vancouver. Prior to becoming a teacher, I was an employment counsellor for an international non-profit organisation. I love travelling and learning about cultures and am very much looking forward to living overseas again. I am fortunate to be experiencing this adventure with my family. My husband Mark will be teaching grade 7 and our daughter Charley will be starting kindergarten at BCCIS.
My name is Meagan Brown and I was born in Nanaimo, B.C. I am 27 years old. I completed my Bachelor of Education Degree in Fredericton, NB and I worked as a Kindergarten teacher in Quebec. I enjoy travelling the world, learning new things and meeting new people. I am excited to join the education community at BCCIS. Thank you for having me! With kindness
Although born and raised in Kamloops, B.C., I have had the opportunity to call many places home, and am delighted to be joining the BCCIS team for my first year, and settling down in Cairo. I am deeply committed to education in both my professional and personal lives, have earned two degrees from Simon Fraser University and hope to continue my studies in the near, yet not so near future. I have many interests including, but not limited to, reading, traveling and cat napping in the sun. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to make new friends, to teach and to learn with all of you, and yours, in Cairo this year!
I am a returning teacher at BCCIS and looking forward to my fourth year teaching Kindergarten (KG2) in Egypt. I grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada with my parents and my sister and always wanted to see more of the world. I have a Bachelors degree with a major in Psychology and a minor in English and a Bachelors of Education with an elementary focus. I love working with kids and once again look forward to this new year.
Hello! I continue to feel privileged to be teaching, living and learning in Egypt. I saw a little of the beauty, culture and history of this country last year and look forward to seeing even more this year. On Vancouver Island, where I grew up, there is much natural beauty to appreciate. While there, I enjoyed a variety of leisure pursuits such as surfing, snowboarding, camping and fishing. My first degree is from Malaspina University-College, where I completed a Bachelors of Arts with a major in Anthropology. This degree gave me the opportunity to back-pack through East Africa while focusing my studies on the education system in Tanzania. My Bachelors of Education degree is from Vancouver Island University where my desire to make a difference in the world evolved into skills that will make my dream possible. I am very excited to make a positive impact in the lives of my students, the school, the community, and myself.
Vanessa Hitchcock
Dear Parents and Students,
My name is Vanessa Hitchcock, and I will be teaching grade one at BCCIS. Being a teacher has always been a dream of mine and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to combine that dream, with my love of travel, culture, and adventure. I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Liberal Studies, in Florence Italy in 2010. Since then, I have been fuelled by a true appreciation of international education. I believe that all students are capable of learning, and as an educator my job is to facilitate an engaging environment for all kinds of learners, ensuring personal success for each student. I look forward to learning about, and with my students, and thank each of you for welcoming me to BCCIS!
Hello! My name is Laurie Hergott and I will once again be teaching grade 2. I continue to be excited to be in Egypt. I have traveled and worked overseas in many countries, but never the desert! I hold a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia as well as a Bachelor in Science in Biology and one in Environmental Studies. I love the outdoors, traveling, adventure and different cultures. I am looking forward to this new year and seeing you all once again.
As most teachers at BCCIS, I am from British Columbia, Canada and specifically from Vancouver Island. Now entering my fourth year here in Egypt, I can say this is also my home. I am a graduate from Malaspina University College and have a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Education degree. I majored in English and Anthropology and have a great interest in Culture. I am heading into another year of teaching grade two here at BCCIS and I am looking forward to a great year!
Welcome! My name is Ashley Richardson and I will be teaching Grade 3 at BCCIS this year. I am very excited to return to BCCIS for my third year. My teaching philosophy is that children thrive when they have a chance to mould the environment to suit their learning styles and I believe that BCCIS provides this chance for their students. BCCIS provides rich multi-cultural opportunities for their students to gain understanding of new cultures and I would love to help facilitate this experience. When teaching I strive to assist my students to become confident, responsible and critical thinkers. I look forward to continuing my position in the BCCIS community!
My name is Lindsey Morton. I grew up in Campbell River, a small fishing town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I graduated from Simon Fraser University’s teaching program with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, with a minor in global education. Along with my education degree I have a Bachelor of the Arts with a major in history from the University of the Fraser Valley. I’ve spent the last year teaching at a Canadian kindergarten in Hanoi, Vietnam. This experience reassured me of my love for teaching, especially as a global educator. I am very excited to be teaching grade 3 at BCCIS this up-coming school year and to be living in beautiful Cairo.
Ryan Gray
Hello to all members of the BCCIS family. I am lookingforward to my career at BCCIS where I will be teaching grade 4. This will giveme an opportunity to pursue my passion for teaching. Like many of my colleagues I grew up in BritishColumbia, more specifically Campbell River. I attained my undergraduate and educationdegree from Vancouver Island University. I am very excited to learn about a newculture and to begin a new adventure in Egypt!
My name is Jessica Robb, and I am from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where I attended and obtained two degrees from Vancouver Island University. I have a keen interest in education, culture and the outdoors. I am excited to explore, learn and teach in a new culture and community. I am looking forward to an excellent year at BCCIS!
My name is Mindy Elgie and this will be my fourth year teaching Grade 5 at BCCIS. I am excited to start a new year and looking forward to meeting and getting to know each of my students. I am from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and attended Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College). I obtained my Bachelor of Arts (double major Anthropology and Sociology) and Bachelor of Education degrees from this institution. A few of my hobbies include reading, travelling, hiking, and baking. Last but not least, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Egypt; it has become my second home!
Hello, my name is Peter Stoll and I am returning for my fifth year at BCCIS. I possess a Masters of Education degree and have been teaching for more than thirty years. I feel that it is a privilege and an honour to be allowed to work with your children. Academics, drama, and the fine arts as well as a healthy dose of soccer (go, girls, go!) provide a balance in our daily school life.
I am very much looking forward to living and working in Cairo. Before joining BCCIS I worked for the Vancouver School Board and also taught ESL classes in Japan and Taiwan. I gained my first degree in Third World Development Studies from Middlesex University in the UK and my Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. Having also been an aircraft technician and a business owner, I feel my breadth of knowledge is ideally suited to Grade 7. I will be joined at BCCIS by my wife, Christina, who will be teaching Kindergarten and our daughter, Charley, who will also be starting Kindergarten (as a student). I am originally from the UK.
My name is Brandy Redford. I have been teaching for 4 years. I graduated from Thompson Rivers University with a degree in English and Geography, as well as a degree in Education. I just recently completed my Masters in Counseling. I also wrote my first children’s book called, “Crazy Colours,” please ask me about where you can purchase it! I have been teaching in BC, but did spend one exciting year teaching in China. I love to travel, play sports, and cannot wait for my next teaching experience in Egypt!
C’est avec grand plaisir que je retourne à BCCIS pour une troisième année. Je m'appelle Maya Matthew et je viens du Canada. Là-bas, j'ai étudié le français pendant treize ans dans un programme d'immersion française. J'ai un grand intérêt pour l’apprentissage des langues: j'ai étudié l'allemand pendant plus de vingt ans, le russe et l'espagnol pendant huit mois à l'Université et maintenant je prends des cours d'arabe. C'est pour cette raison que je comprends bien les frustrations des élèves qui apprennent une nouvelle langue; je suis là pour aider chacun d'eux sur leur chemin individuel. On a seulement besoin d'un peu d'effort et d'une grande soif d’apprendre la langue pour réussir dans ce programme.
My name is Maureen (Mau) Stoll and I have been working as the School Librarian at BCCIS since September 2007. I have a Master of Library Science degree and have been working in varying types of libraries for thirty eight years. In the years I have worked here, the library collection has grown from 5000 to 8000 volumes and the library is seen as a special place for our students. My favourite activity in the library is story time; through puppetry, music, storytelling and one-on-one reading I try to encourage a love for literature and reading in our students and the rewards for me are unending.
My name is Mike Redford. I have been teaching for 4 years. I am from Kamloops, B.C. and I attended school at Thompson Rivers University where I graduated with a degree in Animal Biology and Education while playing basketball for the university. I have taught in British Columbia as well as in Dalian, China. I enjoy sports, reading, Ichthyology, and traveling and I look forward to my next adventure in Egypt.
I grew up on the old family farm in an area outside the little town of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. This area is so small it doesn’t have a name yet. Some people call it North Oyster and some call it Yellow Point but everyone agrees that it is not called Cedar. I call it home. In 2006 I graduated from the University of Victoria with my major in History and minor in English. I finished again at U.Vic in 2007 with my certificate in teaching. Since then, I’ve spent my career in various schools on Vancouver Island and at the BC Offshore School in Wenzhou, China. I like adventures. I’ve had a few. I’ve traveled in China and elsewhere and I make a habit of hiking up mountains. However, more than having adventures, I like hearing about them; in movies and books but mostly over dinner with friends, followed by dessert and tea.
Hi everyone! My name in Lindsay Johnston, I'm from Winchester, Ontario, Canada. I received by BEd from Nipissing University's Concurrent Education Program and my BA from Wilfred Laurier University, majoring in Contemporary Studies. For the past 3 years, I have been teaching in China and traveling throughout East Asia. My hobbies include traveling, reading, and photography. I am excited to explore Egypt and be a part of the BCCIS team!
Hello Everyone! I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity Western University after which I taught the high school Computing Science program for several years at a private school in Canada. After this, I taught for a year in a university in NE China and have started a computing consulting company in Canada the year before coming to Cairo. I am very excited to explore the very practical applications of animation, web design; networking, hardware, business, and film with BCCIS students this year (see BCCISComputing.com and BCCISBusiness.com soon for more info).
Hello to all the students and parents of BCCIS. My name is Shawn Merke and the 2011/12 school year will be my fourth year at BCCIS. I mainly teach middle school Math and Science and Economics 12, but I have also been known to teach P.E. and Social Studies when called upon. My hometown in Canada is Kelowna, B.C, which is where I graduated from UBC-O with a Bachelors of Education degree. I am currently working on my Master’s of Special and Inclusive Education from the University of London, which is allowing me to broaden and fine-tune my teaching skills. When I am not in the classroom, you can find me either on the golf course, relaxing on the Red Sea or travelling the globe with my wife.
My name is Martin Brown, and I'm very excited to be joining the BCCIS team as part of the Science Department teaching Chemistry and General Science. I'm originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick and did my undergraduate BSc at the University of New Brunswick. I moved to London, Ontario for grad school to get my MSc in Chemistry followed by my BEd at the University of Western Ontario. Since I graduated, I've been lucky enough to teach around the world in Canada, Korea, Trinidad and China. I love to travel, play soccer and run in adventure races. I plan on fully exploring all that BCCIS, Cairo and Egypt have to offer and I look forward to working with my fellow teachers and especially the students.
I am a returning teacher to BCCIS, and had a pleasant experience last year working with our kids and staff. I am trained to teach Math/Science subjects. I started my teaching career in 1996, and have taught internationally for the past 15 years in India, Maldives, Canada, and China. I am living in Cairo with my family and our two children are attending BCCIS. I am looking forward for another great year and valuable experience.
"The failures and successes are necessary for learning". -Wyonne Judd
Salut! My name is Shannon Donald. I am originally from British Columbia’s beautiful Okanagan Valley. After finishing secondary school, I moved to Quebec to immerse myself in French language and culture. I studied at l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, McGill and l’Université de Montréal before completing my B.A in French as a Second Language at l’Université Laval in Québec City. Once back in B.C., I continued my post-secondary studies at the University of Victoria. I am passionate about languages, arts, music and other forms of human expression. In my classroom, I strive to make learning French an active and fun journey of discovery. I am very excited about returning to the BCCIS Cairo team and look forward to seeing you all once again. À bientôt!
Hello! My name is Alexandria and I am very happy to be working with the amazing staff and students at BCCIS this year. I am teaching Social Studies and Visual Arts at the secondary level and I couldn’t be more delighted. I completed my Bachelor of Arts with a Major in History and a minor in Visual Arts and my Bachelor of Education at Vancouver Island University. Before I arrived at BCCIS I was teaching on Vancouver Island in Beautiful British Columbia, the place I call home. I have always been an avid traveler and so I am very pleased to be living and working in Egypt. I have traveled throughout Europe and spent a lot of time traveling in the Middle East. Needless to say, I feel right at home here in Egypt; a place that has everything for an art and history lover such as me. I look forward to growing and learning with the students this year while we embark on an exciting new journey.
Hello. My name is Gale Shaheed and I have just joined the Preschool Department and will be working in KG1. My husband and I have just moved to Cairo and luckily our home is in Sherouk City so I won’t have far to travel to work.
I am really excited about moving to Egypt after having lived in Kuwait for many years. I worked in a British International School there as Head of the KG Department and am interested in observing the differences and similarities of the Canadian and British systems.
I look forward to putting my theoretical knowledge of the Creative Curriculum into practice and having a wonderful year with the children, parents and my colleagues.
Jehan Halawa
Hello to you all,
My name is Miss Jehan and this is my first year to join the Preschool Department at the British Canadian Columbian International School. I am originally half Egyptian; born, raised and graduated from London, United Kingdom. My teaching experience has been in Early Childhood Education. I have experience teaching kindergarten children in Egypt for just over five years now and am delighted to be working with children with a diverse cultural background. I am really excited about joining the teaching staff this year and look forward giving children the skills they need to succeed.
Sherena Cheraki
Hello, my name is Sherena Cheraki and I have worked for BCCIS for the past 4 years as a KG1 and pre-k teacher.
Over the past 11 years of teaching, my passion for my job and the love of my students, grows by leaps and bounds. Each year is a new learning experience for me and the students; I enjoy helping them develop into unique individuals who strive to meet their potential. I believe that a classroom should be a place for the students to explore and discover new things, so that they procure ownership of their learning.
When I am not teaching, I’m traveling. I love to experience the sites and the way of life for a vast array of cultures.
Juae Stupple
Hello! My name is JuaeStupple and this is my fourth year teaching Preschool in BCCIS. I have lived in Cairo with my family for almost 14 years. Prior to moving here, my family and I traveled quite a lot, living in countries like Costa Rica, Russia, Germany and USA. I discovered my love of teaching at an early age. After finishing my schooling here in Egypt, I left to England to complete my training as an Early Childhood Educator. I have really enjoyed my time teaching here in Egypt and every year is a rewarding adventure. I am looking forward to this next school year!
Pre K Teachers:
Nermin labib
Hello! My name is Nermin Labib and this is my fourth year in BCCIS…I am Egyptian and I have great passion for children, I have been working with them for 7 years .In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, getting to know other cultures, reading and spending time with my family…I am excited and I am looking forward to another great year, working with my collegues, parents and children.
Angela Barry
My name is Angela Barry. I am from Ireland, and I have also lived in the U.S for five years. I have been living here in Egypt for a year now. I still have not quite adjusted to the climate , but all I can say is Thank God for air conditioning!
I have various experience in Early Childhood Education - I have worked with children of all ages in Ireland, the U.K, and the U.S. I am also a TEFL teacher (Teacher of English as a Foreign or Second Language), in which I specialised in teaching children from 2 to 7 years old. I love how unpredictable children are – no two have the same personalities, and no two days with children are ever the same.
This will be my second year in B.C.C.I.S. I am excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming year. I feel fortunate to be part of the B.C.C.I.S team.I am very passionate about my job, and I am so looking forward to getting to know your children as well as yourselves.
Rebecca Coombs
Hi there! My name is Rebecca Coombs and this will be my second year teaching at the BCCIS. I am the eldest of four girls and grew up in South London. After completing my Early Childhood Education in London, I went on to teach Kindergarten at a private school in Surrey. I moved to Egypt 4 years ago to get married and now happy to be a part of the BCCIS team, teaching Pre-K. I have always had a passion for travel, spending time in South Korea studying art and teaching English, but happy to have settled in such a beautiful and richly cultured country as Egypt. I am looking forward to this next school year and to meet my little students. I am confident it will be a great one!
Heva Marques
Hi, I'm Héva, Your child's teacher for this coming school year.
I'm French, proud to be married to an Egyptian and mom of two lovely kids: Adham (41/2) and Maïa (31/2). Have been living in Egypt for 6 years and I love it.
I have a Master's degree in Foreign Languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish) and graduated in Communication. I have different hobbies and interest such as: handcraft, reading, music, gardening, cookery, sport, DIY.
I have a long experience with kids being a mom, and also on the professional level as a teacher. I have a real passion for children and Education. Actually, Education is my priority. It's essential for any child to be confident and successful.
As you will see, I love to play with them, laugh with them, share ideas with them that can help them grow.
Looking forward to share all this with your child.
All the best for the coming school year,
Héva
Toddler Teachers:
Jihan
Hello my name is Jihan Khaled Marciano. I am originally from the Fillopeans and have lived in Cairo for eight years. I am married and have two beautiful daughters who I love spending time with when I'm not working.I love my job and am excited and enthusiastic to be returning for a third year as a Toddler class teacher at BCCIS.
My original profession was a Trainer for HR and Sales in an International bank. The skills I learned while in my previous position asa trainer have been very helpful for me in working with Toddlers. I have been able to apply my motivational strategy and behavior modification studies, which has proved very important in working with this age group!
I am looking forward to geeting to know all the new parents and children who will be joining us this year, 2011-2012; it promises to be a wonderful year!
