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Kozak Korner #25. February 17, 2023

 

Director's Message

Dear KIS Families, 

This next week will be our February break, so we will not have school. I sincerely hope you are able to rest, relax, and enjoy some time together with friend and family. It is exciting to see things happening on campus again. We know several students will be joining after February break. Please just let the divisional leader (Ms. Grossman or Ms. Geary) and our office know if you plan to join.

Opening Admissions For Preschool 
We are looking to get our preschool program up and running by Term 3, Monday, April 3rd. This will only be on campus, and we will not be offering an online component for this. If you are interested or know someone in the community who would be interested, please have them contact KIS admissions. This will only be for the 3-year-old and 4-year-old class at this moment.  

Recognition of a Dark Day with Hope and Light 
Friday, February 24th, will be one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Even though we will not be together on this day, we feel it extremely important to recognize and honor a day that has changed all of our lives and impacted so many in Ukraine. Though this day is marked with sadness, we are hoping that everyone within our community will have a moment to share a thought, hope, wish, or prayer. KIS has an online ‘padlet’  where everyone can share within our community. We will send out a KIS Informer as a reminder and hope everyone will take a moment on this day to join in a communal hope and wish for a better future and a free Ukraine.

CLICK TO OPEN THE PADLET

Thank you for everything you do to help enrich our community and make KIS such a wonderful school.   

Sincerely, 

 

 

Luke Woodruff
Director
Kyiv International School

Key Dates

February:

20 - 24 February - February Break

March:
8 March - International Women's Day - No School

Phases to Reopening Campus

School Calendars


  PARENT PORTAL

Join PTO

First page of the PDF file: Parent-TeacherOrganizationflyer

If you are a new parent at KIS, feel free to join KIS Moms & Dads group on Facebook to stay connected.  

FAQs


  ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

DI's Message

Dear Elementary and Middle School Families,   

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the unwavering love for Ukraine and its people fill the hearts of the KIS community.  During the upcoming break I hope your family enjoys time together and that your child gets a restful break from school. 

Quintile 3 ends after we return from break, on March 1.  Parents will be reminded when the Quintile 3 Status Reports and Success Orientation Award Certificates are available on the parent site: KISMET: Dashboard 

If your family’s plans change, whether it be a change of location or a change from online to on-campus schooling, please keep the office informed.  

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Elementary Office: kiseloffice@kyiv.qsi.org
Middle School Office: kismsoffice@kyiv.qsi.org

Best regards,

Mrs. Carla Grossman

 

 

Carla Grossman
Director of Instruction
carla-grossman@kyiv.qsi.org

School Day Schedule

Passion Project Showcase

Bohdan - Dance for fun
Bohdan - Dance for Fun

Bohdan loves to dance, move to the music, copy the movements of various animals, and play Freeze Dance.  

He also successfully masters new dance styles, learns various movements with pleasure, tries to express his emotions through dance, and comes up with new ideas. He has been diligent, enthusiastic, and exhilarated about dancing. 

Status of Project: In Progress
Mentor: Ms. Katya Zakharova

  • 7 & 8 YO Projects
Miroslav - Realistic Animals
Miroslav - Realistic Animals

Miroslav's Passion Project is drawing. He wanted to learn how to draw animals realistically. Online tutorials and videos were used to make the animals look like realistic.

Status of Project: In Progress
Mentor: Ms. Vita Slobodeniuk

  • 9 & 10 YO Projects
Aram - The Art of Mukimono
Aram - The Art of Mukimono

Mukimono is the traditional Japanese art of carving fruit and vegetables. Aram decided to improve his skills and create some beautiful projects without any special tools. It is so much fun to watch tutorials, come up with some new creative ideas, planning, practicing, and recording the videos. Aram has learned a lot and enjoys his passion project very much.
You can watch all his videos using this link.
 

Status of Project: In Progress
Mentor: Mrs. Olga Golitsyna

  • 9 & 10 YO Projects
Arman - Fruit Carving
Arman - Fruit Carving

For Arman fruit carving is a new and exciting hobby. He got inspired by his mom and his brother Aram. So, he decided to challenge himself to create his wonderful projects without any special tools. Arman is very proud of his work and keeps learning, practicing, and surprising with his creativity.
You can watch all his videos using this link.

Status of Project: In Progress
Mentor: Mrs. Olga Golitsyna

  • 9 & 10 YO Projects
Black Holes in Space by Davyd
Black Holes in Space by Davyd

Davyd is very interested in learning about space, moons, and stars. Particularly, he is fascinated by black holes. What are they? What is happening inside of them? This is what Davyd has been researching during this project and he learned a lot. 

Status of Project: Complete
Mentor: Ludmila Stetskova

  • 9 & 10 YO Projects

  SECONDARY

DI's Message

What’s Going on in Secondary

It has been a pleasure to see some of our students enjoying our campus and our facilities. We will continue to build community both online and on-campus. If you have ideas or suggestions, please contact me: rachel-geary@kyiv.qsi.org

Our NHS students continue to volunteer after school to offer clubs online to students at the Atlantic School, a school in Ukraine. We encourage all secondary students to get involved in activities outside of the classroom!

I hope that all our students take advantage of our break to relax and walk away from their screens! Online learning is challenging for many of our students and I want to congratulate them for their commitment and hard work!

Sincerely,

 

 

Rachel Geary
Director of Instruction
rachel-geary@kyiv.qsi.org

 

School Day Schedule

University Acceptances

Made with Padlet

 WHOLE SCHOOL PORTAL

Counselor Blog

Roll Back Into Routine

It's February. Or, as it is often called "the long stretch between Winter Break and Spring Break."

After a few weeks off of school for Winter Break, perhaps you've lost your passion to consistently do your best. Don't worry, it can be difficult to get back into the groove and reestablish routines and strategies that you used before the vacation. Read on for some suggestions to help you survive and thrive!

1. Remember your routines. Our bodies were designed to function best with a daily routine and pattern. It helps us to feel safe and secure. Now that you're back to school, it is important to get back to the routine of doing your homework at the same time, eating dinner at a regular time, and going to bed at a consistent bedtime. Some kids can benefit from setting alarms to remind you to do these activities at the proper time. (At least until the routine becomes second-nature to you again.)

2. Eat healthy! Allow yourself enough time in the morning to eat something before you leave the house every day. Or, if you like to sleep in, buy some apples or bananas that you can easily eat on your way.

3. Don't race the bell. Arrive early, organize your books, pencils, papers, and homework. Don’t wait until the last second to join class and put everything that you don't need away from where you are working so that it does not become a distraction.

4. Create a study plan. Those of you that are in High School, consider thinking of your studies as your full-time job. If you put a solid eight hours into your studying, you will still have time to play and rest. Make a plan to succeed in each class. Mark an agenda or calendar when major projects are due and when there are tests. Study a little each night instead of cramming the night before.

5. Don't forget to have fun! School is about growing academically and socially. Don't become so focused on your studies that you forget to enjoy yourself. When you grow up, you won't remember everything that your teachers taught you, but you will remember your friends and the activities. Plan time to get together with friends after you've finished your studies. It can be a nice goal or reward to look forward to.

Following these tips will help you to navigate your way to Spring Break and ultimately to the end of the school year.

Download in PDF

Voices Around the World

First page of the PDF file: VoicesAroundTheWorld

CAS Book Review

Age: 14+

Everyone in Arawiya fears the Arz, a shadowy forest that encircles the land with skeleton trees and demons. Everyone but Zafira, the only huntress in her caliphate brave enough to don a man’s clothes and enter in search of food for her people. Every day, Zafira risks her life under the guise of the Demenhune Hunter.

Nasir is a different kind of killer – as the sultan’s son and prized assassin, his job is murdering any dissidents that dare speak out against his father’s rule. His work has made him a legend throughout Arawiya as the Prince of Death, but his father has ordered him to kill another legend – the Demenhune Hunter.

As Zafira sets out to find a book that will restore magic and stop the Arz, Nasir embarks on the same quest to stop her. Fate and magic have other plans for them, though, and the huntress and the assassin soon learn that their quest may be even more challenging than they imagined.

A tale of a harrowing adventure with mysterious elements from ancient Arabian myth set within a fascinating, detailed world, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal is an enthralling story of hidden magic and overwhelming courage for lovers of fantasy, world building, and romance. Furthermore, the novel pulls you in and explores problems with self-worth and self-image in characters that many can find relatable in one way or another.

- Liza K.

CAS Book Club

Read a good book on the topic of issues of global assistance or  global significance? Please share your review with us! How to do it? It's very simple, just use this FORM

Success Orientations

Dear KIS Parents and Students,

Our first SO topic after the Winter Break was Independent Endeavor.
During these last five weeks, students from 5 to 11 years old in their SO classes learned and discussed how to:

1. Show initiative in engaging in tasks other than those assigned with a view to 'in-depth' study or activity;
2. Consistently set goals which include more than the minimum effort needed to complete a task;
3. Have the opportunity to pursue a particular interest in an area not in the curriculum or to pursue a curricular area in depth, having a unit outcome created, evaluated, and credentialed;
4. Show initiative in using the library and other resources in assignments, projects, and homework;
5. Show reasonable self-sufficiency in completing assignments, projects, and homework;

The biggest part of our SO Sessions was dedicated to Independent Learning.

What is independent learning? An independent learner has all the tools needed to take their learning into their own hands, by investigating and exploring new knowledge with lower involvement from an instructor or institution. With independent learning, students do their own research and ask questions, rather than relying solely on the materials that their teacher or instructor hands them. They also take ownership of their educational path by setting their own goals and monitoring their progress. Needless to say, this type of student-centric learning gained a lot of traction with the popularization of the internet and experienced exponential growth during the COVID pandemic.

Why is independent learning so important? It’s important to encourage students to become independent learners because it will have direct repercussions on their academic performance. But independent learning also arms the students with soft skills that will help them be more successful in other areas of their lives.

If you wish to learn more about Independent Learning, please follow these links:


  LEARNING STORIES & WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

This Is Us: Educator Profile

Carla Grossman
Titles: Director of Instruction for Elementary and Middle School

Why am I teaching: When I was little? I loved writing on the chalkboard and teaching seemed to be the best way to do that. Later on? I enjoyed helping others, especially helping them do something new.
 

Favourite Quote: "You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life."
(The longer version of this quote is also powerful.)

Favourite thing about KIS: The people - staff, teachers, and students!

KIS is Back on Campus
The word that KIS is back on campus is spreading around the world!  

Teacher: Oksana Melnyk

What an exciting news! We have been longing to come back for so long! 

Greetings from the biggest group on campus yet! Finally reunited in such a friendly home-like environment. Air raids or not, we continue leaning and do not forget to have fun in the process.  

Click to Read about KIS is Back on Campus
"Order in the Court"

"Order in the Court"

Teacher: Dan Burke

This past week, the 12-year-old class read a short story called "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry. The story is about redemption and getting a second chance in life. After the reading the story, the class was turned into a court room and did the following challenge/court case activity:

Click to Read about "Order in the Court"

  ANNOUNCEMENTS

First page of the PDF file: Post

RECRUITMENT

PROPERTY

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS  

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