School Leadership

Chandler Cryer

MA in Teaching Languages: Spanish and English, University of Southern Mississippi

BA in Teaching English as a Second Language, and Spanish Literature, Union University

Chandler is originally from the state of Georgia in the US. After teaching in the US, China, and Turkey, she and her husband decided to move to Ostrava and join the international community at TOIS in 2023. Chandler has always enjoyed learning languages, and she loves sharing the joys of exploring new cultures and perspectives through language with her students.

Besides learning new languages, Chandler likes to spend her time writing, biking, rollerblading, and going to museums.

Thato Manare

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Postgraduate in Curriculum and Instruction, Concordia University, USA

Thato was born in Leeds, England but spent her formative years in Lesotho in Southern Africa, also known as the “Kingdom in the Sky.” She is an IB DP graduate, which she believes sparked her passion for learning and love of travel. After spending almost 10 years in the engineering field, she changed careers to pursue her love of teaching. Thato initially joined Brett’s Ostrava International School project in 2014 as an English Language & Literature teacher until 2018. She recently rejoined TOIS as an English and History teacher in the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. Currently, she also holds the position of Head of Humanities.

Thato is an avid reader and still maintains a deep interest in the sciences, as well as observing the rapid technological changes that are changing modern society. She is also a student of how geopolitical imperatives are shaping our world and believes her role as a teacher is to prepare young people for that world and also to make them aware of their power to change it.

Mario Valdez

Master of Social Work, Arizona State University

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Arizona State University

Mario is originally from the heart of the Sonoran desert in the USA. Having completed his Bachelor’s education, he signed up for the Peace Corps where he served in a small village community in Ukraine from 2015 to 2017.

He has dedicated his life to supporting the development and growth of youth, striving to be a source of empowerment and helping to remove barriers to success in life.

Sasha Vala Song

Crystal Martasek

Coming soon

Uwe Farwa

Coming soon

Stephen Sanbanbia

Coming soon

Grzegorz Dopart

Education:

M.ED in Inclusive Education, University of Glasgow, UK
BA in Spanish and Teaching English As a Foreign Language, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Postgraduate Certificate of Education, University of Southampton, UK

Greg Dopart is a Special Education Needs Teacher and DP Psychology Teacher. He also coordinates the CAS and Service as Action programmes.

Previously, Greg taught languages and held the position of Head of the Modern Languages Department at TOIS. However, after realizing his passion for deeper exploration of young minds and finding the best strategies for meeting the needs of individual students, he has chosen a new career path as a SEN and Psychology specialist.

Greg has a sense of adventure and leads a very active lifestyle. He is the current Polish champion in racewalking.

Milan Surkala

Master’s Degree in Informatics, Computer Graphics specialization, VSB-TU Ostrava, Czech Republic
PhD in Informatics, Computer Graphics specialization, VSB-TU Ostrava, Czech Republic

Milan is from the Ostrava region and loves interdisciplinary connections, in his personal life and in his teaching. Milan not only teaches Computer Science, but he is also a programmer, a journalist and an artist – busy as a painter, illustrator, and stock photographer. Milan tries to connect all of these fields into his life and lessons.

He also strongly believes that algorithmic thinking can improve the lives of students in many non-IT situations, and he tries to develop this in his students.

Lenka Primasz

Coming soon

Christina Nimo

Education:

PhD in Economics and Management (Ongoing), Tomaš Bata University in Zlin
Master of Commerce (Marketing), University of Cape Coast
Bachelor of Management Studies, University of Cape Coast

Christina’s passion for human and intellectual development inspired her choice of profession after her Bachelor’s degree program. She served as a teaching assistant at the University of Cape Coast (School of Business) and rose through the ranks in academia.

She’s currently studying a PhD in Economics and Management at the Tomaš Bata University in Zlin.

Christina brings her expertise to IB DP Economics and Management and MYP Civics at TOIS. She loves to sing and enjoys adventures.

Zuzana Rokoszová

Education:

Master’s Degree in Education, Czech and German languages, The University of Ostrava.

Zuzana has experience teaching at a variety of Primary and Middle schools across Ostrava. For the past five years, she has been teaching Czech to foreign students at the TOIS Primary School. This year, she is leading the Czech Department and is teaching Czech to native students.

Zuzana is passionate about all kinds of sports. She has two children and loves taking her two dogs for walks.

Jonáš Gray

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in German and Economics, Minor in French, University of Vermont, USA
One Semester Study Program at Universität Augsburg, Germany

Jonáš, a native Czech, lived in the country of Václav Havel for eighteen years before embarking on his college journey in Vermont, USA. He spends his free time translating to and from Czech, developing his knowledge of four other languages. Jonáš loves to listen to and play jazz in his Big Band, has been playing a modest role in helping the Moravian-Silesian Region drum up the interest of tourists from around the globe.

Jonáš teaches IB English Language and Literature courses.

Katarina Ćirić

Master’s Degree in Language and Literature, Faculty of Philology University of Belgrade
Master’s Degree in Business, Marketing and Management, Metropolitan University Belgrade
TEFL and IELTs Certification

Katarina was born in Serbia and has extensive experience in teaching EAL in a international environments. She has served as a Nursary School Lead, and Primary School teacher.

Katarina has travelled around most of the wor andenjoys international environments and cultural exchanges.

Evangeline Tio

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Philippine Normal University
Undergraduate Certificate in Special Education, Philippine Normal University
Ongoing MA in Education, major in Educational Management at Saint Jude College in Manila

Evangeline was born in the Philippines. She grew up bilingual, Filipino and English. After she graduated cum laude from university, she lived and work in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2011. Since then she has worked in multi-cultural environments and helped children to reach their full potential.

She took on a new adventure and relocated from Asia to Europe in 2017 to begin working at an international school in Warsaw, Poland where she expanded her experience in teaching.

Evangeline had always dreamt of being a teacher and she agrees with the song Greatest Love of All. She strongly believes that the children are indeed our future. And as an educator, it is her duty to teach them well and let them lead the way. It is important to hone the skills they possess and, while they learn and gain a sense of pride about their discoveries and achievements, let them laugh and make learning experiences fun.

Nikola Stamenković

Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Training, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Sports Academy, Belgrade.
Basketball Coach at O.k.k Jagodina, Serbia

Nikola has experiece teaching PE at both the Primary and Secondary school level in his native Serbia. In addition to having been an active basketball player himself for over 10 years, Nikola also has experince coaching at a high level.

Nikola’s international experience includes six years working for Royal Caribbean International as a member of their sports staff, where he met the challenge of teaching and coaching enthusiasts of all ages from all kinds of backgrounds.

Cecilia O'Neill

Bachelor’s Degree in Physical and Health Education, Queen’s University, Canada
Bachelor’s Degree in Geography, Queen’s University, Canada
Diploma in K – 12 Education, Bishop’s University, Canada

Cecilia is from Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, where she taught for 25 years. She then took a two-year break to open up her own personal fitness business. She returned to education as a school health facilitator to implement a healthy eating and active living program at two schools in northern Alberta, Canada. In 2018, she moved to Prague with her husband, along with their youngest son and their Labrador Retriever, and has been teaching at international schools in Prague for the last 4 years.

Cecilia has two adult boys, one who is a track and field coach at a university in the US and the other a teacher in Prague. She enjoys watching all sports and loves to run as well as cycle, hike and travel with her husband.

Elena Schmitz

Bachelor’s Degree in International Teachers Education for Primary Schools (B.Ed.), NHL Stenden, Meppel, the Netherlands

Elena was born and raised in Germany. After collecting experiences in speech and language therapy, different schools and working with refugees, Elena discovered her passion for teaching, which led to her decision to pursue a career in international education. For four years, she lived in the Netherlands to study a teaching course in international education, where she completed courses on intercultural understanding and media education for children, as well as collected experiences in different international schools in Germany, Slovenia and Denmark.

In her free time, she loves going for a run, hiking or any other activity that allows her to be outside in nature. She also likes to do yoga and read books.

Jael Noomen

Bachelor’s Degree (B.Ed) in International Teacher Education for Primary Schools, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
Bachelor’s Degree (B.Ed) in Teacher Education for Dutch Primary Schools, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

Ever since the age of 6 Jael knew he wanted to be a teacher. Over the last years, Jael has studied to become a primary teacher in international schools specifically, gaining experience by teaching in a variety of international schools. This year he joined TOIS as PYP 4 homeroom teacher. As a teacher, Jael likes to create opportunities for classroom discussions, philosophical conversations and moments in which students can develop their own interests.

In his free time, Jael struggles to spend time on his own range of interests, including reading, playing (and listening to) music, riding his bike, exploring the Czech Republic, watching series, playing video games and listening to podcasts. Many of these interests have some common factors, however, namely history, citizenship and geeky fantasy worlds.

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Meppel, the Netherlands

Petra Müllerová

Bachelor’s Degree in Preschool Teaching, Univeristy of Ostrava

Petra was born in Ostrava, Czech Republic and has always had strong connection to preschool environments. Although she focused largely on Chemistry in secondary school, she always knew that working with children was her passion and that that was be where her career would lie.

Petra has been working with children of different ages since highschool, at summer camps and various events involving sports. During her studies at the university she continued to acquire new skills in the Czech kindergarten but she knew that the international environment is what she wants to be part of.

Apart from working with children Petra loves science, music and sports.

Louis O'Neill

Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Education, University of Sherbrooke, Canada

Louis has been an educator for more than 30 years, and more importantly, is still passionate about teaching. He and his wife Cecilia have lived in the Czech Republic since 2018 and have thoroughly enjoyed being part of a larger global community as both teachers and avid travellers. The move to TOIS has expanded this connection to further reaches of our planet.

In his spare time, Louis can often be seen on his mountain bike or hiking anywhere and everywhere that piques his curiosity. Louis, his wife and their two adult children are connected by their years of competing and coaching in track and field.

Susan Harrington Tucker

Education:

University Degree Medicine, Manchester University
PGCE in Secondary Science, Nottingham Trent University.

Susan has been teaching for over 12 years, after having worked in Medical and Social care for a number of years before that. She has also volunteered and worked for a counselling service for children and young people.

Susan enjoys walking her dog in the countryside in her spare time.

Tom Healy

Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature, Humboldt State University, USA.

Mr. Healy has been an English teacher in the Czech Republic since 2004. He has been teaching English Language Acquisition and English Language & Literature at the secondary level since 2010. Mr. Healy currently teaches both MYP and DP English Language and Literature, is the DP Extended Essay Coordinator, and helps oversee the teaching and curriculum development of the TOIS Languages Department. He is a strong advocate of concept-based curriculum and instruction as well as brain-friendly assessment.

He spends his free time with his family.

Jennifer Kim

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Korea
– TESOL Certificate, Canada

Jennifer has lived, worked and studied in Korea, Canada and the Czech Republic. Before moving to Ostrava, she worked for the education division of the company DaeKyo, developing and implementing curriculum for young learners. Jennifer has also taught adults and completed her TESOL certificate in Canada.

I like to try new things, traveling, and watching movies. I believes that teaching is a difficult, important and rewarding calling, because I can see that they are growing.

Hedwiga Kašlik

Education:

– BA in German and Music for secondary schools at University of Leipzig
– MA in German ans Music for secondary schools at Charles University in Prague

Hedwiga was born in Romania to a Romanian father and a German mother. Soon her parents moved to Stuttgart/Germany,where she grew up. After her wedding with a Czech husband she is now living for more than 10 years in the Czech Republic. With this international backround she was always eager to get to know new cultures,languages and people of different nations. At the same time it gives her joy to rebuild the reputation of the German language in the Czech Republic. Being part of the development and raising process of children and young adults filled not only the professional life,but also her free time,as she is engaged in different non-profit organizations. In her spare time she is performing concerts with her husband,what also lead to recording a CD together. Beside that she likes travelling and of course spending time with her beloved family (2 children).

Jelena Ščerbova

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Philology and Education, University of Belgrade, Serbia
– Master’s Professorial Degree in Language, Culture and Literature, University of Belgrade, Serbia
– Ongoing PhD in Philology, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Jelena was born in Croatia and has, since early childhood, been fascinated by different cultures and languages. As her own family background is multicultural and multilingual, the study of Philology came naturally to her. Since the age of 7, Jelena has never stopped following her heart, learning about new cultures and languages ever since.

She drew upon her extensive language skills in Croatian, Serbian, Russian, English and Arabic while teaching children in United Nations refugee camps before moving to Ostrava in 2018 to begin working at The Ostrava International School as a PYP 2 Class Teacher.

Jacob Butler

Education:

– First and Second State Examination in Primary Education with an emphasis on English as a Second Language. Universität Leipzig, Germany

After moving from his native Cornwall, UK to Berlin, Germany in 2010, Jacob quickly discovered a passion for education and languages. In Berlin he gained experience working in an after-school daycare, as a teacher‘s assistant and as an assistant to children with special needs. This motivated his choice to study Primary Education at the University of Leipzig. In Leipzig Jake continued working with a range of diverse and awesome kids from preschool up to secondary in both international and state schools.

Since moving to the Czech Republic in 2021, Jake has quickly set about exploring the mountainous surroundings by foot and by bike. He loves sport, art, cooking and pretty much anything outdoorsy.

Francis Atiso

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
– Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Francis grew up in Kumasi, the second-largest city in Ghana. The “Garden City” as it was called by Queen Elizabeth II on her first visit.

Francis, came to the Czech Republic in January 2020 to pursue his Doctoral degree in Economic Policy and Administration at Tomas Bata University.

He finds fulfilment in passing on knowledge to the younger generation because he believes that this is his own way of making the world a better place.

Adan Sachez

– Bachelor’s Degree in Primary and Music Education, University of Cadiz, Spain.
– Bachelor’s Degree in Flamenco Guitar, Conservatory of Sevilla, Spain.
– One year study in the School of Modern Music and Jazz, University of Cadiz, Spain.
– Host of Czech Television’s nationally broadcast “Hola niňos“ Spanish lessons for children

Adan was born in Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain. At the age of 7, he started learning flamenco guitar in his hometown, in the long-standing tradition of his family. Music has always been a very important part of his life, and the reason why he decided to study music education and to share his passion with young learners.

Adan joined TOIS in 2015 as a Music and Spanish teacher in both the PYP and MYP programmes. Currently, he teaches primary Music and Spanish.

He loves to spend his free time with his wife and son, and to perform with his band around the Czech Republic.

Jelena Ščerbová

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Philology and Education, University of Belgrade, Serbia
– Master’s Professorial Degree in Language, Culture and Literature, University of Belgrade, Serbia
– Ongoing PhD in Philology, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Jelena was born in Croatia and has, since early childhood, been fascinated by different cultures and languages. As her own family background is multicultural and multilingual, the study of Philology came naturally to her. Since the age of 7, Jelena has never stopped following her heart, learning about new cultures and languages ever since.

She drew upon her extensive language skills in Croatian, Serbian, French, English and Arabic while teaching children in United Nations refugee camps before moving to Ostrava in 2018 to begin working at The Ostrava International School as a PYP 2 Class Teacher.

Miso Lowy

Incomplete degree in Animation, Academy of Music and Performing Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia
IB MYP Visual Arts certification
IB DP Visual Arts Certification

Born in Slovakia 1984, Mišo studied movie animation and has always been interested in drawing, comics and cartoons. He worked for over a decade in the field of advertising and graphic design for companies and music television in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as doing freelance illustrations. He joined TOIS in 2016.

Mišo loves to work at TOIS, because of the rich background of international students and colleagues, who make him feel he can belong anywhere in the world. His students call him Mr. Mišo.

In his free time, Mišo illustrates children’s books that he co-creates with his wife and their two cats.

Pavel Kunčar

Master’s Degree in Education, Biology and Chemistry, the University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Pavel has spent his entire life in Ostrava and its surroundings. Since childhood, he has always been fascinated by the world around him and how nature works. Pavel decided early on to study the natural sciences, and his interests have always brought him close to nature. He enjoys outdoor sports in summer and winter, preferably with his family. He has extensive experience in teaching biology and chemistry and in helping to prepare students to pursue their interests in these fields at university.

Pavel is The Head of Science, and an IB DP Chemistry and Biology Teacher, as well as the leader of TOIS Duke of Edinburgh Programme.

Paul Ahuja

Bachelor’s Degree (HONS) in Biology, Middlesex University, England
Postgraduate Certificate In Education (PGCE), Goldsmith’s College, University of London, England
QTS, United Kingdom

Paul is originally from London, England and after having lived there for most of his life he decided to move to the Czech Republic with his wife and two children. Paul lives in a small village that is very close to both the Slovak and Polish borders. He has a lot of experience in both the UK and international education, and was part of a successful school improvement leadership team in England. Paul has been at TOIS since 2015.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his family and friends.

Lorybelle Castillo

Master’s Degree in Euroculture, University of Groningen, Netherlands & Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Master’s Degree in Communication, Major in Communication Research, University of the Philippines
Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities, Major in Political Economy, University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippines

Lorybelle joined TOIS in 2016 and started as an EAL Teacher at the Primary School. Currently, she is the EAL Coordinator at Secondary. She dabbles in photography and enjoys travelling, watching films and TV series, baking, and trying out new recipes.

Iva Čížková

Bachelor’s Degree in Czech Literature, Silesian University of Opava, Czech Republic
Ongoing Master’s Degree in Library Science, Silesian University of Opava, Czech Republic
IB DP Librarian Certification, Category 1

Iva was born and raised in South Bohemia and joined TOIS in 2015. She loves the smell of books and coffee and tries her best to live life offline.

Dan Červeňanský

Secondary School Diploma, Electrician, Czech Republic

Dan is a very skilled young handyman ready to assist wherever needed. His calm personality and willingness to come up with solutions to the school’s endless “fix it now” problems, means that Dan is one of the most sought after staff members at TOIS.

In his spare time, Dan likes music and travelling.

Šárka Magyaricsová

MA in Accounting and Taxes, VSB Technical University of Ostrava
Master’s Degree in Marketing and Business, VSB Technical University of Ostrava
MBA in Economy and Financial management, Central European Management, Institute Praha

Šárka was born and raised in the Ostrava region and lives in Havířov with her family. After graduation, she worked in the banking sector. Since 2016, she has been working for TOIS as an Accounting Manager.

Šárka loves travelling, exploring new places, and nature. Her hobbies are gardening and sports, and she likes spending her time with family and friends.

Jiří Svoboda

Magister’s Degree in Education (Geography and Social Sciences), University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.
International Communications course, Kristianstad University, Sweden.

Born, raised and educated in Ostrava, Jiří always wanted to experience working abroad. Working at TOIS has allowed him to experience an international working environment while taking advantage of staying in his hometown, close to his family and friends.

Jiří has been with the school from its very beginning and has witnessed the growth of IB programmes in the TOIS curricula. Currently, he is coordinating the Middle Years Programme at TOIS, drawing upon his years of experience as a teacher of MYP Technology, and Individuals and Societies.

Jiří is an enthusiastic traveller, using any opportunity to explore the cultures of other countries to enrich his intercultural understanding.

Lasse Nielsen

Masters in Philosophy, minor in Rhetoric & Communication, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Ongoing PhD in Philosophy, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Lasse is an IB DP graduate from Denmark. Besides teaching Design and Humanities in the MYP and TOK in the DP, Lasse also oversees Academic Honesty at TOIS. Since he started in 2015, Lasse has taught at all levels of the school, including the Early Years, Primary School, Middle Years and the Diploma Programmes. This has made him fully prepared to take on the new role of IB Continuum Coordinator.

He came to the Czech Republic to be with his Czech wife and he has never looked back. In his spare time, Lasse loves playing D&D, drums, and board games, reading books and spending time with family and friends.

Lasse Nielsen

Masters in Philosophy, minor in Rhetoric & Communication, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Ongoing PhD in Philosophy, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Lasse is an IB DP graduate from Denmark. Besides teaching Design and Humanities in the MYP and TOK in the DP, Lasse also oversees Academic Honesty at TOIS. Since he started in 2015, Lasse has taught at all levels of the school, including the Early Years, Primary School, Middle Years and the Diploma Programmes. This has made him fully prepared to take on the new role of IB Continuum Coordinator.

He came to the Czech Republic to be with his Czech wife and he has never looked back. In his spare time, Lasse loves playing D&D, drums, and board games, reading books and spending time with family and friends.

Jiří Svoboda

Magister’s Degree in Education (Geography and Social Sciences), University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.
International Communications course, Kristianstad University, Sweden.

Born, raised and educated in Ostrava, Jiří always wanted to experience working abroad. Working at TOIS has allowed him to experience an international working environment while taking advantage of staying in his hometown, close to his family and friends.

Jiří has been with the school from its very beginning and has witnessed the growth of IB programmes in the TOIS curricula. Currently, he is coordinating the Middle Years Programme at TOIS, drawing upon his years of experience as a teacher of MYP Technology, and Individuals and Societies.

Jiří is an enthusiastic traveller, using any opportunity to explore the cultures of other countries to enrich his intercultural understanding.

Tomas Vratny

Masters in Economics, Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Economics, Czech Republic
Masters in Business Administration, Liverpool John Moores University, Great Britain

Tomas was born and raised in Ostrava, where he still currently lives. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of the OSTRA GROUP, and is a co-owner of TOIS. Tomas has over 20 years of professional experience in leading business roles.

Tomáš founded the OSTRA GROUP, which today consists of a diversified portfolio of 39 companies in the areas of transport, real estate and R&D.

He is convinced of the uniqueness of the TOIS project and is committed to supporting the school to maintain its leading role in international education in the Ostrava region and beyond.

With his wife, Michaela, they have 2 children. Tomas is a keen sportsman, mainly in basketball, tennis and ski-touring. He has completed the Dakar Rally in the trucks category five times.

Martin Berka

Masters in Finance and Economics, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Martin was born in Southern Moravia. Over the years, he has lived in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, but he has now found his home in Ostrava.

Martin is the Business Development Director of the OSTRA GROUP. Before entering the private sector, he worked in the European Parliament. He has 10 years of professional experience in analytical, project management, and business leadership roles.

Martin is passionate about international education, thanks to his IB Diploma from the International School of Prague. He is strongly motivated to further strengthen the position of TOIS as the leading international school in the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Martin is married to his wife Tereza, and their son Pavel attends TOIS.

Renata Paličková

Education:
– Masters in Education, Czech, and English Language and Literature, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Renáta has worked in different areas of our school since we first opened. For 7 years, she held the role of Deputy Head of Secondary School, and at the beginning of 2021 has been serving as the Head of Primary.

Renata believes that learners can reach their full potential when the people they trust trust them, and that we are all much more than the sum of our mistakes.

Renáta loves going on trips with her family, and playing Lego and board games with her son and two step-daughters. She re-charges her batteries by playing badminton, jogging, and cooking.

Nikola Gray Jirousek

Education:
– Masters in Law, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
– One Year Study International Law at Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Ferrand, France

Nikola has been a member of the Czech Bar Association since 2010, and is member of the Law Office Jirousek, Skalník, Bernatík & partneři in Ostrava. Nikola acts as an advocate for TOIS.

Lucie Gajerová

Education:
– Secondary Certificate in Administration and Management.

Lucie Joined TOIS 6 years ago and since then she has been hapilly supporting all staff members, students and parents as an indispensible problem-solver in the day-to-day running of the school

In her free time, Lucie likes to be with her family and friends. She loves hiking, painting and exploring new places around the country.

Lenka Vann

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Design – Amesham and Wycombe College, UK
– Master’s Degree in Teaching English and Art, The University of Ostrava
– Semester of English studies at Hogskolan Kristianstad, Sweden

Lenka was born in Rožnov, Czech Republic and has a rich background in studying art under well-known local artists, such as J. F. Kovář, L. Kovářová, M. Kotrba, V. Ženožička. She is currently coperating with the E. Thiemlová Art studio in Hlučín.

Lenka joined TOIS Primary in 2010 as a Class Teacher, and later fulfilled the role of librarian, and now Art Teacher.

She is the mother of three children scattered throughout the school at Early Years, Primary and Middle Years. and the wife of an enthusiastic rugby coach from Scotland.

Adam Sanchez

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Primary and Music Education, University of Cadiz, Spain.
– Bachelor’s Degree in Flamenco Guitar, Conservatory of Sevilla, Spain.
– One year study in the School of Modern Music and Jazz, University of Cadiz, Spain.
– Host of Czech Television’s nationally broadcast “Hola niňos” spanish lessons for children

Adan was born in Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain. At the age of 7, he started learning flamenco guitar in his hometown,
in the long-standing tradition of his family. Music has been always a very important part of his life, and the reason why he decided to study music education, and to share his passion with young learners.

Adan joined TOIS in 2015 as a Music and Spanish teacher in both PYP and MYP. Currently, he teaches primary Music and Spanish.

He loves to spend his free time with his wife and his son, and top perform with his band around the Czech Republic.

Elina Prokharava

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Education, University of Ostrava
– Master’s Degree in Fine Arts, University of Ostrava
– Semester of Arts studies, Academia si Belle Arte di Catania, Italy

Elina came to Ostrava from her native Belarus at the age of 17 and completed her post-secondary studies at the University of Ostrava.
She joined The Ostrava International School, after thinking about both of her degrees, following her heart, and to walk the path of teaching. She joined TOIS as an assistant teacher for the PYP 3 Class, and this year, she will be leading it.

Since childhood, she has spent her free time traveling and sketching what she admires.

Irma Walach

Education:
– Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Grigg’s University, Michigan, USA

Irma was born and spent her early childhood in the beautiful country of Georgia. She later lived in Lithuania, and after graduating from high school and spending one year in a local college, she went to the USA to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Growing up in a multicultural and multilingual family, Irma was naturally drawn to experience different cultures and languages. While in the USA, Irma worked with children from different parts of the world, helping them to learn English and adjust to their new world. During her studies at the university, Irma met her future husband… and this is how life led her to Czech Republic.

Irma and her husband have two children and live in Frydek-Mistek. She has been a teacher at The Ostrava International School since 2016.

Vendula Dobešová

Education:
– Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering and Informatics, VSB Technical University of Ostrava
– Pedagogical certificte in Lifelong Learning, Pedagogical Faculty of Ostrava University

Vendula was one of the founding team members of Brett’s international school of Ostrava project, eventually serving as School Director of the Czech Gymnasium from 2012-2015. Before leaving for Maternity Leave, she also taught IB DP Mathematics. She recently joined TOIS as an Administrative Assistant.

In her spare time, she loves playing with her two boys. She enjoys listening to music, singing, and any kind of sport that helps her relax.

Katerina Galatenko

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Teaching Music, Choral conducting and Czech Language, University of Ostrava.
– Graduate of the Brno Conservatory, Classical Piano
– One Semester at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Graz, Austria.

Kateřina always knew she wanted to become a teacher,and she joined TOIS in 2016 after almost ten years of teaching at various institutions. Her goal is to make her subjects both challenging and enjoyable for her students.

Kateřina loves reading and discussing ideas found in the books. She also likes spending time with her twin children, listening to jazz and classical music, playing the piano, practising yoga and cooking.

She is convinced that her life goal is to be happy and to share happiness with others.

Brett Gray

Education:
– BA in Journalism and French, University of Southern California, USA
– One Year Study Program at the Sorbonne, Paris, France
– One Year Study Program at Sciences Po, Paris, France

Born and raised in Canada, Brett came to Czechoslovakia in January 1991 as a fresh university graduate, shortly after the fall of Communism. Over the course of the last 30 years, he has tried to be an active part of helping the Moravian-Silesian Region transform itself into a a more globally integrated city of the 21st Century. He founded The Ostrava International School with this in mind.

Today, Brett serves not only as the Head of TOIS, but also as Chairman of the Association of Central European IB Schools, a group of 37 like-minded organisations working to deliver the best of the International Baccalaureate Programmes to students in 10 countries.

In his free time, Brett loves to spend time with his sons and extended family, and to sing with a local Big Band.

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Operational Leadership

Brett Gray

Jelena Ščerbová

Renáta Paličková

Nikola Gray Jirousek

Vendula Dobešová

Academic Leadership

Lasse Nielsen

Elina Prokharava

Jiří Svoboda

Paul Ahuja