Michelangelo International Elementary School

Primary Years Programme

Our Mission Education, Commitment, Excellence Michelangelo International Elementary School provides

an inclusive collaborative learning environment that merges both the Quebec Educational Program and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

We are committed to provide our students with academic excellence, to challenge them with high quality education and to develop lifelong learners by creating an environment of respect and intellectual curiosity.

 

OUR VISION Give students the foundation to develop and

enhance communication, thinking, research, social and self-management skills. Students will continue to be motivated life-long learners with a better understanding and respect for the local, regional and international world.

 At Michelangelo International Elementary

School, we foster international- mindedness through education, commitment and excellence.

Points of Interest

Students at Michelangelo International Elementary School are encouraged to be curious about the world around them through an inquiry-based education, where they learn to explore, ask questions and be inquisitive.

At Michelangelo International, learning is done through units of inquiry prepared by the teachers. Teachers select themes (units of inquiry) that they know will motivate students to learn.

Program of InquiryUnits of inquiry are age appropriate and varied.

Each unit of inquiry supports students’ interests. These units help students build their self-esteem and confidence.Units of inquiry in Kindergarten: All About Me,

Children’s Toys and Games, Happy Feet, Oviparous Animals, School, My Backyard Garden

Units of Inquiry in Grade 1: Nursery Rhymes, Family, Where the Wild Things Are, Cycles, Community Workers, The Farm

Units of Inquiry in Grade 2: Exploring Friendships, Land Before Time, Once Upon a Time, Magnets, Water on Our Planet

Units of Inquiry in Grade 3: Roles and Relationships, Countries Different Yet Similar, Creative Expressions, Who’s Who in the Animal World, What’s School All About, Precious Resources

Units of Inquiry in Grade 4: Beliefs and Strange Phenomena, Society and Change, Stories from Around the World, Earth, Moon and Sun, One Hand Helps Another, A Safe and Healthy World

Units of Inquiry in Grade 5: World Religions, Heroes, Communications, Transformation of Vegetation, You Are What You Eat, Waste Management

Units of Inquiry in Grade 6: Human Rights and Activists, Ancient Civilizations, Unfortunate Events, Adolescence, Our City, Endangered Species

Our teachers and administration have taken over 40 courses with IB and SEBIQ as on going professional development to be able to implement the Primary Years Programme (PYP) as required by IBO and will continue to attend professional development workshops.

Our IB Facilitator trains daycare educators and lunch supervisors as well.

Students are encouraged to get involved in community service.

The school is supporting Free the Children. We have helped build a school in Kenya and our students are presently helping raise funds to build a well in Kenya.

An annual Blood Drive is held with HEMA Quebec. Students help prior and during the drive.

What is the International Baccalaureate Organization?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an international non-profit educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1968 in Geneva, IB offers three educational programmes for children ages 3–19.

The Primary Years Program (PYP)-for students 3-12 years old

The Middle Years Program (MYP)-for students 12-16 years old

The Diploma Program (DP)-for CEGEP students There are over 2 000 authorized IB schools in over 130

countries.

The Mission Statement of the IBThe International Baccalaureate aims to develop

inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

What is the “Learner Profile”?

These are elements determined to be most important in creating positive and productive citizens of the world. The learner profile is central to the PYP definition of what it means to be internationally minded, and it directs schools to focus on the learning.

At Michelangelo International the Learners Profiles are posted everywhere are constantly being made reference to. Teachers and students make reference to them in the curriculum and also when dealing with conduct. They are present in student agendas as well.

IB learners strive to be: Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Principled Communicators Open-minded

Caring Reflective Balanced

Risk-takers

IB “Attitudes”? It is vital that there is also focus on the

development of personal attitudes towards people, towards the environment and towards learning, attitudes that contribute to the well-being of the individual and of the group. By deciding that attitudes need to be an essential element of the program, the PYP is making a commitment to a values-laden curriculum.

 

Appreciation – Seeing and being thankful for the wonder and beauty of the world and its people.

 Commitment – Being responsible for my learning, showing

self-discipline, and perseverance. Confidence – Knowing I can do it, having courage to take

risks, using what I have learned, and making good choices. Cooperation – Working with others and being willing to lead

or follow as needed. Creativity – Using my imagination while thinking and doing

things.

Curiosity – Being curious about the nature of learning, about the world and cultures.

 

Empathy – Being able to put myself in someone else’s place in order to understand her or him.

 Enthusiasm – Being excited about learning and life.

Independence – Thinking and acting on my own. Integrity – Being fair and honest. Respect – Showing that I can care for others, our world

and myself. Tolerance – Understanding, appreciating, and celebrating

differences in each other.

We solicit parental involvementThis is what we ask parents to do:

Know the profiles and attitudes and use the vocabulary with your child when it fits the situation.

Encourage your child to ask questions; model this for him/her as well as how to go about finding the answer.

Nurture your child’s interests and curiosity; talk with him/her; take your child to the library to find out more.

Catch your child showing one or more of the IB PYP profiles. Make sure your child knows that he/she has done something good. Your approval is a powerful way to reinforce the elements of the learner profile.

Work with your child to improve their listening skills. Being a good listener is an important part of communicating with others.

Encourage your child to read books that are related to the current unit of inquiry being covered in school.

Help your child to become a better thinker by allowing him/her to solve problems and make decisions on his/her own.

Direct quotes given by different members of the community: “They express themselves and are curious about the world around them”,

“They often ask questions regarding their environment and world news they hear on TV”

“I believe that having a PYP program orientation has helped instil creativity, curiosity, and self esteem with my daughters. I also believe that the parents and home environment play an even higher role in our children’s education.”

“I have a seen Matthew grow in knowledge on things usually reserved for grown-ups, his different projects have given him exposure to areas in the world that were non-existent to me. I believe Matthew is a more socially responsible person because of the learning he has received through this program, he values more causes and acts more responsibly around the house. He is also more compassionate and interested in learning new things. He also asks us a lot of questions regarding different things, whether reading, watching television or travelling.”

“ My daughter is more inquisitive and she is more self sufficient, in the sense that she is now more apt to try to figure something out on her own by doing the necessary research and doing a “trial and error” type approach, rather than asking for a set of instructions and someone holding her hand every step of the way.” 

“Students are more independent when working, much more inquisitive and ready to do the research on their own. They have a sense of pride and are able to communicate their ideas much better; they know what they want to learn and are eager to find out more about each unit.”

Why IB-PYP? Much research is being conducted on how students learn today and

how to prepare them for an ever-changing world. We believe that every child can be motivated to learn the skills

needed to be successful. A researcher and expert in the field is Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director

of Harvard's Change Leadership Group. In his thoughtful analysis of future industry needs and education

readiness studies, Dr. Wagner has identified the 7 must-have skills (COMPETENCIES) of the future:

Critical thinking and problem-solvingCollaboration across networks and leading by influenceAgility and adaptability Initiative and entrepreneurialismEffective oral and written communicationAccessing and analyzing informationCuriosity and imagination

The IB PYP program starts preparing the student for the future... right from the beginning.

They learn the competencies needed to be

successful while being respectful, compassionate, productive and responsible global citizens .

They will also be involved in creating a better, more peaceful world.