Parents - Teachers Association Information

Information for Parents

Dear parents,

We would be very glad to cooperate with those parents who would like to organize extracurricular activities, trips, to run workshops or conduct discussions.

Please contact PTA or Deputy Director Elena Vladimirova.

Thank you.

PTA

MIS Administration

List of PTA Members for the 2002/2003 Academic Year

 Superintendent of International Schools Information

Dear Parents,

We are now entering a very exciting stage in the development of the MIRAS schools! 

This semester, in April, we will host the official visit of the IBO (International Baccalaureate Organisation) representatives in order to officially authorise MIRAS school Almaty for the IB Diploma programme, which we expect to start in September. 

This year, some of our current Grade 11 students have already begun studying for IB certificates and these will be awarded at the end of next year. With IB authorisation, we will be able to offer the full IB Diploma programme from this September for our current Grade 10 and next year's Grade 11 students. It is, of course, open only to those students who are capable of studying at a high level in English in the following subjects: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Information Technology in a Global Society, English and Russian Literature, which is, of course, taught in Russian. In addition, students will take Theory of Knowledge courses and participate in CAS (Community, Action, Service) activities, which are key elements of the IB Diploma.

The IB Programme

The International Baccalaureate programme is one of the most widely recognised, international, pre-collegiate programmes of study existing in the world today. Crossing international boundaries, the IB is recognised by all the major universities in Europe, North America and the UK. The IB Diploma and Certificates are, in fact, considered to be the standard for admissions to an increasing number of Colleges and Universities around the world. In many cases, they provide access to university systems without having to sit for national university entrance exams, or the need to present school leaving certificates for that country. The high standards set by the IB allow both the Diploma and individual subject certificates to be considered for University credit. These credits can be counted towards graduation and often translate into savings on tuition and this is the type of recognition many students seek to obtain.

The MYP (Middle Years) Programme

In addition, MIRAS school Astana is in the implementation stage this year of the IB MYP (IB Middle Years) programme for Grades 6-10. Next year they will be seeking full authorisation from the IBO in this area. MIRAS Almaty is also implementing this programme and we will keep you informed of our developments in this important area as we progress. We are already offering a combination of courses at all levels within the school in both English and Russian to better meet the needs of both our local and ex-patriate students and community.

Some of you may know already that the International School of Almaty, formerly part of School 105 and now under the umbrella of the Foundation, already has IB MYP authorization. This year, as it became part of the MIRAS family, it had to go through a re-authorisation process and this is expected to be completed very soon. In this respect, I would like to congratulate school Director Zhibiek Akasheva and her staff for their great efforts in achieving this recognition and the work they have done over the past 6 years to do this.

Academic Reports and the IGCSE

Since the beginning of this semester we have already seen a number of activities and positive developments at MIRAS! We organized parent conferences for all sections of the schools so that you could review the progress of your child with the teachers; reports were also issued and our Grade 10 students, who have been studying for the Cambridge University IGCSE ( International General Certificate of Secondary Education) took "mock" exams to see how they are progressing before the final exams which are scheduled for May. I am delighted to say that our students did very well on these exams and we have high hopes for much success in the final exams at the end of this academic year for these Grade 10's, who, in fact, will be the first MIRAS students to achieve internationally recognised examination certification. 

The IGCSE is a UK Cambridge University based examination which:

• Is recognised world-wide as an excellent programme of study for Grades 9 and 10 - normally for 14-16yrs old students.

• Is particularly appropriate for our students intending to continue studies in the UK, either at University level after Grade 11 and 12, or for entry into UK High Schools and Colleges for pre-university preparation.

• Provides internationally recognised certificates in the subjects which the students choose.

• Will provide an external measure of assessment for school assessment comparison purposes and ensure that MIRAS is meeting internationally recognised and approved standards in education.

• Fits very well with our current programme - the Kazakh Standard Curriculum - so students who are capable of taking examinations in English can make a very smooth transition between the two programmes. In addition, they will be able to continue their preparations for the Kazakh Diploma during Grade 11.

• Is viewed by the IB as being very good preparation for the IB Diploma and in the case of the MIRAS schools, it will also help us as we prepare for the full IB authorisation and the implementation of our IB programme which began in September 2001.

By starting the IGCSE programme last year, some of our students will be ready to take their First IGCSE examinations in May 2002. If they have the required English skills, they can choose to take examinations in up to a maximum of 6 subjects, choosing from: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Russian Language and English as a Second Language.

Kazakh Diploma

We are, of course. continuing to prepare all of our students who choose to graduate with the Kazakh Standards Diploma, but will be providing opportunities, for any student capable of studying in English, to participate in the IGCSE and IB Diploma programmes, both of which are recognized and highly regarded by schools, colleges and universities world-wide.

Curriculum Development

Curriculum development, as I am sure you know, is a continuing process and over the past 18 months, MIRAS schools have been analyzing and evaluating all of our programmes. We have seen many similarities in many of the subjects and disciplines as far as content goes, and of course we have been trying to incorporate a variety of teaching and assessment methodologies, along with additional content, that are part and parcel of the IB programmes. 

During the past year and a half, teachers have been planning and teaching together, familiarizing each other with the various approaches and we are now at the stage where we are looking to combine our respective curricula to form a MIRAS International School curriculum. We plan to submit this to the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan for approval later this year. 

This will ensure that we can continue to not only meet the needs of the local community and Kazakh graduation requirements, but also that of the international community. Whilst making allowances for proficiency in English, this will enable our staff and students to unify under one programme. This will also enable students to easily switch between courses and choose those most appropriate to meet their needs, whether their future is in Kazakhstan, Russia and the CIS states, or further field in the US and the UK and Europe. We will also be able to offer a MIRAS International School certificate, which, once we are accredited by ECIS, will also become an internationally recognized certificate of graduation.

Student Activities

In the past month, we have also seen various celebrations at school involving students and staff, notably Valentine's Day and a disco for our MYP students. Since early January, I have been meeting with the student council, along with Ms Irena Ramilyevna, to help involve them more in the development and organization of various activities for our student body. Shakhmurat Syzdyk, the Student Council President, and other members of the council have also helped organize our first ski trip to Chimbulak. This took place last Friday for grades 10 and 11 and was a real success.

I am very pleased to see that our students are such good ambassadors for our school! Students in grades 6-9 will also have an opportunity to enjoy this activity in the coming weeks and we hope that parents also see this as an important way that we can develop school spirit amongst our students and as a reward for all of their efforts.

Thanks and Appreciation to Parents!!

I would like to thank all the parents who assisted with transportation and supervision on the day, as we would not be able to conduct such field trips without this help. I would also like to thank the students for their very responsible and co-operative behaviour on this important first trip - they were excellent ambassadors for our school and that of course, is a very important aspect of any out of school or field trip experience.

Ian Rysdale

Superintendent of International Schools

March 06, 2002