Elyse Gentry

Email: elyse.gentry@sjajeju.kr

Hello! I'm Elyse Gentry and I'm delighted to be at SJA this year. I have been in education for almost 20 years.  I earned my B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Northern Colorado in Denver, CO, where I also completed the Teacher Certification Program for Kindergarten through 6th grade. I added the Early Childhood Certification to my license to be able to teach Birth- 6th grade. In May of 2020, I completed my Masters in Curriculum Design and Instruction with an emphasis in Culturally Diverse Learners. 

I grew up in Denver, CO before moving to St Louis, MO in July of 2020. I have spent a number of years of my career working in many different roles within a school including a librarian, assistant teacher, and substitute. I found my passion for Early Childhood and Kindergarten and have taught these grades for 12 years. I love teaching in the Early Childhood/ Kindergarten grades because I love seeing them become more independent and the students realizing that they are able to do so much more than they could before. 

I came to Korea in October 2023 teaching English in Seoul. I have enjoyed learning more about  Korean culture and history. While I was teaching English, I worked with all age ranges on their building background knowledge and vocabulary skills. I worked with teachers to create units that really helped students be hands-on learning about different topics using their English skills. Outside of teaching, I love to unwind by reading while I cuddle with my dog Mr. Darcy, exploring new places in Korea, and spending time with my husband.

I look forward to working with you and your children this year. It will be one full of growth and memories. 

Kimberley Kim

Email: kimberley.kim@sjajeju.kr

I am Kimberley Kim and am very happy to be joining the PK3 at SJA this year. This is my fourth year at SJA. I am from Seoul but also lived in New Zealand for 13 years. I have a bachelor's in English Literature from Ewha Woman's university. I was an English teacher for many years. 

This is going to be a new chapter of my life. I am looking forward to this.

Yujeong (Jamie) Jo

Email: yujeong.jo@sjajeju.kr

Carolina Carpanzano

Email: carolina.carpanzano@skakeku.kr

My name is Carolina Carpanzano and I am thrilled to be continuing in ECE as a PK4 teacher. I am from Montreal, Canada and this is my fourth year at SJA!

I hold a master’s degree in Second Language Education from McGill University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Years Education from the University of Sunderland. I am very interested in language acquisition in young learners; specifically, I am interested in identifying effective classroom practices and observing the role of affective factors in language development. Additionally, my other areas of interest include developing the environment as the “third teacher”, Inquiry-based learning, and early literacy development. I have taught at international schools in Vietnam, China and Korea. 

My connection to Korea is strongly evident in my life, both professionally and personally. My husband and I have two daughters whom we aspire to raise as balanced bilinguals. We are delighted that our girls have this opportunity to grow and learn in Korea, forming strong connections with family and friends and being part of the St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju community.

Yvonne Song

Email: yvonne.song@sjajeju.kr

Hello! My name is Yvonne(Yeram) Song and I am so excited to be joining the PreK team again! It has been 6 years since I worked in SJA and I worked as an assistant teacher in PreK4 and KG before. It is an honor to be a member of  SJA team and I am so happy to be back to this wonderful school.

I am from Seoul and I have a Bachelor’s degree in English literature. I did volunteer work in Laos to teach Korean culture and English to children and it was a very valuable experience in my life. It allowed me to have a passion for education. I got a Tesol certificate in New Zealand and worked in Singapore for 3 years. 

It has been 11 years since I moved to the beautiful Jeju Island and I feel grateful to live here, meet good people, work with amazing teachers and teach children who are so precious and deserve to be loved. 

I have two kids, one is in the 4th grade and the other is 4 years old. I love going camping and exploring this beautiful world with my family.  I am inspired by my student’s curiosity, experience and their imagination. I am looking forward to having great memories at SJA Jeju!