With more than 20 years of experience in the field of education, Donnah Ciempka is a dynamic leader. Since starting her teaching career in Australia in 1997, she has worked and held leadership positions at a variety of national and international schools.
With a deliberate focus on curriculum design and instruction, Donnah has led the way in developing outstanding teaching and learning approaches that are at the forefront of education today. Possessing an Advanced Certificate in School Leadership, a Bachelor of Education with Honors in Early Childhood Pedagogy, and a Positive Education credential, she is well competent.
Donnah has ten years of expertise as an International Baccalaureate (IB) educator, having worked with schools all around Asia. Her wide perspective of international education and what it means to be an IB World School is something she brings to our community from her experience at schools like Western Academy of Beijing and Geelong Grammar. Over her career, she has held a variety of positions and received numerous awards. She has also been recognized as an IB workshop leader and facilitator, a team leader, a school visitor, an accreditor for CIS and WASC, and a curriculum writer for Pearson Education, Australian State Educational bodies, among others. She has written curricular and pedagogical materials for publication, and in 2016 Melbourne University’s National Excellence in School Leadership Institute awarded her a scholarship to attend the Executive Leaders Colloquium.
Along with working in classrooms, Donnah owned and operated an educational consulting company where she assisted schools with curriculum implementation, strategic planning, and accrediting procedures. She has collaborated with academic institutions, nonprofits, and government agencies in Southeast Asia to harmonize curriculum and policy. Her strong points include putting the learner at the center of all decision-making and motivating organizations to maintain a shared focus.
About Ascot International School
Ascot International School is approved to provide the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). It is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. It is presently applying to be a Middle Years Programme (MYP) candidate, and by 2024, it will have full authorization to become an IB World School offering three programs. By doing this, Ascot will become one of the very few foreign schools to be recognized as an IB Continuum School in Bangkok.