Joy Otto
Director
I am the director of the Winford Bilingual Primary School Program. I earned my undergraduate degrees in Primary School Education and Special Education (k-18). I have completed post graduate work in Montessori education, Orton-Gillingham Language Speech/Language Therapy, Montessori Teacher Training, Brain Gym Kinesiology and I am a certified PADI divemaster. I have over 22 years of classroom experience as a teacher, therapist and education specialist. I was working at the Smithsonian Institution as the lead docent educator for divergent learners and Primary schools when I realized that I loved the Dutch culture and environment. So I decided to move to the Netherlands to work and live. When I am not working or walking on the beach, you can find me cycling on my Dutch fiets (bike) or scuba diving anywhere where the water is clear and the sun is shining.
Milrose Voorhorst
Panda Teacher
I am the English teacher for the Panda class. From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I have always wanted to teach minds, touch hearts and transform lives. I graduated with Bachelor in Elementary Education majoring in English at the University of St. La Salle, Philippines. Teaching and working with children is my passion. I have over 9 years of working experience as a teacher working with primary aged school children and international students of differing age levels. I have taught Language, Reading, Mathematics, and MAPE (Music, Arts and Physical Education). I also worked for two years as a co-curricular coordinator where I handled all the activities/lessons of the lower grades students. Currently, I am the English teacher in the Panda classroom. I really enjoy the environment and children of the Winford Bilingual Primary School community. I love coming to work each day.
Willem Van Hoof
Panda Teacher & Assistant Director
I am the Dutch teacher for the Panda classroom. I studied Art History in Amsterdam after finishing my teacher training in Breda. I lived and worked for several years in London and Brussels and gained valuable teaching experience while working at the Educational Department of the British Museum. After working for commercial companies for a couple of years, I started working as a substitute here in The Netherlands. This reignited my passion for teaching and I have found the right place for me at Winford Bilingual Primary School.
Mariana Kamimura
Zebra Teacher
I am delighted to be the English Teacher in the Zebra class. I am originally from Brazil, but I lived in Japan as a teenager and have been living in the Netherlands since 2018. I am a multilingual professional and have worked in a few different multicultural and multilingual settings. Being a teacher was not something I expected to do when I was younger, but I fell in love with it on my first day working at a school. As a teacher, I aim to support children as best as I can throughout their formative years and new discoveries. I am deeply passionate about children’s books; I have studied and continue to study their impact on children’s development, and I will definitely be sharing some of the books in my personal collection with the children. I also have a background in art and aim to explore the subject in many areas of children’s learning. I look forward to getting to know the children in Zebra class and supporting them during this part of their learning journey.
Maud Arens
RT Teacher
I am a Dutch teacher at Winford Bilingual Primary School. I have been living in Amsterdam for over 20 years and I love the international atmosphere of this city. I am happy that I can work with such a diverse and international group of students, parents, and colleagues at this beautiful location. I first completed a Masters in Film and Television Studies at the University of Amsterdam. After, I received my Pabo diploma at the HvA. I have been working as a Primary School teacher for over 10 years and I have a great affinity with Montessori education. In addition to teaching here, I am a self-employed teacher and I have my own company as a Certified Professional Organizer. Winford Bilingual makes it possible to combine my two favourite activities: working with children and organizing. In my free time I like to run, travel, and enjoy Amsterdam with friends and family.
Nancy de Rooij
Zebra Teacher
I am the Dutch teacher in the Zebra class. I grew up in Almere and have lived in Purmerend for 8 years. From an early age, my dream was to work with children. I find nothing more beautiful than helping with their development and seeing them grow in the classroom. I worked in childcare for a while but wanted more of a challenge and I started the PABO. Before Winford, I worked in special education for 9 years and completed the study "Draw your Conversation" and "Autism Friendly Coach". This has given me even more tools when I teach. In 2019, I worked for Winford on Speerstraat, and for the 2020-2021 school year, I joined the Winford Bilingual Primary School team at Jan Luijkenstraat! The atmosphere, the children, and the team really appealed to me and I really feel at home here.
Jessica Annandale
Giraffe Teacher
I am thrilled to be the English Teacher in the Zebra Class. I was born in Zimbabwe and spent my formative years in the Middle East. I have always wanted to work with children and after working in an International School in Dubai as an Individual Learning Support Assistant, my desire to learn more about pedagogy and language acquisition emerged. My goal is to help students develop a love for learning by encouraging them to ask questions, explore topics , be creative in all they do and to enjoy coming into the classroom everyday. I am an explorer by nature and when not in the classroom I like to hop on a train (or plane) and head off to wander around a city, town or village - meeting new people and experiencing different sights, sounds, architecture and cultural diversification.
Tim Bostens
Giraffe Teacher
I am the Dutch teacher for the Giraffe class. After obtaining my Bachelor of Teaching at the HvA, I worked at the AICS for 3 three years. It was very nice to work with such diversity. My ambitions lie in international education. The reason for this is because I was adopted, and I think it's super cool to come into contact with multiple cultures. I grew up in the Netherlands and am fluent in Dutch and English. I completed a CELTA qualification, in order to learn more about teaching languages.
Being Bilingual myself, I felt drawn to the teaching method here. It is great to work at a small-scale school where the classes are small so that I can get to know the students much better and guide them in their development. In this way, I can pay attention to each individual and help promote the growth mindset of each child. In my spare time I enjoy running, visiting museums, traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I am very excited to be part of the WBPS teaching team.
Julia Bormann
Eagle Teacher
I am the English teacher in the Eagle class. I grew up in the beautiful north of Germany and completed my Bachelor of Education (International Teacher Edcuation for primary schools) in the Netherlands. Over the past four years, I have had many inspiring experiences teaching at different international schools in Germany as well as in Brazil which enabled me to develop my skills in becoming a mindful, caring, and skilled teacher. I have always wanted to work with children and after having spent a year in Australia my desire to learn about different cultures and international pedagogy arose. I aspire to create a classroom environment in which all students can thrive based on their needs and interests. Humor, curiosity, and adaptability are traits that I believe to be important for a great learning environment, hence I try to encourage those in my students as well. I am passionate about drawing, dancing, trying new recipes or exploring new places, and I am very excited to join the WBPS community!
Sasja Delahay
Eagle Teacher
I am the Dutch teacher for the Eagle Class. I was born and raised in the same street as the school (Jan Luijkenstraat), so it feels like coming home, being able to work at this school. After high school, I studied at a French University in Montpellier and graduated from the Amsterdam University in History of Art. After working for a while in that field, I started my own catering company, Peperwortel, at the Overtoom. Twenty years of business owning made me take a sabbatical to travel and broaden my views, then I decided that I wanted to do something that really mattered. For me that meant working with children. I did the fast-lane teacher education and worked with great fulfillment at several schools. Winford Bilingual combines aspects that I can really relate to: international orientated, excellent education, a small close knitted community where the development of children in a safe and challenging surrounding is key.
Alesi Haan
R.T. - English
Anna Mullis
Cook
I am originally from the north of England, but have now lived in the Netherlands for nearly 15 years. I am the mother of two grown-up children and live with my husband, Simon, in the lovely village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Cooking has been a life-long passion of mine, particularly baking, and I currently run my
own small business making custom cakes. I have several years of experience working in catering in the UK, including running a vegetarian cafe. I am very excited to be joining the staff at Winford and looking forward to providing the children with delicious, healthy food!
Jenni Iyoyo
Marketing and Admissions Manager
I have worked for 23 years in international schools taking care of admissions, public relations and marketing. I love working in a school environment and connecting with new people. I am delighted to join Winford Bilingual on their exciting journey. In my spare time I go to yoga and circuit training classes, volunteer in two committees, and sing in a gospel choir.
I look forward to seeing you at Winford Bilingual.