OUR STAFF
We have an experienced and dedicated team of teachers who are all native English speakers. We also have a small administration team and our office is open Monday-Friday from 9-12.
We would love to meet you in person. Please telephone 043 305 9250 for an appointment to visit the school and talk about your child’s individual needs, or send us an email.
Caryn Leuthardt, Head Teacher, Teacher Reading and Writing/ Explorers
Caryn comes from Durban, South Africa and she moved to Zurich in January 2009. She has two daughters who were 10 and 8 years old when they first arrived in Switzerland, and they have both successfully gone through the Swiss school system. Caryn has been teaching for over 20 years and in South Africa, she taught at high school and tertiary level. She joined the WAC teaching team in 2010 as an English Achievers ( Reading & Writing) teacher and added Explorers in 2011. She developed the higher levels of our English Achievers program to include preparation for the Cambridge PET, First and Advanced Certificates. She also teaches native English speakers at the Secondary Schools in Uster. She feels very fortunate to be able to say that she loves her job.
Carol Conzelmann, Teacher Reading and Writing
Carol is from Shropshire in the UK and studied and worked in Oxford, Cambridge and London. She lived in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai for 10 years, where she worked as a Fashion Buyer/Merchandise Manager. She met her Swiss husband in Hong Kong and they moved to Uster in 2008, where she was very happy to find a new home at the WAC. She now lives in Wermatswil with Stefan, their two children, plus cat brothers Nero and Pharaoh. Carol volunteered at the WAC for several years and served as President from 2011-2013. In 2014, she re-trained as an English Teacher and now teaches English Achievers levels 1 and 2. Carol loves holidays, hiking, reading and cooking Asian food.
Yvonne Bernet, Teacher Reading and Writing
Yvonne studied in Aberdeen, Scotland and taught music in secondary and special needs schools in Glasgow and Edinburgh. She moved to Switzerland in 2000 with her Swiss husband, Roland. She has two children - Fabienne and Andre, and two guinea pigs - Lucy and Isla. Yvonne has been teaching various classes at the WAC since 2001 and her children have attended (and still enjoy) the WAC. Yvonne is a regular at the Monday evening Pilates classes. She enjoys skiing, cycling, hill walking, reading, playing the piano and spending time with friends and family. Yvonne feels it is the WAC that has played the biggest role in helping her to settle in Switzerland, providing her with part-time employment whilst raising a family and of course the opportunity to socialize and develop friendships.
Sharon Billing, Teacher Preschool / Explorers / Lunch Club
Sharon is from the UK and moved to Switzerland 18 years ago and lives in Hittnau with her husband. In 2002 she started working as an assistant teacher at Rainbow School and after 2 years of training, started taking her own classes. After the school closed she continued teaching the children at the parents’ request and also welcomed new children. She was approached by the WAC to set up the Lunch Club in 2007 and has extended her role over the years to include Preschool and Explorers classes. Sharon likes to travel and her main hobbies are walking, cooking and making her own jewellery.
Kate Eibeck, Teacher ESL Flyers - Starters, Racers and Sprinters / English Accelerators
Originally from the sunny south coast of England, Kate is a UK-qualified translator and English Language Teacher. She lived and worked in the UK, Spain and Germany before settling in Switzerland with her husband Michael. Their three sons, Tobias, Nicolai and Sam, are all WAC veterans and the family have been WAC members for twenty years! Kate has taught English at all levels and to all age groups and is passionate about the English language. Other hobbies include travel, coastal walks, Pilates and reading. Kate loves teaching English Flyers (ESL) at the WAC and strongly believes that the key to success in a language is motivation and therefore strives to create a positive learning environment for her students at all times.
Micaela Rodrigues, Teacher Preschool, ESL Flyers - Starters and Movers
Micaela is originally from Sunny South Africa. She started her teaching career in Australia where she taught in Early Years learning center's. Micaela moved to Switzerland in the summer of 2019, where she continued working with Early Years children as an English Teacher. She then went on to finish her teaching degree and is now a qualified Primary School Teacher. Micaela is excited to join the WAC team and share her passion for education. Micaela loves travelling around beautiful Switzerland and enjoys reading, writing poetry, cooking and spending her weekends in the outdoors.
Sue Mailley-Smith, Teacher English Accelerators
Sue is originally from Devon in England and trained as a Primary School Teacher at Warwick University. She moved to Switzerland with her husband Wez in 2009. Since then, they have had three children, Isobel, Zack and Beatrix, who are all now in the local Swiss school system. Sue has been a member of the WAC since 2010 when she was so happy to discover the Playgroups! She volunteered on the Board from 2012 to 2014 as Membership Secretary and President and started work in the Preschool in 2015. Sue loves skiing and hiking, as well as all sorts of craft, such as knitting and sewing, and is trying her best to learn German!
Ashley Smith, Teacher Preschool - Creative Movers
Ashley is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. After finishing her Education Degree in 2008, Ashley has enjoyed the joyful responsibility of helping children learn in Primary Schools in Canada, Scotland and Singapore. After moving to Switzerland in 2021, Ashley was delighted to find the support and friendship of the WAC playgroups! Now, as a Holiday Camp leader and Preschool teacher, she is passionate about finding what motivates each child and building a compassionate classroom environment. When Ashley is not teaching, she can be found playing with her two young sons, running through Uster’s forests, trying recipes from around the world or learning something new!
Andrea Schümperli, Spielgruppe Leader
Andrea comes from the scenic Lauterbrunnen. After graduating as a kindergarten teacher, she worked in various kindergartens and early childcare facilities. She moved to Zurich after marriage with her 2 young children and worked as a nanny. She enjoys working with young children and has nearly 20 years of experience in leading playgroups. Andrea is particularly interested in the integration of foreign language children and has gained a lot of experience in this area through various further training courses. Andrea lives with her family and her dog in Volketswil and supports her husband in leading an integration church for Spanish and Portuguese speaking families in Zurich. Her other hobbies are traveling, riding her e-bike, spending time with her family and friends.
Susan Junod, Assistant Teacher
Born in Belgium to British parents, Susan moved to England aged twelve. She studied economics and worked in London for a number of years as a Business Analyst. Following an injury preventing office-based work, she took on a teaching assistant role in a bilingual primary school, loved the experience and has been working with children ever since. Her twins, Mathilda and Thomas were two when Susan and her French-speaking Swiss husband moved to Switzerland in 2009. The children attended various WAC classes, Susan served on the Board as Secretary and set up the WAC Dinner Club. For a number of years Susan volunteered in child care for the Uster Asylum Seekers Organisation. She now works part time for the Swiss Red Cross on their emergency childcare at home team and is delighted to join the WAC teaching team as assistant and substitute teacher. Susan enjoys her two cats, gardening, baking, walking and socializing with friends.
Swapna Patil, School Administrator
Swapna is originally from Mumbai, India and before moving to Switzerland in 2007 as a trailing spouse was working as a Legal and Corporate Officer. She considers herself fortunate to have moved to Uster and discover the WAC. Married and has 2 children and 2 gerbils and her family have been active WAC members since a very long time. She loves cooking, baking, travelling and painting. Having previously volunteered in various positions though out the years, she has made some very close friends here and considers the WAC as an extended family. She is happy to be associated with the WAC as the School Administrator.
Contact Swapna
Ieva Ciceri, Office Manager
Ieva is from Latvia and has lived in Switzerland since 2013. Before moving to Switzerland she lived in Cambridge, UK. Her husband is from Italy and they have 2 children who both find the WAC their second home and love it dearly. Ieva has been an active member of the club from the moment they arrived in Switzerland and over the years has covered various Board and Chair positions before taking on the Club Office Manager position at the end of 2019. The WAC has helped her to settle in Switzerland, find friends and given her satisfaction in having some other responsibilities outside the stay at home mum life. She loves hiking in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, cycling and having a relaxing moment with a cup of tea and a good book.
Contact Ieva
Hara Tzalla, Bookkeeper
Charikleia or Hara as everyone calls her, is an accomplished Finance professional and the Bookkeeper for WAC. She was born in Athens, Greece, where she lived and worked as a Chief Accountant in the Financial Services Industry until 2017. Hara then relocated to Switzerland and she is inspired daily by her husband and their two children. Hara has had a broad range of responsibilities with a positive attitude and tireless energy. She has a proven track record of expertly managing projects from inception to completion, and she is carefully executing all responsibilities to minimize risk and maximize productivity. In her free time, she likes swimming and walking in the beautiful Swiss woods.
Contact Hara