Our Teachers
Engaging Education: Create an environment of excitement and curiosity, where learning becomes an adventure. With innovative teaching techniques and a supportive curriculum, you'll have the freedom to inspire students and ignite their love for knowledge.
Suzy Brown
The founder and principal of the school has
a Master's degree in Education: Language and Literacy, a B.S. in Elementary Education, a teacher's license for grades 1 through 8, and a gifted and talented certificate. Besides teaching at NLIS, she has experience teaching in a public school system in Texas and at three colleges in Texas and Japan.
Ayako Yamamoto
Mrs. Yamamoto is the accountant of NLIS. She graduated from the International Christian University in Tokyo. She is an experienced and licensed bookkeeper. She can answer most questions in Japanese and English.
Khristine Ilagan
Miss Ilagan teaches 2nd & 3rd grade. She has a BA in Elementary Education, an elementary teacher's license, a 120-hour TEFL (Teaching English) certification, and six years of teaching. She is working toward a Master of Arts in Education. She has also trained in the
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. She also watches children in the after-school program.
Claudia Stadius
Miss Stadius teaches 1st grade. She has a
BS in education and an elementary teacher's license. She is an American with many years of teaching in Japan. She also watches the after-school time with the children.
Sue Yi
Miss Yi teaches the 3rd grade. She has a Master's degree in education, a BA in Elementary Education, a teacher's license,
a 120-hour TEFL (Teaching English)
certificate, a gifted and talented certificate,
and 15 years of teaching in a public school in Chicago, Illinois. She also taught in Thailand for over two years.
Christian Brown
Mr. Brown teaches the 4th grade. He has a BA in Communications from Dallas Baptist University and has about twenty years
of teaching experience in Japan. He is an American but was born and raised in Japan. He teaches the ukulele to grades 4 through 6.
Jonathan Rasson
Mr. Rasson teaches language arts to 6th through 8th, math to grades 7 and 8, social studies to grades 6 through 12, and the electives PE, sculpture, and technology to grades 6 through 12. He has a Master's degree from Waseda University in international communication, a BS in Asian History from the University of Colorado, and a secondary teacher's certificate. Mr. Rasson is an American born in Germany. For more information about Mr. Rasson and a look at the subjects he teaches in junior high and high school, please look at his site: https://sites.google.com/view/jonrasson/home
Andrea Boko
Miss Boko teaches language arts to high school, math to 6th grade, science to junior high, and the electives home economics, physical education, and drama to grades 6 through 12. She has a bachelor of secondary education with a major in English,
a secondary teacher's license, a 120-hour TEFL (Teaching English) certification, and four years of teaching experience.
Kyle Olsen
Mr. Olsen will teach the 5th and 6th grade classroom. He has a bachelor of science with a major in Political Science and a minor in
English and History. He has a teacher's certificate for grades 4-8 and five years of teaching experience in Texas and Japan. He will teach P.E. to grades 4 through 6.
Mrs. Tomoko Furuya
Mrs. Furuya is a highly qualified and experienced Japanese teacher with a master's degree. She teaches Japanese to the 4th and 5th grade class.
Sierra Coon
Miss Coon teaches high school chemistry and geometry. She has a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry from the University of Southern Indiana.
Mr. Naoyuki Furuya
Mr. Furuya is a highly qualified and trained language teacher. He teaches the 8th and 9th grade classes.
Reiko Maruyama
Mrs. Maruyama has a teaching Japanese to foreigners license, a kindergarten license, and an education degree. She teaches Japanese to grades 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th. She also teaches two after-school classes for Japanese as a Second Language.
Stephen Veale
Mr. Veale is the chaplain. He teaches the children stories from the Bible every Friday.
He is an experienced teacher from New Zealand.
Dr. Danny Brown
Dr. Brown is the consultant for NLIS and pastor of New Life International Church.
Dr. Brown is a full-time English teacher at Yamanashi Eiwa College. He has a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education, an M.A. in Teaching ESL, and a B.A. in Religious Studies.
Jun Matsuoka
Mr. Matsuoka teaches high school and 3rd grade Japanese. He has a graduate diploma in Japanese Language Teaching and a BA in Education for teaching at the elementary and secondary levels. He has experience teaching in Japan and Australia and was a principal and teacher in Luxembourg.
Mrs. Erin Okuaki
Mrs. Okuaki will be the principal's assistant. Mrs. Okuaki is bilingual and has a BA from Colorado, USA. She has many talents, including a blackbelt in karate.
Miss Masumi Kamikawa
Miss Kamikawa is a teacher and office assistant. She answers phones, watches the elementary children during recess, does translation for the principal, and more. She can answer questions in Japanese and English. She also teaches ESL after school on Fridays.
Aiko Veale
Mrs. Veale is the assistant administrator of NLIS. She is an experienced and licensed bookkeeper and calligraphy teacher. She can answer any questions in Japanese and English.
She is currently on a leave of absence.
Rhonda Culver Tezuka
Mrs. Tezuka is the afterschool ESL/Eiken teacher at NLIS. She has vast experience in teaching ESL and preparing students for the Eiken. She has been an Eiken interviewer for 20 years, and a speech judge throughout Tokyo metropolitan schools.