SWISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Malort 45b
- Head of Secondary School
Birgit Breidenbach has been teaching art at SIS Kassel since August 2016. In August 2017, she took over as head of secondary school and has since been teaching ethics as well as art.
Having grown up in Lower Saxony, Birgit Breidenbach first studied fine arts with subsequent international exhibition practice as a freelance artist, and later art history, education and philosophy at the University of Kassel. In 2014, she completed her traineeship in art and philosophy/ethics at the Wilhelmsgymnasium Kassel and taught there until 2015.
Birgit Breidenbach is the director of Malort 45b as well as an integrative art therapist and runs her own practice. She trains teachers in painting, has led the Malort in Nagaland and Karnataka (India) as well as at various institutions in Kassel.
Aristotle believed that amazement is the beginning of philosophy. For Birgit Breidenbach, every child who wonderingly explores the world stands at the forefront. The revival of spontaneity and questioning, as well as undemanding play, open up horizons that are an essential part of being a child and make unbiased perception, learning and living possible in the first place.
Job Titles:
- Vice Principal and Head of Secondary School
Christine Scheid came to SIS Regensburg in 2013 and initially supported the team in the bilingual kindergarten. Since September 2014, she has been working at SIS Regensburg as an English, history, social studies and ethics teacher and, since June 2017, as IB coordinator and head of the secondary school.
Christine Scheid studied English and History at the University of Regensburg for teaching certification at the Gymnasium (secondary school) and successfully completed her studies with the second state examination after her traineeship in the summer of 2013. During this time, she also obtained a teaching qualification in ethics and successfully completed her state examination in social studies shortly thereafter.
After completing her studies, she lived in Ireland and worked in the Department of History at the National University of Ireland in Galway. She also completed an internship at St Nicholas Parochial School, which gave her an insight into the history and cultural diversity of the country. She gained valuable experience as an assistant to the chair, a lecturer and as a teacher, both in teaching and internationally.
Christine Scheid enjoys the open and intercultural atmosphere at SIS Regensburg and is happy to be able to support and teach so many different age groups. Good cooperation and mutual trust are very important to her.
Born in South Africa, Dr Danette Brink came to Germany to read her Doctoral thesis in Musicology at the University of Regensburg.
Moving from the academic teaching world to the private education sector, she joined SIS Regensburg and SIS Ingolstadt in 2016, teaching music at the secondary and primary level (SIS Ingolstadt). Since 2018 she has supported the management team in Regensburg as vice-principal, as well as teaching French, Ethics, and ESL.
Danette Brink believes that a good education is a right that every child has, where a child has the opportunity to grow not only academically, but on a personal level as well, through the power of learning new ideas. She supports the bilingual concept of the SIS Swiss International School as a tool that opens multiple doors in our cosmopolitan world.
She is pleased to be able to continue supporting the high level of education and commitment at SIS Regensburg in her role as principal.
Ginger Kruß has been working as a state-certified educator in the kindergarten of SIS Berlin since April 2023 and took over the management in September 2023. Previously, she worked for six years as an educator in the elementary and nursery areas of various institutions as well as in a recreational facility for young people in Berlin.
For her, pedagogical work means accompanying and supporting the children in their exploration of the world, perceiving their interests and needs, picking up on them and integrating them into her pedagogical work. Each child should be recognised and valued as an individual so that he or she can grow into a self-determined person.
After graduating from high school, Ginger began her professional training by studying at the Berliner Technischen Kunsthochschule (BTK), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication design with a focus on visual and motion design. As she enjoys working with children, she then completed full-time training as a state-certified educator at the Evangelisches Johannisstift.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Head of Kindergarten
Janet Strukelj has more than 20 years of international experience with children from 3 months to 18 years of age; with an emphasis on teaching English as a second or third language. She was a private tutor in Switzerland, where she began her journey of supporting and developing student's multilingualism.
Since June 2008, Janet Strukelj has lived and worked in Germany. She was a teacher at an international preschool, where she supported the transition of French children into the English preschool system. She worked as head of English at a French, German and English kindergarten, where she was also a group leader. In her next role, as head of English, Janet was instrumental in transitioning a German kindergarten into a fully bilingual kindergarten in Munich where she was also a classroom leader.
Janet Strukelj earned a diploma in early childhood education in Welland, Ontario, Canada in June 1999. She has always been keen to further her professional development and has obtained a number of qualifications in order to support her teaching and children´s learning.
Since June 2021, Janet Strukelj has been a dedicated classroom leader and English preschool teacher in the kindergarten here at SIS Ingolstadt. She has enjoyed being part of the kindergarten and is now excited to undertake the leadership position, working together with the whole SIS Ingolstadt team.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Head of Primary School
Since December 2015, Kira Stanley has been a dedicated leader in both the kindergarten and primary school here at SIS Ingolstadt. She earned in 2010, a Bachelor of Science in early childhood and elementary education with a concentration in dance. She also holds her Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification.
Prior to her current role as Head of Primary and a teacher at SIS Ingolstadt, she lived and worked in the state of New Jersey (USA) as a primary teacher for 5 years. Kira also was a professional dancer and instructor of multiple genres of dance. In summer 2015 she worked abroad in Bournemouth, England at the Cavendish School of English where she found her true passion of supporting and developing student's multilingualism.
Kira is very proud to be a part of the multicultural team here. She loves to spend time sharing her love of learning, dancing and positivity with her students and colleagues.
Marc Corner took over the principalship at SIS Berlin in the summer of 2023, after leading SIS Stuttgart-Fellbach since 2019. A British National, he previously worked for five years as the principal of three international vocational schools in Saudi Arabia and has over 20 years of teaching experience.
A graduate of the University of Greenwich, where he gained his teaching qualification, Marc Corner obtained a bachelor's degree in education at the University of Huddersfield and went on to complete a Master of Education (Leadership and Management) at the UK Open University. The focal point of his work in schools, both in the UK and abroad, was physical and outdoor education.
Marc Corner brings with him a fresh approach to SIS Berlin, always keeping the children at the forefront. He is a passionate educator and strives to maintain a safe, engaging, positive and reflective school environment that allows all students to reach their full potential.
Job Titles:
- Vice Principal and Head of Secondary School
Originally hailing from Barcelona, Maria Codina has an extensive experience of more than 25 years in education. Ten of which, leaving abroad where she assumed different leadership positions as Academic Director, Head of Secondary, Vice Principal and IBDP Coordinator.
Maria Codina holds a bachelor's degree in Sciences Physics and a master in "Leadership and Management of Educational Institutions" from the University of Barcelona. Her contributions extend to her tenure at FEDAC, where she, alongside with two colleagues, conceived and executed a personalized project-based Abitur during the Covid years.
Amassing more than 15 years of involvement with the IB, Maria Codina has contributed as a member of the standardization team in Maths A&A HL IA and as a Program Leader among other roles within the IB framework.
Her passion is education in all its dimensions. She believes in learning and exchange of knowledge as a powerful tool to grow together as a community.
Miranda Bruning has been working at SIS Regensburg since September 2016, where she teaches English, math, science, art and crafts and ethic. She took over the position of head of primary school in September 2020.
After completing her teaching certification in 1998 with a minor in early childhood education and a major in remedial teaching, Miranda Bruning worked at different primary schools as well as at an international school in the Netherlands. Before moving to Germany, she worked at a kindergarten where she was responsible for the preparation and implementation of preschool curricula.
Miranda Bruning is passionate about teaching younger children and is always excited to see them grow and learn in their own unique and wonderful way.
Miriam Hake has been working as a class teacher at SIS Berlin since 2018. In May 2023, she took on the role as Head of Primary School.
It is important to Miriam Hake that children come to school with joy and develop into cosmopolitan, independent and respectful people.
Miriam le Vrang has been working in the German group at the SIS Regensburg kindergarten since September 2022.
After completing her training as a kindergarten teacher in August 2020 at the Fachakademie für Sozialpädagogik in Neuburg an der Donau, she worked in various kindergartens.
Miriam le Vrang is passionate about working with the preschool children to prepare them for school.
Nicole Mitreska joined SIS Kassel as a primary school teacher in September 2014 and took over as head of primary school one year later.
She completed her teacher training for primary and middle school at the University of Hamburg in the subjects of sociology, mathematics and educational science. After her traineeship, she took over as class teacher of grade four in Hamburg Neurahlstedt. She then continued as class teacher in fifth and sixth grade.
After gaining initial professional experience, she moved to Great Britain. Here she was not only able to gather experience as a substitute teacher, but also gave additional lessons at an English primary school for pupils who needed to be supported and challenged, especially in mathematics and literacy. She was particularly interested in the supplementary lessons in Guided Reading.
After twelve years, Nicole Mitreska returned to her hometown and now uses the experience gained abroad to shape young people into responsible, well-informed, courageous, questioning and creative individuals.
Pamela Bradley-Höllering served as principal of SIS Ingolstadt from 2020 to 2023. She is now returning to former roles as head of secondary and English teacher starting in September.
After completing her bachelor's degrees in history, English and German and a master's degree in German, Pamela Bradley-Höllering taught high school in the United States before moving to Germany. She worked as a freelance English instructor both with companies and privately before joining the SIS team in 2010.
Pamela Bradley-Höllering is especially proud to be working with an international team of teachers, sharing their expertise with each other and providing quality education to SIS students. Fostering positive communication skills, motivating students and developing their social and academic skills are her primary goals each year.
Pamela Bradley-Höllering resides in Ingolstadt with her husband and two children. She enjoys baking, reading, the outdoors and spending time with her family.
Scott England has worked at SIS Kassel since the school opened in 2014. Since then, he has taught Music, Information and Communication Technology. In 2020 he was appointed Vice Principal.
Scott is a graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Music and Music Education. He then received a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music . Before moving to Germany, he taught Music at a public school in the South Bronx, New York. He also worked as a professional chorister with The New York Choral Artists, the choir of the New York Philharmonic and other choirs in New York City.
Since moving to Germany, Scott has worked as a private English teacher, and as a music teacher with an international school in North Rhine Westphalia.
Scott is from the United States and grew up in Upstate New York. He is a student-centered teacher who wants to teach his students how to become good citizens of the world.
Sebastian Koch comes from the Kassel region, he grew up in the North Hessian village of Singlis and has been principal of SIS Kassel since February 2014. Before that, he worked for several years in the primary school management of a bilingual school in Frankfurt.
Sebastian Koch studied English literature, sport and cultural studies in Marburg and additionally acquired a Cambridge Certificate of Teaching English. Following his studies, he lived in Australia and England and worked for a time as a sports journalist and winegrower in Tasmania.
Sebastian Koch is a passionate educator and has been working in the field of bilingual education in Germany for almost ten years. He is an enthusiastic sportsman, especially enjoys playing football, and is the proud father of three children growing up bilingually.
Shahid Ehsan holds Bachelors´ degrees in Mathematics and Physics and a Master's degree in Physics from Pakistan. In addition, he completed the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from the University of Buckingham, and a Postgraduate Degree in Education from the University of Nottingham, UK.
He values the bilingual approach to education offered at SIS and is looking forward to teaching in this environment again. Re-joining SIS Ingolstadt and taking on the role of vice principal as well as a Mathematics and Physics teacher is a challenging and exciting role to return to.
In terms of teaching, learning, and assessment he strives to create a learning environment that motivates and inspires students while providing them with the disciplined educational approach needed to establish a firm foundation for lifelong learning.
Before returning to SIS Ingolstadt, Shahid Ehsan worked at Ajman Academy in the United Arab Emirates as a university advisor and exam officer as well as teaching Mathematics to IGCSE and A-levels for the Edexcel examination board, UK. He has also worked at the International School Frankfurt (ISF) where he taught Mathematics to secondary school students for the IB Diploma program and AP Calculus. He is a certified examiner for SAT exams.
The primary school and secondary school (Years 7 to 10) of SIS Berlin are state-recognised private schools. They are equal to state schools in all aspects. The secondary school (Years 11 to 13) of SIS Berlin is currently a state-approved private school. Students attending the SIS primary and secondary schools automatically meet the German requirements for compulsory school attendance.
SIS Berlin is a private school financed by a combination of school fees and state subsidies. We offer high-quality education as a service - and we are committed to keeping this service as transparent as possible.
Both primary and secondary school of SIS Ingolstadt are officially approved as Ersatzschule (an Ersatzschule provides courses and qualifications comparable with those offered at German state schools). Teaching is in accordance with the relevant state curricula. Students at SIS Ingolstadt meet the German requirements for compulsory school attendance.
SIS Ingolstadt is a state-approved private school financed by a combination of school fees and state subsidies. We offer high-quality education as a service - and we are committed to keeping this service as transparent as possible.
SIS Kassel is a private school financed by a combination of school fees and state subsidies. We offer high-quality education as a service - and we are committed to keeping this service as transparent as possible.
Both the primary and secondary school of SIS Regensburg are officially approved as Ersatzschule (an Ersatzschule provides courses and qualifications comparable with those offered at German state schools). Teaching is in accordance with the relevant state curricula. Students at SIS Regensburg meet the German requirements for compulsory school attendance.
SIS Regensburg is a state-approved private school financed by a combination of school fees and state subsidies. We offer high-quality education as a service - and we are committed to keeping this service as transparent as possible.