Senior Leadership

SENIOR
LEADERSHIP

Dr. Amanda Romey

Director

I was born and raised in Southern California where I delevoped my passion for running, football, and volleyball. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Histroy at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, my Master’s in Teaching at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, then I earned my Administrative Credentials at Washington State University and my Doctrate at the University of New England. I was a Middle School English, History, and Reading teacher and administrstor for 16 years in Spokane Washington until my husband, three boys, and I moved to Cairo Egypt where we spent 6 years before we moved to Latvia. This is my 4th year at ISR and I absolutely LOVE it here!

Ginta Kārkliņa

IBPYP Coordinator

I was born in Liepaja, a wonderful Latvian city by the Baltic sea. Who knows, this might be the reason I love spending as much time outdoors as possible, walking, hiking or just reading a book under a tree . When graduated from the university and received my teaching certificate, I was not sure whether I wanted to be a teacher. My first teaching experience was being a Kindergarten support teacher. I was able to witness how young children learn and help them on their learning journeys, and I developed an interest in education. 27 years have passed since I started teaching and my interest has just become deeper. I keep learning every day from educators around me, from books, from materials I can find online, and, most of all, from children at our school. More than a half of my time in education I have been with ISR as a Preschool teacher, Kindergarten teacher and a PYP Coordinator.

Sarah McGinley

IBDP Coordinator/Teacher of French

I was born in the Isle of Man and proudly call myself Manx. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in French and German,and Masters degrees in French Education. I began teaching in Manchester, England. I then began my overseas career in IBDP schools, having been lucky enough to live and work in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Jakarta, Doha, and now in Riga, a real hidden gem in Europe. I take full advantage of the culture this city offers and when time allows I am also the IBDP coordinator! Please do not hesitate to contact me should you want to know more about the IBDP, or in general about Grades 11 and 12 here at ISR.

Emily Johnson

Dean of Students/ Secondary Technology teacher

I was born and raised in Minneapolis Minnesota, which is where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Education. I moved to Portland Oregon where I spent a majority of my career teaching math and science and transitioned into instructional coaching and mentor teaching before moving to Saudi Arabia to begin teaching internationally. This is my second year at ISR as a teacher and the secondary Dean of students and I look forward to continuing to grow with the ISR community.

Duong Mai

University Counsellor/ Cambridge Examination Officer

Born and raised in the breathtaking Ha Long, Vietnam, I always wondered whether I’d step foot beyond the mountains in front of my house. And far and wide I have travelled and lived. I came to ISR with a professional background of international higher education including 1.5 years recruiting students for New York University Abu Dhabi, 2 years managing Australian Government’s scholarships, and 12 years of counselling international students to study overseas. My educational background includes an MA in Educational Programme Evaluation with the University of Melbourne, a MA in English and Pedagogy with the Vietnam National University, and a duo BA in Mathematics and English with Vietnam National University. I love working with ISR students and helping them find career and university opportunities! My family loves Riga and we have enjoyed our time living in this gorgeous city for the past 6 years.

Tony Rialland

Child Protection Officer/ Primary French teacher

Some years ago… I was born in Nantes, a wonderful city in the North Western part of France, close to the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up there and on my 18th birthday I joined the “Université de Nantes” where I studied German History and Literature before joining the “Universität Rostock” Germany. I left University with a B.A of Germanistic delivered by both my French and German Universities. Life brought me to Latvia 20 years ago and I joined ISR only a few years after that. Most of you know me as Mr. Tony the French Teacher but I have also been the ISR Child Protection Officer for many years, dedicating time and energy to the safety and well-being of the ISR students and community.

Dr. Amanda Romey

Director

I‘m a Southern California native with a passion for running, football, and volleyball. I got my bachelor’s in history at Cal Poly, followed by a teaching master’s at Whitworth in Spokane, WA. Later, I earned my Administrative Credentials at Washington State University and completed my Doctorate at the University of New England.
For 16 years, I taught and worked as an administrator in Spokane, WA. Then, my family and I moved to Cairo, Egypt, for six years before settling in Latvia. I’m now in my fifth year at ISR, and I absolutely love it here!

Heath Capello

Secondary School Principal

I grew up in Pennsylvania and have lived in a variety of places in the United States with the most time spent in Rhode Island. I have been active in education since 2000 in a myriad of ways including, spending six years in boarding schools, engaging in science outreach, and working at universities. After five years in Milan where I headed the science department, taught IB chemistry, and directed theatre productions, I spent the next five years as the Assistant Principal of the Upper School. I am thrilled to be joining the ISR community as the Secondary Principal. Together, I am confident we can help each other grow and reach our unique potential in this respectful, ethical, and international environment.

Anna Cottrell

Primary School Principal

Hello! My name is Anna Cottrell, and I am the Primary Principal at ISR. Originally from Alabama in the United States, I have spent the past 13 years as an international educator. My experience spans various roles within the Primary Years Programme (PYP), including PYP teacher, PYP Coordinator, and Administrator. I hold a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction: Leadership and am a member of the International Baccalaureate Educator Network (IBEN) as a School Visitor. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working across Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, and now Europe. I am excited to continue contributing to and learning from ISR’s vibrant community.

Kristīne Daktere

Operations Director

Born in Riga and studied in BA School of Business and finance. My professional experience has led me through such industries as financing, real estate, agriculture, waste management and recycling.
I am a passionate professional in strategic change leadership and possess a proven history in leading several investment projects to a multiple times growth in a short period of time through the necessary operational, financial planning and administrative changes.
Even though this is my first experience with a School the daily work of the ISR organisation requires the same operational management as any other business entity. I am excited about the new journey together with the awesome ISR community.

Madara Pole

Head of Admissions

I was born and grew up in Jurmala, Latvia and earned a BA in Communication Sciences from University of Latvia, currently studying Psychology at the Riga Stadins University. I started my career at an international environment 18 years ago, and since then have not left international schools. I love getting to meet prospective students and their families from around the world. I still live in Jurmala and spend my free time travelling, skiing, swimming and learning someting new. I am excited about making the admissions process accessible to all students and look forward to helping you get to know our school.

International School of Riga is a Candidate School* for the IB MYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that ISR believes is important for our students. *Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.

SENIOR
LEADERSHIP