Our Pre-K RÉN Team 2020-21
MISS JOANNE
Joanne has been an early childhood teacher at Hong Kong Academy since 2002. She is passionate about nurturing children’s curiosity and a love for learning by creating a classroom environment that encourages student voice and independence. She also believes in having a balanced classroom that exposes children to a wide variety of educational opportunities that promotes self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving. Joanne began her teaching career in Manila before moving to Hong Kong in 2001. She started teaching at HKA during its second year and has helped transition hundreds of families from being in small pre-schools to being part of the bigger HKA community. Joanne is an IB PYP trained teacher and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Early Childhood Education. Joanne lives in Clearwater Bay with her husband Jose and two children, Mateo and Maria who are both students in HKA. During her free time, Joanne loves to crochet and spend time with her family and rescue dogs, Lucky, Chewy and Jingle.
LI LAO SHI (ANNIE LI)
Annie Li is an Early Childhood Mandarin Teacher at Hong Kong Academy. She firmly believes that student success is created through meaningful bonding and learning together with them. Annie also believes that learning languages should be fun. She is a creative educator committed to designing enjoyable learning environments that encourage creativity, exploration and independence. Annie supports all learners to apply Mandarin language in their day-to-day lives. Annie has been working in the education field for over 19 years, teaching children from 3 to 12 years old. This is her 13th year at Hong Kong Academy. Annie is a published writer of a book series teaching young learners Mandarin. Annie graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnics University. Outside work, Annie enjoys travelling around the world. Yellow Knife, in Vancouver, is the next place on her bucket list. She loves shopping too.
MS. NICOLE (EC Learner Support Coordinator)
Nicole Aschenbrenner is the Early Childhood Learning Support Coordinator at Hong Kong Academy. Her dedication and advocacy for nurturing diverse and inclusive communities have led her to work with various organizations and consortiums that support and provide opportunities for growth for children, helping to develop an understanding of how children communicate through their behaviour as well as fostering individual pathways for all learners in both school and home settings. Nicole has lead school, parent, teacher, and local workshops on inclusive and behavioural practices. Her belief is that education is an exciting form of intervention in the world and looks to welcome all learners in a safe environment where knowledge and behaviour are driven and shaped by intrinsic power of the learning process. Nicole has specialised in the area of Early Childhood, Adult Education and Behaviour Analytics for 15+ years in schools throughout various countries. She is a graduate of National University with a Masters Degree in Special Education and has attained her Board Certification in Behaviour Analysis (BCBA). She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Special Education from Northcentral University. Nicole aspires to learn from life experiences and apply that knowledge to help others expand their potential for success.
