Lower School Comprehensive Guide

DearParents,

LowerSchoolencompassesGrade1toGrade5andisauthorisedtoofferthePrimaryYears Programme(PYP)oftheInternationalBaccalaureate

OurgoalindeliveringthePYPistodevelopinternationally-mindedstudentswiththe knowledge,skills,concepts,attitudesandlearnerprofileattributesneededtocontinue learningintotheMiddleYearsProgramme(MYP)ortofitseamlesslyintoanothercountry’s educationsystem

AsourstudentsprogressthroughGrades1to5,theydevelopincreasingindependence andagreatersenseofresponsibility,Emphasisisplacedontakingactionand demonstratingagencyinregardstotheirlearning.

Thestudents’understandingoftheworldaroundthemandoftheirroletoplayascitizens oftheworldisnurturedoverthecourseoftheirLowerSchoolexperiences,culminatingin theGrade5PYPExhibitioninwhichstudentsindependentlyconductinvestigations,present findings,andtakeactioninconnectionwithagloballysignificantissue

LowerSchoolstudents,staffandthegeneralschoolcommunityaimtoconsistently exemplifyISB’scorevaluesofCommunity,Integrity,RespectandResponsibility,withthe goalofhelpingourstudentsdevelopintoconfidentandcaringcitizensoftheworld.More informationonourschool’smission,corevalues,beliefsandobjectivescanbefoundinthe ISBParentHandbookandonourschoolwebsiteatwww.isbergen.no.

OurstaffarecommittedtoworkingcloselywitheveryoneintheISBcommunitytomake eachandeveryyearaspecialoneforallstudentsandfamilies.Welcometothe2023-2024 schoolyear!

LeanneHagen

PrincipalforLowerSchool

ReportingtoParents

ToddleLearningjournalandportfolio: Maintainedthroughouttheschoolyear

Home-SchoolConferences: Twiceayear

Student-ledconferences/EndofUnitcelebration: Twiceayear (exceptgrade5,whodothePYPExhibitioninplaceofonestudent-ledconference)

InternationalSchoolsAssessmentTest: Writtenbygrades3-5inFebruary

NationalNorwegianReadingTests: Grade5

NationalNorwegianMappingTests: Grade3

Reportcards

Aftermuchdiscussion,researchandcarefulconsiderationamongstthelowerschoolstaff andadministration,itwasdecidedthattheschoolwouldnolongersendhometraditional reportcardsforgrades1-5

Staffdeterminedthattheprimarypurposeoftraditionalreportcardsistocommunicate whathasbeendoneintheclassroomandtooutlinestrengthsandgoalsforthestudents Ingoingforward,traditionalreportcardsarenotnecessarilythebestwaytodothis Such reportsdonotprovideanynewinformationtostudents,andstudentsdonotneedreport cardstotellthemaboutwhathasbeenhappeninginclass Aswell,studentsarealwaysin constantcommunicationwithteachersinregardtotheirstrengthsandgoals Recognizing strengthsandsettinggoalsisalsoakeypartofourhome-teacher-studentconferences heldinNovemberandMay

Intermsofparents,traditionalreportcardsingeneraldonotandshouldnotsharenew information.Infact,oneofourreportingrulesatISBisthatthereshouldbenosurprisesfor parentsonreportcards Thehome-teacher-studentconferencesandToddlestudent learningjournalsplayamuchbiggerroleintermsofprovidingtimelyinformationto parentsregardingstudentstrengthsandgoals

AnotherfactorineliminatingtraditionalreportcardswasourimplementationoftheToddle digitallearningportfolioforgrades1-5 WithToddle,parentsnolongerneedtowaitfor conferencesorreportcardstogetfeedbackontheirchild’slearning Instead,thisisnow happeningonaregularbasisacrossthesubjectsandinquiries TheuseofToddleprovides muchmoremeaningfulfeedbacktostudentsandparents,andonanongoingbasis Itis

Lastupdated:1June2023

mucheasierforparentstoseewhattheirchildisworkingoninclass,howtheirchildis progressing,andwhattheirgoalsmaybe Astudent’sToddlejournalcanessentiallybe seenasavirtualreal-timereportcard.SharingstudentworkandreflectionsonToddlealso helpsfacilitateadeeperpartnershipbetweenparents,studentsandteachers,aswellas encouraginghomediscussionsonthelearningtakingplaceintheclassroom.

Inaddition,studentsingrades3-5writetheInternationalSchoolsAssessmenttestsin Februaryeachyear.InternationalSchools’Assessment(ISA)isanassessmentprogram thathasbeenspecificallydevelopedtomeasuretheskillsofinternationalstudentsin MathematicalLiteracy,ReadingandWriting Itwasdesignedanddevelopedbythe AustralianCouncilforEducationalResearch(ACER)andhasbeenadministeredsince2001

ISAisbasedontheinternationallyendorsedMathematicalLiteracyandReading FrameworksofOECD’sProgrammeforInternationalStudentAssessment(PISA) Thestudent reportdetailsperformancesinrelationtoscalesthatdescribeincreasinglyadvancedskills inMathematicalLiteracy,ReadingLiteracy(Grades3,4&5)andWriting(Grades4&5)

Parentswillbeprovidedwithacopyoftheirchild’sindividualreport Youcanreadmore abouttheISAtestshere:https://wwwacerorg/au/isa

Parentscanalsoarrangetomeetwithhomeroomorspecialistteachersatanypoint duringtheschoolyeartodiscusstheirchild’sprogressorotherissues.Wealways accommodateparentrequestsformeetingsforwhateverreason

TheschoolwillprovideaLeaversreportforanystudenttransferringtoanewschool It shouldbenotedaswellthatparentscanprovideanewschoolwithexamplesfromtheir child’sToddledigitallearningportfolio,whichcontainsnumeroussamplesofthestudent’s workinvarioussubjectsandinquiries Thenewschoolcanalsobegivenacopyofthe home-teacher-studentconferencereport,withinformationonstudentstrengthsand goals

Lastupdated:1June2023

SchoolDay

MondaytoFriday,exceptWednesdays

ClassroomEnvironment

ISBplacesastrongemphasisontheimportanceofhavingapositiveandnurturing teachingandlearningenvironment Childrenaretaughtskillstopromotesocial competenceandreducesocial-emotionalproblems,focusingonthecoreareasof empathy,selfregulation(impulsecontrol,emotionregulation,angermanagement),and socialproblemsolving.TheLowerSchoolusestheResponsiveClassroom asoursocial emotionallearningprogrammeandthisformsthebasisforourmorningmeetingsand classroommanagement.

Thereisalsoastrongfocusonpreventativebullyingstrategiesandhelpingstudentsin developingavarietyofrelationshipskills,includingstrategiesformakingandkeeping friendsandstepsforjoiningagroupactivity Theschoolemphasisesthatallmembersof theschoolcommunitymusttakeresponsibilityfordecreasingbullying

TextBooks

Webelievethatstudentslearnbestthroughauthenticinquiry,sotextbooksaregenerally seenasresourcesratherthanasacurriculum Teachersareencouragedtofacilitatethe childrentogobeyondtextbooksanddigitalcontentandpursuetheirnaturalcuriosities anddesirestoinquire,exploreanddiscover Weaimforourcurriculumtobeoneinwhich

studentslearntocollaborate,discoverandmakemeaningoftherealworldaroundthem. ThesearetheessentialtenetsoftheIBprogrammeswhichwedeliver

Intoday’sclassroomwithincreasingaccesstotechnologyandonlineinformation,the rangeofteachingresourcesshouldn’tbelimitedtousingonetextbookpertopicorsubject covered,butratherawiderangeofresourcesthatbestmeetstudents’individualneeds andlearningstylesshouldbeused InformationandCommunicationsTechnology

Allstudentsfromgrades1-4willbeprovidedwithaschool-issuediPadtousethroughout theschoolyear.Studentsingrade5willbeissuedwithaChromebook.

Assembly

LowerSchoolstudentsmeetinassemblyonaregularbasis Theseareopportunitiesto cometogether,communicateandshareideas,performancesandlearningexperiences Awardsarealsogivenouttostudentswhohavebeennominatedbyteachersandother studentsfordisplayingthePYPLearnerProfileattributes,takingactionontheirlearning,or reflectingtheschoolCoreValues

Swimming

Swimminglessonsforstudentsingrades2,3and4areofferedinblocksofweeksperclass Informationregardingtiming,transportandequipmentwillbesenthometoclassesprior totheirswimmingblock ISBhasa1hourslotatSlåtthaugswimmingpoolandstudentsare transportedtoandfromtheschoolusingpublictransport

GeneralSupplies

Youcanfindmoreinformation(includingasupplylistforstudents)onourgrades1-5 curriculumatourwebsitewww isbergenno,underthe“LearningatISB”section-Lower School

Supervision

Supervisionfrom07:30-09:00and15:00-16:30isavailableatachargebytrimesterper studentforgrades1through4.

HomeworkPolicyGrades1-5

Indecidingonahomeworkpolicyforgrades1-5,ISBconsideredthefollowing:

● Cross-culturaldatadisprovingtheclaimthatcountrieswhosestudentsdomore homeworktendtobethosewiththebesttestscores

● TopperformingcountrieslikeJapanandFinlandassigninglesshomeworkthan othercountries

● Studiesinvolvingprimaryschoolstudentsfindingnosignificanteffectsongrades andtestscoresbasedontheamountofhomeworkgivenorcompleted

● Studiesshowingthatmanyparentssaytheyhavehadaseriousargumentwith theirchildoverhomeworkthatinvolvedyellingorcrying

● Informationonthebenefitsofchildrenreadingregularlyforinformationandmost importantlyforpleasure,andthatregularpracticeimprovesfluency,word recognition,comprehensionandconfidenceforchildren.

HomeworkforGrades1-4(approximately15-30minutesdaily,includingreading)

Studentsingrades1-4arenotassignedwrittenhomeworkduringtheschoolyear,with occasionalexceptions

Studentsingrades1-4willbeexpectedtoreadonadailybasisathomeduringtheschool week Thiscanbedoneusingachild’shomelanguageaswell

Besidesreading,studentsmayalsobeassignedhomeworktasksthatdonotrequire writing

Examplesofsuchhomeworktasksmightbe:

● Avideotowatchpriortoaclasslesson

● Flashcardstopracticeskills(phonicsormaths)

● Spelling/phonicswordpractice

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● Helpingparentswithcookingameal(forexample,tostudyfractions,measurement, howtowritedownsteps,etc)

● Playinggamestopractiseskills

● Interviewingafamilymemberinconnectionwithaunitofinquiry

● Onlinemathsprogrammetoreinforceconceptsalreadycovered HomeworkforGrade5(approximately15-45minutesdaily,includingreading)

HomeworkforGrade5willfollowmanyofthesameguidelinesashomeworkforgrades1-4, exceptthattherewillbemorewrittentasksinvolved Thisisdonewithaneyetowards preparingthestudentsforGrade6,wheretheywillhavemorewrittenhomework assignments

StudentRecords

Onlyauthorisedschoolpersonnelandastudent’sparentshaveaccesstoastudent’s records Permissionwillbesoughtfromparentsforthetransferofrecordstoanother school SchoolCounsellors

Theschoolcounsellorssupporttheschoolcommunityinhelpingtoensureapositiveand nurturinglearningenvironment,andareavailabletomeetwithstudentsandparents.

IndividualEducationalNeeds

Studentswithindividualeducationalneedsareidentifiedashavingabarriertolearning,or haveexceptionalgiftsortalents AtISB,wetrytoensurethatstudentswithindividual educationalneedsachievetheirpotentialthroughanadaptedormodifieddifferentiated educationalprogramme TheIENSCoordinatorworkswithmembersoftheteachingstaff, individualstudents,andthestateEducational-PsychologicalService (Pedagogisk-PsykologiskeTjenestenBergen-PPT)todevelopappropriateprogrammes

Ingrades1-10,theschooldoesnothavethefacilitiesorresourcestocaterforstudentswith severephysicalorlearningdisabilities,includinglowcognitivefunctioningorconduct disabilities

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IBPrimaryYearsProgramme(PYP)

ISBofferschildrenbetweentheagesof3and11thePrimaryYearsProgramme(PYP) The PYPhasrecognitionworldwideasamodelofexemplaryeducationalpractice.Its philosophyisbasedonconstructivisttheoriesoflearning,whichstatethatchildren constructtheirlearningfromwhattheyalreadyknowandcando.Studentsbuildtheir learningbyfindingtheanswerstoquestionstheyinquireinto Theteachingapproachis transdisciplinarysothattraditionalsubjectsareintegratedintooneanothertohelp studentsappreciatethattheworldisacomplexplaceinwhichitisimportanttosee connections.

ThePYPfocusesonfiveessentialelementsoflearning:

● understandingofconcepts

● acquisitionofknowledge

● masteringofskills

● developmentofattitudesandattributes

● decisiontotakeaction

Theknowledgecomponentisdevelopedthroughinquiriesintosixtransdisciplinarythemes ofglobalsignificance,supportedandbalancedbysixsubjectareas.

Thesixthemesare:

● Whoweare

● Whereweareintimeandplace

● Howweexpressourselves

● Howtheworldworks

● Howweorganiseourselves

● Howwesharetheplanet

Thesixsubjectareasinclude:

● Language

● SocialStudies

● Mathematics

● Arts(VisualArtsandPerforming Arts)

● ScienceandTechnology

● Personal,SocialandPhysical Education

TheIBPYPisaconceptdriven,holisticapproachtoeducationandconsistsoftheEssential Elements:

● ApproachestoLearning

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● Knowledge(TransdisciplinaryThemes/Traditionalsubjects)

● Concepts

● LearnerProfile

● Action

TheIBLearnerProfileistheInternationalBaccalaureate’smissionstatementtranslatedinto learningoutcomes Itisattheheartofthiscommonframeworkandanembodimentof whattheIBmeansby“international-mindedness”.Theseidealsinspire,motivateandfocus theworkofschoolsandteachers,unitingtheminacommonpurpose

Mathematics

Thepowerofmathematicsfordescribingandanalysingtheworldaroundusissuchthatit hasbecomeahighlyeffectivetoolforsolvingproblems.Itisalsorecognizedthatstudents canappreciatetheintrinsicfascinationofmathematicsandexploretheworldthroughits uniqueperceptions.Inthesamewaythatstudentsdescribethemselvesas“authors”or “artists”,aschool’sprogrammeshouldalsoprovidestudentswiththeopportunitytosee themselvesas“mathematicians”,wheretheyenjoyandareenthusiasticwhenexploring andlearningaboutmathematics

IntheIBPrimaryYearsProgramme(PYP),mathematicsisalsoviewedasavehicleto supportinquiry,providingagloballanguagethroughwhichwemakesenseoftheworld aroundus Itisintendedthatstudentsbecomecompetentusersofthelanguageof mathematics,andcanbegintouseitasawayofthinking,asopposedtoseeingitasa seriesoffactsandequationstobememorised

Howchildrenlearnmathematics:Itisimportantthatlearnersacquiremathematical understandingbyconstructingtheirownmeaningthroughever-increasinglevelsof abstraction,startingwithexploringtheirownpersonalexperiences,understandingsand knowledge Additionally,itisfundamentaltothephilosophyofthePYPthat,sinceitistobe usedinreal-lifesituations,mathematicsneedstobetaughtinrelevant,realisticcontexts, ratherthanbyattemptingtoimpartafixedbodyofknowledgedirectlytostudents How childrenlearnmathematicscanbedescribedusingthefollowingstages:

1 Constructingmeaningaboutmathematics:Learnersconstructmeaningbasedon theirpreviousexperiencesandunderstanding,andbyreflectingupontheir interactionswithobjectsandideas Therefore,involvinglearnersinanactive learningprocess,wheretheyareprovidedwithpossibilitiestointeractwith

manipulativesandtoengageinconversationswithothers,isparamounttothis stageoflearningmathematics Whenmakingsenseofnewideasalllearnerseither interprettheseideastoconformtotheirpresentunderstandingortheygeneratea newunderstandingthataccountsforwhattheyperceivetobeoccurring This constructwillcontinuetoevolveaslearnersexperiencenewsituationsandideas, haveanopportunitytoreflectontheirunderstandingandmakeconnectionsabout theirlearning.

2 Transferringmeaningintosymbols:Onlywhenlearnershaveconstructedtheir ideasaboutamathematicalconceptshouldtheyattempttotransferthis understandingintosymbols Symbolicnotationcantaketheformofpictures, diagrams,modellingwithconcreteobjectsandmathematicalnotation Learners shouldbegiventheopportunitytodescribetheirunderstandingusingtheirown methodofsymbolicnotation,thenlearningtotransferthemintoconventional mathematicalnotation

3 Applyingwithunderstanding:Applyingwithunderstandingcanbeviewedasthe learnersdemonstratingandactingontheirunderstanding Throughauthentic activities,learnersshouldindependentlyselectanduseappropriatesymbolic notationtoprocessandrecordtheirthinking Theseauthenticactivitiesshould includearangeofpracticalhands-onproblem-solvingactivitiesandrealistic situationsthatprovidetheopportunitytodemonstratemathematicalthinking throughpresentedorrecordedformats Inthisway,learnersareabletoapplytheir understandingofmathematicalconceptsaswellasutilisemathematicalskillsand knowledge

Astheyworkthroughthesestagesoflearning,studentsandteachersusecertain processesofmathematicalreasoning

● Theyusepatternsandrelationshipstoanalysetheproblemsituationsuponwhich theyareworking

● Theymakeandevaluatetheirownandeachother’sideas

● Theyusemodels,facts,propertiesandrelationshipstoexplaintheirthinking.

● Theyjustifytheiranswersandtheprocessesbywhichtheyarriveatsolutions

Inthisway,studentsvalidatethemeaningtheyconstructfromtheirexperienceswith mathematicalsituations Byexplainingtheirideas,theoriesandresults,bothorallyandin writing,theyinviteconstructivefeedbackandalsolayoutalternativemodelsofthinkingfor theclass Consequently,allbenefitfromthisinteractiveprocess Lastupdated:1June2023

Mathematicsinatransdisciplinaryprogrammeandwhereverpossible,shouldbetaught throughtherelevant,realisticcontextoftheunitsofinquiry Thedirectteachingof mathematicsinaunitofinquirymaynotalwaysbefeasiblebut,whereappropriate,prior learningorfollow-upactivitiesmaybeusefultohelpstudentsmakeconnectionsbetween thedifferentaspectsofthecurriculum.Studentsalsoneedopportunitiestoidentifyand reflecton“bigideas”withinandbetweenthedifferentstrandsofmathematics,the programmeofinquiryandothersubjectareas.

Linkstothetransdisciplinarythemesshouldbeexplicitlymade,whetherornotthe mathematicsisbeingtaughtwithintheprogrammeofinquiry Adeveloping understandingoftheselinkswillcontributetothestudents’understandingofmathematics intheworldandtotheirunderstandingofthetransdisciplinarytheme Theroleofinquiryin mathematicsisimportant,regardlessofwhetheritisbeingtaughtinsideoroutsidethe programmeofinquiry However,itshouldalsoberecognizedthatthereareoccasions whenitispreferableforstudentstobegivenaseriesofstrategiesforlearning mathematicalskillsinordertoprogressintheirmathematicalunderstandingratherthan strugglingtoproceed

Theneedtocommunicateisinstinctive Thedevelopmentoflanguageisfundamentalto thatneedtocommunicate;itsupportsandenhancesourthinkingandunderstanding. Languagepermeatestheworldinwhichwelive;itissociallyconstructedanddependent onthenumberandnatureofoursocialinteractionsandrelationships

Thelearningprocesssimultaneouslyinvolveslearninglanguage aslearnerslistentoand uselanguagewithothersintheireverydaylives;learningaboutlanguage aslearners growintheirunderstandingofhowlanguageworks;andlearningthroughlanguage as learnersuselanguageasatooltolisten,think,discussandreflectoninformation,ideas andissues(Halliday1980) Anappreciationoftheseaspectsoflanguagelearningmay helpteachersbetterunderstandandenhancestudents’learning However,thesethree aspectsaresoinextricablylinkedtheyarebestnotthoughtofasdiscreteprocesses

Languageplaysavitalroleintheconstructionofmeaning Itempowersthelearnerand providesanintellectualframeworktosupportconceptualdevelopmentandcritical thinking IntheIBPrimaryYearsProgramme(PYP),itisrecognizedthattheteachingof languageshouldbeinresponsetothepreviousexperience,needsandinterestsofthe student,ratherthantheconsequenceofapredetermined,prescriptivemodelfordelivering language.Fragmentinglearningintotheacquisitionofisolatedskillsetscancreate difficultiesforlearners forexample,learnersmaybeabletoread,writeandspellwords correctlyinisolationbutmaynotbeabletoread,writeorspellthosesamewordsinother

contexts.Learners’needsarebestservedwhentheyhaveopportunitiestoengagein learningwithinmeaningfulcontexts,ratherthanbeingpresentedwiththelearningof languageasanincrementalseriesofskillstobeacquired.

ThelanguageprofilesofstudentsinPYPschoolsmaybecomplexanddiverse;however, theinfluenceofmother-tonguedevelopmentissignificantforalllearners.Itis acknowledgedthatdevelopmentofmother-tonguelanguageiscrucialforcognitive development,andinmaintainingculturalidentity.Successinmother-tonguedevelopment isastrongpredictoroflong-termacademicachievement,includingacquisitionofother languages

Thecomplexprocessesinvolvedinlanguagelearningrepresentaseriesofdevelopmental continuums Ateacherisabletoidentifywhereonthosecontinuumsastudentis positionedtobetterdesignappropriate,contextualisedlearningexperiences tomovethe studentfromonedevelopmentphasetothenext Inthisway,thelearnerisabletobuildon establishedskillsandunderstanding,whilebeingsupportedtomeetappropriate challengestoextendtheirlearningwithintheir“zoneofproximaldevelopment”(Vygotsky 1999),whichmayberepresentedbymorethanonephase

InPYPschoolsallstudentshavetheopportunitytolearnmorethanonelanguagefromat leasttheageof7.Everylearnerbenefitsfromhavingaccesstodifferentlanguages,and, throughthataccess,todifferentculturesandperspectives Acquisitionofmorethanone languageenrichespersonaldevelopmentandhelpsfacilitateinternational-mindedness. Forthesereasonsitcouldbearguedthatbilingualism,ifnotmultilingualism,isthehallmark ofatrulyinternationallymindedpersonandthatthisrequirementshouldbecentraltoall threeIBprogrammes However,toacceptthispremiseonewouldhavetoargueinsupport ofthereciprocalposition,thatamonolingualpersonhasalimitedcapacitytobe internationallyminded ThisisnotthepositionthePYPhaschosentoadopt Aswellasthe learningofanadditionallanguage,theotherelementsofthePYPframeworkthat contributetointernational-mindednessaredescribedinMakingthePYPhappen:A curriculumframeworkforinternationalprimaryeducation(2007) MostIBWorldSchools implementingthePYP,particularlystateornationalsystemprimaryschools,wouldstruggle tocreatealearningcommunitywherebilingualismwasarealisticgoal indeed,itwould beanimpossibilityinmostcases Consequently,thestrategicgoaloftheIBtobroaden accesstoitsprogrammeswouldbeinconflictwiththenotionofIBWorldSchoolshaving bilingualismasagoalforalloftheirstudents

Effectivelanguageteachingandlearningaresocialacts,dependentonrelationshipswith others,withcontext,withtheenvironment,withtheworld,andwiththeself Suchlearningis relevant,engaging,challengingandsignificant Exposuretoandexperiencewith languages,withalltheirrichnessanddiversity,createsaninquisitivenessaboutlifeand learning,andaconfidenceaboutcreatingnewsocialinteractions Languageprovidesa Lastupdated:1June2023

vehicleforlearnerstoengagewiththeworldand,inanIBWorldSchool,torelateto,and accept,responsibilityforthemissionoftheIBto“helptocreateabetterandmorepeaceful world”.

Languageinatransdisciplinaryprogramme

Languageisinvolvedinalllearningthatgoesoninaschool,inboththeeffectiveand affectivedomains Learnerslisten,talk,readandwritetheirwaytonegotiatingnew meaningsandunderstandingnewconcepts Inthe“knowledge”areaofthePYP,language isthemostsignificantconnectingelementacrosstheschool’scurriculum,bothwithinand outsideitstransdisciplinaryprogrammeofinquiry

Itistheschool’sresponsibilitytoprovideauthenticcontextsforlanguageteachingand learninginallareasofthecurriculumthatareareflectionof,andrelevantto,the communityoflearners,andtotheeducationaltheoriesunderpinningtheprogramme

InPYPschoolsthereshouldbeopportunitiesforstudentstonegotiatetheirroles Literacy, includingoralandvisualliteracyaswellastheabilitytoreadandwrite,becomes increasinglyimportantasgreaterdemandsareplacedonlearnersasparticipantsinthe learningprocess

Languageprovidesavehicleforinquiry Inaninquiry-basedclassroom,teachersand studentsenjoyusinglanguage,appreciatingitbothfunctionallyandaesthetically Thelove andenjoymentoflanguagethroughtheintegrationofliteratureintostudentinquiryisan indicatorofgoodpracticeinaPYPclassroom Forexample,thismayinclude:aseriesof booksreadasanauthorstudy;regionalfairytalesaspartofaunitofinquirywitha particularsocialstudiesemphasis;discussingascientist’sbiographyoranewspaper articletofront-loadascienceinvestigation;earlyyearscountingstoriesasreinforcement formathematicsdevelopment;andthecomparisonandpracticeofillustrationtechniques toencouragethedevelopmentofartskills

Theprogrammeofinquiryprovidesanauthenticcontextforlearnerstodevelopanduse language Whereverpossible,languageshouldbetaughtthroughtherelevant,authentic contextoftheunitsofinquiry.Theteachershouldprovidelanguagelearningopportunities thatsupportlearners’inquiriesandthesharingoftheirlearning Regardlessofwhether languageisbeingtaughtwithinoroutsidetheprogrammeofinquiry,itisbelievedthat purposefulinquiryisthewayinwhichlearnerslearnbest Thestartingpointshouldalways belearners’priorexperienceandcurrentunderstanding

Whenteachersplanlearningexperiencesthatenablelearnerstodeveloplanguagewithin meaningfulandenjoyablecontexts,learnersareabletomakeconnections,applytheir

learning,andtransfertheirconceptualunderstandingtonewsituations.Thisprogressive conceptualdevelopment,togetherwithanenjoymentoftheprocess,providesthe foundationforlifelonglearning.

Englishlanguagesupport–ELS

EnglishisthelanguageofinstructionatISB StudentswhocometoISBwithoutfluencyin Englisharegiventhehelpnecessarytoensurethattheycanfullybenefitfromtheschool programmeasquicklyaspossible Helpgivenmaybeintheformofin-classsupport, separateELSlessonswithaspecialistteacher,analternativeprogrammeinEnglish Languageclasses,oracombinationofthetwo

Theschool’ssystemforassessingELSstudentshasbeendevelopedbasedonthe EuropeanLanguagePortfolio,theAmericanWIDA(World-ClassInstructionalDesignand Assessment)andtheIBdocumentation

Norwegian

NorwegianisthesecondarylanguageoftheschoolandofferedatLanguageAandB levelsstartingfromGrade1 ThreehoursofNorwegianismandatoryforallstudentsstarting fromGrade1,whichadditionallyhasafocusonNorwegianCulture

NorwegianAforgrades1-5followsthePYPphasesforthesubjectLanguageArtsin conjunctionwiththeNorwegianNationalCurriculum

NorwegianBisforstudentsenteringISBfromGrade1onwardswithlittleornoNorwegian language TheyreceiveinstructionseparatelyfromNorwegianAstudentsandare assessedusingNorwegianLanguageArtsBobjectives Theemphasisisplacedon teachingthestudentstherudimentarylanguageskillstoenablethemtofunctionin everydaysociety

ThenationaltestinreadingforGrade5isheldinNovember AllLanguageAstudentssitfor thesetests OtherLanguageBstudentsmaysittestsatparentalrequest Resultsof individualstudentsaresharedwithparents

ThereiscompulsoryNationaldiagnostictestinginGrade3(readingandmathematics)in Norwegian.TheschoolcanchoosetogivedispensationtoLanguageBstudentsifit choosestodoso Theresultsfromthesetestsareusedasoneofmanytoolstoidentifyifa childwouldbenefitfromlearningsupportorfurtherdifferentiationinNorwegianclasses.

Personal,SocialandPhysicalEducation

PSPEisanintegralpartofstudents’everydaylifeatschoolandathome Itisanessential partofthecurriculumand,asstudentsengagewithitacrossandbetweenthesubjects, theycometoadeeperunderstandingofitsrelevanceandapplicabilitytotheireveryday lives.Appropriateattitudesandbehavioursarealsomodelledwithintheschoolandthe schoolcommunity

Studentslearnbestwhenthelearningexperiencestheyengagewithprovidethemwiththe motivationtoachievetheirpersonalgoals PSPEpromotestransdisciplinarylearning throughthetransdisciplinarythemes,thelearnerprofileandallelementsofthe programme Schoolsthathavelocaland/ornationalcurriculumrequirementsshould articulatehowbestthesecanbeincorporatedintotheirplanningandteachingofPSPE

IncludingPSPEinanintegratedapproachtothecurriculumguidesthestudents’learning processinallthesubjectsandbeyondschool Thisapproachprovidesopportunitiesfor collectiveandcoordinatedimplementationthatcanbecommunicated,understoodand undertakenbythewholeschoolcommunity PSPEoffersaneffectivevehicleforopeningup healthydialoguebetweenschoolandhome.Inthisway,schoolandhomemayfunctionas partnersineducation,makinglearningmorerelevanttothechildand,therefore,more effectiveandenduring.

RegardlessofwhetheraspectsofPSPEarebeingtaughtwithinoroutsidetheprogramme ofinquiry,purposefulinquiryisstillconsideredtheprincipalwayinwhichstudentslearn. Thestartingpointforalllearningshouldalwaysbethestudents’priorexperienceand currentunderstanding Whenteachersplanlearningexperiencesthatenablestudentsto developpersonally,sociallyandphysically,studentsareabletomakeconnections,apply learning,andtransferconceptualunderstandingtonewsituations

Carefullyselectedchildren’sliteraturecanprovideusefulsupporttolearningandteaching aboutPSPE Storiesandpoemscanbereadtointroducenewareasoflearningorto provideapromptfordiscussionamongthestudents ManyoftheattributesoftheIB learnerprofileareclearlyvisibleinarangeofchildren’sliterature,andstudentsare encouragedtorecognizetheseattributes,aswellastheattitudes,inthecharactersofthe literatureselected

PhysicaleducationinaPYPschoolshouldbemorethanjuststudentparticipationinsports andgames Itspurposeshouldbetodevelopacombinationoftransferableskills promotingphysical,intellectual,emotionalandsocialdevelopment;toencouragepresent andfuturechoicesthatcontributetolong-termhealthyliving;andtounderstandthe culturalsignificanceofphysicalactivitiesforindividualsandcommunities.Therefore,inthe PYP,thereshouldbespecificopportunitiesforlearningaboutmovementandthrough movementinarangeofcontexts.Studentsofallabilitiesarechallengedtoimprovetheir

movementskills,buttheyarealsosupportedandencouragedtoenjoyphysicalactivity andseeitaspartofahealthyandactivelifestylewithconnectionstootherareasofthe curriculumandcommunity.Inaddition,outdooreducationandtheskillsneededtocoexist inournaturalenvironmentareincorporatedinthePSPEcurriculumandthelearningis takenoutsidewheneverpossible.

TheArts

ArtsareintegraltothePYP Theyareapowerfulmodeofcommunicationthroughwhich studentsexploreandconstructasenseofselfanddevelopanunderstandingoftheworld aroundthem Artsprovidestudentswithawiderangeofopportunitiesandmeansto respondtotheirexperiencesandengagewithhistorical,socialandculturalperspectives Thestudentsarestimulatedtothinkandtoarticulatetheirthoughtsinnewways,and throughavarietyofmediaandtechnologies

ThePYPrecognizesthatnotalllearningcanbesupportedsolelythroughlanguage,and thatartsasamediumofinquiryalsoprovideopportunitiesforlearning,communication andexpression.Learningaboutandthroughartsisfundamentaltothedevelopmentofthe wholechild,promotingcreativity,criticalthinking,problem-solvingskillsandsocial interactions.

InthePYP,artsareidentifiedasdance,drama,musicandvisualarts Eachoftheseartsisa significantdisciplineinitsownright,butthetransdisciplinarynatureofartsgivesthem relevancethroughoutthecurriculum Artspromoteattitudessuchasempathyand appreciation,andskillssuchasanalysis,thathelpustoseetheuniquenessofeachperson aswellasexplorethecommonalitiesthatconnectus

Workinartsisawayofconveyingmeaning,sharingaculture,developingone’ssenseof self,andexpandingknowledge.Itprovidesopportunitiestoreflectonaestheticexperience, toengagetheimaginationandexplorewhatisuncertain Throughengagingwithand creatingartworks,learnersareencouragedtoreconsiderfamiliarconceptsandthink aboutissuesofcultureandidentity

Byrespondingtotheworkofotherartists,theyareinvitedtosituatetheirowncreativity withinabroadercontext Inourrapidlychangingdigitalage,studentsinhabitaworld saturatedwithimages,soundsandperformances.StudentsinthePYPcontinuallyexplore imaginativeusesofnewmediatoolsbeyondtheirbasicfunctionalapplications, discoveringalternativeorindividualwaystoconceptualisetheroleofdigitaltechnologies intheirlives Lastupdated:1June2023

Theartsdevelopinnovativethinkingandcreativeuseoftechnologies,andinsodoing preparestudentstoparticipatefullyinthismultifacetedworld TheIBlearnerprofileis integraltolearningandteachingartsinthePYPbecauseitrepresentsthequalitiesof effectivelearnersandinternationallymindedstudents Thelearnerprofile,togetherwiththe otherelementsoftheprogramme knowledge,concepts,skillsandaction informs planningandteachinginthearts

Artsengagestudentsincreativeprocessesthroughwhichtheyexploreandexperimentin acontinualcycleofactionandreflection SuchcreativeprocessesareseenbythePYPas thedrivingforceinlearningthroughinquiry Fromanearlyage,studentshavethe opportunitytodevelopgenuineinterests,togivecarefulconsiderationtotheirlearningand tobecomeself-criticalandreflective Reflectingonandevaluatingtheirownlearningand thelearningofothersisvital,andempowersstudentstotakeintellectualrisks

Exposuretoandexperiencewithartsopensdoorstoquestionsaboutlifeandlearning The processofmakingandappreciatingartsisgratifyingandwillencouragestudentsto continuecreatingthroughouttheirlives

Studentsdrawonawiderangeofstimuli:thecreativeworksofprofessionalartists; contemporaryandhistoricalliterature;music,artwork,danceandstories Dance,drama, musicandvisualartworkdevelopnaturallyfromstudents’ownimaginations,observations, real-lifeexperiences,feelings,valuesandbeliefs Introducingissuesandconceptsthrough appropriatemediagivesthemmeaningandallowsstudentstotakeownershipofthem.

Evidenceofstudents’learningwillbeseenintheirwillingnessandabilitytotakeactionin ordertomakeadifferenceintheworld

SocialStudies

SocialStudiesobjectivesareinquiredintoviatheunitsofinquiry,andincludethefollowing subjectstrands:

Humansystemsandeconomicactivities:Thestudyofhowandwhypeopleconstruct organisationsandsystems;thewaysinwhichpeopleconnectlocallyandglobally;the distributionofpowerandauthority

Socialorganisationandculture:Thestudyofpeople,communities,culturesandsocieties; thewaysinwhichindividuals,groupsandsocietiesinteractwitheachother

Continuityandchangethroughtime:Thestudyoftherelationshipsbetweenpeopleand eventsthroughtime;thepast,itsinfluencesonthepresentanditsimplicationsforthe future;peoplewhohaveshapedthefuturethroughtheiractions.

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Humanandnaturalenvironments:Thestudyofthedistinctivefeaturesthatgiveaplace itsidentity;howpeopleadapttoandaltertheirenvironment;howpeopleexperienceand representaplace;theimpactofnaturaldisastersonpeopleandthebuiltenvironment.

Resourcesandtheenvironment:Theinteractionbetweenpeopleandtheenvironment; thestudyofhowhumansallocateandmanageresources;thepositiveandnegative effectsofthismanagement;theimpactofscientificandtechnologicaldevelopmentson theenvironment.

TheSocialStudiesskills(fromtheIBPYPSocialStudiesContinuum)taughtthroughouttheIB PYPare:

● Formulateandaskquestionsaboutthepast,thefuture,placesandsociety

● Useandanalyseevidencefromavarietyofhistorical,geographicalandsocietal sources

● Orientateinrelationtoplaceandtime

● Identifyroles,rightsandresponsibilitiesinsociety

● Assesstheaccuracy,validityandpossiblebiasofsources

Science

Scienceobjectivesareinquiredintoviatheunitsofinquiry,andincludethefollowing subjectstrands:

Livingthings:Thestudyofthecharacteristics,systemsandbehavioursofhumansand otheranimals,andofplants;theinteractionsandrelationshipsbetweenandamongthem, andwiththeirenvironment.

Earthandspace:ThestudyofplanetEarthanditspositionintheuniverse,particularlyits relationshipwiththesun;thenaturalphenomenaandsystemsthatshapetheplanetand thedistinctivefeaturesthatidentifyit;theinfiniteandfiniteresourcesoftheplanet

Materialsandmatter:Thestudyoftheproperties,behavioursandusesofmaterials,both naturalandhuman-made;theoriginsofhuman-madematerialsandhowtheyare manipulatedtosuitapurpose

Forcesandenergy:Thestudyofenergy,itsorigins,storageandtransfer,andtheworkit cando;thestudyofforces;theapplicationofscientificunderstandingthroughinventions andmachines.

Lastupdated:1June2023

TheScientificskills(fromtheIBPYPScienceContinuum)taughtthroughouttheIBPYPare:

● Observecarefullyinordertogatherdata

● Useavarietyofinstrumentsandtoolstomeasuredataaccurately

● Usescientificvocabularytoexplaintheirobservationsandexperiences

● Identifyorgenerateaquestionorproblemtobeexplored

● Planandcarryoutsystematicinvestigations,manipulatingvariablesasnecessary

● Makeandtestpredictions

● Interpretandevaluatedatagatheredinordertodrawconclusions

● Considerscientificmodelsandapplicationsofthesemodels(includingtheir limitations)

Lastupdated:1June2023