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Kozak Korner #04. September 04th, 2026

 

| Director's Message

A man with styled hair and a light gray jacket smiles against a plain, light-colored background.

Dear KIS Community,

It is unfortunate that we needed to postpone our Welcome Back Picnic this weekend, as I was really looking forward to having our community together in order to celebrate the beginning of the school year. We will definitely have a different time together to make sure we can have a school community party!

Even though this week has been a constant barrage of air alerts and interruptions, it is incredible to see the learning that is still happening at school. We take pride in the amount of effort that has gone into making sure our shelter is comfortable for students and conducive to continued learning. So many good things are still happening at school despite the attempts to disrupt everything. None of this is possible without a team of amazing teachers and students who have stepped up in every way to make these impossible days feel more manageable. We would also like to thank our wonderful cafeteria who is doing everything to make sure snack and lunch happen smoothly and efficiently wherever it ends up being. 

We are monitoring the situation as much as possible and making all necessary adjustments to make our school day as positive as possible. We have added some spaces to be used in our shelter. This space is not only for safety and security, but where we are able to run our schedule with private classes, small groups, and even activities. 

We do understand how difficult this is on students, teachers, and parents, so we really appreciate all the support, care, and kindness that has come from our community. The resilience and strength that has been shown this past week has been simply inspiring.

As always, I am so proud to be a Kozak!

Luke Woodruff
luke-woodruff@qsi.org
Head of School

Key Dates

September - October 

  • Sep 5 - Welcome Back Picnic (Saturday Community Event)

  • Sep 7 - MS/Sec After School Activities begin

  • Sep 14 - MAP testing begins

  • Sep 18 - PTO Bake Sale 

  • Sep 26 - KIS Photo Walk

  • Oct 1 - Defender's Day - no school

  • Oct 5 - Blue Shirt Day

  • Oct 7 - Coffee Chat

  • Oct 7-9 - Yearbook Photos

  • Oct 10 - Back-To-School Picnic

  • Oct 15 - Marathon + PTO Bake Sale

  • Oct 16 - School half day

  • Oct 19-23 - Fall Break

  • Oct 27 - Learn Through Play Session 2 Begins

  • Oct 30 - Fall Festival


School Calendar 2026 - 2027

Event Calendar 2026 - 2027
 

| KIS Back-To-School Picnic - POSTPONED

Dear KIS Community,

Given the current safety situation in Kyiv and the ongoing, repeated air raids, we have made the decision to postpone the picnic. While we were very much looking forward to coming together, the safety and wellbeing of our students, families, and staff must always come first.

The new date for the Back-To-School Picnic will be October 10th (Saturday).

We truly hope that, by then, we will be able to gather together, enjoy a beautiful day, and celebrate our wonderful KIS community in the way we had planned.

We know that many of you were looking forward to this special KIS tradition, and we are sorry that we will not be able to gather as planned. We hope that postponing the event will allow us to come together at a time when everyone can enjoy the afternoon with greater peace of mind.

Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support. Most importantly, please take care of yourselves and your families.

| AI at KIS: Enhancing Learning While Keeping Students at the Center

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an important part of our world. At KIS, we believe it is our responsibility to help students understand and use these tools in ways that are responsible, ethical, and beneficial to learning.

Over the past two years, QSI has been working with Middle States Accreditation on an Endorsement of RAIL , which is a framework for our school to adapt Artificial Intelligence safely and ethically. 

This year, KIS is continuing to integrate AI tools into teaching and learning through a framework developed in collaboration with MSA's RAIL (Responsible AI in Learning) endorsement.

Secondary students will have access to CoPilot through their school Microsoft 365 suite. Before we activate this option, we will complete important AI Literacy and Ethical Use workshops with the students.     

Students will be taught to use approved AI tools, safeguard personal information, acknowledge AI assistance when appropriate, and continue developing their own ideas and independent thinking.

More information about AI and KIS’s approach will be shared each week.

| Languages Other Than English

 

Spanish for Elementary

Thanks for your requests, we have a group of 8, 9 and 10 y.o. students willing to learn Spanish. Initially, we were planning to offer this language in Elementary as an activity on Wednesdays, but the schedule for all these ages doesn't allow us to do it.

However, we found another option - LTP. Instead of one class per week, Spanish will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at Period 8, starting the next quintile (after the fall break) till the end of this school year. 

Please look for the next Learn Through Play sign-up information closer to the Fall break.  

Muchos gracias!

Sergey Berezhny
Languages Program Coordinator | French Teacher

| The Great KIS World Wide Photo Walk

 
SchoolWidePhotoWalk21 (PDF)
SchoolWidePhotoWalk22 (PDF)
A black and white poster advertises a photo exhibition on September 26th, featuring a collage of eyes and statues in the foreground and a blurred cityscape in the background.
SchoolWidePhotoWalk24 (PDF)
SchoolWidePhotoWalk25 (PDF)

This year's Path - Arsenalna Metro  - Mariinsky park - Gorodetsky House - Maidan Square.

In the case of air alert we will go to the nearest metro station.

  • Middle Schoolers MUST have parents
  • High Schoolers MUST have permission.

It's the 12th annual KIS Photo Walk. Come, join and have the best time on a Saturday morning together with us!

| Week Highlights

 

| Integrated Technology Platforms

| How To Contact Us

How to Contact Your Child During the School Day:

If you need to talk to your child during the school day, please contact reception and a message will be delivered to them. Please do not call or text your child directly during the school day.

Contacting School Staff

Staff hours are 8:10am-4:15pm Monday-Friday. If you email a teacher outside of these times you may not receive a response until the following day. Please arrange a meeting with a teacher in advance rather than arriving without an appointment. To schedule a meeting, please contact the teacher by email and agree on a mutually convenient time.

| Child Protection

 

 If you have a Child Protection concern within the KIS community please fill out this form: 

🔗 26-27 -UKR Child Protection Reporting Form – Fill out form

Policy and Procedures