Monday, March 20, 2023
  • Login
School Management Plus: School & education news worldwide
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Leaders
    • Heads & Governors
    • Admissions & Marketing
    • Bursars & Finance
    • Staff Recruitment
    • Development & Fundraising
    • Alumni Relations
    • Communications & PR
    • Estate Management
    • School Data Management
  • Educators
    • Safeguarding
    • College Counselling
    • Online Learning
    • Early Years
    • Exams & Qualifications
    • Assessment
    • Wellbeing
    • Inclusion
    • Sports and Outdoors
  • International
    • The View From Here
    • Wellbeing
    • Curriculum Design
    • Overseas Development
    • Staff Recruitment
    • EdTech
  • Your School
    • Are you a Kampus24 School?
    • Spotlight on a School
    • 30 minutes with…
    • Partnerships & Outreach
    • School News & Announcements
  • Jobs
    • Place a Vacancy
    • View Vacancies
    • Movers & Shakers
    • CPD
  • Video & Podcast
    • Inspiring Leadership
    • School Leaders
    • Membership Bodies
    • The ABC of Safeguarding
    • The Friday Club
  • Suppliers
    • Meet the Supplier
    • From Our Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Events Calendar
  • About
    • Editorial Board
    • Associations & Distribution
    • Our Publications
      • International School Magazine
      • School Management Plus Magazine
      • Wellbeing in International Schools Magazine
      • WISEducation newsletter
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Leaders
    • Heads & Governors
    • Admissions & Marketing
    • Bursars & Finance
    • Staff Recruitment
    • Development & Fundraising
    • Alumni Relations
    • Communications & PR
    • Estate Management
    • School Data Management
  • Educators
    • Safeguarding
    • College Counselling
    • Online Learning
    • Early Years
    • Exams & Qualifications
    • Assessment
    • Wellbeing
    • Inclusion
    • Sports and Outdoors
  • International
    • The View From Here
    • Wellbeing
    • Curriculum Design
    • Overseas Development
    • Staff Recruitment
    • EdTech
  • Your School
    • Are you a Kampus24 School?
    • Spotlight on a School
    • 30 minutes with…
    • Partnerships & Outreach
    • School News & Announcements
  • Jobs
    • Place a Vacancy
    • View Vacancies
    • Movers & Shakers
    • CPD
  • Video & Podcast
    • Inspiring Leadership
    • School Leaders
    • Membership Bodies
    • The ABC of Safeguarding
    • The Friday Club
  • Suppliers
    • Meet the Supplier
    • From Our Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Events Calendar
  • About
    • Editorial Board
    • Associations & Distribution
    • Our Publications
      • International School Magazine
      • School Management Plus Magazine
      • Wellbeing in International Schools Magazine
      • WISEducation newsletter
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
School Management Plus: School & education news worldwide
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest News

‘Pastoral staff deal with children’s fear of World War every day’

Schools across the Black Sea region are working hard to support colleagues in Ukraine and address their own pupils' concerns, writes Stephen Priest

Stephen Priest by Stephen Priest
March 8, 2022
in Latest News, The View From Here, Wellbeing
Reading Time: 3 mins read
13 0
A A
0
Refugees fleeing Ukraine

Refugees fleeing Ukraine

Linked InShare on FacebookShare on TwitterPin This

The Black Sea Schools Group is a loose grouping of COBIS member schools in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine. We came together and started collaborating in 2018 at an initial meeting we held at BIS Ukraine in Kyiv.

Since that time we have hosted student face-to-face events in Ankara, Kyiv and Tbilisi and numerous online student events and staff CPD and networking events. It has been an honour to have served the group as chair since our inception and work with such a fantastic group of school leaders and their staff.

When one of your members is in trouble is when you see the strength of any organisation and this has been the case following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our support of the British International School Ukraine (BISU).

Since before the invasion, we have been in contact with our good friend and fellow principal, David Cole. He is an inspiration to all school leaders in how he has personally dealt with the ultimate crisis.

“We are offering places at our schools for the students of Kyiv’s international schools.”

Remaining in contact with David is one thing we can do just to let him know we are there. However, as a group of schools we have worked together to support BISU staff and students where possible and also to support, in honour of BISU, child refugees from the crisis.

We quickly convened a meeting and discussed what we could do to help. This included offering places at our schools for the students of Kyiv’s international schools and assistance and accommodation for BISU staff. Our individual school and parent communities have led on initiatives to collect physical resources for refugees.

One of our British International School in Tblisi parents has already collected over three tonnes of resources with support from other parents and the International Women’s Association of Georgia. These needed items include nappies, blankets, medicines and foodstuffs.

Black Sea Schools have also set up a financial donations online collection in association with the Romanian Red Cross.

Our schools have diverse communities who are directly and indirectly affected by the war in Ukraine. Most of our schools have Ukrainian families who need support and in particular support for their children who are worried about extended family members and friends in Ukraine.

“Children have an uncanny ability to pick up on the emotions of parents and other adults.”

Even very young children, whose parents may think they have isolated the children from the horrific news seen on the TV, are affected — they have an uncanny ability to pick up on the emotions of parents and other adults. Children of all ages have difficulties processing these emotions and need well-being support.

Virtually all our schools also have Russian children and many of them are concerned about how they will be perceived by others in their communities. Children of other nationalities are not immune from the impacts of the war. Talk of World War 3 and a widening of the conflict is something school pastoral staff are now dealing with on a daily basis.

“There is a fear in Georgia and Moldova that we could be next.”

There is also heightened concern amongst the school community in countries like Georgia and Moldova. Here in Georgia, there are already Russian troops on the ground in the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia is still fresh in the minds of many. Similar feelings are evident in Moldova, where they can actually hear the bombardment of Odessa over the border, a country that has its own Russian-backed breakaway province. There is a fear in these two small countries that we could be next.

It has been fantastic however to see how the international school community globally has been more than willing to support our member school, BISU, and the efforts to support refugees. COBIS and Colin Bell are, for us Black Sea Schools, the “mother ship” and it has been much appreciated by all the level of support we have received.

Tags: CobisGeorgiainternational schoolsRussiaUkraine
Share3Share17Tweet11Pin4
Stephen Priest

Stephen Priest

Stephen Priest is the principal of the British International School, Tblisi, Georgia and is chair of the Black Sea Schools Group of COBIS member schools.

Video

  • All
  • Video
Bish Muir from West Buckland School
The Friday Club

The Friday Club: Bish Muir, West Buckland School

March 17, 2023
121
ABC of Safeguarding – Simon Milner, Jersey College for Girls
Heads & Governors

ABC of Safeguarding – Simon Milner, Jersey College for Girls

March 3, 2023
257
Myddelton College launches song for earthquake victims
School news and announcements

Myddelton College launches song for earthquake victims

February 24, 2023
142
The Firday Club, Andy Kemp, National Mathematics and Science College
The Friday Club

The Friday Club: Dr Andy Kemp, The National Mathematics and Science College

February 24, 2023
115

Latest News

Loreto Preparatory School closes
Admissions & Marketing

Loreto Preparatory School in Trafford announces closure

March 20, 2023
40
not all private school teachers are proud of their schools
Latest News

Quarter of private sector staff ‘not proud’ to work at their school

March 16, 2023
152
workload unmanageable in international schools
International Schools

Third of international staff say workload ‘unmanageable’

March 16, 2023
138
Jo Duncan Wycombe Abbey
30 minutes with...

30 minutes with…Jo Duncan, headmistress, Wycombe Abbey School

March 15, 2023
341
Darren Coxon is keen on Literacy for AI
Features

‘It’s time to put Literacy for AI on the curriculum’

March 13, 2023
198
Beech Lodge School library
Choosing a school for your child

Spotlight on a School: Beech Lodge School, Maidenhead

March 13, 2023
622
School Management Plus: School & education news worldwide

© 2020 Independent School Management Plus.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • Latest
  • Leaders
  • Educators
  • International
  • Your School
  • Jobs
  • Video & Podcast
  • Suppliers
  • About

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Latest
  • Leaders
    • Heads & Governors
    • Admissions & Marketing
    • Bursars & Finance
    • Staff Recruitment
    • Development & Fundraising
    • Alumni Relations
    • Communications & PR
    • Estate Management
    • School Data Management
  • Educators
    • Safeguarding
    • College Counselling
    • Online Learning
    • Early Years
    • Exams & Qualifications
    • Assessment
    • Wellbeing
    • Inclusion
    • Sports and Outdoors
  • International
    • The View From Here
    • Wellbeing
    • Curriculum Design
    • Overseas Development
    • Staff Recruitment
    • EdTech
  • Your School
    • Are you a Kampus24 School?
    • Spotlight on a School
    • 30 minutes with…
    • Partnerships & Outreach
    • School News & Announcements
  • Jobs
    • Place a Vacancy
    • View Vacancies
    • Movers & Shakers
    • CPD
  • Video & Podcast
    • Inspiring Leadership
    • School Leaders
    • Membership Bodies
    • The ABC of Safeguarding
    • The Friday Club
  • Suppliers
    • Meet the Supplier
    • From Our Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Events Calendar
  • About
    • Editorial Board
    • Associations & Distribution
    • Our Publications
      • International School Magazine
      • School Management Plus Magazine
      • Wellbeing in International Schools Magazine
      • WISEducation newsletter
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us

© 2020 Independent School Management Plus.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.