Katarzyna Kawska
MYP / DP History
At Da Vinci’s International Schools I teach History and German.
I graduated with a Master’s degree from the Faculty of History at the Jagiellonian University and completed two years of Postgraduate Studies for Translators at the Jagiellonian University with German as the main language.
I enjoy hiking, golf and skiing, and have recently been watching programmes on the History Hit channel devoted to archaeology and history.
“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. (…) Thus, everyone’s task is unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it”. | Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
Patrick Lagendijk
DP History
I am a teacher of History/EAL and the University Guidance Counsellor. I hold an MA in History from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Teaching English to Young Learners from Aston University (also CELTA and DELTA).
I enjoy meditating, cycling, and walking the dog in the woods.
“Don’t count the days; make the days count” | Muhammad Ali
DIANA KUŹMA
MYP Geography
I graduated from the Jagiellonian University where I studied geography as well as a management and leadership in education postgraduate course.
At Da Vinci’s International Schools I teach geography and I am also the deputy headmaster.
I am passionate about ballroom dancing and city breaks (I still use paper maps).
“Without geography you’re nowhere”. | Jimmy Buffett
SIMON DALE
DP Philosophy
I love reading, reading literature, reading about literature, reading philosophy, mythology, sociology, psychology, theology, politics. That is, I love reading about people, people alone in their thoughts, people in groups, in the family, in the town, city, country, and region, in the world, and with God and the gods. I love reading the stories we tell ourselves, tell our friends, our families, tell our rivals and our perceived enemies. I love reading about being in the world in all its squalor, its banality, its sublimity, its mystery, its pain and its joy.
I love walking in nature. I love walking, its rhythm, in which the mind is focused. I love being in nature, in which I can feel like, as R. S. Thomas wrote: I walked on/ Simple and poor, while the air crumbled/ And broke on me generously as bread.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” | William Butler Yeats
Wojciech Kubica
DP Civics
I graduated from the Jagiellonian University where I studied sociology. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in sociology and economic analytics from the Cracow University of Economics.
I am currently a PhD student, reading social sciences at the Doctoral School in the Social Sciences at Jagiellonian University.
At Da Vinci’s International Schools I teach civics (primary school) as well as business and management (high school). I also support students at our school within the scope of future career choices (career advice).
I also work at the Sociology faculty of the Cracow University of Economics.
I love cooking, skiing, music and meeting my friends. For a many years now, I have been singing with the university choir. I like to teach and conduct research within the scope of education.
Dariusz Pierzak
DP Business Management
At Da Vinci’s International Schools, I teach Business Management. Every day, I bring to the classroom
many years of hands-on experience in business, transforming it into lessons where numbers become
the language of decision-making, teamwork evolves into a management practice, discussion serves
as a forum for developing communication and negotiation skills, and presenting results provides a
platform for cultivating competencies in marketing and advertising. In my classes, I demonstrate that
the principles of the business world are both an inherent and fascinating element of the reality
around us – from purchase decisions in a local store, through managing a household budget, to
investment choices such as selecting a life path. These principles, rules, and management tools can
be mastered in ways that become our advantage.
I am also a university lecturer and work according to the same principles, where the teacher acts as a
facilitator, guide, and inspirer, rather than a mere transmitter of knowledge. Each of us is responsible
for our own decisions and for the extent to which we make use of the opportunities afforded to us.
Outside the classroom, I often cycle long-distance routes on a road bike, hike in the mountains, read
a good book, or listen to music I enjoy. I also pursue a passion rare in our times: philately and
numismatics. This hobby fosters attentiveness, provides tranquility, and creates opportunities to
meet fascinating people.
If you would like to see how business connects to your life, I invite you to join my classes. I am
confident that business and finance can be enjoyable and that decisions can be designed to work in
your favor.
“As a matter of fact, the secret of success lies in the ability to see things from the other person’s point
of view as well as from your own” — Henry Ford
Mateusz Rusin
DP Geography
I am IB Diploma Programme Geography teacher at Da Vinci’s since September. I hold a master degree in Economic Geography from Jagiellonian University and have undertaken further academic studies at the University of Milan (Italy) and the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) in the same field. My professional background includes conducting scientific research in Italy on the spatial distribution of the textile industry, as well as participating in numerous international conferences in Belgium, Germany, and Italy, where I had priviliged to present the results of my research. My areas of interests include economic geography, global development, and the analysis of complex socio-environmental systems. I am guided by the conviction that geography is a rigorous, multidisciplinary field that develops critical thinking and global awareness. In my work with students, I strive to cultivate analytical skills, intellectual curiosity, and a nuanced understanding of contemporary global challenges.
In my work with students, I emphasise inquiry-based and concept-driven learning that reflects the IB approach and the multidimensional nature of geography. I encourage students to analyse real-world case studies, interpret data, and engage critically with global issues from economic, social, political, and environmental perspectives. Creating an intellectually safe and respectful classroom environment is central to my practice, as it allows students to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and develop independent thinking.
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” Henry David Thoreau
Karolina Dubiel Bogacz
MYP / DP Psychology
Holder of Master’s degree in psychology with added knowledge gained through Erasmus+ from KUL (Be)
At the school and preschool, I work as a psychologist – supporting the children, young people and parents.
Privately, wife of a keen traveller and mother of two girls. Sophisticated cook specialising in pancakes served 100 different ways. Snow queen when snowboarding, sledding and skating. At night, when I’m not asleep, I create interior decorations.
My greatest idol was and still is my great-grandmother, who, despite many difficulties and dramatic events in her life, remained a wonderful and positive person until her death. I wish everyone, including myself, had such a positive attitude to life.