MORE COMING SOON!
This page will have more information about our annual conference coming up in Spring 2022. More to come!
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.
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!
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
Soledad Valencia
Soledad Valencia is a Clinical and Educational Psychologist from Quito, Ecuador. She graduated from Universidad San Francisco de Quito with a bachelor degree in Clinical Psychology and a specialization in Sexology in 2015. After graduation, she worked as a Personal Assistant and then as an Instructional Assistant for the Learning Support Department at Academia Cotopaxi for three years. Soledad coursed her Master ‘s degree in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Inclusive Education at McGill University from 2018 to 2020.
She is passionate about inclusion and has participated in several research projects with Ecuadorian youth. Soledad is currently working as a Learning Support specialist at Academia Cotopaxi.
Belen Zavala
Belen Zavala is passionate about inclusion. She found her second home in the Middle School Learning Support Department at Academia Cotopaxi International School in Quito, Ecuador. Belen holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, a Master in Business Administration and a Master in Teaching and Curriculum. She made a career change from business to special education when she experienced first hand the impact that good, passionate, dedicated teachers had on her kid ‘s lives. Her favorite time of the day is when she gets to “witness the awesomeness and magic happen” in her students’ lives as they realize they can accomplish different tasks. Belen is excited to be able to share her experience with SENIA Ecuador and help make her home country, Ecuador, a more inclusive safe place for all students.
Chelsea Toller
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
Devon is starting her second year, and 20th year in teaching, at Academia Cotopaxi American International School as a Learning Support Specialist. 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.
Welcome to SENIA Korea! We are all so glad you’re here, visiting our corner of the internet.
At SENIA Korea, we work together to support our students, teachers and families in and connected to our schools. In the international community, having special needs can be daunting for families, so we want to be the best support system possible.
SENIA Korea’s Leadership team, 2021-2022:
Chairperson: Tonya Garrick, Yongsan International School of Seoul
Team Member: Rachel Arnold, Korea Foreign School
Team Member: Rafael Jimenez, Seoul Foreign School
Team Member: Courtney Pakos, Yongsan International School of Seoul
…more to come! Stay tuned!
Announcing Our Fall Theme…
Teaming LEAVES all feeling supported!
Every student has a team: teachers, specialists, para-professionals, administrators, outside providers, parents and other adult advocates. We all support each other with the goal of inclusion for every child.
From now through December, SENIA Europe will be sharing research, models, and stories all focused on teaming. Some of this will be curated research. It will also include our popular 10-minute interviews, now with digital Q&A! Upcoming topics include:
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Team teaching in the IB classroom
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True collaboration with paraprofessionals
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Involving parents as active team members
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Team benefits of including outside professionals
AND MORE!
Articles, videos and more will be available in the following places:
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SENIA Europe Newsletter
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(Not receiving it? Make sure to sign up!)
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SENIA Europe Facebook Group
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Here on our website!
Raji is currently working the Special Educational Needs Teacher at Shen Wai International School in Shenzhen. She has a Masters in Special Education from the University of Southern Queensland. She has been trained in various methods of multi-sensory remedial intervention to support the learning of students. Raji is passionate about teaching students with Dyslexia and is an advocate in supporting students with this specific learning need.
Prior to arriving in China starting from this academic year, Raji has been living in Singapore for the past 33 years and has been working with children with learning needs for over 20 years. She has worked with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore as an Educational Therapist and in various international schools in Singapore as a learning support teacher.
When not working, Raji is interested in keeping herself physically and mentally fit with yoga and exercise. Her interests are cooking, badminton, hiking, and reading.