Teachers - Koper International School

Our Team

A founding member of Koper International School, Julia brings 8 years international teaching and management experience to the team. She is a highly qualified teacher and expert in her fields of English and History, having an International Masters from University of Glasgow in Russian and Eastern European Studies and a Masters from Jagiellonian University in European Politics. She completed her PGCE QTS in English teaching from Edgehill University, and has taught in Poland, Italy and Slovenia. She is looking forward to teaching History, Politics and English A-level from September.

Julia O'Regan (GB)

Head Teacher
Secondary English and History Teacher

Katie brings with her 25 years of teaching experience in an international school setting. Originally from the UK, she completed her degree and teacher training in Child and Family studies with a specialisation in English at the University of Leeds. Katie has worked extensively as a lower primary class teacher, with a strong passion for establishing healthy habits and integrating physical activity into the classroom. She is particularly dedicated to raising literacy standards and prides herself on guiding all children to high levels in reading and writing through the Oxford Reading Tree series. Katie is married to a Slovene and has three teenage children. She is excited to contribute her expertise and energy to our learning community.

Katie Whitton (GB)

Head of Primary
Primary Class Teacher and PE Specialist

Miriam is our Business Specialist with a strong linguistic and international background. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business and a Bachelor’s degree in French and Literature. Originally from Gibraltar, Miriam speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian fluently. She brings valuable practical experience from working in multilingual business environments, combining cultural awareness with real-world insight to support students in developing strong communication and business skills.

Miriam Cenda (GB)

English and Business Teacher

Jake is a versatile and enthusiastic teacher who works with Primary Class 5 as well as lower secondary English and History. He studied Drama at LIPA in Liverpool and is currently completing his Master’s in Education. With a strong background in literacy and drama teaching in Liverpool schools, Jake brings creativity, engagement, and strong communication skills to his lessons, inspiring students to think critically and express themselves with confidence.

Jake Davies (GB)

Primary Class Teacher 5-6

Sofia is joining us from Costa Rica as our new Spanish and Music teacher. A classically trained pianist, she holds a degree in Music with a focus on piano and education. She previously taught IB Music in an international school in Costa Rica and has four years of experience teaching both Music and Spanish. Currently based in Trieste with her Italian partner, Sofia is eager to bring her musical expertise and linguistic skills to the classroom. In addition to her native Spanish, she speaks English at C2 level and has a B1 level in Italian.

Sofía Orozco Rojas (Costa Rica)

Secondary Spanish and Music Teacher

With over 40 years of teaching experience, we are honoured to welcome James to our team. He holds a master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Vermont and spent over 30 years teaching in two U.S. schools before beginning his international career five years ago. James joins us from Kosovo, having also taught in Tajikistan, and brings extensive experience teaching mathematics at all levels—from primary to university. His deep expertise and dedication to education will be a tremendous asset to our students.

James Grittner (USA)

Maths Teacher

Ivana-Koper International-School German and French Teacher

Ivana is an accomplished linguist and language educator with more than 25 years of experience across Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia. She joins us as our secondary French and German teacher. Holding a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Teaching from the University of Zagreb, Ivana is fluent in Croatian, German, French, Italian, and English. Her passion for languages and multicultural learning environments will enrich our modern languages department and support students in achieving fluency and cultural understanding.

Ivana Medanović (CRO)

Secondary German and French Teacher

Valentina is an internationally trained Montessori educator with over 20 years of experience, having studied and worked in India, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and Germany. She is the founder of a trilingual Montessori school in Italy and also established the Montessori Farm of the Dolomites—a residential summer camp focused on holistic learning, science, and nature. Valentina has worked as a bilingual teaching assistant in France, using both English and French. Now based in Trieste, she will be teaching Primary Art, Science, and Italian, as well as Italian and Art in Secondary School. We look forward to her hands-on, holistic teaching approach that integrates creativity, nature, and cross-cultural understanding.

Valentina Macchione Vlacovich (ITA)

Secondary Italian Teacher

Melina is our native German-speaking teacher who is currently completing her pedagogical training in teaching German as a second language. She brings enthusiasm, patience, and a supportive approach to the classroom, helping students develop confidence and fluency in German. Melina is passionate about healthy living, sports, and promoting positive role models for young people. She believes strongly in encouraging resilience, confidence, and independence in students, particularly empowering girls to grow into strong and capable young women.

Melina Clausen (DEU)

German Teacher

An all round scientist and programming specialist. Angela is joining us fresh from her Masters degree in Maths, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies from Primorska University, which she studied in English. Despite being the youngest member of our teaching team, she has 5 years experience in education, primarily teaching gifted and talented students aged 12 to 18, preparing them for national competitions and university entrance.

Anđela Đukić (SRB)

Computer Science and Secondary Science Teacher

Nicholas is originally from Scotland and holds a PhD in Sanskrit, specialising in the literary and intellectual history of pre-modern South Asia. He spent several years working at the University of Edinburgh, where, among other roles, he served as a Teaching Fellow and conducted research in classical languages, philosophy, art history, and religious studies. Nicholas brings a deep academic background and a broad cultural perspective to the classroom. At Koper International School, he teaches history, inspiring students to think critically about past civilizations, ideas, and the development of human societies. This position marks his first role outside the university sector, and he is excited to share his knowledge with younger learners.

Nicholas Newton (GB)

History Teacher

Sumru is our teaching assistant with a diverse academic and professional background, including an MSc in Logistics. She is passionate about supporting students in their learning journey and helping each child reach their full potential. With her calm and supportive approach, she plays an important role in assisting teachers and providing additional support to students in the classroom. Sumru will begin her formal teacher training in September 2026 and is particularly interested in early childhood education. Her long-term goal is to help develop and open the KIS kindergarten by 2027.

Sumru Horasan (TURK)

Art Teacher

Isabel, originally from Liverpool, holds a first-class honours degree in History and completed her teacher training through the Teach First programme. Over the past two years, she has built a strong foundation in teaching and learning while working in Liverpool. Her academic interests focus on twentieth-century history, particularly the Inter-War period and the women’s suffrage movement. She teaches History alongside English, Geography, and Philosophy and Ethics, encouraging critical thinking and cross-curricular learning. Isabel is also passionate about supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, recognising its role in student success. Now in her second teaching position, she brings valuable experience and enthusiasm to the classroom. Outside school, she enjoys football and values teamwork and community in school life.

Isabel Blore (GB)

English and History Teacher

Our PE teacher brings over 30 years of experience in basketball, having played professionally for many years before continuing at a high-level non-professional level. With more than a decade of coaching experience, he has worked with young basketball players of all ages, combining his deep knowledge of the game with a strong sense of patience and enthusiasm. He strongly believes in the importance of leading an active lifestyle and encourages students to explore and enjoy a variety of sports to build confidence, teamwork, and lifelong healthy habits.

Stanko Rajčić (SLO)

PE Teacher and Administrator

Emily comes to us with 15 years of teaching experience in both her native USA and abroad, including in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Italy. She earned her qualifications in teaching Special Education and English from Xavier University of Louisiana and international education administration from the University of Illinois. She also obtained QTS in England. Emily especially loves teaching young learners and instilling within them a spirit of curiosity and fondness of knowledge, specifically through project-based learning. She is dedicated to fostering a classroom environment in which all students of varying capabilities and interests can thrive and achieve their full potential. Emily also looks forward to participating as a learner in our community by studying more Slovene to accompany her knowledge of French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Emily Cordeiro (USA)

Director
Primary Teacher and SEN Specialist

Lana is an administrative assistant and student teacher currently completing her Masters degree in Primary Education, with a focus on English language teaching. She supports both the administrative operations of the school and classroom activities, gaining valuable practical experience as she develops her teaching skills. Lana is highly organised, motivated, and passionate about education. Through her dual role in administration and learning support, she contributes to the smooth daily functioning of the school while continuing to build her professional teaching practice.

Lana Turk (SLO)

Administrator and Teaching Assistant

A confident linguist, with a degree in French and Italian Studies with Literature from The Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana, Nika has over 10 years of experience in language education. In addition to her native Slovene, she is fluent in English, Spanish, and Croatian, making her a true polyglot and a valuable resource for students with diverse linguistic backgrounds.She is enthusiastic to pass on her language passion to the next generation.

Nika Ade-Balogun (SLO)

Director
Italian and French Teacher

Educated in Rijeka as an English teacher, she spent several summers in the UK working as an au pair, immersing herself in British culture and language. Inspired by these experiences, she returned home with a vision to bring authentic English learning to her community. Thirty years ago, she founded Nista Language School, dedicating herself to helping generations of students build confidence and fluency in English. Throughout her career, she has nurtured a lifelong dream of creating a true British-style school in her home town of Koper. In addition to Slovene and English Alenka is also fluent in Italian and Croatian.

Alenka Rajčić (SLO)

Founder and Owner

Marta Panziera Koper International School Italian Teacher

Marta is an experienced language educator with over 14 years of experience teaching Italian as a First and Second Language. Originally from a small town near Rome, she has taught learners of different ages and backgrounds in a variety of settings, including international schools and university programmes. She has also lived and worked abroad, an experience that has enriched both her teaching practice and her intercultural perspective. She holds a Master’s degree in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners, a specialised Master’s degree in Teaching Italian as a Second Language (L2), and the CEDILS certification for teaching Italian to non-native speakers. Now based in Trieste, where she lives with her family, she combines her passion for languages and linguistics with a strong commitment to creating an inclusive, communicative, and engaging learning environment. She enjoys supporting both native and non-native speakers in developing their language skills while fostering a meaningful connection with Italian language and culture.

Marta Panziera (ITA)

Italian Teacher

Emily Cordeiro (USA)

Director
Primary Teacher and SEN Specialist

Alenka Rajčić (SLO)

Founder and Owner