Our Team

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Jill is originally from New York, and attended Houghton College to earn a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education and Bachelors of Science in Philosophy. Since then, she has over a decade of teaching experience in the diverse county outside of Washington, D.C. She specializes in teaching English literature, writing, and history, but has also taught all content areas to upper elementary grades. She loves working with all types of learners, being creative in her lesson planning, and creating a safe environment in her classroom.

Jill also has a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University, California. She has provided counseling in a number of different contexts, but specifically working with teenagers and families. Her background in mental health and development informs her work with students in the classroom as she works holistically with her students to facilitate the development of academic and social-emotional skills in their lives. 

Jill enjoys being active, playing soccer with her daughter and son, and hiking. She also loves Croatian cuisine and spending time with friends around a good meal.

Hrvoje is a native of Split, but spent the majority of his adult life in the United States. He is excited to be back in Croatia. He has earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Humanities at Indiana Wesleyan University, Indiana, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Azusa Pacific University, California, and Graduate degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia. 

Hrvoje is licensed in Special Education (K-12), Middle School content education, and English as a Second Language (PreK-12). He has taught in a diverse Virginia public school environment outside of Washington, DC. 

Hrvoje is passionate about meeting students where they are, providing necessary scaffolds and supports necessary and helps them find success across all areas of their education. He is the utmost champion of his students and is committed to building their capacities in and out of the classroom. 

Hrvoje enjoys his family and friends, he is an avid coffee drinker and always on a look for a travel adventure. 

Davie-Blue's early professional education informs her approach to teaching performance to children today; seriously, with humor, and a deep reverence for the soul of creativity. Davie-Blue holds a B.A. from Scripps College in Performing Arts for Social Change with a focus in education. Davie-Blue has performed, written, produced and co-directed film and theatre (HBO, Netflix, Sundance, and Cannes etc.). She has taught children for over 20 years.

Davie-Blue’s imagination school Enchanted Children (opened 2015, Los Angeles) currently runs programs in Croatia and L.A., offering kids a unique approach to storytelling and non-violent communication. Davie-Blue integrates mindfulness with a certification from Mindful Schools into her Enchanted Method. She practices in therapeutic play under clinical supervision with an education from Play Therapy United Kingdom.  

Davie-Blue was raised by musicians in Seattle, W.A. USA. Her first trip abroad was to Senegal to study dance and percussion with her dad. She later studied acting at the London Dramatic Academy, and dances of the world in Paris. Davie-Blue has a passion for multicultural education and courageous community building. She is inspired by the kids of SIS everyday.

John was born and raised in New York, having attended the prestigious Hunter College High School preparatory program before moving to Boston to pursue his university studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). John holds dual Bachelors of Science degrees in the fields of Comparative Media Studies as well as Materials Science and Engineering, in addition to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the field of Materials Science and Engineering. Although his PhD research focused primarily in the area of electrochemistry, John’s 15-year teaching career has spanned the fields of biology, chemistry, engineering, design, and robotics. 

In the classroom, John believes that students need to be motivated and engaged in order to become active participants in their own learning. Students learn best through hands-on learning methods, and need to be given the freedom to make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes through constructive reflection and discussion. John is a strong supporter of the FIRST Robotics organization and a dedicated volunteer and mentor.     

In his free time, John enjoys connecting with and exploring the natural world. He is an avid outdoors enthusiast and rock climber, a professionally licensed boat skipper, and a SCUBA divemaster.

Marko has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English Language and Literature from DePaul University in Chicago. He has been teaching at various institutions in the USA for the past ten years and looks forward to contributing to the development of the highest quality educational program and the International School of Split to prepare students for successful futures.

Being of Croatian descent and first generation born in the United States, Marko’s whole life was scheduled around being able to come to Croatia every summer for three months. During his teenage years, he spent every summer in Croatia and was immersed in the culture and lifestyle of Europe, and this trend continued with his wife and three children. When he and his wife talked about this, it only made sense to find a way to move and make the dream a reality: living in Split! 

Marko’s class is all about communication and interaction. His experiences have taught him to always put the students first through respect and understanding, and that they will return the favor when they feel comfortable within and outside the classroom, with the teacher and each other, with their environment and their goals. 

Magdalena holds a Master’s of Kinesiology from the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Split. She is an award-winning athlete, a professional fitness coach, and previously taught health and physical education at the elementary School "Manuš" in Split. Magdalena is a big fan of everything that has to do with sports, active life, nature, exercise and healthy living. She has been working for years on personal growth, advancement, knowledge in the field of athletics, and believes strongly in the value of professional development and continuing education.

Gifted with a cheerful and positive spirit, Magdalena feels that sports, physical activities and a healthy life are extremely important for human health, psychophysical development, and for the quality of life itself. Through her work, she has developed and nurtured many friendships which enrich her life in innumerable ways. Magdalena believes that there is a really healthy spirit in a healthy body, and she wants to pass that positive impact of a healthy lifestyle onto others so that they can feel the energy of nature, activities, and good vibes that such a life brings.

Nicole has been teaching for 11 years. She was born and raised outside of Los Angeles, California in small town called San Pedro. She received her Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the California State University, Dominguez Hills. She then continued her education and received her Elementary Education certification from American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. 

Nicole began her teaching career in Istanbul, Turkey where she taught ESL for several years.  After meeting her husband, she decided to make the move to Split in mid 2014. Since being here, she has continued teaching ESL and made the change to becoming an elementary teacher. 

Nicole has two children- a daughter and son. When she is not spending time with her family, she loves to be active by biking, hiking and practicing yoga. The beach is always calling her name. She also enjoys reading books and traveling to new places. She has visited over 30 countries and can't wait to see more! Most importantly, she has a true passion for teaching children.

Nicole always tries to make her classroom a welcoming place for learning. She strives to make her students feel relaxed and comfortable in the classroom. When students walk out of the classroom, she wants them to feel that their experience there was a positive and nurturing one.

Anita holds a Master's degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Split Faculty of Science. She always wanted to become a teacher, so working with children is her dream job.

She has worked as Biology and Chemistry teacher in Primary schools and High schools in Croatia. 

In the classroom, Anita aims to create a positive and supportive environment in which children feel safe and appreciated. She incorporates interactive activities (experiments), working in groups, and whole class discussion sessions to develop critical thinking skills. It is her belief that developing an understanding of the scientific method and strong critical thinking skills are a core part of science.

Anita loves nature and spending time outside with her family. When outside she always tries to transfer her knowledge about biology to her daughter. She loves animals and has two cats and a dog. Also, she enjoys reading books in her spare time. Her favorite genre is science fiction.

Suncica Kuzmanic Perišin Tomljanovic - whose artist name is just Sunci was born in Split, and grew up in Kaštela until the age of 10 when she moved to England and continued her education at King Edward the IVth school in Lichfield, graduating from a Foundation Degree and a Bachelors degree in  Fine Arts, at Central St. Martin's college of Art & design in London. As well as a two year diploma course in animation at the London College of Media and Communication.

Sunci is an active professional artist , a painter, who most of all loves the portrait, an art performer creating live painting interactive situations, and educator. Since her first exhibition in Paris aged 19, Sunci has participated in over 80+ exhibitions and live art performances internationally. She actively participates in the local art scene and in international projects.

It was motherhood that inspired the artist to invent educational content for her own toddler son and his generation. This led her to become the manager of workshops at the Museum of Fine Arts Split, developing innovative educational content for all generations at the museum, and freelancing since. A passion for teaching and mentoring artists developed organically.

Sunci style of teaching is individualized. She likes to get to know all the students and tailor their path forwards with tasks which strengthen their own research, and curiosity in terms of subjects, mediums or skills. Her approach is holistic and she endeavors to encourage students to research in the direction of self growth, with an idea of creating happy, confident, positive,  humans. She tailors tasks to upgrade Art makings skills, and to inspire art history and context research . To be a fulfilled, independent artist an adulthood, it is important to have an awareness of the international art context and the mechanisms of  the business side of art, to strive and plan towards, and Sunci integrates some of this knowledge into hear teaching.

Believing that we learn more through process, rather than theory, she teaches by curating situations in which the young artists learn professional systems hands on.  Open crit discussions, in which we create opportunities for students to learn form one another, engage critical thinking, questioning oneself and our colleagues,  are among her favorite tools. 

In her free time , Sunci curates exhibitions. She is an educator & curator & costume designer at artist's at the association called the House of the Sun, in Split.   In 2010 Sunci founded Kastel Art Residency where she annually hosts a young international artist. For self care - Sunci loves to drive into the unknown and explore the countryside, rivers and forests, with her two kids Floriana & Duje . She is learning to horse ride, is a windsurfer, a fervent reader, and she loves to paint- people from life.
 

Originally from Split, Karmen gained her Masters of Education in Croatian and English languages and literatures from Split University. After teaching at local schools including Mioc (third gymnasium) she moved to London and became a qualified teacher of English as a foreign language (TESOL). This allowed Karmen to navigate the challenges of supporting immigrant children integrating into a new country, using language as a tool to assimilate their surroundings and culture. Her experience included working at an inner city school, St Luke’s Primary, with a very mixed demographic. Having volunteered in a foster home and worked one-on-one with special needs children, Karmen has applied her soft skills and empathy with a child-centred approach to education.

Returning to Croatia, Karmen is enthusiastic about introducing students to her language and culture. Through her thesis on the ethnological and oral heritage of Kastela, Karmen had developed a passion for understanding the sense of a place through its linguistics and customs, and now enjoys exploring this in dialogue with her students.


Karmen is also a keen trail runner, mother of three, and former Croatian karate champion.
 

Nina is a Double Major Graduate and holds a Master's degree in Education of English Language and Literature and Art History from the University of Split, Faculty of Humanities

and Social Sciences. Her first teaching experience, while still in college, made her realize she wanted to be a teacher and work with children.

She has eight years of experience working as an ESL teacher in public and private schools in Croatia, teaching all profiles of students, from young children to pensioners, both individual

approach and group learning. Her education and experience allow her to find the best approach for every student using music, literature, and visual arts to create original content. Nina believes that learning a foreign language expands your horizons and encourages your curiosity, and hopes her students will adopt the same attitude while learning beside her. Nina loves nature and animals, so she spends her time hiking with her dog, traveling, and volunteering in animal shelters. She also enjoys music and theatre and she is a member of an amateur drama group. Also, she will always find time for cooking and spending time with her

friends and family.

Ana was born and raised in Ontario, Canada where she graduated from the Concurrent Education program at Brock University. Ana holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Physics, and a Bachelor of Education degree.

Ana is an experienced science and mathematics teacher, and has taught a variety of different curricula in both Canada and Croatia. She is passionate about education, and enjoys helping students develop their interest and appreciation for science and math, while discovering how these subjects are relevant to their everyday lives. In the classroom, Ana makes it a priority to build a welcoming environment that is conducive to learning. She believes that students learn best through hands-on experience and she likes to include experiments and demonstrations in her lessons as often as possible. 

Ana has always enjoyed spending her summers in Croatia visiting family, and she is excited to continue her teaching career in beautiful Split. 

Andrew is from Toronto where he attended Upper Canada College and St. Michael’s College School before studying History and Education at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. He is also a certified English as an Acquired Language teacher. He has taught professionally for the past 13 years all over the world as well as in his native Canada. 

Andrew loves to incorporate games and collaborative work into his classes and use strategies like role play and creative writing to bring history to life for his students. Similarly in mathematics, he believes that students should be encouraged to work together to build their own understanding using manipulatives, puzzles and games. 

 

Valentina is a native Croatian. She attended the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, where she received bachelor’s and master's degree in Pedagogy and

Philosophy. 

For years she has been tutoring children of various ages and proficiency levels. She has been teaching Croatian as a second language to foreign students. Additionally, she is tutoring elementary and high school students in numerous

subjects including History, Latin, Math, Science and World Literature.

Her philosophy of teaching is based on pedagogical and philosophical approach centered around the notion that the teacher is a reflective practitioner. Valentina believes that to teach effectively one must be able to critically reflect on various aspects of classroom activities. Her main goal is to help students develop life-long love of learning. Valentina believes that positive classroom atmosphere where students are empowered to self-reflect, develop their unique voices, and actively participate in activities is a prerequisite of educational and personal growth.

In her free time, Valentina enjoys spending time with friends and family. She likes to read, travel and discover new places.
 

Sanja is born, raised and educated in her hometown – Split, Croatia. After receiving M.A. in English and Croatian, she worked as a substitute teacher in various elementary and secondary schools.

In pursuit of new experiences, she moved to Germany, where she lived for four years, working for Ministry of science and education, teaching Croatian language and culture to school children ranging in age 6 – 18 in a bilingual community. She believes that language acquisition can be enhanced in a friendly atmosphere which encourages playful learning, applying creative activities through real life topics, addressing individual needs. 

In her free time she enjoys any kind of physical activity, preferably somewhere in nature, preparing

food for her family, traveling and learning new things.

 

Marija is a native of Split. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Croatian Language and Literature as well as Italian Language and Literature. At the University of Split, she has also earned a Master’s of Education degree in Croatian Language and Literature and in Italian Language and Literature. During college, she participated in the international student exchange program Erasmus+ in Italy on two separate occasions for eight months to improve her Italian language. She completed her apprenticeship and passed the state license exam and gained qualified teacher status. She continued her education by taking various courses in the educational field, she assisted and participated in educational conference programs organized by the University of Split and other organizations.

Teaching has been her dream job since she was a child. She has worked both in elementary and high schools in Split and as a private teacher of Croatian as a foreign language. She enjoys exploring new educational methods and approaches, she loves creative and innovative lessons that connect literature with real life. She believes that the teacher should be a guide who is there for students to help them reach their full potential. She puts students as her priority in the classroom. In addition to teaching, she is also a lector/editor and works in proofreading, editing and correcting papers of all kinds in Croatian grammar. She opened an Instagram page where she shares tips on better learning and understanding the Croatian language both for foreigners and native speakers. She is an award-winning student and athlete.

In her free time, Marija leads an active lifestyle. She loves reading, travelling, and sports. She adores Croatian and Italian cuisine and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Linda has joined SIS as the Director of Admissions and Human Resources after moving to Split from London. She has been a hospitality professional for over 25 years, working in both luxury hotels and charitable organizations. Her roles have covered: front of house, conferences and events, administration, food and beverage and human resources. 

Originally from the Split area, following education she moved to work in Italy and became a manager and trainer in Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Her passion for innovation and customer service led her to manage one of the trendiest and most famous lounge bars in Milan. During that time she was also sent to Croatia to help project manage the opening of Le Meridien Lav Hotel near Split.

She then moved to London, started a family, and successfully helped another hotel opening; creating new partnerships with suppliers and organizing many promotional events.

Versatile and a proven team player she continued her career in London at The Royal Foundation of St Katherine charity, coordinating conferences and community events.

With a love for Mediterranean nature, regional resources and recreational running, Linda is back to Split this summer. She is now focused on SIS development with promoting diversity and multicultural values and contributing to make SIS safe and creative place for all.

Heather is the Director of Community Relations at SIS, where she is applying her interpersonal and administrative skills to support the school in numerous ways. She originally grew up in the New Hampshire, and spent 23 years in the hospitality industry. Her previous work in management of restaurants, bookkeeping, personal administration, financial planning, sales, community outreach, and event planning have equipped her for the dynamic administrative role she presently holds at the school. 

Heather has worked in numerous fields providing administrative and financial support to companies. She also helped open and managed Art of Life Chiropractic office with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to Croatia in 2017. Her husband is a native of Split, and together they have three children who attend Split International. They were founding parents of the Parent Organization, and Heather helped plan many community events to build our international community. 

She loves connecting people of all cultures. Heather has a passion for personal growth, and in her free time enjoys spending time cooking for family and friends, planting, reading, being near the sea, and doing yoga.