Appointments for 2016-2017: Friel, Brown, Edwards

Dear SSIS Faculty –

We are pleased to share with you some of our recent hires for the 2016-2017 school year. It is a testament to the school that you have helped build that we enjoy an excellent reputation within the international community and find a wealth of individuals who are eager to come and share in this work.

Richard Friel, MS Physical Education

Catherine Brown, ES EAL Specialist

Mark Edwards, ES Classroom Teacher

Richard Friel

Richard (Rick) was born in the United States and received his BA from California State University – Long Beach. He holds a certification as an emergency medical technician (EMT), a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology, and a teaching license in K-8. Most recently he completed a Master’s Degree in Physical Education through the University of South Florida. He taught for a year in the Merced City School District in California before moving to White Salmon, Washington where he taught PE and Grade 7 language arts for sixteen years and coached wrestling for ten of those years. He and his wife, Catherine, moved overseas in 2009 and since that time he has been a middle school PE teacher, a coach, an athletic event site coordinator, and a climbing instructor at the American Embassy School in New Delhi. Catherine and Richard, and their high school-aged daughter, will join us this summer.

Catherine Brown

Catherine Brown earned her BS and teaching certification from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University and an Oregon Administrative License from Lewis and Clark College. She began her teaching in California in Spanish/English bilingual education before moving to Hood River, Oregon, where she taught middle school language arts for eight years. She has served as an adjunct professor at Portland State University and the Heritage Institute in Washington state in EAL teaching methodologies, reading instruction and digital technologies. For nine years she served as a consultant for the Bureau of Education and Research, working with K-12 districts throughout the United States in EAL teacher-training, sheltered instruction and effective learning strategies. Most recently she has spent five years at the American Embassy School in New Delhi as an EAL teacher.  She will be joined by her husband Richard (MS) and their daughter.

Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards is from New Zealand and holds a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Auckland and a diploma in teaching from Auckland College of Education. He has done a post graduate diploma in Communications Studies in Digital Media at the Auckland University of Technology and has a Master’s in Education from the University of Auckland.  Mark is a recipient of the Microsoft Innovative Teacher Award, and has worked as a Digital Learning Coordinator.  Most recently Mark has been teaching grade 5 Primary Years Program at Rutherford Primary School in Auckland and the Diocesan School for Girls in Epsom where he serves as a classroom teacher and the IT/ICT Coordinator PK-5.

Please join Dan, Molly, Jacob and me in welcoming all our new hires.

Sincerely yours,
Mark Sylte, Head of School