The School Development Plan

You can't tell from the past several posts, but I do actually work here!

Our focus since our return in January has been the School Development Plan and our application for membership in the Council of International Schools (CIS).  This membership will then lead to the next step, accreditation, hopefully by the end of 2017.  My main job is to use my knowledge and experience of the accreditation process to advise the administration.

I am happy to say that our School Development Plan is in its final stages of revision, and I am extremely proud of the administrative team for their leadership, teamwork, and inclusiveness in completing this arduous task.  I am confident that when the CIS representative visits us to approve our membership, he will hear from almost every member of the staff how they were a part of developing this plan.  Even more, they will be a part of making the plan a reality.

On a recent Wednesday, the administrative team lead the staff in developing our vision, mission and values:  our Guiding Statements.

Arsen, our principal, had every staff member -- teachers, nurses, cooks -- meet in the assembly hall to explain our task.

Principal Arsen explaining our purpose

Some of the staff getting instructions before going to work

Each member of the administration took a group to lead a discussion of what they valued, what they wanted for our school and our kids, and what makes NIS Taraz unique.  I even had to lead a group, with the help of my co-teacher, friend, and frequent interpreter, Anar.

The administrative team, led by Arsen, then consolidated all the ideas into our vision, mission and values.

Our input from each group

Asemgul B, Asemgul K, Aisha and Fatima

Members of admin team looking for patterns

Our administrative team has really become a focused, organized leadership team.

Nawryz

Because of the bad weather, NIS Taraz postponed the Nawryz celebration until today.  A couple of weeks late, but worth the wait.  The weather was in the high 70's and sunny.  It was an amazing day of food, song, dance, and other Kazakh traditions.  It all took place in the parking lot at school.

Over the past two days, I've been able to watch them assembling yurts in the lot.  There were 5 yurts in all with tents set up in between.

The feast inside one of the yurts

Parents took charge of setting up the tables and keeping the food coming in each yurt.  We were quickly pulled inside the first yurt for some lunch.  The tradition says you need to visit each yurt.  We had to pace ourselves on the eating, but we still didn't make it into each one.  These tables are filled with traditional Kazakh foods -- breads, samsas, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruits, vegetable salads -- and the ladies brought us soup followed by plof (rice with vegetables cooked with lamb).  There were also plates of cheese and sweets -- and of course horse milk and camel milk.  No, I still don't like them.  Today, I had to try camel milk.  A little better than horse milk, but still so sour.

The inside of this yurt was done in a very traditional manner with the type of furniture and decoration that the nomads would have had.  It was really beautiful. Those rolls on top of the chest are additional cushions.  Many of those were laid out on the floor for us to sit on as we ate (more food).  In this yurt I met a woman who I believe was the grandmother of one of our students.  She spoke English pretty well and said that she doesn't get to practice very often and is afraid she is losing it.  I told her to come by any day and I would be glad to speak English with her.

Some of our girls

Many of our students were wearing traditional costumes and danced some of the traditional style dances.  They are absolutely beautiful.  They look like little dolls.  A couple of the classes got together and did an interesting dance routine.  They just wore their NIS track suits and did a combination Kazakh traditional and hip-hop dance to Kazakh music.  It was great.  We also had acrobatics, horsemanship, falconry, singing, games and comedy.  All by our extremely talented student body.

It was a great day.  It made me feel so happy to be in Kazakhstan and so fortunate to be able to share this experience with friends -- both international and local.

No Way to Get Here from There

We recently had five days off for a holiday:  Nawryz.  I took a short trip to Portugal to take care of some business and get some sun.  It was lovely.  The only problem, it took 30 hours to get there and 30 hours to get back.  There is no easy way to get in and out of Kazakhstan.

Any trip from Taraz involves first getting to Almaty.  There is almost 1 flight a day from Taraz to Almaty.  Almost, but not quite.  So often, we have to take the train.  I managed to get the fast train.  That only takes 6.5 hours.  It is a night train that leaves Taraz at about 11:30pm.  Everyone has a bunk.  You can buy a ticket for the "cattle car" that is just a train car lined with bunks, or you can buy a ticket in a koupe -- a compartment with 4 bunks.

I bought the koupe -- and ended up sharing with two men.  It was a bit uncomfortable.  But the porter makes up your bunks and everyone goes to sleep.  The younger of the two in my compartment was very kind.  He didn't speak any English, but he was interested in what I was doing in Kazakhstan and whether I lived in Taraz or Almaty.  Although I still don't speak Russian, I have enough nouns to communicate in single words and get my point across.  He managed to take care of me by always letting me know what was going on -- including when it was time to get our things together because we were almost there.

Once in Almaty, I took a taxi to the Almaty International Airport (with all of its 5 gates) and waited for about 5 hours for my flight.

Leaving winter in Taraz -- all black and white

Arriving in summer in Portugal

It was worth the 30 hours!

The way back was a little more difficult.  Sleep deprivation can make me a little crazy.  I was having a panic attack about returning.  I think it was just the idea of how long it would take and how uncomfortable the journey is.  I decided to get a hotel room in Almaty rather than waiting at the airport or train station for 6 hours.  It was the best decision I could have made; life looks better after some sleep and a shower.

The people of Kazakhstan continue to amaze me.  I got to the train station and was immediately surrounded by men asking "taxi? taxi?"  I said "Nyet, taxi.  Train."  Two of the taxi drivers decided to take care of me.  Again, with no English.  They asked me which train.  I pointed to it on the board.  They took me to the right train, the right car (vagon), and handed me off the the porter.

Almaty #2 Train Station

A man selling apples by the tracks at the station

This time I shared my koupe with one man returning back to work in Atrau from his family celebration of Nawryz in Almaty.  He told me all about the places we passed on our journey, showed me pictures of his family, told me about his job, and shared his leftovers from the holiday meal.  No, he didn't speak any English.

My traveling companion

These people bring carts of food out by the tracks in hopes 

of making a quick sale when the train stops

I arrived safe and sound back in Taraz the night before I had to return to work.  My friend and taxi driver, Vadim, greeted me with a rose and drove me home.  It was so nice to be back in my apartment.