Catarina Thijssen: 'I am from Portugal and have been living in the Netherlands for 9 years. I enjoy playing music, baking and all things creative. I have completed my teaching degree in Portugal and have taught in the Netherlands, in an international setting. I am happy to join the ISU team, teaching Grade 1 White'.
Charlotte van Uden: 'I grew up in New Zealand and love the beach and spending time in nature. I moved to the Netherlands two years ago. This year I am working in Grade two Red and Blue'.
Clare Modder: 'I am originally from London and together with my husband, we’re proud parents to our sweet, loving 2-year-old son and our adventurous 2.5-year-old beagle. We now call Haarlem home and love spending our time outdoors. My journey in international education began at ISA in the Early Years, and I later went on to lead the Early Years department at ISH. Now, I’m absolutely delighted to be joining ISU as the Primary School Counsellor and so excited for this new chapter'.
Diego Jeréz: 'I come from Guatemala. I have a background in clinical psychology and I discovered my love for teaching through an old side job as a martial arts instructor. I am currently pursuing my Spanish teaching degree at the Hogeschool Utrecht. At ISU I will be filling in for Mr Antonio Torres Cuenca while he is on parental leave, teaching Spanish Language Acquisition in MYP'.
Immy Niemeijer: 'I’m from the Netherlands. My very first love was reading, and I am so happy to share that love with my students. I studied Dutch Language and Literature and completed master’s degrees in both Linguistics and Education. I have been teaching in the IB for several years, working with both MYP and DP students. At ISU I’ll be teaching Dutch Language and Literature, Dutch Language Acquisition, and - something I’m especially excited about - one class in primary. How often do you get that chance as a secondary teacher? I’ll also be working on developing a continuous learning pathway for Dutch literature across the school. I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing my love for language and stories here at ISU'.
Julia Berendsen: 'I’m excited to be joining the ISU team as a Visual Art teacher this term. I'm originally from Utrecht, and over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to teach Art & Design and Design & Technology in both Bangkok and Barcelona. Fun fact: I actually did my internship at ISU 10 years ago, so it feels great to return—this time as a teacher! I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all and being part of this creative and inspiring community'.
Maribeth Relano: 'I am excited to be joining the creative MYP Design team at ISU. I was born in the Philippines and grew up in Canada. For the past 20+ years I have had the privilege of teaching internationally in Canada, China, Hungary, and now, once again, in the Netherlands. My teaching experience spans from early childhood to high school in different subjects and capacities. My family and I are grateful for the warm welcome and look forward to getting to know the students, families, and the wider school community'.
Neil Batty: 'I am from South Africa now living in the Netherlands. I was a teacher for 33 years in many different primary schools in South Africa. At ISU I will be a primary cover teacher, mainly for Grades 1 and 5'.
Roxanne Rosa: "I’m from South Africa, where I taught for several years before moving to the Netherlands. For the past two and a half years, I’ve been living and teaching here with my husband. I’m thrilled to be joining the ISU team as the Grade 3 Teal class teacher and am really looking forward to contributing to the school community".
Valentini Maliaka: 'I was born and raised in Greece. I moved to the Netherlands 15 years ago and currently live in The Hague with my family. I come from an environmental science and biogeochemistry background with experience in both research and teaching. I'm excited to join ISU as a Lab Technician, I love creating a welcoming and well-structured lab space where students feel inspired to dive into science through hands-on experiments'.
Valeria Marin Hernandez: 'I’m excited to be joining the ISU community as one of the secondary inclusion specialists. Born in Mexico and now a Dutch national, I’ve had the opportunity of living in different cities across five countries, which has shaped my love for diverse cultures and perspectives. I have a background in Psychology and experience in learning support, coaching, safeguarding, and inclusive practices, which has allowed me to pursue my passion to support students’ learning and well-being journeys. Outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors, exploring different cuisines, and playing board games—UNO is a favourite'.