Page 21 - Quintile_37 web

QSI Quintile • Issue 37 • • • 21

KAZAKHSTAn

Almaty International School

Spirit of Adventure!

Of course, the majority of the work of students
and teachers takes place in the classroom. But at
Almaty International School, we’re not satisfied
with staying in the classroom too long. The normal
school year is punctuated throughout with exciting
excursions, weekend adventures, and week-long
intensive activities. I’d like to take the reader
through some of the experiences enjoyed by staff
and students alike in a typical school year at Almaty
International School.

The 2017–18 school year started off immediately
with the first AIS Scuba Team! Yes, it’s true:
Kazakhstan is a landlocked country. But the
country has many beautiful lakes that provide
opportunities for a new diver’s first open water
dives. We took four secondary students and some
educators through the rigorous Open Water Diver
courses, culminating in four open water dives
at a nearby lake. All students passed skills tests
with ease (unlike some of the adults!). Our scuba
students are proud of their accomplishments, which
they managed despite all the AP classes, tests,
sports, and other activities they have besides scuba. The spirit of adventure doesn’t start outside
There’s already a waiting list of students wanting to our gates. One can witness a sense of adventure on
participate in the next round of classes, and we plan campus as well. To take advantage of the winter
an international dive with all our newly certified season in Almaty, the school recently purchased an
students later in the spring. Good job, AIS Scuba ice skating rink! We plan to spend a good two to
Team! three months with ice skating and hockey as daily
options for students. Additionally, we’re planning
Speaking of water sports, in the spring we our first Winter Market, complete with ice skating,
hold our annual Swim Week. During that week, decorations, vendors, and fun for the whole school
we’re committed to taking all our elementary-aged community.
students through 10-year-olds to the pool for a full
week of swimming instruction. As you can imagine, Speaking of Winter Market, we’re hoping to
students’ swimming experience ranges from none include our three newly constructed yurts in the
at all to advanced swimmers, and we make sure to winter fun. Each yurt is 10 meters in diameter and
meet the needs of all of them. The goal is that by the includes a Plexiglas roof in the center, allowing
end of the week, each student’s swimming skills and for natural light throughout the year. While our
comfort level in the pool visibly improves. We’re mammoth new three-level library with sky roof is
happy to report our students’ success! We approach under construction, we placed our existing library At the close of the school year, the middle
swimming instruction the same way we approach temporarily in the yurts. The carpeted floors and school and secondary students turn their attention
reading, writing, and mathematics instruction. ceremonial decorations make it the perfect place to toward Week Without Walls, which focuses on
Kids are grouped by their current skill levels, lounge and read a book. service-learning projects. The teachers work hard
and then instructors work the whole week to take to provide students with three or four international,
students to the next level, following a curriculum The school owns three such yurts, but there’s a affordable trips to interesting places for community
of water skills. It’s great to watch students progress time in the school year when the school is home to service and new experiences.
from non-swimmers to swimmers throughout 30-plus yurts. The neighborhood of Kalkaman, in
Swim Week. which the school resides, uses the school’s property All of these out-of-classroom experiences
for its annual Nauryz celebration. For a full day, happen each year—plus many, many more. And, it
Much of Kazakhstan is quite cold during a thousands of local residents roam the school all happens in addition to the many other activities
sizeable chunk of the school year, so we also have property, eating shashlik, dancing, and celebrating. that go on at school, including soccer tournaments,
winter adventures in the snow. Ski Week is a huge The school hosts thousands on this exciting day, basketball tournaments, debate tournaments, AP
undertaking. We take the entire 500-plus student not including the eagles! In addition to the bird classes, Cross-country, Track, and on and on. We
population to the slopes! Just like Swim Week, we handlers, there are ceremonial weddings, food haven’t even mentioned the activities for the parents,
group students according to skill level, and spend tastings, traditional yurt furniture demonstrations, such as Kickboxing, Zumba, Russian Language,
our time on the slopes advancing each student and more. It’s a very exciting day not just for AIS and Running Club. Nor have we mentioned all
along a skiing curriculum. It’s a fantastic time for but for the whole community. Almaty International the activities coordinated by the Parent Support
all students! Our hope this school year is to extend School is proud to be a supportive member of our Group, such as International Day, which is another
Ski Week to include advanced skiing for those local community, and seeks out opportunities huge event involving hundreds of people. The Snow
students who demonstrate talent, dedication, and whenever possible to strengthen the bonds between Leopards at Almaty International School embody a
enthusiasm for skiing. the school and our surrounding residents. Spirit of Adventure!