Today parents came in for their first 3-way conferences at OIS JVLR. Parents and their children reflected on strengths and challenges and reviewed the goals that students had set with their teachers. 3-way conferences are a conversation between students, teachers and parents and help support the school-home partnership as well as give students a sense of ownership in their learning. 

Students confidently talked with their parents about their "stars" and "wishes" and asked parents for their support at home. Teachers mentioned how they can support their students with specific strategies, ideas, etc...

We will be sending out a feedback form and would love to hear from families your impressions about the conference and how we can improve for the next one. Thank you for supporting your children and their learning at OIS JVLR.

Last week, over 300 parents came through the JVLR campus to understand more about the curriculum, learning spaces and to step inside their children's world at school. It was great meeting parents, talking with them and building our school-home partnership. We will continue to offer parent education workshops and book studies throughout the year so parents too can be lifelong learners. See the parent workshop link on the right hand side.
 
Thank you to all who attended. For those that missed the event, see the photos below. Also, for those that really want to watch it again or if you missed it, here is a video of the primary years presentation.
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Finally, see the 2 slideshow presentation links here if you are interested in reading more about the curriculum in early years or primary years:

Early Years Curriculum Morning Presentation
Primary Years Curriculum Morning Presentation

Also, parents have been asking to read more about the curriculum. Please see our academic handbook for more information. 
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Today saw our celebration in school of Hindi day.  Students spent time teaching other students about this important event and they also organised games for the children to play.  Great to see cross grade collaboration!

One of the things we want to promote at OIS is a drive for action and social responsibility. In fact, it's one of our core values. We value the ideas that individuals have the ability to change the world and the group has the power to make this a reality.

Today Grade 5 PYP students and Grade 8 MYP students sorted the collections from the school that have come in this past week to donate to Kerala. Food, clothing, toiletries--essential supplies collected by the OIS JVLR community to give to the people of Kerala. The students were amazed by the collection--how much they received in such a short time.

Due to the unfortunate situation, students were able to take action and quickly. They created a video and then spread the word to children and their families. Over 3 lakh people as of mid-August were rendered homeless. We hope our small donation can help, and we have seen how individuals can help the world and a group can make it a reality.
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Letter sent to all parents and families, August 23, 2018

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year at OIS JVLR. Students are settling, inquiry is happening, new students have joined and everyone is making friends. Now in our second year, the building is fully complete, and our building is alive with not only 427 early years and primary students, but with middle school students in grades 6-8 as well.

I am Kristen Blum, and I will be facilitating the curriculum as PYP coordinator at the JVLR Oberoi Campus. Last year, the Head of Primary, Lisa Hughes and I helped facilitate the opening of the JVLR campus, and we’re excited to see it growing and budding with a culture of compassion, inquiry and respect. I have been teaching and coordinating in international schools for the last 12 years in Asia and my daughter has been in the PYP, MYP and now DP her entire schooling. I’ve seen how she has grown into a confident, critical, creative thinker and collaborator.

This year will be an exciting one as we apply for authorization to be an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) school. We have a consultant from the IB who will be visiting in November, helping us to prepare for our authorization. Our plan is to apply for authorization in April 2019 and be authorized by late 2019/early 2020. We started the school with the intention of becoming a fully authorized programme and are working hard to make this happen. As a parent, you will receive updates and be involved in the process.

Our first curriculum mornings are mentioned below. Please look for the workshop sign ups as we want to ensure space for all to attend.

September 10: Early Years Curriculum morning:  Collaborative Learning Spaces (8 a.m., followed by classroom visits)
September 11: Primary Years Curriculum morning (8 a.m., followed by classroom visits)
October 8, 10, 15, 17: Inquiry workshops on how we teach for any interested early years and primary parents (8-9:15 a.m.) Please only sign up for one as they will be identical. Limited to 30. Hands-on and interactive workshop about how we teach.
October 22: PYP workshop for parents new to the PYP.  New Parents only
November 2: Learner Profile workshop for parents. Limited to 30.

What’s happening right now in early years and primary:
The year started off with a few weeks of settling in, getting to know each other, teachers, new friends, and the school culture. It’s important in an inquiry-based programme, such as the PYP, takes time to “get personal.” What this means is that teachers are getting to know their students as individuals and learners. Everyone has looked at the learner profile, a set of attributes that help develop an internationally-minded individual and reflected on their understanding and where they see themselves as learners right now.

The learner profile is a set of 10 attributes that are important across all IB programmes and serve as a guide to develop international mindedness. Those attributes are to be caring, open-minded, principled, risk-takers, balanced, knowledgeable, inquirers, thinkers, communicators and reflective. “All teachers have a responsibility to assess student development in the context of the IB learner profile; it affects all students throughout the programme.” (Making the PYP Happen, December 2009)

Now, learners across the grades are starting their inquiries.

In the PYP framework, learners not only learn content but focus on essential elements of learning: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action. They learn knowledge and as importantly, students will learn how to learn so that they can be lifelong learners.

“The programme supports the student’s struggle to gain understanding of the world and to learn to function comfortably within it, to move from not knowing to knowing, to identify what is real and what is not real, to acknowledge what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. To do this, the student must integrate a great deal of information, and apply this accumulation of knowledge in a cohesive and effective way.” (Making the PYP Happen, December 2009)

The PYP focuses on big ideas or themes throughout the year. These are the same for each grade level across all IB PYP schools; however each grade level approaches the theme in a developmentally appropriate way that builds on the previous year’s learning. These themes guide learning. Students will learn languages, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, the Arts and Physical, Social and Personal Education in the context of these themes whenever possible.

The big ideas or transdisciplinary themes of the PYP are the following:

Who We Are
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental,social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where We Are in Place and Time
An inquiry into orientation in place and time;personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How We Express Ourselves
An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings,nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How the World Works
An inquiry into the natural world and its laws;the interaction between the natural world(physical and biological) and human societies;how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How We Organize Ourselves
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Sharing the Planet
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

These themes were chosen by the IB through extensive research and have global significance and explore commonalities of human experience. Below are the grade levels’ first units and ideas which will start off the year.  These units were refined and created by staff at the end of the academic year 2017-2018. They were chosen to be engaging, relevant, challenging and significant. For the full programme of inquiry, please see: JVLR Programme of Inquiry 2018-2019 PDF.

Nursery
Who We Are
Aug.27-Nov. 2
Everyday I can learn about who I am

• How I am growing and changing
• Myself as a part of a group
• Being independent

Self-management and social skills

JKG
Who We Are
Aug. 27-Nov. 2
Play is an opportunity to grow and connect with others

• Ways that people play
• Learning through play
• Building relationships through play

Self-management and social skills

SKG
Who We Are
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
Our actions have an impact on ourselves and others

• My interactions with others
• Cause and effect
• Choosing to act responsibly

Self-management and social skills

Grade 1
Who We Are
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
Everyone can be a lifelong learner

• Personal abilities and interests
• Learning from our experiences
• The ways people learn

Self-management and thinking skills

Grade 2
Who We Are
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
Choices in daily routines impact people’s health

• Daily habits and routines
• Balanced choices
• Consequences of choices

Thinking skills

Grade 3
How We Organise Ourselves
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
Technology has changed the way humans communicate with each other and the world

• Evolution of technology
• The impact of technological advances on communication and communities
• Responsible use of technology

Self-management and research skills

Grade 4
Where We Are in Place and Time
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
Human migration is a response to various factors.

• Reasons for human migration
• Migration throughout history
• Influence of migration

Social skills

Grade 5
Where We Are in Place and Time
Aug. 13-Sept. 20
The Earth’s physical geography has an impact on human interactions and settlements

• The variability of physical geography around the world
• The relationship between location and settlement
• Physical changes in the Earth due to natural and human causes

Thinking skills and research


Stay tuned for more from each class on Seesaw, a platform for sharing school information as well as your child's learning. Unit letters will be sent, starting with unit 2.

For more information on the curriculum, please join us for curriculum mornings and our inquiry workshops this semester. Join in parent book clubs. Volunteer in your child’s class or around school.

We look forward to sharing your child’s learning journey together and ask for your support and trust.

Dear Parents, Friends and Families,

Parents and students alike are asking, "when will we start learning?"  The past few weeks have been about transitions and settling-in.  Without a healthy and positive community of learners, learning simply doesn't happen, so all students have been involved in various activities and learning engagements of getting to know their community; this is an essential part of their learning and allows them to become familiar with the different Approaches to Learning (ATL's).
Collaboration is an essential component to making learning happen in an inquiry school, so just like the students, the staff have also been 'getting to know one another.'  In a recent staff meeting, our fabulous PSPE team organised a game of 'Koh Koh' for teachers, not only did we have a lot of fun but we learnt more about each other through a very physical activity!
This week has seen many Grades begin a unit with a 'provocation,' something to get the students motivated with their upcoming unit, start sharing what they know already and begin to ask questions.  The students confidence and curiosity stems from having them feel safe in their learning environment, hence the need to spend time creating positive class communities.
Our youngest learners have been making themselves familiar with their immediate environment and getting to know the adults and children they are working with.  In their collaborative learning spaces, our Early Years have been curious explorers of their environment and enjoying getting to know different resources.

We are providing many more wonderful workshops for parents this year, please check some of the dates below and we will share more details closer to the dates.

Thanks for your help and support and trusting us to look after your most prized possessions.

Lisa Hughes
Head of Primary @ OIS JVLR Campus 

Dear Parents, Friends and Families,

It is hard to believe that we have completed 1 year at JVLR.  It seems like only yesterday that students were walking through the doors to celebrate the 1st day of school.
We have packed so much into this first year and we hope to add to the many wonderful things that we have done this year, next year.
Next year,  parents will have easier access to calendars and assessment feedback as well as events; these will be shared on Managebac.  There will be more timely notification of events, more performances, more parents workshops, more class visits, swimming for our SKG- Grade 5 students, a new cafeteria, more books in the library, more effective use of SeeSaw with input from specialists, our first Grade 5 classes will be open, our PYP Consultation Visit in November, a refined programme will be in place for all students, more resources and easier accessibility to Information Technology, amongst many other improvement will be in place for next year.
We will increase our student population from Nursery to Grade 5 in Elementary.  At the moment we expect a total count of 415 + students, increasing from 15 to 25 classes. 
One of the major changes for our Early Years division will be the setting-up of collaborative classrooms.  The walls will be open and students will have many opportunities to work with each other and with different teachers.  Each student will have a 'point of contact teacher,' someone who will know your child very well and who will be your main means of communication next year.
Collaborative classrooms will also happen in Grade 5.  We are taking the opportunity of a new division to give students the opportunity to work with others.  Throughout the year, we will be showcasing to parents what this means for our students.

As you set off for holidays, or whether you are staying in Mumbai, leaving us or moving to OGC, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our parent community for the wonderful support you have given this year and we look forward to another successful year next year!!

​Miss Lisa

At OIS, we encourage students to live the learner profile. It's embedded in everything we do. We also have social responsibility as part of our mission statement: we value that individuals have the ability to change the world.

We want students to develop attitudes toward people, the environment and learning like confidence and curiosity, empathy, respect and independence.

Just recently, one of our youngest learners, Rishabh in SKG, exemplified the epitome of a principled student who is independent and able to communicate well to others. On his way in to school for "fun day," walking in on his own from his car, he was carrying a game. He met up with a friend on the way in who had forgotten his toy or game. When his friend complained that his mother had forgotten to pack his game, Rishabh quickly replied: "You know that it's not your mother's responsibility. It's your responsibility."

Hearing those words made me smile and think about how much our kids have grown this year. They've grown from nervous, often crying young children into confident children who understand responsibility. Our youngest learners are now proudly walking up and down the stairs, putting away their supplies, cleaning up after each other, asking questions and caring for each other.

All of the students have learned the importance of collaborating in teams. They've taken trips into the community to learn outside of school. They've taken action. First grade have started to collect paper for recycling. 4th grade have put in compost bins for snack time. They've been out to the beach to clean up rubbish and written letters and communicated with administration about their needs and desires.

We will get a chance on June 1st to recognize our students' first year and applaud their growth. As we settle in to the end of the school year, we need to celebrate our children, not only the knowledge they've gained, but their growth toward being an internationally minded citizen who wants to change the world.