KEVIN D'ARCY – Principal
Kevin D’Arcy opened Gdynia International School (GIS) in September 2013. This is an important starting point for the development of a full international school to serve the international and local families of Gdynia and the surrounding area.
Previous to opening GIS, Kevin D’Arcy founded the British International School Gdansk (BISG), where he served as School Principal from 2007 to 2013, at which time it was the most successful international school in Gdansk.
Kevin D’Arcy has a range of teaching and leadership roles which include working as the Head of Secondary School at the British International School Wroclaw, teacher of mathematics at The British School Warsaw, Lecturer at the University of Wollongong (Australia), and various teaching roles at the University of New South Wales as well as schools in Australia and Ireland.
His broad range of interests and hobbies include educational theory, the arts, especially philosophy, as well as the mathematical sciences. When it comes to sport, Kevin would rather participate than spectate. He enjoys squash and cycling, and long walks along the beach and in the woods around the Tricity. Kevin also enjoys garden landscaping, singing and public speaking with Toastmasters.
Qualifications:
- BSc in Physics, University of Wollongong, Australia
- MA(hons) in Philosophy, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Higher Diploma of Education (hons), University College Dublin
MARTA SZYMAŃSKA – Vice Director Preschool - Administration
Marta has a Master’s Degree in International Studies from the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia. She also graduated from postgraduate studies in the field of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Gdansk College of Health. She has always worked in areas related to culture and education. Before working in GIS she worked at American Corner in Gdansk, at British International School Gdansk and at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk.
From 2013, since GIS opened, Marta has been involved in administration, marketing and social media. From early 2020, Marta has been working full-time in GIS. As well as taking care of the administration of the preschool, Marta is very involved in the day-to-day details of running it.
In her free time she attends lady latino classes and pilates. She is interested in healthy eating and sugarfree sweets. Marta is very close with her family. She is very involved in various activities with her sons (Mateusz and Adam). They love spending time outside and they want to be close to the nature.
ANNA MAMAJEK – Teacher, Nursery
Anna Mamajek is a graduate of the Foreign Language Teacher Training College at the University of Gdansk.She co-created the concept of one of the first English-language preschools in the Tri-City and for years was one of its pillars.
She perfected her skills, believing that the changing world requires us to be constantly observant and flexible. In her work she uses the techniques of “non-violent communication”, placing great emphasis on positive discipline as the basis for creating bonds, building a sense of security that is the foundation for all other aspects of child development and education.
She is enthusiastic about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle – her passion is long bicycle trips. She never sits still, looking for new inspirations and challenges.
MAGDALENA RZYSKA - Teacher's Assitant, Nursery
Magda has been working in our preschool from July 2020 as a general assistant and in June 2022 she received qualifications as Preschool Teacher’s Assistant. She is planning to study pedagogy.
Working with children gives her a lot of energy and motivation. Magda knows how important it is to have an individual relation with every child. She is a very empathetic and a family person. She loves to spend her time with her son Kajetan, who also attends Gdynia International School. In her free time she likes singing, going for long walks and exploring her knowledge about healthy eating.
AGNIESZKA PLICHTA - Teacher, Reception
Agnieszka has a degree in Childcare Education and is currently completing her post-graduate studies in the field of Special needs Education and in Early English Teaching.
She grew up in London, UK where she completed her secondary education and among all her GCSE examinations she chose Child Development, as this was always one of her major interests. At that point she completed work experience in Abbey Nursery.
After returning to Poland Agnieszka completed the International Baccalaureate examination in 3 LO Gdynia to fulfill CAS (Creativity-Action Service) required by IB she volunteered to an infant orphanage . In her spare time she gave private English lessons to kids.
Agnieszka gained work experience in Gdansk International Preschool. She also worked in a language school as a lecturer.
Agnieszka is an empathetic person, concentrated on every child’s needs and emotions. Understanding the difficulties that little foreigners face when placed in a new culture and language, she helps them overcome the obstacles. She also has practical knowledge and experience with ASD (Autism spectrum disorder).
Agnieszka believes that every child is unique and should be treated as an individual, with full respect regarding its potential, imagination and personal development. Just as Janusz Korczak famously said; “There are no children, but people”.
Agnieszka loves art and design. She engages children in activities that allow for free artistic expression and creativity.
Having compared the drawings of orphans and children growing up with families Agnieszka’s diploma dissertation was an analysis of “How the closest family environment impacts a child’s artistic expression”.
In her free time Agnieszka likes diy and doll crocheting. Life focused on open-mindedness, self-development and helping those in need.
A mum of two wonderful daughters and a Maltese owner. Loves to travel chasing the Sun.
NATALIIA DANILOVA, Teacher, Class 0
Nataliia is a graduate of pedagogical education and a graduate of English and Russian languages at the Riwne Pedagogical Institute. She has many years of experience in teaching English.
She concentrates on developing communicative and socio-cultural competence in children during the lessons of English language, upbringing all-round personalities, evolving interest and passion to the process of learning.
Nataliia enjoys communicating with children, teaching them, and feels happy for their success and achievements. She tries to understand the needs of each child and put all the effort into creating a secure, safe and sane environment of the classroom. She finds it important to teach children at this age to be open, hospitable, kind, and communicative- these skills are critical for the future life and interpersonal interaction.
EWA SZAWŁOWSKA - Teacher's Assistant in Class 0
Ewa is a teacher’s assistant in Class 0. She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education and Sports in Gdańsk, where she was certified as a fitness instructor. She has also an extensive experience in conducting sports and animation classes for children. In her work, she tries to encourage the youngest to be physically active, while teaching them mutual respect and empathy.
Ewa is an enthusiast of a holistic approach to human health. On a daily basis, she tries to lead and promote a healthy lifestyle, because she knows that it is an important foundation for both physical and mental health. She believes that physical activity and a nutritious diet are human privileges that everybody should take advantage of.
In her free time, she enjoys walking in nature and doing a variety of physical activities such as yoga, strength training and spinning.
ALEKSANDRA GERASZEK, Teacher, Pre-0 Group
Alexandra is studying at the final year of her master’s degree, in early childhood and preschool pedagogy. She is also planning to start postgraduate studies of teaching English in early childhood. She loves and appreciates working with children of all ages and knows that every child needs attention, motivation and individual support. At preschool she focuses on comprehensive development of her students. She is a very warm and sensitive person. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, reading books and spending time with her family.
ALEKSANDRA ADAMSKA - Teacher's Assitant, Pre-0 Group
Ola had graduated in International Economic Relations and obtained her Master’s degree in Business and Ecological Technology at the University of Gdańsk. Despite different fields of study, foreign languages have always been her passion. She knows English, German and she also studied Swedish for one year. Currently she finishes postgraduate studies in Pedagogical Preparation. She’s been teaching for more than 3 years in language school. She teaches not only children but also teenagers and she prepares them for exams and certificates. She took part in many summer camps for children in Poland and abroad. The most important for her is the years spent by children at school would be the best years of their lives and that the language barrier does not hinder them in exploring the world. In her free time she enjoys travelling and visiting musical and cultural events. She loves summer and the sun gives her the most energy to act.
IVAN GARCIA – Teacher, Spanish
Iván is a qualified Spanish teacher for foreigners. He graduated from the Cervantes Institute in Spain. He also had many studies related to education and social services. He is continuing his education to improve his skills. Ivan has been teaching Spanish in Poland since 2015. He has worked in several preschools and primary schools and directs his own Spanish school “Viva la Vida”.
He has been leading the Spanish club in the GIS preschool since 2018. Since September 2021 he has also been teaching Spanish at GIS primary school as a part of the weekly curriculum.
As a native speaker, Iván conducts his lessons fully in Spanish. He has a lot of experience in working with children from different nationalities. He knows how to communicate with them without any language barrier. He uses a variety of methods, games and artistic means to make his lessons interesting and full of fun.
In his free time, Iván likes to dance. He used to be a Zumba instructor and he likes to use some dancing choreographies during his classes. Ivan is also proud of having worked at the “SOS Children’s Villages”, where he was helping children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. He admits he has learned a lot of social skills from this experience.
Magdalena ŻEBROWSKA - Psychologist, speech therapist
Magdalena Żebrowska graduated from the faculty of speech therapy with a specialization in neurologopedics (University of Gdańsk – Medical University of Gdańsk) and psychology at the University of Gdańsk.
At work, she values a holistic and individual approach. She believes that only selecting the right method for the child is an effective way to achieve therapeutic goals. Her research interests focus on the issues of selective mutism and bilingualism. In her free time she likes to test new recipes and take part in cultural events.