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Kozak Korner #06. September 20th, 2024

| Director's Message

Dear Families,    

We appreciate your patience as we adjust for our growing school community. We are thrilled to have so many new families this year. We love our Kozak vibe and are happy that many students have joined our sports and activities. Thank you for your understanding regarding campus hours. It is important for us to know who is on campus and to ensure that there is support on campus in case of an emergency. Thank you for respecting the hours when campus is open.   

I am excited for our PTO Picnic tomorrow. Our wonderful parents have put together a fantastic program! See you there!  

You can always contact us by calling +38 044 452 2792.

Best regards,
Rachel Geary 
rachel-geary@kyiv.qsi.org

| Drop Off And Parking

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your continued support as we fine-tune a morning drop-off routine that is safe for all our children.   

  • We are creating a ONE-WAY system. Everyone enters GATE 1 and departs from GATE 2.   

  • The drop off area is safe and supervised. Please exit the car to the RIGHT! (away from passing cars) After you drop off, please DRIVE SLOWLY!  

  • There is plenty of parking. You can park in the second lot – just follow the one-way system.  

This system can work – but we need our entire community to embrace our community values and remember that this is a SCHOOL PARKING LOT which is full of children. People need to drive slowly. To help remind our community of this, we will install speed bumps. Respect for others is an important value to model for your children!   

Please refer to the map for details on the specific zones and be patient with school staff and security as we work to manage traffic efficiently.

In the drop-off zone, please stop next to the cones so that your children can exit the vehicle safely and access the designated area. We kindly remind you that parking and waiting in this zone is not allowed.

Thank you for your support in maintaining a safe environment for our students!

| Back To School Picnic

 
First page of the PDF file: PTOPicnic

Hey KIS Community!

Get ready for our Back-to-School Picnic this Saturday! Let’s kick off the new school year with a fun, festive celebration for everyone.

📅 Date: Saturday, September 21st
🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: KIS campus

Bring a dish for our Potluck — whether it’s a family recipe or something from your favorite restaurant, we’d love to taste what you bring! The more dishes, the more delicious and diverse our picnic will be.

There will be various vendors offering all kind of goods, plus lots of fun activities you won’t want to miss!

Please find the Event Map HERE.

We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate an amazing start to the school year!

| Book Fair

 

Dear Readers,

We hope this message finds you well and safe.

We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming Autumn Book Fair, set to take place on October 3rd-4th right within the walls of your school. Join us for an exciting collection of your favorite books, along with the latest releases and bestselling titles from recent years.

Event Details:

  • When? October 3rd-4th
  • Where? School Hall
  • Who? All book lovers are welcome!

If you can’t make it to the fair, don’t worry! You can still explore our collection online. Use promo code KIS10 to enjoy a 10% discount on all available titles.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Best regards,
The Dinternal Book Lovers Team

Key Dates

Fall:

  • 21 September - Back To School Picnic
  • 23 September - October 4th - MAP Testing
  • 1 October - Defenders' Day - no school
  • 3 - 4 October - Book Fair 
  • 11 October - Parent-Teacher Conferences - no school
  • 21 - 25 October - Fall break
  • 1 November - Fall Festival
  • 21 - 22 November - Professional Development - no school

School Calendar 2024 - 2025 

Event Calendar

Policy and Procedures

 

| Dance For Kindness

 

Join Us for the Dance for Kindness Event!

Get ready to move for a great cause! We invite all middle and high school students to participate in our Dance for Kindness event, alongside 14 other QSI schools. 

Practice sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday after school from 4:15 to 5:00 PM in the MPR room. 

To join us, please fill out the following participation FORM

Let's spread kindness through dance and make a difference together! No experience necessary - just bring your enthusiasm! See you there! 

| NWEA MAP Testing

 

MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing begins the week of September 23rd. This test allows us to measure a student's progress over the course of the school year and to identify student strengths and weaknesses in different academic areas. 

For more information about this test: 

Family Toolkit - NWEA

| English For Parents

 

KIS is delighted to offer English Classes For Parents! 

Class starts at 8:30 am in Room 204.  

  • Tuesday, Thursday: Beginner learners
  • Wednesday, Friday: More advanced​ learners

Got questions? Please contact: natasha-kuzovleva@kyiv.qsi.org

| Child Protection

 

Dear Parents,

Kyiv International School strives to provide your children with positive educational experiences characterized by caring, supportive relationships and free from neglect or abuse. We are committed to working with you to ensure that the school maintains this type of environment. 

Quality Schools International (QSI) has developed a Child Safeguarding and Protection Handbook, which has been adapted to and adopted by our school. By enrolling your child(ren) at Kyiv International School, you agree to work in partnership with the school and you understand and agree to the child protection Code of Conduct. Protocols outlined in the handbook are aligned with the QSI Mission Statement, Exit Outcomes, and Success Orientations, as well as these two articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child:

Article 19: Protection from abuse and neglect

. . . Shall protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse . . .

Article 34: Sexual exploitation

. . . Shall protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse, including prostitution and involvement in pornography. 

To help our students to learn and grow in a safe environment, the following educational components are included in the school’s Child Safeguarding and Protection plan:

  • Age-appropriate lesson plans to foster understanding personal safety, needs, and rights in each classroom.
  • Parent information sessions and resources regarding the school’s Child Safeguarding and Protection programs and policies. 
  • Faculty and staff professional development workshops and training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect. 

Thank you for your support in maintaining a school and community in which students, staff, and parents feel safe and happy. If you have any questions about the Child Safeguarding and Protection plan or any other school policies, please contact us.

To download this information in PDF (includes Ukrainian translation), please click here. 

 

| Meet Your School Counselor

To schedule a meeting with Ms. Zoromski, our school counselor, please click here.  Her email is: chelsey-zoromski@kyiv.qsi.org. 

As a reminder, she works with all students in our school to support them academically and emotionally.  

| "Empower" Lesson Plans

The Empower curriculum integrates the Success Orientations, Social Emotional Learning concepts, and Child Protection principles into individual lessons throughout the year. These lessons will be delivered during a dedicated weekly EMPOWER class time. This approach aims to equip students with a comprehensive set of skills applicable throughout their lives. Specific lessons tailored to each grade level ensure developmental appropriateness. While some concepts may be revisited annually, the lessons will vary based on the students' age. For more information, please see the QSI Empower statement.

Teachers will keep parents informed about the upcoming lessons for their child, and for certain grades, the lesson plans will be accessible in this newsletter. Click on the post below to view the message from the teacher.

| Understanding Mastery Learning

The Mastery Learning System at QSI is designed to ensure every student achieves success at their own pace. Rather than being bound by traditional time-based progress, students move forward only when they have demonstrated a clear understanding of the material. This personalized approach fosters deeper learning, supports individual growth, and builds confidence, allowing students to reach their full potential in a supportive environment. Below you'll find keys to understand our grading system.

| Week Highlights

 
Chocolate News

CHOCOLATE NEWS

There is hardly a better way to get to know your classmates at the beginning of a school year than doing a group project. In their Literacy class with Mr. Feekins and Ms. Kuzovleva, a mixed group of twelve- and thirteen-year-old students had such an opportunity

Continue reading about Chocolate News
IB Biology

IB BIOLOGY: THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD

In Biology class, Secondary 1 & 2 students have been honing their skills with microscopes, delving into the fascinating world of plant, animal, and bacterial tissues. They explored cell structures and observed the intricacies of life at the microscopic level

Continue reading about IB Biology

| PTO & Community Engagement

Who We Are

Parent-Teacher Organization

The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), a non-profit group, brings together parents, teachers, and administrators to enhance the school experience for our students. PTO Lobby Shop raises funds to support school events, gifts, and surprises for students, teachers, and staff. Any KIS parent is welcome to join.

Learn more about Parent-Teacher Organization

What is KIS Moms & Dads? 

KIS Moms & Dads is a private Facebook group for KIS parents and the PTO. It's a place to discover ways to get involved in school activities, PTO events, and volunteer opportunities, as well as to share ideas, feedback, and suggestions with the school and PTO. To join, please complete the membership questions.

How to join PTO? 

It's simple - just send an email at pto@kyiv.qsi.org or talk to one of the PTO members at the PTO Shop.

| Integrated Technology Platforms

| Extra Services

 

| Announcements

 

 

We Are Hiring: Substitute Teacher

We are currently looking for a Substitute Teacher to join our team!

Do you know someone who:

  • Has good English speaking & writing skills
  • Holds a teaching certificate
  • Is passionate about education
  • Enjoys working with students in a dynamic international environment

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

For more details or to apply, please contact us at maria-sydorchuk@kyiv.qsi.org

 

English  Tutoring!

Are you looking for a tutor to enhance your child's English language skills? Look no more!

KIS teacher, Ms. Nataliya Rudenko offers:

  • Customized Lessons: Tailored to meet your specific needs and goals
  • Flexible Scheduling 
  • Focus Areas - Elementary, Kindergarten:  grammar, reading, writing, and math!

Why to choose Ms. Rudenko?

  • She is an ESL tutor with 10 years of teaching experience. 
  • Proven track record of helping students achieve fluency. 
  • Passionate about helping students succeed in a comfortable and supportive setting. 

If interested, please contact her at +38 067-665-36-97. 

Please follow the links below to access the Classifieds: 

If you have an announcement that you would like us to publish, please reach out to kozakconnect@qsi.org .