Middle School - Baku International School

BIS Middle School - At a Glance

The middle school program at BIS places students in active group learning environments that support the development of 21st Century Learning skills including collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.

Daily Schedule

BIS middle school students follow a block schedule with alternating A and B days four days per week. Classes meet for 90 minutes on block days. One day per week, students attend every class for 45 minutes and meet with their advisory group. A typical schedule for middle school students includes eight courses.

The daily bell schedule for block days can be seen below:

Middle School Schedule
8:40 - 10:15	Block One
10:15-10:35	Break
10:38-12:11	Block Two
12:11-12:48	Lunch and Recess
12:51-2:24	Block Three
2:27-4:00	Block Four

Middle School Course Offerings

Core Courses	Electives
Mathematics Literature (Reading) or Intensive English Writing or Intensive English Cultural Studies Science Physical Education Technology	Instrumental Music Study Skills Dramatic Arts Art Languages Other Than English (Foreign Languages)

Certified subject area specialist teachers instruct all middle school subject courses.

As appropriate, some students in the 12 and 13 year-old classes may take secondary level courses and receive secondary credit. If a student leaves a QSI school before entering the secondary school, a letter will be attached to the student’s evaluation form (status report) indicating the secondary level of work in which the student was involved.

Student Services

Counseling

Our middle school students have access to counseling to ensure that all students are well adjusted, learn appropriate social skills, and receive extra support when needed. The middle school teachers and counselor work to create and provide a comprehensive social emotional learning program for all students.

Intensive English

Every QSI student has the opportunity to be successful in their learning, and students are expected to flourish in their classrooms. However, a student whose English proficiency level is below that commonly associated with their age may not be able to flourish in the mainstream classroom. The Intensive English program is designed for these students. The goal of the Intensive English program is to facilitate an accelerated learning environment in which students are able to acquire the English language skills in the four domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to be successful in their age-appropriate mainstream classes. Intensive English classes are smaller than mainstream classes to allow teachers to target individual student needs more effectively. The Intensive English program allows students to be successful at school and feel confident as learners.

Learning Support

BIS works with our regional Learning Support Coordinator to provide additional learning support to those identified with special educational needs. Staff work to implement recommended accommodations to their learning environments in order to be successful, and, when deemed necessary by the individual student’s needs, modifications to the curriculum. The school strives to do our best to provide the full conditions for all students, including those with special needs, to be successful in the QSI environment.

Student Life

Middle school is a time of discovery. We encourage our students to develop their interests and passions through our extracurricular activities programs.

Extracurricular Activities, Clubs, and Sports

Students enjoy an active Student Government and a rich array of after-school activities, sports, and social events. Extracurricular activities and clubs include: BIS Singers, Student Council, National Honors Society, Model United Nations, Creative Writing, Speech and Debate, Mathcounts, etc. New activities and clubs are added each year.

Student Council

The Student Council is an active chapter of the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) and includes elections of officers each fall for middle and secondary school students. The Student Council is a school service organization and has weekly activities and fundraisers for dances, trips, movie nights, and other activities.

National Honor Society (NHS)

The school’s NHS is an active chapter recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and is an academic honors organization with an emphasis on community service. Membership is determined by high academic achievement along with teacher recommendations.

Sports

A competitive sports program is available to students ages ten through secondary in accordance with SRAA and CEESA rules. Seasonal sports include: cross-country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track & field. A tournament between many international schools in the Caucasus concludes each seasonal sport. Students often travel to other countries for tournaments to develop positive relationships and engage in new cultural experiences.

The most important goal during the middle school years is for children to develop strong study habits, to continue to embrace learning, and to value education in general. BIS focuses on helping students to become increasingly independent learners and preparing them to succeed in the secondary program and beyond.

Heather Sherwood
Director of Instruction

Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving

A primary component of our middle school program are 21st century skills. Developing these skills helps our students to prepare for a rapidly changing future. Through project-based learning, our students are engaged in authentic, real-world learning situations.

11-Year-Old Program

First page of the PDF file: Learningasan11-year-old

12-Year-Old Program

First page of the PDF file: Learningasa12-year-old

13-Year-Old Program

First page of the PDF file: Learningasa13-year-old

QSI

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