Skip To Main Content

Kozak Korner #35. May 12, 2023

 

Director's Message

Dear KIS Community,

This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week. I would like to take a moment to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to our team of teachers at KIS. It is amazing to look at how far we have come and what we were able to accomplish this year and not of this would have been possible without the flexibility, willingness, and professional capacity of so many wonderful teachers. No matter what the circumstances, our teachers rise to the occasion in order to make things work.

I hope, as a community, you also see and feel the difference KIS teachers make. So, we say THANK YOU to those who chose to be teachers and the impact they have had and continue to have in our lives.

Sincerely, 

 

 

Luke Woodruff
Director
Kyiv International School

Key Dates

May:
18 May - Vyshyvanka Day
19 May - IB Film Festival

June:
02 June - Student Led Conferences (no school)
04 June - KIS Secondary IV Graduation (in Bratislava)
10 June - School Picnic / 30 Years Anniversary Celebration
21 June - Last day of school 

On Campus / Online Learning 2023-2024

We hope all our returning students will be able to attend classes on campus next year.  If your family believes that online learning is the best option for you, please reach out to Ms. Geary at rachel-geary@kyiv.qsi.org to discuss what this might look like next year.  

KIS Information 2023-2024

School Calendars

  PARENT PORTAL

IE Summer Program

 
First page of the PDF file: IESummerProgramFlyer

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.  

PRESCHOOL

Coordinator's Message

In the Preschool one of the most exciting activities for the children is learning about farm animals. They have learned not only about the various types of animals that live on a farm, but they also have explored the different sounds and movements that each animal makes.

Listening to stories about farm animals is a great way for kids to learn about different animals and their behaviors. Reading animal stories aloud to children can also help them to learn new words and develop their listening skills.

Pretend Play with animals helps children to work out their place in the world. They can show understanding, empathy and care for other creatures. They can work through possible fears and anxiety related to animals. These all helps in developing emotional maturity.

One of our Pretend Play activities was milking a cow. We didn’t have the opportunity to milk a real cow, but we did something almost as good – we made our own cow udder from a rubber glove! Teachers poked small holes in the finger tips with a pin, filled it with milk, and then let the kids “milk” it.

On Friday at the preschool children were very excited getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day. Children made a special presents to show their appreciation for their Mothers.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our wonderful KIS mothers!

Best regards,

Ms. Nataliya Yegorova

 

 

Nataliya Yegorova
PreK / SO Coordinator
nataliya-yegorova@kyiv.qsi.org

School Day Schedule

  ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

DI's Message

Dear Elementary and Middle School Families,

Another busy week of school is behind us! And with just 28 school days left to go, teachers and students are working hard to make every day count.

MAP Testing Season: Next week is the last week of MAP testing. If you have questions about your child’s testing schedule, please write to them directly. Next week I’ll send information about when to expect your child’s report along with instructions on how to read it.

Student Led Conferences are scheduled for June 2nd. Parents are asked to fill out this short preference form before May 22: SLC Preferences If we don’t hear from you, we’ll set an online appointment time on your behalf. Parents and students will receive more detailed information about their SLC appointment during the week of May 22nd. Student Led Conferences are a unique opportunity for students to reflect, showcase their best work and practice their presentation skills.

Passion Projects: Students will be wrapping up Passion Projects in the next few weeks – in June we will be sharing a digital Showcase with parents so you can enjoy all the fantastic projects students have been working on.

As always, feel free to reach out anytime with 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

  SECONDARY

DI's Message

What’s Going on in Secondary

MAP Testing
Most of the students have finished their MAP testing. The results will be available on the Family Moodle Account. For more information about MAP testing: https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/

Student Led Conferences
These will be held on the morning of June 2nd. Students will spend several weeks preparing for these in Morning Mindset, with a mentor. Why is it important? Reflecting on the year, celebrating successes, and setting goals are life skills! When students are applying for a job, competing for a scholarship, speaking in public, or interviewing for university admissions, they will use skills that this style of conference helps them develop. If parents are unable to attend, students will present to a panel of teachers!

IB Film Festival
Don’t miss this fantastic event on May 19th at 3 PM.

Deadlines to know about!

Senior Deadlines:
May 19th – Previous units completed
May 26th – All units completed

Everyone else:
12th of June – work submitted for previous units
16th of June – work submitted for current units
19th-20th of June teachers will work with students on revision of any components of the last unit which they didn’t master by the 16th. If students do not need to do any revision for the final unit, they will have the opportunity to upgrade.

Sincerely,

 

 

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

 

School Day Schedule

National Honor Society

 
First page of the PDF file: NHS

Advise for Secondary

 
First page of the PDF file: Listofsuggestions

University Acceptances Class of 2023 

US

  • California Lutheran University
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • High Point University
  • Hofstra University
  • Northeastern University
  • Oral Roberts University
  • Princeton University
  • Seattle University
  • South Dakota Mines
  • Susquehanna University of Pennsylvania
  • University of California Davis
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • University of San Fransisco

Canada

  • University of Toronto
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan

UK

  • Durham University
  • Goldsmiths - University of London
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • Queens Mary University of London
  • Regents University London
  • University of Essex
  • University of Kent
  • University of Gloucestershire
  • University of Manchester
  • University of South Wales
  • University of Surrey
  • University of Sussex
  • University of the West of England
  • University of York

France

  • EICAR – The International Film & Television School Paris

Netherlands

  • University of Amsterdam
  • Urtecht University

Spain

  • Saint Louis University Madrid

Switzerland

  • Webster University Geneva

Turkey

  • Koç University

 WHOLE SCHOOL PORTAL

Success Orientations

 

 

Dear KIS Parents and Students,

Our SO topic for the last five weeks was Aesthetic Appreciation.

What is meant by aesthetic appreciation?      

Aesthetic appreciation is understood as loving with a sense of discernment, and of understanding what is special or extraordinary about the object of our interest. Appreciating beauty from a young age leads to the improvement of many qualities in children (physical and psychological) and can be seen as a vital part of the foundations of their future personality.

Where do we start?

  1. Enjoying and appreciating beauty ourselves

Children learn so much from the adults around them. When we are open, curious and appreciative, we pass these same values onto our kids.                              

  2.  Allowing time to simply explore

In early childhood, children have a simple vision of life, which is why in preschool they usually start with descriptions of shapes, colours, and the world they perceive through their senses. There is still no cognitive ability to abstract and interpret, so at this stage the important thing is to allow kids to explore.

3. Encourage kids to be creative

When given scope to express themselves, younger children (up to the age of nine) spontaneously use their imaginations in wonderful ways. We can encourage an enjoyment of beauty and aesthetic appreciation by giving kids lots of opportunities to participate in craft activities, music, dressing-up, acting and lots of reading. Remember too that unscheduled time is really important for kids – to relax and just be.

4. Attuning to growing passions and interests

Between the ages of 10 and 12, children are capable of complex mental processes involving logic and interpretation. They begin to have more precise ideas about the things that interest them. This is a really good time to have conversations about what they enjoy, and to look at finding further activities that will enrich their interests.

5. Enjoying the beauty around us.

Provide kids with experiences where they can see beauty for themselves. If we can take them to the countryside, or bring them closer to the sea, so much the better, but even in the city or town there is natural beauty to appreciate. We can also enjoy going to places where there are fine architectural works, or visit museums, many of which are interactive and very child-friendly.

We have all experienced the pleasure and positive emotions caused by watching a sunset, enjoying a work of art, or listening to a favourite song. We can easily share with kids the wonder of everyday life – the colours of a sunset, the shape of mountains or the sound of birds… these are free activities available to everyone.

6. Voicing aesthetic appreciation

Talk about objects that can be aesthetically evaluated in the presence of the children. For example, a drawing, a toy, a flower or a melody … Ask the children to reflect on why there are things that seem “pretty” to them and others not.

Order is one source of beauty: we can show children that a tidy room is more “beautiful” than a messy one … It is also healthy to show that we dislike some things, especially given that children are often exposed to the internet, where they have access to all kinds of images.

7. Finding beauty in each other

Reminding kids that beauty can be found within each human being is important – souls exude beauty by the coherence of thoughts and action, by particular ways of living and by the light that shines from within. Let’s not forget to teach that inner beauty is more fascinating than outer beauty.

You might find it helpful to read a story that helps children to understand the concept of inner beauty, The Ugly Duckling is a children’s story which describes beauty and how subjective it is.

We have all experienced the pleasure and positive emotions caused by watching a sunset, enjoying a work of art, or listening to a favourite song. We can easily share with kids the wonder of everyday life – the colours of a sunset, the shape of mountains or the sound of birds… these are free activities available to everyone.

Best regards,

Ms. Nataliya Yegorova

 

 

Nataliya Yegorova
PreK / SO Coordinator
nataliya-yegorova@kyiv.qsi.org

KIS STUCO Presents

 

The KIS STUCO presents the following activities you can participate in to help support Ukraine. When completing one of the activities from the list, make an Instagram post or story as evidence. Make sure you tag @kissecstuco so we can see your participation. We will then donate the raised funds to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

List of Activities:

  • Make Ukrainian Food - 100 UAH
  • Create a collage of memories from Ukraine - 200 UAH
  • Create Ukraine-inspired artwork - 200 UAH
  • Take a picture with Ukrainian Flag - 50 UAH
  • Sing Ukrainian Song - 200 UAH
  • Post a fun fact about Ukraine - 50 UAH
  • Post photos/memories from Ukraine - 50 UAH
  • Dress up in blue and yellow - 200 UAH
  • Take a picture with Ukrainian colors - 100 UAH
  • Recommend a Ukrainian song - 50 UAH
  • Take a picture in a vyshyvanka - 100 UAH
  • Share your favorite place to visit in Ukraine - 200 UAH

 

Click to download the flyer

 

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

  LEARNING STORIES & WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

This Is Us: Educator Profile

Sergey Berezhny

Titles: LOE Coordinator

Why am I teaching: When I was graduating from school, I didn't want to be a teacher. I wanted only to learn French that I loved so much and to enter to a University of foreign languages. I did it. There, in Gorlivka, I had great teachers that inspired me to become their colleague and I stayed working with them. We have to share our love with others.

Favourite Quote: L'impossible n'est pas français. Impossible is not Ukrainian as well."

Favourite thing about KIS: I love this multicultural environment and think the International nights were always great events representing our school, united in diversity. I am positively jealous of KIS students speaking already so many languages. They are real linguists and it's for ever.

In the Land of Fairy Tales

The 8 YO students read, retell, and illustrate folktales in their morning mindset and reading classes. Folktales are stories that are passed from generation to generation in the oral tradition. The folktales are closely related to many storytelling traditions, including fables, myths, fairy tales, and legends. They include the elements of magic and truth. Also, we can learn about the culture, traditions, and customs of people from different parts of the world. This past week, students and teachers enjoyed learning and illustrating the heroes from their home countries. 

Click to Read about In the Land of Fairy Tales
2023 Ceesa Math Competition

The 2023 Ceesa Math Competition was an amazing success for hosts and guests alike. A competition held over two days allowed the CEESA math world  to find an overall team and individual champion. 

Over 100 students from 9 schools across Europe took part. The schools participating included Kyiv, Istanbul, Bucharest, Warsaw, Skopje, Zagreb, Tashkent, Sofia and Helsinki. The competition was intense, but everybody taking part showed great sportsmanship and in the final round everyone was united in their love of math and problem solving. 

Click to Read about 2023 Ceesa Math Competition

IB Art Exhibition

 

The IB Art Exhibition at Kyiv International School was an event that showcased the immense talent and creativity of the students. The theme of the exhibition was centered around the war in Ukraine and the beauty of hope.

The artworks displayed were a testament to the students' ability to express deep and meaningful concepts through visual art. Each piece was thought-provoking and evocative, leaving a lasting impression on the viewers.

Secondary Photography

 

As this year's photography students complete and submit their SO folders, they focus on specific genres of photography of thier own choosing.  This allows them to explore areas and ideas that they are drawn to and encourages them to work expressively and authentically.  Here Adi shows how using colour to create emphasis and meaning is his strength. Taya shows how Black and White photography can be used to create narrative by effectively utilising contrast and composition.

  ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECRUITMENT

PROPERTY

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS  

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