Another school year, another round of new recruits.
Here are the newest additions to our teaching staff this S.Y. 2023-24!
Jennifer Abel
Dear GESM community,
I am Jennifer Abel, and at 32 years old, I am thrilled to join the GESM team as a teacher, specializing in history, ethics, and German as a foreign language for the German Secondary I. After completing my studies and teaching education in Germany I had the wonderful opportunity to live and work in diverse regions including India and various countries in Africa. This experience has allowed my passion for teaching and exploration to go hand in hand, as in my free time I find great joy in travelling and various sports activities, preferably in nature.
I am excited about working at GESM and living on the beautiful islands of the Philippines, as it promises to be another fantastic experience in my career. I am eagerly looking forward to starting the new school year and making a positive contribution to the vibrant educational environment of the school. Wishing you a pleasant start into the new school year and kind regards!
Kathy Alberto
Ms. Kathy is a licensed teacher since 2003. She has worked for 6 years in the Kindergarten and handled Primary level for more than 9 years. She has also served many years volunteering in kid’s ministry in their church. She aims to provide the children learning experiences that can contribute in the development of their knowledge, skills, and a positive attitude. She loves travelling and spending time with her family and friends during free time.
Terane Babayeva
I am Tarana Babayeva, Grade 1 English section teacher. I am from Baku, Azerbaijan. I have more than 17 years of experience in education and have taught in various international schools in Azerbaijan. I held different roles including English as a foreign language teacher, Early years teacher, Grade 1 mainstream teacher and coordinator. I have a teaching degree from the University of Languages of Azerbaijan. I am TESOL/TEFL, Teaching English in Multilingual context certificated teacher, currently I am a student of University College of London/National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership course. I have 2 sons (12 and 13 years old), spending time with them, playing and travelling together are the best things to do. My hobby is cooking and baking. I like spending time in nature and enjoy all the wonderful moments of beauty.
Adina Liv Berger
Hello everybody :)
My name is Adina, I am 24 years old and I will be visiting GESM this year as a trainee. I studied physical education and music for secondary level in Erfurt/ Germany.
I am an absolute nature lover and outdoor sports enthusiast. I am always up for new activities. I am looking forward to beautiful and shared experiences!
Lea Biesenthal
Dear Colleagues,
Dear Students,
My name is Lea Biesenthal, I'm a SEK I teacher for Biology and Chemistry and have recently finished my teachers training.
I grew up in Ravensburg, that's near the Lake of Constance in southern Germany - (Little Funfact: Do you know Memory, Puzzle or any boardgames with the little blue triangle in the corner on the package? They are all created and produced in my hometown).
Here are a few facts about me:
- To this day one of my most loved hobbies is hiking - I just love nature, mountains and lakes.
- If there's a chance to reach a destination by bike, I'll take it.
- I have played the flute for several years in a local orchestra.
- You can always get my attention with good music
- I'm a fan of tea-hopping (it's the same as coffee-hopping but with drinking tea)
I'm really looking forward to meeting you all in person and hope we have a great school year together!
Veith-Alexander Böttcher
[Excerpt from his Welcome Letter] My name is Veith Böttcher and I am the new head of the German primary school division at the German European School Manila for this academic year. To introduce myself briefly: I am 55 years old, married, and a father of one daughter. At present, I am still in Idar-Oberstein, where I led a primary school with a particular focus. Before this, I served at various international schools. I have also completed training as a school development moderator and, in consultation with the school management and board, I will be in charge of the pedagogical quality management at GESM. I am very much looking forward to my new role and to collaborating well with you!
Angel Javier Carrasco-Dominguez
Greetings! I'm Javier, originally from a small Spanish village. A devoted husband and father of a 2-year old baby boy. Travel, chess, photography, and cooking fill my free time. I'm passionate about languages, both human and computer-based. I have always taught Spanish, Computer Science and Mathematics in International schools. Kind regards, Javier
Ezekiel Chester
I'm Mr Ezekiel Chester from England, and I'll be teaching English Literature and Language at GESM. I've been teaching for a few years now in different settings, and I'm excited to get to know my students over the school year! I love music and singing, and I write songs in my spare time. Fun facts: I love learning languages - if you speak any other languages then please teach me some words and phrases!
Doris Dervin
I feel like being an enthusiastic and caring educator, with a great ability to establish rapport with students, colleagues and parents, based on outstanding communication skills. Encouraging creativity that increases students. Differentiation teaching is my motto giving a chance to every single student to hit the top whatever the starting line. I’ve been a team France coach of FFTB (twirling baton/Cheerleading) since 35 years. I love cooking (healthy), riding horses, Yoga/Meditation.
Noel Gallina
Hello, my name is Noel Gallina, I am the new kindergarten teacher. In my free time I like to explore new places and I prefer to do that by motorcycle. I also like to explore new countries and learn more about their cultures. Otherwise I love to cook, bake and do handicrafts. Now I'm looking forward to the new challenges, experiences and a great time with everyone here.
Rebecca Gillen
Hello everybody! I’m originally from the UK but I’ve been teaching in Asia for nearly 20 years now. I live in Makati with my husband, two sons, our dog and our cat. As a family we enjoy having adventures like camping, scuba diving, wakeboarding and surfing. I love to cook so our home is often full of friends. I am really excited to join the GESM community together with my boys. We’re looking forward to a great year ahead!
Jan David Hamann
My name is Jan Hamann (33) and I recently moved to manila to join the GESM Kindergarten as a pre-primary teacher. In my free time I like to read books, do sports or travel and explore the world. I am looking forward to meeting you all, and I hope for good cooperation!
Tanne Jacometti
My Name is Tanne Jacometti, originally I am Dutch but i grew up most of my life in Switzerland. As my parents moved around a lot all over the world i'm now happy to start my own adventure in the Phillipines! I hope to build a love of learning for my students and provide many challenging, exciting and engaging learning opportunities. It is important to me that children learn about themselves, others and the world they live in.
George Karamalikis
My name is George Karamalikis, and I will be teaching IGCSE and IB Math this year. I was born in Germany, grew up in Canada, have Greek heritage and have been working over 20 years overseas as an international teacher. I am very excited to be working in the Philippines and in GESM, and really look forward to an amazing school year.
Aleksandar Kristovc
My name is Aleksandar Krstovic, and I was born in Augsburg, Germany. That is a town in the southern part of Germany which was founded by the Romans and therefore is over 2000 years old. I teach English and P.E. My favorite sport is basketball. I studied and obtained my teaching degree at the University of Augsburg. I have been teaching since 2006 at different schools in Bavaria, Germany. After teaching for thirteen years at the same school, I am ready for a new challenge. Joining me in this new challenge is my family: my wife and my two kids, who will also be attending GESM. In my free time I like to travel (with my family), do sports, spend quality time with friends, and lots more. I am very much looking forward to working at GESM and meeting all of you in the months to come.
Julia Kristovc
Madeline Lockl
Dear school community, I am thrilled to be joining your campus for the upcoming school year! My name is Madeline, and I hail from the vicinity of Frankfurt, Germany. I am 27 years old, have studied math and biology for secondary section and doing an internship at this school. I absolutely love trying out new sports, it's always thrilling to dive into different activities and challenge myself. Painting is one of my favorite pastimes, and it allows me to unleash my creativity during my free time. I'm also a big fan of immersing myself in various cultural experiences, be it visiting museums, attending concerts, or exploring local traditions. When I'm not pursuing my interests, you can usually find me hanging out with my friends, laughing, and creating unforgettable memories together.
Life is all about exploring and enjoying every moment to the fullest! I'm excited to be a part of this vibrant community and can't wait to get to know each and every one of you! Looking forward to meeting you all soon.
Tom Macha
Dear GESM students, parents and colleagues, it is such a pleasure for me to start working here. My name is Tom Macha, I come from Germany (Dresden) & I am going to teach Music, English, Swimming & Arts at the German primary section. I used to worked in Ho-Chi-Minh-City and in Germany (Jena & Dresden). I want to support children especially to enhance their abilities to present, solve problems and work together as a team. I am a passionate Volleyball player. Looking forward to see you all soon in person!
Louis Pelot Mbiadjeu Tanke
A former professional football player at the Thai Professional League, Louis is GESM's newest sports teacher. Aside from football, he teaches a range of other sports including volleyball and table tennis.
Markus Maleyka
Hallo, ich bin Markus Maleyka und unterrichte die Fächer Musik und DaF in der Sekundarstufe.
Das Auslandsschulwesen ist wirklich spannend, abenteuerlich, man macht immer wieder neue Erfahrungen, ist aber auch gleichzeitig mitunter mit Herausforderungen verbunden. Mittlerweile bin ich zu einem Auslandsschuljunky geworden, der schon mehrere Schulen und Länder kennenlernen durfte. Die Frage: „Wo hat es dir denn am besten gefallen?“ kann man sicher nicht so eindimensional beantworten, denn jedes Land (und jede Schule) hat seine Vorzüge, die man genießen kann, und auch Nachteile, mit denen man sich arrangieren muss. Mit dem Fach Musik, was immer auch mit Auftritten verbunden ist, konnte ich bei Schülern, Eltern und der Schulleitung bislang gut punkten – mal sehen, ob das hier auch klappt. Ich habe einen sehr positiven Eindruck vom (neuen) Kollegium und freue mich auf eine dynamische Zusammenarbeit. Grüße, MM
Fatih Metin
My name is Fatih Metin. I am from İstanbul, Turkey. I will teach biology in Secondary English Section of GESM. I like sailing, swimming, tennis and football. I'm very interested in nature. I am especially interested in sea turtles. I have participated in conservation activities many times and even carried out a sea turtle conservation project in Antalya with the Erasmus+ Youth in Action program. I am looking forward to meeting with my students and all school community.
Uta Morawietz
Hello everyone, dear GESM students, parents and colleagues, I am so grateful for being now part of GESM. I‘m Ms. Uta Morawietz & I come from Germany (Dresden) and I‘m a primary teacher for German, Music, Maths & General education & science. I‘m looking forward to teaching German as a foreign language at the English primary section. I used to work in France (Aix-en-Provence) and I hold a British Bachelor & a German Masters degree. I am convinced that music is a powerful way for learning German and music brings us all closer together. I am a Harry Potter nerd and I love London.☺️ See you all soon on the campus!
Elena Olschewski
Hello everyone :) I’m looking forward to meeting you soon! My name is Elena Olschewski.
E - Eager to teach primary school students in German as a second /foreign language in the German sector
L - loving my 2 cats, my hometown Munich, my second home: the Black Forest and my family
E - emphatic to all kind of animals - that’s why I keep them out of my menu ;)
N - Nature is where I’m the happiest - no matter if in the mountains, at beaches, volcanoes, forests or the ocean
A - admiring the people of the Philippines for their kindness and warm-hearted way
Chria Patrimonio
Chria is a special education teacher described as having "a heart of gold for children, passionate in her teaching profession and upholds values as foundation in life and learning."
She's primary assigned in GESM's English Primary.
Antje Regber
Hi everyone. My name is Antje Regber, I´m 26 years old and from Germany. I´m a social education worker and will be joining the team of the german kindergarten. My hobbys are baking, traveling and taking pictures. I have a baby cat named Chuzzlewit. I´m looking forward to a great time with all the students, teachers and staff at the GESM.
Maximilian Schrievers
Guten Morgen and kumusta ka po? My name is Maximilian Schrievers from Bavaria - Germany and I'm very happy to teach German as a foreign language in the international section of our school this year. I also like to integrate environmental education in my teaching, so there is a wonderful school garden to start some projects. I am looking forward to working in a great team at GESM and meeting my new students. Let's start learning together.
Tyler Smith
Hello everyone! My name is Tyler and I’ll be teaching EAL in the primary section of GESM starting this school year. I am originally from New York (state) but got hooked into teaching English when I moved to South Korea in 2015. Since then I’ve taught in Spain, China, and the U.S. and traveled to 38 countries–so I might have been to yours! I love the outdoors, especially hiking and the beach. In my free time I like to hit the gym, play/watch basketball, explore the city, try new foods, and learn new languages. I'm looking forward to meeting you all! and creates an inclusive environment for all.
Stephanie Steinberg
My name is Stephanie Steinberg and I am from a small town near Dortmund (think: BVB). For the last 8 years, I have been teaching at an International School in Bavaria (but not anywhere near Bayern München). While my education is 100% “Made in Germany”, I have lived and taught in Palestine, Poland, New York City, Berlin and Wales. I have worked a total of 5 years in Boarding Schools and almost 20 years in the IBDP world. I have two sons, one of which joins me at GESM; the other will start university in Germany. My definition of “boring”: feeling too old for an adventure. Let´s go!
Bernhard Wolfisberg
My name is Beni Wolfisberg, I am from Zurich, Switzerland. I have been teaching there History, Languages and Art for many years, before I have moved now to the Philippines so as to work at GESM in different functions. I already have a relation to my new place of living and working because of my wife and my two stepchildren. Tagalog, the Filipino Language, has become my main hobby. I am looking forward to meet you all and to work together in a good way.
Jan Zander
I grew up in the south of Germany, near Stuttgart. I used to work as a carpenter. As such I enjoy working with wood and building furniture. In my free time I am currently studying IT and like to work with 3D printers.
Maja Zander
My name is Maja Zander. I grew up in Ludwigsburg, a city near Stuttgart, Germany. I am a primary teacher. In my free time I like to bake and cook. I also enjoy playing the saxophone.