The Eagle Beat
September 3, 2021
September:
9: Virtual Parent Coffee: Child Protection Curriculum
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
Welcome Back Secondary 3 and 4
This picture shows 6 students together in a classroom. This might not seem like a big deal, but for us it’s huge! These are our Secondary 3 and 4 students. Most have not been in a classroom with other students and their teachers since February of 2020. Even when other students were allowed on campus last year, these students had to continue working remotely.
They were each asked to briefly reflect on what their return was like:
“It feels good to be back.”
“I feel very thankful to be back in the classroom and to be able to interact with others.”
“I’m glad to be back to class, yet it’s a little hard re-adjusting to schedules, as we could just eat whenever we felt like it, etc. I mean online school was comfortable and it was easier to go out with your friends, however in terms of school work, last year was a disaster, So yeah I’m glad to be back.”
“After a year and a half of online school, it definitely felt refreshing to be back on campus, interacting with friends and working in a physical classroom.”
“While I miss being able to never have to change out of my pajamas, being in school and able to talk to people made me more sociable again. And it's a lot easier to concentrate and keep up with lessons face to face.”
“It feels good to be back.” (Yes, two students said the same thing).
Virtual Open House
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.
COVID Passports
Thank you for your cooperation.
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
Lunch Menu for Sept. 6-10
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