Mrs. D.B. (or Mrs. Janice Duncan-Brown)
Me when I was 4 years old, with our dog Korki
Welcome to Third Grade!
I am excited about teaching at IBSH this year and I’m happy to be working with you all. I believe each child is capable of learning and growing. I also believe that teacher and parents must work together for the benefit of each individual child. I hope that this school year will be one that you will all remember as fun and exciting.
I was born in a small mountain village called Chipinge in Zimbabwe. I have 5 brothers and sisters (4 older and 1 younger than me). 
I was about 8 years old in this picture
Zimbabwe was a wonderful country to grow up in with wide open spaces, hiking in the mountains, climbing trees, and riding our bicycles all over the city.
Me when I was 5 climbing a tree in our front yard
I left Zimbabwe after graduating high school to go to University in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa to study Marketing and Advertising. After graduating from the University of Natal – Pietermaritzburg, I toured with a Christian drama company all over Southern Africa. Later, I met my husband, Mark, while working in a hotel in Durban.
Mr. DB (Mark) and I taken just before summer break this year.
Mark is a trained elementary teacher and in 1998 we left South Africa for Taiwan. I loved teaching so much that I studied part time and earned my teacher’s certificate from UNISA (a correspondence university in SA).
I started teaching at Hsinchu International School in 2001 and taught both 3rd and 4th grade while at HIS and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. We both really love living here in Hsinchu and feel very much at home amongst the incredible children and friendly people.
Spirit Week
Although I may not have started my working life as a teacher, I feel that I have ended up in exactly the right place. I love working with children of all ages and believe that school should be a place where all children should feel safe, valued, and have a sense of belonging. This should help them to participate and express their thoughts, opinions, and feelings without fear.
Water games - last week of school
I look forward to getting to know you all this year and believe that this is going to be a wonderful year.
See you all soon,
Mrs. DB
