In establishing Hoi An International School (HAIS) my goal was not to open a profitable business. I wanted to build a school for my own children, a school where I knew every child living in Hoi An, Danang could have an opportunity for a good education and experience joy every morning when going to school. HAIS aims for open education, balancing between developing academic and life skills, and awakening the creative energy and joy within each child.

The HAIS education program balances international educational strengths with Vietnamese cultural values, creating harmony in global education. In Hoi An, HAIS is a cozy, friendly, open-minded school, especially in the medium size. I want to be able to connect and create an environment where everyone from parents to students can talk and share with each other every time they meet. And HAIS is not only a school but also a home and a community that connects friends all over Vietnam and the world gathered with the same educational vision, sharing of knowledge and spreading love, sustainable and happy development.

At Hoi An International School, our mission is to ‘nurture and meet the individual needs of our students in a supportive, community-minded and responsible environment’. We are an inclusive community that aims to inspire, motivate and challenge while being firmly committed to the academic and personal growth of all students.

Students learn best in a safe and caring environment which caters for individual differences and challenges each student to reach their potential. Small class sizes are imperative to enable teachers to keep on top of the needs of each student and to ensure that academic growth and personal well-being is maintained. Such approaches to learning are essential if each student is to achieve at levels that are commensurate with their abilities and grow into reflective, creative and responsible global citizens.

In addition to learning in the classroom, there is a myriad of opportunities on offer at HAIS, and students are encouraged to participate in these. We promote a balanced lifestyle that allows time for learning but also for participation in sports and Extracurricular Activities and most importantly, time to relax with family and friends.

Research has highlighted that the effective mastery of social and emotional competencies is associated not only with greater well-being, but also a better performance at school. Therefore, supporting the well-being of each of our students is central to who we are, and we work together with families to assist students in achieving their personal best in all that they do. It is the encouragement of adventure and play that builds creativity and imagination, develops social skills, improves physical and social/emotional well-being and builds a child’s sense of confidence and independence.

At HAIS, we also focus on developing, in all our students, an unshakable social conscience with the capacity to make sound ethical decisions. We value the relationships we have developed with our families and the wider community and will continue working to further enhance constructive partnerships with our families and friends, regional charities, local and international schools and local businesses.

I am very proud to be the Principal of Hoi An International School where we genuinely believe that each of our students has a unique gift to share with the world.

I encourage you to make contact to see what we can offer you and your family.

Degrees and certificates: BSc in Ecology, Post Graduate Certificate in Educational Managment and Leadership, PGCE, TEFL.

Alex has always had an interest in teaching, beginning during her time at university in the UK where she worked in STEM outreach in various schools while studying to become a Marine Ecologist. Before transitioning to teaching, she worked in marine conservation, studying pilot whales and other marine life in the Canary Islands.

Alex has been living and teaching in Vietnam for seven years, primarily in Hanoi. She’s thrilled to have finally made the move to Hoi An, a place she’s wanted to call home for a long time. Alex is passionate about sharing her love for science and the natural world with her students.

Fun Fact: In her free time, Alex enjoys scuba diving, free diving, and exploring the countryside on her motorbike. Her pet poodle is also very excited to be living by the beach now

This year will mark my 5th year at HAIS and my first year as Bilingual Vice Principal. I have accompanied the school from the very first day and witnessed the rise of this small school located in the heart of Hoi An. My belief in the HAIS mission and values has been strengthened with each passing year.

In my role, I support our Leadership Team to ensure the school runs smoothly. I also serve as a bridge for communication between the International and Bilingual Sectors.

We strive to create learning opportunities for our Bilingual Students to learn about cultural diversity from our International Students. Helping our students become global citizens, is a stepping stone in enabling our students to be successful in their future careers.

We also believe that our International Students are given a great opportunity to better understand Vietnamese culture. With their families living and working within our community and our students connecting through joint learning activities and events, a strong and unified bond is formed under the collective of Hoi An International School.

I strongly believe that the methods in which our Leadership demonstrates the HAIS values contribute to our success and ensure that our students receive the best support from their teachers and mentors.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Ms Hien is a highly accomplished operations professional who brings over a decade of consistent success in leading teams, formulating strategic initiatives, and implementing process optimisations that drive significant business growth.

Accountable for the comprehensive oversight of daily business operations, Ms Hien strategically implements new systems and develops and maintains effective operational policies and procedures. Her proven adaptability and rapid learning aptitude have been cultivated through diverse experiences across global banking, hospitality, golf, and real estate sectors.

She is eager to leverage her extensive skills and experiences to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development of HAIS. Her vision is to foster new generations who are not only academically successful but also well-rounded individuals, capable of seamlessly integrating academic pursuits with artistic and athletic endeavours for continued personal and collective advancement.

Fun facts: Ms Hien is an enthusiastic ultra-trail runner with a personal interest in baking.

The role of an Early Years teacher is to encourage children to take ownership of their thoughts and ideas so they know their voices are listened to and respected. Teachers are also meant to foster a love and motivation of learning that will continue through a child’s education journey.

An inquiry-based learning environment encourages development and active participation in exploration, investigation and problem solving. Our classroom environments and activities are carefully planned with natural materials to help children connect with nature inside and outside the classroom. We understand that each child is unique and develops and learns in different ways and at different rates, thus we encourage children to learn in ways that suit their abilities and interests. We have respect for each other and learn to build positive relationships with our peers and teachers.

I believe that an Early Years Teacher’s role in the classroom is to not only teach but to bring balance to their students and to help them in all areas of their learning.
Here at HAIS, we consider a curriculum of play-based learning to be the most effective way of educating our young learners. We recognise that every child learns in a different way so we endeavour to incorporate multi-sensory learning to keep our lessons fun and interesting and our students engaged. Recognising that learning does not only occur in the classroom, our teachers in our Early Years Team utilise all areas of the campus to better enhance their lessons and direct their students to new and fascinating learning opportunities. Communication is key and because of this, we offer a variety of tools for communication so our parents never miss any academic achievements or learning milestones.
Finally, it is our shared opinion that a happy child is a healthy child, which is why we create a student-centred learning environment that ensures that all of our students go home each day with a big smile and come back to school the following day ready and excited to start a new day of learning.

World Languages Coordinator – English