Mrs Bonita Smith is an experienced early years educator of 17 years for children aged birth to 6 years old. She has been an Assistant Manager and Head Teacher of two Nursery schools in Dubai since moving from her home country, South Africa, in 2015.

Mrs Smith has early years teaching experience from South Africa, has been a manager of a Kumon tutoring centre specialising in English and Mathematics, helped start up a  school, and once owned her own business, which consisted of party hire items.

Mrs Smith completed her 3 year Early years Diploma in South Africa in 2005 and has also studied her Cache level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Children and Young People Services. Mrs Smith is currently completing her PGCE(i) through Nottingham University, England.

Mrs Smith has also achieved her certificate in Making the PYP Happen and has multiple professional development certificates ranging from ‘Child Protection’ to ‘Raising an Early Reader.’

Over  the  years  Mrs  Smith  has  offered many professional development workshops to her work

colleagues, from successful    potty training, resilience, and wellbeing, and most recently offered a workshop on “How to communicate with Early Years Students” to her work colleagues at Dwight.

Mrs Smith holds a passion for teaching young children and is always aiming high to maintain her knowledge in the constantly changing world of early years, and especially her relationships with parents and students.

Outside of work Mrs Smith can often be found at the swimming pool or beach enjoying time with her family.

Ms. Jeannie Tackett is a dedicated and energetic educator who has been working with children from infants to grade 6 for 23 years. Ms. Tackett hails from the United States and calls both Ohio and Florida home. Ms. Tackett graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education (K-6). She continued her studies while living and traveling abroad, earning a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction through the University of Phoenix. Mrs Tackett holds a Professional Early Childhood Teaching License (P-3) from the State of Ohio, and Professional Educator Certificate in Elementary Education (K-6), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement from the State of Florida. Ms. Tackett has experience teaching and mentoring student teachers, and has worked as an early years coordinator in American and IB curriculum schools in the UAE. She continues to participate in many workshops, training, and continuing education courses. Her visits to early childhood centers in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and her Reggio Emilia Study Group participation have inspired her. Ms. Tackett is passionate about early literacy and spends her free time reading about current best practices and topics related to phonics and the science of reading. She is currently developing her understanding of strength-based strategies for supporting students with neurodiversity in the classroom setting. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, cooking and, at present, learning to roller skate (again). She loves sharing her passion for cooking and reading with children in afterschool programs.

Ms. Lisa Collery is an experienced primary school teacher. Ms. Collery completed one year of Montessori teaching, at the Montessori College of Ireland, followed by completing her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Care and Education at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland. Later, Ms Collery completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Primary Education at St Mary's University, Twickenham, London. Ms. Collery brings experience, in the early years and primary years education, using both the Irish and English National Curriculums. Ms Collery also brings with her teaching experience in Special Educational Teaching. Ms. Collery enjoys getting involved with after school activities and is delighted to be organising a soccer club starting in September. She also believes it is vital to promote a positive mindset in the classroom to encourage students to receive their full potential. Outside of work Ms. Collery loves adventures, sightseeing and travelling. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and relaxing with a book.

Ms. Valerie Jansen has been working in an international IB school in Northern Italy for the past 4 years. Ms. Jansen completed her Bachelor’s Degree in International Teacher Education for Primary school (ITEps) at Stenden University in The Netherlands. ITEps is the first Bachelor Degree course that trains students to become teachers in international schools. During her time in university, Ms Jansen gained valuable teaching experience in both Dutch and international schools. She did internships at international IB and IPC schools in London, Como, Amsterdam and The Hague. She completed an academic minor in Special Needs Education which she studied for half a year in Denmark and completed a course in Mathematics in The Netherlands. Ms Jansen is currently working in the Early Years in an IB school based in Juventus Village. She had several other roles at this school during her first years as an assistant, such as teaching after school support lessons in Mathematics and I was a mentor for a Juventus College student. As a teacher she also led workshops to encourage and educate colleagues during staff training and has completed several courses related to the IB, Apple, Child Development and Behavioural Management. She is committed to the wider school community and regularly volunteers to help organise school events. Outside of work Ms Jansen loves to travel, enjoys eating out, spending time with friends and family and hiking. She also loves art and particularly enjoys teaching children to use their creativity at school. She brings enthusiasm and strives to create a positive classroom environment promoting her students to be confident individuals, through an inquiry-based approach to learning to freely explore the world around them.

Ms. Dahlia Mahouk completed her undergraduate degree ni Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of Sharjah, UAE, and worked ni the medical field for 4 years before making the transition to education. She studied for her PGCEi at the University of Nottingham, England. Ms. Mahouk has been teaching grade 1 for the l ast 2 years and has a solid background in supporting children transitioning from the Early Years Program to the Primary Years Program. Her teaching ethos is focused on differentiating learning and meeting the varying academic/social-emotional needs of children. Ms. Mahouk focuses on building strong foundation skills across all subject areas in an IB style of teaching where the students are encouraged to lead their own learning process. Ms. Mahouk has completed a wide array of professional development courses ranging from Literacy and Math focused training to being a Seesaw Ambassador and Apple Teacher. She is also an EdConnect Regional Hub Leader (Middle East and Africa) which is a Global Network for Early Career Professionals in Education. Outside of work Ms. Mahouk manages a teaching blog on Social Media where she gets to share ideas and collaborate with teachers from all over the world. Ms. Mahouk also enjoys spending time working on her digital art. She uses her art and creative technology skills to create teaching resources that she uses in the classroom and shares with other teachers through her Social Media platforms.

Mrs Alana Fisher has been working at the school this term but will be officially joining the school as a PYP Homeroom Teacher in August. Mrs Fisher was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and has been living in Dubai for the past 10 years. Mrs Fisher is an experienced primary school teacher with 9 years experience teaching in Dubai. Mrs Fisher completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology at the University of Sir Wilfred Laurier in Canada. She then completed her studies for her Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Outside of work Mrs Fisher enjoys learning new culinary skills and trying the newest restaurants in the city. She also enjoys spending time exploring the outdoors with her family.

Mrs. Yolandi Schoeman received a Bachelor's Degree in Education from the Northwest University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. She is a KDHA certified educator with 13 years experience, 3 of which here in the UAE. Mrs. Schoeman has a true passion for working with learners; helping each child progress in all areas of their development. She strives to create a community of learners that nurtures this growth in a positive, fun environment. As a true South African she loves the outdoors and sport and is always up for a challenge. Mrs Schoeman is looking forward to working together as a partner in a child’s growth and development.

David Highcock has been teaching at the primary level since 2014 in Scotland and Qatar. He holds a Bsc Hons in Sport and Exercise Science and a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary Education from the University of Dundee and has been inspired as a practitioner by the P4C model (Philosophy for Children) and the ideals of Socratic questioning. Most recently, he worked at Newton British Academy, an international school in Doha, Qatar. David is from Scotland and speaks English.

Ms. Teonna Lee, a dynamic twelve-year veteran, is an experienced school leader whose excellence in teaching the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and Common Core Curriculum has contributed to greater than expected growth in her students. She has held leadership positions in US schools and offers peers support through her collegiality and judgement free expertise. Ms. Lee completed her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She then went on to obtain her master’s degree in Educational Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City as well. During her time in college Ms. Lee made a lifetime commitment to service the world through her sorority, contributed to her community through a variety of impactful projects and was a student athlete with recognized success. Ms. Lee brings a variety of experience to the classroom. She has taught 6 of her 12 years of teaching in the UAE as a Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 teacher. She has obtained her TESOL, International Baccalaureate Certification, and International Driver’s License for computer essentials, online essentials, and word processing. Understanding success in athletics is about confidence as well as skill, she successfully coached her student athletes to multiple awards, including the Double Dutch State Championship twice. Ms. Lee has currently travelled to 43 countries and plans to resume travel as soon as possible. Only 152 more to go! She enjoys helping others plan their travels, sports, adventure outings and trying foods from other cultures.

As a teacher Mr Roel Roberts’ philosophy is putting the student first and focusing on student centered learning. As a teacher that has taught both Canadian Curriculum and in the IB he definitely sees the benefits of student-initiated learning and student voice. As education continues to change and shift the centre of that is student empowerment and engagement which comes with the challenges and student interest. Coming from Asia where English is a second or even third language, he knows the importance of developing understanding with languages and using specific techniques to help his E.A.L Learners and embrace their mother tongues as well. Focusing on the student, giving his expectations and creating class expectations in a safe learning environment is pivotal. Mr Robert’s believes with the role of a Primary teacher the PYP attitudes and attributes are a great way to help shape young minds and create global citizens. Helping make independent lifelong learners and really focus on the development of the whole student. Mr Robert’s goal is to cultivate and inspire his students and school community. So, the way he sees it is that he should be able to include parents in the learning environment and keep consistent communication with the parents about what is going on in class. Also celebrating the successes of students instead of only the negatives. Working with colleagues to plan units and share ideas in a collaborative environment is a great way to connect and improve the learning environment. Building relationships are a huge part of Mr Robert’s beliefs as a teacher and he believes in creating positive relationships with administration, colleagues, parents, and students. Mr Robert’s finds extracurricular a great way to connect with students outside of the classroom and get to know them, especially with coaching sports in high school as well.

Mr. Daniel McGrath is an experienced educator entering his 10th year of teaching. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Emory University and holds a Masters in Education from the University of West Florida. Most recently, Mr. McGrath has been teaching at a PYP School in Muscat, Oman. Prior to that, he taught in Singapore and South Korea. Mr. McGrath enjoys teaching internationally, and especially enjoys being an IB educator. Having graduated from the IB Diploma program himself, he uses his experience in the IB DP program to inform his instruction in the PYP. He looks forward to working closely with parents to discuss the demands of the IB as well as its myriad benefits: approaching this discussion with a personal perspective. Daniel has spent the last 3 years leading students through the PYP Exhibition, the capstone inquiry unit which all PYP students complete before entering the MYP. He plans to use this experience to help his students develop the necessary skills to independently inquire into the world and their own interests. Mr. McGrath looks forward to participating in and leading professional development workshops at Dwightl. He also brings along his varied experience in the entertainment industry, having over a decade’s experience in show production for both amateur and professional theatre and comedy shows. He hopes to capitalise on his experience writing stand up comedy (for which he has won an award) to make his classroom entertaining and the material engaging. He will enjoy using his enthusiasm for basketball to help the afterschool program. He would also be interested in helping students develop their public speaking skills in an after school activity.

Ms. Noha Shehab joins the team with a passion for teaching and 10 years of experience as an educator in Lebanon and Dubai. Ms. Shebab completed her undergraduate degree in Education, with an emphasis in English, at the American University of Beirut and then pursued her Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling. Ms. Shebab has pursued professional development through Harvard’s Project Zero and has participated in workshops about differentiation and research. Prior to joining Dwight School Dubai, Ms. Noha taught English as a PRE-IB teacher. She was actively involved in curriculum review and design. She also designed authentic tasks for collaborative problem solving by collecting, analyzing data in classroom contexts and developing material for professional development. Ms. Shebab brings with her an experience in teaching and the passion for it to guide learners to become inquirers who ask questions and find answers through research and reflection. She will also be participating in an after school activity as part of curriculum provision. Outside of work, Ms. Shebab likes to spend time playing basketball, hiking and reading as a way to maintain a positive mindset and a healthy lifestyle. Ms. Shebab is originally from Lebanon and speaks Arabic and English.

Ms. Elizabeth Fairleigh has 5 years' experience teaching the International Baccalaureate Programme in Dubai schools. Ms. Fairleigh gained a Masters of Visual Art with a specialty in Painting and Art Theory from Sydney University, in Australia, before working in the commercial art world for several years. An interest in the importance of quality art education led her to complete a Bachelor of Teaching from Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia. Ms. Fairleigh is trained in both PYP and MYP curriculum delivery and is committed to motivate and progress young people in their creative and academic lives. When not teaching (and prior to Covid restrictions), Ms Fairleigh is an enthusiastic traveler, particularly to art centric destinations. She lives in Dubai with her husband, 3 teenage sons and a beloved menagerie of pets.

Doaa Salah has been teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies since completing her BA in Arabic Language and Islamic Sciences from Cairo University, Egypt in 2007.  Most recently, she worked at Collegiate American School, Dubai.  Ms. Ibrahim is a native of Egypt and speaks Arabic and English.

Ms. Samar khalil is an experienced Arabic teacher, with experience in the development and delivery of language programs to a wide variety of students with diverse backgrounds, from beginners to advanced language learners. Ms. Khalil worked in Syria as a teacher of the Arabic language for preparatory and high school for 7 years. In 2017, she moved to work in Dubai and has been working in International schools teaching Arabic for native speakers. Ms. Khalil has a diploma in education and a bachelor degree in Arabic Language and Literature, from Syria. Ms. Khalil is a certified Apple Teacher. She has attended many courses that contributed to the development of her teaching skills in accordance with the requirements of the United Arab Emirates and the International Baccalaureate curriculum. This includes PYP and IB training. Outside of school, Ms. Khalil loves cooking, especially cooking Arabic food and making delicious oriental sweets. She loves nature to a great extent and enjoys reading a book under the shade of a tree and listening to birds' sounds. Ms. Khalil often takes students outside the classroom to enjoy reading Arabic stories in the sunshine or on the green grass by the playground.

Safeera Aslam is a trained librarian with over 10 years of experience in the UAE as well as several years of teaching experience in India. She holds an MA in Library and Information Science and a BA in Education, Home Science, and Library and Information Science. Most recently, she worked at Emirates International School, Dubai as the PYP Librarian. Ms. Aslam is from India and speaks English, Hindi, Malayalam and Arabic.

Ms. Rihua Jin is a passionate Mandarin teacher with 10 years of teaching experience in China and UAE. Ms. Jin achieved her undergraduate degree in education at Hebei University in China, and completed master’s degree in Educational Psychology at Yonsei University in Korea before working in a public school in Beijing. Ms. Jin was handpicked by the school and sent to UAE public school sectors for having a comprehensive understanding of teaching and learning. She helped to establish Mandarin curriculum frameworks in all ADEK public schools. She also studied Making Learning Visible in Harvard Graduate School of Education and successfully applied her new understanding in her classroom to help children to reach their potential. Ms. Jin enjoys calligraphy and drawing. She likes to use water ink to write in different artistic styles of Chinese words, and particularly write famous poems and draw watercolor paintings.

Mrs Bertha Silot is a highly organized, outcome-driven and motivated professional Music Teacher with substantial experience in the classroom. She joined Dwight School Dubai in August 2020 and has been teaching Music across different ages from Early Years till University for the past 14 years in various places around the world: Cuba, Serbia, and in the UAE for the past six years. Mrs Silot holds a BA in Music from the University of Arts in Havana, Cuba, and a Post Graduate Teaching Certificate in International Education from the University of Nottingham, England. She speaks Spanish, English, Serbian and basic Italian. Throughout her teaching career, Mrs Silot has been driven to help students to achieve their very best. She believes that Music has the power to change lives – to enhance the social, cultural and spiritual lives of people, and serve as a profound medium of personal expression. Apart from her professional musical skills, such as playing the piano, guitar, recorder, ukulele and percussion instruments, she has experience teaching in all instruments, conducting choirs and ensembles, as well as organizing music festivals and school concerts. Mrs Silot is a passionate classical guitar player. During her time in Cuba, she used to perform often. In Dubai she has performed in multiple venues with the most recent being the Dubai Opera House as a guest artist with the symphonic orchestra of Armenia; the Music of the Gladiator Movie under the direction of the American conductor Justin Freer. This year Mrs Silot started a Classical Guitar Ensemble at Dwight School with selected students that have passion about playing classical guitar and she is planning to have a School Choir for the upcoming year. Outside of school hours Mrs Silot loves to spend time with her family, to read and travel as well as continuously looking into professional growth and how to best support her students.

Mr. Anthony Washington is an experienced fitness instructor, basketball coach and former collegiate level basketball player. He has worked as a coach, teacher and mentor for the last 5 years in his hometown of Illinois, USA, and in the UAE gaining experience with primary and secondary students, and young adult learners. Mr. Washington completed his undergraduate degree in Physical Education at Purdue University Northwest in Indiana, USA. He went on to work for his former High School, Lake Central High as a PE instructor and coach of the Basketball and Athletics team, where he was able to lead both teams to division championships. Mr. Washington brings with him a wealth of coaching, mentorship and fitness experience. Through his work over the last 5 years he has had the opportunity to work with students from various backgrounds helping to shape his teaching style to fit the needs of all students. Mr. Washington has a personal philosophy that he likes to apply to his relationships with the students; and that is to “Lead by Example”. He believes that by setting the proper example for the students, he is able to build rapport that encourages students to go the extra mile. Mr. Washington has lived in the UAE since 2016 and outside of work he enjoys playing basketball, exercising every day and spending time with family.