Skip To Main Content

Kozak Korner #25. March 07th, 2025 

| Director's Message

Dear Families,

What a pleasure to enjoy this bright and sunny weather! With the uncertainty in the world and in Ukraine right now, it is nice to have something uplifting and positive to appreciate. I know that the uncertainty about Ukraine’s future can make our students anxious and distracted. We will continue to ensure that KIS is a warm haven for students to learn and flourish.

Save the date for our Kozak production of The Rules of Comedy. We are so fortunate to have a thriving drama program, and the facilities, expertise and staff needed for these amazing events.

I will be out of school for a week, on a school visit and then attending the CEESA conference. I am always available by email if you have concerns or questions.

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

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

| Welcome New KIS Teacher for 2025-2026

Jonathan Logan | Middle School English

Hello KIS! My name is Jonathan Logan, and I am pleased to announce that I will be a new Middle School English teacher. I was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, which is thirty minutes west of Chicago. I completed my undergrad in History at Wheaton College in May 2024, and now I am in the process of completing graduate school for my Master's in Teaching from my alma mater. 

Throughout high school, I was a four-year varsity letterman and a two-time state qualifier in Cross Country and Track & Field. At Wheaton, I competed as an NCAA Division III Cross Country and Track & Field Athlete, winning "Rookie of the Year" and "Most Improved" in 2021. 

If I should note three notable experiences that I have had in my lifetime, it would be the following: I sold educational books door-to-door in rural South Carolina for 12 weeks, I participated in a 54-mile canoe race that lasted all night, and I participated in a 6-week long archeological excavation in Israel. 

While I am not working, I will usually be working out and practicing martial arts. As of right now, I am learning Muay Thai.

| Important Reminder: Term 3 Due Date 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We would like to remind you of the upcoming due date for Term 3 school fee payment, which is scheduled for March 28, 2025. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in meeting this deadline.

To ensure a smooth process and address any inquiries regarding invoices or payments, please feel free to contact our Business Office at businessoffice@kyiv.qsi.org. If you require an updated invoice or have any payment-related inquiries, our team will be more than happy to assist you and provide any necessary documentation.

Additionally, if you haven't already submitted the signed Educational Contract for the 2024-25 School Year, we kindly request you to do so at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. 

| PTO Bingo Night

 

Get Ready for PTO Bingo Night! 

Mark your calendars! Join us on Friday, March 28, for an exciting PTO Bingo Night – a fantastic evening of fun, prizes, and community spirit!

đź“… Event Details:
🍽 4:00 PM – Delicious food available for purchase in the Cafeteria
🎲 5:00 - 7:30 PM – Bingo Games (2 rounds – break – 2 rounds)

Game Cards Pricing:

  • Preorder: 200 UAH per set of 4 cards
  • On Bingo Day: 400 UAH per set of 4 cards
  • Middle Set: Buy 5 and get 1 free = 6 sets for 1000 UAH
  • Super Set: Buy 10 and get 2 free = 12 sets for 2000 UAH

Game cards will be available at the PTO Shop starting March 11th. 

Planning to join?
Please confirm your participation by filling out this FORM before Monday, March 24. Your response helps us organize food and seating!

Help Make Bingo Night Even More Exciting!
We’re looking for prize donations to make the night extra special. If you’d like to contribute, here are some great ideas:

  • Bookstore gift certificates
  • Quest room experiences
  • Bowling passes
  • Movie tickets
  • Family board games (Monopoly, Uno, etc.)
  • Gourmet food or chocolate baskets
  • Water bottles (not plastic)

đź’ˇ Promote Your Business!
Looking for a great way to showcase your business within our community? Bingo Night is the perfect opportunity! By donating a gift certificate, product, or free lesson, you'll not only promote your brand but also support a fun and engaging event for our families. It’s a win-win!

For prize donations or sponsorship opportunities, contact PTO President Yuliya Angel at +38 067 500 2775.

Key Dates

Spring - Summer:

  • 3 - 31 March - Scholarship application window
  • 10 March -  Professional Development - no school
  • 12 March - PTO Bake Sale
  • 20-21 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
  • 1 May - Labor Day - no school
  • 3 May - SAT
  • 5-16 May - AP Exams
  • 8 May - Memorial Day - no school
  • 16 May - Student-Led Conferences
  • 19 - 23 May - MS WWW
  • 7 June - Sec IV Graduation
  • 9 - 14 June - HS WWW
  • 20 June - Last Day os School

School Calendar 2024 - 2025 

School Calendar 2025 - 2026

Event Calendar

Policy and Procedures

 

| PTO Bake Sale

 
BakeSale (PDF)

Indulge in delicious goodies at the PTO Bake Sale! Stop by to enjoy a variety of treats while supporting our school community. Every bite makes a difference!

đź“… Date: March 12
đź“Ť Location: Kozak Kitchen
⏰ Time: All Day

Don’t miss out - come grab a treat and support a great cause! 🍩💙

| School Drama Premiere

 
TheRulesOfCOMEDY1 (PDF)

You're invited to the Premiere of The Rules of Comedy! 🎭

Our Middle School and Secondary students are taking the stage in The Rules of Comedy, a performance filled with wit, energy, and stellar acting! Under the direction of the talented Ms. Hume, this production is sure to entertain and impress audiences of all ages.

  • Opening Night: March 20th, 6:00 PM
  • Closing Night: March 21st, 6:00 PM
  • Location: School Auditorium

The entire community is invited to celebrate our students' hard work and talent!

| LOE: Francophonie

Francophonie 2025 contests

Every year, on March 20th, we celebrate the day of French language and organize different events, games and contests. We are closer and closer to this important date, and it's time to announce our contests. KIS students have a possibility to participate in one or even two of them.

  1. French Poems - you choose a topic, get some inspiration and write a poem in French. The best ones will be published in Kozaks Korner.

  2. Virtual Concert - if you are artistic and like singing or reading poems, sketches, dialogs..., make a video (no longer than 5 minutes!) and share with us. Welcome to the virtual stage!  

There will be interesting prizes for the winners. Please, submit your masterpieces to Mr. Berezhny (sergey-berezhny@kyiv.qsi.org) by Monday, March 17th . Vive la Francophonie!

DELF Exams

The registration is in progress, till March 15th. You should register your self online -  LINK - and pay the fees by a bank transfer:

  • A1 and A2 - 1.180 UAH
  • B1 - 1.440 UAH
  • B2 - 1.700 UAH

If there are more questions, you can visit the French Institute (84 Olesya Honchara Str.) and discuss them with the DELF/DALF Coordinator, Yassine El-Chehab or contact him (phone: 044.482.23.71, email: delfdalf.kiev@gmail.com). 

Bonne chance! 

| 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. 

| 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

 

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: Room 302.

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. 

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 .