Upcoming Events
October
24 Oct, 2-3:45pm: Fall Festival
25 Oct: Republic Day (No School!)
29 Oct, 8:30am: Coffee with the Director
30 Oct, 7pm: Cell Phone Policy Parent Meeting
November
8 Nov, 10am: PSG Parent Social
9 Nov: All Day Staff Professional Development
12 Nov, 8:30-9:30am: PSG Monthly Meeting
12-15 Nov: Yearbook Photo Shoot (photos will be for sale to parents)
14 Nov, 4:30-6:30pm: TedEx Event for Secondary Students at QSI
16 - 17 Nov: Online Model United Nations (MUN) Conference
20 Nov, 7-8pm: Community Town Hall - Phone Use at School
❤️🐺🖤 Spirit Wear Pop Up Shop Dates ❤️🐺🖤
24 October, during Fall Festival
1 November, 12-4pm
⚽️🏋🏻♀️ Upcoming ATHLETIC EVENTS 🏃🏾♀️🏀
30 Oct - 3 Nov: U15 Boys and Girls Soccer Tournament (Almaty)
6-10 Nov: U19 Girls Soccer Tournament (Almaty)
News & Information
Message from the DI
Hello Family!!!
I want to welcome you to the Second Quintine. Did the First Quintile go as quickly for you, as it did for me? As we bundle up with coats and hats because winter has poked its head around the corner, we are also bundling up for intensive learning as we move past review and our foundational TSWs. Because report cards will come home soon, I thought we would review our academic program and look again at why we continue to choose QSI. While I will not reexplain our program, I will highlight why QSI’s learning is better for all.
What does Teaching and Learning look like at QSI Astana?
QSI Astana’s, teaching and learning are centered around Mastery Learning, ensuring that students fully understand concepts before progressing. Guided by TSWs (The Students Will), the curriculum is designed to be student-centered, promote engagement and ownership of learning, while assessments such as Fountas & Pinnell and MAP testing provide valuable insights to tailor instruction to each learner's needs. To sum up learning, we must focus on four bullet points.
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Mastery Learning
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TSWs
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Assessments
Advantages of Mastery Learning
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Students build upon their knowledge step by step
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There are no holes in students’ learning
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Student-centered/Differentiated
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Embedded times for remediation are built into our schedule (elementary, middle, and secondary)
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Learning is individualized
What Are TSWs?
TSWs, or "The Students Will," are measurable goals that outline what students are expected to learn by the end of each unit. Here is the link to all TSWs, including AP courses and Intensive English (IE). Academics - QSI International School of Astana
Assessments
Assessments give information to teachers to guide teaching and learning. What forms of assessments do we use?
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Teacher Made Assessments
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Fountas and Pinell (F&P) -oral literacy assessments and comprehension (Conducted one on one)
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Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)
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Focuses on student growth from the beginning to the end of the year
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Usually done in math and reading
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Compares students at the same age level around the world
This week, when you receive your student’s report card through email, please use this guide to help your understanding. Let us know if you have any questions. Until next time!
Stay warm,
Mrs. Givens
Fall Festival Details
We’re inviting all parents to join the fun and help make this event unforgettable! The kids will be able to enjoy activities such as apple fishing, arts & crafts table, corn toss, pumpkin ring toss, bounce house, and so much more!
Students are welcome to come dressed up in their favorite costumes on Thursday, October 24th. We kindly request that children avoid wearing gory costumes.The festival will begin at 2pm and finish at 3:45pm.
We need parent volunteers to help run the games and make the magic happen! Please sign up at the link below if you'd like to volunteer.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Kind regards,
The Fall Festival Committee
PSG Parent Social: National Museum
Parent Social at the National Museum of Kazakhstan! 🏛️
When: November 8th —we'll meet at the museum
Time: 10:00 AM, with our tour starting promptly at 10:15 AM
Cost: 3,000 tenge (Includes entrance ticket and English-speaking tour guide)
Don't miss out on this great opportunity to connect with other parents while discovering the rich history and culture of Kazakhstan! ✨
Fill out the form if you'd like to join!
Parent Involvement Needed for MSA
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As part of our midterm review for our accreditation with MSA (Middle States Association), we are continually striving to improve our school. One aspect of this is to review our school plans and evidence for these plans to ensure that we have surpassed the MSA standards. We are looking for parents and students to join us on November 23, 12:30-3:00 PM and on January 18, 12:30-3:00 PM to review the plans and evidence. If you are interested in participating in our school improvement and can attend both meetings, please contact Torre Derr (torre-derr@astana.qsi.org) to join the QSI Astana MSA Planning Team. Thank you for your willingness to support our push for excellence.
Other Announcements
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NHS New Member Process
It is time once again to select and induct new members into our school's chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).
The process for being selected as an NHS member starts this week with staff nominations. Next week, nominated students will be given the opportunity to apply. Then, all staff will rate the applicants on the four pillars of NHS. Afterwards, a Faculty Council will convene to discuss the ratings and the applications. Invitations to NHS will go out shortly after that.
The faculty council is composed of a variety of staff and teachers who interact with secondary students during school, after school, and on the sports' field. The NHS advisor is a non-voting member of the Faculty Council, meaning they conduct the meeting but have no vote in who is invited into NHS.
For a more detailed look at the process, please look through these slides: National Honor Society New Member Process
Mastery Learning
What can your child expect when they first enter our QSI International School of Astana’s Mastery Learning classroom?
What does this look like or what will I (as a parent) notice? Help me to visualize it.
In the pursuit of educational excellence, understanding whether students are truly learning or experiencing deep learning is paramount. This Mastery Learning article explores various aspects of our approach to effective teaching, traits of Quality Schools International (QSI) teaching, classroom dynamics, and strategies that we utilize to integrate data to continuously guide instruction. As a parent, this is what you can expect: READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE!
QSI Astana's
Statement of Purpose
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