The School Leadership is responsible for the day-to-day administrative and curricular operations of the school.
School Directors
Brett Gray
Co - Director Early Years & Primary
Canada
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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 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 Director of TOIS, but also as Board Chair of the Association of Central European IB Schools, a group of 43 like-minded organisations working to deliver the best of the International Baccalaureate Programmes to students in 13 countries.
In his free time, Brett loves to spend time with his sons and extended family, and to sing with a local Big Band.
Nikola Gray Jirousek
Co - Director Secondary
Czech Republic
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Masters in Law, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
One Year Study International Law, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Ferrand, France
Nikola comes from an environment where the IB Learner Profile is naturally embedded into her family life values. She is the mother of three sons and believes that the right education is the most important door to their freedom and life fulfilment.
Nikola considers herself as a lifelong learner seeking Truth, Love and Freedom in every circumstance. She believes that as the Head of Secondary, she advocates best for all the values for which she made her decision to become an Advocate.
In her free time, Nikola loves to be with her family, which also involves three dogs and a cat.
Operational Leadership
Renáta Paličková
Operations and Development Coordinator
Czech Republic
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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 for 4 years, she served as the Head of Primary.
Renáta enjoys going on trips with her son and friends, as well as playing badminton and board games together. She re-charges her batteries by taking long walks with her dog, jogging, and cooking.
Elina Prochorova
Head of Primary and Early Years
Belarus
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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 considering both of her degrees, following her heart, and walking the path of teaching. Since childhood, she has spent her free time travelling and sketching the things she admires.
Jonáš Gray
Head of Secondary School
Czech Republic
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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 and developing his knowledge of four other languages. Jonáš loves to listen to and play jazz in his Big Band, and has played a modest role in helping the Moravian-Silesian Region attract tourists from around the globe.
Vendula Dobešová
Deputy Head of Secondary
Czech Republic
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Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering and Informatics, VŠB Technical University of Ostrava
Pedagogical certificate 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.
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.
IB Continuum Leadership
Elina Prochorova
IB Primary Years
Programme Coordinator
Belarus
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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 walking the path of teaching. Elina began as a Class Teacher, and moved quickly to the role of PYP Coordinator.
Since childhood, she has spent her free time travelling and sketching what she admires.
Jiří Svoboda
IB Middle Years
Programme Coordinator
Czech Republic
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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.
Paul Ahuja
IB Diploma
Programme Coordinator
Great Britain
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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.
Secondary School Department Heads
Thato Manare
Head of Humanities
South Africa
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Pavel Kunčar
Head of Science
Czech Republic
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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 the TOIS Duke of Edinburgh Programme.
Chandler Cryer
Head of Languages
USA
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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.
Milan Šurkala
Head of Maths
Czech Republic
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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.
