Upcoming Events
February
11 Feb, 8:30am: PSG Monthly Meeting
13 Feb, 1-7pm: Student Led Conferences (Noon Dismissal from School)
14 Feb, 11:30-2pm: PSG Bakesale
17-21 Feb: Literacy Week
24-28 Feb: NHS Writing Contest
24 Feb: Quintile 4 Begins
28 Feb, 4-6pm: NHS Practical Olympics
March
7 March: International Women's Day Symposium
10 March: No School (Women's Day)
12 March: PSG Parent Social (save the date)
14 March, 4-6pm: StuCo Faculty Follies
19 March: School wide Nauryz Celebration
21-28 March: Spring Break (No School!)
⚽️🏋🏻♀️ Upcoming ATHLETIC EVENTS 🏃🏾♀️🏀
20-22 Feb: CABC Basketball Tournament
Boys Basketball: Varsity Team Workout Mondays
Girls Basketball: Practices Tuesdays & Thursdays
Badminton: Monday after school practices
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club: Tuesdays & Thursdays, Secondary Boys
News & Information
Message from the Director of Instruction
Hello QSI Family! Happy February!
This issue I would like to highlight one of the unique aspects of QSI, our Empower Program.
Our Empower program is our whole school social-emotional literacy initiative. Each Monday, all classes participate in Empower, where students learn skills like self-awareness, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution.
Empower helps students understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and navigate challenges in a positive, supportive environment. Topics like personal boundaries and body awareness are addressed in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner. To ensure parents are informed, we send home letters at the beginning of the year detailing these topics, allowing families to continue the conversation at home. Please see the fliers below.
By incorporating Empower into our curriculum, we equip students with the tools they need to thrive emotionally and socially. The program promotes self-confidence, empathy, and respect for others (our Success Orientations) while creating success in and out of the classroom.
Highlights of the Empower topics will be added to our bi-weekly newsletters so be on the lookout for the content and join in the conversation with your children at home.
Thank you for being a part of our community!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Givens
(Happy Valentine's Day!)
PSG Monthly Meeting
We’re happy to have Mrs. Givens, QSI’s Director of Instruction, sharing her insights on ”Partnering with the School: How to Support Your Child in Challenging Situations."
Plus, we'll discuss:
🧁 Valentine's Bake Sale
🏀 CAFA Basketball Tournament
👥 SLCs and more!
Date: Tuesday, February 11
Time: 8:30 AM (after drop-off)
Location: ANNEX
See you there! ❤️🐺🖤
PSG Bake Sale
💕🤍 Our Valentine’s Day Bake Sale is on Friday, Feb. 14th! Help us bring something sweet (or savory 😉) to our kids’ day! 🤍💕
We are looking for food donations free of nuts and volunteers to help us during the sale. Please see the list below for food ideas. The sign-ups links are below:
🍪 Cookies or bars
🧁Muffins or Cupcakes
🥧 Pies or crepes
🍰 Cakes or tarts
🍣 Kimbap rolls or Sushi
🥪 Sandwiches
🍿 Popcorn
🧆 Samsa
🧃 Fruit juice boxes and water bottles
🍇🍌🍊 Whole fruits – such as apples, oranges, washed grapes or bananas
🥕🥒🍅Vegetables – such as carrot sticks, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes
We will be happy to receive your donations by 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 14, in Ms. Dasha’s office.
For hygiene purposes, please ensure your items are pre-cut or individually packaged and ready to sell.
Thank you for your support! 💕🤍
Other Announcements
Week Without Walls✈️
Dear Parents,
We are excited to announce the upcoming Week Without Walls, taking place from May 24th to May 30th, 2025, for our middle school and secondary students! This unique opportunity allows students to engage in valuable educational and cultural experiences. This year, we are offering two incredible trips to choose from:
Trip 1: Italy (Florence and Venice) Open to Secondary Students Only
Students interested in Italy will spend six days exploring the rich art and culture of Florence and Venice. Highlights include:
-
Viewing masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.
-
Exploring the enchanting "Floating City" of Venice.
-
Participating in a hands-on glass molding experience on Murano Island.
Cost: $2,500 USD
Payments are divided into four installments, with the first payment of $500 due by February 7th.
Trip 2: Almaty (Cultural Immersion) Open to both Middle School and Secondary Students
Students traveling to Almaty will experience the beauty and culture of Kazakhstan. Highlights include:
-
Enjoying traditional Kazakh music.
-
Visiting Shimbulak Mountain for stunning views.
-
Exploring the breathtaking Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lake.
Cost: 628,270 KZT
Payments are divided into four installments, with the first payment of 60,000 KZT due by February 7th.
Local Activities in Astana
For students not participating in the Italy or Almaty trips, we will organize exciting and meaningful activities in and around Astana during the Week Without Walls.
🌏Sign Up Now✈️
If you would like your child to participate in either the Italy or Almaty trip, please sign up using the provided link below by Friday, January 31st. Families selecting one of the trips will receive a follow-up email next week with instructions on submitting the first payment.
Sign-up Link: Week Without Walls Sign-up Form
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out: thomas-givens@astana.qsi.org
Yearbook Pre-sales: Discount Pricing Available!
Special pricing available until March 31st!
-
18,000 tenge for the first book you order
-
15,000 tenge for additional sibling book orders
After March 31st, the cost will become our regular price of 20,000 tenge.
All money must be received by March 31st, or the orders will be deleted.
How to purchase:
1. Fill out this yearbook order form for as many copies as you would like to purchase: Yearbook 24-25 Order Form
2. Send in the appropriate amount of tenge to your homeroom teacher. Please note we can only accept cash payments in exact amounts. Teachers cannot make change! If you buy more than one yearbook now, it will be 18k + 15k for each additional book!
3. The yearbook staff will collect the money from the teacher and send you an email receipt when it has been received.
Questions about yearbook purchases can be emailed to: astmedia@astana.qsi.org
And remember.... the yearbook will be over 120 full color pages full of memories to last a lifetime! You don't want to miss out!
Literacy Week, February 17th-21st!
Dear QSI Astana Community,
Literacy Week this year falls on the week of February 17th to the 21st. We have many fun events planned, and we are inviting parents, teachers, and staff to participate in a special event called Stories Around the World!
This event has become a yearly tradition during Literacy Week and students love it!
To participate in this event, you will bring in a story in a language other than English and read it to a group of students. When choosing a book, it's best if the reading time is around 5 minutes. Your time slots would be flexible to match your availability. The best time for you to come in and read would be between 8:30am and 10:45am, so if you're able to come during that time frame, that's fantastic.
If this sounds like something you would enjoy, please fill out this form to sign up: Stories Around the World | Sign Up Form
If you have further questions, please let me know: jeanette-smith@astana.qsi.org
10 Book Reading Challenge
Speaking of literacy and the love of reading... join us for the 10 Book Reading Challenge from Jan 31st-March 31st! Simply sign up by writing your name on the sheets posted around the school.... and grab a good book! (Try the school library OR the new Little Free Libraries!!)
Kazakhstan's First Ever Little Free Library!
We’re thrilled to announce that our school has officially registered the first-ever Little Free Library in Kazakhstan! Little Free Libraries are free book-sharing areas that inspire a love of reading and build community. They are part of a global network, connecting readers and fostering a culture of literacy everywhere. Check out the global map of LFLs and see if you can find ours! https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/
We now have two Little Free Libraries on campus:
📚 The Great Hall Library – stocked with books for students ages 3 through middle school.
📚 The Den Library (Secondary Lounge) – for our secondary students, offering age-appropriate reads.
The Little Free Library works on a "take a book, share a book" philosophy. That means you are welcome to take a book home and keep it as long as you like—it’s yours! If you’re ready to share, you can bring it back or donate another book to keep the shelves full for everyone to enjoy. Let’s build a culture of reading together—one book at a time!
From the Counseling Dept
February Career Awareness
In an effort to increase career awareness for our students, each month will have a theme and each class their own career within that theme. Teachers will have resources and I would love to have some guest speakers talk to the kids about their job. If we need to find translation we can also do that. If you know of anyone that would be willing to speak students, please fill out this form and I will follow up with you: February Career Awareness Sign Up Sheet
QSI Astana's
Statement of Purpose
Follow us on Instagram
.png)