Annual report 2018/19

PSI ANNUAL REPORT 2018 / 2019

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CONTENTS A Place Where We Belong ………......................................................................................................3 An IB World School Since 2000 ...................................................................................………......….4 PSI Community ………......................................................................................................................5 PSI Guiding Statements: Vision and Mission .................................................................................8 PSI Guiding Statements: Core Values .............................................................................................9 PSI Guiding Statements: Parameters ............................................................................................10 Faculty Academic Qualifications ………..........................................................................................11 The PSI Board Of Directors …..........................................................................................….….......12 Board Chairperson’s Report ……..........................................................................................……....14 School Director’s Report……..……...........................................................................................….....15 Primary School Principal’s Report ………….....................................................................................16 Secondary School Principal’s Report …………….............................................................................17 PTA Annual Report ………….…………................................................................................................18 The PYP Student Council Report ….......……....................................................................................20 The Middle School Student Council Report …................................................................................21 The High School Student Council Report ……................................................................................22 Enrolment Annual Report …….........................................................................................................25 Opportunities And Experiences ………….........................................................................................26 PSI Taking Action …………................................................................................................................27 Marketing and Communication Annual Report..............................................................................28 Human Resources Annual Report ..................................................................................................29 IT Annual Report ..............................................................................................................................31 ECA Programme Expansion Report ................................................................................................32 Ukraine Externum Programme Report ..........................................................................................33 Library Annual Report .....................................................................................................................34 PSI Futures Forum Annual Report.................................................................................................35 Academic Achievement ………….....................................................................................................36 PSI Graduation and IB Diploma ……....…........................................................................................41 University Offers To PSI Students ………........................................................................................42 Strategic Action Plan ....………….....................................................................................................45 Climate Survey ............. ………….....................................................................................................50 Financial Year ............................………...........................................................................................58 Alumni and Friends Association.....................................................................................................59

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

SCHOOL INTRODUCTION In 1995, a group of parents seeking a genuinely international school experience for their children in Kyiv worked together to found Pechersk School International, Kyiv (PSI) as a private, non-profit school. In 2003, the school moved to its present site.

Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma Programmes (DP) of the International Baccalaureate® (IB).

The programmes encourage both personal and academic achievement.

Research from leading institutions demonstrates that IB students are more likely than their peers to succeed in higher education.

As an English-medium school serving international and host national families in Kyiv, PSI attracts students from the diplomatic, government and business communities.

In addition, an extensive extracurricular activities programme provides students with access to a wide range of clubs and sports, including overseas competitions, drama, music, and community service activities.

Since 2000, PSI has been authorised to offer the Primary

The school is proud of its vibrant and

diverse international community.

We educate more than 450 students between the ages of 3 and 18 from over 45 different countries. Students and staff joining PSI quickly feel included and valued, with a sense of being safe and cared for in a challenging and motivating learning environment. This reality reflects our school motto: ‘A Place Where We Belong.’

Our goal is to create a joyful, stimulating environment where everyone feels motivated and challenged, and has the opportunity to be creative and to take the risks necessary for deep learning to take place.

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AN IB WORLD SCHOOL SINCE 2000 PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL KYIV IS THE ONLY SCHOOL IN UKRAINE FULLY AUTHORISED, SINCE 2000 TO OFFER THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE’S PYP, MYP AND DP. THESE PROGRAMMES OFFER A CONTINUUM OF EDUCATION FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD (3-4 YEAR OLDS) TO GRADE 12 (17-18 YEAR OLDS).

A well-established programme in international schools for many decades, the IB is also the fastest growing curriculum in the world, in both international and national schools. The three IB programmes (the Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma) focus on developing deep conceptual understanding through the acquisition of knowledge, and the development of skills and attitudes.

At PSI, learning occurs in a nurturing, stimulating and joyful environment.

We aim for every student to fulfill his or her potential through learning opportunities that are inquiry-driven and apply to real world contexts.

Our IB teachers inspire students to become inquirers, knowledgeable,

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thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective learners. We value the development of personal skills and attitudes relevant to the learning needs of today and the challenges and opportunities of our world tomorrow. At PSI, we educate our students to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers and compassionate citizens who take positive action both within school and beyond. We prepare students for global citizenship by emphasising intercultural understanding and by participation in engagements that emphasize global issues.

in the decision-making processes of the school. This happens within the classroom contexts and on a larger scale such as the inclusive process for creating our school’s core values.

Our Student Councils and Student Advisory Committee are important vehicles for developing leadership skills, for expressing creative ideas, and for addressing issues identified by the student body.

At PSI, we value student agency and seek for ways to include our students

DIRECTOR

I am proud to serve this diverse, dynamic, caring and inspirational learning community.

RACHEL CALDWELL, PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI COMMUNITY THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT PSI IS SHAPED BY A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY, WHEREBY STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE THE INGREDIENTS NECESSARY TO CREATE INDEPENDENT LEARNERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENS IN ‘A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG.’ We anticipate that PSI students will be active, inquiring learners in pursuit of their individual journey towards personal excellence. Almost every graduating student moves on to tertiary education. At the same

time, a broad range of opportunities and experiences are valued at PSI. These are provided through our Extra Curricular Activities Programme and special events. Our strong commitment to community service

and action is demonstrated via our many service learning projects, and an involvement in the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) - a collaborative network of schools in this region.

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OUR COMMUNITY

6

UKRAINE

127

TURKEY

10

SOUTH KOREA

5

USA

95

HOLLAND

10

CHINA

5

CANADA

22

FINLAND

9

CZECH REPUBLIC

4

UK

19

FRANCE

7

DENMARK

4

ISRAEL

17

JAPAN

7

GREECE

4

LITHUANIA

14

GEORGIA

6

ITALY

4

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

13

INDIA

6

SPAIN

4

SWEDEN

12

GERMANY

5

POLAND

4

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

48 300 455

NATIONALITIES

FAMILIES

STUDENTS

3

LEBANON

2

BULGARIA

1

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 3

MALAYSIA

2

SERBIA

1

BELGIUM

ARMENIA

3

NEW ZEALAND

2

UZBEKISTAN

1

AZERBAIJAN

3

NORWAY

2

MOLDOVA

1

BELARUS

2

PAKISTAN

2

MACEDONIA

1

CHILE

2

PORTUGAL

2

COLOMBIA

1

IRELAND

2

SWITZERLAND

2

CROATIA

1

HUNGARY

2

ROMANIA

1

ESTONIA

1

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PSI GUIDING STATEMENTS: VISION & MISSION

Vision We grow. We lead. We succeed.

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 well-rounded, global citizens by promoting personal excellence in the classroom and beyond.

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI GUIDING STATEMENTS: PSI’S CORE VALUES CORE VALUES

INTEGRITY, HONESTY, TRUST

RESPECT, EMPATHY, TOLERANCE

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION

HAPPINESS, JOY

PASSION

We value acting on

We value respect and

strong moral principles

understanding for each

We value a diverse

We value a joyful

We value creativity,

community where

environment that

that build trust within

inspiration and passion

other’s individualities,

everyone is safe,

promotes a happy

our community.

in everything we do.

cultures, beliefs, ideas

included, appreciated,

and motivated

and feels free to be

community.

themselves.

During the 2018-19 school year, PSI engaged its community - faculty, students, staff and parents - in a six month-long process to develop our core values. As an IB World School, we are committed to the IB’s Mission Statement and to its Learner Profile. Just as we have created our own complementary PSI Mission Statement, we embarked on the development of PSI’s very own core values. We believe that our core values define our aspirations and our expectations. They provide guidance, direction and parameters for how we interact together, how we make our decisions, and how we allocate our resources.

this task, we invited our community members to get involved in an inclusive collaboration based on Juanita Brown’s World Café model (www.theworldcafe.com). At these Cafés, participants tuned into the significance of core values in an institution such as ours. They considered their own priorities in this area, and engaged in dialogue to find commonalities regarding the values that best express the ‘heart and soul’ of PSI. Following seven 90 minute sessions involving almost 140 community members, we reached consensus on the values that define us; the values that we are not prepared to compromise.

Considering the huge importance of

Thanks to everyone who committed

time, energy and cerebration to bring this exercise to fruition. As PSI’s director, I found the experience to be extremely satisfying. The generative discussions and keen debate took our thinking to a very high level.

We are now ready to share our core values with our PSI community and, indeed, with the rest of the world.

RACHEL CALDWELL SCHOOL DIRECTOR, PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE

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PSI GUIDING STATEMENTS: PARAMETERS

This year, PSI’s Board of Governors, in collaboation wuth the leadership team, created our school’s parameters. These parameters are a set of imperatives or non-negotiables that ensures our organisation stays free to itself.

sustainability •

•

PSI: •

•

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Maintains its status as a mid-sized IB World day school that provides an international education for students aged 3 - 18 Aligns school enrolment, facilities, finances, resources and capacity to ensure

•

Maintains the international identity of the school whilst respecting Ukrainian culture Uses English as the main language of instruction, whilst demonstrating respect for mother tongue languages Approves and maintains programmes that promote the overall well-being of its students

•

Ensures students’ best interests are at the centre of all decisionmaking

•

Enrols students and families, and employs staff who accept

and exemplify the school’s mission, vision and core values •

Only accepts behaviour, from all community members, that ensures the safety, integrity, and dignity of all individuals

•

Hires and retains qualified and flexible staff members who are committed to ongoing professional growth

•

Expects direct parent involvement in the lives of their children at school

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

FACULTY ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS PSI teachers are all fully university trained and certified in their areas of instruction.

Our teachers are actively engaged with their students, the school community and their own ongoing growth and development. Our staff undertake professional development initiatives each year and many pursue additional degrees in areas related to their specialisations.

TEACHING STAFF NATIONALITIES (14) 35 USA 12 Ukraine 9 UK 3 Canada 3 New Zealand

TEACHING STAFF QUALIFICATIONS

STAFFING AREA BREAK DOWN (164)

43 Master’s Degree

73 Teachers (TAs and TSs)

27 Bachelor’s Degree 3 Doctor’s Degree

32 Teaching Support 49 Administration

3 Spain 1 Ireland 1 Hungary 1 Colombia 1 Australia 1 France 1 Mexico 1 India 1 Russia 1 Turkey 11

THE PSI BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2018/2019

ALEX MUNTEANU USA Board Chairperson Finance and Risk Management Committee Founder and Managing Partner, 4i Capital Partners

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TETIANA BUGASOVA UKRAINE Board Vice Chairperson Governance and Strategy Committee CMS Cameron McKenna, Head of Business Administration

ANDRIUS NEMICKAS

USA Board Secretary, Governance and Strategy Committee Member of Advisory Board, Programme Tutor and Mentor

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PETER ERBEN DENMARK Board Member Governance and Strategy Committee IFES Country Director

LINA NEMCHENKO UKRAINE Chairperson Facilities and Building Committee Partner, Baker & McKenzie

ROBERT MCNEIL UK Board Member Finance and Risk Management Committee General Manager, Pulse

ERIC LUHMANN USA Treasurer Finance and Risk Management Committee Director of Market Development of CIS and Europe, Amstead Rail Company, INC

MATTHEW WERNER USA Board Member Facilities and Building Committee US Embassy Management Counsellor

YULIYA BADRITDINOVA UKRAINE Board Member Governance and Strategy Committee CEO, McDonald’s Ukraine

MARINA PETROV FINLAND Board Member Finance and Risk Management Committee Deputy Head, Eurpopean Bank of Reconstruction and Development

VITALII GORDUZ UKRAINE Board Member Finance and Risk Management Committee CEO, United Online Ventures

NATALIYA FIALA UKRAINE Board Member Governance and Strategy Committee Lawyer, DLA Piper Ukraine

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BOARD CHAIR’S ANNUAL STORY

It has been our first school year under Rachel Caldwell’s leadership, and I’m happy to report that Rachel, together with the leadership team, and supported by the Board, is taking PSI to a new level in its stellar development – per aspera ad astra!

We appreciate and thank her and all our school staff, both academic and administrative, as well as students PTA, parents and the board for making the 2018/19 year such a great success!

2019 was also the year of elections in Ukraine, which is usually associated with instability.

However, we expect another year of growth and macroeconomic development that allows us to plan and strategise. PSI has a strong financial basis thanks to many years of good management and sound and responsible corporate governance that provide a solid basis for investment. After having successfully finished ‘Phase II’ of modern reconstruction, a new ‘Phase III’ of reconstruction that will provide even more students with world class international facilities is under 14

continuous consideration by the Board and school’s administration.

2018/19 was the year when the community decided to focus on formulating its ‘Core Values’ and to review the PSI strategy based on that.

It was also a school year with the main focus on academics.

A new position of director of learning was created and a very strong professional identified, who will join PSI in the 2019/2020 school year.

Also, a Design Thinking project was launched in partnership with Stanford University, and a stronger emphasis made on continuous professional development.

The marketing function at PSI has become more visible, which helps in developing new synergies and attracts the best students, faculty and support staff.

Looking back at the 2018/19 school year, we see our community more engaged than ever, taking active part in many events, and also communicating online via social networks. We’re confident that 2019/20 will be another great year for PSI – ‘A place where we belong’!

The Future is Now and PTA’s Annual Fundraiser have been tremendous successes. Rachel has also launched several important initiatives in developing closer ties with leading colleges in Europe and the US as well as a better interaction with the PSI alumnae community worldwide.

PSI’s IT platform has been significantly improved, and a mobile application launched that became very popular immediately.

ALEX MUNTEANU, BOARD CHAIRPERSON PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL STORY best to personalise all of our learning experiences, and how to guide our students to achieve their fullest potential whilst emphasising the importance of emotional well-being.

Congratulations to our PSI community; through effective collaboration on many levels, we have enjoyed a year filled with achievements. With student learning and well-being at the centre of all that we do, PSI continues to challenge the status quo by responding to the ever-changing needs of our learners in this world defined by uncertainty.

I am proud to mention some of these many achievements reached this year. Firstly, we developed PSI’s very own core values. The community effort to complete this task was significant. My special thanks go to Alex Munteanu, our Board of Governors Chairperson, and to Inna Zhurzii, our Parent -Teacher Association President. Their contributions to and support for the process were invaluable.

Our strategic plan goals, re-focused on learning, provide exciting opportunities. Utilising meaningful and engaging pedagogical approaches, such as design thinking and visible thinking, we strengthen both our students’ skills sets and our own. We continue to explore how

As an IB World School, I would like to acknowledge the increasingly strong connections to and transitions between the three programmes available for study at PSI. Our PYP, MYP and DP coordinators plan together on a regular basis, contributing to each other’s action plans, providing feedback, and identifying commonalities to reinforce every student’s IB experience.

Student leadership and agency are perpetual areas of focus, and there are many examples of successful outcomes in this regard.

The valuable work of our student councils to enhance school spirit is one of these. School assemblies, often entirely created and led by students, are another. 2018 -19 saw the establishment of a new group at PSI - the student advisory to the director. It has been a pleasure to work with these student leaders.

Showing initiative from the outset, they grew substantially in terms of their efficacy. They show great respect for each other; putting ideas on the table, listening proactively and responding thoughtfully.

Our PSI board of governors deserves strong recognition for its dedication to our school. The board provides the strategic direction and fiduciary oversight which enables our success.

I share my personal thanks for the support that the board has provided to me in my first year as PSI’s director. In particular, Alex Munteanu, as board chair, has shown unwavering commitment to all things PSI. He has given generously of his time and provided sage and wellconsidered advice.

The school’s educational leadership team works extremely hard to realize our vision and mission and to achieve our aspirational goals.

PSI’s teachers work tirelessly to create joyful learning environments, where students feel safe and valued, and where cognitive complexity is prioritised. They also ensure the success of our Extracurricular Activities (ECA) programme, which contributes to the balance necessary in our students’ school experience.

Our business and support staff’s collaboration to ensure the smooth running of our school on a daily basis is also very much appreciated.

I close by reiterating my thanks to everyone for the warm welcome I received. Within a short time, I felt valued and included. I also wish students, families and staff who are leaving PSI the very, very best for the future. To those of you who will be returning, I very much look forward to seeing you once again in August for the 2019 / 2020 school year.

RACHEL CALDWELL, DIRECTOR PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE 15

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL’S ANNUAL STORY

It has been another very successful year in the Primary School as we continued to work on literacy, saw more student agency throughout the school, worked on conceptual understanding in maths and helped students learn how to self regulate and identify their emotions using the Zones of Regulation.

Throughout the school year, our students choose topics to investigate and inquire into - from our Early Childhood students who decided they wanted to learn more about pizzas, cafes and cooking and kept their cooking play space set up throughout the school year, to our Grade 5 students who researched their own and individual passions and central ideas during their Exhibition unit.

Our student council demonstrated their leadership through facilitating our Primary assemblies and organising and running fundraisers for the Early Development Centre for 16

Down Syndrome in Kyiv alongside our Secondary Student Council.

Students’ thinking also thrived as they learned to use thinking routines in our ever increasing Cultures of Thinking environment. Students were asked to ‘see, think, wonder’ as they delved into new information.

Some ‘zoomed in’ as they learned to look at others’ perspectives and all were asked, quite often ‘What makes you say that?’ to extend their thinking.

Our reading programme, Readers Workshop, is integrated into our units of inquiry and students across all grade levels have increased their reading stamina, levels and skills this year. We also began work on vertically aligning our writing programme, Writers Workshop, as well as our maths and languages programmes and will continue this in the coming school year.

It was an amazing year working with all of our students, parents and PSI faculty and staff members. Have a safe and relaxing summer!

SUE WILLIAMS, PRIMARY PRINCIPAL, PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

SECONDARY PRINCIPAL’S ANNUAL STORY AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE HAD A SCHOOL YEAR IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED AND EXPANDED THEIR HORIZONS.

In athletics, we continue our long relationship with both the local international school league (KSSL) and with Central and Eastern European School Association (CEESA).

In addition to sending teams to Helsinki, Baku, Warsaw and Skopje, we were pleased to host the middle and high school CEESA swimming competition and the high school boys football tournament here on our own campus. Students also represented PSI abroad at the Model United Nations (MUN) conference in Budapest and the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) workshop in Terezin. All of these opportunities allow our students to connect with students from around the region and the world, whilst representing PSI with pride.

This was also the year where students developed an even stronger voice in their education. Both our winter and spring drama productions

were written by students. A student advisory committee started working with our new director, Rachel Caldwell, on schoolwide issues, including a review of our student code of conduct. The Student Council had two ‘pullout days’ from classes to plan for ways to increase their support of students and the school, and a group of students led by the Green Committee staged a ‘walkout’ of classes to draw attention to climate change and other issues.

Students are finding more and more ways to speak up and to lead - two of our most important goals for their Secondary School education.

Of course, we also look to our Grade 12 students who graduated at the end of May. We applaud their many accomplishments, including conditional university acceptances this year to Saint Andrew’s, Queens University, Exeter, Warwick and Edinburgh, with full acceptances

to The Citadel, University of British Columbia, Parsons School of Design, and Norwich University. We look forward to seeing where all of our graduates ‘land’ in universities and wish them well as they leave PSI for the wider world.

PATRICIA PUIA, SECONDARY PRINCIPAL PSI, KYIV, UKRAINE 17

PTA ANNUAL STORY THE PTA (PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION) IS OPEN FOR ALL PARENTS AND STAFF TO PARTICIPATE. THE AIM OF THE PTA IS TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL, PROMOTE COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND RAISE THE SPIRIT OF BELONGING AT PSI. EVERY YEAR THERE ARE SUCCESSFUL EVENTS RUN BY THE PTA. THIS YEAR, WE ALSO CONSOLIDATED OUR SUPPORT OF A COUPLE OF NEW SCHOOL-WIDE INITIATIVES.

Going Green PSI aims to become a Green Flag Eco-School within the next five years and the PTA has heavily supported many of the initiatives so far. The PTA funded twelve presentations

by No Waste UA given to all Primary classes, Grade 7, and maintenance staff regarding environmental sustainability and recycling. The PTA purchased all of the recycling bins that are currently in the Primary classrooms and in many areas in the Secondary block.

CISRI Last year, the PTA and PSI started a new initiative called CISRI (Community Involvement and Social Responsibility Initiative). So far this year, we have awarded CISRI 18

grants to six successful projects. A majority of the initiatives are outside of the school and support the local community, but one new project in the Primary School was for materials for a new Makerspace in the Learning Resource area.

Back to School Picnic and Newcomers Cheese & Wine evening

The Back to School Picnic, held in the school playground, was a great opportunity to welcome new families, get together with old friends and give the children a chance to play together. A perfect way to start the new school year! For all newcomers at PSI, both parents and teachers, the PTA also organised

a wine and cheese evening to have a chance to greet one another. It was a nice occasion for both working and non-working parents to mingle with staff and teachers in a very relaxed atmosphere.

International Night This year, we hosted an International Night in the gymnasium. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the nations represented in our school community. Every country or region hosted a table where they showcased and provided a selection of national foods, drinks and decorations. Each country also contributed a country basket of donated items symbolic of their country. These baskets were auctioned to raise money for CISRI projects.The evening started with the

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

School Panther’s production of Pantastic! All of the bake sales were supported by families donating baked goods and supplies.

Spring Fundraising Event

Parade of Nations, where students proudly wore their national costumes and presented their country’s flag.

As well as two rooms showing ageappropriate animated films, the PTA provided a large Art Space in the school cafeteria during the event, where Ukrainian artists held creative master classes with the kids.

Winter Bazaar The Winter Art Bazaar is an annual event held in our new gymnasium for the first time, which meant we could greatly expand the number of vendors involved. This event provided a wonderful opportunity for selecting unique gifts, by supporting locally sourced and handcrafted arts and crafts. This year, there were even more stalls with a wide variety

on offer, ranging from paintings, jewellery, pottery, to wooden lamps and puzzles, etc. For the first time, the Green Team also represented their efforts to promote sustainability and recycling within the school as well as a stall selling handmade ornaments by clients at the Djerela Centre, a centre for adults with disabilities supported by our CAS students. The bazaar is a good way to stay connected with our wider community.

Bake Sales Throughout the school year, the PTA has held several bake sales in cooperation with the three different student councils at PSI. This year for the first time ever, the PTA supported the Primary Student Council in holding their own bake sale during the Primary

In April, the PTA organised the annual Spring Fundraising event; this year, the theme was Black & White. The event was hosted at Hilton Hotel Kyiv. There was a lot of effort to provide a fun evening of live music entertainment, high quality food and drinks, an entertaining quiz, a touching video production of the CISRI projects the PTA has funded, a photo booth, a DJ, and dancing. Each classroom created themed baskets filled with family donations. These baskets were carefully designed and coordinated and were put up for silent auction. Classrooms also worked together to produce unique student artwork for auction. The teacher promises and community donations were all a big hit, with families and community members having many items raising significant amounts of money! All raised funds go to CISRI and will thereby support the students’ social responsibility projects.

Staff Appreciation Party The Staff Appreciation Party is always a fun-filled evening held in June for all parents and staff at PSI. The PTA hosts this annual party to thank the teachers and staff for their hard work during the school year.

All in all, it has been a successful year with the added enjoyment of our new facilities, as well as continued parent and teacher involvement. We look forward to continuing our support of the school motto: ‘A place where we belong.’

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THE PYP STUDENT COUNCIL

This year’s Primary Student Council, advised by Pam York and Jane Lueders, is comprised of two representatives from each class in Grades 3, 4 and 5, in addition to a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. They began the year by looking at last year’s Student Council projects and deciding whether or not they wished to continue them. This year’s Student Council held a Bake Sale early in the year at which they raised money which they used to purchase stationery items for the Blagomay Charity, an organization that helps displaced families and orphaned children. A group of students visited the organization and were given a tour and shown how the items would be used. They decided that they would like to try to be a more regular 20

support to this organization, and so the second Bake Sale, held with the help of the PTA, raised additional funds to support Blagomay again.

For their service to the school, Student Council members joined with the Secondary Student Council to create a new Spirit Week policy for PSI. They collaborated to create Earth Week events that would run across the whole school, building spirit and awareness. For the second year in a row, Primary Student Council has also helped with the Secondary School project to raise awareness for Down Syndrome by helping to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day and the annual Lots of Socks sale, raising money for the Early Development Center for Down Syndrome in Kyiv.

Primary Student Council members have also taken on the role of M.C. in the Primary Assemblies this year.

At each assembly, a different pair of Student Council members meet with Ms. Sue and plan out the Primary Assemblies. This year, they also presented at the AGM to explain their role of service at PSI. The dedication of the Primary Student Council to serving their school and community is evident. They have learned to cooperate with each other, to give their ideas and feedback, and to communicate with students in the Primary and Secondary Schools, as well as becoming more responsible leaders who realise that through their actions, they can make a difference in their school and community.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL

The Middle School Student Council had a very successful year, in which they contributed to building spirit at PSI, helped lead assemblies, assisted the PTA in running two large bake sales, and hosted various events for middle schoolers.

This year was the first time in several years that the Middle School students had their own Students Council, composed of a president, a vice president, a secretary, and 1 - 2 representatives from each of the homerooms in Grades 6-8. Students met every week to plan events and to liaise with the High School Students Council and the administration where necessary.

In terms of events, the MS Student Council hosted an informal mixer at the beginning of the year, a very

successful Hallowe’en dance, in which everyone came in costume, and a human-scale version of the board game Clue. They also hosted their annual year formal dance, the Spring Fling.

Outside of event planning, the MS Student Council participated actively in a whole-school Student Council day, in which they helped review and re-write portions of the constitution; designed a framework of collaboration with the High School and Primary Student Councils; and overhauled PSI’s Spirit Weeks to include more activities and opportunities for involvement. At this pull-out day, the three councils also agreed to spread dress up days throughout the year, rather than concentrating them all in one week.

Campus beautification was also discussed, and will be pursued more actively next school year.

Elections for the MS President and Vice President of 2019 - 2020 have already taken place, and along with planning the final events for this year, including two spirit weeks and the Spring Fling, the council has already started making plans for the fall.

2018 - 2019 was a very successful year for both our Middle School and High School Councils, and students next year will be looking to build and expand upon the good work they have done this year.

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THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL

The High School Student Council has had a great year. We continue to build school spirit at PSI. We have led several assemblies, held bake sales, hosted a movie night, and organised Valentine’s Day Gifts. On a larger scale, we have hosted Middle School socials, and are getting ready for the high school prom. These are only a few of the things that we achieved in 2018-2019.

The Student Council is an important organization at PSI. We represent the students’ opinions and ideas. By leading the monthly assemblies, the Council members have made these 45 minutes interesting by allowing student activities and achievements to be expressed from a student 22

perspective. The assemblies have also provided a great opportunity to introduce new events and celebrate past successes, in addition to talking about the success of our sports teams. We have also included interactive games and activities to increase student engagement.

Cultural performances were another feature of assemblies this year.

To encourage school spirit, we have organised Spirit Weeks and informal socials, where students have had a chance to mingle with students from different grades. This helped students bond across different grades and across the Primary and Secondary School. Additionally, we increased school spirit through holiday

celebrations such as Valentine’s Day, where we delivered flowers and candies to students and teachers.

Finally, the Student Council also serves as a connection between students and the school administration, providing input on school plans and feedback on educational and social programmes at PSI. To that end, the Student Council officers have met with administration, the PTA and the Board of Governors.

We have elected new officers for the 2019-2020 year and have begun another great year of fun and community building with our new leadership team.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

RESPECT

INTEGRITY

HONESTY

TRUST

EMPATHY

TOLERANCE

DIVERSITY

EQUITY

INCLUSION

PSI’S CORE VALUES

HAPPINESS CARING

JOY

PASSION

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI ENROLMENT STUDENT NUMBERS MAKE UP ALMOST ALL OF OUR ANNUAL REVENUE, WHICH IN TURN ALLOWS US TO RUN ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMES AND OFFER MORE

The pattern for this current school year and into 2019 / 2020 is a stable one. In fact, we are predicting good growth. Although there is not a specific goal to ‘grow the school,’ strategies are planned and documented to keep a ‘strong enrolment’ level, aimed at 450 to 500 students.

2018-2019 2017-2018

NOVEMBER JANUARY APRIL

PSI QUARTERLY ENROLMENT TREND 2013 - TO PRESENT

AUGUST

SUBJECTS TO STUDENTS.

2016-2017

2014-2015 2013-2014

JUNE

2015-2016

Numbers of students

150

200

250

300

350

400

450 25

OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES performance; the artwork became personal to the audience’s lives, dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

CEESA The theme of the CEESA Conference 2019 in Warsaw was ‘Making the World Our Classroom: One Less Brick in the Wall.’

The conference covered a host of different strategies for how teachers can, for example, make their classroom into a better environment for learning, how ‘change’ is necessary and can be implemented, and how the home culture and language are to be celebrated and not ignored. The conference used a phone app for the first time, allowing participants to hook up with one another more easily and to receive hourly information updates - not to mention encouraging a more paper-free and ‘greener’ conference. A number of PSI staff attended the event to focus on these topics and learned a great deal from the presenters. Next year’s conference will be in Helsinki, 26

affording another great opportunity for educators in the region to make contact with each other and go from strength to strength.

Drama For the 2018-2019 academic year, the Drama Department featured several productions that were student led.

Our first production, JEWEL HOUSE was a work of devised theatre, a method of theatre making in which the script and movement score originate from collaborative work by the performing ensemble. It was the students who were the writers, designers, choreographers, directors, and ultimately the creators of the entire piece. The JEWEL HOUSE was also a work of interactive theatre, where the divide between performer and audience was dissolved and the spectators became part of the

March was a busy time for the Drama Department, as this year we also hosted the 4th Annual Kyiv Shakespeare Competition, where a large number of student actors demonstrated how Shakespeare’s works can still be relevant to modern audiences. March was also time for our trip to Terezin, Czech Republic for a theatre festival hosted by the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA). Over the course of three days, students created a haunting and beautiful theatre piece based on their visit to the Terezin Ghetto and speaking with survivors of the atrocities committed during WWII. Finally, in June, had the world premiere of Navigating Wreckage, Rivers, and Writer’s Block, a musical written and directed by Grade 11 student, Lara Arencibia Pender. Like many of our productions this year, this musical has been entirely created and rehearsed by students themselves.

It truly is a fantastic culmination of a dramatic season where student agency, creativity, and inquiry are at the forefront. This year was truly a year where all our student performers, designers, and directors took centre stage. None of this could have happened without their commitment and passion for drama and the arts.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI TAKING ACTION

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) All Grade 11 and 12 students were involved in the CAS Programme.

This year they participated in sustained, collaborative projects such as Kindergarten building , Down Syndrome Centre support, the animal shelter, Student Store, Visually Impaired Centre support, Ukraine that Cares, Djerela, a music band, Kindergarten English Teaching, the Tutoring Centre, and Children of the World to Children of Ukraine projects. Students set challenging goals, planned their activities and learned new skills. Students worked in cooperation with PTA, and four projects received PTA CISRI grants.

Grade 5 Exhibition The Grade 5 Exhibition once again

came under the transdisciplinary theme of Sharing the Planet. A wide variety of issues were explored; including balanced lifestyles, developing classroom libraries, reducing the amount of plastic used, and gender equality in sports.

Students chose issues based on connections to their own passions and then set about developing questions based on 7 of the 8 PYP key concepts: Form, Function, Causation, Change, Connection, Perspective, and Responsibility. This initiated the research stage of inquiry, where the students had to use both primary and secondary sources to gather information. During research, we emphasise the importance of gathering information from interviews and surveys and time is spent teaching students how to create these online. A formal report was then written using this information and preparations made to present

their findings. Examples of action taken include a peer book review lesson implemented in the Grade 5 programme, cleaning of the Dnipro River, daily health challenges set by a group of students on Instagram, and raising awareness of propaganda and fake news. The arts component was again a highlight for many students, with the students being asked to represent the Exhibition in a song and dance routine. Overall, this was a very successful Exhibition, with many positive comments received from staff, parents and other students about the very high standard of work on display.

Foundation Scholarship Each year, the PSI Foundation Scholarship recognises one exceptional current Grade 7 Ukrainian national school student with a full scholarship to study at PSI starting in Grade 8 through to Grade 12. The scholarship begins for the successful student in August for the 2019 / 2020 academic school year.

We are pleased to announce that the successful scholarship recipient will join us in August. We are deeply impressed by the student’s attitudes and application and are very confident that she and her family will contribute to and, indeed, reflect our core values.

27

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION

As part of PSI’s focus this year on 21st century learning and the future, the Marketing Department worked on developing a consistent and easy to use channel of communication for the whole school. The goal was to bring our school communication onto one platform. This project has included the following: New Online Application Portal, New Online Reenrollment Portal, PSI School Mobile App. New Online Admissions Portal PSI has recently launched an Online Admissions Portal which makes the application process easier and faster to use for both potential parents and admissions staff. Parents are able to 28

enroll their child/ren, add a sibling, upload all required registration documentation, make updates, and book a school tour online.

New Online Re-Enrollment Portal After introducing the new Admissions Portal, PSI launched a new portal for parents to re-enrol/withdraw their child/ren. It is an online tool that allows us to secure places for current PSI families for the next school year. It also helps admissions staff to manage their own data effectively, to power the reports they need, schedule visits, manage the inquiry and application process, and communicate with admissions candidates.

PSI School Mobile App This year, PSI has launched the PSI School App for parental use. It provides easy access to the most essential school information in a time-saving and straightforward manner. Parents are able to see their student(s)’ schedules, our weekly cafeteria menu, school contact details, daily bus timetables, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) events, Extra Curricular Activities (ECA), Physical and Health Education (PHE) updates, notifications, etc. The information is continually updated, allowing PSI families to stay upto-date with all things at Pechersk School International Kyiv.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

HUMAN RESOURCES AT PSI

DEAR PSI COMMUNITY: The Human Resources Department is committed to partnering with the school community in attracting and retaining a first-rate, talented and diverse staff. Our team is passionate about promoting and maintaining a culture of employee engagement and inclusiveness where work is meaningful, employees are valued, and collaboration is celebrated.

To achieve these objectives, the department provides a full-range of support services, programmes and resources in the areas of employee benefits, compensation, compliance, employee relations, recognition, talent management and training.

Recruitment This year, we have successfully filled 10 teaching and leadership positions, which included 8 replacement and 2 new positions.

Human Resources also launched and supported a number of strategic employee engagement initiatives, including the following: •

Provided professional development of the school staff

•

Trained Business staff in Emotional intelligence throughout the year

•

Upgraded local staff medical insurance

•

Developed a teaching support

staff handbook •

Reviewed local salaries against the local market in order to remain competitive

•

Ran and analysed staff climate surveys

29

TECHNOLOGY AT PSI

30

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

Technology at PSI in 2018/2019 made many advancements and changes throughout the year. Some of our accomplishments were in the following areas:

Systems: •

Student Learning: •

Facilitated the launch of SeeSaw with the Primary School.

•

Managed the rollout of iPads for EC, KG and Grade 1.

•

•

•

Worked with the ECA Coordinator to explore further robotics offerings.

Supported tech-related ECAs such as 3D design and printing, virtual reality (VR) and moviemaker classes.

Supported the PSI Makerspace initiative and classroom integration mindset.

•

•

Assisted the Board of Governors in launching PSI’s online voting initiative working with the Succession and Election Ad Hoc Committee.

Standardised live streaming of athletic events for the Athletic Department on the PSI YouTube channel.

Enhanced resource management of school facilities in our Google calendar reservation system.

•

Installed the Swim Meet software system for the Athletic Department to support the CEESA regional swimming tournament.

•

Supported teacher professional development opportunities with technology integration classes after school.

•

Updated the PSI Personal Data and Privacy Notice.

•

Introduced and integrated a Personal Data Privacy and Consent opt-in/opt-out procedure.

•

Updated PSI Image and Video Guidelines for students.

•

Launched a series of staff and faculty training on GDPR and data privacy best practices.

•

Attended leading conferences on data protection and aligned ourselves with CEESA’s best practices.

•

Reviewed and adjusted our data retention procedures and timelines.

MyPSI: Increased the utilization and efficiency of our student information system, Veracross, through increased training of additional staff and faculty. We also improved our data capabilities through the launching of the following Veracross initiatives: •

Online Admissions Module added, configured and launched.

•

Online Enrollment and ReEnrollment Module added, configured and launched.

Community: •

Launched our first enterprise management system (JAMF) that allows the technology department to remotely configure, update and install needed applications and software on our growing list of Apple iPads, iMacs and MacBooks.

technology department’s emphasis on updating and improving our already existing procedures and processes. Coordinating with our Data Privacy Leadership Team and Data Protection Officer (DPO) the director of technology did the following:

•

•

Parent-Teacher Conference signups launched through the MyPSI Parent Portal.

Weekly communications and news items are now composed and delivered through the Veracross mass-mailing function.

Data Privacy: In addition to all of these achievements, the introduction of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018 meant that additional effort was necessary to review and refine PSI’s data privacy situation. The growing realisation and understanding that privacy safeguards need to be enhanced to secure data privacy and security, refocused our

All of this is helping to reshape the culture of PSI in regards to following the best practices of data privacy utilised by the top international schools in Europe.

Overall, the 2018-2019 school year successfully firmed up critical systems and procedures that will serve as a foundation for further engagement, enhancement and extension of our technology usage at PSI.

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ECA PROGRAMME EXPANSION

School years are one of the best opportunities to explore new activities, try different things and see what students are passionate about.

The PSI Extracurricular Activities Programme is a complex programme that offers various kinds of after school classes. It also includes Mother Tongue and the Super Saturday Sports programmes.

The PSI Extracurricular Activities Programme, is dedicated to providing PSI students with exciting new opportunities and high quality experiences.

This school year, we continued to offer free ECAs in six different categories: Academics, Sports, Art,

32

Media & Tech, Social & Leadership, and Languages.We also increased the number of classes per week and on Saturdays (Super Saturday Sports).

Among the most popular ECA classes were the following: •

Swimming

•

Football

•

Artistic Gymnastics

•

Karate

•

Aikido

•

Basketball

•

Green Team

•

Zumba

•

Painting

Every year, we want to make our school life even more interesting and engaging. This school year, the following extracurricular activities were added to the programme: Mandarin Chinese Mother Tongue, Mandarin Chinese for Beginners, Bosnian / Serbian / Croatian Mother Tongue, Swedish Mother Tongue, IPad Games & Activities, Design Thinking, Entertaining Chemistry Experiments, Mindfulness Meditation.

Let’s achieve excellence together!

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

UKRAINIAN EXTERNUM PROGRAMME

The 2018-2019 school year marked another busy and successful one in terms of developing the Ukraine Externum Programme for local students.

Pechersk School International holds a licence to offer general Secondary education in Ukraine. Due to this licence, the school is able to independently conduct examinations based on PSI’s Secondary School programme and issue a nationally recognised education certificate (diplomas and certificates) in addition to the Bachelor’s degree in the territory of Ukraine.

The PSI Ukrainian programme represents an extra education opportunity based on the national

standards of Ukraine for our students studying Ukrainian language or eager to get an education certificate in Ukraine.

The students study a few additional subjects, such as Ukrainian Language, Ukrainian Literature, History of Ukraine, Geography of Ukraine, and Science of Law. The curriculum is approved by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine based on the Ukrainian school system. Some of our curriculum fields were assigned education level credits as well. The lessons are free. Today, the Ukrainian Externum programme is comprised of 66 students, 9 teachers and 11 classes.

Last year our Ukrainian Externum programme was successfully accredited by local educational authorities. This year, the Ukrainian school also passed state certification and received the certification attestation: the school is recognised as certified.

On the basis of our institution, we are running research and experimental work on the topic: ‘Teaching and methodological support of teaching International Baccalaureate programs in the system of Ukrainian education’. This status of an experimental institution for general secondary education is approved for the period 2015-2020.

33

LIBRARY AT PSI

For the school year 2018/2019, the focus for the PSI library was to prepare for future projects through weeding of outdated, unpopular and damaged books and to reduce the number of duplicated copies of titles in order to create space for our diverse fiction collection, which we are planning to genrify in the new school year.

Circulation for the period between 1 April 2018 and 29 March 2019 has been 15,876, which is a slight increase for the same period last year, but is consistent with our annual circulation. In fact, it is the highest number since 2016, when circulation became our goal: • • • 34

2012/13 - 8,446 2013/14 - 12,589 2014/15 - 13,866

• • • •

2015/16 - 13,241 2016/17 - 15,780 2017/18 - 15,447 2018/19 - 15,876

This school year, 1,928 books have been weeded from the library using the guidelines in the Library Policies and Procedures Handbook. Our current collection consists of 23,792 items, representing 20,472 individual titles. The value of this collection is estimated at $269,970.97, which includes a valid approximations of the cost for books that do not contain price information.

The average year of publication of the collection is 2005, but this will continue to be updated as new items are added to the collection and old ones withdrawn. 11% of the whole collection (2,604 items) includes

resources published since 2014.

Three locations are used for holding library collections. The two designated library spaces also serve to host ECAs, parent meetings, staff meetings, and recess activities, and they are used as research, recreation and collaborative learning spaces. B200 is a multi purpose area containing levelled reading resources, foreign language, and professional development resources. It is also the heart of the new Makerspace initiative, which is used by students during recess, throughout the school day during classes, and after school for ECAs.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI FUTURES FORUM

THE FUTURE IS NOW - A LEARNING CELEBRATION WHICH TOOK PLACE AT PSI IN MARCH, 2019.

The forum provided a perfect vehicle for sharing the outstanding examples of skills development at our school.

Students and faculty demonstrated concrete ways in which they have developed and honed skills in areas such as creativity, complex problem solving, negotiation, and emotional intelligence. These are skills emphasised by the World Economic Forum as essential for individuals to thrive in our world today and

tomorrow. The standard of the work presented during this very special event was exceptionally high.

Many thanks to everyone involved and to our guest speaker, Wladimir Klitschko, whose focus on adaptability, resilience and ‘failing forward’ was a great fit to our theme.

35

PSI ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY CHILD IS PARAMOUNT. PSI USES A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS (INCLUDING EXTERNAL STANDARDISED TESTS) TO ASSESS STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND THE RIGOUR OF OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING PROGRAMMES.

Learning Updates Measures of Academic Progress Twice yearly, students in Grades 3 to 8 participate in the US-based Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardised assessment programme.

Over 5 million students from more than 50 countries participate in what is known as a ‘best practice’ external assessment. Assessments in reading and mathematical skills are conducted.

PSI is an inclusive school and, 36

as such, our data reflects the performance of every PSI student in Grades 3-8, including students who are new to the school, those attending English language support classes, and those with learning support needs. Some schools remove the data related to students in these groups and, as such, may report higher scores.

This year, there are no performances that indicate an area of concern, and PSI remains in a strong position, across the board, in terms of comparative data.

PSI is on a par with, or significantly higher than, schools that take MAP in the European Council of International School’s (ECIS) region. Compared with schools in the Central and Eastern European Schools’ Association (CEESA), PSI is within the statistical error interval, meaning that there is no significant difference between CEESA and PSI scores. Compared with all International Schools, PSI is either above or on par in all areas.

The PSI results in maths and reading are presented alongside the worldwide data.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

197 193 192 187

205 206 204 198 217 217 215 208

223 222 220 215 233 232 229 222

236 238 235 231

MATHEMATICS

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 6

Grade 8

197 191 190 183

MAP Reference Group Fall 2018-2019 Academic Year

Grade 3

PSI CEESA Region CIS Region

Grade 5

Grade 7

216 216 214 205 221 222 220 210

226 225 223 216

READING

201 202 200 191 210 209 208 199

All Schools

Grade 4

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

PSI CEESA Region CIS Region

Grade 5

All Schools

205 206 204 198 217 217 215 208

223 222 220 215

233 232 229 222

236 238 235 231

MATHEMATICS

197 193 192 187

MAP Reference group Spring 2018-2019 Academic year

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

PSI CEESA Region CIS Region

216 216 214 205

221 222 220 210

226 225 223 216

READING

Grade 5

197 191 190 183 201 202 200 191 210 209 208 199

All Schools

Grade 3

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

PSI CEESA Region CIS Region All Schools

Grade 4

Grade 5

37

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ACER / ISA Assessment

Annually, students in Grades 3 to 9 participate in the International Schools Assessment (ISA), developed by the Australian Council of Educational Research. Over 37,000 students from 204 international schools in 50 countries take this test each year.

Assessments are conducted in the skills of reading and mathematics, as well as narrative and expository writing.

‘Like Schools.’ While mathematics remains an area for ongoing growth and development, all other data indicates that PSI’s results are either on par with, or significantly above ‘Like Schools,’ ‘Regional Schools’ and ‘All Schools’. These are positive results.

The PSI results are presented alongside the worldwide data

Interpreting the Data

308 313 300 311

362 388 379 378

455 442 433 435

504 486 474 467

539 530 519 515

602 553 548 538

606 569 584 608

ACER/ ISA Reference group 2018-2019 Academic year

Last year’s outcomes confirmed that mathematics was an area for focus in the Primary School. This year’s data indicates improvements, with only 2 out of 7 grade levels shown as just below the comparative data set for

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

MATHEMATICS PSI LIKE Schools (16-35% Native English Speakers) CIS Region All international Schools

Important Note - As PSI is an inclusive school community, we believe our results should be reported in this manner, too. Therefore, this data includes every PSI student in Grades 6-9, including students who are new to the school, those attending English language support class, and students with special learning needs. Some schools exempt these students, which inflates their results.

38

358 293 290 290 354 354 345 341

413 391 385 383

472 430 419 416

518 476 474 468

535 409 513 501

569 540 556 540

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

Grade 3

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

READING PSI LIKE Schools (16-35% Native English Speakers) CIS Region

496 476 474 476

534 511 508 508

557 536 536 534

584 556 564 557

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

534 511 508 508

557 536 536 534

608 596 602 593

389 362 300 355 420 403 397 405 463 445 441 447

Grade 4

504 486 474 467

All international Schools

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

NARRATIVE WRITING PSI LIKE Schools (16-35% Native English Speakers) CIS Region All international Schools

Grade 4

Grade 5

413 404 413 466 454 443 451 501 492 488 489

446

Grade 3

EXPOSITORY WRITING PSI LIKE Schools (16-35% Native English Speakers) CIS Region All international Schools

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

39

40

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

PSI GRADUATION AND IB DIPLOMA 2015

4.79 33 29

2016

5.10 37 32

2017

5.45 41

2018

33.3

GOAL AVARAGE 35 GOAL AVARAGE 35 4.79 5.10

5.45 .....................

MARK

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 33.3 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Average DP Points Earned

PSI High School Graduation and IB Diploma Programme Grades 11 and 12 follow a two-year programme designed for those who seek to enter higher education in universities worldwide.

PSI holds the prestigious IB World School status, making us one of 3000 schools in 120 countries that offer the IB Diploma Programme (DP), including some of the largest and most established international schools around the world. Major universities consider the DP as the most rigorous high school

Highest DP Points Earned

Average DP Subject Points

programme, with its combination of highly challenging academics, inquiry-based research, and a commitment to service learning.

Based on performance, interests and needs, PSI students may work toward the full IB Diploma, a selection of IB Certificates and / or the PSI High School Diploma.

Assessment Grades are based upon internally assessed assignments, externally assessed projects, and the endof- programme examination papers.

A student can earn up to 7 points in each of 6 courses. The Theory

of Knowledge and Extended Essay components provide the possibility of 3 additional points.

The total possible score in the IB Diploma is 45 points.

Our Performance In recent years, PSI Diploma candidates have consistently scored higher than the world average and the average for our region. In the last 4 years, 95% of our candidates have earned the full diploma.

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UNIVERSITY OFFERS TO PSI STUDENTS IN 2019 PSI UNIVERSITY OFFERS 2019: OUR 21 GRADUATES HAVE AMASSED 70 UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES ACROSS 6 COUNTRIES. PSI DOES NOT LIMIT THE NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES WHERE STUDENTS MAY APPLY. SEVEN STUDENTS RECEIVED RENEWABLE SCHOLARSHIPS AND FOUR STUDENTS RECEIVED ACCEPTANCE OFFERS FROM THEIR TOP CHOICE UNIVERSITY. UK Aberystwyth University

University of Brighton

Brunel University London

University College London

City College, University of London

University of Edinburgh

Imperial College London

University of Essex

King’s College London

University of Exeter

Oxford Brookes University

University of Glasgow

Royal Holloway,

University of Greenwich

University of London

University of Liverpool

SOAS University of London

University of Manchester

University of the Arts London

University of St Andrews

London College of Fashion

University of Warwick

University of Birmingham

University of Westminster, London

University of Bristol 42

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

US

CANADA

Arizona State University

Norwich University

Queen’s University

Boston College

Parsons School of Design

University of British Columbia

Champlain College

University of California, Berkeley

University of Toronto

The Citadel, The Military College of South California

University of California Los Angeles

Florida Southern College Hofstra University

University of California, San Diego University of Hartford

THE NETHERLANDS Hanze University of Applied Sciences

University of Illinois

Saxion University of Applied Sciences

Institute of Culinary Education New York

University of Minnesota,

University of Amsterdam

Jacksonville University

Carlson School of Management

University of Twente

Lehigh University

University of San Francisco

Loyola Marymount University

University of Southern California

Marist College

University of Vermont

New York University

University Wisconsin-Madison

SINGAPORE Yale - NUS College

43

LEARNING COMMUNITY

ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGING

STUDENT-CENTRED

GLOBAL CITIZENS

PERSONAL EXCELLENCE

44

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN

IN NOVEMBE 2018, PSI’S BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS MET TO REFOCUS THE STRATEGIC PLAN ON LEARNING. The action items of the previous plan, developed to span 2017-22, were identified as either 100% completed or at least 75% completed at the end of the 2017-18 School Year, thus creating the necessity to revisit the overall plan. As such, PSI’s Strategic Plan is comprised of Strategic Goals that are areas or aspects of teaching and learning that we believe are critical. We shall focus strategically on these goals over a 3-5 year time period. In the meantime, the Board

of Governors, together with the leadership team, is working on a set of benchmarks and standards to hold ourselves accountable for the foreseeable future. The measures for these benchmarks will be internal and external. They will focus on the standards we want the school to be meeting now and maintaining in the long term. The emphasis is to consistently meet (or exceed) these standards from year to year.

The benchmarks will be ongoing

and will be reviewed periodically to ensure that we are aligned with the community’s expectations of a leading school. The planning will continue this school year and we shall include our wider community in the process during the school year 2019-20.

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CIS Work Area Section B – Teaching & Learning (IB-Curriculum)

Personalised Goals + Objectives Background and Rationale

Tasks To Be Undertaken

Mechanisms and Measures (How degree of success will be measured and by when)

To develop engaged and motivated learners by providing personalised learning opportunities relevant to their lives, interests and ambitions

•

*Mechanisms: Coaching Culture, Revised Schedule,Tech Integration

Objective 1: Learners will take a proactive role in designing and evaluating their learning

Objective 2: Learning is differentiated, paced to learning needs and tailored to meet each student where they are

Objective 3: Learning is engaging, relevant and enhanced by technology

Review Professional Development (PD) - to include development of teacher rubrics and revision of the process for funding

•

Create the Personalized Learning Learner Continuum

•

Overhaul of Climate Survey to ensure inclusion of questions with a direct link to the strategic goals

•

Provide PD on coaching

100% of students will set and reflect on goals by May 2020 80% of parents will Agree or Strongly Agree that their child is involved with the evaluation of their learning by May 2020 75% of students reach level 3 of the Personalised Learning Learner Continuum by May 2021

80% of learners will Agree or Strongly Agree that they are challenged by the learning opportunities presented to them by May 2020

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year 83%

Continuum to be developed during 2019-20 School Year.

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

80% of parents will Agree or Strongly Agree that learning is differentiated by May 2020

Grades 3-5: 94% Secondary School: 79%

80% of units will show evidence of differentiation by allowing for flexible pacing by May 2020

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

80% of learners Agree or Strongly Agree that they are engaged in relevant learning experiences by May 2020

Secondary students: 64%

75% of learners Agree or Strongly Agree that they are provided opportunities for technology to enhance their learning experiences by May 2020

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Progress to date / Notes

Grades 3-5: 89% Secondary School: 96%

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

Thinking Goals + Objectives Background and Rationale

Tasks To Be Undertaken

Mechanisms and Measures (How degree of success will be measured and by when)

To develop students with strong thinking dispositions and habits by creating a culture of thinking in our classrooms and across our school.

•

*Mechanisms: Coaching Culture, teacher evaluation programme review, revised schedule, Visible Thinking, Design Thinking

Objective 1: Learners will transfer knowledge, skills and understanding to be able to thoughtfully, flexibly and purposefully identify problems and create solutions.

Continue to utilise Visible Thinking routines in staff and parent workshops.

•

Run inquiry workshops.

•

Introduce Design Thinking protocols school-wide.

80% of students will show evidence of application and transfer of knowledge, skills and understanding by June 2021

Objective 2: Learning will be inquiry based, requiring students to construct knowledge and understanding of the world.

80% of unit plans will have the elements of inquiry embedded by May 2020

Objective 3: Learners will explore ideas and solve problems with innovative approaches

80% of learners will Agree or Strongly Agree that they are provided opportunities to generate creative ideas and solutions by April 2021

80% of unit plans will indicate use of Visible Thinking routines by May 2021

Progress to date / Notes

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

Grades 3-5: 87% Secondary School: 88%

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Balance Goals + Objectives Background and Rationale

Tasks To Be Undertaken

Mechanisms and Measures (How degree of success will be measured and by when)

To develop cognitively, emotionally, socially and physically balanced learners.

•

Revise the schedules in Primary and Secondary

•

Survey students about their wellbeing and how we can help further

*Mechanisms: Coaching Culture, teacher evaluation programme, review, revised schedule, Visible Thinking, Design Thinking, tech integration - ISTE Standards

•

Provide parent workshops on balance

Objective 1: To develop socially and emotionally balanced learners

100% of learners will show increased understanding of social and emotional topics explored in class (pre-assessment / post assessments implemented by counselors) by May 2021 15% decrease in counselling referrals for serious social and emotional issues

by May 2021 80% of students will Agree or Strongly Agree that PSI is welcoming and friendly, by May 2020 80% of students will Agree or Strongly Agree that they can usually be themselves around other students at PSI by May 2020

Objective 2: Learning will be inquiry based, requiring students to construct knowledge and understanding of the world.

Objective 3: Learners will explore ideas and solve problems with innovative approaches

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Progress to date / Notes

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year Grades 3-5: 96% Secondary School: 91%

Secondary School: 70%

80% of learners Agree or Strongly Agree that they have opportunities to reach their full potential, by May 2020

Secondary School: 72%

80% of learners report that they Agree or Strongly Agree that their well-being is a school priority by May 2020

Grades 3-5: 78% Secondary School: 78%

80% of learners will engage in cocurricular or CEESA sport activities, by May 2020

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

75% of learners Agree or Strongly Agree that they have opportunities to make positive, socially responsible online contributions by May 2021

Secondary School: 72%

75% of learners demonstrate the skills necessary to navigate increasingly complex social networks by May 2020

Mechanism to gather data to be developed during 2019-20 School Year

75% of learners Agree or Strongly Agree that they have opportunities to learn how to manage their digital identity and reputation by May 2021

Grades 3-5: 89% Secondary School: 69%

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

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PSI CLIMATE SURVEY

THIS YEAR, WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW CLIMATE (OPINION) SURVEY, ENSURING THAT IT INCLUDES QUESTIONS THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS.

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In this way, we will have baseline data to help us assess our progress from year to year. In this report, we are sharing the top 5 areas receiving a positive response in each of the groups surveyed. Our sample size in the staff group (employees not including teachers and teaching assistants) was too small for the data to be of significance. It is important to note that in our faculty survey, for example, 17 areas received over 90% approval rating, so many more than 5 areas of success could be shared.

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

Summary of Climate Survey 2019 Responses Strengths across the school In many areas of the survey, the school received positive responses (Agree or Strongly Agree) of 90% or better. Provided below are examples of the areas perceived as most and least strong by the groups surveyed: parents, Primary students (grades 3-5), Secondary students and all staff.

Parent Climate Survey Total number of parents - 603, total amount of responding parents - 155 persons, or 25.7%

SECTION

QUESTION

STRONGLY AGREE / AGREE

SECTION 4

a) I would recommend PSI to parents seeking a school for their child.

92.9%

General / School Culture

b) My school creates a warm and friendly environment.

SECTION 6 Communication

SECTION 10 Facilities at PSI

SECTION 17 Conclusion

90.3%

a) Most teachers maintain the highest professional standard when communicating and interacting with me as a parent.

92.9%

a) PSI has the facilities that I would expect at a top tier / leading international school

91%

a) The overall educational experience offered to students at PSI is of a high quality

91.9 %

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Secondary School Student Climate Survey Total amount of students - 204, total amount of responding students - 67 persons, or 32%

SECTION

QUESTION

STRONGLY AGREE / AGREE

SECTION 4

e) Adults in my school respect people from different backgrounds: e.g. race, ethnicities and gender

98.5 %

b) I have opportunities to use technology to enhance my learning experience

95.6%

95.6%

Technology

b) I have opportunities to use technology to enhance my learning experience

SECTION 10

a) PSI’s grounds are well maintained

97%

a) I feel safe at PSI

97%

General / School Culture

SECTION 5 Teaching and Learning

SECTION 7

Facilities

SECTION 17 Security at PSI

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

Grade 3-5 Student Climate Survey Total amount of students - 112, total amount of responding students - 96 persons, or 85%

SECTION

QUESTION

STRONGLY AGREE / AGREE

SECTION 5

93.8 %

Teaching and Learning

a) My teachers challenge me to do my best work

SECTION 12

a) I know who my principal is

96.9%

c) I feel safe at school

97.0%

a) I am learning a lot at school

94.8 %

b) I would recommend PSI to other students

93.8%

Principal

SECTION 14 School Operational Services

SECTION 15 Conclusion

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Faculty Survey Total amount of faculty- 135, total amount of responding faculty - 76 persons, or 56%

SECTION

QUESTION

STRONGLY AGREE / AGREE

SECTION 3

c) I challenge my students to do their best work.

98.7 %

Teaching and Learning

d) Adequate security measures are in place at PSI. e) I provide timely and meaningful feedback to all students.

SECTION 10

96.0%

97.4%

Facilities

a) The education offered to students at PSI is of a high quality.

SECTION 16

a) PSI’s grounds are well maintained

97.0%

In Conclusion

Areas for improvement across the school The climate survey also identifies areas for focus and improvement. In particular these are identified as: 1. The student schedule and to what extend it allows students to reach their goals.

2. Homework and to what extend it helps students to improve their studies.

3. The sense of community (as reported by our Secondary School students).

4. Further opportunities for studetn leadership, and; 5. A stronger focus in social and emotional well-being and anti-bullying, in particular.

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98.3%

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

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FINANCIAL YEAR

PSI IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT SCHOOL GOVERNED

BY A SCHOOL BOARD COMPRISED OF 12 PSI PARENTS. ALMOST ALL REVENUE COMES FROM TUITION FEES, INCLUDING CAPITAL LEVY, FOR THE DAILY RUNNING OF THE CAMPUS, AND FOR OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING PROGRAMMES. THE GRAPHS ILLUSTRATE REVENUE SOURCES AND EXPENSES FOR THE 2018-2019 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR. 56

A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

•

The graphs below are generally typical of not for profit international schools.

•

EXPENSES

REVENUE

78% Staff Expenses

95 % Tution

12% Educational

4 % Capital levy

5% Utilities, Maintenance

1 % Other

Staff and their expertise are seen as the major expense and greatest asset of the school.

2% Equipment and Software 1% Marketing and Communication 1% Finance Charges 1% Development Projects 1% Finance Charges The table below displays the school’s financial performance over five years, including our budget for the new school year 2019-2020.

PSI continues to increase the reserve fund to strengthen PSI’s financial and operational stability. According

to school policy this reserve is 25% of Operational Expenses. The reserve fund reached to 2.5 million USD in SY 2018-2019. The capital levy was decreased from 2,000 USD to 1,000 USD this school year. Nevertheless, PSI has already accumulated 1.2 million USD in cash for future investment

projects and is planning to procure 1.6 million USD in total by the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

SCHOOL YEAR

2015 / 2016 ACTUAL

2016 / 2017 ACTUAL

2017 / 2018 ACTUAL

2018/ 2019 FORECAST

2018 / 2019 BUDGET

ENROLLMENT (TOTAL)

388

409

443

446

450

OPERATIONAL INCOME

$ 955 690

$ 9 558 707

$ 10 403 015

$ 10 445 313

$ 10 606 138

OPERATIONAL EXPENSES

($ 7 972 728)

$ 7 818 805

$ 9 136 787

$ 10 089 101

$ 10 604 930

OPERATIONAL REVENUE

$ 1 182 962

$ 1 739 902

$ 1 266 228

$ 356 212

$ 1 208

CAPITAL BUDGET EXPENSES

($ 966 325)

($ 966 325)

($ 2 074 544)

($ 413 719)

($ 20 972)

AVAILABLE CASH FOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS

$ 5 782 597

$ 5 925 113

$ 897 817

$ 768 522

$ 2 651 233

RESERVE FUND

$ 500 000

$ 500 000

$ 2 284 197

$ 2 281 265

$ 1 562 108 57

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A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION

THE PSI ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION NOW INCLUDES MORE THAN 250 MEMBERS, WITH AN INTENTION TO GROW. IT WAS ESTABLISHED TO ENHANCE A CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSI AND ITS FORMER STAFF AND STUDENTS.

The Association itself is a very good platform for teachers and former students connected to PSI by their history, to communicate, share opinions and reunite with classmates and teachers. It provides a very effective opportunity for alumni to share memories and photos, and to be invited to PSI events. For PSI alumni, the sense of community is of great importance.

We continue to inform the group,

not only about new facilities on the campus, but also about different projects and the meetings that we host.

This year, PSI’s first ever alumni reunion was held in London.

Director, Rachel Caldwell, met with former students, who all spoke with pride and fondness about their School. Stories were shared and achievements were celebrated.

It is true that we have no better

ambassadors than our alumni.

At the end of every school year, we invite our Grade 12 students and our departing faculty to join the PSI Alumni and Friends Association to cultivate ongoing relationship, and to nurture connections within our diverse community.

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

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