
My name Noortje Janssen. I’m from Holland and have been abroad since 2012, working as a counselor in different settings. The last 6 years, I have been a school counselor in several international schools in Kenya and Qatar.
I hold a bachelor in Pedagogy and a master in Special and Inclusive Education.
In BIS, I will be the whole school counselor and work with all students and parents. You see me working with the students on transition and social and emotional well-being in individual or in small groups sessions, as well as in the Health lessons in secondary school.
I also support our secondary students in the process of preparing for college and university applications and admission.
In addition to working with the students, I support parents and teachers in different areas related to social and emotional counselling, child development and university applications through workshops and by sharing relevant information in the weekly E-news.
My door is open for all students and parents and when working online, I’m only one email away. If you have a question or concern, drop me an email at [email protected] or [email protected]
Take care.

Noortje Janssen
K12 Counselor
BIS Counseling Services
Our School Counselor operates school wide and supports students with social-emotional needs and career and university counseling. Our counseling program seeks to develop academic, career, personal and social skills in all students in order for them to become confident and respectful members of all current and future communities.
Social-Emotional Counseling
In order for students to be academically successful they need to feel safe, respected and emotionally stable. Our School Counselor promotes student welfare by offering individual, small and large group counseling on a variety of social-emotional and academic topics throughout the primary and secondary divisions. As BIS is an international and mobile community, the Counselor also works with teachers and families to support students in transition as they enter or exit BIS.
College and Career Counseling
Our School Counselor provides academic, college, and career guidance to students in a variety of ways. The Counselor coordinates university visits to BIS, mini college fairs throughout the year, and the annual BIS College Fair with over 55 universities attending. The Counselor offers student and parent information sessions, conducts individual and parent meetings about academic course selection and university admission, and organizes a Career Exploration Week in Grade 10 which includes a professional career panel and student internships.
BIS is also an SAT, ACT and Cambridge testing center. Our school and students are registered with the IB Registry website, allowing universities to view BIS and individual student profiles and approach viable candidates for their institutions. Students in turn can search for universities using the website. BIS uses the BridgeU platform to prepare secondary students for their university selection process and to send applications to universities.
BIS is proud to receive many university representatives from around the globe throughout the year. Representatives may come individually to present to students or as part of a university tour. Please view our 2022 university fair calendar here
BIS College and University Fair
BIS organizes its own College and University Fair every year. Generally, we had approximately 70 representatives visiting from 27 different countries. At this event, over one hundred students and parents from various international schools on the island had the opportunity to speak with the visiting university representatives. Several representatives also offered workshops ranging from Studying in Scotland and How to Write a Personal Statement, to Hospitality and Business and Reviewing Portfolios for Art and Design schools. The fair was a huge success! If you would like to ensure you are on our invitation mailing list for next year, please email [email protected]. We also host other fairs throughout the year such as Linden Tours, World Education Expo Indonesia, College Success Educon, and British Council university tours.