Meet our Cycle 3 & 4 Teaching Teams
CM1, Cours Moyen 1re année (4th grade) - Classe homologuée
Ms. Virginie Grimaud (French) began teaching at Austin International School in 2012. It was an eye-opening experience for her as well after teaching for several years in primary schools in Marseille, France, after an earlier career in the private sector. She appreciates the insight gained from teaching with other teachers with different backgrounds who share their many experiences and different languages and cultures amongst the teaching team, and have new methods she can incorporate into her own teaching practice. Virginie loves to spend her free time with her family to discover Austin and surrounding areas, to travel around the USA, and take advantage of her time here to get to know the country. She also loves to read and to play the violin. Her teaching philosophy reads, “The class needs to be a safe environment for my students to allow them to learn from their mistakes and differences; therefore, I use both variety and consistency—consistency to make my students feel safe and variety to reach all of my students.”
Ms. Martha Kanaan (English) is a certified EC-6 bilingual generalist and has taught a diverse range of students in classrooms across Texas, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. She earned her bachelor of arts in international relations coursework for a master of liberal arts degree at St. Edward's University in Austin. She is passionate about differentiated and personalized education for her students. She joined AIS in 2021 along with her daughter who will be living and learning in French, English, and Spanish each day in school.
Ms. Marta Martínez Izquierdo (Spanish) joined AIS in 2021 from the Colegio Nuesra Señora de la Fuensanta in her hometown of Murcia, Spain. After earning her bachelors degree in education at the Universidad de Murcia, she taught students across a variety of ages, helping them to be passionate advocates of their own learning. She enjoys bringing enthusiasm, creativity, and innovation to all of her lessons. Above all, she wants students to make authentic connections between the classroom and real-life situations.
CM2, Cours Moyen 2e année (5th grade) - Classe homologuée
Passionate about science and sports, Mr. Cédric Hervé (French) leads classes full of energy and dynamism. He delivers the science and math curriculum with creativity and engaging projects. Because not all of his students are native French-speakers, Cédric encourages his students to work together in order to share and discuss their experiences. He began at AIS in 2009. Cédric worked for four years at the École de Saint-Avit in France; he has even worked in a chocolate factory. Outside work, he enjoys sports, mainly basketball and hiking, and seeing concerts and films. Cédric's teaching philosophy is “Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.” He is the proud father of three AIS students who have grown up as trilingual AIS learners since PS.
Ms. Sarah Olano (English) is a passionate language educator. Prior to moving to Austin, Sarah worked as an elementary school teacher at the British School of Houston, where she taught various age groups, including second grade. She has extensive experience teaching language acquisition, reading, and writing skills, along with differentiation of instruction for her students. Originally from the UK, she earned both her Bachelor of Arts degree (Honors) in French and European studies and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Staffordshire and Liverpool, respectively.
Ms. Marta Martínez Izquierdo (Spanish) joined AIS in 2021 from the Colegio Nuesra Señora de la Fuensanta in her hometown of Murcia, Spain. After earning her bachelors degree in education at the Universidad de Murcia, she taught students across a variety of ages, helping them to be passionate advocates of their own learning. She enjoys bringing enthusiasm, creativity, and innovation to all of her lessons. Above all, she wants students to make authentic connections between the classroom and real-life situations.
Collège (Middle School) - 6e, 5e, 4e : Classes homologuées
Ms. Sandrine Moëns (Science and Mathematics) joined the AIS middle school team after a three-year teaching position at the French-American School in New York. Originally from the Haute-Savoie region of France, she earned a Bachelor's in biology and geology, followed by a Master's in earth and life sciences at Lyon's Claude Bernard University in France. In addition to her teaching duties, Sandrine has worked in extracurricular camps, helping students of various backgrounds develop personal and social skills that go beyond the classroom. She joined AIS in 2021 along with her daughter, an AIS student who is embarking on a journey to live and learn in three languages.
Mr. Olivier Boudou (French Language and Literaure; Social Studies; Civics) joined AIS in 2017 as an inaugural member of the middle school teaching team. Prior to that, Olivier had been teaching an afterschool chess class at AIS since 2009. After earning his teaching certificate in France, he taught in high schools in Paris for more than a decade. He is passionate about sharing his language and culture with his middle school students and, perhaps more importantly, helping them develop their unique opinions and identities in a safe and supporting environment. He is the proud parent of two former AIS students.
Ms. Susan Lambeck (English Language and Literature) was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Austin via Florida, where she worked as an English and science teacher. Prior to teaching, she was a journalist assigned to city hall and education. After developing a passion for education, she pursued a teaching degree at the University of South Florida and became a certified teacher in both Florida and Texas.
Ms. Marta Martínez Izquierdo (Spanish Language and Literature; Spanish Foundations) joined AIS in 2021 from the Colegio Nuesra Señora de la Fuensanta in her hometown of Murcia, Spain. After earning her bachelors degree in education at the Universidad de Murcia, she taught students across a variety of ages, helping them to be passionate advocates of their own learning. She enjoys bringing enthusiasm, creativity, and innovation to all of her lessons. Above all, she wants students to make authentic connections between the classroom and real-life situations.
Passionate about science and sports, Mr. Cédric Hervé (Service Learning) leads classes full of energy and dynamism. He delivers the science and math curriculum with creativity and engaging projects. Because not all of his students are native French-speakers, Cédric encourages his students to work together in order to share and discuss their experiences. He began at AIS in 2009. Cédric worked for four years at the École de Saint-Avit in France; he has even worked in a chocolate factory. Outside work, he enjoys sports, mainly basketball and hiking, and seeing concerts and films. Cédric's teaching philosophy is “Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.” He is the proud father of three AIS students who have grown up as trilingual AIS learners since PS.
Ms. Valérie Horne (Visual Arts) is currently the longest serving staff member at AIS, having joined the school in 2002, shortly after its début. Valérie brings her passion for the arts to every lesson, helping students not only develop technical skills, but also guiding them in their understanding of historical contexts and various artistic movements over time. A native of France, she is passionate about sharing her language and culture with her students. Outside of AIS, she is a senior graphic designer for the Texas Association of Realtors.
Mr. Laureano Martínez (Physical Education), originally from Murcia, Spain joined AIS as the PS/MS Spanish teacher Middle School PE teacher in 2022. Prior to starting at AIS, Laureano worked at the Ana María Matute School teaching social studies, math, reading, writing, science, and PE to children of varying grade levels. From 2014 through 2021, he worked at the Club Balonmano Murcia, supporting students from early childhood through high school in their extracurricular growth. A dedicated athlete, Laureano also coaches soccer locally in Austin. He holds two Bachelor's Degrees, one in Elementary Education and another in Physical Education. He received his Masters Degree in Secondary Education as well as a specialization in Therapeutic Pedagogy and Speech Therapy.