PSI Life Spring 2018 Edition

PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL

SPRING 2018

PSI LIFE

Learning Community Please enjoy reading our spring 2018 edition, with a focus on one of the components of the PSI Mission Statement, ‘learning community’. Our Mission Statement goal in this area is to ‘infuse a culture of collaborative learning among our diverse school groups’.

Chief Editor – Emma Zelenina 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

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PSI LINKEDIN PAGE

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PRIMARY SECONDARY

WWW.PSI.KIEV.UA

COMMUNITY

PSI Life Quarterly Magazine

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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DIRECTOR’S NEWS

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ACCREDITATION NEWS

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FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

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LEARNING COMMUNITY/ PYP IN ACTION

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BOOK CLUBS BUILD LEARNING COMMUNITY IN GRADE THREE

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

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WELCOME TO OUR RUSSIAN LEARNING COMMUNITY!

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LEARNING COMMUNITY IN SPANISH

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THE ROLE OF ART IN DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS IN PYP

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FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

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MYP: COMPLIANCE & PROGRESS

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NEW SCIENCE FACILITIES

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PERSONAL PROJECT

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THE END DRAWS NIGH FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2018

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LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

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PSI: A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS

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PTA: SUPPORTING THE PSI COMMUNITY

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CEESA

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CAS: COOPERATION WITH PTA AS A NEW LEARNING EXPERIENCE

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CAS: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

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2018 PSI GRADUATES AND THEIR UNIVERSITIES

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ALUMNI

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LITERACY MONTH IN A LEARNING COMMUNITY

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NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT

LEARNING COMMUNITY

Dear PSI Community

By Emma Zelenina, Marketing and Admissions Manager

Please enjoy reading our spring 2018 edition, with a focus on one of the components of the PSI Mission Statement, ‘learning community’.

Our Mission Statement goal in this area is to ‘infuse a culture of collaborative learning among our diverse school groups’.

I am very proud that our students and community develop and demonstrate learning approaches in everything they do, both at school and in their personal lives. In this issue, you will find lots of wonderful examples of our Primary and Secondary School students’ learning behaviours as well as of so many stunning projects and community events in this part of the year. All of these definitely show that ‘learning community’ is an important pillar of the PSI Mission Statement.

Enjoy your spring holiday!

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PSI A Learning Community

John Burns Director, Pechersk School International, Kyiv.

The PSI Mission Statement states: 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 well-rounded, global citizens by promoting personal excellence in the classroom and beyond.

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s we focus on our role as a learning community, our Mission Statement goal is to ‘infuse a culture of collaborative learning among our diverse school groups’. Our individual and collective mindset is the catalyst for being a learner and for development and success in this area. Do you and does PSI have a ‘growth mindset’?

‘In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,’ writes author Carol Dweck (Mindset 2006).

Her graphic below helps us better understand how this mindset works.

As a community of learners, PSI works to embrace the growth mindset among students, staff and parents.

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

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PSI: Part of an International Learning Community For the past two years. PSI staff, parents, students and board members have been working on a complex and detailed self study as part of our commitment to our accrediting agencies: The Council for International Schools (CIS) in Europe, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in the United States, and all three of our International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes.

As a ‘community of learners’, we evaluated every aspect of our performance against standards from those three organisations - from staffing to support services, from the board to the cafeteria, from teaching and learning to safety and security.

By Patricia Puia Secondary Principal/ Accreditation Chair

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

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n 25th February, a group of twelve educators from around the world arrived for a week-long visit to PSI. Their goal was to confirm the accuracy of our self study, and more importantly, to identify areas where can continue to improve. The group included one of the world managers of the IB, a superintendent of schools from Massachusetts, and administrators and teachers from around Europe.

For one week, our community of learners worked with this very professional team in looking at PSI - what we do well, where we can improve, and what next steps we can take.

Meetings with the various team members were thought-provoking and helpful, deepening our understanding of what makes PSI unique.

Although we will not know the results of the visit until May, the three organisations did leave us with some indications of where we are performing very well and where we might want to go next in our development. Among the many strengths was one that is at the heart of our mission statement. CIS, NEASC and IB all acknowledge that all stakeholder groups are dedicated to school improvement and are highly collaborative in our approach to working with students.

As we wait for final word on re-accreditation and re-authorisation, we can take pride in our status as a community of learners. We look forward to sharing the final feedback with you in the spring.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

LEARNING COMMUNITY

From the Primary Principal

Oxford Dictionary

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught Community: the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common

By Sue Williams, Primary Principal

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f we take these two definitions and combine them into Learning Community, our definition could become: acquiring knowledge and skills through experiences while sharing or having common attitudes and interests.

So what are the attitudes and common interests that we are teaching our community of young learners? While we pride ourselves on having a rigorous curriculum and encourage students to excel in their academics, we also firmly believe that children in our community must learn through their social and emotional experiences.

We teach to the whole child and encourage our learning community members to challenge themselves to live the IB learner profile and the IB attitudes each day.

For the past few weeks, while out on the playground during recess duty, I noticed how so many of our students were cooperating together as they used the snow around the playground to build forts and snowmen. Students from all the grade levels worked together to dig and build; they decided who were the managers and who were the builders or diggers and their creativity and enthusiasm shined through as they helped one another.

Our Grade 2 students just finished their unit of inquiry, Who We are in Place and Time, that dealt with migration. After watching, listening to and reading their reports, it was apparent that

these students were learning empathy – trying to put themselves in another person’s shoes and reflecting on how it must feel to migrate.

Our Grade 5 students are just beginning to embark on their Exhibition journey. While they will need to be knowledgeable in their chosen research, they will also need to communicate their knowledge throughout this journey, and determine an action to take as they inquire into an interest they may have that will help them make the world around them just that much better.

During their How the World Works unit of inquiry, our Kindergarten students demonstrated curiosity as they ran science experiments and explored the English language through letters and sounds, while our Early Childhood students demonstrated how they are thinkers as they shared with their parents their celebration of learning after completing their How the World Works Unit. Students learnt about various materials and building and certainly did that throughout their unit.

During their unit on Where We are in Place and Time, Grade 1 students compared a city that they have lived in or visited to Kyiv. As they did their research and compared cultures, students learnt about perseverance as they looked for information, talked to others and presented their findings to their classmates. For many of our students, especially those who are non-native English speakers, it also meant that they need to be risk-takers as they used their English speaking skills to explain their research in front of their peers.

Grade 3 students learnt to be better communicators and learnt more about empathy as they studied the plight of refugees. They are now taking action as they make plans and implement those plans to help the homeless in Ukraine. And through reading various novels and persuasive writing pieces, Grade 4 students learnt more about being open-minded as they talked about, researched and analysed different perspectives and beliefs of others.

At PSI Primary School, while we pride ourselves on teaching and learning in maths, literacy and other academic areas, being a learning community means learning about ourselves and those around us. It means understanding, having the skills, and acknowledging that we all have the same goal in mind - developing the skills and attitudes that will allow all of us to be successful and contribute positively to our community.

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Learning Communit PYP in act — — — — — — — — —

Learning community and action are both intimately and inextricably intertwined in the PYP. When working in partnership, these two strands create an educational landscape that knows no bounds. All learners are able to support, inquire, challenge, stretch and grow. Learners have voice, choice, and agency in ‘a place where they belong.’

There are many technical terms and acronyms in education today, so let’s ‘unpack’ some of these.

— — — — — — — — —

by Glen Nicholson Primary Deputy Principal and PYP Coordinator

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Agency:

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This is the power to take meaningful and intentional action. Agency is present when students partner with teachers and members of the learning community to take charge of what, where, why, with whom and when they learn.

This provides opportunities to demonstrate and reflect on knowledge, approaches to learning and attributes of the learner profile.

Students with agency: › have voice, choice and ownership, and a propensity to take action › influence and direct learning › contribute to and participate in the learning community.

LEARNING COMMUNITY

Action:

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This is something that happens as a result of new learning. This does not have to be overtly visible and can be as simple as shifts in what learners think, say, feel, have, believe and become... not just what they do.

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g ty/ ction Learning community:

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There is an old African proverb: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ This can be taken to mean that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children in order for them to experience and grow in a safe environment. A learning community then can be defined as a group of people who are working together in a mutually beneficial learning engagement for the good of all.

Some real examples of our learning community in action are below. › The Green Committee is moving towards PSI becoming a UNESCO certified Green School. › The school and community support our recycling initiative through a number of companies such as No Waste Ukraine. › The PTA supports student initiatives such as the makerspace and future STEAM projects. › The PTA supports learners with funds and materials through things such as the upcoming Casino night. › Student council organises fundraisers such as Pizza Friday or a clothing drive. › Students work together with parent and mentor support to identify their passions, issues related to these passions and to investigate these with a view to making positive change.

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Book Clubs Build Learning Community in Grade Three Jessie Stoll and Valeria Laitinen, Grade Three Teachers

In the Primary School, PSI has adopted Reader’s Workshop for reading instruction.

This month, Grade 3 students are building learning communities with book clubs in their Reader’s Workshop time to deepen their understanding of what they read.

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

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he Reader’s Workshop model, developed

by Lucy Caulkins, starts with a minilesson on a comprehension strategy led by the teacher. This is followed by reading time for the students in which they use the strategy with teacher support. The reading time can be independent, or students can read in groups. This month, the Third Graders have formed book clubs with other students who are working on the same strategies as they are.

To begin the book clubs, students watched a short video of an effective book club group. As the students watched the video, they took notes of successful book club behaviours, and as a class, they made a list of the behaviours they wanted to emulate for successful discussions. The students then met in their book clubs of three to five students and made a list of the four or five most important agreements all group members needed to display for their club to be successful.

After choosing which book they wanted to read, each book club created their own reading plan, determining how many pages or chapters they needed to read before each meeting. The club members then came to their meeting with notes on what they had observed in the book, applying the new comprehension strategies modelled in the minilessons. This unit has focused on the characters in books. Students have created theories on the characters in their books, used those theories to

make predictions about what might happen next, plotted their character’s journey through a growing problem and solution, and analysed the role secondary characters play in a conflict. Through writing their ideas, discussion, and asking questions, book club members are able to take responsibility for their own reading and help their group members read more deeply.

The Third Graders have enthusiastically embraced the idea of book clubs. One student shared, ‘Our book club helps us have more understanding about the book because you need to understand what you read for when your group members ask questions.’ Another student said, ‘I like book clubs because you are in a group and if someone makes a mistake, then the others can help. You’re not afraid because you have your team near you to help.’ The Third Graders have also commented on how the book clubs deepen their understanding, with one student sharing, ‘As we go through the book, we can discuss what we know already and what we’ve read so far, and we can also have different ideas.

When we share them, we get better ideas about the problem and how the characters in the story solve the problem.’

By working together in book clubs with a common goal, Grade 3 students are taking responsibility for their own learning and strengthening their own learning communities.

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PRIMARY

Learning Community

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By Olga Ivanova

Primary Ukrainian AL Teacher

Schools today may be described as learning communities inculcating fundamental principles of respect, understanding, knowledge and excellence.

Learning is a mutual process. Not only students are engaged in the learning process, collaboratinп with each other, but also teachers are daily learning a lot from their students.

At PSI, learning flourishes in a spirit of openness and transparency. Our Primary School is a community of learning for both students and teachers. Our main task is to work together and to create an effective learning environment.

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◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

& Learners from teachers ~~~

During the integrated Unit ‘How we express ourselves’, Ukrainian G2 students learnt different emotions and discussed what elements help people to communicate and express themselves.

They found out what the story is and the components it consists of. Students took an action to make their own story with emotions called ‘Hunter and Aliens’. Each of them created the character, its description and illustrations to the story.

Learners from learners ~~~

G3 Ukrainian students were inspired by the topic recycling, so they decided to do research in Ukrainian. They made a common plan, divided points and found information. Working individually, students found out what recycling is, what the difference is between recycling and composting.

They started locally looking for recycling at PSI and moved forward to make their research more global. Every student chose the country they are interested in and inquired about new technology in recycling systems in a particular country. At the end of the project, students shared their findings.

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

Teachers from learners ~~~

During International Week, Grade 5 students did research to discover more about their countries. They made a list of the TOP 5 most interesting places to visit in their country. After the presentations a lot of students and their teacher, couldn’t even imagine that such wonderful places exist.

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Welcome to o Russian Le Community!

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The goal of the Russian Additional Language (AL) class is as much to learn the language as it is to explore the culture. Having Ń ome from different countries, we all share our experiences and ideas within our learning community. Language is a powerful tool that helps students learn more about traditions and beliefs of their friends, develop a better understanding of the world, and make connections with their own culture while exploring conventions of the language.

Learning a new language is a difficult but at the same time exciting process.

By Alla Polianska Primary Russian AL Teacher AL Department Coordinator.

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t PSI, we understand that to have students learn a new language, we have to make this experience interesting, engaging and relevant. To achieve this, we utilise a range of teaching strategies. We are also careful about measuring students’ progress at every stage of their language development and celebrating their personal excellence.

In our lessons, we play games, work on different assignments in various groups, and support current units of inquiry, all of which helps students to use language in a meaningful way.

LEARNING COMMUNITY

ur arning

necessary scaffolding for new students and makes it easier for them to join in.

The unit ‘How We Organize Ourselves’ helped us understand that the way we organise our supplies and our routines affects our learning. During this unit, children began to understand that the choices they make impact their learning. Where we keep supplies, the systems we use to organise ourselves for certain tasks, the way to submit our completed work - all of these are important aspects of the learning process which help us be reflective and well-organised learners of an efficient learning community.

In our unit ‘My School and Classroom’, students

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Students always help each other with their learning. To do so, they translate for each other, help with the key vocabulary, model correct sentence structure and pronunciation, etc.

Students also work collaboratively on their projects. They share thoughts and ideas with each other and provide valuable feedback on their partner’s work. Learning a new language often pushes you out of your comfort zone when you are not sure how to write a word or to choose which one to use in a given context. Our students know that they can always ask for help, consult each other, or find the answer in their dictionaries or in their copy books.

Our classroom community is organised in a way that helps us learn, grow, and make our learning community stronger as we engage in a learning process that is fun and productive. For example, we have a daily routine whereby the teacher asks questions about today’s weather, date and season so students learn how to ask those questions themselves. This helps to ensure

were not only learning new vocabulary and concepts, but also came up with the idea to have classroom jobs for Russian AL class. Students analysed what activities we do regularly, and what jobs we need in order to learn better to help our classroom community. Later, students brainstormed together the kinds of classroom jobs they thought would enhance our learning process and made signs for each job. These daily choices are important for students’ learning and help them take responsibility for their learning inside and outside of the school.

Students of the Russian AL class are growing into confident communicators who embrace the challenges and reflect on their choices. We truly hope that children use opportunities outside of the classroom to show their growth in Russian language acquisition.

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Grade 5 students present their posters about ‘Different Kinds of Pollution: Their Causes and Solutions’.

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Grade 1 student work on their books during the unit ‘My Family’.

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Grade 4 students work on their project ‘Top 5 Best Places to Visit in My Country’ 4.

Grade 2 students are practising how to ask and answer questions about Calendars.

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PRIMARY

Learning Community in Spanish Javier Larrauri Puebla PYP - Spanish AL Teacher

PSI is a diverse learning community, this is one of the main statements that defines our goal as an International IB School. The learning process in the PYP Spanish Additional Language groups is based on sharing and developing our knowledge of the Spanish language with the aim to increase the personal and professional capacities of our students to be able to perform a key role among the international community.

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he unstoppable growth of the importance of the Spanish language in our world in the last years has been understood by our community in PSI, and the number of Spanish language students has been growing every year, leading to an increase of the number of Spanish teachers both in Primary and Secondary school.

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

Currently 490 million of people speaks Spanish in the world, and by 2030 the 10% of the mankind will do so. Our students and their families will be active members of this international community, and their communication skills in Spanish will help them to have an impact in their communities all around the world as successful global citizens.

In Kindergarten, our younger students were learning “How the World Works” in our community, learning how to talk in Spanish about the different places and people who work in PSI. They designed posters showing their favourite places of the school.

Grade 1 Spanish group designed their own “Spanish Dictionary” learning the alphabet and Spanish phonetics, writing and drawing many Spanish words, focusing on school materials, animals and objects of daily use.

Grade 2 learned “How We Express Ourselves” in Spanish, practicing different ways to express their feelings in Spanish. They designed posters based on the tale “Caperucita Roja” (Little Red Riding Hood) focusing on the different feelings along the story.

Grade 3 learned about the human body, their different parts and the verbs and actions that we can do with them. They designed a collage using pictures of different students.

Grade 4 learned about food and cooking in Spanish, they did a STEM activity cooking famous Spanish and Latin American recipes as “gazpacho” and “guacamole”.

Grade 5 group did a great job during the “Who We Are” Unit learning Spanish grammar to talk about themselves in the past, in the present time and in their future. They wrote their own description and designed posters to decorate their classroom.

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The role of art in developing i n t e r n a t io n a l mindedn

ess

i n PY P Our PSI community represents a small community of the greater world we all live in. Our stud ents have the privilege of travelling from one country to another learning about culture, history and lang uage. Our students as global citizens have an opp ortunity to learn more about the host country they live in for a certain period of time. This opportunity provides students with a great chance to explore Ukraine as a host country and develop their international mindedness.

By Anna Belokon Primary Art Teacher

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

Students explored traditional tools and techniques to create Ukrainian art.

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he role of art and how we use it to inquire into history is important as students are asked to build their understanding of the role and impact history and art have on the world.

As a part of the UOI ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’, our Grade 3 Art class learnt about Ukrainian history through the exploration of Ukrainian culture, art and artefacts. Students explored traditional tools and techniques to create Ukrainian art. Students learnt to make traditional dolls; they also tried to paint Pysanky (Easter eggs), worked with straw and other materials. During this unit, students demonstrated the attributes of the PYP learner profile and attitudes like being inquirers, open-minded and tolerant learners.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL

LEARNING COMMUNITY

From the Secondary Principal

by Patricia Puia Secondary Principal

Perhaps my favorite pillar in the PSI mission statement is that we are a ‘learning community.’

We used that phrase very deliberately to show that all of us are learners - students, teachers, parents, support staff and board.

It’s an important part of our school culture that we do this learning together - through Parent Education Tuesdays and staff meetings, through the recent accreditation self study and visit, and, of course, in the classroom.

across departments to create interdisciplinary units, new teachers meeting with our two IB coordinators on implementing the MYP and DP, and the coordinators meeting weekly with the principal to make sure that the two programmes are aligned.

Or stop by any Parent Education Tuesday (PET) to learn from our counsellors about child safety protocols. Talk to our IT Department about internet safety and the best ways to use MyPSI. Come to one of our ‘3.0’ learning sessions on the MYP or the DP. We learn best by learning together. It not only makes the learning stronger, it makes us a closer knit community, drawn together by our common love of learning and in service of our students.

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t’s easy to see how we ‘live’ that part of our mission statement in our Secondary School. Walk by any classroom, and you will students solving problems in groups, conducting scientific experiments with partners, conferencing individually with teachers, and even sitting in the DP zone studying together for a test.

Peek into other classrooms and you’ll see teachers meeting by departments to review and revise curriculum, grade level teachers meeting

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S E CO N DA RY

by Paul Horkan MYP Coordinator

MYP: COMPLIANCE & PROGRESS Another busy year is almost complete for our students in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). Our Grade 10 students have completed their Personal Projects, demonstrating a commitment to their individual goals over the past year. Students have been working on their chosen area of interest, e.g., bespoke websites, animations, sports training camps, and screenplays.

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hey have reflected on the process and have written their three and a half thousand word report where they reflected on their planning, action, and evaluation of their product and process. It is refreshing to see the students engaged with the learning which they are passionate about and which they may wish to pursue further. They certainly reflected on their growth and the development of the IB learner profile attributes. One student wrote, ‘As for the inquirer profile, I feel like it is applicable because I am genuinely passionate about both of these topics and would not mind my entire life and career being around them.’

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

At the other end of the programme, our Grade 6 students have transitioned very well. They have adjusted to new schedules, new subjects, new teachers, new assessment methods, new reporting systems, and lots of new learning. They have been involved in many interesting units, some even across subjects - interdisciplinary learning - like the Language & Literature and Science Unit exploring the Rock Cycle through Poetry.

Across the middle of the Middle Years Programme, students have been engaged in a wide range of active learning activities, too. A fine example is our Grade 7 Science students who have been actively working with the No Waste Ukraine agency setting up a recycling programme (of mixed plastic, tin and glass, and a separate paper) across the school. The Grade 9 students worked

on a very cool interdisciplinary project between Design and Maths and looked at developing a sustainable food tray for airlines. The Grade 8s took action in their Individuals & Societies (I&S) unit on Human Rights and examined the work of Amnesty International.

Whilst the students were busy with all these learning engagements, faculty were also busy planning for those and went through an evaluation visit for re-accreditation, too. They prepared additional samples for the visiting teams to review, participated in the self-study report writing and attended a wide range of interviews and meetings.

The preliminary feedback was very positive; we were told we were in full alignment, and our action plans were approved in order to support further progress and development.

Congratulations to all involved for a great year or reflection, planning and learning.

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New Sci Facilit

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S E CO N DA RY

by Brian Lamb, Head of Science

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With the opening of Phase 2 / Block A, our MYP and DP students now have access to three purposely built, modern, dedicated science laboratories and an additional classroom. There are also two laboratory preparation areas and a secure chemical storage room to which students do not have access. While MYP Science classes are taught in all four locations, each laboratory has been designated primarily as Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, with the extra classroom designated as the teaching space for Environmental Systems and Societies. With the added laboratory space and proper laboratory facilities, our students are able to work safely and efficiently as they conduct their experimental work.

LEARNING COMMUNITY

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eturning graduates who have toured Block A have been amazed at the new facility, playfully complaining, ‘When we were students here, we had NOTHING like this.’ Current students have commented, ‘It is better, safer, and more secure’, ‘more spacious – more room to work’, and ‘we are no longer tripping over each other in the lab.’ They have also added humourous comments such as ‘It is a very nice upgrade from a simple “third world” working space to a first world laboratory.’

As teachers, we greatly appreciate the additional space for all of our students, the ample amount of storage for equipment, and the added safety features that have come with the new facility.

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S E CO N DA RY

Perso Pro 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.

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

onal oject T

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 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 which reflects on the whole process and their learning.

Throughout the process, students receive

support and guidance. Each student is allocated a supervisor who meets with them regularly and helps make sure that they are on track with their work. Students also have regular Homeroom sessions with the Personal Project coordinator and the librarian. The whole MYP community is involved and engaged in Personal Project!

For our current Grade 10 students, this process is coming to an end. Over the next few weeks they are finishing their reports, which will then be marked by their supervisors (teachers) and sent to the IB for moderation.

There have been some very exciting and innovative projects this year, including an original animation about space travel, a children’s book on marine biology, a fashion line and a pop-up shop.

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, held in April. We look forward to seeing you there!

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S E CO N DA RY

The end draws nigh for the members of the class of 2018.

By Dr David Freeman Diploma Programme Coordinator

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LEARNING COMMUNITY

After nearly 20 months of study and preparation in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP), students sit for their final exams beginning Tuesday, 1st May with Economic, and ending Friday, 18th May with French. Within hours of the last examination, the students will don their caps and gowns for the commencement ceremony marking the end of high school. Between now and receiving their high school diplomas, the Grade 12 students must complete a number of tasks. Some require collaboration. Some require individual effort.

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he students must complete a number of projects that we upload electronically.

These fly away to examiners scattered around the globe. Other tasks require the student sit still at a table and respond to exam questions that will ride in the cargo hold of a jet aircraft to Northern Europe before being scanned for electronic delivery to examiners located in various places on the planet. Then the waiting begins for the students and the marking begins for the examiners.

The examiners who have met the screening criteria established by the International Baccalaureate sit in front of their computers at home or school and click the download button.

The exam programme selects a student script and sends it to the examiner. The student remains only a number to the examiner, who uses the marking programme to highlight the document and decide on a score. After the examiner finishes the first student script and submits a mark, another student script arrives electronically. This activity repeats dozens and in some cases hundreds of times.

The marking programme uses the unique alphanumeric student identification to compile the result of each individual at IB headquarters. On

5th July, the IB makes the results electronically available to the Diploma Programme Coordinators at the individual schools. The students can access their results on the following day. The extra time provided to the schools allows for counseling arrangements for students who did not earn the desired result.

Before the students take the tests, they have selected the universities that will receive the results. Some of these results arrive electronically but universities can also request a hard copy from the IB. The universities frequently use these results to determine if the student will be allowed to attend.

The results mark the end of one stage of their academic careers and the start of another. But the numbers only tell part of the story. The IB Diploma also represents a commitment to Creativity, Activity and Service. The CAS programme helps to shape these young scholars into world citizens with a commitment to making a more peaceful planet.

We wish our students well in this final stage of their education at PSI and look forward to hearing where they ‘land’ as they head off to universities around the world.

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Language & Literature While this year, March brought snowstorms to PSI, it also rolled in the ever familiar, ever engaging Literacy Month. School-wide, students participated in a variety of activities from the completion of their Alexander Award submissions, Drop Everything And Read, Primary School family literacy afternoon and blind dates with a book. Also, the Language & Literature department in Secondary presented the Second Annual Literary Busking Performances!

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by Kelli Karg Language & Literature Head of Department

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hroughout the month of March, students from Drama, Music, and Language classes and ECAs took part in Literary Busking, performing several practiced pieces. With our new amphitheatre outside Building A, students had the opportunity to perform on a real stage for their peers. These performances included memorised original poems in English and Bulgarian, skits in Spanish and Russian, and reading or performing scenes from some of Shakespeare’s plays. It was a competitive event, with spectators showing their appreciation by giving ‘Busking Bucks’ to the performers they liked the most. The students with the most bucks then had a choice of several prizes, while collecting points for their houses.

Literacy Month is always a wonderful series of events and, in Language & Literature, it raises the question: What does the English language do for our lives? How to we interact with the world and what good do we contribute to this learning community in the process? We are speakers of language; thereby, we have the opportunity to harness the power of language for ourselves.

This year in English Language & Literature at the Secondary School level, students have been striving for personal excellence in their reading, writing, speaking, and listening. They have been exploring the history of the narrative through the genre of myths and legends in Grade 7, the importance of a well-researched argument in Grades 6 and 10, analysing visual texts for meaning and manipulation in Grade 9, the nuances of spoken and written poetry in Grades 6 and 8, and the culmination of all of these in the Diploma Programme.

Throughout these explorations, the students have been asking the question, ‘What is the importance of the awareness of our learning communities in this pursuit, and what is the importance of striving for clear communication, for understanding of meaning behind purpose?’ As we move into the spring with its plentiful opportunities to display their knowledge during Literacy Month and beyond, students have concluded that we share the benefits of both language and knowledge. In so doing, their own possibilities for creating and participating in other communities outside PSI involve this reciprocation of the language and the chance to learn from others.

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG BUSINESSES SAY THAT CREATIVITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ATTRIBUTE THEY NEED IN NEW EMPLOYEES (BRONSON & MERRYMAN, 2010) AND THIS IS AT THE HEART OF THE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY AT PSI. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THIS YEAR TO TAKE OVER THE OLD CHEMISTRY CLASSROOM. THE MOVE HAS ENABLED US TO PURPOSE-BUILD AN ADAPTABLE LEARNING SPACE THAT HAS NOT ONLY IMPACTED OUR DESIGN UNITS OF INQUIRY, BUT INCREASED THE RANGE OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (ECAS) WE CAN OFFER.

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t is within our Design ECAs where we have truly seen the ‘learning community’ develop.

Psychologists McMillan and Chavis (1986) identify four key elements that help develop that sense of community or as we often state at PSI, ‘A place where we belong.’ These are: membership, influence, fulfillment of individual needs, and shared events that have emotional connections. These are four elements that we value within our Design ECAs. Although we don’t have an official ‘membership,’ students choose the ECAs that they want to be part of. This voluntary commitment is a form of membership that gives them a sense of belonging.

One challenge to this sense of community is that ECAs often only run for one quarter. To address this, we have intentionally run our Makerspace ECAs throughout the academic year. Although some students move on to other ECAs, we have had a core group who have attended the classes throughout 2017 and 2018.

As their skills have continued to develop within this learning community, their ‘influence’ has grown

as other students have turned to them for their expertise. This was particularly evident during the Grade 10’s Dragon’s Den unit which focused on innovation and made use of the Arduino circuits.

More recently, a Grade 12 Design Technology student who has developed a self watering plant box turned to members of the Design ECA for technical support. Providing an environment where students within the Middle School can gain the confidence to influence and solve problems for students within the Diploma Programme is particularly rewarding for everyone involved.

The flexibility of the ECAs has ensured that the students choose projects of interest, which has resulted in increased commitment and enthusiasm whilst encouraging creativity. We have also been struck by the students’ incredible fulfillment when solving complex problems. These moments are shared events that provide emotional connections, which in turn strengthens the sense of our learning community and therefore helps fulfil our motto at PSI as ‘a place where we belong.’

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Here in the PSI Arts Department, we regularly come together to contribute to the learning community.

Though we do have some cross-over activities, such as the Secondary School musical production and the Grade 10 interdisciplinary unit, we also have some subject-specific events. Despite these technically targeted for one of the three arts sections, we consistently see how students, faculty, and administration come together to show support.

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ver the third quarter, we had several different events for all arts participants. In February, the music department hosted the third annual Battle of the Bands. This time, it was bigger and better than ever, as for the first time, we went head to head with bands from KIS. We had a guest judge from a local recording studio, held the event in our new auditorium, and listened to some fantastic music.

In March, the department hosted two other wonderful events for the community. The weekend of Friday, 23rd March, we opened the annual IB Diploma Programme (DP) Visual Art Exhibition. Our Grade 12 Visual Arts student presented her curated exhibition of works and our five 11th graders presented one piece each as a preview to next year’s DP Exhibition. Also that weekend on Saturday, 24th March, we teamed up once again with KIS to hold the annual Shakespeare competition. This is a Kyiv Schools League event, where students from international schools in Kyiv compete by performing Shakespeare monologues and scenes, many of which were directed by the students themselves.

We’re really happy to have you attend events like these as part of our learning community as we showcase some of our recent work in the arts.

Mica Gaard MYP Music Teacher, Head of Arts MYP Service Learning Coordinator

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PTA: Supporting the PSI Community

by Beth Parkinson PTA Communication Coordinator

In support of the overall mission and vision of PSI, the PTA aims to provide a tangible platform for parents to be an integral part of the life and community of our school. We do recognise the various levels of engagement possible for parents, depending upon their availability, and so we hope everyone finds something suitable for them. The recent accreditation team visit reminded us of the many strengths of PSI and the privilege of being part of such a high quality school. We are increasingly aware that not only are our children learning and growing; in addition, we as parents can also have a part to play in this learning community.

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ne of the most consistent and easy ways to do this is by yearly asking for volunteers to take the role of Classroom Parents. We are thankful for the parents who take on the responsibility to collaborate with homeroom teachers by disseminating information to fellow parents, supporting educational trips, and organising events and end-of-year parties.

In addition to being a ‘point person’, classroom parents also play a key role in responding to teacher requests for parental involvement in actual classroom learning. Classroom parents

In PT to ou en th so te an sc ou pa co

and other parent guests get involved by sharing vocational knowledge, as well as personal interests and skills, that are relevant to the various units of inquiry, especially in the Primary School. This is usually a wonderful experience for both parents and children, and is a great way to enhance their connections to the world beyond the school walls. Students are invariably left feeling valued by the role parents play in their learning during school time.

As parents, we appreciate the efforts of PSI administration and teaching staff to provide regular communication channels that are relevant, authentic and informative. One of these is the Parental Educational Tuesday (PET) sessions, which the PTA supports and promotes. PETs are always centred around key topics in school life and form another major way that parents can engage in the learning community. For example, this academic year, we have heard from the IT team about how our children are taught about online safety at school and therefore how we can use these guidelines at home. There was also a hands-on session giving parents the unique opportunity to try out some of the innovative equipment used in school, such as the arduino boards, the drone, and the robot. This year, we also learnt about the ongoing advancements in our child protection protocols and recently heard of the CIS and NEASC commendations for PSI regarding these. Opportunities from outside 41

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speakers, such as the interesting session on thirdculture kids and making transitions to university and college, were hugely insightful for the parents who attended.

Another great opportunity for collaboration and learning has been the PTA involvement in the latest Green Committee initiatives. In the next few years, PSI aims to fulfill the criteria to become a Green Flag Eco-School. The PTA has taken this on board as a serious goal to get behind, with both time and resources. So far, the PTA has purchased all of the recycling bins that are currently in every Primary School classroom and in many places in the Secondary building and new block. We were also happy to fund the twelve presentations given by a representative from No Waste UA, to all Primary classes, Grade 7 and all maintenance support staff. We gained a lot of insight and knowledge ourselves from the No Waste UA presentation and their question and answer session, at one of our PTA gatherings.

Furthermore, the monthly PTA meetings aim to provide parents with up-to-date information from both the administration and the Steering Committee, about current aspects of school and community life. Such sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions and have meaningful conversation. We appreciate that the PSI administrators are very approachable and engaged in communicating with parents. Most

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recently, we received the initial feedback from the accreditation team visit and the open Board meeting. Currently the PTA Steering Committee is planning the annual spring fundraising event, which will be a Casino Night. All parents and staff are warmly invited! We look forward to this special evening and are grateful to parents and students for engaging in the request for new ideas for the traditional silent auction, so that we can continue to raise funds for supporting student led CISRI (Community Involvement and Social Responsibility Initiative) projects.

As a PTA, we hope to continue in this healthy collaboration with staff and students, providing opportunities for being active in the school community, and engaging ourselves as lifelong learners.

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ESA

by Ric Floyd Athletic Director

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CEESA SWIMMING 2018 This is our third year of having a PSI Panthers Swimming Team attend the CEESA Tournament.

This year, the tournament was held in Warsaw, Poland from 1st - 4th March 2018. We sent our biggest team of fifteen swimmers and we hope to grow next year with our new pool at PSI being very popular with our students. We also had new swim costumes and swimming caps designed for the PSI Panthers and they look great.

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Medals One Middle School girl picked up a bronze in the 50 m Butterfly and a silver in the 100 m Butterfly, while a Middle School boy earned a silver in the 50 m breaststroke. Two other students were finalists who just missed out on medals.

Team members for CEESA were 1st year team members: Indira, Peyton, Igor, Sacha, Roshan, Vibeke, Julia, Vincent, Elyas, Bogdan 2nd year team members: Artemia, Ivan, Joshua, Alec The team of fifteen swimmers had an amazing experience, made a lot of new friends, and swam for new personal best times during the various events, as well as winning a total of 3 medals. This was a tougher division than last year as we raced against some bigger schools in CEESA. Our team members were coached by Mr. Holland and Ms. Desjardins, as well as our new coach Mr. Bogdan (Aquatic TA)

3rd year team members: Ivan Other Panther swim team members (who were unable to travel to CEESA) were Melissa, Ivan, Mason and Maddox.

Next year, the PSI Panthers will host their first ever CEESA Swim Tournament in our new pool. We hope to have our biggest team ever!

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CEESA MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL 2018 Our Middle School basketball teams competed well in the Kyiv School Sports League (KSSL) with other Kyiv International Schools and local public schools. In addition, both teams competed strongly in the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) leagues.

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Team members for CEESA were William, Andrija, Anton, Ivan, Manuel, Taras, Aydan, Emi, Hyunwoo Panthers Team - Igor, Ahmet, and Mark.

The Middle School Girls team also had a tough CEESA tournament, with teams from much bigger schools who were very strong, but our girls now know what to work on for next year. They finished up in 5th place. However, the girls made it into the Finals Day for KSSL for trophies, winning their final game to finish 3rd in the league. Our girls teams were coached by Mr. Huasz and Ms. Santos. We also had a student coach sometimes assist with the team: Alexandra(12F).

Team members for CEESA were - Maria, Mariya, Ekaterina, Bhamini, Karina, Aylin, Alexandra, Ece, Anja, Sonja Panthers Team - Kateryna, Karina, Tina, Elena, and Maria.

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CEESA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL 2018 This year, our High School Girls Basketball teams competed strongly in the Kyiv School Sports League (KSSL) and went through to finish first on the points table with just one loss.

They did then go on to win the 2nd Place trophy in the playoffs with a tough loss in the final.

In the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) league, the girls were undefeated champions at the tournament in Tbilisi, Georgia and had great games scoring many points and were very strong. This is now the second time that a PSI Panthers high school girls team has won a CEESA Basketball Tournament. Great job in making history in the new CEESA Divisions!

The girls team was coached by Mr. Santos and Ms. Heart. CEESA team members were Sonia, Zoya, Katerina, Maia, Kai, Alexandra, Liza, Sophia, Sonja, Elena and Gabriela. Panthers team members - Anna, Sofie, Kateryna, and Zoe.

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Our High School Boys Basketball team also improved so much from last year, enjoying some wins and enough to make the Division 2 playoffs and finish 4th overall in the league.

PSI Panthers hosted their first ever CEESA Tournament in the new gym. It was a great success, as the visiting teams were very impressed with our new facility and getting the chance to play there. The boys played here at home and finished a very strong 4th place, just missing out on 3rd place by 2 points in a very fast and intense game.

The boys were coached by Mr. Faircloth and Mr. Burns. CEESA team members were Ben, Andreas, Oliver, Nicholas, Felipe, Sebastian, Shon, Erik, Cody, and Anuar.

Panthers team Members - Shameer CEESA All Stars selections were - Zoya, Kai and Liza for the girls squad and Shon for the boys squad. Congratulations!

We also introduce our new Panthers Mascot and many PSI students were very excited to see him at the games and take a photo with him as he walked, danced and shot some hoops.

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CAS

by Tatiana Isakova, CAS Coordinator

COOPERATION WITH PTA AS A NEW LEARNING EXPERIENCE Last year year, the PSI Parent Teacher Association (PTA) launched the Community Involvement and Social Responsibility Initiative (CIRSI) Grant programme. It aims to

–– Build collaborative and reciprocal community engagement in response to an authentic need –– Inspire students to become critical and creative thinkers who are empowered to take action in the local and global community –– Help them develop abilities and skills to build and implement their ideas following different steps and stages –– Give students opportunities to learn about global issues by responding to local issues in a competent and efficient way ( PTA CIRSI Guidance)

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Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) students enthusiastically started their work on the applications. The very first stages of this work taught them new and important skills. They were encouraged to find more information about charities they work with, to learn how to research needs and make proper choices, and to establish contacts and organise fundraising to enhance students’ contribution to the projects.

Because of the PTA Grant programme, CAS students learnt skills that may enhance their future businesses. They worked in teams on evaluating the quality of products that they planned to order. They also researched the reliability of suppliers, and even estimated payment risks. Students gained invaluable experience in meeting deadlines, communicating, negotiating, working with documents, and reporting.

Going through each stage of the CIRSI projects was sometimes quite challenging, but in the end of each project, the participants were awarded by a feeling of accomplishment and a feeling that they made the world a little bit better.

The CIRSI Grant Programme and CAS students helped the Down Syndrome Centre to equip a classroom. The Djerela Centre received a new

printer, Wi-Fi router, furniture and computer.

Students improved a local kindergarten playground. At the orphanage for visually impaired children, a new recreation zone was equipped, and a medical mud heater was delivered to the Irpin Hospital. All these actions were embedded into long-term support of the centres by different CAS teams. The Student Store CAS group also contributed to all these projects.

At all stages of work on the CIRSI Grant projects, students felt support and guidance from the PTA, and this created a new form of learning community at PSI.

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CAS

by Tatiana Isakova, CAS Coordinator

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Being part of a ‘learning community’ at PSI is not just locked in the classroom. The IB Diploma Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) Programme is designed to explore global issues from a local perspective. Diploma students choose their challenging goals and step into new areas. CAS helps them to gain diverse cultural and social experiences. One of the Djerela Project Team members, Lyubov B.,described her experience this way:

‘During my visits to the Djerela Centre, I have engaged with people who don’t perceive information and the world around us quite the same as me or anybody I have engaged with prior to this. Of course, this has its benefits but also its challenges.

‘The biggest “challenge” is often explaining an activity, and gaining full cooperation. From this experience I realised that each person has his / her own mind, with different thoughts and reactions, and these should be embraced. In this case, the person who can allow for these creative thoughts to be embraced through activities is me. And in doing so, the people I work with get to be comfortable and enjoy our activities. I acquire new traits, and an understanding of people that I can apply in real life situations outside of CAS, which is amazing personal growth.’

CAS gives the students sophisticated opportunities to develop new skills and traits that may be used successfully in their future endeavours.

‘Being a leader has taught me a range of new and important attributes. Some of the most notable ones are leadership and a global sense of awareness’ Agata G., Grade 11.

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‘Communication between a leader and the group members is probably the most important thing in order to make our CAS project run smoothly. Teamwork in planning and building can lead to better ideas and more creative solutions. Everyone should have a voice and suggest ways to improve the project,’ George K, Grade 12

Learning is successful when students develop their own strategies and enjoy the process of gaining new knowledge. Students’ reflections confirm this:

‘This first semester of my journey through DP was the time of discoveries, evolution and definitely a lot of work. CAS was one of the most interesting parts of my education in the last 5 months. I have learnt how to be organised, cooperative, respectful, and creative. My enthusiasm and ambition, drive my actions in all of my projects. I’m very grateful that I have a chance for such self development’ Nikita T, Grade 11.

It’s clear that our DP students see CAS as a unique opportunity to be part of a diverse learning community, which is at the heart of the PSI mission.

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By Michele Basu Secondary School Counselor

2018 PSI Graduates and Their Universities Twelfth grade students entered Pechersk School International this past August not knowing how to tackle the insurmountable task of applying to university. Some students were prepared for this gigantic task; other students were not as ready. We met for the first time during a study hall period. We introduced each other and quickly became the graduating 12th grade community. Then...we got busy. Extremely busy.

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t is important to realise that applying to universities is a daunting task by itself.

Our students also had the challenges of completing the IB Diploma Programme (DP) along with completing application after application after application. This requires time management, perseverance, knowledge, open mindedness, risk taking, communication, balancing all activities and above all, a caring attitude. Our community

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of graduates supported each other throughout the process. When a student was waitlisted or denied, all of the students expressed reassurance and a ‘get back up’ attitude to their friend. When students were accepted, everyone cheered.

Our students have done very well. I am extremely proud of their acceptances. At this time of publication, our twenty one 12th grade students have been accepted to the following universities.

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United Kingdom Brunei University London

University of Sheffield

Bournemouth University

University of Strathclyde

City University of London

University of Surry

De Montfort University

University of Sussex

Goldsmiths University of London

University of Warwick

Kings College London

North America (US and Canada)

London School of Economics and Political Science

Harvard University

Oxford Brooks University

McGill University

Plymouth University

Minerva School at KGI

Queen Mary University of London

Purdue University

Regents University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Royal Holloway University of London

University of Connecticut

University of Brighton

University of Illinois

University College London

University of Toronto

University of Dundee

Europe

University of Essex

Eindhoven University (Netherlands)

University of Hull

Jacobs University (Germany)

University of Manchester

Groningen University (Netherlands)

Acceptances are easy to be proud of. However, what really matters is all the hard work, smiles, laughter and support that students gave to each other throughout this process.

Congratulations to the graduating class of PSI! Every single one of our 12th grade students will be an exceptional adult who will contribute to the goodness of the world and make change for the better.

Graduates and families, please stop back to PSI. We would love to see you again.

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ALUMNI

An exclusive interview with Lorraine Vitek, a former PSI student, a current student of Stanford University in the USA. How long were you a PSI student and when did you graduate?

I was at PSI for 4 years, graduating from 12th grade at PSI in 2014.

What did you like the most about PSI? I really enjoyed the passion and enthusiasm of all of my teachers as they sought to make sure that all of the students felt that they could understand the subject and ask for help when needed. Our teachers and staff are part of the reason PSI students succeed as often as we do, because without the push and support from our teachers to explore areas of interest and continue to challenge ourselves, we would not accomplish nearly as much as we have. I also enjoyed the wide range of activities available after school.

What were your favourite subjects or activities?

My favorite subjects were Math, Biology, and English Literature. Math class always challenged me, but the satisfaction I felt when I solved a

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problem successfully was unparalleled. Biology has always been one of my favourite subjects due to its exploration of living systems both small and large and its study of the interconnectedness of life. English literature was always a fun challenge that combined my love of reading with the opportunity to learn about the context and meaning of the literary work. I also loved playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, primarily because of the great team atmosphere that was always present as well as the many fun CEESA trips we had.

The biggest success at PSI? The honour of biggest success at PSI would have to be a tie between being part of the championship team of both the Kyiv League and CEESA in soccer my senior year and surviving the IB Diploma Programme with 4 higher levels!

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Where are you studying now, what is your major, and why did you choose this major and this particular university?

I’m currently in my last year of study at Stanford University, where I am majoring in Biology. I chose Biology because it has always been a passion of mine and integrates well with my goal of going to medical school. I chose Stanford because it’s always been my dream school, with its unique mix of strong academics, varied extracurriculars, incredible opportunities, and, of course, beautiful weather.

What is your life today. Any special projects and initiatives?

I’m currently co-president of the Stanford Equestrian Team, our competitive horseback riding team which competes in 3 disciplines. I’ve been on the team all four years of college, starting out as a beginner rider with no competitive experience and working my way up to a higher riding level, horse knowledge level, and leadership position. I’ve learned a lot, both in terms of horses and myself. Horses were always a passion of mine, but by joining the team I’ve found a great community of people and gotten the chance to spend time with these incredible animals that we work with and had the chance to do some pretty awesome things (like compete in our regional competition and volunteer at an equine therapy programme nearby)!

What is the key feature that makes this university different from others?

Stanford is unique in that most of its students and faculty have more than one passion, not choosing to focus only on academics or athletics or activism.

I have a friend who is an extremely talented musician and engineer, a friend who is operatically trained but also is an incredible writer, a friend who went to dressage nationals but is also a talented bioengineer who is working on superbug bacterial infection, and the list goes on and on. Many of our professors, in addition to teaching, pursue other initiatives outside of class and work to involve the students in their projects, giving us opportunities we could only dream of.

Do you keep contact with some PSI friends? What do you miss the most about PSI? I’ve met up with several of my old PSI friends on break when I’m back in Europe, meeting everywhere from Kyiv to Budapest! I mostly miss the sense of community and the people I used to see every day at PSI. It was great to have that feeling of familiarity and see those familiar faces in the hallways all the time. Stanford is definitely a lot bigger, although I still always bump into some friends on the way to and from class.

How did PSI help you in your path to where you are now?

PSI taught me to find ways to constantly challenge myself both in academics and extracurriculars. My teachers and friends encouraged me to aim higher in school work, community service, athletics, and leadership, and without those accomplishments I wouldn’t have gotten into Stanford. But more importantly, I learned the importance of discipline and perseverance, which both helped in applying to schools but also in continuing my education here at Stanford.

What advice would you give to the students in Grades 11 and 12?

Aside from the classic ‘study hard’ advice I feel obligated to give, I think it’s important that you find something you’re passionate about outside of just school work. It could still be academic in nature, such as robotics or MUN, but find something that gives you something else to focus on. It’s so important once you start studying and later working to have something you can do that gives you a mental break from your day-to-day life. For me that’s riding, for some that’d running, for others it’s writing, but having that passion gives you another area in life where you can struggle and excel outside of work.

Your plans for the future?

I plan to take this next year off before medical school, either getting a job related to the biotechnology or healthcare industry or working with physicians in a hospital to get an idea of the day in, day out of the medical profession.

This coming spring and summer I’ll start applying to medical schools, planning to matriculate in 2019.

Thank you, PSI!

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Literacy Month in a Learning Community

by Pam York and Polina Spencer, PSI Librarians

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s we celebrated Literacy Month this year, we aimed to involve the whole PSI learning community through encouraging participation in a wide variety of events and activities. The Literacy Month calendar was packed with opportunities that addressed the diversity of learning styles and personal interests of students across the school.

Students, parents and teachers engaged in community events, such as the reading challenge, writing competition, quizzes, dress up days, mother tongue and mystery reader, family literacy afternoon, and literary busking.

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The theme of this year’s writing competition has been Seeds for the Future: Kindness, Teamwork, Values and with a focus on the Community and Kindness in Primary. During this month, the community’s passion for literacy and reading became apparent and we observed teamwork across grade levels, cross departmental engagements, cross school collaboration, and strengthened home-school links that embraced the theme of the writing competition.

To support students in providing quality writing for the competition, we invited author Dominic Carrillo to work with students on the writing process prior to the competition. The results will be seen in this year’s Ink Stains literary magazine, published in June. To engage all, including our youngest students, we also invited storyteller and author Cat Weatherill, who entranced us with her passion and dynamics.

The library strives to reach out to all interests, grade levels and ages across the PSI community throughout the year. We see Literacy Month as an opportunity for us to celebrate and share our passion in the spotlight.

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Welcome to PSI

New Director Appointment The Pechersk School International Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Ms. Rachel Caldwell during her induction visit to PSI for the position of School Director, beginning in August 2018.

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s. Caldwell holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Change, as well as an IB Certificate in Leadership Practice, the latter both from the Hong Kong Institute of Education and comes to PSI with a wealth of experience from 7 schools in 6 different countries over her 27 years in the field of education. Most notably, she has been the Principal of the Pretoria Campus of the American International School of Johannesburg, South Africa; the Deputy Head of School / Head of Primary at Utahloy International School in Guangzhou, China; the School Principal at the International School of Milan- Monza Section; and the Dean of Elementary School and PYP Coordinator at the International School of Turin, Italy.

Joining PSI with experience in workshop leading, guiding schools through authorisation and accreditation processes, strategic planning, fiscal responsibility and oversight, as well as Board and Governance Committee participation, Rachel also remains very passionate about teaching.

Ms. Caldwell will replace current Director John Burns, who has been at PSI for five years. Rachel is arriving at a very exciting time for PSI: less than a year beyond the completion of its campus building project, a visit from the synchronised CIS / NEASC / IB accreditation visiting team, and the launch of the school’s new five-year strategic plan.

The School Board and the PSI administration were also working with Ms Caldwell during her induction visit to PSI at the end of March to ensure a smooth transition for this important role over the next twelve months. We look forward to welcoming Ms. Caldwell to the PSI community in August 2018.

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1 1 PSI is open for enrolments for the 2018 / 2019 school year

A place where we belong

Apply now:

+38 044 377 52 92 registrar@psi.kiev.ua