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Our teachers

Szeged IPS has a great team of teachers and staff, they have been chosen for there passion to teach and their love for their students. They believe that children should not be taught the answers but taught how to learn the answers, this will enable them to continue to grow in a changing world long after they have left formal schooling
Sonja Chisnall

Mariann Hornyák

 Headteacher

I was born in Debrecen. It was about 20 years ago that I was introduced to the world of education. After a decade, I got the opportunity to put my ideas of teaching into practice in Kinshasa, this time with children. I have been teaching different peer groups for several years, however I consider teaching solely as a process of facilitating learning. I firmly believe that every child is unique and in every one of them there is something precious, that, when discovered, can brighten up their lives. I have been working in the fields of developmental pedagogy, special need education and neuropedagogy for 7 years. I have great faith in diversity and disruptive thinking. We can develop ourselves through critical thinking, if we ask questions and give feedback. So we are connected. First, I obtained a qualification as a photojournalist, then I finished my International Relation Studies in Foreign and Security Policy. In 2010 I received my Master’s degree in International Economics. Lifelong learning is a part of my life, the constant need of achieving something new made it possible for me to complete my secondary and higher education. I am fond of working and studying in a smart way, I stand for the lean life and office approach. I hope that I can foster the values of Szeged International Primary School in order to facilitate our growth together with our students and their parents.

Sonja Chisnall

Dóra Farkas

Office manager

I was born in Vojvodina, but I currently live in Szeged. I have studied at the University of Szeged, I have a Bachelor’s degree in English and American studies and a Master’s in Translation and Interpreting. I live my life according to my to-do list, carefully planning my everyday tasks and duties. I have always been fond of languages, and I enjoy translating, especially movies. In my free time I usually cook for my boyfriend, or watch TV shows with him. I spend my weekends playing with my baby niece. It is a great pleasure for me to be a member of the IPS team.

Sonja Chisnall

Native English Teacher

I was born and raised in New Zealand but with my grandparents having immigrated from Holland many of my extended family live scattered throughout Europe.  With this influence in my life I found a passion for travelling. Ten years ago after enjoying a taste of living in the UK my husband and I discovered Budapest where we settled for a short period, where I worked in an International Kindergarten. We moved back to New Zealand to have our own family.   A year ago I decided to move back to Hungary with my husband, now with three children.  This time looking for a smaller city, and we settled happily in Szeged.

I achieved an Early Childhood Teaching Diploma with honours as well as a CACHE Diploma, and a National Nanny Certificate.  After years of working in New Zealand, travelling abroad and working in the UK I experienced a diverse range of early childhood centres including International kindergartens, Montessori’s and Special needs schools where I gained valuable knowledge of different working systems, curriculums, teaching theories and philosophies.  I quickly climbed the ladder to manage a private child care centre back in New Zealand, and then was presented with the opportunity of helping start up and manage several new private kindergartens. I have kept up professional development in the years while I had my children.

Sonja Chisnall

Bettina Mester

 Teacher

I was born in a small town in Serbia, called Zenta. I acquired my BA degree in Primary School Teaching at the Hungarian Teacher Training Faculty in Szabadka. While I was learning in the Economics and Commercial High School, I saw how hard Math was for most of the students. I realized the main reason for it was that they didn’t have strong foundations. Then I decided I wanted to be a Math teacher to help my students, to make them not just learn Math but understand and enjoy it. I want to show my students how important Literature, Music and Mathematics are. It is a great pleasure to be a member of the Szeged IPS faculty.

Tímea Ökrös

Teacher

I am a teacher of English Literature and Language with an international background and experience. It is with great enthusiasm and trust that my daughter and I are to become members of the fantastic community of Szeged IPS. My American and UK school and teaching years have prepared me for more or less everything, so I am ready to take on new challenges with a sense of adventure but my main goal is to make the school years of Szeged IPS children happy and successful.

Mónika  Csikkel

Preschool teacher

I have received my BA from Juhász Gyula Teachers’ Training College (Hungary) and my MBA from CIU (USA). Spending almost 20 years in the USA has influenced my teaching philosophy and the way I approach education as a whole. During this time, I had the opportunity to lead a private preschool as a preschool director for many years. Working with those children and creating a well-balanced curriculum was very rewarding. Children are motivated by their own desire to learn and learning occurs when a child is actively involved. This is why I believe in hands-on experience and creative learning. And this is what I strive to deliver in my classroom.

Csanád Bordi

Preschool teacher

I was born in Csongrád, but have been living in Szeged for the last 5 years. Before starting my studies at the University of Szeged, where I acquired my degree as Kindergarten Teacher, I moved to England and lived there for 4 years. Here I experienced that the knowledge of a language opens up a new world. I also took the opportunity to study Child Care at the Online University of Cambridge, where I was immersed in the diversity of teaching methodologies and philosophies. With these two influences I decided to move back to Hungary for further studying. I have worked in two kindergartens, one similar to IPS, where I was privileged to experience the education and nurturing of children in an environment that allowed us to teach creatively and spend our time in a meaningful way. I believe IPS with its unique way of education allows the children to expand their world of knowledge in a way that keeps their curiosity for learning. By helping children to acquire the English language, their world will also expand. As a Pre-school teacher I strive to influence the children in a way that education will always be a fun activity in their life.

Olga Berta

Teacher

I graduated from Juhász Gyula Teacher Training College in Szeged in 1989, acquiring a degree in Maths and Russian. I consider myself a really lucky person because my job is my passion as well. My ambition is to infect my students with the love of Maths and show them what a wonderful science Mathematics is!
It is a pleasure to see the sense of achievement my students get from understanding and solving a task. Maths is about using your logic and exploring correspondences.
With this end in view I expect high standards of work from my students and myself as well. At IPS I can achieve my professional goals cooperating with smiling and helpful teachers in an inspiring environment.

Zsuzsanna Tari

Teacher

I was born and live in Szeged. I am an enthusiast for foreign languages and cultures. I attended the English faculty in Arany János Elementary School then continued my studies in English-German preparatory classes in the Kőrösy József Technical School. I obtained my first degree in Communication and Media studies at the University of Szeged. I have cared for children and taught them since my teenage years. In the beginning I taught dance then later I provided after school and homework tutoring. I have also graduated as a specialist English Language School Teacher from the University of Szeged Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education. It is a great honour to be a member of the Szeged IPS faculty.

Sonja Chisnall

Arnold Nagy

 Teacher

Originally I came from a village near Miskolc and it is just a coincidence that I got to Szeged. During a class trip I fell in love with the city, and there was no question where I was going to continue my studies. I graduated as a teacher of history specialising in people and society, I then taught at a secondary school of arts for five years. The English language has accompanied me during my high school studies and later in my jobs, so it was a pleasure for me to join the team of IPS, where I have the opportunity to use my language skills in teaching. I am devoted to continuous learning and self-education, and try to take every opportunity to develop my teaching and methodological skills. Besides teaching, voluntary work is also an important part of my life, which I have been doing in Bátor Tábor for many years now.

Patrícia Szécsi

Teacher

I was born in Szeged and I grew up in a small town nearby. I came to realise soon that I would like to work with children one day. With my siblings we always role-played me teaching my younger brother and sister. In primary school I specialized in English, then I went to a secondary school of economics in Szeged. After I got my qualification in accountancy, I felt that I could not spend my days working in an office. Following this realization I enrolled at the Teacher Training College at the University of Szeged, where I specialized in Hungarian grammar and literature, which subject I have always been keen on. During my studies children taught me the most important things about this profession. I feel I can eventually do what I have always wanted to. Our school days are colourful and eventful. I am thankful and feel honoured to be a member of the IPS team.

Laura Mitrik

Teaching assistant

I was born in Szeged, and I studied at Imre Madách Hungarian-English Bilingual Primary School. After that I attended Tömörkény István Secondary Grammar School and School of Arts in Szeged, where I took an advanced level final exam in English. I am currently studying at the Department of Social Pedagogy at the Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education at the University of Szeged. In my free time I look after children, which fills me with joy, so it doesn’t feel like work to me. I am really glad if I can manage to broaden their horizons and creativity. My aim is to create a kind of relationship with the students where we can be mutually supportive. The friendly atmosphere in IPS will surely make it possible.