Retiring Admin and Faculty

RETIRING ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO TAS!

Greg Carter has taught physical education at TAS for 27 years. He will forever remember the many wonderful students and knowledgeable, professional colleagues at TAS. In his retirement, Greg will take the opportunity to get bored and to get reacquainted with his family, friends, and Aotearoa New Zealand. “I will always be thankful to Middle School Principal Cathy Funk for taking a chance on us back in 1992,” says Greg. “Also, a big thank you to the people of Taiwan for making us feel so welcome. Thanks to our many wonderful friends and colleagues at TAS who have helped and supported us over the years.”

Mary Ann Cooke-Jones

has served as the Middle and Upper School Speech/ Language Pathologist for 18 years. She will be retiring to Chattanooga, TN to be near family. Mary’s best memories and experiences are of “seeing students who initially struggle academically and/or socially grow to become confident, successful students who use strategies and improved self-awareness to help them work smarter, not harder. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing community.” Kathy Cutler has taught physical education at TAS for 38 years. She is also the former Associate Activities/ Athletics Director. Her favorite memories at TAS include traveling and hosting IASAS Cultural Convention, MUN and athletic events, winning IASAS volleyball gold medals, and traveling with the Adventure Club to Nepal and Sarawak, Malaysia. Kathy will retire with her son to their lake house in Washington state. “Thank you to everyone here at TAS,” says Kathy. “We appreciate all the support and opportunities over the years. We will miss everyone and living in Taiwan very much!”

Deborah Flemming has taught dance and physical education at TAS for 27 years. Of her time at TAS, Deb says, “The most precious memories at TAS are the ’wow’ moments in class, when students would present a piece of choreography or perform an excerpt and it would cause spontaneous and enthusiastic applause and cheers!” Deb is looking forward to settling in Toronto and spending time with her daughter. “I am so thankful for the support that I received over these many years. It is rare that the arts, especially dance, are as valued and respected as it is at TAS,” reflects Deb. Daniel Hudkins has served as Chief Information Officer and softball coach at TAS for five wonderful years. “Watching our student athletes improve and seeing the program grow has been enormously satisfying,” says Dan. “I’ll miss the flowers and fruits of Taiwan, as well as the people, a lot. I hope that everyone continues to keep a growth mindset about the role of technology in education.” Dan welcomes visitors to Freeport, ME, where he will be retiring.

Randall Kondruk taught middle school science at TAS for two years. He spent his career teaching in Canada and also internationally. His favorite memories of TAS are of working with competent, amazing colleagues and students from all over the world. Randall will retire to Canada and looks forward to fishing, hunting, camping, time with his family and grandchildren, woodworking, and other hobbies.

Louise Perdana has taught Grade 3 for seven years. Her favorite TAS memory is of the building and opening of the Tiger Garden, which her classroom directly overlooks. In retirement, Louise will spend time in Sydney and with her daughter in Canada. Louise reflects, “I have loved living in Taiwan and working at TAS. People have been so kind, welcoming, and supportive. I look forward to visiting, as it is a good stopover between Australia and Canada.”

Brian Tobey has taught physical education in the Middle School at TAS for 30 years. His most memorable times at TAS include coaching varsity volleyball and badminton, which included both his children. Brian looks forward to splitting time in retirement between Taipei and San Diego. Of his time at TAS, Brian reflects, “I am very fortunate to have been given the chance to make life-long friends while working here these past thirty years.”

Ben Wu has taught Mandarin at TAS for 30 years in the Middle School. His favorite memory of TAS is of Cabby Tennis, the MS associate principal whom he helped reenact a mythological story (by starting a bonfire with a flaming arrow hidden behind a tree) on the beach during Grade 6 camp in Kenting many years ago. Ben looks forward to spending more time with his family, maintaining his health through exercise, and volunteering for the environment.