The Eagle Beat
September 10, 2021
September:
13: PSG meeting in the auditorium
13-Oct. 22: MAP Testing
October
2: SAT Exam
5: Parent Coffee: MAP Testing
6: College Night for S1-S4 Students and Parents
14-15: Parent-Teacher Conferences
16: PSAT
18-22: Fall Break
Areas of the Pre-K Classroom
This month, we started our first unit My School and Me. The students finally are settled and ready to learn and explore new things.
The preschool classroom environment at BIS is divided into several learning areas, arranged to have different functions for the children. The main learning areas in Pre-K display materials that our students work with. The Sensorial activities develop their Fine Motor skills. These activities are extremely important at this age and will help them with using all of the writing tools, such as pencil, marker, and paintbrush. There are also Literacy, Mathematics, and Cultural Studies/Science areas in the classroom. In addition to these curriculum areas, there are other spaces that are equally important to the children’s daily routine: Art, Library, Dramatic Play, and blocks areas. As we all know, kids learn when they play.
The prepared environment in the classroom helps the children in their physical and psychological growth, exploration, and development. It is proven that they are capable of learning more in the preschool stage than in any other life stage. The young children absorb a huge amount of information through their senses, while developing motor and cognitive skills.
4 YOC Teacher,
Saada Talishinskaya.
MSA Planning Committee
As many of you know, BIS is proudly accredited through the Middle States Association. The process has evolved so that all QSI schools are now being accredited as part of a single system. According to MSA:
A required component of the protocol is the establishment of a school level Planning Team that reflects the community of stakeholders at both the system and component school levels.
The primary functions of the school level Planning Team are to:
Develop the vision for the school by reaffirming the statement of Mission;
Conduct periodic reviews of the progress being made towards achieving the improvement objectives.
Teachers, administration and staff are a part of this team. Parents and students are important stakeholders in this school, though, so we need to include your voices. Any parent or Secondary I-IV student interested in joining this important process can email Tim Ulrich at tim-ulrich@baku.qsi.org to volunteer or request more information.
This year we will have one meeting in early October to review and discuss the Mission, the Action Plans, and our adherence to MSA’s 12 Standards. We will then meet annually in late May to review the progress made during each school year.
There are no obligations outside of this, though we may provide you with a bit of reading prior to the meetings. We hope that our volunteers will remain on the team for the duration of their time at BIS. Even if you know you’ll only be here for a year, though, we still welcome you to join.
Counselor's Corner
A long time away from the classroom has caused many students to forget about a very important topic—hygiene. Part of being inside a classroom requires students and staff to be in relatively close proximity to one another. This means students’ personal hygiene choices can directly impact not only themselves but those around them. Many students are going through bodily changes known as puberty which causes an increase in production from your sweat glands for both male and female students, or they have simply forgotten those necessary, daily hygienic practices after so much time at home. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that with increased covid measures students are no longer changing clothes for physical education.
So, what can we do to help combat this problem? Please follow daily hygienic practices such as brushing your teeth regularly, showering daily, wearing clean clothes to school, and applying and reapplying deodorant as needed, especially after physical activity. It is important to note that there is a difference between deodorants, antiperspirants, and body sprays/perfume/colognes. Deodorants work by using antimicrobial properties that reduce the number of bacteria producing odor as well as giving a fresh scent. Antiperspirants work by blocking your bodies sweat-producing glands, causing you to sweat less in the areas it is applied. Finally, body sprays and perfumes definitely add a fresh scent to the body, but they only cover body odors rather than stopping them at the source.
BIS Registration with Ministry of Education
School Registration
BIS is currently in the process of obtaining full registration with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Education. The school started this process almost two years ago, but due to COVID and the closures of many of the relevant offices, we were only able to complete the preliminary stages of registering the school. We have now been approved to move forward with the formal registration process.
Why are we seeking registration? Over the past few years, QSI has made a push to ensure that all schools in the organization are registered with the local government. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to operate in Baku without registration. Registration will have benefits for BIS, including visas for foreign teachers, and support and assistance from the Ministry of Education.
What is the process? There are three key components for the registration process. Firstly, all QSI curriculum and Azeri language, geography, and history curriculum must be approved by the Ministry of Education. Second, all teachers' certifications must be validated by the Ministry of Education. Lastly, the facilities must be approved for all aspects of student life.
What changes might you see at school? We will be working with the Ministry of Education on Azeri language, history, and geography courses, which are expected to be offered to local students only. As we get more information about the curriculum requirements, we will inform the community. Additionally, the school cannot operate the cafeteria under a school license, so it will be contracted out to an independent company in the coming months. Vagif will be staying on to help with the transition.
Regulations about the registration process change from time to time, but BIS is working with the QSI legal team and a local law firm to ensure the registration process is handled professionally and in compliance with all local laws.
Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum: Information from Parent Coffee
- The Right to be Safe
- Relationships
- Recognizing and Reporting Abuse
- Protective Strategies
More information about each of these focus areas is below.
Saturday Soccer for Elementary Students: Mr. Otanwa!!
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year. We are excited to have all our students on campus.
As you are all aware, sports activities have been frozen for schools (interscholastic) to minimize the spread of Covid-19 virus.
The school plans to offer soccer for Elementary students from 4-10 years old. Below is the planned practice schedule.
8, 9 and 10 years old will be in a pod and practice together. 9:00-10:00
6 and 7 years old will be in a pod and practice together. 10:00-11:00
4 and 5 years old will be in a pod and practice together. 11:00-12:00
Practices are planned for Saturdays beginning on Sept 11th.
The activities will be suspended if the school is closed due to lockdown or if there are changes in guidelines from the government about students’ participation in interscholastic sports.
The cost of participation is listed below:
• $ 100 per term.
• $ 250 per year if paid in full by September 30th.
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns in respect of this message. You can contact me on my email address: john-otanwa@baku.qsi.org.
Thank you.
Sporting Regards,
Mr. Otanwa
BIS School Calendar for 2021-22
Lunch Menu for Sept. 13-17
Parent Support Group (PSG)
How do I stay informed about PSG?
PSG has a WhatsApp group that all parents are welcome to join. This group is used to communicate information as well as gather feedback throughout the year.
Please use the link below or the QR code to join the group.
Want to stay connected with BIS?
BIS WhatsApp Group
This group will be used strictly to communicate general information from BIS to parents. Announcements, updates, reminders, and the weekly newsletter will be sent via this group.
The group is set up as a one-way communication tool, so participants only receive messages but can not respond in the group. This allows BIS to communicate information without the distraction of numerous responses.
To join the BIS WhatsApp group, use the link below or the QR code.
Baku International School
Email: baku@qsi.org
Website: baku.qsi.org
Location: Darnagul Qasabasi Str. Ajami Nakchivani Block 3097 (1.94 mi) Baku, Azerbaijan AZ1108
Phone: +994 12 440 6616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qsi.baku