Our Community - PTA

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA), is a volunteer organization established to support The BISI Community: students, families, and staff.

Our goals are:

To welcome and connect families to the school community;
To facilitate communication among parents, students, teachers, and the school; and
To add some fun to the school year.

The PTA is led by an Executive Committee, of dedicated, parent volunteers and Senior Leadership Team members. Together, The BISI Community strives to organize memorable and meaningful events to support learning and fun.

Interested parents can find many exciting and interesting ways to support the PTA such as:

Join the PTA Committee Meetings. Meetings are announced prior to the date. Parents who want to be a part of the events of the school year are welcome to attend.
Volunteer at Events. Volunteer at school and PTA events. Whether it be to sort through donated clothes, sell cakes or welcome new parents, we always need volunteers. The more volunteers the better!

Events are a great way to meet other parents. We may not whistle while we work, but we do chat and laugh! PTA volunteering is great fun and helps build our sense of community.

Coffee Mornings. Coffee Mornings are held by the School Leadership. Specific topics may be discussed and informative presentations shared. Q&A sessions are useful for events coming up in the school calendar, and learning what is in store for your child/ren in the coming year! Of course, the coffee, tea and cakes are also greatly enjoyed.
Participate at events. Bring your family members and friends – the more the merrier! A great opportunity to get to know our school, make new friends and be an active part of our community.
Be A Class Parent or Key Stage Representative Parent. Each class in Pre-Primary and Primary has a parent assigned to be the “Class Parent”. These parents are the link between the teachers, the PTA and the parents in the class. In secondary section each key stage can have a parent representative as liaison.
Be a Country Representative. Meeting people from different cultures and nationalities is part of the fun of moving around. However, sometimes it can be helpful, fun or just comfortable to get in touch with others from your home country. Country Reps also contribute to the success of World Community celebrations. This list will be maintained by the PTA email pta@bis.k12.tr. Please feel free to become a representative of your own country.
Informal Gatherings and meet & greets. Casual “get togethers” are held on different days and times to encourage everyone’s participation given busy schedules. Zumba sessions, Forest walks and hikes, Midday Mingles and the likes are arranged and posted on the community WhatsApp pages and through word of mouth.

A Meet & Greet may be planned at least once a term by the PTA so please keep an eye out for news in your inbox of upcoming events and activities. Your participation makes the events more memorable. It’s a great time, and everybody is welcome.

PTA Fundraising. The BISI PTA holds fundraisers throughout the year, collecting donations of clothing, baked goods, toys, school supplies, etc. These are distributed amongst the community, and to our designated charities.

One of the PTA’s goals is “to create a communication platform for its stakeholders”. To achieve this, we may post on parents’ groups, community pages, school bulletin boards and connect via e-mail.

Please feel free to contact the PTA via our email address: pta@bis.k12.tr with any queries you may have.

PTA Committee

Meet our Parent Teacher Association team for this academic year.

Zena Habboush

PTA Chair

My name is Zena Habboush, mother of Faisal Zara in Year 13. I bring over 25 years of experience in leadership, project management, and operations, including 15 years with the American Red Cross and leadership experience as Chief of Staff in our family’s energy business. I believe in collaborative, transparent, and accountable leadership. My goal is to bring people together, ensure every voice is heard, and work together to create the best possible experience for our students and families.

Amberen Hussain

PTA Vice Chair

Ambereen is a Year 13 parent. With a professional background in marketing, branding, and strategy consulting, she brings strong communication, organizational, and strategic skills to her role on the PTA. This year, as PTA Vice Chair, she is committed to supporting effective communication between parents, students, and the school, while helping to foster a positive, inclusive, and well-connected school community.

Carolina Fuentes

PTA Secretary

My name is Carolina, mother of Niko and Elena in years 5 and 4. I'm from Chile and recently moved to Turkey with my Dutch family. My background is in investments and compliance with 25 years experience in the financial industry in several countries. I strongly believe in diversity and inclusion and I hope to bring that view to the PTA.

Jackie Skelding

PTA Treasurer

Hi all, my name is Jackie Skelding. I’m from the U.K., North Yorkshire and I’m mum to Lorna in Year 12. Newly arrived in Türkiye looking forward to creating a home here in Istanbul.

Aysel Babayeva

PTA Treasurer (Secondary role)

Hello. I am Aysel Babayeva, mother of Seljan (year 13), Eltaj (year 10) and Elturan (year 6). It is our 10th year in BSI and 15th in Istanbul. I have been in the PTA first years but then dropped off because of work load. Now as some of our members are to leave school this year I decided to join and help in managing school events. Hope everything will be perfect.

Helene Songe

PTA Events Coordinator (Primary Section)

I am Helene with kids in years 4 and 6. I joined the World Bank Group in October last year in Istanbul where I works with the Gender & Economic Inclusion team. I hold degrees from Middlebury College and SOAS University of London and speak Norwegian, English, Arabic, and Spanish. In my free time I enjoy hiking, good coffee and spending time with friends and family.

Natalia, Charlotte and Sharon

PTA Events Coordinator (Secondary Section)

Natalia is from Colombia, Charlotte is from Denmark & Sharon is from UK - all secondary mums for some years now and looking forward to another great school year!