Jillian Petersen, Primary Year 2 Western Co-Teacher
Mrs Jillian Petersen, from South Africa, teaches in the Primary School at YCIS Qingdao. She has been a teacher for the last 13 years. Mrs Petersen is looking forward to moving to Qingdao with her family. Her daughter Makaylyn, who is 11 and her son, Ethan, who is 9 years old, are excited to move to a new city in China. She has taught in another international school in China for the past three years. During her free time, Mrs Petersen and her family like to explore new places and go for bike rides.

Robert Stratton, Primary Year 4 Western Co-Teacher
Robert Stratton was born in New Zealand. He teaches in the Primary school at YCIS Qingdao. He has lived and worked in Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, Australia, England, Canada and New Zealand. He has also travelled to over 30 countries. Mr Stratton has always been interested in geography and world cultures. He has worked as an upper primary school teacher in other international schools for the last six years. Mr Stratton first travelled in China in 1994 and has had many fantastic experiences in China since. His wife, Huang Ching-ya (Michelle) is from Taiwan. He has two wonderful children named Bella and Lewis. When Mr Stratton is not working, he is looking forward to exploring everything Qingdao has to offer.

Xin Tong, Chinese Teacher
Miss Xin Ting obtained her master’s degree from Xiamen University. Her major is Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language). She taught Chinese for two years in Primary schools in Britain and New Zealand. Miss Xin loves teaching Chinese language, culture and facilitating cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Shawna Morgan-Ionescu, Secondary Humanities Teacher
Mrs Shawna Morgan-Ionescu, from the US, l teaches Humanities. She has taught high school Social Studies and college level International Relations for 12 years in Miami, Florida. She has travelled extensively, much of the time with her high school students. She enjoys learning about new cultures, reading, playing board games and spending time with her family. Her husband and two small children are accompanying her in Qingdao.

Ozgul Kazanci, Secondary Physics Teacher
Mr Özgül Kazancı is a Physics teacher from Istanbul, Turkey. He has been teaching Physics for 10 years and has been an IBDP examiner since 2012. He likes making new friends, spending time with his friends and travelling. Mr Kazancı is interested in puzzles, astronomy and digital technologies. He is moving to Qingdao with his wife.

Kristin Anastasio, Secondary Biology Teacher
Ms Kristin Anastasio has spent the past 18 months teaching IBDP Biology at an international school in Ningbo, China. Previously, Ms Anastasio spent two years teaching ESL with the EPIK programme in Busan, South Korea. Prior to moving to Asia, she worked for ten years in her home state of New York as a Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Environmental Science teacher. She enjoys outdoor activities particularly hiking, swimming, running, and is excited about biking along the coast in Qingdao.

Neil Moffit, Secondary Mathematics and Computing Teacher
Mr Neil Moffit teaches Mathematics and Computing. He has been teaching for the past 11 years, seven of those years at international schools. The thing he loves most about teaching is being able to guide students and have fun while doing it. Apart from teaching, Mr Moffit loves the outdoors, hiking, scuba diving, photography, chess and listening to good tunes.

Rupert de Smidt, Secondary Mathematics Teacher
Mr Rupert de Smidt is originally from South African. He teaches Mathematics at YCIS Qingdao. He is married with one daughter, Emily. This is Mr de Smidt’s third contract in China since he began an international career 14 years ago. He has worked in international schools in Nanjing, Jeddah, New Zealand, Bangalore and most recently Shanghai. He has taught Mathematics in all of the above schools, – primarily the IB Diploma programme; but he also has experience in the IGCSE International Mathematics course. Mr de Smidt is a keen cricket and football fan, and field hockey was his forte.

Jared Vaughn, Secondary English and EAL Teacher
Mr Jared Vaughn joins the YCIS staff this year as an English and EAL teacher. He has worked as an English teacher at a private school in the US for ten years, and has grown to love his profession. Mr Vaughn has also had the privilege of teaching an introductory writing course at Arcadia University for the past two years. Apart from his career, he loves being a father and husband, and he thoroughly enjoys the outdoors, especially, cycling and swimming. Mr Vaughn and his family are very excited to move to Qingdao.

Michel B. Kekerovic, Secondary Economics Teacher
Michel B. Kekerović was born and raised in the Netherlands, but moved to the US at age 18. Since 2000, he has been teaching Economics and Foreign Languages under the Advanced Placement, Cambridge International Examinations, and International Baccalaureate accreditation agencies, as a state-licensed and highly qualified teacher. Currently, he holds a Master of Education, a Master of Economics, and a Master of International Business with a China focus (MBA). He has worked in Beijing, Changchun, Shanghai, and Nanjing. His hobbies include spending time with his wife and children, as well as working out and learning. He is looking forward to being a member of the Yew Chung International School family.

Matthew Krause, Primary and Secondary Music Teacher
Mr Matthew Krause comes from Istanbul, but his roots are in Minnesota, US. He teaches Music at YCIS Qingdao. He has been teaching for more than a decade and has taught in Turkey, America, and Brazil. Mr Krause has directed many types of performance ensembles and has been able to see his students achieve high levels of success in their performances. His interests include playing his French horn, exploring new places, performing and listening to all sorts of music, experiencing diverse cultures, and most importantly, his family.

Jamie Jay, Secondary Boarding Parent and Primary EAL Support Teacher
Mrs Jamie Jay is from Nebraska in the United States, and joins YCIS as a Boarding Parent. She has been a Family Partner, working with children aged 4-14, helping with homework and organising after-school activities. Mrs Jay has two years of experience teaching phonics and reading to 1st and 2nd Grade students. Some of her hobbies include reading, baking, making crafts, and listening to music.

Stephen Jay, Secondary Boarding Parent and Librarian
Mr Stephen Jay is from Nebraska in the US and joins YCIS as a Boarding Parent. He has a major in Cross-Cultural Studies and enjoys interacting with people from all across the world. Mr Jay has been a librarian and resident assistant in a university setting, as well as a camp counsellor for high school students. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, watching sports, hanging out with friends, and reading good books. Mr Jay has taught in the Qingdao area before.