Ms. Maggie Yip has a vivid memory of being a young teacher at St. Nicholas’ and a colleague asking her where she saw herself in five years. At the time, she really struggled to answer, because she was just so happy teaching. Over the years, having great mentors helped her shift her focus and realize the limitless opportunities for growth available to anyone at St. Nicholas’. In August 2013, 21 years after joining St. Nicholas’, Ms. Yip began her term as Head Teacher of the kindergarten.
Ms. Yip long realized she wanted to work in education being born into a large family with many younger siblings. She started playing with and caring for her juniors from an early age, and gradually developed a strong affection towards young children. It was thus natural for her to study early childhood education. Growing up around a close-knit family, she was drawn to the strong sense of community at St. Nicholas’. She also loved the school’s philanthropic foundation and holistic, all-in-one student experience.
After eight years as a teacher, Ms. Yip became the N1 Team Leader and then rotated to leading the L2 and U3 teams over the years. In the roles, she researched, developed and implemented the curriculum for each level. A five-year stint as Director of Admissions came next, where Ms. Yip gained in-depth knowledge of the business side of St. Nicholas’ and travelled internationally to meet prospective families.
In both her professional and personal life, Ms. Yip says she’s always believed in modelling a commitment to ongoing growth. She strongly believes in encouraging both students and educators to put themselves in situations that challenge their thinking and develop their skills. Even after all these years, she embraces the feeling of still being a learner.
