LEADERSHiP

Head of School

Kasson Bratton

Kasson is honoured to serve the HKA community as Head of School. He believes that students learn best when they feel a strong sense of belonging, make meaningful choices about their learning, connect across cultures and perspectives, and experience just the right balance of challenge and support. He is an active member and frequent presenter for the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) and East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS), and an Evaluation Leader for the Council of International Schools (CIS). He has been published in various educational journals and his voice can be heard as a regular contributor on a variety of educational podcasts focusing on school culture, instructional design, and artificial intelligence. 

Prior to joining HKA Kasson served as Director of Learning, Middle School Principal, and Deputy Head of School at Nanjing International School. His international education career also includes successful roles in the UK, Haiti, and Qatar. He holds an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, an M.Ed. in Education, and a B.A. in History, and is proud to have begun his journey as an educator as an Americorps volunteer with the “I Have A Dream” Foundation in rural Oregon.

Originally from Virginia in the United States, Kasson now calls Indiana his home. He is accompanied by his wife Olivia, an early childhood educator, and their eighth-grade son, Harris. When not facilitating inclusive and equitable educational practices, Kasson enjoys cycling, hip-hop, and his eternal quest for the perfect cup of coffee.

Student Support Services Director, Child Protection Officer, Crisis Response Office

John Shanahan

John strongly believes in providing equitable learning opportunities for all students, as well as the power and mutual benefit that comes from learning with, and from, a diverse community.  He is an Australian trained educational and developmental psychologist and learner support teacher with twenty years experience. Before joining HKA, he worked in private practice, providing psychological and educational support to families and international schools across Asia. John consults, advocates for, and leads professional development around inclusion, socio-emotional resiliency, and learning enhancement. He is also passionate about his work with non-profit organisations, and has served on the executive committee of the Dyslexia Association of Hong Kong and the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong, of which he is an Honorary Past President. John is currently an advisor to Kids4Kids, a local charity which is internationally recognised for encouraging international school students to engage with at-risk communities in Hong Kong.  John also sits on the Executive Committee, and Chairs the Safety Committee, of Outward Bound Hong Kong. Originally from the United Kingdom, John has spent most of his life living in Hong Kong. He is a parent to two children in Primary School.

Primary School Principal

Virginia Lockman Hunt

Virginia believes that children make sense of their world by constructing meaning in an inclusive and authentic environment where students have opportunities for experiential learning by interacting with their social and natural world. She values diversity and the range of gifts students and adults bring to a learning environment. Virginia prides herself on the development and support of collaboration and self-directed learning in teachers and students. She is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World Leader Trainer and a Next Frontier Inclusion Reviewer, and is currently in the process of becoming an Adaptive Schools trainer. Virginia holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and an Advanced Master’s in Educational Leadership. She is certified by New York State. Virginia lives in Sai Kung and both of her children graduated from Hong Kong Academy. Her children most valued the opportunities they had to explore an additional language and the range of sports on offer.

Secondary School Assistant Principal

Joanna Crimmins

Joanna is the Secondary School Assistant Principal for Grades 11-12 and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) Co-ordinator. She is an experienced IB educator who believes that young people learn best when authentic learning experiences allow them to develop an evolving understanding of our changing world. Joanna has worked with young people for nearly 25 years in multiple countries around the world; originally from Wales in the UK, she has also taught internationally in Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Joanna believes strong relationships with parents and the wider community are vital in ensuring students are supported as they move through their school life, is passionate about the HKA community, and is delighted to be working together with students, staff and parents to support the ongoing growth of HKA’s Secondary School programme. Joanna has a Bachelor’s degree in Drama and Education from the University of Wales and a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from The Open University, UK. In July, 2024 Joanna completed her National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), UK.

Grade 6-10 Curriculum Leader and IBMYP Coordinator

Simon Roberts

As the Grade 6-10 Curriculum Leader and IBMYP Coordinator, Simon believes that every student can find success through pursuing their passions, hobbies and interests. Recognising and rewarding the diversity of success is what builds the confidence in students and allows them to make progress within their individual pathways. As an experienced educator, Simon has developed programmes in the UK, Shanghai and Hong Kong. He values inclusion, diversity and opportunity. Simon holds a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Science and a Masters in Health and Wellbeing. He gained qualified teacher status in Secondary Physical Education in the UK. In his spare time, Simon is a keen sportsman and keeps a very close eye on his favourite football team, Leeds United. He also enjoys travelling, trying new restaurants and spending time on the beach with his daughter.

Secondary School Principal

Teresa Tung

Teresa believes that great learning experiences should support each child to know themselves, understand the world, and be joyful, successful and contributing global citizens. An experienced international educator, Teresa regularly contributes to IB curriculum development, participates in IB and Council of International School (CIS) school authorisation visits, and leads educator workshops. Having previously served as a Global Citizen Diploma (GCD) Co-ordinator, Teresa brings her passion for and experience with the GCD to help students reflect on and gain recognition for their academic and community contributions. Exemplifying her own global citizenship, she is part of Compass Education, empowering educators with the tools to encourage students as sustainability advocates and systems thinkers. As a course leader for Amala Education, she helped develop the world’s first international high school curriculum for displaced youth. Teresa holds a Certificate of International School Leadership from Principals’ Training Center and a Corporate Innovation Certificate from Stanford Business School. In addition, she has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Teaching from the University of Virginia. In her down time, Teresa is nourished by spending time with her family and connecting with nature around Sai Kung. Her children are proud HKA Dragonflies in Pre-K and Grade 1.

Grade 11-12 Curriculum Leader / IBDP Coordinator

Claire Shaffery

Claire Shaffery is an IBDP Coordinator and Secondary School science teacher with experience from Grade 6 through to Grade 12 in teaching MYP Science, GCSE Science, A Level Biology, IBDP Biology and IBDP Environmental Systems and Societies.  Claire is also an IBDP Biology Examiner. Claire’s passion lies in empowering student choice and delivering a holistic education.  She believes that tailoring her teaching to suit the many different learning styles enables all children to fulfil their potential and have meaningful, self-directed, engaging experiences.  Originally from the United Kingdom, Claire graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Honours) in Medical Biochemistry and Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Keele.  She has been in education for twenty years having taught in both Birmingham and London before beginning her international career at Hong Kong Academy ten years ago.  Claire has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South America and thrives on meeting new people and experiencing new and diverse cultures.  In her free time, Claire enjoys playing chess, mahjong and has completed nine half-marathons for fund-raising events.

English as an Additional Language Coordinator / Secondary School EAL Teacher

Mats Haaland

This is Mats’ second year as an EAL Teacher in the Secondary School at Hong Kong Academy, and his tenth year working in Education. Mats is an experienced English language acquisition specialist, with a focus on supporting students to develop disciplinary literacy skills and language proficiency in tandem. He strongly believes in designing equitable learning environments that honour and leverage students’ home language and culture in order to support their growth as multilingual learners. Before coming to Hong Kong, Mats supported a school wide English language immersion program as a language acquisition specialist and as the program’s director. Mats earned his Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the School for International Training Graduate Institute, and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from The College of New Jersey. Mats is a former competitive tennis player, and enjoys staying active by running, hiking, and being outdoors. Having originally grown up on the coast of Maine in the U.S., he enjoys exploring the beautiful scenery of Sai Kung.

Facilities and Operations Director

Nicole Bolle

Nicole is responsible for coordinating with HKA’s leadership team to provide outstanding facility management and operational services. She succeeds by applying her technical and engineering background to our educational context ensuring high quality services are delivered and risks are mitigated. Nicole believes that strong strategic partnerships are essential in ensuring that the best talent and strengths are engaged to support our captivating learning environment. Nicole recognises the importance of her role nurturing HKA community members to become active and engaged global citizens, and she enjoys working with faculty, students and parents in promoting sustainability and best practice. She is a Certified Facility Manager, a member of the International Facility Association and recently completed a certified carbon auditor training course.  She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)/Arts from Monash University, Melbourne and has over 15 years of international work experience, she has been fortunate to work on a number of large scale construction projects including the Taiwan High Speed Rail, installation of gas pipelines in the South China Sea, Ocean Park Aquarium and Entry Plaza, as well as our very own HKA campus.  Nicole’s three children are students at HKA.

Finance Director

Jojit Au Yeung

Jojit is responsible for aligning the school’s financial resources to support HKA’s mission and long-term goals, ensuring the delivery of an exceptional international education. He collaborates closely with the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and Leadership Teams to secure the necessary resources for the school to achieve its strategic priorities. With nearly 30 years of experience as a professional accountant and seasoned entrepreneur, he understands the importance of a sustainable financial model, underpinned by practical systems and procedures, for the success of an independent, non-profit school. Since joining the school in 2014 he has made significant contributions to the development of HKA’s financial and human resources management practices and standards, and takes the lead in ensuring that the community is well informed about the role of finance by providing regular communication and reporting. Jojit holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong and is a proud parent of an HKA Secondary School student. In his free time Jojit enjoys making good coffee, cooking, and volunteering to support young entrepreneurs and animal welfare.

Institutional Advancement Director

Lynne McCall

Lynne is in her 12th year as a parent at HKA, and was thrilled to join the HKA staff seven years ago when, after a period of volunteering within the school, she discovered that HKA’s mission and community values resonated with her on a professional level as well as from an educational and personal perspective. Lynne believes in the power and capacity of many and enjoys bringing people together to connect the dots across any project which advances the school mission in service of the students. Before joining HKA, Lynne worked in the textiles and sourcing industry for 20 years in a variety of international business development, project management and leadership roles. This work allowed her to exercise her creative brain and develop her collaborative skills whilst giving her the opportunity to mentor and encourage her colleagues. Lynne holds a Bsc Honors degree in Clothing Engineering and Modern Languages from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Athletics Director

Dan Sherwood

Dan hails from England with a degree in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences. Following a career as a scuba diving instructor, multisports coach and managing his own dive school in Indonesia, Dan pursued his Teaching degree at Sunderland University, joining Hong Kong Academy as a learning support co-teacher shortly thereafter. Dan now teaches MYP Physical & Health Education and is the Athletics Coordinator for 2023-24. 

Dan recognises the importance of empathy, diversity and equality. Knowing that no single approach is the right one for every individual, Dan encourages sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal growth over a must win attitude. Dan’s principle aim is to reinforce physical activity as a tool to maximise self-esteem and build self-confidence in students. Passionate about inclusion and differentiation, Dan believes that the skills students learn in physical education can be applied throughout their daily life; promoting the power of decision making and goal setting as life skills and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Outside of school, Dan enjoys hiking, playing football, listening to Bruce Springsteen, and is likely to recruit anybody and everybody to join him in a gym session or general knowledge quiz.

Performing Arts Director

Jean Morris

Jean is a passionate performing arts teacher, who believes that through vibrant, inclusive performing arts programmes, students develop creativity, confidence and self-expression. She believes that by creating a safe environment for performance students can take risks, innovate, problem solve and communicate ideas which deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Jean began her teaching career in New Zealand and has developed performing arts programmes at all levels in international schools in Indonesia, Laos, Argentina, Ecuador and Kazakhstan. She has over twenty years of experience in directing and choreography. She has coordinated International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), Choral and Dance Festivals and forensic competitions throughout South America and New Zealand.

She believes in the notion of life-long learning and most recently completed an MBA in Educational Leadership through the University of Cumbria. In her spare time, Jean loves to perform in community projects and local theatre companies. She likes to relax by playing the piano, doing yoga, taking long walks with her husband, and catching up with her two children who live and work in New Zealand.

Technology Director

Andy Birch

Andy has been in education for over 20 years and is passionate about the power of technology to offer meaningful and enhanced learning opportunities to staff, students and parents. During his experience at various international schools, and through his Master’s in Educational Technology, Andy has developed a rich understanding of technology in education and is highly invested in guiding the HKA community in digital wellbeing and the purposeful use of technology. As well as supporting multiple school events, technical theatre, developing HKA’s technology infrastructure, and training staff, Andy presents at global conferences and workshops helping to share technology systems in schools. Andy is also a family man whose two children attend HKA. He endeavours to balance the powerful forces of technology within his own family by exploring  the amazing virtual environments offered through gaming whilst also enjoying outdoor pursuits such as hiking and biking and by coaching rugby for the Sai Kung Stingrays.