The Primary Years Programme (PYP)

In May of 2004, the Mt Zaagkam International School began the authorisation process for becoming an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) school. With this decision came the appointment of a Primary Years Program Co-ordinator. The key role of the co-ordinator is to support and facilitate the IB/PYP and the Program of Inquiry and lead future curriculum development initiatives. MZIS gained authorization to deliver the PYP in June 2008. 

The School Staff works diligently to provide an exemplary IB/PYP and Program of Inquiry. The hours of professional development, team planning and communication within and across the grade levels has never been higher. Striving toward the goal of developing an exemplary IB/PYP School curriculum requires collaboration, compromising and problem solving.Building upon the previous curriculum and incorporating the concepts of the IB/PYP and Program of Inquiry has led to the development of a curriculum which reflects the standards and expectations of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Unlike some curriculums, the IB/PYP is viewed as a living document. Alterations will be made for the purpose of enhancing and increasing the depth of student learning. 

Schools which participate in the PYP commit themselves to the development of academic standards at the primary level which are as rigorous as anywhere in the world. The administration of MZIS, recognising the need for and potential of this program, is committed to becoming a fully authorised PYP school. 

The philosophy of the Primary Years Program, as it directly affects children, is expressed in a series of ten desired attributes and traits which the IB calls, the PYP Learner Profile. The PYP strives to have students become: 

Inquirers: Their natural curiosity has been nurtured. They have acquired the skills necessary to conduct purposeful, constructive research. They actively enjoy learning and their love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. 

Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to make sound decisions and to solve complex problems. 

Communicators: They receive and express ideas and information confidently in more than one language, including the language of mathematical symbols. 

Risk Takers: They approach unfamiliar situations without anxiety and have the confidence and independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are courageous and articulate in defending those things in which they believe. 

Knowledgeable: They have spent time in our school exploring ideas which have global relevance and importance. In doing so they have acquired a critical mass of significant knowledge. 

Principled: They have a sound grasp of the principles of moral reasoning. They have integrity, honesty, and a sense of fairness and justice. 

Caring: They show sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a sense of personal commitment to action and service. 

Open-Minded: They respect the views, values and traditions of other individuals and cultures and are accustomed to seeking and considering a range of points of view. 

Well-Balanced: They understand the importance of physical and mental balance and personal well being. 

Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and analyse their personal strengths and weaknesses in a constructive manner. 

PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY (POI) - THE CURRICULUM MODEL 

The IB/PYP curriculum model has structured inquiry at the centre of learning and teaching for the following four reasons: 

·         Children are active inquirers by nature. The big ideas, the subject matter and skills theyare learning must engage them and empower them to control themselves and theirworld. Encouraging them to inquire is a central part of motivating and inspiring them tolearn.

·         Children must be challenged to learn about topics and ideas which take them beyondtheir normal interests and their current understanding of the world. They must bechallenged to think in new ways about the familiar, to make connections, to see thingsfrom different points of view, and to think about how they know what they think theyknow. They must be challenged to meet standards which are age appropriately difficult,in the sense that all .good. education takes people beyond what they think they can do.

·         Children do not see knowledge as belonging to different disciplines. This meanslearning cannot always be as neat and tidy and separate as our adult minds have beentrained to think of science, history and math. Children learn best in context and whenthey can apply their learning to relevant situations.

·         Children, especially international children, come to school with different levels of priorknowledge and ability. This is recognised and built upon within the group learningsituation. It means listening and responding to other students’ inquiries and learningfrom each other, not only from the teacher. 

Within the PYP, inquiry is the cornerstone of critical thinking and real world problem solving. There are usually no correct answers, only better answers. Students are encouraged to ask questions that challenge the text books, current practices and other people’s statements (including the teacher’s). They also question why something is worth learning. Students learn there is no such thing as an irrelevant question, but there are questions which may have no answers right now. Six organising questions provide the framework for the exploration of knowledge. Teachers are guided by these questions as they design units for study, called Units of Inquiry.  

Six Units of Inquiry are studied in one school year, one unit for each of the organizing questions. Each unit lasts about 6 weeks and students explore conventional subject disciplines through these questions, often in ways which transcend these conventional school subjects. 

Significant features of the Program of Inquiry 

·         It is a coherent, six year program planned and taught across the grades and across the subjects.

·         It is made up of transdisciplinary units developed around organising questions which are of importance in understanding ourselves and our world.

·         These units represent a selection of important knowledge from the traditional school subjects of history, geography, science, literature, art, math and language but transcend these subjects.

·         Each unit of inquiry focuses on depth of study rather than coverage of many topics. 

While the guidelines for the Program of Inquiry are provided by the (International Baccalaureate Organisation) IBO, the actual program is developed by each school taking into account the host country, location, school population and local circumstances. 

Inquiry is a tool and a way of thinking in the PYP. Not everything is learned in the transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry. MZIS continually reviews grade level objectives for language, mathematics, the arts, information retrieval (computer and library) and physical education . When appropriate these objectives are learned in the context of the transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry. For example, Grade 2 students understand linear measurement through the construction of kites in the unit Is Air There? 

Not everything is best learned through the Units of Inquiry. Some specific aspects of what parents probably think of as the basics: reading, writing and mathematics are more appropriately learned in their own right and there are “stand alone” lessons for some math, reading and writing topics. While taught outside of the Programe of inquiry, the inquiry approach is also used , along with other instructional techniques in these areas. The IB/PYP emphasis is always on relevance of the learning to the learner. 

Assessment in the PYP  

Assessment in the PYP is not something that comes at the end of a unit, but is a continuous process throughout the unit. Continuous assessment enables teachers to plan learning experiences that respond to the variety of needs, strengths and achievements of children. In order to assess children accurately, assessment starts with an evaluation of the prior knowledge of the learners. Assessment at MZIS is ongoing, is within the context of what is being learned, and is comprehensive.  

How Parents Can Support Children’s Learning at MZIS: 

·         Maintain regular contact with school through the study book and personal contact with the teacher

·         Show enthusiasm about school and school based activities by asking questions about their current Unit of Inquiry

·         Share books with your children, reading the books they read and discussing them together

·         Speak with your children about their interests and activities Support your child with homework and research projects

·         Provide an appropriate place and routine for homework

·         Encourage children to take responsibility for their own time management

·         Attend curriculum and parent teacher meetings and conferences

LANGUAGE ARTS (English) IN THE PYP 

The PYP recognises that the developments of children’s first and subsequent languages are fundamental, to all school learning. Without the necessary language skills children cannot understand and develop new ideas and concepts. The process of disciplined talk/ classroom discussion and the transference of this talk to paper, thinking on paper. demand a mental effort that is the basis of the educational process. (The mental activity involved in this process, through talking, listening, thinking and writing, can only take place with the use of language.) The implications in terms of PYP classroom practise is clear: there must be time for disciplined discussion, for writing lists, for grouping and ordering ideas, for drafting and redrafting, for rearranging ideas and refining thoughts. These activities, take place not only in language classes but also in social studies, science, mathematics, physical education and music, across the curriculum. Language development is central to educational progress. All teachers are language teachers; all students learn through language. 

In addition to learning how to use language to learn, children also learn about the language. The PYP encourages children to experiment with language: to write for a variety of purposes and for a variety of audiences, adjusting the style accordingly. As well as personal expressive writing found in all elementary schools, PYP develops factual and explanatory writing. Awareness and increasingly accurate use of the conventions of written language, that is grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, spelling and punctuation is an important part of the PYP language programme. The PYP recognises the importance of mastering these conventions and also recognises that they are most successfully taught in the context of meaningful communication rather than in isolated practice drills. Children learn to read and write in the same way they learn to speak, naturally and slowly, in meaningful contexts, using increasingly accurate approximations of adult norms. 

The PYP is also aware of the special role language plays in international schools. Increasing facility in the mother tongue maintains cultural identity, emotional stability and creates a sense of belonging. The acquisition of more than one language, English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or Bahasa Indonesian as the Host Country Language, enriches personal growth and encourages understanding of other cultures. 

The PYP also emphasises the need for children to be brought into contact with quality literature. By reading, and listening to books being read, children’s imaginations are developed. They can explore ideas and feelings that they may be unable to experience first hand, and they are made aware how ideas and images are created by language. 

The Changing emphasis in Language Teaching 

INDONESIAN AS THE HOST COUNTRY LANGUAGE 

The PYP recognises that language, humans major means of thinking and communicating, is fundamental to learning, permeating and underpinning the whole curriculum. International schools have a special responsibility to recognise and support their students in the learning of the host country language. The acquisition of the host country language enhances cognitive growth; enriches the personal experience of living in the host country, allows students to communicate and socialise with their host country schoolmates and in their local community; gives a deeper awareness of cultural values and traditions and of social norms different from their own. 

Learning another language also brings greater awareness and understanding of one’s home language and how it works and of one’s own culture and cultural identity. The primary focus of the Bahasa Indonesian as the Host Country Language curriculum is to facilitate student understanding and the use of spoken Indonesian. Reading and writing Indonesian are also taught but the emphasis of the program is on confident, fluent oral language use. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught in an integrated and interactive manner. 

Learning Indonesian as the host country language can be broken down into the following areas:

a) Learning how to use Indonesian in everyday situations, for social interactions and in leisure activities. Topics will include: making friends and visiting, shopping and money, clothes, weather, the seasons, food and eating out and leisure time activities;

b) Learning about Indonesia and Indonesian culture, its customs, traditions and holidays, literature history and geography;

c) Learning about the Indonesian language and how it works compared to other languages;

d) Learning through Indonesian about the personal, social and scientific worlds in close collaboration with the School’s transdisciplinary Program of Inquiry.

We want children to understand that the sounds of Indonesian are different from the sounds of English and other language. Children become familiar with the sounds of Indonesian and develop a feeling for them. At first they will begin to understand key sounds. Some children will imitate the teacher or their friends and gradually use single words or sentences they have heard often. Their development of Indonesian will proceed just like the development of their mother tongue. 

The Home Connection for Indonesian the Host Country Language 

When learning Indonesian as a foreign language, it is important for a child to feel supported at home. By setting a positive example, parents can demonstrate how important they believe success in learning Indonesian to be. Parents often take lessons of their own which may relate to what is learned in the classroom. You may take your child to the local library, where appropriate Indonesian books can be borrowed. To aid understanding, it is advised to visit local museums, see movies in Indonesian, and watch Indonesian television (especially cartoons), join a local sports club or team sport, and encourage your child to make an Indonesian friend in your neighbourhood. Invite Indonesian friends from school to visit your home and accept invitations for your child to visit their homes.By making language learning a valued aspect of living in Indonesia, your child will be more able to acquire the host country language with relative ease and speed. 

How Indonesian is Taught to Children in the Early Childhood Classes 

EC children have Indonesian two times a week. EC children learn most effectively in a stable peer group. Consequently the classes are not separated into native / non native groupings. Rather, the students remain in their class groups and learn from the Indonesian teacher and each other. Formal language instruction would be age inappropriate for children at this age. From the Student’s perspective the lessons are playful and informal. Students engage with Indonesian through stories, drama, finger plays, arts and crafts. They learn by listening and doing.  

MATHEMATICS IN THE PYP 

The PYP views mathematics not as a fixed body of knowledge to be transmitted but as a way of thinking and a language for making meaning. Mathematics helps children to make sense of the world, to describe and to analyse and to solve problems. When learned through its relationship with the real world mathematics becomes meaningful to young children. They can construct their own awareness of its use and its importance to them. 

The mathematics scope and sequence identifies the major expectations considered essential. These expectations are arranged into five strands. In Number and Pattern and Function students enquire into our number system, its operations, patterns and relationships. This is where students become fluent users of the language of mathematics as they learn to use its symbols and conventions, and to ’play’ with numbers as mathematicians do. 

The remaining strands, Data Handling, Measurement, and Shape and Space are the areas of mathematics that other disciplines, such as the social and natural sciences, use to research, describe and represent aspects of their domains. Topics in these three strands are best learned by being used in meaningful contexts in and across those disciplines. Mathematics provides models, systems and processes for handling data making and comparing measurements and solving spatial problems. As a discipline, mathematics has no interest in, or ability to determine the content of charts, graphs, tables, shapes or measurements. The content must come from the subject of study. Children become confident mathematical thinkers when they need mathematics to collect, organise and interpret data, and when they create and solve problems they believe to be important and perceive as relevant. They view themselves as measurers when they choose what to measure and decide on the best tool and procedure to use.  

The Learner Profile In The Context Of Mathematics  

SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE PYP 

Social Studies is the study of people in relationship to their past, their environment and the society they live in. We aim to help students develop their personal, family, ethnic and cultural identities; to make informed and reasoned decisions and judgements about the nature of their classroom and home and the social world in which they find themselves; and to understand themselves in relation to their past. 

The PYP social studies program is also specifically international. It teaches tolerance of diversity: cultural diversity, social diversity and gender diversity. It actively values all cultures and all people. Emphasis is placed on the reduction of prejudice and discrimination within the classroom, the school and the world. It goes beyond respecting and valuing people’s right to be different. It is grounded in a strong, unequivocal stand for universal human rights, justice and equality. If a difference occurs between the values of a specific culture and universal human rights, PYP social studies leads students to value the universal, while respecting the perspective of the specific culture. 

The pluralistic nature of communities within and among nations, and the relationship between local and global concerns and issues, is addressed through the study of the host society, in the case of MZIS through Indonesia, through the students own cultures and the cultures of people not directly represented in the school community. PYP social studies leads a diverse student body to a wide understanding of humankind and what it is to be human. It does all this through an inquiry approach in which students create their own awareness and understanding. Students and teachers, develop historical, geographical and social concepts which are necessary to understand today’s rapidly changing world and the societies within it. 

The Learner Profile In The Context Of Social Studies 

OUTLINE OF THE SCOPE OF SOCIAL STUDIES at MZIS 

SCIENCE IN THE PYP The MZIS/PYP science curriculum is based on inquiry which stimulates and challenges students to observe the world around them and to think of reasons why the natural and physical world they observe is as it is. Students are guided to formulate questions about the natural world, to share their prior understanding, to plan, to predict, to experiment, to collect and record data and to attempt interpretations of that data. They are encouraged to present their findings in a variety of ways, thereby communicating to others their findings and providing evidence of their understanding. The emphasis is on hands on experimentation; a personal construction of knowledge leading to understanding both the process of scientific thought and the physical world.  

The Learner Profile In the Context of Science 

 AN OUTLINE OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SKILLS 

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS IN THE PYP 

Since the dawn of history, the arts have been a vital part of the human experience. They satisfy a basic need to express deep feelings and big ideas in ways that require no words. They also provide a balance in the curriculum that is important for the development of the whole person. At MZIS., the arts include music, drama, and art. These disciplines are presented as both independent and integrated curricula. Through integration the arts will often serve to enable students to construct greater meaning about a topic they are investigating in other subjects. As much as possible, classroom teachers work with specialist teachers of the arts to make the student learning experience one that is creative, relevant and engaging. 

The following components are emphasised throughout the teaching of music, drama, and the visual arts. 

Artistic Perception

·         Organises and utilises elements of art to express personal ideas, feelings, responses, and moods in abstract and concrete styles

·         Develops abilities to express self artistically in a variety of ways for a diversity of purposes and audiences ·         Uses the vocabulary appropriate to the artistic discipline. 

Creative Expression

·         Expresses ideas through the artistic process, in visual, aural, and physical ways

·         Understands the concept of originality

·         Uses problem-solving techniques that demonstrate understanding of artistic process 

Historical and Cultural Contexts

·         Understands the relationship between the arts and the community

·         Recognises likenesses and differences in the arts of different cultures

·         Studies examples of the arts from a variety of different cultures to develop appreciation and individual taste 

Aesthetic Values

·         Discusses perceptions and observations using the vocabulary of the arts.

·         Discovers aesthetic qualities in all types of art forms

·         Appreciates the diversity and appeal of the various art forms

·         Understands the relationship between the arts and other subject areas

·         Appreciates and participates in live performances, and in displays of artistic projects 

TECHNOLOGY IN THE PYP 

Students are taught the basic skills of computer technology through their direct application to context learning in the classroom curriculum. By approaching technology in this way, students are able to see the immediate need to discover more about how computers can assist and enrich their learning. Throughout their years at MZIS., students are exposed regularly to a wide variety of computer programs, through which they develop both technical skills and context area reinforcement. 

By the end of Elementary School; students will have achieved a basic competence in word processing, data handling, following programme instructions, and computer graphics. We feel it is important that children acquire a degree of confidence and comfort as users of technology. Wherever possible, we utilise meaningful connections between computers and all areas of the academic curriculum. To support this at home, parents can provide access to a computer and programs with educational value for their children. 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE PYP 

The aim of physical education at MZIS. is to foster a positive lifelong attitude towards physical fitness. Through developmentally appropriate activities, sports, and exercise instruction, students are encouraged to develop enthusiasm for physical activity. A sense of fair play, an understanding of sportsmanship, and a respect for team/ class- mates and the rules of the game, are all cultivated throughout the P.E. program, from EC to Fifth Grade. Students are encouraged to acquire new levels of skill and fitness, which are appropriate for their age and level. At home, parents can encourage their children to choose physical activities as part of their daily after school routine. 

Skills within the Physical Education Programme 

·         Demonstrating continuing age-appropriate personal growth in levels of fitness, such asaerobic activities, activities to promote muscular strength and endurance, and those whodevelop speed and agility

·         Demonstrating age-appropriate movements, including locomotor, non locomotor,manipulative, static and dynamic

·         Demonstrating age-appropriate basic skills involved in various sports and exercise relatedActivities

·         Demonstrating age-appropriate basic understanding of individual and team supports,including their basic rules and objectives, and how to play

·         Recognising the importance of safety related rules in P.E. class

·         Demonstrating a developing ability to think consciously about a game or physical activity

·         Demonstrating increasing skill levels in ball and racquet sports, according to grade leveland the student’s individual physical ability and development 

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) Students, who enter Mt Zaagham International School with English as their second, or perhaps third language, may require specialised language support in learning English, for a year or more. We provide such students with a learning environment that enables them to develop their skills in an atmosphere of positive, natural language acquisition. Through a wide variety of small group activities, including speaking and listening, dramatising, writing and reading, students are able to grasp the language in an appropriate developmental approach.

Parents of students who receive ESL support will be informed of their child’s progress and will know when their child no longer requires such support. At that time, students who .graduate. from ESL participate in the regular Grade level programme. Our goal is to enable students to reach a sufficient level of English to allow full participation in the mainstream curriculum as soon as possible. 

ESL students are introduced to topics through which vocabulary, structure, and languageconcepts are taught. Support may also be given in those subject areas taught in the homeroom class, especially in the areas of social studies and science. 

Parents with a child in ESL can be most supportive of language development by ensuring that the child’s first language is developing strongly. For example, with such activities as reading books in English and the home language, parents should encourage discussion of what their child has read. Parents can provide children with rich learning experiences outside of school, and be understanding that there will likely be a period of silence. when the learner is not yet comfortable with speaking English. Parents can also model the speaking of another language by socialising with speakers of other languages, and inviting their child to do likewise. 

Children should have a good dictionary at home, plus other learning resources such as encyclopedias, magazines, as well as non-fiction and fiction books in English. Most importantly, be encouraging, and let your child know you have confidence in his or her ability to acquire the language.

Please click here to watch a short video about the IB Learner Profile