Our Team, Our Opening Hours and How to Reach Us

Marcel Brunner was born in Switzerland but grew up in São Paulo, Brazil when his parents emigrated for professional reasons. He trained as a primary school teacher in the canton of St. Gallen, where he also gained his first professional experience. For 15 years, he taught various school levels at primary and secondary schools both in Switzerland and abroad. After successfully completing his school management training, Marcel Brunner first took over the management of the kindergarten and primary levels and then the management of the Swiss school in São Paulo for 10 years. He completed additional qualifications at the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich and at the University of St. Gallen. Two years ago, he moved back to Switzerland, where he headed a primary school in Basel. He has been school principal of SIS Basel since 1 August 2023. Marcel Brunner is married, has two grown-up children and is a passionate hobby cook.

Adrian Bürgi has been the vice-principal at SIS Basel since August 2013 and teaches mathematics and information technology. He also holds the position of Head of the Bilingual College as of August 2022. Giving children and young people the opportunity to develop their skills is, to him, the focus of his work. Adrian Bürgi graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich in environmental sciences and also trained there as a college teacher. For more than 15 years, he gained professional experience as a teacher at college level. He worked for six years in the school management of a private school and led it through the recognition procedure for the Fachmaturität (specialised baccalaureate). In his last job, he designed study programmes for an internationally active university, for which he also worked as a lecturer and tutor.

Bret Simner has been a part of the team at SIS Basel since 2016. In that time, he has taught throughout the school, first as a primary teacher and then, since 2019, as a college music teacher. Bret’s passion is that all students feel well and accepted the moment they enter the school. Once a child feels comfortable in their environment, then learning can begin. Bret Simner holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in double bass performance from the Juilliard School in New York and a doctorate from the Stony Brook University in New York. Before coming to SIS Basel, he lectured worldwide at institutions that include Yale University and Stanford University in the USA, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Bret joined the school management team of SIS Basel in the summer of 2023. 

Cécile de Daniel was born and grew up in Germany on the Swiss border. She completed her primary and secondary school studies with the 2nd state examination in Freiburg i. Br. She also obtained her diploma in adult education in 2007.
Cécile has been teaching primary school at SIS Basel since 2009. Her central concern is to recognise each child as an individual and to support them in their learning as a whole. In 2020, Cécile took part in the SIS internal leadership programme. She has been a member of the school management team since 2024. Cécile is interested in culture, dances ballet and does Pilates.

Louise Parjol grew up and studied in the United Kingdom. She completed her bachelor in primary education at the university of Wales, Bangor in 2000. Teaching has taken her to Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and now Switzerland. Louise Parjol is a passionate lifelong learner and particularly enjoys focusing on the development of the child as a whole person. In 2021, she started at SIS Basel as a primary 4 teacher. She brings experience from various leadership roles and since January 2023 she has been a member of the school leadership team at SIS Basel.

Marie-Claude Gaëtan was born and raised in Canada where she pursued her bachelor's degree in primary and elementary education from Laval University. In 2005, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in early childhood education. Marie-Claude Gaëtan joined SIS in 2009. She is Head of Kindergarten and teaches primary intro, as well as French in college. Prior to working in Switzerland, she taught in California and Canada. Marie-Claude Gaëtan has two daughters who also attend SIS and fluently speak three languages. She enjoys fitness and initiated the SIS Running Challenge, which is one of our landmark events at SIS Basel.