PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL
WINTER 2016
PSI LIFE
LEARNING COMMUNITY AND GLOBAL CITIZENS
PRIMARY PSI LIFE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE
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EDITOR’S LETTER
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DIRECTOR’S NEWS
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BOARD UPDATE
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UNPACKING OUR NEW MISSION STATEMENT
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PRIMARY PRINCIPAL
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PYP COORDINATOR
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GRADE 2: A LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT GROWS
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GRADE 4 FORMING A LEARNING COMMUNITY
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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: SO MANY COUNTRIES, SO MANY CUSTOMS
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PRIMARY ART — ART IS ESSENTIAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG STUDENTS
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SECONDARY PRINCIPAL
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SERVICE AS ACTION IN PEX
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PSI STUDENTS ARE LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENS
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MYP PERSONAL PROJECT
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BY DEFINITION THEY ARE A LEARNING COMMUNITY: TOK
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACROSS MYP AND PYP AT PSI
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SECONDARY ARTS
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PTA
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CHILD PROTECTION
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PSI PANTHERS ATHLETICS 2016 2017 - WINTER SEASON
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WHY GET INVOLVED: THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
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CAS: A HOBBY. A SPORT. A LIFE.
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CAS: LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP
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ALUMNI
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THE LIBRARY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
emmaz@psi.kiev.ua
Copy Editor – Patricia Puia patriciap@psi.kiev.ua
Layout Design – Max Mart Printed by: “Ukrdruk” Publishing company
PSI Life is published quarterly by Marketing and Communications Department of Pechersk School International, Kyiv for students, alumni, parents, and friends of the school.
Founder Pechersk School International, 7a Victora Zabily Kyiv, Ukraine, 03039 Phone: (380 44) 377 5292 Fax: (380 44) 377 5242 communication@psi.kiev.ua www.psi.kiev.ua
COMUNITY
Chief Editor – Emma Zelenina
SECONDARY
WWW.PSI.KIEV.UA
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PSI LINKEDIN PAGE
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
DEAR PSI COMMUNITY:
By Emma Zelenina, Marketing and Admissions Manager
What a wonderful winter season at PSI, with PTA International Night, CEESA tournaments, Primary concerts, Spirit Days and just every day classes and snowflakes. Everything that we have enjoyed so far makes it one of my favourite times of year at school. We also have a New Vision Statement: We Grow. We lead. We Succeed. On the poster below, you may see it, along with the Mission Statement key concepts and strategic goals we have for the year ahead. Please enjoy reading our Winter 2016 edition, which is focusing this time on two other components of our new Mission Statement: ‘Learning Community’ and ‘Global citizens’. On the pages of this edition, you will see some great examples of students being global citizens and of our diverse, warm and learning community. With so many best wishes for the winter holidays and New Year 2017 - please enjoy the upcoming winter break and our new Winter Issue!
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PSI - A LEARNING COMMUNITY THIS SCHOOL YEAR, PSI HAS ADOPTED A NEW MISSION STATEMENT. John Burns Director Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine
Pechersk School International is a diverse learning community which provides an academically challenging programme in a student-centred environment. As an IB world school, PSI is committed to developing wellrounded, global citizens by promoting personal excellence in the classroom and beyond.
What is a learning community? We have defined it as, ‘a spirit of collaboration, with all members of the school community committed to student success and well-being as well as to their own lifelong learning’. This includes: Students, teachers, staff, and families working together to ensure student success Respectful interactions among all shareholders in the learning process A focus on learning opportunities for all members of the school community
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PSI has also established a learning community goal: ‘To infuse a culture of collaborative learning among our diverse school groups’. Four development projects have been established as part of PSI being an active learning community.
Accreditation Self Study: A detailed review of all school areas designed to also establish future goals and development projects. Futures Forum: A forum where staff, students and parents will work together on creative, modern and innovative projects for the coming years at PSI. Cross School Transition (PYP / MYP / DP): a process including teaching staff across the three IB divisions in order to make curricular standards and general transition a seamless one. Customer Service Project: New learning for many of our business and operations staff in an area important to the PSI stakeholders.
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
Schools are learning communities and homes can be, too. Try one or two of the following ideas in your own home to promote this important concept. Discuss world events and what is happening in both the local and world news as a family. Value thinking by using how, why and what questions when asking about the school day and ‘what have you been learning at school today’. Arrange a reading space or time to encourage collaborative learning as a whole family. Be part of the PSI learning community by attending curriculum events, meetings and conferences.
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BOARD UPDATE
One of the key concepts of our school’s mission statement is to strive to be a ‘learning community’. While this is obviously focused on our students, it is also intended to apply to all parts of the PSI community. The actual wording of the school’s goal is to ‘Infuse a culture of collaborative learning among our diverse school groups.’ This is not an empty sentiment; the staff and administration of the school go to considerable lengths to achieve this culture of learning.
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ake the board, for example. At every board meeting there is a ‘Board Learning’ presentation. One month, it might be about test results, the next about the work of the school counsellors, and another about the planning cycle for the curriculum. Each of these presentations is a valuable opportunity for the board to learn about how the school is run.
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It doesn’t stop there, either. At the beginning of the school year, PSI ran a series of workshops on the IB programmes. They started with introductory sessions and moved on to half day, interactive, in-depth workshops that explained not only how the IB is structured but why. These workshops looked at how our students learn and what sets the IB apart from more traditional forms of teaching. These were opportunities for parents to learn and ask questions about their children’s education. The sessions were well attended and the feedback was extremely positive. Watch for similar programmes throughout the school year, as they offer a fantastic chance to gain insight into teaching and learning in the twenty- first century. Teaching and learning is a process of give and take, and it works in both directions. The leadership team at PSI are consistently seeking to learn more about the rest of the school
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
community. The annual opinion survey, the strategic action plan workshop, and the annual general meeting are all opportunities to offer input, opinions and expertise. Whether you are a parent, a student or a member of staff, you really should take every opportunity to help improve the school. That is why, this year the board has a goal to ‘improve participation, interaction and engagement with students, parents and the wider Kyiv community’. We want the most active and vibrant school community we can have. The board will be looking for ways to make it easier and more attractive for everyone to be part of our learning community. In order ‘to grow, to lead, to succeed,’ we all need to learn and it’s more interesting doing it together. Join in.
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UNPACKING OUR NEW
MISSION STATEM
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
N MENT
At the beginning of this 2016-2017 school year, we launched our newly revised Mission Statement, created by a committee of teachers, parents and administrators, with input from all segments of our community. We are continuing this year to ‘unpack’ the ideas and goals represented here, so please keep an eye on our PSI Life publications, our PTA meetings and other venues for more information.
In this issue, we would like to cover the following two issues from the mission: learning community and global citizens.
Mission Statement
Definition
What It Looks Like
Learning Community
A spirit of collaboration pervades the school, with all members of the school community committed to student success and wellbeing as well as to their own lifelong learning.
Students, teachers, staff and families working together to ensure student success Respectful and positive interactions among all stakeholders A focus on learning for all members of the community
Global Citizens
PSI students and community members are global citizens, empowered to recognise and act on issues of importance in their local and international communities.
Appreciate local and international cultures Engage positively with students within and beyond their own nationality/background Accept and understand their own and other cultures
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Primary SCHOOL
PRIMARY
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL One of our Mission Statement goals is to be a ‘learning community’. This means that ‘a spirit of collaboration pervades the school, with all members of the school community committed to student success and well-being as well as to their own lifelong learning.’ One of the actions we look for is ‘a focus on learning for all members of the community’.
Reciprocity is also connected to another one of our Mission Statement goals, which is to be global citizens. This is defined as ‘PSI students and community members are global citizens, empowered to recognise and act on issues of importance in their local and international communities’. The actions we are looking for to be global citizens are to:
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his means ALL of us are learners, not just the students. Our Parent Education Tuesdays are structured so that parents can learn about our programme and philosophies, but also for us to learn about parent perspectives. Our professional development focus acknowledges that teachers are learners and enjoy staying on top of their craft. Guided inquiry in the classroom is another way that we show ourselves as a learning community. Not only do students learn, but teachers always find out something from their students’ research or perspectives. This reciprocity of learning is what PSI is all about.
by Tatiana Lopukhin, Primary Principal.
Appreciate local and international cultures Engage positively with students within and beyond their own nationality/background Accept and understand their own and other cultures Listen to others and respect opinions/ perspectives Express opinions respectfully Take positive action on issues of local, national and global importance Being a global citizen is very personal. It is up to us to reflect on our attitudes and prejudices to see where we can grow. It is easy to appreciate the cuisine and holidays of all in our community. But what about more subtle differences, like when it is polite to look into someone’s eye, or what is considered modest dress in your culture vs another’s culture. Sometimes, it is enough to acknowledge we have different perspectives. We can be open-minded and appreciate the difference. It is what makes us human. 11
PRIMARY
PYP = = Coordin by Michael Palmer Deputy Principal/PYP Coordinator
Learning through inquiry is evident in many ways throughout our school. One of the most visible ways we see students engaged in learning is when they are working together in collaborative groups. We know working ‘in a group’ and working ‘as a group’ are two different modes of engagement and in 5th Grade recently, students were clearly taking up the latter method of collaboration as they discovered the ways in which ‘physical and chemical changes can have an impact on people and the environment’.
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students dug deep into their discoveries and inquiries as a community and then created Info Graphics of their learning to share with the school community. These excellent examples of understanding and thinking are on display outside the G5 classrooms.
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= = = = inator Another strong example of our mission in action is when our students use local resources. PSI students visit museums and parks throughout the city to gather information and dig deeper into the culture of Ukraine. To learn more about the ways in which ‘people have interacted with each other and communicated using the arts’ in their How we express ourselves unit, G4 students discovered cultural changes while on a walk to view the street art or wall murals that have appeared on the sides of buildings throughout Kyiv during the past two years. These strong examples of inquiry also demonstrate PSI teachers ‘commitment to developing a community of learners in our school. 13
Grad Grad PRIMARY
A Learning Community That Grows
by Jonathon Simon and Jane Lueders | Grade 2 Teachers
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
In our first unit of inquiry, ‘How We Organise Ourselves’, we understand that communities are organised with a purpose or goal in mind. Our classroom community is organised so that we can learn and grow as students. The second graders then went to task about organising the classroom so that we can become optimal learners. The jobs/ responsibilities, routines, and our seating arrangements were organised for a learning community at PSI. The classroom libraries were organised so that students can quickly find books. Routines were established so that children can quickly transition and get to the tasks at hand so maximum learning can take place. The second grade students designed all of this.
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n our unit on ‘Who We Are’, we understand that the choices we make have good, bad, or neutral consequences. Thus, second graders began making mind maps about situations and possible choices with possible consequences. They began to understand that as students who are learners, they have choices that can impact their learning constantly. Who they sit next to, listening or not listening to directions, how
they organise their time, and how they choose to concentrate all impact their learning in the classroom. These daily choices are important to their learning and help them to take responsibility for their learning inside and outside of school. Throughout the year, the students reflect on their learning experiences. To quote noted educator John Dewey, ‘We do not learn from experience, but we learn from reflecting on our experiences.’ By reflecting, we see what works well and what improvements need to be made. Students are setting goals for themselves based on their reflections of their learning and will continue to reflect throughout the entire year to refine or set new goals as they go. The IB Learner Profile is at the centre of reflecting and learning, not only in our classroom but at PSI as a whole. Second graders feel that the heart of learning is being a good communicator. They have decided that being a communicator is not only being a good speaker or presenter but being a listener as well. When we work together, we learn from each other by sharing our ideas, thoughts, experiences, information and possible solutions to problems. Learning is not just an independent activity, but also a group activity. We are a learning community and not just learners who share the same space. Students have done group presentations that required them to organise their learning into a presentation where everyone participates and shares their learning experiences with their classmates. So far in second grade, a learning community is a group who organises their learning, reflects on their experiences, and communicates what they have learnt with others. 15
Grad Forming PRIMARY
a Learn Commun At the beginning of this school year, 31 students became the new Grade 4 classes. We needed to consider some questions. What does a learning community look like? How could we develop a learning community in our classrooms? With discussion, we decided that in our community, we needed to be able to communicate, discuss, agree and disagree respectfully. We knew that it should be a place where we come together to learn new skills and help each other. We would have to learn together for the next year and it was our task to make the community effective and fun.
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ning nity O
ur first unit of the year came under the theme of ‘Sharing the Planet’. Here we looked at peace and conflict resolution. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community, share our ideas and set expectations for our year in Grade 4. Discussing what we wanted our learning community to look like helped us establish class expectations. We referred to the PSI ‘win-win’ guidelines to help us solve conflicts. Throughout the unit, we also looked at both local and global examples of peace and also conflict. In groups, we investigated World Peace Day, which was on 21st September and discovered some of the peacemakers of the world. How had they resolved conflicts and moved communities forward?We presented our findings in an upper primary assembly, sharing our knowledge about how the peacemakers of the world tried to establish peace in their various countries and communities. By the time the unit was drawing to a close, our understanding of a learning community had developed and we hope that we have created guidelines that will help us grow as a learning community throughout this school year.
By Rodger Armistead and Jane Harrison. Grade 4 Class Teachers.
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PRIMARY
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP:
by Nataliia Grishyna Russian for Native Speakers Teacher
SO MANY IIIIIIIIIIIIIII COUNTRIES, IIIIIIIIIII SO MANY IIIIIIIIIIIIIII CUSTOMS IIIIIIIIIIIIII In today’s increasingly interconnected world, how do we prepare our children to succeed and to become happy, informed global citizens? At PSI we have a great possibility to learn about and respect the many different peoples and cultures in the world.
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y getting to know the people at school and in their community and asking them about their families and backgrounds, students can share what they learn with others. Students can read newspapers, watch the news on TV, or look at news websites to find out what is going on in the world. Talking to parents, teachers and friends about issues affecting the school, community or country, or another country gives a better understanding of the way students fit in as global citizens. We have a lot of examples of how that works in Primary School.
Students at every grade level in PSI Primary School are examining what it means to be a global citizen and are acting on what they learn. 18
Grade 5 On the eve of International Night, Grade 5 students discussed the ways they can present their countries. At the beginning, students came up with the main features of their country that they wanted to share. Posters were made after this research. This project allowed them to learn more about the customs of their country and other countries as well to become more informed global citizens.
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
Grade 3
Grade 4
Global Citizenship means that as citizens of the world, we have rights and responsibilities. Grade 3 students shared ideas on the concept of responsibility and how it varies depending on one’s role in society. Each student created a poster with his/her responsibilities as a student, a child and a citizen. Students brainstormed their ideas about the rights that children have. The final project for the students was to find the evidence at PSI of the students’ rights and to take a picture of it as well as to explain their choice.
We usually express our culture in certain ways, like how we dress, what we eat, what we believe, and how we play. That’s why Grade 4 students started making a project about countries of their choice. Students faced the challenges of researching and selecting information on what makes that country different. Later, the students are going to make puzzles related to the new information they will find, and will share what they have learnt with their groupmates.
Grade 1 Grade 2
Grade 1 students are taking their first steps towards global citizenship. They completed a fun activity to find out what’s behind their names. As a result, the students learnt more about themselves and about the origin of their names. Students were interested to find out the way their names sound in different countries.
During reading sessions in Grade 2, students were given books written by the authors of different countries. After reading their book, students used a ‘Question Spinner’; answering those questions gave them a better understanding of their book. Students discussed what common issues were raised in the books from different countries.
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PRIMARY
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ART IS ESSENTIAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG STUDENTS
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
Anna Belokon Primary Art Teacher
CHILDREN ARE ENGAGED IN THE WORLD OF FANTASY, EXPLORATION, AND LIFE EXPERIENCE.
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he Visual Arts are a great source of creativity and a strong means to harmonically develop a child’s personality. Young students learn the world by exploring the environment around them. They like to be involved in different activities and explore various media. It is interesting to watch students knead clay, sprinkle sand, play with natural materials, and mix paints with excitement on their faces. They curiously observe facial features using a mirror and draw their selfportraits, paint pictures with their fingers, make clay compositions, and create collages. Children are engaged in the world of fantasy, exploration, and life experience. Art is an important means of developing children’s abilities, intellectual and emotional fields, self-management skills, behaviour choices, and appreciation of the world, nature, cultures and traditions from around the world.
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Secondary SCHOOL
S E CO N DA RY
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FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL
by Patricia Puia Secondary Principal
We also look for opportunities to create community and to engender a sense of global awareness. In the coming quarter, you can join us as we: Two of the hallmarks of PSI are its strong sense of community and its commitment to internationalism. I see those things every day as I walk through our building. The evidence is clear, as I see: Students working together in teams and small groups to answer questions, solve problems and create products Students sitting side by side in the cafeteria, sharing one pair of earphones to listen to each other’s favourite music Classrooms where lively discussions are taking place about the refugee crisis, the American elections, Brexit, disaster relief in Haiti, and other news from around the world that affects us all Teachers working side by side with students Teachers coming back from conferences and workshops with new ideas to share Subject departments working together on planning, reviewing each other’s assessments, and discussing their best teaching strategies A range of languages spoken throughout the school in the hallways and at lunch - English, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Italian, German, Korean, and much more
Enjoy another week of house activities and school spirit days in January Celebrate student achievement at our honours assembly in February Introduce our Grade 10 parents to the IB Diploma Programme and work with them on finding the best possible course selections for their students Celebrate International Women’s Day in March Continue our monthly MYP assemblies to honour and appreciate the many activities that our students do together Cheer on our KSSL and CEESA basketball and swimming teams As the other articles in this magazine will indicate, the spirit of community and of global citizenship are alive and well at PSI. That’s good news as we approach this holiday season, don’t you think?
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SERVICE AS ACTION IN PEX
S E CO N DA RY
Back in September, PSI implemented a new program called PEx (which stands for Personal Excellence) in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). PEx is a homeroom curriculum developed by a core group of teachers and implemented across Grades 6-10. The aim of the programme is to allow students to delve more into personal and social areas of their education. Along with topics such as study skills, conflict resolution, and cyber citizenship, students in PEx are now spending a couple of classes throughout the year to learn about service as part of our new Service as Action programme.
By Mica Gaard, Service Learning Coordinator 24
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
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ver the last few months, I have had the opportunity to have three PEx service classes, in grades 8 - 10. We started in each class with a discussion on students’ previous experiences with receiving service and how that has made them think about performing service for others. One of the most interesting activities was a group brainstorm and discussion on the differences between ‘helping,’ ‘fixing,’ and ‘serving’, and how those terms vary in regards to our own personal view of the situation, and how our attitude can either positively or negatively impact the service we perform. Ultimately, our aim of the Service as Action program through PEx is to strengthen the students’ experiences through their classroom Service Learning projects. The goal is for students to carry out service, but even more so, to understand the importance of their actions, both on their own learning and on their broader community. Gandhi once said ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ For our students to truly become global citizens, they will not only need to serve others, but to go deeper to understand the implications of that service.
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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP:
By Olga Berezhna Languages Head of Department
PSI STUDENTS ARE LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENS Learning in an international school makes the concept of learning new languages and communicating with other students and teachers very important. When learning a new language, students are not only introduced to new vocabulary terms, but they are also introduced to cultures, countries and the people in them PSI is a school that offers the IB Diploma Programme, which means that it provides an opportunity for students to develop a culture of multilingualism by taking different language classes at different levels. Students who are interested in discussing global issues in a different language are able to do so in their varied and flexible Language B courses. In French B, Russian B and English B DP classes, for example, students are learning tenses, register, vocabulary and different forms of writing while discussing issues such as pollution, climate change, poverty,
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
homelessness, globalisation and social relationships. They may memorise vocabulary and examine grammar rules, but they also explore tangible situations and develop deeper understanding of other ways of life. This gives students linguistic skills, as well as specific context in these issues and a broader understanding of what’s at stake in our world today. During oral activities, students are able to participate in interesting discussions and express their opinion about critical issues, which are essential to a modern society, in a language different from their mother tongue. This stimulates further thinking and allows students to inquire into the target culture from the inside, as well as providing them with the desire to make a difference in the world. Becoming aware of these global issues not only on a global scale, but also on a cultural scale, will hopefully make students want to stay informed about them, and even take action to make the world a better place.
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MYP PERSONAL PROJECT
In their final year of the IB Middle Years Programme, Grade 10 students are challenged to demonstrate the skills they have developed throughout the programme by designing and completing a project of inquiry based on their own personal interests and passions.
Katy Hourston Personal Project Coordinator
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he Personal Project is a body of work completed throughout Grade 10. Students go through four stages of inquiry: Investigating, Planning, Taking Action and Reflecting. Essentially another MYP ‘subject’, students must pass the Personal Project in order to obtain an MYP certificate. In the Personal Project, students produce three different products. In their Process Journal, students document the whole process, and organise the progress and development of their Project. The product or outcome of the project demonstrates their new understanding or the result of their inquiry. This can be a physical creation (such as a musical instrument or
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
artwork), an event (such as a gala or fashion show) or even the demonstration of a new understanding (such as a new language or skill). Finally, students produce a 3500 word report that reflects on the whole process and their learning. In Grade 10 this year, students are well into the process already, and are currently working on their products. We have many exciting topics and interesting inquiries, including the production of a musical, the creation of a street mural, aircraft design and the creation of a music album. At the end of the process, students will have the opportunity to showcase their products and share their experiences with the PSI Community in the Personal Project Exhibition, usually held in April. We look forward to seeing you there! 29
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BY DEFINITION, THEY ARE A LEARNING COMMUNITY: TOK ‘Shared knowledge is highly structured, is systematic in its nature and the product of more than one individual’ (IB 2015). This statement from the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) programme guide lies at the heart of the course that helps form the Core of the IB Diploma. While still mistakenly called a philosophy course, the focus of TOK focuses on epistemology, which studies the nature of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distincation between justified belief and opinion. With that as the context, we find Grade 12 students nearing the end of their course asking difficult questions in their final oral presentations
CAN THE DESCRIPTION OF A PRODUCT BE ETHICAL WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IMMORAL?
MUST PRODUCERS OF MOTION PICTURES AVOID RIDICULING RELIGION?
By Dr. David Freeman, Diploma Programme Coordinator
CAN WE HAVE FAITH IN SCIENCE WHEN THE SCIENCE LIES BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING?
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These students in Grade 12 finishing their two year course in the Theory of Knowledge seek NOT answers but deeper questions as to the nature of knowledge. Their analysis will require them to determine into which Area of Knowledge their topics fall. Their choices include mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. While these areas have distinct methods of developing knowledge, the overlap produces stimulating hybrids. The human sciences integrate with ethics to provide a lens on human endeavour. The natural sciences have a problematic connection with history. Religious knowledge systems will produce findings at odds with indigenous knowledge systems. And the mixed marriage of mathematics and the arts engenders unusual creatures.
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
Seperately or in combination, the Areas of Knowing lend themselves to the various vehicles for investigation: The Ways of Knowing. These include language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. At the centre of their investigation lies the knowledge questions.
What counts as evidence for X? asks you judge the merit of the facts.
What does theory T mean in the real world? demands that you face reality instead of the hypothetical.
What makes a good explanation in subject Y?
How do we judge which is the best model of Z?
requires you to understand the nature of knowledge in a subject area.
challenges you to consider various alternatives.
How do we know whether it is right to do S? forces ethical and moral consideration.
How can we be sure of W? needs you to look at your base assumptions about the veracity of the process.
As these student near the end of their Theory of Knowledge journey, we hope they make connections between a critical approach to the construction of knowledge, the academic disciplines and the wider world. In doing so, they develop an awareness of how individuals and communities construct knowledge and how this is critically examined. This exposure fosters the development of an interest in the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives and an awareness of personal and ideological assumptions. This forces a critical reflection on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives. Most importantly, it leads to an understanding that knowledge brings responsibility which leads to commitment and action.
1IB Diploma Programme Theory of knowledge guide (2015) Cardiff, Wales CF23 8GL United Kingdom
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACROSS MYP AND PYP AT PSI Physical and Health Education (PHE) lessons have been very busy in the second quarter, with many different types of units across our IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Ric Floyd Secondary School Teacher Athletics Director / Head of Department PE
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YP students have just completed the Aesthetic Movements Unit with a strong focus on Criteria B - Planning for Performance. The Grade 6 were introduced to jump rope and each student performed a routine with music and skipping tricks. Grade 7 completed a Gymnastics Unit and performed 8 gymnastic elements in a routine. The Grade 8 focus was on Dance; students were given the start of a dance routine and then had to plan in groups to complete the routine with their own moves. Grade 9 students focused on yoga, with each student planning and performing a routine and then recording it on video. Grade 10s focused on
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
aerobics workouts. The students had to plan and perform a 20 to 25 minute routine. Basketball units have started for all of the MYP classes now and students are working on Criteria C - Applying and Performing, mostly with their basketball skills. Each grade level also has a different criteria to work on. Grade 6 is planning a training program for basketball, Grade 7 is learning to referee games, Grade 8 is choosing a famous player and reporting on his or her life story , Grade 9 students are analysing their peers playing the game in offense and defensive set plays and Grade
10s are organising and conducting a basketball tournament. After the December holiday, the MYP PHE students will be focused on two units: International/Cultural Games and Sports and then a unit on Volleyball to help them prepare for CEESA Season 3. The Physical and Health Education programme at PSI provides activities that challenge and keep young minds and bodies active. As students move through the elementary and middle school grades, goal setting, problem solving, and teamwork are emphasised. In PYP PHE, we believe that students need to develop an awareness of the importance of physical fitness and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is why in our first unit, students from Grades 1 to 5 participated in fitness tests and received feedback on their cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, agility, balance and flexibility. In addition, Grade 4 and 5 students identified a component of fitness that they wish to improve by the end of the school year. During our second unit, students in elementary develop some of the PYP attitudes such as cooperation, confidence and enthusiasm through invasion games. They also looked at tactics on offence and defence while ‘invading’ in another territory. Our current unit with Early Childhood and Kindergarten is called Rhythms Activity, where students are expressing themselves while moving to music from different countries. Grade 1 to 5 students are developing their gymnastics skills where they have to plan, practice and create a short movement sequence. Stay tuned, as video footage will be available to view at our student led conferences! For more information about our PHE Programme, please visit our MyPSI website.
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SECOND ARTS by Simon Ferry Drama & HOD ARTS
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
When a student’s entire day is devoted to being in a classroom, in a school, in a learning environment, you would think education would be easy, right? But the truth is that learning can be very narrowly focused at times and as educators, we sometimes find ourselves wrapped up in the minutiae of the day-to-day work. We sometimes forget to raise our heads and keep relating our teaching and learning to the actual ‘real world.’
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oted education specialist Sir Ken Robinson has reminded us that the jobs that many of our grandchildren will do, haven’t even been invented yet! How then can we keep pace with this ever changing world and strive to make the learning experiences real ones that have relevance and meaning in an environment that is continually renewing itself?
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S E CO N DA RY
In the arts, we have been taking opportunities to make real world connections outside the school and also to invite the world into the classroom. Ms. Huddleston has been instrumental in both these areas. She teamed up with one of our parents, Ms.Yushchenko, in inviting Geo Leros and James Reka to meet with students and share their experiences. Mr Leros is an artist and curator and Mr Reka is a muralist who recently completed work on buildings and metro cars in Kyiv. This was a fascinating opportunity to get a closeup look at the work of professional artists who are recognised globally. PSI’s Grade 10 - 12 visual artists also explored the work of mural artists throughout Kyiv’s city center during a tour led by Slava Maksymchuk. For our students to have first hand contact with such experiences brings substantial impact to the classroom.
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
In both music and drama there have been other opportunities that enable students to explore the concept of a real learning community. Performance is one of those crucible points in students lives that helps them learn through the pressure of producing a product that they have to share with the public. Nowhere can we can see this more than in the latest Battle of the Bands and the senior production, I Hate Hamlet. The students in these performances worked tirelessly over several months rehearsing and
practicing, but the true test comes from sharing that work with the community. Performing for their peers, mentors, parents and the general public means they must invest in the work they have done, believe in themselves, and be willing to risk failure. In this respect, it bears keeping in mind that we all, as a learning community, have a responsibility to nurture and support these experiences if we really want our young people to grow as well-rounded adults.
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‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
PTA NEWS Time flies and we are already nearly halfway through the school year. What an exciting and eventful autumn it has been! Thank you all parents, classroom parents, teachers and staff for your fantastic contributions and school spirit at our events!
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nternational Night in October was indeed a night to remember! The children paraded in their national colours and represented their countries with pride. After that, we all got to taste great food and drinks from all corners of the world at the different countries’ tables. A wonderful novelty this year was the Art Space in the school cafeteria where the kids could enjoy creative master classes with Ukrainian artists. Another new addition to the night was the silent auction
of national items, donated by the parents. The money collected will fund two school projects. In December, PTA arranged a Winter Bazaar. A great mixture of arts, including paintings, ceramics, and jewellery by local artists were on sale. At the same time, a bake sale took place, where amazing cakes and cookies were donated and sold. Thank you all donators, bakers and helpers! As a reminder, PTA meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every month. Come and listen to PTA’s plans and upcoming events. At every meeting, PSI Director John Burns also shares the latest news from school. The Parent Teacher association, the PTA, is here for all students, parents and staff at PSI. Our main function is to keep our PSI Community vibrant and contribute to the school’s motto: A Place Where We Belong!
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PSI INTERNATIONAL NIGHT 2016
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PTA WINTER BAZAAR AND BAKE SALE 2016
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CHILD PROTECTION
Protecting children is a priority that schools and families need to take very seriously. Looking at the statistics from around the world, is easy to see why. Every year, between 500 million and 1.5 billion children worldwide endure some form of violence. (Compassion International) Nearly 22.6% of adults suffered physical abuse as a child, 36.3% experienced emotional abuse and 16.3% experienced physical neglect. (Compassion International) One out of three girls and one out of five boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18. (DoSomething.org) 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrators in some way and 68% are abused by a family member. (DoSomething.org)
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Child protection policies and protocols are quite commonplace in national/public schools in many countries. However, international schools have been behind on the development and practice of these policies. In the past few years, accrediting agencies have started making child protection a priority. Most recently, the Council of International Schools (CIS) has put child protection standards in place and asked that international schools work to meet those standards. Last year, Pechersk School International put together a team of teachers, counsellors, administrators and support staff to take a hard look at the issues surrounding child protection. The team’s purpose was to develop a plan for developing solid child protection policies and a comprehensive child protection programme. As part of this development, PSI counsellors hosted a conference with counsellors from across the CEESA region to receive training and guidance on developing a programme. The PSI child protection programme will include a handbook with clear policies and procedures for cases of abuse, neglect, bullying, harassment, self-injury and suicidal ideation. This handbook is in the final stages of development. The programme will also include the education of staff, students, and the community. At the start of this year, all staff received training on signs of abuse, how to handle disclosures, and how to follow reporting procedures. In Grades 6-10, students are receiving lessons that revolve around healthy and unhealthy relationships, safe and unsafe situations, identifying trusted people from whom they can seek help, ways to remove themselves from unsafe situations, and how to protect themselves. The lessons are conducted in their homeroom classes as part of the Personal Excellence (PEx) program. In the Primary school, lessons are being developed for the spring. The lessons will focus on identifying safe/ unsafe situations and touch, what to do if someone tries to hurt them, not keeping secrets about these issues, who to tell and how to get help. The lessons will be age appropriate and will be developed using the child protection handbook developed by the Association of International Schools in Africa, considered the leading guideline for child protection in international schools and developed by experts in the field of child protection. Noted specialist in child protection Alice Miller once wrote, ‘All children are born to grow, to develop, to live, to love and to articulate their needs and feelings for their self protection.’ A well-rounded child protection programme that includes talking about these issues with our children helps them to be prepared to advocate for their own safety. We all want our children to grow up in a safe environment and never to become part of the startling child abuse statistics. We hope that our child protection programme can help in this effort.
Felina Heart, M.Ed Primary Counsellor Grade 6-8 counsellor
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PSI PANTHERS ATHLETICS 2016 - 2017 WINTER SEASON
Ric Floyd Secondary School Teacher Athletics Director / Head of Department PE
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Season 1 was completed in early November with our teams having some success as listed below. We also hosted the CEESA Middle School Girls Football Tournament with our amazing PSI families hosting over 60 students who visited our lovely city and country. Results were:
Middle School Girls Football
Middle School Boys Football
High School Girls Footbal
Middle/High School Boys High School Boys and Girls Cross Football Country
Champions
3rd Place
5th Place Sportsmanship Trophy
6th Place Yuriy Spencer - All Stars
Olesia Sheremeta All Stars
High School Girls 2nd Place Overall Katerina Schmitt Gold Medal High School Girls 5km race
Season 2 has started and we have had good sign ups for both basketball and swimming. We hope to be sending teams to all CEESA tournaments in early March 2017 and our students are excited about the upcoming Kyiv School Sports League (KSSL) basketball season where we will compete against other international schools and local high schools in Kyiv.
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KSSL Cross Country conducted the first ever event and our school cross country team competed with some very good results in all divisions as listed below:
Middle School Boys
Middle School Girls
HIgh School Girls
William Laitinen - 2nd
Jantawan Kent - 2nd Finola Quinn - 3rd
Katerina Schmitt - 1st Lara Arenciba Pender - 2nd Jessica Cairns - 3rd Zoya Schmitt - 4th
KSSL will also have a swimming tournament this year for the first time and our swim team will have a chance to compete against Kyiv schools here in the city before going to a CEESA tournament in Bratislava.
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The programmes we offer in athletics for the winter season are listed below, with the dates and venues for each CEESA Tournament and the list of coaches involved with each team as our programme grows each year:
Team
Coach Co Coaches
Middle School Boys Basketball
Rex Santos Audra Santos
Middle School Girls Basketball
Anne Holzman
High School Boys Basketball
Assistant Coach
Learner Coach
CEESA Dates
CEESA Venue
Michael Palmer
2nd - 5th March
Belgrade, Serbia
Peter Hausz
2nd - 5th March
Nova Skopje, Macedonia
Chip Faircloth
Sam Pettijohn
8th - 12th March
Latvia, Riga
High School Girls Basketbal
Rex Santos
Felina Heart
8th - 12th March
Helsinki, Finland
Middle & High School Boys & Girls Swimming
Annie Desjardins Michael Holland
2nd - 5th March
Bratislava, Slovakia
Finally, we are pleased to announce that in Season 2 we will host our first Extracurricular Activities CEESA tournament in over four years. Our PSI community will welcome 6 Middle School Maths Counts teams from our CEESA organisation on 2nd - 5th February 2017. We look forward to this exciting competition! 49
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WHY GET INVOLVED: THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES PSI is proud to offer a range of extracurricular activities (ECAs) both within and beyond the school day. Clubs, teams and projects help all PSI students develop their interests and passions, explore new ideas, and develop themselves as individuals and as members of the PSI community.
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WHY GET INVOLVED: THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Getting involved in clubs, sports, work or other pursuits outside the classroom can give students new skills and help them learn about themselves — and ECAs can be fun! Some of the key benefits of participating in extracurricular activities: Developing Socially:
Developing Non-Academic Interests: Helping with Transitions:
Enhancing Academic Performance:
Building Your Resume for University:
Engaging in non-academic pursuits helps encourage teamwork, leadership skills, cooperation and social development that students don’t get to the same degree from working in the classroom. Another major benefit for participating in extracurricular activities is how they can foster a lifelong passion. Transitions can be stressful, whether that’s for new students joining PSI for the first time, or for current students making the transition from PYP to MYP to DP. One of the ways to mitigate this major change in a child’s life is with extracurricular activities. The way children choose to spend their free time can have a huge impact on their academics, and extracurricular activities are a good way to encourage positive use of free time. Extracurriculars also play a part when students apply to colleges. Most college applications ask about activities. That’s because the things students do in their free time reveals a lot about them — in ways that grades and test scores can’t. Accomplishments outside the classroom show what students are passionate about and that they have qualities valued by colleges.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Peter Hausz PYP/MYP PE Teacher Assistant Athletics Director/ Activities Coordinator
Ask your child
To find the best activity to engage and stimulate your children, ask what they WANT to do after school. Are they brave enough to start a solo after school activity or is there something they could do with a friend? Make a shortlist of activities with your child, and don’t just include what you think they will enjoy doing – they may surprise you and pick something off the radar! Be very clear with them about the commitment of choosing an after school programme.
One or two activities
Your children do not need to cram their days with many extracurricular activities, but one or two activities out of school hours can certainly enhance their learning. In short, whatever activities your child chooses, participation in an ECA brings all kinds of great benefits. Encourage your child to join an ECA! For more information about our ECA programme, please visit the ECA website.
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CAS:
A HOBBY. A SPORT. A LIFE. In the Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) Programme, learning extends far beyond a traditional classroom. In a learning community, CAS students discover and develop their talents, making their life both balanced and versatile (T. Isakova, CAS Coordinator )
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Ekatrina Klymets, Grade 12 DP Student.
‘LEARNING COMMUNITY’ AND ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’
T
hrough the course of our lives, we bide our time doing particular tasks that may either help us to earn our living or build the staircases to our futures and careers. However, amidst these compulsory tasks, most of us also do things which we enjoy doing. During my childhood, I was an interested and motivated kid, ready to experience the world through its beauties and mysteries; however, I always quit things until I discovered horse riding. For a long time, my parents could not believe that horse-riding would not only become a hobby or a sport but would become a vital part of my life, one I can’t live without. The words of one old man still stay in my mind. He came up to my mother and told her, ‘When you fall in love with horses, love becomes eternal. There is no way back; its once and for a lifetime.’ Horse riding allows me to escape the daily grind of life and work and gives me pleasure and peace of mind. Horse riding continues to dramatically improve my own personality and character traits, therefore improving my performances not only in sport but also on the whole. Horse riding helped me discover talents and abilities that I might never have known I possessed, while also giving me an insight into all the elements around me, making me learn new things each day.
With the persistent and competitive character that I developed in the sport, I’ve been able to secure some immense victories. This year, in correlation with a successful performance in the IB Diploma Programme, I was able to become the youngest rider on the Ukrainian national team for show jumping. The sport has nurtured some vital qualities in my character - responsibility, teamwork, communication, managerial skills and the desire and determination to fight for a goal. My horses are my children and I do not see a life apart from them. Someone who has never experienced a similar love would never understand that a horse’s love is boundless and eternal; they love you for who you are. For me, time spent with them is like a water in a desert; there can never be enough. This time is my personal heaven, when I can forget about all my troubles, while having the happiest moments of my life.
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CAS:
LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP The CAS Kindergarten Teaching Project has had a very successful start to the first quarter of this academic year. We are a group of Grade 11 and 12 students who teach basic English to the local kindergarten every week Sandra, Richa, Anna, Liza, Tamila, our supervisor, Mr Ferry and I teach English on simple topics such as clothing, seasons, numbers, colours, animals and food.
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ince becoming leader of this project in April, one of my first priorities was to create an aim, something that would motivate my fellow team members. We wanted it to have an IB focus and thought that ‘global awareness’ was fitting for this project aim. Hence, we decided that our aim is ‘to inspire our kindergarten students to become globally aware citizens and increase their familiarity with the outside world through our teaching lessons.’ After deciding on this aim, we worked out a meeting and lesson schedule and agreed to meet every Tuesday and have a kindergarten lesson every Friday. In the meetings, we plan lessons and organise creative teaching material that contribute to the creative aspect of CAS.
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There had to be action components in this project, too. It had to be interactive, effective and enjoyable for our students. We chose to design a dance performance where we choreographed a routine with the students, rehearsed them and performed these routines in front of an audience. The purpose of this activity was to build confidence in the children, and this was a delightful start to the summer break at the end of the last academic year. One of the first things I learnt after becoming leader was that this project provides me with essential life skills. For example, working with children has made me an observant person, which is a vital skill for any education or career. I have gained the experience of holding responsibilities such as arranging meetings, groupings and making sure every lesson that we teach is effective, with differentiated tasks to accommodate each student’s individual needs. In the weeks to come, I hope that our group can collaborate with other CAS projects in our school. One such collaboration project that we are planning currently is a special Christmas- themed activity. It will involve members of other projects and will be conducted prior to the winter break. We are excited for this activity and look forward to working with other projects. Through this project, we have gained skills such as teamwork and cooperation and have taught for a combined total of 45 hours since I became leader of this project in April. This has only been possible due to the enthusiasm, dedication and the willingness shown by our members and our encouraging supervisor, Mr Ferry. As a group, we have thoroughly enjoyed working in the kindergarten and it has given us a chance to give back to society. We are thankful to everyone who has contributed to or helped out in this project, especially Dr I and Mr Ferry. I look forward to the future of this project, and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to be part of this amazing experience. By: Bhargavi Khandige, Grade 12
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ALUMNI AN EXCLUSIVE STORY OF THE PSI ALUMNI KATARZYNA MIKOLAJCZAK
I went to PSI in the 11th and 12th grade. I graduated in 2007, so it’s been a while. Looking back, those two years were such an intense time for me that it’s really hard to say what I liked about it best. The entire experience was electrifying: the challenges, emotions, the friendships I made. It was the first time I had lived outside my home country and at the beginning, I could barely hold a conversation in English. Going from that to finishing my IB Diploma in the standard two years was no small feat and what I consider my greatest academic success at PSI. But, whilst pushing my limits in every way, PSI also gave me all the support I needed to come out a stronger and richer person in the end.
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A
fter graduating from PSI, I knew well what I wanted to study. Although I enjoyed all my classes at PSI, I think living things are just SO amazing, and Biology has always been my favourite subject. From PSI, I went to do my Bachelors Degree in Biology with Honours in Zoology. From the many excellent universities in the UK (where I wanted to be), I chose the University of Edinburgh, because of the marvelous, incredible city it is based in. The choice of my postgraduate studies, on the other hand, was based more on my developing academic interests and where the scientists that I wanted to work with were based. After a gap year following my BSc, I completed a Masters in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at the University of Oxford. Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of Lancaster, studying interdisciplinary conservation science. Without a doubt, the IB diploma has made it much easier for me to enter the world of international science and conservation. At the moment I am doing fieldwork in the Brazilian Amazon, driving up dirt roads and interviewing smallholder farmers for my PhD. In a nutshell, I want to see if those farmers that feel more emotionally connected to nature tend to tolerate more wildlife and preserve more forest on their land than those that feel more separate from it. I hope to continue working in conservation, mixing ecology and social sciences to look for solutions that work both for nature and for people. If I were to give one piece of advice to the graduating students at PSI, it’d be something most of you already know, but is worth repeating: The world is vast and exciting and it can take you amazing places. But some of these places will be lonely. Don’t let those precious friendships that you already made slip between your fingers. You will need their support. Although it’s hard to keep up with everyone spread around the world, on those rare occasions that my PSI friends and I do get meet in some random places, it always feels very, very special.
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The Library in a Global Context by Pam York and Polina Spencer, PSI Librarians
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‘The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.’ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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ne of the many roles of librarians is to provide resources and opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of global diversity through literature. Students are offered an opportunity to broaden their views and understanding of cultures, customs, beliefs and ways of life of many other people in different parts of the world through the stories of the characters. By providing materials that challenge stereotypes and perspectives, libraries open up new experiences and understandings about the world, promoting tolerance, empathy and open mindedness. Changing or challenging perspectives and providing diverse materials that challenge stereotypes and steer the reader away from the ‘single story’ is one of the goals of the library in the modern world. PSI library works towards this goal by providing materials in different original languages, world literature in translation, texts with a multicultural focus and multiple perspectives. Students demonstrate their understanding of global issues in a variety of formats, including discussion and reports, as well as through creative writing, art and music.
Pixton comic created by Grade 7H student Lea van Wingerden
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PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL KYIV
F O U N DAT I O N SCHOLARSHIP
ONLY FOR UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CITIZEN STUDENTS OF UKRAINIAN NATIONAL SCHOOLS AND CURRENT GRADE 7
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
15THFEB
2017