Faculty & Staff
Faculty & Staff
Felecia Tucker-Jones serves as the Principal at International Charter Academy of Georgia. She works for ICAGeorgia because she believes in the value of diversity. Language allows for deep connections and cross-cultural relationships. She feels privileged to be a part of our students’ journeys. In her spare time, Ms. Tucker-Jones loves to write and enjoy her family. Email Principal Jones
Junko Jones is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at International Charter Academy of Georgia, managing financial strategy, budget administration, and funds from federal, state, and donations. In addition, she oversees ICAGeorgia’s administration, enrollment, facilities, and human resources operations. Ms. Jones has 25 years’ experience in finance and accounting with 20 years in Corporate Finance. She has an MBA in Accounting as well as certificates in Charter Schools Financial Management. Email Ms. Jones
Miki Ito is the Sr. Operations Specialist at ICAGeorgia assisting in the central office to ensure that the school runs smoothly. Before starting her career in Education, she worked as a corporate events & conference planner, office manager, consecutive interpreter and translator for 20 years. As a native born Japanese speaker who studied English in the US school system, she understands intimately the experience of learning two languages and can relate as well as empathize with our ICAGeorgia’s students. She enjoys witnessing the growth of all of our children as they blossom into English and Japanese speaking citizens. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, doing crafts and being outdoors with her boyfriend and Chihuahua twins. She also loves hula and anything Hawaiian. Email Ms. Ito.
Yuriko Evett is the Executive Assistant at ICAGeorgia, she is grateful to work with wonderful educators and administrative staff. Building positive relationships with everyone involved with ICAGeorgia is important to her. On weekends, she enjoys walking her dogs, Irish Terrior. She works as a freelance graphic designer and is the creator of ICA Georgia’s mascot, the Dragon. Email Ms. Evett
Heidi Walker is the Receptionist/Administrative Assistant here at ICAGeorgia. Before joining the team she was lucky enough to translate and teach abroad in Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada, and other states across the US. This experience allowed her to become more culturally aware which draws her closer to students and parents. She enjoys helping others and making sure everyone is taken care of. In her spare time, she values family time, loves to travel, and watch movies with her husband and two daughters. Email Ms. Walker
Kaitlyn Garrett is a registered nurse and serves as our school nurse. She has been in pediatric nursing for 10 years now. She has worked in multiple areas of pediatrics including primary care, urgent care, emergency care, and school nursing. She absolutely loves working with children and caring for others. When deciding what career path to choose it came down to teaching or pediatric nursing, so school nursing allows her to be a part of both. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have been blessed with three amazing children and five furbabies. In her free time she can be found spending time with her family, hiking, whitewater rafting, swimming, baking or shopping. Email Nurse Garrett
Mieko Basan is a Japanese subject teacher for the 2nd grade class. It is her privilege to witness students grow as global citizens in diverse learning environments. She believes their learning experiences at ICAGeorgia open their eyes to the world. In her spare time, she enjoys videography, photography, and working out. She also enjoys learning about different cultures and food from all over the world. Email Ms. Basan
Monica Blade is an English subject teacher for the the 2nd grade class. She was born and raised in Rome, Italy, but she has lived in the US since 1997. She is very excited to be part of the staff at ICAGeorgia and can’t wait to learn more about the Japanese language and culture. Ms. Blade has a master’s degree in elementary education and a gifted endorsement. For the past 8 years, she taught both 1st and 2nd grade at another dual language immersion school in Atlanta. Despite the challenges, she has seen the incredible enrichment that students get when they learn academic content while acquiring another language and their increased level of cultural awareness. When she is not teaching, she enjoys traveling to Europe and spending time with her friends and family. Email Ms. Blade
Ms. Duong is an English subject teacher for the 2nd grade class. She is excited to work at ICAGeorgia because it provides students with a greater appreciation and respect for different cultures and languages. She believes in building a community of mutual trust in a classroom and empowering students to become world class critical thinkers. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to concerts, and spending time with family and friends. Email Ms.Duong
Noriko Harada is a Japanese subject teacher for the 3rd grade class, and also serves as a member of the Student Exhibitions committee. She works for ICAGeorgia because she believes in the benefits of learning two languages, two cultures, and developing greater cognitive flexibility. In her spare time, she loves watching soccer games and spending time with her family. Email Ms. Harada
Sanah Hassan is the Sped paraprofessional here at ICAGeorgia. Ms.Hassan is currently working on completing her B.A in Special Education in the University System of Georgia, with her first three years completed at Georgia Gwinnett College, and her final year to be at Perimeter College in Clarkston Georgia. She has always loved working with children who have a unique ability to show their creativity whether it is through their interpersonal interactions or the arts. In her own time she likes listening to Hindi music, volunteering in her community (Gwinnett), and learning about world religions. Email Ms.Hassan
Maria Icabalceta is an English subject teacher for the 1st grade class. She is excited to be part of the International Charter Academy of Georgia team. She thinks that students can achieve great heights when they are bilingual. They are able to embrace diversity and learn about different cultures. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son and daughter. She loves outdoor activities Email Ms. Icabalceta
Mr. Kim recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Mercer University. He holds a deep love for travel, firmly convinced that it brings invaluable experiences to the classroom. Through his journeys, he has gleaned important lessons on understanding different perspectives and embracing diversity.
Outside of the classroom, he loves to read, learn new skills, and play sports. Mr. Kim has developed a strong passion for martial arts and has been a Taekwondo instructor for the past eight years, sharing his expertise with people from diverse age groups and backgrounds. Email Mr. Kim
Andrea Lay is the new Special Education and MTSS coordinator here at ICAGeorgia. This is her 25th year of teaching special education in Georgia. She loves seeing the abilities in all students, and watching students succeed is the best part of her job. She loves the outdoors and being a mom of two girls. She is so excited to be part of the ICAGeorgia family and so thankful for feeling so welcomed. Email Ms. Lay
Ai Lovell is a Japanese subject teacher for the kindergarten class, and also serves as a member of the school culture and spirit committee. She works for ICAGeorgia because she loves teaching and also believes cross cultural exchange is very important to a child’s development. She is very happy to build a bridge between Japan and the U.S. In her spare time, she loves visiting coffee shops, walking on the beltline and spending time with her family. Email Ms. Lovell.
Mayuko Mac is a Japanese subject teacher for the 3rd-grade class. She works for ICAGeorgia because she is passionate to support and nurture children to obtain academic knowledge, broaden the global view, and find the joy of learning. In her spare time, she likes reading, dancing and going to new places with her children. Email Ms. Mac.
Jordan Moulis is the afterschool director and paraprofessional for the Kindergarten class. She recently returned from teaching in Hokkaido, Japan where she worked with 3 different Junior High schools. She is very excited to continue to learn more Japanese! She hopes to have a great year with all the students and have lots of fun! In her free time, she loves to read and cook new recipes with her boyfriend. Email Ms.Moulis
Shawn Nix is a P.E./Health teacher and Athletic Director. She is thrilled to join ICAGeorgia. Coach Nix graduated from Univesity of Tennessee where she was on a full Athletic Scholarship. While at Tennessee, she qualified for the 1988 Olympic trials and was a 9-time Collegiate All-American. She was a member of the first USA Junior National Team and a multi-state champion in the 100h and 400m. She taught in Gwinnett County Public School District for 16 years and coached for 13. In those 13 years, her team has been 7A-State runner-up, 2x/7A- Region champion, Region runner-up, County Champs, and County Runner-up. She was named Gwinnett County 7A Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2022. She also taught for 2 years in Savannah Chatham County Public School where she coached cross country and track and field before relocating back to the Atlanta area. Coach Nix is proud to be a member of the GHSA Advisory Board, contributing to the sports community she is passionate about. Email Coach Nix
Seiko Onuki serves as a Dean of School Community as well as a Japanese subject teacher for the 6th grade classes. She joined ICAGeorgia with her commitment to foster future global leaders who are culturally aware in a diverse society and who will contribute to world peace. She is also passionate in working with students, parents, teachers, admins and staff, and other stakeholders to create a strong school community. She enjoys being a mom of two (wild) boys. After the boys go to bed, she enjoys reading manga. She also enjoys dancing, singing karaoke, and playing piano. Email Ms. Onuki
Carlota Parra is an English subject teacher for the kindergarten class. She was born in Venezuela and is an enthusiast and advocate of bilingual education. Her journey as an educator has been magical. She believes in nurturing young minds, creating a fun and engaging learning environment, and sowing the seeds of a lifelong love for language, which is one of the many reasons why she joined ICAGeorgia. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities with her husband and dog, board games, traveling, and a hot cup of coffee. Email Ms.Parra
Megan Perkins is an English Math and Science teacher for the 3rd grade classes. She works for ICAGeorgia because she believes in the benefits of students learning and experiencing different languages and cultures. In her spare time, she is often found enjoying outside activities with her sons. When she has the time to relax at home, she is typically found reading. Email Ms. Perkins.
Shizue Sommer is a Japanese subject teacher for the kindergarten class, and is also on the school culture and spirit committee. She enjoys working at ICAGeorgia because she loves kids and has always been fascinated with bilingual education. Many years ago, she remembers her own kindergarten experience and always strives to improve upon it. For hobbies, she likes spending time with her children, watching figure skating, cooking, and hiking. Email Ms. Sommer
Michi Shimura is a Japanese language teacher for the 4th grade class. She is excited and happy to teach students at ICAGeorgia because she is passionate about educating and sending global citizens all around the world. She loves learning something important every day from her students and finds happiness in witnessing their growth. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her cat, watching the birds that visit her balcony, taking photos of nature, and visiting art museums. Her most cherished moments are spent with her teenage daughter. Email Ms. Shimura
Naosuke Umezaki is a Japanese subject teacher for the 4th grade class. Language is an important factor in the culture and identity of any country. He aims to demonstrate the valuable parts of Japanese culture to his students through daily lessons, his thoughts, words and actions, and to empower them to learn. Mr. Umezaki loves kayaking, camping, and Japanese archery, but the most enjoyable time for him is when he plays tug of war. Email Mr. Umezaki.
Noriko Ueda is a paraprofessional for the kindergarten class. Ms. Ueda has been a children’s librarian for over 25 years, including 5 years of experience as a Japanese Saturday school librarian. Seeing her children and students enjoy learning multiple languages and cultures, she became interested in dual language education. She believes that children learn by having fun and experiencing things. She is excited to be a member of ICAGeoriga from Fall 2024. In her free time, she loves to read books with her cat. Email Ms. Ueda
Annie Varghese is a Teacher/Dean of Education, and she has been with ICAGeorgia since its opening in 2018. Prior to coming to ICAGeorgia, she served as Head Teacher of the English Department at a private Japanese school in Atlanta. With 17 years plus in education, her current role revolves primarily around supporting the principal in all aspects of day to day operations, Assessment, and ESOL coordinator. She also implements a strong school culture with teachers, parents, and students while organizing a variety of school culture events that align with the mission. Mentoring the student leadership team is her passion and building strong relations in the community through service learning projects. She is proud to work with students and serve their needs every day and enjoys the diversity represented at ICAGeorgia! Email Ms. Varghese.
We are looking for qualified, dynamic and passionate individuals to join our team. All members of our team work together to fulfill the ICAGeorgia mission. We invite you learn more and apply.
