Administration
Tracy Huang
Head of School
Tracy has led the International School of Charlottesville since June 2007. A veteran Montessori trained teacher, Tracy has over 17 years of teaching experience - in three different languages - in the preschool and primary grades and over 15 years of administrative experience overseeing the development of various educational centers. She was formerly the Assistant Director of the Montessori Child Development Center and the Program Coordinator of LEAP, the gifted and talented program at the Institucion Teresiana, (now the Pedro Poveda College), both in the Philippines. She completed her B.S. and Graduate programs in Psychology and Child and Family Development at the Ateneo de Manila University, the leading Jesuit University in the Philippines. Tracy is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. She is the proud mother of two and enjoys gardening, cooking and playing badminton.
Alicia Anderson
Director of Admissions and Outreach
Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Alicia earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia, studying Government and Politics in addition to course work in multicultural education. While at UVA, she volunteered with Madison House's Migrant Aid tutoring program, sparking her interest in learning about the unique ways young children learn languages. Alicia worked as the Associate Director of College Counseling for The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Florida, where she helped guide high school students through the college admissions process before returning to Charlottesville in 2008. She loves spending time with her family, as well as running, reading, sewing, and eating.
Kim Turner
Business Manager
Kim Turner was born in Washington D.C. and lived in Northern Virginia until the age of 6, before moving to Richmond. While living in Richmond, Kim attended JR Tucker High School, a dual-language immersion school where half of her studies were completed in Spanish (including geometry and world history!). At 17, Kim left Richmond to study abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica. Upon returning to Virginia, she completed her undergraduate studies at UVA where she earned her Bachelor's degree. Kim majored in Spanish at UVA and completed a double-minor in African American Studies and Sociology. Kim later earned her MBA from the University of Maryland/University College while working full-time. She joined the International School in February 2009, first as a long-term substitute teacher and later as an assistant teacher for Spanish Preschool. Kim became the ISC's Business Manager in 2011. When she's not at school, you can find Kim traveling, practicing yoga, cooking, and shopping.
Claire Buisseret
Office Manager
Claire was born in Jamaica where she lived until the age of 12. She then moved to Chicago, where she earned a BA in English and French from Loyola University and a Masters in Education-English & French from Northwestern University. She taught High School English and French in Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans before moving to Charlottesville in 2001, where she and her husband have been raising their 4 children. Claire joined the International School first as a parent with her oldest child in 2002, and has been the administrative assistant since 2006. Claire still has her youngest child in the school. In her "spare time", Claire loves to cook, swim and read. Her next career move will be as a drummer in a rock band...
Teaching Faculty
Toddler Program
Liz Groff
Toddler Class Teacher
Myriam Hernandez
Morning Toddler Class Teacher
Myriam was born in Zacatapec, Moreles, Mexico, where she lived until age 18. She left Zacatapec to study English as a Second Language in San Diego, before returning to Mexico to teach in Cuernavaca, Morelos - "the forever spring city." A veteren Montessori teacher, Myriam began her teaching career here, where she worked at a Montessori school and took additional coursework specifically aimed at Montessori's Infant and Toddler Program for babies, toddlers, and children up to age three. She completed coursework for teaching math to young children in Denver, Colorodo while training other teachers in early chilldhood education, and then completed the Montessori training for Early Childhood (ages 3-6) while also teaching English at a school in Monterrey, Mexico. Myriam taught at a Montessori school in South Carolina, and then here in Charlottesville before joining the ISC in 2010. Active in the community, Myriam has volunteered her time and expertise as an interpreter for UVA Hospital as well as several local courts and churches. Outside of teaching, Myriam loves working with her family as they develop their own small farm, and also enjoys swimming and cooking.
Megan Morton
Toddler Class Teacher
Megan was born in Pennsylvania, but has lived in Virginia for most of her life. She graduated from UVA in 2008 with her B.A. in Art History and French. In May 2011, Megan earned her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University, where she focused primarily on English as a Second Language (ESL) and literacy development. Megan helps with the Afternoon Toddler class, the Aftercare program and teaches English Phonics at ISC. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.
French Program
Sybil Hasson
French Immersion Program Coordinator, French Pre-K/Kindergarten
Sybil was born and raised in France. She earned a Master's Degree in sociology from the University of Paris, and completed teacher training at the IUFM (Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maitres) of Bordeaux in 1996. She taught in preschools and elementary schools in Paris for 7 years before joining our school as the French Prek/K Head teacher in the fall of 2003. When not teaching, Sybil loves to cook and experiment with new recipes.
Geraldine Dane
French Preschool
A native of Paris, Geraldine studied children and geriatric care in France. She first joined the International School in January 2006 as a substitute teacher. Geraldine taught in the toddler class for the 2006-2007 school year, and has taught in the French preschool program since the fall of 2007. Geraldine obtained her Child Development Associate (CDA) degree in June of 2009. She loves spending her free time with friends and family over some tasty French food.
Emily Martin
French Preschool
After receiving her BA in Art History from Hollins University, Emily spent two years teaching English in Normandy, France; first in a high school, then in three primary schools. Afterwards, Emily returned to Paris to study French at the Sorbonne and then to the Ecole du Louvre where she earned her MA in Museum Studies. During this time, she focused her thesis on the photography collection at the Musee d'Orsay, and interned at the French publishing house, Diane de Selliers, where she remains a consultant and Project Manager for the United States and United Kingdom. Emily returned to Virginia in 2010 to teach in the French program at the ISC.
Spanish Program
Alejandra Newell
Spanish Immersion Program Coordinator, Spanish Pre-K/Kindergarten
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Alejandra holds her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Special Education. She has worked extensively with both children and adults with disabilities. She moved to Charlottesville in 2003, and joined the teaching faculty of the ISC in 2007. Alejandra continues to take coursework in education, and in her free time enjoys yoga, crafting, and spending time with her family.
Denise DeMaio
Head Teacher, Spanish Preschool
Sara Moses
Spanish Pre-K/Kindergarten
Sara graduated from Longwood University with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in International Studies. At Longwood, she was a member of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honors Society, for three years. Sara studied abroad at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, focusing on the culture while refining her Spanish language. In Virginia, Sara worked for five years at Wintergreen's Tree House program for children as a ski instructor and counselor. In her free time, Sara enjoys traveling, playing soccer, running, and cooking.
Adele Sanna
Assistant Teacher, Spanish Preschool
Adele was born in Barletta, Italy and earned her BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the University of Siena and her MA in Editing at University of Foreigners in Siena. While in Siena, Adele volunteered with a cultural organization teaching Italian to immigrants and worked as a journalist and member of the editorial staff at a local newspaper. In 2007, Adele left Italy to teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she develped her knowledge of Spanish language. She was a visiting instructor of Italian at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania before coming to Charlottesville in 2009. From 2009-2011, Adele has taught elementary and intermediate Italian at UVA while earning her MA in Italian Studies. Outside of school, she loves reading, watching movies, and writing nursery rhymes for children!
Ali Sullivan
Head Teacher, Spanish Preschool
Ali was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where she received a degree in Social Studies
and Journalism. She moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1994, where she studied education at Purdue University - Indianapolis while teaching Pre-K through 2nd grade at the International School of Indianapolis. At the same time, she taught art appreciation classes and led a home -schooling group in all areas of study. In 1998, Ali moved to South Florida, where she led a homeschooling group for 4-year olds and taught at the Montessori Elementary Charter School in Key West. Ali moved to Charlottesville in the summer of 2009 to be closer to her sister Olga, who also taught at ISC. When not teaching, Ali loves biking, going to art classes, ... and Zumba!
Extra Care Program
Liz Groff
See bio above!
Katy Montminy-Jones
Katy is originally from Canada, where she received her B.A. in Education from the University of Quebec at Three Rivers. She has continued following her passion for education through continued coursework in English as a Second Language (ESL) and instruction at the University of Virginia and PVCC. Katy has been a teacher for over 14 years in both Canada and the United States, primarily working with young children teaching art, art history, and French language. Katy joined the ISC faculty in 2006, and has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University during the past 3 summers, working with high school student in an intensive French language course. Always interested in learning more about cultures and additional languages, Katy has volunteered in Nicaragua, Mexico, and Guatamala, and spends free time pursuing her interest in art, travel, and spending time outdoors.
Megan Morton
See bio above!