Meet the Teacher: Ms Donna in Foundation Stage

We would like to give a warm welcome to Australian born and internationally experienced Ms Donna to the STA community. This year, Ms Donna has joined us in Foundation Stage and is really excited to be back in Bangkok with her family doing what she loves, Teaching! Learn more below…

How have you settled into life at St Andrews and Bangkok? 

Life in Bangkok is almost back to how we remembered it before we left, including the traffic!  It has been incredibly easy to slip back into Bangkok life and we are loving being able to see so much life and energy happening around us all the time. Our children are loving their newfound freedom and independence.

The St Andrews community has welcomed my family with open arms and we have felt a wonderful sense of belonging to a community, exactly what we were looking for. Just walking into school every morning where everyone says ‘Good morning’ automatically puts me in a great mood. 

Journey to St Andrews 

I was born in Australia but moved to London when I was 19. I worked as a nanny and discovered my interest in working with young children. I travelled to Thailand with a friend, had the most wonderful time, and realised I would like to live here. Upon returning to the United Kingdom, I successfully completed a TEFL course where I met my future husband on the first day.

Three months later, we moved to Bangkok and began our teachings careers, teaching English in a well-known Language school. We both realised we wanted to further our qualifications. I completed a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sothern Queensland and a PGCE in Early Childhood at Nottingham University. We then moved to China for a short time but quickly realised we wanted to return to Thailand. Upon returning, we started our family and had two beautiful children, Zadie and Arlo and worked for four years at another international school in Bangkok. After 15 years in Thailand, we decided to move closer to family and began working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After seven years there, we knew it was time to return to the country we love and are happy to be here.

I have two children, Zadie and Arlo, who are in High School and are really happy to be back in Thailand.

St Andrews was at the top of our list due to its relaxed and professional approach to learning. We have immediately felt a part of the St Andrews community and hope to have the opportunity to connect with other families.

Hobbies

I enjoy keeping fit, cooking and entertaining at home, and travelling to new and exotic destinations with my family. We also have two dogs that keep us very busy.