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Kozak Korner #32. April 26th, 2024

| Director's Message

Dear Families,

We enjoyed a wonderful literacy week! All kinds of amazing reading events were happening all around the school. Reading for pleasure at home is the best way for your child to grow as a reader and student!

We have also finished our MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing. There will be make-up testing after the break. The reports will be posted on your Moodle Account when all testing is complete. To learn more about MAP: Family Toolkit - NWEA

During the break, we will be working on some facilities repairs and improvements.

I hope everyone has a joyful, restful break. See you in May!

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

| Welcome Our New Teacher for 2024-25!

Hello! 

My name is Helen Garbuz and I will be a member of the 6/7-year old teaching team next year working primarily with math and literacy. 

I am originally from Princeton, New Jersey and grew up in the US.  Since 1998, however,  I have lived in Kyiv, Ukraine and call this amazing place home.

While I am new to teaching, my original career was in International Education.  I was the Kyiv Director of a US-government-funded high school exchange program (FLEX) from 1999-2009. As Director, I taught numerous Pre-Departure Orientation Programs and Re-entry seminars to Ukrainian high school students. 

I have been part of the KIS Community since August 2021 and have served as the Secretary and President of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO.) 

This Spring, I began my Teacher-Certification Program.  I am looking forward to serving the KIS Community in a new way!

| Spring Fling Fest

 

Dear KIS Community,

Get ready to celebrate spring / summer season with a day of fun, food, art and activities at our annual Spring Fling & Art Fest! Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 18th, as we gather together to revel in the sunnier days and embrace the vibrant atmosphere. 

This event is open to the entire KIS community, so bring your family and friends!

As one of our best-loved traditions, we will be having a potluck. Saying this, we invite you to contribute to the feast by bringing a dish to share with the community. To help us plan accordingly, please fill in the form to let us know what you'll be bringing.

We can't wait to see you all at the Spring Fling Fest!

| QVS Summer School

 

Dear Families,

Summer at QSI Virtual School offers a unique opportunity for secondary students to advance both academically and personally while enjoying their break. Whether your student is interested in exploring new interests, recovering credits, or preparing for future educational challenges, we have a wide range of courses to meet their needs.

Why Choose QSI Virtual Summer Courses?

  • Explore Career Interests: Dive into subjects like creative writing, global issues, international relations, consumer math, and psychology to discover potential career paths or deepen existing passions.
  • Fulfill Prerequisites: Get ready for Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the fall by completing the necessary prerequisites over the summer.
  • Free Up Space in Next Year’s Schedule: Completing courses over the summer allows students to take electives or more advanced classes during the next school year.
  • Credit Recovery: For students needing to make up credits from previous semesters, we provide our flexible course offerings with additional teacher support to ensure success.
  • Maintain Math and English Skills: Prevent the summer learning slide where students can lose up to two months of academic progress by continuing to practice and enhance their skills.
  • Keep Skills Sharp: Continuous learning over the summer helps maintain the momentum of the school year, keeping skills fresh and minds active.
  • Access Exclusive Offerings: Take advantage of courses that might not be available at your local school, providing a broader educational experience and helping fulfill graduation requirements.

Enrollment Information:

Open: May 1, 2024
Close: June 14, 2024

We invite you to explore the enriching possibilities our summer courses offer. Visit the QVS Summer School page for more details or reach out to your QSI school counselor or administrator to discuss how QSI Virtual School can fit into your summer plans.

Let's make this summer both fun and productive with QSI Virtual School!

Kind regards,
Tim Macmillan
Director, QSI Virtual School

Key Dates

April - May - June:

  • 29 April - 3 May - Spring break - no school
  • 8 May - Remembrance Day - no school
  • 6 - 17 May - AP Exams 
  • 13-14-15 May - Coffee Chats
  • 15 May - Baseball Exhibition and Practice MS/Secondary  
  • 18 May - Spring Fling and Art Fest
  • 22 May - Football Tournament Elementary
  • 24 May - Football Tournament MS & Sec
  • 31 May - Student-Led Conferences
  • 1 June - SAT (Digital)
  • 8 June - Graduation
  • 13 June - Prek Concert
  • 14 June - Elementary Concert
  • 17 June - Prek & Elementary Field Day
  • 18 June - MS & Secondary Field Day
  • 19 June - Last day of school

School Calendar 2023-24

School Calendar 2024 - 2025 

Event Calendar

| Moodle Account

 

Need help with your family Moodle Account? (This is where you should see MAP scores and Status Reports)

Please contact:
moodlehelp@kyiv.qsi.org

| Parent-Teacher Conference

 
 

Do you want to have a conference with your child's teacher?  No problem!  Please email: ptc-kis@kyiv.qsi.org 

We will gladly schedule an appointment for you. 

| Talent Show

 

Dear Kozaks! Do you have an amazing talent you would like to share with our community? Please upload a short video to this form (the form is available in your child's email account). Please note that files cannot be bigger than 1 GB.  

These videos will be presented at our Spring Fling Art Fest on May 18th!  

Deadline to upload is MAY 7th! 

| PTO Spotlight

 

Dear KIS Community,

Thank you to all who took the time to cast their votes in our Garage Sale polls. 

We are delighted to announce that the overwhelming majority has shown enthusiasm for the idea of combining the Garage Sale with our upcoming Spring Fling Festival on Saturday, May 18th. This promises to be an exciting and vibrant event for everyone involved.

Here's how to register as a seller:

1. Pay the 200 uah reservation fee to the PTO Банка (🔗LINK and card number: 5375 4112 0466 5090), mark your name and the purpose of payment (Reservation fees are non-refundable. All funds will be donated to charity.)

2. Send your reservation request to pto@kyiv.qsi.org

Please note that due to limited availability, we urge you to make your reservations promptly to avoid disappointment. Remember to mark your payment with your name and table reservation details. 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to pto@kyiv.qsi.org

Sincerely,

PTO

What is KIS Moms & Dads? 

KIS Moms & Dads is a private group on Facebook for KIS parents and the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). It is a great way to find out what's going on with the PTO. To join please complete the membership questions. 

First page of the PDF file: KISMomsDads

How to join PTO? 

It's simple - just send an email at helengarbuz@yahoo.com or talk to one of the PTO members at the PTO store.

| College & Counseling

 

| Meet Your School Counselor

Hello Everyone,

My name is Chelsey Zoromski and I am your school counselor this year.  I am available to meet with students, staff, and parents about any social emotional topics or university questions that may come up this year.  I am currently living in Moldova but am available to meet with you on Teams on Thursdays and Fridays.   

In order to schedule a meeting with me, please click here. This link will show you the time I am available and automatically adapt to your time zone.  It will also send you all the information for the Teams meeting.  You may contact me any time at: chelsey-zoromski@chisinau.qsi.org.  

Please watch this short video to learn how to book appointments with me.

Chelsey Zoromski
School Counselor
Kyiv, Chisinau, Munster, and Montenegro
Click here to schedule an appointment with me

| "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.

| Week Highlights

 
Preschool Chefs

PREK: COOKING LESSON

This week was a treat for our little culinary enthusiasts at KIS Preschool as they embarked on a delicious adventure with the master chefs of the Sunny Side Cafeteria. Under the guidance of our talented chefs, these budding cooks learned the art

Continue reading about Preschool Chefs
Pysanka Master Class

MIDDLE SCHOOL: PYSANKA MASTER CLASS

This week KIS middle school students dove into the vibrant world of Ukrainian culture with our recent Pysanka Egg Painting Masterclass! With the guidance of the professional instructor students got hands-on experience creating stunning pysanky

Continue reading about Pysanka Master Class
LOE: Ukrainian

LOE: UKRAINIAN

Secondary students find out more about Ukraine, its history and culture while reading Ukrainian literature. Learning more about Kozaks, their lifestyle, courage and determination inspires us and teaches how important it is to stay united!

Continue reading about LOE: Ukrainian

"WOZ" Show

Last week our "cast of thousands" wrapped up their months of work on, WOZ. 

Thier journey is complete...

A very heartfelt and genuine thank you to all of the members of the Kozak Community who made it out to watch one of the three performances. 

Without an audience there is no show, so thank you. 

If you would like to share this amazing endeavor with family or friends far and wide it is now up on our school YouTube channel, ready to be enjoyed again and again.

We look forward to see you all again at future KIS productions.

Watch for one coming up in June!!

| Message from Jodi Picoult

 

As our celebration for the Literacy Week comes to a close, we want to share a message for the Kozak community from multi-award-winning, bestselling author, Jodi Picoult, who encourages us all to keep reading! You can find her books in our school library and at the book fair.

| CAS Book Review

CAS Book Review "Cinderella is dead"

12+

“Cinderella is dead” by Kalynn Bayron is a captivating novel that reimagines the classic fairytale. The protagonist, Sofia, lives in a society where the legend literally dictates the government rules, pushing the gender norms and oppressive rules towards young women. Girls are forced into arranged marriages at a ball reminiscent of the one in the original story - 200 years ago when Cinderella was alive

Continue reading about CAS Book Review "Cinderella is dead"

| Integrated Technology Platforms

 

| Extra Services

 

| Announcements

 

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 .