Staff Profiles
Specialist Staff
At St Christopher’s, our dedicated and well-qualified team of staff put your children at the heart of everything we do.
Specialist Staff
Nurul Amira
Bahasa
Amira was born and raised in Penang, Malaysia. She graduated as a teacher from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education (HONS). While completing her studies, Amira also taught in one of the secondary schools in Perak for a while. Later, as she completed her bachelor’s degree journey, she worked as a teacher in one of the well-known preschools in Penang. To further broaden her teaching experience, she decided to join SCIPS as a teaching assistant. She loves interacting with children as she believes that every child should have something meaningful to remember from their childhood as they grow up. A year later, Amira is now a Bahasa teacher in SCIPS!
Nur Syazwany
Cover Teacher
Nur Syazwany graduated 2012 from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK) with a Bachelor of Education (Hons). With over six years of teaching experience, she has worked in both government and private schools and has also lectured at a college in Penang. Currently, she serves as a cover teacher, teaching students in various subjects across different year groups. In her leisure time, she enjoys walking while listening to music, spending quality time with her family, and relaxing with a good book. She believes in the importance of fostering strong relationships between teachers and students to create a comfortable classroom environment. Moreover, she emphasizes that education is the key to success.
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Janet Ng
Mandarin
Janet is from Malaysia and holds a Master degree in Music Pedagogy and Performance. She first completed a Bachelor degree in Music Education from University Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2009. Upon completion of her studies, she taught Music and Mandarin in Penang. She has been teaching in the local school as well as tutoring for Mandarin in Penang. Janet has taught Mandarin classes at different levels prior to joining the SCIPS family. Janet started teaching at St. Christopher’s in September 2015 as a Mandarin teacher. Currently, she teaches Mandarin from Reception to Year 6 and supports Maths for different year groups. Janet enjoys playing the piano, swimming and baking.
Esther Wong
Head of Languages / Mandarin
Esther Wong comes from mainland China and has been an international teacher for over 7 years, working as a whole school Mandarin Specialist and Primary Bilingual Teacher. Esther has a Bachelor Degree in Chinese Language and Literature with Chinese teaching certificate qualification, and a Master Degree in History. She is familiar with British National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin and Alberta Bilingual Program. Esther is incredibly passionate to motivate students learning Mandarin inside and outside of classroom. She is excited to join SCIPS with her almost 4 year old son. Meanwhile explore the beauty of Penang and Malaysia.
Rogini Thana Raju
Juniors ESL
Rogini was born and raised in Penang. She has completed a Master’s degree in Education specializing in TESL at one of the local universities in Malaysia. She has taught in different international schools for ten years from early years up to Year 2. She has been very passionate about teaching and nurturing young children since secondary school.
Living in a food paradise, Rogini enjoys all types of cuisine just as teaching! She loves trying new recipes, reading, listening to music, and most of all spending time with her family. She is married to Kishen Gavaskar and they have two children.
In her fourth year, Rogini is thrilled about her second year as an EAL Juniors teacher, especially with her son in Year 2. She’s looking forward to another year of teaching and supporting young learners while sharing this educational journey with her child.
Chelvalatha Krishnan
Infants ESL
Chelva was born and raised in Penang. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from a university in Selangor. Her teaching experience spans across a wide range of age groups, from nurturing little ones in nursery to guiding students up to Year 6. She gained valuable experience working at Tenby Schools in both Penang and Setia Alam, Selangor, before joining SCIPS.
She joined SCIPS as a Year 1 class teacher before moving into the English as an Additional Language (EAL) team. She holds a Master’s degree in TESL, which has further strengthened her expertise in language teaching and deepened her understanding of the needs of multilingual learners. In her teaching, Chelva is committed to creating a supportive, inclusive and engaging classroom environment where every student can grow in confidence and achieve their potential.
Outside the classroom, she enjoys painting as a form of creative expression and has a passion for travelling, which allows her to experience different cultures and perspectives that she often brings back into her teaching practice.
Joseph Stokes
PE Teacher
Joe has been teaching for 13 years and is originally from the South of England, where he was first a teaching assistant before gaining his BA in Primary Education, with Physical Education at University of Roehampton, London. Since then, he taught in England for 6 years, as a KS2 teacher and P.E. and Computing Lead. He then moved, with his family, to Kuala Lumpur to be Head of KS2 and Director of Sport at an International School. More recently, he taught in Abu Dhabi for 3 years.
Joe is a keen sportsman and loves to be active, taking up any opportunity to be involved in sports. He also loves to travel and has recently gone on a 6-month trip travelling through Central and South America with his wife and two children. He loved his first year in Penang and being a part of the SCIPS community.
Tze Yang Ooi
PE Teacher
Yang pursued his Bio Resource degree at University Sains Malaysia in Penang before furthering his education with a PGCEi from Nottingham University and obtaining Fina coaching certification. He began his career as a PE teacher at SCIPS before transitioning to KTJ, where he served as Head of PE from 2014 to 2019. After five years at KTJ, Yang took on the role of Head of Aquatics and Club Coordinator in Tbilisi, Georgia. From 2021 to 2024, he advanced to become the Head of Whole School PE and Aquatics in British International School Tbilisi. Yang is thrilled to return to SCIPS as a PE teacher. Outside the classroom, he is passionate about fitness, water polo, swimming, and spending quality time with his family.
Fenella Foskett
Head of PE
Fenella is originally from a small town called Woodbridge in the south-east of England. She studied at Swansea University and graduated in 2013. After this, she went on to complete her PGCE and MA in Education at Liverpool Hope University. Fenella spent the first few years of her teaching career teaching Geography and PE in secondary schools in the UK. In 2020, Fenella took up her first international teaching position in Doha, Qatar, where she has been teaching primary PE. Fenella has always been a keen sportswomen, having previously competed at national level for swimming. During her free time, Fenella loves spending time outdoors, exploring new places and meeting new people. Fenella will be moving to Penang with her husband Lawrence who will also be joining the PE team at SCIPS. She is really looking forward to experiencing life in Penang and becoming part of the SCIPS community.
Lawrence Chaplin
PE Teacher
Lawrence is from Durban, South Africa and grew up in Qatar where he attended an international school as a student. Upon graduating, he attended Kingston University in London and graduated in 2015. Shortly after this he worked as a football coach and lifeguard for a water safety company in the UK. He then returned to Qatar to complete his teacher training and secured a position at his current school where he has taught PE for the past 5 years across primary and secondary. Outside of school, Lawrence enjoys being outdoors, playing sports and spending time with friends and family – you will more than likely find him at the beach kicking a football or throwing a frisbee. Lawrence is very excited to be moving to Penang with his new wife Fenella, who will also be teaching PE at SCIPS.
Esther Loh
Music Teacher
A proud Penang local, Esther Loh has been an integral part of the SCIPS community since October 2020. With a passion for nurturing young minds, she finds joy in working with children and understands the importance of being a positive role model in both speech and actions.
Esther graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Pedagogy from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). She began her journey at SCIPS as a Teaching Assistant, where she took on increasing responsibilities, covering lessons and building strong connections with her students. In 2024, she officially stepped into the role of Cover Teacher after earning her Diploma in Education from Unitar.
Currently, Esther co-teaches Year 6 EAL, leads Mandarin enrichment classes for Reception students, and brings creativity and fun into Nursery with Messy Play sessions. Her hands-on approach extends beyond the classroom, encouraging children to explore and engage in outdoor play.
Outside of school, Esther is actively involved in her church, focusing on mentoring and developing the youth community. In her free time, she enjoys music, running, and traveling to new destinations.
Soong Yi Yiing
Music Teacher
Yi Yiing is a music educator from Penang, Malaysia. She began her musical journey at a young age, with the piano as her main instrument. She went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance at Universiti Putra Malaysia, specialising in piano performance and studying cello as her secondary instrument.
Yi Yiing has been part of the SCIPS community since 2008 and enjoys seeing students grow in confidence and develop their musical abilities. Her passion for children’s learning and development inspired her to further her studies by completing a Master’s degree with Honours in Early Childhood Education at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her background in both music and early childhood education helps her understand how children learn and allows her to create meaningful musical experiences that encourage creativity, confidence, and enjoyment of music.
During her time at SCIPS, Yi Yiing has played an active role in developing the school’s music programme, including leading the annual Early Years Christmas Concert, school musical productions, and music clubs.
Outside the classroom, Yi Yiing continues to share her love for music as a pianist in her church’s worship team. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, travelling, and enjoying good food together.
Shelly Banks
Librarian
Born and raised in Penang, Shelly is no stranger to our school community. As a former SCIPS mum and class parent, she understands school life and has first-hand experience working with children in a supportive environment.
Her years living abroad have given her an international outlook and a broader perspective, which combined with her local roots are able to bridge cultures and build strong relationships with students, parents and staff.
Always ready with a smile, Shelly is passionate about fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where every child feels valued and supported.
Her years living abroad have given her an international outlook and a broader perspective, which combined with her local roots are able to bridge cultures and build strong relationships with students, parents and staff.
Always ready with a smile, Shelly is passionate about fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where every child feels valued and supported.
Olga Fuzesi
German Language
Olga is originally from Hungary but spent some time in Germany as a child. She mostly grew up in the UK. She has a BA and a Master’s in Technical and Specialised Translation. She worked in the field of intellectual property translation for several years before retraining as a secondary school teacher of French and German. Olga has a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status. She also works as an IB examiner. Prior to moving to Penang, she worked at international schools in Egypt, China, Thailand and Hungary.
Olga believes in the importance of teaching children new languages as it helps improve their cognitive skills, broadens their career opportunities later in life, and fosters greater understanding and respect between people from different cultural backgrounds.
In her spare time, Olga enjoys sports, learning Portuguese, and visiting friends and family.
Astya S E Rajah
Head of Learning Support
Astya has been passionately committed to teaching children for over ten years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and has worked across EYFS, KS1, and KS2 in International British Schools. In 2016, she gained her first international teaching experience by relocating with her family to teach abroad. Astya believes these diverse experiences have been immensely enriching and rewarding, both personally and professionally. She joined SCIPS in 2019 and is currently the Head of Learning Support. Dedicated to creating an inclusive environment, Astya supports and nurtures students with additional needs by providing targeted interventions in small group settings. Her approach focuses on academic and social growth, while also promoting the emotional and mental well-being of the students.
Outside of teaching, Astya enjoys art, movies, travelling, and spending time with friends and family. She looks forward to another exciting year as part of the SCIPS family.
Ooi Yee Mei
Mandarin Teacher
Yee Mei is from Kedah, Malaysia. She was graduated in 2011 from University Tunku Abdul Rahman(UTAR) with a Bachelor Degree in Chinese Studies (Hons) as well as PGDE from University Tunk Abdul Razak(UNITAR). She has been teaching for more than 10 years in private school and loves to explore teaching in a creative and fun way. Currently, she is a Mandarin teacher from Year 1 to Year 8, and she always believes that ‘no one is perfect but keep practice makes perfect’! During her free time, she enjoys music and mostly she spends her time with her family members. She enjoys cooking and also loves to try to cook with new recipes of food.
Teo Fuh Lin
Cover Teacher
Fuh lin was born in Miri, Sarawak, and raised in Penang. She studied in an international school in Brunei before moving to Penang in 2001. She then finished her primary years at St. Christopher International Primary School and completed her IGCSE in Uplands. Venturing into the realm of teaching, she embraced the role of a Teaching Assistant at an international school for 2 wonderful years. She completed her Bachelors of Education (Hons) Primary Education degree from Wawasan Open University with First Class Honours and capped it off with an inspiring internship at SCIPS. In her free time, she enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with friends and family.
Kyra Teh
Cover Teacher