Pechersk School International

Private, international school in Kyiv, Ukraine

Pechersk School International

Location

Kyiv

Ukraine

Information
Type| Private, International
Motto| A Place Where We Belong
Established| 1995
Director| Trae Holland
Primary school principal| Bryan Reardon
Secondary school principal| David Freeman
Faculty| 39
Grades| Kindergarten - Grade 12
Primary years taught| Kindergarten, 1st through 5th grades
Secondary years taught| 6th through 12th grades
Age range| 3-18 years old
Enrollment| 140 total
Average class size| 18 students
Colour(s)| Blue & White
Mascot| Panther
Accreditation| International Baccalaureate, New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Website| enrol.psi.kyiv.ua

Pechersk School International (PSI) is a school located in Kyiv, Ukraine. It provides education ranging from the early childhood-level, to the end of the IB diploma-programme. PSI is a dynamic, diverse, not-for-profit[1] international school community.

## History

[edit]

The school was established in 1995 by a group of international parents (mainly diplomats and business people)[2] keen to improve the quality of education for their children. At the time of its opening, the school had 47 students, ranging from preschoolers to 12th graders.[3] The school campus was located at 17 Pavla Tychyny Street in Kyiv.[4]

In 2000 PSI officially became an IB World School, offering three IB programmes. PSI is the only school in Ukraine to be accredited in three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes.[5] These include the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP). The IB diploma is recognised by more than 2337 universities in over 90 countries.[1]

In 2002, PSI received its first accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS).[6][7][8] In September 2003, the school moved to a new campus.

In 2017, the school completed the construction of its new Phase 2 building. In February 2022, PSI had to close its campus in Kyiv due to the full-scale war in Ukraine. By August 2022, PSI adapted by opening a temporary satellite campus in Warsaw, Poland, in partnership with the American School of Warsaw (ASW), while also offering online learning in collaboration with Avenues Online for students still in Ukraine.[9]

In the spring of 2023, PSI's accreditation status was renewed by NEASC and IB through the Collaborative Learning Protocol process. In August 2023, the school resumed operations at its Kyiv campus.[10]

### Accreditations & Memberships

[edit]

PSI has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges[11] (NEASC) in 2002 and received the most recent re-accreditation status in spring 2023.[12] It is a current member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), European Council of International School (ECIS), Central and Eastern Schools Association (CEESA) and receives support from the US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools. Pechersk School International is the .only international school in Ukraine with approval from the Ukrainian School of External Studies to offer an additional general education programme accepted by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Students study a combination of classes offered by Ukrainian programme teachers and IB classes which are accepted by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science.

## Faculty

[edit]

The faculty at Pechersk School International consists of educators from 11 different nationalities. Faculty members average approximately 9.4 years of teaching experience, with around 9 years specifically in International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. Seventy-seven percent of the faculty hold postgraduate degrees, and the international teaching staff comprises about 60% of the total team.[13][14][15]

## Educational programmes

[edit]

### International Baccalaureate

[edit]

The educational programs cover the learning and development process for students aged 3 to 19 and include:

* IB Primary Years Programme: an early years programme focused on primary education for students up to grade 5.
* IB Middle Years Programme: a middle education programme aimed at students from grades 6 to 10.
* IB Diploma Programme: a programme for obtaining a diploma that focuses on senior students in grades 11 and 12.

The IB diploma provides opportunities for higher education and is accepted and recognized by more than 2,337 universities in 90 countries around the world.[16][17]

For students planning to pursue higher education at institutions in Ukraine, an additional educational program aligned with state standards and approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is offered.

### Ukrainian School Programme

[edit]

The Ukrainian school programme at Pechersk School International is offered at two levels:

1. First Level: Instruction is provided without final certification, and no educational document is issued in Ukraine (for students wishing to learn the Ukrainian language).
2. Second Level: Designed for students who want to receive a certificate of education in Ukraine, which includes:
* Subject study
* Completion of final certification
* Receipt of an educational document in Ukraine

This programme includes additional subjects:

* Ukrainian language
* Ukrainian literature
* History of Ukraine
* Geography of Ukraine
* Law
* Defence of Ukraine

Instruction under this programme began on 1 September 2015. The educational process is conducted in an external form of education. Certificates of basic secondary education and full general secondary education are awarded based on the final scores of the IB programmes and marks from specified subjects within the Ukrainian component of the curriculum.

## Public activities

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PSI collaborates with the Children of Heroes Foundation to support children who have lost parents in the war. PSI launched the 'PSI 4 Good' initiative to support its school community and re-established a scholarship programme providing free access to education at PSI for children who lost one or more parents in the war.[18]

## Russian invasion of Ukraine

[edit]

Due to the war in Ukraine, the 2022 – 2023 academic year will find PSI provided in-person instruction to its students at a satellite campus in Warsaw, Poland[19] as well as online instruction for its students living abroad. PSI will resume operations at its campus in Kyiv one the situation will allow its safe re-opening. PSI resumed operations at its campus in Kyiv in August 2023.[20]

### Satellite campus in Warsaw

[edit]

In August 2022, PSI opened a new temporary satellite campus in Warsaw in partnership with the American School of Warsaw (ASW). This provided many opportunities for students to interact with ASW students, and to benefit from the ASW co-curricular programs, service learning opportunities, student events, such as dances etc. that PSI has always run in the past. The IB Diploma Program students, in addition to face-to-face learning, also have enhanced access to Pamoja courses, a recognised course provider by the International Baccalaureate, meaning that a rich variety of IB DP courses became available to them.[21]

### Return of the school to Kyiv

[edit]

In August 2023, Pechersk School International returned to its campus in Kyiv, Ukraine. The school enrolled students from the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Ukraine.[22][23]

## Alumni

[edit]

Most of its alumni go on to study in foreign universities. 33 students from the class of 2022, had university acceptances across 6 countries. Alumni of Pechersk School International go on to study at world's most elite universities, including Harvard University, Yale University, NYU and NYUAD, Yale-NUS College, Stanford University, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, and others. There is also an established alumni association, which holds reunions for former students and staff members both face-to-face and virtually. In 2019, reunions were held in New York and London.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "University recognition directory". International Baccalaureate. Archived from the original on 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
2. ^ "The Pechersk School, Ukraine". english-schools.org. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
3. ^ "The Pechersk School, Ukraine". english-schools.org. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
4. ^ "Печерська міжнародна школа, вул. Павла Тичини, 17, м. Київ, 03152, Україна - каталог підприємств України Yellow.com.ua". 2016-07-02. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
5. ^ "The Pechersk School International - IB World Schools". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
6. ^ "The Pechersk School, Ukraine". english-schools.org. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
7. ^ "Pechersk School International | International Schools (CIE) / Commission on International Education". 2017-02-20. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
8. ^ "Pechersk School International | NEASC International Education". 2021-08-06. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
9. ^ "Міжнародна акредитація й індивідуальний підхід до учнів: як працює Печерська міжнародна школа". The Village Україна (in Ukrainian). 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
10. ^ "Елітна Печерська міжнародна школа готується відновити очне навчання у Києві вперше з початку війни". ctrana.news (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
11. ^ "Directory of Accredited International Schools". NEASC - International Education. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
12. ^ "Pechersk School International". NEASC.
13. ^ "Міжнародна середня освіта в Україні: Pechersk School International запрошує на день відкритих дверей - AIN". ain.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
14. ^ "У Києві відновила свою роботу Печерська міжнародна школа®". Українська правда. Життя (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
15. ^ "Рейтинг ТОП-10 найкращих приватних шкіл Києва на 2023-2024 рік". www.unian.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
16. ^ "Recognition of IB Diploma - International Baccalaureate®". 2016-10-11. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
17. ^ "Country recognition statements - International Baccalaureate®". 2016-10-02. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
18. ^ "Міжнародна освіта для добробуту: історія від PSI у Києві, Україна". Американська торговельна палата в Україні. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
19. ^ "Pechersk School International (Печерська міжнародна школа)". enrol.psi.kyiv.ua. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
20. ^ "Елітна Печерська міжнародна школа готується відновити очне навчання у Києві вперше з початку війни". ctrana.news (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.
21. ^ "Pechersk School International - IB World School Since 2000". enrol.psi.kyiv.ua. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
22. ^ magazine, Business Ukraine (2023-09-07). "Leading international school reopens in Kyiv for new academic year - businessukraine.ua". Retrieved 2024-11-12. `{{cite web}}`: `|first=` has generic name (help)
23. ^ "Елітна Печерська міжнародна школа готується відновити очне навчання у Києві вперше з початку війни". ctrana.news (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-11-12.

## External links

[edit]

* Schools portal

* Pechersk School International website

* v
* t
* e

International schools in Ukraine

Kyiv|

* Deutsche Schule Kiew
* Lycée Anne de Kiev
* Kyiv International School
* Kyiv Christian Academy
* Meridian International School
* Pechersk School International

Odesa|

* French International School of Odesa

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