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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
JKG Who We Are Aug. 27-Nov. 2 Play is an opportunity to grow and connect with others
SKG Who We Are Aug. 13-Sept. 20 Our actions have an impact on ourselves and others
Grade 1 Who We Are Aug. 13-Sept. 20 Everyone can be a lifelong learner
Grade 2 Who We Are Aug. 13-Sept. 20 Choices in daily routines impact people’s health
Grade 3 How We Organise Ourselves Aug. 13-Sept. 20 Technology has changed the way humans communicate with each other and the world
Grade 4 Where We Are in Place and Time Aug. 13-Sept. 20 Human migration is a response to various factors.
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
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. Comments are closed.
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Lisa Hughes
Primary Head
Matthew Hoerr
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