The school day for all students begins with the ringing of the bell at 8.00 a.m. at which time all students go directly to class. The day in all classes begins with a 10 minute morning meeting. The morning teaching session goes through to 10.00am at which time students go to morning tea. During this time students can eat snack they have brought from home or purchase food from the school canteen. Students play on the play equipment, sit and chat or initiate their own play activities in the supervised primary play area.
Classes resume at 10.20 a.m. during which time students participate in a number of the following lessons: Language Inquiry, Mathematics Inquiry, PSPE, POI or single subject lessons depending upon each class's timetable.
At 12.00 students make their way to the performance area where they sit at picnic tables or on the tiered concrete seating around the performance area under the shade of the trees. Again students can eat lunch brought from home or purchase a hot lunch or snack lunch from the school canteen. Students are supervised during all break times and are allowed to go and play after 15 minutes of compulsory sitting down and eating.
At 1.00pm the bell goes for afternoon classes to resume. Most afternoons are filled with exploring and investigating six of the different units of inquiry set for each multi-age grade grouping.
Specifics of the units of inquiry for each grade level along with expectations for different curriculum areas can be found in the school primary handbook. In this handbook you will also be able to read more specifically about:
The curriculum
Assessment / Reporting to parents
Organization for student learning
Lines of communication
A day in the life of a student in Early Childhod (EC)
Samantha and Ann Joyce (Teacher and Teaching Assistant) are in class at 7.30am ready and waiting to greet our 3 - 5 year olds in the EC playground. Students quickly get used to the routine of putting their drink bottles in the tray, hanging up their bags and meeting and greeting their friends. Whilst saying goodbye to mums, dads and drivers can be a bit of a challenge, all the students quickly settle and prepare for the day by putting their photograph on the "Who's here today?" board.
Our EC students enjoy the activity centres that are set up for them and the creative play opportunities they have. A highlight of their day is preparing and eating snack together in their EC kitchen / dining room. Cakes, fruits, vegetables and dips, popcorn, boiled eggs and pancakes are a few of the items that can be found on their menu.
Our EC students also attend single subject teacher Music, Choir, IT, Swimming and PE lessons. On PE days they are very proud to wear their ISM PE uniform.
At 12.00 some students go home, however the students that stay at school enjoy a hot lunch from the school canteen and then participate in explorative activities in the afternoon. Sometimes Nadia (younger student) can be found sleeping in the comfy corner.
At 2.30pm students are collected by their mum, dad or driver and make their way home to share all the fun interactions and learning that happened that day.
A day in the life of a student in P1/2
Both Diana and Faraja (Teacher and Teaching Assistant) are at school at 7.30am and welcome students into class at 7.45 a.m.. Our P1/2 students remind each other to put their drink bottles in the tray, put their reading / homework folders in the tray and put their hats on the hook. The day always begins with reflecting on letters and numbers they explored the day before and then adding to their knowledge by exploring other letter sounds and numbers. During both sections of the morning timetable (8.00 - 10.00 & 10.20 - 12.00) students can be found in small adult-directed or independent groups exploring letters, words, books, math manipulatives, math concepts or handwriting stations. Modeling and reinforcement of skills and knowledge is shared and cooperative. Parent support in the classroom is welcomed on a roster system. Parents are also invited to spend time in the classroom with their children during specific units of inquiry which require family support to construct family boards or share special family traditions and celebrations such as: Diwali, Hannukah, Hallowe'en, Rosh Hashana to name a few.
Students attend single subject lessons in Music, IT, French, Swahili, Library and Swimming. Students for whom English is a second language attend EIL lessons with Rosemary.
Throughout the day students have the opportunity to make good choices through developmental play as well as use the language of the profiles to explain their feelings.
Whilst it is not mandatory, students in P1/2 are able to participate in Co-Curricular activities which take place each Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
A day in the life of a student in P3/4
Low numbers in our P3/4 classes allows our teachers to fully engage in authentic inquiry teaching and learning. Through the units of inquiry, students regularly have the opportunity to celebrate and share their understanding of different concepts and skills with the school and wider school community. Having single subject teachers for Music, Choir, IT, PE Skills, Swimming, French & Swahili means that their learning is complemented and connected to the work they are doing in class. Having all the P3/4 students together for Choir on a Monday and Sport on a Thursday enables all the students to interact as a larger group.
The typical P3/4 day begins in each class with 'number of the day' where the students write as many different numbers sentences using as many operations as they can to explore number. Monday mornings cross-grouped language labs provide the opportunity for the students to work closely with a different teacher to monitor and focus on specific developmentally-appropriate language skills in spelling, reading and writing.
An event our P3/4 students look forward to undertaking is the P3/4 overnight field trip. The destination changes to fit in with the unit of inquiry the students are working on. Last year the students camped at Lake Manyara and enjoyed seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.
Publishing Parties, Science Fair Exhibitions or Ethnic Expression Day are some of the occasions parents are invited to share in their child's learning - always with 95% parent attendance.
A day in the life of a student in P5/6
Our P5/6 students are fortunate to have single subject teachers for Music, Combined P5/6 Choir, IT, French, Swahili, Library and Swimming. Working towards developing and consolidating their trans-disciplinary skills in: social, communication, research, thinking and self-management, students become more proficient at using rubrics, criteria, peer, teacher and self-monitoring assessment tools in order for them to bring together the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in their P6 culminating event: The PYP Exhibition.
PYP Exhibition
Essentially, the PYP Exhibition "unites teachers, learners and parents of P6 in an activity that captures the essence of the PYP: trans-disciplinary inquiry conducted in the spirit of personal and shared responsibility"
What is the purpose of the PYP Exhibition?
It offers culminating activity appropriate to the spirit and age range of the PYP.
It requires the students to synthesis their prior learning and apply it to a new area of learning and provides for a range of assessment strategies.
It provides an opportunity for the school community as a whole to gain a greater appreciation of the PYP
It celebrates the transition of learners from the Primary School into the next stage of their education.
What are the features of the PYP Exhibition?
As a culminating experience, the Exhibition reflects the major features of the PYP. Therefore it:
Incorporates application of key questions posed by the students.
Requires all students to use skills from all five sets on the transdisciplinary skills (social, research, communication, self-management and thinking skills)
Offers opportunities for all students to display positive PYP attitudes
Requires all students to engage in positive ‘Action'
Provides opportunities for practical applications of the organising themes through which to investigate key ideas and issues, thus enabling them to think act and work like historians, geographers, scientists, mathematicians, writers and artists.
Who Will Monitor the PYP Exhibition?
As the students work through their inquiry into their chosen issue or area of interest, the students will be guided by a variety of people. In addition to daily guidance, advice and feedback from their classroom teacher (Natalie Croome), each inquiry group will be assigned a mentor. This will be another teacher, either from the Primary or Secondary sections of the school, who will help the students refine their research and achieve their goals and objectives. These mentors will meet with their groups at least once per week for the six week period of the Exhibition preparation. Each group will also be encouraged to identify at least one resource person or organization in the local community to help them in their research.
What is The Role of Parents?
While the PYP approach to learning through inquiry has independent learning as one of its objectives, our learners are always being reminded that one of the indicators of a self-aware and responsible learner lies in seeking out people who can help and provide support for learning. In this way, parents play a vital role in the PYP exhibition. This can be achieved in the following ways:
Play a supporting role
Be an encourager
Be a guide with the planning and organizational aspects of the project.
Respect your child's process and learning style
Ask questions about the Exhibition regularly
Listen to what your child tells you about his/her progress
Provide practical assistance (when requested!)
Provide access to resources (when requested!)
Facilitate your child in meeting with his/her working group and other resource people
Attend the Exhibition Celebration each year in May / June
Samantha and Ann Joyce (Teacher and Teaching Assistant) are in class at 7.30am ready and waiting to greet our 3 - 5 year olds in the EC playground. Students quickly get used to the routine of putting their drink bottles in the tray, hanging up their bags and meeting and greeting their friends. Whilst saying goodbye to mums, dads and drivers can be a bit of a challenge, all the students quickly settle and prepare for the day by putting their photograph on the "Who's here today?" board.
Both Diana and Faraja (Teacher and Teaching Assistant) are at school at 7.30am and welcome students into class at 7.45 a.m.. Our P1/2 students remind each other to put their drink bottles in the tray, put their reading / homework folders in the tray and put their hats on the hook. The day always begins with reflecting on letters and numbers they explored the day before and then adding to their knowledge by exploring other letter sounds and numbers. During both sections of the morning timetable (8.00 - 10.00 & 10.20 - 12.00) students can be found in small adult-directed or independent groups exploring letters, words, books, math manipulatives, math concepts or handwriting stations. Modeling and reinforcement of skills and knowledge is shared and cooperative. Parent support in the classroom is welcomed on a roster system. Parents are also invited to spend time in the classroom with their children during specific units of inquiry which require family support to construct family boards or share special family traditions and celebrations such as: Diwali, Hannukah, Hallowe'en, Rosh Hashana to name a few.
Our P5/6 students are fortunate to have single subject teachers for Music, Combined P5/6 Choir, IT, French, Swahili, Library and Swimming. Working towards developing and consolidating their trans-disciplinary skills in: social, communication, research, thinking and self-management, students become more proficient at using rubrics, criteria, peer, teacher and self-monitoring assessment tools in order for them to bring together the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in their P6 culminating event: The PYP Exhibition.
