The Eagle Beat
November 18, 2022
November:
22 Thanksgiving lunch at BIS
23-25 Professional Development – NO SCHOOL
December
2 SO assemblies
- 12:50 MS/Sec
- 3:15 Elementary
2 Drama Performance 6 PM
6 PSG and Director Coffee 9AM
9 Winter Program 6 PM
14 Aristocats performance 3pm
16 Half Day – 12 PM Dismissal
16 End of Quintile 2 & Term 1 Ends
19 - Jan 6 Winter Vacation – NO SCHOOL
Director's Message
Dear QSI Community,
We had another fantastic week at BIS. From book sales to sports tournaments, our campus was hopping with activity.
I want to give a big thanks to the PSG for the awesome movie night that was arranged last Friday. It was a blast to see students and parents enjoying the movie. I’d like to let people know that the next PSG meeting will be on December 6th at 9 AM. Dr. Jason Craig will join the upcoming PSG meeting. He is a former BIS Director and currently the regional supervisor for this QSI region. He will be in Baku from December 5th to December 7th. It will be great to have him visit and see all other great projects/events the school has resurrected after COVID.
We are very excited to share that our secondary students are starting to work on a community service project. This project is entirely student organized and supported. You will start to see advisements about a “Giving Tree Project”. The secondary students are working with a student organization, called Change Makers, and a local Azerbaijanian organization, LU-MUN Holding. For those that may not have heard of LU-MUN Holding, their mission statement is “to create and revive national wealth in harmony with nature and humanity. At the core of our activities is a belief in the importance of the creation process.” More information on this organization can be found at http://lmh.az/ . Again, this is created, planned, and driven by students (the only support the school provides is a chaperone to make sure students safe and protected). We are proud of our students who are helping our community to support Azerbaijan.
Making sure that your child is safe at BIS is our highest priority. Because of this priority, I wanted to share with you the nurse’s office line of communication for when a student has to visit the nurses' office. Below this letter, you will see a flow chart that explains how communication from the nurse’s office will occur. The flow chart was designed to deliver information to guardians about the medical care issued to students, in a timely manner within an archivable format. In addition, the steps that are used are also designed to maximize the nurse's time so that she can spend the majority of her time helping students who are feeling ill.
Since my arrival to Baku, I’ve shared a few times how valuable communication is to create a safe space and provide quality education. Many leaders will explain they have an “Open Door” policy for communication. I try to go beyond the “Open Door” concept. While any parent can stop by the school office to chat, I aim to also make myself available in other forums. From greeting students and parents in front of the school in the morning as they are dropped off, to attending as many BIS events as possible, my goal is to make myself available as much as possible so I can connect with people who cannot visit school during the school hours. Should you ever need to discuss something that is a concern to you, please do not hesitate to contact me for a phone call or video chat. I like to hear from stakeholders directly about their experience at BIS.
Lastly, I’d like to share with you that our school is researching and exploring the concept of e-sports competitions. In the past 10 years, e-sports competitions have had a significant increase in popularity, Colleges and universities are starting to add e-sports as a form of organized competition on campuses (as seen by the linked article from Forbes). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/02/06/why-the-rise-of-esports-is-good-for-schools-students-and-even-employers/?sh=256ece726f50 . I am currently in the planning stages with an organization that provides non-violent e-sports options for students. There is a possibility to pilot one e-sports competition in the Winter to test the e-sports process and bandwidth load. If the pilot program is successful, we could offer up to 3 different e-sport gaming competitions. If the pilot program comes to fruition, more information on the e-sports competition will be posted in the newsletter in the future. At the moment, we are in the exploring stage and wanted you to know we are seeking to expand our competition options at BIS. As the expression states, “A rolling rock gathers no moss”.
I wish everyone a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brian Garner
(Please click to open the Eagle Beat from your email and the video will play)
A note from the Director of Instruction
I had a great time cheering for the athletes at the soccer/volleyball tournament. It was fun to see the students enjoying themselves and representing BIS with their hard work and dedication. Thank you for supporting our athletes and coaches.
There is no school next week on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday so that teachers may attend professional development. We have our Educational Technology coordinator and Learning Support coordinator coming to Baku. They will provide trainings to give our teachers more tools they can use to support student learning.
Have a great weekend,
Katie
From the classroom, Mr. Harvey's Science class
Thank you PSG for the healthy snacks!
Lunch Menu for Nov 21-22
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