Top Row (From Left): Denu, Lin, Chris
Middle: (From Left): Emy, Jac
Bottom: (From Left) Peggy, Soo Leng, Dr. Choy

We are excited to welcome our newest members to the board!
Chris Wright: Chair Person
Chris returns to the SENIA Malaysia board after a year’s absence. With a focus on mindfulness and being aware of present experiences, she advocates for the value and dignity of all people. Chris believes in always presuming competence first. She is passionate about children believing in themselves and become their own problem solvers.

Jacqueline Vincent: Membership Coordinator
Jacqueline leads the Inclusion Department in an international school based in Malaysia empowering teachers through collaboration to teach in diverse classrooms while ensuring students are well assimilated both academically and socially.

Emy Hieber: Penang Representative
For the last 6 years, I have lived and worked in Penang with Dalat International School. I am the coordinator for Learning Support. My husband and I have two cats,  many fish, and dozens of plants to keep us company. I’m passionate about neurodiversity and empowering learners to advocate for their needs and embrace their own way of being in the world.

Denu Sankey: Local Network Coordinator (Community Outreach)
Denu is the Head of Inclusion & SENCo at Epsom College in Malaysia. She is also the proud mother of a 13 year old with additional learning needs.

Soo Leng: Social Media Coordinator
Beh Soo Leng is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and holds a Master of
Science in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been working with individuals with autism
since 2011. Currently, she is a program supervisor at SEED Autism Services. She plans
and manages Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), behavior support plans and
provide training to therapists, parents and other members of the community.

Returning Members:
Peggy Lam: Corporate Secretary
Peggy is currently the Lead Coach and a Special Education Consultant at Bridging Hope Transition Learning Centre. She now focuses her work on teenagers, adolescents and adults with learning differences. Her biggest desire is to help them live independently and dreams of starting an independent living community in Malaysia to cater to them. She aims to help them understand how unique they are despite their challenges and make a difference in their lives. She enjoys exploring alternative strategies to work with individuals and believes in creating awareness and advocate for the welfare of individuals.

Lin Khuan: Treasurer
Lin has been in the educational line for about 35 years spanning her experience from teaching toddlers all the way to elementary. She is a passionate educator who strives for quality education that is beyond academic excellence, that every child should be given an opportunity to learn and that the child is the most important person in the school.  She believes that every child will succeed when careful observation is done followed strongly by teacher –parent-led approach.

Fortunately for us, two of our founders of the board,  Kate Balsamo and Dr. Choy, and last year’s chair Lizzie Hudson will remain on as advisors to SENIA Malaysia this year!

Did you receive the October newsletter? If not, please email us soon OR read the image above!

Have you seen that there are now 2 conferences to choose from? One is virtual (December) and one is in person (March)!

Be sure to go to the main SENIA page to get more information about the conferences.

Will you host a watch party or would you like to join another school’s party?

SENIA International

Hosting a Watch Party!  <—-LEARN MORE HERE!

 

 

Autumn has arrived and brought cooler weather and beautiful colors. With it, the time for collaborating and supporting one another is here! While our meetings are virtual these days, we can still encourage our colleagues and share resources.

SENIA Korea’s October meeting is coming soon.

We look forward to

  • planning for the  SENIA 2021 Conference watch parties
  • sharing “what works for us” with others
  • asking and answering questions
  • being a support system

Happy Fall!

 

Learn more about the conference at SENIA Int’l

 

My name is Trinidad Vásconez; I was born and raised in Ecuador and pursued my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). During my career and time in Chicago, my main emphasis was Art Education and Arts Administration within different contexts such as schools (private, public, suburban), museums, and other learning spaces.
I have been working as an ES Art teacher for the past five years in Ecuador (American School of Quito and Academia Cotopaxi) and have contributed to the public and private sectors through Art Education projects.
As both an artist and an Art Educator, I find myself navigating through worlds with an open-minded perspective on the essence of Education and its impact on our daily lives. I see Art Education as a practice that intends to discover our voice, which is imperative during childhood.

Maria Gribensk is a High School English teacher with a Masters in Multidisciplinary Studies. She has been an educator for more than 15 years. She believes educators’ greatest responsibility is to create empathetic human beings who understand and value differences to form a society rooted in equity and inclusion.

Chelsea Toller has been an educator for over 25 years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, English Language Development Coordinator, Vice Principal, and Principal. Her favorite role so far is serving as the Director of Student Support Services which combines all of her passions: Counseling, Learning Support, and English Language Learning at Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. She holds a BA in Community Studies and a MA in Educational Leadership. She believes that making the world more inclusive benefits everyone and she loves working alongside her SENIA Ecuador colleagues to grapple together as we move from “inclusion in theory” to “inclusion in practice”.

Devon Hehl is starting her fourth year, and 22nd year in education, at Academia Cotopaxi American International School as an Inclusion Coach and Inclusion Lead.  Prior to that, she worked at NIST International School for 8 years where she was an Elementary Learning Support Specialist and 3-year SENIA Representative.   She has also worked and lived in Zambia, Switzerland, and the United States.  Devon holds a Masters of Science in Special Education and a Bachelors of Arts in Education.  She is committed to embracing diversity and is thrilled to be a part of both small and large inclusive communities.  Devon is inspired by her family, colleagues, and the students she works with.