Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree (University of Cape Town)
Certificate in Professional Development for Teachers (CLS, Monash University)
Certificate in Professional Development for Chinese Community Language Teachers Methodology Phase I (R.M.I.T.)
Certificate III in Children's Services (MCIE)
Diploma in Children's Services (ITHEA)
Marisha Theeboom is an experienced Mandarin teacher fluent in Mandarin, Taiwanese and English. She is also an accomplished business woman who has held positions in a variety of successful international businesses including Managing Director, Finance and Sales Manager, Administration, Marketing and Advertising.
Alongside her professional career, since 1987 Marisha has been involved as a volunteer community worker working with a wide range of age groups and cultures across continents. She also has experience in working with a large charitable organisation that spans Taiwan, America and South Africa.
Marisha holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from the University of Cape Town, R.S.A., (1996) and she continues to update her extensive knowledge through attending professional development courses (2006) within Australia (R.M.I.T.). In 2010 she completed her Certificate in 'Professional Development for Teachers in Community Languages Schools' at Monash University which focuses on LOTE methodology in Early Years Teaching. Her extensive knowledge and excellent practices working in the Early Childhood sector in Australia has earned her a Diploma in Children's Services through Recognition of Prior Learning. She is currently undertaking a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) at Melbourne University.
As a migrant herself, Marisha moved to Melbourne with her husband and first born child in 2001 when she experienced the difficulties involved in settling in a new community first hand. Joining a local playgroup, she felt frustrated and isolated as cultural differences made communication for her and her family difficult. She realised that although the local playgroups offered opportunities for social gathering, they didn't meet the needs of the growing child. It was with this understanding that she set out to use her early childhood teaching experience and developed Jo Jo Bilingual Education Program.
Jo Jo Bilingual Education Program is the first of its kind in Australia - designed for young children aged from newborn to 12 years old and in three languages; Chinese, Spanish and German, while catering to the needs of different early childhood educational setups and languages.
Wanting to support others feeling the same frustrations she had experienced, Marisha developed her plan to encourage migrants and local communities to get together and understand each others cultures and languages through a fun and stimulating playgroup environment using the Jo Jo Bilingual Education program as its foundation.
In 2007 Marisha established Kimmba Bilingual Learning Inc; Australia's first multilingual playgroup, to enable migrants to retain their cultural diversity and self identity while developing their language skills and English proficiency.
Marisha believes that Jo Jo Bilingual Education Programs and the establishment of Kimmba Bilingual Learning Inc. will help to enable more migrants from different cultures to retain their culture diversity and self identity.
Combining her extensive experience gained as a language teacher of young children with that gained from being a mother of three energetic young girls, she knows how to encourage little wandering minds to settle down and achieve the best result from each language session. And most importantly, Marisha knows how to ensure the children have fun while learning a second language in a play based, loving and caring environment.
Under her leadership, in 2012, Kimmba Bilingual Learning Playgroup has moved to the next phase. Melbourne's very first Multilingual Early Learning Centre, Kimmba Bilingual Early Learning Centre, is now established. With a government funded 4 year old Kindergarten Program, it is not only the next step in her dream, but will also be of benefit to the whole community in Australia.
Maritta has been teaching with Kimmba since January 2008.
Maritta qualified as a teacher at the "Fachschule fuer Sozialpaedagogik" in Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany in 1979 allowing her to follow her passion and work firstly as a kindergarten teacher, and then as a social worker in childrens' homes. After a break from work and traveling extensively through Africa, she later ran a Kindergarten in the Black Forest, Germany.
After moving to Australia, she opened a private bilingual Kindergarten in Melbourne in 1984, she also taught German on Saturday mornings to preschoolers and was involved with bilingual language studies at Monash University. She closed the Kindergarten when her family decided to move further out of the city and took over the running of the Kindergarten program in a Long Day Care Centre for the nest 3 years. In 2000 she started the Out of School Hour Care program at Kangaroo Ground, where she is currently working.
In 2005/2006 she completed a Diploma in Family studies.
Maritta has four children aged 10 to 26.
Jingwen Liao (Emily), our Leading Mandarin teacher for Kimmba since January 2011, is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. She completed a Bachelor of Law degree at Beijing Normal University in 2007. She has also completed her Master of Education degree (specialising in Early Childhood Education) at Monash University in 2008 and a Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education at RMIT University in 2009.
Between 2008 and 2009, she has been working as a Chinese Teacher with ACCS (Australasian Centre of Chinese Studies) part time to teach both children and adult the Mandarin and Cantonese languages. In 2009, she finished several placements in different childcare centres and local kindergartens, receiving outstanding comments from her mentors.In 2010, Emily has been working as an Early Childhood kindergarten teacher and has also worked in the Hays Education and Expect-A-Star agencies as a relief staff member. She then started to work full-time as a three-year old kinder teacher in the Bloom Early Learning Centre (Ashwood), June 2010. She has done the professional training related to the early childhood field, including First Aid and Anaphylaxis. She holds a valid Working with Children check and a National Police Check.
Emily believes that every child is a unique individual and that children learn through a play based program, which is the reason why Kimmba’s philosophy and using the uniquely designed, Jo Jo Bilingual Early Learning Program, which allows the teacher to focus on children’s interests and strongly encourages children’s mental and physical developmental stages, is leading Emily to take on the sole responsibility as our playgroup leader in Kimmba since 2011.
Emily has been promoted to take the role of 'Second In Charge' at Marisha's new Kimmba Bilingual Early Learning Center at St Kilda East in July, 2012.
Ming Zhang (Crystal) is a native Mandarin speaker and she has been working with Kimmba since July 2011. She completed a Bachelor of English degree at Shanghai International Studies University in 2010, which has equipped her with excellent English language skills.
During her study in China, she worked as an English teacher for one year in Shanghai. In 2010, she worked as the leader of the English teaching and research group with Beyond Education for six months. Crystal is currently studying a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) at Melbourne University. She has participated in placements in several Early Childhood and Primary School settings.
In addition to Crystal's professional training and in relation to the Early Childhood Field, she has a certificate of First Aid (Level 2) and Anaphylaxis. She is an excellent Early Childhood Mandarin Teacher and she will be teaching at Kimmba Bilingual Early Learning Centre as a Qualified Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher.
Crystal's view on education is that childhood plays a vital part on the future development of a person and therefore educators have a responsibility to provide high-quality care and education for each child to enable them to reach their true potential and develop a strong sense of identity. On the basis of treating every child equally, it is also critical to respect their interests and unique ways of learning. This point of view is part of the philosophy held by the Kimmba Bilingual Learning Playgroup, so Crystal is looking forward to helping develop the children at Kimmba in their bilingual language learning.
Rachel has been appointed as Malvern East Mandarin Playgroup Teacher since September, 2011. Rachel originally comes from Shanghai, China. Having completed a Bachelor of Management Degree, at the Shanghai University of Engineering Science, in 2008, she is now undertaking a Master of Education Degree, specialising in Early Childhood Education, at Monash University. Rachel is a native Mandarin speaker and shows passion and energy when teaching children.
After graduating with her Bachelor degree, Rachel started working at Shanghai Airlines as a junior instructor and assistant of VIP Customers. Rachel's responsibility and excellent work ethic make her stand out above the rest and she was awarded “Shanghai Airlines’ Distinguished Service Provider” and “The Outstanding Contribution in 2010 EXPO” Prizes.
Rachel has worked part time for more than five years as a foreign teacher’s assistant in the Longman School, at the Shanghai Early Learning Education Centre, teaching English to Chinese children.. As an enthusiastic and progressive young bilingual pre-school teacher, Rachel is very patient and proud of her responsible attitude towards each of her students.
Rachel holds a First Aid certificate (Level 2), a certificate of Asthma and Anaphylaxis, a valid Working with Children check and a National Police check.
Rachel believes that every child is a unique individual and that children are encouraged to learn through a play-based program. This is the reason Kimmba’s philosophy and the unique preschool teaching strategies using the innovative and distinctively designed Jo Jo Bilingual Early Learning Program attracted Rachel to join the team. This play-based, structured curriculum allows the teacher to focus on children’s interests and strongly encourage the children’s cognitive development.
Rachel focuses on helping children to build up their confidence and self-esteem so that they are ready to move onto the next step and take on the more challenging aspects of bilingual learning with Kimmba.
Iris has been working with Kimmba since 2010 July. Iris holds her Bachelor of Art in Chinese Language and Literature from Yunnan Normal University in China, 2005. She has professional knowledge of teaching both verbal and written Chinese and has experience in teaching Chinese to secondary students in China.
With a great passion for teaching, especially bilingual education, she has graduated with a Master's Degree of Master of Teaching (Primary) at Melbourne University in 2011. Iris is the first International student that was employed by Laurimar Primary School Melbourne prior to her graduation at the end of 2011. Iris is an engaging teacher who brings her prior experiences into Early Childhood and Primary education to developing good rapport with the children. She loves teaching and she loves working with children.
Iris believes that with the support and commitment of teachers, parents and their peers, every child will succeed at Kimmba.
Iris has been employed by one of Melbourne's primary as a Lead Mandarin Teacher teaching LOTE since December 2011 and she has committed herself as our Saturday Chinese Casual Relief Teacher. We believe with Iris's continuing support and strong commitment to teach Chinese to our next generation, Kimmba children will have a wonderful time learning Chinese with us.
Stephanie joins us in January 2012 as a Mandarin teacher.
Stephanie holds a number of qualifications; a Diploma of Primary Music Education from the Teachers College of Language and the Arts in Guang Dong Province, China from when she was aged 16, a Grade 7 Singing Certificate, acquired as a 12 year old, and a Grade 8 Honours Piano Certificate, acquired when she was 17 year old. Stephanie has also performed as a representative for China in the children travelling to Zimbabwe for a cultural exchange in 2006. Music has given Stephanie a joyful, success and unique childhood.
Stephanie is currently studying a Bachelor Degree of Primary Education at RMIT University to fulfill her music teaching career, a dream since childhood and she has also completed Certificate III in Children’s Services January, 2013 to enhance her teaching skills with preschool children. In 2011 she taught singing to a group of children aged 6-12 years.
Stephanie believes that the early childhood stage is a critical period of a child's life and therefore, helping to establish learning skills and the right attitude is a vital key to their success later in life. Music skills and advanced music development in childhood can be one of the most successful achievements and joyful activities for a child and it helps to build their self esteem and promotes successful academic learning at school. Stephanie encourages children to feel free to dance and explore different kinds of music.
She will give Kimmba children a varied musical experience. Stephanie is looking forward to working with Kimmba children and hopes to have the opportunity to establish a Pre-school choir in the near future at Kimmba.
