Megan Urquhart will be teaching Grade 2 for the 2008/2009 school year. She was born and raised in Rockhampton, Australia.
She holds a Bachelor Of Learning Management (Early Childhood) and moved to the small town of Emerald in 2004 where she
began her teaching career. She has taught grade 3 and grade 5 and for the last two years has worked along side her principal
as an Assistant to the Principal. She is looking forward to new challenges, a new adventure and working with the children
of XIS.

Denes Tilistyak was born and grew up in Hungary. Right after graduating with a degree of Teaching Mathematics and English Language – Literature, he moved to the Bronx, New York City. During his stay in NYC he visited the Philippines several times and got married to a Filipina. Three years later he was hired at Cebu International School in Cebu City, Philippines where he currently teaches Middle and High School Mathematics. Denes enjoys Mathematics as well as riding his motorcycle but most likely he will get back on a bicycle in Xiamen just like he did during his college years. He is really excited about living in Xiamen and teaching at XIS.

Graeme Barnes is originally from Scotland with 15-years teaching experience, 13 of which have been in Hong Kong. He is currently a teacher of Mathematics and the Network Manager at Island School in Hong Kong. He will be teaching Mathematics at XIS. He is married and his wife runs a business in Hong Kong with connections in Xiamen. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, eating out, and games.

Bill Blackford is happily returning to XIS after a year at Kiev International School. Before teaching at XIS from 2005 - 2007, Bill taught in Bratislava, Slovakia. He was also a tour guide at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Bill is originally from Detroit, Michigan and loves music and science.

Steven Brooks is from Victoria, Canada, but he was born in Toronto, Canada. His parents are originally from Portugal and England. He is currently teaching at the Dalian Maple Leaf International School in China, and is looking forward to his first year in an IB program. He will be teaching Physics in the middle school and high school. He will be accompanied by his lovely wife and two adorable daughters, and they are all looking forward to moving to sunny Xiamen. Steve enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, and yoga. He is really looking forward to living in his third Chinese city and continuing to improve his mandarin.

Ron Coronado is originally from Los Angeles, California. A teacher for 25 years, Ron has lived and worked in San Diego, California for the last 20 years. Ron has traveled extensively throughout the world during these last 20 years. He is currently a full-time fifth grade teacher in San Diego and a part-time evening adult education ESL instructor at Mira Costa Community College in Oceanside, California. In his spare time when he is not teaching, Ron enjoys traveling, reading, and collecting art and ethnographic antiques. He looks forward to meeting the Xiamen International School community in the near future.

Jeff Matte is currently living in Queens, New York but is originally from Brookfield, Connecticut. He is currently teaching at PS 12Q in Woodside, Queens. In the coming school year he will be teaching Elementary ESL, Grades K & 1at the Xiamen International School. In his free time he enjoys traveling, reading, playing guitar and cooking. He is looking forward to all the experiences and opportunities to be found as a member of the XIS faculty and as a visitor in China.

Tara Ogle is from Toronto, Canada. She is finishing her second year at the American School of Tampico, Mexico, and previously worked for the Toronto School Board. In August, 2008, Tara will be working as the middle school art teacher at Xiamen International School. Tara's partner, Sean Walmsley, will also be working at XIS as the middle school teacher assistant. Tara enjoys reading, painting, jogging, travelling and getting to know new people. She is greatly looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the 2008/2009 school year.

Hee-won Seul is from South Korea, and has been working as a Korean teacher for two years at Kiev International School. Before that, she worked as an intensive English teacher and a web director. Hee-won enjoys working with students and helping them meet their full potential in many different areas. She and her family (husband Youn and son Hee-sung, aged ten) have done lots of traveling all across Europe, and are looking forward to doing much more! In her spare time, Hee-won is a voracious reader and loves playing tennis. She looks forward to working at Xiamen International school as a Korean Language teacher.

John Slack was born and raised on the shores of Lake Erie in a small town near Cleveland, Ohio. He has been a high school science teacher for four years in New York City. Two of those years, he was the laboratory facilitator for every science class in the school. In his spare time, John likes to enjoy the finer things in New York City, such as the museums, art galleries and the wide array of cuisine available in the city. He also enjoys traveling and adventurous endeavors such as sky diving or cave exploration. He considers himself more of a free spirit and cannot wait to be a positive part of the XIS community.

Ya Yun Su is from Toronto Canada. Her parents are originally from Guangzhou, China, thus, she speaks Cantonese. As a teacher at the Escuela Internacional de Sampedrana, she is completing her second year as an English literature teacher in the high school. She will be teaching English for the middle school and high school at Xiamen International School. Her husband will be accompanying her to Xiamen in August. Ya Yun wishes she could spend more of her free time on reading, going to art galleries, travelling, learning new languages, scuba diving and cooking. She is enthusiastic to be meeting the XIS community and learning Mandarin.

Peter Verley is from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has taught 3rd grade at New Spirit School in Saint Paul for the past eight years. He will be teaching in the primary grades at XIS in 2008. This spring he will be getting married to Liu LiFang and looks forward to spending more time with her and her family in Xiamen. Peter enjoys reading, hiking, and playing around with his computer. He is excited to meet all of you soon.

Michelle Bowman is currently teaching in Harbin, China. She was born and raised in the state of Iowa. She taught ESL and Spanish for nearly two years in Omaha Public Schools before deciding to teach English in China. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, exercising (especially biking), the arts, and meeting new people. In August 2008 Michelle will be an Upper School ESOL teacher at Xiamen International School. She is looking forward to meeting and working with the students and teachers at XIS.