Staff Profiles
At TIS, all of our homeroom teachers are native English speakers and are qualified to teach elementary school in their home countries (currently Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States). They also have teaching experience in elementary/junior high school settings and are comfortable working in an international environment.
Teacher Profiles
Mr. Jordan Breithaupt – Grade 5
Mr. Breithaupt is from the State of Idaho, USA and has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (K-8) from Lewis-Clark State College. He knew from a very young age that he wanted to work with children. At the age of 13 his parents decided to become missionaries to Japan. He attended Christian Academy in Japan located in Higashi-Kurume, Tokyo for 4 years until his graduation in 2004. He enjoys life to the fullest and loves Japan very much. His parents still live in Japan in the city of Nagareyama, Chiba. His hobbies are writing music, singing, playing guitar, reading, playing Xbox, and of coarse Karaoke! He is looking forward to a wonderful time in Tsukuba International School.
Mr. Samir Carvalho – Art
Mr. Craig Coleman – Music (Violin)
Mr. Coleman was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. He began his violin studies at an early age and later continued his music studies in New York City as a student at the Mannes College of Music. After graduating from Mannes, he became a member of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and NYC Symphony, and toured Asia in 1988. He is currently performing as a recitalist in Japan and teaching violin in Tsukuba at Coleman Violin Studio.
Mr. Jared Dano – Grade 6-9 English/Humanities
Mr. Dano is from the province of Manitoba, Canada and has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education (K-12) from the University of Manitoba. He has been involved in the field of education from an early start in life. After spending numerous years assisting the family run daycare he decided to work as an early childhood educator while completing his first university degree. Upon completion, he moved to Aomori City where he worked for the Aomori City Board of Education for several years as participant on the JET program before returning to Canada to obtain his Bachelor of Education and CTESL certificate. After completion, there was almost no doubt in his mind that he wanted to return and teach in Japan, a country which he respects and admires. Over the course of the last 5 years Mr. Dano has had experience working at various elementary and junior high schools in Japan as well as junior high schools and high schools in Canada, not to mention experience in other private schools overseas. Mr. Dano believes that there is no other job in the world that is as rewarding as teaching. He wishes the best for all of his students in their academic and personal lives.
Mr. Youichi Henbo – Music (Recorder)
Ms. Akane Kono – Japanese
Ms. Peggy Marsh – Grade 2, PYP Coordinator, Vice Principal
Miss Peggy Marsh has over 14 years experience working in a variety of international schools and countries. She graduated in her home country of England in 1997 with a BA(Hons) QTS degree in Environmental Science. For the past 4 years she has been working at a PYP school in Tokyo. Miss Marsh believes in the philosophies of the IB curriculum and that all children should be taught to question and inquire into the world in which they live. Miss Marsh’s hobbies are reading, hiking and diving. She also goes jogging and was in the Tokyo Marathon in 2010, though she does it for exercise rather than enjoyment.
Ms. Rio Nagakura – Grade 3
Ms. Nagakura was born in Tokyo, Japan. After spending part of her childhood in America, she enrolled in Seisen International School and graduated from Sophia University with a degree in Comparative Culture (concentration in Literature). While working on a documentary of an immersion school at The Film School of Tokyo, she knew that she wanted nothing else but to become a classroom teacher. Subsequently she obtained her graduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. Her career teaching English to English Language Learners spans over a decade and she never ceases to be amazed at how much students are capable of achieving. She feels the students of TIS are fortunate to be living in Tsukuba, which provides the perfect backdrop of nature and educational prominence. Ms. Nagakura enjoys reading, studying Spanish, traveling, cooking, watching documentaries, being adventurous, and teaching herself to play the ocarina. She also has a slight fascination with garden snails.
Ms. Cheryl Okubo – Art
Mr. Stephen Okyne – Grade 4
Mr. Okyne is from New York. He has a Bachelor of Science (Behavioral Science) and a Masters of Science degree in Education which includes New York certification for grades 1-6. He has worked in public schools there and in Japan. He is a dedicated, resourceful and goal driven professional educator with a solid commitment to the social and academic growth and development of every student. Mr. Okyne enjoys listening to music, gardening, basketball and good game of football, American of course! Although, he is not a great cook, he does like to experiment and try new dishes. He likes to travel and his journeys have taken him to Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, Ghana, Thailand and England among other places. Mr. Okyne enjoys meeting new people and exploring different cultures.
Mr. David Onuoha – Physical Education
Ms. Jennifer Sadler – Music
Mr. Goro Sakaguchi – Grade 6-9 Math/Science
Mr. Sakaguchi was born in Shizuoka, Japan and spent most of his childhood years in the United States. After completing his compulsory education, he returned to Japan and studied Geology at University of Shizuoka. He achieved his Diploma and teaching qualification in 1995, and since then, he taught at various schools and institutions both domestic and abroad. Mr. Sakaguchi has 7 years of teaching experience in the IB MYP Program and he is very excited to implement the philosophy at TIS. On holidays he loves to travel, but on weekends, he cooks, swims, plays the piano, takes photos and much more.
Ms. Dianne Suzuki – Grade 1
With three uncles as teachers influencing her childhood it’s no surprise that Ms. Suzuki dreamed of one day becoming a teacher. Graduating from Northern Rivers CAE (Southern Cross University) with a Diploma of Teaching, Dianne set her sights overseas and found herself teaching English in Japan. Dianne was involved in TIS in its infancy, initially as a volunteer teacher, then a part time teacher, then finally as principal teacher before leaving to concentrate on her own family. Dianne’s many years as a teacher in a variety of settings and as a parent gives her a unique insight into the challenges that multi-lingual, multicultural and internationally-minded families face in Japan when trying to find the right educational setting for their children. Dianne is excited to be back at TIS to see the school grow and become what its founders dreamed it to one day be. “Education is not the filling of a bucket but rather the lighting of a fire”.
Administrative Staff
Ms. Shaney Crawford – Principal
Ms. Crawford is originally from Canada. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Language and Linguistics from Queen’s University (Canada) and a Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Tsukuba. She originally came to Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) on the JET Programme in Fukushima Prefecture in 1995, and has since worked as a Co-ordinator for International Relations at an international association and a translator at the National Institute for Environmental Studies. She enjoys the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment with highly motivated teachers and students. She is currently working on a PhD in Library and Information Science.
Ms. Joanne Handa – School Manager
Ms. Hisae Kitazawa – Financial Officer
Mr. Shinji Yagishita – Administrative Assistant
