TIS Staff
The staff at Tohoku International School have origins as varied as our students. Although most of our staff comes from the United States, also represented are Australia, Canada, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore, and South Africa. Each member of staff brings many years of teaching experience. Scroll down to get to know them a little better, or choose the appropriate section:
Elementary Team |
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Ms. Justina Ikpe |
Ms. Yu Towery |
Ms. April Sekine |
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Please check back later | Please check back later | Please check back later |
TIS Role: Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Ikpe is from Abia, Nigeria. She attained her Bachelor of Education specialising in Education Management and English. Prior to arriving at TIS, Ms. Ikpe spent seven years teaching Kindergarten, Elementary and Junior High School in Nigeria and Japan. Ms. Ikpe’s interests include cooking and sports. She is especially fond of soccer. A book she likes: The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg) |
TIS Role: Grade 1-2 Teacher
Ms. Towery was born in Sendai, Japan. Ms. Towery’s interests include travelling and skiing. A book she likes: Love You Forever (Robert Munsch) |
TIS Role: Grade 3-4 Teacher
Ms. Sekine grew up in Cupertino, California. Ms. Sekine’s interests include reading, crocheting, and sewing. A book she likes: Penguin (Polly Dunbar) |
Ms. Ali Gabrenya |
Ms. Dianna Dawson |
Mr. Henrik Hansson |
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Get to know Ms. Gabrenya | Please check back later. | Please check back later. |
TIS Role: Grade 5-6 Teacher
Ms. Gabrenya is from Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Ms. Gabrenya’s interests include hiking, art, skiing and gardening. A book she likes: Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami) |
TIS Role: Assistant Teacher
Ms. Dianna Dawson is from Melbourne, Australia. In her free time, Ms. Dawson enjoys collecting miniatures. A book she likes: Tomorrow When the War Began (series) (John Marsden) |
TIS Role: Music Teacher
Mr. Henrik Hansson is from Lönsboda, Sweden. Mr. Hansson’s interests include vintage music-tech (analog synthesizers in particular), F1 racing, and watching documentaries. A book he likes: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Haruki Murakami) |
Ms. Yuki Konno |
Ms. Shoko Nogami |
Ms. Rukiye Sonmez |
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Please check back later. | Please check back later. | Please check back later. |
TIS Role: Japanese Teacher
Ms. Konno was born in Sendai, Japan. Ms. Konno’s interests include doing yoga and playing volleyball. A book she likes: カラフル(森絵都)(Eto Mori) |
TIS Role: EAL / Japanese Assistant Teacher
Ms. Nogami was born in Kyoto, Japan. In her free-time, Ms. Nogami enjoys visiting shrines and temples. A book she likes: Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery) |
TIS Role: Assistant Teacher / PE Teacher
Ms. Sonmez is from Turkey. Prior to arriving at TIS, Ms. Sonmez taught at international schools in Osaka and Yokohoma, before becoming a stay-at-home mother. She moved to Sendai in 2021 and attended an intensive Japanese language school. Ms. Sonmez’s interests include both driving and reading. A book she likes: The Girl with Blue Hair (Shahana J. De La Mota) |
Secondary Team |
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Mr. Joshua Bengtson |
Mr. Zane Clifford |
Mr. Jonathan Dawson |
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Get to know Mr. Bengtson | Get to know Mr. Clifford | Please check back later | |
TIS Role: Art Specialist / Secondary Japanese Teacher
Mr. Bengtson was born in Akita, Japan. Mr. Bengtson’s interests include Oil Painting, Jomon Pottery, Hiking, Skiing, Rocks and Fossils. A book he likes: 窓際のトットちゃん (Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window) (Tetsuko Kuroyanagi) |
TIS Role: Mathematics Teacher / IT Coordinator
Mr. Clifford was born in Durban, South Africa. Mr. Clifford’s interests include gaming, Go, working out and Aikido. A book he likes: The Dresden Files (Jim Butcher) |
TIS Role: Science Teacher
Mr. Dawson is from Melbourne, Australia. Mr. Dawson’s interests include Gaming, Webtoons, Magic, Space, Girls’ Generation. A book he likes: The Icewind Dale Trilogy (R.A. Salvatore) |
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Mr. Stephen Messano |
Ms. Aria Shimada |
Ms. Lies Van Keer |
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Get to know Mr. Messano | Please check back later | Get to know Ms. Van Keer | |
TIS Role: Mathematics / Music / Drama Teacher
Mr. Messano grew up in San Jose, California. In his free time, Mr. Messano enjoys Dungeons & Dragons, jazz music, murder-mystery parties, travelling, and spending quality time with friends. A book he likes: The Chronicles of Prydain (Lloyd Alexander) |
TIS Role: Mathematics / Chemistry Teacher
Ms. Shimada is from Hong Kong. Prior to arriving at TIS, Ms. Shimada has taught Advanced-level / A-level Chemistry, middle years Science and college-level Liberal Studies. Ms. Shimada’s interests include Hiking, Art, Skiing and Gardening. A book she likes: A Long Walk to Freedom (Nelson Mandela) |
TIS Role: Geography / History and P.E.H Teacher
Ms. Van Keer was born in Belgium, but considers Turner Valley, Alberta, Canada to be her hometown. Ms. Van Keer’s interests include steel pan, suzume odori, knitting and crocheting. A book she likes: Any “Sherlock Holmes” story (Arthur Conan Doyle) |
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Mr. Chris Vassbotn |
Mr. Clayton Noel Wildy |
Mr. Robert Zehmke |
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Get to know Mr. Vassbotn | Please check back later. | Please check back later. | |
TIS Role: Grade 7-8 English / Geography and P.E.H Teacher
Mr. Vassbotn was born in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Vassbotn’s interests include sports and music. A book he likes: Trainspotting (Irvine Welsh) |
TIS Role: EAL Specialist Teacher
Mr. Wildy was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Mr. Wildy is a film-maker and professional musician (vocalist and guitarist) who has appeared in TV, magazines and billboards. A book he likes: Timequake (Kurt Vonnegut) |
TIS Role: English Teacher
Mr. Zehmke is from Stellenbosch, South Africa. Mr. Zehmke is a poetry lover who enjoys Progressive Metal music, playing guitar, drawing, and exploration – both internally and externally. A book he likes: Time Out of Joint (Philip K. Dick, 1959) |