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Faculty and Staff

Who are Seisen Staff?

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Global

25 Nationalities represented on staff

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TCKs

Many staff identify as Third Culture Kids

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Parents

Staff send their children to Seisen

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Legacy

Seisen alumni return after university to join the staff

Our Teachers

Just a few of the talented members of our learning community

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Ms. Magtalas, Kindergarten

"I have been teaching for 17 years. But before being a teacher, I was actually into tv, radio, theater and film productions. Then I came to live in Japan permanently and worked at a different international school. 

And then I fell in love with the PYP method and with learning about the different early childhood learning approaches. And that was when my journey into teaching and being a teacher began. For me being in this field is more than just about helping children learn.

Being a teacher is being a part of a compassionate and caring community. It is about helping children realize that they are capable and that their ideas matter and give them the support to develop their potential.

Being a teacher is more than just being able to teach. For me it has always been about being able to prioritize having good and respectful relationships with your students and the people in your learning community. 

Being a teacher is not just about academics. I love seeing the children develop the skills of independence, self-confidence and resilience and then use these skills to make friends, try new things and to keep trying, a willingness to respect others and the ability to deal with the successes and failures they experience in and out of the classrooms.

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Ms. Tontcheva, Kindergarten

"I am from Bulgaria and I have been teaching kindergarten since 1994.
I knew that I wanted to be a teacher at the age of fourteen. The reason I love teaching this age group is because everything begins in Kindergarten. This is a very special time in a person's life when the foundation for future learning is laid. It's really inspiring being in a Kindergarten classroom. Seeing the children's enthusiasm for life, innocence and curiosity about the world reassures me of a better, peaceful tomorrow. Coming from a small country I truly appreciate the opportunity to work in a vibrant international environment. I have learnt so much and grown both as a teacher and a person here at Seisen.


At Seisen every child is valued as an individual and is given opportunities to develop his/her unique strengths and talents, while being an important member of the community."

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Mr. Bevan, DP Coordinator

“I never aspired to becoming a teacher, but it was something I naturally fell into. I left school at 18 and joined the Royal Air Force before moving on to study History at university. After graduating and coaching soccer in the US & Canada I worked with some people who were going to teach English in Japan which sounded like a great idea to me as it meant I could keep travelling, plus returning to the UK and working in an office environment never really appealed to me. After my coaching experiences and teaching English here in Japan for a few years I realized I was reasonably good at it and went back to the UK to become qualified."

"Seisen believes in, "educating the whole child", which means that while academics are important we are not an exam factory. As a teacher here for 8 years and being a parent of a Seisen student for the past four years this is evident in the students interest in service and community building. Seisen students are aspirational but conscious of how their words and actions impact the local and global community."

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Ms. Wilk, Science

"I thought I wanted to be a vet or a chemist when I was in high school, and that is why I chose chemistry as my area of study. When I was in university, I did some volunteer works in China and Canada helping students learning English in summer camps. I found out that I love helping and working with people, more than doing research in the lab. Young people are especially inspiring to me because of their curiosity, energy, and passion. That why I decided to be a teacher.
One of the main reasons that I chose Seisen to work at is because of its mission to cultivate students to be compassionate players in our global society. Being an educator that cares about the environment, I believe our students play a crucial role in the stewardship of nature. I have been very excited to be able to help to students in finding practical ways to take care of the environment."

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Ms. Grantham, P.E.

"I have been a physical educator for 20 years. As a physical educator, I believe in and I am committed to bringing out the best in all my students and to develop them holistically through fun, engaging and enjoyable health and physical education activities. My love for children and my passion for teaching stems from my early childhood days of using my vivid imagination to pretend that I am a teacher giving instructions, often using my sibling (who politely obliged each time), as a student. Growing up in Singapore and being surrounded by the lush greenery in my garden city often gave my parents opportunities to expose me to the outdoor environment where tree climbing and ocean swimming were great weekend escapes from the hustle and bustle of a busy Singaporean lifestyle. As such, my love for physical activity and sport was developed from a young age and it has been my commitment and mission to pass that on to my students, knowing that I can impact upon them so positively.

It has always been a dream of mine to teach and live in Japan. The fascinating beauty and culture of the place, people and food has always been so appealing to me. When a position was made available at Seisen International School, I immediately looked at the Seisen mission and identified with how as a Catholic teacher, I am able to embody the spirit of Christ to support students in developing their unique talents in becoming 'competent and compassionate players in our global society' especially through PE and sport. As an international school educator, I feel privileged to work with remarkable students and staff from diverse backgrounds and my calling has brought me to Seisen International School with the aim of 'empowering my students through the shared responsibility' we have as teachers.

I am excited and blessed to be a part of the Seisen International School community and my journey has only just begun!"