School Leadership

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.

Martin Berka

Education:
-Masters in Finance and Economics, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Martin was born in the Czech Republic. Over the years, he has lived in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, but he has 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 Moravia-Silesia region.

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

Tomas Vratny

Education:
– 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, raised and lives in Ostrava. 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.

Lasse Nielsen

Education:
– Masters in Philosophy, minor in Rhetorics & 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, board games, reading books and spending time with family and friends.

Jiří Svoboda

Education:
– Magister’s Degree in Education (Geography and Social Sciences), University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.
– International Communication 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 the very beginning, and witnessed the transition to the IB programmes at TOIS. In this time, Jiří has experience as an MYP Technology, and Individuals and Societies, teacher. Currently, he is coordinating the Middle Years Programme at TOIS, drawing on his years of experience with the IB learning and philosophy.

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

Phil Corkill

Education:
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in History and English Literature from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Phil was born and raised in Bundjalung country, along the northern rivers of New South Wales, Australia. He is passionate about history, nature, sustainability, internationalism and the potential of progressive education.

Phil has worked in education in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. Phil has been living in the Czech Republic for more than twenty years, still fascinated by its beauty.

Phil was one of the founding members of staff at the school. His main ongoing roles at the school are International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator, which he has done for more than 10 years, and teacher and examiner of both History and English. Phil is also the general manager and coach of the TOIS Basketball Club.

In his free time, Phil enjoys numismatics, philately, music, film, travel, sports, reading and visual arts.

Jiří Svoboda

Education:
– Magister’s Degree in Education (Geography and Social Sciences), University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.
– International Communication 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 the very beginning, and witnessed the transition to the IB programmes at TOIS. In this time, Jiří has experience as an MYP Technology, and Individuals and Societies, teacher. Currently, he is coordinating the Middle Years Programme at TOIS, drawing on his years of experience with the IB learning and philosophy.

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

Lasse Nielsen

Education:
– Masters in Philosophy, minor in Rhetorics & 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, board games, reading books and spending time with family and friends.

Šárka Magyaricsová

Education:

– 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 is from the Ostrava region, originally from Havířov. She lives in Havířov with her family. After graduation she worked in the bank. Since 2016, she has been working for TOIS as an accounting manager.

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

Tom Healy

Education:

– 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 Language Acquisition and Language & Literature at the secondary level since 2010. He spends most of his free time with his family and, occasionally, with friends. Mr. Healy is Head of the English Department, DP Extended Essay Coordinator, DP1 Class Teacher, and a teacher of DP and MYP Language and Literature courses.

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.

Marcela Fantalová

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Adaptive Physical Education, Palacký University, Olomouc.

Marcela was born in a small town in South Moravia among the vineyards. She loves sports, and so the prospect of being a Physical Education and Health Teacher came naturally to her. Her favorite sport is volleyball, which fills her time after work and especially on weekends.

In 2019, volleyball brought her to Ostrava, where she moved to live with her soon-to-be husband. She has been working as the PE and Czech language teacher at TOIS ever since.

Veronika Halaszová

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in English and Business Administration, Zlin, Czech Republic
– Postgraduate Diploma in International Business, Language and Culture, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
– Ongoing Masters in Education in IB Schools, University of the People , USA

After spending several years working abroad, Veronika decided to move back to her hometown of Ostrava to pursue her passion for teaching. She joined The Ostrava International School in 2019, and draws upon her expereicne and background to lead the Primary EAL (English as an Additional Language) Department.

In her free time, Veronika enjoys the company of her family and friends, dogs and horses.

Kari Lanham

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Whitworth University, USA
– National Board Certified Teacher, USA

Kari was born and raised in Washington State, USA, and spent most of her youth travelling and camping throughout the United States. While at university, she had the opportunity to learn and teach in Central America and South America. She quickly realized that she wanted to see and experience the rest of the world. After graduating, Kari helped launch the International Baccalaureate Programme at her hometown school, and also taught at an international school in China.

Since arriving in the Czech Republic, Kari has spent her free time hiking, biking, reading, dancing, and walking her dog, Jett.

Drew Cooney

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Education, University of Nebraska, USA
– Master’s Degree in Euroculture, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
– Master’s Degree in Euroculture, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

Drew first visited the Czech Republic in 2004 as an exchange student and fell in love with the country. He then moved here in 2006 in pursuit of a Masters degree, and has been working and living in Ostrava since 2009. Drew organises several extra-curricular and community outreach events for the school every year, including the Movember Fun Run against Cancer, and the International Schools Swimming Gala.

Drew enjoys traveling, running, playing with Lego, but most of all loving his wonderful wife and two beautiful children.

Jelena Dimic

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.

Marta Sukenikova

Education:

– Master’s Degree, English and German Secondary School Teaching, Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic
– 3-semester study at the Bayerische Julius Maximilians Universität Würzburg, Germany
– 2 semesters of Hispanic studies at Universidad de Salamanca, Spain

Marta currently teaches MYP Spanish and German Acquisition, as well as DP German. She leads MYP 1 as Class Teacher, and serves as the First Aid Officer for the Secondary School. She has been with TOIS since 2015.

As an enthusiastic traveller and nature lover, Marta enjoys discovering the commonalities and differences among the languages and countries of the world.

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.

Kristina Ficencová

Education:
– Master’s Degree in Marketing and Business, VSB Technical University of Ostrava

Kristina was one of the first members to join Brett’s team of launching the international school project in Ostrava back in 2004. Since then, her position has evolved from Administrative Assistant and Project Manager to the current Financial Manager of TOIS, where she is responsible for steering the financial resources of TOIS and taking care of all HR-related issues.

In her free time she loves hiking, jogging, baking and building sandcastles with her two children.

Phil Corkill

Education:
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in History and English Literature from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Phil was born and raised in Bundjalung country, along the northern rivers of New South Wales, Australia. He is passionate about history, nature, sustainability, internationalism and the potential of progressive education.

Phil has worked in education in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. Phil has been living in the Czech Republic for more than twenty years, still fascinated by its beauty.

Phil was one of the founding members of staff at the school. His main ongoing roles at the school are International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator, which he has done for more than 10 years, and teacher and examiner of both History and English. Phil is also the general manager and coach of the TOIS Basketball Club.

In his free time, Phil enjoys numismatics, philately, music, film, travel, sports, reading and visual arts.

Jana Polanská

Education:
– Masters in Education, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
– PhD in Environmental Science, The Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Jana joined The Ostrava International School at its creation. After teaching in the UK for several years, she returned to the Czech Republic to bring home the approaches to teaching and learning that she witnessed abroad.

She brings her love of the Sciences and discovery to our youngest learners and has all three of her own chidlren attending the school.

Jana believes every child is born with the desire to explore the world and that the role of the teacher is to accompany the child on their learning journey. Jana loves to spend her spare time with her children. She loves to plan various trips and sport activities to ensure everyone gets happy and tired at the end of the day. Baking a chocolate cake or having her friends around are her favorite activities.

Dan Sargeant

Training:

Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate, Leeds, UK.

Dan is a native speaker of the English Language from the UK. He decided to explore the world of teaching English as a foreign Language and soon found a passion for teaching and sharing his native tongue. This will be his first year at The Ostrava International School.

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.

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.

Sasha Song

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, and Korean Language and Literature, Republic of Korea.

Sasha was born and raised in the Republic of Korea. After graduating university in Korea, she felt the urge to live her old dream of living abroad. After a year of experience as a Korean language teacher in Denmark, she moved to the Czech Republic. In the spring of 2020, she joined TOIS as a Korean language teacher for Primary and Secondary students and librarian at Primary school.

Sasha likes to invite people to experience Korean food and play board games together. And she also likes to relax and listen to music, read books, and reflect on herself.

Lenka Magyaricsová

Education:

– College Degree in Civil Engineering, Havířov

Lenka is a fresh college graduate, excited about joining TOIS as the Dining Hall Assistant, and practicing her English. Lenka loves working with children and is looking forward to greeting Primary School students every morning.

Jonáš Gray

Education:

– Bachelir’s Degree in German and Economics, Minor in French, University of Vermont, USA
– One Semester Study Program at the 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.

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.

Kimberly Ferguson

Education:
– Bachelor’s Degree in Eductation, Deakin University, Melbourne
– Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, La Trobe University, Melbourne

Kimberley spent the first half of her life in Melbourne, thinking that since so many people from around the world and their cultures had come and settled in Australia, she could experience everything from the comfort of her own hometown. Then she met her soon-to-be husband, an itinerant backpacker from the Netherlands, and that perspective quickly changed.

Kim taught at a public school in Melbourne, and at international schools in India, and Brno Czech Republic. Now in Ostrava to begin her twelfth year of teaching, she loves welcoming students from around the world into her classroom and finding ways to support each to draw the best out of themselves.

Veronika Carpovičová

Education:
– Qualified Teaching Assistant, Frýdek – Místek, Czech Republic
– Dining Hall Supervisor Certificate, Czech Republic.

Veronika has been a versatile, positive and energetic member of the staff since she joined TOIS 5 years ago. Whether assisting the kids in the class room, serving lunches, or helping to ensure that the Early Years Centre is clean and shiny, young learners appreciate her welcoming smile and tone.

Veronika likes to spend her afternoons with her two daughters. In her free time she likes to escape to the mountains or dance.

Eliška Fejková

Education:
– Currently a Student of Psychology, University of Ostrava
– Child´s Psychopathology course, Ostrava

Eliška joined the TOIS Early Years team 3 years ago, and quickly became the first sunshiny morning face that children, parents and staff see when they arrive at school in the morning.

At the age of three, Eliška started her figure skating journey, which eventually led her to Sport Aerobics. As an Aerobic team member, Eliška won several medals in European and World Championships in 2015 and 2016. Her figure skating journey continues to this day, in the role of being the coach for youngsters.

In her free time, Eliška also enjoys acting, painting, cooking, sports, and traveling.

Žaneta Kubátková

Education:
– Master’s Degree in Translation, French Language, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
– Qualified Teaching Assistant Certificate – in progress, University of Ostrava.

This is Žaneta´s first year at Early Years Centre as a Teaching Assistant in the Kiwi class. In the past, she worked as an assistant at Secondary School, and she is now very excited about fullfilling her dream of working with young children.

Žaneta is passionate about languages, travelling and sport.

Barbora Stixová

Education:
– Bachelor’s Degree, English and Special Education, Palacký University, Olomouc
– College certification in Preschool Education, GJB and SPGŠ, Přerov

Barbora draws inspiration from working with and guiding children, and participating in their personal development. She enjoys developing close relationships with young learners, and drawing out the creative nature in each child. Whether playing the guitar, singing, drawing, playing games or making crafts, Barbara and her team have a lot of fun while learning about themselves and the world.

Barbora peviously worked as an au-pair in the UK and Spain. She is fascinated by the uniqueness of different cultures and enjoys meeting people of different backgrounds. As she has said: “This is why TOIS is simply my happy place!”.

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.

Tjaša Buh

Education:

– International Honours BA Degree in Teaching, University Collage Absalon, Denmark

After completing IB DP Programme in Slovenia, Tjaša moved to Denmark to study and persue her dream of teaching and travelling. She gained teaching experience in international schools in Denmark, Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands before joining TOIS and becoming the PYP Coordinator.

If not singing, you will find Tjaša illustrating and designing her next project. She loves to spend evenings trying out new recipes with her husband.

Adan Sachez

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.

Dan Červeňanský

Education:

Education:

– 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 the soluitions to school’s endless “fix it now” problems, means that Dan is one of the most sought after staff membvers of TOIS.

In his spare time, Dan likes music and travelling.

Iva Čížková

Education:

– 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.

Lorybelle Castillo

Education:

– 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 in the Primary School. Currently, she is the EAL Coordinator at Secondary. She dabbles in photography and enjoys traveling, watching films and TV series, baking, and trying out new recipes.

Milan Surkala

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Informatics with Computer Graphics specialization, VSB-TU Ostrava, Czech Republic
– PhD in Informatics with 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, as well. 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 whis in his students.

Sebastian Russo

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in Genetics, University of Glasgow, Scotland
– Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Biology with Science, University of the West of Scotland.

Science teacher, intrepid traveler and science fiction enthusiast.
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…”
— Isaac Asimov

Paul Ahuja

Education:

– 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.

Pavel Kunčar

Education:

– 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 for many years.

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

Megan Boyle

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Music (Vocal and Instrumental) Education, with K-12 Certification, Plymouth State University, USA
– Master’s Degree in Instrumental Education, Plymouth State University, USA

Originally from western New York State, Megan has 15 years of teaching experience in the USA and abroad, including the Cayman Islands and Rome, Italy. She is able to play many instruments and has conducted symphonic bands, choirs, guitar ensembles, and jazz bands.

In her free time, she enjoys practicing music, reading, skiing, and sports. Her favorite moments are spending time with her two children in nature.

Miso Lowy

Education:

– Incomplete degreein 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 collegues, which 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.

Hossein Jond

Education:

– Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey

Hossein is from Iran (Persia). He first came to the Czech Republic as an Erasmus student during his Ph.D. studies in 2016. He then started to teach mathematics at The Ostrava International School (TOIS) in MYP and DP programs. In addition to teaching part time at TOIS, Hossein also works as a researcher and lecturer with at the Technical University of Ostrava, adding real life application to his lessons with us.

His research is focused on developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods for cancer treatment. Hossein is learning čeština and loves playing football.

Petra Chalupová-Kavková

Education:

– Master’s Degree in Psychology, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
– Master’s Degree in Social Education, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic

Petra joined the TOIS family in 2017 after her maternity leave as the school psychologist for all levels of school. In addition to teaching the IB Diploma Psychology course, Petra is the school Student Well-Being Services Coordinator, looking after of the mental health of all TOIS students. Petra is also member of the network of school psychologists in the Ostrava Region, and in her free time, she devotes herself to self-education, especially in the field of psychology.

She is the mother of two daughters and if you cannot find her at a children’s playground, then she is cooking at home for her family or exercising.

Niall Boyle

Education:

– BEng in Computer Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland
– PGCE in Mathematics Education, University of Bangor, United Kingdom
– Masters in Educational Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia

Niall was born and raised on the beautiful west coast of Ireland. He has taught and played footballl all around the world, and loves the outdoors surrounding Ostrava. Niall loves talking about mathematics and exlporing its relationship with real life situations and problems. In his free time he likes to bike, read, and play the piano.

Michael Cavalier

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in History, Minor in Business Admin, University of Maryland, USA
– Master’s Degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction: Reading Phoenix University, USA
– Master’s Degree in in Education Curriculum and Instruction: English to Spakers of Other Languages, Concordia University, USA

Born and raised in Illinois, Michael Served 21 years in the United States Army where he worked extensively in training and training development. After his military career, Michael taught at a High School in the United States for five years before moving to the Czech Republic, in 2015. Michael joined the staff at TOIS in January 2016. He currently teaches MYP History, serves as the Service as Action Coordinator for MYP, and the Creativity, Activity, Service Coordinator for the Diploma Program, and is the TOIS the University Counsellor.

Michael is married to a Czech and they have four children. Additionalyl, Michael has three adult children and a grandson in the United States. In his free time He enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with his wife and children.

Marcin Sztomberski

Education:

– Masteer’s Degree in Teaching English Language and Literature, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
– ongoing Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, Wrexham Glyndwr University, Wales, UK

Marcin is an IB graduate who embodies the ‘international’ part of the IB experience. He has lived in 8 countries on 3 continents teaching in various IB schools and working in other professions. He shares his time between his passion for teaching and curriculum development, family, and a multitude of hobbies including D&D, boardgames, travelling, hiking, and video games. As a result, he never has enough time to sleep and requires copious amounts of coffee to function.

In TOIS Marcin teaches Economics and Business Management at the DP level and Digital Design for MYP, as also tries to cultivate interest in global affairs and the Model United Nations club UN among students.

Isabela Clemente Vazquez

Education:

– Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Major in English language and Physical education, Universitat Jaume I, Spain
– Master’s Degree in Childhood Interventions, Major in Special Education, Jonkoping University, Sweden

Born in the coastal city of Valencia, Isabel naturally loves eating Paella and spending time at the beach. She joined the school in 2018 as an MYP Physical Education and Spanish Language Teacher. In her second year, she expanded her teaching to the DP programme as the Spanish B teacher. Previously, she had taught in several different countries such as Poland, Spain and Sweden, and different age groups, from early years through to adults.

In her free time, Isabel likes to be with her friends and Federico, her cat. She enjoys playing D&D, learning languages, reading and spending time in nature. Isabel also aims to become a world-class knitter, but is not quite there yet. She still needs a lot of practice.

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.

Grzegorz Dopart

Education:

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

Greg’s lifelong passion for languages and travelling has brought him to international school settings in various countries. Before joining TOIS, he was teaching at various schools across the UK, China and Spain. Apart from English, he speaks Polish, Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, German and Portuguese and he is currently learning Czech.

In his spare time, Greg likes playing guitar, cooking Indian curry and spending time with his two children and wife.

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.

Operational Leadership

Brett Gray

Jana Polanská

Renáta Paličková

Phil Corkill

Academic Leadership

Lasse Nielsen

Tjaša Buh

Jiří Svoboda

Phil Corkill