Parent Student Handbook 2019/20 by Pechersk School International

PARENT/ STUDENT HANDBOOK 2019 / 2020

Pechersk School International Kyiv — 7a Victora Zabily, Kyiv, Ukraine, 03039 Phone: (380 44) 377 5292 Fax: (380 44) 377 5242 communication@psi.kiev.ua — www.psi.kiev.ua

FB.COM/PSIKYIV TWITTER.COM/PSIKYIV INSTAGRAM.COM/PSIKYIV YOUTUBE.COM/C/PSIKYIV

PARENT/ STUDENT HANDBOOK 2019 / 2020

Dear PSI Parents: Welcome to our Parent and Student Handbook! This publication is designed to help you understand how PSI operates. The parent section lays out the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the school day - from attendance to the cafeteria, from paying your fees to picking up your children. Please note that there is a new school-wide section that provides an overview of the expectations for student behaviour, with more specific details still available in the Primary and Secondary sections. Our thanks go to the Student Advisory Committee, which worked on developing some of the new approaches and the language to describe these. The Primary and Secondary sections give you a clear understanding of our expectations for student behaviour and addresses some procedures and guidelines that are unique to each division. Please note that this is one of several publications available from PSI to help you understand our school. We hope you’ll visit our website (www.psi.kiev.ua) to read our Primary and Secondary Programme Guides, which give you complete overviews of our curriculum and assessment. Our website also contains back issues of our quarterly PSI Life Magazine and our weekly newsletters, both of which keep you in touch with the exciting ways that our students learn every day. Finally, for an online version of this document with an access to all of the links, please visit your child’s homeroom site on MyPSI. In the meantime, we hope that you find this handbook useful and that you are able to use it often to answer your questions about how PSI works. Of course, we encourage you to contact the School any time you have a question that’s not addressed here. We’re always happy to speak with you further. Regards,

Rachel Caldwell Director

Sue Williams Primary Principal

Patricia Puia Secondary Principal

Table of content

General Guidelines

What Can You Tell Me About PSI?

Who, How and When Do I Need to Pay for Tuition and Services?

How Are the School Day and the School Year Organised?

What Other Services Does the School Provide?

How Does the School Manage Communications with Parents?

Who are the Teachers and Administrators Who Work With My Child Every Day?

How Does PSI Make Sure That Students are Safe and Secure?

What are the General Guidelines for Behaviour for All Students at PSI?

Guidelines for Primary Students and Parents

How Does the Day Work?

What are the Behavioural Expectations for My Child?

How Does the School Celebrate and Reward Students?

Guidelines for Secondary Students and Parents How are Students Encouraged to Make Good Decisions? How Does the School Celebrate and Reward Success?

91 92

100

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

GENERAL GUIDELINES

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section I: What Can You Tell Me About PSI?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

What are the School’s Guiding Statements? Mission 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. OUR MISSION

DEFINITION

LOOKS LIKE….

Learning Community

A spirit of collaboration pervades the

–– Students, teachers, staff, and families working together to ensure

school, with all members of the school

student success

community committed to student

–– Respectful and positive interactions among all stakeholders

success and well being as well as to their

–– A focus on learning for all members of the community

own lifelong learning.

Academically challenging programme

PSI is an IB World School offering all three

–– An IB curriculum framework

programmes for students EC - Grade

–– Written, taught and assessed curriculum standards based on

12. Students are prepared to attend universities that match their needs and abilities.

current best practices –– Frequent internal and external, formative and summative assessment –– A mother tongue programme

Studentcentered environment

Students engage in a wide variety of activities and experiences that promote powerful learning along with increased self-confidence, personal empowerment, and the freedom to explore personal passions.

–– An IB inquiry approach with the students at the centre of the learning –– Extensive libraries and IT resources that support a range of topics and interests –– A Secondary School Bring Your Own Device programme to connect students to a wider world –– Support for student-initiated action

Global citizens

PSI students and community members are

–– Appreciation of local and international cultures

global citizens, empowered to recognise

–– Positive engagement among students within and beyond their

and act on issues of importance in their local and international communities.

own nationality / background –– Acceptance and understanding of their own and other cultures –– Listening to others and respecting opinions / perspectives –– Expressing opinions respectfully –– Taking positive action on issues of local, national and global importance

Personal excellence

At PSI, students work with teachers to define their own standards for excellence both in academics and in areas of passion, and work to achieve those

–– Student goal-setting –– Student led conferences, portfolios and showcases –– Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences –– Standards / Criteria-based reporting –– A variety of external and internal assessments, as well as self-assessment and reflection –– Recognising high achievement as well as personal effort –– A government-authorised Ukrainian Externum Programme –– An Academic Honesty Policy –– PYP Exhibition, MYP Personal Projects, and DP Extended Essay –– Sports competitions, theatrical and musical performances, Model United Nations, Maths Counts, Destination Imagination, and other opportunities that showcase student talent –– Placements at top rate universities around the world 11

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Vision We grow. We lead. We succeed.

Motto A place where we belong

Core Values INTEGRITY, HONESTY, TRUST: We value acting on strong moral principles that build trust within our community. RESPECT, EMPATHY, TOLERANCE: We value respect and understanding for each other’s individualities, cultures, beliefs, ideas and needs. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION: We value a diverse community where everyone is safe, included, appreciated, and feels free to be themselves. HAPPINESS, JOY: We value a joyful environment that promotes a happy and motivated community. Paramatres PSI: 1. Maintains its status as a mid-sized IB world day school that provides an international education for students aged 3 - 18 2. Aligns school enrolment, facilities, finances, resources and capacity to ensure sustainability 3. Maintains the international identity of the school whilst respecting Ukrainian culture 4. Uses English as the main language of instruction, whilst demonstrating respect of mother tongue languages 5. Approves and maintains programmes that promote the overall well-being of its students 6. Ensures students’ best interests are at the centre of all decision-making 7. Enrols students and families, and employs staff who accept and exemplify the school’s mission, vision and core values 8. Only accepts behaviour, from all community members, that ensures the safety, integrity, and dignity of all individuals 9. Hires and retains qualified and flexible staff members who are committed to ongoing professional growth 10. Expects direct parent involvement in the lives of their children at school Statement of Non-Discrimination PSI is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of its community - irrespective of race, religion, creed, colour, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability or ancestry. The school does not tolerate physical, mental, sexual or cultural discrimination or harassment of any type.

PSI Kyiv is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in our care. We support the rights of the child and will act without hesitation to ensure a child-safe environment. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.

IB Mission Statement The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organisation works with schools, governments and international organisations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The IB Learner Profile for Parents As a fully authorised IB World School, Pechersk School International Kyiv follows the philosophy and guidelines laid out by the International Baccalaureate, including its commitment to international education. The IB Learner Profile runs across all three IB programmes and, ‘is central to the definition of what it means to be internationally-minded’. (IB Learner Profile Booklet. March 2006). As we work with students on these concepts, it’s also important to look at the ways in which all of us are good models of the learner profile. Below are some ideas for parents.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Learner Profile

How Parents Can Help

As Inquirers, we nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Parents who are inquirers ask for information when they don’t understand something. They call or email the teacher and say, ‘Can you help me understand the homework assignment?’ or ‘Can you tell me a little bit more about the unit of inquiry and how it’s set up?’ or ‘Can you explain the school’s attendance policy?’ NOTE: It’s important to ask questions as they arise, rather than making a list and asking them all at once.

When we are knowledgeable, we develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Knowledgeable parents spend time trying to understand the School and its programmes. They attend Open Houses, Back-toSchool Nights, Parent Conferences, Parent EducationTuesdays and other school-sponsored events in order to get all the information they need. They read the Parent and Student Handbooks, the Programme Guides and the website and ask questions when they don’t understand something.

Thinkers use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Parents who are thinkers try hard not to jump to conclusions. They listen to what their children have to say and what the teacher has to say about a situation and then try to make the most objective decision possible. (This is a tough one when we’re talking about our own children, isn’t it?) They don’t automatically assume that the child is always right or that the teacher is always right. They take each situation as it comes.

Communicators express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Parents who communicate well always go right to the source. If it’s a classroom question, they go to the teacher. If it’s a bus question, they ask the bus monitor or the bus coordinator. They make appointments and let the people involved know what the subject of the meeting will be so that no one is caught off guard or unprepared. They make sure that all involved people (parents and school staff) are invited to meetings. They speak and listen respectfully.

Principled people act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions their consequences.

Principled parents work directly with the School when problems arise. They don’t engage in gossip or speculation but always seek the truth directly from the School. They treat everyone – students, parents, teachers and administrators – with respect.

As open-minded learners, we critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Open minded parents recognise that PSI may offer curriculum and instruction that is very different from what they had at home. They are respectful of cultural differences between themselves and other families and between themselves and the school.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Learner Profile

How Parents Can Help

We demonstrate caring when we show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and the world around us.

First and foremost, caring parents care about their children. This means that they are present in their children’s lives and treat them with love and respect. They create homes where children feel safe. Secondly, we hope that they will be caring in their relationships with our staff. This means finding things to praise as well as things to criticise. It means being empathetic and recognising that teachers are people, too – people who have strong feelings about the children in their care. Approaching a teacher as a potential friend and ally makes a world of difference!

Risk takers approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Risk-taking parents contact the school directly when they have a question or concern. They participate in school events like International Night, gala evenings, and PTA meetings. They present to classes about their home country or their jobs. They willingly consider strategies for educating children that may be different from their own experience or home country.

Balanced individuals understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Well-balanced parents are interested in all aspects of their child’s education. They understand that the whole child – physical, intellectual, social and emotional – all interact together. They encourage their children to participate in sports and the arts, in work and play, in intellectual pursuits and in building friendships. They are also well-balanced in their own lives, with interests outside the school and the lives of their children.

We are reflective when we thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

Reflective parents look at what they can contribute to the school environment and to their child’s education. Rather than expecting the school to solve all problems and address all concerns, they say, ‘What can I do to help? How can I contribute to my child’s education?’ They listen at parent conferences and meetings and try to figure out the best ways that they can support what is happening in the classroom.

B. Who Is Our Community And How Are We Organised? Our School and School Community In 1995, a group of parents from the diplomatic and business community opened Pechersk School International Kyiv (PSI) with just 47 students. The name ‘Pechersk’ is taken from the area of Kyiv known historically as the city’s centre of learning, reflecting the discipline and integrity of the scholarship practiced at the famous Pecherska Lavra, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The School’s motto is ‘A Place Where We Belong.’ Today, PSI is a modern, comprehensive, co-educational day school serving approximately 500 students from approximately 45 countries between the ages of 3 and 18 years of age from Early Childhood through Grade 12. Our staff is made up of 75 teachers from 15 different countries with the three largest national groupings represented by the USA (47%), Ukraine (17%), and the UK (11%). The remaining 24% represent 12 other countries! All hold degrees in their teaching area and many hold postgraduate degrees, including three doctorates. 14

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Admission is determined by the age of the student, previous school reports, an admissions screening procedure, and the School’s ability to provide a suitable programme within class size limitations. The average class size is 16 students for Secondary homerooms and 18 students for Primary homerooms, allowing for significant personal attention. Our preferred maximum is 20 students per class. In some particular instances, we may exceed this number by no more than 2 additional students. An English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme is available for non-native English speaking students to support their language development. The School has no special provision for children with significant learning disabilities, but does have two full-time Learning Resource teachers who offer support for students with mild to moderate special learning needs. Governance Pechersk School International is a not-for-profit entity incorporated outside and registered inside Ukraine. It is governed by a school board consisting of twelve voting members plus three non-voting ex-officio members who are appointed automatically each year: the director of the school, a teacher representative elected by the professional staff of the school, and a representative of the PTA. All voting Board members must be PSI parents. The PSI Board of Governors is responsible for the determination of the school’s policies, the approval of the school’s budget, setting the strategic priorities for the school, and the appointment of the school’s director. School Leadership The leadership and management of the school are the responsibility of the director, principals, coordinators and administrative managers. The director reports to the board for the execution of board policy; the efficient observance of regulations by all employees; the administration, supervision and coordination of the work of the school sections and programmes; and for all other educational and community activities connected to the School. The management and educational leadership teams handle the day-to-day operations and decisionmaking in order to achieve the programme objectives and strategic goals in the School. The PSI Board Policy Manual is available to all students and parents on the PSI website (www.psi.kiev.ua). Parent Teacher Association (PTA) The school promotes and supports a parent teacher association that has three main goals: to support the whole school community by organising student, teacher and parent social events; to assist the school in fundraising efforts in support of student-led community service projects; and to encourage parent-school communication by working with staff to organise events where topics of interest and / or concern may be discussed / promoted. The PTA provides a structure for parents to become involved in and to further strengthen the PSI community. All parents and teachers in the PSI community are automatically members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). PSI families can choose to become involved in many ways: as a classroom parent, a volunteer for one of the many PTA-organised events, or as a member of the PTA Executive Committee. This committee consists of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and coordinators for CISRI grants, arts, communications and newcomers, as well as a number of members-at-large. The committee also includes at least one PSI teacher designated as a liaison. There are two meetings a month that anyone in the PSI community can attend. General PTA meetings are held monthly in the cafeteria. The PTA Executive Committee also meets at least once a month to provide support to the School, particularly as the PTA liaises with PSI teachers and school leaders, and to organise social events or fundraising activities. All PTA meetings have times and dates posted in the allschool activity calendar and in the Friday newsletter.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

C. How Does the School Ensure That It Continues to Grow and Improve? Accreditation and Authorisation Pechersk School International is authorised as an IB World School by the International Baccalaureate (IB), and offers all three IB programmes. It is also accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in the US and the Council of International Schools (CIS) in Europe. The school was re-accredited and re-authorised in 2018 after an extensive self study process and a week-long visit from representatives of all three organisations. Our five-year renewal (the longest possible term for all three organisations) takes us to 2023. In addition, PSI is a member of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA). Strategic Planning The final step of the accreditation self study was the development of a new strategic plan for 2017 - 2022. That plan has been refined based on feedback from the IB and our accrediting agencies. The board and school leadership set annual goals each September with input from parents and students through our annual surveys and our strategic planning review process. The plan brings together all the important elements for our continuing improvement: the pillars of our mission statement, the standards of our accrediting agencies and the IB, and our on-going work of looking at the future our students will face. Facilities PSI has three buildings on its campus. Building A is the newest addition to our campus. It holds the Early Childhood (EC) programme; a dance studio; cafeteria and kitchen; gym; swimming pool; EC - Grade 12 art, music and drama classrooms; science laboratories and classrooms; student study space; and the offices of the director, Secondary counsellor and IB Diploma coordinator. Building B has Kindergarten - Grade 5 classrooms, the Primary library, a makerspace, the We Belong Cafe, the main reception area, admissions, the medical clinic, the cashierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, and the offices of the Primary principal, deputy principal / PYP coordinator, and Primary counsellor. Building C houses Secondary School classrooms for English Language and Literature, English as an Academic Language, Language Acquisition, Individual & Societies, Mathematics, and Design, as well as office space for ECAs, the Ukrainian programme, transportation, and security. The Secondary library is also housed in Building C, as well as the offices of the Secondary principal, and deputy principal / MYP coordinator. In addition, the campus features wireless laptops networked with Internet connections. The two libraries combined contain more than 24,000 books and periodicals as well as computers designed for all age groups. The science laboratories have been equipped to serve as centres for IB Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences and Physics. There are over two acres of outdoor area, including a small amphitheatre, covered football pitch, basketball courts and two playground areas, one for EC and Kindergarten, the other for Grades 1 - 5. The site is completely enclosed with a gated entrance under 24-hour surveillance by security guards. In addition, PSI uses a soccer pitch and running track, which is shared with a neighbouring local school. PSIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest additions to our campus - Building A and the gym

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section II: Who, How and When Do I Need to Pay for Tuition and Services?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How Do I Pay for Tuition? Tuition Fee Policy The Board of Governors sets annual tuition fees each March for the following year. Parents receive this information each April. Payment Schedule All school fees are due each year at the time each student enters or returns to the School. Fees not paid by 30 August or one month after a new student begins classes are subject to a late fee. Bank transfer fees should be included in payments. Unpaid fees result in withheld records and report cards; consistent nonpayment may result in student suspension, expulsion or non-renewal. Late Entry and Early Withdrawal Students who enter PSI after the year begins or who withdraw early are charged in accordance with the School’s enrolment contract with the parents. Re-enrolment Each spring, the School sends out information to parents regarding re-enrolment. Parents are asked to complete a form indicating that they are leaving, returning or unsure. Once parents have confirmed their intention to return, the School sends out an invoice for the following year. The School does not guarantee placement for any family that does not complete the form by the due date. Bursary PSI may approve financial assistance for the payment of tuition fees to families with demonstrated financial need. These may be approved if and when a family’s situation has changed, or where the presence of a child is felt to be of crucial importance to the class from an academic or wider social or organizational perspective. This may be in the form of a discount of up to ⅓ on tuition fees payable, depending on the financial or other relevant circumstances of applicants. Requests for financial support usually fall into two categories: –– New applicants to the School, where a place has been offered but parents / guardians are unable to fund the tuition fees –– Existing students where a change in parents’ / guardians’ circumstances has resulted in difficulty in meeting tuition fees and may result in the child being withdrawn from the School To apply, parents must provide financial information, including an account of income, expenditures, assets and liabilities. Bursary applications should be lodged with the PSI business manager by 31 May each year. Bursaries are awarded at the discretion of the PSI board of governors, are reviewed annually, and are provided for a maximum length of three school years. Awards may vary upwards or downwards depending on individual parents’ / guardians’ circumstances. Additional information, as well as the full Bursary Policy and Bursary Application Forms, are available from the PSI business manager and the school director.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

B. How Do I Pay For Other Services at the School? No Fees Books and School Supplies Students receive all textbooks, workbooks and notebooks free of charge. Textbooks and library books must be returned to the School at the end of the school year or when the student leaves the School. The student pays the replacement cost for lost or damaged books. Students may also bring other school supplies of their own, such as paper, pens and pencils, rulers, calculators, etc. PHE / Sports Uniform There is no official school uniform at PSI; however, a dress code of suitable clothing does exist for the school day. In addition, students are expected to wear a PSI sports uniform for Physical and Health Education (PHE) lessons. We believe it is healthy and hygienic to change clothes for these lessons, as students do quite often get hot after physical exertion. Therefore, we have developed a set of PHE Uniform Expectations for all students. Grade 1 - Grade 10 students are required to wear the PSI PHE uniform for all PHE lessons. Students in Early Childhood (EC) and Kindergarten are not required to wear the kit, but they are encouraged to do so. Please note that the minimum requirement for all students is the tee shirt, shorts, a sweatshirt, sweatpants and the House Team tee shirt.These items are provided to all students annually and are free of charge. Other PHE uniform items are available for purchase, as are additional sets of the items above. Students in PHE are also welcome to wear any official PSI sports team uniforms or their PSI House Team tee shirt. Students should also have appropriate shoes. For swimming lessons, students must have appropriate swimwear. This includes suitable swimwear for school (style and length), goggles, swim caps (if hair is longer than shoulders), towel, and flip flops or sandals. All of these should be in a swimming bag. These are not provided by the School. Fees to External Providers PSIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and transportation service are run by external providers who charge separately from any school fees. Cafeteria Fee All students (Primary and Secondary) use their smart-card for all purchases in the cafeteria, both at lunch time and for a la carte purchases during the day, as the cafeteria does not accept cash. Students simply swipe their cards at the card reader near the cash register, and the amount of the purchase is deducted from the card. Kiosks in the Building B reception area and in Building A near the cafeteria allow parents and students to read and update the card at any time. You must have the card with you to use the machine. Transportation Fee Students who opt to use the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bus service will be billed by the transport company at the beginning of the school year or when they begin using the bus service.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Additional Fees Student Travel For CEESA travel or other competitions, the athletic director or the assistant athletic director sends information to parents about costs, and the cashier then bills parents for all travel expenses. In general, parents pay travel expenses and students are housed with families from the host school community.

Transferring to Another School All parents withdrawing their Primary or Secondary children from PSI should inform the Admissions Office (registrar@psi.kiev.ua), giving as much notice as possible. The School normally requires 7-10 days to process this information. PSI requires that parents submit the name of the person in the receiving school and the receiving schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address, phone and fax details. Courier charges are at the expense of the parents and must be paid in advance of sending transfer documents. Students who need to take entrance tests are charged a small fee for supervision of those tests. Please note that all application forms and letters of reference are confidential and will be sent only to the receiving school. Students withdrawing from PSI must be in good financial standing to receive any school documentation, including letters of reference, report cards, transcripts and diplomas. This includes all payments to the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s external providers.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section III: How Are the School Day and the School Year Organised?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How is The School Organised to Offer the IB Programmes? School Divisions Pechersk School International, Kyiv is organised into 4 sections as follows: Early Childhood: EC3 and EC4 (Ages 3-5) Primary Years: Kindergarten â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Grade 5 (Ages 5-11) Middle Years: Grade 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 (Ages 11-16) Diploma Programme: Grade 11 and 12 (Ages 16-18) Class Size The preferred maximum class size for ECU3 is sixteen students; for ECU4 and KG it is eighteen students. For reasons of safety and control and to assist these young learners, when these classes have eight or more students, a teaching assistant (TA) is employed to work with the qualified classroom teacher. In Grades 1 and 2, a TA is employed once the class accepts its tenth student. The preferred maximum class size for Grades 1 through 12 is twenty students. However, if and when needed, and with permission of the board of governors, classes can consist of up to 22 students in these grade levels.

B. How is the School Day Organised? The Daily Schedule The Primary and Secondary School schedules are very similar, with 40-minute periods as the norm. You will note that the Primary School contains a morning recess, while the Secondary School provides brief breaks between double blocks of time. Both programmes begin at 8:25 a.m. and end at approximately 3:00 p.m. Beginning in 2019 - 2020, PSI Primary school runs on a 6-day schedule. For example, Week 1 begins with Days 1 - 5. Week 2 begins with Day 6, followed by Days 1 - 4. Week 3 begins with Days 5 and 6 and then Days 1 - 3. This rotation allows the school to offer more time for literacy and numeracy instruction, as well as additional time for units of inquiry.

Physical Education is part of the regular Primary School schedule.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Primary Morning

Primary Afternoon

Period

Times

Period

Times

Morning Meeting / Homeroom

8:25 - 8:35

Period 5

11:25 - 12:05

Period 1

8:35 - 9:15

Period 6 (G 2-5 Lunch and Recess) (EC-1 classes)

12:10 - 12:50

Period 2

9:15 - 9:55

Period 7 (EC-G1 Lunch/Recess) G2-5 - classes)

12:55 - 1:35

Period 3

9:55 - 10:35

Period 8

1:35 - 2:15

Recess

10:00 - 10:15 Recess Grade 2-5 10:15 - 10:30 Recess EC / Grade 1

Period 9

2:15 - 2:55

Period 4

10:45 - 11:25

Homeroom

2:55 - 3:00

Secondary Morning

Secondary Afternoon

Period

Times

Period

Times

Homeroom

8:25 - 8:35

Lunch

11:25 – 12:05

Period 1

8:35 – 9:15

Period 5

12:05 – 12:45

Period 2

9:15 – 9:55

Period 6

12:45 – 1:25

Break

9:55 – 10:05

Break

1:25 – 1:35

Period 3

10:05 – 10:45

Period 7

1:35 – 2:15

Period 4

10:45 – 11:25

Period 8

2:15 – 2:55

Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) Well planned extracurricular activities have great educational value in broadening outlook, deepening social relationships, providing practical experience in various fields, and offering opportunities to pursue areas of particular talent and interest more intensively. They also provide a means outside the curriculum for students to gain the satisfaction of superior performance, while fostering school spirit and morale, and adding to the pleasure of the educational experience. Therefore, the School offers extracurricular activities (ECAs) for students. The scope and variety of these activities may vary from year to year. Continuity is encouraged in the major areas of extracurricular activity (e.g. student publications, dramatics, athletics, and the arts).

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Our Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) programme includes a scheduled period after school for children in kindergarten and older, beginning at 3:00 pm each day. Activities may run for one or two hours, depending on the activity and the age of the student. The School also offers a Saturday programme as part of our ECA offerings. In addition, some ECAs are offered during the school day. For example, both Primary and Secondary Student Council meet during their lunch times. Inter-school sports events are actively encouraged, with both local schools and other international schools abroad. As an extension of the curriculum at all grade levels, students are also encouraged to become involved in community service activities. The School develops links with local community organisations that can facilitate this involvement. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to join in activities that support the educational and extracurricular goals of PSI and to share ideas that have been successful in any of their previous schools All instruction must be in English. Any parent who has special skills to offer and is willing to organise an after-school activity can contact the ECA Coordinator (eca@psi.kiev.ua). All activities are included in school fees, including those that are run by outside providers. Students who are absent from school for any reason may not attend their ECAs on that day. Students who consistently skip an activity for which they have signed up may be dropped to make a place for another child who has been waitlisted. Students who choose to go home instead of attending their ECA need to complete a check out form just as they do when leaving school early for any other reason. All up-to-date information on ECAs can be found on the PSI website and the ECA website.

High School girls come in 2nd place and take home PSI’s first-ever CEESA trophy for the girls’ team.

ECA Cancellations If any activities are cancelled on a daily basis due to poor weather conditions, a city-wide emergency, or other unpredicted issues, parents are informed by email and our emergency SMS system. There are specific times when we do not run our ECA programmes due to public holidays or schoolwide events. These are planned ahead and are part of the published dates for each season. ECAs are cancelled at the following times: –– When there is a major event in the gym or auditorium requiring additional setup or cleaning –– When Primary or Secondary classes are cancelled, both divisions cancel ECAs to accommodate buses and pickup arrangements –– When there is an official public holiday on any weekday, as shown on the PSI calendar

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

–– The day before we break for official school holidays in October, December, February and April / May Please note: –– ECAs are not cancelled on the Friday before a long holiday weekend (i.e., a Monday public holiday). –– When ECAs are cancelled, special arrangements (including use of the school bus) are made for citywide sports events to continue. These are communicated separately to the families involved. Super Saturday Sports Cancellations Saturday activities are cancelled: –– When there is a major event in the gym or auditorium on Friday or Saturday requiring additional setup or cleaning –– When there is an official public holiday on a Saturday (as indicated on the PSI calendar) –– When there is a long weekend (i.e., a public holiday on Friday or Monday) –– On a Saturday when we break for official school holidays in October, December, February and April / May, and during those holiday periods NOTE: Super Saturday Sports are not cancelled when we have a pupil free day on a Friday.

C. How Do I Find Out What’s Happening Throughout the Year? One Page School Calendar The School publishes a one-page calendar each spring that includes all holiday breaks. It’s available on the PSI website and the last page of this document. School Events Calendar A PSI Events Calendar provides information about school-wide events. It is updated regularly on the PSI website. Dates and details of events for approval must be presented to the appropriate principal as early as possible ahead of the event to be added to the calendar. No additions or alterations may be made to the calendar without prior consultation and administrative approval.

The annual Fun Run raises money for local charities and keeps the PSI community fit!

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

D. How Important is Daily Attendance? Daily attendance and punctuality are critically important to academic and personal success at PSI. Board Attendance Policy Regular school attendance is mandatory and essential to student learning and development. Details of the PSI attendance protocols are available in the PSI Parent and Student Handbook. Failure to adhere to the attendance protocols may result in further consequences as outlined in the School’s attendance protocols, outlined below. Ukrainian Law This is summary of legislation from the Cabinet of Ministers 13 September, 2017 N684, Point 13: Parents or guardians must provide a medical certificate of health or written explanation for every absence. Schools must provide the names of children who miss 10 working days in a row for unknown or invalid reasons to the National Police and the Service for Children as part of the school’s responsibility to protect the rights of all children to receive an education. Why We Value Attendance Research clearly states that students who attend school regularly are much more likely to succeed academically. (greatschools.org) Daily attendance also supports students’ social and emotional growth, helps them build relationships with peers, and increases their self confidence. As an IB World School using an inquiry-based model, students cannot learn what they need simply by completing homework or making up tests. They need to be part of the discussions and activities that are part of learning at PSI. Finally, daily attendance is an important part of each child’s ‘citizenship’ in the PSI community. They attend school not just to learn from other children, but so that other children can learn from them.

Attendance Protocols Please note that protocols apply to both Primary and Secondary unless otherwise noted.

ISSUES

PROTOCOLS

Marking attendance

–– Homeroom teachers take attendance at 8:25 each day. Students who are not present at that time are marked as absent. –– Students who arrive between 8:25 and 8:35 should go directly to homeroom. They will be marked as late by the teacher. –– Students who arrive after 8:35 should check in at the Reception desk in the Primary building before going to their class. They will be marked late by the attendance secretary, with the time of arrival noted. NOTES: Students who leave before or arrive after 11:30 am will be marked as absent for the whole day Students who are absent from school during the day (excused or unexcused) are not permitted to attend after school activities or events. Secondary Teachers in Secondary also mark attendance at the beginning of each class period. See section on ‘skipping’ for more details.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

ISSUES

PROTOCOLS

Excused or unexcused

The School does not use ‘excused’ or ‘unexcused’ for routine absences. However, students who are gone for three or more consecutive days are asked to produce a doctor’s note or certification of a family emergency. RECOMMENDED The following are considered as valid reasons for absence: –– Medical absences accompanied by a doctor’s note –– Family emergency (death in the immediate family, accident, etc.) –– Religious holidays not in the school calendar –– Exceptional circumstances (see below) –– School-based trips (CEESA, MUN, etc.) The School does not require a doctor’s note for each absence, with the following exceptions: –– Students who are gone for three or more consecutive days are asked to produce a doctor’s note or certification of a family emergency. –– Students in Secondary who miss an assessment date must have a doctor’s note or confirmed family excuse in order to complete the assessment for credit. Parents must contact the attendance secretary (attendance@psi.kiev.ua) and the child’s homeroom teacher in writing for all absences, regardless of the reason.

Skipping (missing school without school or parental knowledge or permission)

Secondary only Skipping is a discipline issue. Students who are present in school but not attending certain classes are asked to spend twice the amount of time missed with the teacher or an administrator after school. This time may be served over more than one day. Students who skip one day will spend a ½ day in-house suspension in an administrator’s office and may also be asked to speak with the counsellor. Additional incidents will lead to a parent meeting and a specific contract for behaviour.

Exceptional circumstances

Both Primary and Secondary Students involved in professional or amateur pursuits that allow them to work or compete at national or international levels receive special consideration from the school, provided that they –– Apply in writing at least one week in advance –– Maintain passing grades in all classes, with a balance of at home and in school work –– Work proactively with teachers during their absences –– Do not exceed 20 absences Students who have long-term absences because of serious medical issues (hospitalisation, surgery, etc.) also receive special consideration from the school, as do students who have serious family emergencies. However, the school continues to track the days missed, and works with parents and students when the student exceeds 20 days.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

ISSUES

PROTOCOLS

Parent Communication and Follow Up

–– The attendance secretary contacts all parents who have not already contacted the School to confirm the absence. –– Emails are sent home to remind parents of the number of absences, as outlined below.

Pattern of Absences

At 10 absences in a semester, parents receive letters reminding them of the attendance policy. These are tailored to individual circumstances where possible. At 15 absences in a semester, the appropriate building principal meets with parents to discuss strategies to improve attendance. At twenty absences in a semester or a year, the following occurs: –– Parent meeting and contract (any time in the year that the student reaches 20 absences) Contract includes the following: –– Attendance is monitored for at least one calendar year as part of the contract. –– At any point within that calendar year that students exceed 15 absences, the contract is reviewed by the principal, parent and director.

Patterns of Absences in EC and K

Absences are monitored in EC3 and EC4. Parents meet with the Primary School principal when their children have more than 20 days out of school to review the attendance procedures. If poor attendance continues beyond those initial 20 days, it will be viewed as part of a pattern, and students will be moved to contract.

Supports

Primary Teachers can provide homework or study suggestions for absences. Parents who have planned absences should notify teachers and request homework or study suggestions prior to the absence. Parents should understand it will take teachers at least 24 hours to prepare assignments. Secondary Teachers at Secondary post all major assessments on MyPSI. Students and parents can access that information at any time and contact individual teachers with questions. For long term absences, the school sets up a Google doc with directions specifically tailored to each student.

Consequences

Primary At 35 days (approximately 20% of the year) or at 20% of any given unit, teachers will not assess student work. Principal and director will meet with parents to discuss retention or exit from PSI. Secondary - Both Programmes Students who have 20 or more absences cannot receive anything above a C for Attitude and Application, which removes them from consideration for Honours, High Honours and A&A semester awards. Secondary - MYP and DP On-going problems with attendance can also affect student participation in CEESA or other overnight programmes. This may include carryover from the previous school year. This will be a case-by-case basis that will also look at academic and behavioural performance. 29

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Parent and School Responsibilities Student’s Status

Parents Will

School Will

Student misses four or more periods in a day (leaves before or arrives after noon)

–– Call to explain late arrival or early departure –– Ensure that the adult taking the child home collects the checkout form from Reception.

–– Provide check out form for students leaving early –– Mark students as absent for the whole day

Routine absences

Call in with an explanation; no doctor’s note required

–– Mark students as absent –– Track all attendance on transcripts and report cards –– Call parents to confirm if parent has not contacted school –– Support students in understanding work that they missed

Three or more consecutive days of absence

Call in with an explanation; a doctor’s note is required for medical absences upon return

–– Call parents to confirm if parent has not contacted the school –– Support students in understanding work they have missed

Absent on exam / test, presentation, group project (Secondary)

–– Call in with an explanation; provide a doctor’s note or confirmed family excuse

–– Allow students to make up work on their first day of their return (with doctor’s note). Students are responsible for contacting the teacher and arranging the appropriate time.

Absent during Week Without Walls (Secondary)

–– Inform the School as soon as possible and provide a reason for the absence –– Provide a doctor’s note (as this will be more than three days of absence)

–– Students may have alternative assessments given during the Week Without Walls; however, they cannot duplicate work assigned as part of the WWW experience. This may affect their overall grade in some courses –– Students are marked as absent regardless of their reason –– School is closed to Secondary students during that week

10 DAYS of absence in a semester for any reason

–– Send a letter indicating the number of days absent and remind parents of future consequences –– The School reserves the right to apply other consequences as needed

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Student’s Status

Parents Will

School Will

15 DAYS of absence in a semester for any reason

–– Meet with school leadership –– If absences continue, attend a workshop on attendance and the IB

–– Contact parents to set up a meeting

20 DAYS of absence in a semester or a year for any reason

-Meet with school leadership; sign a contract for improved attendance

-Draft a formal attendance contract

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE ABSENCES

In second year of a contract -Reserve the right to retain a student at his / her grade level in the following school year -Reserve the right to offer or deny enrollment in the following school year

Parents Will

School Will

Professional or other obligations as outlined above

–– Provide the school with one week of advance notice –– Work with teachers to understand what work will be missed and what timelines there are –– Ensure that students are passing all classes

–– Work with parents and students to provide a timeline for work missed –– Work with the student to create opportunities for the student to share his/her experience with other students (in classes, at assemblies, magazine articles, etc.)

Long term illnesses

–– Provide the school with medical certificates and an estimate of number of days that will be missed –– Work with teachers to understand what work will be missed and what timelines there are

–– Work with parents and students to provide a timeline for work missed

Family emergencies (medical emergency in the immediate family, death of a family member)

–– Notify the school of the circumstances

–– Work with parents and students to provide a timeline for work missed –– Provide counselling as appropriate

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Tardy Protocols ISSUES

PRIMARY

5 times late in one semester

SECONDARY Extra time with homeroom teacher (lunch or break time)

6 - 9 times late

Letter sent to parents, reminding them of the school’s start time.

7:45 am meeting with principal; scheduled within 48 hours

10 times late in a semester

Parents meet with principal and student to develop a set of appropriate responses and consequences

15 times late

20 times late

Principal meets with parents Student may have additional consequences

Student owes 20 minutes - recess, after school or ECA time.

Students are placed on a contract, which may include additional time before or after school or on Saturday

Late Work - Secondary Only Guidelines

Students are still responsible for submitting work that has already been assigned, even if they are absent on the date that it is due. Students who submit work late receive a zero on those assignments. However, they are still expected to submit all summative assessments for review and feedback from the teacher. Students who have not submitted all summative assessments receive NG (no grade) in that subject area on report cards until all work is turned in. Please note that the submitted work does not replace the zero. –– For work assigned during the student’s absence and / or for exceptional circumstances, teachers will work with students to set appropriate deadlines for missed work. –– Work submitted by the due date but to the wrong location or with the wrong ‘share’ settings is also considered late work and falls under the same penalties. –– Students who are absent on the date of a group presentation may have several options. The teacher may allow the group to perform at a later date with no penalty to other group members. The teacher may also ask the group to perform as scheduled, with the absent person giving a separate performance at a later date. The teacher’s decision will be based on the nature of the assignment and / or the nature of the absence. –– Grade 6 students are allowed one late assignment, which is noted by the school and can be turned in for full credit. On the second incident - even if it is another class - the zero policy is in effect for them as well.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Responsibilities for Late Work (Secondary) Planning Ahead

The Student Will

The Teacher Will

Work was assigned when the student was present in school

–– Turn in the work digitally by the assigned due date and time –– Send an email to the teacher to let him/her know that the work has been submitted

–– Check that work has been turned in on time –– Inform parents if a summative assessment is missing

Work was assigned when the student was absent from school

–– Check MyPSI to find out what was missed –– Talk to the teacher upon return to understand missed assignment(s) Note the due date of upcoming work and meet that deadline

–– Meet with the student upon request to explain the assignment

A test or presentation is scheduled on the day that a student is absent

–– Contact teacher directly, explain the absence, estimate the time of the absence (in days), and discuss an opportunity to reschedule

–– Reschedule within a reasonable timeframe, provided that there is a doctor’s note or confirmed family excused absence

A group presentation is scheduled on the day that a student is absent

–– Contact the teacher directly with a cc to all group members, estimate the time of the absence (in days), and ask to reschedule

–– Reschedule within a reasonable timeframe, provided that there is a doctor’s note or confirmed family excused absence

Due date passes with no assignment turned in or extension requested

–– Submit work for assessment even though the work will not be counted towards a grade

–– Assess all work and provide feedback –– Register a grade of ‘zero’ for the assignment –– Contact parents to let them know that the work was missed –– Give no grade on report cards until all work has been submitted

Grade 6 - first missed assignment

–– Submit the work the following day

–– Assess and grade the work –– Note the missed due date for other teachers

–– Inform the school of any exceptional circumstances for absences –– Work with the teacher on setting appropriate due dates

–– Set appropriate new deadlines for students –– Work with students to make sure that they understand the work that has been missed –– Assess and grade all work that comes in by the new deadline

Work Not Submitted

NOTE: This is for one assignment only. A second missed assignment, even in another class, follows the guidelines listed in the line above.

Long Term Absences / Exceptional Circumstances

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

E. How Does The School Assign Homework? Meaningful, regularly assigned homework is used for varying purposes depending upon grade level. The school views homework as an important link between home and school. It is assigned to make the student increasingly responsible for scheduling and completing his / her work independently. Homework can also help students reinforce what they learn in class, master their skills, and develop individual interests. Homework should never be ‘busy work,’ but should be a learning activity that increases in complexity as the student progresses from grade to grade. Homework is not used as a form of punishment. As a general rule, teachers assign homework on a ‘10 minutes X grade level’ approach. This means that a fifth grader could expect about 50 minutes of homeroom a night, with a ninth grader averaging about 90 minutes nightly. It is important to note that second-language English speakers may take longer to complete assignments, and that the time is not always evenly spaced, so that students may have more homework some weeks than other weeks. IB Diploma students can expect a significant amount of work, particularly in Grade 12.

Primary students share ideas for 21st Century learning at the annual Futures Forum.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section IV: What Other Services Does the School Provide?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. What Provisions are in Place for Feeding Children Every Day? PSI offers a lunch programme provided by a private catering company. Alternatively, students may bring their lunch from home. Primary students eat in the cafeteria during their assigned daily lunch periods, whilst Secondary students can choose between the cafeteria and the We Belong Cafe. The School recognises that some students may have special nutritional needs or individual preferences, and encourages parents to prepare their child’s lunch when this is the case. Separate Dishes at Lunch Secondary students may opt to have separate lunch items as opposed to the full meal. In that case, their smart card is charged only for the purchases they make. A La Carte Options The We Belong Cafe is open from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each day. Parents may purchase items whenever they are in the building. Secondary students may purchase food or drink items during their lunch, break times, DP students’ study periods and / or after the school day. However, food should be consumed in the cafeteria or the cafe only. Students should not bring food into the buildings or classrooms. Primary students are expected to bring their own snacks to school. In the event they have forgotten their snack, they may purchase items from the approved snacks list. Primary Morning Snacks Parents may purchase a healthy morning snack for Primary students by monthly subscription through the cafeteria. The cafeteria will deliver it to the child’s homeroom by 9:30 AM.

B. What Other Services Does the School Provide? Learning Support The learning support programme is designed to help students develop appropriate levels of independence, responsibility and skills in their academic, emotional and social lives at the school, so that they may have full and equal access to all parts of the PSI curricular and extracurricular programmes. PSI is committed to using a range of strategies to support students, with the understanding that all students are served in their mainstream classes, with additional support provided by the Learning Support teacher working together with classroom teachers. The School is committed to the Principles of Good Practice outlined by the IB. The programme is designed to serve a small number of students in need of limited academic assistance or with mild to moderate learning needs, which we define as no more than two grade levels below expected performance in any subject area. In addition, students must demonstrate an appropriate level of independence and must meet the school’s social / behavioural expectations. Typically, classroom teachers identify students who are struggling and work with the School’s learning support teachers, school leadership, and the student’s other teachers to identify the child’s needs, develop strategies to support the child, and determine if further assessment is needed. In the Secondary School, specific after school programmes like Homework Club and Transition Study Skills are available to all students who need additional support in getting and staying organised. Parents are always brought into discussions about support strategies so that the School can take a team approach with each child. Parents are also encouraged to contact the child’s homeroom or subject area teacher to discuss any on-going issues or concerns. The School reserves the right to exit students whose needs cannot be met once admitted and has a set of protocols in place for that process.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Support for Highly Able Learners In addition to many systems of support for English language learners, students with special needs, and children in need of remediation in any subject, PSI also aims to provide students with appropriate levels of academic, artistic, and / or athletic challenge. The School uses a range of strategies to support students, with the understanding that all students are served in their mainstream classes, with additional support provided by the extracurricular programmes, off campus options, on-line courses, or other strategies. PSI does not offer specific courses or programmes for students who are designated as highly able learners. Nevertheless, students with exceptional talents or abilities are provided with appropriate teacher support and resources through the School’s differentiated learning programmes. Library Both the Primary and Secondary Schools have dedicated libraries with a combination of print materials and online resources. Students in EC - Grade 8 have scheduled library time, but all students can use the library. Parents are welcome to check out books for their children and themselves. Library Hours Monday 8.15am -- 4.00 pm Tuesday and Thursday 8.00 am – 4.00 pm Wednesday 8.00 am – 3.00 pm Friday 8.00am -- 3.30 pm Loaning Books Early Childhood 3: One book at a time Early Childhood 4: Two books at a time Kindergarten - Grade 5: Five books or four books and one DVD at a time Grades 6 - 12 have access to the library collection of materials. Loan limitations are as follows*: –– Grade 6 - Grade 10 MYP students: up to 20 items at a time including10 library books and / or periodicals for 14 days, 10 textbooks with a fixed due date, and 1 DVD for 7 days –– Grade 11 and Grade 12 DP students: standard borrowing loan limitations apply: up to 20 items at a time including 10 library books and / or periodicals for 14 days, 10 textbooks with a fixed due date, and 1 DVD for 7 days, with an opportunity to keep and renew required materials for a longer period of time and borrow all required library materials over the summer period and school holidays. * Loan limitations are extended for use with the Personal Project and the Extended Essay If a student is involved in a particular unit, the loan period and number of books on loan can be increased at the librarian’s discretion. Students may check out new books whenever they have returned books currently on loan. The normal loan period is two weeks; this can be extended twice, giving a total of 6 weeks maximum loan before the book(s) must be returned to the library. The library reserves the right to recall any book or item if it is needed within the School for a particular unit of study. Parents may visit the library before or after school or during the school day by prior arrangement and check out up to 10 books on their own account. Summer Borrowing Returning students and parents who have returned all outstanding materials may check out books for the summer holiday period. Summer borrowing limits are as follows: –– EC - Grade 10 students: up to 10 books –– G11 students: All resources required for their summer studies. –– Parents: up to 10 books

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

More detailed information regarding library services can be found in the Library Policies and Procedures Handbook upon request from the librarian. Lost and Found There is a lost and found area in Building B in the main reception area. Students who lose any item during the school day should check the lost and found area. Primary parents are asked to check the lost and found area when on campus. In Secondary School, students who cannot find lost items should contact the Secondary PA, who will place an ‘advert’ in the daily bulletin and / or will ask the principal to initiate a review of the security camera footage, where possible. Two weeks before each holiday (in October, December, February, April / May and June), the School sends a reminder to parents and students to pick up lost items. Any unclaimed items are donated to local charities during vacation periods. Parents should clearly label lunch boxes, books, bags and clothes to make lost items easier to return to the appropriate owner. Students should not bring items of value to school. This includes large sums of money. We strongly encourage Secondary students to lock up any valuables in their lockers. The School cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen items. School Bus Transport Transport by bus between the School and home is available from an external provider to students from EC3 to Grade 12 at an additional charge. Parents who decide to use the school’s transport service after they have paid for tuition should contact our bus programme coordinator (bus@psi.kiev.ua). Each bus seats a maximum of 18 children. All buses are equipped with seat belts; all passengers must wear them at all times. The School has an adult monitor on each bus who speaks English and Ukrainian. Although the monitor may be different on afternoon bus runs, all monitors have a list of parent names and phone numbers. At the start of the school year and with each new ECA season, the bus programme coordinator informs parents of the name and mobile phone number of their child’s bus monitor and the time that the child will be collected from home each morning. In the evenings, Primary school children must be met at the bus stop by a known adult. –– –– –– –– –– ––

As bus passengers, children at all grade levels must: Only get on or off the bus when it is fully stopped and they have been told to do so by the bus monitor Wear seat belts at all times Follow the directions of the bus monitor and ask for help if needed Report any concerns immediately to a bus monitor Stay seated and quiet during travel time Accept responsibility for being on time

The bus schedule is organised so that the maximum journey time is 45 minutes, but traffic, road conditions, and weather can impact on this time. If the bus is likely to be late, the bus monitor calls parents in advance with a revised time. If the schedule is changed significantly in any way, the School calls or sends an SMS to parents. If there are any concerns about the bus programme, please contact the bus coordinator at bus@psi.kiev.ua.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

It is very important that students arrive on time for their morning pick-up. Late students delay all other pick-up times on the route and makes the bus late to school. For these reasons, the following procedures will take place: 001 1. If the student is not at the pick-up spot at their designated time, the bus monitor will call the parent and warn them that the bus will leave in 2 minutes time. a. If the bus leaves without the student, the bus monitor calls the parents to explain that the bus has left and the student must find another way to school. b. If the bus is early to the pick-up time, the bus still waits 2 minutes after the designated pick up time. 2. The bus monitor will let the Transport Coordinator know that the student was late. 3. After 2 lates, the building principal will write a letter / email to the parents. 4. After 3 lates, the student will be suspended from the bus for 3 days. a. Frequent and continual lateness couldd end in suspension of all bus privileges for a longer period of time For more information on our transportation system, please see the â&#x2020;&#x2019; PSI Transportation Protocols for Parents. Technology Computer and Internet Use Both libraries have up-to-date computers, which are supervised by adult staff members. There are grade level sets of iPads or Chromebooks for EC - Grade 5. The Secondary School has a Bring-Your-Own-Device programme that asks students to bring their own laptops to school. All computers and school supplied mobile devices are networked and have access to a dedicated wireless internet service. These tech provisions are meant to support the curriculum and provide students and staff with the modern technology necessary for research and communication in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. In addition, we also encourage Secondary students to bring headphones to School, as these are often used for language activities and multimedia use. All students and staff are expected to follow the PSI Responsible Use Agreement (RUA) which is distributed and discussed with students at the start of the school year. Students should follow the guidelines established by each teacher, including turning the devices off upon request. The students may not be on gaming sites during instructional or ECA time. They are not monitored for lunch time, breaks or on the bus. Please note that the school is not responsible for lost or stolen items, so we encourage students to keep electronic devices with them or lock them up.

PSI TRANSPORTATION PROTOCOLS FOR PARENTS BIT.LY/2ZWHUCM

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Phone and Mobile Use Primary Parents should consider carefully if a phone is needed at school for students in the Primary School. PSI recommends that it is not needed but does understand that phones can be considered a ‘safety item’ while travelling in the city before and after school. It is school policy that Primary School students may not use their cell phones from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm unless for educational purposes approved by the teacher. The Reception phone is always available for a child who needs to call home for an important issue. If a family wishes to send a phone with their child, it must stay in his / her school bag during the school day. Any phones used during the school hours listed above, unless approved for educational purposes, will be confiscated until the end of the school day. Any repeat offences will result in parents either needing to come to school to collect the phone or phones not being allowed at all. Secondary Mobile phones may be used as educational tools (e.g., for access to the Internet, as calculators, etc.) at the teacher’s discretion. They may not be used in class for non-educational purposes and must be turned off and put away upon teacher request. Teachers may take the phones of any students who are using them inappropriately. Repeated offences may result in the phone being turned over to the school leadership, who may choose to hold them during the school day for a specified period of time.

A Grade 10 student learns about electricity in MYP Science.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section V: How Does the School Manage Communications with Parents?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. What Strategies Does the School Use to Communicate With Me? Overview PSI promotes a positive partnership between teachers and parents as an important tool in ensuring student academic and behavioural success.Therefore, the School has put into place a number of procedures and events to foster this communication. Parents are encouraged to contact the staff and school leadership on a regular basis in order to be well-informed regarding their child’s progress. The language of instruction is English and all documentation is sent out in this language. Parents should make sure that they understand all correspondence from the School. Most often, we use email as a medium to contact parents, which is why it is extremely important that parents provide us with their current email addresses. Parents who need help understanding the content of any School communication should contact the sender as soon as possible for assistance. PSI has developed a comprehensive system for communicating student progress, news, and upcoming events. In order to keep parents from feeling overloaded, the School sends information home to groups of parents on Mondays and Fridays only. This includes class and school newsletters, announcements about field trips and other events, and requests for parent help. There are two exceptions to this rule. Emergency information (e.g., a school closure) will go out as needed. Teachers communicating with one parent regarding a student’s academic or behavioural issues may also contact parents on an as-needed basis. Publications and Announcements Below is an overview of strategies for helping parents stay well informed throughout the year.

What You’re Looking For

Where You Should Look

How You’ll Find It

An overview of the School’s ‘nuts and bolts’ for operation as well as major policies and procedures

Parent and Student Handbook (for both Primary and Secondary School)

Provided to new parents in hard copy Available on the website and MyPSI Available at reception

Updates, reminders, and links to attendance, sports and the cafeteria

PSI app

Available for download through your App Store

A weekly update from the homeroom teacher

Monday Homeroom Email

Sent by email on Mondays Grade level teachers will share the weekly, news, events, homework, etc.

Announcements of upcoming meetings and events; summaries of the week just past

PSI Weekly Newsletter

Sent by email on Fridays Posted to Facebook and the website Hard copies in Reception area

General announcements and reminders (including community news)

Reception Bulletin Boards

Reception area

Announcements and meeting / event reminders

Facebook and Twitter

Online

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

What You’re Looking For

Where You Should Look

How You’ll Find It

Descriptions of student learning and activities

PSI Life Magazine

Sent three times a year by email Posted to Facebook and website Hard copies in Reception area

Curriculum and assessment (PYP or MYP / DP)

Primary Programme Guide Secondary Programme Guide

On our website Admissions Office

Programme information – cross-school

Back-to-School Night Primary / Secondary Assemblies Primary Learning Celebrations Special Events

Website, Facebook, MyPSI, newsletter advertise dates / locations

Daily and weekly classroom learning, homework, grades

MyPSI*

24/7 on-line system with a passwordprotected parent portal

Student progress

–– Primary Reports: January and June –– Secondary Reports: November, January, April and June Parent Conferences** Student Led Conferences / Showcases** Three Way Conferences (Primary)**

MyPSI parent portal

Emergency information – school closing, cancelled ECAs, etc.

SMS, Facebook, website

Text messages sent directly to parents’ phones, email follow up. Posted on Facebook and website

Important information – contagious diseases, etc.

Sent by emails.

Opportunities to learn more about the school and connect with other parents

PTA meetings Parent Education Tuesdays (PET)

PTA meetings are held monthly on Tuesdays at 8:30 am in the cafeteria. PET sessions run on all other Tuesdays in the Cafe Meeting Room at 8:30 a.m.

Website, Facebook, MyPSI and newsletter advertise dates and locations, Seesaw (Primary)

* MyPSI All teachers now maintain a web presence on MyPSI, the School’s database and communication system. All parents have access to the appropriate grade level websites and are encouraged to check these regularly for information about student learning, upcoming events, and student progress. Parents experiencing difficulty with access should contact the IT Department (it@psi.kiev.ua). ** Meetings with Teachers Each fall, PSI offers a Back-to-School or Curriculum Afternoon to help all parents understand more about the daily functioning of the School. In addition, parent-teacher meetings are scheduled twice a year in Secondary, usually following report cards, and three times a year in Primary. Parents make appointments with teachers through My PSI. Appointments for Parent Conferences are usually 15 minutes for Primary and 10 minutes per subject teacher in Secondary. While we promote an on-line calendar (Secondary) to

AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE

GET IT ON PLAY MARKET

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

help in communication, direct contact is always best when a student is having difficulties. We ask that parents meet with teachers upon request. In addition, we encourage any parent who wishes a meeting to make an appointment with the teacher. ** Student-Led Conferences / Showcases Students in EC - Grade 8 hold annual Student-Led Conferences / Showcases in which they present their work for the year and discuss their learning challenges and accomplishments. Parents are requested to attend these events. They are not opportunities to discuss student progress with the teacher. They are designed as a way for students to communicate directly with their parents about their own annual progress. ** Three-Way Conferences (Primary) Students in EC - Grade 5 hold conferences with their parents and teachers to discuss their goals for the year. These goals are academic and social / emotional and are aligned to the PYP and Learner Profile. These conferences are not used to discuss current progress, but the goals set forth by your child as they move forward throughout the school year. Learning Celebrations (Primary) Learning celebrations happen throughout the school year in Primary School and can take place while children are in the middle of learning something (the process of learning) or at the end of a unit of learning (the product of learning). Parents are invited to come to classes to celebrate, along with their children, the learning that is taking place. Some celebrations may include listening to children read their published work, observing children while they explain a science experiment and the procedures they followed, or listening to children work through math problems using manipulatives.

B. What are the Best Ways for Me to Communicate With the School? We encourage parents to always start as close to the source of the issue as possible. For example, classroom issues should be addressed first with the classroom teacher before moving it to the administrative level. To assist in that process, we have identified some of the key people running various programmes throughout the School.

Who’s Who At PSI? If you have a question about:

Person responsible:

Method of contact:

Classroom issues: –– progress of your child –– class routines –– schedule –– homework

Class teacher / Homeroom teacher NOTE: Individual teacher addresses are listed in this handbook in the section on Staff.

–– Email or call the teacher for an appointment OR –– Email Primary school office at: primary@psi.kiev.ua –– Email Secondary school office at: secondary@psi.kiev.ua

Whole school issues, policy and development, safety and security

Rachel Caldwell, Director

rachelc@psi.kiev.ua

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

If you have a question about:

Person responsible:

Method of contact:

Booking an appointment with the director

Victoria Ischenko, Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PA:

directorspa@psi.kiev.ua

Primary school educational policies, organisation and routines

Sue Williams, Primary School Principal Glen Nicholson, Deputy Principal

suew@psi.kiev.ua deputyprincipalandpypc@psi.kiev.ua

Secondary school educational policies, organisation and procedures

Patricia Puia, Secondary School Principal Paul Horkan, Deputy Principal

patriciap@psi.kiev.ua paulh@psi.kiev.ua

PYP curriculum questions MYP curriculum questions DP curriculum / exam questions

Glen Nicholson, PYP Coordinator Paul Horkan, MYP Coordinator David Freeman, Diploma Coordinator

deputyprincipalandpypc@psi.kiev.ua paulh@psi.kiev.ua davidf@psi.kiev.ua

Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) and Mother Tongue Languages

Tetiana Maslova, ECA Coordinator

eca@psi.kiev.ua

Athletic events, CEESA events and teams

Ric Floyd, Athletic Director

athleticdirector@psi.kiev.ua

Guidance and College Counseling

Annie Butkus (EC - Grade 5) Michele Basu (Grades 6 - 12)

annieb@psi.kiev.ua micheleb@psi.kiev.ua

Health Issues

School Clinic

doctor@psi.kiev.ua leraz@psi.kiev.ua

Accounting and Billing

Anna Solopova, Cashier

cashier@psi.kiev.ua

Changes in parent contact information (emails, phone numbers, etc) Withdrawal from school

Anzhelika Yuschenko, Registrar

registrar@psi.kiev.ua

IT support

IT Department

it@psi.kiev.ua

Booking of cafe meeting room, cafeteria

Masha Zozimova Receptionist / Communications Officer

secretary@psi.kiev.ua

Booking of auditorium, 4th floor gallery, 4th floor meeting rooms

IT Department

it@psi.kiev.ua

Bus service / routes

Lilia Gotvyanska, Bus Coordinator

bus@psi.kiev.ua

Security Cards

Andriy Sorokin, Head of Security

security@psi.kiev.ua

Absences

Maria Zosimova, Attendance Secretary

absence@psi.kiev.ua

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Written Communication with School PSI recognises the need for clear communication channels between parents and the school. We particularly support the opportunity for parents and teachers to communicate directly via email. Teachers’ email addresses are emailed to families separately at the beginning of the school year and are available in the Staff section of this handbook (page 59). Please note the following parental guidelines in the use of any email communication with the school: –– Emails can be used to inform the teachers of something that happened at home or to ask questions that require only a brief answer. –– If there are issues that require a discussion or a longer explanation, it is better to arrange an appointment with the teacher. –– The nature of some teacher schedules may result in some emails only being answered the next day, but we try to answer all correspondence within 24 hours. –– Any urgent issues that need to be addressed on the same day need to be communicated via the secretaries. –– Any communication between home and school should always be cordial and respectful.

Procedure for Parental Concerns PSI recognises the need for the home and the school to address concerns effectively and provides them with a procedure for constructive discussion. The steps below are to be followed strictly. Step One: The parents should communicate with the subject or homeroom teacher. Step Two: The parents have the right to confer with the relevant subject or programme coordinator if, after seeing the teacher, they require further discussion. Step Three: If, after seeing the relevant coordinator, the matter is not resolved and the parents require further discussion, an appointment may be set with the principal. The parents may reasonably expect a response within five (5) working days. Step Four: If the parents feel the issue is not addressed, they may bring the matter to the director, whose decision is final. Once again, an appointment must be made through the director’s personal assistant (PA). The director will respond within five (5) working days. Please note: While PSI is authorised to run all three IB programmes, the IB does not monitor teaching strategies and programme implementation choices. Questions about the IB programmes at PSI should be addressed to the coordinator of your child’s programme. Please see the Rules for IB World Schools for more information.

Parent Conduct Guidelines PSI is an orderly and safe school, where relationships between staff and visitors, especially parents, must demonstrate mutual respect and a recognition of shared responsibility for students’ welfare and educational progress. Parental involvement is an important factor in the educational success and in dealing with emerging problems at an early stage. The PSI governing body is responsible for protecting the health and safety of school staff and students. Violence, threatening behaviour, and abuse against school staff or other members of the school community are not tolerated. All members of the school community have a right to expect that their school is a safe place in which to work and learn. Such acts include but are not limited to threatening

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

or actual physical violence, intimidation, unwarranted verbal or written threats of legal or police action, shouting, swearing, inappropriate emails and acts of cyberbullying. Where such behaviour does occur, school leadership plays a proactive role in taking all possible action to deal with it. These include the following stepped sanctions that will be applied according to the severity of the incident: –– A written warning to parents from the director –– Referral to the board, which may result in a parent being temporarily suspended from campus –– Referral to the board, which may result in expulsion of the student from the School The School may seek the involvement of police and / or an employer or embassy if required. PSI staff receive advice on procedures to follow in dealing with such incidents.

Monthly PTA meetings are a great opportunity to learn more about the school.

C. How Does the School Work with Outside Tutors? PSI teachers and administrators are happy to work with students, parents and tutors on supporting students as they work at home. These guidelines are meant to outline the best ways for all of us to do that. Parents should: –– Help the tutor understand that the student must turn in his / her own work. Tutors and parents may not do work for students! At Primary, the student may be asked to re-do the work if it appears the tutor or parent has done the work. At Secondary, the student receives a zero. –– Give the names, contact information, and subjects of any tutors to the classroom or subject area teacher. –– Send the school written permission to release information about the student to the tutor; PSI cannot release any student information without a signed release from parents. –– Provide tutors with their login information for MyPSI if needed. PSI cannot release that information to third parties.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Tutors should: –– Keep in contact with the classroom teacher for clarifications, access issues, student needs and progress updates –– Access materials via the student’s MyPSI and / or through the classroom teacher –– Work with the students by supporting them in their efforts, but not by doing the work for them –– Support and assist students with formative assignments, including some extra practice if needed –– Ensure that summative assessments are the student’s own independent work with no outside influence or assistance –– Recognise that assignments, rubrics, worksheets and resources are the intellectual property of PSI and may not be used for other purposes Students should: –– Help tutors with access to MyPSI –– Keep track of their assignments and due dates –– Ask the teacher questions to make sure that all assignments are understood –– Ensure that all work completed is their own and not the work of a tutor, parent, other student, or outside source PSI will: –– Communicate with parents about student progress –– Communicate with tutors about students only with the written permission of parents –– Work with tutors to help them understand the IB programmes, requirements of assignments, and needs of the student

D. How Does PSI Help Me Communicate with My Child’s Next School or University? PSI will assist students and their families who are applying to other schools or universities. Typically, this involves requests for report cards, transcripts, predicted grades in DP, application forms and letters of reference. Please be aware that we work under the following guidelines: –– Parents should provide the admissions office with pertinent data prior to withdrawing their child. We encourage parents to begin the process as early as possible to ensure that we are able to help them meet any deadlines set by the receiving school. PSI needs 7 - 10 working days to process requests. –– The School provides time, space and a supervisor for exams from the receiving school. Parents are invoiced for this service. –– Parents must be in good standing with the school’s Finance Office. This means that all tuition fees, CEESA costs and other bills must be paid in full. Upon departure, all final fees - including lost library books, textbooks and / or resources, must be paid before a final release of records. –– Students receive a checkout form that must be signed by teachers, the librarian, the athletics department, the cafeteria company, IT office, the Finance Office and the principal to indicate that all materials have been turned in and all work is up-to-date. –– PSI sends transcripts, predicted grades, application forms and letters of reference only to the receiving school, university or organisation (e.g., UCAS). We will not release them directly to students, parents or agents of parents. This helps the receiving school ensure that the information is accurate and ensures that letters of reference are confidential. PSI releases prior report cards and letters confirming attendance dates to parents upon request. –– Parents who hire outside agents to assist with school or university searches must contact the principal and / or counsellor to provide the name and contact information of the agent. Again, PSI will not release paperwork directly to the agent, but we are happy to work with those individuals on preparing appropriate documentation for the receiving schools.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section VI: Who are the Teachers and Administrators Who Work With My Child Every Day?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Who is our staff? PSI recruits teachers from around the world. All of our teachers have college degrees in the areas of their teaching assignment and nearly two-thirds have advanced degrees. Candidates go through a rigorous selection process that includes multiple interviews, reference checks and policy security clearances.

School Leadership Name

Credentials

Rachel Caldwell UK / Ireland Director

–– MA International Leadership and Change (Hong Kong Institute of Education - Hong Kong) –– PGCE in Education / Multicultrualism (Avery Hill College, London) –– BA - English and Drama (University of London, UK)

rachelc@psi.kiev.ua

Sue Wiliams USA Primary Principal

–– Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership (Cortland University – USA) –– M.Ed Reading (Binghamton University – USA) –– B.Ed Elementary Education/Middle School Social Studies (Cortland University – USA)

suew@psi.kiev.ua

Glen Nicholson New Zealand Primary Deputy Principal PYP Coordinator

–– Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Teaching (University of Waikato, New Zealand)

deputyprincipalandpypc@ psi.kiev.ua

Patricia Puia USA Secondary Principal

–– MA Ed Leadership (Western Michigan Univ – USA) –– BS Secondary Education – (Eastern Michigan Univ – USA)

patriciap@psi.kiev.ua

Paul Horkan Ireland Secondary Deputy Principal MYP Coordinator

–– BA (Univ. College Galway, Ireland) –– Higher Diploma in Education (Galway, Ireland)

paulh@psi.kiev.ua

David Freeman USA IB Diploma Coordinator DP English

–– D.Ed Educational Leadership (University of Sth. Mississippi, USA) –– MA English, BA Spanish (Florida Atlantic University, USA

davidf@psi.kiev.ua

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Name

Credentials

Ric Floyd Australia Athletic Director PHE HOD, MYP PHE teacher

–– Bachelor of Teaching, PE Major (University of Central Queensland, Australia)

athleticdirector@psi.kiev.ua

Brent Zeise USA IT Director

–– Master of Arts in Educational Technology (Michigan State University, USA) –– Bachelor of Science (Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA) –– Bachelor of Arts (Saint John`s University, USA) –– Educational Specialist (Major: School Administration) - Concordia University (USA)

brentz@psi.kiev.ua

Cindy Beals USA Director of Learning

–– Master of Science in Mathematics (the University of Michigan, USA)

cindyb@psi.kiev.ua

Primary Teaching Staff

Name

Credentials

Anna Belokon Ukraine Art

–– MEd (Framingham State College, USA) –– MA (Kyiv Linguistic University)

annab@psi.kiev.ua

Kimberly Brown USA Grade 4

–– MA Bilingual/ESL/Multicultural Education/ELL certification Grades 1-6 ( University of Massachusetts, USA) –– Professional Elementary Education Certification for Grades 1-6 (Bridgewater State College, USA) –– BA (Ithaca College, USA)

kimberlyb@psi.kiev.ua

Sarah Browne UK Grade 5

–– Bachelor of Arts (Bedford College of Higher Education, UK)

sarahb@psi.kiev.ua

Annie Butkus Australia Counsellor

–– MA in International School Counseling (Lehigh University, USA)

annieb@psi.kiev.ua

Sharon Cofer USA EAL

–– ESOL Endorsement, Georgia Professional Standards Commission Athens, Ga., USA –– BS/ECE (Early Childhood Education) Valdosta State University, Valdosta Ga., USA

sharonc@psi.kiev.ua

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Name

Credentials

Gonzalo Curbelo-Cantera USA Grade 3

–– M.A., Literature, Minor: Education and History (Plattsburgh State University of New York, NY USA) –– B.A., History (Northeastern University, Boston USA)

gonzaloc@psi.kiev.ua

Gretchen Foster USA Music

–– -Master Degree, Music Education, (University of South Florida, USA)

gretchenf@psi.kiev.ua

David Gocentas Australia EC3

–– BA in Education (University of Canberra, Australia)

davidg@psi.kiev.ua

Melissa Hutton UK/Turkey Grade 1

–– BA in Early Childhood (Boston College, USA)

melissah@psi.kiev.ua

Olga Ivanova Ukraine Ukrainian

–– MA in Teaching Foreign Languages and Literature (Taras Shevchenko National University, Ukraine)

olgai@psi.kiev.ua

Kendall Jackson USA Kindergarten

–– Bachelor of Science in Elementary –– Education, University of Illinois at –– Urbana-Champaign, USA

kendallj@psi.kiev.ua

Nora Karr USA EAL

–– Certification/Postgraduate Professional License –– PreK-12 ESL/Visual Arts, (Commonwealth of Virginia, U.S.A.) –– MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (SIT Graduate Institute, Vermont) –– B.A. Art Education/English minor (Fort Lewis College)

norak@psi.kiev.ua

Bree Kraft USA Grade 1

–– MA Education: Emphasis in National University –– Teaching Credential (Sonoma State University) –– BA English (University of California, Los Angeles)

breek@psi.kiev.ua

Laura Lamb USA Grade 1

–– Masters of Elementary Education (The University of Southern Mississippi,USA)

laural@psi.kiev.ua

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Name

Credentials

Mikel Lataburu Spain Spanish

–– MA Philology, –– Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educator:Spanish Language Teacher Education –– South Carolina State Board of Education: Educator Certification; Spanish.

mikell@psi.kiev.ua

Jane Leuders USA Grade 4

–– -M.A. in Critical and Creative , Thinking (University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA)

janel@psi.kiev.ua

Lisa Monkus USA Grade 2

–– BA University of Colorado Denver

lisam@psi.kiev.ua

Pinar Nicholson New Zealand/ Turkey EC4

–– Teaching Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Tertiary College, New Zealand)

pinarn@psi.kiev.ua

Alla Polianska Ukraine Russian

–– BA, 2011, Kiev National Pedagogical University of Dragomanova, World Literature and English Language –– MA, 2012, Kiev National Pedagogical University of Dragomanova, German and English Language, World Literature

allap@psi.kiev.ua

Bryan Reardon New Zealand Grade 4

–– BEd (Auckland University. New Zealand)

bryanr@ps.kiev.ua

Andres Rodriguez Columbia PHE

–– MA Business Administration – Sports Management (Barcelona, Spain) –– BA Physical Education and Sport (Bogota, Colombia)

andresr@psi.kiev.ua

Kimberly Shannon USA Literacy Coach

–– MA of Arts in Education (University of Colorado, USA) –– BA of Arts (Metropolitan State College of Denver, USA)

kimberlys@psi.kiev.ua

Natalya Sosunova Ukraine Russian

–– Masters Degree (Pedagogical University, Kyiv) –– Master of education (Framingham State College, USA)

natalyas@psi.kiev.ua

Nicola Tapara New Zealand Grade 2

–– BA Social Sciences (Psychology) –– Diploma in Teaching

ntapara@psi.kiev.ua

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Name

Credentials

Molly Unterseher USA Grade 3

–– Master of Arts in Childhood Education and Special Education (NewYork University, USA) –– Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Minor: Business (Universityof Aizona, USA)

mollyu@psi.kiev.ua

Nigel Woods UK Grade 5

–– Masters Degree in Educatio (Open University) –– Postgraduate Certificate of Education (International) (PGCEi) (University of Nottingham) –– Bachelor of Arts Degree ( Open University, UK). –– Certificate of introduction to the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language.

nigelw@psi.kiev.ua

Valeria Yermolenko Ukraine Physical and Health Education (PHE)

–– Masters Degree (European University, Kyiv) –– Bachelor Degree (Pedagogical University, Kyiv)

valg@psi.kiev.ua

Name

Credentials

Dino Bajagilovic USA / Croatia MYP/ DP Mathematics

–– BS Mathematics, University of Southern Queensland (Australia) –– M.Ed University of Southern Queensland (Australia)

dinob@psi.kiev.ua

Tito Basu USA MYP Individuals and Societies DP History and TOK

–– –– –– ––

AB English and Philosophy (Dartmouth College, USA) PhD Philosophy (Duke University, USA) JD Law (West Virginia University, USA)

titob@psi.kiev.ua

Olga Berezhna* Ukraine Grade 12 Homeroom, MYP/DP French Languages HOD*

–– MA (Gorlovka State Linguistic University, Ukraine)

olgab@psi.kiev.ua

Alexander Best USA Grade 11 Homeroom, MYP / DP English DP TOK

–– BS, English Literature, Towson State University (USA) –– MA Liberal Arts, Johns Hopkins University (USA)

alexanderb@psi.kiev.ua

Secondary Staff

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Name

Credentials

Olga Busenko Ukraine MYP/DP Russian

–– MA (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)

olgab@psi.kiev.ua

Julie Constance USA G9 Homeroom MYP and PSI Maths

–– MA in Curriculum and Instruction In Maths (University of Phoenix, USA)

julieb@psi.kiev.ua

Nicholas De Dios* USA G10-12 MYP/DP Design Secondary tech integration

–– MA, Ed Tech and Leadership (Lamar University, USA) –– BA, Business Management (CUNY, USA)

nicholasd@psi.kiev.ua

Christel Droulez France G6-12 MYP/DP French

–– PGCE, Modern Languages (Lancaster University, England) –– MA, French (University Lumiere, France) –– BA, English (University Lumiere, France)

christeld@psi.kiev.ua

Jane Ellys* USA MYP EAL

–– MA Science in Education and Reading (University of New York) –– Bachelor of Arts in French / Secondary Education (State University of New York, USA)

janee@psi.kiev.ua

Cory Haugen* USA MYP English

–– BA, Education (University of Wisconsin, USA)

coryh@psi.kiev.ua

Peter Hausz Hungary G7 Homeroom Physical and Health Education (PHE) Assistant Athletic Director

–– Master of Physical education (Semmelweis University, Hungary)

peterh@psi.kiev.ua

Mark Helman USA G10 Homeroom MYP Individuals & Societies DP Economics

–– MA, Ed Leadership (University of Illinois, USA) –– BA, History (Lycoming College, USA)

markh@psi.kiev.ua

Michael Holland USA MYP Science DP Environmental Systems

–– BA of Arts (University of California, USA)

michaelh@psi.kiev.ua

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Name

Credentials

Melissa Hooper USA / Canada Grade 7 Homeroom Secondary Learning Resource Teacher

–– BA, Fine Arts and Education, University of Lethbridge (Canada)

melissahooper@psi.kiev.ua

Katy Hourston* Scotland Grade 10 Homeroom MYP Individuals and Societies Personal Project

–– -MA International Relations (St Andrews Univ, UK) –– PGCE (Sunderland Univ, UK) –– CELTA (International House, UK)

katyh@psi.kiev.ua

Tatiana Isakova* Ukraine DP Mathematics Maths HOD DP CAS

–– PhD Mathematics (Academy of Science, Ukraine) –– MA English , MA Mathematics (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)

tatianai@psi.kiev.ua

Matthew Jason USA MYP Individuals & Societies DP Economics

–– B.Science - Anthropology (Michigan State University, USA)

matthewj@psi.kiev.ua

Maggie Kessel USA MYP / DP Art

–– BA - Anthropology / Art (University of Massachusetts, USA) –– MA - Education (Montana State University, USA)

margaretk@psi.kiev.ua

Meredith Klein USA G6 Homeroom MYP / DP English

–– BA - English and Spanish, University of Delaware (USA) –– MA - Liberal Arts, Johns Hopkins University (USA)

meredithk@psi.kiev.ua

Brian Lamb* USA MYP Science DP Chemistry

–– Masters of Science (The University of Southern Mississippi,USA)

brianl@psi.kiev.ua

Irina Lapshina Ukraine MYP Design

–– MsEd - Framingham State College - USA –– Master of Science in technical education and industrial technology - Engineering-Pedagogical Academy - Ukraine

irinal@psi.kiev.ua

Alexandra Lyashchenko Ukraine MYP Physical & Health Education

–– BA Biology - Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine) –– MA Physical Education - National University of Ukraine, Physical and Sports Education (Ukraine)

alexandral@psi.kiev.ua

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Name

Credentials

Ron Livecchi USA Grade 11 Homeroom MYP / DP Mathematics

–– B.S.Ed - Mathematics (Ohio University, USA)

ronl@psi.kiev.ua

Marta Martinez Ferrero Spain MYP / DP Spanish

–– MA - Spanish and Comparative Lit (University Leon, Spain) –– BA & MA - English Language and Lit (University Leon, Spain)

martam@psi.kiev.ua

Rory Parsons UK G8 Homeroom MYP Science DP Biology

–– PGCE - Teaching (Reading University, UK) –– B.S - Biological Sciences (Reading University, UK)

roryparsons@psi.kiev.ua

Annahita Sarty USA G8 Homeroom MYP/DP Spanish Extended Essay Coordinator

–– Master of Science, Multidisciplinary Studies, (Buffalo State University, USA)

annahitas@psi.kiev.ua

Andrew Sayles USA MYP Individuals & Societies DP Geography

–– MAT Teaching, Frostburg State University (USA)

andrews@psi.kiev.ua

James Spencer UK Grade 9 Homeroom MYP EAL

–– Teaching Diploma, English Language & German, (Paedagogische Akademie der Erzdioezese Wien, Austria)

jamess@psikiev.ua

Sylvain Verges France G6 Homeroom MYP Music

–– -MA, Music Education (Cefedem Aquitaine, France) –– PGCE, Music Performance (Conservatoire National de Region de Bordeaux (France) –– BA - English (Universitée de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (Franc)

sylvainv@psi.kiev.ua

Zina Volkova Ukraine MYP/DP Russian

–– MA (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv)

zinav@psi.kiev.ua

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Name

Credentials

Dan Whalley Canada MYP Sciences DP Physics

–– BSc Physics (Queen’s University, Canada) –– B.Ed Education (Trent University, Canada)

danw@psi.kiev.ua

Erik Zambrano* USA / Mexico MYP Drama DP Theatre Arts

–– MA, Performance and Interactive Media Art (Brooklyn College, USA) –– BA, Theatre Directing (Fordham University, USA)

erikz@psi.kiev.ua

*HOD - Head of Department

EC - Grade 12 Learning Support Name

Credentials

Michele Basu USA Grades 6 - 12 Counsellor

–– MA Counsellor Education (University of South Florida, USA) –– BA Psychology and Art, University of South Florida, USA)

micheleb@psi.kiev.ua

Annie Butkus Australia Counsellor

–– MA in International School Counseling (Lehigh University, USA)

annieb@psi.kiev.ua

Melissa Hooper USA / Canada Secondary Learning Resource Teacher

–– BA, Fine Arts and Education, University of Lethbridge (Canada)

melissahooper@psi.kiev.ua

Kimberly Holland USA K - Grade 5 Learning Resource Teacher

–– Master of Education, Special Education, (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)

kimberlyh@psi.kiev.ua

Polina Spencer Russia G6-12 Librarian

–– Master Degree in Foreign Philology - German Language and Literature (Moscow National University)

polinas@psi.kiev.ua

Pam York UK EC - G5 Librarian

–– Bachelor of Education and Humanity (University of Wales, UK –– MSc Library and Information Studies (Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen)

pamy@psi.kiev.ua

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section VII: How Does PSI Make Sure That Students are Safe and Secure?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How Does the Pick Up and Drop Off System Work? The road that runs in front of the school is a busy one. It is used by many residents who live (and park) in the area as well as by school parents. The guidelines below are aimed at helping us work together to the advantage of all PSI community members. The safety of the students on the street is paramount. Street Speed Please be mindful of many cars on the street and students who might walk out from between them. Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop easily. Small children entering or exiting the campus may not always use the pedestrian crossing. Drive in a manner to keep them safe at all times. Your increased vigilance is very important every day. Traffic Movement and Flow Shkil’na and Victor Zabily Streets are narrow, with residential parking on both sides. To avoid traffic blockages, drivers are kindly asked to use the following route of movement at all times. –– Go up from Holosiivska Street to Shkil’na Street to drop off / pick up students just after the main gate / zebra crossing and then go from the main gate (Shkil’na Street) onto Viktora Zabily Street and away from the school. This ‘one way’ circulation will help all vehicles move as quickly as possible and without blocking the area outside the main gate. –– NOTE - Please do not enter Shkil’na Street and approach the school from the Victor Zabily direction as we consider it ‘one way’ for traffic flow purposes.

7a, Viktora Zabily St.

Front Gate and School Crossing Please do not park or wait in front of the school’s main gates. Drivers must keep moving as much as possible and ‘loop around’ a second time if the pickup cannot be made automatically. We ask everyone to keep moving, as this area is a no parking zone. Observe the pedestrian / zebra crossing in front of the School. The crossing allows people to walk across the street safely. Cars should not park or stop (for drop off or pickup) on the crossing itself at any time. Please stop just before or just after the marked crossing for maximum safety. Drivers are reminded to please be patient and allow pedestrians to cross first, as they have the right of way on the crosswalk.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

General Parking The slowing of traffic often comes from people parking on corners, ‘double ranked’, parking across driveways and generally in a manner that limits the road space. Please park with traffic movement in mind and not in these places. Parents or drivers bringing students to and from school or visiting the school for other reasons are asked to park on Victor Zabily. Longer Term / All Day Parking If you have a driver waiting for your child during the school day, please ask your driver to park a little further away and have students call them to the gate when required. In particular, this refers to drivers who park at School for many hours or all day. In these cases, do not park in front of the length of the school building (on Shkil’na Street). Please keep the nearby parking area clear for visitors and parents with younger children.

B. How does the School Manage Arrival and Departure of Students in a Safe Way? PSI Security System / Security Cards Staff, students, parents and parent representative (relatives, drivers, nannies, personal security staff, etc.) must all apply for and have PSI Security Cards to enter the school campus. All pedestrians enter the school campus at the front / main gate only. Staff, students, parents, parent representatives and bus students must have their Security Card with them each day, when arriving to and leaving from the school campus. The School’s expectation is that representatives (nannies, drivers, etc.) will spend a minimal amount of time on campus. They may be here only to drop children off in the morning, to deliver lunches to the reception area, and again at pickup time at 2:45. PSI Security and Security Card policy information is provided on enrolment and can be accessed at any time from the PSI Security Manager: security@psi.kiev.ua Mornings Morning Arrival Time - Prior To 8:45 am Parents / parent representatives are required to accompany EC and KG students into the school campus front / main gate. Morning Arrival / Afternoon Departure Primary School students must have designated adults who are registered and responsible for dropping them off and picking them up from inside the school campus. These adults must apply for and obtain a PSI Security Card for this purpose. Early Childhood and Primary School students are not permitted to leave the campus alone or to walk out to drivers and cars unaccompanied. In addition, Primary students are not permitted to take a taxi home unless they are accompanied by their parent, Secondary sibling or an adult designated by the parents. Secondary students may arrive to and leave from campus unattended unless otherwise instructed by parents. Late Arrival to School We ask parents to ensure that all children are on campus by 8:15 a.m. in order to arrive in their homerooms no later than 8:25 am. In Primary, students who arrive late should report immediately to the Reception Desk and then go to their homerooms. In Secondary, students who arrive between 8:25 and 8:35 should go first to their homerooms, where they will be marked late. After 8:35, Secondary students should sign in at the Reception Desk and then proceed to their scheduled classes.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

School Day Limited Campus Access Times - Parent Representative Only Parent representatives (relatives, drivers, nannies, personal security staff, etc.) have limited access to the school campus between 8:45 am and 2:45 pm, daily. Parent representatives: –– Will be stopped at the front / main gate and their ‘school business’ checked –– Report to PSI Reception regarding their business in all cases when entering the campus –– Are not permitted in the general buildings and corridors during the school day, including to drop off lunches –– Are not permitted to be waiting in the general school grounds, playground or in PSI Reception during the school day Lunch Drop Off Parent representatives (relatives, drivers, nannies, personal security staff, etc.) are permitted to enter the school campus to drop off student lunches. For both the Primary and Secondary School, this is done only at PSI Reception, where a table is established and labelled for lunch drop off. Parent representatives leave lunches here and then leave the school campus without waiting. Students are responsible for taking their own containers, etc. home at the end of each school day. Early Departure from Campus We ask parents not to take their children out of school earlier than the usual dismissal time. However, if students are sick or have an appointment that cannot reasonably be scheduled at another time, students must follow the checkout procedure. In Primary, students need to be signed out at Reception. Parents should confirm their permission by email to their child’s homeroom teacher, principal and reception in Primary. The email should include the time of departure and indicate who will pick the child up. In Secondary, students must have a form signed by their classroom teacher(s) and an administrator in order to leave the campus. Parents should confirm their permission by email to their child’s homeroom teacher, principal and her PA in Secondary. The email should include the time of departure and give permission for students to leave unattended. Students at all grade levels will not be released until we have confirmed parent permission. Late Departure Afternoon Leaving Time - After 2:45 pm (Primary) Parents / Representatives are required to retrieve Primary School children from inside the school grounds and leave with them. Parents / Representatives in EC 3 and EC 4 are asked to pick up students directly from the Early Childhood Center. Staying On Campus Beyond the School Day Students who do not have Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) after school should leave campus at the end of the school day. As there is no supervision after 3:10 for students who are not enroled in an ECA, students should leave campus accompanied by their parents / representative at the end of the school day. If Primary students stay after school to play on the playground, a parent or an adult family representative must be in sight of their child(ren) at all times. Parents will be notified if their child is frequently left unattended and the child will no longer be permitted to stay later than 3:10 or their ECA. The campus is officially closed at 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Students cannot be on campus after this time without parental / family supervision. When official school programmes, special events and sporting

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

events, etc,. take place beyond 5:00 pm, a teacher or ECA leader supervises the students involved and areas of the campus being used for that event. After 5:00 pm, unattended students must remain with the PSI security staff or under their supervision in the reception area until their parents arrive to collect them. General Departure (Primary) Leaving Campus with Adults (Primary) Each Primary student should have designated adults who are responsible for picking students up from school. Those adults must submit photo identification when they have their security cards issued. They should carry their security cards at all times. On occasion, parents may want their child to go home with another adult. In that case, parents must email PSI Reception with the name of those parents and give their express permission for their child to go home with that person. If this does not happen, PSI will keep the child on campus until we are able to contact parents and confirm.

C. How does PSI Ensure Safety on Campus During the School Day? Student Welfare and Safety The safety of students is ensured through close supervision of students in all buildings and all school grounds and through special attention to the following: –– Maintaining a safe school environment –– Enforcing safe practices on the part of school personnel and students, particularly in those areas of instruction or extracurricular activities that offer special hazards –– Providing safety education for students as appropriate, including in laboratory courses in Science, Design, and Physical and Health Education classes, –– Providing prompt and competent first-aid care for children in case of accident or sudden illness. –– Providing a curriculum that addresses child safety and security Student Visitors Students not enrolled in the School must have special permission to be on campus during school hours. Permission to bring a guest must be obtained from the Secondary or Primary principal at least one day in advance. The student’s homeroom teacher should also be notified in advance. All visiting students are expected to abide by school rules and protocols. Student visitors may spend no more than two school days on PSI’s campus. Safety Protocols PSI has emergency evacuation procedures that are reviewed annually. Every classroom contains a diagram demonstrating the proper exit should an emergency occur. Teachers practice these procedures with their students and all-school emergency evacuation and lockdown drills are held each semester. It is essential that parents provide updated home and emergency addresses and contact phone numbers in the school office for use in an emergency situation. Banned Substances PSI does not permit the possession or use of alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes / vapes, or illicit drugs on campus. The School director has the right to require a student or staff member to undergo testing administered by qualified medical personnel should there be reasonable suspicion of impairment due to use of banned substances.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Medical Care The School employs a doctor and a medic who are in our first aid room, which is located on the ground floor of the Primary building. The medic is on call during school hours and during our after school activity programme. Parents are notified immediately if their child requires medical attention. PSI also employs the Borys emergency ambulance service should this be necessary. Students taking prescription, non-prescription or homeopathic medication should have a signed form on file that indicates either that they have parental permission to self-medicate or that the doctor or medic has permission to give them their medication as directed by the prescribing physician. Please speak with the doctor if your child must see her more than three times a day for medication.

D. How does PSI Work to Ensure Safety on Campus Beyond the School Week? After Hours, Weekend and Holiday Campus Use PSI families are welcome to use the outdoor and sporting facilities after hours and on weekends. Students can only be on campus if they are fully supervised by a school parent (unless they are part of an official and supervised school activity). Facilities must be booked with the school reception office, who logs these bookings with school security. Families must not enter buildings and classrooms. Booking ahead with the school staff is important, as there are often many bookings made for weekends. Families with official bookings have the priority to use the gym, football pitch and other outdoor facilities. Please note that some parts of the campus may be unavailable during holiday weeks when capital building projects are underway. Saturday Super Sports Classes Students should arrive 15 minutes before their session begins and leave within 15 minutes of the activity’s completion. Because these are official PSI activities, a teacher / tutor will be on campus to supervise the students during this period of time. Outside of this period of time, students are the responsibility (and must be supervised) by a school parent to be on campus. If this does not occur, students will remain with the PSI security staff or under their supervision in the reception area until their parents arrive to collect them. Pool Use PSI has hired two aquatics teacher assistants who also act as lifeguards and work in shifts to ensure that there is a lifeguard on duty any time that the pool is open. PSI / Litsey Track and Football Field Access to the Litsey field from PSI’s campus is prohibited unless students are accompanied by a PHE teacher, or a team coach and a security guard. The single gate that connects the two campuses is locked except when used by classes. Emergency Closures Although it is extremely rare, the school director (or her delegate) is authorised to alter the school day, schedule and / or calendar in order to respond to unforeseen circumstances beyond the school’s controls that may pose actual or potential threats to the safety or well-being of students and employees. Instructional days lost due to emergency closings may be rescheduled by the director in consultation with the Board.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

E. How does PSI Ensure Safety for Students in School-Related Off Campus Activities? Field Trips Teachers must apply to take field trips and complete a risk assessment for each trip. This includes a review of the proposed site of the trip to determine that it is safe and healthy for children, an identification of the nearest hospital, and a plan for handling emergencies. All trip leaders travel with a first aid kit and a phone. All field trips must observe a 10:1 student : teacher ratio. In addition, a PSI security guard accompanies all day trips. Other adults - including nannies, drivers and bodyguards - are not allowed on PSI field trips. Overnight Trips Teachers and coaches complete a risk assessment for all trips, as indicated above. At least two teachers accompany each trip, regardless of the size of the group. On the Week without Walls, the 10: 1 ratio is observed as a minimum requirement. At least one teacher on the trip is trained in basic first aid. All trip leaders travel with a school phone that parents may contact in an emergency. For CEESA and local league athletics, a trained medical person (doctor, nurse or emergency medical technician) is present at all games. Other adults - including nannies, drivers and bodyguards - are not allowed on PSI overnight trips.

F. What Steps has PSI Taken to Ensure that Issues of Child Protection are Appropriately Handled? Child Protective Behaviours Handbook A team of teachers, counsellors and administrators has completed a → Child Protective Behaviours Handbook . This manual provides detailed protocols for the School, parents and students to handle a range of issues related to child safety and security. We encourage you to read this manual carefully to understand your role and the School’s role in protecting children at risk. Reporting Procedures The School provides a range of options based on a variety of factors, including Ukrainian / non-Ukrainian cases, degree of risk / injury, local support services available, who the perpetrator is (school / non-school). This flowchart outlines the steps we take when a report is made.

Scheme on a next spread

Any member of the school community should immediately report suspicions of abuse, self-injury, suicidal ideation or other behaviours or statements that raise concerns for an individual’s safety / well-being. Reports should be made in person to the appropriate building principal and / or counsellor on the same day and in a timely manner (before student dismissal). At that point, the reporting person will be asked to complete the → report form. Please note that all staff members are required to report suspicions. Parents and students can complete a → safety net form through MyPSI. Once a report has been made, the school leadership works through a number of steps, outlined in the Child Protection Handbook. The School works with the family as well as with a range of outside services and support systems, including embassies, employers, social workers, psychologists and police officers.

CHILD PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOURS HANDBOOK BIT.LY/2MRHFU7

REPORT FORM BIT.LY/2YHRVRT

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

We encourage parents to attend Parent Education Tuesdays (PETs) that will be offered throughout the year to further explain the system and everyone’s responsibilities. Confidentiality Employees MUST report suspected incidents and behaviours to an administrator or counsellor. This includes all formats of communication (conversations, email, letters, written survey results, etc.). The employee is not allowed to discuss the situation with anyone beyond an administrator or school counsellor. Training PSI trains all employees in child protective behaviours protocols and asks all employees - including substitute teachers and ECA providers - to sign a code of conduct pledging to ensure child safety. Counsellors and administrators receive additional training through regional workshops provided by CEESA, the Council for International Schools and other international organisations. Counsellors provide parent workshops through the School’s Parent Education Tuesday (PET) programme. Those presentations are advertised in advance through the Friday newsletter. Educating Students The K-10 homeroom curriculum includes specific and age-appropriate instruction for all children about how they can keep themselves safe. This includes but is not limited to internet safety, ‘stranger danger,’ identifying and coping with abuse, and reporting procedures. Guardianship If both parents are out of Kyiv for more than one day, the School must be informed of a nominated guardian for their child via the appropriate building secretary. The parents must provide the name of the guardian, the address (if different than the student’s usual address) and a phone number and email of the guardian. The intent of this policy is to insure that students have adequate supervision, medical and health care, and that the school has appropriate adults to consult in case of injury, accident and / or behavioural or learning problems. Students admitted to PSI are expected to have usual and customary parent / and or guardianship supervision during their tenure at PSI. They should be domiciled with a parent or guardian over the age of 25 years who is known to the School. Guardians must be officially declared to the satisfaction of the School. If PSI school leadership determines that a student is not domiciled as described above, s/he may be withdrawn from attendance at PSI. A permanent change in guardianship should be reported to the School, or the student may be subject to withdrawal.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

In School Follow-up after Identification

Inform Parents

Inform Director

Inform Principal

Yes

Teacher

Cause for concern?

Disclosure

Counsellor

No further investigation

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

School based response team

External referral

Police or MDT

Internal support

Local students

Expatriate students

Report to authorities

Contact embassy or employer

Engage social services

Engage MDT

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Health & Safety Documents You can find all of these documents in MyPSI!

Area

Description

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Health & Safety - (Role & Responsibilities)

Crisis Management Plan

The school and community plan for a major incident or crisis

Emergency Communication Plan

How we communicate emergency situations (including school closures) to the community during a school day or after hours

Annual Emergency Drills Timeline

The plan for a range of emergency drills for each quarter of the school year

Campus Evacuation / Fire Policy

Protocols for evacuating the buildings in any emergency

Campus Lock Down Policy

Policy to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lock downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the school in an emergency regarding a security threat to the campus.

Child Protective Behaviours Handbook

Guidelines and protocols for dealing with issues related to child safety

Data Protection Protocols

A draft version will be available in the 2nd semester

G. What Steps has PSI Taken to Ensure Privacy and Digital Safety? General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) The European Union (EU) has enacted a set of guidelines and protocols to protect the privacy of all EU citizens, both at home and abroad. These laws include specific guidelines for protecting digital data. Although Ukraine has not yet adopted these regulations, PSI is aware of its responsibilities to protect the data of all members of the community. The School is working with the CEESA network of schools to develop policies and protocols to ensure that all data and images are as safe as possible. We expect there to be regular updates in the 2019 - 2020 school year as we continue implementation of these changes.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

H. How is PSI Working to Make the Campus Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable? PSI is proud of its initiative to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;go green.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The school is currently seeking to address the standards of the United Nations Committee for Climate Change. As a result, you will see many efforts on campus to make PSI more sustainable. This includes a recycling programme run by Secondary students, a composting area that serves as a teaching centre for younger students, and regular requests to bring your own plates and flatware to school-wide events like International Night in order to cut down on the use of plastic and paper plates.

PSI Primary students learn about plants and the environment.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section VIII: What are the General Guidelines for Behaviour for All Students at PSI?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. What is the School’s Philosophy About Student Discipline? Overview PSI is a place where we all belong. In order to create this atmosphere, we must have a school culture that promotes caring and acceptance. Our aim is to have a school in which all students are treated with respect and are given the opportunity to learn in an environment that is engaging, nurturing and safe. This includes students, parents and staff. Our Code of Conduct is a reflection of the PSI Core Values, which were developed with the community using a consensus model. These characteristics are embedded in all we do. They are at the heart of the PSI Behaviour Code of Conduct, because our goal is to develop students who exhibit integrity, honesty, trust, respect, empathy, tolerance, diversity, equity, inclusion, happiness, joy, and passion. We also look to the IB Learner Profile, which contains many of the same sentiments and guidelines. Action is another essential element of PSI’s culture. Students at PSI learn to take action to extend their learning and to make the world a better place. Students should understand that behaviour is an action, a choice they make, and an outcome of learning and understanding. Students should be responsible for every action and result of every action that they make. Parents can be involved by using the Core Values at home with their children. By recognising when their children are showing great behaviour or guiding them to make responsible choices, we can work together to promote self-awareness, self-efficacy and responsibility. Promoting Positive Behavior The best way to seek positive student behaviour is to actively encourage it. We do this by: 1. Modelling appropriate behaviour 2. Using praise and verbal recognition 3. Involving students in decisions that affect them 4. Having clear and consistent expectations 5. Celebrating positive behavior Clear and Consistent Expectations If students know what is expected of them, they are better able to work and play together. The rules and guidelines have been developed by students, teachers and teaching support staff. Cultural Differences We understand that there are sometimes cultural differences that influence what parents and students value and how they define ‘good behaviour’ and appropriate choices. Our goal is to remind students that they must accept PSI’s cultural norms and follow its guidelines when they are on campus or representing the school.

B. How are Students Encouraged to Make Good Choices? Student Problem Solving At the beginning of the school year, teachers and the counsellors teach and review problem-solving strategies. These are reinforced throughout the year in homerooms, other classes, assemblies and ECAs / sports. As a result, students develop the learner profile attributes, internalise the Core Values, and put them both into action.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

C. What are the Standards for Behaviour? Behaviour is judged by the extent to which the attitudes and actions of the students contribute to or restrict the effective learning in the classroom, as well as the well-being and safety of community members. The intent is to provide a cooperative, supportive and safe environment where each individual feels respected, valued, and secure. To achieve this, the following standards have been established to encourage good relationships between pupils, teachers, and parents: –– Classroom practices that encourage inclusion and respect –– A system that promotes and celebrates good behaviour –– A focus on positive reinforcement rather than negative consequences. To this end, there is in place a clear system of celebration of success. This acknowledgement system includes: –– Assemblies that focus on student learning and achievement –– Annual awards for both Primary and Secondary –– Academic and attitude awards at Secondary each semester –– Facebook postings and PSI Life magazine articles about individual and group achievements It should be noted that in case of a disagreement between staff and students regarding the suitability of consequences, school leadership makes the final decision. School-wide Classroom Expectations –– Respect others –– Engage in positive behaviours –– Be polite and helpful to all members of the community (teachers, support staff, students of all ages, parents and guests of PSI) –– Use appropriate language at all times –– Speak English as the language of the community, except in classes designed to teach or support other languages –– Ask a teacher or other staff member for help if you do not understand what you have been asked to do –– Report instances of any unacceptable behaviour Tell your teacher or another staff member if you or another student is upset or being bullied –– Be prepared for school and use your resources appropriately Have your laptop with you and use it every day Bullying New Ukrainian laws regarding bullying guide the school’s definition and response to bullying. By law, bullying is defined as follows: Any act, including the use of electronic communications, that is committed against a student and results in psychological, physical, economic or sexual harm. By its nature, bullying is a series of repeated actions, not a single event. It involves an imbalance of power, which means that there is a perceived difference in the physical development, social status, communications skills, health or mental development between the bully and the victim. It does not include disagreements (even long-standing arguments) between perceived equals, or oneoff situations. By Ukrainian law, any situation that meets this definition demands that the school administration contact local law enforcement officials. This may lead to further action from the school, including suspension or expulsion, and / or further consequences from the local police. As a result, the school works hard to educate all students and adults about what bullying is, how to avoid it, ways to support each other, and the seriousness of the consequences.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

When the School has evidence of inappropriate online communications between students, the school leadership notifies parents and provides that evidence. We ask parents to follow up on such off-campus behaviours. When those communications indicate a pattern of bullying, school leadership must act under Ukrainian law as indicated above. Please note that issues specific to each division are contained in the Primary (page 77) or Secondary (page 91) sections of this handbook

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

GUIDELINES FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS AND PARENTS Primary students and their teacher enjoy Crazy Hat Day, one of many Spirit Days held throughout the year at PSI.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section I: How Does the Day Work?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How Does the School Manage Recess and Snack Time? School Day: Our school day begins at 8:25 and ends at 3:00pm. Students should arrive at school by 8:15, and are marked late if they come in after 8:25. Family representatives, drivers and nannies can be on campus until 8:45am and again after 2:45pm when dropping off or picking up students. Parents are welcome to be on campus during the school day, but they should refrain from interrupting lessons and classes to talk with their child. Our goal is to minimise disruptions to teaching and learning for all children. If your child arrives late to school or leaves early, we ask that Early Childhood (EC) and Kindergarten (KG) parents pick up or drop off their child at their homeroom classes during the school day. Grade 1 Grade 5 students should be dropped off at security or reception to sign in and can make their own way to their classroom. Recess and Lunch Breaks The School feels it is of utmost importance for children to play outside on a daily basis. The health and academic benefits of fresh air and active play are well researched. For that purpose, there is a fifteenminute morning recess and a forty-minute lunch with recess. When weather permits, students will play in the playground behind the Primary Building; if it is raining just a bit, students play under the covered pitch. Students are watched by teachers, teaching assistants and / or school leadership during recess times. Students must stay in the play area during recess and lunch break. Recess rules prohibit pushing, shoving, or fighting of any sort. The throwing of snowballs is not permitted. When weather conditions prohibit the use of the outside play areas, Primary students remain in their homerooms under the supervision of the homeroom teacher, monitor or teaching assistant (TA). Recess and Weather There are times when children cannot play outside. PSI practice is as follows: –– Children are inside on days with heavy rain and thunderstorms. The school leadership makes the decision and informs teachers. –– Children play outside when it snows. –– If there is snow on the ground, only children with snow pants and boots (as well as mittens and hats) may play in the snow. Other children are limited to the covered pitch. –– When temperatures are between -10C and -15C, the decision to be inside or outside is based on the wind chill factor. –– Children are inside when the temperature falls below -15C Snack Time Morning snack times are determined by the homeroom teacher / grade level teams; but are typically before or after morning recess and last between 10-15 minutes. All Primary School students are asked to bring in a healthy snack for their morning snack time that takes place in their homeroom. Healthy snacks include sandwiches, fresh vegetables, cheese, yogurt, fruit and the like. Students are not to bring in chocolates, lollies, other types of candy or ‘junk food’ for snacks. Eating something healthy helps children stay focused and gives them energy to continue to work and play. Parents can also subscribe to the cafeteria’s healthy morning snack program on a monthly basis. In these cases, the cafeteria will bring a healthy morning snack to the child’s homeroom class by 9:30 AM . All students should also have a reusable water bottle that they can fill at our water dispensers around the school and throughout the day.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

B. How Much Time Does My Child Get With Specialist Teachers? Beginning in 2019 - 2020, PSI Primary school runs on a 6-day schedule. For example, Week 1 begins with Days 1 - 5. Week 2 begins with Day 6, followed by Days 1 - 4. Week 3 begins with Days 5 and 6 and then Days 1 - 3. This rotation allows the school to offer more time for literacy and numeracy instruction, as well as additional time for units of inquiry. Early Childhood Physical EducationÂ for 3 and 4 year olds: 4 x 40 minute periods per 6 day rotation Music 1 x 30 minutes per week per six day rotation Art 1 x 30 minutes per week per six day rotation Host Country Culture 1 x 30 minutes per six day rotation Kindergarten Physical Education 2 x 40 and 1 x 80 minute periods per six day rotation Music 2 x 40 minute periods per six day rotation Art 2 x 40 minute periods per six day rotation English as an Additional Language (EAL) as a push-in model 3 x 40 minutes per six day rotation Host Country Culture 1 x 40 minutes per six day rotation Grade 1 Physical Education 2 x 40 minute and 1 x 80 minute per six day rotation Music 2 x 40 minute periods a week per six day rotation Art 1 x 80 minute periods a week per six day rotation Additional Language (Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, EAL) 3 x 30 minute per six day rotation Host Country Culture 1 x 30 minutes per six day rotation Grades 2 through 5 Physical Education 1 x 40 minute and 1 x 80 minute per six day rotation Music 2 x 40 minute periods per six day rotation Art 1 x 80 minute periods per six day rotation Additional Language (Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, EAL) 6 x 40 minute per six day rotation Library and IT skills are provided to students through integrated projects and lessons. The school librarian and the IT Integration Specialist work in collaboration with grade level teams throughout the year. Children are allowed to check out books when needed or during scheduled classes.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section II: What are the Behavioural Expectations for My Child?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How are Students Encouraged to Make Good Choices? Zones of Regulaton Our Zones of Regulation programme is used throughout the whole of Primary School. Students learn to identify and regulate their emotions according to four colours: green zone means the child’s emotions are calm and s/he is ready to learn blue zone means that the child is tired, sad or not feeling well red zone means the child is angry or feeling agitated yellow zone means the child is frustrated or feeling anxious or worried. While we want all of our children to be in the green zone, there are times they will find themselves in one of the other zones. As we teach Primary students the zones, we also teach them strategies to regulate their emotions and move them from one zone to the green zone. For disagreements and smaller problems, the following steps should be followed by the students before going to an adult. Adults also guide students to use these steps before the adult intervenes to solve the problem for the student. Panther’s Choices (for KG to Grade 2) –– Talk it out - Use an ‘I message’ –– Walk away –– Ignore it –– Tell the person to stop –– Apologise –– Make a deal –– Wait and cool off –– Go to another game –– Share and take turns OR The Panther’s Win/Win Guidelines (for Grades 3-5) 1. If you are angry or upset, take a minute to cool off. 2. Tell the person how you feel and what you want using an ‘I message’ 3. Listen to the other person carefully 4. Take responsibility for your part of the problem 5. Think of solutions 6. Choose the best solution for both of you. Remember: If it’s a big problem, students should tell an adult they trust right away. (This can be the teacher on recess duty, class teacher, counsellor, or principal.) Breaking rules or engaging in totally unacceptable behaviour (physical aggression or hurtful and abusive language) may result in disciplinary action. A common approach might be a detention during lunch recess or an ECA, an in-school suspension in the principal’s office, or at times, an out of school suspension. Very serious or repeated offences can lead to expulsion. Please be reminded that the general guidelines for behaviour are on page 73.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

B. How Do Teachers and Administrators Support Students in Making Good Choices? When helping students solve problems, teachers and the principal might … –– Help students talk and listen to each other when solving a problem –– Listen to the reporting student and write a report of the incident –– Talk to the person who initiated the problem –– Remove the person(s) from the class or yard –– Send the person(s) to the principal if it is repeated or totally unacceptable behaviour –– Speak to the parents about the behaviour When dealing with problems, teachers and the primary principal will always … –– Listen to both sides of the story and all the students involved (including any observers) –– Let students know that reporting is sensible –– Work out the best way to handle the situation together with the student –– Let students know the result –– Report incidents and results thoroughly to families for their information.

C. What are The Consequences for Students Who Make Poor Choices? Level One - Inappropriate Behaviour (Classroom / Teacher Level) It is understood that children at this age are learning how to behave and interact with others outside the family. At times, children test limits or simply do not know how to make the right choice. They may get frustrated or angry and may not react in a socially acceptable way. These are called ‘inappropriate behaviours’. At Level One, all classroom teachers and specialist teachers establish their own classroom expectations, grievance procedures, and consequences.They also issue appropriate re-directions, warnings and counselling. Teachers determine whether specific behaviours are significant enough or repeated often enough that they require further action at the administrative level. Level Two - Unacceptable Behaviour (Primary Principal / Deputy Principal Level) This may include refusal / not following a staff member’s directions, physical aggression, inappropriate language, and / or repeated inappropriate behaviours. When a teacher sends a student to an administrator for a behaviour issue, the meeting is divided into two parts: Learning from our mistakes and accepting consequences for our actions. Wherever possible, consequences are meant to reinforce the behaviour that needs correcting. Consequences can vary depending on the maturity level of the child. For example, students in Grades 4 and 5 are considered old enough to refrain from physical aggression on campus at all times, so consequences are more serious. Repeated unacceptable behavior will lead to the student and his / her parents meeting with the Primary principal, after which the student may be placed on a behavioral contract. Level Three – Totally Unacceptable Behaviour (Primary Principal / Deputy Principal Level) This may include fighting, excessive physical behaviour, violence, biting, repeated harassment and / or repeated refusals to follow an adult’s instruction.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Suspension Suspensions of students, either in-school and out of school, occur for serious offenses and can vary in length. In these instances, students are immediately and officially suspended from school. An official letter of suspension is issued to the family involved. For in-school suspensions, the student must attend school but remain in the principal’s or deputy principal’s office for the day(s) the child is suspended. Teachers will give work to the student to do while suspended. For out of school suspension, the student is sent home for one or more days. This means that s/he cannot attend any school events during the time of that suspension, but s/he is expected to keep current in class work. All students involved in a discipline issue, including students who may have been frightened or harmed by another student, receive assistance from our Primary School counselor. This assistance can be in the form of individual conversations, weekly meetings, discussions among small groups of children,whole class lessons and more. In order to return to school, the parents and the child must meet with the Primary principal. The student must exhibit a willingness to return to class. A behavioural or probationary contract is developed for a period of one month / or to the rest of the school year. This is reviewed before the student moves to the next grade level. PSI reserves the right to deny enrolment to any student for the next school year if the student and / or parent does not demonstrate a commitment to and support of the child’s behavioural development. (See page 46 for our parent code of conduct.) Please note that the School reserves the right to increase the consequences listed above based on the severity of the incident and the pattern of behaviour for individual students. It is important to note that two suspensions within one calendar year may result in a referral to the school’s Expulsion Committee. Level Four – Expulsion (Primary Principal / Deputy Principal / School Director / Board Level) Expulsion of students occurs for any acts that seriously threaten the safety of students and staff and / or for repeated acts of misconduct despite other disciplinary actions. The School convenes an Expulsion Committee made up of the homeroom teacher or PYP coordinator, the principal, the director, and at least one board member. The student or parent may also request a specific teacher to serve as an advocate; this teacher is a non-voting member of the committee. Based on evidence presented and input from the parents and other teachers, the committee decides whether or not to expel. The decision to expel must be unanimous. Students who are expelled are not allowed to return to PSI at any time, either to re-enrol or to visit the campus. Examples of behaviour that may result in expulsion: 1. Violence or repeated incidents of fighting 2. Repeated refusal / defiance to follow the instructions of teachers and / or adults 3. Gross violation of the Code of Conduct above 4. Use, sale or distribution of drugs, tobacco or alcohol on campus 5. Possession of a weapon on campus 6. Other illegal acts 7. Suspension/s from the school in one calendar year NOTE: The school also reserves the right to immediately move past the first three steps for serious incidents. Under serious circumstances, the school school leadership may choose to suspend or expel without going through all the steps involved.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section III: How Does the School Celebrate and Reward Students?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. What Do I Need to Know About Student Parties and Celebrations? Birthday Celebrations In consideration of children’s feelings, we ask that printed invitations be sent to school ONLY if all the children in the class / grade (or all the boys / girls) are invited. If you are unable to accommodate large numbers for parties, please contact families privately via email or phone. If you would like the class to share in a simple, easy-to-serve birthday cake (or cupcakes) for your child, please speak to the class teacher at least three days prior to make an arrangement for the most suitable time on the lesson timetable. We aim to keep this process as simple and unobtrusive to the learning programme as possible. Please do not supply fizzy soft drink, lollies, gift / lollie bags, presents and additional food as part of these birthday celebrations at the school. Invitations are not required and will not be distributed by the teachers. Changes to the Regular Leaving Routine: Birthday Parties, Play Dates and other Special Arrangements Birthday parties are managed by parents. It is the responsibility of parents to inform the school about any changes in pick up or bus routines at the end of the day. Responsibilities: The Parent/s organising the party: Inviting Only Select Students Please be sensitive to the emotions of children who might not be invited to the party. If the entire class or grade has not been invited, please make arrangements not connected to the school. Inviting the Whole Class –– The homeroom teacher will be happy to forward the invitation for you only if you are inviting the whole class. –– Parents remind invited families to inform the school about who will be collecting their children on the day of the party. –– Parents supply the school with the list of who is attending the party so it can be double checked with security. If this list is provided in advance, Reception can make sure all parents on the list have given permission for children to leave with you. This will make the departure from school smooth and efficient. The parents of invited students: –– If your child rides the bus, email Liliya Gotvyanska, our Bus Coordinator at bus@psi.kiev.ua to inform her that on the day of the party, your child will go home with the family organising the party. Send a copy of this email to Reception and the homeroom teacher. –– If your child is picked up from school, email the homeroom teacher and inform him / her that on the day of the party, your child will go home with the family organising the party. Send a copy of this email to Reception. The school will: –– Forward any emails regarding the party to reception and / or the organising family when whole classes or grades are invited. –– Provide Security with the list of students who have confirmed parent permission to leave with the family for the party.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Assemblies Primary school assemblies are scheduled bi-weekly and all grade levels, EC3 - Grade 5 attend. Assemblies are held to give students opportunities to present their work, share what they have learnt, practice presentation skills and learn proper audience behaviour. Assemblies take place in the auditorium and parents are welcome to attend.

B. What Awards Can Students Earn in Primary? Abby Hulka Award Presented to a Grade 5 student who demonstrates the positive qualities exhibited by Abby Hulka, a fifth grade student at PSI who tragically died in a car accident in October 2001. Abby was known for her friendliness, compassion, fairness, willingness to share, excellent academic work, and a positive attitude towards others. Sportsmanship Award Presented for ability and a sense of fairness in athletics to a student in Grades 2 - 5. Ingerson Award Awarded to the EC3 - Grade 4 student who best exhibits action related to learning and the world. Sharon Ingerson was a long-serving Primary principal at PSI. The winner is chosen on the following criteria: 1. There is a direct connection between what is studied and the action taken by the student. 2. The action is self-generated and possibly not related to any class or summative work. Students are nominated by teachers. A committee of volunteers reviews the nominations and makes a decision by 1st June. The awards are presented at a whole school assembly on the last day of the school year. The recipients receive a certificate.

Grade 3 students celebrate Vyshyvanka Day

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

GUIDELINES FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS AND PARENTS

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section I: How are Students Encouraged to Make Good Decisions?

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How Does the School Help Students Balance Their Rights With Their Responsibilities? PSI expects students to work towards their full academic potential and behave in a manner that will bring respect and honour to the School, their families, their own communities and their personal development as responsible learners. It is our aim to nurture well-balanced, mature individuals who are able to take responsibility for their own actions and who will grow to be valued members of the international community. Students at PSI are encouraged to recognise that rights bring with them equivalent responsibilities. Student rights are balanced against responsibilities in the following ways:

Students have the right to

Students have the responsibility to

Learning

Learn to the best of their ability in welltaught, productive classes

Do their best work and help others do their best. This includes listening and following directions, asking for explanations when needed, disturbing no one in class, arriving to class on time, and turning in neat, carefully planned and completed work

Respect

Be happy and to be treated with understanding and respect as individuals

Respect others, treat them with understanding and not hurt their feelings

Expression

Hear and be heard and be free to express their opinions, feelings and ideas

Respect othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opinions, feelings and ideas and to listen to others

Safety

Be safe and secure in school with rules developed to support these rights

Respect othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; right to safety, treat others with the same kindness they would expect themselves, and obey school rules

Property

Bring their belongings and materials to school and utilise school materials

Look after their own possessions, respect other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property, and use and share school materials in an appropriate manner

Dress Code

Wear clothes of their choice to school without being judged by peers

Wear clothes that are decent, inoffensive, and appropriate and take care of their clothing Refrain from judging the clothing of others

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

B. How Does the Homeroom Programme Help Students Make Good Choices? All students in Grades 6 - 10 have 80-minutes per week of homeroom time, usually divided into two fortyminute blocks. One of those periods is set aside for special projects like the Week without Walls, service projects, and student portfolios. The other forty-minute block is PSI’s Personal and Social Education (PSE) programme. Students learn about and discuss important issues that are age appropriate like bullying, social relationships, dating, stress management and drug / alcohol abuse. Some of these sessions are led by homeroom teachers, others by the counsellors. In sensitive issues like reproduction and sexuality, classes are split by gender to allow for more open discussions, and Science teachers may be included. These units are all designed to help students make safe, healthy and ethical choices.

C. What is The Code of Conduct? The school leadership, board and staff at PSI expect that all members of the school community will demonstrate respect for self, others and the environment at all times. This includes any time that they are on campus and any time that they are away on school-sponsored trips. When students fail to do so, the school leadership and board reserve the right to take appropriate disciplinary action for activities that are considered detrimental to the welfare of the school, student body or individual. PSI students are subject to disciplinary action for incidents of misconduct occurring during school or while attending school-sponsored activities, whether on the school campus or off the campus. These rules include but are not limited to the following: Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism - All students are expected to maintain academic integrity with respect to their academic work. It is unacceptable to submit someone else’s work as their own work, give their work to someone else to use, copy homework, or to use notes, signal or talk during a test. It is also unacceptable to use cell phones or other devices to obtain or share information during a test. It is important to note that students who help someone else cheat are held to the same standard and the same set of consequences. 002 The IB defines academic malpractice as behaviour that results in the candidate or any other candidate gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessment components. Malpractice includes: a. Plagiarism: Representing the ideas or work of another person as the student’s own; b. Collusion: Supporting malpractice by another student, as in allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another; c. Duplication of work: The presentation of the same work for different assessment components and/or Diploma requirements; and d. Any other behaviour that gains an unfair advantage for a student or that affects the results of another candidate (for example, using a language translation device or website, taking unauthorised material into an exam room, misconduct during an exam, falsifying a CAS record, disclosure or receipt of confidential information about exams). A complete explanation of the definitions, the roles and responsibilities for all parties, the consequences and the support systems may be found in the → Secondary Academic Honesty Policy and Protocols document. bit.ly/2GNozMK

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Alcohol, Drugs or Tobacco - Possession and / or use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco or related paraphernalia (including electronic cigarettes / vapes) on campus or at school-sponsored events will result in a suspension while the school leadership considers expulsion. Students caught distributing or selling any of these items are automatically referred to the Board Expulsion Committee. Bullying – See guidelines on page 70. Closed Campus All students should carry their swipe cards with them and use them for entering and exiting the campus through the main gates only. Students who lose their cards must replace them at a small cost. Students are not allowed to leave campus and then come back in the same day. This includes the time between the end of classes and the start of ECAs. Students who leave for the day must complete the permission form and have it signed by all teachers whose classes will be missed as well as by the principal or an IB coordinator. Dishonesty - Students who do not respond honestly to teachers or administrators may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension. This includes telling deliberate falsehoods, hiding information that has been requested, or any other form of deliberate dishonesty. Displays of Affection – PSI recognises that general feelings of affection may exist between students. Public displays of affection, however, should not interfere with school life and community expectation. Students should refrain from inappropriate behaviour such as intimate and prolonged embraces and / or kissing, and similar actions on campus, school buses and school events. Repeated incidents will lead to a parent conference. Dress Code – It is important to remember that as a diverse community, expectations about dress vary widely. PSI aims to ensure that everyone on campus feels both safe and comfortable. This means that students must dress appropriately for school. Student attire should not interfere with school life and community expectation. For example, we do not accept tee shirts or other apparel that have obscene or offensive language or pictures, or any clothing that advertises alcohol, drugs or tobacco in any language. Clothing must also be safe. For example, ‘wheelie’ shoes are not appropriate in the school environment. This includes a respectful attitude toward everyone’s personal style and circumstances. Students should under no circumstances deride others who cannot afford or choose not to wear expensive designer wear or ‘the latest fashions.’ Students dressed inappropriately may be asked to wear a lab coat, to turn clothing inside out or to go home to change. The school leadership has final say in determining appropriate dress. Students must dress in full kit for all PHE classes. Electronic devices – PSI is a → Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school. All Secondary students must have their own laptops. In addition, we allow Secondary students to bring cell-phones, MP3/4 players, tablets and other devices for educational purposes. We also encourage them to bring headphones to school, as these are often used for language activities and multimedia use. Students are expected to use these devices respectfully, following the PSI → Responsible Use Agreement (RUA) which is included on MyPSI homeroom sites. This will include following guidelines established by each teacher and includes turning the devices off upon request.The students may not be on gaming sites during instructional time or ECAs. They are not monitored for lunch time, breaks or on the bus. The School does encourage students to engage in games that are age appropriate and nonviolent.

BYOD bit.ly/2YECET2

RUA bit.ly/2YuJQpr

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Students who inappropriately use electronic devices in class may have those items confiscated. A typical sequence is as follows: –– First offence: Teacher confiscates item and returns it to the student at the end of the class –– Second offence: Teacher confiscates item and turns it over to school leadership; student picks it up at the end of the day –– Third offence: Student turns it over to the principal at the start of a school day for a specified number of days; the phone or device is returned at the end of the day. Parents are contacted Fighting - Any deliberate, aggressive physical contact with another person that might result in an injury is considered fighting. ‘Play fighting’ or ‘horsing around’ can also result in injury and is also prohibited. Fighting will result in a suspension for all students involved. A severe incident and / or repeated incidents may lead to expulsion. Fighting will result in a suspension for all involved parties unless deemed otherwise by the school leadership. A severe incident and / or repeated incidents may lead to expulsion. Food - Students may have water bottles in school and in classes. Consumption of food in classrooms is by teacher discretion, but students are expected to clean-up after themselves if they bring food into the building. Lunch should be eaten outdoors, in the cafeteria or in the cafe. Students are not allowed to order food for delivery from outside suppliers without administrative approval. Drivers or other adults bringing students their lunches must take them directly to the designated table in the cafeteria, where students may pick them. Students are then responsible for taking food or food containers home with them. Inappropriate Behaviour – Teachers have the right to stop any behaviour that disrupts the learning opportunities or threatens the safety of others. Insubordination – Students are expected to follow a staff member’s directions. Laboratory Safety - Creating an unsafe situation in the Science or Design lab could harm not only the student involved but also others, and will result in disciplinary action. Late Work - It is important to consistently submit work on the assigned dates. We expect that all students who are absent will contact classmates and / or teachers immediately to determine what work they have missed; it is the student’s responsibility, not the teacher’s responsibility, to follow up after absences. For more information on attendance and turning in work, please review our attendance protocols on page 28. Grade 6 students are allowed one opportunity to turn in one late summative assessment, provided that the work is submitted at the date and time established by the teacher. As with the Academic Honesty Policy, parents will be contacted and the student’s name will be entered on a spreadsheet available to all Grade 6 teachers and to school leadership. They will not be given a second opportunity to turn in late work, even if it is for another class. In the case of excused absences (e.g., CEESA, doctor-excused medical absences), teachers will provide revised due dates that are reasonable, given the length of absence involved. Obscenities and Profanities - All students are expected to use appropriate, inoffensive language. This also refers to wording and slogans on clothing. Penalties range from parent contact to detention. Language aimed at an individual may be viewed as an act of bullying and could result in suspension. This rule applies to any languages spoken by students. Stealing – It is not acceptable for students to take what doesn’t belong to them, even as a practical joke. Students caught stealing will be given a suspension for the first offense and will need to return or

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

replace the stolen items. Repeated incidents of stealing and / or the theft of expensive items can result in expulsion. Vandalism – Destruction or desecration of school or personal property is not allowed. Students who engage in such behaviours are subject to detention or suspension, and will be asked to either reimburse the school or individual and / or assist in the repair or cleaning of damaged items. Weapons – PSI has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for weapons on campus. The School defines a weapon as any item that could be used to harm another person. It also includes ‘toy’ weapons. Students caught with a weapon on campus or at a school event are automatically suspended from school. The School reserves the right to move directly to an expulsion hearing if the situation warrants it. The school leadership reserves the right to search student lockers, backpacks and / or clothing if they have a suspicion of possession of any weapons or dangerous items on campus. Note: The school leadership reserves the right to search student lockers, backpacks and / or clothing if they have a suspicion of possession of banned substances, weapons or stolen items.

D. What Steps Does the School Take When a Student Misbehaves? Teachers handle most discipline problems. If the offense is serious enough, or in the case of repeated defiance of a teacher’s or staff member’s authority, the school leadership intervenes. Teachers track and document all cases of student misconduct serious enough to disrupt other students or the educational program. There are clear, consistent and fairly administered consequences. A typical sequence includes the following: 1. warning 2. consequence (loss of certain privileges, note home, etc.) 3. detention 4. in-school suspension / parent conference 6. out-of-school suspension / parent conference 7. expulsion The school leadership reserves the right to move immediately past the warning stage as appropriate. Under certain circumstances, school leadership may choose to suspend or move to expel without going through other steps. Suspension Suspensions of students occur for serious offenses. Suspensions can vary in length. If a student is suspended out of school, s/he cannot attend any school events during the time of that suspension, but s/ he may work with teachers to keep current in course work.

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Examples of behaviours that result in suspension include the following: Offense

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

High School (Grades 9-12)

Repeated violations of the Code of Conduct

1 – 3 day suspension

3 – 5 day suspension

Possession or use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs on campus or at a school sponsored event

1 – 3 days suspension; counseling upon return

3 – 5 days suspension; counseling upon return

Distribution or sale of alcohol, tobacco or drugs on campus or at a school sponsored event

Suspension pending a review by the Board Expulsion Committee

Repeated or flagrant defiance of teacher or staff authority

1 – 3 days in school suspension

3 – 5 days in school suspension

Serious and / or repeated acts of plagiarism or cheating

A zero on the assignment (starting with second offense) A zero on the test (starting with the first offense) Possible suspension for repeated offences

A zero on the assignment (starting with second offense) A zero on the test or exam (starting with first offense) Possible suspension for repeated offences

Theft or criminal activities

1 -3 days suspension; possible contact of local authorities

3 – 5 days suspension; possible contact of local authorities

Possession of a dangerous weapon

Suspension pending a review by the Board Expulsion Committee

Please note that the School reserves the right to alter the consequences listed above based on the severity of the incident and the pattern of behaviour for individual students. It is important to note that two suspensions within one calendar year may result in a referral to the school’s Expulsion Committee. Review Committee PSI has a review committee made up of teachers and administrators. The committee meets to discuss individual students who may meet one or more of the following terms: –– Externally suspended twice in a calendar year and / or –– A pattern of detentions and internal suspensions that have not resolved behavioural issues The committee reviews the student’s complete record - attendance and punctuality, academic achievement, attitude and application grades, teacher anecdotal information, and discipline record. Parents and the student may also choose to speak to the committee.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

The committee will make one or more of the following recommendations: –– An academic / behavioural contract that outlines specific terms for the student, his / her parents, and the school. NOTE: Students who do not adhere to the terms of the contract may also be recommended for expulsion or non-renewal. –– A recommendation for expulsion or non-renewal. These cases go to the expulsion committee (see below). The committee will reconvene at the end of each semester to determine whether the contract should be concluded, extended or revised. Students who are recommended for expulsion or non-renewal fall under the guidelines below. Expulsion Expulsion of students occurs for any acts that seriously threaten the safety of students and staff and / or for repeated acts of misconduct despite other disciplinary actions. The School convenes an Expulsion Committee made up of the homeroom teacher or appropriate IB coordinator, the director and at least one Board member. The student may also request a specific teacher to serve as an advocate; this teacher is a non-voting member of the committee. Based on evidence presented and input from the parents and other teachers, the Committee decides whether or not to expel. The decision to expel must be unanimous. Students who are expelled are not allowed to return to PSI at any time, either to re-enrol or to visit the campus. Students who are not expelled are placed on a behaviour contract that is reviewed quarterly for at least one calendar year. The committee may also opt not to renew a student’s enrolment at the end of the school year. Examples of behaviour that may result in expulsion: 1. Sale or distribution of drugs, tobacco or alcohol on campus 2. Violence or repeated incidents of fighting 3. Gross violation of the Code of Conduct or repeated defiance of school rules and authority 5. Possession of a weapon 6. A referral from the Review Committee

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Section II: How Does the School Celebrate and Reward Success?

100

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

A. How Does the Secondary School Celebrate Student Work and Success? Students in the Secondary Student Council organise and run monthly assemblies to celebrate student work and effort. Each month, students are recognised for their participation in athletics, competitions and ECAs. Student performances are often showcased, and student learning shared with the larger group. Most assemblies are held for Grades 6 - 10 MYP students. In January and June, the School holds Grade 6-12 Honours Assemblies to acknowledge students who have demonstrated excellence in application, attitude and / or academics.

B. What Awards Does the Secondary School Give? Semester Awards Honour Role Students receive Honour Roll recognition if they achieve the following: –– Grades of 5, 6 or 7 in every course –– An A or B in TOK for Grade 11 and 12 –– A satisfactory or above in ungraded courses (e.g., EAL) –– Satisfactory completion of CAS / Service Learning requirements –– Satisfactory for works in progress and A or B on Extended Essay; a 5, 6 or 7 on Personal Project upon completion of those projects –– No Attitude and Application grade below a B –– For DP only: As above plus a minimum of 30 points overall High Honour Roll Students receive High Honour Roll recognition if they achieve the following: –– Grades of 6 or 7 in every course –– An A or B in TOK for Grade 11 and 12 –– A satisfactory or above in ungraded courses (e.g., EAL) –– Satisfactory completion of CAS/C&S requirements –– Satisfactory for works in progress and A or B on Extended Essay; a , 6 or 7 on Personal Project upon completion of those projects –– No Attitude and Application grade below a B –– For DP only: As above except a 5, 6 or 7 in every course plus a minimum of 36 points overall NOTE: In the first quarter of a student’s move from Standard to Extended Maths or up a phase in MYP Language Acquisition, the School accepts a 4 in that subject for Honours and a 5 in that subject for High Honours. However, the attitude grade still counts towards the honours certificate. Application and Attitude Grade Awards At the end of each semester, students who achieve only A and B marks in this category receive a certificate that recognises sustained commitment and a positive attitude regardless of the student’s natural flair or ability. These grades are based on the following criteria: –– Completing tasks punctually: The student completes homework, assessments and group projects on time. Students who are absent submit the work by e-mail or contact the teacher ahead of time to discuss any difficulties they have meeting the deadline.

101

24 Ukraine Independence Day Holiday September 18 – 22 Secondary ‘Week Without Walls’ P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

October 13 Last Day Prior To Holidays –– Working independently and taking personal responsibility: The student is organised, comes prepared14,16 Ukraine Defender’s Day Holiday for class, completes homework, manages time effectively and shows initiative when appropriate. The16 – 20 Fall Holiday Break 23 School Resumes

student is reflective about his or her actions and tries to learn from mistakes.

November 24 Staff Professional Day – No School

–– Demonstrating commitment and a positive attitude: The student makes positive contributions in class, works diligently at all times, shows motivation, and enthusiasm towards his / her studies. TheDecember student also shows perseverance in the face of difficulty. 15 Last Day Prior To Holidays

18 Dec – 8 Jan Winter Holiday Break

–– Demonstrating respect for self: The student has good attendance and punctuality to school and to January each class. S/he takes responsibility for his/her actions, behaves in a responsible and mature manner, 1 New Year’s Day 7 January Orthodox Christmas and demonstrates integrity in his/her work.

8 January Orthodox Christmas Holiday 9 School Resumes –– Working respectfully and productively in whole and small groups: The student is courteous, works 26 January End of 1st Semester

collaboratively, and shows respect for the learning environment and everyone’s right to learn.

February 16 Last Day Prior To Holidays NOTE: Students with 20 or more unexcused absences cannot earn above a C overall in Application and 19 – 23 Half Semester Break 26 School Resumes: Attitude and are therefore ineligible for Honours or High Honours awards. 26 Accreditation Visiting Team Week

Learner Profile Awards On a monthly basis, PSI Secondary School focuses on a new learner profile trait. Students and staff can nominate students in Grades 6 - 8, 9 - 10, and 11 - 12, and provide examples of how the student exemplifies the trait. Awards are presented at the monthly assemblies. Year-End Awards In addition to the awards listed above, the second semester awards include:

March 8 Women’s Day Holiday 29 Last Day Prior To Holidays 30 Good Friday Holiday 30 March – 9 April Spring Holiday Break April 1 Easter Sunday 8, 9 Orthodox Easter 10 School Resumes 30 Staff Professional Day – No School

Departmental Awards Each department acknowledges students in Grades 6 -8, 9 - 10 and 11 - 12. These are not necessarily for May 1 – 2 May Day Holiday the highest performing students. They are designed to recognise students who consistently demonstrate 9 Victory in Europe Day Holiday one or more of the learner profile traits. 28 Holy Trinity Day Holiday June Roman Jacobi Award 22 Last Day Of The School Year This award is named after PSI’s first graduate and is presented to a Grade 6 – 10 male student who has 28 Constitution Day demonstrated outstanding effort and achievement in the IB Middle Years Programme.

Lady Claire Asquith Award This award is named after one of our founding parents and is presented to a Grade 6 – 10 female student who has demonstrated outstanding effort and achievement in the IB Middle Years Programme. Rowland Jepson Award This award is named after PSI’s first DP coordinator and is presented to a student of either gender in Grade 11 or 12 for outstanding effort and achievement in the IB Diploma Programme. Luis and Alexandra Baqueriza Award This award is named after one of our founding families and is given to a student of any grade level (6-12) or gender for outstanding commitment to community service.

102

Academic School Year Calendar 2019 / 2020 August 16 New Family Orientation Day 19 First Day Of The School Year 24 Ukraine Independence Day Holiday (public holiday on Aug 26) September 16 - 20 ‘Week Without Walls’ - Secondary October 11 Last Day Prior To Holidays 14 Ukraine Defender’s Day Holiday 14-18 Fall Holiday Break 21 School Resumes November 15 Staff Professional Day - No School for Students December 20 Last Day Prior To Holidays 23 - 10 Winter Holiday Break 31 Public Holiday January 1 New Year’s Day 7 January Orthodox Christmas 13 School Resumes 22 End of the 1st Semester February 21 Last Day Prior To Holidays 24-28 Midwinter Holiday Break March 8 Women’s Day Holiday (public holiday on March 9) April 17 Good Friday Holiday 19 Orthodox Easter Sunday ( public holiday on April 20) 27-1 Spring Holiday Break May 1 May Day Holiday 4 School Resumes 9 Victory in Europe Day Holiday (public holiday on May 11) 12 Staff Professional Day No School for Students June 8 Holy Trinity Day 19 Last Day Of The School Year 28 Constitution Day (public holiday on June 29)

August 2017 Sun

Mon

Tue

4 5 6 11 12 13 18 19 20 25 26 27

Total: 9

Wed

Thu

7 14 21 28

1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22 23 24 29 30 31

Fri

September 2019 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Sat

Total: 21

Thu

Fri

February 2020 Sun

2 9 16 23

Mon

3 10 17 24

Tue

4 11 18 25

Wed

5 12 19 26

Total: 15 Thu

6 13 20 27

Fri

Sat

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

March 2020

Total: 21

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

October 2019 Sun

Mon

Total: 18

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

November 2019

Total: 20

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

December 2019 Tue

Total: 15

April 2020 Sun

Mon

Total: 17

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

5 6 7 12 13 14 19 20 21 26 27 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

May 2020 Sun

Mon

Total: 18

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

3 4 5 10 11 12 17 18 19 24 25 26 31

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

June 2018

Sun

Mon

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 8 15 22 29

2 3 4 9 10 11 16 17 18 23 24 25 30 31

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 29 30

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

January 2020 Sun

5 12 19 26

Mon

6 13 20 27

School day

Total: 15

Mon

Total: 14

July 2018

Total: 0

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

Public/school holiday

School holiday

Total anualy: 182

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

WHOLE SCHOOL GLOSSARY

104

Term

Definition

ACER

The Australian Council for Educational Research, from whom the School gets both its standardised tests for Grades 3-8 and its admissions tests for Secondary School

AGM

The Annual General Meeting, which is open to all members of the School community who wish to hear a summary of the School’s progress against its strategic goals, as well as to hear announcements for the next year, including the election of new Board members

CEESA

Central and Eastern European Schools Association - a coalition of schools in this region that provide athletic and academic activities for Secondary students as well as professional development and support for teachers

CIS

Council for International Schools, one of the School’s accrediting organisations

Differentiation

Planning for different learning needs and styles

EAL

English as an Additional Language

ECA

Extra-curricular activities - A programme for students that provides them with opportunities to explore the arts, sports, IT, games, academic enrichment and leadership beyond the classroom

ELT

Educational Leadership Team (director, principals, deputy principals, IB coordinators)

GDPR

The European General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) provide strict guidelines that help ensure that student, staff and parent information - in print or digitally - is kept secure and private.

HOD

Head of Department

International Baccalaureate, one of the School’s accrediting organisations and the base of the School’s curricular programmes

ISA

International Schools Assessment provides tests in English reading and writing as well as mathematics for students in Grades 3-8, given each February

Information Technology

Learner Profile - a key component of the IB that focuses on student attitudes towards self and others. A list of the terms and their definitions is included in all major handbooks

LRT

Learning Resource Team, usually the appropriate building principal and counsellor, along with the learning resource teacher. This team meets weekly to discuss students at risk in order to create strategies to support their social, emotional and academic growth

MAP

Measure of Academic Progress, an on-line test for students in reading and mathematics given twice a year to students in Grades 3-8.

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Term

Definition

Mother tongue

The language(s) learned first; the language(s) identified with as a ‘native’ speaker; the language known best; the language used most

Management Team - Educational Leadership Team (see above) plus Business Manager and IT director

MyIB

My IB is the International Baccalaureate’s new central location for IB resources and applications. You can access the services you use with one username and password.

MyPSI

MyPSI is where parents go to look at their student’s grades (secondary), report cards and standardized testing results

NEASC

New England Association of Schools and Colleges, one of the School’s accrediting organisations

OCC

The On-Line Curriculum Centre is an IB resource for teachers and administrators

OPI

The On-line Placement Inventory is the assessment tool in maths and English used for Secondary student admissions

Professional Assistants, who support the two Principals and the Director

PE / PHE

Physical Education or Physical and Health Education - a part of the EC - Grade 10 curriculum focusing on sports, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle

PRC

The International Baccalaureate’s Programme Resource Centre- an online password protected part of MyIB where teacher resources are accessible.

PSI

Pechersk School International

PTC

Parent teacher conferences, held in both Primary and Secondary

SEN

Special Educational Needs

SLC / SLS

Student-led conferences or student-led showcases, held in both Primary and Secondary. Students present to parents their online and paper portfolios showcasing what and how they have learnt

Teaching Assistants, who provide support in the classroom for Primary teachers and some Secondary departments

Teaching Support staff, who provide clerical support for teaching and administrative staff

105

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

PRIMARY SCHOOL / PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME Term

Definition

Additional Language (Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish)

B.D.P.E.

Beginning, Developing, Proficient, Extending - descriptors for reporting to parents and students

Central Idea - the overarching conceptual understanding in the Unit of Inquiry

Early Childhood (ages 3 - 5 years old)

HTTW

How the world works. One of six transdisciplinary themes

HWEO

How we express ourselves. One of six transdisciplinary themes

HWOO

How we organise ourselves. One of six transdisciplinary themes

Kindergarten, the programme for five-year-olds (before Grade 1)

POI

Programme of Inquiry, consisting of the 6 units of inquiry implemented in each child’s classroom during one school year

PSPE/ PHE

Personal, Social and Physical Education - one of the six subject areas in the PYP, Physical Health Education- interchangeable term as PE department is whole school

PYP

The Primary Years Programme

Social studies. One of the six subject areas in the PYP

SST

Single Subject Teachers. These are Additional Language teachers (Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, EAL), Music, Visual Arts and Physical Education teachers

STP

Sharing the planet. One of six transdisciplinary themes.

Transdisciplinary theme. The Programme of Inquiry has 6 transdisciplinary themes under which the School develops its Programme of Inquiry. Each grade has units under each theme, except for 3-5 year olds (EC), who have four units each year.

UOI

Unit of Inquiry. This is the 4-6 week long unit of study in each child’s classroom

WWA

Who we are. One of six transdisciplinary themes

WWAPT

Where we are in place and time. One of six transdisciplinary themes

YAAG

Year at a glance document that outlines all of the planned learning in each child’s classroom this year

For more information about the IB PYP in general, visit the IB PYP website. For more info about the PYP at PSI, visit the PSI website page 106

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

SECONDARY SCHOOL / MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME Term

Definition

Achievement Level

The mark given to indicate that the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work matches the corresponding descriptor.

Alignment

Agreement in principle and practice among the written curriculum, the taught curriculum and the assessed curriculum

ATL

Approaches to Learning are concerned with the development of thinking skills, strategies and attitudes and the ability to reflect on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own learning

Articulation

The logical progression of learning objectives from year to year (vertical) and during an academic year (horizontal)

Assessment criteria

The standards on which student work is evaluated in all subject areas and in the Personal Project

Assessment rubric

A grid that contains levels and descriptors

Assessment strategy

The method or approach that teachers use when gathering information about student learning, for example, observation, open-ended tasks, selected responses

Assessment task

The activities that students do and that teachers evaluate

Assessment tool

The term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. It may also refer to the device teachers use to measure and record assessment information and data collected, for example, anecdotal records

Criterion-related assessment

An assessment process based on determining achievement levels against previously agreed criteria. MYP assessment is criterion-related

Curriculum framework

An organised plan for teaching and learning.In the MYP, the curriculum framework includes conceptual understanding, global contexts, approaches to teaching and approaches to learning, and significant content across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Descriptors

Achievement level descriptors describe the differences in student accomplishment for each assessment criterion and correspond to the achievement level that should be awarded

E-Assessment

On-line testing and assessment that will lead to MYP Certification. This process should begin at the end of the 2015-16 school year for Grade 10 students only.

107

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

108

Term

Definition

Formative assessment

Ongoing assessment aimed at providing information to guide teaching and improve student performance. This work is not graded but is reviewed and used to prepare students for the summative assessments.

Global engagement

Inquiring, acting and reflecting on global challenges in local, national and international dimensions

Grade boundary

The lowest and highest criterion levels totals corresponding to a particular holistic grade.

Horizontal planning/ horizontal articulation

Planning horizontally involves a team of teachers of the same grade level working together to plan for learning.

IB MYP certificate

IB-issued certificate that signifies the successful completion of requirements for the programme; accompanied by IB MYP course results

IB MYP course results

Official IB document that provides a record of successful examination and/or ePortfolio grades for MYP e-Assessment candidates who do not attain the IB MYP certificate.

Interdisciplinary

Combining or involving two or more branches of learning or fields of academic study. In the MYP, interdisciplinary study can be developed both within and between/among subject groups.

Internal assessment

The assessment of a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work that is carried out by a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teacher(s)

Internal standardisation

The process by which all teachers in a department develop and ensure a common understanding and application of criteria and descriptors

MYP

The IB Middle Years Programme designed for students between the ages of 11 and 16 years

Objective

The skills, knowledge and understandings that are addressed in each course/project and based on the assessment criteria.

Personal Project (PP)

The Personal Project is the culmination of the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in the MYP and shows their experience of ATL and global contexts. It is completed in the final year of the programme.

Personal Project Supervisor

The member of staff within a school who is responsible for working directly with the student on the completion of the personal project.

SAS

Student Academic Support - the combination of class time and pullout time that we use to support students with identified needs

P A R E N T/ S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K

Term

Definition

Service & Action

Through responsible action, tightly connected with sustained inquiry and critical reflection, young people and adults can develop the kinds of attributes described by the learner profile that are essential for success in future academic pursuits and for adult life.

SWW

The School-wide write is a PSI assessment tool to evaluate student writing in Grades 6 - 10. It is given twice a year; students and teachers then set goals for writing improvement.

Unit

A series of lessons, focused through a statement of inquiry and inquiry questions, designed to help students achieve some of the objectives of an MYP subject group.

Vertical planning/vertical articulation

The goal of vertical planning is to sequence learning (in terms of subject‑group objectives and ATL) to ensure continuity and progression from year 1 to year 5.

For more information on the MYP in general, please visit the → IB MYP website. For more information about the MYP at PSI, please visit the → PSI MYP website page.

IB MYP WEBSITE ibo.org/myp

PSI MYP WEBSITE PAGE BIT.LY/2YCNJNY

PSI SECONDARY SCHOOL / IB AND PSI DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES Term

Definition

CAS

Creativity, Activity, and Service - a required part of the DP

Certificates

Students not taking or earning the full IB Diploma can earn separate certificates for every successfully completed DP course

Core

The Core of the IBDP includes the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge Course, and CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service).

IB Diploma Programme for students ages 16-19 (Grades 11 and 12)

109

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Term

Definition

The Extended Essay, a required part of the DP - a 4000 word, in-depth study in one subject or an interdisciplinary topic.

Group

Subject courses are placed in groups depending on the field: (1) Studies in Language and Literature, (2) Language Acquisition, (3) Individuals and Societies,(4) Science,(5) Mathematics, and the (6) Arts.

Higher Level course (240 hours of instruction time). Students must take a minimum of three courses at HL to qualify for the full IB Diploma.

IB Diploma

Students who successfully meet all requirements of the Diploma Programme earn a diploma from the IB.

Internal Assessment (IA)

A piece of subject work that is internally assessed and externally moderated

PSI Courses

Students not taking courses at DP level can earn credit toward graduation from PSI by taking courses designed, taught and assessed by PSI.

PSI Diploma

All students who successfully meet the graduation requirements of PSI earn a PSI Diploma. Students may also earn IB certificates or the full IB Diploma in addition to this award. The PSI Diploma meets international accreditation standards.

Standard level course (150 hours of instruction time. Students on the full IB Diploma normally take three SLs.

SSST

School Supported Self-Taught Language A courses offered/supported by PSI in Group 1 of the Diploma Programme.

TOK

Theory of Knowledge - a required course for the full IB Diploma that is also embedded into all subject areas

Transcripts

A record of all semester grades earned from Grades 9-12. This document is usually requested by North American universities as part of the admissions process.

For more information about the IB Diploma Programme in general, please visit the â&#x2020;&#x2019; IB Diploma Programme website. For more information about the DP at PSI, please visit the â&#x2020;&#x2019; PSI DP website page.

IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME WEBSITE BIT.LY/33CHDCC

110

PSI DP WEBSITE PAGE BIT.LY/2YOHKWC

P E C H E R S K S C H O O L I N T E R N AT I O N A L

112