Elementary Sports Day
A thorough round of applause for our elementary students who gave it their all at the sports day today. The students had a great time participating and the adults seemed to have an equally great of a time watching the event. A big thank you to our parents who were out in full force supporting their children and in some cases, even jumping in on an activity or two! We are impressed by your enthusiasm!
Lots of photographs to come in next weeks issue of the The GAAzette
Lots of photographs to come in next weeks issue of the The GAAzette
PYP News
Inquiry based learning in the Elementary classroom
At GAA our teachers spend time ‘tuning in’ to students’ thinking early in an inquiry The early phase of inquiry (often referred to as ‘tuning in’) is commonly seen as a time in which to engage students – often by ‘immersing’ them in experiences related to the topic. This phase, however, is also critical as a kind of ‘reconnaissance’ time. Here, we encourage students to share the conceptions and misconceptions they have and to make ‘visible’ their current thinking about the subject/question. This can be a challenging phase for a teacher because it requires a deliberate ‘stepping back’ as students theorize, hypothesize and wonder. The work that is produced at this stage can activate powerful reflective thinking later in the inquiry as it is returned to and self assessed. When they can compare their earlier and later thinking they become more conscious not only of what they have learned but of how their thinking has changed along the way. Using structured learning journals is useful way to document changes in thinking and understanding as a unit progresses.
This movie from Mr Farrow and his students demonstrates what the tuning in phase of the inquiry cycle looks like in a PYP classroom. Sofia Lyons, IB PYP Coordinator
At GAA our teachers spend time ‘tuning in’ to students’ thinking early in an inquiry The early phase of inquiry (often referred to as ‘tuning in’) is commonly seen as a time in which to engage students – often by ‘immersing’ them in experiences related to the topic. This phase, however, is also critical as a kind of ‘reconnaissance’ time. Here, we encourage students to share the conceptions and misconceptions they have and to make ‘visible’ their current thinking about the subject/question. This can be a challenging phase for a teacher because it requires a deliberate ‘stepping back’ as students theorize, hypothesize and wonder. The work that is produced at this stage can activate powerful reflective thinking later in the inquiry as it is returned to and self assessed. When they can compare their earlier and later thinking they become more conscious not only of what they have learned but of how their thinking has changed along the way. Using structured learning journals is useful way to document changes in thinking and understanding as a unit progresses.
This movie from Mr Farrow and his students demonstrates what the tuning in phase of the inquiry cycle looks like in a PYP classroom. Sofia Lyons, IB PYP Coordinator
IB Learner Profile of the month - February - Risk Taker
Students will have the confidence to try new things. They try to solve problems in a lot of ways. They have the courage to tell people what they think is right.
Activities for Parents:
If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage them to attempt it and then reflect on both whether they liked the activity and how it felt to try something new.
You child might want to set some short-term goals. Consider activities that make him/her nervous. What are realistic goals for the week? Your child might set a goal to:
- Offer an opinion in class
- one recess with someone they might not usually play with
- Order something different from the lunch menu
- Try an activity they haven’t tried before
- Be careful to explain to your child the difference between being a risk-taker by trying new things and doing dangerous things.
Students will have the confidence to try new things. They try to solve problems in a lot of ways. They have the courage to tell people what they think is right.
Activities for Parents:
If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage them to attempt it and then reflect on both whether they liked the activity and how it felt to try something new.
You child might want to set some short-term goals. Consider activities that make him/her nervous. What are realistic goals for the week? Your child might set a goal to:
- Offer an opinion in class
- one recess with someone they might not usually play with
- Order something different from the lunch menu
- Try an activity they haven’t tried before
- Be careful to explain to your child the difference between being a risk-taker by trying new things and doing dangerous things.
Kindergarten Corner