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. Her first years of teaching were in schools just north of London before the family 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 for the Philips Company. In 1988, after Philips closed their Hsinchu operations, Mr. And Mrs. Lines founded the current HIS - the first independent international school in Taiwan. 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 43rd year with the same leadership.
For many years, Mr. Lines was responsible for the upper grades at HIS. A published author, for many years Mr. Lines has been fully committed to writing while Mrs. Lines continued to develop the school. Mrs. Lines must have been destined to be a teacher - 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, two adult grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren (twin boys and an infant great granddaughter).
The ‘few years in Taiwan’ originally envisioned have become more than half a lifetime!

Originally from Australia, Sam completed a Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree specializing in Social Studies from Avondale College. He has worked in a number of schools, both in Australia and internationally, over the past 20 years and has been living in Taiwan since 2016.

Taking a break from being a full time homeroom teacher, Sam is delighted to be working as the Computer Studies teacher and getting to know all the students in the Elementary Department. He is passionate about implementing programs and a continually developing curriculum that meets the needs of all learners. He is looking forward to his new role in the office as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and getting to know all students and their families and working together to help everyone reach their full potential.

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 Pre-K teacher at HIS. Ms. Lee also has three lovely grandchildren—Kai, Cassian and Layla.

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!

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.

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. Later, she worked in the elementary administration and has now moved to Pre-K as a homeroom teacher. In her spare time, Eira enjoys traveling overseas, exploring Taiwan, baking/cooking, and spending time with her beautiful twin boys and baby girl, friends, and family.

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 6 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 fifth year as part of the HIS teaching team.

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 family, friends and her lovable 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 fifth year after previously teaching ELL 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, traveling 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, counselor, 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, traveling, and shopping.

Mr. Adcock is excited to be returning to HIS as a Grade 1 homeroom teacher.
After attending 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 sixteen 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 oldest is a university student and is in her senior year, the second is homeschooling, the youngest is a Grade 5 student. Anne loves to be with children and take care of them. She has a passion for working with children. She believes in a positive, loving and happy environment where students feel comfortable and enjoy learning. In her spare time, Anne likes to read, travel, and watch movies.

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 obtained a Bachelor of Social Science from Rhodes University, majoring in Psychology and Social Work. Cairan went on to complete her Honours Degree in Psychology. She then studied Education at The University of Fort Hare and graduated cum laude.

Cairan has lived in Taiwan since 2007 and has taught at both public elementary schools and private schools. She has experience teaching Grades 1 through 6. This will be her ninth year teaching Grade 2 at HIS. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and playing with her toddler, Thomas, and she is excited to be preparing to welcome a baby girl to her family this year. Cairan feels privileged to be a part of the HIS family and looks forward to witnessing the magic that happens as her students learn and become more confident in their abilities!

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.

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 and also completed his teacher certification.

Since 2017, Shaquille has taught children in Taiwan, was married here in 2019, and has now come to call this lovely place home, where he helps raise his two twin boys and baby daughter. 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.

This will be his 4th year at HIS, and he will teach Grade 3 after working in the ELL program for the past few years.

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!

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.

He has since settled in Hsinchu with his wife and two daughters. He has been teaching at HIS since 2011.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Kim has been living and teaching in Taiwan for the last 6 years. She earned her Master's degree in Education and a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) from the University of Sunderland. Kim has taught a range of elementary and middle school grades and is very excited to be Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher at HIS.

When she is not teaching, Kim enjoys learning about different cultures through traveling, spending time outdoors, and reading. She also enjoys improving her Mandarin language skills whenever she has the opportunity.

In her teaching, Kim focuses on helping learners become independent thinkers who reflect on their learning and achieve their academic goals. She also enjoys making students feel safe, valued, and cared for by supporting each student's individual developmental needs as much as possible.

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.

Born and raised in Maine, Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Southern Maine. Sarah had plans to move forward in a doctorate program in Psychology. However, during the last year of her undergraduate degree, she went on a volunteer trip to Tanzania where she taught for the first time. She loved her experience. She decided to change her career to education and never looked back. She went on to complete her master’s in Education from Texas State University in curriculum and instruction.

This will be Sarah’s 12th year of teaching. She taught English in the US for 6 years at a school in central Texas. During her time in Texas, Sarah helped adapt a college readiness program called AVID for her English language learners. The program was a success in helping students achieve their learning goals and giving them a clear path to college. She acted as a college readiness program coordinator for AVID at her school for four years and as a Social Studies Instructional Coach for the Breakthrough program her final year in the US. Internationally, Sarah has experience in IB programs for PYP, MYP, and DP in EAL and English B as well as her years working at HIS previously in ELL. She is truly happy being back in Taiwan and is very excited to be a part of HIS again this year.

Born and raised in Hsinchu, Sandy studied in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design in the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST), graduating in 2013.

She finds her love for art in every simple thing; from drawing and painting by herself (as a hobby), to having fun drawing with her students, Sandy believes the most wonderful artists one can find are the children. She sees it this way as young people, normally, can see the world through different eyes than adults. Besides painting and drawing, Sandy enjoys travellng, and baking cakes and sweets in her free time. Sandy is willing to help everyone find and develop their love for art!

Mr. Liu (or Mr. Tiger) was born and raised in Taiwan. He holds a bachelor's degree in Applied English from Chinese Culture University. Given his passion for sports and fitness, Mr. Liu has a clear direction for his career development in the health and fitness industry.


Mr. Liu is an experienced sports educator, who specialized in water sports (surfing and SUP). He currently holds the first and only ASI (Academy of Surfing Instructors) L3 SUP instructor and surf instructor certificate in Taiwan. Also, he has been part of the "Taitung County Ocean Sports Education” project for the last 4 years as the lead trainer for elementary and high school teachers in Taitung. He has also been a frequent guest on the podium in SUP (Stand Up Paddle) sports.


Mr. Liu has 10 years of work experience as a business development manager in sports equipment and fitness software companies. During the last decade, he has traveled around Europe, Asia, and Australia. Mr. Liu is very excited to join HIS to pass on his expertise in PE to help students to learn and grow actively.

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.

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.