Parents are an important part of our GESS community, working closely with the leadership team, faculty and staff for our students. In September, the Parents’ Committee was elected – introducing re-elected Chairman Maxim Timchenko and the key members for this academic year!
Please introduce yourself to the GESS Community.
My name is Maxim Timchenko. With Eastern-European roots, my family spent over 20 years living in Istanbul, Turkey – where both my children were born. I have studied in the UK (A-Levels, BSc in Business Management from Kings College London and MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance from Bayes Business School) and I am a Fellow of Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, London.
I started working in Singapore ten years ago as a director of a shipping company. My son is in 8th grade and my daughter in 4th grade, having joined GESS four years ago.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, cycling, playing tennis and board games with my family. But our favourite family pastime is still relishing my wife’s dessert creations – she is a Le Cordon Bleu honours graduated Pastry Chef who opened her pastry business just 1 month ago (so now we have to share with strangers).
I thank my fellow parents for re-electing me and I am very much looking forward to my third year as Chairman of the Parents’ Committee.
Looking back on last academic year, what are you proud of having achieved in the Parents’ Committee?
Having one year of Parents’ Committee experience under the belt has definitely been a great boon in hitting the road running in the second term. Yet, past experience couldn’t have prepared us for the “new” COVID-free life which the new year brought upon us. It has been an exciting challenge for all Parents’ Committee’s divisions (including the Events Team and Buddies Committee) to re-envision all the past pre-COVID events and reinvigorate them with new charm and excitement in order to bring the GESS community back out of its shell and connect with each other once again.
This has been the central theme of everything we did last year. Christmas Bazaar and International Summer Fair have been the highlights of the year and the crown gems in the Events Team’s achievements. The Welcome Coffee Mornings for the new parents and monthly Buddies Coffee Mornings have been a welcome opportunity for new parents to learn more about the school and the community and for existing families to finally reconnect with each other after years apart.
A lot of work had been done behind the scenes as well. The Parents’ Committee took a very active role in the 5 year Strategic Review undertaken by GESS as part of the Steering Committee, numerous focus and workgroups, townhalls as well as working directly with the school and the GESS Board. We trust that the resulting Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) will propel our school to new heights as the vision is brought to life.
The Parents’ Committee in cooperation with the Association of Parent Representatives have reviewed and approved amended Bylaws of the Association – making it easier for parents to volunteer as Parent Reps and Deputies and streamlining the Parents’ Committee’s roles and communications.
And talking about communications – last year we have created and maintained the WhatsApp groups for the whole school – allowing us to ease the burden on the Parent Reps in collecting the information from class parents and connecting them together even before the school year started, and in doing so – to identify the limitations and bottlenecks of existing systems and rolling out the new ClassList platform which combined not only class communications but also announcements, events (school, class as well as private events), interest groups, marketplace and direct communication between parents into a single solution. This maintains parents’ privacy and complies with latest regulations while being super easy to register and use with just a single email and a name required to get you started.
What do you like most about GESS?
I really admire the unique structure of GESS. It is one of the very few not-for-profit schools in Singapore. Running on a zero-profit principle (of course still providing for strategic reserves), everything earned is poured back into the school for students, who are the reason for the school’s existence and the epicentre of all we do.
What is equally impressive which you will not find in almost any other school is that the parents community work very closely with the school management. We are very involved in many aspects such as the Board of Governors, parents who are also teachers or staff, volunteering in the Parents’ Committee, Council of Parents’ Representatives, Buddies Committee, Events Team and last, but by no means least, being members of the School Association.
Please introduce the other members of the Parents’ Committee.
Treasurer – Mr Pablo Lopez-Cuervo
Our continuing Treasurer is Mr Pablo Lopez-Cuervo from Spain. His family moved to Singapore in July 2022 after five years in Berlin. He also lived previously in Portugal, Spain and UK. They have two children at GESS German Section: Jacobo in 12th grade and Angeles in 10th grade. Pablo is a lawyer working from home and looking after his own business, besides dedicating time to volunteering. He likes travelling, skiing and making dinners and parties for family and friends at home.
Pablo’s main responsibilities in the Parents’ Committee include supervising all financial matters of the Council’s operations, such as production of budgets, financial reports and overseeing cashflows as well as lending his opinion on all PC matters. He is also the Parent Rep of German Section 12th grade as well as part of the Events Team at GESS.
Preschool Parent Representative – Ms Nicole Kraft
Ms Nicole Kraft is originally from Clearwater, Florida in US. Prior to Singapore, she and her husband Shaun lived in Hong Kong for five years. They moved to Singapore just before COVID and are enjoying life here since restrictions eased.
Nicole has two daughters in preschool at GESS. She is a lawyer by profession, working at financial institutions and a law firm until recently. Nicole is passionate about cooking, fitness, fashion and food!
German Primary Parent Representative – Ms Kati Kubitza
Ms Kati Kubitza is our continuing Parent Representative for German Section’s Primary School.
Ten years ago, her husband and she came to Singapore, from Essen in Germany, right in the heart of the “Ruhrpott”. People who are born and raised there are known to be honest, hands-on and grounded – definitely her character!
A professional master hairdresser for almost 20 years, and a trainer at a very prestigious salon in Essen, it has become her nature to be a good listener and a quick and practical problem solver.
She has two older daughters enjoying every day of their primary school at our German Section, and her youngest one is waiting for her turn to join her sisters at GESS soon.
In her free time, she likes being outdoors with her family, hiking, watching birds and exploring Singapore’s nature and wildlife. On rainy days, she reads to her kids. The family also enjoys movie nights and playing board games.
European Primary Parent Representative – Ms Ingrid Taylor
Ms Ingrid Taylor is our new Parent Representative for the European Section’s Primary School. Originally from Brazil, she lived in the US and France prior to moving to Singapore in 2022. She has two children at GESS, one in 5th grade and another in 3rd grade.
A translator and interpreter by trade, she is passionate about learning new languages and meeting people from all over the world. The cultural diversity at GESS makes her feel at home.
In her free time, she is a trainee docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum and learning German and Mandarin. She enjoys spending time with her family and getting to know Singapore.
German Secondary Parent Representative – Mr Andreas Klein
Mr Andreas Klein is our continuing German Section, Secondary School Parent Representative. With his wife and two daughters, after living in Santiago de Chile for six years, they moved to Singapore last year in July. The children currently attend middle school at GESS’ German Section.
The family previously took residence at Düsseldorf, Riga/Latvia and Hamburg. The leap from the foot of the Andes over 16,000 kilometres to the equator in Asia represents a challenge in many aspects and new territory for them. GESS’ international orientation and German curriculum make an ideal bridge to Germany. As parents, the Kleins look forward to the family having this additional connection to their German roots, which might have been diluted with their being so mobile for years.
Andreas signed up for the Parents’ Committee as he believes that with the life and school experience he has gained in Germany and abroad, he can contribute to the development of the school’s learning environment as a valuable member of the school community. He prides himself on being hands-on and is opened to suggestions and putting ideas into practice.
European Secondary Parent Representative (Deputy Chairperson of the Parents’ Committee) Ms Anja Jensen
The European Section, Secondary School Parent Representative – also Deputy Chairperson of the Parents’ Committee – is Ms Anja Jensen. She is from Denmark and has been at GESS and in Singapore for seven years. Her younger son is currently in European Section, Grade 10 and her elder son graduated from GESS in 2020.
She recalls her family being well taken care of by GESS and other parents and students in her children’s classes when they arrived in Singapore, helping them to get settled. She decided that she would like to reciprocate and help other parents integrate by volunteering in the Buddies Committee which she headed from 2017 – till the beginning of this year – when she decided it was time to pass the baton to a new generation of Buddies. This is also her seventh year as a parent rep in her youngest son’s class, and in her opinion a good time to continue volunteering in the Parents’ Committee.
She loves to explore Singapore and travel in the region with her family and friends. She is a history nerd and enjoys learning about her country of residence. She reads a lot and spends a good amount of time on Pilates and learning Spanish.
Could you share a bit more about the Buddies Committee and the Events Team?
The Buddies Committee forms an integral part of the Council of Parent Representatives. Headed by Ms Natascha Erhart (a graduate of Parents’ Committee from 2021/2022) and supported by 5 Section Head Buddies (Ms Outi Gruener – Preschool, Ms Maggie Le – EuroSec Primary, Ms Claudia Buecker – EuroSec Secondary, Ms Vera Weiser – GermanSec Primary and Ms Alexandrea Bauer – GermanSec Secondary), the role of this Committee is to organise welcome events for new students and families, assist with their transition to GESS and Singapore, monthly Buddies Coffee Mornings and generally being buddies to families in GESS.
For details, email buddies@gess.edu.sg
The Events Team (also part of the Parents’ Committee) is headed by Mr Holger Bock (Parents’ Committee member from 2021/2022) and Ms Nicole Kraft as his Deputy. Thanks to them and their team of volunteers, the whole school community gathers at the annual Christmas Market and Summer Fair – the two largest school events of the year.
Email the Events Team at eventsteam@gess.edu.sg.
Why do you think parents’ involvement in school is so important and what support do you need from parents?
The short answer to these questions is “every little helps”. Not everyone knows that all of us parents involved in the various groups are voluntary and unpaid! We are just a group of enthusiastic parents who commit (a lot of) personal time and strength for the betterment of the school and for our children. So, we do get paid – in the currency of our children’s smiles and appreciation by the GESS community.
There are numerous ways in which you can help and get involved.
First, volunteer to be a Class Parent Representative, a Deputy or a Buddy (if your class doesn’t have one yet). Even if you can’t, support the people who volunteer for these roles. Join the Classlist to be in contact with them and be responsive to their requests. They are the hearts and souls of the parents’ community and deserve every help that they can possibly get and more.
One of the most important ways to help is to volunteer one or two hours of your time during whole-school community events like Christmas Market and Summer Fair. These events are run by parent volunteers and help is always sorely needed. Do be on the lookout for volunteer calls from the Events Team on Classlist and don’t shy away when those come your way.
If you have special skills or experiences which may be useful or educational for children (or parents), volunteer to share with your class or even the school. Reach out to your class Parent Representatives or the Parents’ Committee at Parents.Committee@gess.edu.sg.
Be kind and understanding, help point out constructively areas that can be improved, and give acknowledgement to areas done well.
You can use this link click here to volunteer or submit your comments/ideas/queries to the Parents’ Committee.
What are your plans for this school year 2023/2024?
This year we have a huge project which we are working on. Those parents that are on Classlist already had a sneak-peak at what is in the works but we keep it under wraps until it’s ready to be officially presented before the end of the calendar year 2023 to the whole GESS community.
(Do join Classlist if you cannot wait that long to find out more).
Also, we will continue ramping up and evaluating the performance of the newly established ClassList system for improvements and continued use into the future. Our aim is to use the system to facilitate a greater connection of the GESS community by facilitating more one-school events on grade level as well as in sections and the whole school. And of course, to support our Events Team and Buddies Committee.
We will continue working closely with the school and GESS Board to take active part in the implementation of the SIP and all topics which are relevant to the agenda of the day. And of course, we continue to welcome any ideas or suggestions from all parents – click here to do so.
