Born in St. David's, Wales, Britain's smallest city, situated on the most westerly point of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Mrs. Lines spent her early years enjoying the beautiful beaches and countryside. After graduating, she taught just north of London for several years then moved to Germany where Mr. and Mrs. Lines taught for seven years. In school vacations the family traveled extensively around Europe. They moved to Taiwan in 1981 to found Hsinchu International School. Over the past decades they have extended the school from a small two-teacher building to the full international school it has become, now entering its 40th year with the same leadership.

For many years, Mr. Lines was responsible for the upper grades at HIS. A published author, Mr. Lines is now fully committed to writing. Mrs. Lines decided to be a teacher when she was in Kindergarten - from three years old she was frequently “missing” from home and was always found in the school nearby!

During her teaching years she developed the conviction that alongside teacher expertise and content knowledge, school atmosphere and teacher approach are the most vital components in education if children are to develop a true love of learning and of life. She feels very fortunate to be able to fulfill her ambition of fully implementing this philosophy in HIS, employing teachers who share the same goals to create a strong and progressive learning environment characterized by an atmosphere of warmth, caring and security. She believes that all children have their own unique appeal and will respond to love, mutual respect, and fairness.

Previously being responsible for all students at HIS, Mrs. Lines is very happy to be able to focus her energy primarily on the Elementary Department now that HIS has a mature Secondary Department. When there is time, Mrs. Lines enjoys reading, traveling, swimming, watching rugby, music, walks in the countryside, and anything to do with nature. Her ambition is to further improve HIS, to travel more with her immediate family, and to spend more time with her family in the UK. Mr. and Mrs. Lines have two sons (in Taiwan), a daughter (in England), and two adult grandchildren.

A native of Hsinchu, Ms. Lee is a familiar face in the administration department over the past few years, though she has a much longer association with HIS, having been a Kindergarten helper back in the very early days of the school in the late 1980’s! Ms. Lee has two children, a son and daughter who have been at HIS since Kindergarten. Her son, Aled, was a member of the first HIS Graduating Class in 2009, and has since graduated from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Her daughter, Eira, also a UBC graduate, is now a Grade 1 assistant at HIS.

Ms. Lee loves meeting people, making friends, and helping children. She really enjoys all her daily interactions with the great HIS family. Her ambition is simple – to live a happy life!

Eira was born and raised in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Upon graduating high school at Hsinchu International School, she travelled to Vancouver, Canada to study at The University of British Columbia. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and enjoyed courses in Children’s Literature as well as Linguistics and Psychology. Eira worked as librarian at HIS for a year and has since been a frequent familiar face as substitute teachers in a variety of classrooms. In her spare time, Eira enjoys traveling overseas, exploring Taiwan, baking/cooking, and spending time with her beautiful twin boys, friends, and family.

Born in Nantou, Mrs. Chen moved to Taipei from Junior High School age. She graduated from Tokyo International University in Japan, majoring in Human Relationships.

Doris has been living in Hsinchu for 11 years and is married with 2 children. Her husband works in the Hsinchu Science Park. Her son is a university student and her daughter is a high school student. They have a new member in their family recently, a golden retriever called Mori. They love Mori so much, they are always searching for pet-friendly restaurants and hotels, so that the family can eat and travel together with Mori all the time. Doris’ hobbies are watching movies, listening to music, swimming, and traveling. She enjoys working with the HIS family and hopes to have many more years of fun and great times together with everyone at school.

Alex was born in Hsinchu. He is very approachable and easy to get along with, both in and out of the professional environment. He sees it as one of his most important responsibilities to try to better his capabilities and continue on the road of learning. Alex was a diligent learner at school and that really helped him while doing research in graduate school. His graduate thesis was on the bond pricing of Financial industries. Having previously held the position of branch manager of the Hsinchu District China Trust Commercial Bank, Alex has broad experience in accounting. Besides bringing his expertise in accounting services to HIS, it is his aim to improve his English language skills.

Naomi was born and raised in South Africa. After finishing high school, she travelled around the world for four years meeting many interesting people, eating a lot of interesting food and seeing many interesting things. She especially loved Asia because it was so different to what she was used to. Naomi decided to stay in Bangkok where she started teaching in government and bilingual schools. Her initial plan was to stay for only 1 or 2 years, but that turned into 15. She realized she had a passion for working with younger learners during these years and completed her Bachelors of Education Degree in Early Childhood and the Foundation phase. After completing this, she worked in various international schools in Bangkok.

Naomi loves working in international schools because of the diversity of the students that she is able to work with. It has taught her a lot about different cultures, she says. She believes that each child is different and develops at a different pace and she strives to adapt her teaching methods daily in order to ensure that each child learns to their full capacity.

In her free time Naomi spends time with her three children. They love reading, making things, watching movies and going to new places. Naomi and her kids are excited to start their seventh year at HIS and say they love this school!

Nancy is a native of Hsinchu. She majored in Applied English at Ming-Chuang University in Taoyuan. She has worked as a administrator and teacher in the private industry.

In 2008 she moved to Switzerland with her husband, where she enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fresh air. In this period, she was busy adapting to the new culture, learning new languages and raising her son. Meanwhile, she taught Chinese to children in her neighborhood. She likes to help and take care of people. This year her family decided to return to Taiwan and start their new life. She is looking forward to joining the HIS family.

Nancy likes music, books and documentaries.

Justine grew up and studied in Christchurch, New Zealand. She studied at the New Zealand College of Early Childhood Education. After teaching in New Zealand for six years she moved to Taiwan to teach. She stayed for a year and a half and then returned to Christchurch. After a brief time at home she decided to return to Taiwan. Justine has worked in schools in Junan and in Hsinchu. She is very happy to be starting her second year in the Kindergarten Class at HIS.

Justine believes in providing a positive and fun environment where young learners can feel at ease and enjoy learning. Justine enjoys travel, photography, sports, cooking, and spending time with her loveable and goofy French bulldog.

Born in Taichung, Mrs. Lee has lived in Hsinchu for 25 years. She graduated from the Overseas University of Taichung and then went on to the University of New Brunswick in Canada, majoring in Business Studies at both. Mrs. Lee is married with 4 children, 3 daughters and a son. Isabel graduated from the University of British Columbia, Canada, with a high school biology teaching diploma and has been a high school teacher for the past ten years. Melissa graduated from the History Department of the University of British Columbia, went on to Law School at the University of British Columbia and is currently working with the Royal Canadian Mountain Police. Huifang’s daughter, Samantha, is at the Early Childhood Education College, Longoria,Vancouver. Her son Simon, is working at a concertum company in Hsinchu. Mrs. Lee’s husband is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Chiao Tung University. She has enjoyed working at HIS for 17 years and is now starting her 18th. Her hobbies include art, dance, painting and reading, and she has a wonderful time communicating these to the students in class or in the music and dance room.

Ms. Wright is excited to return to the Grade 1 classroom for the second year after previously teaching ESL at the school. Vicky attended Rhodes University where she obtained her BA degree in Psychology and Sociology, and she then went on to obtain her teaching degree.

A passionate reader of books, she hopes to instill that love of books in all her students. Her hobbies include running, travelling and spending time with her family. She believes in a positive and happy classroom where the students feel comfortable to be able to express themselves.

Originally from Chunghua, Sophie earned a B.A. in Economics at Soochow University in Taipei. She held a number of positions as a teacher, counsellor, and administrator in the public school system and the private education industry before joining HIS.

Sophie has two daughters who both attend HIS. She enjoys reading, travelling, and shopping.

Mr. Adcock is excited to be returning to HIS as a Grade 1 homeroom teacher.
After attended Rhodes University where he obtained his BA degree in Psychology and English Literature, he went on to obtain his teaching degree. Glenn has been living and teaching in Taiwan for thirteen years and hopes to one day finally master Mandarin tones.

He loves to spend time with his family, read, go camping in the mountains, and anything music related. He is looking forward to continuing to work with students and teachers from all over the world.

Born in Hsinchu, Ms. Anne Peng has lived in Taipei for 20 years. She majored in fashion design at Shih Chien University. She had 15 years teaching experience and 3 years experience as a supervisor manager in the private education industry.

She has three daughters, the older one is a university student and is in her senior year, the second one is homeschooling, the youngest one is a grade 3 student. Anne loves to be with kids and take care of them. She has a passion for working with kids. She believes in a positive, loving and happy environment where students feel comfortable and enjoy learning. In her spare time, she likes to read, travel, and watch movies. Anne is excited to join the HIS family!

Julia is from Massachusetts where she attended Cambridge College and received a Master’s degree in Education with an independent study focusing on ESL. She had previously received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Vermont. Working with elementary school students in a range of educational settings for over ten years, Julia has international teaching experience in Tianjin, China as well as in private and public elementary schools here in Taiwan. This is her seventh year living in Taiwan and her fourth year at HIS.

Julia enjoys learning about different cultures through traveling and living in Asia and has taken some time to study Mandarin at Tianjin Foreign Studies University in addition to the Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University.

In her teaching, Julia encourages students to become independent thinkers and learners. She believes students should enjoy what they are learning and find ways to express their individuality in the learning process. She also recognizes that students all learn and grow at their own pace and supports students’ individual needs in the learning process as much as possible.

Born and raised in a small town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Cairan enjoyed a quiet childhood filled with reading books, attending ballet classes, and riding her bicycle on dirt roads. After completing school, she attained a Bachelor of Social Science from Rhodes University, majoring in Psychology and Social Work. Cairan went on to complete her Honours Degree in Psychology.

In 2007, she traveled to Taiwan to teach English at a small private school. After a year in Taiwan, she returned to South Africa and studied Teaching. Cairan then returned to Taiwan and taught English at Dong Men Elementary School for 4 years before going back to South Africa where she taught Grade 1 for a time before returning to Taiwan to join the HIS team. This is her sixth year teaching Grade 2 at HIS.

In her spare time, Cairan enjoys doing crossword puzzles, reading, listening to music, and fishing. She feels privileged to be a part of the HIS family and looks forward to witnessing the magic that happens as children learn and become more confident in their abilities!

Sam grew up in Albury, a country city in New South Wales, Australia. After finishing high school, he moved to Newcastle to attend Avondale College, completing a Bachelor of Education (Primary) specializing in Social Studies.

After graduating, Sam worked for six years in a number of private schools, teaching across a wide range of grade levels. Taking a break from teaching, Sam then worked for 18 months in developing countries in Southeast Asia for an NGO. He designed and implemented livelihood and education initiatives.

Having found a love for the different way of life that comes with living in Asia, Sam has since been working for International Schools in Cambodia, Thailand and now Taiwan for the last nine years. When not at school, he enjoys traveling, experiencing cultures, trying new foods and relaxing at the beach. He also enjoys reading, watching movies, and cooking. Sam is looking forward to getting to know his new students and their families and working together to help all his students reach their full potential.

Ms. Masson is very excited to be joining HIS as a third-grade teacher this year. She was born and grew up in Zimbabwe, but she has lived in quite a few different countries since then. Kim studied at Monash University and graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree (Honors). After finding her passion for education and deciding to become a teacher, she received her Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) from the University of Sunderland in England. She has also recently completed her Masters of International Education through the same university. Kim has lived and taught in Taiwan for the last five years, and she enjoys spending her free time outdoors exploring different parts of the island. She focuses on helping learners become independent, and reflect on their own learning, and she enjoys making students feel safe, valued and cared for.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Eddie has been lucky enough to travel extensively, before finally settling in Taiwan. He earned his degree in Media Studies at Deakin University, Melbourne, where he later returned to lecture in television and video production. After a number of years teaching in Taiwan, Eddie decided to return to his studies, and acquired a Master’s degree in Education from The College of New Jersey.

Eddie first arrived in Taiwan in 2004, and has since settled in Hsinchu with his wife and two daughters. He has been teaching in Hsinchu for sixteen years. This is his tenth year at HIS.

Joseph was born and raised on his family’s farm in rural South Dakota. His childhood involved much time outdoors and helping with farm work, especially tending to the sheep in the cold winters. After completing high school, Joseph attended the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota and graduated with degrees in Special Education and History Teaching.

Joseph began his teaching career as a Middle School Special Education Teacher on a Native American Indian Reservation in North Dakota. During the summer between his first two years of teaching, Joseph traveled to China for a month and immediately realized his calling was in international education. He began a job search that was initially focused on China but ended with an opportunity to teach at a small international school in Sana’a, Yemen. Joseph then spent the next five years teaching in Yemen and Jordan and fell in love with life in the Arabic speaking part of the world and the experiences offered there.

While teaching in Jordan, Joseph was introduced to the World Scholar’s Cup program and helped bring the program to Jordan by hosting the first-ever event in the country. His involvement in the World Scholar’s Cup quickly developed into an opportunity to join the program as a full-time team member. He then spent five years traveling the world and having amazing experiences meeting and interacting with thousands of students from over 75 countries, including Taiwan.

Joseph is excited to return to the classroom and to join the community of learners and teachers at HIS. He believes that all students are capable of achieving success given the right level of support and structure to allow them to reach their goals.

When he is not teaching, Joseph enjoys all things tennis, spending time outdoors being active, befriending street cats, and spending time with friends and family.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Mr. Ferreira moved to Taiwan in 2011 as a teacher, but became much more! He became a globetrotter, a language enthusiast, a husband and a father. Teaching was not his original plan as he studied to be a biokineticist! He practiced as a personal trainer while completing his Teaching degree. Mr. Ferreira’s teaching philosophy: if you keep students happy in a controlled, supportive environment, it will help them achieve their goals and succeed in many facets of life! This year should be a great year!

David Cotter grew up in the sun and snows of Michigan, USA. He studied at Eastern Michigan University, where he earned a BS with Certification in Education and began to study Chinese. After graduating, he moved to China, where he lived for six years. While there, he taught in several schools, including two international schools, both with students from dozens of countries. David moved to Taiwan to continue his Chinese studying in summer 2013 while finishing a double master’s degree in English as an Alternate Language and English Language Learning through Concordia University, Oregon. He has been teaching ESL at HIS since 2013 and is very excited to continue his work with the children and teachers at the school. David believes that mastery comes through understanding, and understanding is rooted in a desire to learn. For this reason he works hard to increase students’ interest in English language learning in order to deepen their understanding. He believes that all students will learn more when they are truly motivated than they would when they are disinterested in the subject matter regardless of their individual level of ability, background, or prior knowledge of the subject matter. Outside of school, David enjoys traveling and pursuing his hobbies. He has been to nineteen countries and traveled extensively in both China and Taiwan. He enjoys chess, which he learned to play at age five, photography, learning Chinese, and exploring foreign cultures. He also loves to river trace, hike and ride his bike, and has an interest in outdoor activities in general. He hopes to both grow with, and contribute to, the community at HIS in the coming years.

Mr. Wolef spent most of his youth in a small town called Copperas Cove in Central Texas, USA. He grew up as a ‘military brat’ who moved around frequently and always appreciated the world outside his own bubble. His experience with exchange students both in high school and university only heightened his desire to experience cultures much different to his own.

Shaquille studied International Relations, Spanish, and Portuguese at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, graduating in 2014. He later attained his Cambridge CELTA qualification for teaching ESL.

Since 2017, Shaquille has taught children in Taiwan, was married here last year, and says he has come to call this lovely place home, and where he hopes to raise his own family. He enjoys reading, traveling, dancing, and playing basketball. He is still building on his rudimentary Chinese, and his love for languages gives him a lot of respect and empathy for the process of learning.

Shaquille believes that students will find their way to knowledge and success if he, as a teacher, opens the doors and helps them build the confidence to lead the path forward. He knows he can help children find the root of their greatest successes by embracing their mistakes and moving past them. Shaquille says he is ecstatic to be joining the HIS team this year and to be a part of the incredibly warm and supportive atmosphere created at the school!

Mr. Johnson is a highly celebrated and established artist whose work is held in several private collections in the United States, England, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong. He holds an MFA in Painting and Drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His artwork has been exhibited most notably at the Watermill Brooklyn Gallery, Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation, New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Shanghai, China and in 2013 was included in the Asian Art Biennial at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Most recently his work was exhibited alongside its collaborative partners from the Riverbed Theatre Company at Eslite Gallery in Taipei. He has also worked professionally as set designer and scenic artist since 1993.

Mr. Johnson has taught at Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin, SCAD Hong Kong and lectured at the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing. In 2004 and 2005, Mr. Johnson was awarded consecutive J. William Fulbright Awards where he lectured and conducted research at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. His teaching philosophy is to provide students at all age levels with the skills necessary to find, enjoy and explore their own unique creative voice. When he is not in the classroom or the studio he enjoys reading, listening to classical music and playing with his three children at the park.

Mrs. Dora Chang Johnson is a professional Theatre Director and Performing Arts instructor who holds a Master’s Degree in Theatre with a concentration in Creative Drama and Directing from Northwestern University.

She has directed more than 25 productions throughout Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the USA. She is passionate about Performing Arts in all its beautiful forms and is eager to share her love and creativity with students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6 at HIS. As a daughter of a diplomat, she has lived in the Bahamas, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the USA. Currently she lives in Hsinchu City with her artist husband and three amazing children.

Casper J.H. Keller studied in Pretoria, South Africa where he majored in Physical Education with History as his minor subject. The Physical challenges and integrated coursework inspired Casper and he excelled in various physical activities. He received National Colors in Korfball, got invited to compete in the South African Athletic Championship running in the 4km finals and has a bronze cross medallion for swimming. He also won two squash tournaments in Xizhi, Taiwan, participated in the Taichung Triathlon event cycling section and plays badminton and squash for relaxation. He is fully qualified as an “Emergency First Responder in Secondary and Child care”. Casper has completed a Masters’ degree in Education through the University of South Wales. He also loves to play the guitar and harmonica when time allows.

Educating students not only became his profession but installed a passion in Casper’s life for children and the ability to guide them to achieve their goals. He firmly believes that “The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. “ He feels that Hsinchu International School creates a wonderful working environment and encourages personal growth and professional development.

Jeff is a native of California, USA. He graduated from Rutgers University of New Jersey majoring in East Asian Studies. Since childhood, Jeff has always been interested in various sports but excelled in martial arts. He currently holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Taekwondo. Jeff has had extensive teaching experiences coaching children martial arts, and as a secondary education teacher for the School District of Philadelphia. During his time there, he held Brazilian Jiujitsu Club after school for troubled youth.

Prior to finding his passion in teaching, Jeff was a professional chef of French and Japanese cuisine. He also has an Associate's degree in Culinary Arts from Orange Coast College in his hometown. He enjoys cooking and playing guitar in his free time.

Melody grew up in Taiwan and went to the States to study for her MBA and TEFL certification some years ago. In the United States she taught Chinese to students from age 3 to 35 while taking her Master’s Degree. She really enjoyed the experience of her students of all ages trying to learn everything she taught them and to talk to her in Chinese. Melody feels that one of her skills as a teacher lies in developing and presenting different teaching styles to the learners to help them absorb knowledge and perfect their skills more easily and rapidly.

Melody met her husband in Boston and he became one of her students. They decided to move back to Taiwan ten years ago and she started working at preschool as an English supervisor while tutoring many foreigners in her spare time. She enjoys helping all foreigners learn Chinese in a fun and happy way.

Melody’s hobbies are traveling, reading, exercising and spending time with family. She loves being a teacher and is looking forward to returning to join everyone at HIS.

Mrs. Tsai majored in Chinese Literature at the National University of Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and received her Master’s Degree in Instructional Science from Leuven University in Belgium. After 5 years as a Chinese teacher in public Junior High School in Taiwan, she was given the wonderful opportunity to teach in the experimental educational systems. Her experience ranged from Primary schools to Senior High schools over a five year period, allowing her to explore new and innovative ways to reach each and every student.

Yi-Hui is currently teaching the Chinese native speakers in the Chinese Department at HIS. She firmly believes that a Chinese teacher can offer a password to students to enter a different world from English to explore new cultures freely. If students proceed step by step in the proper order, they will get lots fun after hard work.

A Taichung native, Joanne graduated from Nursing College in Taipei. From there she proceeded to work at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital International Medical Center in Linkou where she was a leader of the ICU ward she had been maintaining for five years. She later moved to Hsinchu where she spent the next two years assisting in the operating room at the National Taiwan University Hospital.

Since her time in the O.R., Joanne has been a personal professional caregiver for young children while raising a family of her own. Eager to rejoin the workforce, Joanne decided to combine her love for medicine and children and found a perfect match here at HIS. Joanne enjoys traveling and cooking as well as a good movie. She cherishes family and friends above all and is eager to help those in need. She is grateful to have joined such a great staff and team at HIS as the school nurse.

Bio coming soon!

Ms. Joy was born in ChangHwa and has lived in Hsinchu 19 years. She has three children, two girls and one boy, at local Elementary and Middle Schools, and has been at HIS for 13 years. Her smiling face, friendly offers of help, and happy personality are indeed a “joy” at HIS! Out of school, Joy’s hobbies include hairdressing (she was a certified hairdresser before coming to HIS), singing, dancing, and hiking. Her ambition in life is simply to be happy and to live without pressure.

Ms. Huang is constantly seen around HIS making sure that everything is kept in order and providing extra hugs and care for our students. This is her first year at the school and she has quickly become a firm favorite with her quiet, warm, and friendly manner.