Lilian Vieira | American Curriculum Coordinator
Collaborative work
Invited to take the position as the American Curriculum Coordinator, Ms. Lilian Vieira, teacher and head of the mathematics department at Chapel, was very happy and comfortable with the new role. "We always collaborate and I like to work with people," she says. Ms. Vieira refers to her work of ensuring the curriculum integration of the three diplomas offered by the school: the Brazilian, the American and the international (IB). "Very few schools in the world are willing to do what we have developed here. The school has to be firm in its vision and mission to focus on what is priority: our students,"she adds.
In order to prepare students for the IB, beginning in the ECEC - Chapel develops a curriculum with American and national guidelines through a holistic standard."We are one school, with an exceptional body of educators and with pedagogical practices that move us beyond excellence, "says Ms. Vieira.
The specifics of the position require a professional with an integrated job profile who can work as a team. "Our aim is to provide what students will need for the rest of their lives, and rankings, although valued, do not guide us,” concludes the new coordinator, who’s continued to teach as well: “I love being in the classroom and even as coordinator, I hope to continue to teach. After all, the most important things happen inside the classroom, although it can be challenging to manage time with so many responsibilities," she concludes with a smile.
Jillian Margaret Deganhart | HS English Teacher
Mocotó and Escondidinho
Ms. Jillian Deganhart has been in Brazil for only twelve weeks, but has already tried more dishes of the national cuisine than many native Brazilians. She keeps a space in her blog for humorous reviews of the local cuisine. "I love to cook, so I look out for food. I’ve fully approved the Brazilian cuisine, and among my highlights is Chapel’s restaurant, one of my favorites," she says, smiling.
Born in Colorado, Ms. Deganhart has a degree in English Literature and English as a Second Language – from Regis University in Denver, making a formation that would provide contact with new cultures. She participated in the Job Fair in Boston, having a place in mind outside the United States. She admits that her goal was somewhere in Asia . However, she learned about the country from referrals from friends and family, who encouraged her to come here.
Ms. Deganhart is very happy at Chapel: "Loved this beautiful place with very friendly people and students full of energy," she says. "I tell my students that they are very lucky to study in such a wonderful place like this."
As for the local cuisine, she tells of her experiences - with mocotó for example, "I found it a bit odd” - and chose her favorite dish ("Escondidinho") as well as the worst: "I've never eaten a burger as bad as the one served at the food court at the 2016 Olympics!”
Sara Lindsay Knox | Fourth Grade Teacher
Free hugs
Seven years of experience in a cozy public school in Chicago, with students from 60 different nationalities and 50 languages holders - often as refugees - was one of the inspirations for Ms. Sara Knox to seek teaching opportunities in other countries. "Seeing the experience of those children who were away from their countries, awakened me the desire to experience the opportunity to be in a place of different cultures and languages," she says.
Being in Latin America was another goal. Ms. Knox knew countries like Peru and Colombia and had job offers then she met Ms. Erin Thomas and Ms. Carla Winkelman at the Job Fair in Seattle in December 2015: "I was impacted by their positive energy and the way they referred to the school," she says.
In her extensive professional training, Ms. Knox has a degree in Arts and Art History from the University of Texas and master's degrees in Early Childhood Education from Loyola University and a literature degree from Northeastern University. Within a few weeks in this country, Ms. Knox highlights the amount of patience and effort people have given to help her, especially when it comes to the language - although she is already taking Portuguese classes. "I'm loving Chapel, everyone’s so loving and caring, and I hug everybody,” she says, smiling.
A sports enthusiast, she played soccer in three different teams in Chicago, as a defender. Her performance on the field earned her several nicknames: she’s been called "the wall" or "Fort Knox", the latter a pun on her surname and the fort located in Tennessee which keeps gold, just like Ms. Knox keeps the goal.