Bonfire and Poetry

It was hot and sunny day and the class of 13 year olds couldn't help but to go out side and enjoy that spectacular weather.

Mrs. Siebert's class was inspired by the book that they have read – Beowulf. They have performed beautiful in a dramatic and eye-catching epic poetry versions of the last books they've read.  Around the bonfire gathered all the listeners and waited impatiently for the presentation of the recitation in 30 degree June weather. They even managed to get close enough to the fire to roast marshmallows and hotdogs - but barely. 

Children empathised with hunter gather societies who had to keep a fire going in all kinds of weather if they wanted to eat cooked, rather than raw, food.

🎓 QSI CLASS OF 2016 🎓

It was a beautiful ceremony, with heartwarming speeches by Mr. Bryan and Mr. Edmunds, and a lovely speech by the graduating class. The most memorable part of the ceremony were the touching speeches and the senior video played at the reception. Planning the event was tough, meeting after school every two weeks or so, finding the time to go out and buy the decorations, food, etc for the ceremony, but the seniors have done it and have set the bar high for next year. They have overcome senioritis and are now off to universities in America and Europe... congratulations and best of luck!

Seniors

Mariam, Eka, Lisa, Luka, Nino, Annemarie, Nia, Arya, Matti, Fallon, Camelia, Charlotte

Lunch Surprise

Today the seniors have surprised the high school with their prank...

a water fight ambush.

The prank played out perfectly, the high schoolers were happy to join the water balloon fight. It lasted from lunch to a bit of sixth period. This was also QSI Tbilisi's first senior prank!

The Importance of Being Earnest

Yesterday Mr. Bryan's British Literature class successfully portrayed Oscar Wilde's characters from his well known play: The Importance of Being Earnest.
The play was about two friends using the same pseudonym, Ernest, for their "weekend activities". 
The class didn't have much time to prepare, Mr. Bryan wished that they had at least a month before the performance date. But even while juggling other British Literature units on the side, the students were amazing and Mr. Bryan (paraphrasing what he said) was extremely proud. We walked around and asked a couple of the audience members, and they all have enjoyed it.

The characters were:
Algernon - played by Luka
Jack/Ernest - played by Nodar
Cecily - played by Mariam
Gwendolyn - played by Matti
Lady Bracknell - played by Nino
Dr. Chasuble - played by Annemarie
Miss Prism - played by Nana
Lane - played by Eka
Merriman - played by Lisa

The play was directed by Mr. Bryan and Nia

Stay Tuned For Pictures

Award Ceremony and Announcements

Today was the Award Ceremony and congratulations all the student who got at least one certificate! 
Here are the names of all people that got certificates:
Spencer, Elya, Nino, Abby, Ketevan, Luka, Philip, Ruslan, Joseph, Luisa, Andrew, Anna, Nodar, Sam, Katy, Samuel, Gabriel, Katya, Sasha, Guy, Charlotte, Fallon, Nia, Taisia, Nana, Annemarie, Lisa, Matti, Ruslka, Eka, Avery, Irakli, Alex, Liam, Dominika, Mariam, Adam, Mia, Mariam, Sara, Nicole, Natali, Xin Yao, Arya, Sophia, Eva, Sandra, Ibrahim, Levan, Annika, Camelia, Mark, and the last one Nick!

So, If you've found your name in this "short" list of all names then good job! Your hard work has been noticed and you got to be called out so that everyone else could see that you are hardworking student and appreciated. 

But not only the awards were distributed during this Assembly. Finally all the kids got their yearbooks! All the wonderful work that was put into these pages is at last present in physical world. The Yearbook is titled "The Leap" because yearbook team wanted to  emphasise how our school has grown from its start until the present day.

No more plastic water bottles in our school. That's how the announcement began and got everyones attention. So, next year cafeteria is not going to sell water bottles any more. Our school is getting bigger and the garbage that we leave after the end of each day is getting larger. And to be more eco friendly we decided to  stop selling plastic water bottles and instead encourage students to buy reusable water bottles which will be unique and less damaging for nature. 

The play about the vital importance of being Earnest will be help in gym at 6:30. Do not bring any popcorn as cucumber sandwiches will be served during breaks between acts. Please, come. British Literature students worked very hard on the performance and memorised lines specially for your enjoyment. Plus, they have to pass this last unit to graduate. :)

The last announcement was about the Camping Trip that will be help during last week of school. The location and more specific detail of the trip are still being discussed. The main idea is that students will relax and enjoy each others compony 24 hours straight. Nature, bugs, more nature, more bugs.... Everything that one could wish for.

By Anastasia Demianenko

Concert of Cutie Pies

That was a memorable day when our little angels of QSI performed for us and their parents. It was like we were listening to sweet cupcakes singing the melody of rivers and forests. 

All students that we part of these performances did a splendid job. Our small ducklings showed their best when they were on stage. All girls wore their most beautiful dresses and boys wore their astonishing costumes. For some performances, kids were dressed in costumes such as pink princesses, and mighty volcanos. 

What was easy to notice is the nervousness in kids' eyes and because of that they were playing with their clothes. Few of little ones tried to dance while singing, stepping from one foot onto another. It was so cute audience could not help but get the feeling when you want to squeeze them tight and never let go.

Most stunning part of performance is that children knew melodies to the songs that they were singing and had no problem recalling words. The idea of their small brains holding all the information is just mind-blowing.

One memorable performance was Butterfly Flight. Girls dance like graceful butterflies and their gorgeous capes followed them as they floated through the wind of melody. And in the background children were singing peaceful and relaxed song.

The other memorable performance was the Volcano Dance. As kids imitated the eruption of the volcano they waved red and orange flags in their hands and swirled around. Their neon orange costumes represented the lava that was pouring out of the heart of the volcano. Children dropped to the floor symbolising the end of the natural catastrophe.

At the end of all performances the audience burst in ovation and some parents even shouted 'Bravo'. In conclusion, I have to say that all kids performed outstandingly and amused their parents and made their teachers proud. Keep it up, muffins!

By Anastasia Demianenko

QSI PROM 2016

Everyone arrived at prom ecstatic, gorgeous flowy dresses flocked into the venue at Krtsanisi Residence on May 21st. It was a slow start, with the DJ playing outdated songs and the stench of a public bathroom filling the tented area, but we all tried to ignore it as we reclined on the beanbags and ate the food. Within fifteen minutes the party was moved into an indoor ballroom, where things heated up with a dance off, a dance circle, better music after the DJ was basically kicked out, and some moves from the chaperones. 

"The dance battle, Abby and Taisia versus Luka and Andrew was the highlight of the night"

"Even though the DJ was a little dubious with his song selection, the lights and the location, which was more open and adaptable than last years, made for a wonderful night" - Cami, a QSI Class of 2015 graduate

"Everyone looked A+ and no one knew how to dance... it was great, don't think i'll miss the pain from my heels though" Nana

All of the prom pictures from Krtsanisi can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/a/grg.qsi.org/folderview?id=0B6Tium1CDHn3UUlwcTJ1cGs2VDQ&usp=sharing_eid&ts=574ffd06

By Annemarie

Budapest Junior Model United Nations 2016

The Junior Model United Nations team were recently at a conference in Budapest held by the American International School. The students involved with the JMUN trip are Nicholas, Luka, Nicole, Sofia, Christopher, Maria, and Alex; and the countries they represented are Pakistan and Nigeria. The team, chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Siebert, arrived two days early to rest, and of course, sightsee. They got to shop and see several old baths and churches, the Hungarian parliament, the heroes square, the old city, and a lot of spring festival markets ... "it involved a lot of walking" Mrs. Siebert. 
What was interesting about their MUN experience from the previous ones the QSI juniors and seniors have attended was that the students stayed with host families. Below are some of the questions and combined answers we asked and received about their JMUN experience.

Describe it in one word: Fun
Rate the experience on a scale of 1-10: 9
Did you make friends: Yes we made a lot of friends. Everyone was really nice and so far distance hasn't kept us apart, we still stay in touch!

Were the debates interesting/fun? Perhaps funny: Yes, especially the last debate we had which was "how to make school more fun"

Do you think you learned a lot: Yes I learned more social skills, research methods, and definitely got better in public speaking.

Would you do it again: Yes! I'm planning on attending next year.
Favorite part: The confessions box. Which was a box where you sent funny or embarrassing confessions (notes) about other delegates or the chairmen. Some confessions even dared the chairs to do something. The social was a lot of fun too!


Overall the JMUN kids had a lot of fun, and speaking from experience, the upperclassmen have as well, which prove that MUN is an unforgettable experience.

By Annemarie Imnadze

Secondary Talent Show

     "I had chills," said Abby, who watched the QSI Middle and Secondary Talent Show and Spring Concert on Thursday, May 19th. 
Indeed, this seemed to be a reaction shared by many, for QSI Secondary students never fail to showcase their exceptional talent when they have the chance.  With amazing performances throughout the night, ranging from the 13 year old ensemble of flute, trumpet, and saxophone to Charlotte, who also happened to perform at the Georgian X Factor, the night was unforgettable, showcasing not only talent, but school spirit. Students supported each other throughout all rehearsals, commending the hard work done by the participants. Anna, who not only played the piano, but also sang "Rip Tide",  left the audience in awe, but she says that she would not have been able to perform without the "amazing group of people there to support her". 

By Taisia Crowley

11's Trip

      The 11 year old class recently went on a field trip to Uplistsikhe, a town in eastern Georgia to visit an ancient rock settlement. A visit to Uplistisikhe is an often occurance at QSI, with many classes takingon the two hour drive to learn about one of the oldest settlements in Georgia.  The trip was organized by Mr. and Mrs. Siebert and the students spent their days learning outside of a classroom. Students got to enjoy Georgian nature, expolore the beautiful scenery, and learn about Georgian history. 

🌎 Earth Week 🌍

The Earth Week was splendid event. All students participated in cleaning our environment and thus making a huge contribution to our planet. 
In total 67 garbage bags were collected from area near Jvari Monastery. Fantastic!
And to make this school a greener place all classes through 2 year old up to Secondary IV planted a class tree. Not only this project helped students to tighten their friendship but also saved the planet.

By: Anastasia Demianenko

Lock-In

    The doors closed at six, kicking off an event loved by many -- the QSI Annual Lock-In. The event was planned by STUCO, and a total of thirty students showed up. Teachers volunteered to watch us in shifts, participating in activities and helping out in the kitchen. The students had the option of mac' and cheese or bolognese for dinner -- with a delicious brownie and ice cream  dessert, accompanied by a comedy film. Students enjoyed a game of capture the flag and dodgeball, but by far the most memorable part of the night was staying up throughout the night and talking. 

By: Taisia Crowley

The Rhythm and Aesthetic of our Language

If you are still wondering what we are going to talk about in this article after you have read the title then let me explain a little bit more. On April 1st QSI Tbilisi had its first Poetry Cafe 🎉 🎉 🎉 

All of the 11 year olds and the DPD Productions Students were working hard for two weeks in preparation. They spent time memorizing their poems, learning how to recite them with emotions, how to make listeners to fall in love with their poems, how to break their hearts, how to make them laugh and smile, and how to make then cry. Students had two poems to present: one of their own and one from a published author.

Rules for the Poetry Contest

1. All work must be original.

2. You may submit any type of poem.

3. You can submit up to 3 poems.

4. You may include original artwork or photography with your poems.

Intermission: "I Dream a World," written by DPD Production Students based on the poetry of Langston Hughes.

By: Anastasia Demianenko

Haarlem Model United Nations 2016

"How do I start this article?" Annemarie
"Start with: tears..." Nana

Tears. The four day Model United Nations trip ended with tears. Tears of joy, as we all survived the horrors of public speaking, and tears of sadness, as we checked out of the hostel and got onto our last Haarlem bus ride, headed towards the Amsterdam Schipol Airport. 

The trip to Haarlem was our favorite one yet (though we only have the Dublin MUN - SAIMUN - to compare it with). The senior MUN team, representing Argentina for the UN and one student representing the Czech Republic for NATO, arrived a day early to tour Haarlem and get some last minute speeches written. None of us were looking forward to staying at a hostel and going on thirty minute bus rides to the conference every morning... but it ended up being our favorite part of the trip (that and touring Amsterdam).

After the conferences we'd rush back to the hostel to grab six bikes the hostel would happily rent to us, to ride around the park conveniently located behind our hostel, and explore the city. People say that you get closer when you stay in hostels, and though it wasn't aesthetically pleasing, we really did become better friends.

The Haarlem Model United Nations Conference was well planned. All of the delegates got a personalized leather binder, notepad, badges, and pens. The committees all took committee pictures, every day there was an 'HMUN Chronicle' published summarizing the conference progress, there were hospitality teams ready to help around every corner, fun HMUN merchandise sold at the lobby, and interesting Dutch food for the students to try out every day.


The conference started with an opening ceremony at the Grote Kerk Cathedral a block away from the school hosting the conference. The secretary general and the school director gave short speeches, followed by a few words by Bernt Schneiders, the mayor of Haarlem, and a keynote speech by Fred Zaal, a geographer with more than 20 years of experience doing rural development research and advisory work in Africa. After the ceremony the delegates went into their committee rooms for a long day of solving the issues our world faces today.

The members of the senior MUN team were Nana (representing Argentina for GA3), Taisia (representing Argentina in the Human Rights Council), Avery (representing Argentina for GA4), Guy (Argentina for ECOSOC), Russo (Argentina for GA1), and Annemarie (Czech Republic for NATO).

ECOSOC, HRC, and the GA committees had to create resolutions on topics ranging from disarming political factions in North Africa to reducing abuse caused by exorcism and witchcraft, which were later debated with every GA committee in the General Assembly. The NAC committee for NATO on the other hand, was given two topics to write a resolution on during the conference, one of them being 'reviewing the role of international coalition in Syria'. On the final day of the conference, special committees like the NAC (Security Council, ASEAN, and G20 to name a few) were given a "crisis" to deal with. The committees were given new continents and new countries and a fictional Oil Crisis in the year of 2066 to solve (which ended in the Latin American countries declaring war on the African countries... long story).

On behalf of everyone on the team... this trip was the highlight of the year. Adventures in Haarlem, countless inside jokes, thought-provoking and funny debates, and new friendships... all thanks to HMUN 2016.

By Annemarie Imnadze

QSI Got Talent

QSI Elementary got to showcase their talents on the annual QSI Got Talent concert early this March. Children ages 3-11 got to sing, dance, play instruments from 3:15-4:00, with parents and the rest of the student body present to support the young stars. From dancing the Nae Nae to playing and singing Knocking on Heavens Door, it was an afternoon of exceptional talent. Whether it was a band of six or just one person singing a song, everyone was in the mood to get up and dance. Students spent months preparing themselves and supporting their friends, and their hard work resulted in a truly unforgettable night. This event would not be possible without the hard work of Ms. Lika, who not only organized a majority of this event, but also helped solo artists with some backup music, and Mr. Giorgi, who helped his band students with learning their parts and playing instruments.

By Taisia Crowley

Ski Trip

The QSI middle and secondary schools recently went on the annual ski trip up in the Caucasus Mountains, spending a total of three days and two nights. Students stayed at the Edelweiss hotel rooming with up to 2-4 people per room. The ski trip, an event always looked forward to by the majority of the upper school, as well as attended by most students, was a big hit this year. Students got to spend time together up in the beautiful ski resort Gudauri, enjoying skiing, indoor activities such as movie night, and the well deserved small break from school. Middle school went on Febuary 29th till March 3rd, and high school got to go on March 3rd-5th. Many memories were made and this event would not be possible without the hard work of Ms.Tea, who organized and supervised the trip.

Meanwhile the students who stayed behind participated in a two day prep for a mock presidential debate. It was Katya, Anna, and Ketevan posing as Hillary Clinton versus Nana and Annemarie portraying Donald Trump - with rude remarks, hand gestures, and constant references to "building a wall". The debate was hilarious and informative at the same time. Needless to say the girls had a lot of fun.

By Taisia Crowley

Drop Everything And Read

And that we did.
The whole week was a celebration of books and reading. The entire school started their mornings with fifteen minutes of silent reading, and later on in the day either Mr. Blaho or Mr. Garrett would announce a surprise 'DEAR' over the intercom, which lasted for about ten minutes.



On Monday the whole school was treated to a Dr. Seuss inspired cake to celebrate his (belated) birthday. On Tuesday the elementary school got to decorate their book bags according to their favorite books. On Wednesday we had a guest illustrator come in, Sandro Asatiani, to talk to us about illustrating and his books. Parents of kids in the elementary school were also invited to come in and read to students. On Thursday, before the Science Fair started, students paraded down the hallways and into the gym dressed up as their favorite book characters.

By Annemarie Imnadze

International Night

After a long time of preparing, and a quick set-up after school, International Night was officially opened. The flags of all the countries that we have in our amazing school soared above the heads of children that marched around the tables. The guests enjoyed a variety of different foods from all over the world.  

Gimbap

The crowd favorite at the Korean table was the traditional Korean Gimbap. It is made from steamed rice rolled into gim, a dried sheet of seaweed with bunch of different ingredients inside.

Apple Crisp

The American table had many different yummy dishes and one of them was apple crisp. The apple crisp is a desert that is made from baked chopped apples, topped with a crisp streusel crust.

Krovyanka

One of the Ukrainian specials was Salo sandwich. Salo is a traditional Slavic food consists of cured slabs of fatback of a pig. Krovyanka is a sausage that is filled with pork intestines and mixed with buckwheat and blood and some spices.

Reypenaer

The Dutch table had impressive choice of cheese. Delft Blauw, Maasdammer, and Boerenkaas were wonderful.

Natilla Colombian

The Colombian table had mesmerizing Natilla Colombiana. Natilla is a sweet custard that is traditionally served during Colombian Christmas gatherings. 

While people were enjoying variety of delicious foods, students prepared little performances to entertain guests. The Georgian dancing was spectacular, the way they moved cast a spell on all the viewers. The dancers on the stage moved with passion and their bodies moved to the rhythm of the music. They created the playful mood with their simple but definite movements. Guests and performers enjoyed this night extremely. 

The Friday night was over and every guest left with smiles on their faces and their stomachs full. 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR !

By: Anastasia Demianenko

Love and Music

The annual Valentine's Dinner hosted in the Le Pantera Cafe rolled around quite fast this year. Parents, coaches, and teachers got to have an early celebration with their dates this Friday, February 12th. Students volunteered to make the night special by providing entertainment in the form of singing and playing instruments. Student Council, who organized this lovely event, provided the waiters and waitresses. There were some truly outstanding performances, like Charlotte hypnotizing the room with her beautiful voice, with Spencer helping her out by playing the acoustic guitar. Matti played some slow tunes on her saxophone, relaxing the atmosphere so that the gathered adults could enjoy their meals, cooked by the QSI kitchen staff. The night wouldn't be the way it was without all the talented students that participated.

By Taisia Crowley

CDC Speaker

Students of QSI Tbilisi were honored to be 
visited by Dr. Skaggs, a microbiologist who works with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Dr. Skaggs, who is the mother of two students in the secondary school, gave a 45 minute lecture on microorganisms: bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and many more. While there were classes for which attendance was mandatory, the number of people that showed up to listen to Dr. Skaggs was larger than expected, with students and teachers coming in for this fascinating presentation. The gathered crowd learned about Ebola from a reliable source, instead of the somewhat exaggerated information received from media, as well as getting personal insight on the work that goes on in laboratories. A great way too finish the week of school!

By: Taisia Crowley