Bree Ashton
PGCE Early Years Teaching
Early Years Teacher – English (Island West)
Bree Ashton is from Melbourne, Australia, and has lived in Hong Kong for twelve years. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) specializing in Early Years from the University of Sunderland, with a focus on the EYFS Curriculum.
Bree is passionate about early childhood education, believing these years are crucial for building the foundations of lifelong learning. She aims to create meaningful experiences that motivate children and foster a love for learning.
In her spare time, Bree enjoys visiting coffee shops and spending time with her family. She often explores new playgrounds and finds the best places to scooter with her two young children.
Millie Calkin
PGCE, SCITT
Early Years Teacher – English (Island West)
Ms. Millie Calkin, originally from the UK, has been a resident of Hong Kong for the past seven years. She is rejoining the Malvern College Pre-School and will be working with the Pre-Nursery Snow Leopard Class.
Ms. Calkin emphasizes the importance of the Early Years in a child’s educational journey. She completed her training at the London Diocesan Board for Schools, SCITT, in 2013, graduating with a PGCE and a specialization in Early Years education. She began her teaching career in East London, spending three years as a Nursery and Reception teacher before moving to Hong Kong. Since then, she has been teaching Kindergarten within the international school system.
Her teaching philosophy is centered around “interest-led learning,” where she provides a rich and engaging learning environment. Through exploration and discovery, she aims to nurture children’s creativity and foster their development as independent learners.
Ms. Calkin advocates for the Reggio Emilia philosophy. In 2019, she completed the Reggio Study Tour in Italy with Reggio Children, deepening her understanding of this approach. This experience equipped her with a deeper appreciation for the values and concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach, which she implements in her classroom.
Collaborating with parents is important to Ms. Calkin, as she believes that a successful early years experience requires a strong partnership between educators and families. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring nature, keeping fit through swimming, running, and hiking Lantau trails, and spending time in coffee shops or exploring the outdoors with friends.
Emma Wang
Dip (ECE)
Early Years Teacher – Mandarin (Island West)
Ms. Emma Wang began her journey to Hong Kong in 2014 to pursue a Master’s degree at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Before this, she was an English teacher for Early Childhood in Shanghai. For the past eight years, she has been dedicated to the field of Early Years education in Hong Kong, teaching both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese-speaking children.
Ms. Wang believes that the early years of a child’s development are crucial in shaping their personality and character. She subscribes to the idea that children possess “a hundred languages” through which they can express their unique ideas, emotions, and perspectives. As an educator, her role is to guide and empower these young minds, teaching them how to effectively utilize these symbolic languages in their daily lives.
In her spare time, Ms. Wang enjoys visiting museums, cooking traditional Chinese food, and traveling. She values exploring the world to bring different cultural experiences to her classroom.
Andria Han
M.Ed, B.Ed
Early Years Teacher – Mandarin (Island West)
Andria Han holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from The Education University of Hong Kong. She has five years of experience teaching Early Years, working with both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking children.
Ms. Han is dedicated to Early Childhood Education and believes that children have “a hundred languages” to express themselves. She sees the role of the teacher as a facilitator, provider, and instructor. She is committed to providing children with a warm and welcoming environment and uses innovative teaching methods to inspire her pupils to reach their potential.
Ms. Han values the potential of a child’s ability to wonder and believes in their capacity to express themselves in multiple ways. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching live music, baking, and dancing.
Mary Chu
HD (Early Childhood Education)
Early Years Teacher Assistant (Island West)
Ms. Mary Chu holds a Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education from The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), which has equipped her with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide excellent care and guidance to young children.
Ms. Chu has three years of experience leading summer holiday activities with young children, allowing her to refine her teaching techniques and deepen her understanding of early childhood development. She has also participated in Camp Beaumont Summer Camp activities at the MCPS Island West Campus, further solidifying her commitment to creating engaging learning environments
Karen Ng
BEd, (Honours) in Early Childhood Education
Early Years Teacher Assistant (Island West)
Ms. Karen Ng is a fully qualified teacher with five years of experience leading summer holiday activities with young children.
Her educational background includes a Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education from HKCT Institute of Higher Education (CTIHE) and a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education from Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education.
Ms. Ng has worked in K1 and K2 during her time at Malvern College Pre-School. Working with young children is her true passion, and she is eager to welcome both returning and new families to the Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong community.
In her spare time, Ms. Ng enjoys a variety of activities, including dancing, singing, and watching movies. She also loves playing badminton and ice-skating.
Betsy Cheung
HD (Early Childhood Education)
Early Years Teacher Assistant (Island West)
Betsy Cheung is a fully qualified teacher with five years' experience leading summer holiday activities with young children.
She completed her Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education at The Education University of Hong Kong (EduHK) and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education at the same institution.
Ms. Cheung finished her most recent teaching practicum at Malvern College Preschool, IW, in March 2024. She is a native Cantonese speaker and is also fluent in English and Mandarin.
Her practicum placements include experiences in both local and international kindergartens.
Emma Loo
HD (ECE)
Early Years Teacher Assistant (Island West)
Emma has completed her Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education at the Education University of Hong Kong and participated in placement experiences in both local and international kindergartens. She has also worked as an English tutor. Emma very much enjoys working with young children and instilling a love of learning. She always encourages her pupils to “have a go”, “be open-minded” and “ask questions”.
Kelly Mok
B.Ed
Early Years Teachers Assistant (Island West)
Ms. Kelly Mok holds a Bachelor of Education (Honors) in Early Childhood Education from Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, as well as a Higher Diploma and Diploma in Early Childhood Studies from the same institution. She gained valuable experience in teaching and designing lesson plans for young children through her practicums at different local and international settings, including Yew Chung International School (YCIS) and Fairchild Nursery & Kindergarten. These experiences have given her a solid foundation in teaching using various approaches such as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, the Reggio Emilia Approach, inquiry-based, and play-based learning. Kelly is passionate about incorporating music and creative arts into her lessons to help children learn in a fun and engaging way. She believes that play-based learning stimulates creativity, imagination, and curiosity, and she is excited to create a safe and nurturing environment for your child to learn and grow.
Starry Yip
Early Years Teachers Assistant (Island West)
Starry completed her Higher Diploma at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education. She has previously worked as a tutor for kindergarten and primary school children. She believes strongly that learning through play stimulates children’s creativity, imagination, and their curiosity about their surroundings. She also thinks that when children take the initiative in their learning path, they enrich their learning experiences.
Milo Tsang
Early Years Teachers Assistant (Island West)
Mr Tsang is a fully qualified teacher who completed his Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education in Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education. Milo first realised his passion for teaching after volunteering at a summer holiday camp for children from different backgrounds several years ago. He has been working towards his goal of becoming a teacher ever since and has several years’ experience as a personal tutor and as a youth leader at The Vine’s Youth Group.
Ariel Lee
Early Years Teachers Assistant (Island West)
After obtaining a Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Ms. Lee completed a bachelor’s degree in Special Needs Education. She is also a fully qualified Kindergarten Teacher, Child Care Worker and Child Care Supervisor. Ariel is passionate about teaching and has previously worked in various school settings gaining experience of dealing with children of different ages, needs and abilities. As an educator, she always ensures the safety and well-being of her pupils and believes that every child should grow in an environment which is full of love. She thinks it is important to be a positive role model and to show how we care for others and the things that surround us. She also believes that, with her encouragement, pupils can explore the environment, even the entire world, autonomously!
Natalie Lau
Early Years Teachers Assistant (Island West)
Ms. Lau obtained a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and worked in the airline and hospitality industry for 13 years before deciding to become a teacher. She completed her Diploma in Early Childhood Education at The Open University of Hong Kong where she received an ‘Outstanding Student Award’ As a fully qualified Teacher, Child Care Worker and Child Care Supervisor, Natalie has worked in the nursery section of a local kindergarten for the past 3 years. She has also had numerous opportunities to support children from different backgrounds through her many volunteering activities and firmly believes that Early Years education is vital for a child’s future development as it provides a strong base for lifelong learning.