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Kozak Korner #23. February 14th, 2025 

| Director's Message

Dear Community,  

Happy Valentine’s Day! A huge shout-out to our PTO who have created a festive environment in our lobby and provided plenty of sweet treats at their bake sale!   

There are several important announcements which I would like to share with you:  

  1. Tuition Increase: As you know, Kyiv International School, with the support of Quality Schools International, has offered significantly discounted tuition since 2022. We have made substantial accommodations which allowed families to continue with, or join, KIS since the full-scale invasion began. We will still offer a reduced price (tuition in 2021 was $21,000) however we need to increase tuition for the 2025-26 school year. Please see the information here. Please reach out to me if you have concerns or questions about this.  

  1. New Scholarships: KIS will have a limited number of new scholarships to offer for the 2025-26 school year. These are based on financial need. The application form is available on the website during the application window, from March 3rd to March 31st. The Advisory Board will meet on April 15th to consider the applications and families will be notified by May 1st. If you have questions about the scholarship application process, please email: scholarship@kyiv.qsi.org 

 

  1. Scholarship Renewals: Families are required to renew their scholarships each year. The Advisory Board reviews the data collected during the year to ensure that students and families are fulfilling the obligations they agreed to when accepting the scholarship. This renewal process will take place in the coming month and includes a process of petition for those scholarships which are not renewed. 

We are excited to welcome several new teachers to KIS for the 2025-26 school year. Rachel Musser will teach the 10-year-old class (Mr. Curry will be moving to the QSI school in Almaty, Kazakhstan) and Caren Musser will teach the 5-year-old class (Ms. Hume will teach Middle School and Secondary at KIS!) Please have a look at their biographies below. 

I hope you have a wonderful, restful break!   

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

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

 

| Welcome New KIS Teachers for 2025-2026

 

Rachel Musser

Hello! My name is Rachel Musser and I am very excited to be joining Kyiv International School as a classroom teacher this August. I am originally from Olympia, Washington: a city located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. I am a graduate from Eastern Washington University with majors in Elementary Education, Spanish, and English as a Second Language. I have been teaching with QSI for the past two years as an 8 & 9 YOC teacher. A fun fact about me is that I am a former elementary student at K.I.S. and spent six years of my childhood living in Kyiv! Before teaching overseas, I enjoyed running a K-5 Spanish program at a private elementary school in the States. I love languages, sports, music, reading, and exploring new places.

Caren Musser

Hi! My name is Caren Musser and I am excited to join the community at KIS. I have 30 plus years of experience as a teacher of children in 5 YOC, 6 YOC and 7 YOC. I have taught for QSI a total of 10 years and also in the United States. I am from Olympia, Washington where we live on a farm. I am married with 3 adult children-2 sons and 1 daughter. I love teaching and working with children. My favorite subjects to teach are Literacy and Mathematics.  I also enjoy spending time with my family, reading, sewing, hiking, swimming, walking, and music. I like traveling and have lived in 5 different countries. I look forward to meeting all of you and teaching in Ukraine.  

| Preschool Admissions Open For 2025 - 2026

 

Exciting News for KIS Families! 

Do you have a little one who will be 2, 3, or 4 years old next school year? We’re glad to announce that Admissions for Preschool 2025-26 are now open!

Secure your spot early! We’re offering this opportunity to our KIS community first before opening it to the public, but seats are limited!

If you’re planning to enroll your child in our preschool, don’t hesitate! Reach out to our Admissions Officer or Nataliya Yegorova to learn more and secure your spot.

Key Dates

Winter - Spring:

  • 17 - 21 February - School break
  • 10 March -  Professional Development 
  • 19-21 March - School Play Premiere
  • 20 March - Francophonie Day
  • 28 March - Bingo Night (PTO event)
  • 12 April - PSAT
  • 16 April - Celebration of the Arts + Talent Show
  • 3 May - SAT
  • 5-16 May - AP Exams

School Calendar 2024 - 2025 

School Calendar 2025 - 2026

Event Calendar

Policy and Procedures

 

| Cafeteria Survey

School Cafeteria Survey Report

KIS recently conducted a Cafeteria Survey among Middle School and Secondary Students to gather feedback on their dining experience.

We’re pleased to share that the results were quite positive! 

Thank you to all who participated! Your feedback helps us continue to improve and make the cafeteria an even better place to enjoy meals.

 

| KIS Talent Show

 

ALL CALL FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO SHOW OFF THEIR STAGE WORTHY TALENTS!

KIS is hosting Talent Show during the KIS Art Fest on Wednesday, APRIL 16, in Auditorium.

All students in the 5-year-old through secondary classes with any musical, instrumental, dancing, acting, etc. talents and a strong desire to perform those talents are invited to participate.

This is a fun event for the whole family and a great chance for you to let your talents shine!

If you cannot present your talent or achievement on stage, please, share the most memorable moments of your performance or competition with Mrs. Olga Golitsyna and Mrs. Svitlana Ionova via e-mail:

👉🏻 olga-golitsyna@kyiv.qsi.org
👉🏻 svitlana-ionova@kyiv.qsi.org

Please plan to limit your performance to 3 minutes in total (including video performance).

SIGN UP FOR TALENT SHOW – February 10-April 1.

Please, fill out the FORM.

Anyone missing the April 1 deadline will have to try again the following school year.

*Please, note: any songs sung must be school appropriate. 

| Sports & Activities

 

Pysanka After-School Activity

Pysanka After School Activity For All!

Who: KIS students, Staff and Parents (Elementary students must be accompanied by a parent)  Limit of 15 participants each week.

What: Master Classes with Internationally recognized master Zoya Stashuk. 

Create a Pysanka egg each class or try more complicated designs over several classes. All materials provided.

When: Wednesdays from 4:15 - 6pm. March 5 - April 9.

Where: KIS (room to be determined).

Why: Make presents or decorations for your own home.  Learn different designs and symbols. Pysanka is great Art Therapy!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Helen Garbuz at helen-garbuz@kyiv.qsi.org. 

Drama Learn Through Play Activity

Attention Parents and Students aged 5-8!!

Drama is a new LTP activity!

Important Info:

It is a TWO SESSION LONG ACTIVITY!

Students must be willing to commit to 12 weeks of Drama starting after February break.

This Year as a Learning Through Play activity the Drama I class will be devising, directing and acting alongside any and all early elementary students who wish to join "Theatre" as an LTP activity.

The play is an original story, a world premiere complete with an intriguing historical twist!

All rehearsals are during school time with two evening shows and one weekend show. 

In order to participate Students MUST be available the WHOLE week of MAY 05th - 09th and Saturday May 10th.

There will be Friday Day and Night shows (6pm)  and a show at the Spring Fling on Saturday May the 10th

Sign-ups are out.

If you have questions please feel free to contact Ms. Hume leanne-hume@kyiv.qsi.org

| Voices Around The Globe

 

KIS joins Voices Around The World

“Shine a Little Light On Me!” is a newly written and inspiring song for the Voices Around The World, 2025 worldwide song project for school choirs and youth organizations in 65 different countries. Young participants learn the song, record the vocal tracks and make short video clips which will be mixed into international song/video release. If you are interested in participating and becoming an international song/video superstar, please use THIS LINK to start working on the song.  

If you have any questions, contact to Svetlana Ionova at svitlana-ionova@kyiv.qsi.org  

| "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.

| 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.  

| Week Highlights

 

| 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

 

Book Club For Adults

KIS has started a book club for adults, and you are invited to join!  

Here are the plans: 

  1. Read one book per month and be ready to discuss it in English. 
  2. Each month one person in the club chooses three titles and we will vote for which one we want to read. We will have one month to read the chosen title before our next meeting. 
  3. That book host/hostess of the month will also choose the restaurant or cafe where we will meet to discuss the book and enjoy each other’s company. 

If you are interested, please contact Diane Baima at  diane-baima@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. 

English For Parents!

KIS is delighted to offer English Classes For Parents! 

Class starts at 10:15 am in Room 204.  

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

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

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 .