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Kozak Korner #28. March 28th, 2025 

 

| Director's Message

Dear Families,

On this beautiful, warm Friday afternoon I would like to take a moment to emphasize the vital role that kindness and respect play in our daily interactions at Kyiv International School. Each act of kindness, no matter how small, contributes to a more positive and supportive environment for everyone. By showing respect to one another, we foster a culture of empathy and understanding, which ultimately enriches our community. It is so important that families emphasize the importance of this and model this at home.

We will have a new initiative starting in April to keep our focus on kindness and concern for others. By highlighting and acknowledging Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) throughout the day, we hope to remind our students of these important values. Look for more information on this initiative next week.

I am looking forward to seeing some of you this evening at the PTO Bingo Night – a wonderful KIS tradition enjoyed by our community.

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

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

Important Notice: Early Dismissal on April 15th 

On April 15th, there will be a 2:18 p.m. dismissal to allow staff to assist with preparations for the ArtFest on April 16th.

 

| "Can You Hear Me?" - Documentary Premiere

You're Invited For An Exclusive Premiere!

Join a screening of the Kyiv Independent's documentary film, “Can You Hear Me?  - The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics” on April 11th. The screening will take place at 17:15 at Kyiv International School.

The film’s authors Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat. As they find themselves in a peaceful, quiet environment in Sweden for the first time since 2022, the medics have a chance to process the accumulated trauma, opening up about losing brothers-in-arms, surviving Russian captivity, and the inescapable feeling of guilt for not being able to save some of the soldiers they treated.

The film will be screened in Ukrainian with English subtitles, followed by a discussion with the film authors in English.

WARNING: This film contains graphic scenes. They are intended to reflect the harsh realities of war, but they may be distressing to some viewers.

Spots are limited, so please register here in advance:

👉  LINK

We would love to see as many of you there as possible to support this important cause and stand with those whose stories are too often left untold.

Best,

The Organizing Team

| Art Festival At KIS

 

Get Ready for ARTFEST at Kyiv International School! 

KIS is excited to invite you to ARTFEST 2025 - a vibrant celebration of creativity, talent, and artistic expression! Join us for a day filled with inspiring student artwork, engaging activities, and live performances.

📅 Date: April 16, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
📍 Location: Kyiv International School

What to Expect:

  • Talent Show & IB Student Film – 3:00 PM in the Auditorium
  • Art Exhibits – Featuring elementary, secondary, and IB student artwork
  • Art Vendors & PTO Bake Sale – Find unique creations and delicious treats
  • Creative Activities – Fun and interactive experiences for students

Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the creativity of our KIS community!

Bring your friends and family, and let’s make ARTFEST 2025 a memorable event!

Key Dates

Spring - Summer:

  • 3 - 31 March - Scholarship application window
  • 28 March - Bingo Night (PTO event)
  • 11 April - "Can You Hear Me?" Premiere
  • 12 April - PSAT
  • 16 April - Art Festival+ Talent Show
  • 1 May - Labor Day - no school
  • 3 May - SAT
  • 5-16 May - AP Exams
  • 8 May - Memorial Day - no school
  • 10 May - Spring Fling
  • 16 May - Student-Led Conferences
  • 19 - 23 May - MS WWW
  • 7 June - Sec IV Graduation
  • 9 - 14 June - HS WWW
  • 20 June - Last Day of School

School Calendar 2024 - 2025 

School Calendar 2025 - 2026

Event Calendar

Policy and Procedures

 

| 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  

| New CAS Initiative

HELPSIRIUSANIMALSHELTER3 (PDF)

Supporting Local Pet Shelter "Sirius"

We are excited to introduce a new CAS initiative aimed at helping the local pet shelter "Sirius," which is currently facing challenges due to the ongoing war. Our project focuses on reducing food waste by collecting leftover food from school lunches and donating it to the shelter. Starting next week, students will be encouraged to sort their leftovers using specially designated boxes in the cafeteria, with our CAS group members assisting to develop a new system and quicken the process. Once a week, the collected food will be delivered to the shelter to help support the animals in need.

Additionally, we invite the entire KIS community, including parents, to contribute pet dry food and supplies to the donation box located in the lobby. Together, we can make a difference by helping both reduce waste and support animals in need. We look forward to your participation and support in this meaningful initiative!

| "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

 
Secondary Study Skills

MASTERING STUDY SKILLS: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS 

Spring is in the air at KIS! We are rapidly moving towards our final weeks on campus, and some of our dear Kozaks are getting ready to graduate from our halls and step out into the real world. One question they will most certainly find themselves

Continue reading about Secondary Study Skills

School Drama Show: The Rules Of Comedy

The Rules of Comedy

From November to March, over forty fearless Kozactors—middle and high school alike—threw themselves into a whirlwind of laughter known as Rules of Comedy. There were pies in faces, rubber chickens on the loose, a student-made prologue style silent movie to start, wild chase scenes, sword and flexi-club fights, and more makeup, costumes, and chaos than you could shake a stick at.

Every rehearsal brought laughter. Real, echo-down-the-hallways laughter.
Only once were we paused—just once—by the sound of an air raid siren.
But the show? It rolled on.

The audience clapped ‘til their hands hurt. We took our bows, grinning, proud, sad it was over but happy it happened. 

And next year? We’ll gather again. Not the same show, not the same madness—
but something new, something bold, something brilliantly us.

Thank you to all who played and all who came to cheer us on.

BRAVO KIS!!

| 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 .