The Eagle Beat
September 16, 2022
September:
19-28 MAP Testing
30 SO Assemblies
October:
1 SAT 8 AM – 1 PM
4 PSG and Director Coffee 9AM
11 Pre-School Assembly 9 AM
12 PSAT 9AM
13 End of Quintile 1
13-14 Parent/Teacher Conferences – Half Day
17-21 Fall Break – NO SCHOOL
Director's Message
Dear Parents,
We had another fabulous week at BIS. From the Saturday Play date last weekend to our school spirit Character Dress Up Day, our school campus is alive with social activities. It is so nice to start the year strong with social events coming back.
We are sorry to inform you that the beach clean-up event was moved to next weekend. When we receive more details on the event from the organizer, we will send out updated information. We hope people will still be able to attend next weekend.
Our campus is starting the junior sports program this Saturday. For those that are interested, please refer to the advertisement in this newsletter. My own sons participate in this program; I will see you this weekend on the field.
I am happy to announce that we have 8 student volunteers to help select the updated eagle logo for BIS. We had student volunteers asking to help from the 7-year-old class to the Secondary section. This is exciting to have a wide range of student representatives. We will meet sometime next week to review and discuss the choices. We are still seeking a parent volunteer to join us in the process. If you are interested, please contact me at brian-garner@qsi.org.
We are aware that the border conflict has resurfaced recently. Our school counselor is always monitoring the mental health and stress levels of our students. Please let Mr. Lewis know if your child is beginning to show any signs of stress or worries because of recent news. Should the conflict continue, our counselor will share some resources to help navigate any conversations that may be occurring at home. Our goal at school is to make sure the children are mentally healthy so they can focus on their studies.
Lastly, safety is always a priority at BIS. I’d like to let the community know that we completed our lock down drill this week. The lock down drill is used in case there is an external or internal threat to the campus. All students and staff completed the drill in under 3 minutes. In addition to regularly practiced drills, our school completes a thorough safety inspection 3 times a year. The first for this year will be completed by October 1. The inspection includes a review of all parts of the facilities, safety procedures and record-keeping methods.
If you have any questions regarding the newsletter or other matters concerning your child’s education or safety, please do not hesitate in contacting me.
I wish everyone a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Dr. Garner
A note from the Director of Instruction
Next week is the start of MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments. We will have further trainings on MAP assessments and how to interpret them. These are not high-stakes, competitive tests. These tests are adaptive to accommodate each student's individual level.
Below is a link from NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) regarding common parent questions about the MAP assessments. There is also a link for students to practice taking a MAP test. The username is grow and the password is also grow.
Katie Holmquist
Counselor's Corner
The Blackboard & White Chalkboard Class in Action--4YOC
Children learn well when they can talk, move, sing, and interact with others. Therefore, time-honored preschool practices such as “All About Me” and “Circle Time” never lose their appeal – for teachers or children.
This year we started with 15 students. Every day during Circle Time, we have a Star Student that shares his/her favorite toy, book, song, snack, and family picture with his/her classmates. This activity helps our children to get to know each other better, increase their vocabulary, and be more confident in front of people while talking about or describing their favorite things.
All our kids are so excited to bring in something that belongs to them and to be honored the entire day.
Shared reading and singing experiences are essential for literacy development. They are powerful tools because they build on the fundamental idea that children are active, social learners, capable of participating in the “reading” of familiar stories.
Motivation to learn is an important contributor to school readiness and success.
When children are curious and want to learn, they do!
From Mrs. Saada,
Pre-K Teacher
Absences
PSG Team Members
Adult Soccer
Dear parents and teachers,
My name is Erkan Eyvaz, and I am the father of two girls attending BIS as well as the husband of the secondary teacher Caitlin Eyvaz. I would like to organize THURSDAY nights 8pm to 9pm or 9pm to 10pm FUN SOCCER NIGHTS at the school’s soccer stadium.
Any grownup (men and women) can join. If you are interested, please contact me. We can also discuss day and time if Thursdays do not work for most people interested.
Email: erkaneyvaz5@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +994 505 789 041
Thank you,
Erkan Eyvaz
Saturday Sports are starting!
Lunch Menu for September 19-23
BIS Important Contacts
School phone number: +994 12 440 66 16
Director of Instruction: Katie Holmquist- katherine-holmquist@baku.qsi.org
Counselor: Michael Lewis- michael-lewis@baku.qsi.org
Business Manager: Parviz Hasanov- parviz-hasanov@baku.qsi.org
Secretary: Gunay Ibrahimli- gunay-ibrahimli@baku.qsi.org
Nurse: Sevda Kerimova- sevda-kerimova@baku.qsi.org
Security/Bus: Hayyam- hayyam-gadjiyev@baku.qsi.org
Lunch: Natavan Hatemi- natavan-hatemi@baku.qsi.org
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.
Instagram Nametag
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